nanushka

The latest review from Macaulay is a perfect example of how, so often, I just don't see how he sees what he says he sees... "And excessive side lighting [in Souvenir d'un lieu cher], by Brad Fields, makes it hard to identify the dancers." Really? You couldn't tell Abrera from Lane or Gomes from Lendorf? "James F. Ingalls’s lighting often leaves faces in shadow. The queen’s ludicrous white beehive wig casts a pall over the whole event. Several of Mr. Ratmansky’s ideas of Petipa’s most crucial details for Aurora look pedantic, underwhelming." None of these things has changed from the full-length version –– but none was such a severe problem that it was worth mentioning in full-length reviews of that piece? And I understand that space is at a premium, especially in a review such as this. But please, a hint at least of what those "most crucial" example are! "And while many more details are brilliantly considered and sensitively realized — several individual dances lack contrasts of light and shade." This is so vague and generalized that it helps me understand nothing of what he saw. Again, yes, space is a concern. But better to say fewer things clearly than to say things like this, I think. "Isabella Boylston and Joseph Gorak (Monday), marvelous stylists, are almost ideal..." Wait...seriously? (Granted, this one is perhaps just a difference of taste but...wow. What a difference.) Other parts are clearer to me. I can see this, for instance: "Veronika Part, a handsome ballerina in her farewell week with the company, catches several if not all of its contrasting facets; its dazzling unpredictability makes this her freshest vehicle. She opens herself to the soulfulness of the opening Preghiera, then returns in for the closing Thème et Variations in a regal yet brighter manner. / The virtuoso playfulness she lacks is shown by Christine Shevchenko in the second cast, but she in turn lacks (as yet) authority and contemplative tranquillity. David Hallberg, partnering Ms. Shevchenko, smudges a few details of the scintillating solos; Blaine Hoven, with Ms. Part, is clear but bland." (Though "handsome" makes me retch.) Maybe it is mostly just a profound difference in our tastes, but I just wish he had more consistency in visually illuminating the performances he reviews.

I have a feeling they're in for a pretty anticlimactic experience, but I guess we'll see. I'm actually surprised, logistically, that they decided on after. Now these intense fans will have to decide between staying inside for the very last "Brava!" or getting outside to address the largest possible audience. But I suppose logistics isn't really what's driving this.

This has certainly been quite an eventful season, hasn't it?

Oh wow. Now that's grace. And yet there's still such crispness too. Thanks so much for sharing the video!

Agreed. And it could also cause concern among any other potential future employers if Veronika were perceived as having been involved. In her own comments on Facebook, writing to the organizer back before the petition was even created, Veronika asked her to drop the issue. Later, even some of her initial comments about the situation were subsequently deleted. She's likely trying to keep her distance from all of this.

That makes sense. It's easy to imagine how the shift to smaller virtuoso dancers would settle in over time even if, as you suggest above, it's not the best decision. I'll be curious to see if Cirio does better with the role on Friday.

"Insouciance" is just the word. I think that's the quality I was most missing in David's performance especially. He has many fine qualities but insouciance is not among the strongest. He's more Ballet Imperial than Mozartiana. I didn't realize that Castelli was a particularly tall dancer. Croce wrote of Ib Andersen's "slightness in comparison to Farrell" and then went on to say this: "You might think that Balanchine would cast [the second man] in contrast to Andersen, but in fact it's Victor Castelli, another lightweight" (Going to the Dance 404-405). And in her article "Assoluta" in The New Criterion (a must-read for Veronika Part fans, by the way!), Laura Jacobs writes that the gigue is "always cast with a slight young male virtuoso" –– but the latter was in 2004, so Jacobs may be reflecting a more recent trend. I wasn't around to see Castelli dance.

That was in a comment that Part herself made on Facebook, I believe, not in an article.

There was a lot to appreciate in Wednesday's Mozartiana, and I'll readily admit that my criticisms may be unfair, given my investment in Monday's performance, but it just didn't all come together for me in the same way as the earlier performance had. Christine's preghiera was indeed quite beautiful. The effect was marred at the very end by applause that began before the radiant final three notes of the piece, but I can't really blame people who don't know the music, because it does sound like it might be over at that point. (That said, if that had happened at Veronika's performance on Monday, I might have lost it.) I was able to focus more on Simkin's gigue this time and I found it surprisingly unimpressive. As I noted on Monday, I felt it lacked the necessary energy and buoyancy, particularly in signature moments like the side-to-side steps and "T" jumps in the sequence at about 6:02 here: The menuet (Basmagy, DeGrofft, Hurlin, Whalen) was fine, though Monday's (Fan, Giangeruso, Waski, Williams) seemed better to me. Last night's seemed a bit like going through the motions; the révérences looked particularly perfunctory. On both nights, though, the développé balances (around 9:05 in the video) were quite well done. I agree with alexL above that Christine's performance in the T&V was less satisfying than her first movement. In particular, I wanted to see her legs more strongly articulated, in Mozartean style. Her steps seemed a bit too fluid and legato to me, as if she were dancing Odette (a role I'd love to see her in). (As a side note, I have always loved the Mozartiana hair, but Christine had one curl that kept flopping about in a most distracting manner.) I don't think this is particularly good role for David, and I was more impressed by Blaine Hoven on Monday night. David's long, shapely feet just don't look right to me when he's dancing Balanchine's footwork here, and he's more prince than cavalier/consort. (I don't want to sound too much like a critic who shall remain unnamed, but I also found David's facial expressions to be off-putting. Sometimes he comes across as "having airs"; sometimes that works.) Tchai Pas was much improved from Monday night. Watching Whiteside, I just kept thinking, "This is why Joey Gorak is not a principal." The performance was not without some problems, but it definitely had that "dangerous" quality, on the part of both dancers, that mimsyb described above. (The solo trumpet was having some serious problems, though. The orchestra's been sounding quite decent this year; let's not go back to the bad old days of wince-worthy ABT brass.) The fish dives were better, though still somewhat unexciting. In his solo, Whiteside's series of jumps from stage right to stage left almost kept going right off into the wings. That's the sort of big dancing I like to see. He's been looking very good this year. In the past I've been resistant, but he's been winning me over. Marcelo and Hee both looked gorgeous in the Nutcracker PDD. This is a perfect role for her. Some aspects of the choreography were odd out of context (particularly the parts where the two dancers are reveling in their new, adult freedom to dance), but this highlighted how well-made Ratmansky's choreography is for its context. None of the great PDDs are interchangeable; each fits its narrative context in a distinct and effective way. I'll skip to the Aurora's Wedding grand PDD (with just a side-glance at Luciana Paris's excellent Diamond Fairy and Gabe and Sarah's gorgeous Bluebird PDD): There was very good partnering here, for the most part, considering the late substitution. Cassandra's balanced backbend, facing Désiré upstage, was long, slow and gorgeous –– a real standout moment. The first fish dive was quite good, so far as two-handers go. But then the second was almost a disaster; she got into position just fine, but then once he had her there Joey nearly lost it and dropped her. He came back with one of the best variations I've seen in Ratmansky's production, though. His legwork was crisp and lively (except the final diagonal sequence, which lagged somewhat), and he looked beautiful in the costume, with very nicely toned calves. After what I'd thought about him while watching Whiteside earlier, it was particularly good to see Gorak give what, to me, looked like his best performance of the season.

I've been sad and upset about it all as well. There's no shame in having strong feelings about the loss (to oneself) of a great artist whose work has had a profound impact on one –– particularly when that loss comes prematurely and in questionable circumstances. Live performances, especially, can create such strong emotions. Veronika's performances have affected me in a way that few other dancers' have, and year after year I have looked forward to them as highlights of my experiences as a balletgoer. Yes, her life isn't over, there will be a next chapter, she may even continue to perform in some capacity. But it is quite likely that I will never see her dance again. I have many feelings about that. Pity –– either for myself or for her –– is not one of them.

It's striking to note that, with Vishneva's and Part's departures, ABT has only 6 female principals left: Abrera, Boylston, Copeland, Kochetkova, Murphy, Seo. Kochetkova danced hardly at all this season, and is also a principal with another company, so in a sense that leaves five –– two of whom have demonstrated fairly significant technical deficiencies this season and before. America's National Ballet Company® seriously needs an infusion of principal-level talent. But it's a serious shame that Part is being flung aside just when the ranks are so lacking in seasoned principal-level long-term experience. (They have 29 years among the six of them -– 15 of which are Murphy's alone!)

Quite impressive that, as of right now, 462 people have signed. I agree, I don't expect it to change anything, but it's a nice gesture of support.

Your description here is Boylston to a T. I remember reading numerous people on here in the year or so after she made principal saying things like, "Why isn't she getting better coaching to correct some of these problems?" For a young principal it seemed borderline excusable. Now it's really just gone on too long; I don't feel that she's developed much at all since her promotion. With Vishneva and Part gone, she will be the third most senior female principal (after Gillian and Hee). She has some very nice qualities as a dancer, but these problems are becoming unacceptable. But I suppose if she sees the sort of praise she's been getting in the Times and if she sees a dancer like Part, with very different qualities, getting fired, maybe she just thinks she's on exactly the right track?

It didn't help that, 4 or 5 minutes into the surprise intermission, the house lights flicked off for a second!

Turns out there's only one intermission in the Mozartiana/2PDDs/Aurora program, with one piece before and three after. I'm surprised, given that Aurora can't be much shorter than AfterEffect, and SLC and Nutcracker PDD are both supposed to be 13, I believe. I wonder why the discrepancy between the programs.

Mozartiana is 25-30 (depending on tempi); the two PDDs combined should be 25. So with two intermissions, Aurora's Wedding should start a little after 9. It's a little unclear exactly how much of Ratmansky's original Act 3 they'll cut out, and there are two pieces being inserted. I'd say a good estimate is you'll be on your way around 10.

Then again, it's only quite infrequently that others in the company post about Veronika in general –– at least among those I follow.

When are we going to get her book on Balanchine, which was first due out well over a decade ago?

My favorite bit was when they were all in a huddle at upstage center, near the end, giving themselves the heimlich.

Yes, it's there in the music. You need to see her launch.

EXACTLY! So well put. And to add yet another dimension to the seemingly impossible achievement, it must be musical even so!

Agreed on many points. There were some very nice moments from both dancers during this, but also a lot that was disappointing. Those backward hops of Boylston's were impressive but tasteless. If you're not going to pay attention to the music when dancing Balanchine, of all choreographers, what's the point? This is Tchai Pas, not Grand Pas Classique. The final lift was quite anti-climactic. It would've been better if they'd have just jetéd offstage and called it a night. And the fish dives –– especially the first one –– were quite unimpressive. He may as well have just lifted her straight up and tilted her on her side. It's true that Gorak did look much livelier than he has at other points this season. His sideways jumps with développé (don't know the term for them) were lovely. And yes, Boylston's unfortunate "crab claw" arms were back, especially during the manège of piqué turns. But you're right, Batsuchan, that lowering of her leg was quite impressive –– almost as impressive as Bouder in this video (at the 6:20 mark) that stuns me every time I watch it:

Mozartiana is a piece I really love, but, apart from the preghiera, I hadn't thought if of it as a particularly natural fit for Veronika Part; so in addition to the intense disappointment of learning that she was leaving ABT, I was also disappointed that this (and not, say, Odette/Odile or Nikiya) would be her final role. I shouldn't have been. I completely agree with Batsuchan: As it turned out, I felt that this was a perfect final piece to see Veronika dance. (I haven't yet gotten a ticket for Saturday; I'm worried the event would just be too upsetting for me, and the two performances I've seen from her this season have been so fulfilling that I might just leave it at those.) Between the preghiera, the tema promenade, the four solo variations, the two-part PDD, and the finale, Balanchine has devised so many differently toned ways of having his ballerina move through space that by the end you feel you've seen the complete catalogue of her finest attributes artfully and musically deployed by a true master. Even if you were to watch this ballet only from the dancers' waists up, there's enough variety and expressivity in the ports de bras to be endlessly engaged. Veronika was of course utterly gorgeous in the preghiera –– that kneeling back bend with the arms spread in communion with the heavens was a true sight to behold. The complete serenity of this first movement was exactly what I needed after the days of frustration, anger and disappointment I'd experienced in learning of her situation. I have to admit I wasn't able to fully register Simkin's performance in the gigue, being so affected by what came before, so I'm glad that I'll be seeing him again in it on Wednesday. My sense is that he restrained himself to the clarities of the Balanchine style more than I'd expected, though he was also less buoyant than I'd hoped. I was very impressed by Blaine Hoven's performance in the male variations. He seemed not to tire in the least, and those can be real killers. It's essentially 45 seconds on / 45 seconds off, for the entire stretch. The steps were clean and crisp throughout. Veronika smiled quite a lot during her variations, and I can imagine this annoying some viewers. (I read about this in some old BA posts on here, from previous ABT runs, in which it was suggested that Calegari may have even coached the lead ballerinas to do something like this.) For me, there's so much inventiveness in the choreography that I can't help smiling myself when seeing much of it, even for the umpteenth time, so it didn't particularly bother me. The first portion of the PDD, before the menuet girls run around, was one part that didn't work as well for me. It seemed a bit too studied and careful, whereas the effect of the pair's sinuous turns and twists around the stage can really be heightened by playing up the illusion of spontaneity –– especially since true spontaneity is so obviously impossible here, given how complicated the timing of the counterpoint is between the two bodies. The main PDD, to the violin solo, was quite lovely, with those arcing lifts particularly standing out. Supported pirouettes were on the whole fairly secure, and the various points at which chaînés, piqués and other turns are deliberately given in slower motion were particularly effective. The only really major problem spot was on the final pose, back-to-back, with the ballerina in supported arabesque. Veronika was clearly straining here (possibly supporting herself on her recently injured ankle?) and had to bring her leg down for a moment before raising it again. She looked quite shaky and uncomfortable, and I actually wish she had just kept the leg down at the end to maintain the final brief restfulness of the pose. Numerous critics have commented on the replications and mirrorings in the roles of this ballet –– the four little girls as versions of the four menuet girls as versions of the single ballerina, not to mention the contrasting male roles –– but it's Arlene Croce's description (reprinted in Going to the Dance) of the ballet's finale that best sums up for me why this felt like a perfect (if bittersweet) ending for Veronika's years of giving superb performances on the Met stage: As she returns, strolling at the end of the ballet, the cast assembles for the first time, its tiny ranks expanding with cosmic implication. Thus does the master choreographer aggrandize the gifts and presence of a ballerina. Thus does he reveal her, sovereign in her kingdom of ballet –– the one among the many who are one.

Actually I'm pretty sure that's what I saw on there over the weekend for premium orchestra.

I'll check later tonight when home. I've been debating for a week whether to go Saturday in addition to tonight and have looked at the seating chart a lot so I may be able to remember!