105 replies to this topic

[Colleen Boresta]

Vipa, I also saw the Reyes/Sterans Sleeping Beauty.  I posted my thoughts about it on page 3.  It's the second to the last post.

[Helene]

I received a PM from a friend who said that Isaac Stappas was the dancer in the gray tunic, not the dancer in the brown tunic with gray sleeves.  (Not to take away from any of his other great performances.)

I wish I had been able to see faces clearly from Dress Circle

[Roberto Dini]

Ilya, on 06 July 2011 - 03:50 AM, said:

Perhaps in the future ABT should publish other commitments of their guest stars.  At least that way we the ticket buyers will be better informed about the odds we are facing.

From both a business and practical standpoint, this will never happen.  What would be the financial motivation to spend money tracking and publishing guest artists schedules.  An artist has an obligation to fulfill the requirements of his or her contract.  Beyond that is speculation.  Every company is trying to get people to buy tickets, not warn them of the possibility that an artist might not appear.

Also, how would ABT, or any company for that matter, publish and keep such information up to date? And to what end? What's in it for them?

[Drew]

In today's NYTimes, Macaulay wrote that Osipova withdrew from Sleeping Beauty due to passport problems.

[vipa]

Colleen Boresta, on 11 July 2011 - 03:03 AM, said:

Vipa, I also saw the Reyes/Sterans Sleeping Beauty.  I posted my thoughts about it on page 3.  It's the second to the last post.

Thank you so much.  I just went back and read it.

[Helene]

I'm glad he confirmed this.  Osipova has had several high-profile cancellations, once at the command of Bolshoi management (per a published interview with Burlaka), once because she was hospitalized, and recently because of passport problems.  Hopefully the set of three is complete, and it will be smooth sailing for her going forward.

[bingham]

Drew, on 11 July 2011 - 12:15 PM, said:

In today's NYTimes, Macaulay wrote that Osipova withdrew from Sleeping Beauty due to passport problems.

  In the same article, he praised the dancing of the female corps de ballet and some soloists in Sleeping Beauty saying that their dancing is"finer than the Royal ballet".

[abatt]

I think the "passport problem" was an official line given by Osipova's manager and ABT.  Osipova regularly travels  all over the world, and has done so for years.  I'm incredulous that she suddenly had a "passport problem."  I guess Osipova, her manager and ABT think that the general public is gullible. It would be better to offer no explanation or reason than to insult our intelligence.

[Drew]

abatt, on 11 July 2011 - 01:51 PM, said:

I think the "passport problem" was an official line given by Osipova's manager and ABT.  Osipova regularly travels  all over the world, and has done so for years.  I'm incredulous that she suddenly had a "passport problem."  I guess Osipova, her manager and ABT think that the general public is gullible. It would be better to offer no explanation or reason than to insult our intelligence.

I could not say one way or another, and certainly her manager needs to work more effectively with her to iron out all such problems (ahem). But I don't find the story implausible per se, because the US is so strict on visas etc. -- that's how Gelb lost a major European Opera Director for the Met. Are we to suppose he had never traveled before? I also recently had to help a non-Canadian citizen travel from Canada to the US for a short work-related visit--someone who had lived in several countries--and it was endlessly complex and delayed due to visa issues. (That does not mean that ABT does not have a right to expect these things to be sorted out; they do.)

Anyway, I am most definitely looking forward to seeing Osipova in the future!

[Roberto Dini]

Colleen Boresta, on 07 July 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

The July 6th matinee performance of ABT’s The Sleeping Beauty is noteworthy especially for Xiomara Reyes’ wonderful performance.  As Aurora, Reyes stands out for her sparkling footwork.  She is not a dancer known for her balances, so Reyes’ Rose Adagio is a lovely surprise.  She doesn’t hold her balances for a long time, but they are all very secure.  Reyes has  a very flexible upper body which she uses beautifully at the beginning of the Act III grand pas de deux.  Her gorgeous port de bras enriches her solo in the same pas de deux.  Reyes is also a very good actress.  In Act I (“The Spell”) Reyes really seems like a glowing sixteen year old ready to face life and love.  She is celestial in Act II’s vision scene and a happily confident young bride in the final act.

I did not see Reyes' Aurora this season, but I remember thoroughly enjoying her in the role.  She seems to have an innate sense of musicality that elevates her dancing to another level.  

I wish I could describe this better.  I remember her dancing in Kudulka's Désir had a such a level of musicality that it was a completely different piece than when others danced the same part--one performance seemed like an incredible feat of athleticism while Reyes' was a work of art.

[Roma]

I don't see why it should defy belief that someone who has traveled for years could one day lose their passport. It can happen to anyone, and it's always unfortunate. Careless, she may be, but I just don't think that an artist of such caliber would risk her reputation with audiences and company management by willfully skipping out on a Met engagement.

[Helene]

I also don't think that it should defy belief that someone might lose/accidentally leave behind a briefcase or purse or had a purse stolen, traveling or not traveling.  

I traveled extensively for work, and I once lost a watch on the way to the airport, left my cell phone on the bed in my hotel room in Paris, and dropped my Nano somewhere on the flight from Denver to Seattle, all in the same trip.  I think Osipova has far more on her mind than I did during that trip.

And Yo Yo Ma famously left his $$$$$$$ cello in the trunk of a taxi.

Of course, we only know there were passport problems, which could be a lot of things.

[vagansmom]

Re passport issues, these things happen, even among the most seasoned travelers. My daughter has danced professionally for 8 years with a touring company whose agent is responsible for their passports. Glitches sometimes occur. Daughter verified this too when she worked for a company that expedites passports and visas. Also, my whole family lost our passports several years back while going through Customs upon our return to USA from Ireland. I'm convinced that they were stolen right there since all 4 passports were together at the time and never seen again. We weren't careless, yet our passports were lost by the time we arrived at our car at the airport.

[Jayne]

I've met a tremendous number of foreigners who have expressed to me their passionate frustration when dealing with US Customs on visa issues - both for business and play.  So much so that they prefer traveling to Europe instead of the US.  This is a huge loss for the US economy, hundreds of millions of tourist dollars lost to an unfriendly agency that is not held accountable by US voters.  Because we don't deal with them as foreigners, we have no idea how difficult it has become to travel into the US.  You have to apply for your visa at least 6 months in advance from many nations, and meet for an interview in person at a US Consolate office at their convenience.  For people who travel often (such as Osipova) this can be very difficult.  In addition, they can demand additional documents, which the state department inconveniently loses track of.  

There must be some other, efficient and friendly manner to run this department, and still keep out the terrorists.

[nanushka]

Roberto Dini, on 11 July 2011 - 02:57 PM, said:

I did not see Reyes' Aurora this season, but I remember thoroughly enjoying her in the role.  She seems to have an innate sense of musicality that elevates her dancing to another level.  

I wish I could describe this better.  I remember her dancing in Kudulka's Désir had a such a level of musicality that it was a completely different piece than when others danced the same part--one performance seemed like an incredible feat of athleticism while Reyes' was a work of art.

As much as I love Veronika Part's dancing, I have to admit that Zina's opening dance in The Bright Stream (holding the book) didn't make much sense to me when I saw her dance it.  It was only when I saw Xiomara dance it at a later performance that I really got how the music and the steps were meant to go together.  Someone mentioned above that they never seek out her performances but are always pleasantly surprised; that's been my experience several times this season.