papeetepatrick, on Apr 9 2008, 07:49 PM, said:
Now that this thread is fairly aged, I see that I still find certain dancers magnificent in certain roles or at certain periods of their careers, and less so in/or at others. I paid no attention to Angel Corella in that 2005 Swan Lake (which doesn't mean I don't think he was good, I just wasn't interested especially in much of anything that was going on), but recently watched the 2000 'Romeo and Juliet' with Alessandra Ferri.
Well, there is also a difference in emphasis in 'handsome' and 'gorgeous', and as Romeo Angel Corella is gorgeous. He is easily the most arresting Romeo I've ever seen--because it's a combination of not only the phenomenal dancing, but he's got the right body type for Romeo to have convinced me more than Nureyev, who is too theatrical in a certain sense of the word. I thought Ferri exquisite as Juliet, but except when they were dancing together, I watched him more than I did her. Her dancing seemed to me to be equal to his, but she didn't seem to embody Juliet quite as much as he did Romeo.
As I've said many times...Corella in R& J is a perfect synergy of looks, temperment, and technique. Something the ABT p.r./marketing staff seem to be aware of also, since he usually graces the R&J publicity (one-sheets, 'lobby cards', program covers) whenever it's performed. FYI: In several on-line and print interviews, and in the book
Round About the Ballet, he explains his affinity for the role. He is very astute when analyzing it.
PS. I understand your reaction to the 2005 Swan Lake video completely, but also thought his performance helped the clueless Emmy evaluators understand the story/role more, and perhaps contributed to the broadcast winning the award.
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Well, Well, Well...... This is where one gives away their age....
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