Vail 2024

[volcanohunter]

There is a biennial festival of contemporary dance held in Lyon, part of a larger festival of contemporary art. It won't feature any classical ballet, but it does feature a lot of big names. The next festival will take place in September 2025.

https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/en/danse 

[volcanohunter]

If wall-to-wall galas are more your thing, there is the World Ballet Festival which takes place in Tokyo every three years. The festival is taking place now, so the next should take place in 2027.

https://www.nbs.or.jp/english/stages/

Tokyo is a less expensive destination than is generally assumed. I'm not a gala lover, and summers in Tokyo are brutally hot, so I would be more inclined to find a good combination of performances by the National Ballet of Japan, Tokyo Ballet, K-Ballet and/or Asami Maki Ballet. Usually tickets for performances at the New National Theatre and Bunka Kaikan can be bought online via an English interface.

[cobweb]

While we have a day off (there's a free performance in a nearby town, but we're going to skip that one), I wanted to gather my thoughts and make a few more comments on the performances I've seen. I'll go in reverse order. And while I am very familiar with ballet and the NYC dancers we see all the time, I feel less comfortable commenting on dancers, and dance forms, that I know less about, so I'll be more general there. 

Last night we attended Dorrance Dances at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, in Beaver Creek. This is pretty close by, but it was a challenge to figure out how to get there without a car. No one at Vail Dance seemed to have any clue as to what to suggest. We almost resorted to taking a Lyft. But after stopping at the village Welcome Center and calling the county bus service, both very helpful, it turned out to be a fairly simple, and free, matter of taking the county bus to the Beaver Creek shuttle bus. The theater itself is a jewel box in the European model, with the balcony high and fairly close to the stage. I don't know much (don't know anything!) about tap, so I'll just say that it seems incredible. The first half was more obscure, as one piece blended imperceptibly into the next and I wasn't sure what the meaning of it was, but it was engrossing and intriguing nonetheless. The second half was devoted to honoring tap forebears, riffing on their works, and that was both informative and entertaining. The closer featured "body percussion," which involves sounds made via the body -- striking the hands, striking the body, and use of the mouth. To me it's incredible, but doesn't have the same allure as tap. 

Yesterday afternoon we attended Watching Dance with Heather Watts. More on that later. 

[cobweb]

Comments on Watching Dance, with Heather Watts chatting with and coaching the dancers. This was held in the pleasant small theatre at a local private high school. Unlike the other programs which featured a range of dance styles, this was primarily ballet. There were about 15 dancers present, warming up at the barre. Heather introduced each of them briefly, in a very positive and supportive way. There followed several snippets of coaching, some fairly short and others longer. First up was Jules Mabie and Lauren Collett in a segment from the Sugarplum Fairy & Cavalier pdd. My oh my Collett is beautiful. She has a beautiful instrument for ballet, with super-long legs and arms, and a perfectly stunning, elegant arabesque. Mabie looked very poised and elegant. I may not be remembering all of the snippets, but there were a few sections from Who Cares?, including Mayfield Myers (corps de ballet, Philadelphia Ballet), and India Bradley (with Philip Duclos?). Then a snippet from Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux with Olivia Bell and Philip Duclos, both looking wonderful, super fresh and crisp. (Heather said, "Look out, Tiler and Roman!") Gilbert Bolden and Jules Mabie both looked great doing a section from Bolden's new work, which debuted at Fire Island a few weeks ago. We saw two dancers from Ballet X, Savannah Green and Jerard Palazo, as well as a wonderful freelance (?) dancer, Spencer Lenain. He apparently has a large following on Insta and TikTok. He did a piece of his own choreography, which was lovely and his way of moving was beautiful. Another dancer previously unknown to me is Kayla Mak, Vail Dance's "Scholar-in-Residence." She is finishing up at Juliiard and will join ABT's Studio Company. She has been in several pieces over the past few days and is a very engrossing, interesting dancer. I look forward to seeing her at ABT eventually! The longest section coached was India Bradley and KJ Takahashi doing the pdd from Rubies. They apparently are just learning it so it was a work in progress, but fun to see Heather coaching it. This is a good role for Bradley, and Takahashi also looked good and can benefit from the experience partnering. I look forward to seeing this in full over one of the weekend performances. Finally, we were running out of time, so there was no coaching, just a run-through of the MIdsummer Night's Dream divertissement pdd for Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan. GREAT. 

Overall, a very fun event. I might have preferred fewer snippets, but longer (like they did with the Rubies pdd), but I guess that would give fewer dancers the chance to be showcased. This was also just over an hour, and IMHO they could have let it run longer. Also, Heather said at one point that although ballet has changed and grown a lot, some things have been lost. She wasn't taking questions, but I nearly raised my hand anyway, to ask: what has been lost? I remain curious!

Edited August 2 by cobweb

[Fernie M]

Spencer Lenain was last year’s “Scholar in Residence.”

[cobweb]

6 minutes ago, Fernie M said:

Spencer Lenain was last year’s “Scholar in Residence.”

Thanks for that info, he seems very talented and I hope he establishes a career where we can see him often. 

I also wanted to mention that Philip Duclos, who I had never heard of before but has been making a great impression, has a video on his Insta Reels showing a rehearsal for his solo in La Sylphide here. You can see his lightness, beautiful carriage and batterie. 

[Fernie M]

I agree completely about Philip Duclos. He really has matured in the last year or so. Beautiful dancer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9-0d6VyxFw/?hl=en
Philip Duclos La Sylphide rehearsal 

Edited August 1 by Fernie M
N

[cobweb]

To catch up with my postings before I get swamped with weekend performances, let me get back to Tuesday night, when we had the "Dance for $20.24" program. This is so named because of the ticket price. The first half of the program was six short pieces/excerpts. Most notable was "1903," a solo by Twyla Tharp to Randy Newman songs. We were told this had only ever been performed by Twyla before, until now. It was taken on by Daisy Kate Jacobson, another case where my strict focus on ballet has kept me ignorant of a great performer. Jacobson performed a segment of this earlier in the week, and the full piece tonight, and not only is the choreography full of interest, pathos, and humor, Jacobson strikes me as a performer of the most committed and engrossing kind. Kudos to her. Also of interest was "Fancy Me" a short confection full of fun for the delightful Olivia Bell and KJ Takahashi. Rounding out the first half of the program, we had Gilbert Bolden's new piece "Refraction"; the intriguing 2nd movement of Barber Violin Concerto with a bold, daring Sara Mearns and Gilbert Bolden; an excerpt from "Honey" (unknown to me) for Savannah Green and Jerard Palazo of Ballet X; and an original tap number by the other Scholar-in-Residence, Emiko Nakagawa. As I said above, I know nothing about tap but this piece struck me as original and interesting.

The second half of the program was Colorado Ballet doing Serenade. The corps had done Serenade on opening night, but with principals from the big NYC companies. Here, the company used their own principals. I especially liked the Russian girl, Asuka Sasaki, full of personality and verve; and the beautiful Dark Angel, Alexandra Wilson. This was a beautiful, very moving performance in a beautiful setting, leaving me sniffling and teary at the end. 

And getting back to the "Myths by Legends" program, my original comments failed to mention the intriguing Limon Company version of Orfeo and especially, the powerful, heroic central performance of Joey Columbus. And to reiterate, Joseph Gordon did a beautiful job with Apollo. His ability to express nobility and grandeur, while still appearing touchingly vulnerable, was perfect here. 

[California]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

The second half of the program was Colorado Ballet doing Serenade. The corps had done Serenade on opening night, but with principals from the big NYC companies. Here, the company used their own principals. I especially liked the Russian girl, Asuka Sasaki, full of personality and verve; and the beautiful Dark Angel, Alexandra Wilson. This was a beautiful, very moving performance in a beautiful setting, leaving me sniffling and teary at the end. 

I'm glad to hear Colorado Ballet did well. Asuka is one of my favorites. Alexandra is only a soloist! The company does one Balanchine ballet each year and Serenade every three or four. I don't know if the Trust sends out a stager when a company has done a ballet like Serenade so often. Judith Fugate set Concerto Barocco several years ago.

[lmspear]

On 7/31/2024 at 6:28 PM, cobweb said:

We've enjoyed it so much, that my partner is wondering about what other festivals there might be out there that we would enjoy, in the US or Europe. I told him I would ask on BA. Could be dance, theatre, music, or any combo. Does anyone have recommendations for festivals that are travel-worthy?

These are oldies but goodies. 

Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires https://www.jacobspillow.org/

American Dance Festival at Duke U in Durham, NC. https://americandancefestival.org/

The American edition of the Spoleto festival in Charleston, SC https://spoletousa.org/

The original in Italy
https://www.festivaldispoleto.com

 

Edited August 3 by lmspear
Add url

[cobweb]

Thanks to @imspear, @volcanohunter, and @dancemom for the festival suggestions. Wow! Tokyo is pretty far afield for us, but all these look like great options. If anyone knows of a good theatre festival (particularly Shakespeare-oriented), please post!

Last night was International Evenings of Dance I. I guess I'm getting weary of the festival format, because with 14 different pieces on the program, I started longing for a full-length Sylphide, or Giselle, or anything. Tonight we have International Evenings of Dance Ii and II. First show is at 5, second show is at 8. I'm overwhelmed just thinking about what will probably amount to 25-30 different pieces. Why they schedule it like this is a mystery to me. Why not have one show earlier in the day, like a regular matinee time of 1:00 or 2:00? Then we'd have time to get back to our room for lunch and a rest before coming back. Or have one on Sunday evening? Anyway, it's all fun. 

A few comments about last night, just in the random order things come to my mind. Sara Mearns and Ben Rudisin did the Romeo & Juliet pdd, Ratmansky version. Since I have the MacMillan version stamped in my mind it's hard to form a definite opinion, but I didn't love it on first sight. There were some difficulties with the performance as well -- Sara's dress appeared to be coming unfastened in the back, leading to worries about that and how it might affect partnering. And indeed, something went awry, I couldn't tell exactly what happened but he seemed to be lowering her and she wound up in a tumble on the floor. Immediately recovered. Finally, Sara's characterization reminded me exactly of her look when Titania sees Bottom, and that's not what you want for Juliet. Must be hard to get into characterization when you're only doing a short piece. I hope we see more of Rudisin today, in something where he can dance more, I'd like to get a better sense of him. 

One of the most intriguing pieces on the program was a premiere called "Another Way." Choreographed "by the artists," with Adji Cissoko (Alonzo King LINES Ballet) and Ron Myles, accompanied by the incredible Senegalese musician we saw on opening night, Youba Cissokho, a flute, and a bass-baritone onstage as well. This was a creative and plaintive meditation, slow and controlled and showcasing the dancers' incredible body articulation. Also with interactions between the dancers and the musicians. 

Lauren Lovette and Calvin Royal did the opening pdd from Chaconne. Somehow this was hard to get into while sitting outdoors in broad daylight (we were on the lawn) and surrounded by chattering children and the smell of food. No specific complaints about the performance, but it left me cold. Shortly afterwards, Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan did the pdd from MND divertissement, and although conditions on the lawn were the same, I found them sublime. Rounding out the Balanchine selections were Unity Phelan and Joseph Gordon in Apollo, with her solo and then their pdd (ending with the swimming lesson). Lovely. Somehow at Vail, Unity has seemed more present and engaging than in a lot of recent NYC performances. 

Ukrainian ballroom dancers Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina have been featured several times over the week, and here they did their own choreography. This is a dance form I know nothing about, but they look truly incredible with their intensity and precision. I could watch them all day. They are audience favorites. 

Finally we saw Aran Bell and Catherine Hurlin in Le Corsaire Act 3 pdd. Looking good. My partner had never seen either of them before and has taken a liking to Hurlin for her "lightness of spirit." I agree!

[California]

26 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Last night was International Evenings of Dance I. I guess I'm getting weary of the festival format, because with 14 different pieces on the program, I started longing for a full-length Sylphide, or Giselle, or anything. Tonight we have International Evenings of Dance Ii and II. First show is at 5, second show is at 8. I'm overwhelmed just thinking about what will probably amount to 25-30 different pieces. Why they schedule it like this is a mystery to me. Why not have one show earlier in the day, like a regular matinee time of 1:00 or 2:00? Then we'd have time to get back to our room for lunch and a rest before coming back. Or have one on Sunday evening? Anyway, it's all fun. 

In the past, they only did two International Evenings, one Friday and one Saturday evening. I'm pretty sure this is the first time they added a third show on Saturday at 5. It seemed like a way to get more people onto the program and also sell more tickets. The International Evenings attract Coloradans who only drive in for the weekend, so they seem to be cramming as much onto the schedule as possible. 

[cobweb]

5 minutes ago, California said:

In the past, they only did two International Evenings, one Friday and one Saturday evening. I'm pretty sure this is the first time they added a third show on Saturday at 5. It seemed like a way to get more people onto the program and also sell more tickets. The International Evenings attract Coloradans who only drive in for the weekend, so they seem to be cramming as much onto the schedule as possible.

Even if they have two shows on the same day it would still make more sense to have the first show at a matinee-type hour. People could make it from Denver for a show at 1:00ish, and I'm sure everyone would like a break between shows with enough time to go for a meal. As it is, the break will probably be half an hour to 45 minutes. The whole thing will essentially be a marathon of 5 hours, with what amounts to a long intermission between shows. 

[volcanohunter]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

If anyone knows of a good theatre festival (particularly Shakespeare-oriented), please post!

There is the annual Stratford Festival in Ontario, which always includes Shakespeare, but not exclusively.

 https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/

I soured on Shakespeare's Globe several years ago when the productions became difficult to follow, but I last visited it five years ago. Bear in mind that the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, used in winter, is much smaller than the Globe Theatre, used in summer, and consequently tickets for the first are much harder to get. Also, when booking for the Globe, I recommend taking the back row, because the benches don't have seat backs, and at least in the back row you can rest your back against the rear wall. Plus you're better protected in the event of rain.

https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

It's also possible that the National Theatre, which is also located on the south bank of the Thames, may be presenting a Shakespeare play at the same time. The National Theatre complex includes three stages that are usually working simultaneously. 

https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ 

Edited August 3 by volcanohunter

[Fernie M]

As far as Shakespeare Festivals, throwing in the divine Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. Simply marvelous.
https://www.osfashland.or

[lmspear]

Both in MA near Jacob's Pillow

Williamstown Theater Festival https://wtfestival.org/

Tanglewood https://www.bso.org/tanglewood/

[Fernie M]

How was Who Cares and Giselle? A friend told me most of the audience gave Aran and Mira a standing ovation at the end of the Gisele PdD.

[cobweb]

18 minutes ago, Fernie M said:

 

How was Who Cares and Giselle? A friend told me most of the audience gave Aran and Mira a standing ovation at the end of the Gisele PdD.

 

Mira was breathtaking (although the Vail audience is pretty stand-happy so there’s not a lot of meaning in that). We are traveling home today. I will post some more thoughts about yesterday’s performances in a day or so. 

[California]

The final program Monday night will be livestreamed on YouTube, as it was last year: https://vaildance.org/event/now-premieres-2024/

NOW: Premieres is the Festival‘s annual showcase of commissioned new works, featuring an extraordinary cast of dancers and musicians. Choreographers will include Kyle Abraham, Michelle Dorrance, Lauren Lovette, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Pam Tanowitz, and Artist-In-Residence Jamar Roberts.

[Fernie M]

40 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Mira was breathtaking (although the Vail audience is pretty stand-happy so there’s not a lot of meaning in that). We are traveling home today. I will post some more thoughts about yesterday’s performances in a day or so. 

Thank you so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to let us all know how the performances were. Safe travels..

[vipa]

7 hours ago, cobweb said:

Mira was breathtaking (although the Vail audience is pretty stand-happy so there’s not a lot of meaning in that). We are traveling home today. I will post some more thoughts about yesterday’s performances in a day or so. 

My experience, last year, was that the Vail audience is not your typical dance crowd! Mira Nadon's range seems extraordinary, and she's still just in the early stage of her career!

Have a safe and pleasant trip home, Cobweb. I look forward to your post-Vail thoughts.

Edited August 5 by vipa

[abatt]

One year there was a Vail in New York festival, at NY City Center.  That was great, but I guess there is no money to do that again.  

[volcanohunter]

On 8/4/2024 at 11:50 AM, California said:

The final program Monday night will be livestreamed on YouTube, as it was last year: https://vaildance.org/event/now-premieres-2024/

Apparently this will be the link to the stream when it goes live at 7:15 pm Mountain/9:15 pm Eastern. It will be available on demand until August 13.

 

[cobweb]

International Evenings II and III were held as a "doubleheader," with one starting at 5:00pm and the second at 8:00pm. The shows had no intermissions, so we started at 5:00, got out about 6:45, then had a break till 8:00 and finished about 10pm. This turned out to be more manageable than I thought. Maybe I should have called ahead to find out the running times (to know if we would have time to go for dinner), but in truth, the shows have seemed so last-minute and improvisational that I wasn't sure the box office would have reliable information!

While I'm thinking about the box office, I should mention they were extremely helpful . On opening night when it was pouring rain and we were supposed to be sitting on the lawn, for a virtually sold-out show, a woman in the box office got us reasonably-priced seats (I think they were the ADA last-minute seats). She later gave us excellent "upgrade" seats, adding that if they were TOO close to the stage, just come back and she would change them (no problem there!). On closing night, she recognized us milling about between shows and very friendly asked us how we were enjoying the festival. Way above and beyond what I would expect in New York!

On a final logistics note, I'm sorry to miss tonight's new choreography program. Had it been held last night, we could have stayed one more night and returned home on Monday. But it didn't make sense to wait until Monday for the final performance, then fly home on Tuesday and miss two extra days of work, rather than just the one. Still, if we return next we probably would plan to spend a little more time.

Thanks to all for the info on various festivals. There is obviously a whole world of festivals out there that I haven't explored. Mr Cobweb dragged his feet for months in planning for Vail, complaining about the cost, the altitude, and the hassle of traveling to Vail. Now, he's ready to plan ahead for next year, except he wants to stay longer next time! So while I may want to consider the Oregon Shakespeare Festival next year, I may be forced (no complaints!) into another trip to Vail. 

[cobweb]

A few comments about International Evenings of Dance II. It consisted of seven assorted pieces, followed by the full Balanchine Who Cares? Even though Who Cares? consists of a series of variations, it still felt like a relief to see a full piece through, rather than an entire evening of snippets. 

Olivia Bell and Philip Duclos opened with a pdd from La Sylphide. Both looked very promising, not super polished or deep, but very enjoyable. Tiler Peck "previewed" a piece for Aran Bell, music by Meredith Monk, called "Piano Songs." More interesting than I would have thought, I appreciate her staying with the ballet idiom. Sara Mearns and Gilbert Bolden did an intriguing piece, "In Summer Fields" from Ives Songs, by Jerome Robbins. I have never seen this before, and it was perfect for them. Is anyone familiar with Ives Songs and why is it not done at NYCB? Then we had Catherine Hurlin and Calvin Royal in the MacMillan R&J Balcony pdd. Hurlin was wonderful -- I was rapt and tearing up by the end. "Jukebox 2.0" featured Michelle Dorrance, KJ Takahashi and Memphis jooker Ron Myles showing off/goofing off/having fun in a piece that seemed either improvised, or developed on very short notice. Fun to see. Takahashi has proved himself versatile beyond ballet, doing some kind of modern street dance whose name escapes me. If anyone knows, please help me out here. All I can say is he looks amazing. There was also a "Cunningham MinEvent" featuring a bunch of dancers, and the Swan Lake Act 2 pdd with Adji Cissoko and Ben Rudisin. 

Second half was Who Cares? GREAT to see Robbie Fairchild again, with Lauren Lovette in "The Man I Love." Made me wistful about how much we could have seen and enjoyed from him, had he stayed with NYCB. The other section I'll mention was "My One and Only," danced by Festival Scholar-in-Residence Kayla Mak. She has made a very good impression here, as a lively, energetic, delightfully engaging dancer. We are told she is joining ABT's Studio Company, and I hope to see more of her! 

Will get to Intl Evenings III tomorrow.