Haglund's Heel

observations 9/25

 So sorry to read of the passing of Diana Cartier, an original member of the City Center Joffrey Ballet, and a beloved teacher at David Howard's studio for years. Many have the same strong memory of her towering form standing at the barre while articulating exercises for the students. Always positive, always encouraging, and always musical. RIP

NYCB 9/22 NYCB takes Balanchine's RV out for a fast spin

911:    911 operator, what is your emergency?

Caller:    The ballerinas are out there drag racing again in the street by Damrosch Park. I can smell the rubber burning and the noise is not exactly music to my ears.

911:    Oh no! Are you sure?

Caller:    Yes, it sounds like they're running the RV at top speed from one end of the block to the other.  What is it with these women? They put on pink and all of a sudden they think they can go out and create a commotion.

911:    A patrol car is on its way. Stay inside. Thank you for calling 911.

[What the cops saw.]

Oh my goodness, what a night it was in the theater. Just to clarify, there was no civil disturbance and the crowd was well-behaved. New York City Ballet was simply dancing the dings out of Balanchine's Raymonda Variations on the third night of the season. This ballet has nothing to do with the story of Raymonda that Petipa created. It's a series of virtuoso solos bookended by the spirited dancing of eight corps women and a pair of principals dancing two pas de deux -- all of it set to the same glorious Glazounov music that Petipa used. It ends with one of those "how brave (or crazy) can they be?" moments when the ballerina -- in this case, Megan Fairchild -- says "Hold my beer" and races forward toward the edge of the stage to launch herself straight at the audience with the hope that her partner -- in this case, Anthony Huxley -- will be there to catch her before she goes tumbling head first into the wind section of the orchestra. He was.

The fine soloists included Sara Adams, Baily Jones, Mary Elizabeth Sell and these two -- Emily Kikta and Ashley Hod -- who as a pair pushed out the wings of the stage with their grand allegro in addition to performing their own remarkable variations. Raymonda Variations is not a dance for any ballerina who is afraid of hops on pointe - it's a hopping Hades if ever there was one. Sara Adams' diagonal of forward hops while in an unwavering arabesque were perfection. Anthony Huxley's batterie, so crisp and clear, included a ridiculous series of brisé volé.

The corps de ballet, but for a moment or two of confusion, was gorgeous although we could do without the Vogue-ing mouths that some were displaying. What's up with that?

Indiana Woodward and Taylor Stanley created new interest for us in Duo Concertant. Every time we see a new pairing in this ballet, we see a new story. It was the first time that Haglund observed violinist Sean Lee instead of Maestros Delmoni or Nikkanen on stage. The Stravinsky sounded less bold but more refined making it another new experience for us. Elaine Chelton was the wonderful pianist.

Our other wonderful pianist of the evening was Susan Walters who rocked the pink shoes as the soloist pianist in Piano Pieces -- Jerome Robbins' ballet to Tschaikovsky's melodies. Sebastian Villarini-Velez stepped in for Roman Mejia as Le Petit Cavalier and performed with intense energy and joy. Would like to see more variability and individual musicality in his dancing as opposed to straight line winds impact.

Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan were gorgeous in the Reverie but Sara's neck seemed stiff during the Natha Waltz. Her blond hair was stunning in a unique twist but that made the lack of movement of the head all the more apparent. Would a Ratmansky-preferred low bun (which Sara also wears beautifully) encourage her to use her head and neck, we mean really use it, not just a slight turn of the eyes or chin? But these two dancers as well as the other pairs made Haglund realize that he likes this ballet more than Robbins' Dances at a Gathering which Piano Pieces now and then resembles.

Tiler Peck and Joseph Gordon in the November Troika were playful -- each with a commanding presence in their solos, as well.

But the highlight of this ballet was the Chant d'Automme performed by Mira Nadon and Aaron Sanz. My goodness, are they ever attractive together. Both have luxurious length in their lines, classical carriage, and an ultra sensitive relationship with their music. Their pas de deux was so seamless and beautiful that we did not want it to end. So, we'll toss them the H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Chamandi stiletto available at Bergdorf Goodman for $840, with the hope that we will see them together a lot in the future.

 

 

NYCB 9/21 Divertimento No. 15, Scotch Symphony, La Sonnambula

After a day of chasing away recurring thoughts about redecorating the apartment in yellow and white with blue accents, Haglund plopped down in a seat in one of the theater rings so that he could gaze down upon the beauty of Barbara Karinska’s tutus in Divertimento No. 15. Madame Karinska was Ukrainian; so it comes as no surprise that she knew how to put together the national colors of yellow and blue in their most exquisite fashion. Tonight her tutus were worn by a taller cast of Ashley Hod, Emily Kikta, Isabella LaFreniere, Ashley Laracey, and Tiler Peck in performances that were just as stunning as the previous evening's but included individual detailing.

Ashley Hod’s intelligent musicality was pure pleasure to watch. She delivered it with such spontaneity in unexpected places that it made us think that we were seeing the variation for the first time. Meanwhile, Tiler Peck chaînéd the designs atop the pancake tutu like they were loose glass in a kaleidoscope. It is such a relief to see her dancing full force again. All the women danced with grandness but always with a sense of generosity as well.

 

Joseph Gordon repeated his brilliant performance from the prior evening. Davide Riccardo and Aaron Sanz dazzled in their allegro and allowed each of their partners to appear to dance effortlessly.

 

Scotch Symphony was led by Sterling Hyltin, Anthony Huxley, and Olivia MacKinnon debuting as the pink footed soloist in the red kilt. It was quite the celebratory debut, successful in every way, and with the added pleasure of her sister Mary dancing close by in the corps with nearly combustible pride and joy. 

 

As the Scotchman and the sylph-like lassie, Anthony Huxley and Sterling Hyltin were everything one could ask for in this ballet: beauty, partnering ease, joyous expression, perfection in form, complementary musicality. It was a tremendous joy to watch them.

 

In the opening night review, we forgot to compliment the fine dancing of Alec Knight and Victor Abreu as the demi-soloists in Scotch Symphony. So happy to see Alec dancing in top form and hope to see him featured in more prominent roles.

 

La Sonnambula’s all-debuting cast included Unity Phelan and Harrison Ball as the Sleepwalker and Poet, Jared Angle and Georgina Pazcoguin as the Baron and Coquette, and creating a striking impression as the Harlequin was Cainan Weber. Unity was lovely and had no issues with the choreography, but she motored it along slightly over-charged and too expansively rather than gently bourreeing along with tiny steps that made the sleepwalker appear to almost float. 

 

Harrison Ball was outstanding as the Poet, so expressive and believable. The wonderment on his face as the sleepwalker stepped over his arm was real. His own dancing impeccable and clear — here, another dancer who has set high standards for himself. For that we bestow the evening’s HH Pump Bump Award, a little black stiletto by a favored designer, upon Harrison Ball.

 

 

NYCB 9/20 Opening Night

It was as though the morning sun rose to shine upon the beginning of NYCB’s 2022-2023 season. A bevy of ballerinas wearing Karinska’s warm yellow and soft white tutus with blue trim stood motionless just long enough to make the audience gasp at their sight before taking flight in Balanchine’s wondrous choreography of Divertimento No. 15.  Oh it’s true that many of us consider the anthemic Serenade as the perfect start to any season. The emotional Tchaikovsky always triggers spine chills and weepiness. Mozart’s bright Divertimento, on the other hand, made us feel like we should be toasting the start of the season with a glass of bubbly. 

It’s been said that Mozart had a taste for luxurious clothing. Elegance to the point of extravagance was his daily fashion. Karinska, to her great credit, captured not only Mozart’s sense of elegance in her designs but captured his fondness for nankeen with a little added sunbeam. Don’t expect to ever see a more beautiful tutu on stage than her creation for this ballet.

 

Our cast arrived determined to please Mozart, Balanchine, Karinska, and the evening’s audience. Joseph Gordon astonished with the strength of the statements made with his dancing and the clear punctuation of his musical phrases. It is just thrilling whenever we encounter a dancer who is compelled to take his brilliant artistry to an even higher level. Gordon has set some very high standards for himself, and we can’t help but cheer him on with our appreciation. Megan Fairchild flew through the allegro as though she were a top whose string had just been pulled sharply. Emilie Gerrity’s warm serenity and sure-footedness, Sara Adams’ sparkling speed, Erica Pereira’s new elegance about the neck and shoulders, and Unity Phelan’s crystalline lines and opulently arched feet more than did justice to the music, choreography, and costumes. Harrison Coll and Sebastian Villarini-Velez managed both sizzling allegro and gallant partnering. The corps de ballet was gorgeous although we would rather have seen Alexa Maxwell and Christina Clark in yellow soloist tutus instead of white. 

 

Scotch Symphony received a performance of mixed qualities. Baily Jones as the Scottish soloist was delightful and danced with impressive articulation. She’s a lovely, lovely dancer but her tiny stature prevents much projection out to the audience. When she’s dancing far down stage, she commands our attention. Otherwise, not so. Jovani Furlan in the male lead held the performance together with his natural sense of drama and beautiful dancing. But the ballet could not withstand the stale dancing of Ashley Bouder who was far from the level of fitness that is normally required on NYCB’s stage. The steps were there, alright, but not much else in the way of performance or balletic beauty. The extra flesh in her arms and shoulders made her arms look even more short and stocky than usual. Her swollen size made her head look too small for her body. What is going on here? Why is this dancer who obviously lacks professional discipline equivalent to her colleagues permitted to throw her weight around and bulldoze her way onto the stage? Similarly, senior corps member Laine Habony has not been able to recover her pre-pandemic fitness and looks particularly bulky and pedestrian along side her colleagues. The ruffles around her waistline In La Sonnambula made the size of her girth even more apparent. 

 

It’s a common theme among dancers who cannot or will not commit to a fitness regime that can produce professional results to criticize the ballet culture as being unfair or out of date. It’s not. The standards are high but not as high as elsewhere. Imagine being in the NFL and being weighed and measured every single day, being told what to eat every day, having your execution speed and accuracy measured every single day, and then being cut from the team when your numbers are fed into a formula and come up below the median. If dancers want the public to perceive them as professional “athletes” as well as artists, they’d better live up to the standards. Stop whining about how unfair ballet is to the average person when the average audience member doesn’t ever want to see the average person on stage. Haglund doesn’t ever in a million years want to see himself “represented” on stage. Not kidding. We come to see the extraordinary, the better-than-we-could-ever-hope-to be physical instruments engaging in Balanchine’s masterpieces which have always required an aesthetic of length and line. Bouder should not be featured in any role until she can recover her professional fitness and eliminate her bulk, and she certainly should not be permitted to stand in the way of other dancers who are at the height of their powers and would thrill the audience in the same role. Her time is up. 

 

La Sonnambula closed the evening with outstanding performances from Taylor Stanley and Sterling Hyltin as the Poet and Sleepwalker, Sara Mearns as the Coquette, Andrew Veyette as the Baron, and the ever remarkable Daniel Ulbricht as the Harlequin. Ulbricht’s commitment to perfection has been our privilege to watch for an amazing two decades. 

 

In his role debut, Taylor Stanley captured his poet’s delight and disbelief at the Sleepwalker’s unusual parasomnia. His theatrical gifts are extraordinary and so wide-ranging that NYCB really needs to have a choreographer come in to make a piece which exploits his dramatic weight. (Would love to see him take on Robert Fairchild’s role in Spectral Evidence.) Sterling Hyltin's fleeting bourrees and eerie remoteness conveyed the perfect combination of delicacy and trance that seized our attention at her every step. 

 

We were ecstatic over the Pas de Deux performed by corps members Jacqueline Bologna and Maxwell Read. We’ve been paying new attention to Bologna in the past few seasons since she has achieved a streamlined silhouette that makes her classical lines stand out and emphasizes her very lovely legs and feet. She was sensational in the Theme section of The Four Temperaments in the recent past. Read is in steady development, too. Sometimes his level of energy soars beyond his stretched lines, but we’re watching him with great interest.

 

The season’s first H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Sophia Webster beauty available at Saks for $895, is bestowed upon Joseph Gordon who has become one of the company’s most prominent standard makers.

 

 

 

 

 

observations 9/12

Haglund misses the dancing of Ana Sophia Scheller so much. Since departing NYCB under a wispy cirrus cloud several years ago, she has evolved into a full service ballerina with stunning classical form and ability. Recently she had to depart Ukraine's national ballet company because of the war. But she has been guesting around Europe and this month danced in a gig in Italy where she performed the PdD from La Bayadere with ABT's dynamo Luigi Crispino.

Crispino dances like he's about to explode and loves to punctuate his phrases dramatically. He makes the viewer feel the music pulse up and down the spine. We just cannot wait to see more of him on stage. Until then, here's the PdD from Ana Sophia's Instagram page. We wish she would come home to New York.

 

And we're off and running . . .

Yesterday the New York Giants announced that they were hiring their first "Intimacy Director on a pilot basis to care for the physical and emotional well-being of the players." Veteran Center Phil Bendover said that while he had always been comfortable with Eli Manning’s hands tucked into his crotch, he was less so with the young Daniel Jones who could get a little frisky during the excitement of the game. Daniel, in his own defense, said that the Center was just trying to be the center of attention by suggesting that he has been or could be the victim of a quarterback’s swift and hidden fingerings.

 

Oh wait. Haglund is confused again, or still. It wasn’t the New York Giants who hired the Intimacy Director; it was the New York City Ballet. Yep, it’s like a strip out of Doonesbury. Our donations are now going to pay Intimacy Director Zipper to give the dancers psychological tummy rubs.

 

Intimacy Director Zipper:    Miss Boopsie, are you feeling threatened by this Stravinsky Violin Concerto choreography that you are not even cast in?

Miss Boopsie:    Yes, I am, I always have, and I will continue to be thweatened by it until I get cast in it. 

Intimacy Director Zipper:    But you realize that black & white leotard ballets are not – ahem – your best look. 

Miss Boopsie:    What??!! You’re thweatening me with your microaggressions! I’ve been studying all about that in college.

Intimacy Director Zipper:    College, as in college? I’m speechless. Come here and let me pet your little head.

 

Miss Boopsie:    Okay, I feel so much better. I feel so present and validated and in control and important to everyone. Thank you, Zipper. Now, can you get me a gig teaching at SAB where I'm basically banned because of that time I snuck into the dorm for a hoochie-coochie with a student?

 

Intimacy Director Zipper:   I'm speechless.

Well, enough about that.

 

We're very excited about the start of NYCB's Fall Season. That curious artistic decision to slot the sleepy La Sonnambula as a closer is finally coming into focus now that we observe that Taylor Stanley and Harrison Ball will debut as The Poet during the run. Each of these artists can be expected to bring a powerful and uniquely dramatic reading to his free verse.

 

Our most favorite costumes return to the stage with Divertimento No. 15. If that wasn't exciting enough, the ballet will be loaded up with our extraordinary soloists and the supremely talented Davide Riccardo.

 

Raymonda Variations should be thrilling if the conductor accommodates the corps and soloists with their preferred blistering tempi. And Tchaikovsky PdD soars back onto the stage with Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia. Given how these two hauled ass in Allegro Brilliante on consecutive nights at the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center last month, we can say that both artists' spines are in fine, flexible shape, and Tiler may be enjoying her own renaissance. Holy moly, did anyone else see that?

 

We also bought some tickets to ABT's upcoming Fall Season. Mark Ryden's designs and costumes for Whipped Cream are going to look fantastical on the Koch Theater stage. No one should pass by the opportunity to witness his imagination in all its magical grandness in the theater. If that wasn't enough, audiences will be treated to Jonathan Klein's reprisal of The Boy. Herman Cornejo's Puck should not be missed. It's likely that this will be the last time that we see Herman, Gillian Murphy, and Cory Stearns in The Dream. Each has had a much too abbreviated run in this ballet over their careers. Stearns is so Dowell-like that at times one thinks one is watching the original. The casting of Ratmansky's The Seasons has been mostly refreshed and will provide a good opportunity to see what some of the newer corps dancers can really do.

 

Off we go . . .