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Giselle Spring 2012


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  1. Here is a video of Baryshnikov performing the brisés volés:
  2. Here is Bujones performing entrechats sixes:

What I have noticed is that taller, longer legged danseur noble type Albrechts (Gomes, Hallberg) do the entrechats. Shorter more aerial Albrechts like Baryshnikov and Cornejo do the brisé volés.

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To pull away from brises/entrechats for a moment, did anyone else notice how in one part of his variation in Act 2, Hallberg ended his double tours with his head thrown back? The feat--and the theatrical effect--were stupendous; I can't say that I've seen that ever before, esp. done with such surety.

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Ray, I think Gomes does that too and it is thrilling. This time Hallberg also flung his head back as if in exhaustion when he comes down on one knee at the end of his entrechats. Everyone here has articulated my thoughts about this memorable performance. Something I can add about Osipova is the lovely touches she adds in the first act. She is a Giselle that is obviously of a weak constitution from the very start. The way she lays her head on Albrecht's shoulder as if gathering her energy to continue dancing - so touching. And here's the icing on the cake: after the performance the trainer was on the plaza with the two Russian Borzois. What a treat! She explained they were from PA and stay in a nearby hotel during the Giselle run, a hotel with a lawn for the dogs. They know the music so well that they hear their cue and immediately arise to go on stage! A small crowd had gathered to admire the dogs when a woman arrived in a wheelchair - the dogs immediately went to her and the trainer explained that they are therapy dogs as well, which would explain their calm demeanor. A wonderful afternoon and one I won't soon forget!

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Quick review of Monday night: Dvorovenko and Bolle.

Dvorovenko in general is a very good Giselle. She has strong acting ability and has worked out many fine effects. Yes it is a bit calculated but the effects land in all the right places. Dvorovenko is naturally a strong personality but she creates a nicely traditional sunny but shy and retiring young girl. (Her hair now has some honey blonde highlights in it) The physical and mental fragility seems a bit pasted on and emerges out of nowhere. Whereas Vishneva on Saturday night clearly indicated early hints of the heart problems and frailty. This was done even before Giselle has her first episode during the early group dance with the peasant girls. Vishneva even hinted a bit at mental instability before the mad scene. Irina was kind of vibrant and happy and then suddenly was fainting in Albrecht's arms. She danced very strongly in both acts with excellent footwork and strong technique. The Spessivtzeva variation got a big ovation which she acknowledged at the front of the stage. The mad scene was quite dramatic and wild but didn't seem to emerge from the girl we saw earlier.

Roberto Bolle is a superb Albrecht. First of all he is extremely aristocratic right from his first entrance where his measured gestures, imposing height and lofty manner definitely suggest somebody who didn't grow up in a straw thatched cottage. Giselle should have sensed that he is different than the other village boys but then again, this Albrecht looks like a Roman god leaving any young girl dazed and confused. In fact, Irina was the most infatuated and lovestruck of all the Giselles I have seen this season (Seo, Cojocaru, Vishneva and Dvorovenko). Bolle was neither a cad (like Corella or Gomes) nor a sensitive poet/ruminative Hamlet figure (like Hallberg). There was something very centered and authoritative in his mime that suggested a man who is used to dominating his companions and surroundings. Lots of smiles and flirtation but he never lost his self-command or dignity. His dancing was very clear with very controlled turns, strong leaps and crystalline beats and footwork.

Blaine Hoven and Maria Riccetto danced the Peasant PDD with lots of bouyancy and precision. Hoven looks a tiny bit thick around the waist and hips onstage but danced well and on the music with secure landings.

Act II had another strong Myrtha from Simone Messmer. Christine Shevchenko and Zhong-Jing Fang were wonderful (particularly Fang) as Moyna and Zulma. Fang should be dancing Giselle somewhere if not ABT. Bolle and Dvorovenko both did well except for an unfortunate incident during the overhead lifts. Evidently this was not rehearsed quite enough and Bolle isn't as familiar with Dvorovenko as he is with other ballerinas or Belotserkovsky (naturellement) is with his wife and partner. The first lift found Irina badly centered and she started to pitch forward and down. I think she tried to throw herself into a backbend to compensate and she nearly fell over the other way. After a few seconds of mid-air flailing, Bolle put her down (he managed remarkable composure during those horrible seconds). On the second overhead lift, Bolle made sure he had a firm grasp of Irina's hips and it went off without a hitch. Dvorovenko dug in and pushed onward like nothing happened. No other glitches marred the second act. Dvorovenko's entrechats in the grand pas were high and fast. Bolle I think added an extra set of entrechats during the coda really pushing for the superhuman. His solo was superbly danced. Bolle lost some of his aristocratic cool in Act II quite visibly moved by encountering Giselle's ghost and weeping inconsolably over her grave at the end.

There were a lot of Italians in the audience there to see their national dance hero. Lots of applause except for one person who seemed to be booing persistently in the Dress Circle level. Bolle had two stuffed animals (little plush puppy dogs) thrown onstage at his solo curtain call as a presentation/gift.

For me it was a starry and dramatic performance and both Bolle and Dvorovenko have charisma and impressive technique. But for me the real chemistry and deep interpretation came from Vishneva and Gomes on Saturday night. They were working on a deeper level of communication. Vishneva also creates a real atmosphere of magic and drama onstage - particularly her Act II wili. Every moment seemed to be a wondrous discovery. This was very good but not on the same level.

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Faux pas - thanks for this nice summary of 5/21, especially your description of the Act II lift problem. I don't recall ever seeing such an extreme problem with a lift. Were the boos directed at anyone in particular?

Did you hear a musical catastrophe at the end of Act I, which I saw mentioned elsewhere on the Web? I just checked the New York Times and they haven't posted a review yet for this performance.

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Sounds like it was just a miscount on both of their parts-one or both went into the lift a second before or after the other. I would guess Bolle didn't catch her on the right moment before her plie into the overhead press, thereby having to haul her up into the press through brute force, putting her off center. If Irina tried to correct it, it would only make it worse as it sounds like it did. When I was dancing regularly, anytime a partnering issue happened it was always exacerbated through the woman trying to correct it mid-lift, because the man cannot predicate how to compensate. It's always best to hold whatever position and let the man fix it in his own way, even if his own way is just putting you down, thus ruining the lift. It's easy to forget that when you're hanging in the air and know something is terribly wrong though!

I've seen Irina and him in R&J together without any issue, and that has much more complicated partnering. I think Bolle actually tweeted a picture of them rehearsing Giselle as far back as March, so they've been at it for awhile.

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Faux pas - thanks for this nice summary of 5/21, especially your description of the Act II lift problem. I don't recall ever seeing such an extreme problem with a lift. Were the boos directed at anyone in particular?

Did you hear a musical catastrophe at the end of Act I, which I saw mentioned elsewhere on the Web? I just checked the New York Times and they haven't posted a review yet for this performance.

Do you have a link?

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Faux pas - thanks for this nice summary of 5/21, especially your description of the Act II lift problem. I don't recall ever seeing such an extreme problem with a lift. Were the boos directed at anyone in particular?

Did you hear a musical catastrophe at the end of Act I, which I saw mentioned elsewhere on the Web? I just checked the New York Times and they haven't posted a review yet for this performance.

Do you have a link?

I don't think we're supposed to discuss other sites/blogs. Still nothing from the Times.

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The musical disaster occurred at the end of Act I during the chords where Giselle rushes in to separate Albrecht and Bathilde just before the mad scene. Someone didn't play or came in late. I have noticed that David LaMarche is quite the best conductor at ABT while Ormsby Wilkins is much less good. I think it was Wilkins last night.

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The musical disaster occurred at the end of Act I during the chords where Giselle rushes in to separate Albrecht and Bathilde just before the mad scene. Someone didn't play or came in late. I have noticed that David LaMarche is quite the best conductor at ABT while Ormsby Wilkins is much less good. I think it was Wilkins last night.

As a long-time school band and orchestra player (although long ago), I don't blame the conductor for that kind of mistake. The musicians shouldn't be waiting for a cue from the conductor every time they start up a passage (unless it's after a long pause or break of some kind). Although conductors like to look at a section of musicians that's starting up, they're not actually telling them it's time to start. The musicians need to be counting and paying attention. It's all the more troubling, as they had performed Giselle seven times before last night, and the music is not difficult. We're not talking Stravinsky or Glass or a new piece here! I would blame the conductor for not getting the tempo right or not conducting good rehearsals, but not a mistaken entry by a musician.

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Faux pas - thanks for this nice summary of 5/21, especially your description of the Act II lift problem. I don't recall ever seeing such an extreme problem with a lift. Were the boos directed at anyone in particular? Did you hear a musical catastrophe at the end of Act I, which I saw mentioned elsewhere on the Web? I just checked the New York Times and they haven't posted a review yet for this performance.
Do you have a link?
I don't think we're supposed to discuss other sites/blogs. Still nothing from the Times.

Can someone pm me?

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Quick review of Monday night: Dvorovenko and Bolle.

Act II had another strong Myrtha from Simone Messmer. Christine Shevchenko and Zhong-Jing Fang were wonderful (particularly Fang) as Moyna and Zulma. Fang should be dancing Giselle somewhere if not ABT.

Fang's simple sigh broke my heart.

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A few brief notes about Giselle. One thing that strikes me about Osipova is that she is getting better at every performance; I'm not talking about the fact that her Giselle this season was more moving than the (in my opinion quite brilliant and touching) one she danced a couple of seasons seasons back. I saw her in March in Chicago and again at the Met last week. The performance in Chicago was fantastic, but the Met performance was profounder and, to my eyes, more beautiful. It had fewer childlike moments in Act I--indeed Giselle seemed like the most intense girl in the village culminating in an at times wild mad scene--and more deeply connected to Albrecht throughout; I also thought that the dancing had more coloration in Act II and (pace Macaulay) she is indeed learning how to fill out an adagio phrase and, in particular, to shape and extend her upper body--in this case, with ghostly hints of a human love glimmering through her very supernatural dancing.

In Chicago she may have been occasionally more absolutely brilliant (as unlikely as that sounds); I thought some jumps were higher--her initial skips seemed to go about two feet in the air, while she seemed more under control during her entrance at the Met, similarly with some of the petite allegro in Act II--but that may simply have been the effect of the smaller stage in Chicago. In any case she was not more absolutely enthralling. So, as great as Chicago was, in New York she, together w. Hallberg, gave what I thought was an even better performance. (Am I tired of Giselle? I did not intend to see it in NY after seeing it three times in Chicago, but life dictated a trip to NY w. two more performances and I'm glad it did.)

indeed when Osipova does cover space on the Met's very large stage it can seem all the more unbelievable, as in Giselle's initiation scene, when she seemed in a single assemblé to cover something like half the Met stage from stage left to stage right. Just the sense of how large that stage is makes one sort of blink when she does it...except one does not want to miss anything.

Details changed from performance to performance as well (as happens w. all major ballerinas in my experience, though I rarely get to see their performances so close together). In Chicago when she hopped across the stage culminating in the turn she makes hopping on point, she lifted her hands above her head as she turned and mimed Giselle's love of dance as she did so. At the Met, during the hopping pirouette she gave a slight tilt of her body over her working leg and gestured playfully towards the working foot; since she was turning towards Albrecht at that moment, the whole thing seemed innocently flirtatious. Indeed watching her in Act I, I felt she perfectly captured a girl driven to dance even if it kills her. And the way she dances it appears as if it would kill anyone else. I consider myself lucky to be around to see her.

I also felt this performance showed that the partnership w. Hallberg really benefits from their having more opportunities to dance together. The connection gets deeper and the dancing more beautiful seemingly at each outing. I write seemingly because of course I have only seen a few of their outings! Hallberg was splendid: His dancing was infused with tremendous feeling--I too noticed the mussed up hair in Act II (mentioned above in this thread) as if emblematic of the fact that he can now go darker and deeper with his dancing. The great beauty of that dancing and Hallberg's (now) altogether rather striking presence on stage suggest that Albrecht is a man who is finally almost as much apart from the world of the aristocrats as he is from the world of the peasants.

For the rest, Act I looked brighter and sharper from the rest of the company in Chicago; In Act II however the Corps de Ballet was just as beautiful and a true highlight of the performance. ABT could use a larger Corps de Ballet here (especially at the Met) and perhaps one day will be able to afford it! I always like Murphy's Queen of the Willis and she was excellent. I was not going to say anything re peasant pas de deux but since I was quite critical of Joseph Phillips' performance in Chicago on these boards, I will say he did a better job at this performance. But I always find ABT's peasant pas de deux sort of awkward looking and though that may be my response to the musical change from Adam, I rather think it may have to do with the staging and, in any case, not w. any particular dancer. (Yuriko Kajiya looked a bit brittle for my taste and did not overcome the problem I have w. the pas de deux. I have liked her in other roles.) [Edited to add: Ilya corrected me below: Kajiya/Phillips and Murphy danced at the Thursday night performance: I flipped the two in my mind when discussing the soloists; as he notes Copeland/Salstein and Abrera were dancing these roles at matinee with Osipova-Hallberg. Apologies to the dancers for boo boo.]

I also was very fortunate to see the Cojocaru and Corella performance. Her Act I in particular is growing and growing in my memory. The above is so very long, though, that I will try to write about it later.

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I attended two performances - with Cujacaru and Osipova.

It was a first time I saw Alina Cujacaru dance, and I loved, loved, loved her! Her 'failure to deliver' hops on point in Act I did not disappoint me at all - she was most innocent, delightful, fragile Giselle, deeply hurt and broken by Albreht's betrayal. Her mad scene scared me. For a split second I totally believed that she really gone mad...

The Act II was the best I ever saw in my life.. It is still stands before my eyes... She truly was a spirit, not a human.. And her Love was so strong that even Myrtha was powerless.. It was like I was watching it for the very first time, the story of Giselle unfolded like a book which you are reading for the first time.

Murphy was a spectacular Myrtha!

Corps-de-ballet - amazing!

Alina and Angel were very good together.

I was laughing when I read the advertising for Giselle in New Yorker: "...and for those who wants Giselle who can fly, Natalia Osipova will do the honors on Sat matinee". smile.png

I love Natalia Osipova, I watch her whenever I have a chance - but Alina's Giselle was better, IMO.

For me there was no real tragedy in Osipova's Giselle. It was a pleasure to watch her dance, but the story was not that important..I am exaggerating now, but it was sort of like watching Balanchine's no-story choreography..

Why didn't she put her hair down during the mad scene? Why strange costume in Act I and Act II?

I saw her Giselle 3 years ago, and it made somehow much stronger impression on me..

As we were walking out of the theater on Saturday aftenoon, we saw Alastair Macauly, slowly walking across the Plaza, he seemed to be deep into his thoughts.. He was smiling

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For the rest, Act I looked brighter and sharper from the rest of the company in Chicago; In Act II however the Corps de Ballet was just as beautiful and a true highlight of the performance. ABT could use a larger Corps de Ballet here (especially at the Met) and perhaps one day will be able to afford it! I always like Murphy's Queen of the Willis and she was excellent. I was not going to say anything re peasant pas de deux but since I was quite critical of Joseph Phillips' performance in Chicago on these boards, I will say he did a better job at this performance. But I always find ABT's peasant pas de deux sort of awkward looking and though that may be my response to the musical change from Adam, I rather think it may have to do with the staging rather than any particular dancer. (Yuriko Kajiya looked a bit brittle for my taste and did not overcome the problem I have w. the pas de deux. I have liked her in other roles.)

I also was very fortunate to see the Cojocaru and Corella performance. Her Act I in particular is growing and growing in my memory. The above is so very long, though, that I will try to write about it later.

Actually Murphy, Kajiya, and Phillips were all in the Cojocaru-Corella performance. These roles were danced by Stella Abrera, Misty Copeland, and Craig Salstein, respectively, in the Osipova-Hallberg performance.

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For the rest, Act I looked brighter and sharper from the rest of the company in Chicago; In Act II however the Corps de Ballet was just as beautiful and a true highlight of the performance. ABT could use a larger Corps de Ballet here (especially at the Met) and perhaps one day will be able to afford it! I always like Murphy's Queen of the Willis and she was excellent. I was not going to say anything re peasant pas de deux but since I was quite critical of Joseph Phillips' performance in Chicago on these boards, I will say he did a better job at this performance. But I always find ABT's peasant pas de deux sort of awkward looking and though that may be my response to the musical change from Adam, I rather think it may have to do with the staging rather than any particular dancer. (Yuriko Kajiya looked a bit brittle for my taste and did not overcome the problem I have w. the pas de deux. I have liked her in other roles.)

I also was very fortunate to see the Cojocaru and Corella performance. Her Act I in particular is growing and growing in my memory. The above is so very long, though, that I will try to write about it later.

Actually Murphy, Kajiya, and Phillips were all in the Cojocaru-Corella performance. These roles were danced by Stella Abrera, Misty Copeland, and Craig Salstein, respectively, in the Osipova-Hallberg performance.

Oooh...huge apologies...especially to the dancers. I did not refer to a program and my memory jumbled/skipped regarding the soloists between the two performances when I was writing my post. If there are aging ballet dancers, then I guess there are also aging ballet fans. Thanks for correction.

I also forgot to mention Osipova's dark blue tutu. I have now seen her dance the role three times in three different colors: first time I saw her do the ballet I was plenty startled by her decision to wear all white in Act I which rather undermines the contrast with Act II; in Chicago my memory is that she was wearing pale blue -- which is the classic color for ABT's production. When she came out on Saturday wearing dark blue it completely took me out of the ballet for a minute (and not in a good way). I love her and I accept that THAT is the kind of dancer she is, but uh...not recommended. The hair up during the mad scene I did not mind at all, actually rather liked.

For myself when I saw Cojocaru on Thursday night I especially loved Act I. I do agree with others that the performance was danced as if she was injured or as if old injuries were catching up with her. Not at the very beginning--I don't think I have ever seen the sequence in which Albrecht and she dance with the peasant villagers look more graceful and harmonious--but later in the big solo and also Act II where she seemed to tire or slow at times. I was surprised as I remember her great technical assurance in Sleeping Beauty just last year. Still I don't think one could ask for a more tenderly sweet, emotionally fresh account of Act I. She also allowed a touch of gaucheness to enter her gestures as if to heighten one's awareness of how out of her depth Giselle is w. Albrecht. She stayed on stage for most or all of the peasant pas de deux and I very much enjoyed watching her reactions. At one point she twirled around in excitement at watching the others dance. She was lovely in Act II--very ghostly and unreal, though still tender and loving--but the performance for me fell a little short in intensity perhaps because it was (to my eyes) a little underpowered at times.

I thought Corella and she were well matched physically, and he danced with greater elegance and passion than when I saw him dance the role a few years back (with Vishneva). I know he is only retiring from ABT but given the vagaries of my dance going, likely this was my last time seeing him dance and it makes for a very nice memory. During curtain calls before the gold curtain he raised up Cojocaru in one final romantic lift. I don't think there can be two more charming dancers in the world.

(Since i got the names jumbled in earlier post I will refrain from comments on secondary dancers. But I thought it was a good performance overall.)

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I’m rather late to the party given “La Bayadere” week is almost over, but I just wanted to add a few more comments about the Cojocaru/Corella and Vishneva/Gomes performances I saw.

As others have written, Cojocaru did make noticeable modifications to the choreography and looked a tad wobbly/tired in some sections. However, she is such a natural, guileless Giselle, that I couldn’t help but adore her. I thought that she and Corella looked very comfortable together, and they have the same kind of sweet, innocent star-power. In my opinion, these roles fit them more naturally than Manon and Des Grieux, and watching this performance only made me wish more that we could see the two of them paired in “Romeo & Juliet.”

As for Vishneva & Gomes, let me echo the praise from other posters. I thought it was a glorious and gorgeous performance—at least as good as the transcendent performance they gave at the end of the run last year (which I considered much better than the first one). I completely agree with abatt that Vishneva & Gomes make a superb partnership.

And it seems that Diana herself shares the sentiment. Check out her recent Facebook post (no login required to view):

http://www.facebook....252826048061382

My partner, he is one and only... Thank you Marcelo

How cute! (It does make me more sad that they won’t be able to perform together tonight!)

Just a few things that I wanted to highlight:

-Watching Vishneva move in Act II made me think of jellyfish gliding through water—so fluid and weightless. She and Gomes filled every moment of the musical phrase in the adagios—the way she slowly developpe’d her leg, or the way Gomes rotated her oh-so-slowly in that deep penchee arabesque were simply marvelous. Near the end of Act II, when Albrecht lifts her and moves Giselle across the stage, setting her down as she extends into a stretched arabesques—none of the pairs I’ve seen has done it more perfectly and beautifully than Vishneva and Gomes, who really give the impression of a mere wisp of tulle gently lifted and blown by the wind. And the big overhead lifts were remarkable for the way Gomes lowered her unbelievably slowly, with Vishneva keeping her body horizontal and at the very last second, dropping one leg down.

-In Act I, I was struck again by the small details Vishneva brings to her performance, and how she commands attention even when she is not supposed to be the center of attention. For example, when the village girls come in with baskets of grapes and Giselle introduces Albrecht to them and then dances, it was clear what was going on when Kent and Cojocaru did it. However, with Vishneva, I felt like I could almost “hear” the dialogue—with her gestures, she clearly seemed to say, “Look at this handsome man I’ve brought! Put your grapes down, let’s show him how we can dance!”

The other moment that I clearly noticed was when Giselle disappears during the peasant pas de deux. With Kent and Cojocaru, I didn’t actually see them leave the stage, but at some point I realized, “Oh, I guess she disappeared!” With Vishneva, however, she made as if she suddenly remembered something, whispered in her mother’s ear, and then left—so she caught my attention, and I actually saw her exit.

-Speaking of the peasant p.d.d., I thought Daniil and Sarah were great, with Sarah raising the level of her dancing to try to match Daniil’s big tricks. Often I feel like the peasant p.d.d. is a little wearisome—I’d rather watch Giselle and Albrecht—but in this performance it was a welcome diversion. They had some partnering problems on Tuesday, but I thought Saturday’s performance was much cleaner.

-Finally, a few words about Polina Semionova’s Myrtha. I am a big fan of her, but she seemed to struggle a bit with the choreography—she didn’t look as comfortable with it as I would expect, and her movements were a little jerky/stiff—or at least in contrast to Diana’s seemingly boneless wili. There were two things about her portrayal that struck me, however. First, when Giselle spreads her arms around Albrecht to protect him, I could really feel Myrtha’s shock at finding herself powerless against them. Second, when Myrtha dances with the corps of wilis and they are all doing that side-to-side arabesques thing, she was perfectly in unison with the corps, and I found this impressive since Veronika Part was not—she was just slightly (but perceptively) ahead of them. And of course, Polina’s feet are gorgeous—I could watch her bouree-ing across the stage forever!

All in all though, a fantastic performance! I was in a post-Giselle high for the past few days after that performance!

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