Oberon's Grove

BUGAKU: Albert & Maria K Triumph

Wednesday May 30, 2007 - The revival of BUGAKU was the centerpiece of this all-Balanchine evening at New York City Ballet. As Susan pointed out, this was a programme which displays Balanchine's enormous range in matters of music, style and content. We go from the wafting beauty of SERENADE thru the stylized and erotic BUGAKU and emerge at the end with a bunch of riotous sailors while cannons thunder as the curtain falls on UNION JACK.  It's an exciting journey if you let yourself take the ride. The orchestra sounded great last night, Maestro Kaplow giving us a weighty and plush SERENADE and evoking the quirky dynamics of Mayuzumi's score for BUGAKU - a score which can be pretty tantalizing. Then Nicolette Fraillon came on with a dynamic reading of UNION JACK that swept the evening to a joyous conclusion.

SERENADE has come a long way since this photograph of Balanchine in the midst of creating his masterpiece was taken. Over at The Winger, Gwyneth Muller has provided a beautiful glimpse of the moody blue atmosphere backstage just before curtain-rise.  Dear Gwyneth was among the veritable feast of beautiful ballerinas onstage in this piece which is ideal for corps-watching. The demi-solistes were wonderfully contrasted: Alina Dronova,  Ashley Laracey, Geogina Pazcoguin & Rachel Piskin. In a brief solo passage, Megan LeCrone was strikingly precise in her pirouettes. The two Katies - Bergstrom & Morgan - looked angelic. I could go on and on. Darci Kistler seemed a bit earth-bound on her first entrance but she built the role into a full lyric drama, using her beautiful hands, turns and hair to make the woman live and breathe. It seemed to me that the role takes all of Darci's technique and concentration at this point but the result is very moving; Wei was especially taken with her. It's great having Charles Askegard back, lithe and skimming the stage in airy jumps and partnering like a charm. Ashley Bouder's spectacular dancing illuminates the stage each time she sails across: whether lingering on her balances - tempting the music - or hurtling into Stephen Hanna's arms with sheer abandon, Bouder is breathtaking here. Stephen looks very slender and elegant, hopefully ready to resume his very promising career after what seems like a long hiatus. The ravishing beauty of Sara Mearns  is such that it almost wouldn't matter how she dances; the nice thing is that 'beauty is as beauty does' and Sara's dancing creates a world of luxuriant arabesques and lush port de bras - all the time daring you to take your eyes off that remarkable face.

BUGAKU with its colorful set and ritualistic atmosphere is a ballet I have liked but not loved since I first saw it years ago with Patricia McBride & Edward Villella. But after this performance my estimation of it soared, thanks to Maria Kowroski and Albert Evans. Bejeweled and in her flower-petal tutu, Maria's  delicate manners and  stylized gestures in her opening solo were presented with great control and hypnotic refinement. Albert's first solo has the feel of a caged tiger, a slightly brutal quality lurking just  under the surface. Returning in airy robes for the 'bridal duet' the dancers are stripped down and engage in a stylized erotic pas de deux which calls for other-worldly extension and stretch from the woman and  god-like partnering skills from the man. Having seen dozens of gorgeous Kowroski performances over the seasons, I found this a real eye-opener: I thought it was impossible to esteem her any more highly but this was really sublime. I vividly recall Albert's first performance of this role, stepping in for Jock on very short notice a few years ago. Here he was at the zenith of his powers; it's easy to love Albert because he's sexy & beautiful but beyond that there's his imperial, velvety technique and serene command as a partner. During the calls, the dazzling star quality of Maria & Albert filled the theatre.

UNION JACK is fun because EVERYONE is onstage...it's a great piece to  watch for favorite corps dancers and to see the soloists pressed into service to fill the ranks for the opening gathering of the clans. There's Faye, and Pauline, and the fetching Sophie Flack. Sara Mearns steals your opera glasses in the second row. Elizabeth Walker...Amar...Ana...Craig Hall...Glenn...everyone is there. In Philip Neal's tall regiment, the towering Ask LaCour & William Lin-Yee seem like giants in their bearskin hats. Adam Hendrickson can make you look away from Damian Woetzel in Dress MacLeod and that's saying something. I loved seeing Abi & Ben Millepied together briefly.  Yvonne Borree's sporran flew off, Wendy took a slip-slide almost into a full split but recovered swiftly. Nilas Martins & Kyra Nichols turned their dance hall number into a delight, Kyra's comic flair a fun contrast to her wicked Carabosse. Wendy, Adam and Aaron Severini were on a romp as sailors and Damian was astonishing in his solos, the audience lavishing applause. Then Tess Reichlen capped the evening with her brilliant Wren, her extension off the charts and making the role her own.

I loved seeing Edwaard Liang in the audience but would have loved it even more if he'd been onstage.

 

Excellent GATHERING

Tuesday March 29, 2007 - The New York City Ballet's offering of Essential Robbins made me wonder: how much of the Robbins repertoire is really "essential"? Many of his ballets do not seem to have the timeless quality or the emotional depth of the Balanchine works. Aside from DANCES AT A GATHERING, THE CAGE, AFTERNOON OF A FAUN, ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS, OPUS 19/THE DREAMER, FOUR SEASONS and GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, I am not sure how many Robbins works will  continue to make an impression as time passes. This year his PIANO PIECES  seemed disjointed, and the winter revival of DYBBUK was a big snooze.

Tonight we had IN G MAJOR which is enjoyable and centers on a lovely pas de deux, but some of the corps passages are a little silly (the jogging motif). The 'beach' atmosphere of the backdrop and costumes is attractive and the score works nicely for dance. Among the corps, Faye Arthurs again stood out; I didn't intend to focus on her so much but she always ends up holding my interest. Craig Hall and Adrian Danchig-Waring were really fine here, and Megan LeCrone continues to impress. Maria Kowroski and Philip Neal both danced their solo passages superbly: Maria's breath-taking extension and Philip's very neat pirouettes were among the most memorable features. But there were a couple of minor blips in the partnering; perhaps Maria is just a shade too tall for Philip. As the ballet sped onward, the small flaws were swept away by the jazzy finale.

DANCES AT A GATHERING can seem too long if you're not in the right mood for it. As I was waiting for the curtain to rise I was wondering if it would hold my interest: sometimes, to be honest, it doesn't. But the cast was really tuned-in to the music and created just the right atmosphere. The variety of personalities carried the piece forward and passages that sometimes seem less-than-engrossing were enlivened along the way. Of particular note was the remarkable dancing of Antonio Carmena (in brick) who showed off his spacious technique and ingratiating charm (Kolnik photo, left). Jonathan Stafford (in blue) continues to develop his very appealing presence as he works his way into the repertoire; the original 'catch' of the girl in yellow has been restored and Jon carried it off with real flair, winning a wave of applause. Giving the best performance I have seen from him to date, Amar Ramasar (in green) devoured space with his airy, sustained dancing. His hasty 'escape' from the girl in green made the audience laugh out loud. Dancing with the bravado and assurance that has made them stars, Damian Woetzel and Nikolaj Hubbe were both fantastic tonight. Nikolaj's noble carriage and ardent partnering were ideal and Damian's solo nothing less than a virtuoso masterpiece. Both men found the rapt, poetic expression for their more introspective phrases.

The ladies were equally impressive and here's that gorgeous Bouder jetee photo by Paul Kolnik again; she was just super tonight: so lively and fearless, her technical prowess at an astounding level. Maria Kowroski's endearing tongue-in-cheek flirtiness manifests itself both in her wry expressions and her fluent dancing. Rachel Rutherford (in mauve) was brimming with lyricism and grace, her duet with Nikolaj one of the highlights of the ballet. Abi Stafford is just so luminous now as she branches out into new roles. She is  effortlessly musical and always makes the steps look fresh and alive. Yvonne Borree's duets with Nikolaj and with Damian were impressive in her sense of surrender. She danced with more abandon than she sometimes displays and seemed to relish the playful aspects of the role. At the keyboard, Susan Walters played beautifully, casting a spell over the theatre. The audience responded to this wonderful performance with generous applause.

Although I have never liked I'M OLD FASHIONED, I was planning to stay for it tonight because the cast looked really exciting on paper. But after the remarkable GATHERING I decided I would leave and hold onto the feeling of delight. I think it would be a good idea to always do GATHERING as the closing work since, after watching it, you don't really want to see anything else.    

Kyra's Preghiera

Sunday May 27, 2007 - As this afternoon's performance of MOZARTIANA moved toward its conclusion, I felt rather sad that I was watching Kyra Nichols in this ballet for the last time. Her Preghiera today was so calm and illuminated from within, and she went on to a lovely rendition of the Theme & Variations with her long-time partner Philip Neal (who was dancing beautifully today). The inimitable Nichols touches were everywhere: the  lyrical phrasing, the gracious hands, the matchless eyes. This has been one of her signature roles and memories of her Preghiera are going to last for a long time. It was nice to see a packed house today watching one of the last of the 'real' Balanchine ballerinas dancing one of his masterpieces with such grace. Philip's gallant partnering was rewarded at curtain call by a sweeping reverence from Kyra; Philip has slowly made his way back to fine form following an injury and it was good to see him dancing with such ease and control today. Tom Gold has the soloist role honed to perfection, light and ideally musical in expression. The four girls - Dara Johnson, Gwyneth Muller, Savannah Lowery and Saskia Beskow - were fine.  The  dancers were liberally applauded and I was hoping for a solo bow from Kyra, but that doesn't happen very often at New York City Ballet.

PIANO PIECES was danced by the same cast as the earlier performance with the exception of Antonio Carmena now taking on Joaquin de Luz's role. Like Joaquin, Tonio  miscalculated the end of his first solo and was on his knee before the  punctuating chord. Otherwise his buoyant dancing, big jump and charming manner were a joy to behold. Jenifer Ringer, Jennie Somogyi and Abi Stafford were all on peak form, repeating and maybe even surpassing their earlier wonderful performances. The 'problem' with this ballet - that its folksy and romantic aspects don't mesh satisfactorily - was more than ever in evidence today; but the beauty of the individual performances compensated.

Ashley Bouder's debut in the prima ballerina role of Tchaikovsky PIANO CONCERTO #2 was the focal point of the afternoon and she gave a very exciting and technically astonishing performance. I felt during the opening movement that Bouder employed a too-severe facial expression but that's a minor complaint. Bouder is rather shorter than most ballerinas I associate with this role, a fact that was amplified by the fact that the very tall and leggy Teresa Reichlen was cast in the soloist role. I think Bouder would appear to better advantage in the tutu of the BALLET IMPERIAL setting of this work. Aside from these passing thoughts, nothing could deter from Bouder's success in her new role; the audience was very enthusiastic and called the dancers out repeatedly. Jonathan Stafford fulfilled the promise of his debut in this ballet last week and turned in a sterling performance, deftly partnering Bouder and displaying  a noble, elegant presence. It's always struck me as a bit odd that Balanchine gave the most beautiful  music in this score (the opening of the second movement) to the male principal, the two demi-solistes and a small corps. Again I was moved to tears by the supreme beauty of Faye Arthurs and Amanda Hankes and Jon's almost other-worldly lyricism.  As the second movement ends, the ballerina having departed, the man seeks her on either side of the stage as the girls turn away from him. Left alone, Jon takes leave of the stage  with a gesture of gallant resignation. Great work from Jon, Amanda & Faye...thank you! Despite a slight slip early on, Teresa Reichlen's dancing radiates with a sort of calm glamour, her legs magnificent, her turns floating down the center line leaving an indelible, beautiful image.

Our friend Deborah was down from Connecticut on this lovely summer day, and it is always a pleasure to run into Susan and Carbro at the ballet.

{The photos of Kyra and Ashley B are by Paul Kolnik. The photo of me & Deborah before the performance is by Wei.}
   

Essential Balanchine

Wednesday May 23, 2007 - A new (to me) conductor, Nicolette Fraillon, was in the pit tonight at New York City Ballet.  Her delivery of WALPURGISNACHT  seemed rushed and over-emphatic but she made up for it with a brilliantly clear & richly detailed SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS.

In WALPURGISNACHT Sara Mearns shone with the effortless glamour that marks a real star. She looks luminous and it is very hard to take your eyes off her when she's dancing. Her performance was expansive, strong and technically secure. There was a partnering glitch early on, but I would not be too hasty to judge Ask LaCour based on his SYMPHONY IN C last week and this WALPURGISNACHT; he was not originally scheduled to dance either role, stepping in for Charles Askegard. If he is going to develop into an asset as a partner, he needs to be first-cast and thoroughly rehearsed in new roles. On a stage full of witches, the most bewitching of all was Ana Sophia Scheller.

Tonight's LIEBESLIEDER WALZER was one of the finest performances of this ballet I've ever seen. Everything meshed beautifully: the pianists, the singers and most crucially the dancing all combined to cast the spell which makes this piece so special. It will be difficult to imagine LIEBESLIEDER without Kyra Nichols; she danced tonight with Nilas Martins who has an ideal role here calling for expert partnering and romantic gallantry. Darci Kistler's refined dancing and wonderfully expressive hands were lovely to watch, her series of turns around the salon breathtaking. Philip Neal replaced Charles Askegard and danced expressively. The opportunity to see Kyra and Darci, the last two remaining 'authentic' Balanchine ballerinas, was a real privilege, especially as they were dancing in a state of grace.

Another great partnership, Wendy Whelan and Nikolaj Hubbe, were extraordinary in their total compatibility and dramatic nuance. Nikolaj has really been dancing so well this year. Wendy remains the most intriguing presence in the Company, her mixture of strength and delicacy a paradox. Her musicality and her sense of mystery  illuminate every role.

Rachel Rutherford and Jared Angle gave a very enjoyable performance as the fourth couple, Jared looking ardent and aristocratic; his partnering is immaculate. Rachel has a most felicitous role here. After the pause, during which the women change to toe shoes, the atmosphere of the work really took hold. The audience thinned out a bit between halves, which is normal. This ballet is not for everyone. But those who stayed showered the dancers with warm applause.
   
SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS looked vibrantly new and squeaky clean tonight, Mlle. Fraillon's treatment of the score seeming to inject the dancers with incredible vitality. The originally announced Ashley Bouder had turned into Sterling Hyltin, then back into Bouder and finally - via a slip in the programme - into a role debut for Tiler Peck. Tiler tucked into the bouncing leaps with gusto, her spirited performance matched by Tom Gold move-for-move.  Megan LeCrone is a strong, athletic dancer with enormous talent and she is coming into her own now after what seemed like an unusually long bout with injury. (I would love to see her debut in the AGON pas de deux but that would mean seeing ORPHEUS again...)   Adrian Danchig-Waring teamed up impressively with Megan. In the central duet, I was sorry to see that Abi Stafford was not dancing  but Wendy graciously went on in one of her signature roles. Wendy and the divine Albert Evans have just the right touch of irony to suit the piece; together they seemed to transcend the steps and did what Mr. B wanted his dancers to do: show us the music. The corps were terrific, notably Bergstrom, Brown, King & Maya Collins and the five demi women (Arthurs, Hankes, Pazcoguin, Keenan & Beskow) make a big splash in this piece. The audience really seemed taken with SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS and called the dancers before the curtain three times; the orchestra was rightly cheered as well.

{The photos are by Pauk Kolnik; Wendy & Nikolaj by Erin Baiano}

Tiler, Lisette & Fionnula

Saturday May 19, 2007 - This long day started at NYC Ballet where a smallish but enthusiastic crowd peppered a lovely matinee performance of SQUARE DANCE with bursts of applause as Megan Fairchild and her debuting cavalier Andrew Veyette took us thru a traversal of Balanchine's steps making them look fresh and exciting. Megan has been dancing so beautifully this season, and Andrew brought a nice sense of clarity and weight to his slow solo. Among the corps, the dark-haired beauties Rachel Piskin, Likolani Brown and Georgina Pazcoguin were all looking fine and I am finding my attention increasingly drawn to the delightfully pretty blonde Lauren King who was dancing with Kyle Froman. Kyle really knows how to show off the girl he's dancing with and their smiling rapport was a treat.

Before CAROUSEL started, I was wondering if the pairing of Tiler Peck  and Damian Woetzel was going to have a May/September feeling. I was also wondering whether this ballet was going to hold my interest; it's entertaining but not much beyond that - or so I thought.  Damian's darkish, brooding appearance as the curtain rises set the tone but then it was Tiler who illuminated the stage with her immaculate, dazzling dancing and her impetuous incarnation of a young girl on the brink of romantic adventure. I've admired Tiler's technical  virtuosity since she first set foot on our stage, but here she was to be seen in a whole new light. She drew a  delightful performance from Damian; in recent seasons, he has sometimes seemed to be going thru the motions and relying on his technique in almost cruise-control mode. But Tiler inspired him to youthful bravado and a real dramatic connection in the pas de deux.  In the NY Times, Alastair Macaulay mentioned that this duet moved him to tears and today it had the same effect on me. Tiler and Damian were lavishly cheered by the audience and they seemed clearly to revel in their success, Damian kissing Tiler's hand in a spontaneous gesture.  After this revelatory performance, I'm going to be watching Tiler from a different perspective: not just a sparkling technician but as a young woman with something special to say to us.

SYMPHONY IN C was impressive today because Maestro Karoui seems finally to have taken the "where's the fire?" feeling off his interpretation and found ideal tempi that keep the dancers moving brilliantly without the frantic feeling; the adagio now has a nice sense of breadth. The cast was mostly as before, with Ask LaCour taking over the cavalier role in the second movement; for a first effort, it went quite well. Sylve was looking divine and Scheller, Bouder and Tiler were the other divas of the day. And: Demis Rule! Pauline & Faye were grand.

Then I met my friend Rob Scott out on the Plaza and we went up to Symphony Space where Lisette Oropesa was appearing in an all-day marathon called Wall-to-Wall Opera. It was terribly warm in the auditorium and the audience was unsettled. The segment of the program in which Lisette sang included some rather 'non-gala' items, pieces that do not work well out of context or which are more characterful than vocally substantial. Nevertheless, it was good to hear that there are accomplished trebles in New York City as the Three Boys in the MAGIC FLUTE scene sang circles around the ill-tuned trio who appeared in the recent Met performances. Lisette sang in the RONDINE quartet, a preview of her Met performances in this opera 2008-2009. The programme ended with a very attractive ROSENKAVALIER trio & final duet led off with a flood of tone by Juliana di Giacomo as the Marschallin...what a sumptuous borderline spinto sound this woman has, as her Fiordiligis as NYCO have shown. Jennifer Rivera, a recent superb Cherubino at NYCO, looked striking in her white pants-suit as Octavian and Lisette was spinning out her lovely, silvery sound overall. In the climactic duet, it was refreshing to see Jennifer & Lisette throw off any qualms about expressing their romance in a concert context.

Before the concert I kept noticing this utterly distinctive petite lady with snow-white hair and gorgeous sapphire-emerald eyes among the crowd. Do you ever see someone who simply fascinates you visually? This was the effect; I knew that I knew who she was but I was thinking she was of the opera world. While we were waiting for Lisette after the show, this woman passed by again and - totally out of character - I grabbed her hand and blurted: "I must know you!"  She turned and looked up into my eyes and in a low voice suffused with Irish warmth said: "I'm Fionnula Flanagan ..." to which I replied with a deep bow and kissed her hand. It turns out her niece was among the singers. Not long ago I wrote about her dazzling performance as Bree's mother in TRANSAMERICA and of course there's her unsettling portrayal of the old housekeeper in the eerie film THE OTHERS.

Lisette and her husband came out; Lisette had already met Fionnula backstage. Rob took us all across the street for a long dinner and who should be a few tables away but Ms. Flanagan and her party. It's lucky there isn't a law against staring, but she doesn't seem like the type who would press charges. I'm off to Netflix to find more of her work.

Meanwhile Lisette, Eric, Rob & I were all starving and as we devoured burgers and omelettes and mile-high lemon meringue pie there was much talk about future plans for Lisette's career as well as backstage gossip. It's so satisfying that Lisette has become Rob's first full-fledged client and I feel privileged to be in on the start of her career.   

Greek Trilogy

Friday May 18, 2007 - It's too bad that outstanding performances of APOLLO and AGON book-ended the dreary ORPHEUS. The last named story ballet, to a wonderful score, falls flat. I rarely feel bored at the ballet but I nearly nodded off during ORPHEUS and  Wei and Juan reported being on the verge of snoring. There just isn't that much dance, and the Noguchi costumes which were undoubtedly considered quite modern at the time of their creation now look fussy and ugly, and particularly unflattering to the women. New York City Ballet put on an excellent cast for this revival: Wendy Whelan (Eurydice), Nilas Martins (Orpheus) and Ask LaCour (Dark Angel) and they gave it their all. Maestro Karoui led a finely-played rendition of the score but the audience wasn't buying it. There were many empty seats when the evening began and many more after the 2nd intermission.

Luckily the evening was otherwise very exciting, starting with the three ladies in this Paul Kolnik photo as the muses in an excellent APOLLO. Yvonne Borree was at her best, very appealing in the pas de deux. Megan Fairchild was a fine Calliope and Ashley Bouder gave a scintillating performance as Polyhymnia, dancing with flair and a touch of humour. Nikolaj Hubbe's beautiful portrayal of the young god was a great success  with the audience; Nikolaj has been dancing so well this season. His Apollo is nobly expressive and the steps are presented with clarity.  There were several curtain calls.

The AGON which closed the evening centered on a magnificent performance of the pas de deux by Maria Kowroski and Albert Evans (Kolnik photo, left). Both dancers were on spectacular form, Maria's flexibility and extension ideally shown off by Albert's classy partnering.  They were vociferously applauded both after the duet and during curtain calls. Earlier in the ballet, Maria and Teresa Reichlen showed off the current roster's  most glorious gams. Tess followed up her grand performance in Tchaikovsky PIANO CONCERTO #2 last night with a equally inspired performance here, her balances calm and sustained. Seth Orza and Amar Ramasar joined her for a polished Bransle Double though earlier the two boys mistimed the end of the Bransle Simple and had to step out of the final pose prematurely. Sean Suozzi was a dynamic presence, beautifully delineating the steps of the Sarabande. Savannah Lowery & Megan LeCrone were lively in the Gailliard, and the excellent supporting quartet of Sophie Flack, Marika Anderson, Gwyneth Muller and Dara Johnson contributed strongly to the success of the ballet. There was an extra call before the curtain - richly deserved by these remarkable dancers.   

Ballerina Banquet

Thursday May 17, 2007 - Eight ballerinas gave us a panoramic view of dancing to Tchaikovsky in this programme at New York City Ballet. The rich variety of physical types, the variations in style and approach, and the range of personalities provided a wonderfully satisfying evening.

Wendy Whelan makes a glorious statement of the joy of dance - and of life - with her strikingly clear and pure traversal of Balanchine's beautful steps in MOZARTIANA. After the mystery and spirituality of her opening Preghiera, Wendy returns for the Theme & Variations with an energized and elegant Philip Neal in which their musicality and flowing partnering illuminate the score at every turn. In accord with the soaring spirit of their work, Daniel Ulbricht makes a lively appearance in the Gigue, his dancing now finding more refinement while maintaining  its technical prowess. Four of our tallish beauties from the corps - Saskia Beskow, Gwyneth Muller, Savannah Lowery and Dara Johnson subbing for Dena Abergel - added further to the picture which was completed by the four small girls from the School who performed with assurance.

I was trying to recall if I had seen the Robbins PIANO PIECES before, and as soon as the curtain rose I remembered the white peasant costumes with red ribbon decorations which the fourteen young corps dancers sport. They dance a series of folkish pieces and then Joaquin de Luz, similarly costumed, has the first of three bravura solos. I seem to remember Ben Millepied dancing this role earlier. Joaquin was his usual lively self despite a bit of mistiming here and there. In one number he was joined to pretty effect by Ashley Laracey and Alina Dronova.  All of this is perfectly attractive even if neither the music nor the choreography really grabs you. But then three couples, seeming to have wandered in from DANCES AT A GATHERING, have extended duets which don't really relate to the folksy peasant themes of the corps.

The three duets in romantic style (with solos for three of the six dancers involved) are finely crafted but each one seems a bit too long for what is being 'said' by the choreographer. Nevertheless, in these duets we were treated to gorgeous dancing by three of the Company's luminous ballerinas. I have always liked and admired Jennie Somogyi but here I fell in love with her: dancing with expansive lyricism and grace, Somogyi swept thru a series of turns as if sailing on air. Her expert cavalier was Jared Angle, looking super after an off-again-on-again bout of injury and reminding us of his value as a principal dancer and partner. May his trajectory now be clear and steady! They were just perfect together and really opened my eyes to their strength and beauty. Ever-delightful Abi Stafford always makes me feel like sending her a thank-you note and a basket of roses because of her musicality and joy.  She looks so great now, no longer the girl-next-door but a uniquely attractive young woman who we've watched grow up on our stage. The matinee idol looks of Amar Ramasar added to his skillful partnering and easy charm are a perfect match for Abi's spirit and freshness. When Jenifer Ringer stepped onto the stage, a major frisson surged up my spine; she has that effect on the viewer simply because of her unparalleled allure. I had this immediate sense that she was going to give a spectacular performance and she did; really spell-binding. The smallest refinements of gesture and expression always illuminate Ringer's performances but never at the expense of the flowing radiance of her dancing. Ask LaCour's towering yet lyrical presence might have seemed a bit of a mismatch to Jeni but, no: they were superb together.

Sofiane Sylve's prima ballerina grandeur fills the Tchaikovsky PIANO CONCERTO #2 with vivid images of a great beauty with the power and technical wizardry to show us everything there is to see in this complex, demanding choreography. Her style is intense and grand, sort of a Maria Callas of the dance. She really had the audience with her at every moment, winning barrages of applause as she swept thru the steps with great flourish: huge balances and dazzling pirouettes were woven into the fabric of the piece with triumphant musicality and her magical fouettes as the ranks of the corps open to reveal the whirling ballerina was a stupendous moment. With Maestro Karoui's brisk tempi, the performance was as Susan said: exhilarating.

With the apparent injury of Charles Askegard, Jonathan Stafford was pressed into the cavalier role a week early: he was due to debut opposite Bouder's upcoming premiere appearance in this ballet. Jon made a noble impression and smoothly presented his combinations; his partnering of Sylve was pretty impressive given that they probably didn't get to rehearse much. However, Sofiane is a bit too 'big' for Jon and the shoulder lifts seemed strenuous; I would hate to see Jon end up with a David-Hallberg-type injury. For all that, it was sporting of Jon to step in; I'm now REALLY looking forward to the Bouder/Stafford performance next week to see what Jonathan can do under more ideal circumstances.

In her icy, shimmering dress and bejeweled headpiece, the remarkable Teresa Reichlen glowed every moment she was onstage.  Her dancing is suffused with an inner radiance, her expression so utterly lovely, her assurance and technical ability to slightly skew the steps make me think probably Mr. B would have loved her.

Eight ballerinas? Who were the other two? Why, Faye Arthurs  and Amanda Hankes, of course. They transform the demi roles in TPC#2 into the centerpiece of the ballet. In the opening segment of the second movement, handsomely coordinated by Jon and with the lovely corps girls wafting thru the ingenious Balanchine choreography, Faye and Amanda  moved me to tears with the expressive beauty of their arabesques and  floating port de bras. For this moment alone, my eternal gratitude to Mr. B... 

Dreamy Darci

This photograph of Darci Kistler in Balanchine's LA SONNAMBULA  appeared in today's New York Times.  Nikolaj Hubbe is the young man on the floor. Darci looks so lovely. The photo is by NYC Ballet's master photographer, Paul Kolnik. Tonight I will be off to the first of three consecutive performances at NYCB.

Lady of the Azaleas

Last week I met with Lisette Oropesa to celebrate her signing up with the Benson/Scott Office of Columbia Artists Management, as well as the end of her second season in the Met Lindeman Young Artists Program. She will be appearing in three Met productions next season though the details remain to be worked out.  Meanwhile, Lisette will be singing this Saturday May 19th at Symphony Space in a program called Wall to Wall Opera. She is scheduled to sing the RONDINE quartet and also the final trio & duet from ROSENKAVALIER  with  two other very fine singers, Juliana di Giacomo and Jennifer Rivera.

While I was waiting for Lisette to finish her coaching, I noticed that the azaleas were in full bloom in Damrosch Park next to the Met so I asked her to sit for a couple of photographs before we strolled over to Pain Quotidien. She mentioned that azaleas flourish in her home state of Louisiana. Lisette leaves soon for a month in Paris winding up with the Domingo Competition.

The weather's been spectacular for hiking; last week I was down at Hudson River Park  in the West Village where I discovered these tulips in peak form. But the walkways down there are all torn up for reconstruction and we must share the bike path which is not very pleasant since some bikers tend to think it's a race track.

Up here in Inwood Hill Park the forest is looking remarkably beautiful and the air seems so fresh even though we are told that's an illusion.

City Ballet ROMEO & JULIET

May 8, 2007 - After watching the New York City Ballet's new production of ROMEO & JULIET tonight I came to the conclusion that is isn't so much the score that defeats this piece...it's the story. It really doesn't translate well into a ballet.  The opportunities for dance, such as the ballroom scene or the balcony scene, tend to dry up as the narrative moves forward. It's kind of hard to 'dance' a wedding ceremony, a bridal night in bed, or a double suicide. There's only so much that can be expressed in steps at these points, so that the evening becomes less dance-oriented and more a series of dramatic incidents. Prior to the intermission I was really enjoying the evening but after the break I found myself losing interest; I sort of wished the dancers would start speaking Shakespeare's lines.

I found the sets and costumes less off-putting than I anticipated; the set design put me in mind a bit of the Rouault PRODIGAL SON with its heavy black outlines. The unit set altered noiselessly allowing the scenes to flow. While Tybalt's canary-yellow outfit was garish, most of the costumes were nice and Darci Kistler's gown and cape as Lady Capulet were really superb.

In the first act there was a lot of real dancing, far more so than I recall at ABT. The balcony pas de deux was really very lovely (though I hope Sean Lavery's setting of the piece will not be discarded) and reminded me of Peter's MORGEN choreographically. The interjection of a Mandolin Dance for 5 boys from the School was charming as they pan-handled after their 'show' reminding me of the kids who do flips and break-dancing on the subways of NYC these days.  Attempts to keep a dance focus continued fitfully in Act II as when Juliet's friends stole in to deck her bed with flowers, unaware she has taken the sleeping draught.

The orchestra played very well under David Briskin's baton.

Earlier today, the promotions of eight dancers were announced; among them were our Romeo (Rob Fairchild, now a Soloist) and our Juliet (Sterling Hyltin dancing her first performance as a Principal tonight.) They worked beautifully together and created the feeling of impetuosity that underlines their relationship. Sterling's delicate nuances, her deep femininity and airy lyricism made her a really appealing Juliet. Sterling has always reminded me of Darci Kistler and it was charming to have them cast together; Darci looked divine and uses her hands so elegantly. Jock Soto was back on the NYCB stage as Lord Capulet, a father who was not averse to slapping his child when she disobeyed him. Albert Evans was an imposing Duke and Ask LaCour a youthful, noble-looking Friar Laurence.

Daniel Ulbricht, also promoted to Principal today, was magnificent as Mercutio, the care-free and buoyant youth who pushes things too far and pays with his life.  Antonio Carmena was no less exciting as Benvolio  and Joaquin de Luz was a mean-spirited Tybalt with a gallant veneer. These three gentlemen provided some bravura dancing which the audience warmly appreciated. 

Georgina Pazcoguin was a young & sexy Nurse, not an old nanny. Delivering Juliet's letter, Gina was romping about with Daniel & Antonio and enjoying herself. Jon Stafford, another new Principal, was a sincere and ardent Paris. In a featured role, Ana Sophia Scheller shown as Tybalt's girlfriend. Among the many corps favorites that I enjoyed watching at various points, Faye Arthurs again was captivating among the Capulet maidens, her floating extension always a knockout. It was so good seeing Pauline Golbin among the dancers at the ball, and Kaitlyn and Will were dancing together again. Rachel Piskin is delightful, and if I keep going I will mention everyone in the cast because believe me, I noticed them all.

Before the performance I was chatting with Tonya Plank (Swan Lake Samba Girl) and then Matt Murphy (Ranting Details) came by, saying that he was beginning to pull out of the depths of that nasty virus he's been fighting.  Inside, the house was packed and it was good seeing Susan again; she and I agreed at intermission that we were enjoying the production more than we'd expected. I wonder if she felt as I did that things went downhill somewhat after the intermission.

The other promotions today were Andrew Veyette to Principal, and Seth Orza, Craig Hall and Sean Suozzi to Soloist.  It will be interesting to see how they fare as the Company continues to evolve.

I felt relieved that I liked the ROMEO as well as I did, and both Wei & I thought we could see it again...but not right away.