2 replies to this topic

[PeggyR]

Opening night cast for Program 6.

According to SFB's April E-news sent to subscribers:

Farewell Katita Waldo
Katita Waldo, a member of the Company since 1988, gives her final performances during Programs 6 and 7....

Here's an article about her retirement.

Note world premiere of Underskin, SFB's first commission from Renato Zanella, former resident choreographer at the Stuttgart Ballet, and artistic director and primary choreographer at the Vienna State Opera Ballet.

Program 6 Opening Night

Thursday, April 08, 2010, 8pm

"HAFFNER" SYMPHONY
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Martin West

Vanessa Zahorian*, Davit Karapetyan*

INTERMISSION

World Premiere
UNDERSKIN
Choreographer: Renato Zanella
Composer: Arnold Schoenberg
Conductor: Martin West

Sofiane Sylve*

Katita Waldo*, Lorena Feijoo*, Frances Chung*
Vitor Luiz*, Pascal Molat*, Gennadi Nedvigin*

INTERMISSION

RUSSIAN SEASONS
Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
Composer: Leonid Desyatnikov
Conductor: Martin West
Violin: Franklyn D’Antonio
Soprano: Susana Poretsky

Orange/White Yuan Yuan Tan, Tiit Helimets*
Red Sarah Van Patten, Pierre-Francois Vilanoba
Green Lorena Feijoo, Davit Karapetyan
Blue Pauli Magierek*, Pascal Molat
Violet Maria Kochetkova, Isaac Hernandez
Purple Elizabeth Miner, Hansuke Yamamoto

* Denotes premiere in role.

[PeggyR]

Saturday April 10 Matinee

The opener was Tomasson's 'Haffner' Symphony: another ballet consisting mainly of center floor combinations, although Vanessa Zahorian's champagne fizz makes it a little less like watching an class of advanced students showing off.

The real news was the premiere of Renato Zanella's 'Underskin' set to Schoenberg's beautiful Verklärte Nacht. The set (what looked like telephone poles set at angles to represent trees in a forest), costumes (lead woman -- black brocaded unitard with an 'I'm mad and I'm bad' hairdo; female soloists -- ice skating outfits covered with bronze or silver leaves coupled with punk rocker hair; men -- bare chests, black pants), and lighting (dark, darker, darkest) were effective and, ultimately, more interesting than the choreography. Zanella's movement vocabulary is distinctive (lots of isolations, strange arm moves), but after about 10 minutes, I began to feel like, um, yes, didn't we just see that a minute ago? I'm looking forward to seeing this again, though; there's a lot going on -- much of it in the dark -- and it's a 'mood' piece; maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

The performances, however, can't be faulted. My favorite soloist, Elana Altman in the lead, and Yuan Yuan Tan with Anthony Spaulding in the pas de deux were all terrific, and it was good to see Jaime Garcia Castilla back on stage and looking fine.

For me Ratmansky's 'Russian Seasons' was the highlight of the program, maybe of the season. In a uniformly first-rate cast (substitutions: Francis Chung for Maria Kochetkova and James Sofranko for Hansuke Yamamoto), mention has to be made of Lorena Feijoo in green; the role played to all her strengths -- rock solid technique combined with that melting softness in her arms and upper body, plus her extraordinary dramatic power -- she had me in tears. Susana Poretsky sang beautifully; this is a score I'd listen to with or without the ballet (preferably with ).

[cubanmiamiboy]

mention has to be made of Lorena Feijoo in green; the role played to all her strengths -- rock solid technique combined with that melting softness in her arms and upper body, plus her extraordinary dramatic power -- she had me in tears.

Peggy...I know how Feijoo has the ability to "get" you...I was lucky enough to see her in her very beginnings back in Cuba, and now subsequently with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami in all major roles-(Giselle, Medora, Carmen). The current debacle that the company is facing has mresulted in the much anticipated Sleeping Beauty of hers to be canceled...a real tragedy. Promotion photos had been taken already, and she looked beautiful in her Aurora costume...agrrrr!
I wonder is she will still come to dance Kitri in their upcoming Don Quijote.