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ABT 2015 Met season


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Was just checking on something at the ABT website, and noticed a photo on the splash screen of the wonderful Joey Gorak as the Golden Idol. This may be viewed as silly by some, but I do wish ABT listed among its cast members on the site who's dancing the Idol, just as they now list who's the Ballroom von Rothbart. Some of us--well, me, actually--might make a point of going to a particular perf if it were known who in advance would be doing it. It's the flashiest novelty variation in the whole work, after all, and as you might expect I always look forward to it. I hope I'll catch Gorak or Arron Scott doing it this summer.

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Re the "Smirnova/Chudin" Bayadere: Asked about Smirnova's injury in an interview published on "Bachtrack.com" Filin says he hopes Smirnova will make her return to Bolshoi repertory in the new Possokhov Hero of Our Time--which is supposed to premier in July.

Perhaps he thinks of any appearance with ABT as warm up for the Bolshoi and perhaps he is simply being very cautious--like a maitre d' at a restaurant who tells you it's a 30 minute wait, so you will be just delighted when you get seated after 20 minutes--but likely not...I suppose ABT is working on this, and there are certain obvious things they could do, but anyway we'll see.

(That's one weekend I can likely make it to NY, so I will probably be there whatever the cast, especially as I'm hoping to 'introduce' someone to Bayadere and eager to see several of the dancers scheduled. I figure at least one of them will show.)

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Just booked all my tickets. Was pretty happy with the selection still available. I got two first row balcony tickets for all of my desired performances at a pretty reasonable price. Granted, I tend to opt for mostly Saturday matinees which probably don't sell as well initially (as I make the trek in from the Philly area). Last season, I mostly sat in the grand tier side boxes, so I hope I like the view from the front of the balcony.

I'm pulling double duty on July 4th, as I want to see both Nunez and Abrera's Cinderella. I also elected not to see the Saturday matinee of Copeland in Romeo and Juliet and instead opted for Murphy on Wednesday afternoon and Obratzsova on Thursday night.

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I am so excited! I have tickets to 2 performances - Ms. Xiomara Reyes' final performance May 27 and R&J on June 18! Does ABT perform Bayadere every year? The answer to that may make me buy a ticket to that ballet this season. Any in fo is appreciated -thanks.

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No they don't perform Bayadere every year. They haven't announced next year's season yet so no telling if they'll do it next year too. They'll rest a war horse ballet every now and then for a few seasons before bringing it out again. Bayadere sells well (esp with all the big guest artists who are cast in most of the principal roles) so if you want to see it you should go this season since we won't know for months if it'll come back next year.

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Thanks, ABT Fan, I appreciate your advice. I will try for tickets to the Saturday matinee, June 6, I think it is with Semionova and Murphy. I would really love to see Veronica Part dance Nikiya, but it's difficult going to the evening ballets since I'm 3 hours away!

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Yes, it is, Abatt. I am confident I'll be delighted with Gillian, ABT Fan, and I've heard good things about Kim. I don't know much about Semionova and couldn't find much on BA. Any thoughts?

Well, I'm almost certain I'll be buying a ticket (SB, too - this is becoming an expensive habit). All this on the heels of NYCB at SPAC. smilie_mondieu.gif

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AlbanyGirl, I'm not nearly as knowledgable about the dancers as others on this board. I can only speak to my own impressions of them as they performed. That said, in answer to your question about Semionova, I saw her dance only once, her first performance in Swan Lake when she joined ABT in 2011. I found her interpretation rather fussy and overly dramatic in what I think of as the Russian style. She was so thin it made me uncomfortable watching her. Her very long, very thin arms fluttered so much that they overwhelmed her body and distracted me from the overall performance--yes I know that arm fluttering is the key to the interpretation of the role, as the dancer transforms into a swan. But it seemed overdone. Anyway, I was not transformed by her performance and I decided not to select any further ballets in future featuring her. And I haven't. But you will love Gillian in whatever she dances-- to me she is the quintessential American dancer and she is great in every role I have seen her in.

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Yes, it is, Abatt. I am confident I'll be delighted with Gillian, ABT Fan, and I've heard good things about Kim. I don't know much about Semionova and couldn't find much on BA. Any thoughts?

Well, I'm almost certain I'll be buying a ticket (SB, too - this is becoming an expensive habit). All this on the heels of NYCB at SPAC. Mon dieu!

I have tickets for this performance too. I saw Semionova in Bayadere a couple of years ago, when she first joined ABT. She is, as CTballetfan writes, extremely thin -- too much so for my taste, though otherwise, I think very lovely in appearance. In this role, I did not find her dancing as compellingly beautiful as that of other ballerinas -- I guess I found her a bit dry --but she was extremely impressive in her technical command; from that point of view one of the best I have seen in the role. And, since I have seen her dance more effectively in other roles, I am inclined to give her a chance and see if she has developed herself in this one. Kimin Kim has also gotten a lot of attention for his technical prowess as well as charisma and star-power. Between the two of them and Murphy (no technical slouch herself) I expect the performance to be, if nothing else, an impressive display of physical skill. Of course, I'm hoping for more (anticipate more from Murphy certainly) as I'm sure others are. That's harder to predict, but I'm plenty curious to see what these three manage to pull off.

This is indeed an expensive habit...

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Hello Albany Girl, Semionova danced "La Bayadere" last Spring. I have not always been a Semionova fan (I find her "Swan Lake" good as pure dancing but dramatically and artistically flat) but her Nikiya last year really turned me around.

There are numerous reviews here:

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/38813-la-bayadere/page-3

This is what I said:

La Bayadere: Monday May 26, 2014: Semionova, Shklyarov, Seo, Barbee

"First of all, Polina Semionova, a technically proficient dancer who has at times failed to engage me as an interpreter, is a glorious Nikiya. She actually combines the best qualities of both Vishneva and Part in this ballet. She has the sinuous flexible back and fluid arms of Vishneva. Her epaulement is simply ravishing and we know she has no problem with pointe work and multiple unsupported pirouettes and such. Like Diana, Polina also gives a passionate, full-blooded dramatic interpretation to the role of Nikiya in the first act. Like Part, Semionova has long limbs with high extensions, a strong jump and a sense of amplitude in her movements. Like both Part and Vishneva she is a beautiful woman and is facially expressive in this role."

I personally wonder if Natalia Makarova coached Semionova as Nikiya last Spring because she really was a revelation.

I know nothing about Kimin Kim but Gillian Murphy is a superb Gamzatti. So you will have two nearly perfect interpreters in the two contrasting female leads and an exciting newcomer as Solor. Go for it!

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Thanks to all for giving me some much-needed insight into this unknown (to me) dancer. shake2.gif I'm getting closer and closer to a favorable decision to take in this performance (alone or with my dear hub if he wants to join me)! I'd better do it before they raise the prices......

I've seen Murphy dance about 3x - once at the Met (SL) and twice at Bard. She is always lovely; loved her in 'Other Dances' with that great, handsome and 'large-hearted' dancer, Marcelo Gomes. I simply cannot remember the 3rd ballet I saw her in! innocent.gif For the two performances I do have tickets for this season, Reyes/Cornejo Giselle and Obratszova/Cornejo in R&J, well, I'm so excited I could burst! The thought of seeing Cornejo in two performances so close together (I've seen him only once, with Corella Ballet) and these two ballerinas fills me with happiness. But La Bayadere is calling meeeeee.....

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AlbanyGirl - Let me reiterate what Drew said - this is a very expensive habit, or hobby, or whatever you want call it. In my twenties, newly employed, I pooled all my $$ to buy ABT tickets for their appearances in Miami (Baryshnikov, Makarova, etc.). It's 35 years later and I promise I've dropped a bundle on plane tickets, hotel bills and ballet tickets and trust me, it's all worth it.

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AlbanyGirl - Let me reiterate what Drew said - this is a very expensive habit, or hobby, or whatever you want call it. In my twenties, newly employed, I pooled all my $$ to buy ABT tickets for their appearances in Miami (Baryshnikov, Makarova, etc.). It's 35 years later and I promise I've dropped a bundle on plane tickets, hotel bills and ballet tickets and trust me, it's all worth it.

One year when I had tickets to four performances of Giselle, my husband asked me "Does anybody else go to four performances of the same ballet in one week?" Wasn't he surprised, when we went together to a Spotlight Seminar, to learn that some people go to every performance of Giselle. In fact, some people (not I) go to every performance of the entire season! That's their "summer vacation." Yes, Kristen and AlbanyGirl, I agree that it's totally worth it.

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AlbanyGirl - Let me reiterate what Drew said - this is a very expensive habit, or hobby, or whatever you want call it. In my twenties, newly employed, I pooled all my $$ to buy ABT tickets for their appearances in Miami (Baryshnikov, Makarova, etc.). It's 35 years later and I promise I've dropped a bundle on plane tickets, hotel bills and ballet tickets and trust me, it's all worth it.

One year when I had tickets to four performances of Giselle, my husband asked me "Does anybody else go to four performances of the same ballet in one week?" Wasn't he surprised, when we went together to a Spotlight Seminar, to learn that some people go to every performance of Giselle. In fact, some people (not I) go to every performance of the entire season! That's their "summer vacation." Yes, Kristen and AlbanyGirl, I agree that it's totally worth it.

Kristen, it is so worth it. So happy to share in this camaraderie, Ladies shake2.gif . How I wish I'd seen Baryshnikov and Makarova - oh my! My husband, Joe, saw Baryshnikov perform at SPAC. Angelica, I know. As much as my husband loves ballet, he could not see as much of it as I would like to and attempt to! De gustibus non est disputandum, is the saying, I think. ~Karen

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