Oberon's Grove

Disappearing Dancers

Now Melissa Barak's name is missing from the NYCB roster listing on their website. She is going to be with Los Angeles Ballet. A wonderfully dramatic dancer, equally at home as Carabosse or the Courage fairy. And the Telemann ballet she choreographed for the Company a few years ago was really distinctive. Damn! I really like her.

UPDATE: Wait! It gets worse! Carbro notified me that Edwaard Liang has also left NYCB!! That's another very serious loss - Ed's a beautiful dancer and a more-than-promising choreographer. Very depressing developments today.

Winter Walks

After the recent snowfalls, the paths up into the forest are almost remote and there is a nice sense of stillness. Very few people venture onto the trails these days and I feel like I have the whole world to myself.

A couple weeks earlier, my friend Erika Wueschner and I hiked up to the Cloisters. We were almost to the tower when we realized that - being a Monday - the museum was closed. But it was wonderful walk and the views from atop Fort Tryon Park are super. Erika, a soprano associated with the Piatagorsky Foundation, will be heading out to Seattle in May  for recitals.

 

MY LIFE AS A CHILD

No, that's not me fifty years ago; that's Drew Nelson, a young ballet student. Drew is one of several kids being profiled in a series which premieres on The Learning Channel on February 26.

I've seen a preview of the episode and it is an interesting look at a very young person's involvement in dance and at combining that passion with the 'normal' life of a person his age.  Also featured in this installment are two girls: Ashley, who wants to be an entertainer and Adora, a delightful 8-year-old who has already written a book.

Drew's story includes classroom and rehearsal footage as well as a brief snippet of Act I of NYCB's SWAN LAKE filmed at Saratoga in which Drew made his stage debut. This particular episode is slated to be shown on March 26 and I believe repeated the following afternoon.

After watching this, I sort of felt that Adora should be President of the United States.

The photo of Drew courtesy TLC/Dave Johnson. I have no affiliation with the network, the series, or any of the kids; I'm just an interested bystander.

'Check your local listings', as they say.

Miranda's Farewell

Saturday February 24, 2007 - With bouquets from Christopher Wheeldon and Peter Martins, Miranda Weese took leave of New York City Ballet with a performance of Wheeldon's EVENFALL. It marked the climax of a long day for me, a double-header in which the same 4 ballets were presented at both the matinee and evening performances with a few changes of cast.

In the afternoon, my friend Deborah came down from Connecticut, and Tonya (Swan Lake Samba Girl)  was there as well as one of my former co-workers from Tower, Robert, and Wei. It was interesting to have five viewpoints on the ballets and dancers; everyone agreed that Yvonne Borree's performance in RAYMONDA was one of her best. She danced with clarity and grace, and was finely partnered by Benjamin Millepied.  In the evening, Megan Fairchild and Joaquin de Luz were just super in the same  ballet. The five of us were speculating as to how the ballerina must feel at the end of this piece when she literally flings herself into the cavalier's arms with a breath-taking dive.

The solos were split between Abi, Sara Mearns, Rebecca Krohn & Tess Reichlen in the afternoon and Tiler Peck, Gwyneth Muller, Alina Dronova and  Ana Sophia Scheller in the evening. The girls provided a lavish feast of beautiful images, filling the tricky variations with their unique individual touches. Kudos to Tiler & Ana Sophia for their fouettes in the coda. Leading off at both performances in the fiendish 'hops-on-pointe' solo, Savannah Lowery made it look like a piece of cake. Savannah danced  all day, three ballets in both performances, still looking fresh at the end of the evening. Brava!

The central Debussy ballets, FAUN & ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS, were wonderfully atmospheric. In FAUN, Janie Taylor and Sebastien Marcovici cast a spell over the audience at both performances, hovering on the palpitating edge of desire. EPIGRAPHS is a unique masterpiece and was sublimely danced - twice - today. Ellen Bar was remarkable in her solo - big arabesques and vivid gestures. The beauty of Rebecca Krohn's jetee at the opening of her dance seemed to resonate beyond the music. Teresa Reichlen was cool and contained, and Sara Mearns marvelous in her full-bodied lyricism. {Earlier, in RAYMONDA, Sara's balances were thrilling.} Savannah and her sister-nymphs Gwyneth Muller, Ellen Ostrom and the ever-elegant Saskia Beskow wafted gorgeously thru the ebb and flow of Debussy's magical score.

At the matinee, Jenifer Ringer and Tyler Angle assumed the leading roles in EVENFALL and gave the ballet a different feel; again the subtle traces of narrative in this ballet (boy eludes girl) seemed in evidence. Ringer exudes tenderness and calm but there's a lot of tension below the surface, and for all the decorative aspect of the steps and the tutus, I feel a deep sadness at the heart of the ballet. Tyler Angle managed to be both solicitous and evasive; his solo passages revel in a sense of freedom - he doesn't want to be confined. Jeni & Tyler complimented one another ideally, two of NYCB's most intriguing personalities.

In the evening, EVENFALL took on another aspect as I watched a beloved dancer whose entire career has unfolded before my eyes for the last time. Seth Orza was a superb partner for Miranda's last dance as a City Ballet ballerina.  The ovation, the flowers, the applause of her colleagues - all had an air of unreality for me as I tried to hold onto the image of Miranda Weese. Over the years we've seen hundreds of dancers come and go, including innumerable & irreplaceable beauties. But no one quite like Miranda: the contrast of her dazzlingly pale complexion with the jet black hair, her expressive eyes. And her magical Weese turns. No one turns like Miranda. I wished for a profusion of white roses to lay at her feet.
   

Gergiev Conducts at NYCB

Friday February 23, 2007 -  Valery Gergiev was the guest conductor tonight at New York City Ballet. I am not sure if his presence accounted for the substantially full house; I did seem to notice many Russian-speaking folks around me.

The orchestra played well and the ballets sounded good but I did not think Gergiev's FIREBIRD was any more impressive than Faycal Karoui's. WALPURGISNACHT was taken briskly; JEU DES CARTES was quirky and effectively played.  Gergiev was enthusiastically applauded when Ashley Bouder brought him out after FIREBIRD.

CIRCUS POLKA is an extraneous bit of fluff. It must take more time to hang the sets and get all those little girls dressed & made up than it does to perform the piece. I know it's all in fun, but the sight of a man menacing little girls with a whip seems somewhat bizarre.

I love WALPURGISNACHT and was delighted by the spacious and elegant dancing of Sara Mearns and Charles Askegard; Abi Stafford was the expert soloist and Alina Dronova and Ana Sophia Scheller especially brilliant demis. Rhona was right to draw our attention to Megan LeCrone; Megan stepped in for Amanda Hankes, dancing  very well. She has 'moon-goddess' hair, an added attraction.

JEU DES CARTES has some tricky passages for the ballerina and the three male soloists but in the end it did not seem a very interesting ballet tonight. Sterling Hyltin danced with great clarity and speed; her airy jumps and held balances were a joy to watch. Ben Millepied was on fine form; Jared Angle and Andrew Veyette were very good and among the corps Katie Bergstrom, Gina Pazcoguin and 'newly official' Kathryn Morgan teased my opera glasses at various points.

The evening ended with a spectacular Firebird from Ashley Bouder. I can't seem to put my hands on a Firebird photo of Ashley so I've put Paul Kolnik's super shot of a Bouder jetee from GATHERING here again; I doubt anyone will get tired of looking at it. Her circling the stage in ever-expanding jumps was one of the high points tonight; her gorgeous backbend was another. Firebird is probably Ashley's best role; she looks great and dances it magnificently. Her portrayal has developed over the last few seasons and she has the gestures nuanced to perfection. Really an exciting performance, and she truly deserved the loud burst of applause and cheers at the end - and a bouquet was tossed to her as well.

Jon Stafford is ideally cast as the Prince in this ballet (Kolnik photo, left). Jon brings a sense of youthful nobility to the role, as well as wonderment when he finds the exotic creature flitting thru the forest. Sara Mearns was the to-die-for princess, looking spectacular in the red gown. The maidens were a lovely lot, and Henry Seth led the endearingly grotesque monsters. The colours of the Chagall sets remain hypnotic; now if only we could have the Firebird reappear at the end of the ballet all would be well.

A Postponed Farewell

Thursday February 22, 2007 - This would have been Miranda Weese's last performance at NYCB but the lobby casting sheet revealed that she is going to dance one more time, on Saturday evening, in EVENFALL. I had originally purchased tickets for both of the Saturday performances, assuming one of them would be Weese's farewell. When it appeared Miranda's last night would be tonight, I gave my Saturday evening tickets to the in-laws. So I had to purchase another ticket for myself - not that it's any great penance to see NYCB twice in one day!  {Paul Kolnik's KLAVIER photo of Albert & Miranda makes me tear up -  look at her line.)

KLAVIER and RUSSIAN SEASONS both looked better than ever tonight, in my opinion. Albert Evans wrote the notes for tonight's Playbill - click the panel at left to enlarge. Albert danced in both ballets and he looked spectacular; what a vivid and vital dancer he is. This would have been his last dance with Miranda Weese and it was very touching when Albert kissed her on the cheek during a tender moment in KLAVIER. There was a time a few years ago when they were paired frequently at NYCB, and I still have my t-shirt with their picture which I love. It was also very sweet when Wendy gestured to Miranda when they all came out before the curtain. It must be sad, in a Company that seems so much like a family, to have one of your sisters be taking leave. KLAVIER's darkish mystery was tinged with the poignant experience of seeing Miranda dancing so beautifully and knowing she will not be there in the future. Sebastien Marcovici and Wendy were heavenly in their duet and the superb demi-solistes Abi Stafford & Ashley Laracey made a major contribution to the piece. Susan Walters played with a shimmering sense of stillness. The ballet left me feeling bereft.

I've never seen a better performance of RUSSIAN SEASONS; I think maybe the dancers sensed that Rhona had come down from Saratoga to see them so they gave it their all. I don't see a narrative here, just vignettes; I do not sense that Wendy is a bride or an angel or a dead woman at the end...maybe the goddess of Summer departing and sending the others into an Autumnal slumber. It's a colorful, vibrant ballet and not easy to dance. Extraordinary presence marked Rebecca Krohn's woman in red; Rebecca has had a very full season and has developed into a very intriguing dancer to watch. Her duet with Amar Ramasar and all her solo passages were exciting. Abi Stafford has some fiendish, high-speed steps and large balances to pull off and she seemed to be having a wonderful time; her playful scenes with Adam Hendrickson were especially keen, as was Adam's brief passage with Wendy - I'd love to see them dance something  bigger together. Wendy and Jenifer Ringer have put their stamps on this ballet - unforgettable images from both. The distinctive dancing of Georgina Pazcoguin and Alina Dronova is an essential element of the piece, and the five boys (Adam, Sean Suozzi, Tonio Carmena, Jon Stafford and Amar) sail and soar and bring vitality to their tricky combinations. Susana Poretsky was the earthy mezzo soloist and Arturo Delmoni wove the violin phrases to silken effect. 

The music of FOUR TEMPERAMENTS has never seemed so lustrous as tonight. As Albert states in his Notes, the images of the ballet are indelibly linked to the score and when it's played like this the ballet seems truly imperishable. {The Cartier-Bresson photo of Balanchine needs to be seen - often!} From the moment the curtain rose, I was drawn in and while the ballet been danced more memorably in the past, there were several striking images: none more so than Ellen Ostrom in the opening duet. Partnered by Adrian Danchig-Waring, Ostrom showed off her long legs, sublime line and the right coolness of delivery. Wei and I never speak during a ballet, but he leaned forward and whispered: "Who is SHE?" while Ostrom was dancing. Ellen's been on the roster for a while but seemingly under wraps, possibly from injury. This season she has stepped out more and if tonight is any indication we have yet another dancer to watch - closely. Adrian matched her very well. Allen Peiffer and Glenn Keenan traversed the stage with the emblematic arm gestures; then Megan LeCrone showed herself to be yet another dancer with something special to offer; Seth Orza's easy strength of partnering showed Megan to fine advantage. Sebastien was to have been Melancholic, but Tom Gold took over for all the performances and I liked his performance which was compact and intense. Gina Pazcoquin and Ana Sophia Scheller posed a serious distraction in this movement with their magnetism and powerful dancing. I also enjoyed Savannah Lowery's spacious, healthy approach to Sanguinic with the fine partnering of Charles Askegard and the excellent back-up group of Brown, Morgan, Piskin & Sell.  The corps girls continued to spice up the stage in Phlegmatic where the generous lyricism of Ask LaCour was enhanced by Beskow, Flack, Dara Johnson and Gwyneth Muller. The four 'newbies' who come out kicking were also very bright tonight. Teresa Reichlen capped the evening with her long, sinuous limbs wafting thru Choleric to superb effect.

So, a reprieve: one more night to see Miranda coming up. And the evening was especially pleasant because I met - finally - Rhona from Saratoga: instant strong vibes! I look forward to a long friendship with her.

Penultimate Miranda

Tuesday February 20, 2007 - RAYMONDA looked really nice tonight, though I thought that the conductor (Paul Mann, substituting for Maestro Kaplow who is apparently still ill) took the ballet too fast. Megan Fairchild & Joaquin de Luz seemed somewhat rushed at times, but they did show themselves ideally suited to this ballet; Megan in particular was having a fine night. The variations were beautifully danced; again Savannah Lowery dispensed the difficult first solo with complete poise.  Tiler Peck was brilliant, Gwyneth Muller lyrical, Alina Dronova vivacious, and Ana Sophia Scheller amazing. Among the corps, Kathryn Morgan and Katie Bergstrom were especially fetching. There were a couple of minor bobbles in the finale but nothing to seriously mar the overall joyous effect.

The extraordinary combination of Janie Taylor and Craig Hall were sensational again in AFTERNOON OF A FAUN, and Sara Mearns gave a magnificently voluptuous solo in ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS. Ellen Bar I think surpassed her earlier superb performance today, and Rebecca Krohn and Teresa Reichlen were both on peak form. Saskia Beskow, Gwyneth Muller, Savannah Lowery and Ellen Ostrom were all part of the spell this ballets casts.

There will be only one more chance to see Miranda Weese dancing with NYC Ballet after tonight. She was dancing so beautifully - with Seth Orza, who was having a very fine night - that it made me really regret her decision to leave. EVENFALL was very enjoyable tonight though some of the mystery and magic that I felt watching this ballet last season has dissipated  - I am not quite sure how or why. Marika Anderson and Glenn Keenan caught my eye in the corps tonight.

It was a very sociable night; I met fellow blogger Tonya aka SWAN LAKE SAMBA GIRL (photo far left), we met up with Susan (with Tonya & me in the second photo) and my long-time ballet buddy Juan, and Carbro was also there.

The audience seemed somewhat lethargic tonight, unwilling to expend the energy to give more than polite applause to the dancers, though FAUN did earn some cheers.

This from the archives: Juan and me at the Pride Parade a few years ago. Note the competing ballet t-shirts. It was not planned; we each showed up wearing our favorite Company.

BOCCANEGRA at the Met

Last night (2/19/07) was the season premiere of SIMON BOCCANEGRA at the Met. I told Dmitry as we settled into our box that I had been feeling excited about the performance all day. That feeling drained away in the course of the evening.

Fabio Luisi's conducting was eccentric; his fast & bouncy accompaniment for Amelia's opening aria could only be accounted for as an accommodation to Ms. Gheorghiu who perhaps didn't trust her breath control for the long phrases. Later, Mr. Luisi did his light-weight soprano and baritone no favors by allowing the orchestra too much volume at certain points. The opera seemed like a series of musical episodes; I didn't feel an overall sweep. Nevertheless, there were long passages of excellent orchestral playing which Luisi molded effectively. The sustained top note for the chorus sopranos in the Council Chamber scene was not pleasant.

Gheorghiu's voice is smallish for the Met and especially in this role which can be sung by a lyric so long as she is on the cusp of spinto. Her middle and parlando were sometimes covered by the orchestra. The voice is attractive though sometimes dryish and she did sing well, avoiding her sometime tendency to stray sharp. But there were those passages where I wanted to hear more of a flood of tone which Gheorghiu simply could not produce. Her singing seemed 'perched' and calculated rather than spontaneous. The aria drew tepid applause but she was warmly received at the end.

Thomas Hampson is an estimable artist; he has provided me with some of the finest performances I have witnessed at the Met in recent years (most notably Billy Budd, Onegin, Werther, Posa, Count Almaviva - all just about ideal). Of course Boccanegra is a role every major baritone wants to do eventually and I think in a smaller house I would have liked Hampson more. But as with Gheorghiu, Hampson's voice just didn't bloom when the big moments came. I generally felt he was right at the edge of his vocal possibilities all night; there was no sense of anything in reserve. I also thought at times that Hampson was pushing the tone sharp in an effort to project the voice. The passions and grandeur of the music seemed to be tempered somewhat by Hampson's lack of sheer vocal heft. There were some very appealing passages and dynamics but there is another vocal dimension in this music that Hampson could not reach. In the end I admired his efforts without being moved by his performance. 

I try not to compare singers (or dancers) to others that I've experienced in the same roles, but inevitably memories of great portrayals will creep in as you watch a performance. Perhaps unfairly, Gheorghiu & Hampson paled tonight against prior interpretations.

Vassily Gerello and Richard Bernstein were effective as the conspiring Paolo and Pietro, the latter in powerful voice.  Marcello Giordani is such an erratic singer; a couple weeks ago he sang a BOHEME on the radio that was sloppy and effortful, the voice refusing to cooperate. Last night he sang pretty gloriously, with strong & easy tops and an ample display of the Italianate passion that Gheorghiu and Hampson lacked.

The towering performance - physically & vocally - of Ferruccio Furlanetto as Fiesco made the evening worthwhile. Furlanetto has been singing a long time but the voice remains remarkable in size, steadiness, colour and depth. His "Il lacerato spirito" in the prologo was the evening's vocal highlight, with the great tenor/basso duet in the first act a close second.  Furlanetto made every note and phrase count, and his austere, looming presence was ideal in the role. Bravissimo!!

Mazzo & Martins

I was searching through some programmes and photographs this morning and found these two beauties of Kay Mazzo as the Swan Queen in the Balanchine version, and Peter Martins just happens to be her very handsome Siegfried. There is no photographer credit on the back of the pictures, they are simply stamped 'New York City Ballet'.

I was fortunate to have seen these two dancers many times, and finding these photos brought back lots of great memories.

Concerto Without Orchestra

Friday February 16, 2007 - The evening ended on an odd note when, following a very long intermission, the orchestra musicians got up and walked out of the pit. Then came an announcement that Maestro Kaplow had taken ill and that Cameron Grant would perform the Bartok 3rd as a piano solo. EVENFALL without the orchestra was like a beautiful picture without a frame. However, Mr. Grant did a fine job and saved the performance, though I wonder why the concertmaster or someone on the musical staff could not have conducted. The dancers, led by the delectable Miranda Weese and a buoyant Seth Orza, adapted to the change fairly well. Among the corps there were some uneven transitions and an occasional lack of cohesion possibly relating to the missing orchestral voices. Some very notable corps appearances though, especially from Rachel Piskin, Likolani Brown, Ashley Laracey, Glenn Keenan, Vincent Paradiso, Giovanni Villalobos and William Lin-Yee. I must say that without the orchestra the impact of the ballet is considerably lessened. Miranda's very deep bow of gratitude to Mr. Grant when she brought him onstage was so gracious.

The programme began with RAYMONDA VARIATIONS with its luscious score. Yvonne Borree danced very well although her second solo did not end smoothly. Benjamin Millepied's partnering was more efficient than is sometime the case; he & Borree seemed well matched and pulled off the final dive to fine effect. Yvonne looked very pretty in blue. In the variations, four soloists were joined by Savannah Lowery. Ms. Lowery led off with the difficult hopping variation which has caused some ballerinas to collapse; Savannah brought it off with calm assurance. Then Abi Stafford, so light and breezy, her combinations precise and so attuned to the music. Sara Mearns was sumptuous, Rebecca Krohn very elegant and Teresa Reichlen willowy and secure. Lovely corps.

ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS is a ballet I always enjoy with its luminous Debussy score and it is utterly unlike any other piece in the repertoire. The sisterhood of beauties led off with distinction by Ellen Bar, her dancing vividly dramatic. Krohn has an ideal role here, her solo commencing with a spacious jetee. Mearns slipped briefly but it didn't spoil the breadth and plushness of her interpretation, and Reichlen continues to explore different styles with great success. The four corps girls in this ballet contribute much to the atmosphere; tonight we had Gwyneth Muller (subbing for Amanda Hankes), Saskia Beskow, Savannah Lowery and Ellen Ostrom - a nicely contrasted and attractive group. The music was ravishingly played, notably the solo flute of Paul Dunkel.

The heart of the evening was a mesmerizing performance of AFTERNOON OF A FAUN by two of the Company's most charismatic dancers: Janie Taylor and Craig Hall. Taylor was ethereal, her dancing sublime in its uncanny mixture of coolness and fire. She is an extraordinary presence, and her hair is fascinating. It seems unbelievable to me that Craig Hall is still listed in Corps. He exudes a powerful allure, his partnering is immaculate and controlled. Janie and Craig seemed to hold the theatre in their thrall, as if we the viewers were eavesdropping on this intensely private encounter. The smoldering undercurrents and the narcissism of the piece have never been so poetically expressed. The dancers were received with cheers and called out three times before the curtain. An extraordinary performance.

I had brought my friend Rob with me, wanting him to discover EVENFALL but in the event it was an incomplete experience. FAUN, on the other hand, really worked its magic tonight. Susan was there also and I think she felt the same.

The Paul Kolnik photo from the current Playbill shows Janie Taylor with Sebastien Marcovici in FAUN.

Curtain calls from a distance: Taylor & Hall after FAUN, Miranda & Seth Orza after EVENFALL.