Josette

Thank you for posting your impressions, hernando's hideaway!

I am seriously considering September-October when the opera is doing Pelleas et Melisande and the ballet is dancing Jewels. 

Oh, volcanohunter, thanks for the U.S. tour news in 2018.  I'm so excited about this! 

I saw Lorena Feijoo dance one of the most glorious, heartfelt Giselles that I had ever seen about five years ago - such beautiful, expressive arms and hands.  I loved her also as the lead in Raymonda Act III and she was unforgettable in Liam Scarlett's Hummingbird.  She is a generous, musical ballerina who is very much loved. It is another season where we are seeing several beloved dancers retire (i.e., Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan).  A mutual friend introduced me to Lorena and Vitor Luiz several years ago and she had such a kind and loving soul, switching the conversation away from herself.

I found Chudin's dancing exemplary and that he was a true danseur noble. 

I just checked the casting and Mathilde Froustey is not dancing in any of the ballets she was listed in.  Instead, Lauren Strongin is dancing in Seven Sonatas, and Koto Ishihara in Fragile Vessels. 

Terez, the proposal was a particular thrill because I was sitting next to someone who knew it was going to happen and he told me before the performance started.  Vanessa was caught unawares.

 I will never forget the delighted cries of the audience when Davit knelt on one knee in front of her and everyone realized what was happening.

PeggyTulle, I too am glad that it was announced now, before their last season is underway.

Really, no one can replace Karapetyan.  He is perfect.   But I saw newly hired principal dancer Aaron Robison in The Nutcracker and was impressed with his ardency, beautiful technique, expressive quality, and his love of performing.  He fills the stage.  Robison danced with Sasha, who was pouring out happiness in the Grand pas de deux. 

I also saw Lauren Strongin dance the Snow pas de deux in the last show, and she was channeling Vivien Leigh while dancing with beautiful delicacy and classical lines you seldom see in the U.S. 

Jen Stahl had, for me, a new assurance in the classical Snow pas de deux and she is moving beyond the soloist stage.  The entire company looked invigorated in the last three evening Nutcrackers I saw.  Best of all were Vanessa and Taras Domitro in the Grand pas de deux, which was on another level from the outstanding dancers due to the relaxed ease of their brilliant technique; plus they had a complicity performing together which was infectious for the audience.

Well, I am very unhappy about this and blindsided.  I also received that email.

 I have loved watching the beautiful Vanessa Zahorian since seeing her in Allegro Brilliante many years ago, and I was torn apart, twice, seeing her with her husband, Davit Karapetyan, in Onegin.  I would have loved to see her in The Sleeping Beauty. She completely masks a bravura technique with exquisite lyricism.   And Davit Karapetyan is one of the very best male dancers on stage.  Hats off to them for leaving the stage at this point in their careers. I was in the audience when he proposed to her after Romeo and Juliet. I do hope that Davit recovers from his recent injury to dance this season.  Vanessa is dancing in the premiere of Myles Thatcher's new ballet in April and I will be there.  Lucky Pennsylvania Ballet Academy. 

All the best to these two exemplary dance-artists and lovely, generous people.

Benjamin Millepied is there.  I saw Natalie Portman on the red carpet and he was at her side, letting her have the spotlight. They are sitting at a front table, facing stage right. 

Thanks, altongrimes, I will check this out! 

Is it Elisabeth Maurin or Isabelle Guerin?  I ask because Guerin created the lead with Hilaire and I absolutely love the video of the last pas de deux with Guerin and Hilaire, and did not know that it was filmed with Maurin, who was an exceptional ballerina. 

Most memorable evenings at the ballet: (1) Cranko's Onegin, San Francisco Ballet, with Vanessa Zahorian, Davit Karapetyan, Sasha de Sola, and Myles Thatcher. (2) Forsythe Celebration, Los Angeles Music Center, with San Francisco Ballet in Pas/Parts; Pacific Northwest Ballet in The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; and, especially, Houston Ballet's glorious performances of Artifact Suite.  

Most memorable performance by a female dancer: the incandescent Svetlana Lunkina, National Ballet of Canada, as Paulina in Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale. 

Most memorable performance by a male dancer: the brilliant and mercurial Jerome Marchand, Royal Swedish Ballet, as Mercutio in Mats Ek's Juliet and Romeo.  

And, Quiggin, I also greatly enjoyed the Frank Stella retrospective at the deYoung Museum, which I saw last week. 

Leonore Baulac was named etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet after she danced her first Odette-Odile on New Year's Eve.  Congratulations to the enchanting Mlle Baulac! 

1 hour ago, Drew said:

 

They have announced a 24 hour (12 film) tribute on January 27th.

Thank you, Drew! 

I keep checking TCM for a change in their programming to show Debbie Reynolds movies.  

Alu was interviewed last season about how meaningful it was to work with William Forsythe. Despite Ratmansky, the ABT rep is not enticing beyond the same classics over and over, and ABT is deficient in coaching.  Is being a star in the classics Alu's sole goal? I sure don't know the answer to that question as I don't know Alu personally.  I think Froustey was in a different position, she was not able to get past sujet, danced leads one night and was back in the corps the following night- like the lovely Heloise Bourdon is dealing with presently-, Froustey had a lot of talented competition all around her, whereas Alu has zipped through the ranks through the concours and is singular.   Froustey was not featured so much, if at all,  in the contemporary works at POB, whereas Alu is. It is pretty much in Dupont's hands as far as casting and promotion and I would like to see Alu promoted, soon.  Alu's talent, technique, charisma, intensity, and work ethic should win out wherever he is. I know there is hope for another promotion by the end of the year. 

Thank you for mentioning Thibault.  This is his final season; he is a much-loved, wonderful dancer and personality, who will be dancing Puck in Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream in the spring. 

Oh, my, miliosr.  But ABT has such an unimpressive repertory in comparison with POB's. I trust Alu can muster some patience. 

Bravo and congratulations to M Louvet! 

"Christmas in Connecticut" is my favorite Christmas movie (watched it earlier today on TCM).  On December 23, I attended a sing-along screening of 1954's "White Christmas" (Crosby, the brilliant Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, and George Chakiris easily found in two dancing numbers), shown in Disney Hall, Los Angeles Music Center, which was an utter joy on the HUGE screen. 

Happy Holidays and all the best to Ballertalert readers and posters in the New Year! 

It was Eva Gabor who was delightful in a featured role as a high-status courtesan in "Gigi." Zsa Zsa had a featured and memorable role in "Moulin Rouge," a very good film with Jose Ferrer as Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as in "Lili," which starred Leslie Caron, and Zsa Zsa was fine in both due to her distinctive personality.

RIP, Zsa Zsa. 

Natasha Sheehan is so lovely and serious in her approach. I love the clip where she is listening to Helgi Tomasson's coaching her in Giselle for the Erik Bruhn competition. 

I think a lot of us having been waiting for this.  I'm so happy for this beautiful dancer who merits this promotion! 

Love the Dores Andre photo! 

Interesting reading these comments. I have tickets to the last two shows on December 18, with Lane/Cirio in the matinee, and Abrera/Hammoudi in the closing performance. I missed Lane last year and am particularly looking forward to seeing her.