Ever More Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .

Seeing Triple at SAB This Summer:

With much of the School of American Ballet's fifth floor studios a construction zone this summer, it's easy to think that you're seeing triple in the maze of plastic drop cloths and the cacophony of sledge hammers and nail guns.  You're not!

Marcos, Cesar and Angel Ramirez Castellano.  Photo by Ramon Espinosa for AP

I was doing double-takes as I encountered first one dark-haired, dark-eyed young man . . . then another . . . and another coming down the hall toward the back studios about 30 paces apart.  They're Angel, Cesar and Marcos Ramirez Castellano, 15-year-old identical triplets from Cuba who are attending SAB's Summer Session.  Here's a 2013 video profiling them that was produced by the BBC when they were just 13:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePjRF9oBhrw

You can think of their attendance at the five-week Summer Session as SAB's contribution to the recent thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations. 

SAB Founders Society Picnic:

Every summer, the School of American Ballet invites the members of its Founders Society -- a group of individuals who have made provisions for SAB in their estate plans -- to a 'picnic' followed by an opportunity to observe a Summer Session class.  

The 'picnic' has usually been held in the Student Lounge adjacent to the School's studios.  This summer the picnic -- a lovely buffet lunch of sandwiches, wraps, salads, cookies and fresh fruits (I missed the brownies this year) -- was held in rooms at the back of the Rose Building cafeteria because the areas around the student lounge on the 5th floor are under construction.  During the lunch, we heard from members of the School's Development Staff --  Cheryl Kohn, Chief Development Officer; Kristen Barrett, Director of Institutional Giving; and Giulia Gabrielli, Individual Giving Membership Coordinator -- about the renovation of the 5th floor and about various aspects of this year's Summer Session (including the Ramirez Castellano triplets).

Following the luncheon, Founders Society members were given a choice of watching Susan Pillare teach a girls toe class or Jock Soto teach the Intermediate Men.  We selected Jock's class.  There were 18 students in the class varying in age, height, ethnicity and ability.

While they were still at the barre, Jock taught them a complicated series of arm movements to accompany some fairly routine steps.  Then he divided them into two teams of nine and asked each team to select one representative to demonstrate the combination, and another to 'judge' the other team's choice in a competition.  Each judge was then asked for the number of 'errors' committed by the other team's man.  Jock took the two numbers and combined them into the number of push-ups that everyone had to do.

Over the course of the hour and a quarter class, the observers get a sense of which students have both the ability and drive to continue at SAB in the Winter Term or perhaps return for another Summer Term in 2016.  I had my eye on four out of the 18 that I'd like to see back at SAB again -- two that seem to be quite young and still quite short and two that seem more mature and more developed.  I felt that the other 14 lacked either the focus or the natural ability to succeed at SAB in the future.

Three Promotions at New York City Ballet:

Anyone who's been following this blog knows that I enthusiastically favor the three promotions that New York City Ballet announced at the end of their Spring season on June 7th:  Anthony Huxley and Lauren Lovette to principal dancers and Ashly Isaacs to soloist.

Anthony Huxley blossomed this spring from his naturally introspective elegance into a more expansive dancer in roles like James in Bournonville's 'La Sylphide' and Oberon in Balanchine's 'Midsummer Night's Dream'.  He still needs to work on his partnering skills, but his technical finesse and newly assured stage presence make him a valued addition to the top of the Company's roster.

Lauren Lovette and Anthony Huxley in Balanchine's 'Raymonda Variations'.
Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

Lauren Lovette is one of the Company's most sunny and vivacious ballerinas -- plus she is drop dead gorgeous.  Since joining the Company as an apprentice in 2009 Lauren has essayed a wide variety of iconic roles in the NYCB repertory and brings a special sparkle to everything she dances.  This spring she was a spritely Sylph in Peter Martins' staging of Bournonville's 'La Sylphide'.

Ashly Isaacs struggled with injuries during her transition from SAB to NYCB -- she accepted SAB's Mae L. Wien Award in a cast and on crutches at the 2009 Workshop Gala -- but has since blossomed into an extraordinary dancer -- fleet, daring and musically adventurous.  Among her recent roles have been Dewdrop in 'The Nutcracker', Hippolyta in 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and the pas de deux from Bournonville's 'Flower Festival at Genzano'.

Ashly Isaacs as Hippolyta in Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Photo by Andrea Mohin for the NY Times

Congratulations to all three dancers on these promotions which recognize both their achievements and their potential.

Summertime at the Movies -- Whimsy from Pixar and Raunch from Judd Apatow

Inside Out:

On a Friday when the multiplex was filled with families streaming into 'Minions', we went to see 'Inside Out' from Pixar Animation Studios.

Banner for 'Inside Out'.

The movie tells the story of 11-year-old Riley who moves with her family from Minnesota, where her passion was ice hockey, to San Francisco when her father gets a new job there.  It's mostly told from inside her head, where five competing characters struggle to control the console at headquarters that moderates and mixes Riley's emotions. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) has been the dominant character --but with Riley's move to San Francisco, Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Fear (voiced by Bill Hader) and Disgust (voiced by Mindy Kaling) take on bigger roles as she confronts mean girls at school, bickering parents at home and hockey withdrawal.

The 'little voices' of 'Inside Out'.

'Inside Out' is whimsical, ingenious, and fresh.  Everyone should rush to the multiplex to see this insightful and delightful look at 'the little voices inside our heads'.

Trainwreck:

This past Saturday, we went to see 'Trainwreck', the movie directed and produced by Judd Apatow and written by and starring Amy Schumer.  The theater was virtually sold out for a 2:10pm show.

Poster for 'Trainwreck'

Amy Schumer plays Amy Townsend (a version of herself?) who is a writer for S'nuff, a men's magazine in the manner of Maxim.  In an opening flashback, her father tells Amy and her sister that he and their mother are getting divorced because 'monogamy isn't realistic'.  Flashing forward, we find Amy living by this mantra -- hooking up with one man after another, drinking and drugging in excess, and generally -- a trainwreck.

At a S'nuff editorial meeting (Tilda Swinton plays the editor) Amy is assigned to write a story about a sports medicine doctor, Aaron Conners (played by Bill Hader) who hangs out with his patients -- including LeBron James and the Knick City Dancers.  Amy puts her usual moves on Aaron and he falls for her hard.  From there, the movie goes on far too long and makes its central character ever more unlikeable.

Many individual scenes could be brief raunchy skits on late night cable TV, however the cumulative effect of one after another is excessive and ultimately disgusting.  You leave the theater with a bad taste in your mouth from the excessive bile.  We may all know a trainwreck, but we don't willingly spend more than two hours with them.  This summer, get your air conditioning somewhere other than a theater screening this movie. 

Further Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .

Violette Verdy:

In May, Violette Verdy, came to the School of American Ballet for one of her periodic gigs as 'Principal Guest Teacher' at the School.  Her classes are always wonderful and the students adore her.

Violette Verdy teaching at The School of American Ballet.  Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

While I was rummaging around the internet looking for background information about her, I discovered this lovely 2010 video of  Violette Verdy discussing  with Damian Woetzel three ballets created by George Balanchine in 1960 that she danced in (almost) from the beginning -- 'Donizetti Variations', 'Liebeslieder Waltzer', and 'Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux':

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fFK6-LsQEU

The video runs one hour and 23 minutes during which Violette and Damian discuss the three works and the historical context in which they were created.  Excerpts from the three works are danced by Tiler Peck, Joaquin De Luz, Daniel Ulbricht, Jenifer Ringer and Jared Angle with Cameron Grant providing musical support on the piano.  Both Violette and Damian offer suggestions to the dancers.  Violette's comments are especially interesting and her language is brilliantly evocative, capturing the essence of each work.

ABT's 'Cinderella' -- 6/29 Dress Rehearsal:

My friend Jean invited me to join her for the June 29th dress rehearsal of American Ballet Theater's production of Frederick Ashton's 'Cinderella' at the Metropolitan Opera House.  We sat in a parterre box to watch as two different casts rehearsed in the three-act ballet.  For logistical reasons Act I was followed by Act III and then Act II was performed.  There were 20 minute intermissions between the acts.

The cast for Acts I and III were Stella Abrera as Cinderella, Isabella Boylston as the Fairy Godmother, and Joseph Gorak as the Prince.  The cast for Act II was Gillian Murphy as Cinderella and Alexandre Hammoudi as the Prince.  The dancing was generally excellent, but the acting was less assured.  The comic drag roles of the two step-sisters, played by Sean Stewart and Duncan Lyle, needed to be scaled up to fill the opera house.

Gillian Murphy acknowledging ovation for her performance of Ashton's 'Cinderella'.  Photo by Kent Becker

Gillian Murphy danced brilliantly in the ballroom scene and Stella Abrera caught the pathos of the kitchen scenes.  Both Mr. Hammoudi and Mr. Gorak were struggling with aspects of the Prince's choreography.  Ms. Boylston was gracious and expansive as the Fairy Godmother.   But all of the featured dancers had to compete with the surrounding clutter of Ashton's fussy choreography and David Walker's decor and costumes.

Prokofiev's score has never struck me as particularly hospitable to ballet.  It doesn't fit the contours of ABT's bravura dancing style -- lacking enough grand crescendos and striking climaxes.  ABT has never had distinguished musical support and the orchestral playing that afternoon seemed wan and muffled -- bland even beyond the inadequacies of the score.

Conclusion of Act II Ballroom scene of Ashton's 'Cinderella' at the Met.  Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

The sets are sumptuous but poorly lit.  The drops for the four seasonal fairies in Act I are probably lovely, but the lighting turned them grey and destroyed any sense of depth.  The candlelit ballroom set for Act II and the conclusion of Act III with its receding colonnade is grand, but the lighting often casts the dancers into the shadows.  The kitchen in Act I and the start of Act III is also overly gloomy.

SAB Announces National Visiting Fellows Program:

The School of American Ballet has just announced it's new National Visiting Fellows Program which will commence with the 2015-16 Winter Term.  Up to five ballet teachers from around the U.S. will be selected as national fellows.  Each will come to the School twice during the Winter Term with all expenses paid to meet with faculty and administrative staff, observe classes and demonstrations, attend New York City Ballet performances, and discuss diversity initiatives that SAB and the schools they represent can undertake to expand the opportunities for minority students in ballet.  Their dance schools will each receive a $5,000 grant to be used for expansion of programs to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds.

You can find out more about the program here: 

https://sab.org/school/diversity__inclusion/visiting_fellows_program.php

If you have connections to a ballet school outside of New York City, please make them aware of this opportunity to partner with SAB in learning more about the school that founder, Lincoln Kirstein called 'the West Point of ballet' while improving opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.

New York City kids waiting to audition for SAB's Childrens' Division.
"Up a steep and very narrow staircase . . . I was happy -- at the ballet" lyric from 'A Chorus Line'.
Photo by Jason DeCrow for AP

All of the hype about Misty Copeland's promotion to principal dancer at ABT wouldn't be necessary if the career pipeline was filled with dancers from all backgrounds from the very start of their dance training.

Teen Vogue's Strictly Ballet Miami City Ballet School Series:

Teen Vogue has put the entire 17-episodes of Season 2 of its series Strictly Ballet on line.  The second season follows six students in the Miami City Ballet School as they brave the struggles of being away from their families and in several cases their countries (Russia, Brazil and Cuba are represented), suffer through their first injuries, prepare for auditions, and perform in the the School's year-end showcase.  It's a little disconcerting to see them doing the choreography of Balanchine's 'Western Symphony' without the lively and evocative Hershey Kay score.  This URL leads you to the first episode (there is a 15 second advertisement at the start of each episode and the 17 episodes vary in length from about five-to-ten minutes):

http://video.teenvogue.com/watch/strictly-ballet-meet-the-dancers-at-miami-city-ballet-school

The Dog Days of Summer -- at the Movies . . .

We usually think of the 'dog days of summer' as referring to the hot, humid weather.  However, I'm thinking of two movie dogs -- 'Jurassic World' and 'Magic Mike XXL' -- this summer.  They both fall somewhere on the quality scale from merely mediocre to perfectly dreadful.

'Jurassic World'
The latest movie in the 'Jurassic' series that started with Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' based on a Michael Crichton novel.  Spielberg directed the first two movies in the series and moved on to producing the third and fourth (this one) installments.  Crichton wisely left the building after the first two.

Banner for 'Jurassic World'

Despite setting box office records, 'Jurassic World' is mediocre at best.  It's burdened with too many villains, too many species of dinosaurs and a very confusing plot.  Chris Pratt is actually quite good as the velociraptor whisperer, but Bryce Dallas Howard is totally unconvincing as the operations manager of the new theme park, Jurassic World, and the indifferent aunt of two young troublemakers.  The failure to provide a coherent sense of organization for the Jurassic World enterprise leaves the viewer in a complete fog regarding who's working in what capacity for whom.  Ultimately, the dinosaurs seem to be in charge while the humans struggle for power (maybe it's a metaphor for our government in Washington).

In any event, the special effects are all-powerful.  Spring for the IMAX and 3D if you're into that sort of thing.  Otherwise, just stay out of the multiplex or pick a really hot, humid day and go for the air-conditioning.

'Magic Mike XXL'
'Magic Mike XXL' is the sequel to 'Magic Mike', the 2012 movie about a band of male strippers that was saved by Matthew McConaughey's savvy, sleazy performance as the leader of the group of 'male entertainers' in Tampa, FL. 

Banner for 'Magic Mike XXL'.

The sequel has a salacious title, but little more to recommend it.  The script is virtually incoherent, jumping from scene to scene with no apparent logic.  It strains to find situations for its male 'entertainers' to strip and while those bodies are sometimes beautiful they are seldom photographed with adequate or interesting lighting.  Channing Tatum, wasted in the title role, seems to be working out some unexplained and uninteresting grudges with the other strippers.

Jada Pickett Smith, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks and Amber Heard play (with varying degrees of success) the women the guys meet on their way to an annual male strippers convention in Myrtle Beach, where they supposedly rock the rafters.  It's loud and flashy and dull and exploitative.  Don't even go to this one for the air conditioning.

Albert Evans: A Life in Dance Cut Short

It was a shock to learn that Albert Evans had died at Mount Sinai Hospital on Monday evening, June 22nd, after [what the New York City Ballet spokesman described as] 'a short illness'.  Albert was a vital and vivid presence around the Lincoln Center campus for many, many years.  As a black man, he was a source of inspiration for a growing cadre of young black dancers -- students at the School of American Ballet and dancers in the Company -- Craig Hall, Taylor Stanley, Olivia Boisson, Silas Farley, Preston Chamblee -- still too few but many more than when he came on the scene.  As a man, he was inimitable -- gracious, funny, kind, thoughtful, supportive.

Albert Evans grew up in Atlanta, GA.  He first came to the School of American Ballet's for the Summer Session in 1982 when he was just 13.  In September 1986 he came back to the School's Winter Term on full scholarship.  While still a student at SAB, he was chosen by Elliot Feld to perform in 'The Unanswered Question' choreographed for New York City Ballet's American Music Festival in 1988.  It was one of Feld's surrealist circus pieces and Albert played a young man wearing a gold crown and twirling drumsticks as he marched slowly around the stage to a selection of short pieces by Charles Ives.  He was also chosen by William Forsythe as a last-minute substitute for his 'Behind the China Dogs' in that Festival. 

Albert Evans and Maria Kowroski in the pas de deux from Balanchine's 'Agon'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Albert was invited to join the Company's corps de ballet later in 1988 and was promoted to soloist in 1991 and to principal in 1995.  He was the first black dancer promoted to principal by New York City Ballet since Arthur Mitchell in 1955.  While he performed in a wide repertoire of ballets, Albert was best known for roles in the Balanchine 'black-and-white' pieces -- 'Agon', 'The Four Temperaments', 'Stravinsky Violin Concerto', 'Symphony in Three Movements', 'Episodes', 'Concerto Barocco' and 'Movements for Piano and Orchestra'/'Momentum Pro Gesualdo' -- which he infused with unexpected warmth and humanity as well as exceptional strength.

Alfred Evans as Puck in George Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with Arch Higgins and Alexandra Ansanelli.  Photo by  Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Albert brought his special charisma and superb technique to lots of other ballets from the Balanchine repertory -- memories of an indelible Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'; an elegant Cavalier in 'The Nutcracker'; the swaggering Rhinestone Cowboy in 'Western Symphony'; the suave song-and-dance man of 'Who Cares?'; the haughty leader of the Czardas in 'Cortege Hongrois'; and the antic sailor in 'Union Jack' all come flooding back.

And who can forget his sensual young ballet student in Jerome Robbins' 'Afternoon of a Faun'?

Peter Martins created a wide range of roles for Albert including the swaggering and sinister Von Rotbart in 'Swan Lake'; the playful 'Puss'n'Boots' in 'Sleeping Beauty'; and original roles in 'Jazz in Six Syncopated Movements'; 'Jeu de Cartes'; 'Slominsky's Earbox'; and 'Todo Buenos Aires'.

He was sought out by choreographers to dance in many of the Company's new works.  Among the many memorable roles that were created for Albert were parts in Christopher Wheeldon's 'Klavier'; Ulysses Dove's 'Red Angels'; 

Albert Evans with Maria Kowroski in Ulysses Dove's 'Red Angels'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Miriam Mahdaviani's 'Appalachia Waltz' and 'Correlazione'; Christopher D'Amboise's 'Circle of Fifths'; Garth Fagin's 'Ellington Elation' from 'Duke!'; Alexei Ratmansky's 'Russian Seasons'; 

Albert Evans with Rebecca Krohn, Jon Stafford and Rachel Rutherford in Alexei Ratmansky's 'Russian Seasons'.
Photo by John Ross

Susan Stroman's 'Makin' Whoopee' from 'Double Feature'; and Twyla Tharp's 'The Beethoven Seventh'.

Wendy Whelan and Albert Evans in the pas de deux from Forsythe's 'Herman Schmerman'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Albert retired from the stage after a farewell performance on June 20, 2010.  For his farewell Albert danced the pas de deux from William Forsythe's 'Herman Schmerman' with Wendy Whelan; and 'Phlegmatic' in Balanchine's 'Four Temperaments'. 

Albert Evans as 'Phlegmatic' from 'The Four Temperaments' by George Balanchine.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Denying the sadness of his retirement from performing, Albert used the final moments of his farewell performance to remove his ballet slippers and fling them into the audience and then to lie down behind the mound of flowers he had received from current and former company members.

Albert Evans lying down with the floral tributes at the end of the farewell ovation.

Following his retirement from the stage, Albert was appointed a Ballet Master for the Company.  Among his many assignments, Albert worked closely with Justin Peck on his new ballets for the Company -- including 'Paz de La Jolla' where his supportive presence was evident in the movie 'Ballet 422' which tracked its creation.

Albert taught occasional classes at the School of American Ballet where he was a wonderful teacher and mentor for a generation of adoring students.

Here's a link to a beautiful tribute that Faye Arthurs posted on her blog, 'Thoughts from the Paint', about her memories of working with Albert:

http://www.thoughtsfromthepaint.com/thoughts/for-albert


And here's  a link to a posting on 'Oberon's Grove' that discusses Albert's career:

http://oberon481.typepad.com/oberons_grove/2015/06/beloved-albert.html

By being himself -- a superb performer and a wonderful human being -- Albert Evans had an enormous impact on everyone who knew him or saw him dance.  He left us too soon -- he will be missed.