NYCB at Sadler's Wells - 07-10 March 2024

[Lizbie1]

I know others feel differently, but I do find it frustrating that when prominent companies tour to SW they often prefer to bring their newer repertoire rather than the things they're best known for. (I don't know if that's partly a SW preference as well.) I can understand that they want to show off new works and different dimensions but...!

 

The Alvin Ailey visit feels like an outlier in this respect.

[Mary]

I agree: disappointed.

I wish I could find some classical ballet I want to see at Sadlers- especially as I have a credit with them, which at this rate is going to run out of time......

[Bruce Wall]

I can see this programme has definitely been targeted at what would now be defined as befitting a 'Sadler's Wells audience'.  (So much of the huge core rep that NYCB dances is just too big for the small Wells' stage.)  I very much enjoyed Peck's Rotunda and, of course, Duo Concertant - which I was lucky enough to have first seen with its original cast - Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins.  (The latter too may have been chosen as it is a small Balanchine work - with just two dancers - [Rotunda has twelve] - and has been performed by a local company in the UK.)  If you get the Balanchine with the magnificent Woodward with either Furlan or Huxley - as the Wells' site pictures - you will definitely have a ticket worth getting.  Gustave Le Gray No. 1 was originally created by Tanowitz for Miami City Ballet and has a cast of four in the NYCB version.  Both Tanowitz and composer Caroline Shaw are now known entities to London audiences.  The last piece by Abrahams (who has, of course, now done two works for the Royal) is - at least from my purvey - somewhat hampered by its fashion designer togs - given that it was a product of a Spring Season fashion gala.  Here is a film on 2022's effort from whence Love Letter (on shuffle) with sixteen dancers sprung.  I'm certain it was in-part chosen - and certainly given the prime position of being the closing 'money' work - because Giles Deacon is a BRITISH designer of international repute.  The wonderful talents of Quinn Starner, Tiler Peck and Christopher Grant - all of whom performed in Tiler Peck's recent stunning showcase at the Wells - were in the original cast of this work.  

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[bridiem]

Very very disappointed in the rep. These are mainly the kind of works that can be seen anywhere at any time.

[Emeralds]

Ah well: 

Pluses- it’s not just the Justin Peck piece Rotunda on its own. (Just have to add here to many veteran dance goers and dancers’ voices who have said it before, I really dislike the practice of seeing white/pink tights worn over leotards instead of under....it has the effect of looking like people are wearing their underwear over their outdoor clothes. We’re not all Superman or Batman - most people can’t pull off that look!) Black tights are ok, as they look like unitards or leggings. Rotunda is full of dodgy costuming like this (even though in clips/trailers the dancers themselves are excellent. I’ll try to ignore the costumes.)

 

Minuses-

We have seen Duo Concertant here before, by both ABT & RB. Viviana Durante and Misty Copeland were both outstanding in the performances I saw at ROH & SWT respectively- a very high bar has been set! That said, I would love, love, love to see Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley dance it live at SWT, as they were magnificent in the lockdown streaming cast. (Hope both are coming!)

 

We do get Pam Tanowitz and Kyle Abraham’s works here- two new works each specifically created for London audiences (three for Tanowitz if the pas de deux for Anna Rose O’Sullivan and William Bracewell counts as one full work), no less. Must we have more when we’ve already seen them this year and last year?

 

Why not a Robbins piano ballet unique to NYCB when his works are not mounted abroad that often? Why not a rarely travelled Balanchine work? 

 

As always, where distances and logistics are a challenge to sort out in themselves, I will conclude my queries by saying, like I did about Australian Ballet, questions or wishes aside, I’m very happy just to have NYCB here at all, dancing anything (even if they just ran across the stage doing arabesques!) and will book to see them! 👍🙂

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Emeralds

[JNC]

Agree this is really disappointing. NYCB is Balanchine, and to have only one piece, no Robbins just feels such a missed opportunity. I know pragmatically for cost reasons it wouldn’t be likely to have been considered but surely they could have brought two programmes - one with more newer flavours and one more “heritage”? 
 

no big fan of Abraham I must admit, I wasn’t impressed by his ROH work. I’m not familiar with Peck but the Balanchine work I’d be interested in but not sure it’s enough alone to merit a trip to London. They’ve not even listed on the SW site who is the choreographer for the Gustave piece?

 

my other gripe is 2h15 minutes…surely they could have brought a 3 hour programme, or is that unfair of me to think? 
 

gone from being a must-see to a may-see deciding closer to the time depending on ability to combine with other things happening…

[Bruce Wall]

I think we have to be realistic in terms of what I'm certain were the demands that NYCB will have met in the construction of a programme for today's Sadler's Wells.  This now is very much the house that Spalding built.  I think we should be grateful that we're getting a ballet-focused work by Peck and a short Balanchine.  I think that Whelan and Stafford have done a truly wonderful job in NYC - (bless them BIG TIME for bringing back Balanchine's magnificent Haieff Divermento to life for example - but they are not in the driver's seat here.  I'm going to expect therefore that Spalding will have known EXACTLY what will sell in HIS house and that the houses for this part-week season will be full to bursting and not sadly empty as they were for the glorious three week season of San Francisco Ballet in 2019.  If you want to see the Balanchine and Robbins - and core balletic Peck and Ratmansky - I would hugely recommend a trip to NYC and its stunning State Theater, itself in part designed by Balanchine.  (The orchestra itself levitates from the pit as the music ALWAYS comes first there and the tempi are always respected.  Indeed I was at the Sleeping Beauty dress in the NYCB Winter season and Stafford from the stage asked the conductor - while the production was ongoing no less - if the tempi of one of the Fairy solos could be slowed for a particular dancer and the conductor - whose notes always come with primary impact for ALL here - gave a one word answer: 'No').  So different from other addresses but so right in the house that Balanchine built.  I still vividly recall seeing him place that metronome on the stage any number of times in rehearsals.  If you go to New York for the Fall (Autumn) season it is ALL Balanchine.  I'll be there for all of it - and SO look forward to it - and would be most happy to meet you there.  

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[JNC]

Many of us can’t afford to go to New York, as much as we might like to. So that’s why it would be nice to see some really core identifiable pieces from NYCB, as many of us will never get to go to see them in their home ground. 
 

Perhaps if they came more regularly this programme would be great, but for the first visit in a while (and who knows when their next one might be) I think you can see why there is disappointment. 

[Sim]

Yes....very disappointing for me also.  I was so looking forward to this visit, but not at all sure I will bother now.  I wanted to see them in Balanchine and Robbins, and we get one short Balanchine and no Robbins whatsoever.  I am not in a position to just flit over to NYC to see them, so this rep is a real let-down for me.  But then, I guess I am no longer the target audience.  Or the Sadler's Wells audience. 

 

[Bruce Wall]

49 minutes ago, JNC said:

Many of us can’t afford to go to New York, as much as we might like to. So that’s why it would be nice to see some really core identifiable pieces from NYCB, as many of us will never get to go to see them in their home ground. 
 

Perhaps if they came more regularly this programme would be great, but for the first visit in a while (and who knows when their next one might be) I think you can see why there is disappointment. 

 

I completely understand - and completely sympathise believe me - especially with the announced considerable rise in NYCB prices.  Although I can understand given competition with the likes of Broadway where prices are now out of so, so many people's reach.  I fear for the All Balanchine Season upcoming.  For recent NYCB All Balanchine showings I have attended - the last ones being just over a week ago - not only the Fourth Ring but also the Third Ring were completely closed - and even then the Second Ring was not completely full.  Watching so many brilliant performances - the likes of Woodward and Joe Gordon (now surely one of the world's major classical dancers) in La Source; Mearns, von Eyck and Mejia in Namouna; Retiring Ball and Woodward in the Haieff Divertimento; Chun and Tiler Peck in Raymonda Variations or Tiler Peck and a rejuvenated Veyette in the Donizetti ones (how he does what he does with virtually no plie is beyond me but you have to give credit where much credit is due) and both Huxley and Ball in that oh, so glorious male variation that Balanchine added to Square Dance in 1976 - I kept saying to myself 'what does it now take to get people to come out and support such stunning glories?'  

 

That said, JNC and Sim, it might be best in this instance to write to the powers that be at Sadler's Wells.  They are the ones with the true influence in these regards, i.e., in terms of any London planning, now and in the foreseeable future - be it for NYCB or anything else.    

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[Lizbie1]

53 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

I think we have to be realistic in terms of what I'm certain were the demands that NYCB will have met in the construction of a programme for today's Sadler's Wells.  This now is very much the house that Spalding built.  I think we should be grateful that we're getting a ballet-focused work by Peck and a short Balanchine.  I think that Whelan and Stafford have done a truly wonderful job in NYC - (bless them BIG TIME for bringing back Balanchine's magnificent Haieff Divermento to life for example - but they are not in the driver's seat here.  I'm going to expect therefore that Spalding will have known EXACTLY what will sell in HIS house and that the houses for this part-week season will be full to bursting and not sadly empty as they were for the glorious three week season of San Francisco Ballet in 2019.  If you want to see the Balanchine and Robbins - and core balletic Peck and Ratmansky - I would hugely recommend a trip to NYC and its stunning State Theater, itself in part designed by Balanchine.  (The orchestra itself levitates from the pit as the music ALWAYS comes first there and the tempi are always respected.  Indeed I was at the Sleeping Beauty dress in the NYCB Winter season and Stafford from the stage asked the conductor - while the production was ongoing no less - if the tempi of one of the Fairy solos could be slowed for a particular dancer and the conductor - whose notes always come with primary impact for ALL here - gave a one word answer: 'No').  So different from other addresses but so right in the house that Balanchine built.  I still vividly recall seeing him place that metronome on the stage any number of times in rehearsals.  If you go to New York for the Fall (Autumn) season it is ALL Balanchine.  I'll be there for all of it - and SO look forward to it - and would be most happy to meet you there.  

 

 

 

I agree with a lot of this, but the SF programmes were all new works and still sold slowly - and I don't see a Balanchine-focussed NYCB visit struggling.

 

I don't know enough about Spalding to judge and I've never seen him criticised but I don't think that the amount of influence he has (not just his SW "tastemaker" status but routinely sitting on appointment committees and so on) is healthy.

[JNC]

Thanks Bruce, without being cynical I doubt writing in will do much. 
 

it feels a bit of a catch-22 - if we resign ourselves to go because this is it, then if tickets sales are good they will think this sort of programme is what we want/prefer etc.

 

if we don’t go then is it NYCB and ballet not selling and they don’t get a chance to come back…

 

I’ll remain open minded if I can combine with something else I want to do in London but I’m not sure I’d make the trip for this alone.

 

Why can ENB generally get their programming right, and others can’t? Granted it’s not perfect but they have a bit of something for everyone in their limited (compared to RB) offering. Including Balanchine and new work mixed in an enticing way, unlike this which is hodgepodge without a clear story (not that I can see). 

[OnePigeon]

24 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I agree with a lot of this, but the SF programmes were all new works and still sold slowly - and I don't see a Balanchine-focussed NYCB visit struggling.

 

I don't know enough about Spalding to judge and I've never seen him criticised but I don't think that the amount of influence he has (not just his SW "tastemaker" status but routinely sitting on appointment committees and so on) is healthy.

I agree - especially when his taste and mine seem to be diametrically opposed!  I’m so bored with contemporary dance.

[Sim]

2 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

 I’m so bored with contemporary dance.

I guess this is how they think they will draw in those newer and younger audiences that they need.  Feed them a lot of 'right on' stuff and that'll do the trick.  Maybe it does do the trick...I don't know because I avoid much of it.  

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

 I don't see a Balanchine-focussed NYCB visit struggling.

 

 

One thing I'm still haunted by is the near-empty (proportionately speaking) houses for some of the NYCB Programme I performances at the Coliseum in 2008 - let alone the other show bills.  It was a sea of red I recall - and that first programme was an ALL BALANCHINE one of - are you ready - Serenade (with Kistler and a flying Ashley Bouder no less); Agon - with Whelan and the sadly late Evans in the core PDD --- (Albert died far too soon for anyone's good) - AND SYMPHONY IN C!  For some of those performances I had received complimentary tickets - and I had already bought a seat for all.  At the time it seemed as if you couldn't even give it away in London.   'It isn't Mayerling; it isn't Manon' I found myself muttering.  That said - with the right starry casting - certainly a Manon would sell for ABT in the 4,000 space (3.800 seats; 200 standing) Met in the Big Apple. 

 

I went to ALL performances of NYCB at the Chatelet in Paris in 2016 - and that's a house far larger than the one in Covent Garden - and all performances were heavily sold.  I will ALWAYS remember that there were 22 curtain calls for the first performance of Peck's Everywhere We Go ... but then Peck is now very much celebrated there as he is in NYC.  His programmes now sell much better than Balanchine's often do.  'Choreographer as Rock Star' I mused as he bounded up to the stage from a corner house wing before an access performance of his (largely) new Copland Dance Episodes this year.  They were cheering and pounding the floor - and it wasn't even opening night.  Quite right too.  It was exhilarating just to be there - much as it is when his Royal equivalent - McGregor - comes out onto the ROH stage.  We all, I suppose, have to find joy in the times in which we live.  Sadly we don't have much choice often I fear otherwise.  

 

 

  

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[Emeralds]

I think the dancers will be great in whatever choreography they dance. They are that good. And the ones that accompanied Tiler Peck to Sadler’s Wells in March were so committed to what they were presenting and such charismatic performers - you could feel their energy while admiring their artistry. 

 

It feels a bit like the Royal Ballet visiting New York and the USA as a company for the first time in 15 years and bringing only Ashton’s Symphonic Variations (a small cast ballet similar in length to Duo Concertant) and bringing their  Kyle Abraham and Pam Tanowitz pieces in their programme plus something short and not very popular by Wheeldon or McGregor (ie not Chroma, Infra, Within the Golden Hour, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland etc). No MacMilan works. No other Ashton. I think the audiences would admire the dancers’ virtuosity and artistry, but will wish they’d brought more signature work, not choreographers they could easily see in New York or other East Coast cities. 

 

I don’t want to be too critical in case they are put off even coming over- and I would truly travel to London and pay just to see them do class! But one has to admit that when you can see on YouTube how sublime and magical Tiler Peck is in Tchaikovsky pas de deux, or the artistry and subtlety  the NYCB bring to works like Donizetti Variations, Other Dances, Goldberg Variations, etc, it’s a totally different kettle of fish to watching modern works of unproven quality (I’m afraid Tanowitz has given RB nicer pieces than the Gustave Gray that’s coming.....although I am hoping to be proven wrong

 

I really hope Alistair Spaulding didn’t say “yes, the audiences have seen Tanowitz and Abraham at ROH, Peck’s work was danced by SFB here- bring those. They are not sophisticated enough for more Balanchine and Robbins.” Or “Don’t bring more Balanchine and Robbins. They danced it in 2021 at ROH. They’ll be bored and it won’t sell”. Because it seems like someone has! 

 

That said, Duo Concertant is a beautiful ballet - if cast well, and has two good musicians, it is a glorious piece. If only it had been paired with Concerto Barocco. Or Dances at a Gathering. If they are bringing signature works, I’d be more than happy to see them perform ballets that RB, BRB, ENB etc already dance or other visiting companies have brought. 

[Emeralds]

14 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

One thing I'm still haunted by is the near-empty (proportionately speaking) houses for some of the NYCB Programme I performances at the Coliseum in 2008 - let alone the other show bills.  It was a sea of red I recall - and that first programme was an ALL BALANCHINE one of - are you ready - Serenade (with Kistler and a flying Ashley Bouder no less); Agon - with Whelan and the sadly late Evans in the core PDD --- (Albert died far too soon for anyone's good) - AND SYMPHONY IN C!  For some of those performances I had received complimentary tickets - and I had already bought a seat for all.  At the time it seemed as if you couldn't even give it away in London.   'It isn't Mayerling; it isn't Manon' I found myself muttering.  That said - with the right starry casting - certainly a Manon would sell for ABT in the 4,000 space (3.800 seats; 200 standing) Met in the Big Apple. 

  

 

I have no idea what happened in 2008 - I myself was immensely frustrated that I couldn’t attend due to having to be away.

 

But London Coliseum has had the problem of not being able to sell ballet before (and often) - it’s like a publicity or marketing black hole. I don’t think the theatre actually does any publicity for visiting companies (even domestic ones) and they only put opera on their small billboards outside. I have seen ENB and BRB bring very good programmes (even full length story ballets) there with their biggest stars - eg Vadim Muntagirov, Tamara Rojo, Chi Cao, etc - and lots of empty seats still.

 

What happened in 2008 was really unlucky but it wasn’t the fault of the programming and certainly not the dancers. (Whelan, Kistler and Evans are indeed incredible. Haven’t seen Bouder in person yet-I hope she is coming over next year!) I met Wendy and Albert at the stage door years ago and they were so lovely, friendly and warm. Albert is greatly, greatly missed- gone too soon. 

[OnePigeon]

I have no idea how I missed that in 2008, I was still working in London, culturally active and and child free.  I would have jumped at the chance to see them, but I don’t recall it at all.  Perhaps I was away or maybe I didn’t see the marketing - clearly I wasn’t the only one if there were lots of empty seats.  What a shame. 

[bridiem]

Sadler's Wells seems to do a very good job at selling obscure contemporary dance - judging by its programming at least, since I don't go to any of it but I assume someone does - so it should be able to do an equally good job at selling world-class classical ballet. It's supposed to be London's 'dance theatre' after all - does that not mean a responsibility to all forms of dance? If it can't sell NYCB doing Balanchine it should damn well shut up shop. (And yes, I know the Coliseum didn't sell it - but that's the Coliseum for you.)

' 

[alison]

It's a lot of performances for a largely unknown bill.  I hope it sells well, but I can't help thinking that two programmes might have been safer.  But possibly not feasible in the circumstances.  From what I'm picking up, it also sounds like a fairly small party of dancers, which in turn may have limited the options.

[Emeralds]

12 hours ago, bridiem said:

Sadler's Wells seems to do a very good job at selling obscure contemporary dance - judging by its programming at least, since I don't go to any of it but I assume someone does - so it should be able to do an equally good job at selling world-class classical ballet. It's supposed to be London's 'dance theatre' after all - does that not mean a responsibility to all forms of dance? If it can't sell NYCB doing Balanchine it should damn well shut up shop. (And yes, I know the Coliseum didn't sell it - but that's the Coliseum for you.)

' 

I gather from the website availability that a number of their contemporary dance or other dance genre shows don’t sell well compared to ROH & Linbury - or sometimes not much at all, and SWT management don’t seem too bothered. This is offset by a lot of companies that do sell extremely well - Akram Khan, Matthew Bourne - so I suppose they don’t get worried about those that don’t. SWT also gets financial support from their local borough council (Islington Council) as well as the Arts Council which most other theatres in London don’t get so maybe that’s why they are less bothered.  

 

A lot of contemporary programmes also don’t cost that much to stage - simple/budget costumes, no set / inexpensive set, recorded music - so poor sales are less detrimental than for an expensive show like a classical ballet. (Sadly, it’s often also cheaper because the dancers in some groups are paid very little.)  

 

I don’t know how well NYCB will be marketed, how high or low ticket prices will be, and whether discounts (multibuy/child/student/pensioner etc) will be offered but box office success will depend on those three factors. Also, having the same programme for 6 shows where only one ballet has guaranteed appeal is risky. (The other choreographers whose classical works for NYCB have guaranteed appeal are Robbins and Forsythe.) By guaranteed appeal I don’t mean that everyone will love it, of course- no ballet (or any work of art) does that, not even Swan Lake. What I mean is that lots of people like it, and many others will be enthusiastic enough to buy a ticket see it once, whether or not they like the end result, resulting in healthy ticket sales. So, hmm- Sadler’s Wells definitely living up to the aim of not playing safe! 

[Blossom]

Well, as others have said, I don't think I'll be going to see this given the programming.

I do wonder though whether there could be a case for switching the programme (or program) with a bit of lobbying/slow ticket sales.

No harm in writing to Sadlers Wells on this front...

[Bruce Wall]

I don't think we should be so entirely harsh - Here is NYCB's Anthony Huxley talking about Duo Concertant - and you see him dancing in it here with the TRULY stunning Indiana Woodward - We should be so lucky! - 
 

 

[Mary]

I don't want to be harsh and the above does look lovely, Bruce: they are beautiful dancers. But it's just that those of us who have to travel to London, it is quite an investment of time and money, and it would be good to see a lot more of what we like in the programme............

 

[Bruce Wall]

2 hours ago, Mary said:

I don't want to be harsh and the above does look lovely, Bruce: they are beautiful dancers. But it's just that those of us who have to travel to London, it is quite an investment of time and money, and it would be good to see a lot more of what we like in the programme............

 

 

Dear Mary, I so wish that there had been oh, so many more who felt as you obviously do in 2008 in London when they clearly had just that opportunity.  Sadly as reality informed, such was not to be the case.  I, myself, completely understand that, however.  The education for the majority - from a core balletic perspective - necessary to support such undertakings simply had not been in place.  Sadly I think in many instances that is the same case for younger audiences in NYC today.  It is not the Balanchine and Robbins programmes that they are cramming into - short of the access performances.  The youth support IS there - but so many of the senior contingent that historically would have encouraged them are very much now a dying breed.  Still, the new IS selling at both addresses.  I will place my faith in this instance in Mr. Spalding.  I don't think we have much choice.  I am assuming he will know what will sell today for his native audience.  If it doesn't then I think we will have every right to be very disappointed.  Certainly it worked a trick with Tiler Peck's glorious programme - such as I hope you, yourself, were able to enjoy.  It was certainly worth travelling for - as members here reported.  I know I had friends from NYC who flew over to attend it as they had so enjoyed its precursor presented in NYC's beautifully restored City Center - a venue where so many of Balanchine's fabled works were originally staged.  

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Bruce Wall

[Blossom]

From Alistair Spalding...

 

Dear Julie,

Thanks for getting in touch. Yes the programme that New York City Ballet are bringing this time is predominantly contemporary choreography. It sis an aspect of ballet that we focus on here at the theatre as we feel that there is a good deal of classical ballet elsewhere in London. It is also, frankly, a matter of economics, the dancer and orchestral forces for such a programme are less, whereas the last time we brought the company to London (which was actually at the Coliseum) we were able to present a more expansive programme because of the larger capacity there.

 

The good news on Balanchine is that English National Ballet are presenting Theme and Variations in their September season.

 

With Best Wishes

 

Alistair

[OnePigeon]

The future of ballet, it increasingly appears, will be that a small selected amount of the classical ballet repertoire will remain and be performed on a rinse and repeat cycle.  There will be also be lots of new contemporary dance style ballets and the occasional ‘heritage’ pieces by once revered 20th century choreographers who are largely falling out of favour/fashion with ADs and audiences, save for a few favourite pieces which most companies will perform, such as Jewels.  There will be a few outlier companies, such as Sarasota, but generally I feel pretty depressed.  Clearly economics are dictating this trend for bringing contemporary pieces over - I guess a leotard and recorded music with bare sets make a ballet a whole lot cheaper to stage, tour and discard if needed. 

[Emeralds]

 

I agree with @alison. If they are dead keen on bringing Rotunda, Gustave and Love Letter, I would have done two programmes: Programme A- Rotunda, Gustave, Other Dances, Square Dance, and Programme B-Rotunda, Duo Concertant, La Source, Love Letter.

 

At first I thought they wanted to do only works with a piano or at most two or three musicians, but Rotunda is orchestrated, so I’m wondering if they are using recorded music for that or reducing the orchestration with permission from the composer. 

 

Basically the only “new item” on my suggestion that hasn’t been rehearsed recently is Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances, but it’s a short piano ballet for 2 dancers - I know they have principal dancers who know it very well. If Square Dance requires too many dancers, even replacing it with La Source for both programmes will ensure better sales as Delibes tends to sell well in London (some of it borrowed for Le Corsaire that regular dancegoers will recognise!) I’d personally prefer to see Square Dance though-never managed to catch it live! La Source is gorgeous, as are Other Dances and Duo Concertant. 

 

As one can see, I’m not proposing discarding any of the new works- just giving audiences the opportunity to come twice to see them. 😉 

 

In Lincoln Center, when audiences take for granted there will always be Balanchine and Robbins, the cheers will probably be loud for a new Justin Peck work because the audiences have cheered for the Balanchines and Robbins many times before, year in year out. That doesn’t mean they like the Balanchines and Robbins less now. It’s not changing tastes, it’s just arithmetic. Britain doesn’t get to see Balanchine and Robbins that often, but we’ve seen a lot of Tanowitz and Abraham, so for most of us, La Source, Square Dance, Other Dances, are actually premieres. A Justin Peck ballet came in June 2019 (with San Francisco Ballet) so his work is also not a novelty any more. 

 

I’m making these suggestions having to guess how many dancers are coming, so based on the four works announced and bearing in mind I have only seen brief clips of Square Dance and the new works- it looks like at least 16, based on the number required for Love Letter (On Shuffle). The idea is that keen fans would book both to catch the Balanchine and Robbins works, and those who want new choreography will book both to catch all the new works.

 

Are there enough audience members in London or any U.K. city to fill 6 Sadler’s Wells dance shows to capacity if every person only went once?  No. Definitely not. Not even the biggest stars could pull that off with a company of fellow stars. Tiler Peck is as big a star as one could ask for, and whether by coincidence or good business sense, stuck to three nights at SWT only and that was a box office success. She could probably have had the same success with four nights, but not six, unless there was a second programme.  

 

They need either a Programme B or pre-announced casting, with a Cast B which is different to Cast A, and equal distribution of principals in both, not an obvious “second cast” of only corps members (even if I know their corps members are also insanely talented and compelling artists).  Either that or bring 2 programmes, in which case casting won’t matter as much. 

 

3 shows per programme is about the maximum you can expect to sell well at Sadler’s Wells if you have no advance casting announcement. NYCB don’t tend to announce casting in NY till about a week before so it will be impossible to expect audiences here to know if they should book a second or third show, or say yes to going somewhere/doing something else.

 

Hopefully Jonathan Stafford will announce advance casting- we don’t mind cast changes, as long as there is a preliminary list to go on! (Clearly, they do announce farewell performances in advance!) - if the sales are not to dip. 

 

I would also advise not having ticket prices too high (like the 2008 Coliseum tour prices were)- with 6 shows they’ll want lots of people to be able to afford to come; you don’t want the auditorium to be only 30% full and occupied only by the wealthy. As an indication, the prices for Tiler Peck’s visit were exactly right- affordable at various categories. 

 

@Bruce Wall, I was going to ask if raised ticket prices were the cause of the low sales for NYCB recently and having to close off two sections, and I see you did mention that. I don’t think it’s a case that the audiences don’t love Balanchine ballets any more but that they have been priced out, rather like what’s happened at the Royal Ballet this year. So instead of many regulars going two or three times a week they’re going just once every two weeks. That’s why those sections had to close.

 

The same thing happened with the Royal Ballet. In January and February, Sleeping Beauty didn’t sell- all the seat prices were raised, the top price seats (a sky high £170 for the first time) hardly sold. Around 120-150 seats for Sleeping Beauty left unsold, and they had to resort to major discounting, some giveaways and comps. Sleeping Beauty- a traditional production, the RB “flagship ballet”, so to speak, not selling? Unthinkable 20 years ago. But with eye watering price rises in a country that has seen a downturn in the economy, job losses, 10-20% inflation, post-Covid business struggles, rising costs, it was unsurprising, and many of us here predicted the poor sales. Also probably didn’t help that ENB down the road were offering Swan Lake (also a good traditional production) at the same time, at more or less their usual prices, which were now approximately 50% lower than ROH prices (plus family and multibuy discounts; no such discounts at ROH) - they sold out completely. That was also not surprising. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Emeralds

[Blossom]

21 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

The future of ballet, it increasingly appears, will be that a small selected amount of the classical ballet repertoire will remain and be performed on a rinse and repeat cycle.  There will be also be lots of new contemporary dance style ballets and the occasional ‘heritage’ pieces by once revered 20th century choreographers who are largely falling out of favour/fashion with ADs and audiences, save for a few favourite pieces which most companies will perform, such as Jewels.  There will be a few outlier companies, such as Sarasota, but generally I feel pretty depressed.  Clearly economics are dictating this trend for bringing contemporary pieces over - I guess a leotard and recorded music with bare sets make a ballet a whole lot cheaper to stage, tour and discard if needed. 

This is why I feel that WE (anyone on this forum) need to help secure the future of classical ballet by actively bringing new audiences. To some degree I think this deserves its own thread and grassroots movement!!  We are the people who will not only get our friends/colleagues to the theatre, but will also have the knowledge and interest to seek out the more interesting programmes which are harder to sell,  Balanchine or otherwise, or evangelise about the delights of e.g. Ashton (apparently Fille is really hard to sell which seems ridiculous).  

 

For those of us with kids, it's about taking just one more child/teenager with. Currently shocked at how few of my daughter's friends (age 15/16) have ever stepped into a theatre at all. They are just old enough for all of the 'young' theatre programmes, so busy trying to evangelise about those to their parents....

 

Is anyone else interested in trying some sorts of grassroots effort in the 2023/24 season?

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Blossom

[Emeralds]

49 minutes ago, Blossom said:

From Alistair Spalding...

 

Dear Julie,

Thanks for getting in touch. Yes the programme that New York City Ballet are bringing this time is predominantly contemporary choreography. It sis an aspect of ballet that we focus on here at the theatre as we feel that there is a good deal of classical ballet elsewhere in London. It is also, frankly, a matter of economics, the dancer and orchestral forces for such a programme are less, whereas the last time we brought the company to London (which was actually at the Coliseum) we were able to present a more expansive programme because of the larger capacity there.

 

The good news on Balanchine is that English National Ballet are presenting Theme and Variations in their September season.

 

With Best Wishes

 

Alistair

Thanks for posting his reply, Blossom. Wonder if someone has pointed out to him that the dancer forces and costume weight (=freight costs) are even lower if they substituted Gustave and Love Letter with Other Dances and Dances at A Gathering....!  DAAG is one hour with a small cast, so DAAG and Rotunda could fill one programme, Duo Concertant, Other Dances and DAAG could be Programme B and we will be very happy, box office registers ringing. 😁 And the initial 3 show obligation to Justin Peck, Nico Muhly and Sara Mearns fulfilled. Actually they have not even promised that Sara is able to come. (Or could there be a bit of envy going on that ROH has had three Tanowitz and 2 Abraham premieres already and SWT has had none? Hey chaps, this is not a contest nor a TikTok battle - we’re in the Performing Arts!) 

[Emeralds]

49 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

The future of ballet, it increasingly appears, will be that a small selected amount of the classical ballet repertoire will remain and be performed on a rinse and repeat cycle.  There will be also be lots of new contemporary dance style ballets and the occasional ‘heritage’ pieces by once revered 20th century choreographers who are largely falling out of favour/fashion with ADs and audiences, save for a few favourite pieces which most companies will perform, such as Jewels.  There will be a few outlier companies, such as Sarasota, but generally I feel pretty depressed.  Clearly economics are dictating this trend for bringing contemporary pieces over - I guess a leotard and recorded music with bare sets make a ballet a whole lot cheaper to stage, tour and discard if needed. 

If it’s any help, OnePigeon, I know there are lots of outstanding  pianists and violinists working in London who would be delighted to play for NYCB whose fees are not exorbitant, so at least Duo Concertant, and if they were to decide to perform them, Dances at A Gathering and Other Dances will not have to be danced to recorded music. But the Nico Muhly work is for a small proper orchestra so if they are bringing the whole ensemble or hiring a U.K. orchestra, they could easily do Balanchine classical ballets like Square Dance (despite its name it’s actually set to Corelli, not country music). Ironically, Balanchine and Robbins ballets are the ones with a lot of leotards and no sets, whereas the costumes for the contemporary works Love Letter and Gustave Le Gray look overly fussy! 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Emeralds

[Jeannette]

This sounds like the pathetically-sold “modern” mid-week programs that the NYCB brings to the Kennedy Center in DC. I’ll be in DC for the run and will attend only the all-classical program (all Balanchine/Robbins). Missing the modern program, which has barely sold.

[Ondine]

Judith Mackrell's March 2008 reviews from NYCB at the Coliseum are worth reading, and reflecting on. Four different programmes.

 

Programme one

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/mar/14/dance

 

 Serenade, Agon and Symphony in C

 

"Symphony in C is one of Balanchine's most purely classical works, and to a British eye the American dancers are classical in neither detail or style. Nor do they make sufficient musical distinctions in the choreography, so that Sara Mearns, in what should be a rapt dreamy adagio, barely stands out from the romping allegro dancers around her. The collective exuberance is infectious - in Gonzalo Garcia's dancing, exceptionally so - but it is a performance lacking elegance and variety"

 

Programme two, all Robbins. Mixed reception.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/mar/15/dance1

 

 

The third programme wasn't altogether well received either, though Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (with Tiler Peck)  "...this is an ecstatic little moment of stage magic"

However, Peter Martins' Zakouski & Ratmansky's Russian Seasons got the thumbs down.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/mar/20/dance

 

Programme four had Ashley Bouder and Daniel Ulbricht dancing Balanchine's Tarantella and she loved them. Who wouldn't?

 

West Side Story Suite, "a compression of Jerome Robbins' 1957 musical, the whole company excel".

 

Another of Peter Martins' pieces was deemed  'hammy and clunky'

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/mar/21/dance

 

 

"Still this has been a very good season for NYCB and London will be ready for a return visit soon."

 

Then we had the global financial crisis.  There had been rumblings befor this. Perhaps that's why there hasn't been a return until now, and yes, I suspect they are playing it cautiously, and giving the venue what it wants. Yes I also suspect Tanowitz and Abraham as they have been seen at the ROH...  Just be thankful there is still some Balanchine?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007–2008_financial_crisis

 

And here we are, post Covid and with a cost of living crisis & I suspect all involved all playing it safe.

 

Incidentally, it's worth searching out a rather 'artsy' film on YouTube

 

Duo Concertante: Kay Mazzo & Peter Martins (Balanchine)

 

 

posted by attitude - devant

 

Infuriating when it cuts off the dance,  and parts of the dancers, to show the (pah!) musicians, but it's all there including the 'blackout' and after and oh the dancing! The dancing!!