nanushka

I went to see Onegin some years ago with Hee Seo and David Hallberg and I really didn't like it; I think I may have even left at intermission. Now that some time has passed and there are decent, cheap rush tickets available, I'm thinking of giving it another shot on Wednesday afternoon (Abrera/Stearns/Trenary/Gorak/Hammoudi), which is the performance most convenient for me. I'd love to hear thoughts, from those who appreciate this ballet, what you particularly like about it. What does it most have going for it? Perhaps if I go in with the right mindset I'll appreciate it more. Thanks!

It looks like a late change was made to the calendar and Tom Forster performed Rothbart last night. I believe Lendorf was originally scheduled.

And one more thing on Veronika: she is an example of a dancer who, despite her considerable strengths, came to ABT with some pretty apparent technical inconsistencies. But over a number of years she really conquered those demons, whatever they were –– weaknesses, nerves, etc. Firecracker allegro technique is still not her top strength, but she is much more solid now in that realm, and it allows her to give overall excellent performances. She clearly works very hard. She's danced onstage hardly at all this season (in part due to injury, but in perhaps larger part due to casting), and yet she looked in excellent shape yesterday. That speaks to a lot of dedication in the studio. No two cases are exactly the same, of course, but I wonder if some others we've discussed (Seo, Hammoudi, etc.) might benefit from following her example. Have we seen them really grow in overcoming their own inconsistencies and weaknesses?

I wish the latter would happen more often. It's a lovely and almost lost tradition, here at least. (I know NYCB for one does not even allow them in.) And the days of program confetti (maybe more an opera tradition) seem almost completely past.

Nope!

Though we haven't heard a report from last night, Hee Seo's second chance. And I suppose Misty could have a REALLY good night and get through them for once. Best not to finalize the tally until the bloody, bitter end?

Me too! She looked so touched when she came out again. I'm so glad she finally did! Even a few orchestra members were lingering and clapping for that. A wonderful second half. Beautiful PDD intro and adagio with a really really nice arabesque balance. Long and still. Nice variation; the turns in attitude were a bit tilted but the turns a la seconde were great. A beautiful full series of fouettés straight to the end. And throughout the scene she looked like she was having a blast. Props to Whiteside for an excellent performance as well. His variation was superb. Fast tight double tours with perfect landings. He was dramatically engaged but not over the top; more princely than I've seen him. I'd still love to see her again with Gomes or Bolle or Nedak or Calmels but I'm finally satisfied by this partnership.

Giangeruso in place of Hurlin, but her performance was much cleaner than the other day. Veronika's Act II was gorgeous. The debuts this week were exciting but so wonderful to see an experienced, master dancer who just fully embodies the role. A few tiny slips (including an odd change of legs during the rotation of beats between the 1st and 2nd finger turns at end of adagio). Pirouettes not as tight and fast as several years ago. But she still has very good flexibility and extensions, and her line is exquisite.

PDT this afternoon is K Williams, C Hurlin, C Royal. Especially excited to see Hurlin and Royal in this!

Saw Martine and Kevin and Gary Chryst at dinner between Sarah's and Gillian's Giselles a few weeks back. Boy did I want to give Kevin a piece of my mind!.

"Martine's lover"!? This is cray.

In what other context would 5'7 120lb ever be called "commanding"? Hah!

"Sturdy"?!?! Ouch! Hah that headline is unbelievable.

You're so lucky to have that experience. I often wish I'd studied. I feel I would see so much more.

So just to clarify she kept turning in the same direction but just switched working legs? Were you dancing with a company there at the time?

WHAT?! I didn't know that was even possible!

AGREE. You perfectly sum up my feelings. I want to see more. I would to watch her grow into this and other roles over the coming years.

So sorry, I just mistyped! I meant to write "Four out of five, not four in a row."

Got it. Sorry!

Correct. Four out of five, not five four in a row. I'll be curious to hear if Hee Seo has a better time with them tonight, and how Cory Stearns does as a partner. From what I saw in Corsaire last week, he still hasn't made much improvement in terms of the projection of character.

Yes, I remember that too. This is going to send me back into the archives to recall the details.

Thanks for the clarification, Helene. In that case, there's a very positive review of Devon Teuscher's O/O here: http://haglundsheel.typepad.com/*******/2017/06/abt-swan-lake-6-14-.html I suspect a review of Sarah Lane's performance will follow shortly.

Here's another review of one of this week's performances that, I think, does an even better job of capturing what's flawed about the production: http://www.danceviewtimes.com/2017/06/muddy-waters.html

Yes, and though remaining tickets went fast after Lane was announced, the house was already quite well sold (in keeping with what you'd expect for a Thursday night SL) when that happened.

A few more random observations following last night's performance: One of my favorite sequences in the ballet is in the middle of Odette's variation, the diagonal series of sissonnes followed by arabesques. Last night, though, it looked like Sarah did not do the bend forward with crossed arms that typically comes before the developpé to arabesque. This is an essential part of the sequence, in my mind, contributing to the "blooming" quality of the développé, and I really missed it. I don't think I've ever seen it done this way before, and I wonder why she made that choice. Alban Lendorf really won me over last night as Rothbart. (I've generally been less than excited by his having been brought in to ABT.) He gave a commanding, stylish performance. Particularly noteworthy was his expressive use of hands in the second, faster half of the solo. (Is this a result of his Danish training, perhaps?) At the end of his solo he leapt up onto the throne and rested his head back with delicious satisfaction. He then stood back up and came back to center stage but didn't even bow (cocky SOB! perfect for the character), just looked out at the audience and then turned back to wave off the princesses. Oh, and his interaction with the Queen (Nancy Raffa) at the beginning of the solo was the best I've seen besides Marcelo. Sarah's beautiful, long-held arabesques have been noted, but I also noticed again last night how gorgeous Daniil's arabesques often are. They seem to poetically evoke the shape of his bow. (Perhaps just my personal association?) Another favorite moment is when the Italian princess rises onto point and is drawn to Rothbart in an upstage diagonal of very fast fluttering steps. Both Stephanie Williams on Wednesday afternoon and Katherine Williams last night (not certain those names are right –– I'm referring to Wednesday's program and last night's slip) failed to do this effectively. Their steps were sluggish, and there was no sense that they were being pulled by his sexual magnetism. Can someone please explain to me what is going on all those times when Siegfried walks up to Wolfgang the tutor during Act I? What is Wolfgang's deal? Why is he so unsympathetic? Why does he keep gesturing upstage left? Why does he spend the whole party standing at the side, looking off into the wings and generally coming across like a wet blanket?