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Stars of the 21st Century gala in New York


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The date for the usually annual gala, Stars of the 21st Century gala in New York is

February 13th at New York State Theater, Lincoln Center.

No list of performs or rep. But it will be posted when it is available.

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As per advert in this Sunday's Times, tickets were on sale at the box office this morning. I was a line of one. Prices $150 First Ring and Orchestra, $105 Second Ring, .... . Very good seats are available.

I copied the program from Dale's post under Heads Up last month:

'STARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY'

Monday February 13, 2006

State Theater/Lincoln Center

Reservations: CenterCharge at 212/721-6500 or theater box office

'STARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY," featuring principal dancers from the world's major ballet companies, will once again gather for a Gala Performance at The State Theater, Lincoln Center, Monday February 13 at 8 PM. Producer Solomon Tencer and Artistic Director Nadia Veselova Tencer have for ten years presented ballet galas in Paris, Cannes, New York, and Toronto. Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Kirov Ballet, Munich Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet will be joined by dancers from Complexions USA and Tango Metropolis Argentina.

American Ballet Theatre

Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky

Bolshoi Ballet

Svetlana Lunkina, Serge Filin

Complexions Inc. USA

Desmond Richardson, Tai Jimenez

Kirov Ballet

Andrian Fadeyev

Munich Ballet

Lucia Lacarra, Cyril Pierre

New York City Ballet

Sofiane Sylve

Paris Opera Ballet

Mathilde Froustey, Emmanuel Thibault

Tango Metropolis Argentina

Pilar Alvarez, Claudio Hoffmann

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I just spoke to Solomon Tencer and he said the tickets were "flying", meaning sales have been swift today. I suppose, drb, if you were a line of one, that most folks are phoning CenterCharge to purchase theirs. I suggest that those who want to go start thinking about getting their tickets. Last year, there were people outside before the performance trying to buy tickets from anyone who had an extra one. It was a sold out event.

Edited to add:

I just got off the phone with CenterCharge. My seats are in the second ring side at $85 each. Third ring sides are $75.

There are great seats to be had right now.

Edited by Marga
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I didn't mean to imply seats weren't selling, just that, after the large advert in The Times, there was literally no one else there at noon (well, there were, but they were all in NYCB's line). And I did buy wonderfully good seats.

Loved last year's Gala, but that one did have Cojocaru and Vishneva to justify the price. Quite frankly, Cojocaru alone justifies tripling the price. Would be nice to know partners of Fadeyev and Sylve. Lacarra always delivers, and Irina/Max had quite a success in Paris (I think the Gala had four performances there... hopefully NYC is no longer pretending to be the dance center of the world...). I'm especially looking forward to seeing Mlle. Mathilde Froustey, especially since I doubt the Met will let us see POB during my lifetime.

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I did ask what some of the others were dancing, but since most of the choices hadn't been firmed up, I only reported on the two that were known for sure. Solomon Tencer thought Sylve was doing a Robbins for her solo, but he was not 100% sure. He said that Lacarra and Pierre were probably doing Dame aux Camelias for one of their PDD, but that wasn't the last word either.

I've been around since the galas began (I mean around the center of operations, which is the dance school Tencer runs with his wife Nadia Veselova), and have for years been privy to who's coming, who's gotten injured and has to be replaced, what is being danced, etc. I've seen the program change right up to the last minute, so I guess that what I reported earlier could also change if something unexpected happens. One of the most niggling things in the past has been with the dancers from Russia having to wait until the last minute to know if they've been granted a visa by the government. There is always the possibility of injuries, too, as was the case last year when Guillaume Côté (National Ballet of Canada) had to suddenly partner Svetlana Lunkina in La Sylphide pas de deux with little preparation.

When the dancers' choices are as completely set as possible, I'll post them.

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As per our policy, we must wait for the official release for details on repertoire. Please hold off on posting anything other than the official word, which we will post when received.

Thank you.

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I don't know, I feel that for someone living in New York, this isn't the most exciting lineup, since I've had the opportunity to see most of these dancers recently in other contexts. Cojocaru has the wow factor, and there are many other Royal Ballet dancers I would like to see now also, like Tamara Rojo. And wouldn't it be wonderful to see some Kirov favorites who are getting left behind on tours, like Pavlenko or Dumchenko?

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I don't know, I feel that for someone living in New York, this isn't the most exciting lineup, since I've had the opportunity to see most of these dancers recently in other contexts. Cojocaru has the wow factor, and there are many other Royal Ballet dancers I would like to see now also, like Tamara Rojo. And wouldn't it be wonderful to see some Kirov favorites who are getting left behind on tours, like Pavlenko or Dumchenko?

Yes, for myself this isn't exactly my wish list of dancers I don't get to see much that I'd like to see.

Last year I went gaga over Cojocaru and Vishneva

I'm sure though that for others, this will serve as a drawing card.

But I'm going to skip it, I don't feel like paying a premium to see that slate .

Also I'm cautious what I buy in mid winter. I live in NJ and if we get a foot of snow, the $$$$$ I paid out goes down the drain. Unless I drive into Manahattan, all the other posibilities involve multiple links. And driving in a snowstorm isn't fun. Besides they could close the roads to non-essential traffic

Same day purchases are safest and I think this may be long since sold out by the day of the performance

Richard

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I don't know, I feel that for someone living in New York, this isn't the most exciting lineup, since I've had the opportunity to see most of these dancers recently in other contexts. Cojocaru has the wow factor, and there are many other Royal Ballet dancers I would like to see now also, like Tamara Rojo. And wouldn't it be wonderful to see some Kirov favorites who are getting left behind on tours, like Pavlenko or Dumchenko?

Yes, for myself this isn't exactly my wish list of dancers I don't get to see much that I'd like to see.

Last year I went gaga over Cojocaru and Vishneva

I'm sure though that for others, this will serve as a drawing card.

But I'm going to skip it, I don't feel like paying a premium to see that slate .

Also I'm cautious what I buy in mid winter. I live in NJ and if we get a foot of snow, the $$$$$ I paid out goes down the drain. Unless I drive into Manahattan, all the other posibilities involve multiple links. And driving in a snowstorm isn't fun. Besides they could close the roads to non-essential traffic

Same day purchases are safest and I think this may be long since sold out by the day of the performance

Richard

I agree with your reservations, and hope that they'll add more favorites to list as the day draws nearer. Last year I waited till a week or 2 before the performance and there wasn't much left. Of course that could have been due to the appearances of Cojocaru & Vishneva. Even if the line up stays the same, I really love Lacarra & Lunkina, so I'm looking forward to it.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop hoping for Pavlenko (or Ayupova or Rojo)!

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I tend to agree with all three perspectives in the above post! One could argue that the ballerina star power this time is not more than could have been seen Sunday afternoon at NYCB. Bouder of course, more in the range of Vishneva and Cojocaru, plus Vishneva-like Reichlen, and the lightening-striking trio of Fairchild, Scheller and Peck. All this with a real orchestra, not recordings (can't forget the catastrophic "music" that was played for Vishneva's Rubies). And for half the price.

Still, it costs a lot of money to bring in such a varied array of dancers. Lacarra is a lock, and Lunkina deserves to be seen with her Bolshoi partner. But, I'm hoping along with NYSusan...

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Here's the latest:

STARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY RETURNS TO THE STATE THEATER FOR A GALA PERFORMANCE, FEBRUARY 13, 7:30 PM

Monday February 13, 7:30 PM

State Theater/Lincoln Center

Tickets: $20 - $150

Reservations: 212/721-6500 or theater box office

"Stars of the 21st Century" returns to the State Theater with a glittering performance of principal dancers from major ballet companies around the world. Producer Solomon Tencer and Artistic Director Nadia Veselova Tencer have for eleven years presented ballet galas in Paris, Cannes, New York, and Toronto, affording audiences an opportunity to see stellar dancers from the world's great companies, as well as choreography that includes the classics and, this year, works by Jerome Robbins, Roland Petit, Twyla Tharp, Dwight Rhoden, Vladimir Vasiliev, Pierre Lacotte, John Neumeier, A. Beliy, and Victor Gsovsky. "Stars" can always be counted on for a surprise or two, and this year presents renowned dancers in another style - Pilar Alvarez and Claudio Hoffmann of Tango Metropolis Argentina, accompanied by Daniel Binelli, master of the bandoneon.

ARTISTS

Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky

American Ballet Theatre

Svetlana Lunkina, Sergei Filin

Bolshoi Ballet

Desmond Richardson

Complexions Inc. Contemporary Ballet NY

Andrian Fadeyev

Kirov Ballet

Lucia Lacarra, Cyril Pierre

Munich Ballet

Sofiane Sylve

New York City Ballet

Mathilde Froustey, Emmanuel Thibault

Paris Opera Ballet

Pilar Alvarez, Claudio Hoffmann

Tango Metropolis Argentina

PROGRAM

Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky

Carmen, choreography by A. Beliy, music of Bizet and R. Schedrin

Known by Heart "Junk" by Twyla Tharp, music by Donald Knaack

Svetlana Lunkina and Sergei Filin

Paganini Pas de Deux by Vasiliev, music by Rachmaninoff

Pharaoh's Daughter pas de deux by Pierre Lacotte, music by Pugni

Desmond Richardson

Showman's Groove by Dwight Rhoden, music by Michael Buble

a second solo to be announced

Andrian Fadeyev

Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, choreography by Balanchine

with Sofiane Sylve

Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre

The Lady of the Camellias, choreography by John Neumeier, music by Chopin

Thais pas de deux, choreography by Petit, music by Massenet

Sofiane Sylve

Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux with Andrian Fadeyev

solo from Dances at a Gathering, choreography by Jerome Robbins,

music by Chopin

Mathilde Froustey and Emmanuel Thibault

Grand Pas Classique, choreography by Victor Gsovsky, music by Auber

Giselle pas de deux from Act II, choreography by Coralli and Perrot, music by Adam

Pilar Alvarez and Claudio Hoffmann

Oblivion, choreography by Alvarez & Hoffmann, music by Astor Piazzolla, accompanied by Daniel Binelli

La Cumparsita, choreography by Alvarez & Hoffmann, music by Enrique Mattos Rodriguez

program subject to change

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This is the second year in a row that I have attended the Stars of the 21st Century. I read on the Message Board about the cast and I was a little disappointed that perhaps the star power was not there like last year, but it was an incredible evening which I thoroughly enjoyed.

1) The evening began with Desmond Richardson of Complexions Contemporary Ballet in Showman's Groove. To be honest, this was not what I came to see, but what Richardson showed us was his incredible ability to interpret every note of music with his body. He danced to very jazzy music and the choreography was by Dwight Rhoden. It was a good way to start the evening.

2) Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky were next in the Carmen Pas de Deux. This was very different from the Carmen Pas de Deux which was done at last year's gala by Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre. Irina and Maxim came out in sort of matching oufits - very bellbottomy like pants - he was shirtless. They did very sharp, jarring moves - there was nothing graceful about this dance. It was great to see them dance together again, but I didn't like the dance.

3) Sofian Sylve and Andrian Fadeyev danced to Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. Strange - I live in New York, but this is the first time that I have seen Sylve dance and I have seen Fadeyev dance three times. I saw Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux many years ago with Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins - it is such a beautiful dance. Sylve kind of floated over the stage and Fadeyev showed her off very nicely. This was a very good pairing - too bad they did not do a second dance - Sylve did a solo in the second act.

4) The Giselle Act II Pas de Deux was performed by a young couple from the Paris Opera Ballet - Mathilde Froustey and Emmanuel Thibault. She is an absolutely lovely ballerina. I saw this at last year's gala with Alina Cojocaru and Johann Kobborg. They gave me the chills and Cojocaru made me cry. Froustey and Thibault did not do that for me this year, but they did a beautiful job. I watched her more than him and I think she is going to to be great. She has beauty and a purity to her dancing.

5) Oblivion with Pilar Alvarez and Claudio Hoffmann of Tango Metropolitan Argentina. Last year, they brought in the Martha Graham Dancers, which I hated. This year, as something different, they brought in these two internationally renowned tango dancers. These two were brilliant - very intense and very hypnotic. They were able to draw in the audience without ever taking their eyes off each other.

6) Pharaoh's Daughter with Svetlana Lunkina and Sergei Filin of the Bolshoi. How dissapointed I was last summer that I could not get tickets to this when the Bolshoi was here at the end of July. So, I was looking forward to seeing this. And how nice to see Lunkina back this year. Last year, her partner was not able to dance and she danced with Guillame Cote in La Sylphide, which I felt did not really show off her strengths. This was a much better dance for her. She is another lovely ballerina with that sky high extension (although not as hyper-extended as Svetlana Zakharova) of the Bolshoi ballerinas. He is a great partner and had great extension on his leaps and jumps. I wish I could see this whole ballet live one day.

7) The program listed that Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre were going to dance the Lady of the Camillas, but instead they danced to the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. As I watched them, I thought of something I read in one of Gelsey Kirkland's books. Gelsey Kirkland was trying to caoch young dancers to dance and show their hearts when they danced - to express what they were feeling while they danced. (I know I am wording this all wrong - I have to go back to the book to get the exact wording). All of the ballerinas tonight - Dvorovenko, Sylve, Froustey, and Lunkina are so lovely to watch. But Lacarra brings that extra special quality to her dance. Maybe because she dances with the man she loves in real life or maybe she is such a superb actress - I could see her love when she danced. And everything that they did looked so effortless. She would be standing there and the next second she is upside down like it was all part of the emotion that they had for one another. This brought tears to my eyes and the audience loved them.

INTERMISSION

1) Grand Pas Classique with Froustey and Thibault. I liked them even better in this than in Giselle. She really captivated the audience with her solo number (the part with all the little turns). That's it - I'm in love :beg: What an incredibly lovely ballerina - she was the real surprise of the night for me. If only the Paris Opera Ballet would actually come to New York. But this is a ballerina that I want to keep my eye on in the future.

2) Sofiane Sylve did the Solo from Dances at a Gathering. This was good (a lot of posing), but it was way too short. And a solo dance did not fit in with the night's program. But she was lovely to watch.

3) La Cumparsita - the return of Alvarez and Hoffmann in this famous piece of music (I had no idea that it was called La Cumparsita). Once again, they drew the audience in with this very steamy tango.

4) Paganini Pas de Deux with Lunkina and Filin - He was the violin player and she was his muse. She entered and exited the dance with a scarf in her hands. This dance had it all - there was dynamic dancing at the beginning and the end as he chased after his muse. Then, there was the lovely slow section in the middle. I liked them better in this than in The Pharaoh's Daughter.

5) Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky returned with the Junk Duet from Known By Heart with choreography by Twyla Tharp. Once again, they were much better in this than in their Act I Carmen. This was very strange, kind of avant-garde techno music where they interpreted every beat of the music. And Irina did one move several times where she slid across the floor. The love they have for one another (on and off stage) came through more in this dance than in Act I. The dance was intense, yet playful. Not your classical ballet, but they seemed to be having a lot of fun with it.

6) Desmond Richardson returned in Solo, with music by Prince. Again, Richardson was able to interpret every beat of the music and get his body into incredible positions. Like Act I, not really what I came to see, but certainly worth watching.

7) Lacarra and Pierre closed the show with the Thais Pas de Deux with choreography by Roland Petit. I saw this once before with the Royal Ballet at the Ashton Centennial, where the woman kind of floats in and out of the man's dream. With this version, it was a total expression of love. I cried again - these two have such a wonderful quality to their dancing and they are able to draw the audience in with the mood that they set on stage. Lacarra truly dances with her heart.

8) All the dancers came out to dance by themselves and then together. Alvarez and Hoffmann got applause by doing their tango and then he lifted her in a ballet-like move.

What an incredible night! Very different from last year. And as my good friend and I left Lincoln Center we just kept saying - "We are so lucky to be here!"

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for the record, the choreography for the ROMEO AND JULIET/BALCONY duet danced by lacarra & pierre was john cranko's; this information, confirmed by the event's press agent, was not given noted in the program or in the loudspeaker announcement.

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for the record, the choreography for the ROMEO AND JULIET/BALCONY duet danced by lacarra & pierre was john cranko's; this information, confirmed by the event's press agent, was not given noted in the program or in the loudspeaker announcement.

rg, thanks for that info, I was just about to ask if it was Cranko's or Neumeier's R&J (not even sure if Neumeier ever even did an R&J). In any case, it was lovely. What a treat to see such accomplished, expressive dancers performing such beautiful material. Some of MacMillan's R&J is wonderful, and I love his balcony scene but it's a shame that NY so rarely gets to see any other versions anymore. As performed by Pierre & Lacarra this version struck me as being much more innocent & dewey eyed than MacMillan's. There was more emphasis on young love, or even infatuation finally & unexpectantly deepening into something more.

I have to agree with most of Ceeszi's observations, and thank her for listing all the programming info! This was also my second year in a row attending this gala. Last year Lacarra was the revelation for me. This year I too felt that Mathilde Froustey was the major discovery. She has a combination of steely technique, ethereal line, beautifully pliant feet, and a demeanor at once both delicate and regal. I was also very impressed with her partner, Emmanuel Thibault.

Last year's gala featured some real highs, but also a few yawns. This year I thought the level was high throughout. I'll admit feeling a certain reluctance to pay big bucks to see dancers I already see all the time, so I was delighted at Max & Irina's decision to perform against type here. It was lots of fun to watch them cut loose in the modern works. I also enjoyed seeing Sylve and Fadeyev in Tchai Pas, but he looked a bit small for her, and I felt she held back a little. As Ceeszi noted, her 2nd appearance in Dances at a Gathering was beautiful, but brief.

I thought all of the dancers were wonderful, but for the 2nd year in a row I don't think Lunkina chose material that showed her at her best. I wish she had chosen to perform part of the underwater scene from Pharaoh's Daughter, but I guess that wouldn't have worked for Sergei Filin! Yes, her technique is strong and she and Filin both excelled in the Pharaoh's Daughter pas de deux (esp the petite batterie), but I think her great strength is as a romantic ballerina and PD does not show this side of her. Even though Filin had all the fireworks in the Paganini pas de deux I thought this selection showed her lyricism to much greater effect than the Lacotte pdd.

Richardson, Alvarez & Hoffmann were all great, and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I have to say that for the 2nd year in a row I thought Lucia Lacarra really stood out, even in this galaxy of stars. She is a very unique dancer, I don't know how to describe her except perhaps as a combination of Makarova and Whalen. That description is probably unfair to all 3 of them, but that's all that comes to mind! Although I prefer the Ashton version she & Pierre were heavenly in Petit's Thais pdd. I wish we could see more of them here!

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Thanks you for your reviews and comments, Ceeszi and nysusan! What a joy to discover a new favorite. It sounds like a real coup to have presented the two tango dancers, Alvarez and Hoffmann.

Did Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky dance from the version of Carmen that Alonso choreographed for Plitsetskaya?

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Did Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky dance from the version of Carmen that Alonso choreographed for Plitsetskaya?

No, this version was by A Beliy, anyone familiar with him/her?

It was a very stark, modernist dance. As Ceeszi said they were both wearing simple black costumes with wide legs and straight lines.

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neumeier has done ROMEO & JULIET, when the royal danish ballet first brought the production to nyc, in the late 70s it received some most memorable performances with mette ida kirk and ib andersen and with anne marie dybdall and arne villumsen. hard to tell then who one preferred, all gave these leading dancers gave unforgettable performances. j. rose's settings were also quite impressive, tho' extremely simple, overall.

here are the NYPL cat. credits:

Romeo and Juliet : Chor: John Neumeier; mus: Sergei Prokof'ev; scen: Filippo Sanjust. First perf: Frankfurt am Main, Städtische Bühnen, Feb 14, 1971, Städtische Bühnen Ballet. // First perf. by Royal Danish Ballet: Copenhagen, Royal Theatre, Dec 14, 1974; scen: Juergen Rose; lighting: Jorgen Mydtskov.

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