Last night was Tiler Peck’s world premiere of Symphonie Espagnole. Premieres can distort my relationship to a ballet sometimes. The excitement of witnessing something for the first time makes me more aware of that event than the work itself if that even makes any sense. I don’t feel like I saw the choreography in the clearest way yet. I will say 2 things briefly though. I didn’t love the first (tutu) section of this ballet (but loved other sections). I found it interesting the way transitions overlapped - the next group of dancers would already appear on stage before the previous group had fully exited. The second and final piece was Diamonds which I’ve seen many times but never too many. To me, the best part about diamonds is the music. Of couse the choreography is a classic beauty but I do feel that the music takes it to another level and allows it to sparkle even more. There is something really addictive about the melody, and I woke up humming it.
Idk why I thought I would like Concerto DSCH more than I did. It’s light and charming, with witty, playful moments and very impressively fast movements, but it didn’t really stay with me the way I thought it would. I loved Distant Cries. It was very poetic. It felt like the right thing to see after Continuum (last post). The past few seasons, @ruby_list has been on my radar so I was happy to see her in a role that lets her shine. Her and @chunner danced beautifully. Maybe this is just my reaction to not really connecting with Each in Their Own Time, but it felt more like a transition between the other works than a piece that stood on its own. Seeing Adrian Danchig-Waring and @taylor___stanley together is what made it special for me, and knowing they’re both leaving the company gave it a weight the choreography itself didn’t.
One thing I love about @nycballet is that every season I see new works. This entire program is new to me. @wheeldony ’s Continuum was complex, geometric and dense. I’ll have more to say when I see it again next week, but for now I want to say what’s clear in my mind. There was a moment when the dancers’ shadows were cast onto the backdrop, doubling the choreography. The shadows grew and shrank and it really added depth to the tension of the piece. I love when dancers look at something we can’t see - up, behind, toward each other. When they are not facing us directly, it feels less like a performance and more like we’re witnessing something they’re experiencing. Here, they look and point upward, as if something is happening above them - almost like the end of the world, with the space around them starting to close in with the screen coming down. The music is fast, intense and entirely piano. When pianist @gosling294 came on stage, I looked closely at his hands to check if they were bleeding. He plays the way NYCB dancers dance but even they get moments offstage to catch their breath. Before the performance, there was a talk with @wendyw , @ktraceyzicht , and @emilykikta . They spoke about the process of learning Continuum, the music, and the staging. I wish very program had this kind of insight.
Yesterday’s matinee. Symphony in C (1/2) may be my favorite tiara and tutu ballet in the repertory. It was performed in NYCB’s first ever program in 1948, which makes it extra special. I’d love to get my hands on one of those programs. @mira_nadon is as majestic as ever. Note to self: sit in the center next time. For this one, center is better than close. You really want to take in the full architecture and symmetry. Agon’s (3/4/5) choreography feels like a physical extension of Stravinsky’s score. I love an intensely modern, sharp, athletic leotard ballet. @naomicorti is so fierce. Seeing @unityphelan for the first time since she gave birth, there was a slight fragility at moments but I was honestly so impressed by how quickly she’s already performing at this level. I realize how much I love seeing @taylor___stanley in Stravinsky/Balanchine ballets. There’s a clarity and musical sharpness in his dancing that feels completely in sync with this. Nycb will definitely miss him. Close-up on Chagall’s beautiful costumes for Firebird (6/7).
Today is April 30th, so I want to talk about Walpurgisnacht. I understand why people think I’m dramatic when I say going to the ballet can feel like a high, but Walpurgisnacht is the closest I’ve ever come to ecstasy. When I first saw it, I wanted that feeling again so badly I went back three times that season. I knew the tale of Walpurgisnacht from a German children’s book. In folklore, on the night of April 30, witches were said to fly and gather with spirits and the devil for a night of dancing and chaos until dawn. The story alone makes me dream but the ballet…I felt Balanchine’s “dance is woman” so strongly here. The experience of seeing Walpurgisnacht is completely visceral. It’s one of those ballets where you’re fully immersed and nothing comes between you and what’s happening on stage. And somehow it feels physical too, even just as a spectator. It may be my favorite…ever. Although it’s inspired from a story, it doesn’t follow it - it captures the mood and that’s enough. I don’t need a narrative, I just want to feel something intense and clear. It’s set to Charles Gounod’s music from Faust and features a single male dancer and 24 women. It begins very precise and contained and then gradually loosens - the steps get bigger and faster, the hair goes down and the final scene feels completely out of control and insane in the best way. I haven’t not cried in that final section of the ballet. I saw @saramearns in it twice and @_miriammiller twice. Casting really shifts the feeling. It feels like Sara dances more freely and Miriam with more technical awareness. I loved both. All this to say that #walpurgisnacht is a true fever dream. I like my notes on this program even though I’m not sure what I meant exactly (slide 2): I have felt glimpses of that feeling before but in real life it stays contained. Seeing it on stage feels like a release every time I see it. I guess it does kind of makes sense. Slide 3 is how the ballet starts and slide 4 is how it ends. Footage is from a 1993 performance. Last slide is an illustration by Von Goethe from Faust.
Divertimento No. 15 (slide 1) is almost too courtly for me. I of course appreciate it but it’s not what keeps me going back. Casting is always important but somehow it feels even more important in a tiara and tutu ballet. Zakouski (slide 2) feels like romance built on play. It’s the perfect partnership: effortless and playful. @notjosephgordonlevitt and @mfairchild17 is a classic match. The title (it means hors d’œuvres in Russian) fits a series of solos and duets set to Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. I couldn’t always tell who composed what and tbh I’d love someone to walk me through it in detail. The solos stayed with me most, both musically and choreographically. I thought I had never seen Composer’s Holiday (Slide 3) but as soon as it started I realized I had already seen it twice. I like it! That’s why I’m glad I’m doing this because now that I have all my notes digitally I can easily go back to them. @wiamilliams , olivia_thedancer and @xanderperone really stand out and I can’t wait to watch them grow in the company. Third time seeing Heatscape (Slide 4/5) and I felt more conflicted. There are moments I really love but they get lost in the overall “jolly” tone. The sections where the light dims and the music turns more solemn is the part I love. Personally I think it deserves to be something of its own. @mira_nadon and @chunner danced together and I was so happy to be there.
It’s my first time seeing Robbin’s In Memory Of (slide 1/2) and I was so moved. @alexamax was so perfect for this role. There’s a kind of innocence in her that really touched me. She has always stood out to me but not in this particular way. It’s my second time seeing Voices (slide 3) and I’m still unsure. Costumes are perfect: simple and electric. I loove the choreography but it’s as if the “voices” interrupt my connection to the piece. It felt like my ears and eyes were being pulled in different directions. I undersrand Ratmansky’s more fragmented and intellectual approach but I connect more when I can feel a piece instead of analyzing it. It’s my favorite time seeing Diamonds (Slide 4/5). The music is magic. I am patiently waiting for @kloelwalker and @avasautter to be promoted.
I remember the first time I saw Firebird I thought to myself: how much of Firebird is about the Firebird? I find her role very interesting in the context of a ballet. She is not part of a love interest or part of a group/corp. She exists entirely on her own and belongs only to herself. I tried to think of other roles like that and couldn’t find one that exists in that way. I almost compared her to the Siren in Prodigal Son, but Siren’s power only exists through seduction and a man willing to submit to her. Firebird isn’t part of any dynamic. She doesn’t choose love or reject it - it’s irrelevant. The story of Firebird actually has all the “normal” elements: the romantic couple (Ivan + princess), the female corp (enchanted maidens), the villain (and his creatures). Firebird is the outside force in this classical structure. She only appears early and returns closer to the end but she is the title and catalyst. The story is not about her but it also couldn’t exist without her. These pictures are of Maria Tallchief who originated the role in Balanchine’s Firebird.
YAGP at the David Koch. Watching the future of dance and dancers in real time. I’ve seen so many videos over the years especially of dancers who are now principals so seeing it live is so special. I wish that the program included more info on the dancers for each piece and variation because I was so impressed. I can’t wait to follow where they go from here!
I saw the Dance Theatre of Harlem Firebird for the first time last night. I love seeing different interpretations of the same ballet. It was my first time seeing a DTH performance and somewhere in the middle I realized I didn’t know any of the dancers. I think I always watch with a certain awareness where I compare and mentally edit when I go to abt or nycb because i know them all at this point. In this case, not knowing any of the dancers made me more present in a way. I wasn’t distracted by the people who were dancing but only with the dance itself. They were simply the creatures they were on stage. It sounds strange because I love knowing dancers and following them but there’s something about not knowing that creates an even more surreal experience. I might look back at this thought and think wtf doesn’t make sense. Anyways, I liked this version a lot. I’m tempted to call it my favorite version. I will make another post about Firebird because there is so much to say about its story in all its different versions.
Last one from Juilliard’s SPRING DANCES 2026. Diversion of Angels by Martha Graham really transported me. The choreography is timeless. The music is romantic. It felt kind of Greek with the sculptural poses holding like statues before getting back into motion. The dresses are fitted enough to see every line but still airy. I also loved the men being stripped back…
More from Juilliard’s SPRING DANCES 2026. These pictures are terrible but that’s not the point. Reminder to myself that I made this account as a way to create a little archive of the performances I see so that I can easily come back to them. The first piece I discovered in this program is Suite from Psalm by José Limón. It felt very ritualistic. I learned that it was originally set to a score by Eugene Lester based on biblical psalm texts and that it is often performed with choral voices. In the version I saw, there was no voices - only percussion and silence, which I probably prefer. I was so inspired and enjoyed every moment. The costumes stayed light with no forced “ritual” aesthetic, just airy, elegant costumes, which made the whole thing feel more real. I loved the costumes and I wish I could have one for myself. You would want one yourself if I had a better picture to show you.
