New York City Ballet has decided to add an additional performance of Swan Lake to its SL run. The added performance will now take place Friday, February 11th, at 8 p.m. It will star Sara Mearns – yes!!!!!!! and will replace that evening’s scheduled performance of mixed repertoire. The company decided to reschedule for the additional performance because of overwhelming demand this year: all of the regularly scheduled performances are virtually sold out at this point. Mearns will also be dancing the first regularly scheduled performance, the Sunday February 13th matinee. During both performances, her Siegfried will be Jared Angle. Casting hasn’t yet been announced for the rest of the run but you know I will post it here the second it is! There will be nine SL performances total, continuing through February 26th.
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Above photo taken from here.
As someone who will be visiting NYC from LA and bought tickets specifically for the incredible Balanchine program scheduled for that night, I could not be more disappointed in NYCB for capitulating to the hype surrounding that horrid film Black Swan. I do not go to NYCB for story ballets. They couldn’t at least revive Balanchine’s one-act version and throw a leotard ballet into the mix? So upsetting. Apparently I’m the only one who feels this way. I’m sure Sara Mearns is great at what she does, but give me mile high legs and black leotards over tutus and emoting any day.
Hi Tia,
No, I don’t think you’re the only one who feels that way at all. I think many of NYCB’s fans go for the Balanchine. They are a Balanchine company after all. In fact, something I neglected to mention in the company’s press release was that they’re sorry to be canceling the Balanchine program for that night, and they’re happy to give people who really wanted to see that program full refunds. Of course that doesn’t really help you if you already have plane tickets, etc. But they are refunding if you want a refund.
What I’m happy about is that, not only do I love Mearns, but for people who liked “Black Swan” who are coming because of that – well, I really want them to see what real ballet is like!
Oh and you’re right that it would have made sense for them to revive the Balanchine version of SL.
What I’m wondering, is how many people are expecting some sort of stage version of “Black Swan”. And then complain because of the lack of special effects! “Hey, she didn’t even grow wings when she did her turns in the second act. What a rip!” Lol!
Exactly! Or some crazy lesbian sex scene — ‘cuz we all know that’s what the black swan pdd is really about! Seriously, I do think non-dance regulars will probably be expecting something more blatantly seductive from that scene. I’m not sure they’ll understand seduction in the ballet sense. But who knows – it’ll be interesting to see what people say.
I think you’re on to something. “The Crazy Lesbians of Swan Lake”. This could be the companion piece to City Opera, or is it the Met? They’re doing a version of “Brokeback Mountain”, you know. And no, I’m not kidding. They’re really doing it.
Which brings me to, why do gay characters always have to die when straight people are watching them? Have you guys got some sort of fetish going on I don’t know about?
Seriously, though. Hopefully people will be enthralled and inspired by what they see on the stage, and will come back for more of what dance has to offer.
Well…while on one hand I agree that ballet can use some fresh faces in its audiences, I am necessarily on board with a full length story ballet as the first point of contact with NYCB. I just don’t think it’s what they do best. I mean, Prodigal Son (which I’m missing now) is an accessible story ballet but it’s iconic Balanchine. And much sexier than Swan Lake, I would say.
Tia, I do in the end agree with you. I think it’s hard to keep Balanchine’s esthetic as a company mission and then make a left turn into the museum piece ballets. According to Suzanne Farrell, Balanchine wanted to do “The Sleeping Beauty”, but he wanted to do it after the “Happily Ever After” to her prince. I bet that would have been some ballet!