Batsuchan

Hmm, interesting!! An interview with Vishneva that came out last week seems to have her saying that she "plans to dance Tatiana in 'Onegin' next year," at least that's what Google Translate suggests. (Any Russian speakers can verify?) I can only hope that this means she'll be doing it at ABT next year, and hopefully with Gomes! If the two of them get to dance "Onegin" and maybe "Manon" together next year, I might die of happiness (after seeing them, of course. )!

I completely agree with you, puppytreats, that the ballet can really break your heart. And I also agree that the choreography in the three pas de deux seemed to perfectly express the passion of Marguerite and Armand. On the other hand, “Lady of the Camellias” does strike me as a ballet that is extremely cast-dependent. With the right pair of leads, I think the pas de deux with their mishmash of rolling on the floor and difficult lifts can be elevated to truly moving art. But with the wrong set of leads, I could definitely imagine the choreography looking labored, or the characters not as compelling. (That is actually why I didn’t see any of the other casts this year—like abatt, I felt like Kent/Bolle simply paled in comparison to the multi-dimensional, full-throttle interpretations by Vishneva/Gomes last year.) I will also admit that the choreography didn’t leave me walking away with steps stuck in my head, the way the classical ballets typically do. The Chopin pieces were certainly stuck in my head for days afterwards, and certain images, but not really the individual steps. In contrast, with “Giselle,” for example, I had the music stuck in my head, which meant I kept seeing the variations in my mind’s eye too. But that doesn’t mean that I thought the ballet was any less great, because I felt that EVERYTHING was done in service to character development and the story. And I love a good story. For all its wonderful choreography, “Swan Lake” rarely leaves me feeling as moved as satisfied as LOTC, because I can’t get over some of the fantastical aspects of the story. And although I love “Romeo & Juliet” as a good story, I think the ballet’s structure is not as effective because the big, key pas de deux is in Act I, and the leads only really get to dance together once after that. In “Lady of the Camellias,” on the other hand, there are three big pas de deux, and they increase in intensity. The third one really feels like a climax, like they’ve saved the best for last, and I think that is very effective/satisfying for a viewer. Sadly, I doubt we’ll be able to see this ballet again for awhile (if ever), so I’ll just have to treasure the mind-blowing performances I saw this year…

I don't read Russian, but this article (translated through Google Translate) seems to suggest that there will be a museum exhibition with photos, videos, costumes, etc to celebrate Vishneva's career along with the gala. http://www.museum.ru/prof/news.asp?Id=43209

I've now seen the Gomes/Herrera/Murphy/Hallberg cast twice, and I saw Reyes/Vasiliev/Osipova/Simkin tonight. (I'm also going tomorrow night for the Part/Hammoudi/Abrera/Stearns cast, so I might expand on this later.) I agree with you, Anthony_NYC, part of the hilarity of Hallberg's sylph impression was that he was just so HUGE, and much taller than Barbee (the old dacha dweller). Simkin is pretty petite, and he was shorter than Clinton Luckett, who played the old dacha dweller tonight, so their juxtaposition was not as immediately funny. As others have mentioned, Hallberg had absolutely gorgeous feet (some of the ballerinas must have been jealous), and he had the sylph arms (especially when running across the stage) down pat. Throughout most of the interaction with Barbee, he kept a wonderfully straight face, giving the impression of the ballerina as being a bit aloof, or playing "a bit hard to get." Simkin, on the other hand, looked more believably like a ballerina from a distance, so he played his ballerina as an exaggeratedly feminine, almost flirty girl. He gave Luckett bright, angelic smiles, practically batting his eyelashes at him. He also had very impressive technique, pulling off some triple pirouettes and holding balances. One move that read completely differently on Hallberg vs Simkin is when the dacha dweller has lifted the sylph onto his back by the arms, so they are back to back. When Hallberg fluttered his hands and feet at this point, it just looked absurd and hilarious, whereas when Simkin did it, it looked like he was panicking and flailing to get down, which was also hilarious. On the whole, I would say Simkin hammed it up a bit more, and this was particularly hilarious when a very macho-seeming Osipova stormed in and separated the two would-be lovebirds. He looked very much like the desperate, hysterical girlfriend begging for forgiveness. In Hallberg's case, the juxtaposition of his ballerina-perfect moves and positions and poses with some suddenly masculine gestures, and the juxtaposition of him and the dacha dweller were extremely effective. I'm very curious to see how Cory handles this tomorrow! Lastly, I have one complaint about this scene--I was sitting on the far right, so I couldn't see any of the sequences that took place on the bench (boxes?) on the right side. It would be nice if they could address this! Although I knew what was going on, it must have been torture for the people around me to hear the others laughing and not have a clue what was going on. **** Some notes on the other performers: Craig Salstein nearly stole the show once again tonight, and Riccetto was really into it as well. I loved them! Susan Jones was also hysterical as the female dacha dweller, and she drew quite a bit of applause for her pointe sequences. And the sight of tiny Osipova trying to help her off the ground was especially hilarious. I thought Xiomara Reyes was fantastic as Zina. I'm not sure if Osipova toned down her performance from Saturday, but to me, they looked very well-matched in their sequences together. And it was much more believable that they could substitute for the other, since they are both about the same height and have dark hair. On Monday night, with Herrera, I felt her rendering of Zina's opening passage did not fit the music (the steps didn't seem to match the music), but as I've often found with Reyes, she made the steps make musical sense to me today. She may not have the height on her jumps or the extension of Osipova, or even Herrera, but she pulled off some fantastic double fouettes and some other speedy turns. One sequence that read completely different for me was Zina's solo in the pas de deux with Pyotr in Act II. After Zina and Pyotr kiss, Gomes played Pyotr as being ecstatic, but in kind of an innocent way, like, 'wow, I can't believe that just happened!' Vasiliev, on the other hand, looked very smug, and pumped his fist, very "yeah, I know I'm hot stuff." So with Herrera, Zina seemed kind of vaguely upset, but I didn't really understand why. With Reyes, however, it was crystal clear why she was mad ("That pig!"), and the fury seemed to burst out of every pore in her body when she was dancing her solo. Vasiliev pulled off some amazing tricks--big leaps, big tour en l'air, jumping up in the middle of his pirouettes ala seconde, and a 540-degree kick turn. He definitely is explosive. But it sometimes looked borderline sloppy to me. And I sorely missed the grace and polish and effortless charm of Gomes. Similarly, Simkin is another dancer who can pull off great tricks, but I always feel like his execution is extremely clean. Osipova also pulled off all her amazing technical feats very cleanly. Her characterization of the ballerina is very different from Murphy's. While Murphy looked gorgeous, like a glamorous movie star, sophisticated and feminine, Osipova's ballerina was an Independent Woman, a complete tomboy. It's no wonder she joined in when the Highlanders and Fieldworkers' dance. This characterization was very effective when she was pretending to be the ballet dancer--in fact, this ballerina seemed even more comfortable in drag! If Simkin's sylph was uber-feminine, than Osipova's danseur was equally uber-masculine. In both acts, however, her mime read wonderfully clear from the stage. Well, that's it from me for now, but I'll surely have more comments later!

You're right, Catherine! Vishneva and Gomes did dance "Giselle" at the 2009 Mariinsky festival, and ever since I heard about that performance, I had been dying to see them dance "Giselle" together at the Met--a wish that was finally fulfilled this season. There's a clip on youtube here (starting around 0:45). Last September, they danced the Act III pas de deux from "Lady of the Camellias" as well as a piece by Mauro Bigonzetti called "Vertigo" (similar to "Duet from Kazimir's Colours"). http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/ballet-mariinsky-vishneva-prima/ And more recently, in April, they performed the same two pieces at the Tour de Force gala in Orange County. http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-04-25/news/29476206_1_john-neumeier-love-classical-ballet-james-kudelka/2 As you said, they also danced the Manon pas de deux in Moscow too. So clearly they have been dancing all over the world together, which I think is great. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I think they are a fabulous partnership! Which is part of the reason I was so surprised she chose to bring in Bolle. Obviously Gomes can't be in Russia that week, but she could've danced a different piece with one of her more regular partners from the Mariinsky, or maybe done something else with Malakhov….? Hmm... Hopefully we'll hear how it goes!

It's only been a week since I saw Vishneva/Gomes in their devastating final performance of “Lady of the Camellias,” but it seems like a really long time ago. I’ve finally heard back from the dozen or so friends that I convinced to go to the Tuesday night show, so I thought I’d add some more comments. First, I heartily agree with abatt and Amour that the Vishneva/Gomes partnership is a force to be reckoned with! I am a huge fan, and it is a great pleasure to watch these two talented artists push each other to new heights. From the mutual adoration they express during the bows and curtain calls, it really seems like they love dancing with each other. How I wish I had been able to see her in her whiz kid days! Though as I said after their second, even-more-astonishing “Giselle,” I’m not so sure Vishneva has really lost much of her technical virtuosity. (And “Lady of the Camellias” is not really a great showcase for a ballerina’s technical skill anyway.) Now, having seen the huge gap between her first (great) performances of “Giselle” and “LOTC” and the second (beyond extraordinary) performances, I feel like the “quality” of her performances may depend heavily on her condition on that day and her mood, perhaps far more than in years past. I strongly agree with Marina Harss’ comment that “Vishneva is one of the few ballerinas I’ve seen who does not seem to perform steps; she rewrites the dance every time she rushes onstage, and what you get is an outpouring of whatever she’s feeling at the moment, call it Vishneva-ness.” @ mimsyb - I applaud your poetry skills, but I must agree with Amour! I’d rather see Neumeier with Vishneva/Gomes over NYCB’s “Jewels” any day! And more importantly, I’d never, ever, recommend an NYCB performance to someone who has never seen a ballet before, whereas I encouraged everyone I know to go see “Lady of the Camellias.” And it worked beautifully! Every one of my friends loved the Tuesday night show, even the ones who had never seen a ballet before. One friend said, “if ballet is always that wonderful, then I would go every night! I wish there was a DVD of that performance!” Her husband, who is notoriously hard to impress, commented, “even though I’m brand-new to ballet, even I could tell that the ballerina was amazing. Anyone could tell she was amazing. She looked weightless, and nothing looked difficult.” Another friend, who has seen a few full-length ballets, commented that “I’ve seen other ballets and thought they were good, but this is the first time that I’ve really been moved by a performance.” The next day, she admitted that she dreamed about it. Now some of those friends are hungry for more, and are asking me for recommendations on what else to see! So, yes, perhaps “Lady of the Camellias” has some dull choreography and relies too much on partnering tricks. But it has many attributes that make it appealing to ballet neophytes. First, it has a compelling story and strong lead characters (of course, how well they are depicted is heavily dancer-dependent). For those who’ve seen “La Traviata,” it may also be a familiar story. Some have said that LOTC is more like a play told with ballet. And I think that is precisely what makes it accessible to the ballet-uninitiated. Having a strong story helps keep viewers interested in a performance, until they become familiar enough with ballet to take something away from the steps. Second, there is not much “dancing for the sake of dancing”—not many divertissements. And even if other people are dancing, the leads are basically on stage for the entire performance, so it doesn’t really feel like a break in the narrative. And this was especially the case with Vishneva/Gomes, who never stop acting in character. For example, Act II may have given the other characters, especially Prudence and Gaston Rieux, a chance to show off their skills, but I was equally engaged watching Vishneva and Gomes interact in the background—pretending to read a book together, eating and drinking together, cuddling, etc. In contrast, I’ve had many a friend tune out or become restless during the extended dancing sequences in Act I of “Swan Lake,” for example, or inadvertently doze off during the “Kingdom of the Shades” act in “La Bayadare.” Third, the staging is interesting, with the curtain open at the beginning, and the performers coming way out on the sides of the stage. That makes it unconventional even compared to some theater productions. Fourth, I know that some viewers dislike the Chopin score, but for me and some of my friends, this was a definite plus. The pianists and classical music fans among my friends definitely loved the Chopin music (it’s like getting a concert AND a ballet), and others commented that they really liked the use of the solo piano instead of the complete orchestra. So, the ballet-educated and the critics can deride “Lady of the Camellias” all they like, but I maintain that with a passionate, charismatic set of leads, it makes for a great “gateway” ballet. And as someone who had her own ballet epiphany while watching a performance of the much-maligned Kudelka “Cinderella,” I think that is the key—get people interested in the ballet, make them want to see more, and THEN you can educate them about what is considered “good.” And maybe take them to see “Jewels.”

As I wrote in the thread about the gala, I'm very curious to hear how this turns out! Bolle is supposedly a very strong partner, so I'm sure the lifts will be secure, but I wonder how the chemistry will be!

Go see this ballet!! Seeing David Hallberg in a tutu and pointe shoes in a perfect sylph pose ALONE is worth the price of admission! I can't remember the last time I've laughed so hard. I was crying! EVERYONE had impeccable comic timing and looked like they were having a ball. I thought "The Bright Stream" brought out the very best of ABT--fantastic virtuoso dancing, incisive musicality, and fantastic acting down to the most minor characters. I've never seen Herrera and Murphy look so engaged! And Craig Salstein as the accordian player, and Roman Zhurbin as Gavrilych nearly stole the show. I was only planning to see this twice, but now I think I'll try to catch as many performances as I can! What a blast!

Bravo to Vishneva for using her popularity and stature to introduce "new" styles of dance to Russia! Here is the full program for the gala on June 23: http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2011/6/23/1_2000/ I was surprised to see that Vishneva invited Bolle to dance "Lady of the Camellias" with her. I know Gomes is busy doing "Cinderella" that week, but when have Bolle and Vishneva ever danced together (aside from a "Sleeping Beauty" like 10 years ago)? I'm trying to picture them doing the Act III pas de deux, and I'm failing. Only Marcelo can be Armand to Diana's Marguerite!

Well, I got my wish! I don't have enough superlatives in my vocabulary to describe the stupendous performance I just saw. They need to invent a medical term that means "smashed to smithereens by Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomes"! As with their "Giselle," as good as their initial performance was, the second performance was on a whole new level. I remarked earlier that they must have been tired for the Saturday performance, and today--I don't know if it was because they were running on a full tank of gas, or because they knew it was their last performance of the season together--but they gave absolutely everything they had to give. And you could tell that they knew it! They couldn't stop caressing each other after the spellbinding and heart-wrenching Act III pas de deux when they're lying together on the floor, as if they were telling each other, "that was extraordinary!" And at the end, when the curtain went up, they stood there huddled together, clinging together, fully aware of the miracle they had presented to us. The group of eight I was sitting with absolutely loved it. One admitted she teared up, another felt exhausted (in a good way) from the emotional experience. During the first curtain call, the whole group of named characters came out at the same time and applauded Carlos Lopez--I guess it's his final performance? That was sad, but sweet and touching. Bravo, bravo, bravo again to Vishneva and Gomes! If ABT doesn't bring back "Lady of the Camellias" next year, which I highly suspect they won't, can we please, please see them in "Manon" or "Onegin"??? Please?? Oh, and finally, I found this review of the Sat. matinee on ConcertoNet, which I usually read for concert and classical music reviews. http://www.concertonet.com/scripts/review.php?ID_review=7531 I heartily agree! ETA abatt beat me to it! I agree with everything abatt said!

I'm right there with you, abatt, hoping for the same thing! I too was at that explosive final performance last year! And I also am disappointed that this is Vishneva's final performance of the ABT season, but at least she'll be back with the Mariinsky. (And at least I can still look forward to Semionova/Hallberg in Swan Lake!)

Congratulations to Isabella! For some reason, I thought she already had been promoted!

Wow, I guess "Lady of the Camellias" is one of those ballets that you either love or hate. I saw the Saturday matinee performance with Vishneva/Gomes, and I thought it was fantastic! But I also enjoyed Kent/Bolle when I saw them last year. One friend, who sat next to me, said it was the best ballet she's seen so far (which admittedly, are not many, but it does mean she liked it better than their "Giselle"). Another friend, who flew in for the weekend, was so grateful I insisted she see Vishneva/Gomes in "Lady of the Camellias," and she enjoyed it SO MUCH that she canceled her dinner plans and immediately went to buy a ticket for the evening performance! As for the music, I admit that I love Chopin music, and I adore minor keys (the darker and stranger the better)! So I thought the recurring 'funeral dirge' that Colleen Boresta refers to--The Largo from Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor--was used very effectively. It is used in its full length for the Act II pas de deux, which marks perhaps the happiest point of their relationship. It is basically the "love theme" for Margeurite and Armand, much like Romeo and Juliet have a recognizable love theme, and so do Giselle and Albrecht. So I thought it was highly effective to have the theme played at the beginning, somewhat foreshadowing what would come, and also at the end, reminding us of the happier times that have been lost. I was reasonably familiar with many of the Chopin pieces before I saw them used in the ballet, so I often found myself thinking, "well that's a clever use of that section of that tune" as I watched. For example, in the Romance-Larghetto (2nd movement) of Chopin's Piano concerto No. 1, which is played when Armand is reading Marguerite's diary near the end of the ballet, there is a kind of dissonant, ghostly section, so it seemed entirely appropriate that a dying Manon and Des Grieux would appear during that passage. And Chopin's Ballade No.1 in G minor, which is used in the Act III pas de deux, is one of my favorite pieces of all time. I saw Vladimir Vasiliev dance to it (with a young ballerina) at the 2010 YAGP stars gala, and my favorite skater has used it as an exhibition number, but only "Lady of the Camellias" was able to unleash all the dark passion alongside heartbreaking tenderness that I feel from the music. As for the dancing--others have already commented on how wonderful Vishneva and Gomes were together. Actually, I was amazed that Visheva/Gomes could dance this ballet full-out on Saturday afternoon after pulling off that extraordinary 'Giselle' on Thursday. Vishneva, especially, must have been exhausted after the way she danced that "Giselle." And yet they seamlessly switched gears. All those difficult partering sections were carried off effortlessly, and I really wondered how they found the time to practice "Lady of the Camellias" when they still had another "Giselle" to do. And only one day in between! Well, I guess that's why they are called professionals! I honestly can't wait to see Vishneva/Gomes again tomorrow! I convinced about 10 of my friends to go, so hopefully they will end up on the 'love it' rather than the 'hate it' side!

I HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY OBLITERATED. I have to be honest here. At last Friday's Vishneva/Gomes performance, I thought the dancing was absolutely gorgeous and musical, there were so many beautiful images burned into my head, and the Vishneva/Gomes chemistry was, as always, a delight. However, I didn't get the emotional satisfaction that I was hoping for. In the Herrera/Bolle dress rehearsal that afternoon, I had been driven to near-tears, completely unexpectedly, but that first Vishneva/Gomes performance left me strangely dry-eyed. Not so tonight!! I think the main difference was the tempo. Tonight's tempo was noticeably slower than last Friday, and much, much slower than last night. I think this enhanced the gravity of the story, and it also allowed Vishneva to luxuriate even more in every languid movement; she just seemed to hang in the air. They had so much time for the lifts, and in the first one where Albrecht lifts her straight up, it seemed she stayed there for an eternity. And the second set of lifts where she is moved slowly in an arc over his head unfolded so slowly that she seemed even more ethereal, even more ghostly. Pure magic. It reminded me a lot of the Vishneva/Gomes 2009 White Swan pas de deux that was sooo slow and amazing that I was scared to breathe, lest I break the spell. Oh, and I retract my lament about Vishneva's waning technical skills. Perhaps she just needed a few days rest, or a new pair of toe shoes or something, but today those whirling attitude turns in Giselle's wili initiation were back to lightning speed, and the slower tempo really allowed her to show fantastic height in her entrechat quatre. And with the slower tempo, she made every balance long enough for a snapshot. In Giselle's Act I variation, The hops on pointe were almost ridiculous, they were done at such a slow tempo, and yet so steadily, with full port de bras almost from the very start. I suspected that Vishneva might play Giselle a little differently today, and I was right. Today's Giselle was noticeably more frail and ill. She was still happy and sweet, but she clutched at her neck and her heart more, as if more aware that the exertion, or the emotion, was overwhelming her. From early on, another world seem to grasp at her. She changed the phrasing in her variation to highlight the balances, given the slower tempo, and definitely changed the arms in the hops on pointe. But it was only in her mad scene where I really thought, "is she just making it up as she goes along? Does just come on stage and then do whatever she feels like doing?" There were some things in the mad scene that were the same--she still ran from one side of the stage to the other as if hearing imaginary noises; she still came to the front of the stage and peered out into our world. But she did so many other things that seemed unfamiliar that I really wondered if she had rehearsed this or was just pouring out exactly what she felt at that moment. I was blown away. (This is why I have to see her every time she dances, even in the same role.) The connection between Vishneva/Gomes was there last Friday, but today it was indescribable. Perhaps with the slower tempo they had the time they needed to really breathe with the music and let the emotion sink in. Or perhaps they just needed one more go at it. I felt it, and I think you could tell they felt it too when they took their bows--so much admiration and affection for each other. And while last time, I was a bit put off by Vishneva's very dramatic bows--a little too much like the prima donna acknowledging her adoring subjects--today she looked almost humbled by the experience, and grateful to the participants and the audience. Bravo! Speaking of which, the house was absolutely packed to the brim today! And yet the audience seemed notably quieter than last Friday, applauding and cheering far less, or at least I thought so since the technical marvels seemed so much greater today. But judging from the huge roar of the crowd and immediate standing ovation, I'm guessing that it was really that everyone was too awed, or too scared to emit a sound mid-performance, lest they break the illusion. Thank you, thank you, Diana and Marcelo for a devastating (and thus wonderful!) experience! And thanks again for the corps for being absolutely stunning! What a glorious end to a wonderful week of Giselles!

I just got back from another heart-wrenching performance of "Giselle" thanks to Xiomara Reyes and Angel Corella. This performance just reminded me so much how I've missed Angel!! His partnering of Reyes was wonderful, and his pirouettes, as usual, were impeccable. He chose to do the diagonal of brises instead of the entrechat six, and it was incredible to see him dart across the stage with his legs quickly crisscrossing in front of him. This also allowed him to approach Myrta and plead for mercy, before she sends him back up to the top of the stage for another pass. But I was really struck by how he showed Albrecht's exhaustion. The first time he collapses, it looked like Reyes was willing him to rise from the floor with all her might, but even still, he could only manage a seated position, and he looked like he was totally dazed and struggling to catch his breath. Here, I felt strongly that Giselle is dancing not only to distract Myrta, but really to give Albrecht time to recover. Later, when he and Giselle are doing these side-to-side jumps, first lifting one leg, then the other, you could see his arm position get progressively sloppier, his jumps fall off the beat, until finally he collapsed on the floor. After the bells toll and he carries Giselle for the last time, her arms spread across his chest, it looked like he was offering her to the heavens, and I thought, aha! that's what this is supposed to be--he's sending her off. At the end, he did not throw himself on Giselle's grave like Gomes. He held Giselle's last flower and slowly walked away. This is not an Albrecht who was glad to have one last chance to dance with Giselle, this was an Albrecht who finally understands the full value of what he's lost. As Giselle, Reyes' dancing was not as gorgeous or ethereal or musical as Vishneva's, and there were a few rough spots, but she certainly played to her strengths. She took her coupe turns in a circle in Giselle's Act I variation at superhuman speed--way faster than the tempo of the music, but still impressive. And in Act II, when she does the series of entrechat quatre, the orchestra suddenly accelerated, and she made the whole sequence that of flashing footwork. And as with all her performances this year, she took the chaine turns at lightning speed as well. Wow. In her mad scene, she saw Albrecht's sword and picked it up--whereas both Vishneva and Cojocaru managed to stumble backwards upon it at just the right point in the music. I was really watching to see how Reyes would play this, since I was so impressed that the other two managed to (blindly) walk backward onto the sword at just the right second. What impressed me about Reyes' mad scene was that it was clear that she expired while jumping up into Albrecht's arms--I could literally see the life go out of her, and then her body crumbled and fell back on the floor. I think Simone Messmer captured the character of Myrta well; she had the aura of authority, and she looked positively predatory as she chases Hilarion up the diagonal of wilis toward his doom. However, I found her dancing in Myrta's solo not ethereal enough for my taste, and just a hair too fast (it looked like she was trying to push the tempo/music, rather than letting the music flow through her), but it definitely got better as the act progressed. As for the others: Kristi Boone impressed me as Zulma. Melanie Hamrick was Moyna. Yuriko Kajiya and Joseph Phillips did the peasant pas de deux, and Kajiya dazzled me again. She held her balances and had impressive extensions. Patrick Ogle was fine as Hilarion. Let me not forget--the corps was absolutely fantastic again! Bravo, bravo, bravo! I could not help but grin with delight when they were dancing in such beautiful unison! Tomorrow I head back for another Vishneva/Gomes performance. I'm curious to see if they change anything from last Friday!

Much praise has already been bestowed on the Vishneva/Gomes performance, so I’m going to try to limit my comments to specific details I noticed. But first, a little anecdote: In the ballet class I took yesterday, after we had butchered a particular exercise, the teacher asked if there were any singers in the class. A handful of students raised their hands. Then the teacher said that they should be able to sing their movements; in fact, even if you’re not a singer, too bad!—your movements have to sing! You have to use your body like you use your voice, she explained. And that is precisely what impressed me so much about Vishneva’s dancing, especially in Act II. The way she phrased her movements and let her limbs trail through the air made me feel that she was not dancing to the music, but rather that the music was emanating from her core and flowing out through her fingertips and her toes. Here was the music, rendered (nearly) incarnate. Mesmerizing! ** More specifically… In Act I, I was a little surprised by the way Vishneva characterized her Giselle. Perhaps memory deceives me, but I feel like in her 2009 portrayal with Corella, she played Giselle as a bit more of a coquette—innocent, perhaps, but not unknowing; not a wide-eyed ingénue. In the opening scene where Giselle is looking for Albrecht, and turns around to find him standing right there, Vishneva and Corella very nearly kissed, causing Vishneva to swoon backward and pull away immediately. In that same scene with Gomes this year, however, Vishneva did not back away. She just stood there transfixed—much like how Juliet reacts when she first sees Romeo in MacMillan’s version. Yes, her Giselle reminded me quite a bit of her Juliet, and the same way the 14-year old Juliet doesn’t 100% fit her (to me), neither did this Giselle. Unlike the petite Cojocaru, who seems naturally child-like, Vishneva strikes me as being sophisticated and mature, so playing Giselle as this dumbstruck teenager seemed ever so slightly strange for her. (In my opinion, a dangerously flirty Giselle, who doesn’t realize she’s playing with fire, would be more natural fit for her.) Nonetheless, her connection with Gomes’ Albrecht was undeniable. Yes, there were flirty, teasing moments, but this was no sweet, puppy love—when they looked into each other’s eyes, you sensed that the rest of the world melted away for them. Vishneva’s Act I variation was flawless. Her 180-degree penchee arabesques looked easy, and although she opted for single pirouettes with the leg in attitude, she did them so slowly and so steadily, with the leg perfectly placed, that it looked halfway between a turn and a balance. The hops on pointe were so effortless that halfway through it looked like she forgot she was hopping, and turned her body to send her love to Albrecht. The mad scene was terrifying. While watching Cojocaru’s Giselle unravel, I wanted to run up there and comfort her, but with Vishneva’s Giselle, I was glued to my seat watching the train-wreck unfold. At one point, she came to the very edge of the stage and peered into the audience, and it felt…uncomfortable. To me, there always seems to be this invisible barrier between the stage and the audience, between the characters’ fictional world and our reality, but with this action, Vishneva seemed to rend that invisible separation, and as a result, we couldn’t just watch her suffering, we were forced to participate in it. After she died, Gomes’ horror and agony were equally intense, and he clung desperately to her limp form. In Act II, Vishneva’s dancing was not quite as technically astounding as I remember from 2009—she seems to have lost some of the superhuman speed in the whirling attitudes in Giselle’s initiation, and her jumps and grand jetes didn’t seem as high as I remember. However, as I already mentioned, her ability to fill a musical phrase, and her ability to look ethereal and wraith-like, surpasses any other Giselle I’ve seen. Much of this, of course, was thanks to flawless, heroic partnering from Gomes. There was complete trust between them, and no hesitation. So many images stand out in my mind from Act II. First, when Giselle-as-wili slowly showers Albrecht with flowers. Vishneva’s Giselle-wili is a mere shade of her former self. She cannot speak; she cannot embrace Albrecht; she can barely express her emotions. So she showers him with flowers as if showering him with her love, and Gomes’ Albrecht received them with a rapturous expression, as if receiving a holy blessing. There was something so moving about this little scene that it remains etched in my mind. Second, the two lifts where Albrecht dead-lifts Giselle up over her head and holds her there were incredible. Gomes made it so smooth and effortless, and lowered Vishneva so slowly that she truly looked weightless. Their adagio was riveting—it seemed like Gomes barely had to touch Vishneva to maneuver her, enhancing the impression of a weightless being. In the part where Albrecht picks Giselle up, moves a few paces and sets her down as she stretches into arabesque, it was so impeccably timed and executed that it looked like she was just a puff of tulle, propelled purely by the swell and fall of the music. And when Albrecht carries back and forth across the stage as she does tiny hops on one foot, it looked like she was running on air. As Amour already mentioned, the combination of Vishneva and Gomes’ desperate pleas for mercy and Part’s cold dismissals made me really feel the struggle to save Albrecht’s life. Gomes’ acting was really outstanding—Vishneva was unhinged in Act I, but in Act II, Gomes picked up where she left up, wildly throwing his head back as he completed some virtuosic moves. He really looked like he was dancing at the very limit of capabilities (but without looking sloppy). And when he fell to the ground from exhaustion, you could hear it. Part looked so menacing when she was about to finish him off, and then so frustrated when the bells began to toll. Unfortunately, I was sitting so far to the left of center that I couldn’t see Giselle disappear into the grave, but I will get to see it all again on Thursday, and I can’t wait! ** On a slightly unrelated note, I happened to find this interview of a teenaged Vishneva where she talks about playing ‘Giselle.’ It’s in Russian, but subtitled in Japanese (which I understand), and at 0:42, she says, “I want to test myself with this work. I know that I’m not suited to Giselle. But even if I’m not suited to Giselle on the outside [i.e. physically], I want to prove that I can play the character.” Indeed, it seems she has proved herself one the great interpreters of the role! Reading all your comments, I wish I had gotten to see Vishneva’s early Giselles and especially the wild/coltish ones of a few years ago. A part of me can’t help but feel sad that Vishneva just might not be as technically astounding or strong as a few years ago (though it’s only natural), but it reminds me to savor every performance I can see with her.

I’m still bummed that I had to miss the Cojocaru/Hallberg ‘Giselle,’ but thanks to all your reports, I feel like I got some taste of the performance! I had thought her cast against type as Kitri, but in Friday’s dress rehearsal, Cojocaru effortlessly became Giselle; her natural sweetness fit the role perfectly. Macauley highlighted “Giselle’s affection for her mother,” and that struck me too—as well as the reverse. How could any mother deny her daughter’s wish to dance, when the daughter is as guilelessly charming as Cojocaru? For me, the height difference between Cojocaru and Hallberg made her look even younger, innocent, and vulnerable. As vipa said, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, which of course made Albrecht’s betrayal all the more heartbreaking! Poor baby! In Cojocaru’s dancing, I was again impressed by her extensions and the crispness she brought to some of her phrasing—things I had noticed in her Kitri portrayal. However, some of her movements were not as silky or soft as I would’ve liked, and I could understand why Macauley wrote, “Ms. Cojocaru doesn’t fill a musical phrase to the brim.” Act II of the dress rehearsal was danced by Herrera, Bolle and Wiles. To me, Wiles lacked the gravity or imperiousness that Myrta requires—she just looked kind of irritated by Giselle and Albrecht. (I have to admit that she’s not my favorite dancer though; I have yet to be impressed by either her dancing or her interpretation.) Bolle makes such a handsome prince/nobleman, but his dancing is not as clean or polished as Hallberg or Gomes. Nonetheless, the superficial part of me was happy to see him, since I’m not planning to see any of his actual performances. Herrera doesn’t strike me as an ethereal dancer; she doesn’t strike me as a natural Giselle. However, such is the power of the music, choreography and staging, that even with this cast, I felt my eyes tearing up by the end. Yes, “Giselle” is definitely one of my favorite ballets. Sure, the music and the choreography might not be the greatest, but I love the use of leitmotifs in the score, and I love how the mime is intimately intertwined with the music—you hear the horn sound the knocks on Giselle’s door. I find the story moving, and I like that the dancing is motivated by the plot. In Act I, Giselle is a girl who loves to dance, and moreover, it’s time for the grape-picking festival. No wonder there’s lots of dancing! And in Act II, Myrta’s command to “dance till you die” and Giselle’s desire to “dance to save Albrecht’s life” are both compelling. But in the end—after Albrecht has realized his love for Giselle, and after both have toiled so hard to evade Myrta’s death sentence—there’s no happy apotheosis a la “Swan Lake” or “La Bayadere.” No, after only the briefest of farewells, they are parted forever… Well, this post has gotten pretty long already, so I’m going to start a new one to add some more comments on the Vishneva/Gomes/Part performance.

Well, I just came back from a gorgeous performance of "Giselle" thanks to the sublime Diana Vishneva and marvelous Marcelo Gomes (and the commanding Veronika Part)! BRAVO!!! I'm a little too tired to give a full description now--I also saw Cojocaru/Hallberg in Act I, and Herrera/Bolle in Act II in the dress rehearsal today, but I will wait to comment on that until after they actually perform. I took 5 friends with me to tonight's show, most of whom are not very familiar with ballet. All of them thought the performance was great, and the ballerina exceptional, but they all had the same question, which was, "Are they [Vishneva/Gomes] a real-life couple?" Yes, indeed, the key to this performance was the fantastic connection between Vishneva/Gomes and the passion they shared. Bravo, I say again! More to follow later...

Point taken and conceded. I guess Bolyston is trying to use every opportunity--even when inappropriate--to prove that she's "this season's 'It girl'," as Apollinaire Scherr called her. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/7565684e-86e7-11e0-92df-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1NMviNwav The gala review I read seemed to suggest that Cojocaru had been using more normal-looking shoes for awhile, but had switched back to the 'soup-can' shoes, so maybe you were lucky enough to see her without them. Or as you suggest, perhaps it's different strokes for different folks. I will add that I was using binoculars, so it was extremely obvious to me that the fabric had been removed from the top of Alina's shoes, leaving a rough edge, which you can see here: http://thefastertimes.com/dance/2011/05/24/photos-of-alina-cojocaru-and-polina-semionova-in-a-b-t-s-don-quixote/ It may have been less of an issue for other viewers though. As for Macauley's review, I wholeheartedly agreed with his characterization of Semionova here: Macauley (like you) seems to have been more touched/moved by Cojocaru's performance, but I found that very sweetness in her portrayal to be somewhat out of character for Kitri. But, I do have to admit that I am biased! I know I am very partial to the slim, long-limbed, tall-looking dancers/skaters/gymnasts--and I routinely like dancers that others may consider pretty but "cold." Hehe, yes, the Manon last pdd is exactly what came to mind when I was thinking of how to describe the trick before the fish dive (supported double tour en l'air?)! But it's good that you mentioned ice skating, because it reminded me that they also did a little flourish before some lift (or was it another fish dive?), which involved Alina first opening her legs in a split (legs parallel to the floor), which reminded me a lot of the preparation for a split twist lift in pairs skating.

For anyone who is interested, I found photos from the magazine on someone's blog here: http://dustyburrito.blogspot.com/2011/04/chase-ing-love-chase-finlay-of-new-york.html

Well, it was certainly interesting to see Cojocaru as Kitri after seeing Semionova! Before I get into that, I'd like to say bravo to Jose Manuel Carreno for an impressive performance as Basilio. When I saw him last year opposite Osipova, he seemed strangely low on energy--or maybe it was just that everyone looked dull and earthbound compared to Osipova's firecracker Kitri. Last night, however, Carreno's heart seemed to be in the role, and he pulled off some truly showstopping stop-on-a-dime turns. As for Cojocaru…prior to the performance, I happened to read a particularly acerbic review of the ABT opening night gala, in which the reviewer praised Cojocaru's performance but bemoaned her 'soup-can' pointe shoes. And while I was watching last night, I could not get this unfortunately-apt image out of my head. I know that she uses the large boxes because of her foot problems (and I'm sorry to hear about them), but it was certainly a jarring contrast to Semionova's picture-perfect feet. Cojocaru also made some notable changes to the choreography, and I wondered if they were done to conserve her feet. For example, in Act I, in the variation where Kitri beats her fan on the ground in between the turns where she kicks her leg up and around--those were changed to something else. She also did the hops on pointe in place instead of traveling diagonally downstage. That being said, she certainly had Semionova beat with her near-180 extensions and the punchiness she brought to her phrasing in Act I. She had a way of slowing or holding a certain movement a fraction of a beat too long, and then clipping the next one short--that really made the music pop for me. Her Act I dancing felt crisper and more varied to me than Semionova's. And she and Carreno were able to pull off much more impressive lifts. However, I agree with others on the board that her characterization of Kitri was rather odd--she was more a sweet, cute and even slightly bashful Kitri—Aurora as Kitri—rather than the fiesty firecracker I am used to. (I guess Cojocaru might just be more naturally suited to Aurora or Giselle.) Of the three Kitri's I saw, I think Reyes' characterization was closest to my ideal. In fact, overall, I think I enjoyed the Reyes/Sarabia Act I best, because they nailed the characters, had great chemistry, and gave the performance the necessary flirty zest from the very beginning. Last night’s Act II and III were enjoyable, but did not reach the breathtaking levels that Semionova/Hallberg's performance reached for me. In particular, in Semionova's Act III, you could feel that she had found her confidence, that she was “in the zone” and reaching for the limit --and David responded accordingly. Cojocaru also pulled off some impressive, making-it-look-easy balances, but none reached that jaw-dropping level of Semionova's final balance. Once again, Carreno and Cojocaru pulled off some impressive lifts, with him twirling her in the air before lowering her into the fish dive. At the end of the performance, Cojocaru received her bouquet, and then she promptly turned around kneeled, offering it to Carreno with a most deferential expression. So sweet and touching!! *** As for the others, well, I think last night's supporting cast was among the weakest. As abatt mentioned, poor Maria Ricetto fell out of the Italian fouettes--the audience actually started applauding midway, and I wonder if that threw her off. Otherwise, her performance of Mercedes was fine, but lacking the flair and sensuousness of Abrera's or Part's performances. I've always thought of Savaliev as being somewhat bland, but he also seemed terribly sloppy last night. Certainly the worst Espada I've seen by far. The highlight for me was Kajiya, who dazzled again as Amour. As for the flower girls, Boylston certainly stole the show from Lane, in my opinion. Perhaps she held some of the balances a little too long when she should've been trying to stay in synch with Lane, but she projected to the audience and grabbed my attention every time. Her grand jetes and some of her extensions were very impressive too. I really wanted to like Lane, but she just didn't have the same "look at me" quality for me. Joseph Phillips and Simone Messmer were very fun as the gypsy couple. *** During the intermission, I saw Jonathan Stafford and Daniel Ulbricht (and maybe Gonzalo Garcia) from NYCB in the lobby. I wonder what they thought! I’m bummed to have to miss Cojocaru’s Giselle, as I imagine she’s more suited to that role. Can’t wait to read what you all have to say though!

For what it's worth, here is what David Hallberg said about the performance on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DavidHallberg Before the show: And after: @ mimsyb - I haven't seen Osipova/Hallberg dance together, so I can't compare the two pairings, but while Semionova/Hallberg may have lacked the fire/passion of say, Vishneva/Gomes, they certainly looked 100% comfortable together. And for me, it was a pleasure just to see their well-matched physiques--they just looked 'right' together. Ah, perhaps it was you that I was excitedly chatting with while watching? Or perhaps someone else on the forum?

To the people in charge at ABT, YOU MUST BRING BACK SEMIONOVA NEXT SEASON!!!! And in every season after that!! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! That is all I can say. With their long, lovely lines, Hallberg and Semionova make a glorious couple onstage. Okay, so Semionova may not be as amazing a jumper as Osipova is (no one is), but her turns and especially her balances were magnificent. And in Act II, Semionova showed me what I found lacking last year in Osipova's performance--beautiful, engaging dancing in the adagio movements. Just simply in the short interlude where Kitri and Basilio dance together before they are discovered by the gypsies, I saw enough beauty in the way she slowly developped her leg, or did her port de bras, to make me think, "their 'Swan Lake' is going to be amazing!" I have to admit, Act I was not quite as crisp and sparkling as it was for me with Reyes/Sarabia. Certainly, the tricks were all there; Semionova certainly is an engaging performer with an infectious smile, and with her tremendous height, she certainly grabs your attention. And she and Hallberg certainly seemed to be having a great time together. But there were parts when Kitri and Basilio dance together, mirroring each other's movements, where Hallberg and Semionova weren't quite in synch. And I felt that Semionova might have been holding back just a tad. Though she did draw quite a bit of applause for her series of pirouettes from fifth positions where she travels diagonally downstage. The one-handed lifts were much shorter than in Reyes/Sarabia's performance (it must be hard to balance such a tall dancer). At the end of the first act, I thought, she's good, they're gorgeous, but I wasn't blown away. Things definitely improved from there though. As I mentioned above, from the first few moments of Act II, I was really impressed by the beauty of her dancing and the way she finishes off her movements. Last year, I distinctly remember being mindboggled by Osipova's amazing jumps, but then the slow parts just fell a little flat for me--I kept thinking, "ok, so when are we going to get more tricks??" In addition, at times, I felt that Osipova would sacrifice the purity of line or position in order to get just a little more height or speed; sometimes it felt a bit sloppy. Not so in this performance, however! I was equally engaged by the Kitri and Dulcinea (fast & slow) sections, and I highly appreciated the polish that Semionova brought to her dancing. And her balances were simply phenomenal. In Dulcinea's variation, her balances were rock-solid, and in the ones where she has to shift from passe to arabesque, I was impressed by how she was able to delay the shift, holding the passe until the last possible moment. And then Act III simply brought the house down. Hallberg may not be as good a turner as Simkin or Sarabia, but he made up for it in the way he beautifully finished each turn. And he pulled off some gorgeous pirouettes a la seconde. As for Semionova--WOW. I knew she would go for those balances, but I was not expecting this! I saw Viengsay Valdes hold some ridiculous balances at the YAGP gala earlier in the year, but you could tell she was really fighting to do it. Semionova held the first balance for maybe 4-5 seconds, but then it the second one, she held the attitude position, then extended to arabeseque, THEN retire'd the leg and developped it forward and held that before FINALLY coming down. The whole thing must have been ten seconds or more!! And she made it seem like it was easy! Truly incredible!! Her fouettes were equally impressive--many multiple revolutions, many with the fan open above head--clearly this girl has fantastic balance! At the end of the performance, Hallberg and Semionova looked so happy and excited! That's certainly how I felt too. I'm just salivating over the thought of seeing them together in "Swan Lake." If you don't already have a ticket, get one now!!! ***** I suppose I should say something about the other performers. Veronika Part was Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads. I feel like she had more fire in this role when I saw her dancing it four years ago, but then again, she did have Marcelo as her Espada. (Jared Matthews is perfectly enjoyable as Espada, but he's not quite Marcelo. ) Part was a gorgeous Queen of the Dryads, and there were some moments when she was dancing next to Semionova and I was bowled over by the combination of their beautiful port de bras and long lines. Arron Scott and Misty Copeland did a fine job as the gypsy couple. Roman Zhurbin was a hilariously disgruntled father, and Alexei Agoudine a perfectly laughable Gamache. Renata Pavam was one of the flower girls and more and more, she's definitely catching my eye. Sarah Lane was fine as Amour, but not quite as dazzling as Kajiya for me. David LaMarche conducted. **** Finally, a little icing on the cake--after I came out of the restroom after the show, I noticed a crowd of people watching the monitors, and then my jaw dropped as I realized that it was Vishneva and Gomes rehearsing "Giselle" onstage. Yep, the Don Quixote set was still set up, but there they were with a piano on the stage, and it looked like they were practicing parts of Act I. Yep, that's going to be another gorgeous performance, and I can't wait! But before that, I'll see Cojocaru and Carreno on Monday. What an embarrassment of riches!

Well, I just came back from a spitfire performance of "Don Quixote," courtesy of Xiomara Reyes and guest artist Ronaldo Sarabia! They looked absolutely perfectly cast as Kitri and Basilio, and they had fantastic chemistry together. I think Kitri is a natural fit for Reyes' personality, and Sarabia looked/seemed like a natural Basilio, and they both nailed the cocksure, flirty, feisty attitude. And what turns! Reyes has been on fire--first, those lightning chaines at the gala in "Majisimo," and then some equally rapid coupe turns (?) in a circle and some impressive fouettes! Sarabia also pulled off some amazing turns where he slid his free leg down to increase the speed. (And of course there was also Daniil Simkin as the gypsy putting on his usual fireworks.) One trick Reyes/Sarabia did that I don't think I've seen before was this 1-hand supported pirouette--in the final pas de deux, Sarabia would take his right hand off and support Reyes in the pirouettes only with his left hand. That was really impressive! Stella Abrera was a gorgeous Mercedes and seemed full of energy herself, and she seemed to have good chemistry with Jared Matthews as Espada. Yuriko Kajiya was a fun, bouncy Amour. The toreadors were especially sloppy, in my opinion, but other than that, I thought the corps generally looked fine. All in all, loads of fun! *** As for the gala, I wholeheartedly agree that Vishneva/Gomes in "Manon" were the highlight for me. The audience seemed to agree, starting their applause before the final notes sounded and erupting into the loudest ovation of the night. I cannot wait to see them in "Giselle" and especially in "Lady of the Camellias." I know the critics hate it, but it's soo enjoyable, particularly with Vishneva/Gomes. Like an piece of blackout cake, or something--no nutritional value whatsoever, but soo delicious! My guilty pleasure for sure! On the opposite end of the spectrum, both of the "Swan Lake" pdd's were somewhat unbearable for me because of the terrible violin playing! I hope they find a new soloist (or that the current one practices a lot) before "Swan Lake" week, because all the off-pitch notes and squeaks totally prevented me from enjoying the White swan pdd. I'm not too sure even a great violin solo would have saved the Black swan pdd, though--it looked labored and had none of the usual excitement/fun for me. This gala may not have been quite as impressive as other ones I've been to, but I'm certainly curious to see "The Bright Stream"!

Uh-oh, I just looked at the press release, and it seems like it's been modified! There's no mention of summer performances in New York at all! The new text reads: Does that mean they're not coming to New York??! That's truly disappointing...