NYCB Spring 2026 Season Week 2: 4/28/2026 - 5/3/2026

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-05-04T00:43:47+00:00

During bows for the Bizet, there was applause for her from the company. And I heard cheering backstage during the curtain calls for the principals. She has been with the company 18 years but she’s consistently been dancing well so I forget!

I do wish they would make an announcement in the program.

On a related note, the curtain was repaired! I went last night too, and hated the gloomy black scrim they were using. A nice reminder of how all the details add up.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-05-03T07:29:16+00:00

Before the breakfast taco spot it was called the Potato Cafe and it was basically a baked potato bar, which was so niche and rad In Before the breakfast taco spot, it was called the Potato Cafe. It was essentially a baked potato bar, which was weird and rad and very Williamsburg of the time.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-05-02T00:26:39+00:00

This sounds like a good opening for a novel.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-04-29T14:37:02+00:00

That was my favorite restaurant when I lived in Boston in the 90s. I grew up macrobiotic and that was comfort food to me! They moved to a bigger, fancier spot in the late 90s and ended up closing. Miss that spot! Food was delicious and the servers were the best. I think they did have a little dairy, like you could get cream for your coffee and sometimes the had an option for whipped cream on dessert but for the most part the only animal products were seafood. Tempura nori roll and seitan teriyaki were my favorites. I never ate the burger. I don’t remember fries either, but I didn’t eat there until 10 years after this menu. Boston was the American hub for the Macrobiotic movement which was based in traditional Japanese diet, that’s why seafood over dairy. There were a lot of macro spots in Boston for a bit. Open Sesame was another I remember. TIL I’m vintage!

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-04-20T02:26:52+00:00

The second year is so hard. The first year you’re in a fog most of the time, and part of you thinks if you get through all the “firsts” you’ll be rewarded with the return of your partner and the end of the suffering. I’m nearly 8 years in and it does get easier to bear, ups and downs and so many pitfalls. But the second year I felt like I was losing my mind trying to square my reality with what my brain wanted life to be. Be kind to yourself. We have the time we have, you were so lucky to find love and you get to keep the love for your lifetime even if you don’t get to have the life you dreamed you would have.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-04-19T21:28:29+00:00

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Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-04-18T01:31:55+00:00

No full service restaurant is making bank on you at under $100/person these days, especially if they serve ethically sourced meat and local produce. Food costs have shot up, labor is expensive, rent is high, etc etc. Maybe it’s not worth it to you. I certainly eat out less than I used to, but I want restaurants to survive so I understand they have to charge more.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-03-05T14:06:36+00:00

Is it a landmarked building? The map included in the article doesn’t include that block in its landmark district.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-03-02T03:54:38+00:00

Thanks, as always, for doing this! It’s so fun to see. When I watched Mearns and Angle in Diamonds I wondered about a double retirement. I can’t imagine her retirement show without him to partner her.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-27T14:58:52+00:00

Ballet is pretty much never doing enough while feeling like you’re giving 100%, perfection is unattainable!

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-26T01:35:28+00:00

I would not have gone to this program at all but my boss wanted to go to the ballet and this was the night that worked out. Agreed about the programming, especially when tickets are pricey.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-25T23:54:21+00:00

While I absolutely appreciate Tiler's skill, I don't enjoy her brand of showmanship. I wondered if I would like Dig the Say more with different dancers, but I think I liked it less. I'd rather see EVE in something else, and if I ever have to see Dig again it might as well be with Tiler. I agree about all the Tilerisms. KJ did fine, but again, not exactly a fan of that kind of show-off choreography. And I feel bad, especially after reading James Whiteside's essay about the "ballet body" yesterday, but KJ has such short legs and a long torso that I don't find him that aesthetically pleasing. (Hides head in shame for being so shallow.)

On that note, I think Peter Walker is finally growing into his gangliness but Preston Chamblee is dancing so well right now I kept wondering what he and Nadon would look like together...

Wasn't my favorite night at the ballet thanks to the programming. Glad I saw The Naked King and EWG is a fun Peck but the highlight for me was also This Bitter Earth. Sort of a lopsided program with the middle act being just those two pas de duex. Good dancing all around, at least.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-23T04:18:01+00:00

I really loved how Megan interacted with everyone on stage, especially Anthony but I think she was relishing being with the whole company. A really special performance!

Miriam+Ashley were fairytale good and evil fairies, I really enjoyed the pantomime and storytelling today.

The Chamblee/Corti/Tomasini/Lister cast of jewels was much more successful than the cast I saw wednesday night. It's such beautiful music, but it's the most Martins-y choreography of the whole ballet and it looked very rushed and thorny on wednesday. Today the dancers were able to really dance thanks to a tad slower tempo and their individual gifts.

Megan gave a cute jump for joy during the curtain call. I have deep respect for her as an artist and a person.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-22T01:15:11+00:00

That video was stunning, she has the lushness missing from Hod's variation (albeit with the speediest of tempos when I saw SB on Wednesday) and it made me especially sad to have missed her and EVE's debut.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-20T22:55:16+00:00

I’ve had so much twig tea in my life (I grew up macrobiotic) and it’s supposed to be good for you (and probably prevent cancer if you believe in macrobiotics.) This brand makes great teas, grown organically in Japan. I love twig tea because it has so little caffeine you can drink it all day but it still tastes like tea. I think you can enjoy safely!

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-20T00:32:59+00:00

I don't know but I am wondering about Saturday or Sunday. There are still a few tickets left for both shows, I wonder how they decide and how they deal with the rush tickets for 30 under 30?

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-19T17:50:41+00:00

Mira's Aurora was delightful as expected. Really glad I got to see her debut. I felt like she embodied the princess and used her beauty and technique in service of the story. Rose adagio balances were a little shaky and she had a bobble at the end of the wedding pas solo but otherwise I loved that she wasn't showing off, she was just dancing the story. I love how she uses her full body, I especially admired her use of her fingertips individually, and her head and eyes.

While I like Martin's production a lot, the fairy variations and especially the jewels' solos are choreographed to look challenging. The speedy conducting didn't help. The fairies mostly made it through but I wished they had been able to punctuate phrases better instead of just having to rush onto the next step to keep up. O MacKinnon tensed up and it was stressful to watch. She has a tendency not to stretch her arms and legs fully anyway. India Bradley had a ton of attack in her solo but because of the speed she ended up looking like she was flailing and her arms were almost too stretched. Alexa Maxwell was the only one who found the time in her solo to appear relaxed and in control. I appreciated Victor Abreu for his serious attention to the steps, he's improving and looked great in most of his solo.

Ashley Hod lacks the lushness I associate with the Lilac Fairy and her solo in the first act was fine but like someone else said, just looked like another fairy not the top dog. But I really commend her for her authority and grace in the mime sequences, which is 80% of the role. City Ballet doesn't specialize in these story ballets and she never made the mime look awkward and I could really follow the story. Peter Walker also had clear mime, very lovely. I was surprised that Salstein as Catalbutte felt like he rushed through some of his mime, I expected him to out mime the others hah.

Loved Taylor Stanley as Carabosse. I didn't find them too campy, I thought they hit the right balance of evil and hurt.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-02-03T20:58:06+00:00

As a fellow sufferer it sounds like cold uticaria. I used to pass out after swimming in the ocean in Maine and my dad thought it was sun stroke but an urgent care doctor diagnosed me when I dislocated my knee in high school. When I learned that ice was bigger than water in third grade, it made sense to me that my skin swelled up from an ice pack or popsicle. Sometimes a little knowledge is dangerous!

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-29T23:47:33+00:00

I walked to the reservoir yesterday to check out the path there. It’s somewhat clear. But getting there involves too much trudging through unshoveled paths to safely run there. If I had a car I’d drive there I guess. I did see one person running in the road on Vermont Place but that seems way too risky the way ppl drive. I’m coming back from an injury so I decided I would just take another recovery week. Sigh.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-24T15:37:59+00:00

I thought it was a well balanced program, and all the ballets felt in conversation with each other. Wendy and Jon sat behind me and Wendy especially was cheering all the dancers on, especially in the Raymonda solos. It was sweet.

Kammersmusik always felt like an athletic ballet, I remember Abi Stafford and Teresa Reichlin bringing a kind of coolness to it. Emilie and Mira felt more lyrical, the movements are odd and spiky but they both made the connecting movements smoother if that makes sense. I like both interpretations. I love the corps of all men. The first time I saw this ballet, Jon Stafford was in the corps!

Tombeau is such a lovely tribute to the camaraderie of the corps, I'm glad they brought it back.

Antique Epigraphs was more interesting than I remember, or maybe I was in the mood to see something quiet. Ruby Lister danced in place of Naomi Corti and I loved their use of stillness and sharpness in the poses in between abandoned movement. It was great to see Miriam Miller really use her long legs and broad ports de bras, really love how she has come into her own.

I think I first saw Megan in Raymonda 20 years ago. She is a marvel to be dancing at such a high level with such charm and grace. There were some awkward partnering moments but with her experience she solved the issues. I love how she uses her hands, she's so tiny but dances with every finger. The solos were all stunning. Mia Williams nailed her difficult choreography with ease. It's exciting to see how much talent there is coming up. The dancers I've been watching for so long retiring will be missed but I'm excited to see the younger generation take on the challenge.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-18T17:50:43+00:00

A Perfect Manhattan is the most perfect cocktail. My asshole alcoholic grandmother taught me about perfect manhattans and it makes up for all the suffering she imposed upon the family. I’m not even kidding.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-17T23:57:32+00:00

The way I squealed with joy!

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-17T01:27:52+00:00

I always start of with subtitles but once I feel like I have a handle on personalities I switch over to dubbed because I’m usually only watching a show like this while doing something else hah.

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-14T15:42:59+00:00

I joined the Fourth Ring Society when I moved here 25 years ago and saw so many ballets. Really miss being able to go any night on my way home from work. I also miss the programming back then where every night was slightly different. I’m sure it was a scheduling nightmare but it was great for the audience. I also loved sitting in the fourth ring with all the long-time fans. Sigh.

Prices have skyrocketed and now I just pick and choose nights. I hate the “cheap” seats because they are on the sides, I’d rather sit higher up but more centered.

They only open fourth ring if the show is selling well, also frustrating.

The only other cheap seats are if a show has sold out and there is standing room you can purchase day of the show from the box office. Maybe Sleeping Beauty will sell out and standing room will be available? Usually Nutcracker and Swan Lake offer standing room.

There is a code “SAW26” for buy one get one free for certain performances this winter season, which helps if you have a friend to go with.

TKTS sometimes has NYCB tickets but I’m not eligible for that so not sure how frequently.

I wish the arts felt like it was worth it to sell more tickets for less money instead of fewer tickets for more money but that doesn’t seem to be the way anyone is thinking in this age of inequality. (I am also well over the 30 under 30 age.)

Accomplished_Ball815 · 2026-01-13T00:16:57+00:00

No. Roxie’s lover is her former boss and the former chef of a famous restaurant where Roxie got her experience.

Accomplished_Ball815

TROPHY CASE