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ABT 2016 Met Season


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The bloodless mime style and storytelling is so antithetical to the three-dimensional RDB style that I can understand the lack of enthusiasm for it in Copenhagen.

In my opinion, it would be worth seeing if only for the sets and costumes, although I thought it was a terrific piece, once I got my head around it. I was expecting something quite different from a former member of the company: Ratmansky wasn't an outsider flavor-of-the-month with a commission.

Drew, yes, I was thinking of Zhurbin. From all I've read, he would be wonderful in it.

I wonder if Part has the range for Queen, because she's the first dancer I thought of. I saw Bojesen in Copenhagen. Although the thought of Copeland and Gomes sparks my interest.

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Hallberg would be the perfect regular partner for Stella - he should demand that McKenzie cast them together. BTW: Stella has danced successfully Gamzatti in "La Bayadere" which has some similarities in technical demands to Odile. Certainly Julie Kent went on for years as O/O until very recently and probably fudged/simplified some of the Act III steps - I wasn't there so I don't know - but there is a precedent. I think Stella could do a fine Odile even if she has to substitute a circle of piques for the fouettes. But I wouldn't be surprised if she could manage a decent set of fouettes - certainly as well as Copeland and Hee Seo can.

Totally agree. I think Kevin puts up with Copeland because she sells tickets. If you took out the fame, she wouldn't be doing O/O. Hopefully Copeland is practicing her fouettes so that by next summer she can at least handle 32 singles. I think Stella would handle herself better and more professionally than both Copeland and Seo. However, Kevin seems to have a double standard with a lot of his casting. I can say that performances with Stella cast in principal roles will get a greater share of my financial resources devoted to ABT Met Season tickets.

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Well, if Semionova returns, I don't see how anyone would debut in O/O because they'd already 7 ballerinas who do the role.

Thriled that the Trilogy is returning!

Would love to see Abrera debut as Juliet. Hallberg would be great as her Romeo, if he returns. Other Juliet debuts I'd like to see: Lane, Trenary.

Sylvia: Abrera, yes please. I think Boylston would also be great in this.

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I was at the world premiere of Push in January 1976 - amazing experience - a truly instantaneous standing ovation. And I saw it at every opportunity for many years after that.

I envy you that experience!

One detail I remember about the dancers' enthusiasm: at the very end, Baryshnikov flips Tcherkassky over and she has legs at about 45 degrees in front of him. But on opening night, he pushed her all the way down into splits on the floor. She had a shocked look on her face, but given the entire ballet, I assumed it was intended. Never saw the splits again after that.

Interesting -- I don't remember that from any live or tape performances I saw.

I agree with CTballetfan -- I wish there were more Tharp being programmed in honor of her 50th anniversary. PNB is reviving her "Waiting at the Station," which she made here a couple years ago, and is a very rich work. I worry about the life of her rep, when it seems that so many people are depending on Sinatra and In the Upper Room. I love both works, but she's done so much more than that.

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Interesting -- I don't remember that from any live or tape performances I saw.

At the second (and subsequent) performances, Tcherkassky didn't do splits at the end and I thought that was the mistake. I finally realized the mistake had been opening night. I've never seen those splits again, including the replacement casts years later when Elaine Kudo took over the Tcherkassky role and Susan Jaffe the van Hamel role or the studio recording released many years later with the replacement cast (although Baryshnikov was still the only one doing that role).

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I envy you that experience! Interesting .... I agree with CTballetfan -- I wish there were more Tharp being programmed in honor of her 50th anniversary. PNB is reviving her "Waiting at the Station," which she made here a couple years ago, and is a very rich work. I worry about the life of her rep, when it seems that so many people are depending on Sinatra and In the Upper Room. I love both works, but she's done so much more than that.

Atlanta Ballet is reviving Princess and the Goblin--which they premiered a couple of years ago. I found it quite wonderful and am looking forward to seeing it again.

I enjoyed Push Come to Shove in the days when Baryshnikov was dancing, but found it seemed thin after multiple viewings--even with the original cast. I would be very curious how it would seem in a revival...Baryshnikov channeled Tharp (Tharp as a dancer) in uncanny fashion--it is hard to picture that happening now with the male lead or having at all the same effect even if it did.

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Push Comes to Shove was revived by ABT in 1999 for a City Center season. I saw José Manuel Carreno in the Baryshnikov role, Amanda McKerrow in the Tcherkassky role and Irina Dvorovenko very effective in the Van Hamel role. It didn't look thin and it was fun. However, the shock and surprise value that it had forty years ago was gone - we have seen that "Ballet dancers go funky and silly" approach many times over the next four decades. Also the novelty of a Russian virtuoso superstar dancer doing "American" stuff was no longer present. According to an Anna Kisselgoff review archived on the NY Times site: Radojevic, Kirk Peterson and Gil Boggs followed Baryshnikov in the lead role.

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They also announced their Nutcracker casting in California today and was a little disappointed to see Stella paired with Hammoudi. Nothing against him, but she deserves a fully developed partner.

While I've never seen Hammoudi in a technically demanding role at the Met, I had thought he lacked dramatic and physical projection on that stage. However, I just saw him dance with Stella in a piece by Emery LeCrone at the Joyce in a role with knotty partnering and allegro work that has changed my interpretation of his abilities somewhat. Technically, Hammoudi was solid throughout (his jumps were even exciting at times), and Stella looked at ease. Also, having a closer view of his face at the Joyce, I'm beginning to think that his stage presentation is simply very wryly underplayed--more French than Russian.

As Stella seems comfortable with him and a Nutcracker Prince can afford to be subdued, I think the performance is worth a shot.

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...and, for what it's worth, I think the entire season looks absolutely spectacular! Fewer warhorses, another viewing of Beauty, more Ashton, a return of the Shostakovich Trilogy, and an outlier of the sort NYC usually doesn't get to see in The Golden Cockerel. If I'm in NYC, I'll be there.

It will be interesting to see what they throw into that second mixed bill other than the new Ratmansky. The new Fall Mark Morris piece? Some Tharp after all?

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It's interesting that we have such divergent opinions on Push. I suppose Tharp might be the explanation for its absence, if she thinks it's dated or tired and just wants people to remember it fondly. (And it is still available on DVD, with that horrible laugh track.)

I've been thinking about Robbins' The Concert (1956). I wouldn't buy a ticket specifically to see that but it's been on some other programs I wanted to see in the last year at NYCB and Pennsylvania Ballet. It always makes me laugh, even after all the times I've seen it (and even though it has some now-cringeworthy-moments - e.g., the stereotypes suggested by the girl with glasses). Push has so much more virtuoso dancing that I have to think it would be an audience hit, even after all these years.

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If Tharp did not want to allow revivals of Push, why would she have granted permission to ABT to perform a section of it at the Spring gala. Hoping for a revival of the full work. I too recall the 1999 performances with Carreno and Dvorovenko.

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PNB got special rights to perform selections from "Liebeslieder Walzer" for Russell and Stowell's farewell. I seem to remember special permissions for at least part of "Symphony in C" for another special performance. Sometimes choreographers/trusts will agree for works to be performed for special occasions.

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...and, for what it's worth, I think the entire season looks absolutely spectacular! Fewer warhorses, another viewing of Beauty, more Ashton, a return of the Shostakovich Trilogy, and an outlier of the sort NYC usually doesn't get to see in The Golden Cockerel. If I'm in NYC, I'll be there.

It will be interesting to see what they throw into that second mixed bill other than the new Ratmansky. The new Fall Mark Morris piece? Some Tharp after all?

Feel very similarly, I'm not sure what I will be able to get to this year, but there is a lot to be excited about in the choice of rep and I am!

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Might Stella get a go at Medora? I can only imagine that bedroom Pas de Deux. She would be so beautiful. Veronika Part has danced it before. Can't imagine Copland dancing Medora, but she will probably get cast.

I can see Misty dancing Gulnare, but not Medora. But, you're probably right; she will get the lead. Actually, Skylar Brandt would also make a great Gulnare.

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