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ABT 2013 Sleeping Beauty at the Met


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Hi Everyone-

I have tickets to see the final performance of the season, with Part, Gomes and Abrera. I am a beginner at appreciating ballet - just two years in, but enthusiastic. I would appreciate anything you have to share regarding ABT's production, things to look for an enjoy with the lead dancers' styles, and things you expect might be highlights of the night given the production, the company and the leads involved.

And of course I will read, with interest, comments upon earlier performances.

Best, Paris.

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I want to see Veronica Part on Sat., but I want to see Herman Cornejo on Fri. Mr. Puppytreats prefers that I go on Friday, but I think Veronica would be a beautiful Aurora, and Stella would be a wonderful fairy, and I have a front row ticket. Is the part for Prince Desire very small in ABT's production? If Herman has a small part, such as he did in "Corsaire", that could weigh in favor of seeing Veronica.

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I want to see Veronica Part on Sat., but I want to see Herman Cornejo on Fri. Mr. Puppytreats prefers that I go on Friday, but I think Veronica would be a beautiful Aurora, and Stella would be a wonderful fairy, and I have a front row ticket. Is the part for Prince Desire very small in ABT's production? If Herman has a small part, such as he did in "Corsaire", that could weigh in favor of seeing Veronica.

The part is smallish. This version tries to give it a bit more heft but I'd always choose my sb based on the female lead. Plus Part is dancing with Gomes, so not too shabby on the prince either :)

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I want to see Veronica Part on Sat., but I want to see Herman Cornejo on Fri. Mr. Puppytreats prefers that I go on Friday, but I think Veronica would be a beautiful Aurora, and Stella would be a wonderful fairy, and I have a front row ticket. Is the part for Prince Desire very small in ABT's production? If Herman has a small part, such as he did in "Corsaire", that could weigh in favor of seeing Veronica.

The part is smallish. This version tries to give it a bit more heft but I'd always choose my sb based on the female lead. Plus Part is dancing with Gomes, so not too shabby on the prince either smile.png

I'd also go with Part/Gomes. Although the Kochetkova'Cornejo could also be interesting. IMO, however, this production has some real flaws. Costumes and scenery tend to the grotesque at times. Dancers always seem to be cramped on the stage. Story telling is diffused. Carabosse is not scary. The storybook characters have been reduced to the bare minimum. On and on. If this is your first viewing of this ballet, know there are superior versions out there. Why ABT is clinging to this one is beyond me.

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I want to see Veronica Part on Sat., but I want to see Herman Cornejo on Fri. Mr. Puppytreats prefers that I go on Friday, but I think Veronica would be a beautiful Aurora, and Stella would be a wonderful fairy, and I have a front row ticket. Is the part for Prince Desire very small in ABT's production? If Herman has a small part, such as he did in "Corsaire", that could weigh in favor of seeing Veronica.

The part is smallish. This version tries to give it a bit more heft but I'd always choose my sb based on the female lead. Plus Part is dancing with Gomes, so not too shabby on the prince either smile.png

I'd also go with Part/Gomes. Although the Kochetkova'Cornejo could also be interesting. IMO, however, this production has some real flaws. Costumes and scenery tend to the grotesque at times. Dancers always seem to be cramped on the stage. Story telling is diffused. Carabosse is not scary. The storybook characters have been reduced to the bare minimum. On and on. If this is your first viewing of this ballet, know there are superior versions out there. Why ABT is clinging to this one is beyond me.

It cost a fortune to produce it.

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I attended tonight and was highly dissapointed.

I thought Seo was a total miscast, and lacked a lot of rehearsal time and maturity as Aurora, to say the least.

Act I was the worst by far. She looked very, very nervous. All the step were rushed, and many sections of the choreography simplified or poorly executed.

Once again (looks like I really have no luck with her) she had some big technical problems. Second round of balances in the Rose Adagio (when Aurora does the final attitude promenades), started badly, she was terrified to the point of not letting the first prince go for a while, face and tension in upper body were more than obvious, I really felt bad for her. The situation got progressively worst until the third prince arrived, during the promenade she lost the balance, went to the side and fell off point. Luckily she recovered and finished them.

She was at her best in Act II, nothing spectacular, but no technical problems and she was way more musical and secure.

Fishing dives in Act III were ugly and super cautious. She would not lift her supporting leg off the floor until he had her completely secured, ( exactly as she did with Hallberg in the opening night gala. Back then I thought it may have been because of David H recent injury). Her variations were ok, but behind the music many times, and again no joy, no happiness...

More than anything, to me, it was Seo going through the steps from beginning to end, sometimes terrified and some others less scared.

She totally lacked the stage presence, the royal and luxurious quality that Aurora demands, to make this ballet work.

Of course, it doesnt help the fact that the production is so horrendous and the set and costumes even worst...the more I see this the more I dislike it.

Muntagirov was ok, his technique is very good but his acting department needs a lot of improving, cold cold cold....and there was zero chemistry/connection with Seo.

The best of the night to me were the fairies, especially Simon Mesmer and Isabella B., Stella Abrera was also really wonderful as Lilac Fairy.......and J. Gorak's blue bird. He is not the super skilled technical dancer but his refinement and elegance is truly magnificent.

overall i just left with a bad taste, first time in the season that I was sitting in the theater and couldn't wait for the night to come to an end.

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I may write a more complete review at a later time, but just a quick note right now about Hee Seo's debut as Aurora. She got off to a rather shaky start (nerves, I suppose), as exhibited in a somewhat tense rather than joyful rose adagio. Her first set of balances was just fine--not held very long but they were still leagues better than, say, those of Julie Kent in the last few Sleeping Beauties she has delivered for ABT. However, the second set of Seo's balances were shaky and after the third one it was clear that something was going wrong and her leg was lacking the strength to keep her in position. As she was being rotated after the third balance, she started to tilt jarringly over to the side and then she fell completely off pointe. She was helped back up by her suitor and then managed to complete a very quick fourth balance. But Sleeping Beauty is more than the rose adagio, and she acquitted herself well in the rest of the Act I choreography. She only improved in the vision scene and then again in the wedding act. As mentioned by Classic Ballet, certain elements were approached in an extremely cautious manner. However, the quality of her movement and graceful upper body are at time reminiscent of both Stella Abrera and Veronika Part. I hope she can develop the role more fully and work on a more reliable technique.

What can I say about Stella Abrera this evening? She could give a master class on how to dance the Lilac Fairy. I always enjoy her dancing, but this was some of the best I have ever seen from her. I remember now that years ago she used to sometimes seem a bit tense and taut in her upper body and face, but it's all so much softer now. She dances the Lilac Fairy in a way that is both authoritative yet gentle; you know she is going to ensure that everything turns out alright.

I have seen Misty Copeland dance quite a lot but have never been a fan per se. However, she danced wonderfully as Princess Florine tonight--brava! Kudos to her for holding her leg extended quite high while she flapped her "wings." She was so on, and really elegant--it never looked like she was pushing. Joseph Gorak was his usual elegant self and brought grace rather than flash to the role of bluebird. As much as I love his dancing, I at times wish it were larger in scale (though I will take his gorgeous dancing over something flashier and vulgar any day).

Simone Messmer was wonderful as the pointing fairy. Isabella Boylston was great as the fairy of ferver but her eye makeup was ghastly. Was she going for a black swan look? Has Gillian been giving her makeup tips? I haven't at all been familiar with corps member Stephanie Williams, but she danced really well as the fairy of sincerity and stood out among the group. She dances a fairy variation that I always think looks awkward, but she made it look beautiful. I will look out for her again in the future.

Lastly, bravi to Aurora's attendants for looking fabulous in the birthday scene. A joy to watch.

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It's almost painful to read these reports of Seo's Rose Adagio. This is the Met, after all, not a school recital. Yes, there is more to SB than balances, but they are so iconic, you have to wonder if anybody at ABT had second thoughts about handing her this role. Or perhaps somebody should have looked at her trying them before giving her the role. Not every dancer is suited for every role. When Colorado Ballet did SB last year, all three principal women did a good job with Rose, one was fabulous (Maria Mosina), and nobody fell off pointe in the numerous performances I saw.

Adding to the bizarre evening others have described, you have to wonder what Stella Abrera was thinking as she did the Lilac Fairy. Ethan Stiefel liked her enough to give her SB a couple of years ago in New Zealand. With some help from Google, I found an old review that says Abrera has great technique, but the characterization could be improved. No mention of faltering balances:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10770177

You just have to wonder why McKenzie took a chance on Seo, when they must have had early indicators about these problems, and Abrera was right there. At least Lane gets to do SB, but is it true she's had to wait five years for another shot at it?

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It's almost painful to read these reports of Seo's Rose Adagio. This is the Met, after all, not a school recital. Yes, there is more to SB than balances, but they are so iconic, you have to wonder if anybody at ABT had second thoughts about handing her this role. Or perhaps somebody should have looked at her trying them before giving her the role. Not every dancer is suited for every role. When Colorado Ballet did SB last year, all three principal women did a good job with Rose, one was fabulous (Maria Mosina), and nobody fell off pointe in the numerous performances I saw.

Adding to the bizarre evening others have described, you have to wonder what Stella Abrera was thinking as she did the Lilac Fairy. Ethan Stiefel liked her enough to give her SB a couple of years ago in New Zealand. With some help from Google, I found an old review that says Abrera has great technique, but the characterization could be improved. No mention of faltering balances:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10770177

You just have to wonder why McKenzie took a chance on Seo, when they must have had early indicators about these problems, and Abrera was right there. At least Lane gets to do SB, but is it true she's had to wait five years for another shot at it?

Yes, I think it's possible that balances in general might be a problem spot for her. After the issues in the Rose Adagio, I thought she might try to emphasize the other balances that occur throughout the ballet, most notably the striking echo of the Rose Adagio pose that occurs during the wedding pas de deux. However, these were held for as little time as possible, so I guess they might just be outside of her comfort zone.

I had exactly the same though as California as I was watching last night--what must Stella be thinking as she observes all of this? Her performance last night was radiant and secure. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the beautiful shapes she created with her arms.

Yes, it is sadly true that Sarah Lane has had to wait five years to dance Sleeping Beauty again at the Met. I was there for her debut and she danced beautifully. The Rose Adagio was approached with a sense of youthful enthusiasm, complete with secure balances held for a nice length of time. I remember the rapturous applause that greeted her after she had completed that sequence. Temperamentally, she seemed perfect for Aurora and managed to present an evolved persona throughout the three acts. I remember she had a few bobbles with some of the turns in the birthday act (I think she went for triples when she probably should have gone for doubles), but that is just a minor point. It was really a triumphant debut and I can only imagine how she would have built upon her interpretation in subsequent performances. Her comments in the recent Huffington Post interview are interesting, though--after not dancing a role for five years, it essentially feels like she is starting from scratch. How can an artist develop when opportunities are so few and far between?

I'm not ready to write off Hee Seo in the role of Aurora. She's clearly more a lyrical dancer rather than a technical powerhouse, but you never know where she could go from here (just look at the progress Cory Stearns has made in the past year). And I hate to bring up ancient history, but Veronika Part's development as Aurora got off to quite a shaky start. However, her balances are now actually something she emphasizes in all the classical roles she dances, and they are a beautiful sight to behold. Sarah Lane's debut certainly was much stronger than Seo's, and much more full of joy rather than anxiety. I'm glad she is getting to dance the role again and I only wish I could play hooky from work to go see her.

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"I think it's possible that balances in general might be a problem spot for her." I just had to chuckle when I read that. Casting Seo in a role famous for the balances is like somebody at ABT thinking: "Gee, she'd be a great black swan, but she can't do a fouette to save her life. Perhaps nobody will notice!"

I wonder if Seo will have to wait five years before getting another shot at SB. I also wonder if the balances for the rest of the week will be super-extraordinary, as everybody surely knows about this episode by now. The other principals will want to show how great they are in that sequence -- sort of like the escalating competition in embellishments to the fouettes in SL and Don Q. Those of you fortunate enough to attend SB for the rest of the week will have to let us know.

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Unfortunately, I think it's more than 'Aurora' for Hee Seo....I saw her debut in Giselle, and also followed up with her performance on the following year and found it lacking....a case of too much, too soon. I would love to be in McKenzie's head when he is making these decisions........

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How unfortunate to hear that Seo didn't do well at all. Many said her SL was terrific (despite her fouettes) so I was hopeful her Beauty would be too. I thought her Met season looked too ambitious. Would love to know what the female soloists are thinking!

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How unfortunate to hear that Seo didn't do well at all. Many said her SL was terrific (despite her fouettes) so I was hopeful her Beauty would be too. I thought her Met season looked too ambitious. Would love to know what the female soloists are thinking!

Well, Simone Messmer is leaving.

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based on the interviews given by Simone Messmer, among others, it seems that ABT doesn't give adequate rehearsal times for anyone - even the guests get just 1 week to learn the ABT version of the ballets. It seems that Hee Seo had too many debuts within an 8 week performance period. If she was at another company, her coach would have said "you're not ready" and given the extra performance to Sarah Lane. There would be no shame in it, and Hee Seo could have debuted it at a later date, or as a guest with another company. What a shame, though that Stella Abrera did not get an opportunity, as she had plenty of experience at RNZB.

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Both Sarah Lane and Stella Abrera were sensational in today's matinee. To be more precise, Sarah was sensational and Stella was beyond exquisite. Sarah is small, but she danced large, covering vast amounts of space with every jump, carving gorgeous curvilinear lines with her upper body, and stepping into arabesque after arabesque with complete confidence. She did beautiful renverses, and didn't miss a single triple pirouette. Doesn't Paris Opera Ballet announce promotions after a performance? Based on Sarah's performance today, she deserves to be promoted to Principal and to be given leading roles at ABT that she has danced elsewhere, including Swan Lake and Giselle. Sleeping Beauty doesn't require a huge amount of drama, but her sudden response to the pricking by the spindle was completely realistic.

Stella Abrera is so perfect as the Lilac Fairy that it's almost become a liability for her--why give someone else that role when she dances it so well? Yes, definitely, she should be dancing Aurora instead of certain other ballerinas who shall remain nameless here. Her technique, her radiance, her mime, are all pitch perfect. She, too, deserves Principal status.

I thought Daniil Simkin did a good job, executing his solos with clarity and a beautiful classical line, without the self-promoting gestures that he used to make to the audience. I don't know if it's just me, and this is the first time I've seen this ballet close up (Row B Orchestra), but it seemed to me that Sarah took a little longer than the ideal in getting that bottom leg into passe in the fish dive balances, so that her leg going up was the last thing you saw, instead of creating the illusion that it all happened at once. I don't know if that was a partnering issue or a Sarah issue. A minor detail in my book.

Today's matinee would have made Petipa proud.

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Just back from today's matinee and I can report that Sarah Lane was superb. With her entrance, she brought instant excitement to what had been, up to then, an ok production. I have only seen a few ballets and had never before heard of the Rose Adaigo, but that was most exciting ballet scene I've seen. She really blew me away.

I hadn't realized how little time Prince Desire is actually on stage. Daniil Simkin, once he got the chance to show what he could do, was great in the grand pas de deux. So were Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews in the Bluebird pas de deux.

Everything else in between, I would describe as decent. The music sounded great. The audience, perhaps because it was a matinee, was not the best behaved - lots of talking, crackling wrappers and eight people in the center of my row who had to get out before the curtain call.

Though I realize I may be the only one, I kind of liked the scenery, particularly the Act III palace scene. I suppose it is a bit Disney-like but also reminded me of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. Perhaps that was the intention.

My favorite for this season is still Don Quixote with Reyes and Cornejo.

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...it seemed to me that Sarah took a little longer than the ideal in getting that bottom leg into passe in the fish dive balances, so that her leg going up was the last thing you saw, instead of creating the illusion that it all happened at once. I don't know if that was a partnering issue or a Sarah issue. A minor detail in my book.

It's interesting -- that's exactly what Hee Seo did last night.

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Yes, 3 cheers for the Home Team. A near perfect performance. Lane's Aurora was radiantly

happy - her face serene and confident. She hit all the balances in the Rose A, arms in upper

fifth and a final arabesque flourish. A slight teeter on the last prince's promenade but the crowd

was already clapping and yelling so it may have thrown them off. Her adagio passages were

stunning. I think conductor Barker was following her lead - she may be tiny but her dancing

is expansive and luxurious - using all the music with her arms, back, head. Gorgeous.

Abrera is marvelous as Lilac - but she looks great in everything. Kajiya was our Florine and

was all smiles and perfect technique. Seeing her paired with Matthews as Bluebird reminds me

to add their Giselle to my wish list, hopefully next year.

Simkin was all Petipa Prince. Beautiful form, large jumps and soft landings. Loved the mime with

Lilac in the vision scene. Actually saw him falling in love with Aurora.

And of course, Gorak who played the herald, Catalabutte's sidekick. Even standing on the sidelines

wearing a silly wig, he was all turned out and looked like a prince himself.

It was a wonderful day. I hope LaKarsavina was there!

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...it seemed to me that Sarah took a little longer than the ideal in getting that bottom leg into passe in the fish dive balances, so that her leg going up was the last thing you saw, instead of creating the illusion that it all happened at once. I don't know if that was a partnering issue or a Sarah issue. A minor detail in my book.

It's interesting -- that's exactly what Hee Seo did last night.

My guess is that each woman was waiting to feel secure before lifting her leg. I'm not totally surprised because it is a partnering move that takes rehearsal time, which at ABT by all accounts is short. I was so sorry that I couldn't go to the Lane performance, so I really appreciate the reviews. I saw the SB she did 5 years ago and loved it. What a crazy company to make a dancer wait 5 years to do a role that she was good in the first time around.

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This afternoon was one of the most magical i've experienced in a long long time. Sara Lane was beautiful and so compelling that i became transported into her world. I remember gasping in fear when she prickrd her fiinger! I thought Danil was wonderful too. An ardent and passionate prince.

And...i had heard so many awful things about the set and costumes that i was expecting "awful." It reminded me of childrens book illustrations of the 50's. And being a child then, i loved them this afternoon!

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Unfortunately, I think it's more than 'Aurora' for Hee Seo....I saw her debut in Giselle, and also followed up with her performance on the following year and found it lacking....a case of too much, too soon. I would love to be in McKenzie's head when he is making these decisions........

I was at Seo's SL. I felt so negative, I didn't want to comment. IMO it could only be called terrific if you very selectively chose moments. Certainly not a performance by a principal dancer in a world class company.

Hee Seo has many wonderful attributes, and can do many roles but I believe that she was promoted (somewhat but not totally - she had proven herself in some roles) on body type. It is look that the AD favors. Now that she has been promoted she is being expected to carry a full range of roles for which she isn't suited. I fault the AD.

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