Natalia

Ya think so, Captain Obvious? KarenAG, I hope that you make it this time. Who would have thought that a 2nd chance would come this quickly? Yay!

I'll be there tomorrow night for GISELLE w/ Sarah/Herman/Christine. Even splurging on a hotel, rather than taking late-late bus! I have the most patient & understanding employer in the planet, LOL. And I'll be back on another bus for SAB Workshop on the weekend. I think I'm addicted to ballet.

Doing all in my power to be there.

I hear you, Birdsall. Incredible that I may be missing my long-time favorite company for two years in a row, unless a cast led by my faves is announced before I purchase tix. This past season I stayed away because I absolutely loath LHH, no matter who is cast in it. BAYADERE is a great ballet on all levels but the principal casting can make a huge difference on whether I go or stay home with my memories & DVDs of the best. The one positive that can be counted on: the corps de ballet of "Shades." By the way, can anyone confirm (or not) that this is the last (or penultimate) visit by the Mariinsky Ballet to the KC, under the current agreement? The first agreement was for 10 years, beginning 2001/02 season (starting with the new-old BEAUTY). I've lost count of the # of years on the current agreement & where we stand.

Although the principal casting for the KennCen run of BAYADERE has yet to be announced, we get a good idea of likely casts by noting the dancers assigned to the August London tour and the two White Nights performances back home. The lists below indicate casting in the following order: Nikiya/Solor/Gamzatti. In St Petersburg/White Nights: July 13 - Chebykina/Askerov/Osmolkina July 14 - Skorik/Kim/Batoeva In London/ROH tour: Aug 10 - Skorik/Kim/Batoeva Aug 11 - Tereshkina/Schklyarov/Osmolkina Aug 12 mat - Chebykina/Askerov/Evseyeva Aug 12 eve - Kondaurova/Ermakov/A. Matvienko I'm very excited about the prospect of seeing Kim Kimin's Solor live...but it appears that his regular Nikiya is Skorik. Tereshkina with Schklyarov & Osmolkina would be heavenly...if Schklyarov would be free of his duties as a Principal w/ Bavarian Ballet-Munich during the fall. I'm not sure if his current contract with Munich includes the 2017/18 season.

KarenAG, so sorry to read what happened. I'm sure you'll have another chance to catch Sarah's Giselle in the future. Traveling just to see a ballet is always a gamble on so many fronts, such as missing flight connects, casting changes, bus or train delays (esp in winter).

Thanks. Too bad. Other than his Black Swan pdd at the 40th-Anniv gala, I haven't been able to catch Sarabia in anything of consequence. Same thing happened when he was w/ Miami, ie, many injuries & I rarely saw him whenever I visited. Saw him only as Von Rothbart in Balanchine SL. Maybe 2017/2018 will be the lucky season for Sarabia?

Sad. I've noticed this season - not just the current run - that she's one of several "Septime's veterans" being under-utilized in the current season. Also odd that Rolando Sarabia, new to the company this season, was totally absent from the playbills of not only the current program but also the March mixed bill at the Harman Theater (InCreases, etc.). Maybe he danced in the April programs, which I missed?

American first-year corps member Emerson Moose has posted a few from-the-wings pics on his Instagram. Tonight is the annual year-end graduation performance of KIrov Academy here in DC. I was wondering how Emerson was faring, as he was, for seemingly many years, the male star of these grad performances. So I've poked around the web & found this. So nice!

"That's what really took me over the edge!" also works...but it's even longer. The simple word "culmination" does not really express what's meant by colmo, as you know.

Sorry, YouOverThere, but gender has nothing to do with this turkey, as the pointes are barely noticeable, as the astronaut moves across the moon in sumo stance...flat feet, legs apart, occasionally shaking her upper torso as if about to fall, There was more pointe work from Bottom the Donkey in THE DREAM! I am so disappointed. For a beautiful evocation of people in outer space, watch Ashton's sublime MONOTONES II. I almost expected FRONTIER to show a sort of expanded MONOTONES, with beautiful pure dance to the beautiful score...and it is a beautiful score.

Just out of the opening night of this program. I'm so tired so will report only the basics: - The best ballet, by far, came last: Ashton's THE DREAM was lovingly performed. A real joy after two extraordinarily dreary ballets...especially the horrendously dull FRONTIER. - "BRAVI!" to three magnificent leading soloists in DREAM: adorable, fleet footed Maki Onuki as Titania; ever-handsome, boldly-moving Brooklyn Mack as Oberon; and my grand star of the night: high-flying bundle of charisma Andile Ndlovu as Puck!!! Kudos, too, to Daniel Roberge as Bottom, particularly his passages on pointe. Crisp, beautiful corps! Gorgeous traditional designs by David Walker, well lit. Overall, THE DREAM was a winner. - The middle work of the night, Tudor's usually-touching JARDIN AUX LILAS, suffered from poor dark lighting and lackadaisical acting. This ballet so depends on well-enunciated gestures, looks, etc. As Caroline, Eunwon Lee displayed lovely arms. Maybe I've been spoiled by so many great casts in the past at ABT, NYTB & elsewhere. - The night began with the big world premiere in honor of JFK's 100th b'day, FRONTIER, which I can best describe as a light show with movement and a bit of choreography. (Chor. Ethan Stiefel) - The production values - mostly cool lighting effects and a bubble space capsule - were fine for the story of a young female astronaut's assignment in space. Nothing really happens; she goes to space & back. Sarah Steele jumped and jerked around...had a nice lyrical adagio with her husband (always elegant Gian Carlo Perez) prior to blast-off but not much else. - The opening scene for a corps of astronaut trainees featured some marching in place/aerobics moves/jumping jacks. It was odd to see company principals in this...waste of talent. - The saving grace was the gorgeous lyrical score by Adam Crystal (think Glass or Adams). As Balanchine said, we can close our eyes and listen to the music! - Wish I had more to applaud...mostly a real bomb. My bet is that Stiefel had little to do with the total planning process...probably was handed the pretty score & told the theme...but there's only so much he can do with dancers in (mostly) space suits or jumpers. I've read good things about Stiefel's past work and am willing to give him a second chance. This time: YAWN! ps - Early publicity on the work hinted at some zip-line or "Foy" flight by the main character but she stayed earthbound. Maybe there were tech glitches & the "Foy Flight" was cancelled? It would have livened things up.

I agree, Cubanmiamiboy. Oh, those Grigorovich candelabri! The orig NUT was by Ivanov, not Petipa...but I know that YOU know that. It's a common mistake/typo.

Didn't NYCB perform "Bournonville Diverts" (about 25 mins), along with SYLPHIDE? No complaints about WHIPPED lasting 70 minutes of performance, as it's such a rich, fulfilling work. One minute more & we'll explode of gluttony! I'm also wondering if ABT plans to perform HARLEQUINADE as a stand-alone work? NYCB also uses the full 2-act Drigo score but still adds another work to the evening...often times, THE CONCERT. At its premiere in the Hermitage (Winter Palace of St. P), HARLEQUINADE was performed alone.

What a shame that the Petipa "International Stars" gala & Petipa 3ple bill (Ratmansky/Burlaka/Vikharev recons) won't be "cinemascast." However, that doesn't mean that they won't be shown on Russian TV, within Russia (as was last year's "Ave Maya" gala). In other words, let's keep our eyes & ears open for that.

Just announced today (5/25/17). Thanks to Vaganova Today blog, a short piece listing highlights, including nights in honor of Petipa: http://www.vaganovatoday.com/bolshoi-announces-2017-2018

As reported on the Bolshoi forum, the 2017/2018 season was just announced. It will include an evening devoted to Petipa, with three reconstructed one-act ballets, one each by Burlaka, Ratmansky & Vikharev (summer 2018). How amazing to see this "collaboration" by three of the very greatest Petipa "reconstructionists" ever! (Russian-lang. media provides exact dates of this "Grand Petipa" 3ple bill: July 6, 7 & 8, 2018.) Note, thanks to Vaganova Today blog: http://www.vaganovatoday.com/bolshoi-announces-2017-2018 Link to Bolshoi's site: http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/about/press/articles/confirence/plans-242-season/ There'll also be gala concerts @ the Bolshoi in honor of Petipa's birthday. Details to come. (Russian media adds: May 31-June 1, 2018) It's going to be hard choose where to go, LOL! Any "Petipa Tours" being organized, featuring Russia?

Right, Drew. The music for specific numbers, such as Tea & her entourage, goes on too long. But what to cut? In total (minus the intermission), the ballet clocks in at only 70 minutes. Cut one dance and it barely qualifies as a "full evening" work. Ratmansky uses every bit of the music, exactly in the order intended. It absolutely helped that I familiarized myself with the score ahead of time, by listening to the Japanese CD two dozen times. So much of it seemed undanceable before I saw the ballet but Ratmansky worked wonders. Moving on to GISELLE tonight, including the big three local debuts in the title role...Copeland, Lane & Murphy...one after the other, beginning tomorrow night. Looking forward to reading all reports on a separate GISELLE thread.

You hit the nail on the head, Drew! That's exactly what I wrote in one of my reports from Costa Mesa last March...that WHIPPED CREAM is, for me, a huge tribute to Petipa (also cited by Ratmansky in that interview), in the patterns of the corps, the coy compositions of clusters of dancers, the innocence and childlike 'love' that it evokes, the Tsarist-era-like visuals. Fit for a Tsar! No "El Cheapo"! Instead - "El Generoso"!!!

The first of the above two links includes a preview of all production aspects of FRONTIER (chor, designs, music). Scroll all the way down for a short film featuring dancers in rehearsal and thoughts from Stiefel...sporting quite a dapper mustache! Again, the link (as above): https://www.washingtonballet.org/performance/2016-2017-season/tudor-ashton-world-premiere a different taste test (a pdd in rehearsal): Lastly, a short discussion with Julie Kent & Ethan Steifel, courtesy of WTOP:

The troupe's final public program of the season begins tomorrow @ the KennCen. Included will be the World Premiere of Ethan Stiefel's FRONTIER. https://www.washingtonballet.org/performance/2016-2017-season/tudor-ashton-world-premiere As mentioned in another thread, FRONTIER will be presented for free this Saturday afternoon, as part of the JFK 100th Birthday Open House. No tickets required; first-come, first-served at the Opera House. Show begins at 3:15pm. http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/specialevents/openhouse Note that the free show does not include the Tudor & Ashton works...just the Stiefel but that's still nice. Enjoy.

I agree, Helene. Poor choice of words. The intention was to show that the old traditionalists are no longer "hip" or "with it" enough to qualify for the new Ballet Across America or the Lincoln Center Hall of Fame. Will correct above!

Isn't that grand? Of course, we'll be dodging the skateboarders and covering our ears on the way to the free ballet but it's free ballet!

Related to this discussion, DC TV stations are running ads to publicize the Kennedy Center's "JFK 100th Birthday Open House" on May 27 (this Saturday). ALL of the footage is of hip/hop musicians, rappers and skateboarders on the plaza. There's not one second of footage of anything traditionally classical. Yet, I see on the schedule that the Washington Ballet will hold an open rehearsal at 1:30pm, then perform Stiefel's new ballet FRONTIER (for free?) at 3:15pm in the Opera House venue. http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/specialevents/openhouse