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MCB Program IV-"Coppelia".Miami.


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Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous...!! clapping.gif Brava Jeannette!. flowers.gif Bravo Renato! flowers.gif Welcome to my scarce list of favorite Swannilda/Franz.. I'm happy to report that I DO believe in MCB Coppelia.

To be continued. Tomorrow, Catoya/Reyes.

Great to hear it was good!!! How was the third act in comparison to the Bolshoi's?

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Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous...!! clapping.gif Brava Jeannette!. flowers.gif Bravo Renato! flowers.gif Welcome to my scarce list of favorite Swannilda/Franz.. I'm happy to report that I DO believe in MCB Coppelia.

To be continued. Tomorrow, Catoya/Reyes.

Great to hear it was good!!! How was the third act in comparison to the Bolshoi's?

Well, BB...remember you came straight to Coppelia via the ultimate staging...the Russian reconstruction. I come from another background, Alonso's mid-century production-(which I suspect has many elements in common with that of Danilova/Balanchine for City Ballet and Franklin's for ABT). Said that, I was pleased with the whole thing...it is very similar to what I'm used to.

As a hint, i saw the matinee today with Catoya/Reyes. Whereas Catoya can pull out some great spinning, and Reyes has enough knowledge and background on the ballet, and his pairing with Catoya has been a VERY good idea, I still place the Delgado/Panteado duo in the front line-(the reverse case of Giselle).

More details later on...I just came from the Cleveland Orchestra's season finale...Grieg's Piano Concerto!! flowers.gif

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Coppelia at Broward.

THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

This is a tricky subject for MCB's staging. I didn't see their last run, so I don't know how did they decide to handle this in the past, but as per right now I knew this would be a choreographically interesting presentation since the programme only vaguely states "Choreography after Arthur Saint-Leon". Really..?! How can we even think this staging has, even remotely, something to do with what was presented in Paris as back as 1870..? Whereas the staging of Giselle had the name of Villella up front to justify for all the takings on different versions, here we don't have the chance to know who was the responsible hand and mind behind the dances being presented. A faux pas, if I may. I say, hey...it is OK to copy and paste from older, recognized productions. No shame to be felt. Said that, I start by saying that, again, I saw bits of other productions here and there, including an iconic excerpt from Alonso's that I've never seen anywhere else-(good!).

Act I

Act I was really delightful. Of course, I did miss the extra music that in the Cuban version allows for Swannilda to make a full, triumphant entrance before engaging in the Waltz. Here Swannilda's entrance goes a bit after the waltz has started. Also, I noticed much more mime on this scene than that of Alonso, which includes a difficult variation with Italian fouetes without taking out the mime.

The wheat rustle Adagio is very beautiful, tasteful and clear on its message. The one thing I missed here was the rest of the couples that dance along Franz and Swannilda around them, all playing the trick of pretending to really listen the rustle to a frustrated Franz. Here only the lead couple dances, but it was very well done. On Sunday matinée, Mary Carmen Catoya dropped accidentally the rustle way before the ending-(she still needed it !)-and the day was saved by one corps member-(can't find his name in the roster...he is the only black male dancer in the company)-who bravely stepped in front, picked the thing and got in between the two lovers to offer it back. It was all very organic.

The Mazurka and Czarda was also done with great spirit. One complain I have, just as another poster noted from Balanchine's version, is that the Czarda was danced by the same Mazurka dancers, with the same mazurka costumes, with I agree is a mistake, since they are totally different dances from two distinctive different places.

Act II

Act II was very simple...too simple i would say. I think a little more could have been done with Swannilda and her friends in the dancing area. Yes, this act is mostly all about mime and comedy, but I've seen versions were not only the girls, but also the dolls dances are way more developed-(and there are more of them). Here we have only a Chinese male doll, a Harlequin and an Astronomer-(more like a Wizard)-with a telescope. Don't we all remember the great rubber male doll from the Australian DVD...? happy.png The comical mime sequences of Swannilda and her friends were priceless. I laughed a lot!

Act III

Choreographically, the Wedding PDD had its ups and downs, but allow me to explain this. Thing is, the original music of the PDD is longer than the cuts Alonso uses in Havana. For instance, during the coda Cuban Swannilda engages in a sparkling, lovely series of sautés on pointe, with the working leg changing from attitude devant to derrière and right into penchee arabesque all while traveling and turning, followed right away by the fouettes. They duplicated all that here-(clapping.gif well, sans the penchee and the traveling ), with the difference that Miami allows Swannilda to exit in between the sautees and the fouetes while the corps girls dance, in time for her to catch a breath and come back for the fouetes. It was still a HUGE surprise that they included this Cuban segment, for which that was always a highly expected moment in Havana.(Do I have to say how Viengsay does the unthinkable here...? happy.png ). The PDD finished with that other iconic final pose of Franz grabbing Swannilda on his back with one hand around her waist to create a beautiful diagonal with their bodies. I thing this is a pretty standard final pose for this PDD for what I've seen in all the versions.

This is the coda segment I talk about...

To be continued...

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Thank you for the review and including the video, so that I can compare/contrast when I see Miami's version. Can't wait.

Last night I saw the Peking Acrobats, and it was so amazing. I think any ballet lover would enjoy seeing them even though it isn't really dance. There are moments that include an ballet aspect to it. These acrobats make your jaw drop to the floor!

Oh, well.....that is a tangent......I have seen the Australian, Royal Ballet, and Kirov dvds of Coppelia as well as the Bolshoi's recent reconstruction, so I am not expecting the Bolshoi's 3rd act which is so beautiful. But from the sound of it Miami's Coppelia is exciting too. Can't wait! I agree that the rubber or rag doll thing in the Australian video is so cool, but I don't think any other company does that. The audience loves it.

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I'm glad you liked my link, BB. This way you'll be able to realize about the similarities-(AND the differences, very important)-on the way this coda segment is handled and danced by two dancers with a 55 years time gap.

More to come... some thoughs on the costumes, props and the dancers.

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Thanks, dirac, for the LINK to Jordan Levine's review of the opening Broward Center performance, from the Miami Herald.

Miami City Ballet's 'Coppellia' fluffy, fun

It’s an appealing but lightweight work, and in choosing it for the closing program of the season, perhaps Miami City Ballet officials were hoping for an easy crowd pleaser. On Saturday night at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the troupe gave an adept and charming, if not terribly inspired, performance. Compared to the fire with which they attacked this season’s premieres by Liam Scarlett and Alexei Ratmansky, or the depth and precision with which they dance the Balanchine repertoire, Coppelia felt rather flat — a network sitcom rather than an HBO drama.

I don't know that "appealing but lightweight" is a fair summary of Coppelia. But I can see that the audience might get that impression in the hands of a company lacking experience in the aesthetic and performance skills of full-length narrative ballet.

The review reminds me of my tepid response to earlier MCB Coppelias, especially Acts I and II, the parts that present the characters and tell their story. I'm hoping that the straight dancing of Act III, not referred to by Levine except for a reference to the "rather shaggy" Dance of the Hours, will bring out more of MCB's ability to dive in energetically and to astonish.

The complete review is here: http://www.miamihera...l#storylink=cpy

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THE performance of Broward Coppelia happened on Friday night. Saturday was, indeed, weaker.

THE SETS AND COSTUMES.

MCB Coppelia dresses, just as in its Giselle, with ABT's borrowed clothes. Act I uses nice pastel colors for Swannilda's friends, and a peasant long skirt for Swannilda. The costume for the doll in Act II is really beautiful, with a bell like, ruffled tutu with fluffy arms. Now, I must confess I'm still not used to Swannilda's long skirt in Act I and her weird wedding dress for Act III. I really missed the short tutu'ed Swannilda. Alonso's version has her in tutu the whole time. A pink one for her Act I and the short little white one for Act III. Franz white costume for Act III is very nice also.

Now, the really low point for me here was the costumes for Down, Prayer and Spinner. What was all that about with all those colored, sparkling museline nighties....?!? yucky.gif Those looked more like something a Victoria's Secret model would wear on top of their undies for a fashion show. Didn't like those costumes at all.

The sets for Act I show a colorful village with an orthodox church in the back, and Coppelius house interiors in Act II are dark and misterious. I'm not sure I liked the bright colors of the device that carries Swannilda and Franz for their Act III entrance. the bell on top of it looks too cartoonish too.

To be continued...

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THE DANCERS.

Coppelia at Broward.

THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

This is a tricky subject for MCB's staging. I didn't see their last run, so I don't know how did they decide to handle this in the past, but as per right now I knew this would be a choreographically interesting presentation since the programme only vaguely states "Choreography after Arthur Saint-Leon". Really..?! How can we even think this staging has, even remotely, something to do with what was presented in Paris as back as 1870..? Whereas the staging of Giselle had the name of Villella up front to justify for all the takings on different versions, here we don't have the chance to know who was the responsible hand and mind behind the dances being presented. A faux pas, if I may. I say, hey...it is OK to copy and paste from older, recognized productions. No shame to be felt. Said that, I start by saying that, again, I saw bits of other productions here and there, including an iconic excerpt from Alonso's that I've never seen anywhere else-(good!).

Act I

Act I was really delightful. Of course, I did miss the extra music that in the Cuban version allows for Swannilda to make a full, triumphant entrance before engaging in the Waltz. Here Swannilda's entrance goes a bit after the waltz has started. Also, I noticed much more mime on this scene than that of Alonso, which includes a difficult variation with Italian fouetes without taking out the mime.

The wheat rustle Adagio is very beautiful, tasteful and clear on its message. The one thing I missed here was the rest of the couples that dance along Franz and Swannilda around them, all playing the trick of pretending to really listen the rustle to a frustrated Franz. Here only the lead couple dances, but it was very well done. On Sunday matinée, Mary Carmen Catoya dropped accidentally the rustle way before the ending-(she still needed it !)-and the day was saved by one corps member-(can't find his name in the roster...he is the only black male dancer in the company)-who bravely stepped in front, picked the thing and got in between the two lovers to offer it back. It was all very organic.

The Mazurka and Czarda was also done with great spirit. One complain I have, just as another poster noted from Balanchine's version, is that the Czarda was danced by the same Mazurka dancers, with the same mazurka costumes, with I agree is a mistake, since they are totally different dances from two distinctive different places.

Act II

Act II was very simple...too simple i would say. I think a little more could have been done with Swannilda and her friends in the dancing area. Yes, this act is mostly all about mime and comedy, but I've seen versions were not only the girls, but also the dolls dances are way more developed-(and there are more of them). Here we have only a Chinese male doll, a Harlequin and an Astronomer-(more like a Wizard)-with a telescope. Don't we all remember the great rubber male doll from the Australian DVD...? happy.png The comical mime sequences of Swannilda and her friends were priceless. I laughed a lot!

Act III

Choreographically, the Wedding PDD had its ups and downs, but allow me to explain this. Thing is, the original music of the PDD is longer than the cuts Alonso uses in Havana. For instance, during the coda Cuban Swannilda engages in a sparkling, lovely series of sautés on pointe, with the working leg changing from attitude devant to derrière and right into penchee arabesque all while traveling and turning, followed right away by the fouettes. They duplicated all that here-(clapping.gif well, sans the penchee and the traveling ), with the difference that Miami allows Swannilda to exit in between the sautees and the fouetes while the corps girls dance, in time for her to catch a breath and come back for the fouetes. It was still a HUGE surprise that they included this Cuban segment, for which that was always a highly expected moment in Havana.(Do I have to say how Viengsay does the unthinkable here...? happy.png ). The PDD finished with that other iconic final pose of Franz grabbing Swannilda on his back with one hand around her waist to create a beautiful diagonal with their bodies. I thing this is a pretty standard final pose for this PDD for what I've seen in all the versions.

This is the coda segment I talk about...

To be continued...

THE SETS AND COSTUMES.

MCB Coppelia dresses, just as in its Giselle, with ABT's borrowed clothes. Act I uses nice pastel colors for Swannilda's friends, and a peasant long skirt for Swannilda. The costume for the doll in Act II is really beautiful, with a bell like, ruffled tutu with fluffy arms. Now, I must confess I'm still not used to Swannilda's long skirt in Act I and her weird wedding dress for Act III. I really missed the short tutu'ed Swannilda. Alonso's version has her in tutu the whole time. A pink one for her Act I and the short little white one for Act III. Franz white costume for Act III is very nice also.

Now, the really low point for me here was the costumes for Down, Prayer and Spinner. What was all that about with all those colored, sparkling museline nighties....?!? yucky.gif Those looked more like something a Victoria's Secret model would wear on top of their undies for a fashion show. Didn't like those costumes at all.

The sets for Act I show a colorful village with an orthodox church in the back, and Coppelius house interiors in Act II are dark and mysterious. I'm not sure I liked the bright colors of the device that carries Swannilda and Franz for their Act III entrance. the bell on top of it looks too cartoonish too.

To be continued...

MCB keeps showing a strange limited display of principals. Lately, out of 6 male Principals, only two of three are being actively casted. Same with the same amount of Principal women, out of which also only a couple are being seen. This Coppelia in Broward had only two castings. Delgado/Panteado in opening night and matinée and Catoya/Reyes on Saturday. I wonder where is the rest of the people...(Cox, Carranza, Isanusi, etc...).

Well, down to the subject of my favorite performance, the one and only prize definitely goes to Jeanette and Renato. Whereas Delgado's Giselle was still a work in progress, and she obviously needs to dig in what the romantic style is, her Swannilda was all allure, freshness, buoyancy, and with the proper amounts of comical touches. Her partnership with Panteado is a happy one. She went on that stage ready to make the role her own, and she did. Technically she was beautiful...she did some great Italian fouettes, and even though she took that silly fall, it only made for a better performance afterword. No mannerisms..she IS legitimate in her sparkling display, and her smile was this time in its shameless right place. Panteado definitely has a stage knowledge that made for his little technical faux pas-(he decided not to perform a final tour en l'air during his variation in Act III at the last minute...). They both did all the mime in a very natural, organic way, and the story really came out easy and well told. Call me crazy, but Panteado, when he puts on his black sleek wig, reminds me a bit of those pics of Youskevitch. I fantasized a little and tried to "see" Igor in him and Alonso in Delgado. happy.png . I had my own fun. In Act II Delgado was also delightful as the doll-(although Catoya showed more of a stiffness, almost in an unreal way!). The whole scene of Coppelius and Franz was very funny. Panteado really owned it. People laughed a lot during the chasing segment.

On Saturday Catoya/Reyes were a little undermined. The big plus of this couple is definitely during the adagio moments, where solid Reyes lifts tiny Catoya as if she is a weightless feather. The effect is beautiful-(more noticeable during their Giselle). Catoya can definitely turn very fast, although she lost her pointe a couple of times, once during her Swannilda and in two moments the day before during her Spinner variation. Reyes did not suppressed any step. He-(as Panteado and Catoya)-must be in his late 30's, early 40's, but they are both still very energetic.

I didn't like the stagings of the three variations in Act III. These weird looking ladies come out of nowhere and dance, and the audience has no clue whatsoever what are they and why are they dancing in such outfits. Day 1 was the weaker, with Albertson as Down, Kronenberg as Prayer and Catoya as Spinner. Again, Albertson and Kronenberg show signs of tiredness, Catoya trying somehow to save the segment. Day 2 was a happier one, with Manning as Down, a lush, beautiful Suzanne Limbrunner as Prayer-(VERY well done that arabesque penchee, Miss Limbrunner ! flowers.gif )-and Jennifer Lauren as a better Spinner. Still, the lack of coherence on their settings and the awful costumes made for a less than happy moment in the ballet.

Coppelius had two very enjoyable portrays. Day 1 showed tall Trividic in a more subtle version, slower demeanor, as in a more tired, older Coppelius. Day 2 had Didier Bramaz as crazy Coppelius, walking all over the place with fast, little steps and adding many comical touches to his stage moments. He even ventured to simulate an accident to his private parts during the chase to Franz across the table in Act II. He,he..happy.png . I really enjoyed both guys. As I said earlier, Catoya's doll was priceless...she REALLY LOOKED non human. A special kuddos to the male leads of the Czardas, the two Brazilians Kleber Rebello and Renan Cerdeiro. Cerdeiro did some great pirouettes while lowering his body, and Rebello was his usual airy great technician. The Esty twins were their perfect partners here.

To be continued...

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Casting is up for Miami's 3 performances. Delgado/Penteado, Catoya/Reyes, and Albertson/Cerdeiro.

Albertson/Cerdeiro..? I might see that...Cerdeiro is getting very intriguing. I didn't know he could be a fit for Giselle, and i was proved completely wrong.

Back to MCB Coppelia...

Coppelia at Broward.

THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

This is a tricky subject for MCB's staging. I didn't see their last run, so I don't know how did they decide to handle this in the past, but as per right now I knew this would be a choreographically interesting presentation since the programme only vaguely states "Choreography after Arthur Saint-Leon". Really..?! How can we even think this staging has, even remotely, something to do with what was presented in Paris as back as 1870..? Whereas the staging of Giselle had the name of Villella up front to justify for all the takings on different versions, here we don't have the chance to know who was the responsible hand and mind behind the dances being presented. A faux pas, if I may. I say, hey...it is OK to copy and paste from older, recognized productions. No shame to be felt. Said that, I start by saying that, again, I saw bits of other productions here and there, including an iconic excerpt from Alonso's that I've never seen anywhere else-(good!).

Act I

Act I was really delightful. Of course, I did miss the extra music that in the Cuban version allows for Swannilda to make a full, triumphant entrance before engaging in the Waltz. Here Swannilda's entrance goes a bit after the waltz has started. Also, I noticed much more mime on this scene than that of Alonso, which includes a difficult variation with Italian fouetes without taking out the mime.

The wheat rustle Adagio is very beautiful, tasteful and clear on its message. The one thing I missed here was the rest of the couples that dance along Franz and Swannilda around them, all playing the trick of pretending to really listen the rustle to a frustrated Franz. Here only the lead couple dances, but it was very well done. On Sunday matinée, Mary Carmen Catoya dropped accidentally the rustle way before the ending-(she still needed it !)-and the day was saved by one corps member-(can't find his name in the roster...he is the only black male dancer in the company)-who bravely stepped in front, picked the thing and got in between the two lovers to offer it back. It was all very organic.

The Mazurka and Czarda was also done with great spirit. One complain I have, just as another poster noted from Balanchine's version, is that the Czarda was danced by the same Mazurka dancers, with the same mazurka costumes, with I agree is a mistake, since they are totally different dances from two distinctive different places.

Act II

Act II was very simple...too simple i would say. I think a little more could have been done with Swannilda and her friends in the dancing area. Yes, this act is mostly all about mime and comedy, but I've seen versions were not only the girls, but also the dolls dances are way more developed-(and there are more of them). Here we have only a Chinese male doll, a Harlequin and an Astronomer-(more like a Wizard)-with a telescope. Don't we all remember the great rubber male doll from the Australian DVD...? happy.png The comical mime sequences of Swannilda and her friends were priceless. I laughed a lot!

Act III

Choreographically, the Wedding PDD had its ups and downs, but allow me to explain this. Thing is, the original music of the PDD is longer than the cuts Alonso uses in Havana. For instance, during the coda Cuban Swannilda engages in a sparkling, lovely series of sautés on pointe, with the working leg changing from attitude devant to derrière and right into penchee arabesque all while traveling and turning, followed right away by the fouettes. They duplicated all that here-(clapping.gif well, sans the penchee and the traveling ), with the difference that Miami allows Swannilda to exit in between the sautees and the fouetes while the corps girls dance, in time for her to catch a breath and come back for the fouetes. It was still a HUGE surprise that they included this Cuban segment, for which that was always a highly expected moment in Havana.(Do I have to say how Viengsay does the unthinkable here...? happy.png ). The PDD finished with that other iconic final pose of Franz grabbing Swannilda on his back with one hand around her waist to create a beautiful diagonal with their bodies. I thing this is a pretty standard final pose for this PDD for what I've seen in all the versions.

This is the coda segment I talk about...

THE SETS AND COSTUMES.

MCB Coppelia dresses, just as in its Giselle, with ABT's borrowed clothes. Act I uses nice pastel colors for Swannilda's friends, and a peasant long skirt for Swannilda. The costume for the doll in Act II is really beautiful, with a bell like, ruffled tutu with fluffy arms. Now, I must confess I'm still not used to Swannilda's long skirt in Act I and her weird wedding dress for Act III. I really missed the short tutu'ed Swannilda. Alonso's version has her in tutu the whole time. A pink one for her Act I and the short little white one for Act III. Franz white costume for Act III is very nice also.

Now, the really low point for me here was the costumes for Down, Prayer and Spinner. What was all that about with all those colored, sparkling museline nighties....?!? yucky.gif Those looked more like something a Victoria's Secret model would wear on top of their undies for a fashion show. Didn't like those costumes at all.

The sets for Act I show a colorful village with an orthodox church in the back, and Coppelius house interiors in Act II are dark and mysterious. I'm not sure I liked the bright colors of the device that carries Swannilda and Franz for their Act III entrance. the bell on top of it looks too cartoonish too.

THE DANCERS

MCB keeps showing a strange limited display of principals. Lately, out of 6 male Principals, only two of three are being actively casted. Same with the same amount of Principal women, out of which also only a couple are being seen. This Coppelia in Broward had only two castings. Delgado/Panteado in opening night and matinée and Catoya/Reyes on Saturday. I wonder where is the rest of the people...(Cox, Carranza, Isanusi, etc...).

Well, down to the subject of my favorite performance, the one and only prize definitely goes to Jeanette and Renato. Whereas Delgado's Giselle was still a work in progress, and she obviously needs to dig in what the romantic style is, her Swannilda was all allure, freshness, buoyancy, and with the proper amounts of comical touches. Her partnership with Panteado is a happy one. She went on that stage ready to make the role her own, and she did. Technically she was beautiful...she did some great Italian fouettes, and even though she took that silly fall, it only made for a better performance afterword. No mannerisms..she IS legitimate in her sparkling display, and her smile was this time in its shameless right place. Panteado definitely has a stage knowledge that made for his little technical faux pas-(he decided not to perform a final tour en l'air during his variation in Act III at the last minute...). They both did all the mime in a very natural, organic way, and the story really came out easy and well told. Call me crazy, but Panteado, when he puts on his black sleek wig, reminds me a bit of those pics of Youskevitch. I fantasized a little and tried to "see" Igor in him and Alonso in Delgado. happy.png . I had my own fun. In Act II Delgado was also delightful as the doll-(although Catoya showed more of a stiffness, almost in an unreal way!). The whole scene of Coppelius and Franz was very funny. Panteado really owned it. People laughed a lot during the chasing segment.

On Saturday Catoya/Reyes were a little undermined. The big plus of this couple is definitely during the adagio moments, where solid Reyes lifts tiny Catoya as if she is a weightless feather. The effect is beautiful-(more noticeable during their Giselle). Catoya can definitely turn very fast, although she lost her pointe a couple of times, once during her Swannilda and in two moments the day before during her Spinner variation. Reyes did not suppressed any step. He-(as Panteado and Catoya)-must be in his late 30's, early 40's, but they are both still very energetic.

I didn't like the stagings of the three variations in Act III. These weird looking ladies come out of nowhere and dance, and the audience has no clue whatsoever what are they and why are they dancing in such outfits. Day 1 was the weaker, with Albertson as Down, Kronenberg as Prayer and Catoya as Spinner. Again, Albertson and Kronenberg show signs of tiredness, Catoya trying somehow to save the segment. Day 2 was a happier one, with Manning as Down, a lush, beautiful Suzanne Limbrunner as Prayer-(VERY well done that arabesque penchee, Miss Limbrunner ! flowers.gif )-and Jennifer Lauren as a better Spinner. Still, the lack of coherence on their settings and the awful costumes made for a less than happy moment in the ballet.

Coppelius had two very enjoyable portrays. Day 1 showed tall Trividic in a more subtle version, slower demeanor, as in a more tired, older Coppelius. Day 2 had Didier Bramaz as crazy Coppelius, walking all over the place with fast, little steps and adding many comical touches to his stage moments. He even ventured to simulate an accident to his private parts during the chase to Franz across the table in Act II. He,he..happy.png . I really enjoyed both guys. As I said earlier, Catoya's doll was priceless...she REALLY LOOKED non human. A special kuddos to the male leads of the Czardas, the two Brazilians Kleber Rebello and Renan Cerdeiro. Cerdeiro did some great pirouettes while lowering his body, and Rebello was his usual airy great technician. The Esty twins were their perfect partners here.

THE WALTZ OF THE HOURS

Something I think was a total faux pas was the Waltz of the Hours. Fact is, there's no way to guess whatsoever that these 12 dancers represent the 12 hours of the clock. The costume design, even being pretty as they are, look more like flowers than anything else. The piece was also very under choreographed. I couldn't help but go back to the Cuban version, which has the women's bodices with embroideries of the 12 numbers in Roman digits. They also have a little thing in their hands with the numbers, and the final pose simulates a clock with a specific hour on it-(can't remember which one). The Waltz of the Hours suffers from the same illness as the Down, Prayer and Spinner varaitions; lack of clues.

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Once more Jeanette ruled! flowers.gif

One thing I want to congratulate MCB for is the beautiful, organic way they are doing all the mime. Act II here has LOTS of mime segments-(much more than Cuban Coppelia)-and they are doing a FANTASTIC job. The sequence of Swannilda inside Coppelius' house discovering and telling her friends the real nature of the doll was priceless. happy.png

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When you see the Bolshoi reconstruction, or even other productions-(BT New Yorkers can probably account for it)-you will see way more people onstage. MCB is a small company...after a while you start knowing each and every one of the faces. Sometimes a same face gets to be a Mazurka dancer in Act I, one of Swannilda's friends in Act II and probably one of the Hours of the Waltz in Act III. The realization is more obvious when there are dancers you tend to follow, or if they have a distinctive mark-(like the Esty Twins...they can't hide! happy.png ). Still, I applaud the way the fill the stage, which never really looks empty. (Hint...are they pulling the props in a way they get to occupy more space, hence covering for the lack of more dancers...? I am under that impression ever since Giselle...happy.png )

BB...I haven't seen the staging you mention, so I can't answer your question, but yes, here the mime is charming, funny, non mannered at all and very credible. Two thumbs up! flowers.gif .

Still ahead, Albertson/Cerdeiro...

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Casting is up for the West Palm Beach Coppelias by MCB! 4 different casts! That is interesting!

Friday night Delgado/Penteado

Saturday matinee Albertson/Cerdeiro

Saturday night Kronenberg/Reyes

Sunday matinee Catoya/ Rebello

Love the idea of Rebello!!!! Maybe I will try to catch that one along with my Friday subscription!

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Casting is up for the West Palm Beach Coppelias by MCB! 4 different casts! That is interesting!

Friday night Delgado/Penteado

Saturday matinee Albertson/Cerdeiro

Saturday night Kronenberg/Reyes

Sunday matinee Catoya/ Rebello

Love the idea of Rebello!!!! Maybe I will try to catch that one along with my Friday subscription!

Kronenberg/Reyes..? WOW...that IS weird. I don't remember having seen her dancing any "couple ballet" with anybody but her husband...

Rebello's Franz is an EXCELLENT idea. I might see that...happy.png

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I loved Jeannette Delgado and Penteado as Swanilda and Franz! Delgado always seems so natural in her acting no matter what she does, and a "happy" role fits her very well. Her dancing is always lovely. It can be dainty yet strong at the same time. This is an extroverted personality that eats up the stage and should be guesting in other companies. Others need to see this exuberant dancer. She showed great balance and even tossed in one of her signature grand jetes as she exited. That is a move she has made her own in my opinion. It embodies her dancing and personality...athletic and beautiful!

What surprised me in the Mazurka dances is that Miami City Ballet showcased the two main Mazurka males adding in some fun acrobatics. Cerdeiro did turns in second and Rebello rounding leaps around the stage (someone help me with technical term). I bought a ticket to Sunday's performance so I can see Rebello's Franz! he is short, but paired with Catoya it should work. He is amazing, so his height is the only thing holding him back. Both Cerdeiro and Rebello are impressive, although Rebello has a "snap" to his moves that impress you more.

Had such a great time! My 74 year old mother whispered to me during the overture, "Close your eyes! You can hear better!" That brought a tear to my eye. This jaded opera goer can still learn from his mother. I think I will cherish my ballet visits with her years from now.

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Glad you enoyed Coppelia, bart. I'm sure you will always remember your first live Swannilda for the years to come, and I think it was great that it wasJeanette who did the honors. I totally agree with you. She NEEDS to start guesting around to be exposed to the Romantic/classical grand repertoire that MCB lacks. For some reason I think she would make for a wonderful Esmeralda. Also agree with your assesment of Rebello. I don't know if that was the case in Palm Beach, but over here they always paired him in the Mazurka with the tallest dancer of the company, Miss Manning, and he still lifted wonderfully at all times. clapping.gif

Rebello rounding leaps around the stage (someone help me with technical term).

I know that as a barrel turn, which he finished over here with a great revoltade, but maybe there's a more proper name for it.

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Actually I saw Coppelia years ago as a student in Gainesville, but I knew nothing about ballet back then and I have no idea who danced in it! Even though I have only become a hardcore ballet lover recently I have always gone to ballets here and there. I've even seen Spartacus in Orlando years ago. I have always gone as just a total "know nothing" and only if there was time between operas. Most of my time and energy went to opera, and I always wanted to learn more about ballet, but any time spent on ballet was considered time away from opera. Moving back to Gainesville, FL and walking away from my career threw me into a deep depression, and opera was no longer helping (opera was my crazy meds after sister died 20 years ago). So since I have no job I decided to finally take time out and really learn about ballet, and it has helped my depression considerably including doing volunteer work. I have been given some temporary projects at minimum wage and one a little more, and I am giddy with excitement! Wow! Getting a little pay! I had no idea that "not working" is actually very depressing! All my friends envy me, but there are only so many walks with the dog I can go on to cheer myself up!!! LOL I need something to keep my mind occupied, and I'm sure it will happen one day! Sorry to bore everyone with my mundane life! Nobody worry! Not going to starve! More likely to lose my mind! LOL But ballet is helping!

Manning was Rebello's partner last night too. I thought it was a perfect cast last night. My mom and I had so much fun, and I got two roses for renewing our subscription. I gave them to her!

I would love for MCB to do La Esmeralda but doubt it will happen. I think it is a rarity in the U.S. except for the tambourine variation!

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Glad you enoyed Coppelia, bart. I'm sure you will always remember your first live Swannilda for the years to come, and I think it was great that it wasJeanette who did the honors. I totally agree with you. She NEEDS to start guesting around to be exposed to the Romantic/classical grand repertoire that MCB lacks. For some reason I think she would make for a wonderful Esmeralda. Also agree with your assesment of Rebello. I don't know if that was the case in Palm Beach, but over here they always paired him in the Mazurka with the tallest dancer of the company, Miss Manning, and he still lifted her wonderfully at all times. clapping.gif

Rebello rounding leaps around the stage (someone help me with technical term).

I know that as a barrel turn, which he finished over here with a great revoltade, but maybe there's a more proper name for it.

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I would love for MCB to do La Esmeralda but doubt it will happen. I think it is a rarity in the U.S. except for the tambourine variation!

NJ Ballet has it in its repertoire, staged by AD Carolyn Clark and guest Russian ballet master Vitali Akhoundov after Bourmeister's mid century version.

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