27 replies to this topic

[carbro]

There's no arguing -- Osipova and Vasiliev blew the roof off City Center, but you know what has stayed with me? Momix's skiers!

MOMIX's Nicole Loizides and Steven Marshall, covered except for their faces in shiny silver bodysuits, stood on skis -- ski boots and all (and all equally silver). Their slow acrobatics were fascinating, and their unison was flawless.

I hate to report on Marcelo Gomes' choreographic debut, Tacaca. Sarawanee Tanatanit and Blaine Hoven in practice clothes went through the paces of the pas de deux we've seen so many times. Essentially the man manipulating the woman into various poses to an insistently percussive score. There were scattered moments of wit, but Mr. Gomes' gift for choreography seems far more modest than his gift for dancing.

The program includes a listing for Hee Seo and Ivan Ortega in Goyo Montero's Godspeed. I have absolutely no recollection of it. Did I zone out completely?

HongKong Ballet's Jin Yao and Huang Zen performed a charmingly modest Grand Pas Classique. None of the customary show-offy exhibitionism, just precise and musical dancing. She held her balances and tombe-ed to her knee as he did from his double air turns.

It is so strange presenting a program of pas de deux with nothing to pull it all together at the end. There should have been a defile for the adults, as there was for the students. Or maybe one of the two ensemble pieces presented in the first half to conclude the second. The one titled Out of Proportion (? something about proportion), a witty and inventive novelty number, would have filled that need perfectly.

[YID]

The program includes a listing for Hee Seo and Ivan Ortega in Goyo Montero's Godspeed. I have absolutely no recollection of it. Did I zone out completely?

you echoed my thoughts - i don't REMEMBER seeing them (well, they skipped an Osipova Solo, may be it was another "skipping").... PS (off-topic, it was nice meeting you at the Kirov's "get together")

[Natalia]

Yes, Seo/Ortega did not show. When Osipova's initial solo was skipped, I feared that she had not made it but was relieved when the Flames pdd was announced.

Was I alone in secretly wishing for a last-minute addition to the YAGP Gala in the form of Big Red?

[YID]

Was I alone in secretly wishing for a last-minute addition to the YAGP Gala in the form of Big Red?

I was missing KK too ;-))

Did Semionova and Bollet perform? It was supposed to be Semionova's American debut.

She didn't move or emote me. I watched her and was MISSING KANDAUROVA (big RED)....

[carbro]

Was I alone in secretly wishing for a last-minute addition to the YAGP Gala in the form of Big Red?

I am sure many of us will be missing Big Red on many occasions through the coming years. What a striking, intelligent dancer. Grrrrrr.

PS (off-topic, it was nice meeting you at the Kirov's "get together")

I so enjoyed meeting you, too, YID, and also Andre and Larry. I actually had not known about nysusan's rendezvous spot until she posted here, so thanks to her.

And thanks, YID and Natalia, for the reassurance that I was not losing my mind

[huck1994]

My first post, and I cannot think of a happier topic.
I agree that Vasiliev/Osipova were breath taking, and also that he is not the "next" anyone.
I commented to a friend who was not there, that it did not seem at all as if I were watching him in a "role", but rather that I was looking at someone who happened to drop by and wanted to dance for us, enjoying being with the audience I think as much as we did being with him.

I noticed that he has a website which is only in Russian........www.ivanvasiliev.ru/. I believe it may list his future performances; but I wonder generally how others participating here alert themselves to when/where their favorite dancers will be appearing, if the dancer has no website which we can follow. Perhaps the "Heads Up" forum does this in part?

Jim Davis
New York

[YID]

I noticed that he has a website which is only in Russian........www.ivanvasiliev.ru/. I believe it may list his future performances; but I wonder generally how others participating here alert themselves to when/where their favorite dancers will be appearing, if the dancer has no website which we can follow.

Welcome and THANK YOU for the link to the site ;-))
Nope, Ivan's site doesn't list his future performances and looks like someone else posts for him (judging from how his biography is narrated), and it doesn't list the most recent performances...
From several Russian dancer's web-site, i am aware of only Vishneva posting her schedule...
To moderator, feel free to move the posting to another thread, if found innappropriate here.

[drb]

YAGP has posted the winners at
http://www.yagp.org/eng/nyc08.asp

Mr. Vasiliev has a thread under Dancers.
http://ballettalk.in...showtopic=25160
On it there is a video-interview with him from the British press last summer.

[Marga]

Gene Schiavone has some pics up from the gala: Drew Jacoby & Rubinald Pronk, Osipova and Vasiliev, Sarawanee Tanatanit & Blaine Hoven:

YAGP photos

[Memo]

GRAND PRIX (for very best dancer, male or female): Norbert Something-or-other from the John Crako School, Germany. Wonderful, expressive dancer who wowed the gala audience with Les Bourgeois (made famous by Daniel Simkin)

1st PRIZE, SR MALE: Vadim Mungatirov of Russia...but representing the Royal Ballet Academy, where he is studying. I know Vadim as the winner of the latest Vaganova Prix in St Petersburg, a couple of years ago. Gorgeous technique and long line in his Don Q pdd solo.

1st PRIZE, SR FEMALE: Rocio Aleman of Monterrey, Mexico - gorgeous classicist, with perfect figure and face to be a star, dancing Sleeping Beauty Act I solo. I happened to be sitting next to her dad when her name was called...the only reason that I know her name because it could barely be heard.

!st PRIZE, JR MEN: Esteban Hernandez (thanks for providing the surname above, folks)....lovely Acteon solo

Results are now up but Norbert Lukaszehski was the grand prix winner and is from the Cranko school
Vadim Muntagirov and Benjamin Ella are from the Royal Ballet School London which is not associated with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Shame the announcer did not wait for the applause to die down until he announced the next piece.

[whitelight]

Did Semionova and Bollet perform? It was supposed to be Semionova's American debut.

She did and
sorry, it's just MY personal impression/opinion, She didn't move or emote me. I watched her and was MISSING KANDAUROVA (big RED).... Besides, "the Beatles" Osipova & Vasiliev, i was not impressed and greatly disappointed (after almost daily attending the Kirov tour)... but it's just my humble opinion.
Also, again, just my personal opinion, I found the program VERY INAPPROPRIATE for the gala where there were so MANY CHILDREN. Could someone sensor what was to be performed on the stage? There are other places in NYC to watch "love making" then the children's competition.....

I, also, could not agree more. Remembering my own brief years as a competitor (in admittedly less prestigious competitions), I was sensitive the to adult content of the evening even from the first act. Many of the "contemporary" solos looked more like cutesy and borderline provacative filly-prancing and attitude-projecting than demonstrations of the students' command over modern dance technique (or contemporary ballet technique as found in Forsythe, Wheeldon, and others' work). I realize that you have to let this go to some extent-- they're classical ballet students, may not have access to the training required for that style of movement, and have limited resources to contemporary choreographers.

But the choice to perform Carmen in the 2nd half of the program was completely inappropriate! There's not much else to say about that. I was also highly disappointed in the behavior of the kids & parents, who screamed at inappropriate moments (as mentioned above) and took flash photographs throughout the first act of the program-- with no apparent intervention either from the host or the ushers. The unfortunate Hodgkinson and Bolle had to perform their duet (the first of the 2nd act) to the accompaniment of probably 40 flashes before Mr. Cumming made the "no flash" announcement.

All that negativity aside (I know, I can be pretty crotchety for a young person-- and I think that in general I simply dislike galas), I was blown away by Osipova and Vasiliev. Osipova not only has all the tricks-- the multiple fouettes described earlier and her gorgeous, jumps-like-a-man leaps-- but also a warm and expressive upper body. Both of them are downright lovable. Very giving performers.

And I also loved the Momix. That Moses Pendleton sure has a gift.

[vagansmom]

For those unfamiliar with MOMIX's "Skiva", here are some photos from rehearsal for the Joyce last year where Steven Marshall performed it with Yasmine Lee. I couldn't find any pics of him with Nicole Loizides in "Skiva."

I think it was the first MOMIX piece I'd ever seen, way back around 1990. I never tire of it.

Skiva

Edited to add a "Whoops!" It won't let me post a link directly to the page with all the photos, but you can do a search on the page that comes up to see them all

[carbro]

Thanks, Jacki, for the link.