60 replies to this topic

[Eileen]

There I was at 10 a.m. on a Sunday, dragging myself to a Times Square megaplex to view the Bolshoi Ballet and David Hallberg in Sleeping Beauty. It was a first for me - my first time seeing the Bolshoi, and all happening in actual time! In the half hour before curtain, we were able to get a backstage view of company members, including Halberg, stretching, half-costumed, practicing pirouettes in leg warmers. Svetlana Zacharova was in sweats with a lace shawl tied around her waist. Hallberg was pacing nobly, detached from the goings on around him. Coaches gave last minute pointers and presumably, encouragement.

Then there was the Bolshoi as a building. A long shot of the outside of the building. There was no explanation, so I thought - naive me! - that it must be a Potemkin village, created for a movie scene. It was the actual Bolshoi as I soon realized, amazed. To this provincial New Yorker, I always thought the Metropolitan Opera the grandest theater imaginable.  Well, readers, I was wrong. The interior was as imperial as the entrance - red carpets, chandeliers, along the lines of the Met, but much more ornate, much more theatrical.

It was some time before we got past the unnecessary narrator in English and French, and finally, the ballet commenced. I was surprised at the level of costuming - it seemed every member of the cast was bewigged and elaborately hatted, as well as decorated jackets for men and trailing gowns for women courtiers. As we know, Sleeping Beauty takes a while to get going, and the Bolshoi took every passage, no cuts, danced it all, and after awhile I began to miss the Peter Martins streamlined version! When will this be over, I thought. I preferred Merrill Ashley's Carabosse to the Russian man who mugged the role at the Bolshoi - too grotesque. Ashley played her as an evil beauty, and I loved the long fingernails which the Russians dispensed with.

I realized as I absorbed the "style royale" of the Bolshoi that they act as well as dance. They are emotionally present, they do not withhold their feelings.  Also, every member of the corps de ballet was chosen for beauty as well as dancing, and that is certainly not the case at New York City Ballet. The female corps in the Bolshoi are uniformly rows of very pretty girls. That is their tradition. Also, they don't need their corps de ballet to be as skllled as Balanchine's corps needs to be. The technique for every member of the New York City Ballet is very demanding, and it's impossible to choose an entire corps de ballet of beautiful girls who also can do Balanchine choreography, where every dancer has to be top notch and ready for solos. Yet on the NYCB stage all give the illusion of beauty. (I just passed the Theater Formerly Known as State, and I saw the NYCB dancers sans make up, hanging out, eating lunch - I would never realize they were dancers if I weren't so familiar with every member of the company. I could have named each one. And they were far from conventionally "pretty". They were accomplished Balanchine dancers.

So I was impressed with the ornateness of the Bolshoi theater, the production values, the beauty of all involved.

At first I thought Svetlana Zacharova was too mature for the 16 year old Aurora. You see these things on film which are not apparent in the theater. She was technically perfect and smiling, always radiant. David Hallberg I had only seen in Ratmansky's Nutcracker last year at BAM and there I sat very close to the stage and noticed his look of wonder as he accomplished a feat with his ballerina. It was as if he was amazed they did it! His entrance on the Bolshoi stage was I can only call thrilling. His leaps, his command of the huge stage. You'd never know what suppressed power he possessed as you earlier observed him pacing slowly before the performance.

In the wedding scene, I felt that Svetlana Z was more suitable for the part as she had matured with the role. I noticed Hallberg's concentration as he centered her in her pirouettes, ending in a noble pose for both.

I could have criticized the fairy tale characters, the cat without a tale and without catlike motions, Puss in Boots who never captures her, the wolf who lacked menace. But it's late and after all, it's only a fairy tale, isn't it?

If anyone saw this performance in Moscow today or the live film, I'd love to hear your responses.

[angelica]

I, too, dragged myself into the city at 10:00 a.m. because I simply couldn't imagine missing David Hallberg dancing on the Bolshoi stage in real time. He was, as always, the incarnation of perfection in male classical dancing. No other male dancer has his purity of "line"--and then some.

Sleeping Beauty is not my favorite ballet, in part because of its length, but also because the drama of the story is muted compared with that of R&J, Giselle, or Swan Lake. I totally agree that the production was too long and there were many moments when I was just treading water waiting for the next real thing, i.e., dancing. In particular, the role of Carabosse was too long as well as plain silly (silly like Green Rothbart in ABT's Swan Lake). I much prefer the feminine evil fairy that is used at ABT.  (I haven't seen NYCB's version.)

The surprise for me was Svetlana Zakharova. The only time I'd seen her before was on the DVD of Giselle with Robert Bolle and the ballet company of La Scala (I think), and I her acting didn't move me at all. In this Sleeping Beauty, I didn't care for her in Act 1, and I can't really explain why, except to say again that I wasn't moved by her acting. She wasn't especially expressive, didn't make me believe in her. Maybe she was terrified of that Rose Adagio, which didn't even include the balances of the ABT version. But in Act Il, which didn't require great acting, simply great classical dancing, she simply shone. She was exquisite, her technique thoroughly in service to the choreography, her "line" beautiful at every moment. I wonder whether perhaps she isn't a great actress but is, indeed, an exquisite classical ballerina.

The other surprise was the interview with David Hallberg BEFORE the ballet. The fact that he had the presence of mind, knowing that he would be making ballet history, to answer questions so graciously is a testament to his modesty. He is quoted in one of his online videos saying that for him, ballet is a "calling," and that is evident in his manner, his earnestness, his dedication.

It was definitely worth it to me to get up at 6:30 a.m., but I can count on the fingers of one hand (maybe half of one hand) the number of dancers I would do that for. I'm curious to see whether David's work with the Bolshoi will change his dancing in any way. What an exciting time to be a balletomane!

[Birdsall]

I enjoyed it too. It is so amazing that we can watch a performance at the Bolshoi live as it is happening in our own city. I thought Zakharova took a little time warming up both physically and in character, but overall I liked her. I think you are right, Eileen, that she got better as the ballet progressed. She seems so tall and lanky for Aurora. I thought most Auroras were more petite. Or am I wrong? Hallberg created excitement, since it is such a high profile debut. The audience loved him. He is not only athletic but very artistic in his movements. I wanted a bit more force in the Violante fairy also, although I thought the dancer was good.

I felt like the production, although lavish looking, was disappointing b/c it was practically the same set throughout the entire ballet. The set was very similar to the Paris Opera Ballet, but I think the POB version (by same design team) had more set changes or the illusion of more changes. I could be wrong. I will have to go back and re-watch the Paris Sleeping Beauty. Also, I thought the mime especially when the Lilac Fairy says, "No, she won't die, rather she will fall asleep..." was too subtle. Most productions make the mime much more clear, although I guess Sleeping Beauty is so well known that we really don't need the mime to be so clear. I am surprised that I wanted more mime. The other part I hated about the set was that the Lilac Fairy came to pick up Hallberg in a boat after the Vision Scene just like in most productions, but Aurora's palace was right there staring us in the face and there was no water. The boat was floating on land. Rolling out mist did not help me think of it as water. It was the most jarring boat scene I have seen in a Sleeping Beauty. I wonder why the set designers and director did not think up something better.

[cobweb]

I also enjoyed it very much. It's really exciting to be able to see these broadcasts! Like others, I found Zakharova not entirely convincing as an actress, but the beauty of her line, her feet, and her dancing more than made up for it. I thought she was amazing. I've seen Hallberg many times at the Met, but he seemed better than ever. The longest and most beautiful line, all flexibility, lightness, and radiance. I really hope he succeeds at the Bolshoi (the evidence so far is good!) The challenge should propel him to new heights.
As someone new to the Bolshoi (except for the Don Q broadcast), I found the overall level of dancing impressive. I try to avoid the game of "corps-spotting," but I can't help but notice the prince who was wearing a gold crown topped with a profusion of green feathers. Have no idea who he was. But I thought he had great presence.
p.s. I think previously the discussion of the moviecasts has been in the "Ballet Films" forum. Putting it in the forum for the particular company makes more sense to me and maybe will spark more discussion of the movies.

[PeggyR]

Saw and enjoyed this too here in California, as much as you can enjoy anything but a cup of coffee at 7:00 am (which could account for there being all of 10 in the audience).

Loved the sets and costumes:  big, sumptuous and kind of overwhelming, which is OK: I don’t expect to be underwhelmed by the Bolshoi.  That floor has to go, though.  It wasn’t bad looking straight on, but I feel sorry for the audience in the upper reaches.  Those overhead shots seemed to be devoid of dancers; all you could see was the pattern.

Very divided feelings about Zakarova:  a lot to like, but those much-discussed extensions made me cringe.  And there was one jete early on that was awful:  legs flung apart, no actual elevation, no forward movement, no lightness, just a mid-air 180+ split and a clunky landing; “Uh oh,” I thought. But later, I think it was during the vision scene, she did a series of what looked like deliberately low jetes that were everything they should be:  arced and traveling with good ballon.  Her upper body and arms were lovely, but I did think she lacked delicacy and freshness in her petit allegro.  On the other hand, it was a nice change seeing a Rose Adagio that didn't insist on excessive balances with the attendant wobbles; she looked relaxed and confident - no need to show off.  I’d really like to see her in something else; I wonder if she’s shown at her best as Aurora.

Aside from some crummy YouTube videos, this was my first view of Halberg, and he’s a stunner.  Even my inexpert eye could see the difference in his style from the Bolshoi men and it’ll be interesting to see who ends up influencing whom the most.  There were a couple of times when he seemed to need more space than the stage could provide.  Very impressive.

[little-junkie]

I watched it here in Ottawa Ontario Canada. Normally, Sleeping Beauty is not my favorite. Last time I watched it on DVD I lost my pateince and skipped through everything to see the Wedding PPD instead. Today, I made damn sure that I was not going to miss one minute of it, because 1. it is my first live Bolshoi production; 2. it is my first time seeing Mr. Hallberg dancing live; and 3. it is my first time seeing Ms. Zakarova dancing live. My boyfriend thought I was crazy spending money to see ballet at a movie theatre. I said "you have no idea the significance of this performance".
Needless for me to point out that Mr. Hallberg was as fine as he could be. I couldn't help thinking as he made his entrance in Act II, that I was watching one of the finest dancers of our time live on the very grand Bolshoi stage.
For me personally, Ms. Zakarova did not disappoint and I noticed too that Mr. Hallberg was paying close attention to her while they were dancing their PPD, making sure she was the one shining throughout the entire coda.
I must admit that I did not like the close-up camera work whenever there was an solo. The camera literally followed the dancer/actor from one end to the next. One could lose track of the directions (in the audience) easily, and you didn't get to see what was happening on the other end of the stage if other dancers were also doing mime at the same time. I prefer to see the big picture since it's not a small stage.
Overall, I like the sets and the costumes. It was long but I enjoyed it so much I didn't even notice the time.

[Barbara]

I was also part of the "up at 6:30am for David Hallberg" club. Walked into Big Cinemas just behind Alistair Macaulay. This was my first time seeing ballet on a big screen and I have mixed feelings about it. Of course any chance to see David dance is worth it but I don't usually sit so close as the cinema view afforded and I found it a little disconcerting. I don't care to see the inevitable effort involved in some of the positions and lifts but one couldn't avoid noticing it. Being so close to the action I felt took me emotionally out of the story. I found myself accepting it for what it was and watching technique rather than interpretation. I found Ms Zakharova to be lovely with beautifully articulated feet. David was perfectly princely with gorgeous line and soft landings. I never warmed to Maria Allash as the Lilac Fairy, finding her unimposing with no emotion on her face. A standout was Nina Kaptsova as Princess Florine - her personality shone through and she was equally matched with the impressive Artem Ovcharenko as Bluebird. Other thoughts: I missed the series of fish dives in the Grand Pas de Deux - is this always the case in the Bolshoi SB? As others have noted, I also disliked the "busy" blue and gold floor design. I found myself wishing for a wide screen so as not to miss any of the action. At one point the camera was following Lilac Fairy and missed the beginning of Aurora and her Prince dancing. Still all in all I am grateful to have the opportunity to see the Bolshoi relatively close to home and especially with our New Yorker.

[puppytreats]

I was very impressed by the performance.  I offer a few observations below.

1.  I am a fan of Svetlana, but I never imagined her as Aurora. I was very pleasantly surprised.   I appreciated her in both acts.  Her dancing appeared effortless.  I came away feeling, more than ever, that she is a princess and a star.  This version of the ballet certainly sought to showcase that.  

2.  I didn't know that "Sleeping Beauty" involved a chicken fairy.   The yellow feathered fairy was a joy to watch.

3.  The fourth prince, who wore a crown with feathers in a circle, pointing outward, was beautiful physically and in his dance.  Did he perform the role of the prince in "Cinderella" in Act II, as well?  What is his name?

4. I loved the fairy tale characters. They were humorous and dramatic, if a bit campy. The birds really danced like flying birds.  The wolf chasing Red Riding Hood continued in character even after taking his bow, to the audience's delight.  The Puss and Boots characters captured the essence of playfulness and kitty confidence.

5.  Lilac lacked the presence, grace, and power with which I associate the character.  I wondered if she held herself back in some manner.  She hardly ever even smiled.

6. David Hallberg dances beautifully, with grace and elegance.  I expected longer solos, having seen other versions of this ballet.  I had some trepidations during the lifts, but this ballet does not contain many lifts.  A few times he landed too far to the side of the stage, outside of the lighting.  Also, the cameraman did not show his entrance on two occasions, and did not show the curtain call, to my dismay.  Unfortunately, I did not see his interview, and I hope it ends up on youtube.

7. The children in Act I were wonderful.  Their smiles were genuine, and their dancing was beautiful.

8.  I don't like Carabosse in any incarnation.  I never have understood the characterization.  I do not find the character scary or innately evil, just ugly.

9.  The scenery disappointed, surprisingly.  The painted backdrop did not convey anything important, and was not spectacular or interesting.

10.  I appreciated the forest scene.  It explained the vision of Aurora in a way that I have not seen before, and really provided context that was missing for me.  It helped tie the two acts together.

11.  David was a bit too deferential in his kiss.  That peck would not have awoken me after one hundred years of sleep.

12, The theatre contained maybe ten people.  Why doesn't the distributor market this series?  I can't imagine who would not have enjoyed this performance.

Bravo!

[ksk04]

Barbara, on 20 November 2011 - 03:25 PM, said:

Other thoughts: I missed the series of fish dives in the Grand Pas de Deux - is this always the case in the Bolshoi SB?

It's the case with any Russian production. Fish dives are a Western European addition.




I caught the delay. I was only able to stay for the Prologue and Act I as I had somewhere to be (but I wanted to show up to increase the attendance numbers to encourage the new theater to keep adding the ballet productions)--I was hoping to be able to stay for at least Act II (which is usually my favorite) but the screen flashed that there would be a 30 minute (!!!!) intermission and so that would have only let me see about 15 min of Act II. I thought the Carbosse was too camp and limited in mime to be more effective. Zakharova I did not warm to--the extensions, the angularity....it's not for me. I had hoped pregnancy would soften her but it does not appear to be the case. I can imagine, though, she would be more effective in Act II, so I am disappointed I could not stay for it. I would have preferred to see Alexandrova as Lilac (though I would prefer to see her in most anything given the option), but I understand they probably have to spread the wealth to Allash. I thought she did a lovely job, though, quite secure.

I did like the patterned floors when we had a straight on shot, but whenever they did anything from a overhead angle it seemed like too much.

[angelica]

Just a couple more thoughts based on the comments of others above. I, too, was totally disappointed in the Lilac Fairy. Some years ago we had tickets to see Vishneva in Sleeping Beauty at the Met. We arrived to find that Ms. Vishneva had taken ill and had been replaced by ballerina X. I almost went home, but I'm so glad I decided to stay because....the minute the Lilac Fairy started dancing that evening I knew I was in the presence of a real ballerina. Her name, which I didn't know before then, was Stella Abrera. During intermission I bought a pair of her autographed pointe shoes and said to my husband, "She's going to be a Principal next year." Sure enough, she was given that Wednesday matinee Giselle--which she had to withdraw from because of an injury that kept her sidelined for almost two years. The rest is history--Princess Aurora with Royal Ballet of New Zealand, but not getting top billing at ABT. Which is all by way of saying that Ms. Allash was thoroughly bland compared to Ms. Abrera and in and of herself.

The children were beautifully trained, much better than our American children, even from SAB or JKO School.

Also, I'm glad I wasn't sitting in one of those balcony seats. I agree--the viewing was impossible with the floor design.

[Eileen]

Interestingly, I too noticed the fourth cavalier with the feather headdress! He was the most princely of all. I'm so glad so many of you felt it was important to see David Halberg's debut at the Bolshoi. So Alastair Macaulay was there. I look forward to his comments. I missed the video with Halberg - too bad, I walked out during the half hour pre-ballet longeurs, and didn't realize there would be an interview. I also noticed the girl in yellow (chicken?) who glistened. It's tough to stand out when the general standard is so high and the dancers sometimes seem interchangeable.

This production makes me realize once again the genius of Balanchine, to peel away all this frou-frou and have his company class practice tendus. Stripping away all the ornateness to display the choreography and immaculate technique. He was a true original; he came from this Russian imperial tradition, he drew from it but discarded it. In changing the name of his Ballet Imperial to Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, he famously remarked, "Nothing is imperial anymore, except - except the Empire Hotel!" (referring to the hotel across the street from the theater).

[Jelly]

I was at BAM this morning where there was an excellent turnout - as many as for a typical weekend evening film presentation. I was as anxious to see the renovated Bolshoi Theater as the ballet and the filming did not disappoint. This was my first HD presentation and I think the opportunity to see the theater and the artists backstage including interviews is a major advantage.

After being subjected to ABT's current production, this production seems like a paragon of virtue. Sets and costumes are lavish and architecturally and period correct.

I too was disappointed by the Lilac Fairy's lack of authority and yearned for Sara Mearns but enjoyed Carabosse.

Zakharova may not be a natural Aurora but she took control after the intermission and for those of accustomed to American dancers there is so much to enjoy in the use of the upper body. Hallberg was never anything but acomplete classicist even in his interivew.

All in all a wonderful sunday morning. I can hardly wait for Le Corsaire.

[Helene]

The Bolshoi site is not back up yet in English after the re-design, and this is my attempt to transliterate the Russian cast list for the 20 November performance.  I apologize for butchering the names.  (Corrections are very welcome.)  The site doesn't distinguish among the Princess, and they might be in alphabetical order in Cyrillic, but one of the Princes, Karim Abdullin, was also cast in "Cinderella", and I'm sure you're right that it was the dark-haired Prince with 360-degree feathered crown who did more partnering than the rest.

King Florestan:  Andrei Sitnikov
Queen:  Kristina Karaseva
Princess Aurora:  Svetlana Zakharova
Prince Desire:  David Hallberg
Catalabutte:  Vitaly Biktimirov
Four Princes Who Come Courting:  Karim Abdullin, Yuri Baranov, Pavel Dmitrichenko, Vladislav Lantratov
Фрейлины, which Google is translating into "Maids of honor".  I assume the Lilac Fairy's entourage:  Angelina Vlashinets, Yulia Grebenshikova, Elizaveta Kruteleva, Yulia Lunkina, Svetlana Pavlova, Maria Prorbich, Olga Smirnova, Anna Turazashvili
Fairies' Cavaliers:  Batr (?) Annadurdiev, Artemi Beliakov, Klim Efimov, Dmitri Efremov, Maksim Ollengeim, Denis Rodkin
Dutchess:  Olga Suvorova
Галифрон, наставник принца, "Galifron" -- I think the man in the second act who's Desire's handler:  Igor Simachev.
Leads in the Peasant Dance:  Anna Antrolova, Aleksander Vodopetov
Carabosse:  Alexei Loparevich
Lilac Fairy:  Maria Allash
Fairy of Tenderness (Candid):  Daria Khokhlova
Fairy of (translating as) Carlessness (A type of flower).  Maybe free-spirit?:  Chinara Alizade
Fairy of Generosity (Spreader of bread crumbs):  Ksenia Kern
Fairy of Playfulness (Twittering canary):  Anastasia Stashkevich
Fairy of Audacity (Violent):  Elena Andrienko
Diamond Fairy:  Anna Leonova
Sapphire Fairy:  Viktoria Litvinova
Gold Fairy:  Maria Vinogradova
Silver Fairy:  Anna Tikhomirova
White Cat:  Yulia Lunkina
Puss in Boots:  Igor Tsvirko
Princess Florine:  Nina Kaptsova
Bluebird:  Artem Ovcharenko
Little Red Riding Hood:  Anastasia Stashkevich
Wolf:  Alexei Koryagin
Cinderella:  Daria Khoklova
Prince of Fortune:  Karim Abdullin
Conductor:  Vasily Sinaiski

By the "yellow" one, do people mean the Fairy of Playfulness from the Prologue or the Gold Fairy from Act III.

[puppytreats]

I thought the ballet had two acts, not three. (I was basing this on the written text on the screen.  I thought one act each occurred before and after intermission.)  Based on the above definition, I was talking about the first act.

[cobweb]

Eileen, on 20 November 2011 - 05:48 PM, said:

This production makes me realize once again the genius of Balanchine, to peel away all this frou-frou...

I had the same thought. I enjoyed the performance thoroughly, but when I thought about bringing friends, I couldn't help but feel that ballet -- this ballet, anyway -- is an acquired taste. I kept thinking about the Mariinsky Jewels. It strikes me as more immediately appealing to the modern eye, and if I were bringing non-ballet friends, it would be Balanchine all the way.