Haglund's Heel

What a huge moment!

Big thanks to The Australian Ballet for bringing us live ballet after a long year! It was glorious. Haglund watched every minute of it standing up--too excited to sit down.

What an uplifting, splendimagnificmajestic evening. Performing in an arena with the orchestra behind them, the dancers were superb. The excerpt from La Bayadere's Kingdom of the Shades revealed a rock-solid corps de ballet, a lovely Nikiya who possessed an air of mystery, and a handsome and attentive Solor.

The Trio from Filigree and Shadow revealed a Forsythe influence in choreography, music, and costumes.

The PdD from Molto Vivace was clearly a gift to Amber Scott and Adam Bull -- and a gift to us. Such lyrical beauty, amazing pas de deux choreography, and it all flowed like liquid gold.

The excerpt from Lucas Jervies' Spartacus may not have been up to the standards of the rest of the evening, but it was certainly watchable. It was kind of like Muscle Beach Meets the Ballet, but muscle beach ballet as a genre has its fans these days.

Nureyev's Don Quixote PdD dazzled in high speed. At the intermission interview with Basilio and Kitri, we learned that Basilio was so nervously excited when he woke up this morning that he blew his breakfast.

The excerpt from The Merry Widow was quite the tease. It certainly would be nice to see that entire production again.

Aussie Ballet's treatment of Tschaikovsky PdD and the finale from Theme & Variations revealed their good taste for high speed.

All in all, a most enjoyable evening at the ballet, Darling. (Kiss at the door.) Let's do it again real soon. Don't lose my number.

 

observations 2/23

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.

 

observations 2/16

Well let's give this a try. Maybe it won't be geo-blocked.

The Australian Ballet has launched a new live-streaming program called Live on Ballet TV which will allow viewers "across the world" to access real time in-theatre ballet performances from home plus 48 hours thereafter--but you can watch each performance only once. The first performance will be Summertime at the Ballet at Melbourne & Olympic Parks MCA on Sunday 28th February at 11.45am AEDT, and will be available for 48 hours to accommodate time zones worldwide. According to Google, 11:45am AEDT equals 7:45pm the previous day in NYC. So, that would be Saturday night February 27 at 7:45pm. Someone should check that for us, please.

Here's the best news. The program will include Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux along with the finale from Theme and Variations. The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere is on the bill. Unidentified modern works will be shown, too. Is that a good sign when no one wants to identify the modern works on the bill?

A special introductory price of $25 will apply to the first performance. According to Google, that's $19.38 in USD. The bargain is looking good, isn't it? That is, if it's not geo-blocked. Tickets will be available on the company's website. (Edited to add: Tickets here.)

Here's the press release:

Download TAB 21_Media Release_Live on Ballet TV_Summertime at the Ballet

 

David Hallberg to become Australian Ballet's new artistic director

Yep. Beginning January 2021.  Congratulations to all.

observations 12-6

The gorgeous Valerie Tereshchenko just won the prestigious 2017 Telstra Ballet Dancer of the Year Award.  Telstra, which has partnered with The Australian Ballet to make the award annually since 2003, does so to support the aspirations and development of the elite dancers at the company. The winner gets $20,000 (AUD).

 

Meanwhile,  across the Tasman Sea, American Patricia Barker is making New Zealanders unhappy because she hasn't hired any new NZ School of Dance graduates for the Royal New Zealand Ballet which she now directs. This is the first time in more than two decades that a NZ School of Dance graduate hasn't joined the company. To add insult to injury, reportedly more than half the dancers have left the company either by their choice or hers. Well folks, the Prime Minister is investigating. That's how seriously they take their national pride. Even the nation's rugby experts are weighing in on the ballet situation (click red link for story) and pointing out how the depth and breadth of rugby talent and leadership being developed in New Zealand by New Zealanders is an immense source of pride.

The good news is that RNZB's Tonia Rose Looker, who Ethan Stiefel recognized as a bright talent when he was the Artistic Director at RNZB, has hopped the Tasman Sea to accept a position in the Queensland Ballet corps. One of Haglund's all time favorite ABT Tharp Bombers, Laura Hildago, is a longtime principal there, and former RNZB-er Lucy Green who joined last year was just promoted to principal by Artistic Director Li Cunxin.

Hopefully, Ms. Barker will not try to Americanize the RNZB either with dancers or in management style. Cultural sensitivity and respect might help here. What worked in Grand Rapids or in Seattle may not work on the other side of the world.

 

observations 11-21

The Aussies are going to love, love, love our Yuriko Kajiya as Aurora in tomorrow's matinee performance of Sleeping Beauty with The Australian Ballet in Sydney. Such a complete, completely glorious, and gloriously honest artist... Click on Nicola Curry's I-gram link to read about her long history with Yuriko that now spans three continents.

 Here's a clip of a recent stage rehearsal. Video by Nicola. 

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Meanwhile back at the dude ranch, it appears that ABT is going to completely ignore Jerome Robbins during his official Centennial Celebration that is being held worldwide. What, they didn't make enough money off of Fancy Free -- that is, when they had a complete cast who could dance it? It might have been interesting to see the 1946 Facsimile that Robbins, Nora Kaye and John Kriza premiered on Broadway to music by Leonard Bernstein. Or perhaps the (1947) Summer Day PdD that he created and danced with Annabelle Lyon could have made a one-time appearance. Really, ABT doesn't have any reason to join in the worldwide Robbins Centennial Celebration, really? Not one kind word? Not one single moment of special recognition?

PERFORMANCES (other than NYCB)

HAMBURG BALLETT

      The Concert, Dances at a Gathering: 17 September 2017

MIAMI CITY BALLET

      Circus Polka, The Cage, In the Night, Other Dances, West Side Story Suite: 12 January 2018

STUTTGART BALLETT

      Dances at a Gathering: 13 January 2018

NEW YORK THEATRE BALLET

      Rondo, Septet, Concertino: 16 March 2018

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

      The Cage, Fancy Free, Opus 19, Other Dances: 20 March 2018

PITTSBURGH BALLET

      Fancy Free, In the Night, West Side Story Suite: 3 May 2018

THE MUNY

      Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, 11 - 17 June 2018

LES ÉTÉS DE LA DANSE

Tribute to Jerome Robbins featuring companies from around the globe (TBA): 25 June 2018

BOSTON BALLET

      Fancy Free, Glass Pieces, Interplay: 6 Sept 2018

DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET

      Dances at a Gathering: 11 Sept 2018

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET

      Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, In the Night, Other Dances: 21 Sept 2018

      Dances at a Gathering, Interplay, West Side Story Suite: 28 Sept 2018

PARIS OPERA BALLET

      Afternoon of a Faun, Fancy Free, Glass Pieces: 28 Sept 2018

BAM / FISHMAN SPACE

      Watermill: cast TBA: October 2018

HOUSTON BALLET

      The Concert, Glass Pieces, In the Night: 7 March 2019

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Here's some good news:

Pennsylvania Ballet has a brand new New York Friends of Pennsylvania Ballet patron category that is going to let New Yorkers know early about casting so that we can make travel plans more easily and save money by buying early on Amtrak. New York Friends will have the opportunity to purchase early for Angel Corella's February 9th Art of Coaching event in Manhattan. That will surely be packed. Nobody wants to miss a chance to feel that Angel energy even if he is coaching instead of dancing.

Check out this link to become a New York Friend of Pennsylvania Ballet.

Pennsylvania Ballet just appointed Shelly Power as its new Executive Director. Previously the Academy Director for Houston Ballet and most recently the Artistic Director and CEO of Prix de Lausanne, she will start with PA Ballet in December. 

observations 11-9

Now this is somekinda Grigorovich Lift! Holy Moly. Fearless Stella. And that Hammoudi can hit a moving target pretty well.

 

 

A post shared by Alexandre Hammoudi (@alexhammoudi) on Nov 8, 2017 at 12:24pm PST

 

We wonder if Jared and Yuriko have seen this video. Their performance of Ratmansky's Nutcracker is still one of Haglund's life's highlights. They were the first to pull off this lift. Speaking of Yuriko Kajiya, she will perform Aurora in the Australian Ballet's Sleeping Beauty on November 22nd @ 1:30pm and again on November 25th @ 1:30pm. The company, sadly, is pointing all of its publicity to the Fakerina Celebrina who dances the evening performance on November 22nd and who most likely will have a meltdown after observing Yuriko's quasar-like performance hours before. Oh, but her agent already has a boatload of excuses docked at the pier and is lowering everyone's expectations to below sea level.

If you're anywhere near Sydney on the 22nd or 25th, don't miss Yuriko's Aurora. The lovely Amanda McGuigan (formerly of ABT, too) will be her Lilac Fairy. The elegant, noble Andrew Killian will be her Prince Désiré.

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It's not too early to be planning our local Nutcracker tour this year. One we're not going to miss is Veronika Part as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Port Washington on Long Island at the Fadeyev Ballet Nutcracker on December 22nd & 23rd. (Tickets here.) Yaroslav Fadeyev and Veronika first crossed paths as students at the Vaganova Academy and subsequently at the Mariinsky Theatre. He is passing on the tradition to students at his academy in Greenvale.

 

 

observations 10-21

Aussies are in for a treat when Yuriko Kajiya arrives to dance The Sleeping Beauty with The Australian Ballet in a couple of weeks. Treasure the moment. She's the real deal -- Old World soul and grace, New World technique. We're not sure of her exact dates because the Aussie Ballet website doesn't seem to have casting posted although it is pushing the ABT Fakerina's dates prominently. What a shame, not to mention a sellout of standards. To our Aussie friends downunder, call Australian Ballet to get Yuriko's Sleeping Beauty dates without delay. We promise that you will end up trying to take her home with you at the end of the performance.

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Quick reminder about the Hearts for Houston Benefit Sunday night. We're very excited about this effort, particularly the Madame Butterfly PdD created for Yuriko and Connor Walsh by Stanton Welch and the new ballet by Ben Stevenson.

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Speaking of Madame Butterfly, Haglund caught the first Preview performance of M.Butterfly at the Cort Theatre a few weeks ago. The new choreography by Ma Cong of Tulsa Ballet is probably the most interesting aspect of this revival of David Henry Hwang's hit from 1988 which now seems so dated. Clive Owen gives a slickly detailed portrayal of Rene Gallimard; Jin Ha's performance as Song Liling depends too much on unfortunate and obvious stereotyping. M.Butterfly was groundbreaking back in the '80s but may not have sufficient universal truths in it to be compelling theater today. But thank goodness it's not another Disney affair.

 

Happy World Ballet Day!

http://worldballetday.com/

 

Australian Ballet

Bolshoi Ballet

Royal Ballet

National Ballet of Canada

San Francisco Ballet

 

Let's keep this tradition going strong.

 

observations 8-7

Singing in front of the watermelons isn't such a bad gig.

Here in Hell's Kitchen we're always trying to preserve and restore the small town charm of Manhattan. Our new village farm stand on 10th Ave at 44th, Farmacy, delighted the local yokels on Sunday with a 3-piece band of entertainers who strummed and hummed while patrons picked through the peppers. Meanwhile, over on the East Side at the Lexington Avenue street fair, they were serving up Deep Fried Oreos - which were figuratively and literally to die for. Can't have 'em without powdered sugar, neither.

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Q: How far does an ABT dancer have to travel to dance a meaty piece of Balanchine?

A: To the other side of the earth.

David Hallberg and Gillian Murphy are going to Australia for the opportunity to dance a movement in Balanchine's Symphony in C. Our friends Down Under will have the opportunity to see Hallberg a half dozen times and Murphy in eight performances with The Australian Ballet from August 25th to September 2nd.

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Here's an interesting opinion piece about the Kennedy Center abandoning the classical arts in order to grovel to pop culture in its annual Honors.  Observer-Reporter  KC's main criteria for honorees seems to be who will draw a typical low-brow TV audience. They should just skip the TV broadcast altogether and try to recover some of the award's integrity. From the article:

He notes no one from the worlds of opera, classical music or ballet were honored this year. Carmen de Lavallande, an 86-year-old choreographer, will be the sole representative of the traditional arts. A whole range of artists who have made significant contributions but who have never taken an album to No. 1 on the Billboard charts, from playwright Tony Kushner to composer Philip Glass, and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, have gone without Kennedy Center Honors.

Congratulations, Mr. LL Cool J, on your John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Award for your "lifetime of contributions". We wonder which of your lyrics Caroline Kennedy likes the best and sang to her kids in order to inspire them to love the arts.