 |
| Poster for 'It Follows' |
Monday, March 30, 2015
'It Follows' -- a Waste of Time and Money
We went to see the movie 'It Follows' at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Francesca Beale Theater because it got a very good review from the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times and an '83' on MetaCritic.com. They all should be ashamed of themselves. It's a lousy movie -- poorly made, poorly directed, indifferently acted, poorly edited with a shrill, irritating sound track and fuzzy indifferent picture quality. There is nothing redeeming about it. As the song says 'Walk On By' this one.
I purposely picked a version of the poster without any credits so as not to embarrass anyone involved. Whoever thinks this is worth $11.00 and an hour and forty minutes of their time is nuts.
Friday, March 20, 2015
The movie '71'
Last weekend we went to see the movie '71. It is directed by Yann Demange and stars Jack O'Connell as a British soldier caught up in the 'troubles' in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1971.
O'Connell plays Gary Hook, a young army recruit who we first see in a prologue going through basic training with his squad -- emphasizing physical endurance and teamwork. He and his fellow recruits learn that instead of going to Germany as they had expected, they're heading to Belfast to support British forces trying to control the conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants that has turned that city and the rest of Northern Ireland into a divided war zone.
Before he departs for Belfast with his unit, Gary spends an idyllic military leave with his younger brother (Wikipedia says it's his son, but I disagree) who's living in an orphanage or group home -- they kick a soccer ball around and generally have a good time, although the night porter at the home gives them grief for missing the 5pm curfew.
Suddenly, Hook and his squad are on a military transport to Belfast. Almost before they can stow their gear they are sent out on a mission to assist in the search for weapons in a Catholic neighborhood of Belfast. A small riot ensues; one of the squad members is injured; while the squad is engaged in saving him a kid grabs a dropped rifle and runs off with it; Hook and another soldier chase after the kid; someone shoots Hook's comrade in the face; in all of the confusion the squad jumps in their vehicles and departs; Hook and his dead comrade are left behind.
Over the next 24 hours Hook is on his own in the Catholic neighborhood. Not able to tell friend from foe, ally from enemy, Hook runs, hides, accepts assistance, gets blown-up, fixed-up and finally saved -- but not before he uncovers a double-agent who seems to be working with both sides in the conflict.
With all of the strange accents and dialects, it's hard for an American to grasp this in detail as it unfolds, but it ultimately becomes clear that the film-makers use the audience's frustration to simulate the disorientation of Hook's predicament -- whom to trust when there are no uniforms or other identifying characteristics about those he encounters? There are final plot twists that will leave you gasping and questioning your previous conclusions about who the good guys are.
There is a short epilogue where Hook returns to Britain and reclaims his younger brother/son from the group home. The last scene shows them on the bus back to their home in the countryside.
This movie is really about urban guerrilla warfare -- whether it's Vietnam or Northern Ireland; Iraq or Afghanistan; Mosul or Homs. Being unable to identify your enemies until they attempt to kill you is bewildering and terrifying -- and probably causes PTSD.
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| Banner for '71 |
Before he departs for Belfast with his unit, Gary spends an idyllic military leave with his younger brother (Wikipedia says it's his son, but I disagree) who's living in an orphanage or group home -- they kick a soccer ball around and generally have a good time, although the night porter at the home gives them grief for missing the 5pm curfew.
Suddenly, Hook and his squad are on a military transport to Belfast. Almost before they can stow their gear they are sent out on a mission to assist in the search for weapons in a Catholic neighborhood of Belfast. A small riot ensues; one of the squad members is injured; while the squad is engaged in saving him a kid grabs a dropped rifle and runs off with it; Hook and another soldier chase after the kid; someone shoots Hook's comrade in the face; in all of the confusion the squad jumps in their vehicles and departs; Hook and his dead comrade are left behind.
Over the next 24 hours Hook is on his own in the Catholic neighborhood. Not able to tell friend from foe, ally from enemy, Hook runs, hides, accepts assistance, gets blown-up, fixed-up and finally saved -- but not before he uncovers a double-agent who seems to be working with both sides in the conflict.
With all of the strange accents and dialects, it's hard for an American to grasp this in detail as it unfolds, but it ultimately becomes clear that the film-makers use the audience's frustration to simulate the disorientation of Hook's predicament -- whom to trust when there are no uniforms or other identifying characteristics about those he encounters? There are final plot twists that will leave you gasping and questioning your previous conclusions about who the good guys are.
There is a short epilogue where Hook returns to Britain and reclaims his younger brother/son from the group home. The last scene shows them on the bus back to their home in the countryside.
This movie is really about urban guerrilla warfare -- whether it's Vietnam or Northern Ireland; Iraq or Afghanistan; Mosul or Homs. Being unable to identify your enemies until they attempt to kill you is bewildering and terrifying -- and probably causes PTSD.
Monday, March 16, 2015
The Program for 2015 SAB Workshops
The School of American Ballet has just announced the program for the 2015 Workshops which will be on Saturday, May 30th at 2:30pm and 8pm, and Tuesday, June 2nd at 7pm (Workshop Gala evening). In the style of it's affiliated ballet company (New York City Ballet) the program is titled '19th & 20th Century Masters: Petipa, Bournonville, Balanchine & Robbins' -- which in this case seems more like a catch-all than a catchy marketing tag.
The first section of the program will include:
Divertissement from Act II of 'Harlequinade', choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Riccardo Drigo.
Pas de deux from 'William Tell', choreographed by August Bournonville with music by Giacomo Rossini from his opera of that name.
Wedding pas de deux with variations and coda from 'Sleeping Beauty', choreographed by Peter Martins after Marius Petipa.
'Valse-Fantasie', choreographed by George Balanchine to music of Mikhail Glinka.
'Stars and Stripes', Third (Men's) Regiment, choreographed by George Balanchine to music of John Philip Sousa orchestrated by Hershy Kay.
After the intermission, the program will conclude with 'Fanfare', choreographed by Jerome Robbins to 'A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' by Benjamin Britten.
The first part of the program will provide a survey of various segments of the SAB student population as well as an opportunity for some faculty members to stage works they know from their performing careers.
'Harlequinade'
Programming the children's divertissement from 'Harlequinade' seems like a bit of a cop out, since it was just presented as part of the complete ballet during the final days of New York City Ballet Winter season. But, when you take a look at the Company's Spring season you realize that the Company's Children's Ballet Masters, Dena Abergel and Arch Higgins, both SAB faculty members, are simultaneously preparing youngsters to dance in Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' during the week beginning June 2nd.
The 'Harlequinade' divertissement is one of Balanchine's most delightful suites of dances for children -- much of it fondly recalled from his own experiences dancing in Petipa's 'Les Millions d'Arlequin' during his student days at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. It is performed by 32 children costumed as commedia dell'arte characters.
Here's a brief youtube clip from NYCB:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155271230885529&fref=nf
'William Tell'
The pas de deux from 'William Tell' was choreographed by August Bournonville, the celebrated ballet master of the Royal Danish Ballet from 1830 to 1848. During that period he created more than 50 ballets -- perhaps a dozen survive in some form today. He also created the 'Bournonville' style of dancing which is known for its rapid footwork, lightness and natural epaulement.
Balanchine brought Stanley Williams from the Royal Danish Ballet to teach at The School of American Ballet in 1964. From then until his death in 1997 Williams was a legendary member of SAB's faculty, training and nurturing generations of dancers. Williams staged excerpts from Bournonville ballets for several of the early SAB Workshop performances.
In 1977 he assembled a selection of Bournonville excerpts into a work for New York City Ballet known as 'Bournonville Divertissements' -- which will be revived during the Company's 2015 Spring season. A few years later Williams staged Bournonville's pas de deux from the opera 'William Tell' for the 17-year-old Darci Kistler and Ib Andersen -- who joined the Company in 1980 as a principal after training and dancing with the Royal Danish Ballet. Here's a youtube clip of Kistler and Andersen dancing the 'William Tell' pas de deux:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbtWkpTKqKY
Kistler and Andersen make the Bournonville technique look simple, but is notoriously difficult and can be very hard on the body.
'Sleeping Beauty'
Peter Martins staged 'The Sleeping Beauty' for New York City Ballet in 1987 in honor of Lincoln Kirstein's 80th birthday. While it is based on the original 1890 choreography by Marius Petipa, Martins made many cuts to streamline the ballet and changed the choreography to better utilize the Company's well-known speed and energy. The entire second act wedding scene was staged as 'Aurora's Wedding' for the 2003 SAB Workshops with Ana Sophia Scheller and Tyler Angle dancing the wedding pas de deux. Here's an excerpt from the Company's website of Tyler dancing that pas des deux with Tiler Peck -- watch for the three spectacular one-handed fish-dives:
http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/s/the-sleeping-beauty.aspx
Darci Kistler danced Princess Aurora in the original 1987 staging with Ben Huys as Prince Desire. Jon Stafford also danced Prince Desire during his years with the Company.
'Valse-Fantasie'
'Valse-Fantasie' is a work for a principal couple and four corps women using Mikhail Glinka's 'Valse-Fantasie' for piano (1839) which he orchestrated in 1845 and again in 1856. Balanchine first used this music in 1953 in a ballet for a male dancer and three ballerinas -- Nicholas Magallanes with Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden and Tanaquil Le Clercq. In 1967 he used the same music as the second movement of a four movement work called 'Glinkiana' which used an assortment of other music by Glinka for other movements. Mimi Paul and John Clifford led the second movement.
In 1969 Balanchine restaged the second movement of 'Glinkiana' as 'Valse-Fantasie' -- a stand alone work for Suki Schorer and John Prinz. In 1973 Balanchine supervised the filming of the ballet in Berlin with Sara Leland and John Clifford -- where the four corps women were Merrill Ashley, Susan Hendl, Deborah Flomine and Susan Pillare. Here's the resulting film as a youtube clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ZQdqqlRuM
It's light, frothy and entirely delightful.
'Stars and Stripes'
'Stars and Stripes' was created by Balanchine in 1958 and has been a beloved staple of the Balanchine repertory ever since. The Third Regiment is for a principal man and twelve corps men.
The music is Hershy Kay's arrangement of John Philip Sousa's 'Thunder and Gladiator March'. It requires precision and bravura from all thirteen men -- pristine beats, spins, tours, etc. Here's a clip from the Company's website with Daniel Ulbricht as the principal man:
http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/s/stars-and-stripes.aspx
The white-gloved men dance against a dark background which accentuates any imperfection. With more than two months to prepare for the Workshop, the students will be well drilled -- making this a potential highlight of the performances.
'Fanfare'
Jerome Robbins' 'Fanfare' has been mounted several times for SAB Workshops -- the last time in 2008 when it was also performed by SAB students at the New York State [aka Koch] Theater as part of that Spring's Robbins Celebration.
It is set to Benjamin Britten's 'A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' which uses musical themes by Henry Purcell to introduce the listener to each section and instrument of the orchestra. Using Britten's musical cues, Robbins creates miniature dance caricatures of each instrument. When Britten reassembles all of the instruments into a masterful fugue Robbins brings back the entire cast for a grand finale. It is a work that allows the students to cut loose a bit -- especially the three men playing the percussion section.
Programming so many snippets and excerpts makes the Workshop performances seem like a provincial dance recital or an ABT gala program -- lacking the seriousness that they have often had in the past. Personally, I wish that the School would return to the tradition of staging three substantial pieces -- often including one commissioned work or a long overlooked work -- for the Workshops. Not too long ago, the SAB Workshops introduced us to Jerome Robbins' 'Two-and-Three-Part Inventions' and Christopher Wheeldon's 'Scenes de Ballet'. Or reintroduced us to 'lost' ballets like Balanchine's 'Gounod Symphony' and 'Danses Concertantes' that hadn't been danced by the Company in decades.
There is a decidedly male slant to this 2015 program -- it calls for 16 men and only 7 women (plus 32 children) in the first section and about equal numbers of men and women in 'Fanfare' (I believe 17 of each). This, despite the fact that there are between 2 and 3 female students for each male student in the intermediate and advanced divisions.
Whatever the Workshop program, it always introduces New York's ballet lovers to outstanding young dancers who often go on to significant careers on the stages of the city, the country and the world. Right now, I'm looking forward to seeing how the faculty will parcel out this year's excellent students between these diverse pieces.
The first section of the program will include:
Divertissement from Act II of 'Harlequinade', choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Riccardo Drigo.
Pas de deux from 'William Tell', choreographed by August Bournonville with music by Giacomo Rossini from his opera of that name.
Wedding pas de deux with variations and coda from 'Sleeping Beauty', choreographed by Peter Martins after Marius Petipa.
'Valse-Fantasie', choreographed by George Balanchine to music of Mikhail Glinka.
'Stars and Stripes', Third (Men's) Regiment, choreographed by George Balanchine to music of John Philip Sousa orchestrated by Hershy Kay.
After the intermission, the program will conclude with 'Fanfare', choreographed by Jerome Robbins to 'A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' by Benjamin Britten.
The first part of the program will provide a survey of various segments of the SAB student population as well as an opportunity for some faculty members to stage works they know from their performing careers.
'Harlequinade'
Programming the children's divertissement from 'Harlequinade' seems like a bit of a cop out, since it was just presented as part of the complete ballet during the final days of New York City Ballet Winter season. But, when you take a look at the Company's Spring season you realize that the Company's Children's Ballet Masters, Dena Abergel and Arch Higgins, both SAB faculty members, are simultaneously preparing youngsters to dance in Balanchine's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' during the week beginning June 2nd.
The 'Harlequinade' divertissement is one of Balanchine's most delightful suites of dances for children -- much of it fondly recalled from his own experiences dancing in Petipa's 'Les Millions d'Arlequin' during his student days at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. It is performed by 32 children costumed as commedia dell'arte characters.
 |
| Children's Divertissement from Act II of Balanchine's 'Harlequinade'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet. |
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155271230885529&fref=nf
'William Tell'
The pas de deux from 'William Tell' was choreographed by August Bournonville, the celebrated ballet master of the Royal Danish Ballet from 1830 to 1848. During that period he created more than 50 ballets -- perhaps a dozen survive in some form today. He also created the 'Bournonville' style of dancing which is known for its rapid footwork, lightness and natural epaulement.
Balanchine brought Stanley Williams from the Royal Danish Ballet to teach at The School of American Ballet in 1964. From then until his death in 1997 Williams was a legendary member of SAB's faculty, training and nurturing generations of dancers. Williams staged excerpts from Bournonville ballets for several of the early SAB Workshop performances.
In 1977 he assembled a selection of Bournonville excerpts into a work for New York City Ballet known as 'Bournonville Divertissements' -- which will be revived during the Company's 2015 Spring season. A few years later Williams staged Bournonville's pas de deux from the opera 'William Tell' for the 17-year-old Darci Kistler and Ib Andersen -- who joined the Company in 1980 as a principal after training and dancing with the Royal Danish Ballet. Here's a youtube clip of Kistler and Andersen dancing the 'William Tell' pas de deux:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbtWkpTKqKY
Kistler and Andersen make the Bournonville technique look simple, but is notoriously difficult and can be very hard on the body.
'Sleeping Beauty'
Peter Martins staged 'The Sleeping Beauty' for New York City Ballet in 1987 in honor of Lincoln Kirstein's 80th birthday. While it is based on the original 1890 choreography by Marius Petipa, Martins made many cuts to streamline the ballet and changed the choreography to better utilize the Company's well-known speed and energy. The entire second act wedding scene was staged as 'Aurora's Wedding' for the 2003 SAB Workshops with Ana Sophia Scheller and Tyler Angle dancing the wedding pas de deux. Here's an excerpt from the Company's website of Tyler dancing that pas des deux with Tiler Peck -- watch for the three spectacular one-handed fish-dives:
http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/s/the-sleeping-beauty.aspx
Darci Kistler danced Princess Aurora in the original 1987 staging with Ben Huys as Prince Desire. Jon Stafford also danced Prince Desire during his years with the Company.
'Valse-Fantasie'
'Valse-Fantasie' is a work for a principal couple and four corps women using Mikhail Glinka's 'Valse-Fantasie' for piano (1839) which he orchestrated in 1845 and again in 1856. Balanchine first used this music in 1953 in a ballet for a male dancer and three ballerinas -- Nicholas Magallanes with Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden and Tanaquil Le Clercq. In 1967 he used the same music as the second movement of a four movement work called 'Glinkiana' which used an assortment of other music by Glinka for other movements. Mimi Paul and John Clifford led the second movement.
 |
| Part of the cast from the 2010 SAB Workshop performances of Balanchine's 'Valse-Fantasie'. Photo by Paul Kolnik |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ZQdqqlRuM
It's light, frothy and entirely delightful.
'Stars and Stripes'
'Stars and Stripes' was created by Balanchine in 1958 and has been a beloved staple of the Balanchine repertory ever since. The Third Regiment is for a principal man and twelve corps men.
 |
| The men of the Third Regiment behind the two principals in the staging of the complete 'Star and Stripes' for the 2009 SAB Workshop performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik for SAB |
http://www.nycballet.com/ballets/s/stars-and-stripes.aspx
The white-gloved men dance against a dark background which accentuates any imperfection. With more than two months to prepare for the Workshop, the students will be well drilled -- making this a potential highlight of the performances.
'Fanfare'
Jerome Robbins' 'Fanfare' has been mounted several times for SAB Workshops -- the last time in 2008 when it was also performed by SAB students at the New York State [aka Koch] Theater as part of that Spring's Robbins Celebration.
 |
| The finale of Jerome Robbins' 'Fanfare' at the 2008 SAB Workshop performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik for SAB |
 |
| Gentlemen of the percussion section in the 2008 SAB Workshop performances of Robbins' 'Fanfare'. |
* * * * * * *
Programming so many snippets and excerpts makes the Workshop performances seem like a provincial dance recital or an ABT gala program -- lacking the seriousness that they have often had in the past. Personally, I wish that the School would return to the tradition of staging three substantial pieces -- often including one commissioned work or a long overlooked work -- for the Workshops. Not too long ago, the SAB Workshops introduced us to Jerome Robbins' 'Two-and-Three-Part Inventions' and Christopher Wheeldon's 'Scenes de Ballet'. Or reintroduced us to 'lost' ballets like Balanchine's 'Gounod Symphony' and 'Danses Concertantes' that hadn't been danced by the Company in decades.
There is a decidedly male slant to this 2015 program -- it calls for 16 men and only 7 women (plus 32 children) in the first section and about equal numbers of men and women in 'Fanfare' (I believe 17 of each). This, despite the fact that there are between 2 and 3 female students for each male student in the intermediate and advanced divisions.
Whatever the Workshop program, it always introduces New York's ballet lovers to outstanding young dancers who often go on to significant careers on the stages of the city, the country and the world. Right now, I'm looking forward to seeing how the faculty will parcel out this year's excellent students between these diverse pieces.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
'The Second [Rate] Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'
We saw 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' on Monday afternoon. The New York Times reported that in its first weekend, the movie attracted a large, mainly senior audience and Monday's crowd at the AMC Lincoln Square certainly confirmed that demographic. The movie is directed by John Madden from a screenplay by Ol Parker.
It stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy returning to their roles as British seniors who have settled into their waning years at The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a decrepit hotel in Jaipur, India owned and operated by Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel). Dame Judi's character (Evelyn Greenslade) becomes a buyer for a large fabric importer; Dame Maggie's character (Muriel Donnelly) has become the hotel's indispensable co-manager; Mr. Nighy's character (Douglas Ainsley) has become a tour guide (with the aid of a disarming local kid who feeds him information about the sites of Jaipur through an ear-piece because he is in the early stages of senility). Evelyn and Douglas are having a chaste dalliance, although he is still married to Jean Ainsley (Penelope Wilton) who moved back to England at the end of the first film and returns to Jaipur seeking a divorce and armed with the one truly amusing line in the script (you've heard it in the trailers).
The film is set in motion by Sonny's desire to expand into an additional run-down property in Jaipur for which he needs backing from a San Diego company that runs a world-wide chain of retirement homes. The head of the company tells Sonny and Muriel that he'll need to send an anonymous inspector to observe the operations of Sonny's current hotel before he can commit to finance the expansion. The potential expansion subplot introduces three new characters played by David Strathairn, Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig (from 'Episodes' on Showtime) to the already crowded cast.
The acting company is stellar, but the writing is stale and the plot is fragmented into snippets of inconclusive, often incoherent, only occasionally amusing scenes -- like so many loose pieces of an unsolved jigsaw puzzle that the filmmakers have scattered about, but never bothered to assemble into a coherent picture. The result is so confused that it leaves viewers feeling like they've slipped into senility during the course of the movie.
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| Banner for 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' |
The film is set in motion by Sonny's desire to expand into an additional run-down property in Jaipur for which he needs backing from a San Diego company that runs a world-wide chain of retirement homes. The head of the company tells Sonny and Muriel that he'll need to send an anonymous inspector to observe the operations of Sonny's current hotel before he can commit to finance the expansion. The potential expansion subplot introduces three new characters played by David Strathairn, Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig (from 'Episodes' on Showtime) to the already crowded cast.
The acting company is stellar, but the writing is stale and the plot is fragmented into snippets of inconclusive, often incoherent, only occasionally amusing scenes -- like so many loose pieces of an unsolved jigsaw puzzle that the filmmakers have scattered about, but never bothered to assemble into a coherent picture. The result is so confused that it leaves viewers feeling like they've slipped into senility during the course of the movie.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Thoughts about 'McFarland, USA'
Saturday afternoon we went to see the movie 'McFarland, USA' from Walt Disney Pictures. It is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson based on the true story of the cross country coach, Jim White. White is played by Kevin Costner. Maria Bello plays Jim's wife, Cynthia, and Morgan Saylor plays their 14-year-old daughter, Julie.
When the movie opens, White is a high school football coach in Boise, ID. His team is losing, he loses his temper in the locker room at half-time, accidentally assaults the team's captain, and gets fired. In the next scene, he's driving his family pulling a U-Haul trailer to the only job he can get -- assistant football coach and life sciences teacher at the high school in McFarland, CA.
McFarland is a small town in the heart of the Central Valley and the high school is right next to a state prison. Most of the students at the school are from Hispanic-American families who work in the fields surrounding the town. The family's first evening in McFarland they go to the only restaurant in town -- a taco joint.
White gets off on the wrong foot with the head football coach and is forced to give up the assistant coaching position. But, he's noticed that the Hispanic players are sturdy and fast -- it turns out because they work beside their parents in the fields before and after school and because their diets are high in carbohydrates -- they're naturally carbo-loading. White forces the principal to start a cross country running team by citing obscure state education rules and persuades one of the students from the football team to help recruit a 7-member cross country team.
The bulk of the movie is about how White coaches the team from initial defeat to ultimate victory -- with side visits to the Hispanic families of the runners; to a budding romance; to the Whites gradual acceptance by their Hispanic neighbors in McFarland; and to the struggles within the White family to adapt to both their economic and cultural circumstances.
"McFarland, USA' is a very satisfying movie -- not likely to win any prizes, but with all of the pleasures of 'underdog succeeds' movies. Both Kevin Costner and Maria Bello offer fine performances that convey the challenges of finding themselves in a difficult, strange environment. The rest of the mostly Hispanic cast are excellent at portraying their own challenges in confronting the strange world of long-distance running -- I would single out Carlos Pratt as Thomas, Hector Duran as Johnny, and Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny among the runners and Diana-Maria Riva as Senora Diaz the Hispanic earth mother and Martha Higareda as Lupe the loopy beautician (I couldn't resist) -- but the entire cast works well together portraying a Disneyfied version of a small, struggling Hispanic agricultural community.
The movie tip-toes around the edges of ethnic diversity and racial inequality and completely avoids hot button immigration issues. Instead it relies on the steadfast work ethic, Spanglish vocabulary -- White is variously called 'Blanco' and 'El Jefe' before he is called 'Coach' -- and quaint customs of its Hispanic characters to make positive, often amusing points about the McFarland community's embrace of the White family.
 |
| Poster for Walt Disney movie 'McFarland, USA' |
When the movie opens, White is a high school football coach in Boise, ID. His team is losing, he loses his temper in the locker room at half-time, accidentally assaults the team's captain, and gets fired. In the next scene, he's driving his family pulling a U-Haul trailer to the only job he can get -- assistant football coach and life sciences teacher at the high school in McFarland, CA.
McFarland is a small town in the heart of the Central Valley and the high school is right next to a state prison. Most of the students at the school are from Hispanic-American families who work in the fields surrounding the town. The family's first evening in McFarland they go to the only restaurant in town -- a taco joint.
White gets off on the wrong foot with the head football coach and is forced to give up the assistant coaching position. But, he's noticed that the Hispanic players are sturdy and fast -- it turns out because they work beside their parents in the fields before and after school and because their diets are high in carbohydrates -- they're naturally carbo-loading. White forces the principal to start a cross country running team by citing obscure state education rules and persuades one of the students from the football team to help recruit a 7-member cross country team.
The bulk of the movie is about how White coaches the team from initial defeat to ultimate victory -- with side visits to the Hispanic families of the runners; to a budding romance; to the Whites gradual acceptance by their Hispanic neighbors in McFarland; and to the struggles within the White family to adapt to both their economic and cultural circumstances.
"McFarland, USA' is a very satisfying movie -- not likely to win any prizes, but with all of the pleasures of 'underdog succeeds' movies. Both Kevin Costner and Maria Bello offer fine performances that convey the challenges of finding themselves in a difficult, strange environment. The rest of the mostly Hispanic cast are excellent at portraying their own challenges in confronting the strange world of long-distance running -- I would single out Carlos Pratt as Thomas, Hector Duran as Johnny, and Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny among the runners and Diana-Maria Riva as Senora Diaz the Hispanic earth mother and Martha Higareda as Lupe the loopy beautician (I couldn't resist) -- but the entire cast works well together portraying a Disneyfied version of a small, struggling Hispanic agricultural community.
The movie tip-toes around the edges of ethnic diversity and racial inequality and completely avoids hot button immigration issues. Instead it relies on the steadfast work ethic, Spanglish vocabulary -- White is variously called 'Blanco' and 'El Jefe' before he is called 'Coach' -- and quaint customs of its Hispanic characters to make positive, often amusing points about the McFarland community's embrace of the White family.
 |
| Banner for the movie, 'McFarland, USA' |
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Still More Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .
While searching the internet for some background information on Wendy Whelan, I found this wonderful clip recorded from a discussion between Wendy and Damian Woetzel that took place at 'Studio 5' at City Center on September 29, 2014 -- during the days leading up to Wendy's retirement from NYC Ballet.
 |
| Wendy Whelan enjoying a laugh with Damian Woetzel at 'Studio 5' at City Center. Photo by Christopher Duggan |
It's nearly 57 minutes long and includes Wendy dancing an excerpt from 'Bitter Earth' with Tyler Angle and the 'After the Rain' pas de deux with Craig Hall -- both choreographed on Wendy by Christopher Wheeldon:
http://www.nycitycenter.org/Home/Blog/October-2014/Whelan-Talks-Robbins
It's delightful and worth the time -- you'll wish you'd been there that evening.
Lincoln Center's Segal Award Goes to 3 from SAB
Claire Kretzschmar and Silas Farley (both members of the New York City Ballet corps de ballet and SAB alumni) and Alec Knight (an SAB advanced student) have been named 2015 recipients of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Awards, which will be celebrated at a Lincoln Center gala at Alice Tully Hall on March 2nd hosted by Audra McDonald. The awards are given each year to promising young artists nominated by Lincoln Center's constituent organizations -- Claire was nominated by NYC Ballet; Silas was nominated by the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library; and Alec was nominated by SAB. The late Mr. Segal was a former president of Lincoln Center who had a special interest in the careers of young performers.
Claire and Silas both received their early dance training in North Carolina before coming to the School of American Ballet and then going on to NYCB. Alec came to SAB from Australia and was one of four students featured in the 2014 Teen Vogue 'Strictly Ballet' videos which I wrote about here:
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7731047659115669466#editor/target=post;postID=632383314230361649;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname
Here's a link to the SAB Facebook announcement about the Segal awards:
https://www.facebook.com/SABNYC/photos/a.399587493869.183424.36603863869/10152709748228870/?type=1&theater
Congratulations to all of the honorees, but especially these three connected to SAB.
2/12/2015 Valentine's Day Open House at SAB
I attended the Valentine's Day Open House at the School of American Ballet. Unfortunately, I arrived around noon, just as the advanced women were finishing classes with Kay Mazzo, Suki Schorer, and Susan Pilarre.
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| Suki Schorer (kneeling center) with the C-1 Class at SAB's Valentine's Day Open House. Photo from the SAB Facebook page. |
Then I got a good seat in Studio 1 for the 12:30pm class. I should have read the schedule more carefully, because watching Darci Kistler's class with the D ladies would have been much more interesting than Andrei Kramarevsky's class with the Advanced Men. Mr. Kramarevsky is a beloved member of the faculty, but I always find his classes to be pretty chaotic and frustrating to watch.
The students either don't understand his instructions or they ignore them. For example, his sketchy instructions seem to suggest that the students should turn in one direction and then the other as part of a combination. What happens is that the students turn in their preferred direction -- continuing to perfect their natural turning direction rather than striving to improve their turns in their weaker, less natural direction.
Twyla Tharp once said at a NYC Ballet seminar that Peter Boal was the only dancer she knew who could naturally turn equally well in both directions. I'm sure that when Peter was a student at the School he practiced turning in both directions.
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| Three students from the Advanced Men's class costumed for SAB's Valentine's Day Open House. Photo from SAB Facebook page. |
More recently, I've watched as students in Andrew's Variation class perform the complete 'Swan Lake' variation. It's amazing to see the progress that they've made working with Andrew in just two weeks.
A Chat with Resident Choreographer Justin Peck
On February 9th we attended NYC Ballet's seminar -- a conversation between Justin Peck, the Company's Resident Choreographer, and Ellen Bar, the Company's Director of Media Projects. Of course, Justin has been the talk of the ballet world since the February 6th wide release of 'Ballet 422' -- the film about the creation of Justin's ballet, 'Paz de la Jolla' -- and the premiere on February 4th of 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' -- his newest ballet for the Company.
My post about 'Ballet 422' and 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' are here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2015/02/comments-on-ballet-422.html
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2015/02/nycb-2815-matinee-performance.html
About the making of 'Ballet 422', Justin said that the filming by Jody Lee Lipes (he's Ellen Bar's husband) was not intrusive during the creation of the ballet. He said that Mr. Lipes, who was the film's cameraman as well as its director, was always around with his camera during the two months that the rehearsals went on and that no special lighting or sound equipment was needed, so Justin and the cast just got used to it.
About his new Aaron Copland ballet, Justin said that he discarded the original scenario from the Agnes DeMille ballet, 'Rodeo', but tried to maintain the atmosphere. He was inspired by nature, specifically weather in creating the ballet.
The five men who dance the second 'episode' of the ballet -- Daniel Applebaum, Craig Hall, Allen Peiffer, Andrew Scordato, and Taylor Stanley -- were on hand to dance that section. Seeing it danced in practice clothes with piano accompaniment offers the opportunity to see the sheer brilliance of the choreography.
Justin obviously cares deeply about these men with whom he has danced for his entire NYCB career and whose unique abilities he has captured in this section of the ballet. Justin said that he used these five dancers to set other parts of the piece, because it's hard to get rehearsal time in the Company for 14 or 15 men all at one time.
Craig Hall joined the discussion following the 'Rodeo' excerpt and discussed his reactions to working on Justin's ballets, sharing a dressing room with Justin, and being part of the creative process for several different choreographers.
Despite all of his recent accomplishments, Justin comes across as a serious creator who is dedicated to the process of making ballets. At the age of 27 he is very self-confident, but modest about his enormous success over the last five years.
Friday, February 20, 2015
NYCB 2/8/15 Matinee Performance
SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 8, 3:00 PM
[Conductor: Sill]
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION: Mearns, *Lovette (replaces T. Peck), *Woodward, *Hyltin, Smith, T. Angle, Danchig-Waring, Garcia, Ramasar, Gordon [Solo Piano: Grant]
RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES/PECK (WORLD PREMIERE): *Mearns, *Ramasar, *Ulbricht, *Garcia, *Veyette Suozzi
MERCURIAL MANOEUVRES: T. Peck, J. Angle, *Segin, *Huxley, *Adams [Solo Piano: Moverman, Solo Trumpet: Mase]
*Debut in role on Tuesday, February 4th, NEW COMBINATIONS evening
The New Combinations program each Winter season at New York City Ballet is always built around new choreography -- in honor of George Balanchine's birthday on January 22nd. This year the program opened with Alexei Ratmansky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' -- which premiered during the Company's Fall 2014 season -- see my comments here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/10/new-york-city-ballet-thursday-october-9.html
With Wendy Whelan's retirement at the end of the Fall season her role is now danced by Sterling Hyltin. Since Tiler Peck was dancing the female lead in 'Mercurial Manoeuvres', her role in 'Pictures' was danced by Lauren Lovette on Sunday afternoon and Indiana Woodward danced the role originated by Abi Stafford. The rest of the cast remained unchanged from last October.
Sterling Hyltin has the regrettable task of taking on roles created or otherwise imprinted by Wendy Whelan. At the Sunday, February 1st, matinee she was completely successful in taking on The Novice in Robbins' 'The Cage' -- a role which Whelan owned for nearly two decades after learning it from Robbins himself. Here, undertaking Whelan's role as the woman in gold Hyltin had the right angular airiness in the pas de deux with Tyler Angle, but lacked gravitas for the 'Dances at a Gathering' moment near the end when the character bends down to touch the stage. In fact, I think that Ratmansky would be wise to rethink that moment -- without Wendy it seems even more cliched.
Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar continue to provide eloquent performances in their pas de deux, their solos and their participation in larger group passages. Lauren Lovette and Gonzalo Garcia looked great together in their duets and Lauren added her dark-eyed vivacity elsewhere. Though Indian Woodward is mostly seen as part of the ensemble in this work, it is nice to see her stepping out of the corps. She uses the opportunity here to demonstrate her unique musical qualities and hoydenish stage presence.
Although the use of Kandinsky-like design elements distinguishes 'Pictures', it continues to feel like Ratmansky's tribute to (or rip-off of) Robbins' 'Dances at a Gathering' -- a collection of short piano pieces (played eloquently by Cameron Grant) and a cast of ten deployed in a communal round of dances -- even more than his 'Russian Seasons' had (at least that ballet had a singer and hats). To me, much of Ratmansky's oeuvre for NYCB seems derivative of earlier and better repertory.
Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' uses the orchestral suite that Aaron Copeland created from his ballet music for Agnes DeMille's 'Rodeo' (1942). The suite is in four movements which Justin labels 'episodes'. Justin uses a cast of 16 -- a principal couple (Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar); three men (Daniel Ulbricht, Gonzalo Garcia, and Sean Suozzi -- replacing the injured Andrew Veyette); five men (Taylor Stanley, Craig Hall, Daniel Applebaum, Andrew Scordato, and Allen Peiffer); and six men (Messrs. Coll, Nelson, Prottas, Janzen, Walker, and Villarini-Velez) -- that's 1 woman and 15 men.
The costumes are by Reid Bartelme, Harriet Jung and Justin Peck. They give the entire cast a high school jock vibe.
The 'five men' are in costumes that resemble rugby uniforms -- dark brownish shorts, long sleeved matching shirts with a wide pale blue band across the chest and blue, brown and white striped knee-length leg warmers that look like rugby socks. In the two outer movements the rugby players mix with the other 10 men who wear long pants and T-shirts or tank tops in various shades of brown with the same wide chest band.
The second episode features just the 'rugby team' in a gorgeous adagio for five men that is the heart (and possibly the soul) of the ballet. Taylor Stanley with his taut line stands out in this group, while Craig Hall is the strong steady anchor and the entire team works together to create sculptural stage images that capture the viewer's eye and beautifully complement the laconic Copland music.
Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar have a generally contemplative duet in the third episode. Mearns is mostly in prom queen or head cheerleader mode, but she gives the lone woman a wonderful calm joy that plays well against Ramasar's out-going, hopeful jock.
In the two outer episodes, all of the men are in jock mode -- racing across the stage from the left wing in a long diagonal as the curtain opens, then cavorting in groupings of three, four or five. The three lead men could be gymnasts -- competing in leaps and pirouettes. Peck makes striking use of the athleticism of all 15 men. They seem to belong in the great American West -- where there is plenty of room for their expansive, space-filling exhuberance.
Here's a link to three brief clips from the ballet on the Company's website:
http://www.nycballet.com/Ballets/N/New-Copland-Peck.aspx
The sharp-eyed can pick out Justin Peck in the first clip -- dancing in place of Andrew Veyette as he did in some sections on opening night.
Peck has given the Company a wonderful new piece, filled with hope and vigor and the wistful innocence of youth. I would only change the coyly arch spelling of 'rodeo' in his title -- it's too clever for this very appealing work.
Christopher Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manoeuvers' was created in April, 2000, for the Diamond Project using Dmitri Shostakovitch's 'Piano Concerto #1'. The original cast included Miranda Weese and Jock Soto with Edwaard Liang. On Sunday it was lead by Tiler Peck and Jared Angle. Anthony Huxley, Kristen Segin and Sara Adams made debuts in their featured roles the previous Tuesday.
The opening is a coup d'theatre that never fails to impress -- the male soloist (Huxley) stands alone at the back of the stage in a red unitard against a red background flanked by dark translucent panels as the mysterious opening section of the concerto begins.
The shadowy figures of the twelve-member female corps appear behind these dark panels arrayed in two rows of three on each side. As the man moves forward the panels slowly begin to lift, revealing the women on either side of him. The means are so simple, but the effect is dazzling.
Anthony Huxley is an impressive dancer with his own arrow sharp technique, but he is quite different from Edward Liang -- who originated the role -- and from Daniel Ulbricht and Joaquin De Luz who have danced it more recently. Huxley makes it less overtly flamboyant and more elegantly articulate. Wheeldon's choreography has enough elasticity to embrace each of these dancers as individuals.
Tiler Peck and Jared Angle were wonderfully fluid as the central couple -- no mean feat given Wheeldon's penchant for difficult, off-center partnering. Kristen Segin and Sara Adams were perky as the two female soloists. Wheeldon marshalls the corps of 12 women and four men effectively in complex and interesting patterns. As with many Wheeldon ballets there are too many entrances and exits -- and an overall sense of busy-ness. But that haunting and brilliant opening sequence sticks in the mind. And the central pas de deux -- when it is executed with the confidence and finesse that Tiler and Jared brought to it -- can be a stunning display of partnering pyrotechnics.
The Shostacovitch Piano Concerto was beautifully played by the piano soloist, Alan Moverman, with brilliant trumpet solos by Raymond Mase. In fact, the music on Sunday afternoon was top notch under the direction of Andrews Sill and with the excellent Cameron Grant as piano soloist in 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.
This program proved a delightful celebration of Balanchine's 111th birthday and a reminder of the mission of NYC Ballet to continue to bring new chorography to the stage.
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION: Mearns, *Lovette (replaces T. Peck), *Woodward, *Hyltin, Smith, T. Angle, Danchig-Waring, Garcia, Ramasar, Gordon [Solo Piano: Grant]
RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES/PECK (WORLD PREMIERE): *Mearns, *Ramasar, *Ulbricht, *Garcia, *
MERCURIAL MANOEUVRES: T. Peck, J. Angle, *Segin, *Huxley, *Adams [Solo Piano: Moverman, Solo Trumpet: Mase]
*Debut in role on Tuesday, February 4th, NEW COMBINATIONS evening
The New Combinations program each Winter season at New York City Ballet is always built around new choreography -- in honor of George Balanchine's birthday on January 22nd. This year the program opened with Alexei Ratmansky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' -- which premiered during the Company's Fall 2014 season -- see my comments here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/10/new-york-city-ballet-thursday-october-9.html
With Wendy Whelan's retirement at the end of the Fall season her role is now danced by Sterling Hyltin. Since Tiler Peck was dancing the female lead in 'Mercurial Manoeuvres', her role in 'Pictures' was danced by Lauren Lovette on Sunday afternoon and Indiana Woodward danced the role originated by Abi Stafford. The rest of the cast remained unchanged from last October.
Sterling Hyltin has the regrettable task of taking on roles created or otherwise imprinted by Wendy Whelan. At the Sunday, February 1st, matinee she was completely successful in taking on The Novice in Robbins' 'The Cage' -- a role which Whelan owned for nearly two decades after learning it from Robbins himself. Here, undertaking Whelan's role as the woman in gold Hyltin had the right angular airiness in the pas de deux with Tyler Angle, but lacked gravitas for the 'Dances at a Gathering' moment near the end when the character bends down to touch the stage. In fact, I think that Ratmansky would be wise to rethink that moment -- without Wendy it seems even more cliched.
 |
| Amar Ramasar, Sterling Hyltin and Sara Mearns in Ratmansky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet. |
Although the use of Kandinsky-like design elements distinguishes 'Pictures', it continues to feel like Ratmansky's tribute to (or rip-off of) Robbins' 'Dances at a Gathering' -- a collection of short piano pieces (played eloquently by Cameron Grant) and a cast of ten deployed in a communal round of dances -- even more than his 'Russian Seasons' had (at least that ballet had a singer and hats). To me, much of Ratmansky's oeuvre for NYCB seems derivative of earlier and better repertory.
Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes' uses the orchestral suite that Aaron Copeland created from his ballet music for Agnes DeMille's 'Rodeo' (1942). The suite is in four movements which Justin labels 'episodes'. Justin uses a cast of 16 -- a principal couple (Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar); three men (Daniel Ulbricht, Gonzalo Garcia, and Sean Suozzi -- replacing the injured Andrew Veyette); five men (Taylor Stanley, Craig Hall, Daniel Applebaum, Andrew Scordato, and Allen Peiffer); and six men (Messrs. Coll, Nelson, Prottas, Janzen, Walker, and Villarini-Velez) -- that's 1 woman and 15 men.
 |
| Amar Ramasar lifts Sara Mearns above 12 of the men in Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Costume sketches by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung for Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes. |
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| Five men in the Second Episode of Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Movements'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar in Episode Three of Justin Peck's 'Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
In the two outer episodes, all of the men are in jock mode -- racing across the stage from the left wing in a long diagonal as the curtain opens, then cavorting in groupings of three, four or five. The three lead men could be gymnasts -- competing in leaps and pirouettes. Peck makes striking use of the athleticism of all 15 men. They seem to belong in the great American West -- where there is plenty of room for their expansive, space-filling exhuberance.
Here's a link to three brief clips from the ballet on the Company's website:
http://www.nycballet.com/Ballets/N/New-Copland-Peck.aspx
The sharp-eyed can pick out Justin Peck in the first clip -- dancing in place of Andrew Veyette as he did in some sections on opening night.
Peck has given the Company a wonderful new piece, filled with hope and vigor and the wistful innocence of youth. I would only change the coyly arch spelling of 'rodeo' in his title -- it's too clever for this very appealing work.
Christopher Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manoeuvers' was created in April, 2000, for the Diamond Project using Dmitri Shostakovitch's 'Piano Concerto #1'. The original cast included Miranda Weese and Jock Soto with Edwaard Liang. On Sunday it was lead by Tiler Peck and Jared Angle. Anthony Huxley, Kristen Segin and Sara Adams made debuts in their featured roles the previous Tuesday.
The opening is a coup d'theatre that never fails to impress -- the male soloist (Huxley) stands alone at the back of the stage in a red unitard against a red background flanked by dark translucent panels as the mysterious opening section of the concerto begins.
 |
| Joaquin De Luz as the 'man in red' in the opening of Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manoeuvers'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
Anthony Huxley is an impressive dancer with his own arrow sharp technique, but he is quite different from Edward Liang -- who originated the role -- and from Daniel Ulbricht and Joaquin De Luz who have danced it more recently. Huxley makes it less overtly flamboyant and more elegantly articulate. Wheeldon's choreography has enough elasticity to embrace each of these dancers as individuals.
.jpg) |
| Tiler Peck and Jared Angle in the pas de deux from Wheeldon's 'Mercurial Manouevres'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
The Shostacovitch Piano Concerto was beautifully played by the piano soloist, Alan Moverman, with brilliant trumpet solos by Raymond Mase. In fact, the music on Sunday afternoon was top notch under the direction of Andrews Sill and with the excellent Cameron Grant as piano soloist in 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.
This program proved a delightful celebration of Balanchine's 111th birthday and a reminder of the mission of NYC Ballet to continue to bring new chorography to the stage.
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