Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Jewels


Guest Animefleur

Recommended Posts

Guest Animefleur

I get to go see Jewels tomorrow. Yay! I've been looking forward to seeing it all season. Has anyone else seen it yet? I'll let you all know what I think when I can.

Link to comment
Guest Animefleur

I did enjoy it. The costumes were gorgeous! I liked rubies and diamonds the best. Didn't feel that the corps really had enough to do in Emeralds, although the music was lovely.

Principals in emeralds were Lorena Feijoo with Yuri Possokhov and Muriel Maffre with Benjamin Pierce. Rubies: Kirsten Long, Joan Boada and Elana Altman. Diamonds: Yuan Yuan Tan (I thought she was awesome in this role) with Zachary Hench. We'll have to compare notes after you see it on Friday! :)

Link to comment

After waiting all year to see Jewels, I was finally able to attend last night. I have loved Jewels since seeing it performed by NYCB and Miami City Ballet. I wanted to see what this company would do with it since they are not Balanchine based. Well, I think that Emeralds and Rubies belonged to the Balanchine companies. The most impressive performance of Jewels that I have seen was performed by Miami City Ballet--no contest.

I was disappointed with Emeralds last night. Sarah Van Patton and Muriel Maffrey were the lead woment. Muriel was wonderful. I keep trying to appreciate Sarah Van Patton, but have yet to enjoy any of her performances. I was also disappointed in the costumes--they were not an attractive shade of green and made the dancers look stocky.

Rubies was great. Lorena Feijoo was the lead. She was wonderful. My daughter, who has seen many casts really enjoys Kristin Long in the role. The corps dancers don't have the sharp moves that makes Rubies. With NYCB and MCB , the ballet is all legs and feet and sharp hip movements. I didn't see that on Friday , except for Lorena, she brought a lot of energy to the role.

I loved Diamonds. I loved the costumes, and the dancing. Zach Hench was absolutely wonderful as the cavalier. He was really on last night. He had great jumps and turns and was a great partner. I also enjoyed Yuan Yuna Tan in the lead role. She was beautiful. The corps was very together and much more at home with the choreography for this Jewel.

I would love to see them do it again with another cast but believe I might have missed my chance. I do love this ballet. And I love this company. They can dance so many different styles of ballet and dance them well. It is a real treat to be able to see such a world class ballet company.

Link to comment
Guest Animefleur

Okay, okay, I've finally gotten around to writing my review :rolleyes: I didn't see SFB perform Jewels last year so its all new to me! I can imagine how good Berman must have been in Emeralds, though :(

Here it goes:

I have been looking forward all season to seeing the San Francisco Ballet’s 70th anniversary performance of George Balanchine’s Jewels. The ballet’s three parts each have a feeling all of their own, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of seeing them all together as one whole work of art.

Emeralds opens the performance capturing the Romantic Era in France. Set to Fauré’s dream-like music, the soft choreography looked exquisite on Muriel Maffre who was partnered by Benjamin Pierce. Lorena Feijoo was the second lead. While she was good, I thought the choreography didn’t suit her style as well as the other parts I’ve seen her dance. I was also disappointed that the corps didn’t have more to do.

Rubies was awesome. The bold, jazzy explosion of music and movement shattered the reverie left over from the gentleness of Emeralds. Brilliant scarlet costumes heightened the mood set by Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. Kristin Long, Joan Boada, and Elana Altman were vibrant in this sensual ballet with its unconventional, sharp movements. The corps was in almost constant motion.

The pure, classical beauty of Diamonds concludes the trio of Jewels. Yuan Yuan Tan and Zachary Hench were an elegant pair. Tan lends such distinction to this role with her presence and gorgeous extensions. Hench was wonderful as the cavalier with his seemingly effortless fluidity of movement and the corps of 32 dancers added much dimension to this Russian jewel.

Link to comment

Thanks so much for the long review -- better late than never! It is wonderful that the entire ballet is finally in the repertory. Rubies looks best in context, definitely. I also agree that Feijoo isn't ideal in Emeralds, but it's something different for her, which is good.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...