I love going to the Gala, always the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. Really the season starts with the Nutcracker, with the opening performance on Friday night. But with the Gala there is the excitement of a one-time-only performance and seeing everyone, the dancers and the audience both, looking grand.

Because of course it is fun seeing fancy people all dressed up, some famous, although I'm not much good at actually recognizing famous people! But I did see Wilhemina from Ugly Betty! (Have I admitted how that is one of my favorite TV shows along with Desperate Housewives!) 

I'll leave it to others to cover the show more thoroughly (Oberon's Grove is the place to go for that) I was thrilled to see all the dancers - practically the whole company danced for at least a few minutes in one section or another in this program made up of many excerpts. I'll just mention a few stand-outs for me. I loved the excerpt from Balanchine's The Unanswered Question: the section where the anguished man continuously reaches for the unobtainable and mysterious woman in white, who never touches the ground as she is manipulated by four dark men in the shadows. Janie Taylor and Daniel Ulbricht were spellbinding. This was followed by Martin's Calcium Light Night, also to music by Charles Ives. Sean Suozzi and  Sterling Hyltin in red, were both excellent, plus being the first splashes of color in the somber first half of the program.

The second half of the program was more light-hearted with jazzy music throughout. A Fool For You to music by Ray Charles was especially good because Andrew Veyette was ultra cool and smooth - he was simply fantastic with actually all the dancers looking like they were having fun. But with the final excerpt, from Balanchine's Who Cares, I seriously wished for more!  Jenifer Ringer, back from maternity leave, looked lovely in light pink. But then the finale with the bright colors and sparkling energy from the whole ensemble of dancers was over in just a few quick minutes. I fleetingly saw Tess Reichlen, in red, and also Rebecca Krohn, but I would have enjoyed seeing them in their longer sections. And I spotted my daughter up there in the corps having her debut as a full-fledged company member!

Megan Johnson and my daughter Lydia started their apprenticeships in June and had fantastic summers dancing in Saratoga, and then Copenhagen and Paris in September. Just before the rehearsal period started in October they were called in and told that they were being given their corps contracts!

They join the newest members of the company: Darius Barnes, Zachary Catazaro, Cameron Dieck, Russell Janzen, Matthew Renko, Joshua Thew.  These young men all graduated together from SAB in June 2007 and  became corps members over these last months. Congratulations to them all! Their pictures and bios are now up on the NYCB website: click on their individual names here

And the newest apprentices have now all started! They are: Sara Adams, Callie Bachman, Amy Barker, Adriana Piercy, Kristen Segin, Chase Finley, Sam Greenberg, and Michael Tucker. Also, Joseph Hernandez has recovered from an injury and is resuming his apprenticeship. They will all be dancing in every performance of Nutcracker. I know it is fun to get to know the newest ones, so here is a little introduction.

All the girls, along with Megan and Lydia, were at SAB many years together in the same class, graduating this June 2008 from level D. Sara and Kristen were Mae Wien winners in 2007. In Workshop  that year they alternated as the lead in Gounod Symphony. This year they were the 2 lead girls together with Chase in the alternate cast of Concerto Barocco. They are both petite - Sara is dark haired, Kristen is blonde. Some people may remember Callie from publicity around Romeo and Juliet. Although she didn't perform in the full-length production because of injury, she did perform the balcony scene in Workshop 2007. She worked very hard this past year to make a full recover. She is also quite petite. Amy is striking and very tall. She performed Harp in Fanfare in this year's workshop. Adriana is blonde, medium height and versatile. She performed in all three pieces in Workshop this year, and at SAB she choreographed several times in the Student Choreographic Workshops. Michael also choreographed numerous times while at SAB. He and Sam were Mae Wien winners this year, 2008. Sam is an elegant and calm dancer. A special role for him was Phlegmatic in Four Temperaments in last year's Workshop. Chase was new to SAB this last year. He was especially memorable in 2&3 Part Inventions in Workshop 2008. He is medium height, strong, and blonde. I think there is going to be a group picture soon in the SAB newsletter, but in the meantime, see if you can spot them in the Nutcracker! They will be dancing every night in the Party Scene, Snow, Spanish, and Flowers for the girls, and additionally in the Battle Scene as Mice, for the boys. Welcome to all!

I've been very quiet here - I'm sorry... 

I have been tremendously busy with not just one book but five books, all for a Korean publisher, plus a sixth project for another publisher, all due at about the same time, which is to say, very soon. I have been working so hard that I have barely been going out of the house! My neck hurts and my right hand hurts, but everything is coming along well and I am going to meet my deadlines.

However, when  my "vintage" apple computer broke down about a month ago, I had trouble even finding the time to get it to the repair shop.  Finally last week I couldn't stand being stranded any longer and took off a couple of hours to take it in. I got it back today. It feels good to have it back, hopefully as good as new.

I've got some catching up to do! 

Don't most kids have to do reports about the 50 states at one point or another when they are in school? I would have loved this book when I was in 5th grade doing my reports about the "M" states. Back then for me and my process of research, the World Book Encyclopedia was a big source of information. But with Greetings from the 50 States: How They Got Their Names I would have been able to add some interesting and quirky details to my reports. In addition to lively stories of how each state got its name, there are also tidbits such as Maine, the "Pine Tree State" is the leading producer of wooden toothpicks, and Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" actually 11,842 (and that doesn't even count the ones smaller than 10 acres because apparently  they don't count) and one out of 6 Minnesotans owns a boat!

I remember painstakingly trying to draw perfect maps like those in the World Book. Hopefully I would have been inspired to draw more fun and creative maps for my reports! Selina Alko's illustrations are fantastic. Each double-spread, which includes a map on the left, is filled with a lot of information in her eye-catching, colorful and jaunty style.

I first got to know Selina when she was in my class several years ago at SVA. She had her degree from SVA and was successfully working as a free-lance illustrator and had already done several books, but was back for a "refresher" class. Her newest book, Greetings from the 50 States has just been published by Scholastic. I hope you enjoy this interview with her, hearing from her about her process of working on this book and her thoughts and experiences as an illustrator.

This was a gigantic project: the States book was 112 pages, as compared to the usual 32 page picturebook. How did this book get started? How long did it take you? Can you describe the stages of working on the book, and what were some of the challenges?

I first heard from Brenda Murray, an editor at Scholastic when My
Subway Ride came out. She saw the book, loved the art, and asked
for a meeting. When the Greetings From the 50 States (How They Got
Their Names) manuscript came up, she asked if I would be interested
in illustrating it. I was excited to try my hand at a bigger
project, one that might help educate me about this country I have
been living in as an adult. (I am from Canada). It certainly WAS an education, a HUGE
challenge, but totally gratifying. It took me at least 2 years to
complete from start to finish. Research + sketches were the most
time consuming part. Once I had a plan, such as defining the
SHAPE of each state and deciding what the border imagery would be,
then each spread was easier to tackle. I found the imagery was
mostly intuitive in terms of placement and content, and when drawing
I let my subconscious make some key decisions... which I think helped
make the compositions stronger. Of course I was following text for
content as well, which was helpful in focusing and guiding each
spread. It was a huge part of my life for 2 years... I tried to do other creative projects at the same time so I wouldn't burn out. At a certain point I realized
that I had to finish 1 1/2 spreads (States) a week to complete the
book by deadline. I was on a tight schedule and that made doing my best work
consistently very hard!

Did you have a favorite state to work on and why?

I loved Alaska...

it was one of the first I did and I really enjoyed working on that spread. The limited palette of mainly whites and blues turned out to be one of my faves in the end; it's balanced + aesthetically pleasing. Also, I have traveled to that State twice - since I'm from Vancouver, BC - so both the beautiful mountainous imagery and Pacific Northwest Coast Native imagery were familiar to me. It flowed quite naturally.

Here is the sketch that came first: 

You grew up in Canada. I wonder if being an “outsider” gave you a fresh
eye? How do you think this affected your work, and did this make it harder
or easier working on this project?

I think that yes, being Canadian did give me fresh eyes. Like I
said it was an education for me, I was learning as I went along
researching each State and the origins of each State's name for the
first time... it was exciting!

Have you met the author? Have you had contact with her, or has communication been through your editor?

The author, Sheila Keenan, was terrific to work with. She lent me a
book on the State seals, which I used for some of the States. She
was very enthusiastic and encouraging. I met her about half way
through the process, during a meeting with our editor. Most of the
back and forth was through our editor, though. She kept us pretty
separate, which is typical I've come to realize when the author and
illustrator are different people.

How do you do your artwork? Do you have any tips about your technique?

I work in mixed media, mostly gouache paint and collage. I draw out
the spread (trace the sketch with light box) onto arches watercolor
paper.

Your husband, Sean Qualls is also an illustrator, and you have two young children: how is family life and work life mixed together and/or separated? What is your day like? Do you work at home or in a studio away from home? Do you and Sean give each other feedback or collaborate at all?

I work from home, we both do - we have our studios on the ground
floor of a narrow house in Brooklyn. It is mostly great being
married to an illustrator, because the support and feedback we are
able to give each other far outweighs the fact that occasionally we
might get a little competitive! Like this year when he got 2 books
into the Original Art Show (not one, but 2!) and my States book
didn't make the cut! But seriously, it's really nice to be in the
same field together living our work. Our kids are exposed to tons of
great books and art, we hope they will be creative -- but who knows,
maybe they'll end up as accountants or lawyers! We send our oldest
(who's 3 1/2) to daycare every day and our 8 month old baby does 3
afternoons a week. I try to get my work done when the youngest is in
daycare, which is really not enough time. But I am committed to
being there for her as a mom, so it's a constant challenge; the
balancing of motherhood with career. I often feel like something is
being sacrificed, where as I should probably try to look at it like
my work as mother and as a creative are both being enhanced by each
other (win/win!).

Sean is actually a huge influence on me as an
artist because he is such a perfectionist and does such beautiful
work. I admire his commitment to putting his ALL into every image he
creates. I don't think he struggles as much with the conflict
between parenthood and career aspirations... maybe it's more of a
female dilemma. We were asked to collaborate on a book project about
Mohummad Ali and even did some samples, but the project fell
through. We do hope to one day do a book together, preferably one
that we also will write.

These are two of Selina's first books, and both have been very popular in New York, for good reason!

How did you decide to become an illustrator, and specifically for children’s books?
Do you have any advice for aspiring illustrators?

I went to art school (SVA) where I majored in illustration in the
early 90's. I took a children's illustration class which totally
turned me onto the field. I have worked as a freelance illustrator
doing all types of work for years and years, but was primarily
focused on getting into children's books since I graduated in 1995.
I spent many years doing educational books, which was good bread and
butter money but not very fulfilling. I jumped at the chance to do a
sample piece for My Subway Ride, and when I landed the contract I
was extremely thrilled. Even though the budget was tiny, I felt the
opportunity was great. I was right; I have been fortunate to be
illustrating (and now writing) children's books ever since.

My advise would be to stay focused on your goals and not to give up...
the right opportunity will come your way if you are open-minded and
ready to take it.

And very exciting news: In March 2009 Selina's first book that she has BOTH written and illustrated (which she first started while in my class!) will be published and here is the cover: 

Check out Selina's website and blog here is the link for more info on amazon about Greetings from the 50 States 

For more interviews and news about SVA illustrators check out the links below.

The Original Art Show has just opened and will only be on through November 26th, so it is important to get on over quickly to the Society of Illustrators! There really is nothing like this annual exhibition: on display is artwork from over 100 noteworthy children's books, all published in the last year and chosen by a distinguished jury. It is wonderful to see the book illustrations taken out of their context and displayed on their own, separate from the actual books. It is always interesting to compare the piece on the wall with the published book that is on the carousels in the middle of the gallery: sometimes the art is better together with the story within the book (and maybe that is the way it should be!) and sometimes the piece really stands up on it own, but in every case the fresh vibrancy of the original art is exciting to see. Here are the pictures as the illustrators made them, before they went through the filter of the printing process. When a book is selected for the show, it is the illustrator who chooses the particular picture that will be displayed. Included with each piece is the interesting "behind-the-scenes" information of publisher, editor, and art director who worked on the book, as well as the materials the artist used. For artists, students, teachers, parents, all those involved in children's books in one way or another, the show is always educational and truly inspiring with the huge range of styles and techniques on display.  An absolute must for everyone who loves books!

I was very excited to see work by three illustrators who were in class at SVA at one time or another. Congratulations to them!

Last Night by Hyewon Yum is a wordless book, the beautiful illustrations are linoleum cuts on Japanese paper. This is her first book. PW wrote in a starred review, "Yum imagines a little girl who dreams of a night in the forest with her teddy bear. Pleasure and anxiety intertwine...Some picture books are written for children; this one gives a sense of what it's like to be one."

Kristen Balouch's book is The Ghost Catcher: A Bengali Folktale with art done digitally. Kirkus wrote, ".. a colorful, magical land"

And Sean Qualls has not just one book, but two books in the show! His beautiful and elegant paintings are mixed media on paper.  Phillis's Big Test is a picture-book biography about Phillis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry, in 1773. And with Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane, Sean has illustrated another evocative book about music. It pairs well with Dizzy, Sean's  book about Dizzy Gillespie. 

Here is a report on the opening of the show from Selina Alko, Sean's wife, on her blog.  

The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd St, between Park and Lexington - it is the townhouse with the bright red door. Here is the link to the website for more info and hours

I loved MORPHOSES for the second year running. They just performed at City Center. This is one of my favorite pictures this year because it shows what variety there was with the dancers at the same time that they made an exciting and cohesive ensemble together. Leading on the right is Leanne Benjamin (a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet) who is in her 40's and I would never believe that if I hadn't read it in numerous reviews. Smallest dancer, 4th in, Beatriz Stix-Brunell is still a student and only 15,  and I wouldn't believe that either, except I remember her not that long ago when she was still at SAB in the children's division and in the Nutcracker. My favorite was Drew Jacoby, 3rd from the right, who is an exotic amazonian creature, extremely tall and powerful and magnificent.

For Morphoses's 2nd year, Christopher Wheeldon again gathered an amazing group of 19 dancers, guesting mainly from  New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and The Norwegian National Ballet. While I missed some of the dancers from last year (I am remembering Darcey Bussell and Aesha Ash - this is my report last year), it was very exciting to see this year's group. His long term goal is to assemble a permanent full time company but in the mean time his dancers gather from various places. I went to see both programs, both excellent, which included pieces by both Wheeldon and several other choreographers. In our house a week later we are still talking about SHUTTERS SHUT, a short 3 minute piece danced to words, a recording of Gertrude Stein reciting her own poem. Choreographed by Lightfoot Leon and danced by Andreas Heise and Christine Thomassen from the Norwegian Ballet, it was perfection: these two dancers were sharp and exact and perfectly coordinated together in their timing as if they were one, plus they were very funny. 

I also went to the free "open house" on Sunday for some behind-the-scenes, which I always enjoy! As we came into the theater, the dancers were in the midst of "class" on stage, with teacher, Jeffrey Edwards, and pianist. It was fun to see the group in their assortment of get-ups: leg warmers, bodies bundled up in a variety of ways, casual but working hard (Maria Kowroski was chewing gum!).  Only Beatriz was in a simple leotard and pink tights, hair very neat in a bun: reminding us that she is still a student, even if she dances like someone older. As Wheeldon said later, class is for warming up both the body and the mind, to get ready for for the day's rehearsals and performances. Not only does the body, but also the mind, needs to limber up and strengthen. Through doing the combinations the dancers get ready both mentally and physically for their day ahead. It is always completely awe-inspiring to me how dancers remember everything they do!

Following class, Wheeldon had a short rehearsal with Beatriz to go over some notes from the previous evening's performance of Commedia (the ballet in the picture above). He said he choreographed Commedia as a sort of a preview to celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ballet Russes next year in 2009.  (Remember the wonderful documentary, Ballet Russes: I loved the part when the four 14-year old "baby ballerinas" met up again at the Ballet Russes reunion when they were in their 80s! It struck me that Wheeldon has his own "baby ballerina" right now!) With her attentive and obedient poise Beatriz seems both mature beyond her years and very much 15. It was fun seeing them work one on one - and what attention to detail! Then as a little bonus, we got a run-through of Shutter Shut. Speaking for a moment afterwards, Christine admitted that it had been a lot of work to learn this piece. I can believe that it must be a real mind/body challenge for the dancers - these two were fantastic! A few questions and answers with charming and amiable Wheeldon finished up the hour. He talked about his choreographic process, saying that the music always comes first. He listens to the music ALOT before he gets into the studio with his dancers. He said the rehearsal period is always short, out of necessity, and that he works with his dancers on the spot, developing ideas there in the studio. He clearly loves his dancers and it is no surprise that he draws the best out them in his process. The "open house" was very warm and friendly and certainly put me in an eager mood for the afternoon's performance. Just too bad that it was the last performance of their too short season. On all fronts, this year was a big success, and I'm already looking forward to next year!  What projects does he have planned for celebrating the Ballet Russes? What repertory will he create and what dancers will he bring together next season? It's great to hear Morphoses is going places (Australia in January and more!) It certainly must be hard getting a new ballet company off the ground and it is great that it going so well!

For Matt Murphy's excellent and in depth interview with Wheeldon click here: Ranting Details

For the vivid and full descriptions of the programs plus the best collection of photos that I have seen gathered in one place, read Oberon's Grove, here and here and here

I've been back from Paris for a week now, and I'm having a hard time adjusting to being back in the US. I really would be happier if I could still be in Europe right now! But here I am, and there is alot of good art and dance going on in NYC. I plan on seeing the Morandi show at the Metropolitan Museum, Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night at MoMA, Christopher Wheeldon's Morphoses this week and San Francisco Ballet next week, both at City Center.

And I got the news this morning from a former SVA student Joyce Wan that she signed her contract for her first children's book - Congratulations to her! Now that kind of news makes my day! Joyce's book is titled "Greetings from Kiwi and Pear" and will be out in spring 2009. Can't wait to see it! She writes that it's about two monkeys who travel the world and is based on characters that she developed for one of her greeting card collections. Take a look at her website wanart.com   

Last night's gala at the Palais Garnier was magnificent! My pictures didn't turn out very well (it is time to change to a digital camera!) but fortunately my sister and her husband, over from London, took some pictures that capture much better the dazzling world that we walked into. The pictures tell the story!

The grandeur... the gilded opulence, sculpted and scrolled, with beautiful flowers and table settings and atmospheric lighting amongst it all for the occasion was incredible! I felt immediately immersed in another era. When the music started for Apollo, the first ballet on the program, shivers went through me - I was back in another time, decades ago, perhaps when this historic ballet was first created...

Apollo was dramatically danced by Sebastien Marcovici joined by Sara
Mearns, Tess Reichlen, who were looking stunningly beautiful, and from the Paris Opera
Ballet, Agnes Letestu as Terpsichore. I'm not familiar with the POB dancers at all,
and so it was very interesting to see a few of their principle dancers, their etoiles, mixed in with City Ballet dancers during the evening. I had the idea that the POB dancers would all be very small but Letestu was infact very tall, well matched in height
along side Mearns and Reichlen, but with a more understated, contained presence.

Between Apollo and the grand closing ballet, Symphony in C, was Sonatine, A
Suite of Dances, the lavish intermission (when we were all served champagne!) and Zakouski. I was sitting up high in a side balcony, and it got quite warm up there, but I could see pretty well (leaning over), and atleast I was close to the Chagall ceiling!

I love when the curtain goes up on Symphony in C, the combination of the
dancers regal in their white tutus and the aquamarine blue light behind them,
always take my breath away. Last night the audience gasped at the beauty,
and then broke into applause. Every single dancer was beautiful and shone
radiantly, sparkling with energy and brightness.
This ballet seems to sum up the company's resounding success here in Paris.
Even though there are still the final 4 performances back at Bastille Theater this weekend, it is the stage last night, full to the brim with Symphony in C that will be the closing image of all the fantastic ballet I have seen these two weeks in Paris.

Again I'm snatching a few moments in an internet cafe, so this will be brief and will have to be filled out later, but I need to report that NYCB's opening night at the Bastille Theatre last night was tremendous! It was so exciting to be there. The theater was completely sold out - people even had to line up well ahead of time for the standing room tickets. When the curtain went up for Divertimento #15 I felt so happy to see the sparkling dancers - they looked so bright and excited. The five lead women were fantastic together and Ashley Bouder was beyond incrediable - she thrilled everyone! Episodes was the second piece and some sections are always baffling to me. But Wendy Whelan was exciting, gracious and serene, and then came my favorite (and admittedly most accessible) part, the Bach section, lead by Maria Kowroski. The final piece was Tchaikovsky Suite #3. The first 3 sections are all dimly lit, very moody and romantic with all the dancers with their hair flying! Sara Mearns was so lyrical and flowing in the first "Elegie" section - she has such a beautiful and expressive flexible back! The Theme and Variation closing section was sharp and sparkling - ending the same way the evening had begun. Practically the entire company danced last night and they received thunderous applause!

Update: How wonderful it is to be going to performances night after night here in Paris. The French are being treated to veterans in the roles, as well as many debuts and cast changes: they are being regaled with the great range and talent of the company. Every night the theater is sold out. I'm getting to know the Bastille theater as every night my tickets are in different locations. What is amazing to me is that my tickets are not expensive - I bought what ever tickets were left when I went to the box office when I first arrived - and yet in every location the view is great. The design of theater is a very dynamic, sharp and contempory - a perfect venue for Balanchine and the NYCB simply feels right here.

The second performance of the Divertimento #15, Episodes, Suite #3 on Thursday night was very exciting. There are so many facets to the architecture of Divertimento. Balanchine is so inventive in the situation that he poses: 5 lead women and yet only 3 lead men. And then there was Erica Pereira and Katie Morgan, both new to their parts. Erica, in each of her new roles (and next week she is going to dance Tarentella with Daniel Ulbricht!) makes a big impression with her delicate physique. And Katie Morgan exudes a calm and security that is a pleasure to watch.

In Episodes, Teresa Reichlen and Ask la Cour danced the 2nd section. "C'est beau" - As the two men in front of me declared in unison to each other, with deep approval. Janie Taylor in the 3rd section was ferocious, so intense that she scared me! It is more unusual to see Sara Mearns in a leotard ballet, I think, and her range is endless: she was luxurious in the 4th section. 

The really big debut of the evening was Ashley Bouder in Theme and Variations of Suite #3. She is just sensational: the faster the music, the more it feels like she has all the time in the world!

It is getting late here in my internet cafe. I haven't even said anything yet about the second program of Serenade, Symphony in Three Movements and Brahms/Handel.  You will just have to believe me that it was beautiful - trés trés beau! A bientot!

I've arrived in Paris! Writing from an internet café is not ideal because the keyboard is different, making typing very slow, and I can't enter photos. That will have to wait until I get back home. Dramatic skies and always changing clouds - making me think of the novel I read last year, La Theorie des Nuages, by Stephane Audeguy. Oh my gosh, it is beautiful here!! I love our quartier, new for me, the 20th arrondisement. It is a collection of what use to be little villages. Today we explored Charonne. We had the most delicious lunch (a beautiful autumnal salad) in a restaurant, Le Casque d'Or, on a quiet little street, rue Saint Blaise, leading up to a church, and it was indeed easy to imagine we were in a country village.

And very important for me: I've been to my favorite bakery Maison Kayser on rue Monge. Even a simple thing like a pain aux raisins is the best, but above all, their fruit tarts are superb! I have also had my favorite cup of hot chocolate at Le Fumoir , near the Louvre.

One of the first things I did when I arrived on Tuesday was to go to the Bastille Theater to get tickets for the New York City Ballet - they will be here for two weeks starting next Tuesday, September 9. I can't believe it: the performances are practically all soldout!! I was very lucky to get the tickets that I did. I've come all this way to see my daughter dance in Paris, and imagine, I almost couldn't get tickets!! It is fantastic that there seems to be tremendous excitment for NYCB's first visit to Paris in over 40 years. The posters for Serenade and West Side Story are so beautiful.

And here is an article about NYCB in a French magazine: http://www.femmes.com - some beautiful photos and if you can read French, a fun story about 24 hours with the dancers.

All for now, à tout à l'heure! 

I'm leaving on Monday for Paris, so I've had to make sure that I don't miss any good art shows here in New York that will be over by the time I get back. This goes for everyone: don't miss the show of Salvador Dali (1904-1989) at the Museum of Modern Art, on right now until September 15th. The show is wierd and lots of fun. It's a mixture of paintings, drawings, and excerpts from films that he worked on. Actually I skipped over the film collaborations with Luis Bunuel - including the famous horrible part in "Un Chien Andalou" that I know about but don't want to see. But I really enjoyed his weird surrealist paintings: they were often smaller than I expected and jewel-like on the walls. This painting was there: The Persistence of Memory (1931)

Best of all was the room devoted to Hitchcock's 1944 "Spellbound". The dream sequence was projected, surrounded by Dali's actual paintings and backdrops that were used in the film. I also enjoyed a short Disney movie called "Destino". Dali worked for the Disney studios in 1946, but then work on the film was halted, to Dali's disappointment. Not until 2003 was the project finally finished, based on Dali's drawings, some of which are  shown in the exhibition. Look for the sequence with the ballerina! By the way, I read that Dali and Balanchine knew each other and collaborated together in 1944. I have no idea on what - does anyone know?

I also enjoyed the show about pre-fab houses: Home Delivery - Fabricating the Modern Dwelling.  The show starts up on the 5th floor, next to the Dali exhibition, with lots of miniature models (and some are very strange, including the inflatable home!) and then continues with some sample houses that you can walk through, outside down on the empty lot next to the museum. I had the preconception that pre-fab houses would be quite small, but compared to NYC apartments, to me, most of these houses seemed quite spacious indeed!  This show is on until October 20th.

For details about the museum and the exhibitions, click here: www.MoMA.org  

I have many choices for cupcakes in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side. My current favorite is the Sour Cream Spice cupcake from Buttercup Bake Shop on West 72nd Street. Three days in a row I have gone back for one of these. I love the raisins and nuts in the cupcake, and the frosting is just the right mixture of creamy and sweet - delicious!

Close by is also the Magnolia Bakery on Columbus Ave and 69th St. The cupcakes from these two bakeries seem quite similiar, so I was alittle confused until I did some research. It turns out Magnolia Bakery was co-founded by Jennifer Appel and  Allysa Torey in 1996. Then Jennifer Appel went out on her own and started Buttercup Bake Shop in 2000. Magnolia Bakery was subsequently sold in 2007 but Torey continues to work as a consultant. Both have published cookbooks, together and seperately, with recipes from the two bakeries. I'm curious to take a look and compare. Certainly eating their cupcakes is a pretty yummy thing to do! 

I've just booked my flight: I'm flying to Paris on September 1st! With a friend, we are doing a home exchange, and this is going to be our terrace overlooking the city. Doesn't it look like a lovely spot for a morning cafe au lait and a croissant!

After a week first in Copenhagen, New York City Ballet will be going to Paris to perform at the Bastille Theater from September 9 - 21. As a new apprentice, my daughter is thrilled to be part of the tour. This just seems like an opportunity that I can't pass up: the chance to visit Paris, go to lots of ballet performances AND see my daughter dance!

I've done home exchanges lots of times in the past - I love having a home away from home. But right now with the dollar so weak, it definitely makes a lot of sense. This way I can save my money to spend it instead on ballet tickets, and on delicious food! I'm excited!

Here is the link with the Theater in Paris for more about NYCBallet's performances: four different great programs!

On my second visit up to Saratoga last week to see the NYCBallet, I experienced extremes of weather from pouring torrential rains to brilliant sunshine. All the performances were magical no matter what the weather conditions!  I loved Concerto DSCH (I am going to get a recording of the beautiful music to keep the ballet close in my mind: Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op.) I saw the debuts of Janie Taylor and Robbie Fairchild in Opus 19/The Dreamer (They were wonderfully committed, and it was hard to believe this was the first time they were dancing their roles). In Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet I was especially impressed with Tiler Peck and Robbie Fairchild in the Intermezzo section. I believe this was also a debut for them. As such a young dancer Tiler Peck especially amazes me with her versatility. Later in the same program she was totally different  and outstanding in Brahms/Handel. She makes all movement styles look natural for her!

And the special reason I was there for so many performances was to see my daughter Lydia in Western Symphony and Baiser de la Fee, two new ballets for her. It was thrilling to see her in Baiser de la Fee as part of the cast with Megan Fairchild and Joaquin de Luz. These two cast such a spell together and especially in the atmosphere of SPAC. And in the fun flirty Rondo section of Western Symphony, Lydia was having a ball along with them all! She and Megan Johnson were going to go to the horse races on Wednesday in their Western Symphony costumes for the "NYCB" race. Unfortunately it was pouring all day, and although the races still went on (they were moved from grass to dirt - mud tracks)  it was too risky to take the chance of the costumes getting rained on.

Here instead is a photo from about 1967 of Suzanne Farrell with Balanchine at the races, on a beautiful day! At the Adelphi Hotel right in town in Saratoga, there are wonderful ballet pictures (and cakes!) in the lobby. 

It would have been fun to stay at the Adelpi, but it was fully booked. We had to search a little further afield and we stayed in a wonderful Bed & Breakfast called The English Garden in Schenectady. When I'm away from home, I love staying in B&Bs! Virginia Bohn's breakfasts were some of the best ever. Her baked French Toast was scrumptious and that was just the beginning! The B&B was in the Stockade Historic District : "one of the oldest and best preserved neighborhoods in the United States with roots dating back to a 17th century Dutch colonial trading settlement." Our English Garden was built in 1775 and was full of charm and hospitality. Here is the website - I highly recommend it!

It was fun having a little trip away. Now I'm working on the idea of going to Paris in September to overlap with NYCBallet's fall European tour. Wouldn't it be exciting to see some of their performances over there!

I loved the Royal Ballet of Flanders and their production of Impressing the Czar, choreographed by William Forsythe, performed here in New York this weekend. I've tried to collect up some pictures from the web. (Pictures by Johan Persson)

The first act was a collage of music (Beethoven, Thom Willems), movement (classical ballet on pointe, neo-classical, klutzy), costumes (Baroque satin gowns, leotards, school uniforms), and moods (swinging anywhere from funny to violent) and more! There was a lot to take in, with a lot happening at once, with mixing, imitating, borrowing going on between the different parts - everything was wonderfully eskew and out of kilter on the gorgeous stage.

The second act, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is well known on its own. It was originally choreographed for Paris Opera Ballet in 1987, and then the following year Forsythe expanded it into  Impressing the Czar for his own company in Frankfurt. It's spare, serious, pure, neo-classical movement, and the dancers were amazing and beautiful.

The third act opened with a farcical auction scene, and then continued to the fabulous Bongo Bongo Nageela dance. The entire company was in identical school girl uniforms with bobbed wigs and went all out in their communal dance - a sort of tribal dance, folk dance, club dance, classical corps de ballet dance all wrapped in one. I loved it! 

The surrealistic first act was initially confusing, and then exciting, with all its various elements, and it set down the framework for what was to come. Visually, it was stunning and lavish, and full of images that keep running through my head. The second section sprang out of the first part and seemed even richer to me in this full-length context. The third act, full of the energy created by the community of dancers, was a fantastic climax. Somehow all the parts added up to a cohesive marvelous whole. Anyone who has the chance to see it, grab the chance!

Here is the website for Royal Ballet of Flanders

And here is the website of one of the dancers, Jim de Block. There are lots of pictures of dancing and of travel. The company was just in Switzerland and he has gorgeous pictures - the perfect antidote to the hot days we are having in NY right now. I'm hoping he will post photos and impressions of New York!

What to do when New York City Ballet is not performing at "home" - at Lincoln Center?! 

I ventured across the plaza at Lincoln Center to the Metropolitan Opera House to see an ABT performance on Friday night of Giselle. Diana Vishneva was originally cast but has been injured for some months and on Friday was replaced by Nina Ananiashvili.  Having never seen either of them previously I was as happy seeing one or the other. On the other hand if Jose Manuel Carreno had been replaced, I would have been very disappointed! He is such a handsome and generous dancer, so fantastic! The production was lavish in every way. I felt like I was watching a beautiful romantic painting come alive. Nina Ananiashvili may be 44 but you would never guess it. With the announcement that the 2009 season is going to be her last with ABT, I imagine that this performance must have been amongst her last Giselles? With her the ballet really was in three acts: 1st act was Giselle in the village, 2nd act was Giselle in the land of the Wilis, and 3rd act was Giselle giving her bows. Flowers were thrown and she very smoothly caught a beautiful bunch of sunflowers. It was a very special performance!

Then on Saturday morning I took the train up to Saratoga Springs to see New York City Ballet - and my daughter - dancing at SPAC, Saratoga Performing Arts Center . This was my first time ever up to Saratoga and the whole trip was lots of fun, including of course seeing Lydia dance in that quintessential Balanchine piece, Symphony in C.  The experience was lovely, being in the outdoor theatre, with the sounds of birds along with the orchestra, and gentle breezes blowing.

First on the program was Mozartiana, with Wendy Whelan, always spiritual, and spritely Daniel Ulbricht. Next was Prodigal Son, with Ulbricht again, in a fantastic role for him where he always wows the audience. Tess Reichlen with great authority was the Siren. Then Symphony in C was wonderful. Ana Sophia Scheller in 1st movement was very regal. Sara Mearns and Stephen Hanna were smooth and luxurious in 2nd movement. After that I have to admit that I didn't really take in as much because Lydia was in the 3rd movement (it was the first time I was seeing her in the full piece - she performed only in the finale in the excerpt for the Dancer's Choice Program) - and Megan Johnson was in 4th movement. They are new apprentices together and it is very exciting seeing them dance.

Lydia gave me this picture of the two of them in their white tutus! They will perform again in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet,  and they are learning roles in two more ballets, Baiser de la Fee and Western Symphony. It looks like I will need to take another trip up to Saratoga while NYCB is there for two more weeks, until July 26. I just got home, and I can't wait to go right back!

The town of Saratoga was charming. Where ever I am, I love finding an excellent bakery. I have a favorite bakery in Copenhagen, in Paris, in London, and now I have  favorite bakery in Saratoga: Mrs. London's on the main street.  I probably shouldn't tell you how many delicious things I had - I do have sweet tooth! The crumble cake with peaches and blueberries was superb. The almond croissant was completely up to the best French standards. There were some beautiful chocolate patisseries that I didn't have a chance to try. I definitely need to make a return trip!

Unfortunately I found out too late about an exhibit of dance photographs by Paul Kolnik at Gallery 100, also on Broadway.  Kolnik has been photographing NYCBallet for over 30 years. The show called Jerome Robbins Continuum sounds fascinating with multiple images of ballets over the years. Also included are photographs of Damian Woetzel's farewell performance that just took place on June 18th. So when I go up again I am going to plan enough time to see that, as well as the Dance Museum. So much to do!

This coming weekend I'm looking forward to seeing the Royal Ballet of Flanders from Antwerp, Belgium when they perform William Forsythe's Impressing the Czar, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival. This was one of the companies that Lydia visited when we went on her audition tour in Europe in January. Lydia loved this company and was so impressed with the dancers. I am very excited about seeing them perform this piece.

For all of us who love seeing NYCB at Lincoln Center, it is a long time every year between the end of the season in June and the beginning of the next season with the Nutcracker in November and repertory in January. But right now ballet away from "home" is pretty excellent!

PS: For more reports on the performances up at Saratoga, check out Oberon's Grove!  

What an exciting evening at the New York City Ballet! From the moment we all stepped into the State Theater last night, the atmosphere of anticipation, energy and enthusiasm was fantastic. Everyone was greeted by company apprentices (one of them was my daughter!), handing out Kyle Froman's keepsake booklet of beautiful photographs. Here is the cover. I already knew he was a talented photographer from his book, In the Wings: Behind the Scenes at the New York City Ballet , but wow, these newest photos of the dancers in and about the State Theater are fantastic. I certainly hope another full-scale book by him is on its way soon!

The theater was filled to the brim. The benefit performance was organized by Jonathan Stafford and truly seemed like a family affair, with everyone involved in a great range of ways. There were 12 excerpts by Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, and Wheeldon, from NYCB's vast repertoire of ballets, 2 short films and one world premiere, choreographed by Adam Hendrickson to music composed by Aaron Severini, both company members.  Across the board there were many debuts. Daniel Ulbricht in Rubies was fantastic - is it really possible he hasn't done the male lead before? He just looked like such a natural! Sara Mearns and Stephen Hanna were lovely in Martins's Beethoven Romance. The costumes were beautiful - I didn't know Heather Watts designed costumes! And here's my chance to say just how beautiful Sara has been this entire season. She has danced so many new roles, that  it is hard to keep them all straight. There were some weeks when she was dancing so many roles that she danced every single night, sometimes in more than one ballet in the evening. (Update: over the weekend she was promoted to principal - wonderful news!!) I loved seeing Amanda Hankes in mauve in Dances in a Gathering, Andrew Veyette in Square Dance, Savannah Lowery leading the Union Jack excerpt, immediately followed by Troy Schumacher leading the 3rd campaign in Stars and Stripes. I mention just a few - everyone was excellent!

The short film "When We Were Kids" was absolutely enchanting. It was a collage of dance recordings of various company members when they were children. Some were home videos, dancing in their living rooms, some were grainy recordings from local dance recitals. Some were funny, some hokey, all very cute and full of personality. I hope there will somehow be an encore showing!

Introducing the new piece, Flit of Fury - The Monarch was a short film showing some of the rehearsal and creative process. When the curtain went up the first image was arresting: two pianos on stage in the center at the back with orange lighting.  I loved the music by Aaron Severini. Very impressive that he should have this talent in addition to being a wonderful dancer.  Four strong male dancers were showcased, Robbie Fairchild and Sean Suozzi , Allen Peiffer and David Prottas, as well as Gretchen Smith. The whole program but this piece in particular really showed how the talent is so deep in this company. Very exciting! I remember both Adam and Aaron recently participating in  the New York Choreographic Institute : Adam as a choreographer in spring 2007 and Aaron as a composer in spring 2008. There is a lot of exciting work going on there and at the choreography workshops at SAB.  I know there are quite a few younger dancers in the company interested in choreography who got their first try this way when they were students.  It is fantastic that Adam and Aaron had the opportunity and challenge to expand from the studio setting to the big stage and to collaborate together. How great it would be if this Benefit for the Emergency Fund becomes an annual affair and if part of it continues to be new work by company members. There is so much talent!

The evening ended with Symphony in C: fourth movement and finale. For me there was the special thrill of seeing my daughter Lydia having her "debut" in this quintessential NYCBallet piece (dancing as a 3rd movement corps girl in the finale) To end on that note, with the stage full of white tutus is breathtaking! It was a perfect evening!

To read more, go to Oberon's Grove - Philip with his fantastic blog brings you right along with him to this evening, and to many many other NYCBallet performances!  PS: to see more of Kyle Froman's images, here are links: to an article in Vanity Fair Magazine and again to a special entry at Oberon's Grove. 

In their new capacities as apprentices, Lydia and Megan had their debuts dancing with the company in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, 3rd movement, last Friday night! Thrilling! I know I said in my previous entry that I hoped Lydia herself might contribute here instead of me writing about her experiences, but she has been so incredibly busy that it is impossible to get her near the computer. I just can't resist putting up a couple of photos of the two in their beautiful costumes, by Karinska of course!

There have been a lot of debuts over these last weeks and it is especially fun to see young corps members in new roles. I loved seeing Erica Pereira and Kaitlyn Gilliland in River of Light last week. Erica is tiny, fast and fearless, and Kaitlyn is beautifully tall and other-worldly. Kaitlyn is going to debut next week as the Siren in Prodigal Son !! And for a whole evening of debuts up and down the ranks, I'm anticipating that Dancer's Choice is going to be very exciting. It's a one-time-only program next Friday, to benefit the Dancer's Emergency Fund. Click here for info.

I love this photograph by Paul Kolnik of Lydia, my daughter, on the left and Megan Johnson on the right, performing Concerto Barocco together in Workshop. The big exciting news is that today they started as apprentices with the NYCBallet!!! They just got the news a few days ago, just after Workshop, that they would start right away when they got back from DC. Off they went this morning for company class and rehearsals. They are over the moon!

(There are also more apprentices on the way, but because it's not official
and they aren't starting yet, I better not say more. I'm sorry because I know people want to know!)

For Lydia and Megan this is a really busy week because they are also in the SAB performances coming up at NYCBallet as part of the Jerome Robbins Celebration. With NYCBallet they are going to learn 3rd movement corps of Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet and then perform on Friday. It is all happening so quickly!

And now as Lydia makes the transition from student to professional dancer it seems the right time to hand things over to her. I hope she will contribute here once in a while with pictures and impressions as she is starting out. I was very proud to see her leave for "work" this morning! What an exciting time!

School of American Ballet dancers had a sensational time in DC performing with fellow students from England, France and Russia. SAB performed Concerto Barocco at the Kennedy Center this weekend as part of the Proteges II program. This beautiful photo of them, by Carol Pratt, is from Alastair Macaulay's exuberant review in today's NYTimes. The dancers are Megan Johnson and Mark Wax in their ethereal, transporting pas de deux, and Lillian DiPiazza, Adriana Piercy, and Lauren Lovette, from left to right, behind them. 

This picture by Rosalie O'connor appeared in the Washington Post on Friday. The girls are in a rehearsal for Barocco.  Megan is on the right, Grace McLoughlin in the middle, and Lydia from the back. (Completing the cast of eight corps dancers were Sara Adams, Emilie Gerrity, Shoshana Rosenfield, and Kristen Segin)

I went down over the weekend and was so proud of our SAB dancers. It was exciting seeing all the dancers from England, France, and Russia as well, but SAB truly outdid themselves! Lydia said they all had an absolutely fantastic time! Here are some of her photos:

The Kennedy Center looks huge from the stage! Here the SAB dancers are rehearsing Concerto Barocco with Suki Schorer, who staged the ballet:

The dancers from all four schools took class together each morning.  Here they are gathering in the studio. In front from left to right: Lily, Lydia, Grace, Adriana, Sara, Kristen, and Megan.

The Paris Opera Ballet School performed "Soir de Fete". music by Delibes, choreography by Leo Staats: 

 The Bolshoi Ballet Academy performed "Grand Pas Classique from Paquita", music by Minkus, choreography by Petipa. The Russians getting ready for their turn:

Unfortunately Lydia didn't get any pictures of the English. The Royal Ballet School performed "Galanteries", music by Mozart, choreography by David Brintley.

Megan, Mark and Lydia, right after the final performance on Sunday!

My daughter Lydia has given me a bunch of photos of SAB Workshop, from behind-the-scenes at the performances. First on the program was Circus Polka, by Jerome Robbins, with 48 little girls and a surprise ring master of Jock Soto!

After a pause, Robbins's 2 & 3 Part Inventions:

Here is the full cast from Monday night - (left to right) Ashley Isaacs, Michael Tucker, Kristen Segin, Chase Finlay, Adriana Piercy, Michael Rosen, Samuel Greenberg, Lydia Wellington 

After the first intermission came Interlude: Showcase for Young Male Dancers, by Jock Soto.

And then...

Balanchine's Concerto Barocco staged by Suki Schorer. Here is Megan Johnson, First Violin, Suki with her flowers after the curtain call, Lydia Wellington, Second Violin, and Mark Wax.  Megan and Mark were sublime together in their pas de deux. 

The fresh and impeccable corps (in Paul Kolnik's photo in the New York Times, June 4th) are from left to right: Shoshana Rosenfield, Kristen Segin, Grace McLoughlin, Emilie Gerrity, Lillian DiPiazza, Adriana Piercy, Lauren Lovette, Caroline Beach, and Lydia and Megan in the center. 

This cast will be going to the Kennedy Center next weekend. Concerto Barocco is one of the most beautiful ballets ever! Click here for Alastair Macaulay's marvelous NYTimes  review  of Workshop!  

After the second intermission, Robbins's Fanfare was performed. Some back stage preparations:

Here are the cellos: Megan, Lydia and Adrianna with Horn Eric Trope. 

Cello Lydia, Horn Eric Trope, Violin Lillian DiPiazza. 

The full cast of strings! First Violins: Lillian DiPiazza, Grace McLoughlin, Shoshana Rosenfield. Second Violins: Holly Dorger, Chaelee Kim, Juliana Sabino. Violas: Sara Adams and Craig Hall. Cellos: Megan Johnson, Adriana Piercy, Lydia Wellington. Double Bass: Samuel Greenberg. Harp: Amy Barker.

Fanfare is such a fun ballet. And the dancers clearly all had such a ball performing it!

After the performance last night, the dancers continued on to the party, late into the night! 

Congratulations and thank-you to all the dancers and their teachers and musicians for the beautiful  Workshop performances!

Every week on Thursday morning, my daughter and  I go out together to have breakfast. The week can get very busy so it has become a nice ritual to have a special time when it is just the two of us getting together to catch-up.  We often save up some special news to share or ideas to discuss. 

We started this last September because finally my daughter wasn't always rushing in the morning to get to school. Now her first thing is ballet class at 10:30 so the morning is much more leisurely. I'm a morning person, but not her.  When she was little the morning was strictly business - the goal was to just get her out the door as efficiently as possible.  Luckily we have always lived very close to school. She could roll out of bed and be at school in 15 minutes!

We have a bunch of favorite restaurants and cafes that we rotate between, depending on what we are in the mood for. We love the pancakes at Fairway Cafe, the scones at Alice's Teacup, the bread and jam and coffee at Pain Quotidien, the French toast at Nice Matin... There are a lot of delicious choices in our neighborhood on the westside around Lincoln Center.

Another part of my Thursday morning, on my way home from breakfast, is going to the neighborhood farmer's market at Lincoln Square. It is much smaller than the market at Union Square but I enjoy taking seasonal potluck with what ever the 3-5 farmers are offering.  New this morning was rhubarb. I've got it stewing right now. I like adding also an apple for some natural sweetness so I don't have to add quite as much sugar.

As for our breakfast, of course this morning there was lots of talk about Workshop and Washington! Lydia is promising to take lots of behind-the-scenes pictures, which I will be able to post.  In Washington they are going to have a very exciting schedule. For instance, all the students from Russia, France, England and the US will take class together for the four mornings they will be together. Each class will be taught by the teacher or director of that school: Marina Leonova of Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Elisabeth Platel of Paris Opera Ballet School, Gailene Stock of Royal Ballet School, and Suki Schorer of SAB. They will be dancing together for three performances, June 6-8. Each school will be dancing a piece that I imagine will be showing off their particular style. SAB is bringing Concerto Barocco: Balanchine, of course! What a great experience the whole trip will be!

For performance info at the Kennedy Center, click here. 

Next Thursday Lydia will be in Washington. Maybe I can catch her for a different morning instead, because I do look forward to our weekly mother-daughter breakfast out together!

Lydia made this card for SAB back when she was in fourth division, and it's a summing up of all the stages of ballet training at the school.

Each year at the School of American Ballet several students and a faculty member are chosen to receive Mae L. Wien Awards. The awards were established in 1987 by the Wien family to honor the late Mrs. Wien, "a great devotee of the ballet who was also deeply interested in young people."  This year the recipients were just announced at the school: Sean Lavery for Distinguished Service, and Megan Johnson, Samuel Greenberg, Michael Tucker, and .....  my daughter, Lydia Wellington!!! for Outstanding Promise!!! This is very exciting and a huge honor! Also the amazing thing is that each receives a significant monetary gift, which Lydia is planning on saving to go towards her first apartment!

Come to Workshop to see them all dance! The presentation of the awards will be at the Benefit performance, June 2. 

Here is the link at www.sab.org for more about  Workshop.

PS: Here are Lydia as cello, Sam as double bass, Michael as trumpet, and Megan as cello in Fanfare: 

Symphony Space  on Broadway and 95th Street, is a wonderful West Side institution and once a year they have a "Wall to Wall" festival: a free 12-hour day-long musical celebration. This started 30 years ago with an all-day Bach festival and this past Saturday for the 30th anniversary, there was again a magnificent  Bach festival. I spent a good part of the day there and it was truly fantastic. 

I learned that 30 years ago Symphony Space was just a run-down building that doubled as a place for boxing matches and ice skating. Several local residents got the idea to put together a neighborhood musical event and the first Wall-to-Wall was born on January 7, 1978, and was such a huge success that it became the catalysis for the transformation of the derelict building into a center for the performing arts. The West Side is so rich with musicians that many of the performers then, and every year, are local residents. Over the years there have been a big range of Wall-to-Walls, from Ravel and Debussy, to Duke Ellington, to Joni Mitchell. I went to the one devoted to Balanchine in 2004 and Stravinsky in 2006.

I just love that it is all free and you can come and go. On Saturday with my friend we went out and had lunch, took a walk in Central Park, and had another break for tea. But we kept coming back. Several highlights for me were Brandenburg Concerto #5, Goldberg Variations, and Flute Sonata in B minor. But then especially exciting was Concerto for Two Violins in D minor because this is the very beautiful music for Balanchine's Concerto Barocco.  I loved seeing the two lead violins being played by the two sisters, Ani and Ida Kavafian. There is a playfulness and comraderie between the two violins that was brought out by these musicians, as it is also between the dancers in Balanchine's choreography. SAB students, including my daughter, have been working hard on this piece as they prepare for up-coming performances. I'm really excited about going to see  WORKSHOP in two weeks and WASHINGTON  the week after! 

(For more info about performances, click on the highlighted links above) 

My class at SVA is about to start up again. In June I am teaching a 4 week summer class. Enrollment is almost full so we just decided to add a 4 week July class as well. Both are a shortened, more intense version of my regular 12 week class - perfect for the summer! Here is the link at sva.edu for more info.

I always tell my students at SVA to join SCBWI - The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators . It's a great organization bringing together children's book people throughout the US (and internationally) - and I really think it is the #1 source of information and resources for people who are immersing themselves in the field.  So recently at the annual spring conference that takes place at the Society of Illustrators I was very happy to bump into a whole bunch of former SVA students who have taken my class at one time or another. And then I was especially proud that one former student, Jennifer Merz, was one of the speakers at the conference! She was on the panel of "newly known" illustrators who each talked about how they got their first lucky break and about their process of working on their first books. They all had in common that they had shown their portfolios at this conference and their work had been spotted by editors. 

Jenn talked about how her creative journey started a long time ago with childhood memories. She showed a picture she drew in 6th grade of a playground scene which was very connected to her book "Playground Day" that she wrote and illustrated all these years later! (click here for the blog interview I did with her)  And she showed some of the illustrations that were in her portfolio that helped get her her first book, and they were all pieces that she had done in my class - wow, did I feel proud!

Also on the panel was Jacqueline Cohen . We are friends going way back, from art school at University of Michigan. Jackie is a painter who also together with her husband has a pottery business in High Falls, NY. Over the years people responded to the narrative qualities in her pictures on clay and paper, and she was encouraged (including by me!) to think about doing children's books. Then when she showed her portfolio at the SCBWI conference, she was first offered a book jacket, and then a picture book manuscript which became her first book. 

The third person on the panel, Patricia Keeler , also did a great job.  Inspirational and happy stories from all three. Frieda Gates who organizes the conference every year gets a lot of credit for a great conference. It is quite a process getting a first book published but classes and conferences and workshops really can help!

Opening night at New York City Ballet is always a celebration! Everyone gets dressed up for the festivities. Here is my daughter and her SAB friends. There were some incredible gowns worn by fancy people. I enjoyed seeing the whole spectacle from my $15 seat up in the 4th ring!

And the 4th ring was the perfect place to be to see Circus Polka, the first piece on the program, because seen from above you can really appreciate all the formations. Fast moving patterns are formed by the 48 children who range in size from little to tiny. The short number ends with the children snapping into place to form the letters J.R. - for Jerome Robbins because this season is a celebration of his work. The children were adorable and impeccable, as always, rehearsed by Garielle Whittle. (Circus Polka will also open the workshop performances and several NYCB performances later in the season - it is short and wonderful!) 

On the other hand, Watermill which I saw on Friday and Saturday nights, is long and wonderful. Actually it has the controversial reputation for being too long and boring, but I found it to be neither.  The music by Teiji Ito was played by six musicians on the side of the stage. When the first musician started playing a flute-like instrument, I was pulled immediately into the dreamlike meditative atmosphere. The picture created on stage was breathtaking, with the golden wheat, rustled by a breeze, the changing phases of the golden moon, and Nikolaj Hubbe's golden hair. To me, it seemed to be the story of a man contemplating his life and the passage of time, with memories of the phases, the seasons of his life: boyhood, sexual awakening, adulthood and maturity, and the approach of death, or something like that. Matt Renko (a current apprentice) was wonderful as the young boy with light quick energy. Kaitlyn Gilliland as the young woman was beautiful, mysterious and mesmerizing. (I would LOVE to see her in Afternoon of a Faun!)  Zachary Catazaro, (also a current apprentice) was handsome and intense as her lover. It was wonderful to have Nikolaj Hubbe's quality of presence back on the stage even if his movement was limited - infact for much of the time he is still or barely moving at all. The music with sounds evocative of insects, birds, wind, and the visual effects of floating paper lanterns, paper kites, and falling petals, all contributed to the mood and world created. When I saw Watermill for the second time on Saturday I was very lucky to sit in the first row of the orchestra, right there close to the stage - perfect for this quiet, intimate and dreamlike piece.

Four Seasons, which followed Watermill, provided the perfect compliment or antidote, depending on how you look at it. Ashley Bouder, Daniel Ulbricht and Benjamin Millipied were sensational in the fall section! Absolutely no controversy there!

For this first week back at the ballet I think I went five times! I love Symphony in Three Movements every time I see it. Damian Woetzel and Tess Reichlen in Western Symphony were irresistible! I'm trying to catch as many of his performances as possible before he retires in June. He is dancing with even more ease and charisma than ever, if that is possible!

I'm excited about the Robbins Celebration and the ballet season ahead! Check things out at www.NYCBallet.com and see what is coming up!

Update: Mara Purl (see comment below), one of the musicians of Watermill wrote a wonderful and informative entry about the ballet and the experience of being part of its creation: I very much recommend reading it on NYCB's website and here is the link.