Whoa, our February ballet calendar is getting crowded. Hold it back, Universe. We can't take it. Give the Petipa Peeps and Balanchine Boomers a moment to pull up our Depends and put our teeth in!
Tonight at 8pm NYCB presents Three Faces of Balanchine with Maria Kowroski, Russell Janzen, Ken Jennings, Christina Clark, and Vanna White.
What?! Ken Jennings and Vanna White are going to be doing Prodigal Son? Are you kidding us, Haglund?
Well, possibly, yes. But we know that this is going to be a fabulous program whether or not Ken and Vanna choose to show up.
Thursday night at 8pm -- we'll be treated to a full performance of Prodigal Son with Daniel Ulbricht and Theresa Reichlen.
On Saturday, February 27th (U.S. EST 7:45 pm), the Australian Ballet will live-stream -- and we do mean LIVE -- a pay-for-view performance that includes the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere, the finale from Theme and Variations, Tschaikovsky PdD and other repertory from a real stage. Buy your tickets here.
Oh my goodness, the hearts and souls of Petipa Peeps and Balanchine Boomers are rejoicing the world over. We're getting a glimpse of the light at the end of this tunnel. Let's hope it's not the A-Line trying to make up time.
There are still more signs of light. The Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado has booked ABT for a three-week gig from June into July. That's only four months away!
Toes will soon twinkle again, Folks.
What a terrific performance last night. I was expecting to see the coaching session first with the performance coming on Thursday, per NYCB's media announcements, but I guess they changed their minds. Or perhaps someone accidentally uploaded the wrong video on the website.
Here is the link to the coaching session with Maria and Christina and repertory director Lisa Jackson. It's quite a good presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz1yfSLH3o4&feature=youtu.be
It's exciting to hear that Christina has already performed the PdD with Roman Mejia's Prodigal Son. Hopefully, we'll get to see that in the not too distant future.
What a beautiful, totally weaponized rond de jambe she has! The future looks pretty good.
Posted by: Haglund | February 24, 2021 at 07:12 AM
Wondering why we are not to see Maria's performance in Prodigal, in light of her departure later in the year. It would have been great to see her on Thursday. Did they not have a recording?
Posted by: mt | February 24, 2021 at 09:34 AM
I agree, mt.
Posted by: Haglund | February 24, 2021 at 09:36 AM
There’s even more coming up, Haglund!
Ballets de San Juan (shameless plug from fellow Boricua) streams Nahir Medina’s GEOMETRIA DE AMOR as of tomorrow on their YouTube site. Boricua of (shun) my age will love the score to 1969s hits by local musician Bobby Capo. The choreographer is a true classicist...so no un-Classical contortions.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7WzH0wK8unoL_bCAVJIH6g/videos
By the way, Pa Ballet’s gorgeous soloist Nayara Lopes recently guested with BSJ in a couple of other works on the site.
Also....
BalletWest streams FACADES (Garrett Smith to baroque music) for free for a week, as of Friday evening....RUBIES, from last week, may still be up.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh9GSKCxKmaY49wgZxOp1Dg
Lastly...
The Joffrey jumps on the free-streaming train on Friday, with a new version of Ravel’s BOLERO by company member Yoshihira Arai, for 15 dancers.
Details and a preview here:
https://joffrey.org/season-and-tickets/performances/bolero/
Posted by: Jeannette | February 24, 2021 at 04:45 PM
Thanks, Jeannette!
Posted by: Haglund | February 24, 2021 at 05:21 PM
Does anyone happen to know which recording of Prodigal they are playing tonight? I happened to be at one with Teresa and Daniel in 2019 and wonder if it is the same performance.
Posted by: Rachel Perez | February 25, 2021 at 07:08 PM
No, not that recent, Rachel. I believe they say on the video that it's from 2013 or thereabouts -- perhaps earlier. Tuesday night NYCB seems to have uploaded the wrong video on the NYCB website for a while before replacing it with the correct one. So, many people got to watch the performance a couple of days early. It's quite a good performance.
Posted by: Haglund | February 25, 2021 at 07:15 PM
Thanks, Haglund! I actually watched the rehearsal live. Did Aaron Sanz happen to play the Father in the version that aired?
Posted by: Rachel Perez | February 25, 2021 at 07:25 PM
No. Jon Stafford was the Father.
Posted by: Haglund | February 25, 2021 at 08:02 PM
Loved it! Hoping the rest of the season is just as good . . .
Posted by: Shawn | February 26, 2021 at 09:28 AM
Oh, that Prodigal was great last night! Excellently filmed, too...minimal shots from the wings. It was also that, unlike the late-1970s PBS film with Baryshnikov, this one included the duet of the two male servants.
To complete our ballet-viewing weekend, La Scala will delight us with an Homage to Nureyev...a great chance to see all of the company’s stars in one gala. It’s free! The only negative, from what I can gather, is that it’s a one-time stream...so 2pm Eastern...be there or be square!
https://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2020-2021/ballet/homage-to-nureyev.html
Tonight’s Joffrey Bolero is also a one-time showing (8pm Eastern)...and not even on YouTube. Now you see it - now you don’t!
https://joffrey.org/season-and-tickets/performances/bolero/
At least Ballet West’s offerings stay up for a week, like NYCB’s.
Posted by: Jeannette | February 26, 2021 at 10:14 AM
Thanks, Jeannette!
Posted by: Haglund | February 26, 2021 at 10:17 AM
Awww...word just in that La Scala’s Homage to Nureyev on Sunday/2pm est is postponed due to theatre personnel having tested positive for COVID, just before filming was to have taken place today. Stay tuned for new date, as per Gramilano.
Wishing La Scala’s staff well.
Sorry folks. Less to juggle this weekend. Fewer problems with Depends and dentures, Haglund!
Posted by: Jeannette | February 26, 2021 at 11:00 AM
Oh, no. A sign of the times that we're all going through.
Everyone, please get your vaccines when it is your turn to do so. Maybe we'll get a shot at some summertime ballet if enough people roll up their sleeves.
Posted by: Haglund | February 26, 2021 at 11:50 AM
Haglund, I just got round #2 of the Pfizer in Virginia. This round hurts a bit in the upper arm but if that’s what gets me back on planes and into a theatre, then it’s a small price to pay. I’ll just stay distracted by watching streaming ballets.
By the way, it now looks like the Joffrey will be showing Bolero via its YouTube channel, in addition to the above website and FB...but it’s still unclear if it will be made available after the initial airing at 8pm Eastern tonight.
Posted by: Jeannette | February 26, 2021 at 02:37 PM
Jeannette, I'm so glad that you got the vaccine. Don't be surprised if after about 16-18 hours you start to feel like you haven't slept in 3 days. It takes a while for the fatigue (and irritability) to kick in and it lasts for a day. My best advice is just to go back to bed and imagine all the little happy antibodies dancing & singing away in your system.
Thanks for the heads-up on Bolero. Definitely don't want to miss it.
Posted by: Haglund | February 26, 2021 at 04:23 PM
I have signed up for Australian Baller. I will see it tomorrow at 5:00 pm PT. Can’t wait.
Posted by: MoMo | February 26, 2021 at 09:08 PM
Awesome, MoMo!
Posted by: Haglund | February 26, 2021 at 09:48 PM
As for the Bolero, I just can't watch dancers with masks (Romeo and friends excepted). Too depressing. Probably isn't just me.
Will be glad to mask up myself when performances begin again.
Posted by: Shawn | February 27, 2021 at 02:26 PM
Can't say that I have a favorable opinion of what I saw. Unsuccessfully derivative of Bejart's extraordinary gift to Jorge Donn. "So You Think You Can Dance?" quality material.
The real deal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CFJlzlGKM
Posted by: Haglund | February 27, 2021 at 02:49 PM
Real deal is right! Astonishing!
Posted by: Shawn | February 27, 2021 at 05:10 PM