Earlier this week I had the pleasure of interviewing Sterling and Robbie (also known as Romeo + Juliet) for an upcoming Tragic Love episode.
They were so much fun to talk to and had such great things to say… made it kind of hard to chop up into 4 minutes! One of the best things is that they both said this production is the most fun they’ve had dancing.
I’ll be “dancing” in R+J, but not until the second night of the performance, which means I’ll get to enjoy Sterling and Robbie’s performance from the audience at the gala. Can’t wait!
Sarah
Awwww. They are adorable and so talented. I can’t wait for R&J to get underway, and I am sure the dancers feel the same since they’ve been rehearsing since November!
Loved episode 6 on tragiclovenyc.com, by the way, and looking forward to heading to the State Theatre tonight and tomorrow afternoon for my first doses of spring NYCB.
Sarah
Apr 26, 2007 @ 15:13
tonya
I’m so excited for next Tuesday! I can’t wait to see Robert dance, since I’ve never seen him before
I’ve seen Sterling and she is beautiful — a tiny powerhouse that one! I only know the MacMillan version of the ballet — and have seen it so many times I practically have parts memorized — so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Martins has done with it! Maybe I’ll see you in the house…
Also, Alastair Macaulay has an interesting, but too short (!) article in the Times today, in which he gives a brief history of Balanchine and a glimpse into what made him so great in his day. I found it very interesting, and smartly thought-provoking too — I really didn’t know how revolutionary Balanchine was with the jazzy Americanized movement and I think that’s lost on young audiences today who tend to see ballet as a fundamentally conservative dance form… So, without dealing directly with the issue, the article made me think of relevance. How to make clear Balanchine’s legacy and significance and keep pushing ballet forward seems to be the challenge.
Also, he seems to think Balanchine’s power is somewhat lost on today’s young dancers. He considers Nichols the greatest of the Balanchine ballerinas and bemoans her approaching retirement, which I think is a sentiment shared by all NYCB fans. It’s a good article and provides food for thought:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/arts/dance/26ball.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Apr 26, 2007 @ 15:59
philip
Nice photos of Sterling & Rob…
It’s good to read that you are in the production, Kristin… I’ll be looking out for you.
Apr 26, 2007 @ 17:03
Bob
I’m really looking forward to NYCB’s Romeo and Juliet (your episodes on tragiclovenyc have been great and have really whetted my appetite to see the ballet- I’ve never been overly fond of the MacMillan version at ABT and I’m hoping that Peter’s version will be truly new and different)). I’m also thrilled that you will be dancing at the second performance - I’m a big fan of yours and have missed you greatly during your absence from the stage. Thanks for the photos of Sterling & Rob! I wish them and you and the entire company all the best for the R & J run and for the entire season.
Apr 26, 2007 @ 18:36
jennifer
i’m amazed robert fairchild, as a corps members, has scored the role of Romeo. Do we see a future principal in the making??? congrats to sterling & robbie.
Apr 27, 2007 @ 14:18
tonya
Jennifer — there’s an article in New York magazine this week about the numbers of young dancers at NYCB being given large roles. Apparently there is some controversy over that, although the author concludes that it’s a good thing.
Apr 27, 2007 @ 14:54
kathy
Kristin, Sterling looks beautiful…but, what happened to Callie Bachman as Juliet? I’m a bit confused.
Apr 27, 2007 @ 20:43
jennifer
well, i hope that peter martins has a principal role waiting for kristin when she returns!!!
Apr 28, 2007 @ 03:52