Ivy Lin Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 I didn't go to as many ballet performances as I usually do because of a bad ankle injury but I did review the major revivals and new works for bachtrack and made a season-end summary here: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/10/nycb-fall-season-wrap-up.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Allen Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Thank you, again, for the reviews you continue to produce. They are essential reading for me. I hope your ankle improves. I love Piano Concerto 2 - it's one of my favourite ballets of all time and I really enjoyed the performances I saw recently, but the costumes!! I've never known a ballet (whether performed as Ballet Imperial or as Piano Conc 2, to be so badly served by so many apalling looking productions. Increasingly I think the only good looking production designs I've seen were the original Berman designs which I saw two or three times too many years ago to think about. The women at City Ballet looked pretty good (as a generalisation) but the men still concern me somewhat. Only Gordon and Mejia seem to have stand-out talent. It might be my bad luck in what I've seen recently, but the "senior" men are looking no better than "carefully correct" and hence lack some excitement. Possibly Taylor Stanley may be an exception. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Douglas Allen said: Thank you, again, for the reviews you continue to produce. They are essential reading for me. I hope your ankle improves. I love Piano Concerto 2 - it's one of my favourite ballets of all time and I really enjoyed the performances I saw recently, but the costumes!! I've never known a ballet (whether performed as Ballet Imperial or as Piano Conc 2, to be so badly served by so many apalling looking productions. Increasingly I think the only good looking production designs I've seen were the original Berman designs which I saw two or three times too many years ago to think about. The women at City Ballet looked pretty good (as a generalisation) but the men still concern me somewhat. Only Gordon and Mejia seem to have stand-out talent. It might be my bad luck in what I've seen recently, but the "senior" men are looking no better than "carefully correct" and hence lack some excitement. Possibly Taylor Stanley may be an exception. Adrian Danchig-Waring looks pretty good to me. He rdoes get injured a lot though. Agree about some of the senior men. And thanks for the well wishes about the ankle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted February 11, 2020 Author Share Posted February 11, 2020 The revival of Episodes with the Paul Taylor solo was amazing! https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2020/02/nycbs-episodes-wakes-up-sleepy-winter.html 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agatha Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Really interesting. Thank you Ivy Lin. Please keep posting your reviews! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) Thanks so for your fine review, Ivy Lynn. I was in New York for work and caught two performances of the Episodes programme - plus both Episodes and Peck's stunning Rodeo in their complete run through at the Thursday afternoon rehearsal. (I could easily have watched the Peck three more times - such a brilliant Company celebration. Totally invigorating.) Agree entirely about the Haieff Divertimento - such a special piece. I hadn't seen it since the early 90's. Ball and Phelan were magnificent together. Think Furlan is a very special catch - not to mention Mejia. Agree heartily too about Kretzschmar. So exciting to see these relatively new jewels in the proverbial NYCB crown make it glitter afresh. .... Oh, and Stanley in Opus 19: The Dreamer was, once again, potent .. and has grown into such a fine partner. Edited February 15, 2020 by Bruce Wall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 Episodes has always been an odd duck in the Balanchine canon but with the Paul Taylor solo back in it makes so much more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 (edited) Also just wanted to mention Victor Abreu in Peck's entrancing Belles-Lettres (which I had not seen before). This young lad - only newly made a corps member after having been an apprentice - reminded me in many ways of the extraordinary joy of the RB's Joe Sissens - and is already a sublime partner. He deserves to go far. For a peek see flash footage here: Here is Huxley talking about Belles-Lettres .... He has added size to this technical stealth. He was riveting in this much as he was thrilling in Rodeo. Also must mention Sara Mearns who was totally ON (and she can sometimes be off) in the final (fourth) movement of Balanchine's Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet ... one of my all time favourite ballets ... certainly one of my desert island picks ... For moments she burnished my memories of Farrell who was in this when I first saw and fell in love with it ... Edited February 16, 2020 by Bruce Wall 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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