Here's the program information for the School of American Ballet Workshop:
Saturday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 at 8:00 p.m.
Monday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. (benefit performance)
2007 Workshop Performances Program
TWINKLIANA
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Choreography by Sean Lavery
Staged by Sean Lavery with Katrina Killian
LES GENTILHOMMES
Music by George Frideric Handel
Choreography by Peter Martins
Staged by Russell Kaiser
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS
Music by Paul Hindemith
Choreography by George Balanchine
Staged by Suki Schorer
GOUNOD SYMPHONY
Music by Charles Gounod
Choreography by George Balanchine
Staged by Susan Pilarre
Full Version: SAB Workshop
Anyone know what "Twinkliana" is? Since the music is by Mozart, could it be his Variations on the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? Or am I completely off base?
Yes. I believe that's exactly what it is performed by students in the children's division at SAB.
Thanks, Abby. I love it when the children get their own choreography to perform at the workshop.
I look forward to seeing Gounod again. Susan Pilarre is a wonderful restager of Balanchine. I often wish she were called in to work on NYCB's stagings.
There is an old PBS documentary about the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet that has an excerpt from a ballet "Twilanka" set to Mozart's variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It featuresa tiny Vanessa Zahorian (with Zach Hench? I believe). Sean Lavery is originally from CPYB.... I wonder if the piece for SAB is related to the piece in the documentary. The choreographer is not noted in the documentary. Either way, the piece in the documentary is lovely!
Yes, it is Zach Hench in the documentary. I remember learning Sean Lavery's Twinkliana when I was a student at CPYB along time ago. Sean Lavery came when it was performed for one of our concerts and I was glad I got to meet him.
I too remember learning twinkliana at CPYB. It was a great little piece that shows off several dancers.
QUOTE (bbh @ Apr 19 2007, 04:00 PM) 
I too remember learning twinkliana at CPYB. It was a great little piece that shows off several dancers.
My DD will be dancing in Twinkliana at the SAB Workshop. There are 2 casts. The performance features 6 girls from the children's Division and 1 boy from intermediate men's class. Each girl does a short solo variation, the boy does a solo variation, then there is a Pas de Deux (my DD is dancing the Pas in addition to her solo),and an ensemble/finale. It is the same peice that CPYB performs. Mr Lavery and Katrina Killian are working with the children. It is a lovely peice.
Brice, thank you for explaining more about Twinkliana.
I found a clip from the New York Times (Jack Anderson) that has a bit about a production of that piece at Barnard 16 1/2 years ago.
"Sean Lavery, a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet who has become the assistant to the company's director, contributed a charming piece called ''Twinkliana.'' That title pays homage to George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet's founding choreographer, who created works called ''Ivesiana,'' ''Mozartiana'' and ''Glinkaiana.''
The title is appropriate for another reason. Mr. Lavery set his ballet to Mozart's ''Variations on 'Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman,' '' a tune best known in the English-speaking world as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'' May Sofge played the score on the piano, and Mr. Lavery's dancers did indeed twinkle.
The ballet opened with lively solos for Cecilia Stancell, Ede Thurrell, Jennifer Abramson, Annette Ezekiel, Margot Kong, Jennifer Miller and Dominic Antonucci, a guest dancer from the School of American Ballet. Next came a lyrical pas de deux for Ms. Stancell and Mr. Antonucci, and the finale brought the entire cast together."
I found a clip from the New York Times (Jack Anderson) that has a bit about a production of that piece at Barnard 16 1/2 years ago.
"Sean Lavery, a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet who has become the assistant to the company's director, contributed a charming piece called ''Twinkliana.'' That title pays homage to George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet's founding choreographer, who created works called ''Ivesiana,'' ''Mozartiana'' and ''Glinkaiana.''
The title is appropriate for another reason. Mr. Lavery set his ballet to Mozart's ''Variations on 'Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman,' '' a tune best known in the English-speaking world as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'' May Sofge played the score on the piano, and Mr. Lavery's dancers did indeed twinkle.
The ballet opened with lively solos for Cecilia Stancell, Ede Thurrell, Jennifer Abramson, Annette Ezekiel, Margot Kong, Jennifer Miller and Dominic Antonucci, a guest dancer from the School of American Ballet. Next came a lyrical pas de deux for Ms. Stancell and Mr. Antonucci, and the finale brought the entire cast together."
My sister participated in Barnard College's dance program around '88-'92. So, I actually saw the ballet when it was first performed. It was, not surprisingly, much better (IMHO) than anything else I saw. I remember it also because I had just started to attend NYCB performances and was excited to see Lavery participating in the program.
-amanda
-amanda
The annual workshop is now a month away and getting ever closer. However, besides knowing what ballets they're doing, I know next to nothing of what's going on. Does anybody know anything else or have seen any of the rehearsals. Are there any memorable students who are going to be in it? I was hoping to see Erica Pereira perform in it again after seeing her do Square Dance last year, but considering she got her apprenticeship half way through the year, I guess I'll have to look towards somebody else.
SAB has not, in the past, announced which dancers are dancing which roles prior to the event.
If the school breaks this custom and makes a public announcement, we will post it (although it will surely appear first on SAB.org). Until then, it is considered unofficial news, and using this board to announce it would violate BalletTalk policy.
Sorry.
If the school breaks this custom and makes a public announcement, we will post it (although it will surely appear first on SAB.org). Until then, it is considered unofficial news, and using this board to announce it would violate BalletTalk policy.
Sorry.
Having seen bits and peices of rehearsals of several of the peices for Workshop I can say that the level of talent at the school at this moment is astounding, and there are many dancers worth watching.
What is Les Gentilhommes like? I know SAB has done it in a workshop a few years back and the company has done it, but I don't know anything about it except that it's only boys and they all wear white. Has anybody seen it?
I vaguely recall that they wear grey, and word back then was that Peter wanted to do a "Serenade" for men. There were a lot of very strong young corps boys at that time, including Peter Boal, Jeff Edwards and Michael Byars (and maybe Afshin Mofid, but I'm not sure). I also recall that as very classical as it was, there were some strangely awkward steps in there, but overall it was impressive dancing.
According to the New York Times, an extract from "Romeo + Juliet" will be added to the SAB program:
That's nice - one reads of kids getting injured and missing their big chance but Bachman will have her turn in the role she helped create.
QUOTE
Spotlight Returns to Teenage Ballerina
Callie Bachman, a 16-year-old School of American Ballet student, was Peter Martins’s original choice for the role of Juliet in his new production of “Romeo and Juliet” for the New York City Ballet. But Ms. Bachman was injured halfway through the making of the ballet, and her fairy-tale leap into the spotlight was abruptly curtailed. Curious balletomanes will, however, soon have a chance to see Ms. Bachman in an extract from “Romeo and Juliet.” Mr. Martins, who is chairman of the faculty at the school, as well as ballet master in chief of City Ballet, has decided to add the ballet’s first-act pas de deux, danced by Ms. Bachman and a fellow student, Russell Janzen, to the program at the school’s annual workshop performances on June 2 and 4. Other works to be performed are Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments” and “Gounod Symphony,” Mr. Martins’s “Gentilhommes” and Sean Lavery’s “Twinkliana.” ROSLYN SULCAS
Callie Bachman, a 16-year-old School of American Ballet student, was Peter Martins’s original choice for the role of Juliet in his new production of “Romeo and Juliet” for the New York City Ballet. But Ms. Bachman was injured halfway through the making of the ballet, and her fairy-tale leap into the spotlight was abruptly curtailed. Curious balletomanes will, however, soon have a chance to see Ms. Bachman in an extract from “Romeo and Juliet.” Mr. Martins, who is chairman of the faculty at the school, as well as ballet master in chief of City Ballet, has decided to add the ballet’s first-act pas de deux, danced by Ms. Bachman and a fellow student, Russell Janzen, to the program at the school’s annual workshop performances on June 2 and 4. Other works to be performed are Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments” and “Gounod Symphony,” Mr. Martins’s “Gentilhommes” and Sean Lavery’s “Twinkliana.” ROSLYN SULCAS
That's nice - one reads of kids getting injured and missing their big chance but Bachman will have her turn in the role she helped create.
Forgive me for my ignorance, but since FTs is the only ballet out of the whole program I've seen (considering NYCB does every other season), I don't know much this Gounod Symphony. Can anyone elaborate on it?
You can find its description, history and a photo in NYCB's Repertory Index.
I saw the 1985 revival of this lovely, very charming work with the Martins choreography replacing the "lost" pas de deux. I have wondered how lost the original could truly be, when Violette Verdy (who was then NYCB's Teaching Associate) and Maria Tallchief, who both danced it, were available. What a shame.
Let us know what you think after you've seen it.
I saw the 1985 revival of this lovely, very charming work with the Martins choreography replacing the "lost" pas de deux. I have wondered how lost the original could truly be, when Violette Verdy (who was then NYCB's Teaching Associate) and Maria Tallchief, who both danced it, were available. What a shame.
Let us know what you think after you've seen it.
I thought Martins only made choreography for some corps parts that were missing. The pas de deux was lost?
According to NYCBallet.com, "The new production also featured a new pas de deux for the third movement by Peter Martins, replacing choreography from the original production that has been lost" (my italics).
I have a program from May 11 1985. The cast was Patricia McBride and Sean Lavery
and 30 corps members. The program notes only talk about Gounod and his Symphony.
and "This revival, dedicated to the memory of Edwin Denby, is made possible by a
generous grant from The Jerome Robbins Foundation....."
I remember a review stating that a pattern in the corps choreography drew snickers from
the audience as it resembled a giant asterisk * At least I know that reviewer was not
Edwin Denby. I remember it being light, frothy and very charming. I was disappointed
it was not revived for the Balanchine Centennial. So it's good to know it's still around.....
and 30 corps members. The program notes only talk about Gounod and his Symphony.
and "This revival, dedicated to the memory of Edwin Denby, is made possible by a
generous grant from The Jerome Robbins Foundation....."
I remember a review stating that a pattern in the corps choreography drew snickers from
the audience as it resembled a giant asterisk * At least I know that reviewer was not
Edwin Denby. I remember it being light, frothy and very charming. I was disappointed
it was not revived for the Balanchine Centennial. So it's good to know it's still around.....
QUOTE (Dale @ Apr 19 2007, 10:22 PM)
Brice, thank you for explaining more about Twinkliana.
I found a clip from the New York Times (Jack Anderson) that has a bit about a production of that piece at Barnard 16 1/2 years ago.
"Sean Lavery, a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet who has become the assistant to the company's director, contributed a charming piece called ''Twinkliana.'' That title pays homage to George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet's founding choreographer, who created works called ''Ivesiana,'' ''Mozartiana'' and ''Glinkaiana.''
I found a clip from the New York Times (Jack Anderson) that has a bit about a production of that piece at Barnard 16 1/2 years ago.
"Sean Lavery, a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet who has become the assistant to the company's director, contributed a charming piece called ''Twinkliana.'' That title pays homage to George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet's founding choreographer, who created works called ''Ivesiana,'' ''Mozartiana'' and ''Glinkaiana.''
I was on the Barnard dance faculty at that time and remember Sean being nervous about selecting music and choreographing and then coming up with delightful stuff. I don't know if what's being done by SAB is exactly the same or a rework, but what he did at Banard was truly charming.
Yes, it is indeed exactly the same.
Saturday matinee, June 2, 2007
Twinkliana, a dance for six young women and one young man, was the curtain-raiser. All the youngsters aquitted themselves well. There were seven variations, a PdD, and a finale for all seven. Next came Les Gentilhommes, I suppose meant to give nine young men a chance to shine. The problem is, there is no meat here, no choreography in which one could excel. A peculiar choice. The first part concluded with Mr. Martins's teen-muse, 16 year old Callie Bachman's chance to dance in the role she helped inspire, Juliet, from the Balcony Scene. Her partner was Wien-winner Russell Janzen, who may have some noble roles in his future. R + J's Balcony Scene is not really excerptable, one needs continuity with earlier scenes, since the PdD's choreography lacks true romantic sweep to indicate Love when not in context. (Unlike ABT's which can better alone, rather than sitting through the whole ballet.) Of course, we had the context of her return from injury, and of SAB's warmly human choice to give her this chance, and that was enough! And this mega-ticket hit will surely have many future performances..., so we can keep an alert eye on future casting.
The middle of the program was a dynamic performance of 4 Temperaments, one as easy to enjoy as the Big Company's. The three Themes were especially professional: Amanda Clark/Victor Rocha, Shelby Elsbree/Joseph Hernandez, Puanani Brown/Joshua Thew. Matthew Renko, who was Gents lead, had more substance to work with as Melancholic; while, next, Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck--both Wien winners--warmed our hearts with cheer. Then Samuel Greenberg, another refugee from Gents got the meaty challenge of Phlegmatic. By now, I was so involved in this splendid performance that I'd forgotten who was to dance Choleric. I wasn't aware of this younger sister, but when Raina Gilliland took command of that stage, there was no doubting the star authority of a true stage-filler. What glorious line, the confidence, the ease; how Balanchine!
The final Wien-winner, Sara Adams was partnered by Zachary Catazaro Clark in Gounod Symphony. While some of the early choreography for the couple did not scream Balanchine, there came a point where 10 couples, the women in (peachy) pink and men with yellow sleaves and print vests, enter rear stage left and form an anti-diagonal. Soon 10 more women, in (peachy) orange, enter from rear stage right, their diagonal creating an X. Balanchine having fun: men switch to corresponding other partners, new patterns grow, symmetries and asymmetries... When the master has such fun, I'd bet the dancers do, and I know I do too. The pace picks up and the leads dance exciting variations, you know why they're winners, and you want this ballet back in NYCB's rep!
The Wien-winner for distinguished service was Nokolaj Hubbe.
Twinkliana, a dance for six young women and one young man, was the curtain-raiser. All the youngsters aquitted themselves well. There were seven variations, a PdD, and a finale for all seven. Next came Les Gentilhommes, I suppose meant to give nine young men a chance to shine. The problem is, there is no meat here, no choreography in which one could excel. A peculiar choice. The first part concluded with Mr. Martins's teen-muse, 16 year old Callie Bachman's chance to dance in the role she helped inspire, Juliet, from the Balcony Scene. Her partner was Wien-winner Russell Janzen, who may have some noble roles in his future. R + J's Balcony Scene is not really excerptable, one needs continuity with earlier scenes, since the PdD's choreography lacks true romantic sweep to indicate Love when not in context. (Unlike ABT's which can better alone, rather than sitting through the whole ballet.) Of course, we had the context of her return from injury, and of SAB's warmly human choice to give her this chance, and that was enough! And this mega-ticket hit will surely have many future performances..., so we can keep an alert eye on future casting.
The middle of the program was a dynamic performance of 4 Temperaments, one as easy to enjoy as the Big Company's. The three Themes were especially professional: Amanda Clark/Victor Rocha, Shelby Elsbree/Joseph Hernandez, Puanani Brown/Joshua Thew. Matthew Renko, who was Gents lead, had more substance to work with as Melancholic; while, next, Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck--both Wien winners--warmed our hearts with cheer. Then Samuel Greenberg, another refugee from Gents got the meaty challenge of Phlegmatic. By now, I was so involved in this splendid performance that I'd forgotten who was to dance Choleric. I wasn't aware of this younger sister, but when Raina Gilliland took command of that stage, there was no doubting the star authority of a true stage-filler. What glorious line, the confidence, the ease; how Balanchine!
The final Wien-winner, Sara Adams was partnered by Zachary Catazaro Clark in Gounod Symphony. While some of the early choreography for the couple did not scream Balanchine, there came a point where 10 couples, the women in (peachy) pink and men with yellow sleaves and print vests, enter rear stage left and form an anti-diagonal. Soon 10 more women, in (peachy) orange, enter from rear stage right, their diagonal creating an X. Balanchine having fun: men switch to corresponding other partners, new patterns grow, symmetries and asymmetries... When the master has such fun, I'd bet the dancers do, and I know I do too. The pace picks up and the leads dance exciting variations, you know why they're winners, and you want this ballet back in NYCB's rep!
The Wien-winner for distinguished service was Nokolaj Hubbe.
QUOTE (drb @ Jun 2 2007, 07:22 PM)
but when Raina Gilliland took command of that stage, there was no doubting the star authority of a true stage-filler. What glorious line, the confidence, the ease; how Balanchine!
Wasn't she something else? What a spitfire! I thought this 4T better than the one I saw only a couple of months ago from the "pros."
And for the costumes alone (as well as much more, including excellent orchestral work in a great acoustic) it would be worth catching this Gounod Symphony.
When this year's program was announced, the presence of one Great Balanchine plus one Rare Balanchine convinced me to see a performance. Luckily, I chose the matinee, because I was so blown away 
by the high level of the 2007 vintage that I had to return in the evening.
Both performances of 4Ts (staged by Suki Schorer) were first-rate, and yes, better than is often seen at State Theater. None of the dancers in the afternoon cast -- including corps -- repeated their role in that ballet in the evening, except Matthew Renko, whose performances were richly detailed, no holds barred reponses to the music, as fulfilling and exciting performances as any I have seen of that role. He also provided the elegant focal point in Les Gentilhommes in the afternoon. Holly Darger's Choleric in the evening precociously and serenely took command.
Kristen Segin danced Sanguinic (with Cameron Dieck) in the afternoon, but really took flight leading Gounod (staged by Susan Pilarre) in the evening.
Both performances brought us, finally, the baby-faced Callie Bachman finally getting to perform the R&J balcony pas, uninhibited and feral, partnered with remarkable aplomb by tall and handsome Russell Janzen.
Some years, the workshop brings one or two special dancers to our attention. Some years are disappointing. This year was a treasure trove, and I expect to be seeing and reading about many of today's youngsters -- from the youngest Twinklianinos, who already demonstrate the discipline and polish required of professionals, all the way up -- as they move on to other stages.
Congratulations and best wishes -- and grateful thanks -- to each and every one.
by the high level of the 2007 vintage that I had to return in the evening. Both performances of 4Ts (staged by Suki Schorer) were first-rate, and yes, better than is often seen at State Theater. None of the dancers in the afternoon cast -- including corps -- repeated their role in that ballet in the evening, except Matthew Renko, whose performances were richly detailed, no holds barred reponses to the music, as fulfilling and exciting performances as any I have seen of that role. He also provided the elegant focal point in Les Gentilhommes in the afternoon. Holly Darger's Choleric in the evening precociously and serenely took command.
Kristen Segin danced Sanguinic (with Cameron Dieck) in the afternoon, but really took flight leading Gounod (staged by Susan Pilarre) in the evening.
Both performances brought us, finally, the baby-faced Callie Bachman finally getting to perform the R&J balcony pas, uninhibited and feral, partnered with remarkable aplomb by tall and handsome Russell Janzen.
Some years, the workshop brings one or two special dancers to our attention. Some years are disappointing. This year was a treasure trove, and I expect to be seeing and reading about many of today's youngsters -- from the youngest Twinklianinos, who already demonstrate the discipline and polish required of professionals, all the way up -- as they move on to other stages.
Congratulations and best wishes -- and grateful thanks -- to each and every one.
I was at the Saturday evening performance. The dancing by all -- from the tiniest to the graduates -- was at a very high level. We have much to look forward to from the male section in coming future years. In Twinkliana, both Joseph Gordon and Austin Bachman (in the Friday rehearsal) were extraordinary. We are talking top tier male dancing. For the immediate future, however, l think that Matthew Renko, who did Melanchonic in the Four T's, is definitely one of the best of this season. The girl who impressed me the most was Raina Gilliland (again in Friday's rehearsal) as the lead in Choleric. Terrific class.
QUOTE (bobbi @ Jun 3 2007, 07:13 AM)
.... The girl who impressed me the most was Raina Gilliland (again in Friday's rehearsal) as the lead in Choleric. Terrific class.
So far a number of us seem to have been impressed by Raina, 17, the younger sister of NYCB's Kaitlyn Gilliland. She is the daughter of former ABT dancer Lise Houlton, and has danced for her mother's company in Minnesota. Here are two photos of her with that company:
http://www.minnesotashubert.org/Enchantment/Bio/Raina.htm
http://www.mndance.org/about/news.html
(from New York City) I'm in more or less agreement with what's been said, having seen the dresss rehearsal and all three performances, but we've left Dale's question about Gounod a little up in the air, and I thought I'd explain here that that's where I think it's likely going to be for now, as the minuet third movement was entirely omitted this time around. For what it's worth, Croce wrote about the revival in 1985 that "Originally, the third movement was danced entirely by groups. Balanchine, after a season or two, inserted entrees for the principals, and these are the only parts of his choreography that have been lost. Peter Martins made new choreography that passes for authentic Balanchine. ..."
I'm reviewing for Pointe, but the one pleasure I wanted to add (haven't read the comments closely yet, so this is probably duplicative) was that I sat down without having read the program past the dancers' names. When 4Ts started, shortly into it I thought, "Hey, this setting is really good. Who did it?" I made a note to myself to check the program, but then Schorer came out for her bow. I'm not surprised; most settings I've seen by her have been like paintings restored by a master conservator. The whole thing glows.
QUOTE (Majinsky @ May 19 2007, 02:46 PM)
What is Les Gentilhommes like? I know SAB has done it in a workshop a few years back and the company has done it, but I don't know anything about it except that it's only boys and they all wear white. Has anybody seen it?
Les Gentilhommes is a beautiful ballet with 9 men. The male leads takes turns leading and following the corp members. After the introduction with the lead and the corp dancers, they break into groups of pas de trois with the lead male on stage for the majority of the time. The ballet runs about 20 minutes. I think it is very romantic and wonderful to see a ballet where men command the attention. It is a demanding ballet. The men are in white tights and romantic flowing blouses. The music is Handel Grossi Concerti Opus 6 # 9 and #2. I saw the dress rehearsal on Friday with cast A and the Saturday evening performance with cast B. I thought that both casts were wonderful, but Saturday night's cast was more on the music and the lead was wonderfully romantic. Today's NY Times gave the choreography an OK review. Sometimes Peter Martins seems like he is just trying to copy Ballenchine and misses the mark. With this ballet, the master would have been very proud.
I agree with the several people who said the SAB 4Ts was better than the company's. But I have a question, is the Mae Wein award actually the kiss of death?
I have been catching the award ceremony almost every year since its inception, when I was only eleven years old and the students seemed impossibly old and sophisticated. I was looking at this year’s copy of Allegro and there was a list of all the award recipients by year. It is NOT a list of dancers who have had dazzling careers like you would expect. It seems like most of the recipients leave the company early, don't rise through the ranks the way you'd expect, or hardly appear on stage. I know the typical career at NYCB is to stay in the corps forever and that's a pretty amazing career to have anyway; obviously not everyone can become a principal dancer. But still, most of City Ballet's dancers come from SAB and the Mae Wein award winners are presumably the cream of the crop, so you would expect that they would be the ones to achieve lofty heights.
OK, all of the recipients from 1987 to 1992 have left the company (Emily Coates to dance for White Oak Project, Robert Lyon maybe retired, Samantha Allen and San’gria Bello probably went to other companies as they were quite young when they left) except for Arch Higgins who virtually never dances anymore (is he injured?) and wonderful senior corps member Elizabeth Walker. That’s not so significant, those people are older and it’s not that surprising that they’ve left the company.
Then you have the recipients from 1993 to 1999. Of those, Jennie Somogyi and Benjamin Millepied have had very successful careers. Edward Liang, Aesha Ash, and Darius Crenshaw, all dancers of color, left the company. Also Aubrey Morgan, Kristina Fernandez, and Jessy Hendrickson. Carla Korbes left the company for PNB. The talented soloists Adam Hendrickson, Craig Hall, and Seth Orza all had their moments in the spotlight where they had lots of featured roles, and then they ceased to be favored and now dance rarely. It must be very nerve-wracking to become a soloist because it seems like you either soon become a principal dancer or you are virtually never onstage and your career grinds to a halt. Janie Taylor never dances anymore (is she injured?) Stephen Hanna was recently promoted to principal dancer but has been performing very little this season. I feel like this is the most “statistically significant” crop of Mae Wein awardees because the younger ones are still (perhaps) on the rise.
2000-2004: Jessica Flynn left the company. Ashlee Knapp, Georgina Pazcoguin, Allen Peiffer, Daniel Applebaum, William Yin-Lee, Vincent Paradiso, and Giovanni Villalobos have had completely undistinguished careers in the corps so far. (I don’t mean they don’t dance well, just they don’t do solos.) Our big success stories here are Ashley Bouder and Megan Fairchild!
About the rest of this crop, time will tell. I hope new principal Andrew Veyette will continue to dance a lot. Tyler Angle has been featured lately; I hope he won’t sink back into oblivion. Sara Mearns is soloist du jour. Soloists Ana Sophia Scheller and Tiler Peck may have already had their moments in the sun.
No one can take their eyes off Amar Ramasar when he dances. For a while he had many important roles, now he is another rarely-seen soloist. Glenn Keenan isn’t put forward anymore either. Kaitlyn Gilliland languishes in the corps but we’ve seen her do lovely things recently.
Of the eight recipients for 2005 and 2006, it looks like six of them did not join NYCB.
I know it’s a big company, they can’t all dance all the time, etc etc. But I don’t think it’s really about whether they “get promoted” but about whether they get to fulfill their early promise. I am left with an impression of young talent just bursting forward, being put on display for a while as a “young new sensation,” and then withering on the vine. Sorry to be so negative.
I have been catching the award ceremony almost every year since its inception, when I was only eleven years old and the students seemed impossibly old and sophisticated. I was looking at this year’s copy of Allegro and there was a list of all the award recipients by year. It is NOT a list of dancers who have had dazzling careers like you would expect. It seems like most of the recipients leave the company early, don't rise through the ranks the way you'd expect, or hardly appear on stage. I know the typical career at NYCB is to stay in the corps forever and that's a pretty amazing career to have anyway; obviously not everyone can become a principal dancer. But still, most of City Ballet's dancers come from SAB and the Mae Wein award winners are presumably the cream of the crop, so you would expect that they would be the ones to achieve lofty heights.
OK, all of the recipients from 1987 to 1992 have left the company (Emily Coates to dance for White Oak Project, Robert Lyon maybe retired, Samantha Allen and San’gria Bello probably went to other companies as they were quite young when they left) except for Arch Higgins who virtually never dances anymore (is he injured?) and wonderful senior corps member Elizabeth Walker. That’s not so significant, those people are older and it’s not that surprising that they’ve left the company.
Then you have the recipients from 1993 to 1999. Of those, Jennie Somogyi and Benjamin Millepied have had very successful careers. Edward Liang, Aesha Ash, and Darius Crenshaw, all dancers of color, left the company. Also Aubrey Morgan, Kristina Fernandez, and Jessy Hendrickson. Carla Korbes left the company for PNB. The talented soloists Adam Hendrickson, Craig Hall, and Seth Orza all had their moments in the spotlight where they had lots of featured roles, and then they ceased to be favored and now dance rarely. It must be very nerve-wracking to become a soloist because it seems like you either soon become a principal dancer or you are virtually never onstage and your career grinds to a halt. Janie Taylor never dances anymore (is she injured?) Stephen Hanna was recently promoted to principal dancer but has been performing very little this season. I feel like this is the most “statistically significant” crop of Mae Wein awardees because the younger ones are still (perhaps) on the rise.
2000-2004: Jessica Flynn left the company. Ashlee Knapp, Georgina Pazcoguin, Allen Peiffer, Daniel Applebaum, William Yin-Lee, Vincent Paradiso, and Giovanni Villalobos have had completely undistinguished careers in the corps so far. (I don’t mean they don’t dance well, just they don’t do solos.) Our big success stories here are Ashley Bouder and Megan Fairchild!
About the rest of this crop, time will tell. I hope new principal Andrew Veyette will continue to dance a lot. Tyler Angle has been featured lately; I hope he won’t sink back into oblivion. Sara Mearns is soloist du jour. Soloists Ana Sophia Scheller and Tiler Peck may have already had their moments in the sun.
No one can take their eyes off Amar Ramasar when he dances. For a while he had many important roles, now he is another rarely-seen soloist. Glenn Keenan isn’t put forward anymore either. Kaitlyn Gilliland languishes in the corps but we’ve seen her do lovely things recently.
Of the eight recipients for 2005 and 2006, it looks like six of them did not join NYCB.
I know it’s a big company, they can’t all dance all the time, etc etc. But I don’t think it’s really about whether they “get promoted” but about whether they get to fulfill their early promise. I am left with an impression of young talent just bursting forward, being put on display for a while as a “young new sensation,” and then withering on the vine. Sorry to be so negative.
QUOTE (ivanov @ Jun 7 2007, 09:13 AM)
It must be very nerve-wracking to become a soloist because it seems like you either soon become a principal dancer or you are virtually never onstage and your career grinds to a halt.
This has been the conundrum since the company became large, in the 70's. Some soloists, especially in Spring seasons where there are a lot of accumulated injuries, dance constantly, but for soloists who aren't on a quick trajectory to Principal, they live in soloist limbo, performing relatively rarely.
In smaller companies, like Pacific Northwest Ballet (46 dancers currently, I think), soloists tend to get at least one meaty role per program (staggione system), if they are healthy or not guesting, because there aren't enough dancers not to.
Hello, ivanov. Nice to see you delurk.
Basically as you probably know, the Wien award is not given by NYCB. It's given by SAB. There are plenty of students the school likes and the company is less interested in. In one or two cases recently I think the Wien was given to someone the school knew was not going to get into the company, almost as encouragement or to help them get a job elsewhere.
Basically as you probably know, the Wien award is not given by NYCB. It's given by SAB. There are plenty of students the school likes and the company is less interested in. In one or two cases recently I think the Wien was given to someone the school knew was not going to get into the company, almost as encouragement or to help them get a job elsewhere.
I'm just a member of the audience, but ivanov's characterizations strike me as overly negative. To say for example, that the ever more prominent Amar Ramasar is now just "another rarely-seen soloist," does not seem to me to comport with reality.
Amen, Farrell Fan! It should also be noted that many of the dancers Ivanov cites have had to deal with major injuries. Also, not everyone is destined to be a star, or even a soloist. Every major ballet company needs some steady, long-term corps dancers to keep things on an even keel. Many NYCB corps dancers are pursuing their education while doing what they love and earning a living dancing; some also pursue writing, painting, composing, modeling and other 'artistic' endeavors as their dance careers continue. And two have recently become mothers.
Also, the current 'stars' of NYCB got into the company before the Mae Wein award was first presented, and Jennie Somogyi and Benjamin Millipied have become stars in just the past few years. What I am trying to say is that the award doesn't equal instant success/ fame, and you have to give the dancers time and let them learn first. And I have no clue where you are coming from when you say some of those people hardly dance! I must see at least 5 or more of those people danicng every night, and if you are going to say they are hardly dancing... then who is dancing? People who haven't won the Mae Wein award??
QUOTE (Farrell Fan @ Jun 7 2007, 05:15 PM)
I'm just a member of the audience, but ivanov's characterizations strike me as overly negative. To say for example, that the ever more prominent Amar Ramasar is now just "another rarely-seen soloist," does not seem to me to comport with reality.
Yes, just saw him in Dances at a Gathering, where he was quite prominent, and I've caught him in numerous other ballets besides. Of the names mentioned, Craig Hall was just promoted to soloist, Gina Pazcoguin is a head-turner even when seriously miscast (as the R+J Nurse), and Seth Orza and Allen Peiffer both danced the lead roles in Romeo and Juliet. But I agree that there are corps members who seem to have been around for a long time and rarely if ever get opportunities to shine. I look at the roster and see names, read bios of people I'm barely aware of - Sophie Flack, Dara Johnson, Christian Tworzyanski (well, he's easy to spot 'cause he's the big blond guy, but he's had only limited solo opportunities). One wonders what happens to young people like these, whether they are content to avoid the limelight, or they become disillusioned and disappointed as others shoot past them.
Pardon me for interrupting this very indulging conversation about Wein Winners and current soloist, but considering the topic is about the SAB workshop, I'd like to report my views on the performances.
I attended both the Sat and Mon night performances, and I have to say the talent shown in both were astounding. I know every year people talk about great dancers that are seen, but I can honestly that this year was the first time in a very long while that I've seen such abundance of phenomanal dancers who must be destined to live tip-top careers.
The program started off with Twinkliana, a ballet choreographed by Sean Lavery, which features 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Both casts were simply charming and energetic and so extremely talented for how young the are, espeically the boys. Joe Gordon (Sat) and Austin Bachman (Mon) displayed very clean and mature dancing in there variations.
The program continued with Peter Martin's Les Gentilhommes. Personally, having seen this ballet's premiere way back in 1987 and its continuous changes since then, I have to say I'm proud how this new generation of young male dancers came up to the taste to pull off this rather difficult ballet with grace and ease as the original cast did. The lead Sat night was Javier Ubell who, despite his short stature, danced quite big with his incredible bounding leaps. I find him a little reminiscent of Gen Horiuchi, the originator of the role. On Mon night, the ballet was led by Matthew Renko, another immensely talented dancer. Though his dancing did not have as much attack as Ubell's, his whole performance was coated with a calm, proud presence; a savoir faire that is needed for this ballet.
Immediately following was another Martins piece; the balcony scene from his recent Romeo + Juliet production, which was both times danced by Callie Bachman and Russell Janzen. What a thrill it was to finally see her dance the ballet she was destined to do. Ever since I saw her on the Pointe magazine cover, her looks alone captivated me and I knew I must see her do Juliet. Though her injuries kept her from doing the full length production, she couldn't be stopped from performing this role at some point. Both nights on Juilliard Theater stage, she went full out for the intense 10 min pas de deux, both her and her partner giving as much passion and acting one could give within those short minutes, being very impressive considering there wasn't a storyline to build up from.
After the intermission was Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, one of his best and most popular ballets. The casting for this was flawless. Each dancer gave a great interpretation of their role and expressed their feeling of their dances to the audience. All the Themes did their part beautifully; no exceptions. Now, over the years, every once in a while there will be a dancer who does the same part for all the shows (such as Benjamin Millepied did La Source in 1995). It could be because there weren't any other dancers up for the part or simply because the dancer is so good they have "earned" it. Which ever reason it is, Matthew Renko is a rare one, and for good reason. Having done Melancholic Sat night, he really stuck out in my mind; he made me awestruck. So imagine my delight Mon night when I got the chance to seem him repeat another fabulous performance. He was so expressive without being overdramatic (which could be the case sometimes), longing for something but not needing it. And dare I mention his backbending! I thought he would snap in two. Incredible! Having seen NYCB do this production multiple times, I've never been fond of any of the Melancholic dancers besides Peter Boal (who was the best for the role); I feel that they might find a replacement. Sanguinic was danced by Jacqueline Damico and Russell Janzen on Sat night, giving a slightly rough but all together good performance. Mon night was lead with Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck, giving a splendid performance. Having already seen Segin dance Sat in Gounod Symphony, I was beside myself to see her do yet another demanding role, coming through with full colors. (Both Holly Dorger and Raina Gilliland where exceptionally skillful and demanding Cholerics in their own ways.
Last on the program was Gounod Symphony, a ballet that I've only seen a couple of times. A gorgeous piece with a large corps, this ballet is very demanding for its principles who dance nearly the whole time throught out the three movements. Some might find this ballet boring, but I found it drawing me in. The corps genuinely looked like they were having fun, making one pattern after another. And one can not help but stare at the marvel that is the central pas de deux, which does nothing but display grace, beauty, and technique for the ballerina. Mon night principles were Sara Adams and Zachary Clark, both very appealing dancers and did a lovely job. However, I was more intrigued by the Sat night cast, being Kristen Segin and Joshua Thew. Unfortunately I cannot report much on Thew, not because I was unhappy with his dancing, but because Segin held my attention the whole time. Her dancing is demanding but not harsh; she has the dancing of a dainty female dancer but with the energy of a male. Overall, her dancing is incredibly precocious. Dare I compare her to a younger Janie Taylor, who did the exact same role for her workshop in 1998. I am hoping to see her dance again in the future.
The Mae L. Wein winners (Sara Adams, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, and Kristen Segin) all had wonderful performances, but I bet my money on some other kids who might (and hopefully) get an apprenticeship with NYCB. I have to say they few I pick in this great display of talent has to Russell Janzen, Callie Bachman, Matthew Renko, and Kristen Segin. They all displayed a great presence and technique and maturity in their dancing that are rare to come across (so Peter, PLEASE, sign them up now!)
As I've said, a wonderful job this year and I wish all the youngsters the best of futures.
I attended both the Sat and Mon night performances, and I have to say the talent shown in both were astounding. I know every year people talk about great dancers that are seen, but I can honestly that this year was the first time in a very long while that I've seen such abundance of phenomanal dancers who must be destined to live tip-top careers.
The program started off with Twinkliana, a ballet choreographed by Sean Lavery, which features 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Both casts were simply charming and energetic and so extremely talented for how young the are, espeically the boys. Joe Gordon (Sat) and Austin Bachman (Mon) displayed very clean and mature dancing in there variations.
The program continued with Peter Martin's Les Gentilhommes. Personally, having seen this ballet's premiere way back in 1987 and its continuous changes since then, I have to say I'm proud how this new generation of young male dancers came up to the taste to pull off this rather difficult ballet with grace and ease as the original cast did. The lead Sat night was Javier Ubell who, despite his short stature, danced quite big with his incredible bounding leaps. I find him a little reminiscent of Gen Horiuchi, the originator of the role. On Mon night, the ballet was led by Matthew Renko, another immensely talented dancer. Though his dancing did not have as much attack as Ubell's, his whole performance was coated with a calm, proud presence; a savoir faire that is needed for this ballet.
Immediately following was another Martins piece; the balcony scene from his recent Romeo + Juliet production, which was both times danced by Callie Bachman and Russell Janzen. What a thrill it was to finally see her dance the ballet she was destined to do. Ever since I saw her on the Pointe magazine cover, her looks alone captivated me and I knew I must see her do Juliet. Though her injuries kept her from doing the full length production, she couldn't be stopped from performing this role at some point. Both nights on Juilliard Theater stage, she went full out for the intense 10 min pas de deux, both her and her partner giving as much passion and acting one could give within those short minutes, being very impressive considering there wasn't a storyline to build up from.
After the intermission was Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, one of his best and most popular ballets. The casting for this was flawless. Each dancer gave a great interpretation of their role and expressed their feeling of their dances to the audience. All the Themes did their part beautifully; no exceptions. Now, over the years, every once in a while there will be a dancer who does the same part for all the shows (such as Benjamin Millepied did La Source in 1995). It could be because there weren't any other dancers up for the part or simply because the dancer is so good they have "earned" it. Which ever reason it is, Matthew Renko is a rare one, and for good reason. Having done Melancholic Sat night, he really stuck out in my mind; he made me awestruck. So imagine my delight Mon night when I got the chance to seem him repeat another fabulous performance. He was so expressive without being overdramatic (which could be the case sometimes), longing for something but not needing it. And dare I mention his backbending! I thought he would snap in two. Incredible! Having seen NYCB do this production multiple times, I've never been fond of any of the Melancholic dancers besides Peter Boal (who was the best for the role); I feel that they might find a replacement. Sanguinic was danced by Jacqueline Damico and Russell Janzen on Sat night, giving a slightly rough but all together good performance. Mon night was lead with Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck, giving a splendid performance. Having already seen Segin dance Sat in Gounod Symphony, I was beside myself to see her do yet another demanding role, coming through with full colors. (Both Holly Dorger and Raina Gilliland where exceptionally skillful and demanding Cholerics in their own ways.
Last on the program was Gounod Symphony, a ballet that I've only seen a couple of times. A gorgeous piece with a large corps, this ballet is very demanding for its principles who dance nearly the whole time throught out the three movements. Some might find this ballet boring, but I found it drawing me in. The corps genuinely looked like they were having fun, making one pattern after another. And one can not help but stare at the marvel that is the central pas de deux, which does nothing but display grace, beauty, and technique for the ballerina. Mon night principles were Sara Adams and Zachary Clark, both very appealing dancers and did a lovely job. However, I was more intrigued by the Sat night cast, being Kristen Segin and Joshua Thew. Unfortunately I cannot report much on Thew, not because I was unhappy with his dancing, but because Segin held my attention the whole time. Her dancing is demanding but not harsh; she has the dancing of a dainty female dancer but with the energy of a male. Overall, her dancing is incredibly precocious. Dare I compare her to a younger Janie Taylor, who did the exact same role for her workshop in 1998. I am hoping to see her dance again in the future.
The Mae L. Wein winners (Sara Adams, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, and Kristen Segin) all had wonderful performances, but I bet my money on some other kids who might (and hopefully) get an apprenticeship with NYCB. I have to say they few I pick in this great display of talent has to Russell Janzen, Callie Bachman, Matthew Renko, and Kristen Segin. They all displayed a great presence and technique and maturity in their dancing that are rare to come across (so Peter, PLEASE, sign them up now!)
As I've said, a wonderful job this year and I wish all the youngsters the best of futures.
QUOTE (Welsely @ Jun 8 2007, 04:11 PM)
Pardon me for interrupting this very indulging conversation about Wein Winners and current soloist, but considering the topic is about the SAB workshop, I'd like to report my views on the performances.
I attended both the Sat and Mon night performances, and I have to say the talent shown in both were astounding. I know every year people talk about great dancers that are seen, but I can honestly that this year was the first time in a very long while that I've seen such abundance of phenomanal dancers who must be destined to live tip-top careers.
The program started off with Twinkliana, a ballet choreographed by Sean Lavery, which features 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Both casts were simply charming and energetic and so extremely talented for how young the are, espeically the boys. Joe Gordon (Sat) and Austin Bachman (Mon) displayed very clean and mature dancing in there variations.
The program continued with Peter Martin's Les Gentilhommes. Personally, having seen this ballet's premiere way back in 1987 and its continuous changes since then, I have to say I'm proud how this new generation of young male dancers came up to the taste to pull off this rather difficult ballet with grace and ease as the original cast did. The lead Sat night was Javier Ubell who, despite his short stature, danced quite big with his incredible bounding leaps. I find him a little reminiscent of Gen Horiuchi, the originator of the role. On Mon night, the ballet was led by Matthew Renko, another immensely talented dancer. Though his dancing did not have as much attack as Ubell's, his whole performance was coated with a calm, proud presence; a savoir faire that is needed for this ballet.
Immediately following was another Martins piece; the balcony scene from his recent Romeo + Juliet production, which was both times danced by Callie Bachman and Russell Janzen. What a thrill it was to finally see her dance the ballet she was destined to do. Ever since I saw her on the Pointe magazine cover, her looks alone captivated me and I knew I must see her do Juliet. Though her injuries kept her from doing the full length production, she couldn't be stopped from performing this role at some point. Both nights on Juilliard Theater stage, she went full out for the intense 10 min pas de deux, both her and her partner giving as much passion and acting one could give within those short minutes, being very impressive considering there wasn't a storyline to build up from.
After the intermission was Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, one of his best and most popular ballets. The casting for this was flawless. Each dancer gave a great interpretation of their role and expressed their feeling of their dances to the audience. All the Themes did their part beautifully; no exceptions. Now, over the years, every once in a while there will be a dancer who does the same part for all the shows (such as Benjamin Millepied did La Source in 1995). It could be because there weren't any other dancers up for the part or simply because the dancer is so good they have "earned" it. Which ever reason it is, Matthew Renko is a rare one, and for good reason. Having done Melancholic Sat night, he really stuck out in my mind; he made me awestruck. So imagine my delight Mon night when I got the chance to seem him repeat another fabulous performance. He was so expressive without being overdramatic (which could be the case sometimes), longing for something but not needing it. And dare I mention his backbending! I thought he would snap in two. Incredible! Having seen NYCB do this production multiple times, I've never been fond of any of the Melancholic dancers besides Peter Boal (who was the best for the role); I feel that they might find a replacement. Sanguinic was danced by Jacqueline Damico and Russell Janzen on Sat night, giving a slightly rough but all together good performance. Mon night was lead with Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck, giving a splendid performance. Having already seen Segin dance Sat in Gounod Symphony, I was beside myself to see her do yet another demanding role, coming through with full colors. (Both Holly Dorger and Raina Gilliland where exceptionally skillful and demanding Cholerics in their own ways.
Last on the program was Gounod Symphony, a ballet that I've only seen a couple of times. A gorgeous piece with a large corps, this ballet is very demanding for its principles who dance nearly the whole time throught out the three movements. Some might find this ballet boring, but I found it drawing me in. The corps genuinely looked like they were having fun, making one pattern after another. And one can not help but stare at the marvel that is the central pas de deux, which does nothing but display grace, beauty, and technique for the ballerina. Mon night principles were Sara Adams and Zachary Clark, both very appealing dancers and did a lovely job. However, I was more intrigued by the Sat night cast, being Kristen Segin and Joshua Thew. Unfortunately I cannot report much on Thew, not because I was unhappy with his dancing, but because Segin held my attention the whole time. Her dancing is demanding but not harsh; she has the dancing of a dainty female dancer but with the energy of a male. Overall, her dancing is incredibly precocious. Dare I compare her to a younger Janie Taylor, who did the exact same role for her workshop in 1998. I am hoping to see her dance again in the future.
The Mae L. Wein winners (Sara Adams, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, and Kristen Segin) all had wonderful performances, but I bet my money on some other kids who might (and hopefully) get an apprenticeship with NYCB. I have to say they few I pick in this great display of talent has to Russell Janzen, Callie Bachman, Matthew Renko, and Kristen Segin. They all displayed a great presence and technique and maturity in their dancing that are rare to come across (so Peter, PLEASE, sign them up now!)
As I've said, a wonderful job this year and I wish all the youngsters the best of futures.
I attended both the Sat and Mon night performances, and I have to say the talent shown in both were astounding. I know every year people talk about great dancers that are seen, but I can honestly that this year was the first time in a very long while that I've seen such abundance of phenomanal dancers who must be destined to live tip-top careers.
The program started off with Twinkliana, a ballet choreographed by Sean Lavery, which features 7 children; 6 girls and 1 boy. Both casts were simply charming and energetic and so extremely talented for how young the are, espeically the boys. Joe Gordon (Sat) and Austin Bachman (Mon) displayed very clean and mature dancing in there variations.
The program continued with Peter Martin's Les Gentilhommes. Personally, having seen this ballet's premiere way back in 1987 and its continuous changes since then, I have to say I'm proud how this new generation of young male dancers came up to the taste to pull off this rather difficult ballet with grace and ease as the original cast did. The lead Sat night was Javier Ubell who, despite his short stature, danced quite big with his incredible bounding leaps. I find him a little reminiscent of Gen Horiuchi, the originator of the role. On Mon night, the ballet was led by Matthew Renko, another immensely talented dancer. Though his dancing did not have as much attack as Ubell's, his whole performance was coated with a calm, proud presence; a savoir faire that is needed for this ballet.
Immediately following was another Martins piece; the balcony scene from his recent Romeo + Juliet production, which was both times danced by Callie Bachman and Russell Janzen. What a thrill it was to finally see her dance the ballet she was destined to do. Ever since I saw her on the Pointe magazine cover, her looks alone captivated me and I knew I must see her do Juliet. Though her injuries kept her from doing the full length production, she couldn't be stopped from performing this role at some point. Both nights on Juilliard Theater stage, she went full out for the intense 10 min pas de deux, both her and her partner giving as much passion and acting one could give within those short minutes, being very impressive considering there wasn't a storyline to build up from.
After the intermission was Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, one of his best and most popular ballets. The casting for this was flawless. Each dancer gave a great interpretation of their role and expressed their feeling of their dances to the audience. All the Themes did their part beautifully; no exceptions. Now, over the years, every once in a while there will be a dancer who does the same part for all the shows (such as Benjamin Millepied did La Source in 1995). It could be because there weren't any other dancers up for the part or simply because the dancer is so good they have "earned" it. Which ever reason it is, Matthew Renko is a rare one, and for good reason. Having done Melancholic Sat night, he really stuck out in my mind; he made me awestruck. So imagine my delight Mon night when I got the chance to seem him repeat another fabulous performance. He was so expressive without being overdramatic (which could be the case sometimes), longing for something but not needing it. And dare I mention his backbending! I thought he would snap in two. Incredible! Having seen NYCB do this production multiple times, I've never been fond of any of the Melancholic dancers besides Peter Boal (who was the best for the role); I feel that they might find a replacement. Sanguinic was danced by Jacqueline Damico and Russell Janzen on Sat night, giving a slightly rough but all together good performance. Mon night was lead with Kristen Segin and Cameron Dieck, giving a splendid performance. Having already seen Segin dance Sat in Gounod Symphony, I was beside myself to see her do yet another demanding role, coming through with full colors. (Both Holly Dorger and Raina Gilliland where exceptionally skillful and demanding Cholerics in their own ways.
Last on the program was Gounod Symphony, a ballet that I've only seen a couple of times. A gorgeous piece with a large corps, this ballet is very demanding for its principles who dance nearly the whole time throught out the three movements. Some might find this ballet boring, but I found it drawing me in. The corps genuinely looked like they were having fun, making one pattern after another. And one can not help but stare at the marvel that is the central pas de deux, which does nothing but display grace, beauty, and technique for the ballerina. Mon night principles were Sara Adams and Zachary Clark, both very appealing dancers and did a lovely job. However, I was more intrigued by the Sat night cast, being Kristen Segin and Joshua Thew. Unfortunately I cannot report much on Thew, not because I was unhappy with his dancing, but because Segin held my attention the whole time. Her dancing is demanding but not harsh; she has the dancing of a dainty female dancer but with the energy of a male. Overall, her dancing is incredibly precocious. Dare I compare her to a younger Janie Taylor, who did the exact same role for her workshop in 1998. I am hoping to see her dance again in the future.
The Mae L. Wein winners (Sara Adams, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, and Kristen Segin) all had wonderful performances, but I bet my money on some other kids who might (and hopefully) get an apprenticeship with NYCB. I have to say they few I pick in this great display of talent has to Russell Janzen, Callie Bachman, Matthew Renko, and Kristen Segin. They all displayed a great presence and technique and maturity in their dancing that are rare to come across (so Peter, PLEASE, sign them up now!)
As I've said, a wonderful job this year and I wish all the youngsters the best of futures.
Welsley,
Those were very kind words for the kids of the SAB workshop. I know that the Saturday night cast worked very hard, as hard as the Saturday afternoon/Monday night casts and they weren't reviewed until now. So thank you. I have seen Javier dance before and he reminds me of a young Angel Corella (ABT) or Joaquin De Luz (NYCB). Both are short of stature for male dancers but when they are on the stage they take it over and dance very large.
Having seen the final dress rehearsal and all three SAB Workshop performances, I'd like to recap my impressions.
First, they were excellent, if a tad too long. At the last minute, Peter Martins decided to throw in the balcony scene from his new “Romeo+Juliet” which made the first section run an hour– a long sit for us older folks.
The youngsters (ages 11 to 14) were delightful in Sean Lavery’s “Twinkliana” to Mozart’s variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” – 6 girls and 1 boy and two (mostly) different casts. The one holdover I detected, Isabella DeVivo, was delightful in the 6th variation in all performances and the pas de deux with Austin Bachman on Saturday afternoon and Monday evening. Perhaps Isabella has the most distinctive gargouillades both right and left required for this variation. The only thing that I found a little creepy about “Twinkle” was the pas de deux (they’re just too young).
This was followed by Martins’ “Les Gentilhommes”, a work to Handel music for 9 boys. Although very well danced by both casts, it is quite long (and sometimes boring) with a spot about 2/3’s of the way through where he should have stopped (like Jerome Robbins, Martins doesn’t know how to edit).
Then came the “Romeo+Juliet” with 16-year-old Callie Bachman as Juliet. She was supposedly Martins’ muse whom he created the role on, but she injured her knee in March and was forced out of the premier in early May. She seemed rather blank to me, wonderful line and technique, but not much sense of abandon to young love. Her partner, Russell Janzen, is a tall, handsome, ardent Romeo. I continue to find Peter Martins' choreography rather repetitive and predictable (although this scene is the best thing in the new production). At least at SAB we were spared the creepy and cheap looking set from the new production.
BTW, Callie’s younger brother, Austin Bachman, 13, was the male lead in the first cast of “Twinkliana” and is exceptionally talented.
Suki Shorer's staging of Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments” strikes me as definitive and faithful to Mr. B, and yet she left the students with the freedom to offer their own interpretive choices -- Cameron Dieck was the partner of Kristen Segin in Sanguinic at the matinee and then switched to Phlegmatic in the evening. The differences between his Phlegmatic and Richard Greenberg's in the afternoon were significant -- Cameron's more sensual and Richard's more architectural, but both were valid within the framework that Suki (and Mr. B.) provided for them. And while Cameron at the matinee and Russell Jansen in the evening were both wonderful partners in Sanguinic they didn't seem to be offering the same degree of support to their respective ballerinas, Kristen Segin and Sara Adams. Also, in the three couples stating the Theme there was quite a bit of switching around and substitution between matinee and evening which made those sections look different, but valid, at each performance. Matt Renko as Melancholic was the only constant between performances, and there his matinee performance seemed less mannered. I was distracted by his facial expressions in the evening where he seemed to be acting rather than letting the choreography create the "melancholy temperament". Not having Peter Boal to coach that section was probably a liability for Suki, since Peter was such an outstanding interpreter of that role. Raina Gilliland was exciting and emphatic as Choleric in the first cast (she’s the younger sister of NYCB’s Kaitlyn).
In Balanchine’s “Gounod Symphony”, staged by Susie Pilarre, the corps of 12 girls and 6 boys was exceptional and the first cast leads, Sara Adams and Zach Clark, were pretty great. The second cast leads, Kristen Segin and Josh Thew, were not as good and looked pretty tired before it was over. It’s a beautiful work with some incredibly complex choreography for the corps – in the final movement, the corps is aligned in 5 parallel rows of 6 dancers each (boys at the ends with 4 girls in the middle). They go through a series of parallel Balanchine ‘daisy chains’ that are just astounding to watch. The corps had obviously been drilled for months and they were perfection – especially the second cast corps which was anchored by Cameron Dieck (the tallest man) and Francisco Estevez (the shortest) who helped keep the lines straight and the movements precise and musical.
The Saturday matinee casts danced at Monday night’s gala performance, making them the 'preferred' cast, but with the possible exceptions of Zach Clark in 'Gounod' and Taina Gilliland as 'Choleric' in 4T's, we found both casts equally competent and interesting. It's a great dilemma for the stagers to have such talent in depth that they can confidently field alternate casts of such strength -- not just technical ability and stamina, but musicality, maturity and individuality.
As to Mr. McCauley’s comment in the NY Times that this might not be remembered as a vintage year for SAB, I found this vintage to have a robust, distinctly masculine flair that will do just fine in the future.
First, they were excellent, if a tad too long. At the last minute, Peter Martins decided to throw in the balcony scene from his new “Romeo+Juliet” which made the first section run an hour– a long sit for us older folks.
The youngsters (ages 11 to 14) were delightful in Sean Lavery’s “Twinkliana” to Mozart’s variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” – 6 girls and 1 boy and two (mostly) different casts. The one holdover I detected, Isabella DeVivo, was delightful in the 6th variation in all performances and the pas de deux with Austin Bachman on Saturday afternoon and Monday evening. Perhaps Isabella has the most distinctive gargouillades both right and left required for this variation. The only thing that I found a little creepy about “Twinkle” was the pas de deux (they’re just too young).
This was followed by Martins’ “Les Gentilhommes”, a work to Handel music for 9 boys. Although very well danced by both casts, it is quite long (and sometimes boring) with a spot about 2/3’s of the way through where he should have stopped (like Jerome Robbins, Martins doesn’t know how to edit).
Then came the “Romeo+Juliet” with 16-year-old Callie Bachman as Juliet. She was supposedly Martins’ muse whom he created the role on, but she injured her knee in March and was forced out of the premier in early May. She seemed rather blank to me, wonderful line and technique, but not much sense of abandon to young love. Her partner, Russell Janzen, is a tall, handsome, ardent Romeo. I continue to find Peter Martins' choreography rather repetitive and predictable (although this scene is the best thing in the new production). At least at SAB we were spared the creepy and cheap looking set from the new production.
BTW, Callie’s younger brother, Austin Bachman, 13, was the male lead in the first cast of “Twinkliana” and is exceptionally talented.
Suki Shorer's staging of Balanchine’s “Four Temperaments” strikes me as definitive and faithful to Mr. B, and yet she left the students with the freedom to offer their own interpretive choices -- Cameron Dieck was the partner of Kristen Segin in Sanguinic at the matinee and then switched to Phlegmatic in the evening. The differences between his Phlegmatic and Richard Greenberg's in the afternoon were significant -- Cameron's more sensual and Richard's more architectural, but both were valid within the framework that Suki (and Mr. B.) provided for them. And while Cameron at the matinee and Russell Jansen in the evening were both wonderful partners in Sanguinic they didn't seem to be offering the same degree of support to their respective ballerinas, Kristen Segin and Sara Adams. Also, in the three couples stating the Theme there was quite a bit of switching around and substitution between matinee and evening which made those sections look different, but valid, at each performance. Matt Renko as Melancholic was the only constant between performances, and there his matinee performance seemed less mannered. I was distracted by his facial expressions in the evening where he seemed to be acting rather than letting the choreography create the "melancholy temperament". Not having Peter Boal to coach that section was probably a liability for Suki, since Peter was such an outstanding interpreter of that role. Raina Gilliland was exciting and emphatic as Choleric in the first cast (she’s the younger sister of NYCB’s Kaitlyn).
In Balanchine’s “Gounod Symphony”, staged by Susie Pilarre, the corps of 12 girls and 6 boys was exceptional and the first cast leads, Sara Adams and Zach Clark, were pretty great. The second cast leads, Kristen Segin and Josh Thew, were not as good and looked pretty tired before it was over. It’s a beautiful work with some incredibly complex choreography for the corps – in the final movement, the corps is aligned in 5 parallel rows of 6 dancers each (boys at the ends with 4 girls in the middle). They go through a series of parallel Balanchine ‘daisy chains’ that are just astounding to watch. The corps had obviously been drilled for months and they were perfection – especially the second cast corps which was anchored by Cameron Dieck (the tallest man) and Francisco Estevez (the shortest) who helped keep the lines straight and the movements precise and musical.
The Saturday matinee casts danced at Monday night’s gala performance, making them the 'preferred' cast, but with the possible exceptions of Zach Clark in 'Gounod' and Taina Gilliland as 'Choleric' in 4T's, we found both casts equally competent and interesting. It's a great dilemma for the stagers to have such talent in depth that they can confidently field alternate casts of such strength -- not just technical ability and stamina, but musicality, maturity and individuality.
As to Mr. McCauley’s comment in the NY Times that this might not be remembered as a vintage year for SAB, I found this vintage to have a robust, distinctly masculine flair that will do just fine in the future.
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