Josette

I agree, ksk04, I have my season seats for Fridays, so I will need to move to Saturday evening.

I saw Farrell dance with Bejart's company on many occasions, and would agree with all that miliosr and Mashinka say above. During the 1970's, the company had some exceptional, world-class dancers who knew how to project, and the arena-ballets, such as Le Moliere Imaginaire and Notre Faust, were tremendously exciting events. I also have fond memories of Rita Poelvoorde's dancing and saw her regularly on the Brussels metro - it is nice to have her name mentioned above.

So World Ballet Day is starting in about an hour? And will last 12 hours?

Henry Sidford took on Joe Walsh's role due to Walsh's injury and was outstanding, likely contributing to his promotion to soloist. What a shame they they could not allow Sidford one show. That being said, I look forward to seeing a fully-recovered Walsh dance this season. I saw him in Nutcracker last December and he was not his usual exemplary self, and I hope he is fully mended.

I thank you as well, Kathleen O'Connell, for the information. I will be in NYC in January and will definitely watch Watts in this.

I saw Fonteyn dance and I am a long way off from being dead.

Damian was a wonderful dancer and presence on stage in everything he danced. And their partnership was so special.

Thanks for the information. I will definitely be there for Shevchenko and Forster!

Just watched the Don Quixote excerpt from Sasha de Sola. She will probably dance Kitri in the upcoming season. She was slated to dance it the last time SFB performed it, but an injury got in the way.

I went to last year's performance and enjoyed it tremendously, but a work commitment has gotten in the way this year and I can't get to O.C. by 6 p.m. If you attend the entire event, you get to see the students perform as well, which was great fun to watch. Last year there were several Royal Ballet dancers, which was a special treat. When I saw that they added Kochetkova, I was not so sorry to miss it this year, but I would think that it would still be worth seeing for Lunkina and McKie, alone. It's a very happy event.

I think you said it quite well, ksko4. I have one Russian dancer friend, Vaganova-trained, who thought that the narrative most definitely needed to lose Lenin in the second act, and she was not at all enthusiastic about the choreography. During the second act, I was asking myself why I subscribed this season to the dance series. The dancers were well-trained, well-rehearsed, and involved in what they were doing. The female dancers moved better than Osipova, who thrashed about with precision. Part was not well-served in her role as the Ballerina. The spirit of Isadora Duncan was not in evidence. Great music, though! (Prokofiev's wonderful score for Cinderella, played live!)

Wise decision, Buddy. I attended Friday night as a part of my subscription series. I spent most of the second act with my eyes closed, listening to the music, which was very well-played. We've had beautiful summer days in Southern California this weekend.

I'm taking my chances on a trip from LA to Chicago in winter, but I really want to see Akram Khan's Giselle and ENB, and so have bought tickets to two performances. Fingers crossed.

Thanks so much for the link to Dust, Mashinka -- I loved it.

I agree, Dreamer. I'm so happy for Carlos to be dancing again with a ballet company! This is good news!

I am interested that no one has mentioned the partnering issues during Sunday's performance. Joo Won Ahn paddled Devon Teuscher one too many turns when she does the supported en dehors pirouette to attitude derriere downstage right, which is something we see on occasion. But, inthe sequence which has Nikiya's boureeing and then doing a slow developpe a la seconde and then an adagio fouette into arabesque after her partner positions himself in a lunge with Nikiya behind him, Joo Won Ahn pulled her off balance so that Devon's weight went backwards and she had to bring her leg down from a la seconde to save herself, and this as well happened and was worse the second time this combination occurred; it was distressing to see because this is a slow, controlled adagio movement and Devon was helpless due to her partner, who was oblivious to the fact that he had pulled her weight back. In the second pas de deux, with the pirouette in attitude started by Nikiya on her own and then grabbed by Solor, the second of the pirouettes in attitude by Nikiya from a lunge position where she does a grand port de bras and a pas de bouree into the pirouette in attitude derriere - she had to do a releve to adjust balance because her partner had her off balance. Devon has no problems with turns such that it was disconcerting to watch. These were the obvious problems. In the last act, Joo Won Ahn managed to pull Shevchenko off balance in a basic supported pirouette en dehors - she was pulled back at an unwieldly angle with her weight back while he was paddling her, and she had to do a releve in passe to get upright and on her leg. Right after this, Gamzatti goes to her father on stage left, in this case, Alex Hammoudi, who supports her in the same en dehors pirouette and there was no issue and no paddling. As much as I think it's nice for dancers to be given lead roles at a young age, it was unfair to Devon to have to deal with this. I very much enjoyed Devon in the first act. She danced beautifully, her arms were particularly expressive, and there was a characterization going on. During the previous performance, I did not feel that that Hee Sao created a distinctive human being, though I loved her fastidious lyrical grace and exquisite line during the Shades scene. Gillian Murphy was, thankfully and predictably, perfectly wonderful and there was a real person on stage as well her seemingly effortless brilliance as ballerina. Christine Shevchenko bowled me over. I could not take my eyes off her. What a stunning ballerina she is - I can't wait to see more of her. But both performances were unusual because each Gamzatti had a much stronger characterization and impact than the respective Nikiya - until this weekend, I would never have thought this possible. As far as the Shades soloists, Skylar Brandt was amazing in the first solo as well as in the sections with the corps de ballet- her phrasing was a marvel. And Catherine Hurlin was very beautiful in the Saturday night cast, dancing the third variation.

Dreamer, I had exactly the same thought regarding Shevchenko and Alexandrova. Shevchenko looked and danced like a prima ballerina. She was dazzling.

We are starved for classical ballet in Los Angeles. I'm glad to know that all three performances are sold out and not just the local-girl-makes-good performance.

I am overjoyed at Aaron's return to SFB!

Suarez is extraordinary! I'm so happy to see these clips of her. She is even able to make fouettes beautiful, and has such a vividly beautiful, expressive face. Thank you, Cristian, for posting all the clips.

Oh dear, I was warned but I watched The Boylston video. She does plod her way through.

I have been a Tom Forster fan since the first time I saw him enter the stage in the vision scene of the prior Sleeping Beauty in his first season with ABT. I so wish I had seen him as Paris and Espada this season and have loved reading all the raves about him in this forum. If he gets a principal role in a full-length ballet, I will make the trip to NY.

Great news! Congratulations to Sasha!

I am thrilled about Ratmansky's Swan Lake being set on a U.S. company!

I have been a big fan of Jeffrey Cirio since I first saw him. He is a beautiful dancer and wonderfully musical - a joy to watch. His social media postings last fall showed he was very happy working with ENB, so this decision is not a surprise. My immediate dilemma is whether I buy a ticket to his Los Angeles La Bayadere performance to see him when I would have to watch two female leads that I have no interest in seeing. I wish him a flourishing career with ENB as others of ENB's principal dancers are enjoying.