California Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) Philadelphia Ballet just announced their 2024-2025 season on Instagram and the web. https://philadelphiaballet.org/24-25-season/ 2024/2025 Season: Le Corsaire October 18-26 George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® December 6-29 Swan Lake : March 6-16 Boléro with Dance Card & World Premiere by Stanton Welch AM March 20-23 La Sylphide with Etudes May 8-11 https://www.instagram.com/p/C4arL7Gvcc_/ I saw their Corsaire a few years pre-COVID and recommend it highly. Back then, their only concession to contemporary sensibilities was renaming Aili as a servant, rather than a slave. I have no idea if they'll make additional modifications, of course. I've already marked my calendar to see what they do with Etudes in May. Another Roxander and several very athletic principals should make that very exciting! Edited March 12 by California Link to comment
wallis Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Thank you @California- I too look forward to the 24-25 season, almost as much as the remainder of this season! It is fun to be a fan and go right from Giselle to the Dance Masterpieces this weekend, though it was a long wait from the Nutcracker to this busy March. I notice this is now the second season of programming with little to no Balanchine works besides the Nutcracker (and this season's Prodigal Son). I wonder what reasoning guides these decisions. Link to comment
abatt Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Corella has transformed the company entirely, including the rep. He is making story ballets a focal point. Although Balanchine is in the DNA of the heritage of this company, it is not part of Corella's heritage as a dancer. He certainly performed many Balanchine works at ABT, but Balanchine is not his priority. Are any of the principal dancers trained at SAB. I don't think so. Link to comment
wallis Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 That makes sense @abatt. There’s lots to look forward to with such a versatile group of dancers, with or without Balanchine. Though his choreo never disappoints me. Link to comment
nysusan Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 I love his plans for next season, and I am going to buy a subscription. Corsaire, Swan Lake, La Sylphide/Etudes & a modern program appeals to me much more than ABT's spring season. It's just a 1 hr 40 minute train ride away. In fact I'm taking that train ride today to see their Dance Masterpieces program. Link to comment
California Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 (edited) I'm a four-hour plane ride away, but plan to go to La Sylphide/Etudes and maybe Swan Lake. Alas, I have an impossible schedule conflict with Corsaire, or I would go to that, too. Casting hint for Swan Lake: Yuka Iseda. I saw her debut in the role when she was a soloist. Blew me away. Can't wait to see her again. https://philadelphiaballet.org/dancers/yuka-iseda/ EDITED TO ADD: I just found what I wrote about Iseda's SL in March 2018. She was in the corps!! Johnson has now retired, of course. Saturday night was Yuka Iseda (a corps member!) with Jermel Johnson (the only African-American member of the company and a long-time principal). What a knock-out performance - truly memorable. Johnson has the stage presence and experience to exude confidence, command, and calm. His technique was a cut above the others. Iseda was a wonder and I hope to see her again some day in another lead role. Every detail was extended, pushed, held, faster, higher, you name it. The white swan PdD was breathtaking -- it was like seeing it fresh all over again. Her Odile was the same - higher, faster, longer, crisper. Oh my. Just gorgeous. And her acting was spot on throughout -- haunted, almost trance-like as Odette, with a sinister, smirking Odile. But she also let us know that Odile was also under Rothbart's spell with furtive glances ("Am I doing what you want?"). Edited March 15 by California Link to comment
wallis Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 The company has announced on Instagram some great promotions in the upper ranks. This is great news for the dancers and the audience- they are quite a dynamic and talented group of dancers. Link to comment
lunaysol Posted May 18 Share Posted May 18 (edited) I think now that the apprentice to Corps promotions have been announced the current roster is more or less complete unless there are new hires over the summer. Some very well deserved promotions - some surprises too. Thays Golz hasn't performed in the last 2 (?) programs which is surprising to me since she debuted Aurora last year and was named the "fan favorite" soloist. Gabriela Mesa not being promoted was also a little surprising to me because Corella casts her a lot and she is quite good. Regardless I am really excited for next season to see how this shakes out for everyone! I'm thrilled about the programming, and I'm looking forward to every show. Edited May 18 by lunaysol Link to comment
California Posted June 30 Author Share Posted June 30 I did not see a general announcement about this, but single tickets (with seat selection!) are now for sale on the Philadelphia Ballet web site: https://philadelphiaballet.org/ Go to the program you want. Then click the performance you want! Link to comment
lunaysol Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Principal casting is up for Le Corsaire: https://philadelphiaballet.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Corsaire-Casting.pdf Some of the leads for the performance I'm attending are Yuka Iseda & Jack Thomas - I haven't seen Jack in much of anything but have seen Yuka many times. Mayara & Arian are big faves of mine so happy to see them performing as well that night. Very excited! Link to comment
California Posted September 11 Author Share Posted September 11 2 hours ago, lunaysol said: Principal casting is up for Le Corsaire: https://philadelphiaballet.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Corsaire-Casting.pdf Note that they call Ali "faithful servant" instead of slave. They made that change several years ago when I saw this production. At an audience Q&A session I asked who decided to make the change. The marketing manager confessed it was his idea! I would love to see this again, but I have an impossible schedule conflict. Do let us know how it goes! Link to comment
cobweb Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Thanks for alerting us that the casting is posted, @lunaysol! I hope to make a day trip to see this. Link to comment
Recommended Posts