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[dirac]

Lisa Macuja of Ballet Manila dances her last Kitris.

And she—and BM—did not disappoint. In fact, Lisa seemed sprightlier, naughtier, and even stronger as she danced her favorite role. How she could pull off dancing a young woman bent on frustrating her father’s marriage plans for her is a wonder, but even seated a few rows away from the stage, one was completely taken in, falling for her interpretation of a rebellious daughter so young she still stuck out her tongue at her father!

Equally deserving of praise was Lisa’s Basilio, Mikhail Martynyuk, principal dancer of The Kremlin Ballet Theatre, who is young (he was born just a year before Lisa debuted with Don Q, my daughter observed), good-looking and equipped with an admirable “line” and fascinating technique. His high leaps and confidence were so breathtaking the audience broke into spontaneous applause at the end of each passage.

[dirac]

A story on the principal dancers of Oregon Ballet Theatre by Grant Butler in The Oregonian.

Thanks to movies like "The Turning Point" and "Black Swan," there's a public perception of principal ballet dancers as heartless cutthroats who are determined to get ahead no matter what. That image wasn't helped by this summer's reality TV series "Breaking Pointe," which followed the petty squabbles of members of Salt Lake City's Ballet West, and made one former OBT principal dancer look like a narcissistic back-stabber.

The vibe feels very different in the studios of Oregon Ballet Theatre. There's palpable camaraderie between the principals, and while they admit that there's friendly competition, they mostly learn from each other.

[dirac]

A review of Louisville Ballet in "The Lady of the Camellias" by Elizabeth Kramer in The Courier-Journal.

While Ashikhmina and Needham-Wood shone both as dancers and in portraying their characters, so did the rest of the company, nailing most of Caniparoli’s often fast-paced choreography with aplomb.That could be expected for many of the company members who have worked with the choreographer on several of his pieces over the past decade (the company’s versions of “The Nutcracker,” “The Four Seasons” and “Lambarena”).

[dirac]

A review of New York City Ballet by Tobi Tobias in her blog, "Seeing Things."

Throughout the ballet, Peck’s authority is evident. As is his earnestness of purpose. Both qualities will help him push forward. In time, if we’re lucky, he’ll allow the unplanned to expand what he’s doing.

Earlier this season, though unable to write at the time, I marveled at City Ballet’s rendition of Balanchine’s choreography in three programs devoted solely to the master’s work. I wondered then, as I have on several other special occasions, why the company allows lackluster performances when it can render the work with the empathy and brilliance it deserves.