nanushka

That's a nice article. She's been looking great this season! She was a real workhorse in Swan Lake this week. I'd love to see her in more parts with solo variations.

1 hour ago, ABT Fan said:

Regarding Semionova, I saw her O/O 3 years ago with Gomes (who replaced an injured Hallberg). While I too love long arms/legs for SL, I found her positively boring.

That was my feeling, too, when I saw her do it with Hallberg –– maybe 4 or 5 years ago? I very much agree with what someone (I think abatt?) said above about how Swan Lake in particular really benefits by being performed by tall dancers. So I really wanted to like Semionova; she has the proportions and the glamour. But I just didn't.

I love when I get to see a tall Odette come out in front of her corps, regal and protective, facing Siegfried in that last formation before the first corps waltz.

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?

5 hours ago, alexL said:

She receieved 3 bouquets+1 thrown by an audience. Brava!!

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.

14 minutes ago, Natalia said:

 

Do you really think that things will change tonight?

Nope!

2 minutes ago, Natalia said:

 

Excellent. So the final tally for the week is 2-of-6 Odiles succeeding with fouettés...33.33%. Veronika & Devon rock!!!!!!

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?

16 minutes ago, alexL said:

I was one of those people who kept clapping!! 

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.

2 minutes ago, vipa said:

The article actually gave her height and weight! I don't believe that would happen today. 

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

4 minutes ago, Mme. Hermine said:

actually it may not have been her first with abt, but i found an article about godunovs first so it may have been this one-

http://people.com/archive/in-his-american-debut-aleksandr-godunov-will-have-his-hands-full-with-sturdy-ballerina-martine-van-hamel-vol-13-no-7/

 

i know i also saw him do giselle in that engagement with makarova.

"Sturdy"?!?!

Ouch! Hah that headline is unbelievable.

20 minutes ago, Mme. Hermine said:

i honestly dont recall but ill have to have someone ask her!  

 

no i was a student for a long time at ruth page but  i was never strong enough to do anything much.

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

1 minute ago, Mme. Hermine said:

oh yes. abt was using our studios and she was dressing with us, and when i congratulated her on the save she turned various shades of purple embarrassment

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? 

1 minute ago, Mme. Hermine said:

many years ago, in chicago, during an abt tour, i  saw a performance of swan lake which i was told was martine van hamel's first with abt - cant remember who her partner was. she started her fouettes well but they gradually travelled more and more untl she was up to 16, at which point disaster was imminent , and at that point she switched directions and did the remaining 16 en dedans.

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

20 minutes ago, vipa said:

Last thought about Sarah Lane now that I've read other comments and had a day to think about the performance. For all the ups and downs, all the elements are there, and this season she has proven herself IMO to be a real artist. I sincerely hope that last night will not be her last SL with ABT. I would love to see her again when she's had some real preparation and rehearsal time. I hope Kevin McKenzie sees it that way too - promotes her and gives her Swan Lake opportunities before next year's Met season.

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.

3 minutes ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

 

Nanushka...I never said five in a row. In my original post I stated "four in a row". Don't know where the idea of 5 came from...?

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

Just now, Helene said:

Sorry, @nanushka, I was typing too fast at work, and in the middle of editing, mashed up my post, which I've edited above.

 

We allow members to post links to their own ballet-related blog posts on Ballet Alert!.  For example, canbelto can link to canbelto's blog; no one else can. 

Got it. Sorry!

34 minutes ago, aurora said:

That also didn't happen.

since Devon who was wednesday matinee, did the fouettees.

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.

23 minutes ago, canbelto said:

No but I do remember a year (with the old Kirkland production of Sleeping Beauty) where several principal ballerinas struggled visibly with the Rose Adagio ... Some fell off pointe, some shook like earthquakes ... It wasn't pretty.

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

2 hours ago, Helene said:

For fan blogs with serious writings on ballet, while we allow members to post links to the ballet-related blog posts on Ballet Alert!, but we don't allow discussion of them, just like we don't allow discussion of what's written on other discussion boards.

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