Colleen Boresta

I saw the Saturday matinee of "La Bayadere" with Ashley Tuttle as Nikiya, Angel Corella, and Gillian Murphy as Gamzatti. Corella was electrifying, both in his dancing and his acting. After seeing Tuttle struggle the last couple of years in "Theme and Variations" and the Black Swan pdd from "Swan Lake", I was worried she wouldn't be up to challenges of Nikiya in "La Bayadere". I'm happy to say my fears were groundless. Tuttle was one of the best Nikiyas I've ever seen. Her beautifully flexible upper party made her dancing in Act I especially poignant. In Act II I was really impressed by the height of her leaps and even more by the speed of her turns at the end of the act. After having seen Tuttle in "Romeo and Juliet" and "Moving Out" I knew what a wonderful actress Tuttle is. Her portrayl of Nikiya was an especially moving one. As Gamzatti, Gillian Murphy showed what a grand ballerina role this is. As I think Anna Kisselgoff said of her performance as Gamzatti last year, Murphy was all "fire and ice". She was truly a woman to be reckoned with. And what a beautifully crystalline technique she has. I was also moved by Guillaume Graffin's powerful portrayl of the High Brahmin. He's really an incredible actor. Monique Meunier was especially good in a very brief role as one of the D'Jampe dancers. Why wasn't she one of the lead shades? Why wasn't she Gamzatti? With her technique and acting ability, she could be one of the best Gamzattis ever. Why doesn't ABT let her do more? After loving her at NYCB for years, it makes no sense to me. As for the Shades, I thought they were really wonderful. I saw one slight wobble (the shade in the second row from the front on the right) but that was it. All in all, it was a really beautiful production.

I also went to the May 2nd matinee. "Stabat Mater" is a very pretty ballet - pretty costumes, pretty scenery, pretty dancers, pretty choreography that was extremely repetitive. I don't know if it's just me, but I've found that most of Martins' ballets suffer from the problem of repetitive choreography. And the ballet just seemed to go on and on and on. If "Stabat Mater had been half the length, I would have liked it much better. On to "Walpurgisnacht Ballet". I've always loved this ballet, and this time was no exception. Wendy Whelan was especially good in the lead ballerina role. Whelan has always been a technically strong dancer, but in the past few years she's become an artist. She has a real rapport with the audience, and seems to enjoy thoroughly every step she dances. I don't think I've ever seen Whelan perform with as much joy as she showed on Sunday afternoon. I was disappointed not to see Megan Fairchild in the second ballerina role, but Lindy Mandradjieff danced it very well. She's a very promising young ballerina. All the female dancers did a good job in Walpurgisnacht. The one disappontment was Charles Askergard (whom I usually like). He was okay partnering Whelan during the pas de deux, but Askegard was really off in his later solo. He made one major fumble and a few smaller ones after that. Fortunately the male part is this ballet is very small. I was wondering about the weakness of NYCB's male dancers during the first intermission, but fortunately "The Four Seasons" showed me that NYCB has some really exceptional male dancers. The highlight of the afternoon for me was "The Four Seasons". Oberon has already posted my feelings about the ballet better than I ever could, so I can be pretty brief. All the male dancers were superb, especially Ulbricht and Woetzl. Ulbricht filled the stage to overflowing with his superhigh leaps and love of dance. And Oberon is certainly right - Woetzl is the king. He's so good that it's hard to do justice to his dancing in words. Woetzl is no kid either - he's got to be around 37 or so. He's certainly not slowing down, not even the slightest bit. It was great seeing Edward Liang again. What a clean elegant line he has. Liang reminds me somewhat of ABT's David Halberg. The women were wonderful too. Jennifer Ringer was the personification of Spring. Alexandra Ansanelli's performance was as indescribably wonderful as Damian Woetzl's. I don't think there's any part Ansanelli can't dance beautifully. She's become my favorite ballerina at NYCB, maybe my favorite ballerina period. I was disappointed with Rachel Rutherford in the Summer section. I really miss Helene Alexopoulos in this part. Alexopoulos had a smoldering sultriness that Rutherford lacks.

I saw the same cast in the Sunday matinee of "The Sleeping Beauty". I agree with what everyone has said about how wonderful Ansanelli was. She was truly a radiant, golden girl Aurora. As for her "Rose Adagio" Ansanelli held her balances perfectly. It was truly a thrilling performance. And I really enjoy Peter Martins' "Sleeping Beauty" (unlike his "Swan Lake" but that is another story). I was very impressed with the entire cast, except for Nilas Martins. The man sitting next to me described Martins' Prince as klutzy and he was exactly right. Come on - the last thing a ballet dancer should be is klutzy. I hate to say it but I don't think Nilas Martins would even be a soloist in any other company. He truly gets worse every time I see him. Fortunately the part of the Prince in "The Sleeping Beauty" is a very small one.

I really enjoyed “Double Feature”. Susan Stroman’s choreography might seem a bit pedestrian compared to that of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. But in “Double Feature” I thought her choreography fit the music and advanced the plot beautifully. In my opinion it’s a million times better than the choreography of Peter Martins and 99% of those involved in the Diamond Project. Everything I could say about the performances has already been said. I was especially impressed by Kyra Nichols. Who knew she was such a great comedienne. Nicholas was so deliciously evil. And Ashley Bouder – wonderful actress, fantastic dancer - I really want to see her as often as possible. She really looked like Maria Korowski. Yes I know their hairdos were the same and when they finally met they were wearing similar gowns, but the resemblance was much more than that. I don’t think Janie Taylor would have looked as much like Korowski. Tara Sorine who was so good as the young Mabel looked even more like Korowski. Speaking of Korowski, I also had problems understanding what Dorothy Brooks was all about. Maybe it was the way the role was written, maybe it was Korowski. I don’t know. In “Making Whoopee” Tom Gold showed that he has real leading man potential. Why is he still a soloist after all those years? Why isn’t he a principal? And speaking of principals, it was great seeing Albert Evans again. At least Susan Stroman appreciates him even if Peter Martins doesn’t. It has already been said several times but the orchestrations were wonderful, the costumes and scenery were great. I think this is a ballet that is going to be danced by the New York City Ballet for a long, long time.

I went to the January 11th matinee. E. Johnson and Michael have already talked about most of the ballets performed that afternoon (and far better than I ever could) so I'll be pretty brief. I too was disappointed with "Concerto Barocco" although I really love the choreography and especially Bach's music. The last time I saw it, the dancing was much better. I know I saw Wendy Whelan and I think one of the soloists - probably Abby Stafford. Whelan was just perfect and the other dancer was good too. (I could look through my programs to see who that other performer was, but I have so many programs and so little time.) And there was that balance/counterbalance between the two lead females that has already been mentioned from the American Masters program. I think Jennie Somogyi was just miscast, but Yvonne Borree was lost. Borree often seems lost when she's dancing. It's hard to believe she's a principal dancer. Although I've seen her dance Swanilda in "Coppelia" a couple of times, and she's very good in the part. Swanilda is not an easy role. It's a hard thing for me to figure out. "Flower Festival in Genzano" was absolutely wonderful. It was great seeing Bourniville danced the way it should be. "Prodigal Son" was also great. I too was very impressed by Damian Woetzl. His acting was especially poignant. And this is a role where I think the acting is just as important as the dancing - probably even more important. James Fayette was very moving as the father. At the end of the the ballet when he took his son in his arms, I was practically in tears. I unfortunately never saw Alexopolous' Siren, but I agree with Michael that Korowski's Siren was not cold enough. I saw ABT's Michele Wiles perform the role a few years ago, and I thought she made a very promising Siren. Unfortunately her "Prodigal Son" was Ethan Stiefel whose acting was rather weak (IMO anyway). It would be great to see Woetzl and Wiles dance "Prodigal Son" together. The final ballet was "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" a light piece, but very enjoyable and very well danced. What a delicious dancer Sofianne Slyve is. I really want to see her dance as many roles as possible. And Philip Neal as quite good as the hoofer. I saw him dance the role a few years ago, and his tap dancing was a bit off. This time his tap dancing was much better. And he and Slyve together were a joy to see. I love all the comic touches Balanchine has included in the ballet - especially the "Three Blind Mice" policemen. And the Richard Rodgers music - absolutely unforgettable.

I went to two family friendly matinees - on Sunday, October 26th, and Saturday, November 1st, so I decided to discuss them together. The family freindly program is a good program, but it bothers me that there was only one program for all 6 matinees. I live in Staten Island, and it's very hard for me to go to evening performances. If ABT had two different matinee programs, I would have gone to more performances. Anyway on to the ballets. "Theme and Variations" is a ballet I have always loved, and in the male lead Corella was as wonderful as always. But Ashley Tuttle was sadly miscast. Her footwork lacked the crispness and clarity the role calls for (imo anyway). I think Tuttle is much better in dramatic parts and romantic ballets. On November lst Gillian Murphy was the female lead in "Theme and Variations" and she was just perfect. As Michael has often said, Murphy is the best Balanchine ballerina at ABT. And David Hallberg was wonderful. There's a real elegance and natural flow to his dancing. I don't understand why he's not a soloist yet. He's been dancing soloist roles for a couple of years now. He's even done principal roles - not only "Themes and Variations" but "Symphony in C" and "Grand Pas Classique". It seems like Halberg is being groomed to become a principal. So I ask again why isn't he a soloist yet? I found "Le Grand Pas De Deux" to be very enjoyable both times I saw it. On October 26th I saw Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim B. (I don't have time to write out his name). Dvorovenko is a a natural comedienne, and Maxim B. is her perfect straight man. They had great timing, and pulled off all the mistakes effortlessly. Even the bows were humorous, especially with Irina doing her "Swan Lake" deep, deep curtsy and Maxim giving her a "I can't believe I'm with this woman" look. On November 1st, Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes were also very funny. Cornejo was not so much a straight man as an equal partner in Reyes' mishaps. A really funny moment occurred when Cornejo was asking the statue of the cow where Reyes had gone. (I don't remember Maxim B. doing this.) And when Reyes and Cornejo took their bows, Reyes had great difficulty taking a flower from her bouquet to give to Cornejo. She ended up giving him just the flower - minus the stem. Cornejo and Reyes were great together - they have real chemisty, and she's just the perfect size for him. To me "Three Virigns and a Devil" was a very slight work, more a dance drama than the usual ballet. Therefore, acting ability is equally as important (if not more important than dancing ability. I wasn't overly impressed by the virgins in either cast. On October 26th it was Carlos Molina as the devil who stole the show. After seeing Molina dance the title role in "Onegin" in 2002 I knew he was a superb dramtic dancer. But his performance as the devil showed Molina to be equally as gifted in comic dancing. On November 1st, Carlos Lopez was not nearly as effective as the devil. In my opininon Lopez went way over the top. He turned the devil into a big crybaby. Molina's sly humor and devilish sense of fun was sadly lacking in Lopez's performance. I saw the same performers dance "Tschaikovsky Pas De Deux" at both performances, and I'm very happy I did. Anna Kisselgoff is right in saying that Paloma Herrera is dancing better than she has in a long time. Her speed, her musicality, her chemistry with Acosta, her quadruple fouettes - all were just wonderful. And Acosta. What an incredible dancer he is! Everything I could say about his performance has already been said better than I could ever say it by other posters. Let me add a few words about why I think his performance was so perfect - his double turns in the air, the incredible leaps where he seems suspended in the air, and especially those super soft landings. During the October 26th performance while he was doing his turns a la seconde, Acosta twice jumped from and landed on his supporting leg. It was pretty amazing to see. And Acosta is not just a superb technician - he's musical, he's extremely attentive to his partner - all in all a truly great dancer. I really really hope Acosta performs with ABT during their Spring season at the Met. And finally - "Fancy Free". The performances of Cornejo, Radetsky and Carreno have been described wonderfully by other posters. I have seen "Fancy Free" dozens of times, and this production is as fresh as though it were choreographed yesterday, not almost sixty years ago. Cornejo was all leaps and turns and boundless energy as the first sailor. Radetsky as the second sailor was the best I've ever seen him. But to me, Carreno just owns the part of the third rhumba dancing sailor. After seeing him in the part a few years ago, I didn't want to see anyone else dance the role. I've seen other dancers do the rhumba since first seeing Carreno in the part, and I've always been extremely disappointed. I was hoping to see Corella dance the role of the first sailor at the November lst matinee. I wanted to compare his performance with that of Cornejo's. I've always loved Corella as a dancer, but Cornejo impresses me more and more every time I see him. However, Corella was replaced by Craig Salstein. Salstein was very good. I was impressed with his performance, but he's not at Cornejo's level. Ethan Stiefel was good as the second sailor, but Radetsky was just as good. And I don't think that any sailor during World War II would have hair as long as Stiefel's. With regard to the girls, they did seem very one-dimensional. I thought Julie Kent and especially Sandra Brown were better than Stella Abrera and Gillian Murphy. Brown and Kent were more real, more natural. And, as I mentioned before, I've seen "Fancy Free" dozens of times. The pocketbook scene has never struck me as portraying anything violent. The guys just seemed like they were being playful. In the performances of "Fancy Free" I've seen the girl with the purse often seemed annoyed, but never scared.

The performance of "Swan Lake" I saw - the June 21st matinee - was full of passion and depth of emotion. Irina Dvorvenko was Odette/Odile. In the white acts, Dvorovenko showed clearly the depth of her love for Siegfried. Her beautiful birdlike arms (how did she ever learn how to make her arms look so boneless?) and flexible upper body showed clearly the despair she felt when von Rothbart forced her to become a swan again at the end of Act II. And talk about passion - in the Black Swan Pas de Deux Odile was so seductively passionate that Siegfried had no choice but to reject Odette and ask for Odile's hand. Any red-blooded male would have acted the same. I've never seen Herrera in "Swan Lake", but I wonder if she has the upper body flexibility to dance Odette well. Having seen Herrera in "Don Quixote" and "Le Corsaire" I imagine she'd be fantastic as Odile. Of course the challenge of "Swan Lake" is to convincingly become both Odette and Odile. Dvorovenko really did this. She fully inhabited both roles. With regard to the famous fouettes in Act III, Dvorovenko did a series of fast singles, no doubles or triples as far as I could see. The question is why did I even notice this? Does it matter if a dancer does doubles or triples as opposed to singles? As far as I know, the point of the Black Swan Pas de Deux is for Odette to seduce Siegfried so completely that he forgets his vow to Odette. And Dvorovenko certainly accomplished that goal. In the role of Siegfried, Maxim Belotserkovsy was perfect, both in his acting and his dancing. Every time I see him he just gets better and better. And the chemistry between Dvorovenko and Maxim B. is palatable. They're definitely on the way to having one of ballet's truly great partnerships. I'd also like to add that I think I'm becoming used to McKenzie's "Swan Lake". It's really not a bad production except for the brevity of Act IV. Von Rothbart's solo in Act III didn't bother me this time, due to the fact that it was danced so splendidly by Marcelo Gomes. He was so wickedly sexy. Sacha Radesky whom I thought was rather lackluster as the matador in "Don Quixote" was very good as Benno. He's really got a great leap - high with a very clean landing. But the afternoon really belonged to Dvorovenko. Her fantastic performance will stay very long in my mind's eye.

I saw the Sunday matinee with "Who Cares", Davidbundlertanze" and "Glass Pieces". "Who Cares" is one of my favorite ballets, and this was the best performance of it I've seen in years. I was expecting Somogyi to be wonderful (and she was) but the real revelation was Jennie Taylor. Her "Fascinatin' Rhythm" solo was the best I've seen it done since Patricia McBride danced the part. And she can only get better. Askegard was so perfect, not only in his dancing, but the way he sold the part. His gestures, his facial expressions - everything was so "on". He reminded me somewhat of Jacques D'Ambroise in the same role. The only quibble I have is the fact that "Who Cares" was the opening ballet. This is a recent development. I think it's better suited as the closing ballet. "Davidsbunlertanze" was well danced, but I really can't get into this ballet. I know I shouldn't say this since it was choreographed by Balanchine, but it just seemed to go on and on. I thought Akergard was very moving, and I'm glad the matron in the bathroom explained the symbolism of the figures in black, the suicide at the end when Askergard walks into the water, not just off stage, etc. Maybe it was the piano music that it hard for me to feel much about this ballet. I don't know. I had never seen "Glass Pieces" which is strange since it was choreographed in 1983, and I've been attending performances of NYCB since 1980. I have to say I really loved it - the music, the choreography, the dancing - all were first rate. And the first part of Section 3 - WOW! NYCB's male corps de ballet contains some really exciting dancers. "Glass Pieces" is a modern ballet to modern music that works wondefully. So many contemporary choregraphers (who shall go nameless) try to create the same and fail. But then they're not Jerome Robbins. (Who is today? Unfortunately not anyone I can think of.) I

I saw the June 14th matinee of "Don Quixote" - with Xiomara Reyes and Angel Corella. It was a truly great performance. I've seen Corella dance this role twice before, and I was expecting great things from him (and I wasn't disappointed). But I wasn't sure what to expect from Reyes - Kitri in Don Q is a killer role. But Reyes was wonderful - great kicks to the back of the head, incredible speed in her solos in Acts I and II (the dream sequence). And her fouettes in the Act III were very exciting - she threw in a few triples (maybe they were doubles, it's hard for me to tell) along with some very fast singles. She also did the trick of opening her fan over her head when she did her triples or doubles (whatever they were). Maybe I shouldn't call the opening of the fan over her head a trick - it fit with the character and the choreography and it was very well done. I also saw Gillian Murphy do this back in June of 2001 and I've been told that Dvorvenko always does this. Did Murphy and Reyes steal this idea from Dvorovenko? Did she teach it to them? My one quibble about Reyes' performance is that she could have held her balances longer in the Act III pas de deux. One of the great things about the ballet was how much in sync Reyes and Corella were. Their styles of dancing, their levels of energy, the way they approached their roles - it all meshed. You would have thought that Reyes and Corella had been dancing Don Q together for years. (I think it was the second time they danced it together or am I wrong about that?) I rate their Don Q alongside the 1981 Don Q of Barysnikov and Kirkland and the 1999 Don Q of Bocca and Nina A. Sandra Brown was a wonderful Mercedes, but Sacha Radesky was rather disappointing as Espada. He seemed to be just going through the motions. Stella Abrera gave an incredibly strong performance as the Queen of the Dryads, and Renata Pavam was very good as Amour. She reminded me of Anne Milewski whom I saw in the part back in 2000 and 2001. But it Corella and Reyes who made it such a wonderful ballet. I think Corella has finally found a partner who equals him in technique, energy, and charisma. I hope they enjoy a long partnership at ABT.

I saw the June 7th matinee performance of "Rome and Juliet" with Ashley Tuttle and Angel Corella. It was an incredibly moving performance. Corella was an ardent Romeo who literally flew "on wings of love" (to use a very corny expression) during the balcony pas de deux. And Tuttle was a perfect Juliet, the best I've ever seen. Unfortunately I've never seen Makarova or Kirkland or Ferri in the role. I've only seen this ballet about five or six times. I'm not even sure who are considered the really great Romeos and Juliets, besides Nureyev or Fonteyn. I've always loved the delicacy and musicality of Tuttle's dancing, but there was a new depth to her acting that brought tears to my eyes. Juliet can be danced by the best technician in the ballet world, but if she can't act the part, if she doesn't become Juliet, then you've lost me. Tuttle really became Juliet Capulet. As Mercutio Craig Salstein showed a lot of promise. I'm not really sure, however, if Salstein's characterization of Mercutio as a happy-go-lucky jokester is true to Shakespeare. As I recall, Mercutio is usually played this way by ABT dancers, so maybe it's Kenneth MacMillan's interpretation of the role. Gennadi Saveliev provided a powerful characterization of Tybalt. He was a menacing figure, but also very protective of his family. Tybalt seemed to be the real head of the Capulet family, rather than the somewhat ineffectual Lord Capulet. I was also impressed by Erica Fischbach's stern, but loving Lady Capulet. She didn't overdo the hysterics when Romeo kills Tybalt. Some ABT Lady Capulets I've seen act like heartbroken lovers, but Fischbach acted like a grief stricken mother (yes I know Tybalt is a nephew) which seemed much more approriate (IMO anyway). Saturday was a nasty, rainy day and there were many empty seats in the orchestra section (which I usually don't see at matinees). But for me it was truly memorable "Romeo and Juliet" and the audience that was there felt the same way. ;)

I also saw the Sunday matinee. ("La Fille Mal Gardee on Saturday afternoon, "Coppelia" on Sunday afternoon. It was a weekend of happy ballets for me.) I thought Alexandra was wonderful. I don't know if any ballerina will ever live up to my memories of Patricia McBride as Swanilda, but Alexandra reminded me very much of Nichol Hlinka in the role. And Benjamin Millipied as Franz was just perfect. His dancing is so easy and unforced - every movement just flows out of him. On a related note - the ladies' room matron told me that Alexandra was made principal dancer on Saturday afternoon. Has anyone else heard this? The matron has been at the State Theatre for years, and always seems in the know about such things.

I'm really surprised that no one has posted yet about "La Fille Mal Gardee" since it was such a big hit last year. I don't have a lot of time, so I'll just put down a few thoughts. The ballet was just as funny and wonderful as when I saw it last year. This year I took my niece, my sister-in-law, and my mother-in-law to see La Fille", and they couldn't stop raving about it. Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel were very sweet and believable as Lise and Colas. Stiefel's dancing is very light and clean, but his solos were not as exciting as when I saw Corella dance Colas last year. But then I think Corella is technically stronger than Stiefel. And few dancers project the pure joy of dancing as well as Corella. Murphy just gets better and better every time I see her. She was always strong technically, but her acting has definitely improved this year (IMO anyway). Victor Barbee was funny as Simone, Lise's mother, but his performance was rather one-dimensional. But Herman Cornejo as Alain stole the show every time he was on stage. Alain wasn't just a funny simpleton. In Cornejo's hands, he was a real, three-dimensional character. I actually felt bad for Alain at the end of the ballet. (But then he did get his umbrella back. Maybe he eventually marries a girl with her own red umbrella).

I saw both the matinee and evening performances of "La Bayadere" on Saturday, May 10th. The matinee performance was part of my subscription, but I went on Saturday night to see Alina Cojocaru, whom I had heard so much about. For once, the reality was even better than the hype. What an exquisitely beautiful dancer she is. I think everyone has described her qualties better than I ever could. I was totally caught up in and moved by her performance. And she 's so young - only 21 I think. Just imagine what kind of artist she'll be at 30! I wish she would join ABT so I could see that development. As Solar I thought Corella was as wonderfully exciting as always. Sometimes I think people try to find fault with his dancing because he's so gifted technically. Not to nitpick, but I don't think Corella did any extra turns during his Act II variation. Every time I've seen "La Bayadere" Solor does five double assemble barrel turns. In the Royal Ballet video of Markarova's "La Bayadere" Irek (I have no idea how to spell his last name) does six. On Saturday night, Stella Abrera was a rather tentative Gamzatti, but it was her first time in the part. The major slip she made during the betrothal scene solo has already beeb mentioned. But what really impressed me was how brilliantly she came back in the coda. The audience gave her a well deserved round of applause for that. With regard to the Shades, they were nearly perfect at the evening performance. At the matinee there were a few wobbles, mainly from a dancer who was in the second row from the front. Either she overcame her nerves for the evening performance, or she was moved way to the back where she couldn't be seen. As wonderful as the evening performance was, the matinee was even better (IMO anyway). Nina Ananiashvilli was Nikiya, Julio Bocca was Solor, and Gillian Murphy was Gamzatti. I don't always agree with Anna Kisselgoff, but this time I do. The afternoon performance was more exciting and passionate. A couple of years ago, I thought that maybe Bocca was a bit past his prime. But I've never seen him dance better than he did on Saturday afternoon. It wasn't just his technical bravura - it was his total absorption into the role. His chemistry with Nina A. was palatable. And Nina A was just perfect. I don't think i've ever seen a better Nikiya. She's a beautifully lyrical romantic dancer with a technique of steel. She has the most poweful leaps of any female dancer I've ever seen. And her turns at the end of Act II were done at the speed of sound. I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind. It was really exciting. And like Bocca, her acting was marvelous. For the space of the afternoon, she became Nikiya. Gillian Murphy was a Gamzatti to be reckoned with. Again I agree with Kisselgoff that it was a performance of fire and ice. I think the beauty of Murphy's footwork has been mentioned on Ballet Alert. Her dancing was always crisp and precise - and very very musical.

I also saw the July 6th matinee of "Swan Lake" and I was extremely impressed by Murphy's performance. After seeing her in "Don Quixote" and "Le Corsaire" I knew she would do well as Odile, but she was also a wonderful Odette. As Glebb has already said, she was very expressive. Her arabesques were just perfect, and her arms were so birdlike. I still think ballerinas trained in the old Soviet Union have the best swan-like arms, but Murphy's were very good. And Jose Manuel Carreno as usual was wonderful. I think he and Murphy have real chemistry together. (And now that Susan Jaffe has retired he could use a partner.) Unfortunately the second act pas de deux was marrred by a screaming child. He screamed on and off (mostly on) throughout the entire pas de deux. (Why his parents didn't take him out of the theater sooner I"ll never know.) Murphy and Carreno did not let the tantrum affect their dancing in the slightest. I know they're professionals, but I was really impressed at how professional they were. And as Glebb also mentioned Murphy was dazzling in the Black Swan pas de deux. I don't think she put a foot wrong the entire performance of "Swan Lake". David Halberg was very exciting in the Act I pas de trois. He's someone I really want to see more of in the future. And Maxim B. (I never can spell his name) didn't dance the part of the sophisicated von Rothbart. Carlos Molina did. (They announced it at the beginning of the performance. It wasn't in the program.) And I still think the solo von Rothbart does in Act III is really stupid. After four times of seeing McKenzie's production of "Swan Lake" I have yet to see the point of it. All I keep thinking is "let's get this over with so the Black Swan pas de deux can begin." I think I'm getting a bit used to McKenzie's "Swan Lake" though I still far prefer the David Blair version. I'd even put up with the dumb von Rothbart Act III solo if McKenzie would just bring back the old Act IV in its entirety. But it was really a tremendous performance, and I think Murphy is becoming a ballerina in the truest sense of the word. Also I think ABT had a magnificent season.

I also saw saw the June 29th matinee of "Giselle" with Amanda McKerrow and Ethan Stiefel. I agree with Glebb that McKerrow s not a powerhouse dancer. In fact, she simplified her first act solo somewhat, but I think this was one of those times when less was more. McKerrow created such a complete picture of Giselle in both acts that she totally inhabited the part. But I had seen McKerrow dance "Giselle" before, and I was expecting a wonderful performance. The real revelation to me was Ethan Stiefel as Albrecht. I always knew Stiefel could dance. And Glebb is right, he's really a powehouse dancer. Previously I'd found Stiefel to be an indifferent actor at best, but his June 29th Albrecht proved me very wrong. This was an Albrecht who really loved "Giselle" and was devastated by her death. I'd never seen an Albrecht so distraught. Both McKerrow and Stiefel had me so emotionally involved in the world of "Giselle" that I started crying during the mad scene (and my tears only grew stronger during Act II). It was truly a glorious and moving production of "Giselle".

I saw Jenifer Ringer dance "Theme and Variations " at the June 16th matinee. I always love Ringer, but I agree that she didn't have the right crispness for the role. She's such a great romantic dancer. I think she would be wonderful in the Elegie. And Charles Askegard was really off. I saw Ethan Steifel in the role at ABT, and there was just no comparison between him and Askegard. I also don't think Ringer and Askegard danced well together. Maybe it's the different in their heights, I'm not really sure. I saw Askegard dance the role with Miranda Weese last year, and he was much better. I was also a bit disapointed with the "Elegie" and "Valse Melancoliques" sections of "Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3". In the past when I saw Meunier dance "Elegie" it was so haunting. Carla Korbes was fine, but I didn't feel the same emotion this time. And Helene Alexopoulos was so sultry in the "Valse Melancoliques" section. Rachel Rutherford, though a very good dance, seemed bland in comparison. Tom Gold and Janie Taylor were outstanding, however, in the Scherzo. And it was great seeing "The Firebird" again. (I haven't seen in like 15 years). What costumes, what scenery! And I usually find Stravinsky's music very harsh and atonal, but I loved the music for "The Firebird". I even went out and bought a cd of it. what scenery.

I don't have a lot of time so I'll just make this brief. I wasn't expecting much from this matinee. I had wanted to see Dvorovenko, but unforunately she's out with an injury the whole season. I kept thinking I should change my ticket, but I just never got around to it. Anyway, I ended up really enjoyng the ballet. Michele Wiles as Medora was a revelation, both in her dancing and acting. She was a little tentative in Act I, but by the famous slave pas de deux (or is it a pas de trois?) she had made the part her own. I think she could work a bit on her fouettes, but overall it was a very impressive performance. I had seen Gillian Murphy as Gulnare back in 1999, so I wasn't surprised at how good she was, especially with regard to her dancing. She has such speed and attack and very strong leaps. I do think Murply could work a bit on her acting though. But she's such a strong dancer and I think a more thorough characterization of Gulnare will come in time. Another revelation was Sean Stewart as Birbanto. I was thinking and everyone around me was saying "He's only in the corps"? His dancing was very good, and his acting even better. I understood for the first time (and this was my fourth time to see "Le Corasire") why Birbanto turns on Conrad. And Stewart made a deliciously evil Birbanto. Unfortunately, Birbanto was a much stronger character than Conrad. Maxim Belotserkovsy as Conrad almost seemd like he was in a different ballet from everyone else. He lacked the swashbuckling bravado the roles requires (IMO anyway). He seemed to dance his way halfheartedly through the ballet, not connecting with any of the other perfomers. Jose Manuel Carreno was very good at Lankendem, though not quite up to the standard set by Vladimir Malakhov in the part. And though Marcelo Gomes was very good as Ali, I was somewhat disappointed with his performance. I've seen Angel Corella dance Ali twice, and Gomes did not live up to Corella's spectactular's Ali. I also don't think Gomes quite fits the part .(Didn't Alexandra and some other posters say this when they reviewed ABT in Washington D.C.?) I would really love to see Hernan Cornejo dance this role. I bet he might even give Corella a run for his money. All in all, "Le Corsaire" was very enjoyable, and as already stated I was particularly impressed by Wiles, Murphy and Stewart.

I saw the same program as Michael, only I was at the May 25th matinee. I really loved "The Dream". It is a jewel of a ballet. I had the Joffrey perform it years ago at City Center, and always wanted to see again. I agree with Michael's views of Acosta and Kent in the two main roles. (And Michael always says it so much better than I could.) Many people around me were very disappointed with Acosta's performance. I think they were expecting fireworks, and the part doesn't call for them. One older woman kept going on and on about how Acosta had "held back." If any part called for fireworks, it was the part of Puck. I saw DeLuz and he was just perfect for the part - it fits his sunny personality and bravura dancing ability. As for "Symphony in C" yes Gillian Murphy was wonderful, but I found the performance as a whole to be somewhat lacking. I last saw the ballet performed by NYCB at the end of January. I don't think ABT really "got" "Symphony in C" the way NYCB did. Maybe it's that they lack the speed for the ballet. I'm not really sure. I've heard people say ABT shouldn't perform Balanchine because they never do it right. That's a pretty sweeping statement, but I do think Ashton fits ABT much better than Balanchine.

I saw the Saturday matinee of Fille and it seems it was every bit as wonderful as Friday night. I don't have a lot of time, so if I'm going to post at all I'll keep it very brief. Reyes and Corolla were the principals, and they were just perfect (IMO anyway.) From the beginning of the ballet they really seemed like they were in love. Reyes is a wonderful dancer, and as the older ladies next to me kept saying she was "adorable" in the part. And I've never seen Corolla better. The words Michael used to describe Stiefel's dancing of the part - "the youth, buoyancy, the technical demands, even the lightness of the role" all describe Corolla's Colas too. Hernan Conejo's Alain showed that his acting is as strong as his dancing. I actually felt sorry for Alain at the end. As has already been said several times, this is a beautiful production of a classic ballet. I hope ABT keeps dancing it for many years to come.

I don't have a lot of time, so I'll just quickly write my views on last Saturday's (May 18th) matinee of "Onegin". Tatiana was danced by Susan Jaffe and she was really magnificent. What a wonderful actress and dancer she is! I went to the ABT talk on "Onegin" before the ballet and the speaker talked about Susan having attained a new level as a ballerina since she began working with Irina Kopalova (I think that's the right spelling). I saw Irina Dvorovenko dance Tatiana last year, and though she was excellent, Jaffe's performance was much richer and fuller. I did know, however, that Jaffe was an excellent actress, and I was expecting a wonderful performance. The real revelation was Carlos Molina as Onegin. He's a very powerful dancer, and I think an even better actor. And his chemistry with Jaffe was electric, especially in the two main pas de deux. The speaker at the the ABT talks also said that Susan Jaffe picked Molina out of the corps a couple of years ago (he's now a solist) and has been working with him ever since. It's obviously worked wonders. Angel Corella was a much better Lensky than Ethan Stiefel who I saw in the part last year. Stiefel is a virtuoso dancer, but not a great actor (as I think the film "Center Stage" clearly shows). With Corella as Lensky I understood how the young poet could feel so betrayed by both his fiancee and his best friend that he challenges Onegin to a duel. Olga (danced by Ximora Reyes) I still don't get. Why does she keep flirting with Onegin when she sees how much it bothers Lensky? Doesn't she care about him at all? Is she just shallow or what? I think Reyes is a very good dancer, but her acting did not delve into Olga's character at all. But I really enjoyed the ballet, even more than I did last year. I found Crankos' choreography overall to be quite good, and the story was very clearly presented through the dance. And those incredible pas de deux - to me they were just perfection. Images from both pas de deux accompanied by the sound of Tchaikovsky's music have been going through my mind this whole week. I found myself so moved by the final pas de deux that I was in tears. I really hope ABT keeps this ballet in their repetory. Did anyone see Ferri and Gomes dance "Onegin"? According to the New York Times the Wednesday matinee of "Onegin" was a once in a life time perfomance.

I saw the Sunday August 5th matinee performance of the Universal Ballet's "La Bayadere." On the whole, I was impressed by the quality of the dancing. I thought the corps was excellent in the Kingdom of the Shades act. There was not one wobble in the bunch. (Of course I saw it on Sunday and by then opening night jitters must have been overcome.) I as well prefer Markarova's version. You really need that third act with the earthquake destroying the temple (and the Rajah and Gamzatti, etc.) and Nikiya and Solar reunited in the afterlife for closure (imo anyway). I also agree with Clive Barnes that the way Markarova streamlined Acts I and II into one act is very smart. As Barnes said, Act I is mostly mime, and not a whole lot seems to happen. And I thought the divertisements went on too long in the Universal Ballet's Act II. I thought the drum dancers were wonderful, but I could have done without the parrot dancers and the dancer with the jar on her head (though the girls who danced with her were very cute.) I was especially disapponted with the Golden Idol solo. First of all I always thought it was a solo. I found the attendants who danced with the Golden Idol really annoying. In the Kirov and Bolshoi versions of "La Bayadere" doesn't the Golden Idol dance all by himself? I saw the Paris Opera Ballet dance Nureyev's version of "La Bayadere" in 1996, and I could have sworn the Golden Idol danced without attendants. Also I found the quality of the dancing rather mediocre. And the Golden Idol solo has always been one of the highlights of "La Bayadere" for me. And I've seen some really spectacular pyrotechnics in this solo. When I saw ABT's "La Bayadere" in 2000, Herman Cornejo danced the role. I saw Seh-Yun Kim in the part of Nikia and she was just wonderful, really lyrical with a lovely flow to her dancing. And she was physically one of the most beautiful ballerinas I've ever seen. A Ukrainian dancer, Irina Komarenko was Gamzatti. She was okay, but I wasn't too impressed with her dancing in the wedding pas de deux. Hyuk-Ku Kwon as Solor was very ardent in his acting. And his dancing was pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised by how well he danced his solo in Act II. He was a bit sloppy on the landings, etc., but Kwon showed real potential. (And after seeing the Universal Ballet's "Swan Lake" at City Center in 1998, I was only too aware that male dancing is not a strong point for the company.) But in his solo in Act III he didn't even attempt the double assemble barrel turns (is that what you call them?) The rest of the solo went well, and the audience clapped madly anyway (I guess most of them had never seen "La Bayadere" before.")

I saw the July 22nd matinee of Gulliem's "Giselle" and my opinions of the ballet have already been mentioned. (So I'll make this brief.) It was a very interesting ballet, but to me it wasn't "Giselle". I like the idea of realism, and I agree that acting is very important in a ballet, but can't acting and dancing be combined? During Giselle's mad scene, there was very little dancing. Just acting I guess, but I really don't think Gulliem's acting was that good. (Isn't she better known for her technique? It was my first time to see her so I don't know.) To me the mad scene seemed like - there's Giselle running to her mother, there's Giselle sitting on a chair, there's Giselle picking up the sword. I really didn't feel anything during Gulliem's mad scene. It's already been stated that Gulliem changed much of the choreograpy. She really seemed to simplify it - especially for Giselle. I've seen "Giselle" so many times, and I really diappointed with the choreographic changes made in Act II - especially at the beginning of the pas de deux and Giselle's solo after the pas de deux. But not nearly as much of the male choreography was changed, and I was happy about that. I thought Murru was wondeful, both as a dancer and an actor. He was the one I was talking about when the ballet was over, not Gulliem. And Nick Zeni as Hilarion was also excellent. I was especially impressed with Hilarion's technique when he was being danced to death by the willis. But why wasn't Hilarion thrown in the ditch or dragged off stage by the wilis to die as usually happens in "Giselle"? No, his body was left on the stage to show Albrecht what would happen to him (like he already hadn't figured it out) and then Hilarion had to roll himself off the stage. It really looked bad.

I only saw two NYCB performances this Spring, but they were two wonderful afternoons at the ballet. I also was impressed with "La Sonnambula", especially with Wendy Whelan's acting as the Sleepwalker. There are so many levels to this ballet - I tried to write about it on this board, but just couldn't find the words to do so. I also loved Jennifer Ringer in "The Four Seasons". And Wendy Whelan, Benjamin Millipied and especially Damian Woetzl were outstanding in the last section of that ballet. And I was so glad to see Balanchine's "Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3" after not seeing it for many years. What a lush and beautiful ballet it was. I too was disappointed when I saw that Askegard was to replace Woetzl in the "Theme and Variations" section, but Askegard (as has already been mentioned) gave a great performance. And Miranda Weese is just pefect in the ballerina role of "Theme and Variations". I don't think anyone at ABT can hold a candle to her (And I am a big ABT fan.)

Here are my best of ABT's just completed season at the Met: 1. This is the season I discovered just what an amazing dancer Irina Dvorovenko - she was especially wonderful in "Onegin" and "Swan Lake". And her partners in both ballets were spectacular as well - Graffin in "Onegin" and her husband in "Swan Lake". ( I can never spell Maxim's last name without looking at a program.) 2. Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreno in "Giselle". 3. Angel Corella in "Don Quixote". And Gillian Murphy made a very promising debut in that "Don Quixote".

I saw two "Swan Lakes" on June 16th - the matinee and the evening performances. Let me start by saying that I wish Kevin McKenzie would bring back the David Blair production of "Swan Lake". My criticisms of Kevin McKenzie's "Swan Lake" have been repeated many times (both last year and this year), so I'll try to be brief. First of all, the prologue is so bad it's laughable - especially at the end when Odette turns into the stuffed toy duck or goose or whatever it is. No matter what explantions McKenzie gives, I don't think there's any need for two von Rothbarts. I also find von Rothbart's big number in Act III to be rather jarring. It was very well danced by Marcelo Gomes at the matinee. Vladimir Malakhov's performance in the evening was so superb it almost justified the inclusion of von Rothbart's solo. But I don't think this dance has any dramatic purpose. It's as though McKenzie said to himself "I have a lot of strong male dancers - let me create another part for them." The biggest weakness of this production of "Swan Lake" is the brevity of Act IV. And as Manhattnik has already mentioned, von Rothbart's death in Act IV was really overdone. (In my opinion, it ranked with the prologue for stupidity and bad taste in ballet.) At the matinee performance, Julio Bocca was an ardent Prince Siegfried. Both his acting and his dancing were first-rate, but for some reason Bocca changed some of the choreography for the coda of the Black Swan pas de deux. Ashley Tuttle as Odette/Odile was much better than when I saw her dance the part last year. Both times Tuttle was a wonderful Odette who danced with lovely, lyrical phrasing. But last year Tuttle was a weak Odile who fell off pointe after doing about 9 of the famous 32 fouettes. This year she was a wickedly seductive Odile. Her fouettes were not great, but at least she managed to hold on for all 32 of them. At the afternoon performance, Sean Stewart stood out in the Neopolitan dance in Act III, and Ximora Reyes was excellent in the pas de trois in Act I. I really enjoy Reyes' dancing - it's so light and crisp and clean. As Benno, Joaquin De Luz was very exciting - great leaps, turns, etc. But he really needs to watch his line. As good as the matinee performance was, it was nothing compared to the evening performance. It may be the best "Swan Lake" I've ever seen (only imagine if the production were better) and I think it probably ranks as one of the five best ballet I've ever seen (in 21 years of attending ballet.) The reasons it was so great were the performances of Dvorovenko and Belotserkovsky. I can't decide whether she was a better Odette or Odile - she was so wonderful in both parts. In fact it seemed to me that Dvorovenko became those parts - she fully inhabited both roles. And talk about great boneless arms (is there a ballet term to describe that?) I think they are even better than Nina A's. It really made the end of Act II both exciting and poignant. Those arms showed that von Rothbart had won, and no matter how much Odile loved Siegfried, she was forced to become a swan again. And in the Black Swan pas de deux, Dvorovenko was just perfect. Her fouettes were great - fast and right on target. I don't know whether she did doubles or triples. I hate to admit this, but I have no idea how to tell the difference between singles, doubles, and triples, especially when the fouettes are so fast and furious. But to me Dvorovenko's performance was not about technique - it was about using the technique to become the part. The fouettes are an important part of Odile's (and von Rohtbart's) plan to entrap Siegfried so that Odette remains a swan forever. And Belotserkovsky was also superb, both in his acting and his dancing. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I never put him in the ranks of Corella, or Bocca or Stiefel as far as exciting male dancers go. But Belotserkovsky really does possess a powerful technique as well as a wonderful line, and he used that technique to enhance his performance. And as good as their individual performances were, together Dvorovenko and Belotserkovsky were so much better. Their performances just dripped with passion. I already mentioned how impressed I was (as always) with the performance of Vladimir Malakhov as von Rothbart in Act III. Sean Stewart again was excellent in the Neopolitan dance, but this time his partner was Hernan Cornejo who was even better than Stewart. What an exciting dancer Cornejo - so clear and crisp and precise. Michele Wiles was very good in the first act pas de trois. Marcelo Gomes as Benno was first-rate. He's a very elegant dancer with a superb leap. So as I think was mentioned last year, if the performances are outstanding, ABT's production of "Swan Lake" comes together. And I'll never be able to see a production of "Swan Lake" again without comparing the performances to those of Dvorovenko and her husband.