If you’re having a lazy Sunday afternoon, here’s some reading. Some of these links are a bit old; you may have read them already:
Joan Acocella on San Francisco Ballet (she likes at least two of the same dancers as I, and gives a good overview on the company and reasoning behind its repertoire);
Robert Gottlieb reviews a new book on Balanchine by Nancy Goldner (whose writing sounds comfortably accessible, almost bloggy!) in the NY Review of Books;
Apollinaire Scherr on how to view a Wheeldon ballet, and suggestions for Wheeldon’s future in this troubled economy;
James Wolcott, in his usual hilariously hyperbolical manner, recounts his experience with ABT’s new ballet Citizen;
Alex Ross explains what went wrong between the original Doctor Atomic and the Met’s version of the opera;
Claudia La Rocco laments Gerard Mortier’s decision not to take on the directorship of New York City Opera and wonders what will happen with the planned Brokeback Mountain opera (which I was really looking forward to);
Counter Critic reflects on the passage of Proposition 8 in California.
Happy Sunday, everyone. I’m off to cover my first dance class for Explore Dance. First, meaning, I’ve never written formally about a dance class before… Please wish me luck!
Thanks for the Joan Acocella article! Were you talking about Taras Domitro and Sarah Van Patten as two of your favorites that you agreed with? Wow, I’m really surprised she picked Van Patten out of all the principals – she’s a bit controversial (although I *adore* her) and fairly new and I know plenty of people who don’t agree with me and clearly do not like her, and surprised she didn’t pick the more established Tan or critical favorite Kochetkova. Acocella is such a wonderful writer and she writes with such “liveliness” that Denby highly praises in the best of dance reviews.
Good luck on the dance class!
Hi Jolene! No, I was talking about Domitro and the Armenian guy whose name I momentarily can’t remember — Davit was his first name! She didn’t love him as much as I did, but liked him pretty well nonetheless — I was just happy to see two of my favorite names in her article. I think I remember liking Van Patten too though — am going to have to look her up. I know, I was surprised about Tan — most of the reviewers here didn’t like her, but I have heard such raves about her from elsewhere. So, I think Acocella is on the mark when she says people in San Fran love her, but critics elsewhere don’t see it. I liked her because she was very dramatic and alive — throwing herself with abandon into the two roles I saw her dance. But that’s always my thing…