Josette

She looks so joyous - and she's wearing heels!

Thank you all for your advice on Kennedy Center seats.

That's pretty much true, vrsfanatic. There's no incline in the first several rows in the orchestra section so, depending on your height and whether you have someone tall sitting in front of you, you could lose part of the stage in those rows. However, my season tickets are in the second row and I rarely have this problem.

Can anyone tell me about sightlines at Kennedy Center? I want to purchase tickets to the National Ballet of Canada in January and would appreciate any advice about good and bad seats.

Wishing everyone at Ballet Alert a happy Thanksgiving!

I recall two amazing Joan Boada performances:

Kochetkova had to miss two Romeo and Juliet performances due to a neck issue, but performed the Sunday matinee. I was sitting in the front row, when, while her hair was being brushed in her first scene with her nurse, her face started to bleed just above her eye, she exited stage right, and the curtain came down for about a half hour and then the show continued. Kochetkova was obviously shaken and Boada gave her and the audience the most ardent, passionate Romeo performance I have yet seen, sweeping and supporting his Juliet through what was the last show of the season.

The other performance where Boada memorably saved the day was Don Q, starting with Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan, but Karapetyan had to be replaced by Boada due to injury in the second and third acts, and Boada was a marvel both in his dancing and partnership with the stunning Zahorian.

As for Pascal Molat, his Mercutio's death made me tear up, his Husband in The Concert made me laugh, his Prince Gremlin in Onegin had humanity - everything I saw him dance was memorable; he is a wonderful dance-actor. I am grateful that I was able to thank him personally on one occasion for his work.

I hope to go to their tribute performance. The tribute performances have a focus and an atmosphere different from the regular season performances as there is an outpouring of love to the retiring dancers.

I mean the black-and-white ad in the NY Times of two uncredited female dancers in arabesque. They are wearing leotards and are en pointe.

Thank you!

Can anyone tell me who the two dancers are in the ABT ad in the NY Times?

Thank you!

I know what you mean . . . when I saw the de Vulpian - Legris version, it was a revelation. Looking forward to hearing your reports on this, cubanmiamiboy.

I had the same issue, pherank - I had it on at work and things kept getting in the way of watching everything. However, they are going to have the entire 5 hours available on Youtube for 60 days.

I saw the Skorik Raymonda Friday night and will see the other two casts on Sunday. Skorik was technically clean, has a gorgeous arabesque, and had lovely carriage and ports de bras that extended beautifully into space, but there was no poetry, no attempt to vary her facial expressions, really no emotion expressed at all. She is obviously very well coached and careful in everything she does. You can see her thinking everything through as she executes the choreography. She was strongest in the first act, or maybe I'm saying that because, after the first act, her lack of expression made her uninteresting to me. I am familiar with different versions of Raymonda and enjoy seeing this ballet for the way it displays the ballerina's capabilities, for better or for worse. I agree with ksk04 that Skorik has grown, as she displays more authority technically and in stage presence than shown in her Swan Lake a few seasons ago. She gave an honest performance and will undoubtedly continue to improve, so I look forward to seeing her in another few years.

I loved Batoeva and watched her constantly when she was on stage, as she has beautiful port de bras and genuine loveliness emanated from her, plus she is musical. She has an inner light and belongs on the stage.

Fateyev came on stage with a microphone during the bows and announced Oksana Skorik's promotion to "prima ballerina."

Fonteyn was born on May 18, 1919, and the filmed Romeo and Juliet with The Royal Ballet was released in 1966. If the pas de deux above is from the 1966 film, she would be 46 or 47 when it was filmed.

Thanks so much for your list, volcano hunter.

Yesterday, September 12, 2015, I went to the box office at L.A. Music Cente and bought tickets for four of the shows so I could see all casts. I was able to get front-row orchestra seats for all but the opening night. For the opening night Vishneva Cinderella, I got a good seat in the Founders Circle. Please be warned about buying orchestra seats in the first 8 or so rows, as the seats are not staggered and the seating is not raked in those first rows.

For the San Francisco Ballet class, I recall seeing principal dancers Vanessa Zahorian, Jaime Garcia Castillo, Yuan Yuan Tan, Maria Kochetkova, Lorena Feijoo. I'm blanking on what other male principal dancers were in class, but I noticed that Tiit Helimets was not there. I enjoyed noting the differences in the various company classes.

I don't think I've seen her on stage the past two seasons and kept hoping I would see her again. Clara Blanco was a distinctive, special, and lovely dancer, but it sounds like a terrific career she has in front of her.

Thanks for the news. I've always wanted to see the Ashton version.

I received an email from SFB today, giving notice of SFB's Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson, being shown at select cinemas nationwide in HD on September 24, 2015. The dancers are Maria Kochetkova as Juliet, Davit Karapetyan as Romeo, Pascal Molat as Mercutio, Joseph Walsh as Benvolio, and Luke Ingham as Tybalt - all principal dancers. According to the email, the series includes Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre on October 22, Ballet Hispanico on November 12, and New York City Ballet on December 5 and 10, 2015.

Osipova danced the premiere of The Firebird in Orange County and originated the role, though no doubt Copeland will dance it at the LA Music Center next summer and there will be publicity galore. I have never seen Copeland in a principal role and I am interested to see her technical and artistic development, hopefully, this time next year. As a Californian, I would not consider Kochetkova as a California girl, as she did not grow up or receive any dance training here. I am eager to see Abrera most of all, whom I find exquisite.

For those of us who miss Simone Messmer, I just discovered that she is joining Miami City Ballet as a principal dancer. http://miamicityballet.org/press/mcb-welcomes-simone messmer. I was out of the country on vacation when this was announced in early June, so maybe it's not news to anyone but me. I am so glad to hear that she has a contract as a principal there.

Simone Messmer is announced as joining Miami City Ballet as a principal dancer! See http:www.miamicityballet.org/press/mcb-welcomes-simone messmer.

And, yes, it's Rowena Jackson in Bluebird pas de deux.

To mimsyb: I think it's Violetta Elvin as Aurora.

San Francisco Ballet performed the entire Shostakovich Trilogy with Chamber Symphony in 2014 and then just a few months ago in 2015.

I haven't read all the posts here to know whether this came up, but according to the 2015-2016 Dance Season Brochure for the Los Angeles Music Center, Ratmansky's Symphony No. 9 and Piano Concerto will be performed with his Firebird on July 8, 9, and 10, 2016. I've seen San Francisco Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada perform the Shostakovich ballets, so will sit through his Firebird (already saw the premiere in Orange County) just to see the other two works performed by ABT.