“Don Quixote”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 1, 2024
The beloved classic “Don Quixote” has not been seen in Toronto since 2011. At that time, it was the Petipa/Gorsky/Beriozoff version, which was fun but perhaps in need of a refresh. Prior to that, in 2007, the company performed the George Balanchine one act version, which is a different work entirely as it is centred more on the
“Law of Mosaics,” “This Bitter Earth,” “Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux,” “Love Letter (on shuffle)”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 23, 2024
In its second of two programs featuring works by contemporary choreographers, New York City Ballet dazzled and dazed, leaning heavily on the quality of its dancers to bring forward the more vibrant elements of the presented ballets’ expressive palettes, both physical and emotional. The best of the evening – the absolutely devastating
New York City Ballet
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 29, 2024
Though it is not quite as inevitable as “Nutcracker” at Christmas, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” often means summer for the New York City Ballet, and it returned this year for a week of magic. Its structure does have some issues—why is Titania off in her grotto dancing with a boy toy, what does that magic flower
New York City Ballet
"Dances at a Gathering", "Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 12, 2024
The double bill of Jerome Robbins’ “Dances at a Gathering” and Balanchine’s “Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet” was a glimpse back at an idealized European past, where elegant youths wore colorful chiffon while dancing to Chopin and, in an idealized Vienna, beautiful and mysterious women enticed stalwart men while luscious Gypsies cavorted on the green.
New York City Ballet
"Rubies", "Dig the Say", "Underneath, There is Light"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 2, 2024
New York City Ballet’s Spring gala had one Balanchine, two premieres, three brief speeches, and no intermission and clocked in at a very efficient one and a half hours. It opened with sparkling version of “Rubies”, in all its bright red glory, danced by the veterans Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley, with
New York City Ballet
"Bourrée Fantasque", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "Errante", "Symphony in C"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
April 24, 2024
The New York City Ballet opened it’s 75th Anniversary Spring season, subtitled “The Future”, with an all-Balanchine program of four ballets whose dates ranged from 1940’s (“Symphony in C”, 1947 and Bourrée Fantasque, 1949 ) to 1975 (“The Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “Errante”, the new name for “Tzigane”). The
"UtopiVerse", "islands", "Suite en Blanc"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 20, 2024
The National Ballet of Canada’s winter triple bill featured three exciting premieres: a world premiere, a North American premiere and a Canadian premiere. Two of the ballets, “UtopiVerse” and "islands”, were in a contemporary style. In contrast, Serge Lifar’s 1943 showpiece “Suite en Blanc” provided the tutus, pointe shoes and classical bravura that many expect from
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
March 6, 2024
Exactly five years after its last run, Christopher Wheeldon’s hugely successful and family friendly “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” was brought back to the Toronto stage, scheduled to coincide with March break. The strategy paid off as the run was completely sold out – something that does not generally happen unless the ballet starts with “Swan” and ends
essay
We tend to think that ballets create fantasy worlds far removed from the messiness of real life. However, it is impossible to consider Odesa and Solitude, the two Alexei Ratmansky works New York City Ballet has offered this winter season at Lincoln Center, without also thinking of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Alexei Navalny’s solitary confinement and recent death in a Siberian prison.
Ratmansky, who was born in St. Petersburg, is of
New York City Ballet
"The Four Temperaments", "Liebeslieder Walzer"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 16, 2024
This program, made up of two of Balanchine’s finest ballets, had several important debuts; the company’s lower ranks are full of fine and interesting dancers and it’s encouraging that so many are getting opportunities. These ballets, though, need not only fine dancers, but dancers with style, imagination, and depth, characteristics that usually
New York City Ballet
"Opus 19/The Dreamer", "Solitude", "Symphony in Three Movements"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 15, 2024
“Solitude”, the first ballet Alexei Ratmansky has choreographed since becoming New York City Ballet’s Artist in Residence, is dedicated “to the children of Ukraine, victims of the war”; Marina Harss, writing in the New York Times about the creation of the work, explained that the inspiration came from a photograph of a father
New York City Ballet
"Ballo della Regina", "In a Landscape", "Hallelujah Junction", "The Concert"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
February 9, 2024
This varied program began with Balanchine’s “Ballo della Regina”, a luscious soap bubble set to Verdi, continued with two more astringent ballets, a revival of Albert Evans’ “In a Landscape” to John Cage followed by Peter Martins’ high energy “Hallelujah Junction” to John Adams, and ended with Jerome Robbins’