And Still More Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .

'Swan Lake' Follow-up:

New York City Ballet just published two very brief clips of Teresa Reichlen and Russell Janzen dancing in Peter Martins' 'Swan Lake'.
  

Teresa Reichlen in the first lakeside scene in Peter Martins' 'Swan Lake'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The first is from the lakeside pas de deux and shows the couple's long lyrical lines which I wrote about after seeing them dance together at the September 22nd dress rehearsal:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156127522740529/

The second shows Reichlen's incredible series of fouettes in the ballroom pas de deux.

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/videos/10156127554185529/

Tess and Russell will probably become the company's hot new couple.

Another NYCB Apprentice:

Alston Macgill has just been named an apprentice by New York City Ballet.  Alston performed the role of Odette in Balanchine's one-act 'Swan Lake' at the 2014 SAB Workshops and danced Bournonville's 'William Tell' pas de deux at the 2015 SAB Workshops.  She comes from Savannah, GA, and just turned 18 in September.  What a smashing birthday present for Alston!

The 'Looks' from NYCB Fall Fashion Gala as seen in Elle and New York Magazine's 'The Cut':

Here's a link to 44 pictures of the costumes designed by five fashion designers for New York City Ballet's Fall Gala:

http://l.facebook.com/l/GAQGfv6sY/www.elle.com/culture/art-design/news/g27044/backstage-at-the-new-york-city-ballet-gala-fall-2015/

And here's a link to New York Magazine's 'The Cut' with more photos of the Fall Gala costumes:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/09/fashion-takes-center-stage-at-the-nycb-gala/slideshow/2015/09/30/new_york_city_balletgala/

Of course, for 'The Cut' the costumes and who designed them are more important than the dancers who are wearing them (typical of the style-obsessed media I suppose).  

Rebecca Krohn with Amar Ramassar, Ask la Cour and Robert Fairchild in Peter Martins' 'Thou Swell' in cosutmes by Peter Topping of Oscar de la Renta.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

Fortunately, we'll never have to see the costumes for Peter Martins' 'Thou Swell' again -- a one-time-only showing of luxuriously vulgar designs by Peter Topping of Oscar de la Renta.

Ballerinas on Broadway:

On Monday, October 5th, we attended a NYC Ballet seminar entitled 'Ballerinas on Broadway'.  Joan Quatrano moderated a panel of three ballerinas associated with the Broadway musical revival of 'On the Town':  Megan Fairchild, Sara Mearns, and Georgina Pazcoguin.  Megan originated the role of Ivy Smith (Miss Turnstiles) and played her for about 10 months.  Sara Mearns' boyfriend, Joshua Bergasse, is the choreographer of the show and Sara performed a 'dream ballet' once during the show's run.  Last summer Gina became a member of the show's ensemble and the understudy for Miss Turnstiles and then danced the role for two weeks after Megan left the show and before Misty Copeland came in for the end of the show's run in early September.

Megan Fairchild as Miss Turnstiles with ensemble in the revival of 'On the Town'.  Photo from Time Out NY

The seminar audience heard a lot of useless information  about 'putting on a show' including definitions of colorful Broadway terms.  They also heard quite a bit about the contrasts between Broadway and NYC Ballet.  Most of this came from Megan, who is a real chatterbox.  Most of Sara's comments concerned background about Josh's choreographic process, while Gina seemed content to talk about her experiences in the show when she was asked.

For me, the most interesting part of the discussion was not about 'On the Town' and Broadway, but about how the NYC Ballet is embracing new media and encouraging its dancers to engage with the public using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.  Sara has an Instagram feed and Megan has a webpage and posts podcasts.  Sara said that she wanted to connect with future generations of dancers in a medium that they utilize and understand.

SAB's 2014 Workshop Performances Back on PBS:

This past August Live from Lincoln Center rebroadcast the School of American Ballet's 2014 Workshop Performance -- first broadcast on PBS in December, 2014.  Unfortunately, the show had been edited from 90 minutes down to 60 minutes for the rebroadcast, which left much of the rehearsal and interview material from the original show on the cutting room floor.  It was still fun to watch the dance portion of the 50th anniversary Workshop Performance once again -- and marvel at the payoff on many years of arduous training.   Several of these students have gone on to dance professionally in companies across the globe.

NYC Ballet 'Swan Lake' Dress Rehearsal

On Tuesday afternoon, September 22nd, I attended the 'dress' rehearsal for Peter Martins' 'Swan Lake' which was opening later that evening.  The idea that it was a 'dress' rehearsal seemed pretty casual -- most of the corps dancers were in practice clothes, except the men wore their garish orange boots.  Even the principals weren't in pristine costume -- Prince Siegfried wore grey sweatpants over his costume through much of the first scene and Odette wore footless tights.

The 'orchestra' consisted of a piano in the pit 'conducted' by Stuart Capps and a violinist who showed up in time for the solo violin passage in the lakeside scene.

Still, it was an opportunity to see a brand new Siegfried, Russell Janzen, perfectly paired with a lovely Odette, Teresa Reichlen.  They are both tall, slender dancers with long arms and legs.  The pas de deux in the first lakeside scene was notable for their long, beautifully coordinated lines and for Russell's partnering of Tess with steady calm.  Surrounded by a corps of swans in drab and raggedy practice clothes Tess and Russell indeed stood out.   

Teresa Reichlen and Russell Janzen in the pas de deux from George Balanchine's 'Diamonds' from 'Jewels'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

At this rehearsal, Taylor Stanley in the role of Benno danced the pas de trois with Indiana Woodward and Sarah Villwock.  Ms. Woodward and Ms. Villwock are new to their roles and there were still a few kinks in the pas de trois to be ironed out later in a rehearsal studio.  Harrison Ball danced the Jester -- a role I dislike and find hard to judge objectively.  It's showy and requires a bravura dancer.  Harrison seemed to be having an off day.  Gwyneth Muller was regal as the Queen, although she or a page or lady-in-waiting need to mind her train which was doubled back on itself here.  The children from the School of American Ballet were well-drilled and adorable -- although they were still getting used to the Theater's stage and the adult dancers surrounding them.

In the lakeside scene, the four cygnets -- including Claire Von Eyck at one end of the chain -- were brilliant.  Silas Farley waved Von Rotbart's flaming orange cape with panache.  Although the role of Rotbart was created by Albert Evans, I see no reason to continue casting minorities -- Silas and Preston Chamblee in the current run -- in this role.  It's way past time for New York City Ballet to introduce color blind casting in all of its works and move beyond this type of tokenism -- it's racist and appalling.

This cast will  be dancing Thursday evening, September 24th -- when Russell will make his debut as Siegried -- and again at the Sunday, September 27th, matinee.

Following the rehearsal of the first half -- I'm never sure if it is two scenes and one act or two acts with no intermission -- of 'Swan Lake' there was a rehearsal of the pas de quatre from the ballroom scene with Megan Fairchild, Ana Sophia Scheller, Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz.  This stellar cast did a partially danced walk-thru of this so-so piece of Martins' choreography.  I assume that they've danced this enough times that they were saving themselves for the performance that evening.  It was a rather lackluster finish to a spotty afternoon.

On a different note, Jared Angle was listed in the handout as one of the 'rehearsal masters' and was on stage offering pointers to Reichlen and Janzen about their performance.  Does this portend a transition from principal dancer to artistic staff in Jared's future?  If so, the NYCB website hasn't caught up with the news.  We'd hate to see Jared stop performing, but he's a great addition to the artistic staff with a wealth of experience dancing a wide range of roles.