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Spring 2015: Giselle


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Release:

OVER 200 AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ALUMNI TO ATTEND
PERFORMANCE OF GISELLE, SATURDAY, MAY 23, 8 P.M. AT

METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

COMPANY MEMBERS REPRESENTING SEVEN DECADES

TO GATHER FOR EVENTS DURING 75THANNIVERSARY ALUMNI WEEKEND

American Ballet Theatre will welcome over 200 former Company members as part of a 75th Anniversary alumni weekend. The weekend will include a special showing by the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and a dancer seminar. The events will conclude with alumni attending a performance of Giselle on Saturday evening, May 23. The performance features Stella Abrera in her ABT debut as Giselle, opposite Guest Artist Vladimir Shkylarov as Albrecht and Veronika Part as Myrta.

Members of American Ballet Theatre’s alumni will be recognized prior to the start of the evening performance. Alumni expected to attend include former Principal Dancers Nina Ananiashvili, Christine Dunham, Robert LaFosse, John Meehan, Christine Sarry, Lupe Serrano and Martine van Hamel and former Soloists Ethan Brown, Ruth Mayer, Elaine Kudo, William Glassman, Carla Stallings-Lippert, George de la Peña, Liane Plane and Lisa de Ribere.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. 
Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. 
ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2015 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

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It's SO late to be announcing this. I'm trying to understand what ABT is doing by announcing this so late. The alumni listed were either in at the gala or live in NYC. Where's Bocca, Mckerrow, Stiefel, Corella, Carreno? I'm trying to contact my friend who is an ABT alum to find out if she knew in advance and is attending (she lives in Chicago).

I'm thrilled I got tickets to this performance long ago because of Shklyarov. But to have Stella as Giselle is an extra special treat.

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I don't get this alumni reunion. Sounds like 200 of them will be at the performance at 8 pm Saturday. But no info at all about the "dancer seminar" or the JKO student performance, beyond the news release. I'm guessing those will not be open to the public or even Friends. If anybody knows more about this, please post.

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I wish they would just let Abrera and Shkylarov have their moment in the sun, without diluting it by adding bows for the alumni. They just had their party on Monday. Abrera has been waiting years for this spotlight.

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I wish they would just let Abrera and Shkylarov have their moment in the sun, without diluting it by adding bows for the alumni. They just had their party on Monday. Abrera has been waiting years for this spotlight.

Agree. Does this mean they'll get no before-the-curtain bows? That'd be too bad, as those are often special moments.

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Agree. Does this mean they'll get no before-the-curtain bows? That'd be too bad, as those are often special moments.

"Members of American Ballet Theatre’s alumni will be recognized prior to the start of the evening performance."

I'm hoping this means they will be acknowledged from the the stage prior to the performance rather than being invited onstage afterwards. I'm guessing McKenzie or Moore will make an announcement from in front of the curtain. Maybe all the dancers in the audience will stand up or something like that?

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I wish they would just let Abrera and Shkylarov have their moment in the sun, without diluting it by adding bows for the alumni. They just had their party on Monday. Abrera has been waiting years for this spotlight.

This may well have been in the planning for some time, before Abrera was cast...and people coming in from outside of New York meant that it had to be a Saturday performance to be practical. But in any case it means Abrera is making her debut in as high profile a context as imaginable. It is an unusual setting, but not a diluted one. (And it doesn't sound as if it will interfere with curtain calls in any case...)

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This may well have been in the planning for some time, before Abrera was cast...and people coming in from outside of New York meant that it had to be a Saturday performance to be practical. But in any case it means Abrera is making her debut in as high profile a context as imaginable. It is an unusual setting, but not a diluted one. (And it doesn't sound as if it will interfere with curtain calls in any case...)

Exactly! I think it's good that everyone will be there. When Stella kills it (and she will be fantastic I have no doubt), it will hopefully put even more pressure on KM to do the right thing and promote her.

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I saw yesterday's rehearsal of 'Giselle' with Abrera and Shkylarov in the 2nd act. As interested as I was in s eeing Abrera---it is Shkylarov's performance that is still dominating my

thoughts. What a joy it was to see a bona fide premier danseur on the stage. I have gotten so used to seeing the imitations (both male and female) I was forgetting what joy it

is to see the real thing. Everyone on that stage paled next to him. Good liuck, Stella.

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The Seo/Sterns/Murphy Giselle opening cast last night was terrific. Everyone was very engaged dramatically--I could feel tension in the Myrtha/Albrecht mime scenes. Cory has been doing a superb job so far this season, and I feel like I've also been under-appreciating him as a partner. He's really strong and solid (overhead presses: no problem.) Hee looked great, especially in the petite allegro. Patrick Ogle was also a great Hilarion; he played him as more of a brutish peasant (kind of like a Stanley Kowalski), which was a nice contrast to Cory's princely and slightly cold demeanor.

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Round 1 of Giselle day is complete. For all of her critics on this site, Isabella Boylston received a standing ovation for her performance. I wasn't standing, but I do enjoy her dancing. I saw some of her sloppy wrist action that everyone likes to comment about, but for the most part I thought she was beautiful. Her act 1 was playful, shy and sweet and her act 2 was strong and graceful. I think she may have come off point during her ballones, but I was pretty far away so maybe I'm wrong.

Hammoudi overall did a nice job. I thought he was a strong partner. I feel like he has improved over the last year. He did not do the entrechat sixes, and instead did diagonal brises twice. I'm looking forward to Shyklarov tonight.

Myrta was Devin Teuscher, who I am a huge fan of. She is a beautiful dancer and has quickly become one of my favorites. I was a bit disappointed in her Myrta only because she wasn't cold and evil enough for me. Her dancing is so warm, she could have been dancing Act 1's Giselle and not Myrta.

Now I just have a few hours to wait till Stella! I'm looking forward to seeing this cast, and hoping it will be worthy of the standing o.

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Round 1 of Giselle day is complete. For all of her critics on this site, Isabella Boylston received a standing ovation for her performance. I wasn't standing, but I do enjoy her dancing. I saw some of her sloppy wrist action that everyone likes to comment about, but for the most part I thought she was beautiful. Her act 1 was playful, shy and sweet and her act 2 was strong and graceful. I think she may have come off point during her ballones, but I was pretty far away so maybe I'm wrong.

Hammoudi overall did a nice job. I thought he was a strong partner. I feel like he has improved over the last year. He did not do the entirechat sixes, and instead did diagonal brises twice. I'm looking forward to Shyklarov tonight.

Myrta was Devin Teuscher, who I am a huge fan of. She is a beautiful dancer and has quickly become one of my favorites. I was a bit disappointed in her Myrta only because she wasn't cold and evil enough for me. Her dancing is so warm, she could have been dancing Act 1's Giselle and not Myrta.

Now I just have a few hours to wait till Stella! I'm looking forward to seeing this cast, and hoping it will be worthy of the standing o.

I love the diagonal brises! When done well, they have such a yearning, pleading quality as Albrecht heads DS towards Myrta. Angel always did them exquisitely. Somehow the entrechat sixes never seem appropriate for a man on his last legs, pleading for his life.

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One of the most incredible nights at the ballet, ever! Stella’s performance was as brilliant and perfect as everyone imagined it would be. She and Vladimir Shklyarov were superb together and received a standing ovation from the ENTIRE AUDIENCE at the Met, which extended into multiple curtain calls. Sascha Radetsky seated several rows behind us, grinning from ear to ear! ABT hasn’t seen a debut like this in many years. If the AD doesn’t give Abrera more leading roles after this, he’s more than a fool. Congratulations to Stella!

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