2018 Met Season

[CharlieH]

Hallberg has a unique character face, i.e., one of his greatest roles is the skeletal Death in Joos’   The Green Table. His physique allows him to excel in princely roles, too, and his face is certainly pleasant enough for princes. 

[Outside]

I find Hallberg has pleasing lines, but his dancing is a bit too effeminate to me, especially his arms and hands.

[Vs1]

Just now, Drew said:

People do react to dancers very differently and no-one can talk someone into liking a dancer they don't like.

 

Yes, that is why I asked. I did not understand the (seemingly uniform) point of view that I have encountered.  No need to persuade anyone in any direction, though.

For example, elsewhere, I think nanushka (forgive me for not looking it up) mentions that most of ABT is not "world class", citing, for example, Hermano Cornejo. No one disagreed.   Although he is not my favorite dancer, I think he is a top tecnician. He wowed with the Cubans at BalletNow in California and was breath-taking in ABT galas (although I prefer his DQ to his RJ).  Nevertheless, she and others supported Hee Seo and Isabella Boylston as world class, I think without disagreement, when they have many detractors, especially here (although under other topics), who cite their faults and failures (some of which I disagree with), and cannot compare to, say, Svetlana Zakharova, Viktoria Tereshkina, Ulyana Lopatkina, Ekaterina Kondaurova, Diana Vishneva, Marianella Nunez, Lucia Lacarra, Aurelie Dupont, many NYCB principals, or older ballerinas.

Edited March 27, 2018 by Vs1
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[Vs1]

On 10/28/2017 at 8:55 AM, California said:

I'm not an opera buff but tag along with my sister and we always notice the paucity of children, at least compared with ballet performances.

Old woman here, cannot see appeal, although tried. BTW, why is Mimi tragic? Sad, sick, dies - but not "Greek tragedy."

Butterfly has it much worse.

[Vs1]

On 10/27/2017 at 10:09 AM, CharlieH said:

Most excited about Harlequinade and anything classical with Schevchenko or Lane. No interest whatsoever in AFTERIGHT, made less palatable by being paired with one of the weaker Ratmanskys in the rep, Firebird. Nyet and Nyet.

LOL, traded mine in to avoid FB (seen three times already by default), but would like to check out Afterite and Harlequinade. Too bad they are not together (like the good principal/mediocre dancer pairings.)

[Vs1]

On 10/26/2017 at 9:52 PM, fondoffouettes said:

Copeland is just a cash cow, plain and simple.

Too bad Disney goers, school groups, movie viewers, Barbie buyers, children's book buyers, will not discover what a ballerina is and can do.

[Vs1]

On 3/14/2018 at 9:41 AM, abatt said:

I think Wed matinee is the most dreaded spot on the roster.  Did you ever see Vishneva or Roberto Bolle in a Wed matinee?  I don't think so. 

RB With Xiomara matinee.

I think Misty may have matinees for school kids.

[ivypink]

9 minutes ago, Vs1 said:

Too bad Disney goers, school groups, movie viewers, Barbie buyers, children's book buyers, will not discover what a ballerina is and can do.

Amen! 

[Helene]

Admin note:  To quote multiple posts and combine them in the same post, click the little "+" to the left of "Quote."

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I like Misty Copeland's dancing, and if I were a kid and went to a matinee where she was dancing, I'd be pretty thrilled.

[nanushka]

1 hour ago, Vs1 said:

For example, elsewhere, I think nanushka (forgive me for not looking it up) mentions that most of ABT is not "world class", citing, for example, Hermano Cornejo. No one disagreed.   Although he is not my favorite dancer, I think he is a top tecnician. He wowed with the Cubans at BalletNow in California and was breath-taking in ABT galas (although I prefer his DQ to his RJ).  Nevertheless, she and others supported Hee Seo and Isabella Boylston as world class, I think without disagreement, when they have many detractors, especially here (although under other topics), who cite their faults and failures (some of which I disagree with), and cannot compare to, say, Svetlana Zakharova, Viktoria Tereshkina, Ulyana Lopatkina, Ekaterina Kondaurova, Diana Vishneva, Marianella Nunez, Lucia Lacarra, Aurelie Dupont, many NYCB principals, or older ballerinas.

Just to correct the record — though recognizing that you noted your uncertainty — my opinions are quite different from your characterization of them here. But I know that doesn't detract from the point you're actually making — which is a good one — about personal tastes.

[Vs1]

Just now, nanushka said:

Just to correct the record — though recognizing that you noted your uncertainty — my opinions are quite different from your characterization of them here. But I know that doesn't detract from the point you're actually making — which is a good one — about personal tastes.

Justly. I should not skim over the word "not".

[Vs1]

On March 27, 2018 at 2:01 PM, ivypink said:

"Does not have a beautiful face"

That's a bit cruel. Having a beautiful face is not a prerequisite to being an excellent dancer. I can think of many dancers whose face is less than handsome/beautiful.

I think David Hallberg has a beautiful physique, especially his high arches. 

 

Well everything is beautiful at the ballet. No, really, I meant fans of bolle are accused of superficially caring only about beauty.  Many marinsky trained ballerinas are described routinely based on appearance. Gomez's sex appeal is usually mentioned. But hallberg is either, I believe, inaccurately  called a beauty, or his fans are not called out for attending to see his beautiful face.

[Helene]

Different people have different opinions about everything about ballet.  There isn't a single dancer who is universally loved or thought beautiful, and the only people to whom this is truly important are the people who are making hiring, booking, and casting decisions and, secondarily, in many cases, the dancers' colleagues.

There's are several reasons we have a policy against discussing the discussion, which includes discussing each other, but the main one is that pissing contests and score-keeping are tedious.

[Vs1]

Just now, Helene said:

Different people have different opinions about everything about ballet.  There isn't a single dancer who is universally loved or thought beautiful, and the only people to whom this is truly important are the people who are making hiring, booking, and casting decisions and, secondarily, in many cases, the dancers' colleagues.

There's are several reasons we have a policy about discussing the discussion, which includes discussing each other, but the main one is that pissing contests and score-keeping are tedious.

C'mon, Helene, you know you can piss the farthest. (j/k, a high compliment)

 

Edited March 29, 2018 by Vs1

[Helene]

Only on sports boards

[Vs1]

Wow, what a fundraiser that would be.

 

[nanushka]

Will KMcK have Sarah Lane dance the Swan Lake PDT this year? Predictions?

Edited March 30, 2018 by nanushka

[vipa]

42 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Will KMcK have Sarah Lane dance the Swan Lake PDT this year? Predictions?

Interesting question nanushka. My guess is no. At least I hope not, it's time to give soloists & corps more chances at it. I know Lane did it in Singapore but they might not have taken the entire company and so had to maximize the people they had.

I know Lane has few shows at the Met (sigh) but my thinking is that if anyone has to drop a Giselle, Swan Lake or perhaps Don Q she'd pick it up. I don't know about Romeo and Juliet, she's said that she learned it but I don't know if they'd throw her on. 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by vipa

[nanushka]

11 minutes ago, vipa said:

I know Lane has few shows at the Met (sigh) but my thinking is that if anyone has to drop a Giselle, Swan Lake or perhaps Don Q she'd pick it up. I don't know about Romeo and Juliet, she's said that she learned it but I don't know if they'd throw her on. 

Oh, I do hope so. (Not that anyone gets injured — just that, if they do, Sarah steps in.)

And yes, I believe she studied Juliet with Ferri — using grant money, I think?

Re: the SL PDT, yes giving others a chance is one good reason to hope no. Another might be how it would feel for her to dance the PDT after doing O/O last year. (But of course I don't know her feelings.) A third is so that she could be fresh and ready to jump into O/O at any point.

Edited March 30, 2018 by nanushka

[laurel]

43 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Will KMcK have Sarah Lane dance the Swan Lake PDT this year? Predictions?

If she doesn't, it means she'll have two weeks off in mid-June, with nothing to do.  A newly-promoted principal, with nothing to do for two weeks.  There are no roles for her in R&J.  And if anyone is injured and unable to dance O/O, the replacement will be Boylston, Seo or Shevchenko.  Not Lane.  I think it would be fantastic if she found herself a guesting gig someplace during that time, especially with the kind of small regional company where they always appreciate her presence and generosity.  Unlike her home company, where the AD seems determined to keep her away from principal roles as much as possible.  Which is why, sadly, I expect her, along with Brandt, Gorak or maybe Cirio, to perform once again in the Swan Lake PDT.  Very sadly.

[Helene]

As an FYI: Lane is guesting in Giselle in Texas the first weekend in April.  ABT Fan gave us the heads up earlier this week.

[vipa]

26 minutes ago, laurel said:

If she doesn't, it means she'll have two weeks off in mid-June, with nothing to do.  A newly-promoted principal, with nothing to do for two weeks.  There are no roles for her in R&J.  And if anyone is injured and unable to dance O/O, the replacement will be Boylston, Seo or Shevchenko.  Not Lane.  I think it would be fantastic if she found herself a guesting gig someplace during that time, especially with the kind of small regional company where they always appreciate her presence and generosity.  Unlike her home company, where the AD seems determined to keep her away from principal roles as much as possible.  Which is why, sadly, I expect her, along with Brandt, Gorak or maybe Cirio, to perform once again in the Swan Lake PDT.  Very sadly.

I'm not so sure that if anyone was injured for O/O, the replacement would be Boylston, Seo or Shevchenko.  Last year Lane went in for Kochetkova without having done it  with ABT before.  They could have had Boylston do it or imported a guest. Kochetkova was imported to replace Cojocaru (I know, I had a ticket). That was Kochetkova's  first appearance with ABT, I believe. I wouldn't dismiss Lane as a possible all around replacement.

I also wouldn't put Lane in the category of guest artist with "small regional company." 

[LadyBubbles]

Replacements depend heavily on the male lead though. For example, when Copeland withdrew from SL at the Kennedy Center last year, they had the change both leads because none of the other O/O could dance with Cornejo.

Having said that, I agree that if there are any replacements, they will probably be the already cast O/O's. Last year Boylston was injured, so she couldn't replace Kochetkova (partnered by Simkin, with whom Boylston can dance). If it's Cornejo without a partner, then either expect Lane to dance or an entire different couple to pick up the performance. If it's Simkin's partner, then my money's on ABT subbing in Boylston. The remaining Siegfrieds can all partner tall ballerinas, so it could be anyone stepping in.

[vipa]

7 minutes ago, LadyBubbles said:

Replacements depend heavily on the male lead though. For example, when Copeland withdrew from SL at the Kennedy Center last year, they had the change both leads because none of the other O/O could dance with Cornejo.

Having said that, I agree that if there are any replacements, they will probably be the already cast O/O's. Last year Boylston was injured, so she couldn't replace Kochetkova (partnered by Simkin, with whom Boylston can dance). If it's Cornejo without a partner, then either expect Lane to dance or an entire different couple to pick up the performance. If it's Simkin's partner, then my money's on ABT subbing in Boylston. The remaining Siegfrieds can all partner tall ballerinas, so it could be anyone stepping in.

Absolutely true that there is a male lead factor, however, a taller male lead doesn't necessarily need a taller lady. A lot of factors weigh in.

[ABT Fan]

13 hours ago, vipa said:

Absolutely true that there is a male lead factor, however, a taller male lead doesn't necessarily need a taller lady. A lot of factors weigh in.

In December during their Nutcracker run, Seo became ill so Lane replaced her dancing with Stearns, who is very tall. I imagine no one else was available for whatever reason because Lane/Stearns are never paired up due to height reasons, I assume. Possibly the other women had already left the tour for the holidays or had just recently performed. So, I agree that many factors can contribute. Though, I also agree with LadyBubbles predictions on possible replacements.