Let him lead.

Working 15 hour days doesn't leave much room for ballet blogging. But Jared Matthews was such a wonderful leading man in his debut Aminta in ABT's Sylvia Wednesday night, I'd be remiss if I didn't shout it to the blogosphere before his newly scheduled second performance at the Saturday matinee with Gillian Murphy.  

The best and worst of ABT at City Center (October 2012)

So I was absolutely intending to blog about all seven performances of ABT at City Center last week, but I've worked 80+ hours this week and haven't yet had the time to organize all the many thoughts into prose.  So, I thought I'd share some "awards" (most of which were run by and agreed to by my friend and comrade-in-madness for my ballet marathon week).  So here goes (after the jump):

ABT City Center (and Bard) Casting - thoughts?

So the bulk of the American Ballet Theatre fall season casting for City Center just went up online.  Thoughts? Gripes? Cheers?  

Here it is:

Some overdue (sigh) and under-elaborated applause

So I totally fell down on the job blogging during ABT Met season...and pretty much about everything fun I've done since.  Lots of notes, thoughts, floating around in my brain that still need to get put down on "paper"...hopefully I'll be struck with some inspiration soon.  Sometimes I have a nagging feeling that blogging about life takes the life out of my experiences, and I just don't want to share.  I'll be seeing every ABT performance at City Center in October (I got a little swept up in the moment when my friend suggested that insanity) - so I'm hoping to be back up and running before then.

A few under-elaborated thoughts to tide you over - 10+ positive things that have stayed with me now almost 8 weeks removed from ABT Met season 2012:

A little love letter to the ballet.

For those of use who love ballet, it can be so hard to understand why the rest of the world doesn't see what we see, can't feel what we feel.   How do most people not experience the same overpowering physical exhilaration we feel when merely sitting and watching, yes watching, a ballet dancer living their dream on stage?  The freedom when technique meets ability meets passion in just one human being on the stage ripples out into the audience and fills every muscle, every cell in my body with energy and implausible possibility.  

Perhaps this what other people feel when watching athletes like Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Nastia Liukin or Dara Torres.  But while I root for these athletes and love to watch them strive, the feeling I get as a spectator is so different than watching ballet.  I feel nerves and hopes for these athletes, I feel the stress of pretending my will as a spectator can help them win, but still I don't feel their work with them.  But when I watch Marcelo Gomes in an abstract contemporary piece (or almost anything really), or Alessandra Ferri as Manon, or Julie Kent's sheer strength during the endless, countless overhead lifts in Lady of the Camellias, or Ethan Stiefel as Albrecht in Giselle, or Simone Messmer in this November's Volpi pas de deux, or Stella Abrera in Meadow or as Emilia in Othello, or Ulyana Lopatkina as Giselle, or Michael Trusnovec from Paul Taylor Dance, or so many more....I can't explain how but I think I get just a little bit of what they must be feeling while flying or turning, while forcing extreme tension into their limbs to make the tiniest moves important, while living so inside the music that it appears to be emanating out of their bodies rather than the orchestra pit, while letting everything go, to make the biggest leaps soar.

Have love for ABT soloists....will travel.

So while time and money cruelly prevented me from traveling to New Zealand this fall to see Stella Abrera's much-praised debut season as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty with Ethan's Stiefel's Royal New Zealand Ballet...when I heard that American Ballet Theatre had scheduled soloists Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews for their first (and arguably overdue) Giselle, I knew I was going no matter where it would be.  
March 25th. Chicago.  Be there.  

In related news, when ABT came asking for my subscription renewal, I politely explained that while I absolutely love ABT, and anyone who knows me will tell you no less, I subscribe to see (and donate to support) ABT dancers - not guest artists - and so would be holding off on buying any tickets until the schedule is more set closer to the performance dates.  

I want to see Misty Copeland. I want to see Stella Abrera (who frustratingly is scheduled for large roles currently only on Wednesday matinees at Met).  I want to see Jared Matthews, Yuriko Kajiya, Herman Cornejo, Sascha Radetsky, Simone Messmer, Joseph Gorak, Arron Scott, Brittany deGrofft, Christine Shevchenko, Adrienne Schulte, Nicole Graniero, Julio-Bragado Young, Alex Hammoudi, Gray Davis, Roddy Doble, Roman Zhurbin, Eric Tamm, Sarah Lane.....and all of the other hard working, dedicated, beautiful dancers ABT has selected and trained year after year.   If the powers that be think these dancers are not ready - the powers have no one to blame but themselves.  Give these dancers the opportunities and more coaching and they will give every ounce of their determination and energy to be ready. To be more than ready.  To fly.

I want the dancers to be inspired, to have opportunities to grow and mature before our eyes.  I want to show them we support them - and for them to have their turns to inspire us. I want to see artistry and emotion, rather than flashy jumps (to the extent they are accompanied by lackluster partnering and hammy acting). I want ABT to bring back the longer fall season which highlights both the amazing contemporary power of so many of these dancers, and gives more of the company real opportunities to shine.

Dancers like Marcelo Gomes were not created in a day; he was given the chances to push himself along the way.  The younger dancers of ABT deserve no less.

So this Met season, and around the country and around the world - I encourage you all to go see and support ABT, and as many times as you can afford....but perhaps pay a little more attention to the casting this year, and try to support the company dancers rather than the guest principals.  You may be surprised at how much their fire will inspire you and win your hearts.  They will not disappoint.

For me....if Sarah Lane should finally get her full length debut during the US tour...I for one will be doing my utmost to be there.  If Misty Copeland wasn't scheduled for Firebird at Met season, you can bet I would be flying out to California to see that too.

The only thing I can really do to make my feelings heard is put my money where my mouth is.  And so, this year, and until a change is made, I will.

Fogpocalypse: ABT at City Center (Friday, November 11, 2011)

American Ballet Theatre's Friday night offering at City Center was the most uneven of the three performances I attended, and the most confusing.  But one thing became clear, even in the surreal moments when technical difficulties resulted in the stage (and much of the audience) completely obscured by fog for at least one movement of Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room.  The unformed rumblings in my mind from Wednesday turned up the volume and took form:  soloists Simone Messmer, Sarah Lane and Misty Copeland are READY to lead. 

Victory to the Home Team: ABT at City Center (Wednesday, November 9, 2011)

Say what you will about Kevin McKenzie’s increasingly lackluster programming choices, there was something exciting about November 9th's repertory program by American Ballet Theatre. I left with such a jolt of electricity that I couldn’t fall asleep until well after 4 am. Notwithstanding some turnover in the ranks since ABT did longer fall seasons in 2006 and 2007, Wednesday night was a return to the well-rehearsed, passionate, joyful and exceptionally strong group of dancers I remembered from City Center seasons past. This night showed some rumblings of something I couldn't quite yet put into words - something that would become a loud and clear statement by some of the dancers later in the week.

ABT's Nutcracker: A Small Plea

As much as I, too, usually go for performances starring the glorious Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo or the other ABT principals, I'm sending out this little plea into the blogosphere:

If you're planning to see American Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker by Ratmansky this season at BAM or The Kennedy Center (and you SHOULD!), PLEASE opt for the shows starring soloists Yuriko Kajiya, Maria Riccetto or Sarah Lane.  If you haven't seen them before, each of these ladies will win your hearts with her sparkle, presence and grace. 

Let's show ABT we all love and support their home-grown talent, and the continuing influx of guest artists with slavic last names is not needed (especially to the almost complete exclusion of opportunities for the existing soloists not named Seo or Boylston).  

Cheers, and a sincere thanks to those of you who do hear my plea and go out and support these beautiful ballerinas this Winter!

(Click here for the link to the December 2011 ABT calendar with casting)

David Hallberg to the Bolshoi....so what now?

The New York Times is reporting that David Hallberg will join the Bolshoi Ballet for the 2011-2012 season, while still performing with American Ballet Theatre and other companies only on a limited basis. 

A Chronicle of Minor Cultural and Culinary Adventures, episode 2 (June 1-July 18)

Now that the rhapsody of ballet season is over here in NYC, I thought I'd share some very brief thoughts on my other adventures over the past 7 weeks.

Farewell Reprise - An Unexpected Carreño/Kent Swan Lake (July 2nd Matinee)

I was on the bus home from a movie in Times Square on Friday night, July 1st, when my little corner of the twitterverse was buzzing with news: David Hallberg had sprained his ankle on Thursday night and so ABT had moved Marcelo Gomes from Saturday's Swan Lake matinee opposite Julie Kent to dance with Berlin State Opera guest artist Polina Semionova on Saturday evening.  I was immediately (and over-dramatically) plunged into despair, as Saturday's matinee was supposed to be my final viewing of ABT, and the beloved Gomes, until City Center in November!  But I soon learned that his replacement at the matinee would be none other than Jose Manuel Carreño, who had supposedly retired the night before.  What a gracious and wonderful gift to the audience (who I'm sure would have been sorely disappointed with any other replacement for Gomes given the uninjured options at ABT at the time).

A Gentleman's Farewell: Jose Manuel Carreno's (Almost) Final Swan Lake at ABT

I hadn’t planned to attend Jose Manuel Carreño’s farewell** to American Ballet Theatre as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake on Thursday, June 30th. But, as the date drew nearer, I found myself checking the website for tickets every day or two.  By some magic, two days before the show some orchestra tickets opened up and I didn’t think twice.  I’m so glad I was there to witness this touching send-off to such a gentleman of the ballet.

A fairy tale told by many different authors - ABT's Cinderella (June 25th evening)

People seem to have really loved or loathed American Ballet Theatre’s production of James Kudelka’s Cinderella this season.  Based on the evening performance on Saturday, June 25^th, I’m on the fence (which probably contributed to the lateness of this review).  Overall, I liked it less than I had in previous years, but some of the things I DID like were things that had been missing in those past viewings.

This just in - more injuries at ABT

David Hallberg seems to have sprained his ankle last night in Carreno's farewell to American Ballet Theatre.

But wait, because of the injury, it wasn't Carreno's farewell after all!  To the likely horror of those who paid over $1000 a seat on craigslist or stubhub to see the historic show last night, Jose Manuel is now dancing the Saturday matinee opposite Julie Kent, and Marcelo Gomes has been moved to the evening performance with Polina Semionova.  The evening crowd should be in for QUITE a treat.  Luckily thanks to the wonder of smartphones and my ballet-impulse-buying-addiction, I was able to score a ticket to the evening performance as well!  Have to bring the real camera this time for the curtain call......

Now, do I review last night before tomorrow's matinee? Or wait to compare the two....hmmmm.....

And, for those who are keeping track, that brings the ABT male soloist/principal injury/non-performance count this met season to (to my semi-reliable knowledge):

Max Beloserkovsky - injured/hasn't danced since gala

Herman Cornejo - injured/hasn't danced since gala

Ethan Stiefel - withdrew from entire season

Roberto Bolle - no injury but only danced 4 performances

Angel Corella - no injury but only danced 2 performances

David Hallberg - sprained ankle week 7

Gennadi Saveliev - injured calf muscle week 7

Sascha Radetsky  - seemed to have some kind of injury at the beginning of the season

Anyone else wondering if one of the corps guys put some kind of voodoo curse on the higher ups?  WHAT a crazy season.  If this isn't more reason to pay attention to developing Jared Matthews, Sascha Radetsky, Eric Tamm, Alex Hammoudi and others for next season then I don't know what is!

A breath of fresh air and an exciting debut (ABT Coppelia, June 18th matinee)

Heading back to Lincoln Center for my second American Ballet Theatre Coppelia in less than 24 hours, I was both worried and excited.  Worried because my unpleasant experience the night before left me wondering how I could sit through another 2.5 hours of pantomime, but beyond excited to see ABT soloist Jared Matthews in his first full-length leading role dancing opposite the lovely Maria Riccetto. 

Although I think I can safely say that Coppelia is not going to be added to the list of my favorite ballets, this performance left me beaming and understanding why so many of my friends who saw it first as a child still love it so.

  

A doll, an old man and two brats? (ABT Coppelia, June 17th)

It's taken me a while to write this review of Friday night's Coppelia at American Ballet Theatre.  While technically well executed, and despite one wonderful individual performance, I can think of only maybe one or two evenings at the theater that I actively disliked more than this one.  I kept hoping some distance over the past few days would change my mind.  But it hasn't.  So I thought at least I should tell you why.

American Ballet Theatre's new Russian star: The Bright Stream

A little background before my thoughts on Saturday's matinee....

When I travelled down to Washington, D.C. on a frozen weekend in late January to see ABT's premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's The Bright Stream, I didn't know what to expect.  I'd seen a few pictures, but purposefully hadn't done any research on the Bolshoi's production.  I wanted to see it with fresh eyes, no expectations.    

Within minutes of the orchestra's beginning note of the joyful Shostakovich score, I was hooked.  

The Bright Stream turned out to be a refreshingly joyous vehicle for ABT - and although set in Soviet Russia, it somehow seems like a modern continuation picking up at the point where de Mille, Robbins and Tudor left ABT years ago.

Some thoughts on some of my favorite less heralded dancers...

So this week Pointe Magazine posted some Facebook polls:  "Which dancer do you think deserves to get promoted?" and "Corps shoutout! Who's your favorite corps de ballet dancer?", which got me thinking about some of my favorite performances over the past few years, other than by the oft-discussed Marcelo Gomes, Alessandra Ferri, Uliana Lopatkina, Julie Kent, Ethan Stiefel and Irina Dvorovenko, or the should-be-oft-discussed Stella Abrera, Jared Matthews and Yuriko Kajiya.  I can't possibly mention everyone all at once, but I'll start with the three after the jump, and continue in a later blog.  


Love to hear some of your thoughts on your favorites as well - tell me for whom I should be on the lookout in the comments box!

A ballet with a thousand lifts…and a few stumbles

American Ballet Theatre’s Lady of the Camellias seems to be a ballet that people either love or hate.  Unlike the often-cranky New York Times’ reviewers, I really do like this ballet, and even love parts of it.   Based on the novel by Dumas, which has been told a hundred different ways before, including ABT’s Manon, John Neumeier’s choreography and the stark scenery of this ballet mostly works.  The Chopin score is beautiful, and beautifully played by three soloists.  And even though a lot of what happened at Saturday’s matinee was a bit of a mess, I still think that this is a production not to be missed.