Ivy Lin

Well I decided that with canceled plans (I was originally going to see My Fair Lady but with both the lead Eliza and understudy out sick my mom decided she wanted a raincheck) plus a nasty persistent virus I decided to compare the Royal Ballet vs. Balanchine version point by point. Hope it's not too long and wordy: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/12/comparing-nutcrackers-across-pond.html

And I just wanted to add about Sir Peter Wright's Nutcracker. Tell me you don't see the resemblance:

My favorites: 1) The Balanchine version. My first experience with it was actually pretty awful -- it was a trainwreck of a performance where I remember about five falls (three snowflakes alone fell -- at different times), the Candy Cane tripped over the hoop, and SPF was having an awful night and did not attempt the final unsupported balance. The Dewdrop also faceplanted. I was like "this is it?" It wasn't until I moved away from NYC and moved back that I went to see it again and this time I remember it being Tiler Peck as Dewdrop and Sterling Hyltin as SPF. I was enchanted. In terms of pure choreography it remains my favorite version. 2) Sir Peter Wright's FIRST attempt. I watched that Collier/Dowell video a bunch of times. I loved it. But I mentioned this on the other thread that every year he adds more to the production and now I just think it's extremely fussy. 3) Alexei Ratmansky's version for ABT. There's many things I dislike but overall it's a very funny Nutcracker with plenty of heart. 4) Nutcracker Rouge - this alternative burlesque Nutcracker in Brooklyn by choreographer Austin McCormick. They encourage people to take videos and I took many videos of this wonderful production. Here is my playlist: 5) I also enjoy The Hard Nut althogh not as much as many people. I find the first act funny, the second act not so charming. 6) Mariinsky's Nutcracker. A bit too pink and twee, but charming for what it is and I enjoy the Vaganova Academy annual performances.

My favorite Nutcrackers are George Balanchine's version which really gives very young ballet students a chance to shine, and has a much more intimate Christmas party. I also enjoyed Alexei Ratmansky's version, and Mark Morris's The Hard Nut. Also enjoyed on video the Kent Stowell production. I just find that every year Peter Wright's version gets stuffier. I adored the Collier/Dowell video as well as the version he made for BRB so many years ago. But that video now seems quaint in its simplicity and charm and I think the RB production is overstuffed. Sometimes you get subtraction from addition.

Guys I saw the cinema relay. I usually treasure Royal Ballet cinema relays but I could find almost nothing positive to say about Sir Peter Wright's production, especially the way it's evolved since his first stab at the ballet so many years ago. I understand the need to give dancers opportunities as Clara and the Prince but their constant intrusion into both the Snow Scene and the divertissements was annoying. I like to think of the Snow Scene and the divertissements as stand-alones and opportunities for the corps and lower-ranked soloists of the company to shine. And as someone who's watched the party scene evolve over the years, the Stahlbaum Christmas party has turned from a charming house party with a magician into something maybe only Buckingham Palace can afford? It seems like every year the costumes for the party become more lavish. As for the Cavalier and Sugarplum Fairy those powdered wigs have got to go! They made Vadim look like Joffrey from Game of Thrones and did the impossible which was make Marianela Nunez look distant and starchy. The warmest, most radiant dancer is swallowed by that huge powdered wig. The dancing was excellent on all levels however.

I actually made a list. https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-and-worst-of-2018-with-video.html But I mentioned the amazingly idiomatic performances of Sambe and O'Sullivan at NYCC Balanchine festival, as well as the Royal Opera in Cinema relay of Mayerling which made me really, really envious.

Hmm I disagree about the use of children. I think the use of children makes Balanchine's Nut the most innocent and joyful version there is. Also he uses the children in so many capacities -- as soldier, as mice, as angels, as the party kids, as the polichinelles, as candy canes ... it's a great opportunity for ballet students and always makes performances a big family occasion.

Balanchine's version somewhat references this moment by having the SPF being pulled on a pulley. It's one of the most magical moments in Mr. B's Nutcracker.

Sae-Eun Park was considerably better in the MSND pas that was filmed. Karl Paquette was her partner then. I don;t know what happened in the performance I saw.

I know about SFB's history but it is a company that specializes in a lot of Balanchine works. Helgi Tomasson is a former principal dancer of NYCB and there has been a lot of dancers switching between companies -- Ana Sophia Scheller, Sofiane Sylve, Gonzalo Garcia, etc. are just some of the principals who have danced at both companies. But for accuracy's sake I've now edited the post. Thanks for the correction.

I attended the first three performances. I thought O'Sullivan and Sambé were absolutely glorious in the Tchai pas. Here's what I thought of the rest of the festival: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/11/international-festival-of-balanchine.html

I saw the cinema relay. I have a question for those who have seen Mayerling over the years: I've never seen Mayerling live. I have seen all three videos: Mukhamedov, Watson and McRae. Mukhamedov was more of a Byronic hero, and there was almost something sexy about his Rudolf. Watson and McRae both emphasize his sickness. They wear a white-blond wig and have a ghost-white pallor. I know this is more historically accurate but is this a general trend for Rudolf portrayals over the years?

Thank you! It really was a wonderful farewell.

Joaquin de Luz made his farewell to NYCB after a long and illustrious career: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/10/farewell-joaquin.html

Hi, Jared Angle is a senior principal who in his prime wasn't a virtuoso dancer. He's been cast less and less in recent seasons and it's become a chicken and egg thing -- is he out of shape because he barely dances, or does he not get cast because he's out of shape? He's definitely in the twilight of his career. As for Reichlen, I think that she might be needed for Diamonds now. I hope she doesn't retire Tall Girl in Rubies but the company now has a liot of tall glamazons so she might be pushed towards Diamonds. As for promising men, corps members Roman Mejia (son of Paul Mejia), Harrison Coll and Sebastian Villarini-Velez are probably getting the most attention.

After a summer of nonstop scandal NYCB's fall season opened. Lots of debuts as overnight the company lost three male principals: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/09/nycb-recovers-after-summer-of-scandal.html

Uh, is Ondine (Ashton) considered a mermaid ballet? Because wasn't it pretty successful? And it was one of Margot's favorites.

I attended three performances of Don Q at ABT this week. Comparisons of the casts: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/06/abts-don-quixotes-chart-path-for-abts.html

I just saw the cinemacast. A few thoughts: 1) I don;t agree with the artistic decision to begin the white swan pas de deux with a soulful look into Siegfried's eyes. I think in the beginning there should be some fear, and one of the beauties of the white swan pas de deux is how that fear gradually dissipates. I think the loving glance Nunez gave Muntigarov was just not a choice I agreed with. 2) I liked the ballroom scene. I found it easier on the eyes than the Dowell production. 3) I wasn't a fan of the ending. I feel like there's two ways to approach the SL ending: either the spell is broken by the double deaths of Siegfried and Odette or in the Mariinsky version the spell is just broken; or 2) the spell is not broken period. Both can be very effective endings. The spell is broken but Odette still dies while Siegfried lives doesn't work for me. 4) Nunez is definitely IMO a more natural Odile than Odette. I felt that oddly she's more effective when forced to step outside her normal comfort zone. Her Odile was exactly the kind of sexy, enticing woman you could see Siegfried falling for. And of course her fouettes and variation was amazing. 5) Way too many close-ups. This was really distracting for Muntigarov as sometimes I felt like his expressions tended towards the reserved, while Nunez tended to over-emote. In the theater these differences wouldn't be so obvious. Up close you could see it.

I also love the swirling silver gowns in Balanchine's Vienna Waltzes ... For "silly" costumes I've always adored the get-up of the stepsisters in Ashton's Cinderella, especially the Frederick Ashton role as the "sweet" sister.

Thanks for the kind words. One thing: Edward Villella (the original Harlequin in the production) was sitting right in front of me yesterday so I asked him wheat he rehearsed and he said mime and characterization for the lead characters. Makes sense considering how I found out from Ratmansky version that Balanchine reused so much Petipa choreography.

Well I saw the Ratmansky reconstruction of Harlequinade and here's what I thought: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2018/06/ratmanskys-harlequinade-petipa-in-house.html

Wasn't always a big fan of Karinska costumes but the Rubies dresses are perfect: cute, flirty, if you lengthen it by a little you totally have a cute red cocktail dress. Love the fairy costumes in Ashton's Dream: And for "simple" dresses I love Swanilda's first act dress in the Bolshoi Coppelia:

I take a gentler view on Polunin's interview. IIRC wouldn't this be around the time he and Natalia Osipova broke up? He sounds bitter towards the world of ballet but that's typical of someone not very mature who has just endured a very public break-up with one of ballet's superstars. It sounds like a real "that's her world, this is my world" sulking. Which as I said isn't mature but in matters of the heart ... He did have her name tattooed on his fingers.

Lopatkina definitely does have hyperextended knees. She just has more control of her joints so she never looks floppy. As for the ending of the White Swan Adagio I like the dip however I think that when done right the arabesque penchée can be very beautiful. For one, it's a return to bird form. Odette becomes someone Siegfried can no longer entirely own as her face looks at the ground. I think this quality of "I can't really own her" drives Swan Lake so I think the penchée is a good post-Petipa alternative: