Colleen Boresta

I saw the September 25th matinee performance of Ocean's Kingdom and Union Jack. New York City Ballet’s production of Ocean’s Kingdom has been anticipated for months. Does Ocean’s Kingdom live up to the hype? In my opinion, not really. The score is very nice, but nothing special. Some critics have found the music to be better suited for a film, but I found it to be very danceable. The choreography for this ballet was created by New York City Ballet’s Ballet Master in Chief, Peter Martins. To me, Ocean’s Kingdom is a typical Peter Martins’ work, with dance movements which are both bland and repetitive. I did, however, find the choreography for King Terra and the Terra Punks to be punchy and edgy. The ballet comes to life whenever Amar Ramasar (King Terra) and his crew appear on stage. There is not much character development to be found in Ocean’s Kingdom. The performers are given so little to do that not even proven dance actors like Sara Mearns (Princess Honorata) and Robert Fairchild (Prince Stone) can make much of their roles. Ocean’s Kingdom is a ballet crying out for an innovative and inventive choreographer like Alexei Ratmansky. The Little Humpbacked Horse is basically a silly story, but Ratmansky created a delightful ballet from it. I sincerely doubt that I’ll ever see Ocean’s Kingdom again, unless it’s paired with a ballet as phenomenal as George Balanchine’s Union Jack. Union Jack is a three part salute to Great Britain which uses regimental military tattoos, Scottish ballads, British folk music, music hall ditties and sailor’s hornpipes to set the desired moods. The score is provided by Hersey Kay, who did similar arrangements of music for Balanchine’s cowboy ballet, Western Symphony, and his Sousa work, Stars and Stripes. Part I is a tributes to the Scottish and Canadian Guards Regiments. 70 members of these clans, dressed in their complete tartan finery, march onto the stage in complex formations. Then the parading evolves into spectacular dancing. The highlight of these is the MacDonald of Sleat variation, where the lead dancer performs a very fast paced solo to a staccato drumbeat. Wendy Whelan has owned this solo for years, but on Sunday she slipped and fell halfway through the variation. She immediately got up, finishing beautifully, and was rewarded by a tremendous round of applause. Part II is the Costermonger pas de deux. It is set in an Edwardian music hall, where a down at their heels husband and wife team perform. Andrew Veyette shows a goofy charm as the Pearly King and Megan Fairchild is delightfully hammy as his wife, the Pearly Queen. At the end of the pas de deux, their daughters, the Pearly Princesses, arrive in a cart pulled by a donkey. Some of the funniest moments of Union Jack are provided by a donkey who wants nothing more than to leave the stage at the David Koch Theatre. His little boy handler cannot bring the donkey under control, so Andrew Veyette, staying in character as the Pearly King, gets the animal calmed down. Part III is a tribute to the Royal Navy. All the dancers enter into the spirit of high flying hijinks. Maria Kowroski is the leader of the Wrens, the sexy pin-up girls who perform to the “Colonel Bogey March” (the theme from the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai). Unfortunately, Kowroski fell during her variation, but she recovered quickly. (After seeing two principal dancers fall during Union Jack, some audience members wondered if the stage was slippery.) My favorite part of Union Jack is the second section of the Royal Navy salute. In my mind’s eye, I still see former NYCB principal, Damian Woetzel, performing the solo. He always made the endless leaps and turns look so light and effortless. And it was all done with such a happy swagger! Charles Askegard, an elegant dancer and wonderful partner, is miscast in the Damian Woetzel role. I would love to see Joaquin DeLuz in this part. He has the charisma and technical brilliance to carry it off beautifully. As always, Union Jack ends on a happy note. As the orchestra plays “Rule Britannia”, the cast uses hand flags to signal “God Save the Queen” and the Union Jack flag rolls down the backdrop of the stage at the David Koch Theatre. All is well with the New York City Ballet.

I have seen Swan Lake live close to 40 times, but I’ve only seen Peter Martins’ version of the classic ballet once. I was so disappointed when I saw Martins’ production of Swan Lake in 1999 that I vowed to never see it again. This year, however, I decided to give New York City Ballet’s Swan Lake another chance. New York City Ballet’s Swan Lake is better than what I remembered from 1999. There is, of course, the glorious Tchaikovsky score, which is played flawlessly by the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Unlike American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake, Peter Martins’ version contains a more complete Act IV. The audience gets to see the depth of Odette’s grief over Siegfried’s betrayal. The ensemble dances for the children in Act I and the swans in Act II and IV fit Tchaikovsky’s music perfectly. There are, however, problems with New York City Ballet’s Swan Lake. Martins’ Act I contains very weak choreography. Except for the movements made for the children and the jester, it is devoid of any charm or life. Also the Act I pas de trois falls flat due not only to anemic choreography, but lackluster dancing as well. Some choreography necessary to the storyline is missing from Martins’ Swan Lake. For example, when Odette first meets Siegfried, she fails to mime her story to him. If Siegfried lacks this information, then the rest of his actions make little dramatic sense. The ending of the ballet is not at all satisfying. Since the force of Odette and Siegfried’s love defeats von Rothbart, why is his spell over the Swan Queen not broken? Why aren’t Odette and her swans returned to their human forms? As well, a Swan Lake which ends without uniting the two lovers (at least in the afterworld) seems hollow. The abstract scenery by Per Kirkelby does little to embellish the drama of Swan Lake. Most of the costumes (also by Kirkelby) are garish and off putting. In the dual role of Odette/Odile, Sterling Hyltin shows a good deal of promise. As the Swan Queen there is a lovely lyrical flow to Hyltin’s dancing. Her birdlike arms as well as the gorgeous use of her hands convey Odette’s swan nature. However, her characterization of the Swan Queen needs more depth of feeling. I was not as moved by Hyltin’s Odette as I have been by the performances of ballerinas such as Polina Semionova and Gillian Murphy. Hyltin’s portrayal of the Swan Queen is strongest in Act IV. Her grief stricken white swan in this last act is heartbreakingly poignant. Hyltin’s Odile is ultimately a disappointment. She begins the black swan pas de deux in a gleefully evil mode, promising to seduce Siegfried so thoroughly that he’ll forget Odette ever existed. Unfortunately, Hyltin falls short in the coda of the black swan pas de deux. She only does 7 or 8 fouettes, then finishes by doing a series of fast circular turns. By not completing the 32 fouettes, Hyltin’s Odile does not “seal the deal” (a phrase used by Gillian Murphy to describe her 2004 Odile taped at Kennedy Center) with regard to Siegfried’s seduction. Jonathan Stafford is a believably tender Prince Siegfried. His dancing is academically correct, but lacks fire. More importantly, as compared to ABT’s Siegfrieds such as Marcelo Gomes, David Hallberg and Jose Manuel Carreno, Stafford fails to take command of the stage. His Prince is missing both authority and charisma. Other dancers stand out as well. As the jester, Troy Schumacher is all boundless energy and incredible leaps and turns. In the pas de quatre in Act III, Chase Finlay dances with an easy and unforced elegance. Finlay executes beautiful air turns with clean soft landings and has a real command of the stage. In spite of this ballet’s weaknesses, it was an enjoyable afternoon at the ballet. I only wish Peter Martins’ Swan Lake had as strong a production as his Sleeping Beauty.

I saw the July 13th Wednesday matinee of The Little Humpbacked Horse with Shklyarov and Obraztsova. Alexei Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse is a delightfully joyous ballet, perfect for both children and those who are children at heart. Ratmansky is this generations Frederick Ashton. His choreography for The Little Humpbacked Horse is innovative, whimsical and endlessly witty. Ratmansky has created many vibrant characters for this ballet, including horses and seahorses. His use of mime to tell the story is brilliant, and fortunately all the dancers mime very clearly. The score, composed by Rodion Shchechin, is wonderfully danceable. The crazy costumes and sets add a sort of comic book/cartoon flavor which fits the ballet very well. Vladimir Shklyarov is engagingly boyish as Ivan the Fool, with enough charisma to light up a thousand stages. His naivety and ability to see life as one big adventure is very endearing. Shklyarov's comic timing is absolutely perfect. And what a phenomenal virtuoso dancer he is! He has outstanding elevation and his air turns and split leaps are beyond superlative. During his final solo, Shklyarov keeps stopping and mimes, "Wait. I can do something even better." And of course he does. The audience is completely with him, every step of the way. Yevgenia Obraztsova is a sweet but spunky Tsar Maiden. She knows what she wants (Ivan, not the silly old Tsar) and how to get him. As a dancer, Obraztsova stands out for her quicksilver footwork and lyrical musical phrasing. She is also a gifted comedienne and her chemistry with Shklyarov is palpable. Vasily Tkachenko is an enchantingly impish title character. He keeps up with the bravura dancing of Shklyarov, matching him step for step. The rapport between Tkachenko and Shklyarov is very real and natural. Andrei Ivanovs portrayl of the foolish Tsar is spot on. His Tsar is a sulky child who has temper tantrums if he doesn't get his way. If possible, Islom Baimuradov is even funnier than Ivanov as the scene stealing Gentleman of the Bedchamber. His oily evilness is delightfully over the top. Baimuradovs every gesture and movement adds to the humor of the ballet. As enjoyable as The Little Humpbacked Horse is, it could use a few cuts. The group dances performed by the townspeople and gypsies in Act I don't seem to have anything to do with the plot. This is probably why these dances seem to go on forever. That, however, is a very small criticism. Alexei Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse is a joyously ebullient ballet which should be in the repertoire of ballet companies all over the world.

There are so many good ideas on this thread. I hope someone in power at ABT is reading it. My choices have already been mentioned. I have been waiting to see Stella and David in Giselle since 2008. I would also love to see La Fille again with the dancers mentioned. Also I think Daniil Simkin would make a great Colas. He could be partnered with either Lane, Osipova or Reyes. The best Colas I ever saw was Corella. I think he could still dance the role. I would love to see Onegin with Marcelo and Diana. I would also love to see them in Mayerling, along with Veronika Part as has been mentioned. And I've been wanting to see ABT dance A Month in the Country ever since I saw the Royal Ballet dance it in 1981. I also agree with Abatt about Raymonda. I don't know why it's never been revived. And please no more James Kudelka ballets or John Neumeier (just my opinion).

Vipa, I also saw the Reyes/Sterans Sleeping Beauty. I posted my thoughts about it on page 3. It's the second to the last post.

The July 6th matinee performance of ABT’s The Sleeping Beauty is noteworthy especially for Xiomara Reyes’ wonderful performance. As Aurora, Reyes stands out for her sparkling footwork. She is not a dancer known for her balances, so Reyes’ Rose Adagio is a lovely surprise. She doesn’t hold her balances for a long time, but they are all very secure. Reyes has a very flexible upper body which she uses beautifully at the beginning of the Act III grand pas de deux. Her gorgeous port de bras enriches her solo in the same pas de deux. Reyes is also a very good actress. In Act I (“The Spell”) Reyes really seems like a glowing sixteen year old ready to face life and love. She is celestial in Act II’s vision scene and a happily confident young bride in the final act. Cory Stearns is very young Prince Desire with an engaging personality. After he sees the vision of Aurora, he is like a puppy dog in his eagerness to find the Princess and marry her. Stearns is not as exciting a dancer as some of the other ABT male principals, but his solos were well performed. Stearns is also a very attentive partner. In the past, Stearns has been paired with ballerinas (Veronika Part and Michele Wiles) who were too tall for him to effectively partner. The petite Reyes is a much better fit for him. Stella Abrera dances the role of the Lilac Fairy with lyrical grandeur. Her serene control is embellished by Abrera’s beautiful epaulement and her gorgeous line. As the Bluebird, Jared Matthews is very disappointing. Both his jumps and entrechats lack height and his ballon is very weak. Yuriko Kajiya, however, shows gossamer lightness and delicacy as Princess Florine. American Ballet Theatre’s The Sleeping Beauty has greatly improved since I first saw it in 2007. I hope that in the future it will become even stronger with the addition of the fairytale characters’ divertissements in the final act of ABT’s The Sleeping Beauty.

Abatt, I agree with you totally about Nina A's swan arms.

Puppytreats, I have never seen a real swan and I don't think Swan Lake has anything to do with portraying a real bird. All I know is, at the end of Act II, when Odette is being pulled away from Siegfried and turned back into a swan and I see the rippling swan arms, I am very moved. If it's done right, it's just so gorgeous. I have seen American dancers who were wonderful Swan Queens, chief among them Cynthia Gregory and Gillian Murphy. But it's those dancers trained in Russia (or the old Soviet Union anyway) who have the best swan arms - like Nina A., Diana Vishneva, Veronika Part and Polina Semionova.

Due to the incredible performances, especially of the two principal dancers, the July 2nd evening performance of Swan Lake retains its magic. As good as guest artist Polina Semionova was as Kitri in ABT’s Don Quixote earlier in the season, she is perfect in the dual role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Semionova is one of the very few Odette/Odiles I have ever seen who is equally wonderful in both roles. As Odette, Semionova has magnificent undulating swan arms which seem to be almost boneless. Her splendidly pliable upper body shows clearly the despair Odette feels after Siegfried has betrayed her at the ball. The velvety flow of Semionova’s musical phrasing is heavenly. Her deep arabesques seem to go on forever. Semionova’s every movement as the Swan Queen is plush and luxuriant. Her petit batterie near the end of Act II, where her legs crisscross in the air, are astounding. As Odile, Semionova revels in her seductive powers. She truly glistens like the most radiant diamond. Her hard edges are occasionally softened so that the Prince will think she is the “true” Odette. During the coda of the black swan pas de deux, Semionova whips off a series of double and very fast single fouettes. Her turns are in time with the music and there is only the tiniest bit of traveling. Marcelo Gomes is Prince Siegfried, replacing the injured David Hallberg. I love Hallberg as a dancer, but no ballet dancer inhabits a role as completely as Gomes. This is certainly the case with his Prince Siegfried at the July 2nd evening performance. Gomes’ dancing is also sensational, especially his high, soaring leaps with the plushest of landings. He is also an ardently attentive partner and his chemistry with Semionova is spellbinding. Other dancers stand out as well. As the handsome von Rothbart, Sascha Radetsky is much better than when I saw him perform this part last year. He is not up to the level of Marcelo Gomes as the seductive sorcerer, but Radetsky is effectively evil with high jumps and clean, soft landings. In the pas de trois in Act I, Daniil Simkin again shows his unbelievable elevation and incredible ballon. Maria Riccetto is exquisitely dainty and Stella Abera shines with crisp musicality and vividly vibrant dancing. The all important female corps in the white acts (Act II and the sadly abbreviated Act IV) dance in splendid tandem with the music and each other. Karen Uphoff and Melanie Hamrick’s lyrical phrasing as the two big swans is lovely to see. Tchaikovsky’s transcendent score is well performed, except for the violin solo during the Act II pas de deux. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a professional musician perform so badly. In spite of the weaknesses, it was an incredible evening at the ballet. I do hope American Ballet will go back to performing David Blair’s Swan Lake, which they danced before 2000. Swan Lake is a rich and powerful ballet and it deserves the best production possible.

Although I voted for ABT hiring dancers from outside the company, I really agree with George B (I think that's who it was) who said ABT should do both. Since the problem with both male and female principals at ABT is an immediate one, the immediate solution would be to hire from outside the company now and develop from within for the future. I would like to see Ivan Vasiliev dance with ABT on a regular basis. Yes, his technique is not as refined as it could be, but he's very young. I really think he could learn a great deal from dancers like David Hallberg and Marcelo Gomes. I'm not sure what male dancers should be promoted from within. I think Sascha has the best shot. I really don't want to see Jard Matthews become a principal. I find him a very bland peformer and his dancing is okay, but nothing spectacular. Daniil Simkin should definitely become a principal and sooner rather than later since he's 24 (not 14 or 15 even though he look that young). Yes, he's short, but I think he's taller than Cornejo (or at least the same size). And he does need to work on his partnering, but again so did Cornejo. Cornjeo had a lot more problems with partnering a few years ago than what I've seen with Simkin. A couple of years ago when I saw Mikhail Ilyin dance the bronze idol in La Bayadere, the peasant pas deux in Giselle and Birbanto in Le Corsaire I thought he definitely should be promoted to soloist. But lately I only saw him in Saturday's Swan Lake in the Nepolitan dance. He was fine, but not as exciting as I remember. And I'm not sure, but he looks to be on the short side as well. With regard to female dancers, again I pray that Polina Semionova will become a part of ABT on a regular basis. Yes, she dances with another company, but so did Nina A. (I never can remember how to spell her last name). And with regard to that company (the Bolshoi Ballet) I'd love to see Natalya Osipova dance at ABT at least for the whole Met season. I saw her last year in Romeo and Juliet and this year in The Bright Stream, and like Polina, I think she can dance and act a wide variety of parts. With regard to current ABT female dancers, I would love to see Stella promoted to principal. I'm still waiting for her Giselle which I and so many other ardent fans were deprived of three years ago due to her injuries. I've seen Hee Seo as the Slyphide in La Slyphide (2009), Gamzatti in La Bayadere (2010) and Giselle in Giselle (2011) and I would also like to see her promoted to principal. Maria Riccetto can be lovely, but she's too inconsistent. I loved her in Giselle in 2009 (as Giselle) but found her to be very disappointing as Swanilda in ABT's Coppelia (this season).

I also saw Saturday evening's Swan Lake and agree with all the posters about what an unbelievable performance it was. As always, I am still trying to get my thoughts together and will post further either today or tomorrow. I did want to say to MRR you may be only 18 but you are incredibly knowledgeable about ballet and write about it beautifully. Please keep posting. Also, I forget who said that Swan Lake is not Veronika Part's role, but I definitely disagree with that. In my opinion, Veronika's best roles are Odette/Odile and Nikiya in La Bayadere. I also agree with Atm711 that a ballerina of Veronika' stature and abilities should have a better partner than Corey Stearns. I think Corey is a very promising dancer, but Veronika deserves a partner like Marcelo Gomes or David Hallberg. I've never seen them dance together, but isn't Corey a little short to partner Veronika? Also, please put me on the list for hoping Polina joins ABT on a regular basis.

I saw the Kudelka Cinderella when ABT first danced it. I think it was 2005 or 2006. One of the biggest negatives I remember was during the ball scene both the costumes and lighting were very dark. It was just about impossible to see the dancers' lines. Is this still the case? (I'm not seeing Cinderella this year. I swiched it for the Daniil Simkin Don Q.)

I just wanted to add that of course as Abatt said Diana Vishneva would be perfect in Onegin. And with Gomes as Onegin. What a performance that would be!! And yes, Irina Dvorovenko did dance Tatiana in Onegin. I saw it quite some time ago - early 2000s. The Onegin was Graffin, I forget how to spell his first name. It was a fantastic performance. I knew he would be good, but I was really amazed at what a good actress Dvorovenko is.

I'm confused Mussel. Maybe this question has already been answered (as it has already been asked) but is this a wish list or do you have information about the 2012 Met season. I as well think Romeo and Juliet will be back. It usually does very well and is never out of ABT's repetoire for a year or two years at the most. I as well would love to see the Ashton program which was performed during the 2010 Met season. Even more, I would like to see Ashton's La Fille mal Gardee. And can't ABT get Ashton's Cinderella? Is it a problem with the rights? Every Cinderella I have ever seen ABT dance I have not liked. I saw the Royal Ballet dance Ashton's Cinderella during the Ashton festival in 2004 and I just loved it. I would also love to see Onegin return. It's a beautiful ballet, perfect for a dancer like Julie Kent.

I also attended the June 19th matinee. The Danes danced The Lesson and La Slyphide. The Lesson is a disturbing, but very interesting ballet, a 20th century version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Red Shoes”. Thomas Lund’s ballet master is creepy right from the beginning of the class. Why doesn’t the student run out the door when she sees how “off” he is? Or maybe she’s so eager for the chance to learn ballet that she doesn’t want to see how odd the ballet master is. What is the pianist’s role in all this? Why does she enable the ballet master to continue his student killing spree? I also find the Nazi symbolism fascinating. The pianist is dressed like a matron in a SS concentration camp. Both the teacher and the pianist goose step as they carry the dead girl out of the studio. I would love to see this ballet again, and try to find answers to my questions. All the performers are wonderful – Thomas Lund as the ballet master, Ida Praetorius as the student and Gudrun Bojeson as the pianist. The Royal Danish Ballet’s La Slyphide is a total delight. I found myself as lost in the mists of Scotland as the hero James. All the performers are perfect, both as actors and dancers. Their mime is the clearest and most precise I have ever seen. The Danes clearly show their mastery of petit allegro footwork, small jumping movements performed at a quick tempo. The whole company dances with incredible buoyancy and ease of movement. Susanne Grinder’s Slyphide is sweet and mischievous, a child in her wants and desires. She seems to live in the air, floating across the stage with almost unbearable lightness. But the Royal Danish Ballet’s La Slyphide is a Bournonville ballet, and the male danseur is challenged as much if not more than the ballerina. Marcin Kupinski is a very strong James, but his ballon does not equal that of David Hallberg. I saw Hallberg dance James in American Ballet Theatre’s production of La Sylphide in 2009. Kupinski’s jumps are still first-rate and his landings are soft and plush. His leg beats are quick and crisp. Kupinski’s acting is also wonderful. He is the quintessential dreamer chasing after ideal love, and in the process losing both his love and his life. As Gurn, Alexander Staeger’s ballon is amazing. His jumps are also clean and precise. Louise Ostegaard is very effective as Effie, James’ fiancée. As James’ mother, Eva Kloburg is natural and real. Mette Bodcher is an incredibly powerful and frightening Madge. She never overdoes it, which makes her portrayal even scarier. The Royal Danish Ballet’s La Slyphide is a perfect production of a landmark ballet. The gorgeous score by Lovenskjold is played faultlessly by the New York City Ballet orchestra. I hope it does not take another 23 years for this fantastic ballet company to return to New York.

As I already mentioned a few times, I attended the May 18th matinee of ABT's Coppelia. American Ballet Theatres production of Coppelia is staged by Frederic Frankln after versions of this ballet staged by Nicholas Sergeyev in England. Sergeyev, in turn, learned Coppelia from the great Marius Petipa at the Maryinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. Franklins staging of Coppelia (first staged for ABT in 1997) shares many similarities with the production choreographed by George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova for New York City Ballet. After all, Franklin and Danilova had a famous partnership for many years with the Ballet Russe., I, however, find the George Balanchine/Alexandra Danilova Coppelia to be superior to the Frederic Franklin version. There is much more dancing in NYCBs Coppelia, especially in Act I. Franklins Act I is almost entirely mime. Much of this mime is not presented clearly. The pace of ABTs Coppelia is rather slow and tedious. NYCBs version of the same ballet moves along at a faster pace. There are also some costume problems in Franklins Coppelia, particularly those worn by Swanildas friends. I imagine the intention is for the mop caps and long dresses to show old-fashioned charm. Instead, they just look dowdy. One of the biggest differences between American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballets Coppelias is the character of Dr. Coppelius. In ABTs production Dr. Coppelius is a buffoon. Yes, hes upset at the end of Act II when he discovers that Coppelia is not really alive, but only Swanilda playing a trick on him. In Act III, however, after receiving a bag of gold from the Burgomaster, Dr. Coppelius forgives Swanilda and Franz and watches the wedding festivities from his balcony. A fully clothed Coppelia is sitting beside him. In the third act of NYCBs Coppelia, Dr. Coppelius enters holding the naked limp Coppelia doll like a dead child. He does take the money from the Burgomaster, but hes not happy about it. And NYCBs Dr. Coppelius certainly does not forgive Swanilda or Franz, or watch the wedding celebration. At the June 18th matinee of Coppelia, Swanilda is danced by soloist Maria Riccetto. Riccetto is a sweet Swanilda, with good comic timing. Her performance, however, lacks sparkle. Unfortunately as well, her dancing is not up to the level needed for the role. While executing her fouettes during the coda of the Act III pas de deux, Riccetto fell off pointe. There is nothing special about her dancing, nothing that makes Riccettos Swanilda stand out. Soloist Jared Matthews is a rather bland Franz. His dancing is okay, but there is nothing exciting about it. Alex Agoudine is a very funny Dr. Coppelius, but his humor is a bit too much on the slapstick side for my taste. Isabella Boylston shines in the Dawn variation in Act III. She has lovely extensions and a glorious light leap. As Prayer in the same act, Zhong-Jing Fongs solo is somewhat wobbly. The biggest applause (and deservedly so) is reserved for the 12 little girls who perform the Dance of the Hours. These students at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ballet school all have bright futures ahead of them. The ABT orchestra plays the delicious Delibes score flawlessly. Coppelia is a wonderful ballet, especially for children. I only hope American Ballet Theatre finds a lively version of this classic for their repertoire.

It's not that I have little love for Coppelia. I have little love for this production of Coppelia, especially with Maria Riccetto and Jared Matthews. I will post further in a little while. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the George Balanchine/Alexandra Danilova Coppelia danced at New York City Ballet. I will go into a lot more detail re: the contrasts between the two versions of Coppelia when I post further thoughts.

Cubanmiamiboy if you want to see Coppelia, I would suggest the New York City Ballet's version rather than that ABT's. I attended yesterday's matinee and will post about it once I get my thoughts together. It is plodding, as has already been said, and Maria Riccetto and Jared Matthews were okay, but nothing special. NYCB is not going to dance Coppelia during the 2011-2012 season, but hopefully they'll include it in the 2012-2013 season.

As already mentioned, I attended the June 11th matinee of The Bright Stream. Alexei Ratmansky’s ballet is witty and blissfully exuberant. There are many innovative choreographic touches – like the “Slyph” riding in arabesque position on the back of the old Dacha Dweller’s bicycle, the tractor formation moving across the stage in front of the curtain, and everyone, including the Dacha Dwellers, performing cartwheels. The score by Dmiti Shostakovich is sparkling and imminently danceable. The performers are uniformly outstanding, with regard to both dancing and acting. Guest artist, Ivan Vasiliev (from the Bolshoi Ballet), is Pyotr. In my 31 years of attending ballet performances I have never seen a dancer with as exciting a technique as Vasiliev’s. He whips off twists and turns in the air, as well as executing astounding 560 degree turns. Vasiliev also pulls off some very fast turns a la seconde where he throws in several jumps. As well, Vasiliev is an endearing actor who makes Pyotr seem more like a naughty little boy than a philandering husband. As the Ballerina, Natalia Osipova (another guest artist from the Bolshoi), is flawless. In Act II, the steps which parody the acrobatic style of the Bolshoi Ballet fit Osipova perfectly. Her leaps, where she floats above the stage for what seems like an eternity, are a wonder. Osipova has a real flair for comedy and her chemistry with Xiomara Reyes’ Zina is lovely to see. With his amazing multiple pirouettes and astounding pointe work, Daniil Simkin is almost too good as the Ballet Dancer in drag. I wonder if the role would be even funnier with a performer not quite so slight and delicate-looking. Xiomara Reyes is a very sweet Zina, but she is outshone by her co-stars, especially Osipova and Vasiliev. As the Anxious-to-Be-Younger-Than-She-Is Dacha Dweller, Susan Jones threatens to steal the show every time she appears. Seeing her dart across the stage on pointe is a sight not to be missed. Craig Salstein serves up a mean tango as the swaggering Accordion Player. Maria Riccetto is an adorable schoolgirl. She stays in character even during the curtain calls as she claps her hands and mouths “For me?” when she is given her bouquet of flowers. Issac Stappas is a hysterically funny dog with a truly frightening bark. My only quibble with The Bright Stream is that it ends too suddenly. A final pas de deux between Zina and Pyotr is needed to show they are really on the road to happiness. And a razzle dazzle solo for each of the principal characters would conclude the ballet on an even higher note. That being said, The Bright Stream is the best new ballet I’ve seen in years. It is a perfect blend of witty, innovative choreography, sprightly music and superb performances. It deserves to stay in American Ballet Theatre’s repertoire for a long time.

I totally agree with Abatt and those many other posters about Vasiliev and Osipova. I saw Osipova in Romeo and Juliet last year, but I had never seen Vasiliev until yesterday's matinee performance. I have seen many great male dancers in my 31 years of attending ballet performances, but I have never seen anyone as exciting as Ivan Vasiliev. He took my breath away and then some. I am still getting my thoughts together. When I do, I'll post more. I just want to add that this was the 15th time my husband and I treated our niece to the ballet, and what a fantastic ballet we picked! She just loved it. (Of course. How could anyone not love it?) I hope and prayer that The Bright Stream becomes a permanent part of ABT's repetoire, and that Osipova and Vasiliev dance for ABT on a regular basis.

I've wondered myself why ABT doesn't participate in the Atrium discounts tickets. Does anyone know? If it up to ABT or the Metropolitan Opera Theatre? Since ABT only rents the Met, maybe they don't have a choice about whether or not to participate in the atrium discount program.

I just wanted to quickly add that I have no problem with Chopin's music. I love his music to Les Slyphides, Dances at a Gathering, The Concert, A Month in the Country, etc., etc. I just didn't like Neumeier's choice of Chopin music, and the fact that the music, like the choreography, was so repetitious.

It's good to see that there are many responses to Lady of the Camellias. That's what makes Ballet Talk so great. You can have opinions different from other ballet goers, and everyone respects the others' views. Puppytreats, I just have one quick question. Did Mr. Puppytreats see Lady? If so, I'd love to know how he felt about the Neumeier ballet.

I agree that Vishneva and Gomes were especially wonderful, but I just couldn't deal with the music. I've sat through boring parts of ballets before, but for me Lady of the Camellias was very hard to sit through. If it's ever on my subscription again, I'm definitely switching it. This is a terrible thing to say but I was really glad when Marguerite died because I knew the ballet would be over soon. Many people in the audience, however, seemed to really enjoy this ballet. I'm sure it was because of the high quality of the dancers.

This is the second season American Ballet Theatre has danced Lady of the Camellias, but the June 4th matinee was my first time to see this John Neumeier work. Lady of the Camellias is based on Alexandre Dumas fils’ novel La Dame aux Camellias. This book is also the source for Verdi’s opera La Traviata, Frederick Ashton’s one-act ballet Marguerite and Armand and the famous Greta Garbo movie Camille. Lady of the Camellias is the story of Marguerite Gautier, the most famous French courtesan of her day (the 1840’s). She falls in love with the wealthy young Armand Duval. As well, Armand falls desperately in love with Marguerite. At the beginning of each of the three acts of Lady of the Camellias, Marguerite has already died and her possessions are being sold at auction. The rest of the act concern Armand’s flash-backs of his time with Marguerite. Going back to the original novel as his source, Neumeier interweaves the heartbreaking tale of 18th century courtesan Manon Lescaut and her doomed relationship with Des Grieux with the romance of Marguerite and Armand. From the time Marguerite sees the ballet Manon Lescaut, images of Manon’s tragic life constantly haunt her. The best thing about Lady of the Camellias is the passionate performances of Diana Vishneva as Marguerite and Marcelo Gomes as Armand. Both dancers clearly portray the intensity of the love affair between the courtesan and the young aristocrat. All the dancers in Lady of the Camellias acquit themselves well, but it was hard for me to immerse myself in Neumeier’s ballet. Lady of the Camellias is set to the music of Chopin. Many choreographers have used Chopin’s scores for their ballets, most famously Jerome Robbins and Frederick Ashton. In their ballets Robbins and Ashton use a variety of Chopin’s compositions. In Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias, however, the same Chopin piece is repeated throughout the entire ballet. There are no musical highs or lows, just monotone funeral dirge music for over two hours. It was stultifying. I had major problems staying awake. Neumeier’s choreography for Lady of the Camellias consists almost entirely of lifts. Many of the lifts are gorgeous, but after a while they all look the same. It is a shame that so much major talented is wasted on John Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias.