Haglund's Heel

Pennsylvania Ballet renamed Philadelphia Ballet

The company says that Philadelphia Ballet was founder Barbara Weisberger's original name choice which she gave up because another local company used the city in its name. The change is being made to promote a stronger sense of ownership by the city and to capitalize on Philadelphia's international reputation that has been built by its orchestra, opera, and museums. As the Executive Director points out, most ballet companies take the names of their cities.

Angel Corella and ED Shelly Power are reportedly negotiating extended contracts which are expected to be voted on by their board this summer. That is great news for the company and all of Philadelphia but disappointing to those who had a glimmer of hope that Corella would be the next ABT artistic director.

And a handsome new logo to go along with the re-branding:

 

 

 

observations 4/29

DuhBlahs says that NYC will fully re-open July 1st. He says Broadway theaters will be later because it takes time "to ramp up productions." However, we know that it doesn't take much time to ramp up for a summer season of ballet at the Koch Theater. Given all the "dancing" that NYCB and ABT artists have been loading up on Instagram, it would seem that the combined companies should be able to produce a sufficient number of vaccinated, in-shape dancers to put on a few shows at the Koch this summer.

Let's go, folks. Make it happen. Get the miracle moving. Let's go let's go let's go!!

We're gettin' antsy here on the blog. New York ballet companies need to step up and contribute something to the recovery this summer.

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Meanwhile, Pennsyvania Ballet's spring digital season continues beginning tonight. The program includes Allegro Brilliante, Raymonda Suite, Polyphonia, and an excerpt from Dwight Rhoden's And So It Is. Tickets are $25. Order here and enjoy the show for a full week.

 

observations 4/22

Here's some good news:

Every Thursday from 5PM, Nathan's hotdogs out at Coney Island will cost 5¢ when you buy a regular priced food item - not including apple pie. Even at their normal price of about $5, these hotdogs are worth every cent. And Nathan's has the best institutional mustard on the planet. Squirt it on one of these beauties, bite down, and revel in the crisp snap and juice of the most perfect hotdog ever. Drool your way to the end of the D-Line for one of the most delicious deals NYC has to offer.

Also, beginning today through September, there is a brand new Farmers' Market down at the Hudson Yards complex every Tuesday and Thursday. Come on down.

 

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More good news:

Beginning next Thursday April 29th through May 5th, Pennsylvania Ballet will stream the Resilience component of its Strength, Resilience, Beauty Spring Digital Season. A few weeks ago, Strength was an outstanding program with Stanton Welch's Clear and Balanchine's Concerto Barocco; so, you don't want to miss this upcoming stream that will include Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante, Wheeldon's Polyphonia, Corella's staging of Raymonda Suite and a solo danced by Jermel Johnson from Dwight Rhoden's And So It Is.

The dazzling Mayara Pineiro and Zecheng Liang will lead Allegro Brilliante. Polyphonia will feature Oksana Maslova, Sterling Baca, So Jung Shin, Russell Ducker, Nayara Lopes Jack Thomas, Alexandra Heier, and Aleksey Babayev. If all this isn't exciting enough, the Raymonda Suite will be led by Dayesi Torriente and Arian Molina Soca.

For only $25, you'll get the best seat in your house. And you can watch the program over and over again for a full week. This is digital planning by someone who knows what the ballet lover values and wants.

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For those of you who watched the digital performance of Lauren Lovette's La Follia Variations danced by the ABT Studio Company and were impressed by the choreography and dancing but not impressed by the dark lighting and drab costumes, we have some good news. For the upcoming live performance being presented by ABT at Segerstrom Center this Sunday for a digital stream available May 12 - 26 for $25, Lauren has chosen designer Victor Glemaud to create some lovely, color-rich tutus for the women. Here's a pic from WWD (note the gorgeous fushia tulle pinned to the bulletin board):

 

observations 3/29

We are in the middle of watching Pennsylvania Ballet's Spring Digital Season. Concerto Barocco, Clear, Suspended in Time, and Penumbra are on the bill. There are two casts available. One can purchase a ticket to one cast for $25 or both casts for $30. The streams will be available through March 31st. The program offerings can be watched in any order one chooses.

After watching both casts of Concerto Barocco and Cast A of Clear last evening, we are eager to get back to this season tonight. Loved both casts of Concerto Barocco, which was performed in a smaller than optimal space, and was totally mesmerized by So Jung Shin's first violin in Cast B. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeously gifted artist whose beauty of correct form seems like an offering to the gods.

Don't know if there has been a better performance of Clear since 2001 than the one led by Zecheng Liang and Oksana Maslova that we watched last night. We'll be rewinding that reel a couple of times before access expires on Wednesday night.

Angel's company looks superb. What an outstanding collection of individual artists he has assembled and mentored.

 

 

Okay, we've got stuff to talk about

You have three more days to binge-watch the video stream of NYCB's Theme and Variations - a superb compilation of the October 6, 2015 and January 21, 2016 performances with Tiler Peck and Andrew Veyette in the leads. We hope that everyone with the technical capabilities will rip a copy of this performance and save it for the future benefit of balletomanes everywhere. A copy should be packed into the payload of Elon Musk's next trip to Mars. Once it's cut loose on the surface, those little green Martians will be dancing for joy -- doing entrechat-vingt and quintuple tours in their heavenly half-gravity. You heard it here first.

On Thursday, NYCB will present its final installment of Three Sides of Balanchine with a performance of Stravinsky Violin Concerto featuring Sterling Hyltin, Ask la Cour, Sara Mearns, and Taylor Stanley. Tonight at 8pm there is a rehearsal segment with Sara Mearns, Claire Kretzschmar, and Rebecca Krohn. Both will be available on the NYCB website and YouTube channel.

The May 5th digital gala is coming up; so keep an eye out for the info.

Believe it, People, we are clawing our collective ways out of the pandemic. A terrific segment about NYCB's plans for its slowpening has just been uploaded to Spectrum News NY1. It's an excellent piece with some heart-stopping footage of Maria Kowroski rehearsing Mozartiana.

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Pennsylvania Ballet has announced its upcoming digital season which begins on March 25th. The first performance will include Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. We can't help but pause here to observe that the other day this ballet's Bach music was being piped loudly out onto the sidewalk in front of a deli on W34th Street in order to dissuade vagrants from hanging out by the door. It worked on the vagrants, but Haglund hung around for about 10 minutes snapping his fingers and doing little plies. Thank goodness Security didn't intervene.

Also on this first program will be Stanton Welch's Clear, a piece entitled Suspended in Time which was choreographed by Angel Corella, Russell Drucker, and Kirill Radev, and a solo made for Jermel Johnson by Matthew Neenan.

The second installment of the digital season will include Allegro Brilliante, Polyphonia, Raymonda Suite (Corella), and an excerpt from a  Dwight Rhoden dance.

The final installment will be a collection of contemporary premieres.

$25 to view each performance OR $50 for all three. You can even pick your preferred cast or purchase both casts.

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University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium is presenting a pay-to-see digital program produced with Nina Ananiashvili's State Ballet of Georgia from March 20th through March 28th. The film will include parts of Chabukiani's Laurencia, Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Les Sylphides, Giselle, and more. Nina is laying out an irresistible buffet that we intend to gorge on until our eyes pop out.

$25, $10 for students.

Chins up, Everyone!! Ballet is making its return, and the yellow Peeps are on the shelves at CVS.

 

 

For the love of Pennsylvania

😘😘😘😘

Pennsylvania Ballet's 2020 Director's Choice Digital Season begins this Thursday, November 12. Available for viewing from 11/12 - 11/18 will be Nicolo Fonte's Ghost Stories to music by Ezio Bosso and Max Richter along with Andrea Miller's Evenings which is set to music by Arvo Pärt.

From 11/19 -11/25 viewers will enjoy Tilt by Helen Pickett to music by Philip Glass and Deco by Matthew Neenan to music by Stravinsky.

It's all free. All you have to do is register so that PA Ballet can send you the special links.

Let's do this for Pennsylvania. Let's do this for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, Scranton, Stroudsburg, and Levittown.

Let's all visit Pennsylvania. Let's buy stuff made in Pennsylvania. Let's root for the Eagles, the Steelers, the Pirates, and the Phillies. We owe Pennsylvania big time. Let's not forget it.

⭐️

 

observations 9/17

Pennsylvania Ballet's Board Chairman, David Hoffman, is presenting two very special performances by volunteer Pennsylvania Ballet dancers on September 26th at 1:30 and 5:15 outdoors at Red Rose Farm in Villanova, PA. Tickets are $250 for the early performance which covers blanket seating for up to four people. The later performance tickets will be $1000 per individual and chairs will be provided. Whoever makes the drive will certainly be in for a treat. Look at this line-up of Pennsylvania Dancers, all of whom will be donating their time:

Programs (subject to change):

Afternoon at 1:30 pm (approximately 1 hour)

1- Grand Pas Classique, by Gabriela Mesa & Pau Pujol

2- Contemporary Solo, by Nayara Lopes

3- Gopak, by Aleksey Babayev

4- Flames of Paris, by Lucia Erickson & Peter Weil

5- Fonte Pas de Deux, by Oksana Maslova & Sterling Baca

6- La Bayadère, by Nayara Lopes & Aleksey Babayev

7- Tarantella (Balanchine), by Mayara Pineiro & Etienne Diaz

8- Esmeralda, by Sydney Dolan & Austin Eyler

Early evening at 5:15 pm (approximately 1 hour)

1- White Swan Pas de Deux, by Oksana Maslova & Sterling Baca

2- Contemporary Solo, by Nayara Lopes

3- Black Swan Pas de Deux, by Dayesi Torriente & Arian Molina Soca

4- Tarantella (Balanchine), by Mayara Pineiro & Etienne Diaz

5- Fonte Pas de Deux, by Oksana Maslova & Sterling Baca

6- Penumbra, by Aleksey Babayev

7- Volver, by Dayesi Torriente & Arian Molina Soca

8- Le Corsaire Pas de Trois, by Mayara Pineiro, Sterling Baca & Etienne Diaz

 

From the Chairman:

Experience Ballet Under an Open Sky The very first public performance of Pennsylvania Ballet nearly 60 years ago was hosted outdoors on a Trustee's property. With the current circumstances preventing dancers from taking the stage, it is with this same collective creative spirit that I have decided to host two outdoor performances by volunteer Pennsylvania Ballet dancers on Saturday, September 26. Please click the photo below and read carefully the details on the performances, social distancing, and safety requirements. This fundraising event is sponsored by me and voluntary trustees and supporters of the arts, with the goal of financially supporting Pennsylvania Ballet. If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting the event by clicking Get Tickets below. I look forward to seeing you at Red Rose Farm later this month! Please feel free to share this invitation with your friends: BalletRedRoseFarm.eventbrite.com

 

Pennsylvania Ballet Front Row Festival -- Giselle

Here's a reminder that Pennsylvania Ballet's Front Row Festival continues with its marvelous Giselle starring Oksana Maslova and Arian Molina Soca.  This is a fabulous performance which can be viewed on Vimeo for a month. But one does need to register in order to receive the link and password. So register, darn it!

Pennsylvania Ballet just announced today that it will cancel the fall and Nutcracker seasons due to the COVID pandemic and expects/hopes to restart in the winter season. Here's hoping that this talented collection of artists manages to hold it together over the next six months and reunites with new strength in January.

 

 

observations 6/21

We want to remind everyone of the fantastic Front Row Festival that is going on right now at Pennsylvania Ballet. It's free. All one has to do is register so that the Vimeo links and passwords can be sent via email. The emails (generally sent around 6pm) include the past performances although some will only be available for seven days.

Last night's full length Don Quixote led by Mayara Pineiro and Arian Molina Soca was a persuasive argument for supporting this company right now. What a mood lifter! They are truly giving their audience their best under the current circumstances -- which cannot be said for New York's own companies.

Register here today: Pennsylvania Ballet Front Row Festival

 

 

Pennsylvania Ballet Front Row Festival opens tonight

Pennsylvania Ballet opens its 10-day digital season with an outstanding selection of classical, contemporary, and premiere ballets. It's free, but you have to register so that they can email you the Vimeo link (there might be a delay with that email even though they say it will be sent shortly): 

http://paballet.org/front-row-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0YJT96Hbp4ewt2_0nNU-CGUziFPoksNlFM7mJL1RLuViJJOwCSdXfVIzY 

Look at this lineup!

Connection

Available June 19 – 26

Choreography by Juliano Nunes
Music by Ezio Bosso

Don Quixote

Available June 20 – July 20

Choreography by Angel Corella (after Petipa)
Music by Ludwig Minkus

Episode 31

Available June 21 – 28

Choreography by Alexander Ekman
Music by Mikael Karlsson, Ane Brun & Erik Satie

A Trace of Inevitability

Available June 22 – 29

Choreography by Yin Yue
Music by Michel Banabila

Rubies

Available June 23 – 30

Choreography by George Balanchine
Music by Igor Stravinsky

Giselle

Available June 24 – July 24

Choreography by Angel Corella (after Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot)
Music by Adolphe Adam

Trigger Touch Fade

Available June 25 – July 2

Choreography by Jorma Elo
Music by Franz Joseph Haydn & J.S. Bach

Glass Pieces

Available June 26 – July 3

Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Music by Philip Glass

I AM

Available June 27 – July 4

Documentary directed by Glenn Holsten
Featuring Artists of Pennsylvania Ballet II and Students of St. Katherine’s School

D.G.V.: Danse à Grand Vitesse

Available June 28 – July 5

Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon
Music by Michael Nyman

The Front Row Festival will also feature a Q & A with Artistic Director Angel Corella and Preludes for each ballet, featuring Pennsylvania Ballet artists.