Jeannette

The Forsythe work aired by POB a couple of years ago was VERTIGINOUS THRILL OF EXACTITUDE. IN THE MIDDLE…aired in Russia when the Mariinsky performed it (Kondaurova prominently featured). Just double-checked my catalogue!

It’s so great to read about the progress of Misha Barkidjija!

It’s amazing that Forsyth allowed the streaming of IN THE MIDDLE… at POB. Perhaps it was due to the COVID era? The Van Manen piece is in an interesting double-bill DVD by the Bavarian State Ballet. The Balanchine is a rarity, rarely filmed and broadcasted (the 1st movement shown in a NYCB COVID stream; the full ballet in a POB Balanchine 3ple bill pre-COVID).

This is the casting and credits: https://play.wiener-staatsoper.at/event/b1a1d6a0-266e-47ea-ab76-e47e347991c6/cast Apparently, the Forsyth will not be shown (although we’ve seen it performed recently in other COVID-era streams, including one from Paris). Glad to see the Van Manen and Balanchine works… and Brahms/Schoenberg is one of my greats!

Free access through this link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/arts/dance/alexei-ratmansky-coppelia-la-scala.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HU0.qviw.HL5bMBee_ft8&smid=url-share

My pleasure, Paco! How the world has changed since I traveled to Milan to witness the premiere of Sergei Vikharev’s Reconstruction of Petipa’s RAYMONDA! I also traveled, pre-COVID, to many places to witness the openings of other key Ratmansky or Vikharev ballets (Zurich for Swan Lake, Berlin for Bayadere, Costa Mesa for Sleeping Beauty, Whipped Cream, Love & Rage, NYC for Harlequinade and The Seasons, Miami for Baiser de La Fee…my crazy life.) That I could see the premiere of COPPELIA from my living room - in retirement in Puerto Rico - is amazing. I wish you a happy trip to Milan in January! I trust that it will be grand.

I cannot wait to read this, Ian! 👍 Read it. The diverts are “allegorical dances…about the young couple’s future…” Yes! 😃

Sorry, one more group of thoughts after watching the film a fourth time. I may have cracked the “code” of the A3 divertissements! So…. This portrays the Life of a Marriage, rather than “Day in a Life.” At the end of the Waltz of the Hours, Swanilda & Franz go to bed/sleep. Aurora (Dawn) is not Arabic…she’s pregnant and gathers six children (3 girls & 3 boys)…the future kids of the couple. Prayer is a God of Love who makes the villagers in love…Swanilda & Franz share a deep kiss at the end of Prayer’s dance. The Spinner jumps onto the stage like a “3rd woman” bringing fear to Swanilda & Franz. She’s sharp and pointy. The Kids’ Dance to the Village Wedding music. They are happily prancing, with the two sets of grandparents following them. Discord and War; then Peace: The pirate guy romps onto the stage, upsetting all villagers, causing them to fight among each other. Even after his dance, Franz’ four male friends fight, neighbors fight…until Swanilda and Franz are brought onto the stage by the Mayor. They restore peace & joy as they dance their melting pdd. Final Galop: everybody is happy again! Even the diverts dancers, including the nasty pirate, dance little happy codas! Maybe not in the perfect order but the dances seem to convey steps of the marriage.

Having seen the film three times, I’ll reflect on interesting and unique factors of this choreography: A1 Mazurka’s very different “table-top lift carries” in which each man lifts his partner in a tough-looking carry, with the woman positioned flat, parallel to the floor, her hands cupped behind her neck, elbows out. This lift is performed several times during the dance. (I recall seeing this lift in a Moiseyev-style production in Russia years ago.) The A1 “Stalk of Corn” dance is here a Pas de Douze (12) - for the leading pair and a corps of 10 (Swanilda’s six women friends and Franz’ energetic four male friends). Imagine Ratmansky’s interesting partnering options for the corps…with two of the girls often without partners! Ratmansky also showed interesting off-balance partnering by small groups in his ABT ballet Whipped Cream (Princess Tea Flower and her four friends dancing with three men). A1 Csardas’ extraordinarily high ronds de jambes by the women…Zakharova style. The A2 toy shop’s mannequins are all of women’s figures in simple grayish tunics, looking like prisoners in a concentration camp…no jolly Chinese or Astrologer male dolls here! Only the beloved Coppelia doll is dressed, in the bright red gown. As mentioned in my report, several of Franz’ solos echo some leaps and beats from Bournonville characters in Sylphide and other works. The A3 divertissements are described in my report - totally wacko and offbeat, eliciting unique reactions from the townspeople, such as lovely faces for “Apollo the Prayer God” and upsetting emotions for “Putin the Pirate Discord God.” The village shows the dark outline of a church with a cross on a dome…yet we see no priest…the prayer dance by an Apollo! Hmm. A traditional-looking, yet unique version of Coppelia, set in a town in Western Ukraine’s region of Galicia. p.s. During the eight minutes of bows, Ratmansky did not pull out the yellow and blue flag of Ukraine, as I was almost expecting, because of the setting. But no…no flag. In his mind, perhaps. 🇺🇦

Jerome Kaplan’s designs are gorgeous! I rank them up there with those of the versions of The Australian Ballet (Peggy Van Praagh-after-Petipa & Cecchetti): https://www.amazon.com/Australian-Ballet-Coppelia-Lisa-Bolte/dp/B0006A9HV2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3IGXGM7Q8LS9F&keywords=Coppelia+ballet+DVD&qid=1702943327&sprefix=coppelia+ballet+dvd%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-3 or of the Bolshoi (Vikharev-after-Petipa & Cecchetti): https://www.amazon.com/Delibes-Coppelia-Margarita-Shrayner/dp/B07NRF2FSW/ref=mp_s_a_1_38?crid=3IGXGM7Q8LS9F&keywords=Coppelia+ballet+DVD&qid=1702943428&sprefix=coppelia+ballet+dvd%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-38 NYCB’s version by Balanchine & Danilova, with designs by Rouben Ter-Arutunian , is also on my “Top Four” COPPELIAs list. https://www.nycballet.com/discover/ballet-repertory/coppelia Oh, let’s make a Top Five of COPPELIAs! I can’t forget the Osbert Lancaster-designed Royal Ballet version by Ninette de Valois-after-Petipa (or Ivanov?) and Cecchetti https://www.amazon.com/Coppelia/dp/B08GLQXN72/ref=mp_s_a_1_40?crid=2BR0PSK7B3983&keywords=coppelia+ballet+dvd&qid=1702944268&sprefix=Coppelia+ballet+DVD%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-40

Maybe a DVD will be issued?

I just finished the livestream of the LaScala Ratmansky COPPELIA…and absolutely loved it. Luckily, Medici announced that the opportunity to replay the performance is coming, so I’ll be watching it many times. This version looks traditional but the choreography is almost 100% new, with bits of Ukrainian partnering touches in the Mazurka and Csardas…and even some Bournonville footwork flourishes in the A1 and A3 solos of Franz, the incredibly engaging Timofei Andrijashenko. Nicoletta Manni was a delightful and sharp etoile in the leading female role of Swanilda. An adorable and engaging dancer with a natural soubrette air, this role seems almost perfect for her gifts! Christian Fagetti was absolutely menacing with his black leather coat and puffy grey hair as Dr. Coppelius. Aware of most versions of Coppelia, the biggest change here seems to be in the A3 divertissements depicting times of the day, quite “modern” and unique here, including: Waltz of the Golden Hours starring Swanilda, Franz and a special group of twelve corps ladies as The Hours…finishing with the leading couple “sleeping” on the ground. Aurora - female solo with the flexible Linda Giubelli in an orange-tinged Arabic costume. And now the one that I loved but needs explaining… ”Prayer” - male solo by a Greek God/Apollo? Navrin Turnbull, in blue silk, was sinewy, a fabulous leaper! Ok, I’ll take this “prayer”! Work/Spinner was the high flying Maria Celeste Losa. Village Wedding was rambunctiously danced by the La Scala Academy kids. (Nice how Ratmansky always finds a way to feature the young ones.) Another surprise: the “War and Discord” music - which I’ve seen only at NYCB with a group of Valkyries - is here a dynamic male pirate solo. Ronaldo Venuti was terrific in this. (Trying to figure it out…is this Putin the Pirate sowing discord, terrifying the villagers? Odd.) The pirate was defeated before the final divert of Peace - the pdd of Swanilda and Franz. Peace pdd - Manni and Andrijashenko totally gorgeous in their adagio and a combined two-solos variation to the known female-solo tune. (So no “fake Franz” variation to the Sylvia tune used by other choreographers?) The entire work ends triumphantly to the famous Galop. Hurrah to the La Scala troupe for this pezzo di gioia assoluta!

The Magic of Dance series was one of the gems of my youth! I taped it on a BetaMax (remember those?), then dubbed it to VHS, then to DVD! I wish that every young person who enjoys ballet would see this series, for a total lifetime transportation! What would it take for TV producers to reproduce this series, traveling to the world’s four corners? It was so made for the elegant Dame Margot as host!

I saw this colorful report on yesterday’s dress rehearsal of Ratmansky’s new COPPELIA at La Scala, Milan. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s livestream of the premiere on Medici. https://www.gramilano.com/2023/12/alexei-ratmansky-coppelia/ Admins might want to include this in tomorrow’s Links. I checked before posting here.

The publication date has changed again: 5 March 2024. https://www.amazon.com/Petersburg-Noverre-Marius-Petipa-Russia/dp/1839984163/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=3720SVDS172QC&keywords=Petipa+Wiley&qid=1701053750&sprefix=petipa+wiley%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-2

I was surprised at the title, which I’ve heard of only at POB. Congratulations to Manni, who I’ve enjoyed on various DVDs & live in Ratmansky’s Swan Lake.

In case the FB page doesn’t work, here’s The Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2023/10/24/washington-ballet-new-artistic-director/

Just posted on the company’s FB page: https://m.facebook.com/137251046480235/ Liang has been the AD of Columbus,OH’s Ballet Met. He was one of my favorite soloists at NYCB years ago! I hope to revisit Washington next spring, although that may be too early to see his work.

Fabulous news!

So It’s “Farewell” to the Ratmansky Cinderella at the Mariinsky!

Isn’t this sort of celebration the apogee of humanity, Bruce Wall? With the sad news going on in the world, I can’t help but think about the art and beauty that is being celebrated. How nice, whatever the culture, when humans can do this. My forty years of humanity work turn on the lightbulb. (Sorry for the big thought!)

“Happy 75th Birthday to you!”…as everyone sang and ribbons flowed, dancers and directors gathered on stage. Thus the grand evening ended, following an extraordinary Symphony in C (Bizet), every segment’s leading couple seeming to have outdone the previous one. And did I notice the 3rd presto movement’s main couple - Emma Van Enck and Roman Mejia - attempting one-handed lifts a-la Kitri & Basil in Don Q during the final diagonal?I don’t recall having seen the bump-up and hand-down before! The segment leaders: First - Fairchild and Gordon were sharp…in Seventh Heaven. Second - Mearns more regally accomplished than before, with her other-world care…luxuriously partnered by Angle. Third - You already heard about the Don Q airs between Von Eck and Mejia Fourth - Woodward and Shumacher in a fleet festival of fun. Bizet was preceded by Orpheus (Stravinsky), telling the tale of the mythological hero attempting to revive and return his dead wife Eurydice, when the latter takes off her husband’s mask and loses the spell….and today, the swallowing of her body to Hades was better attempted than last night, when we saw stagehands trying to smuggle her. Seriously, it’s a noble and historical work, more felicitous tonight. The evening began with a very sharp and musical Concerto Barocco, with Unity Phelan (season’s most-used star?), Emily Gerrity and Andrew Veyette in leading roles. The two leading women looked so alike (faces and figures), as I’ve never noticed before in this work. So the motto of my week at NYCB is: Happiest Birthday! 🎂 🥳 🎉 💐 💕

it’s been a Once-in-Lifetime vacation, Jan! It’s going to be hard to go back home on Thursday. Well, the Cuban National Ballet is touring to PR in November.

Last night’s Balanchine V program was a delight, commencing with Serenade (1934, Tchaikovsky), evoking romance and balletic passion, with ladies in long blue romantic tutus. This was the first post-COVID BALLET at NYCB IN Sept 2021, which I viewed…and it still evokes positive feelings. The announced cast of Sara Mearns/ Taylor Stanley (main Waltz couple), Indiana Woodward (Russian girl) and Miriam Miller/Davide Riccardo (Elegy pair/Dark Angels) were impressive. The corps was as synchronized and elegant as ever. As with most programs that I’ve attended during the past week, the bill ends with a large-scaled Balanchine work in the Imperial manner— last night, Theme and Variations, capturing all of Tchaikovsky’s grandness, led magnificently by Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley. The middle work last night was Orpheus (Stravinsky), with the same cast that will dance in tonight’s 75th Anniversary program, so I’ll deal with it at that time. Tonight it’s Concerto Barocco, Orpheus and Symphony in C! May the casts stay as announced! 🤞

I agree with you, Bruce Wall, that Tiler Peck was technically fantastic yesterday afternoon in Tchaikovsky Violin no 2. The infamous opening solo with the turns on the cadenza were extraordinary! I personally prefer the overall air and manners of Sara Mearns in the role…but that’s why reactions are so personal! AND I preferred Tiler’s partner, Joseph Gordon, overall. In the all-debuts Apollo, I was so overjoyed with Nadon’s Terpsichore that I forgot to mention the debuting Apollo, Chun Wai Chan, who is so youthful and personable. Total delight. He impressed me a lot! In the new Balanchine IV program on Saturday evening, I once again enjoyed Unity Phelan in Concerto Barocco leading female role - and wait til you see Miraculous Mira in this, as I saw at the Kennedy Center last summer! Daniel Ulbricht is still powerful as the lead in Prodigal Son! He still leaves me crying at the end, he is so touching. His Siren was new to me - the very tall and gorgeous Miriam Miller, a perfect vixen. The night - the long joyful day! - finished with perhaps my favorite Balanchine work, Symphony in C. I was flabbergasted, as all four movements seemed to be so deliciously performed. First mvt: Fairchild and Gordon were spot on! Second: Sara Mearns was her regal self, overcoming an injury to one foot (!), led by Tyler Angle…then, WHAM! - out blasted Roman Mejia and Emma Von Enck - to dazzle us in the Third movement, while Brittany Pollack and Troy Schumacher finely led the Fourth/Finale. I wish that I had bouquets for every member of the incredible corps de ballet. I’ll be visiting friends on Sunday. Just two more performances for me: Tuesday’s opening of Balanchine V (led by Serenade), then the 75th Anniversary show on Wednesday, recreating the October 11, 1948 evening. Back home to Puerto Rico after that. 😭