Saratoga casting is available now (Ringer is back! Mearns in Mozartiana!):

http://www.nycballet.com/casting/casting.html

Wow, I'd love to see Mearns in Mozartiana. I wish they had Suzanne to coach her.

We just made our first visit to SPAC at Saratoga Springs with The New York City Ballet Guild Tour, and we had a special time.SPAC is a great space (except for skeeters which attacked my wife and Faith)in which to see ballet and every dance was magical.
The dancers were spectacular and to see "La Somnabula" up close in that venue was chilling

We love NYCB at SPAC.
Jim and Pat

Glad you enjoyed Saratoga, Jim.

I notice Week 3's casting is now up. You can use the same link. Interesting debuts for Op. 19 -- Janie Taylor and Robbie Fairchild.

I'd love to hear more about the NYCB Guild weekend in Saratoga.

I'm going this weekend (for three performances). It's a fairly easy drive from NYC (3 hours).
Looking forward to it. Saratoga Springs is a lovely place to visit too.

Like most of you wonderful and knowledgable Ballet Talk ballet lovers, my wife Pat and I are not monied, and are Fourth Ringers. Except for the Occasional locally mounted "Nutcracker," we saw no ballet until 1989 when Pat suggested we two see a "Swan Lake" at NYCB. In it were Darci and Igor, and we swooned, I more so than Pat, and became as she would say a "ballet nut," a collector of signed pointe shoes and signed photos of ballerinas.

Because I have a blessed four-day work week, I go in every Thursday during both seasons and see maybe two Nuts.
I still don't know all the moves as do Alexandra and Cabro and drb and Leigh and all the other great observers, but I know this: I love ballet.

We have attended the SAB Workshop and many SAB Open Houses for the past ten years. We spotted Katie Morgan in 2005.
We give $$ to SAB and the NYCB Guild-modestly.

My wife and I live on Long Island. I have a fear of highway driving; my wife can elatedly drive at 80 mph in Montana and have a blast, but she fears the Cross Bronx Expressway and I-95 and I-87 and any highway she does not know.
I HAD to see NYCB this year, and so I was about to book Amtrak, when a letter came from Dana C of the NYCB Guild about a 7/11(my wife's birthday)-7/13 Saratoga trip for 550.00 per person. With other expenses, the entire trip cost us $1200.00

We left at 10:30 a.m with a tote bag, all the water we wanted and an incredibly magnificent gourmet lunch; we made great time, and after a 30 minute break, we arrived at the Saratoga Hilton at 2:00, received our room keys from Dana who had arrived via Amtrak, settled in, and at 5:00 the 73 of us set off with our magnificent drivers, Eddie and John, for the Hall of the Springs for cocktails and a magnificent bufffet dinner.

Friday July 11 gave us: Prodigal Son, Afternoon of a Faun, Rivers of Light and Glass Pieces (the only time we saw our beloved Katie Morgan dance).
EXCELLENT.

We boarded our bus and we were in bed before 11:00 p.m. On Saturday, July 12, we went to SPAC and from 9:30 to 11:00 Margueriet Mehler , Production Stage Manager talked about what she and her crew had been doing since the Opening on July 8. This is a woman of 35? who has her three children, 7,5,3, with her in Saratoga and she and her crew unloaded seven tractor trailers day and night for five days to get ready. Next, the Dance Museum which is about two minutes from SPAC.

We all had free time (Pat and I wished we were at the matinee since her beloved Wendy was dancing Mozartian which she loves.) So we ate a burger and since Pat was feeling lightheaded I sent her for a 3 hour nap in a/c while I explored Congress Park and the Historical Museum and scoped out a breakfast spot.

Before Pat napped, we went to Gallery 100 to see Paul Kolnik's NYCB photos, and met him--a very genial and nice man.
after showers, we set off again to Hall of the Springs for great appetizers, and very high echelon wines.
Each night, after the first intermission, we were able to eat and drink in the Patron's Tent.

Saturday gave us:Le Tombeau de Couperin, Four Bagatelles, La Somnabula and I'm Old Fashioned. Jeni Ringer danced the Coquette and Darci danced the Sleepwalker. Ending with Old Fashioned was exhilirating, and we all danced to our bus.

Sunday the 13th many of us went to Saint Peter's for church via cab, either ate in or did takehome(my wife was feeling lightheaded from Friday evening , (and still is, and is going to the doctor tomorrow) so I went to Compton's on Broaday (a five minute walk) where two coffees, a large orange juice, two eggs with bacon and toast and sausages and home fries and a tuna sandwich and a turkey sandwich cost me $22.00(no typo although I type with two fingers).

We left at 10:30, stopped for 30 minutes, were at NYCB Stage Door at 3:25, and via subway Pat and I made the 4:06 to Ronkonkoma and were in our condo at 6:15, in bed by 9:00 in both exhaustion and glee.

PLEASE go to SPAC to see the dancers you love in summer.

to bed.

Jim and Pat

Thanks for your response, Jim and Pat. It was great fun for me to read, and reminded me of my wife's and my first trip to Saratoga thirty years ago this month. That was the year Baryshnikov joined NYCB and his first appearances with the company were at SPAC. There was great excitement among the Guild weekenders, and also in the town as a whole. The talk among the locals was of "that Russian" who was such a phenomenal dancer -- Patty MacBride's new partner. Usually in those days, the group stayed at the Holiday Inn, but that year some of the overflow was booked into other motels. Alice and I were at the Downtowner. We asked there about where to eat and were told, "Mother Goldsmith's for dinner; Lou's for lunch." Lou's, now Compton's, happily survives, but Mother's is long gone. My memories of it have scarcely faded however. The first thing I remember seeing there was Peter Martins and Heather Watts in a booth, having a very spirited discussion. In fact, if I hadn't known that everything is beautiful at the ballet, I could have sworn they were having a fight.

Alice and I continued going on the Guild weekend for fourteen years in a row, until my wife finally put her foot down and decided we'd HAD Saratoga Springs. Alice passed away in 1995. and in recent years I returned to Saratoga on my own and stayed at the Adelphi, which used to be a place where NYCB dancers and fans gathered after performances. The elevator there is one of Mr. Otis's original models. Now that my bones have grown creakier than the Adelphi's floors, I thought the resumption of the Guild's weekend trip was tailor-made for me. But as the time drew near, I had second thoughts and decided to stay home.

Except for Pat's lightheadness, it sounds like you had a good time. Hope she gets a clean bill of health from the doctor. Thanks again.

Dear Farrell Fan: I am updating you in a public forum since my brain is taxed with Patricia's continuing lightheadedness; she went to the doctor yesterday who gave her antivert which zonked her, but she is still of balance as I write.
We await blood results for lupus, anemia, thyroid.

She is a tough and good woamn.

I am sorry about your Alice, and I do wish you could have creaked on board the bus.

I'm: mattimj@optonline.net.


What's next:

The Gala and the Nut.

JIM and Pat

With gratitude

Thank you, Jim, for your wonderful report. I identify: one of the terrors of living on Long Island was having to drive through our around NYC to get away. The Cross-Bronx, boxed in by huge trucks, huge SUVs, and buses.

The NYCB Guild alternative sounds like a great alternative to trying to do it on your own. It's truly wonderful that there were 73 participants. Has anyone else done this?

I'm in Saratoga for the weekend seeing our dancers perform. It's a quick 2 hr. 45 minute drive up here from the city.
I'm staying at the Saratoga Arms which is pricey but worth it (I am typing this on my terrace looking out on the main street) for a treat.

Despite the heat and humidity here (same weather at home) our dancers almost had me convinced that we were in the coolness (so welcome!) of
the NYS Theatre.

Program:
1)Divermento From "Le Baiser De La Fee"
2) Moves
3) Four Seasons

Standouts by ballet:
1) Faye Arthurs and Alina Dronova in the demi roles. Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz did a fine job.
2) Everyone was great (check the casting list) but Adrian Dancig-Waring (a favorite of mine), Sean Suozzi, and Amar Ramasar were all excellent.
Rebecca Krohn and Jared Angle did their usual stellar work in this ballet. A special shoutout to the unannounced Gretchen Smith, in for Rachel
Rutherford.
3) Sara Means and Philip Neal were terrific in "Spring"; Tyler Angle (fantastic!) and Rebecca Krohn (subbing for Rachel) were nicely, well, summery
in "Summer" and Sterling Hyltin, Adam Henrickson, Antonio Carmena were fun in "Winter" (although the audience didn't seem to get the jokes"). And then there was Ashley Bouder, Benjamin Millepied (100% again) and Daniel Ulbricht. People went nuts -- rock star icon nuts (it was too much, to be honest
but if it turns people onto ballet..) -- for Danny. That said, Ashley owns "Fall" (at least for me) and Benjamin was also excellent.

I haven't been up here for years, and it's a tough venue (in a lot of ways) - ballet in the sunlight (at least for the first hour), lots of bugs (and a bat on stage last night. The dancer didn't even blink or take any notice, of course, audience not as enthusiastic as we're used to.
Still, so far so good!

Thanks, DeborahB. I like all your posts about NYCB. Keep it up and keep enjoying!

Times change. For years, one reason I loved Saratoga was that the audience was usually more enthusiastic than that at the State Theater.

Now here was a magical moment that could only happen at SPAC. Most of you know "The Concert," (it's a crowd pleaser, and this afternoon's audience was, in general, more enthusiastic than last night's ). During the part in the ballet when the dancers come on stage with umbrellas, and then put them up because it feels like rain (and they put their hand out to test for rain), it actually started raining -- pouring!! -- here in Saratoga Springs (the theatre is covered but the sides are open). Brilliant!
It was perfect timing. We all laughed and cheered, and I swear that I thought I saw a few smiles on the dancer's faces too (even though that part of the ballet is more serious).

Tonight is the gala performance which I'll report on when I'm back home (tomorrow). I'll try to elaborate on this afternoon's then too.

Here are some photos from the Albany paper.NYCB Photos

Trying again. If this doesn't work, go to www.timesunion.com, choose Photos on the front page to be directed to the galleries.

http://www.timesunion.com/AutoGallery/NYCB...otoList=1131141

It worked. Thanks, audreydoll.

I know this isn't exactly the right place to post this, but the thread seems the most active. Has anyone noticed that Stephen Hanna is not listed in the "dancers" section of the NYCB website? Not in the alphabetical or ranked lists. I know he wasn't scheduled to dance again in Saratoga, but.....??? Sorry, if I'm just missing something here.

It's wonderful to see lots of backstage and rehearsal shots. Thanks, audreydoll.

Mr. Hanna is listed in the cast of Billy Elliot. It is scheduled to open on Broadway November 17, with previews beginning September 17:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=29983

(if you click on his name in the article, he is id'd as being from NYCB)

Bart: Yes.

Patricia and I drive to the Ronkonkoma Long Island Railroad Station in about twenty minutes, board our train with our sandwiches and drinks and chat and read newspapers and magazines and books.

We take the 1/9 to Lincoln Center and arrive for NYCB fed and relaxed.

For several years a friend and I went to the Metropolitan on a Friday subscription via car.

(My friend LOVES to drive.)

Parking back ten years ago was $25.00+ tip.

Then he had to drive us home at 11:00 p.m. or later.

Not for the two of us thank you.

Many of you are savvy travellers, but lest someone not know this: Amtrak goes to Saratoga Springs.

I don't know where the station is, but the town is so small that a cab ride to your hotel should be about $12.00 or so I would guess.

Next year I /we would like to go on Thursday, see the evening ballet on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the matinee on Saturday.

As I write, I am ballet-deprived (I'll pass on Pilobus at $44.00 at the Joyce.), watching Suzanne dance on YouTube

JIM

Thank you for the link. (I do remember hearing something about this now.)

The past weekend in Saratoga has been reviewed (links on this site) so I'll keep my comments brief.
The highlight of the weekend, without a doubt, was seeing Rita Moreno at the Gala on Sat. night (she was the honorary chairperson).
Ms. Moreno not only looks decades younger (truly) than she is, but she told a very charming story about her auditions (she had to
audition for acting, singing and dancing separately ) for West Side Story.
The other Gala standout was Opus 19/The Dreamer, danced to perfection by Wendy Whelan and Gonzalo Garcia.