Josette

It's hard to understand how in three years the roster of principal male dancers - all distinctive, lovable, and extraordinary artists - could be diminished, despite the acquisition and promotion of Walsh, Greco, and DiLanno. We also lost the outstanding Vito Mazzeo a few years back, when he went to the Dutch National Ballet.  I assume Tomasson is busy looking for replacements and will continue to develop the talent within the company. We still have Tiit Helimets. 

Well, I am disappointed, as the Saturday YYT matinee is recast.  It will be the fifth time that I have seen this Cinderella, and the third time with Frances Chung, who is a wonderful dancer, but I was looking forward to YYT.  

I recall seeing SFB's The Sleeping Beauty in 1995-ish with Joanna Berman as Aurora and YY Tan in the Bluebird pas de deux. I recall it as a beautiful production and especially liked  Berman's control in the Vision scene (though I thought it odd that her hair had a slightly off-center part.). I plan on seeing it in the coming season four or five times as a vacation week. 

Sarah Van Patten and Tiit Helimets are dancing the leads on May 4 and 7. I am so glad she's back in the role of Cinderella and not the Stepmother, which she danced last fall on tour. 

I received an email from SFB with the news.  Finally, we get The Sleeping Beauty.  

15 minutes ago, bingham said:

    Stella Abrera , Jeffrey Cirio and Alexei Ratmansky  are among the nominees of the 2017 Prix de Benois. Congratulations to all.

Do you know where I can find the whole list of nominees?  My search didn't come up with anything.

Speaking of Angelo Greco, I saw him in the last movement of Tomasson's Trio over the weekend, and he was unreservedly wonderful in presence, full-out dancing and then some - stopping on a dime but unrushed, precise, exciting, musical - and outshining his technically strong but dull partner. Greco can dance up a storm beyond the multiple pirouettes and high-flying jumps. 

The casting is up for the three weekend shows and I am relieved that I get to see Lorena Feijoo one last time, in Trio, and Vanessa Zahorian in all three ballets, concluding with Within the Golden Hour.  Also, Jaime Castillo Garcia will be back on stage!

I also saw Belingard in L'Arlesienne when POB was on tour in Chicago in June of 2012, and he was exactly as you describe him, volcanohunter. 

Wow! What fun to watch this! 

Herman Cornejo made Whipped Cream palatable.  What a great artist he is. 

I agree with you about the Stahl promotion, pherank. Jennifer Stahl was chosen out of the corps by Yuri Possokhov for the lead in The Rite of Spring, danced most of the performances, and was promoted to soloist after the premiere. She has been chosen to dance new ballets by multiple visiting choreographers, such as Forsythe, and this season she is showing a new and noteworthy polish to her dancing.  I can't wait to see what Stahl will be dancing next season as a principal. 

The promotions are effective on July 1, 2017, by which time three present principal dancers will not on the payroll.  I am thrilled for each of the three promoted artists.  Steven Morse was in the first cast of Dancers in a Gathering two seasons ago where he held his own in a group of principals, so it is terrific to see him promoted. Jennifer Stahl has been dancing with increased assurance and presence whenever I've seen her this season, including in Violin Concerto last Saturday; and in the Snow pas de deux in December, I was struck with her classical technique.  And Esteban Hernandez was truly wonderful in The Prodigal Son last Saturday night, which I commented on elsewhere on Ballet Alert.  There are some others I would love to see promoted as well  (e.g., Diego Cruz, Myles Thatcher). 

Congratulations to Jennifer, Steven, and Esteban!  Their promotions help to get over the soon-to-be departures of Vanessa Zahorian, Lorena Feijoo, and Davit Karapetyan. 

Esteban should be promoted to soloist.  I saw him as the prodigal son on Saturday evening and he inhabited the role fully so that it is ridiculous that he is not promoted.  He had danced it the previous Sunday and became a very-last-minute replacement on Saturday evening for Angelo Greco, principal dancer.  I tend to think of him as a charming, exuberant dancer with an endearing smile, but, as the prodigal son, he showed emotional depth, dancing with power and speed from the moment he came on stage to the final, heart-rendering crawl to the Father. 

I also saw Thursday's show and, with the sugar-shock having worn off from the premiere, have to say that I loved Cornejo and could not take my eyes off of him. His performance had substance. From the moment he entered the stage and ran over to embrace the white pony, I was hooked. Thank you, Herman Cornejo!  

The trio of Hammoudi, Forster, and Schevchenko was very strong and they worked effectively with and off of each other.  It was delightful to see them in these comic roles going full throttle. 

I find the the first act pas de deux plus pas de six (sept) too long and repetitious. The whipped-cream corps closing  to act 1 is probably effective from farther back from where I was sitting.

Tonight is another cast. 

I pretty much agree with your thorough commentary, ksk04.  Where were you sitting? I was in the front row and was wondering how everything comes across where faces are not so distinguishable.  I'm back tonight and Friday to see the other casts and then to see the Hallberg/Abrera/Lane/Simkin cast's second show on Sunday.  

nysusan, it is  worth seeing once.  

Yes, it includes intermission. 

Whipped Cream is Mark Ryden's concoction all the way.  I will write more later, but it clocks in at under two hours and is visually delectable and imaginative. The choreography is classical and sometimes repetitious - three of these steps, six of those steps. 

 It was wonderful to have David Hallberg back on stage; Stella Abrera and Sarah Lane were their feminine, adorable selves; Daniil Simkin's role as the boy was the only character who was allowed some variance in acting and he was excellent; Blaine Hoven and Joseph Gorak danced their solos brilliantly.  No complaints at all about the production values and the dancers' commitment and performances.  

 It was just too frothy and cutesy for me, which has nothing to do with the expert execution by the dancers and Ryden's remarkable creativity - but the work had zero emotional weight.  I had seen Woolf Works danced by the Royal Ballet in a ballet-in-cinema presentation two nights earlier and the contrasts between the two ballet universes could not have been more extreme.  

The Orange County audience ate it up, found it delightful, oohed and aahed over the remarkable sets and costumes, and gave a standing ovation.  

I just got an email from SFB announcing Max Cauthorn's promotion to soloist at SFB!  He recently beautifully performed Victor Frankenstein in Liam Scarlett's three-act Frankenstein.  

Congratulations to Max! 

Even better, he can dance Albrecht two nights in a row and the following day's matinee.

Bolle has an impressive, rock-solid classical technique aside from his personal charisma.   I saw him dance Apollo a year or so ago with LA Philharmonic and Hee Seo (floundering in her solo), Devon Teuscher, and Stella Abrera (came off best of the ladies).  The tempi were slow and oddly phrased for the sake of effect as conducted by Dudamel and pulled on the choreography, especially Apollo's opening solo and the one before the pas de deux. My legs were aching in sympathy as I watched.  I don't know how Bolle got through it, but he did and he was amazing. 

Bolle's performances at ABT are sponsored by William J. Gillespie, whose name adorns the ABT dance academy affiliated with Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in Orange County.  I have also seen Bolle dance twice with the LA Philharmonic over the past four years as well and no other featured male dancer aside from Bolle has had that honor.  So we are likely getting La Scala to get Bolle. Does Bolle ever dance with any of the La Scala female principals? Anyone know? 

My impression is that La Scala Ballet relies a lot on guests, but another BalletAlert member probably knows more than I do on this topic.   I remember when La Scala brought Sylvie Guillem's Giselle and she danced all performances but a matinee, and they also brought a mixed bill including Roland Petit's Carmen, which should have featured Ferri, but due to her pregnancy, they had a miscast Viviana Durante in the role.  Zakharova guests often with La Scala  There is good reason why Angelo Greco and Carlo di Lanno left.  I am also looking forward to seeing Nicoletta Manni and Claudio Covielo.  

I need to check who Bolle's sponsor is at ABT. 

I am thrilled to get to finally see Marianela Nunez live, twice. 

In the LA Times of March 12, 2017, it reports that La Scala is bringing Giselle to Segerstrom Hall in Orange County this July. 

Casting is as follows:

July 28: Misty Copeland, Roberto Bolle

July 29 matinee: Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Covielo

July 29 evening: Marianela Nunez, Roberto Bolle

July 30: Nunez, Bolle

MARIANELA NUNEZ!  

What is somewhat frustrating is that Tyler Peck and Robert Fairchild are bringing a group of dancers to Los Angeles Music Center on the same weekend including as yet unnamed dancers from New York City Ballet, ABT, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and Miami City Ballet, performing works by Balanchine, MacMillan, and Wheeldon. (All information from today's LA Times Calendar section. The Segerstrom website has not been updated.) 

i assume that Bigonzetti's departure as director of La Scala is the reason we are getting Giselle instead of the previously announced Bigonzetti Cinderella, which was supposed to feature Polina Semionova and Bolle. Perhaps Semionova wants some time with her newborn baby and to get into shape.