CriticalDance Forum

New York City Ballet announces Balanchine centennial celebration
By VERENA DOBNIK for Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) The centennial of the late choreographer George Balanchine's birth will be celebrated with a New York City Ballet program uniting the Russian, European and American influences on the man who revolutionized 20th century dance, the company announced Friday.

The company that Balanchine co-founded will take ``Balanchine 100: The Centennial Celebration'' on a world tour, starting in St. Petersburg, Russia his birthplace on July 30.

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<small>[ 05 December 2003, 12:20 AM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Thanks for posting that, Kate. I copied it into the Press Releases forum:

I find this centennial programming very disappointing. It's a half-hearted attempt on the part of Peter Martins who seems to feel compelled to put on a celebration but would rather not given the choice. Why can't they just put on an all-Balanchine season like in 1993, and just omit for this particular season any ballets by Martins and other choreographers?! And if they include Swan Lake, why not have Balanchine's one-act version which is much superior to Martins' boring full-length version?

<small>[ 30 June 2003, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]</small>

Well, I think that's one of those tough calls by an AD, especially one who has such a strong legacy to uphold and maintain. There is a lot of noise from some quarters, predominantly Balanchine buffs who are not dancers, that the Balanchine legacy is being compromised.

However, if you recall, one of Balanchine's main tenets is that new dance must be choreographed on even the best dancers to keep them challenged, fresh and motivated. Balanchine himself invited Robbins and others to create new works on the company to give the dancers something different to do. In fact, I know that other companies constantly create new works to keep their dancers alive and appreciative of their legacy.

In this sense, I think Martins is keeping within that spirit in addition to maintaining NYCB as a heritage or museum company. I think it would be difficult for the dancers to have a season of only Balanchine works with nothing relatively new to look forward to.

<small>[ 30 June 2003, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

But many Balanchine ballets have been out of the repertory for a long time anyway e.g. "Harlequinade", "Union Jack", and will be new to most of the present crop of dancers in NYCB. I am sure that dancing these masterpieces will be as much of a challenge to them as dancing a new ballet created in 2003/4.

Also the Balanchine repertory is the main foundation of NCYB and is presumably why the dancers want to the company in the first place. If they are so eager to dance new works by other choreographers, why can't they join instead the Hamburg Ballet or the Stuttgart Ballet e.g.? Just like John Neumeier is the foundation of the Hamburg Ballet, and one Hamburg dancer told me that she applied to join the company because she wants to dance his unique style of choreography.

<small>[ 30 June 2003, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]</small>

Sorry for being unclear. When I referred to new works, I meant having choreographers create works specifically for the dancers and involving them in the creation process, to keep them "alive" and interested, which I understand Balanchine considered to be very important.

In this discussion, I think we're scratching the surface of the type of typical problems that a heritage company faces, much like the issues confronting the Limon Company, in which there has been a split within as to whether to focus on being a "museum" or to allow innovation.

With NYCB, even among those who were disciples of Balanchine, there have been some disagreements between those on whom the ballets were created and those who danced the later versions with modifications by Balanchine himself. It's quite interesting seeing two former Balanchine dancers debate which is the definitive version of such-and-such a ballet...

So I suppose the most ideal Balanchine season would be one in which all of the original ballets be performed instead of the modified versions? Or do we allow some innovation and have the company perform the later versions? Or do we celebrate Balanchine's genius in running a company by also including all the works he commissioned from outside choreographers, like Robbins? And do we embrace his spirit by encouraging new balletmakers as he had done?

There is much to appreciate in Balanchine. In my untrained opinion, choreography is only one of his many geniuses to be celebrated.

<small>[ 30 June 2003, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

I just read Robert Gottlieb's review this week in the New York Observer, and in his final paragraph he wrote that NYCB should be the Balanchine museum.

http://www.observer.com/pages/dance.asp

<small>[ 02 July 2003, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]</small>

I can't enter into the vast majority of the arguments about the merits or otherwise of Martins' management of NYCB, due to my lack of exposure to the Company.

However, I find it very difficult to believe that Balanchine, a great artist, would have wanted the Company he created to be a static museum. Such a notion is the antithesis of the theatrical tradition that was his life. Let's not forget the ground-breaking work that he created. As Arnold Haskell writes, Balanchine was hissed off the stage in the Mariinsky for his revolutionary "Enigma" and he staged a series of recitals under the title, "The Young Ballet. Evolution from Petipa-Fokine to Balanchavadze".

Further, without works being created on them, dancers will not achieve their full artistic potential.

Thus the balance of the new NYCB season looks fair to me. We have a MacMillan celebration this year at the RB, but without doing the sums, I suspect that the percentage of MacMillan is lower than for the Balanchine Centenary.

I support the view that the Balanchine rep lies at the heart of NYCB. Further, I can understand the argument that Martins should change the tradition from the Balanchine era, I believe, that they don't use coaches from outside the Company. However, if they only perform Balanchine and Robbins then one of the greatest ballet companies in the world would be diminished as a major artistic centre in my view.

Here's an apposite statement from the UK's Royal Shakespeare Company website:



<small>[ 02 July 2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

BALANCHINE'S CENTENNIAL IS A CELEBRATION
By CLIVE BARNES for The NY Post


July 4, 2003 -- PETER Martins, director of New York City Ballet, outlined his company's plans for a year-long celebration of the centenary of the birth of George Balanchine. He then had tots of vodka passed around to toast the company's founder.

Balanchine, who was born in St. Petersburg on Jan. 22, 1904, came to the United States at the invitation of Lincoln Kirstein, and started the School of American Ballet in 1934 and laid down the first foundations for City Ballet the same year.

He died, more than 200 ballets later, on April 30, 1983, having overseen the growth of his company into the greatest creative force in world dance.

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Hi!
Some NYCB news...

Congratulations to former apprentices Allen Peiffer, Georgina Pazcoguin and Stephanie Zungre, who all received their corps contracts recently. The company is now 90 strong, plus 6 or 7 apprentices.

Also, farewell and good luck to Eva Natanya who has departed. I will post more information about her future plans when they are confirmed.

Cheers
Kate

Casting for the gala and first week of "The Nutcracker" have been released. Interesting tidbits include Joaquin DeLuz's NYCB NYS Theater debut as Tea and Adrian Danchig-Waring taking on the role of "Mother Ginger". And what a treat to see Albert Evans cast in "Symphony in C"!!

Several names are missing including Woetzel & Marcovici, but often dancers are off guesting during the Nutcracker season.

Casting
Program and Casting Subject to Change
*First time in role
+Guest Artist
# SAB Student

OPENING NIGHT GALA
Tuesday, November 25, 2003, at 7:00pm

Serenade
NICHOLS, BORREE, KOWROSKI, NEAL, FAYETTE

Intermission

Bugaku
KISTLER, SOTO

Intermission

Symphony in C
1st Mov.: SOMOGYI, TEWSLEY
2nd Mov.: WHELAN, ASKEGARD
3rd Mov.: TAYLOR, MILLEPIED
4th Mov.: van KIPNIS, EVANS

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™
November 28 - November 30, 2003
FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 28, 8:00 PM [Quinn]
Sugarplum: KOWROSKI
Cavalier: ASKEGARD
Dewdrop: SOMOGYI
Marzipan: RIGGINS
Hot Chocolate: RUTHERFORD, HIGGINS
Coffee: HANSON
Tea: ULBRICHT
Candy Cane: GOLD
Mother Ginger: J. STAFFORD
Flower, S.R.: van KIPNIS
Flower, S.L.: TINSLEY
Doll (Girl): DRONOVA
Doll (Boy): LABEAN
Soldier: CARMENA
Mouse King: SETH
Drosselmeier: La FOSSE
Hostess: ABERGEL
Host: *HANNA

SATURDAY MATINEE, NOVEMBER 29, 2:00 PM [Fiorato]
Sugarplum: WEESE
Cavalier: MARTINS
Dewdrop: *SYLVE
Marzipan: BOUDER
Hot Chocolate: GOLBIN, HANNA
Coffee: ABERGEL
Tea: CARMENA
Candy Cane: SUOZZI
Mother Ginger: RAMASAR
Flower, S.R.: BAR
Flower, S.L.: KROHN
Doll (Girl): FAIRCHILD
Doll (Boy): *FLYNN
Soldier: SEVERNINI
Mouse King: ORZA
Drosselmeier: FAYETTE
Hostess: BESKOW
Host: FOWLER

SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 29, 8:00 PM [Moredock]
Sugarplum: BORREE
Cavalier: BOAL
Dewdrop: ANSANELLI
Marzipan: EDGE
Hot Chocolate: BESKOW, FOWLER
Coffee: McBREARTY
Tea: *DE LUZ
Candy Cane: HENDRICKSON
Mother Ginger: *DAN-WARING
Flower, S.R.: TAYLOR
Flower, S.L.: A. STAFFORD
Doll (Girl): *HYLTIN
Doll (Boy): *PAZCOGUIN
Soldier: *SUOZZI
Mouse King: *RAMASAR
Drosselmeier: KRAMAREVSKY
Hostess: BAR
Host: *la COUR

SUNDAY MATINEE, NOVEMBER 30, 1:00 PM [Fiorato]
Sugarplum: KOWROSKI
Cavalier: ASKEGARD
Dewdrop: SOMOGYI
Marzipan: RIGGINS
Hot Chocolate: RUTHERFORD, HIGGINS
Coffee: HANSON
Tea: ULBRICHT
Candy Cane: GOLD
Mother Ginger: J. STAFFORD
Flower, S.R.: van KIPNIS
Flower, S.L.: TINSLEY
Doll (Girl): DRONOVA
Doll (Boy): LABEAN
Soldier: CARMENA
Mouse King: SETH
Drosselmeier: La FOSSE
Hostess: ABERGEL
Host: HANNA

SUNDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 30, 5:00 PM [Quinn]
Sugarplum: WEESE
Cavalier: MARTINS
Dewdrop: SYLVE
Marzipan: BOUDER
Hot Chocolate: GOLBIN, HANNA
Coffee: ABERGEL
Tea: CARMENA
Candy Cane: SUOZZI
Mother Ginger: RAMASAR
Flower, S.R.: TAYLOR
Flower, S.L.: A. STAFFORD
Doll (Girl): FAIRCHILD
Doll (Boy): FLYNN
Soldier: SEVERINI
Mouse King: ORZA
Drosselmeier: FAYETTE
Hostess: BESKOW
Host: FOWLER

<small>[ 14 November 2003, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: ksneds ]</small>

Hi!
NYCB has set up an incredible new website for the Balachine Centennial. You can access it by clicking on the centennial logo at the right hand side of the NYCB website.
The Centennial Website contain tons of information about all the various events going on at NYCB & acroos the world as well as pictures and streaming audio of music from various Balanchine ballets.

Among the tidbits revealed:
*There will be a documentary produced about the NYCB's recent visit to St. Petersburg, tieing the trip into Balanchine's own history. Date and channel to be announced.

*Tom Gold, Janie Taylor & SAB kids will be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade doing an excerpt from Harlequinade.

Cheers!
Kate