Birdsall

I went to a Russian National Ballet Swan Lake on Sunday in Ft. Lauderdale and same thing, so it isn't just a Kravis Center thing. It is all over the state (so far Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale......will be in Sarasota soon for Sarasota Ballet's show). This seems to have happened this month......

I choose love!!!! I choose love!!!! Lmfao

I saw the program again tonight and liked it just as much. In fact, Walpurgisnacht seemed more energetic. Polyphonia has made me want to investigate more of György Ligeti's music. Some quite moody and moving pieces. I think the Fairy throwing the baby is supposed to mean that even though she (as an artist's muse) kisses him she also causes mild harm or potential danger (baby never hits the ground) because the artist suffers to create his art and often chooses art over his relationship. So the fairy's Kiss is a double edged sword. It gives him artistic inspiration but sort of dooms him throughout his life as well. Anyway, that is how I read the throwing of the baby. A muse gives love but at a price. I think the final moment brings it all together. Mother, muse (fairy), and girlfriend sit downstage as the Artist ascends. They made the artist possible.

Maybe so, Jayne. Crazy times. There is definitely a large Jewish community in West Palm, Palm Beach, and Jupiter (where my parents live) as you say. If that is the reason for extra security then I am glad. I love what the Jewish community has brought to Palm Beach County. They have helped fund the arts here. Btw, it was announced that The Fairy's Kiss was sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Hope the NEA funding doesn't get cut.

Is everyone experiencing more extensive bag checks and metal detector wanding as they enter theaters in other places? This month I went to the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville and now the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, and both times the screenings were more heavy duty than I ever experienced and I noticed that audience members can only go outside of the Kravis Center using the two main entrances/exits on either side, and the glass doors behind the concession that allowed one to walk outside for fresh air now have signs "no re-entry"......multiple police officers were in the lobby also. I feel like we are now in a police state. Very depressing. I guess this is supposed to make us feel safer. Instead, it is just depressing.

Forgot to mention......MCB's Walpurgisnacht was gorgeous. It was just what I needed to take my mind off my family troubles. Balanchine includes everything we love about ballet, and it comes off as a frothy, light ballet that is pretty but with little depth. However, when you see the main female's variation you realize there is depth.....very difficult combinations of steps. Like I said, it includes everything we love in ballet.....gorgeous corps formations, a duet, a female variation and adds wild flowing hair at the end which we rarely get to see. I loved the rising soloists Lauren Fadeley and Jovani Furlan as the main couple. They danced beautifully, and so I look forward to seeing them more often. Nathalia Arja is MCB's answer to Osipova.....solid technique with fast footwork as the female soloist with the corps. I saw Polyphonia back in 2013 but did not remember a single thing about it and last night I actually enjoyed it even though I had no memory of it. It starts with 4 couples dancing with their shadows behind them and they continually return to arabesques after turns. It ends almost the same way except with more modern movements.

It was late, and I was tired, so I did not put all my ideas down about MCB's show. A former BA contributor sat with me before MCB's show and listened to my woes about my father and how I am re-teaching this past computer genius how to email me, so we can keep in constant contact. He's forgotten how to email, and I went with my parents to one of their banks to find out his online banking username which he had forgotten and had not written down anywhere. So this is what I am dealing with. I mention this to say how BA introduced me to this person and because of that I had someone to vent to before the show, because my drive to the Kravis Center was very emotional. It is like watching a hero fall in battle to have to teach a former computer genius these simple tasks. Anyway, the final moment of Ratmansky's The Fairy's Kiss was very moving to me. The fairy (Simone Messmer), the mother (Jordan-Elizabeth Long), and the lover (Jeanette Delgado) all come on stage and sit in a reclining position while the corps lifts the Artist (Renan Cerdeiro) up high. For me this means that every artist is given life by a mother, kissed by a muse, and has loves in his life, and all these relationships create and lift up the artist......I thought it was a beautiful way to end the ballet after seeing all the "quotes" from various ballets. The "quotes" from various ballets in the last part had the corps in brown/clay colored costumes......almost like the dancers were clay that the artist forms into shapes. I feel the story is very clear and every move matches the music, so I consider the ballet a success. Ratmansky continues to use classical ballet vocabulary but puts his own personality into the character dances of the villagers. I felt many of the villagers' movements reminded me of the villagers in his Little Humpbacked Horse ballet. Messmer has never really impressed me, but last night I thought she did a great job. Even for this Mariinsky fanatic I thought her arms flowed better than usual. Maybe Ratmansky coached her to do this. No idea. I did not see any problems with her fouettes last night. She also seemed "on" and committed to the story. So she won me over last night. I have to admit that I am a bit puzzled that she gets all the choice roles at MCB and every Opening Night. But last night I feel she must have ironed out the kinks in her Miami run (I was not at the Miami run but going by the reviews above). It was a delight to see Jeanette Delgado in a main role again even if it was basically a character role (no pointe shoes). She has been absent from main roles at MCB for a while it seems. She was a good foil to Messmer's Ice Maiden (the original fairy in the fairytale). Delgado exudes warmth and humanity whenever she dances, so it was like she was playing herself. Renan Cerdeiro was great as The Young Man (or The Artist). There were lots of jumps, turns, lifts, etc. that he had to do. He had always been good but he used to seem gawky in appearance, but he has grown into a "man" before our eyes and become a good artist.

I actually loved Ratmansky's The Fairy's Kiss! It was as if he was determined to throw in everything including the kitchen sink (fouettés, lifts, emboites, chaine turns, changements, grand jetes, character dancing, etc.) and have it all totally flow with the music and story. It told a story of an artist and the ending was inspiring showing how mother, lover, and muse lift up the artist to greater heights! I was reminded that ballet is woman even if a man is lifted up high. More later. It's late. I will see it again tomorrow night. On a sad note....Florida ballet performances now have multiple police officers wandering in the theater as we enter and security is checking bags and wanding us with metal detectors. I feel like I live in a third world country now.

Whoops! Just checked, and I have a ticket to Friday night, but he dances that night also, so no problem.

Wow! Surprised! I have a ticket to Saturday night!

Janneke and Drew, Glad to hear you both might plan a trip there. Yes, definitely not the same as seeing the Mariinsky at the Mariinsky, but still nice. The casting tends to be starry in Baden-Baden (I have been paying attention for several years because I was sort of considering it). I did notice that lighting was much brighter in Baden-Baden than at the Mariinsky. On the one hand, it caused a loss of some mystery/atmosphere especially in Swan Lake, but on the other hand it helped me notice details in the sets that I missed in the past. Firebird and Scheherazade sets were easier to see.

Thank you, Kaysta and Drew! Not sure if many people have interest in this Baden-Baden topic, so reading a couple of people's comments in response to me helped me feel it was worthwhile to post. Kaysta, I think you would love Baden-Baden at Christmas. Baden-Baden is not one of those medieval looking quaint German towns that we all think of when we think of Germany. It is a very posh resort town with an atmosphere that really reminds me of Palm Beach (the island, that is), Florida. There is a huge casino, baths, etc. It is a fairly small town. However, you have to take a bus or taxi to the heart of the city because it is a 15-20 ride on bus or taxi to get to the center where everything is. There was no Uber in Germany to my disappointment! LOL Friends told me it is not allowed. The distance between the city and the train station is unlike most German cities where you step out of the train station into the heart of the city or within walking distance to the center of the city. I think it is also because the old train station (which is near the heart of the city) is now the Festspielhaus. I think they did a great job converting it into a performing arts center. You step into a very beautiful old train station (by American standards it looks like an opera house already) and then once you check your coat in you step into the modern part of the building. The inside of the theatre is nothing special......very bare bones modern, but the acoustics are great (Usually I hear the pointe shoes on stage but never did at the Festspielhaus) and seats are comfortable. I sat in Row 5 and Row 11 and I think shorter people might need to sit higher up. Maybe first row of the first balcony would also be ideal. The Baden-Baden Christmas Market was more uppercrust than other Christmas markets I have seen (things you would actually want to buy for your house! LOL). The food and cookies and various goods were all things you could proudly buy for friends and family. I think at some others you have similar things but some junky things, but no junky items in Baden-Baden. You saw a huge difference among items sold in Baden-Baden compared to Mannheim or Heidelberg (which I visited with friends for a couple of hours one of the days). It brought back so many memories to buy roasted chestnuts and eat them walking through the Christmas market. Anyway, if I ever go back to Baden-Baden I think I will stay there (and not go back and forth for 4 days or so) and see the Mariinsky and THEN go see friends for several days. The way I did it this time was too crazy! However, I did love how modern the fast trains were. The second class compartments put the first class compartments that I knew back in the late 80s, early 90s to shame! The Germans appear to love the Mariinsky with great applause. Every German said my German was impeccable, but they were lying. I had to search for words that used to come easily and was messing up articles which messes up the endings of adjectives. I would say that my flawed German is probably impressive for just being a tourist though. I had great fun being able to get around speaking German all day long. At one point I was thinking in German so much (even to myself) that I couldn't remember how to say a certain phrase in English (a certain saying that German wanted to know). I had to clear my mind and remember the way we say the phrase. Anyway, all my friends said it was really a shame I no longer speak it, so I have told a friend here in Gainesville that we should meet up now and then and speak German together even though he is also a non-native speaker but lived in Germany just like I did. That way we keep up. The point of this posting is that I encourage people to consider the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus as a place for ballet. It is a nice city and near other cities and if you are a Mariinsky Ballet lover like I am, the Mariinsky tours there every Christmas (since the Russian Christmas comes in January probably).

Unfortunately I can't report on the final show that I was supposed to see (Kondaurova's Swan Lake) for several reasons. The main reason is that I decided to skip it and give my ticket to a relative of a friend here in Germany. I was spending days in Mannheim visiting friends and nights in Baden-Baden for ballets and all the train trips back and forth took its toll on me. It seemed like a good idea at the time but started to get really tiresome even though the fast trains only took an hour. Plus, I was never able to forget about the time and just have fun with my friends who I had not seen in 25 years (always worried about making a train back to Baden-Baden for a ballet). So when friends wanted to make Christmas dinner for me and I was tired of the train rides back and forth I decided to offer the ticket to relatives or friends of my friends (whoever wanted it). I was willing to see Kondaurova in Swan Lake but I have to admit she's not my first choice, so if casting had been available before I bought my tickets I probably wouldn't have even bought a ticket for Dec. 25. So giving it to an elderly relative of one of my friends who was so excited to go...it seemed like a good because I made someone happy and it was a huge relief not to go back and forth again. And I was able to take walks with my friends and eat Rouladen, Spätzle, and Rotkohl. So sorry to Kondaurova's fans. No idea how she did.

Tonight Viktoria Tereshkina hit it out of the ballpark. I knew her Odile would be red hot and spicy, but I tend to think her Odette is often technically great but not delicate enough but she did a great job. Her Odette is much more earthy than Lopatkina's but that makes her warm. Her emotions were better than usual. One thing I admire about Tereshkina is that she always gives 100%. Never phones it in. It isn't just another Swan Lake for her. She attempts to give her all like it is a debut. I have no real problem with Xander Parish during his solos (not thrilling but okay), but every single time he partners a ballerina he slows her down considerably especially during the paddle turns. The minute he puts his hands on a ballerina during turns she immediately slows down IMMEDIATELY and at one point tonight almost knocked Tereshkina off balance. She is one of the best turners in the entire company, so I know it was not Tereshkina. I have seen ballerinas he has slowed down with other male partners and they do not slow down like they do with him, and Tereshkina usually has impeccable turns. I hate dwelling on this, but he really needs to practice. A partner should help the ballerina look better. Tereshkina triumphed tonight DESPITE him. i am in the minority on this forum, but I actually like the Jester in the Mariinsky's Swan Lake, and I love him when he's excellent. Yaroslav Baibordin blew the house down with super fast turns in second among other exciting moves. Yana Selina, Nadezhda Batoeva, and Ernest Latypov were all excellent as friends of Siegfried. Overall a great night!

Autocorrect keeps changing Myrtha to Martha and too tired to edit! LOL

Giselle tonight had its charms despite the worst mad scene I have ever seen! Oxana Skorik has been criticized a lot over the years including by me, and she has improved technically (and I have admitted it many times), but tonight's mad scene seemed bizarre. She went from having not enough emotion at times to having silly hand movements and emotions that were overdone. I went trying to view her from a blank slate, but for me her mad scene was atrocious. She needs coaching in this role big time. Her mad scene seemed so amateurish to me like a student performance. But then I have to actually hand it to her. She danced a good 2nd act. Not the best by any means but decently. Maybe I could accept her remoteness better in the 2nd act because it fit the character. She was technically sound also. For those who love the hops on pointe she did them but kept the working leg low and did not go far and looked like she might fall off pointe but did not. Other than the hops on pointe she was not bad technically. Philipp Stepin was a terrific Albrecht...elegant, masculine, handsome and living the role at every moment. It was like he was giving 100% to a Giselle who would only give so much back. Renata Shakirova in the peasant pas de deux was everything I would like to see in a Giselle (maybe in the future?)....she was pure delight, full of joy, and has that delicate, girly Vaganova style, in my opinion. She handled the difficult turns that end in locking arms with Vasily Tkachenko while staying on one leg. She and Tkachenko were a complete delight throughout the pas de deux. Yekaterina Chebykina was Martha, and she is a dancer I have considered "not ready for prime time" for a while. To me she has a gawky, awkward way of moving, but I like her much better as Martha than as Odette/Odile or Gamzatti. I felt the previous roles I saw her in were complete disasters but tonight she was "decent" so she is improving! That's all for now. Enjoying the atmosphere of this tour. Seeing old friends and the way Germany celebrates Christmas are major pluses. Speaking German non-stop after 25 years of hardly speaking a word has been another highlight. Maybe I will do this again!

The Festspielhaus is very comfortable, by the way. It was originally the train station so it creates a very interesting combination of old and new. The seat was one of the most comfortable theater seats I have sat in. The acoustics are also great. I was in row 5 and had no problems seeing (I am 6 feet tall), but for others who want to visit I noticed the seats have a slight rake after row 5 and around row 11 a very steep rake so shorter people are probably happier sitting past row 5 preferably row 11. Just in case someone wants to visit in the future. The Christmas Market in Baden-Baden is very charming! The Germans do Christmas like nobody else, in my opinion. I was sent to a Sprachschule 4 summers in a row in Heidelberg to learn a second language (intensive instruction) and then studied one year on the University of Mannheim and another year at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. But after my sister died when I was studying in Innsbruck I was afraid to leave the US. I know it sounds silly and irrational, but I thought something bad would happen. It wasn't until the Mariinsky made me want to go to Russia that I left the country. So this trip is a huge psychological step forward also. Anyway I haven't used my German in about 25 years and wondered if I could still speak it. I have seen German operas and films in the meantime so I knew I could passively understand German but wondered if I could still actively speak. Apparently it is like getting back on a bike although I am making many gender mistakes and searching for some words that used to come easily. Some Germans seem very surprised that an American can actually speak their language. I also visited the small Faberge Museum yesterday. Not quite as exciting as the large one in St. Petersburg but still interesting. Christmas in Baden-Baden is gorgeous and the Mariinsky's annual tour makes it even more worthwhile to most ballet lovers. Basically trying to convince other Ballet Alert people to try it if they haven't!

Osmolkina was terrific as the main female in Chopiniana....her husband Maxim Zyuzin and she gave the illusion that she was feather light. Her bourees and flowing arms were gorgeous. Ostreikovskaya and Selina were really great too. As the firebird Yekaterina Ivannikova was very warm and sunny at first which was a refreshing take on the character, but it made me worry she wouldn't be serious enough later in the ballet, but she was. Her arms and hands seemed to flick sparks. I really enjoyed seeing her in this role. She gets mostly secondary roles so it was very interesting to see her in a main role, and I thought she did great! Romanchikov seemed too young and gawky for Ivan. Diana Vishneva and Konstantin Zverev had terrific rapport in Scheherazade. I like that she seems to champion him and use him in shows that she appears in. He was a more elegant Golden Slave than usual. Most dancers emphasize an animalistic quality in the role, but Zverev played to his strengths and emphasized elegance and sexiness. I think Scheherazade is a good role for Vishneva at this point. She was really committed and acted well tonight. The Germans seem to absolutely love Gergiev judging from the applause, and I have to say he conducted well tonight. Sometimes he conducts too fast or too loud for me, but tonight you could tell he loves these pieces. Sorry so short...tired.....Baden-Baden is beautiful. I visited it once many years ago in my 20s, and my memory was correct. It feels like the Palm Beach of Germany.

DC does seem to get "B casting" but the B cast at the Mariinsky can often be better than the A team because so many good dancers are stuck in lower rankings. Don't assume your show will be lesser. Shakirova should be good.

I have many favorites not just Kolegova! I am intrigued by Ivannikova getting Firebird even though she's not a favorite. She doesn't get many starring roles. She's a dancer I like but she doesn't blow me away, but that might be because she hasn't had many chances to show what she can do. Chopiniana's casting looks decent. I do like Tereshkina's Odile (deliciously evil) and she always gives 100% to the audience. Maybe Kondaurova will win me over even though many previous experiences with her have made me wonder why she's held in such high esteem by so many. I like her a lot as Myrthe, Carmen, as one of the soloists in Paquita, as the Stepmother in Cinderella, but I have been disappointed when she's danced the primary role in classical ballets.

I rarely read any reports about the Mariinsky's Baden-Baden tour here on BA, so this is a long shot.....anyone else going? I will see the first four shows: a Fokine mixed bill (Chopiniana, Firebird, Sherezade), Giselle, and 2 Swan Lakes. Since I am visiting friends in Mannheim, where I studied 25 years ago, I have to divide up the time between Mannheim and Baden-Baden and trying to keep the trip down to 6 days so I have time to relax the following week before starting work again......if anyone will be at those shows, let me know. Below is the casting for the shows I will see. I will try to post reviews while I am there. Fokine Mixed Bill Dec. 21 • Valery Gergiev Dirigent Chopeniana Seventh Walz Yekaterina Osmolkina Mazurka Maxim Zyuzin Prelude Xenia Ostreikovskaya Eleventh Walz Yana Selina Firebird The Firebird Yekaterina Ivannikova Ivan-Tsarevich Alexander Romanchikov Kashchei the Immortal Vladimir Ponomarev The Princess of Great Beauty Viktoria Brileva Schecherazade Zobeide Diana Vishneva The Golden Slave Konstantin Zverev Shah Shahryar Soslan Kulaev Shakhezman, his brother Islom Baimuradow The Odalisque Viktoria Brileva / Yulia Kobzar / Zlata Yalinich The Chief Eunuch Anatoly Marchenko Giselle Dec. 22 Giselle Oxana Skorik Count Albrecht Philipp Stepin Berthe, Giselle’s mother Elena Bazhenova Bathilde Yulia Kobzar Hans, a woodsman Islom Baimuradow Sword-bearer Alexey Nedviga The Duke Vladimir Ponomarev Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis Yekaterina Chebykina The Wilis Xenia Ostreikovskaya Yana Selina Pas de Deux (Act 1) Renata Shakirova Vasily Tkachenko Swan Lake Dec. 23 Odetta-Odille Viktoria Tereshkina Prince Siegfried Xander Parish The Reigning Princess Elena Bazhenova Prince’s Tutor Soslan Kulaev Joker Yaroslav Baibordin Rothbart Konstantin Zverev Prince’s friends Yana Selina / Nadezhda Batoeva / Philipp Stepin Sygnets Yana Selina / Svetlana Ivanova / Tamara Gimadieva / Anastasia Lukina Big Swans Viktoria Brileva / Diana Smirnova / Zlata Yalinich / Yulianna Chereshkevich 2 swans Yana Selina / Nadezhda Batoeva Spanish dance Yulia Kobzar – Maria Shevyakova / Andrey Solovyov – Alexander Beloborodov Neapolitan Dance Anna Lavrinenko / Alexey Nedviga Hungarian dance Olga Belik / Boris Zhurilov Mazurka Xenia Dubrovina-Elena Androsova- Maria Lebedeva- Zlata Yalinich / Eldar Yangirov- Nail Yenikeyev- Vadim Belyaev – Alexander Romanchikov Swan Lake Dec. 25 Odetta-Odille Yekaterina Kondaurova Prince Siegfried Danila Korsuntsev The Reigning Princess Elena Bazhenova Prince’s Tutor Soslan Kulaev Joker Vladislav Shumakov Rothbart Roman Belyakov Prince’s friends Renata Shakirova / Yekaterina Ivannikova / Ernest Latypov Sygnets Yana Selina / Svetlana Ivanova / Tamara Gimadieva / Anastasia Lukina Big Swans Viktoria Brileva / Diana Smirnova / Zlata Yalinich / Yulianna Chereshkevich 2 swans Yana Selina / Nadezhda Batoeva Spanish dance Yulia Kobzar – Maria Shevyakova / Andrey Solovyov – Alexander Beloborodov Neapolitan Dance Anna Lavrinenko / Alexey Nedviga Hungarian dance Olga Belik / Boris Zhurilov Mazurka Xenia Dubrovina-Elena Androsova- Maria Lebedeva- Zlata Yalinich / Eldar Yangirov- Nail Yenikeyev- Vadim Belyaev – Alexander Romanchikov

Thanks for the review. I wanted to see how Sarasota Ballet would dance Jewels but getting ready to leave for a weeklong trip I just couldn't see fitting a Sarasota trip in right before leaving. So glad to hear about casting, the promotions, and that they did a great job! I have enjoyed various performances by them and have tickets for the Two Pigeons show later in the season!

If your friend has never seen the historic Mariinsky Theatre in person she should hold out and see if the Mariinsky announces performances in that theatre. Drew above says that there is nothing listed yet for May in the historic theatre (just in the modern M-2 theatre), and I am sure something will play at the historic theatre (just isn't listed yet), although sometimes it is an opera. One of the Russian operas (rarely played in the West) would also be a good choice in the historic theatre, if no ballet gets listed, but I think she should wait and see what is listed. The historic Mariinsky Theatre is so beautiful with a warm, soft glow. The Hermitage, as Buddy says, is very small. I would be surprised if they could get more than 10 corps dancers on stage for the swan corps, but I could be wrong (maybe the stage is larger than I remember). Compare that with the Mariinsky's Swan Lake where 32 swans fit easily. It is fun to sit in the Hermitage Theatre and see a show, but the artistry is not the same level as the Mariinsky. I am not sure she will have really seen a true Swan Lake if she only saw it at the Hermitage. I think many of the dancers would be Vaganova, but they might be ones that could not make a better company and they will also be limited in what they can do on such a small stage. The only reason I would go see a Swan Lake at the Hermitage is to see how they manage it (how many swans they put on the stage, etc). I would definitely choose Mariinsky (old, historic theatre) if it were my first visit. Of course, I am an opera lover also, so whatever they play there I would go see. Every time I enter that theatre I can't believe I am there. It never loses its "wow" factor for me. Also, she could check the Mikhailovsky's schedule. Maybe a full length is playing there, and I think most of their dancers are Vaganova trained and the stage is a decent size compared to the Hermitage. It is also a pretty theatre, although not as gorgeous as the Mariinsky, in my opinion.

I remember being a child way under 12 and going to the drive in movies to see those old Billy Jack movies with my parents!!! Full frontal nudity, cursing, violence, etc! My parents hid nothing from us. I also watched Looking for Mr. Goodbar in 6th grade and immediately read the book. Art (even those questionable examples of art...LOL) do not harm kids. I was allowed to curse if I dropped a plate and broke it. Curse words were just a way to express yourself. As a result all the kids around me cursed like sailors in middle school while I never did and they did not believe I was allowed to curse at home. I had no need to curse because I could. In fact, Western Europeans are brought up with nude sculptures in their churches and even totally nude people lying out near rivers. They can drink wine or beer, etc. The irony is that strict taboos cause kids to want to break the rules. I was raised by fairly hippie parents (despite my dad being a navy man) so I look and act like a very goody goody conservative but my mind is ultra liberal due to my upbringing. My point is: I can't even imagine enforcing these age things in ballet. Ridiculous. However, I do believe children should behave when at the ballet or movie, etc. My Japanese mother would make us pay in spades if we misbehaved in public. If she gave us "that look" we knew we were in for it!!!

Glad others feel the same way! They seem like the work horses of the company. I think I like Novikova's dancing the best of the three, but I have a soft spot for Kolegova because of her incredible beauty.