335 replies to this topic

[canbelto]

Veronica and Zenaida are about 5'8" although Veronica is not as statuesque offstage as she appears onstage. Offstage she seems more like a runway model -- tall and thin.

I believe a somewhat larger-than-average proportion of Veronika's height is in her legs, making her appear particularly tall onstage, and particularly in tutus. She also has long feet and perhaps slightly longer-than-average arms -- making her, in my opinion, the perfectly sized and proportioned ballerina. I so wish there were more like her. I could watch her Odette (with a good Siegfried) 7 nights a week. It's so hard having to wait a whole year for just one more performance!

Okay, forgive me for gushing.

You're right -- Veronika's proportions do give her the illusion of being a lot taller than she actually is. I mean, she is on the tall side for a ballerina, but in real life she doesn't really tower over people the way you'd expect. She's slim and chic offstage, whereas onstage she's majestic and imposing.

I think the tallest ballerina I've ever met was Uliana Lopatkina. She has to be around 5'10" or 5'11" -- she really did tower over everyone around her, including some of the men of the company.

[MRR]

Nanushka--That's why I said it was out of left field. I don't think Part being cast as Manon is particularly likely to happen, but I don't find it to be out of the question. Zenaida Yanowsky of the Royal is about Part's height, and she's danced Manon.

Manon should be a petite or 'normal height' dancer to do justice to MacMillan's choreography, lifts being only one part of it. The large/big boned ladies like Bussell, Semionova, Cuthbertson, Makhalina are 'heavy loads,' no matter how strong the Des Grieux who is lifting her. Even if they can be lifted and hoisted into positions, the audience cannot help but notice the strain. Just thinking about the perils of lifts takes away from the magic. We should not even be thinking about the effort. [This was one of the few 'negatives' of the recent Boylston/Simkin Swan Lake...the lifts turned out well but one was aware of the effort.]

This is all true, of course. But the question is whether the strained lifts and what have you should prevent Part from getting cast period. I would rather see Part in Manon than Herrera or Seo, even if strained lifts are part of the package. Now, if Bolle or Gomes can't partner Part due to other partners using them (or if Bolle chooses to not perform Des Grieux at all), then it would not be sensible to cast Part. And while I'm definitely not as big a fan of Part as several on this board, I think the role could be interesting on her. With that said, I don't think it's likely she will be cast.

[angelica]

Veronica and Zenaida are about 5'8" although Veronica is not as statuesque offstage as she appears onstage. Offstage she seems more like a runway model -- tall and thin.

I believe a somewhat larger-than-average proportion of Veronika's height is in her legs, making her appear particularly tall onstage, and particularly in tutus. She also has long feet and perhaps slightly longer-than-average arms -- making her, in my opinion, the perfectly sized and proportioned ballerina. I so wish there were more like her. I could watch her Odette (with a good Siegfried) 7 nights a week. It's so hard having to wait a whole year for just one more performance!

Okay, forgive me for gushing.

Please give Veronika two SL's next year--with a partner where there is "chemistry." She can dance with passion and eloquence, but she is hobbled by a partner who is impervious to the dramatic demands of the role. I know she isn't dancing SL with Hallberg anymore, but they were ravishing together a couples of years ago in a last minute cast change substituting for Irina and Max.

[nanushka]

I know she isn't dancing SL with Hallberg anymore, but they were ravishing together a couples of years ago in a last minute cast change substituting for Irina and Max.

The lifts were truly scary, though. With Hallberg's bad shoulder(s), I'm afraid that's a partnership that's just not meant to be. I'm hoping for Marcelo (esp. if Vishneva skips SL again) or, at least, Bolle (whose dancing I don't find to be all that great -- but at least he and V. look beautiful and glamorous together).

[onxmyxtoes]

Tom Forester may be in the making for Part- he is tall enough and looked lovely with her at the Gala performance.

[angelica]

Tom Forester may be in the making for Part- he is tall enough and looked lovely with her at the Gala performance.

Yes, nanushka and oxnmytoes, it's clear that a partner other than Hallberg needs to be found for Veronika. Maybe Tom is the one. When you look at the history of ballet, almost all the great ballerinas were paired in great partnerships, for example, Maximova-Vasiliev, Fracci-Bruhn, Fonteyn-Nureyev, Makarova-Baryshnikov, Ferri-Bocca, and today, Vishneva-Gomes, amongst others. Veronika is such a beautiful dancer and is at the top of her game technically and expressively. She needs to be in a partnership with "chemistry," so that she can connect with a partner who will bring out her passion, spontaneity, and lusciousness.

[puppytreats]

Tom Forester may be in the making for Part- he is tall enough and looked lovely with her at the Gala performance.

At the gala, she looked like she was at a different level than he was.

[angelica]

Tom Forester may be in the making for Part- he is tall enough and looked lovely with her at the Gala performance.

At the gala, she looked like she was at a different level than he was.

That's too bad, and all the more reason to find her the right partner. She should not become one of those flowers to blush unseen. I believe that she has greatness in her.

[Classic_Ballet]

Veronika adores Marcelo but unf he is already taken, all she can wish for is a show or maybe two during the season.

I would love to see her with David again, last time the partnership loked really shaky, he avoided quite a few lifts, but I believe he is a much better partner now than he was at that time. Recently he has managed to partner Zakharova and Semionova, both really tall, very strongly. If he is scared of getting injured partnering Veronika, then it wont happen i guess., but if there is a minimun chance, this is to me the dream partnership, since they are prob the two most beautifully proportionated dancers today, and one of the most refined.

Bolle looked great with her on stage, but he was surprinsingly weak in the partnering department, and avoided a couple of tough lifts as well. Veronika is not only tall, she has a heavier frame than most of other tall ballerinas.

On the other hand, Ratmansky Nutcracker pdd has a lof of crazy liftings (a couple of them similar to some of the most difficult ones in the final pdd in manon), and it looks like Marcelo did very well with her. Kevin said in an interview that she was "out of this world" in that..so then Kevin, why cant you guys give her a juliet or a giselle, or manon ????? If you guys read this board, people are screaming for the chance, and yes..give her 2 SL next yr too pls I am also in the group who can see her odette 7 nights in a row.

Cory, acting wise, is still far from an ideal partner for Veronika. Still after the very weak SL, he came a lot stronger in Corsaire , and the partnership looked really good, there are quite some tough liftings there. So maybe he is the best choice for her today. He also has gorgeous lines and is one of the few who is taller than her, even when she is on point.

I am a huge fan of Veronika, since I believe she is the type of ballerina that you can rarely find around, pure classicism, one of the best lines out there and an upper body trully representative of the best of Vaganova's school. So, if Cory is the only choice, be it, rather see her doing new roles with him than not getting anything.I beleive he has potential and maybe, only maybe, a partnership can develop over time.


Foster is very tall and strong, he may be another good choice, he is a work in progress but I really liked a lot what I saw in the opening night gala, I think there may be a lot of potential there too.....and how about a try out with Vasiliev
you never know, ha


on another note, since Gilliam seems to have succeded with her Juliet, is there any chance to see her as Giselle ? I know she may not look like the ideal Giselle, but given her trememndous artistic development, I would love to see her trying this. Sometimes I feel abt management is very rigid classifying the home ballerinas. I wonder also, if they will give Giselle to Semionova, since she was casted as Myrtha this seasson. I am not sure if Semionova will be given all the lyrical roles, like Manon, juliet, tatiana, etc. She certainly has danced it all, but it will be interesting to see whats abt decision regarding her castings, now that she is a full time.

[abatt]

I read somewhere (probably on Ballet Alert!) that Murphy will dance her first Giselle w. the Royal New Zealand Ballet this fall.

[Classic_Ballet]

oh thats wonderful news !!! thx abatt, wish we could see that on video at least

so, the new abt soloist James Whiteside (coming from Boston) looks tall and handsome, a new partner for our beloved Veronika ?????

[ksk04]

on another note, since Gilliam seems to have succeded with her Juliet, is there any chance to see her as Giselle ? I know she may not look like the ideal Giselle, but given her trememndous artistic development, I would love to see her trying this. Sometimes I feel abt management is very rigid classifying the home ballerinas.

Are you talking about Part as Giselle? I believe she's done the role as a guest somewhere in Russia (not at the Mariinsky) maybe 2 or 3 years ago. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I read this.

Part seems like she'd be a more successful Giselle than Murphy, but I wouldn't turn down the chance to see either. Just Murphy's Myrtha is SO cold, so unyielding it's a bit hard to see her as anything else. They are both fabulous Myrthas so it'd be a shame to lose them in that role though.

[angelica]

Kevin said in an interview that she was "out of this world" in that..so then Kevin, why cant you guys give her a juliet or a giselle, or manon ????? If you guys read this board, people are screaming for the chance, and yes..give her 2 SL next yr too pls I am also in the group who can see her odette 7 nights in a row.
I am a huge fan of Veronika, since I believe she is the type of ballerina that you can rarely find around, pure classicism, one of the best lines out there and an upper body truly representative of the best of Vaganova's school.

It always makes me happy to know there are other people who appreciate and adore Veronika Part and are out there plugging for her! She is unique, special, ravishing, and we need to have our voices heard.

[Marga]

I don't post much anymore, nor do I write any more reviews here, but count me in the Veronika camp! After all, she's my homie, as she's half Estonian! I've followed her development from afar and occasionally in person, and she has performed a few times with Canadian Ballet Theatre when my daughter danced there, so I've seen her in class and rehearsal as well. She is exquisite and technically flawless, striking in her physicality and humble about it at the same time, very sweet to talk to and still quite shy.

Her embodiment of certain roles becomes the raised bar for others to measure themselves by. She can't really be compared to anyone else, so unique is her performance artistry, and she leaves her audience in distinct camps: those who would drink out of her slipper and those who wonder what all the fuss is about. The first camp is growing by leaps and bounds! All hail the goddess Veronika! May she be blessed with the partner of everyone's dreams!

(just for fun: her last name in Estonian is "duck"!)

[Jayne]

ah, last names are not nearly exotic once translated. Giuseppe Verdi after all is Joe Green in English. ;)