If NYCB wants to paper the house for Wheeldon's and Peck's dances, it should find people who can behave. It's hard to remember a performance with more obnoxious, orchestrated applause & woo-whoo that disrupted the performance than we saw last evening. Are these people planted because Wheeldon and Peck are afraid of honest audience reactions and are so desperate for audience praise that they are willing to plant it?

        It defies logic why NYCB continues to give away tickets but refuses to re-open memberships to the 4th Ring Society that would allow people to buy two cheap tickets to any performance as far in advance as they wanted. Isn't it better to engage people who are willing to spend $10 to see NYCB rather than people who are not and only come because they get a free ticket? What on earth is wrong with filling up the 4th ring with $10 ticket buyers rather than leaving it empty? Ugh. Wait until the next NYCB survey pops up in Haglund's email in-box. . .

        Last night's program consisted of works by Wheeldon, Martins, and Justin Peck.

        It's completely understandable that some people might be intrigued and intellectually stimulated by Gyorgy Ligeti's compositions. That's why his work shows up at the NY Phil once every 100 blue moons. Last year, they cushioned the program with Brahms to ensure attendance. We know Wheeldon was attracted to the challenges of Ligeti (It "frightened" him, he says.) and that he viewed the creation of Polyphonia to this music as a mathematical problem. We're grateful that as yet, he has not been attracted to the concept of √-1. Actually, Peck has probably already run across that little number and we'll eventually see a sneaker ballet called "i" which was created with AI.

        Complaining aside, the dancers in Wheeldon's Polyphonia were stunning in their Shen Yun splits, contortions, and manipulations. We particularly enjoyed the second of the two pas de deux danced by Unity Phelan & Chun Wai Chan for its inventive geometric shapes and the earlier thoughtful solo by a pensive Sara Mearns. That solo, originally danced by the interestingly unpredictable Alexandra Ansanelli, requires a melancholy that can look very different on different people. Mearns could not be more different than Ansanelli, but she worked the solo well with what seemed to be her own interior story. Polyphonia is "early" Wheeldon, and he has gone on to create much better works for other companies, e.g., A Winter's Tale, DGV, Thirteen Diversions but he also created the much more accessible Mercurial Manoeuvres for NYCB prior to Polyphonia.

        Peter Martins' Barber Violin Concerto received an exceptional performance from Miriam Miller, Alec Knight (subbing for Aaron Sanz), Alexa Maxwell, and Preston Chamblee. The guest conductor, Emmanuel Plasson, elicited a stirring, bold reading of Samuel Barber's work from the NYCB Orchestra and Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen. Alec Knight danced like the Alec Knight who gave us so much hope over a half dozen years ago — excellent form, lots of energy, and great rapport with Alexa Maxwell who was the unmanageable modern dancer wrecking havoc with Knight's efforts at classicism. Miriam Miller managed the challenges of the choreography well — with only a few uncertain moments in the pas de deux with Preston Chamblee. The role exploited her spacious arabesque and expansive port de bras. Chamblee made a good case for being an old school Paul Taylor dancer — brawny, big chested, and moved like a cat. He was tall enough to provide Miller with the secure partnering that she needed. Here's hoping that he will evolve physically the way Gilbert Bolden has been able to do, because those legs are fairly stocky and struggle to make any type of a balletic line.

        The evening closed with Tharp on Broadway by Peck "The Times They Are a-Changin' " — oh whoops, we meant to type "The Times Are Racing." Our bad.

        The HH Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Alec Knight and Alexa Maxwell for their final pas de deux in Barber Violin Concerto which was a mismatch of styles coordinated beautifully.

        Well, well, well – just had to wait 24 hours to get the real opening performance of the Winter Season. What an evening of spectacular dancing!

        Fancy Free was so good Wednesday night that Haglund wanted to hit the re-set button to play it all over again. My goodness, did Jacqueline Bologna ever make her debut as the Passer-by in purple a star turn. She and Harrison Coll had charisma and rapport in spades during their pas de deux. Never did they drop character during their silken treatment of Robbins' inventive choreography. Never did they or any of the other performers drop character while sitting around the side table during the individual solos. Lauren Collett as the Passer-by with the red purse nailed her character as well. She toyed with the sailors and was always in control of the situation. No victim here. Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Daniel Ulbricht (subbing for Roman Mejia) fully depicted their characters with brilliant dancing throughout the ballet. At Tuesday's performance, Haglund thought that Fancy Free was ready for a good, long rest in the repertory. But after Wednesday's performance, he can't wait to see this cast again on Saturday afternoon!

        One thing we forgot to mention in yesterday's review which we were reminded of last night: During the second sailor's variation, he approaches the bar stools, jumps over one, and performs a double tour. Repeat. Seeing the double tours from the back make it painfully clear when the dancer fudges by swiveling the hips a quarter turn (or more) in plie before jumping. It's one of those wince-inducing lapses that no one wants to see.

        In the Night received rich interpretations from all three couples. Indiana Woodward and Joseph Gordon were sublime in the first pas de deux. Their expansiveness yielded a lush musicality. Emilie Gerrity and Tyler Angle (subbing for Aaron Sanz) relayed the emotional comfort of a long, successful relationship. Then came Tiler Peck and Gilbert Bolden III as the explosive, emotionally charged couple. Their performance spanned everything from George & Martha to Romeo & Juliet. So bold and well-played and exceptionally well-danced. In Bolden, Peck has found her dramatic match.

        The Four Seasons had a more even performance than the previous night. The highlight of this performance was Ashley Laracey and Adrian Danchig-Waring in Summer. My goodness, it's hard to think of a more lyrically beautiful dancer than Laracey. Her subtlety spoke volumes about the beauty and value of restraint. Her gorgeous lines in arabesque had the delicacy of a bird. While Danchig-Waring is not a whiz-bang technician, his strength in form and attention to detail, to repeat, illustrate the value of restraint.

        David Gabriel, Erica Pereira, and Andres Zuniga danced the Winter segment. Erica was not in her best form on this night and looked quite tired. Gabriel and Zuniga were a good match technically and clearly were more ready to dance than Erica. Olivia MacKinnon was a surprise success with Jovani Furlan in Spring. Her beautifully shaped leg positions and expansive dancing were immediately likeable. Obviously a very strong technician from the waist down, Olivia only has to educate her upper body and port de bras and bring some personality (beyond a fixed smile) to her performances in order to make herself more ready for principal roles. Unity Phelan and Andrew Veyette were a smoldering Fall in contrast to the razzle dazzle Fall of Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia the evening before. Both interpretations are welcome and immensely enjoyable. Gotta say that Veyette is really hanging on to his technique with the exception of the arabesque. His turns a la seconde were as clean as Mejia's the night before but better shaped with a more strongly pointed foot. He didn't jump the supporting foot up under him like Mejia did, but then Mejia's trick really didn't offer anything other than gymnastic appeal. Cainan Weber as the goatish fawn in Fall was sensational. Those of us who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s can recall Mighty Mouse and his "Here I come to save the day" song/ear worm played by the Mitch Miller Orchestra. Weber has that same appeal with a Mighty Mouse muscular physique of brawny shoulders and tiny waist and a huge, huge technique with which to power himself around the stage. Eagerly looking forward to seeing his Puck one day.

        Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a stunning Jimmy Choo stiletto with teardrop heel, is bestowed upon Jacqueline Bologna for her huge debut in Fancy Free. It was a long overdue opportunity. Let's hope we see her featured more prominently in the future. The Thursday matinee Emeralds in Saratoga this summer would be nice since Haglund already has his train tickets. Just trying to help out here . . .

        It was a rather flat start to New York City Ballet's Winter Season with an all-Robbins evening that was extended by a half hour due to the presentation of the Janice Levin Award and the See the Music presentation. 

The full length Jewels and "scenes from" Coppelia will be presented as part of the New York City Ballet SPAC summer season. That is grrreat news as we look forward to the announcement of the 2024 – 2025 home season in the coming months. Jewels: July 10 & 11.  Coppelia: 12 & 13.

https://www.timesunion.com/theater/article/75-new-york-city-ballet-returning-spac-varied-18614906.php

Looking forward to Tuesday night's opening of the Winter Season. Just wish we didn't have to wait for two weeks to see Balanchine. Leeching the life-blood from the company for two weeks is not a good idea.

        NYCB's Winter Season is several steps down from its extraordinary Fall Season, but nevertheless, there are some things to look forward to judging from the first week's casting and a few hints gleaned from Instagram.

        Robbins' In the Night will see a number of interesting debuts. Unity Phelan and Andrew Veyette will take on the "can't live with you, can't live without you" third PdD for the first time. It depicts what the internet therapists would call a toxic relationship. Sometimes the ballerina's melodrama seems to suggest bipolar disorder. That said, it's still total fun to watch and includes some of Robbins' most inventive language.

        Also in that cast, Olivia MacKinnon and Alec Knight debut as the first couple, young and in passionate love, and Tyler Angle dances the second PdD for the first time opposite Sara Mearns. In the subsequent cast, Emilie Gerrity and Aaron Sanz debut in the second PdD and Gilbert Bolden may well be able to match Tiler Peck's theatrics in his debut in the third PdD.

        What we're really excited about, however, is seeing Jackie Bologna's debut as the principal passerby in purple in Fancy Free on Wednesday night. Opportunities for this beautiful dancer are long past due. Additionally, Miriam Miller debuts in Martins' Barber Violin Concerto and Alexa Maxwell debuts in the Wendy Whelan role in Wheeldon's Polyphonia. There are many other debuts throughout the week which make multiple viewings of programs worthwhile.

        While sniffing around Instagram, we stumbled over a startling surprise involving ABT corps member Virginia Lensi. She's starting her seventh year at ABT, but you might not be aware of her because apparently McKenzie wasn't either. Virginia just completed a multi-performance stint as Odette/Odile in the International Festival Ballet's full length Swan Lake. Her Siegfried was Ukranian Mikhail Tkachuk who was schooled at the Kiev State Choreographic Institute and has performed with a number of companies including St. Petersburg Ballet.

        My goodness, Ms. Virginia has herself a technically polished, dramatically interesting Odette/Odile in her pocket. We have no idea how this opportunity or her blossoming evolved (we can guess, however), but oh my goodness, people, look at her Instagram clips and the beauty of her shaping! Her YouTube channel has the full White Swan PdD video.   

        Haglund knew if he sat through enough NYCB Nutcrackers that the thrill would finally rise above the humdrum. And so it happened this past week and yesterday.

        At NYCB's Wednesday matinee, Miriam Miller and Alec Knight enjoyed spectacular debuts in the principal roles of Sugarplum Fairy and Her Cavalier. Seven or eight years ago when Peter Martins threw Miriam into a debut as Titania during her apprentice year, we sensed that she would be a slow-cooker who would need time to find her legs and feet and learn how to corral all that length. Her simmering over the past few years has been steady and mostly satisfying without being spectacular. But her two trials as Sugarplum Fairy over the past week were breakout performances that revealed a ballerina who has found faith in her own ability to dance the big ballerina roles with authority, calm, and unwavering concentration. It didn't hurt that she was a staggering beauty in both the long pink tutu for her solos and the green classical tutu for the pas de deux.

        But Miriam didn't rest on her beauty. The full stretch of her feet and legs and the graceful flow of her port de bras combined for a commanding elegance. Statement-making arabesques, controlled pirouettes, sensitively placed pointes all served her well in both performances. Her telepathic communication with her Cavalier, Alec Knight – a requirement to get through Balanchine's most treacherous pas de deux successfully — had few breaks. During the two performances, three out of the four step-over turns to arabesque where the Cavalier grabs the SPF's arm went smoothly; the one that went awry was rescued and covered nicely. The final promenade where they switch grips as they rotate had us holding our breath during each performance but they were both completed without incident. Yesterday's finishing arabesque was especially generous and bold. Patience has paid off.

        Knight's partnering was strong and steady in both performances; his confidence grew measurably from the first to the second. His solo variations suggested that he hasn't fully recovered from injury. The very careful jumps had little height or propulsion, and his own arabesque was a limp 70 or 80 degrees. So, it seems we can't yet rest our worries about this developing artist.

        The Dewdrops in the Miller/Knight performances were Olivia MacKinnon and India Bradley. Olivia's performance was a startling surprise in its stylishness and high energy. She hit all of her lines, all of her pirouettes, all of her tricky attitude moves, and all of her jumps with accelerating energy and joy. India, in only her third performance as Dewdrop, gave it her all but came up short on form and presentation. While most of the foot & leg technique was within her ability, her upper body was decidedly student-ish and unfinished.

        Last week included outstanding performances by Emily Kikta & Gilbert Bolden III and Isabella LaFreniere & Aaron Sanz as SPF and Cavalier. Emily wore her determination a bit too obviously, but there was never any question that she would conquer every risk throughout the pas de deux (except for one of those pesky stepover turns to arabesque). The way in which she took possession of the space around her and attracted the light made it impossible to take one's eye off of her. Most noticeably, her feet, which have always been accurate, continue to become more pliable and articulate thereby making her lines more eloquent. Gilbert's progress in the past year and a half has been astonishing. Not only has he slimmed his legs and torso into marblesque sculpture but his determination to strengthen every aspect of his solo dancing has been admirable. Our patience again rewarded.

        Isabella's SPF on Christmas Eve was breathtakingly beautiful. She was an IMAX ballerina whose command of the choreography and ability to demonstrate the beauty and value of pristine form were larger than life. Does the knuckling of the right foot still bother us? Yes, in fact it hurts to see it, but it seems to disappear during arabesques which is a good sign. Her Cavalier, Aaron Sanz, has had a tough few years dealing with injury. Our fingers are crossed for him. At this performance, there were partnering miscommunications with the stepover turn into arabesque and with the jumps to shoulder-sits — although these matters are a shared responsibility with the ballerina. His solo of turns in a la seconde and the manège of coupé jeté were a notch below serviceable. Still and all, we invariably look forward to seeing Sanz on stage and hope that both he and Alec Knight can shake off what seems to be a persistent curse of injury.

        Indiana Woodward was a sparkling Dewdrop in the Kikta-Bolden cast. Emma Von Enck's Dewdrop debut in the LaFreniere-Sanz cast made Christmas Eve especially magical. This obvious Aurora seemed never to touch the floor in her allegro.

        Since her promotion to soloist, we have missed Emma's aculeate pointes in the opening moments of the Snow Scene. However, we did notice the special energy of Olivia Bell. And watching the lovely lines and warm stage presence of Zoe Bliss Magnussen in Snow and Marzipan made us eager to see more of her. Perhaps she could be posted permanently in front of Charlie Klesa to see what might come of that partnership.

        David Gabriel and Spartak Hoxha were exceptional as Tea, both elevating their leaps in second position past circus stunts. Rommie Tomasini and Quinn Starner in the Tea section were competent; however, the persistent habit of Quinn in opening her hip to the side in order to increase the height of the battement to the back was rather shockingly bad form. The pants costume didn't hide anything.

        In one performance we saw, KJ Takahashi failed to appear with his Candy Cane hoop for his jumps in the finale. Yesterday afternoon, the lead Flowers (Nieve Corrigan and Emily Kikta subbing for Olivia Boisson) blew off their whole bit except for their entrance during the early parade in Act II. They simply didn't show up on stage — at all — either of them.

        The casts of kids were competent, if somewhat generic. The Nutcracker Little Princes' mime sequence where they re-told the harrowing story of the fight with the mice was absent any drama. It was a very perfunctory re-telling each time. Who could possibly forget the Oscar-worthy mime performance in 2012 of Little Prince Maximillian Brooking Landegger now known as "Brooks" at Miami City Ballet. SPF Lauren King flashed him one of those impossibly beautiful smiles of hers which unleashed a torrent of dramatic heroism like none this stage has seen before. Landegger, the grownup, will be back as a guest in Midsummer Night's Dream at the end of the season.

        The Corps de Ballet works so darned hard during the Nutcracker season. Many dancers are assigned important solo and demi-solo opportunities during this time while also fully dedicating themselves to their corps responsibilities. Christina Clark and Olivia Boisson continued to grow their interpretations of the sultry, mysterious Coffee soloist. Lauren Collett and Gabriella Domini were charming and precise as Toys. Spartak Hoxha and David Gabriel were exceptional Soldiers, both with clear flex-footed entrechat six and neat sequences of 1-1/4 tours. We enjoyed focusing on Savannah Durham, Dominika Afansenkov, Jacqueline Bologna and Naomi Corti in Snow, Flowers, Hot Chocolate and wherever they appeared, and wished for more opportunities for them.

        Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a Louboutin seasonal stiletto, is bestowed upon Miriam Miller for her beautiful performances as the Sugarplum Fairy.

        Here is a link to the letter recently sent by the dancers to management along with a similar letter sent to management during the 2017 contract negotiations. The 2017 contract dispute was resolved after the dancers voted to strike and upend an upcoming tour.

https://www.musicalartists.org/letters-sent-to-abt-in-2017-and-2023/

        Given that the ABT Board knew for several years, possibly as many as 5 or more, that it was about to lose nearly half its season each spring at the Met Opera House, there really is not much of an excuse for not developing a plan to replace those weeks in its most important market. Nor does the Board have much of an excuse for the lame strategy it came up with to re-build the cultural force of the company by dedicating it to woke-ish DEI initiatives. It needs to dedicate itself to great dancing. We saw lots of great dancing this past week, and we saw some formerly brilliant artists hanging on for dear life to careers that need to be closed out so that more wonderful artists can move into the spotlight. The ABT Board can do better at planning, and the artistic management can do better in making sure that the company puts its best feet forward all the time.

        At present, it seems that the frustration of the dancers may be due to management not having its decision makers at the negotiating table. Get the decision makers to the table. Put Andrew Barth and Sharon Patrick in the room and get the job done. If Bob Iger could sit in on the negotiations that ended the Writers' Guild strike, Andrew Barth can sit across the table from the ballet dancers — perhaps even next to them. Come on, people, get it done.