NYCB in Madrid on PBS on October 27, 2023

[Dale]

ETA This was originally announced in the season press release but without a date. The New York City Ballet is going to be seen on PBS Great Performances on October 27, 2023. It was filmed in Madrid and features George Balanchine's Serenade and Square Dances as well as The Times Are Racing by Justin Peck.  

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/new-york-city-ballet-in-madrid-about/15047/

The casting is here: 

https://www.medici.tv/en/ballets/new-york-city-ballet-performs-george-balanchine-justin-peck-serenade-square-dance-times-are-racing-teatro-real-madrid

Square Dance excerpt: 

 

[cobweb]

Thanks! I watched the snippet from Square Dance. Huxley and Fairchild look great. 

[Dale]

It seems like it was a Medici TV recording and already available to watch (with some VPN magic and an account). Still, the first time the NYCB is going to be on PBS in a long time, although we were spoiled with those YouTube videos during COVID.

[BalanchineFan]

6 hours ago, Dale said:

It seems like it was a Medici TV recording and already available to watch (with some VPN magic and an account). Still, the first time the NYCB is going to be on PBS in a long time, although we were spoiled with those YouTube videos during COVID.

What fun!! Looks like a great program. I'm not a Medici member so I'll wait until the PBS broadcast. Thanks for the heads up!

[California]

9 hours ago, Dale said:

It seems like it was a Medici TV recording and already available to watch (with some VPN magic and an account). Still, the first time the NYCB is going to be on PBS in a long time, although we were spoiled with those YouTube videos during COVID.

I'm a Medici subscriber and it doesn't seem to be available. But I've marked my calendar for the PBS showing. 

[Dale]

25 minutes ago, California said:

I'm a Medici subscriber and it doesn't seem to be available. But I've marked my calendar for the PBS showing. 

It's a geographic exclusive. Not available in the US but in Europe for Medici subscribers. (you can play around with your location to possibly gain access)

[BalanchineFan]

I really loved this program. If you have PBS Passport it is still available ($10/month). Local PBS stations are certain to repeat it.

Highlights for me where the lovely performance of Serenade, with Unity Phelan, Indiana Woodward, Miriam Miller, Russell Janzen (oh, I miss him!) and Aaron Sanz. Unity and Indiana seem to have blossomed into their roles; full, expansive, alive and totally at ease in every moment.

I also particularly enjoyed the duet between Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia in The Times Are Racing. Perfection! Harrison Coll and Peter Walker danced well, as did the three ladies (Gerrity, Segin and MT McKinnon), but Coll and Walker are so different physically that the unison doesn't come off as spectacularly as with Justin Peck and Robbie Fairchild. I couldn't hear any of the tapping.

I thought the sound wasn't great for Square Dance or for Times Are Racing. It could be that my home TV set doesn't have great sound, or great sound settings, but the orchestra seemed to get softer and softer during the Square Dance finale. Not really helpful as the movement ramps up. Did anyone else have this issue?

[California]

6 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

If you have PBS Passport it is still available ($10/month). Local PBS stations are certain to repeat it.

Alternatively, if you join your local PBS station for one year at $60, it comes with Passport. It's tax-deductible and they have quite a few other dance programs.

https://donate.rmpbs.org/rmpbs/passport-pbs

[Royal Blue]

Ballet in its absolute, pristine form takes place on a stage in front of an audience; its essence requires that it be performed live. Filmed ballet—even if the camera is positioned in the back of the theater and the image of the entire stage remains steady throughout the performance—relates as much to film as it does to ballet. There is simply no equivalent to watching and becoming acquainted with a particular ballet in person. Furthermore, the vantage point from which one views a dance performance matters greatly. No single seat or area of a theater—and by inference, sole viewing—can possibly provide the all-encompassing perspective necessary to fully appreciate the multifarious beauty of a great ballet. For these reasons, the shifting frame aspect one can encounter in a video recording of a specific ballet should theoretically be neither disorienting nor objectionable to anyone familiar with it. Even though it is considered a nuisance by some, a balanced blend of long, medium, and close-up shots is logical and beneficial. Different choices with comparable validity during the filming of the company’s Serenade in Madrid were possible. Those made by the director, however, resulted in a superlative taping of this sublime work. The sheer variety of perspectives on view and the evident advantages afforded by playback made possible the observation of an abundance of exquisite details in the choreography for both the soloists and the corps. Additionally, the gorgeous mix of blue-white, blue, and light green hues reflected in the costumes, backdrop, and flooring, and the contrasting shades of light and dark attained through the lighting, accentuated the pleasure of watching this video.

Those with greater knowledge and experience of Balanchine and the New York City Ballet of past years may lament any erosion in style they perceive in today's performances by the company. And they can pinpoint what went awry or could have been done better in the Madrid performance of Serenade. To me, however, the video recording is intensely beautiful and merits plentiful rewatching. This speaks, naturally, of the greatness of the music and the choreography. Moreover, it is indicative of the quality of the performances by the dancers, including the splendid women of the corps and the outstanding Russell Janzen and Aarón Sanz. Above all, the recording brilliantly captures the art and incandescent beauty of Unity Phelan, Indiana Woodward, and Miriam Miller in a pivotal ballet. There is, emphatically, nothing wrong with watching a ballet or a dancer for the first time at the theater or otherwise. Nonetheless, my appreciation of the video is doubtless immeasurably enhanced by my previous live viewings of Serenade (including this past fall) and my familiarity with the work of all the dancers besides the newest in the corps.  

There was no weakness either in the casting of the two other works in the program, Square Dance and The Times Are Racing. Together, they amount to a handsome bonus. In particular, the execution and clarity of the steps by Megan Fairchild demonstrated what a magnificent role the female lead dances in the enchanting Balanchine. While grateful for the opportunity to savor the many excellent performances in the controversial The Times Are Racing (especially the one by Tiler Peck), the video recording confirmed how critical it is to view this “sneaker ballet” at the theater. Strange to observe, considering that a portion of the audience strongly dislikes it. Nevertheless, Dan Deacon's contentious music is essential to the appeal of The Times Are Racing and is decidedly more impactful when heard in the auditorium.