Marga

The Myrtas continued Simone Messmer With nicely turned-out bourrées, much, much slower than Gillian Murphy’s (the new hallmark), Simone made her entrance in her debut as Myrta. Her reverential bend to the ground (while quite beautiful) was softer than the other Myrtas’ had been, and lingered a fraction longer. The arabesques in promenade were secure, the steps following accomplished, but Messmer did not stage enough of a foreboding environment. Her severity increased as Act II continued, and by the time Hilarion (Isaac Stappas) was brought before her, she was a match for his Act I arrogance. He was dispensed with and Count Albrecht (Marcelo Gomes) brought in without delay. The Count’s complex personality was more of a test for Myrta, who adopted a determined stance in order to deal with him. Messmer commanded, Gomes complied, but with a flair, even in his despair, that took all attention off the Queen of the Wilis. Melanie Hamrick as Moyna turned in another lovely performance and the debut of picked-from-the-corps Leann Underwood as Zulma was well-noted. It’s nice to see young talent given such opportunities so early in their ABT careers, but I think I would prefer to see a corps member who’s been giving her all for years get such a break. Underwood did do a beautiful job – she’s a beautiful dancer – and it was nice to get a better look at her, nonetheless. Michele Wiles Michele Wiles is an enigma to me. I’ve seen her do spectacular things since she was in her early 20’s. She is superbly trained and her career soared in an enviable flight path, the perfect dream of young ballerina hopefuls everywhere. Yet, in certain ballets, she just leaves me wondering why I was not more impressed with her prodigious talents. As Myrta, she has no opportunity to hold endless balances, turn phenomenal pirouettes, or even to move fast. In fact, her chance to really move during her opening bourrées was not optimally used, and her feet were relatively slow. (Of course, by the time I saw her Myrta, I was measuring opening bourrées against the incomparable Gillian Murphy’s.) Even her pointe shoes didn’t seem to be right for her beautifully shaped feet (I know her feet and these shoes made them look like someone else’s), and their trademark color pink was too jarring for this white act. I also wanted to see more turnout in her bourrées, more heel-to-heel action. Taken by itself, Wiles’s performance was outstanding. Her strength of technique, flying jetés, rocket-straight jumps, and effortless turns carry her through the role, but hers is a frigid Myrta who seems to be off in her own world as she goes through the motions her character makes, movements that must be second nature to her by now. I wish I had more illuminating things to say about her performance. I spoke of her moving fingers in the Myrta roundtable, and that was a curious thing. It occurred as she stood to the side with Moyna and Zulma, and because of my end of the front-row seat on the same side, I could see her almost vibrating fingers close up. It seemed involuntary, but one could read plot-led motivation into it, if one wanted to conjecture. At least, it made for an interesting thing to watch. Isabella Boylston danced Moyna with such polish and richness of movement she reminded me of a chilled Bavarian cream – cold, smooth, and refreshing. Cold as a Wili should be, but with a creamy smooth delivery of dévelopés and arabesques, and a refreshing new dimension to Moyna that I had not seen before. Isabella gives Moyna’s choreography a nudge as she holds a balance longer, step piques more sharply into a high arabesque and lets her leg continue to rise, flies high and covers space voraciously in her glissades assemblés, fairly spins in arabesque, and piqué-turns down a diagonal with high-passéd rapidity. Zhong-Jing Fang’s Zulma was an attractive cohort with beautiful renversés, but I have to admit I was distracted by revisiting Isabella’s performance in my mind while I was watching Fang. Veronika Part Be still my heart! We’re not supposed to fall in love with Myrta! How can we not, however, when she is one of the most beautiful creatures that ever walked the earth? She is the coldest Queen of the Wilis of the four Ottawa Myrtas – imagine, even the city presented a proper setting of chilling, shivering temperatures -- but you warm up to her immediately. Does that make any sense? She was Marcelo’s match for charisma, sheer gorgeousness, inducing you to watch her every move. Her prey – Hilarion Gennadi Saveliev and Count Jose Manuel Carreno. They didn’t have a chance in her hell. Xiomara Reyes should have been putty in her hands, but proved to be a capable redeemer for her Count, love winning over torment. Veronika Part (who is Estonian on her father’s side, thereby sharing a nationality with me, making me doubly proud) is an open dancer with a meticulous Kirov technique. Years in the States, and dare I say, years as a soloist, have enhanced her performance skills by stretching her abilities in all directions. She has been ably challenged with modern choreography, in which she excels, as well as classical warhorses which have given her some battle scars but which have also brought to the fore her strengths and many virtues. She’ll be cast as the star in one ballet and demoted to co-soloist the next. By the time she’s made principal (Kevin, do you hear us?) she will have earned her rank through blood, sweat, and tears. She talked about leaving ABT last year. I surely hope she has incentive to stay beyond this season’s contract. Everything Myrta is choreographed to dance, Part takes to a new level. Her jetés are long, gliding, space-eating leaps, carried by the wind like paper airplanes. Her développé à la seconde is lifted with the steadiness of a hand-held helium balloon slowly allowed to rise by releasing its string in increments with utmost care against the pull of the earth. Her downstage jetés in attitude come right at you as they reassert her ownership of the space. Part successfully tempers her frostiness with velvety arms and épaulement. Lovely things happen in her upper body that do not detract from her pitiless posture nor mitigate her intensity. Part brings passion to Myrta in the form of cold obsession. Not everyone could pull this off and still appear menacing. It’s part superb training, part the voluptuousness of her curvy body, part Part. This Wili’s rebuke to the pleading Giselle is to haul her Count over the coals. Were it not for the mystical strength of love equal to Myrta’s own supernatural power and the chiming of the four o’clock bells, Count Albrecht would have been doomed at her hands. All that’s left to say is Brava! Simone Messmer’s Moyna showed that she was still wearing the previous evening’s mantle of Myrta, and she carried off the sequences of steps in her variation with a vivid frostiness. Yuriko Kajiya danced an engaging Zulma, being so physically suited to the part. With an introductory développé exhibiting her lovely line, a floating renversé in her variation, she looked lovely. Coming up: Peasant Pas de Deux

The Myrtas Gillian Murphy (February 26th, 2009, 8 pm. Thursday evening) (Moyna: Melanie Hamrick; Zulma: Kristi Boone) Simone Messmer (February 27th, 2009, 8 pm Friday evening) (Moyna: Melanie Hamrick; Zulma: Leann Underwood) Michelle Wiles (February 28th, 2009, 2 pm Saturday matinée) (Moyna: Isabella Boylston; Zulma: Zhong-Jing Fang) Veronika Part (February 28th, 2009, 8 pm Saturday evening) (Moyna: Simone Messmer; Zulma: Yuriko Kajiya) Gillian Murphy With menacing music to set the mood, the curtain opens on a clearing in the middle of a forest. There is a lake in the distance. Huge, dark trees surround the glade. It is close to midnight and an indigo aura is suspended over the woodland. A disturbing mist rises from the hallowed ground. Hilarion is down on one knee fashioning a cross for Giselle’s grave. All of a sudden, a gossamer apparition scurries across the far side of the clearing. Massive strobe light flashes illume the atmosphere. Another wraith, and then another, flutters across the space. Hilarion, after planting the finished cross, runs into the woods. Out of the blue haze, a veiled phantasm bourrées diagonally across the clearing with a fleet-footed swiftness that can only be compared to the blur of a hummingbird’s wings. Who IS that masked Wili?!!? Gillian Murphy reenters after doffing her veil, to begin Myrta’s arabesques in promenade to penché, one sequence on each leg. Then, she starts her ritual of claiming the glade for the night. Murphy’s assured arabesque hops, her mime calling for the Wilis to rise from their graves, her grands jetés, entrechats, entrelacés, step piqué turns, were well, if perfunctorily, performed, with authority and a straightforward approach. The only thing that tainted her incredible initial effect was the clunky sound of her pointe shoes in the slow bourrées which followed the opening diagonal. I couldn’t believe it was the same dancer who had soundlessly sped over the same ground just seconds before. (In fact, I had to ask a dancer backstage the next evening if it had, indeed, been Gillian. Doesn’t she wear Gaynor Mindens?) Part of the noise factor was due to my seat being in the first row, just an orchestra pit away from the stage, and the softness of the music. When the Wilis came onstage and began their dance, the clatter of their feet also belied their diaphanous appearance. Gillian Murphy’s Myrta qualities can be described as somewhat remote, insular, and arctic cold. Although the character might warrant such a portrayal, Murphy did not leave me with the impression that here was an outstanding Myrta. (I had to wait until Veronika Part’s Myrta to feel that way.) Murphy's jetés in attitude, croisé each side, seemed a little jerky to me but they had great height and maybe that's why -- perhaps the atmospheric winds up there pushed her around. Melanie Hamrick’s Moyna was beautifully danced, with lilting sautés and delicate, expressive arms. Her piqué to arabesque was sharp and precise every time. Kristi Boone, with her longer limbs, provided an expansive contrast. Lovely, floating arms and sustained hold on her renversés, those attitude turns where you leave your head behind, bending it towards the audience as you turn. The corps de ballet was, for the most part, a cohesive unit. However, in the Wilis’ famed crossing (as well as in the Act I village girls’ always exciting long rotating line, the Count at one end, Giselle at the other) there was one head toward the back of the pack bobbing out of sync with the others, always a fraction of a second behind. When it came time to dance the men to death, Murphy’s Myrta hardened even more, carrying her stiffness into her back. She proved an immovable force, but was not all that interesting to watch, much is the pity. Her major dancing work is done and she must now wow us with her acting. There wasn’t anything distinctive in it, no unique touch. So, I only have one memorable Myrta moment to share with you, the Act I opening bourrées. They were so spectacular that I expected something to match them in Act II. I have an orchestra moment, though. Two of them, in fact, both occurring in the same performance, the first one, on Thursday. 1) As the first violinist guides his bow to draw out the plaintive strains which accompany Count Albrecht’s steps toward the grave, his very first tone is off and he has to slide up to the correct note. The result is truly a mournful cry! 2) Later on, and I no longer remember where in the ballet, a brass instrument blatantly honks out a sour note. Poor guy, but so funny! Next to come: Simone Messmer

I forgot to ask her!

Saturday, February 28th, 2 pm (matinée) continued: Jared Matthews is another of my favorite dancers. I have known him since he was 16 years old and was invited to dance Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake with my children's ballet school. Less than 2 years later he was back to perform Hilarion with the school’s company, Canadian Ballet Theatre. He spoke to me then of learning the part from Victor Barbee as well as Ethan Brown, and he was very excited to perform it, having been inspired by Barbee's coaching. His rival Count Albrecht in that production was the National Ballet of Cuba's Oscar Torrado, his Giselle, Laura Hormigon (also National Ballet of Cuba). Last Saturday was his debut as Hilarion for American Ballet Theater, and he has changed some in the 6 year interim, but still comes through as the nicest Hilarion I’ve seen. The role was performed with everything done just right, but, alas, there were no memorable moments. Jared proved his mettle as a soloist, but where was the moxie of the character? An inconsequential prop malfunction was dealt with without missing a beat. At the point when Hilarion emerges from the hunter’s hut with Albrecht’s sword and horn, his stage business is to sling the horn (it’s on a cord) around his body so he can partially withdraw the sword from its sheath and reinsert it, showing the audience definitively what he has discovered. But the horn’s strap refused to drape over Matthew’s shoulder and head and he had to display the sword while still holding the horn. For a Hilarion debut that you want to go just right, this tiny difficulty, unnoticeable by 99% of the audience (or more – the theater seated 2500) can throw the dancer off his game a smidge. I’m hoping Jared just thought “Oh jeez!” and didn’t let it trouble him for even a second. Jared has occasionally gotten a lukewarm reception in the press (and on BT) since becoming soloist. He is a detail-oriented, hard-working dancer with strong technique and a personable onstage presence. Very good-looking to boot, and with excellent ballet physique, Jared's jumps are lofty, his arabesques eye-catching, his turns high, fast and straight. But even I have to say that he’s still working on developing pizazz. I’d like to see a bit of seasoning – and I don’t mean further brewing in the ABT cauldron. I’m talking about spice! Jared needs us to sit up and take notice of his many talents. Admittedly, living in Canada, I don’t get to New York often enough to see everything ABT presents. I missed Jared (and everyone) in “Brief Fling”, for example, and I haven’t seen his Espada (Don Q) or Head Wrangler (Rodeo). I wish I could remember more of his Hilarion. I recall funny things, like the way those knee-high boots made all the Hilarions plod in an inelegant, almost lumbering way when they first walked across the stage. (Check out “The Village Idiot”’s blog – link in an early post of mine in this thread – for a hilarious account of boot agony by a Giselle super.) I feel I owe Jared more of a review. Or does he owe us more to review? (Sorry, sweetie, I do love you.) Maria Bystrova was Bathilde to David Hallberg’s Count Albrecht and Maria Riccetto’s Giselle, and an imposing Bathilde she was. Her presence filled the stage, extending far beyond her regal garments. Her Russian training was substantiated by grand, sweeping gestures, a high tilt of her head, the coordination of her shoulders to all her movements (épaulement), even the iconic Vaganova style in which she held her fingers. The mime sequences were thus formulaic, but just what the doctor ordered for the way in which she portrayed the character. ABT has a valuable treasure of a character actress in her. Unfortunately, she seems destined to stay primarily a character dancer. She is still given soloist and corps roles to dance, but not often enough. Bystrova is very tall – around 5’10” ?– limiting her pas de deux opportunities, a sorry situation since classical ballet is her forté and she’s so pure in line and execution. I am eager to see her whenever possible in contemporary works where height doesn’t matter. I missed her forays last year – one can only afford so many tickets – but perhaps next season I’ll get to see her in more than the last line of a Petipa corps. I remember how amazing she was as a 15 year old at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, showing the potential for a corps-to-soloist-to-principal trajectory, and feel sad that she’s been in the corps for so long with others leap-frogging over her. Her Bathilde had an attitude of nose-in-the-air, high-born snobbery that made Count Albrecht look all the more like a privileged young man, barely out of his teens, who had not yet learned to be supercilious. He seemed light years away from attaining her level of haughtiness. All decked out and heavily made up, Bystrova looked about 40 years old (in reality, she and Hallberg are the same age), a veritable Mrs. Robinson to Hallberg’s boyish Count. She treated Giselle (Maria Riccetto) more like a capricious young girl than someone she could bond with, fiancée-to-fiancée. Instead of purposefully undoing her necklace and kindly reclasping it around Giselle’s neck (as did the other Bathildes), Bystrova’s Bathilde sorted through her many necklaces (to find perhaps her least favorite?) and practically flung the chain over Giselle’s head. When the revelation and ensuing mad scene occurred, Bathilde looked on as if she weren’t really a part of any of that nasty business, and with a rustle of her petticoats, turned heel, and -- head held high -- rushed away from it all, entourage in tow. edited to correct misinformation about who danced Albrecht and Giselle to Jared Matthew's first Hilarion. I got my Canadian Ballet Theatre Giselle productions mixed up!

I know that Isabella Boylston is competing for ABT!

Thank you all for spurring me on. It's satisfying to know my thoughts and observations are appreciated and awaited. I enjoyed these performances so very much and have had Giselle music running in my head ever since I left Ottawa -- and I don't want to make it stop. It helps me recall what I saw and I have always liked it. Funnily, yesterday, the radio (which I have on all day set to the classical station) suddenly played the music which accompanies the hunting party as they descend upon Giselle's garden. It surprised me, as if I was caught with my hand in the cookie jar ("they know what's going on in my head!"). Thanks, sz, for the correction. I amended the post.

Thursday, February 26th and Saturday, February 28th, 8 PM For both these performances I was seated too far away to see facial expressions very well. I did, however, rent binoculars for Saturday evening’s performance to which I scored a last minute ticket up in the amphitheatre, and used them frequently. So, I’m cobbling together the two performances by the same dancers in the roles of Giselle, Count Albrecht, Hilarion, Wilfred and Berthe (with different Bathildes, different Myrtas), with the same conductor, Ormsby Wilkins. Having seen the first two performances and with a ticket for only one more, I was aching to see Veronika Part, but was willing to forgo the experience until I spoke to Isabella Boylston after Friday evening’s performance. She told me she was dancing the Peasant pas de deux Saturday evening, so that clinched it. I was going to land a ticket if I had to rent a wheelchair and obtain wheelchair seating in order the see the show! Fortunately, Saturday morning there were still a few seats left (by evening the theatre was completely sold out) and I bought a 3rd row seat in the middle of what is essentially the second tier of the theatre (there are 3 tiers above the orchestra). I was happy I did, for Saturday night’s presentation had so many wonderful moments, the best being Isabella’s sparkling debut in the peasant PDD. Xiomara Reyes is eternally youthful and the spring in her jump is amazing. She won our hearts immediately as she vaulted onto the stage and performed her introductory circle of ballonées. I am not alone in saying that, when given a choice of which dancer to see in a role, Xiomara is not my first, or even my second or third choice. Therefore, it is a pleasant surprise to enjoy her interpretation of a major role when I am watching her. Conditioned to think she will display every emotion with a wide grin, it is refreshing to see that she does indeed have a more extensive vocabulary of expression. While her dévelopés a la seconde do not stun with ear-scratching reach like those of, say, Svetlana Zakharova (whose Giselle I never want to see), or Maria Riccetto’s, even, I honor their purity. (I’m quite sure today’s rising young ballet stars who crave the athleticism of their current ballet idols would give Xiomara a big thumbs-down.) Partnered with the reliable Jose Carreno, Reyes confidently carried out all of Giselle’s choreography and pathos as if she’s been doing it forever.….oh, wait. Still, there were standout moments. Memorable Reyes moment: Giselle’s famous Act II penché was elegantly developed in a molasses-slow rise of the cantilevered outer leg supported by the slow descent of a well-held upper body. Xiomara was so solid nothing could throw her off this tricky balance. It was one of the gems of her portrayal. Especially nice to see was the opening Giselle/Loys dance culminating in high, forward-moving jetés, back legs in attitude, done perfectly in unison with lovely abandon. In fact, together the two are a well-suited pair, in height, ethnicity (it does count – ballet is, after all, visual art), perhaps in training? They move as one and relate naturally. It is so easy to picture them as a couple and quite impossible to believe the same of Carreno with either of his Bathildes: Luciana Paris (with whom he dances a sensual Sinatra Suite -- but that's another ballet) or Kristi Boone. Jose Carreno, he of swash-buckling virility and balletic classicism, was an endearing Count and an actor of experience, who, nevertheless, has a more modest arsenal of communicative gestures and facial expressions than befits the role. He goes through the emotive paces – petal-discarding to assuage Giselle after her ominous plucking, hand to hip to draw the sword that isn’t there (although he provided the nice touch of lingering there, perhaps to cover for his mistake or to press his flesh in rebuke for slipping), forearm-to-forearm grip with the Prince of Courland to acknowledge their relationship – but somehow isn’t all that he could be. He is also showing his age in demanding jumps, landing with a thump followed by a laden leg-lift into plié arabesque rather than displaying the easy elevation of his younger co-Counts who rebound with a light, straight upward throw of the arabesque leg. I still love watching him. He is an irresistible lover of the sweet and safe variety. Of the three Counts who placed their fingers under Giselle’s chin to tilt it upward, his was the touch I wanted to feel myself. His expression so tender as he gazed into Giselle’s eyes while lifting her head, the look of love in his eyes so affectionate, would make any woman melt. Here’s an instance where his minimalism had intense impact. Reyes portrayed Giselle securely -- delicately when called for, insanely with fitting intensity in the mad scene, with steely determination fighting for her Count’s life in Act II -- and, being the ballerina she is, this is enough for the average audience. But when you watch ballet all the time, in person and on video, and are privileged to see dazzling moments amongst the regular ones, you kind of want to be surprised at each performance with something that's special from the principal dancers. Often, those moments come from a soloist or a corps de ballet member given a lead role, even a small one. But it’s normal to expect to see the top of the heap dancers do something unforgettable. It didn’t occur with either of the Reyes/Carreno attempts. I don’t want to sell them short, for they are formidable principals both, but this is American Ballet Theater. A triple-A rating for Carlos Lopez, Count Carreno’s Wilfred: Attentive, attractive, accomplished . More about Lopez when I discuss his peasant pas de deux. A few words about Susan Jones’s Berthe: wonderful, skillful miming. ABT ballet master Jones, diminutive and quite round in Berthe’s bulky costume, was in supreme command of her stage business and a no-nonsense mother to Giselle. Plaudits to her for the watchful heed of her daughter, her village-mother hen manner of keeping Giselle’s friends in check, and her emphatic shooing away of the peccant Count from Giselle’s body. Gennadi Saveliev, another dancer whom I don’t elect to see when there are other choices (I don’t know why – perhaps it’s just my thirst for someone newer), danced and acted Hilarion to perfection. Here’s a country boy who’s all guts and no glory. His is a love so deep that he was probably relieved to be danced to death in hopes it would reunite him with his beloved Giselle. Memorable Gennadi moments: 1. Act I: As he rushes to the expired Giselle’s side after the Count has been ousted from it, he not only kneels, removing his cap and pressing it to his chest (as all our Hilarions do), but he grabs Giselle’s leg and holds onto it tightly as his final and very poignant physical contact with the true love he has lost. 2. Act II: His Hilarion tying the cross together methodically and with great care demonstrates that this young man knows his way around knots and constructing things from branches. With each overlay and tightening of the rope, his anguish is palpable. He drives the cross into the soil of Giselle’s grave with finality, stepping back to check its security, and feeling the gravity of the moment. 3. Sensing the Wilis imminent invasion of the clearing, his spinning chainés are more a plaintive act of “take me” rather than the result of an unstoppable force against which he tries to fight. Luciana Paris’s Bathilde (Thursday evening) was exceedingly striking in appearance and her stride across stage was like a swan skimming the surface of a lake. She performed her role very, very well, and decided to use rage as the manifestation of her anger. It made for great contrast. Carreno’s Count was not one to exhibit fiery temper. Bathilde would have been the matriarch in their union. Kristi Boone’s Bathilde (Saturday evening) was regal and divine. She was every inch the noblewoman, but a benevolent one, who unclasped her gold necklace from her own neck (after consultation with her father) and fondly reclasped it around Giselle’s. Albrecht, when caught in his lie, acquiesced to her admonitions, but did not really seem to belong with her. All Myrtas, Moynas, Zulmas, and Peasant pas de deux will be discussed in posts dedicated only to them.

Forgive me for jumping around between performances. I thought I'd hold onto this review until I had finished the one for Saturday matinée, but reconsidered. Why should this be waiting in my computer when it's ready to go? I just finished writing it and am too fatigued to write anymore right now. I DO have a lot to say about all the performances and all the main dancers, even the Ottawa audience and venue, and if the interest is there I will continue posting. Thanks to all who have commented, made requests for roundtables, and PM'd. It means a lot to me and inspires me to keep going! I only wish I weren't the only one who was reviewing these performances. February 27th, Friday evening, 8 PM Marcelo Gomes is an astounding dancer, really. Not only does he have the perfect body, endowed with the most agreeable eye-pleasing proportions: legs with muscles creating superb contours, pliable and arched, shapely feet, long neck below a ruggedly handsome, expressive face, beautiful arms and hands, masculine chest and slim hips, but he’s got the technique that accentuates his gorgeous features and the acting skills that complete this package of perfection. Every move he makes is so compellingly watchable. Even when he’s just observing the center-stage action from the side, you are drawn to him. His portrayal of Count Albrecht/Loys was the one to see if you could see only one. With every nuance ideally rendered, he drew us into the story expression by expression as he acted and danced. His countenance and demeanor demonstrated aspects of playfulness, gentlemanliness, courtliness, nobility, dignity, whimsy, concern, tenderness, and true love – all befitting the story at just the right times. His dancing was unassailable. What a jump! What beats (only a split hair below those of David Hallberg, but that’s only because David’s feet will always win out )! What ballon! What port de bras! What lyricism! What an arabesque! What turns -- attitude, pirouettes, tours,...!!! You get the idea. Memorable Marcelo Act I moments: 1) As Loys, his tender rescue and protection of Giselle’s feelings during the daisy-plucking incident. All the Counts/Loyses performed this scene very well, but Marcelo’s stood out for its gentleness and warmth. It cemented our belief in his affection for Giselle. 2) His kind-hearted treatment of his friend Wilfred. Interacting with him, he shows the affection that good buddies have for each other, and, with his unique charisma, Count-Marcelo-as-Loys has a devoted ally in his Wilfred (Alexei Agoudine). 3) When confronted by Bathilde, his deceptive actions revealed, he reacts with confidence and acceptance, showing her respect and attending to her words, concurrently looking over to Giselle with the focus he had shown her when they were alone. He covered his bases, but not disingenuously. He really cared for both of them. 4) The fight between the Count and Hilarion. This is also a Memorable Isaac Moment. These two really had at it! The pushing, the shoving, the back and forth struggle! Count Marcelo is hurled to the ground and sent sliding backwards by Hilarion Isaac. Albrecht counters with equal forcefulness. Hilarion will not let up. Another push. Another counter-advance. The physical fervor of these opponents is a highlight of Act I! Memorable Marcelo Act II moments: 1) As Count Marcelo first appears on stage and moves toward Giselle’s grave, he is the epitome of grief. Placing his flowers on Giselle’s freshly mounded grave, he splays himself over the soil and begins to burrow into it, clawing the earth with his fingers, wanting so to be with her. You can almost see the tears crawling down his cheeks as his face is contorted in anguish and his body heaves with the weight of his sobbing. 2) From the first sign of Wili Giselle, Albrecht senses her essence with clarity. He follows the trail of her spirit as if on a mission. Everywhere he feels her presence, he runs with unbridled longing. Theirs is a union of a love so binding that they communicate mortal soul to immortal soul. This symbiosis was awe-inspiringly in heightened evidence in the Gomes/Herrera partnership. 3) At the end of his ultimate, grueling, Myrta-commanded dance, Count Marcelo collapses, as is choreographed, but then – BUT THEN! – his entire body bounces up, convulsing horizontally, before hitting the ground in complete exhaustion. An able foil to the Count, Isaac Stappas as Hilarion made the greatest impact of the 3 Hilarions I saw. Always “outspoken” in his dancing manner, he is one scary Hilarion. He really means business. It’s a good thing he was Marcelo’s rival, because the great Gomes can hold his own against anyone. Had David Hallberg been up against Stappas, he would have been driven into the ground, whimpering. As the tragedy of the deception unfolds, Stappas as Hilarion seems to almost feign being devastated while inwardly proud of being the orchestrator of the whole scenario. He glories in the disclosure, revels in the limelight. When the switch from Albrecht to Hilarion occurs at Giselle's side right after her death, Stappas's Hilarion seems to assume his grieving position as a matter of form -- perfunctorily -- instead of because he really loves Giselle and must be with her body. (This Hilarion interpretation contrasts directly with Gennadi Saveliev's the evening before and the evening after.) Stappas’ dancing is strong and accomplished, his acting vigorous, abrupt and well-prepared. In Act II, from the bullet-fast chainé turns across the stage as he is unfurled by the unseen power of the Wilis, to his death-dance of exciting high leaps -- his dynamic thrust in the final throes agonizingly fervent -- Stappas shows his determination to avoid his downfall. Caveat: If I seem exceptionally enthusiastic about Marcelo Gomes, it’s because I am. I first met him when he was 20 and in the corps at ABT. He danced Nutcracker with Anna Liceica for Canadian Ballet Theatre, the company of the ballet school where my daughter trained. He was already a stellar performer and an equally nice young man. Naturally, I follow his career closely. However, I am acquainted with many dancers from many companies, and I don’t praise anyone nor shower them with accolades if they don’t deserve them. If someone’s dancing doesn’t impress me, I don’t even mention that dancer in my review, however much I may like them as a person. My reviews are as objective as anyone else’s and obviously subjective, too, as ballet reviews tend to be for all critics writing them. Keep this in mind when I review Isabella Boylston’s brilliant performances. Review of this Friday evening performance will continue.

There will be no gala in Toronto this year.

I will start, not with the first performance I saw, but with the third, because I’m sure you are all keen to hear about Maria Riccetto’s debut as Giselle. February 28th, Saturday matinée, 2 PM With fantastic exuberance, Maria/Giselle bounded out of her cottage, the very picture of youthful energy. Her opening little dance was beautifully performed, with high, gliding grand jetés and a definite bounce in all her jumps. Especially graceful were Maria’s “pendulum” developpés front and back (my term – it’s where it looks like Giselle is a bell being swung back and forth, a particularly attractive movement, made all the more so by a high jump). Appropriately shy when she bumps into “Loys”, the flirting duet is carried out very well, both dancers being youthful and true, in this way, to the story. During an early sequence, with me hoping it wasn’t a portent, Maria slipped – just slightly – on flat foot, on a patch of stage near the cottage. It must have affected her, this being her debut and the misstep occurring so soon into the ballet. It makes a dancer feel a little unsure of her footing, especially when such a thing happens when you’re not even on pointe. David Hallberg’s Count Albrecht, from the outset, was assured and riveting – but always came across (to me, at least) as a boy performing a man’s role very well. Ironically, the Count is supposed to be young, but we expect the maturity of an older dancer to execute the role to perfection. David is certainly a striking figure, with his blond good looks, long perfect lines, and THOSE FEET! The technical aspects of the role were in his back pocket and he had no trouble with any of the choreography. It came naturally to him. He tried, of course, to act through all the emotions required of Albrecht, but came off more childlike when he wanted to convey shock, and reminded me of a deer caught in the headlights. Memorable Act I David moments: 1) that step where Albrecht repeatedly lunges to the side in plié dragging his extended right foot along the ground -- well, the point of his tendu is so exquisite that I’d be surprised if he didn’t carve a groove in the stage floor. 2) As Giselle has drawn her last breath and he rushes to her body, he attaches himself to her side so securely that Wilfred has to lift him off in one piece, with his legs still curled up under him, so reluctant is he to be moved. It’s the way a mother picks up an errant toddler who cannot stop a crying jag and refuses to extend his legs in order to stand. Maria, meanwhile, has her famous variation to do and she is dancing beautifully -- wonderful extensions, poses, and mannerisms. Then it's time for that diagonal. She runs to the corner to begin it. However, as soon as she takes her position for the diagonal hops on pointe, there is trouble on the horizon. She starts hopping, but her arms seem shaky and her face shows concern. She is not in the zone – not properly on her legs. After a dozen of so of the nearly 3 dozen requisite hops, she has to come down off pointe and pose prettily for the rest of the music. Poor Maria. My heart went out to her. For those in the audience, unless we know the choreography, nothing seemed amiss, but for the dancer, this is one of her proving-ground moments in Giselle. (A little aside about hops on pointe: you have to have a foot built for them in order to do them easily. A too-flexible foot has trouble supporting the weight of the body on, primarily, the big toe. Paloma Herrera, a case in point, does these hops very well, having had lots of experience with them, by angling her foot so that the stress does not fall on her extremely high instep or arch. She bends her foot and ankle to counterbalance the pressure point. Many dancers can hop on point with ease because the anatomy of their foot presents no problem. Some, even world-famous, dancers, find it quite difficult.) Maria has a long, not overly arched foot on pointe, so I suspect that the problem lay in her starting position, which is hard to amend mid-diagonal. You have to be in place from the outset, then the rest comes naturally. She never looked at ease during the hops she did do, her upper body was held tightly and her arms had no freedom of movement. Yet, she rallied and finished Act I with aplomb. In Act II, we had a new Maria Riccetto, who came alive (pardon the irony) with renewed inspiration. She was ‘da bomb! She passed every Giselle-as-Wili test with flying colors, from the opening whirligig to the the juicy developé to the airborne sauté arabesques. Maria’s pas de deux with David were extremely moving, each dancing so assuredly that it made one ache for the naïveté of young love. Maria/Giselle, having already gained some maturity as a rookie Wili, wafted over the stage with light, airy dancing to distract Myrta and later to "lift" an exhausted Albrecht through their final pas de deux just before daybreak. My only quibble would be with the elevation she did not achieve during the two-footed, arched-back soubresauts, as she sacrificed height of jump for beauty of form. (Or, she may have experienced a momentary drop in energy, which is completely understandable given the stamina requirements of being a Wili.) Giselle's final interaction with Albrecht before leaving him and falling backwards into her grave was poignantly and admirably performed by Riccetto. I give her Act II a big thumbs-up. David Hallberg’s Count reacted to the essence of his Giselle with hyper-sensitivity. His performance had just the right touch. Most memorable David moment in Act II? The unforgettable, most incredible entrechat sixes I’ve ever seen! It’s THE FEET! The height of his jump! His beats had the tight articulation of which every dancer, male or female, dreams. Even the shape of his legs while he’s doing the series of advancing beats – the way his muscles are defined – is breathtakingly exquisite! (This performance review will continue. To come: Jared Matthews’ Hilarion, Maria Bystrova’s Bathilde, Misty Copeland and Craig Salstein’s peasant PDD, Michele Wiles' Myrta, Isabella Boylston’s Moyna, etc.) edited March 8th to add material from my notes about Maria Riccetto's performance

Roundtable with 3 Bathildes Cast of characters: Bathildes: Luciana Paris Kristi Boone Maria Bystrova Bathilde Bystrova (her Count: David Hallberg): Why are we here? There is nothing to say about the situation. I am already bored. Bathilde Paris (her Count: Jose Carreno): I have to talk about it. I want to know what that peasant girl has that I don’t. Am I not beautiful? Do I not receive admiring glances wherever I go? Bathilde Boone (her Count: Marcelo Gomes [Thurs], Jose Carreno [sat eve]): Isn’t it obvious? She’s fresh, untouched fodder. No experience in womanly ways. My Albrecht is a sucker for innocence. Bathilde Bystrova: Let him have his little dalliance. I don’t care. It’s me he’ll come home to at night. As long as he remembers to wear his proper vestments when we are together, he can have his fun with the villagers. I want no part of that. Bathilde Paris: Maybe I should go and find myself an attractive village boy. Then Albrecht will see how it feels. I’m twice as lovely as Giselle. I’m young and I’m wealthy. Who could resist me? Bathilde Boone: I would never stoop so low. Don’t forget who you are. You have to show him the error of his ways. Bathilde Bystrova: I do not have to show him anything. He must learn it himself. I live within my class. He will grow up and see that it is what he must do, too. I will not help him. If it takes a few years, it takes a few years. I am finished here. None of this talk is interesting. I will take my leave of you. Bathilde Boone: Please stay a little longer. I must ask you something. Are you truly content? Did the tragedy of Giselle not trouble you at all? You seem so aloof and detached. Bathilde Bystrova: What good does it do to get involved emotionally? It will change nothing. So, you think I should be angry with Albrecht? I am not. That I should feel sorry for Giselle? I do not. Their little fling only annoyed me in that it disturbed the sequence of events planned for our noble union, but other than that….meh! That the girl died, well (waving her hand with dismissal)…..that’s too bad. She was not destined to have a long life anyway. If her heart didn’t do her in, her nerves would have. Bathilde Paris: She was a pretty young thing. But she had no experience with men like Albrecht. When she discovered there was no Loys, it was as if she had lost someone who never even existed. She began to come apart immediately. Very weak constitution. Bathilde Boone: That is one reason why my Albrecht loved her, I think. He is tenderhearted. He’d jump into the lake to save a drowning dog.

About the Bell Telephone video: The dancers spoke about this performance on another video -- or I may have read it -- that the lack of space in the tiny TV studio was very unnerving and the studio lights were blinding. They had to adjust all the choreography and modify well-rehearsed PDD on the spot. Indeed, you can see how, at times, the dancer has danced to within inches of the camera. So, I would not form a judgement of anyone's dancing based on the Bell Telephone Hour tape. I grew up watching Maria Tallchief. She was my favorite dancer right until she stopped dancing. Her performances were incredible. No one matched her speed in turns, her passion in ballets such as "Firebird", or her technical precision. She was a supremely musical dancer. She said (in "I Remember Balanchine", I believe) that, from the age of 19, when she started working with Balanchine day and night, he totally reshaped her body and changed her technique. He made her into the dancer that won the hearts of America, choreographing 32 ballet on her. Of course, she had appeal because she was part American Indian (also part Scottish and several other nationalities), and because she was the young wife of the genius balletmaster. But she deserved every bit of praise she got for her dancing. She WAS that good!

Before I start the detailed reviews, let me write out the cast lists for each day. I'll mark the ABT debuts in standout roles which I know about with an asterisk. If 'm not 100% sure I'll leave it unmarked. Please alert me to the debuts you know about. Thursday, February 26th, 8 PM ACT I Giselle -- Xiomara Reyes Count Albrecht -- Jose Carreno Wilfred -- Carlos Lopez Berthe, Giselle's mother -- Susan Jones Hilarion -- Gennadi Saveliev Prince of Courland -- Victor Barbee Bathilde -- Luciana Paris * Peasant Pas de Deux -- Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin * Court Ladies and Gentlemen -- Isadora Loyola, Elina Miettinen, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Sarah Smith, Gray Davis, Grant DeLong, Roddy Doble, Mikhail Ilyin, Vitali Krauchenka Giselle's Friends -- Gemma Bond, Marian Butler, Zhong-Jing Fang, Melanie Hamrick, Anne Milewski, Jacquelyn Reyes Villagers -- Eun Young Ahn, Kelley Boyd, Isabella Boylston, Nicola Curry, Caroline Duprot, Nicole Graniero, Amanda McGuigan, Elizabeth Mertz, Lauren Post, Jessica Saund, Mary Mills Thomas, Katherine Williams, Tobin Eason, Kenneth Easter, Alexandre Hammoudi, Blaine Hoven, Patrick Ogle, Arron Scott, Sean Stewart, Roman Zhurbin ACT II Myrta -- Gillian Murphy Moyna -- Melanie Hamrick Zulma -- Kristi Boone The Wilis -- Eun Young Ahn, Kelley Boyd, Marian Butler, Maria Bystrova, Caroline Duprot, Zhong-Jing Fang, Nicole Graniero, Isadora Loyola, Elizabeth Mertz, Simone Messmer, Anne Milewski, Renata Pavam, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, Leann Underwood, Katherine Williams Conductor -- Ormsby Wilkins ________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Friday, February 27th, 8 PM ACT I Giselle -- Paloma Herrera Count Albrecht -- Marcelo Gomes Wilfred -- Alexi Agoudine Berthe, Giselle's mother -- Maria Bystrova Hilarion -- Isaac Stappas Prince of Courland -- Roman Zhurbin Bathilde -- Kristi Boone Peasant Pas de Deux -- Yuriko Kajiya and Carlos Lopez Court Ladies and Gentlemen -- Elizabeth Mertz, Jacquelyn Reyes, Jessica Saund, Sarah Smith, Mary Mills Thomas, Gray Davis, Roddy Doble, Tobin Eason, Joseph Gorak, Joseph Phillips Giselle's Friends -- Gemma Bond, Isabella Boylston, Marian Butler, Zhong-Jing Fang, Jacquelyn Reyes, Leann Underwood Villagers -- Eun Young Ahn, Nicola Curry, Nicole Graniero, Isadora Loyola, Amanda McGuigan, Elina Miettinen, Luciana Paris, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, Katherine Williams, Grant DeLong, Jeffrey Golladay, Blaine Hoven, Mikhail Ilyin, Vitali Krauchenka, Daniel Mantei, Luis Ribagorda, Eric Tamm ACT II Myrta -- Simone Messmer * Moyna -- Melanie Hamrick Zulma -- Leann Underwood * The Wilis -- Eun Young Ahn, Gemma Bond, Isabella Boylston, Marian Butler, Nicola Curry, Caroline Duprot, Zhong-Jing Fang, Isadora Loyola, Amanda McGuigan, Elina Miettinen, Luciana Paris, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Jacqueline Reyes, Jessica Saund, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, Katherine Williams Conductor -- David LaMarche ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Saturday, February 28th, 2 PM ACT I Giselle -- Maria Riccetto * Count Albrecht -- David Hallberg Wilfred -- Luis Ribagorda Berthe, Giselle's mother -- Nancy Raffa Hilarion -- Jared Matthews * Prince of Courland -- Victor Barbee Bathilde -- Maria Bystrova Peasant Pas de Deux -- Misty Copeland and Craig Salstein Court Ladies and Gentlemen -- Isadora Loyola, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Sarah Smith, Katherine Williams, Grant DeLong, Vitali Krauchenka, Daniel Mantei, Joseph Phillips, Jose Sebastian Giselle's Friends -- Simone Messmer, Anne Milewski, Lucian Paris, Renata Pavam, Jacquelyn Reyes, Leann Underwood Villagers -- Eun Young Ahn, Gemma Bond, Kelley Boyd, Nicola Curry, Caroline Duprot, Melanie Hamrick, Amanda McGuigan, Elizabeth Mertz, Elina Miettinen, Lauren Post, Jessica Saund, Mary Mills Thomas, Alexei Agoudine, Gray Davis, Roddy Doble, Tobin Eason, Kenneth Easter, Alexandre Hammoudi, Mikhail Ilyin, Patrick Ogle, ACT II Myrta -- Michele Wiles Moyna -- Isabella Boylston * Zulma -- Zhong-Jing Fong The Wilis -- Eun Young Ahn, Kelley Boyd, Caroline Duprot, Nicole Graniero, Melanie Hamrick, Amanda McGuigan, Elizabeth Mertz, Simone Messmer, Elina Miettinen, Anne Milewski, Renata Pavam, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, Mary Mills Thomas, Leann Underwood, Katherine Williams Conductor -- David LaMarche ________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Saturday, February 28th, 8 PM ACT I Giselle -- Xiomara Reyes Count Albrecht -- Jose Carreno Wilfred -- Carlos Lopez Berthe, Giselle's mother -- Susan Jones Hilarion -- Gennadi Saveliev Prince of Courland -- Roman Zhurbin Bathilde -- Kristi Boone Peasant Pas de Deux -- Isabella Boylston * and Blaine Hoven Court Ladies and Gentlemen -- Eun Young Ahn, Elizabeth Mertz, Jessica Saund, Sarah Smith, Mary Mills Thomas, Gray Davis, Tobin Eason, Mikhail Ilyin, Jose Sebastian, Eric Tamm Giselle's Friends -- Gemma Bond, Melanie Hamrick, Anne Milewski, Lucian Paris, Renata Pavam, Jacquelyn Reyes Villagers -- Caroline Duprot, Zong-Jing Fang, Nicole Graniero, Isadora Loyola, Amanda McGuigan, Elina Miettinen, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teusher, Leann Underwood, Katherine Williams, Grant DeLong, Roddy Doble, Jeffrey Golladay, Vitali Krauchenka, Daniel Mantei, Joseph Phillips, Arron Scott, Sean Stewart ACT II Myrta -- Veronika Part Moyna -- Simone Messmer Zulma -- Yuriko Kajiya The Wilis -- Gemma Bond, Isabella Boylston, Maria Bystrova, Nicola Curry, Caroline Duprot, Nicole Graniero, Melanie Hamrick, Isadora Loyola, Elina Miettinen, Luciana Paris, Lauren Post, Kelley Potter, Jacqueline Reyes, Jessica Saund, Christine Shevchenko, Mary Mills Thomas, Leann Underwood, Katherine Williams Conductor -- Ormsby Wilkins

Roundtable with 4 Myrtas (I am using the spelling of the Ottawa program book, where both English and French are used. It was spelled Myrta in both languages.) Cast of characters: Myrtas: Gillian Murphy Simone Messmer Michele Wiles Veronika Part Myrta Part: I have called you all together for one reason and one reason only. We must become a unified front. Some of you are starting to stray from your resolve. Remember what our mission is! Myrta Messmer: I do remember. I’m trying to be all I’m supposed to be! It’s very hard to do, though. Sometimes I recall my softer side…but I always catch myself in time! Myrta Wiles: I know…. my mind wanders, too, and lets an old memory drift in, especially when I’m standing still while we’re in the middle of forcing a scoundrel to dance to his death. The only way I regain control is by letting the invasive thoughts out through my fingers. I face away from the action – I’m standing to the side anyway, so no one will notice – and, while my arms are crossed signaling no mercy, my fingertips wave the bad thoughts away. If I just keep my fingers moving I’m back to myself in no time. Myrta Murphy: That’s the silliest thing I ever heard! Where’s your willpower? We can’t waver, not for a second! Every move we make is purposeful. We stand tough, especially against our own thoughts. Myrta does not ruminate! If ever I feel an idea coming on, I become a zombie and go on automatic pilot! Myrta Part: I am not a zombie. I have a soul. I was once a beautiful woman who danced on the earth before being scorned. I died of a broken heart and turned into a Wili. I will never be scorned again. My movements intrigue as they connive. My allure is the magic that keeps our victims from running off into the forest. They know they are doomed as soon as they set foot in my glade. I rule that clearing! Every fiber of my essence permeates it. Myrta Messmer: We have so much to learn from you. Myrta Wiles: I am convinced that my way is just as valid. What about dharma? Must we completely abandon all concern for others? The men that we doom have an eternal life force, too. I find it best not to think about them while they are suffering. There is still a part of me that lives in the past. I admit I felt relief when the bells began to chime. Myrta Murphy: So, you pretend not to know what’s going on right behind your back. You are aware of what is happening, but you won’t look at it. We all face away, but me, I’m gloating the whole time. It feels good! Myrta Messmer: I steel myself during that stance and hope that that steeliness shows in my face. I’ve got to show Moyna and Zulma – they’re so young, especially Zulma! – who are standing right beside me, what I am made of. It’s about setting a good example. Myrta Part: It’s about one thing and one thing only: Power. I am Queen of the Wilis! I am perfect. There is no warmth in perfection. I have no concern for any suitor who stumbles into our realm. I have no feelings for Moyna or Zulma. My only goal is the death of every rogue who appears before me. Myrta Messmer: I believe I achieved this single-mindedness when it really counted, as Hilarion and then Albrecht came to Giselle’s grave. I felt the power. I will be stronger from the outset from now on. Be warned, the next man who enters here! Myrta Part: You were already aggressive at the beginning of the night they came. You hurled those fern branches into the woods with amazing velocity. What an arc they made! You dedicated the glade to its solitary purpose with a strong, defiant gesture. Myrta Wiles: But I saw you get soft in your first dance….there was a moment -- when you swooped low to the ground – that I glimpsed a yearning. It was as if you wanted to caress the earth one last time. Myrta Murphy: That’s right. I saw that, too! It’s almost as if you kissed the ground. Me, I feel no connection to my past life at all! I love being queen. The power surges through me like lightning – it makes me jump higher, change direction in the air with cutting clarity, explode forward in thrusting leaps. At the stroke of midnight, I feel let loose. I skim above the firmament with superpowered drive. I am home! Myrta Part: You have feet like hummingbird wings. Your bourrées are indeed supernatural. Now, back to work. I hear the rustle of an approaching swain.

I meant to post a link to a wonderful blog by one of the supernumeraries at Giselle, newsman Peter Simpson. He wrote 4 days of blogs for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper about his experience. He was one of the two men who walked across the stage in front of the arriving hunting party holding a pole bearing a freshly-killed boar. Our blogger did a great job in his role. "The Village Idiot" blog Be warned: you will howl with laughter! edited on June 7, 2009 to say that "The Village Idiot" blog is no longer at the above URL, as more current blog entries are there now, and I can't even find it in his list of blogs written in February....

I was lucky enough to see all 4 performances and am so enthralled! So many debuts, so many beautiful details. I just returned home from Ottawa, so will start writing my reviews tomorrow. However, I did write you a teaser. The different danseurs performing the major male roles each brought a unique characterization to the plot. I started to picture them talking to each other according to my interpretation of their embodiment of their part. Here is a roundtable with 3 Counts and 3 Hilarions, presented as a play : Roundtable with 3 Count Albrechts and 3 Hilarions Cast of characters: Albrechts: Jose Carreno Marcelo Gomes David Hallberg Hilarions: Gennadi Saveliev Isaac Stappas Jared Matthews Count Marcelo (his Hilarion: Isaac Stappas; his Bathilde: Kristi Boone): I am unable to speak. She meant everything to me. I want to crawl into her grave with her! Count Jose (his Hilarion: Gennadi Saveliev; his Bathilde: Luciana Paris on the 26th, Kristi Boone on the 28th): This is life. Sometimes everything goes right and life is beautiful. Sometimes really bad things happen. You accept your fate. Take it like a man. Count David (his Hilarion: Jared Matthews: his Bathilde: Maria Bystrova): But I’m just a boy! This wasn’t supposed to happen! One minute, we were having such a great time, the next…..! Hilarion Saveliev (Jose’s rival): No one loved her more than I did. She was my life, the object of my dreams. I thought about her day and night. I saw nothing but my Giselle! I wanted to grow old with her! And now she’s gone! Hilarion Stappas (Marcelo’s rival): Old! Don’t talk about old! First, you must make something of yourself. Look at all HE has just by being born: he’s a nobleman! He’s rich! He’s set for a life of comfort and luxury while I’m carrying around dead rodents looking for the next animal to kill. He has a sword just for fun and did you see his enormous cape? On top of that, he’s gorgeous and suave, has machismo to burn, and he’s even taller than I am! Why should he have her, too? It’s so unfair. Hilarion Matthews (David’s rival): We’re both about the same age, the Count and I. He’s basically a good guy, but Giselle was supposed to be my girlfriend. I couldn’t let the game go on, his charade. I had to nip it in the bud. It had to get serious or I knew I would lose her. Count David (wide-eyed): Bu-, bu-, but I’m just a kid! What game? We were dancing and flirting, like all kids do. Giselle’s a real sweetie. I didn’t mean anyone any harm. Have any of you seen my fiancée? She’s twice my age! I was just her boy-toy. She doesn’t love me. I thought for sure she’d let me have Giselle on the side. I was only marrying her because my parents were making me do it! Why couldn’t things just stay the same? Count Marcelo (quietly and seriously): Giselle and I were deeply in love. We couldn’t help it. Bathilde and I were once in love, too, but then along came this slip of a country girl and completely won my heart. I didn’t expect it, it just happened and when it did, I would’ve followed her anywhere. I was going to have a good talk with Bathilde to break our engagement, damn the consequences. No one was going to deny me my love. I can’t live without her! What am I to do? Count Jose: I understand, I truly do. She had that effect on me, too. Beguiling she was. Such a pure love we had, so simple. My Bathilde is a great lady, but, after being with Giselle I discovered I don’t need a Countess. I needed Giselle. She would have made me happy all my life. Ah, but it was not to be. Hilarion Stappas: Look here, man. You plan your fate, get it? You make it happen the way you want. It takes work. I had a wonderful plan and it was developing just as I envisioned it: I would reveal the Count’s deception and I would get the girl. Then together we would build a life of success and fortune. That little country house would soon be history. We would live in a manor and Giselle’s mother would look after our children because both of us would have to work if we were going to rise in stature. I’d have my own sword! And Giselle wouldn’t have to sew her own dresses anymore. Our marriage would be like a business venture, but dammit! that’s all over now. Giselle’s dying wasn’t part of my plan! Hilarion Matthews: Why, you callous, bitter man! Giselle could never have lived that kind of life. For one thing, her mother wouldn’t have let her, with her heart problems. She would have made sure she got her rest. And what children? With her heart, having kids could have killed her. You didn’t love her – you just wanted to use her to help build some kind of empire and have a bunch of children to show everyone what a man you are! I loved her for what she was, simple, caring and sweet. A life in the country suited both of us just fine. We would have been happy to the end of our days, if HE hadn’t come along. Why did he have to stop by our village? With his fine horse, he could have trotted on to the next one and found someone else to dally with. No, he had to turn the head of my Giselle! He could’ve had anyone he wanted. I’m starting to get really mad! Count David: Sorry, man. I didn’t know. I fell for her, though. Who wouldn't? She's something else. I was in (puppy) love! Hilarion Gennadi: You children! What do you know about love, about life? You’re still green behind the ears! You think it’s your birthright to always be looking for pleasure, for fun, for a cozy life. Get real. Life is hard and then you die. If you can find someone to share your journey then you will at least have love to see you through the hard times, for there will be hard times, mark my words. I found the great love of my life. I knew I would never love another like I loved her. I loved just looking at her, watching her as she danced. I loved everything she did and everything she said. It is my sorrow now that will accompany me on the journey through life. Count Marcelo: Yes, it is so for me, too.

Would you rather have them undanced in? Of what value is a pristine pair of just cobbled shoes to the ballet aficionado? Give me the shoes of a danseur, dyed-through-the-leather with the insides all torn up, shoes which have leapt higher than man should be able to go without any support or impetus besides the strength of his own muscles and the passion in his own heart. I want the shoes of an Albrecht who has beaten heel to heel together in battus countless times as Myrta compels him to continue jumping until his demise. Ah, and the shoes of Odile which have whipped out 32 fouettés and skimmed the floor with Odette's bourées, of Kitri after accompanying her into the stratosphere at the height of her grand jetés, of Giselle, after their tips have been pounded into the stage with almost 3 dozen hops on pointe or, as a Wili, after they've carried the heft of a dying Count through to sunrise. tutu, you're kidding, right? For the bargain hunter, those $150 shoes are a third less expensive if you buy them at the theater after a live performance. And that's for a principal dancer's shoes. Catch a rising star from the corps and buy his or her shoes for a bargain basement price! Don't forget, they're autographed and their sales support the ballet.

It is with gratitude and reverence that I remember Pearl Lang. She was an extraordinary dancer and an extraordinary teacher as well. My recollections of her begin in the 1960s at Adelphi University where she taught us in the summer. What a wonderful woman. I mourn her passing.

I just noticed this: ABT dancers' autographed shoes You choose the dancer you want from the entire company.

That is when each dancer is weighed on a scale in front of the other dancers, by the ballet mistress or master or AD, and the weight shown declared out loud for everyone to hear.

I can think of many more than just one to except (or are you just referring to the ballerinas as opposed to the soloists and corps members?). Despite lessons in nutrition and the saturation of public awareness in this area, far too many dancers still resort to the same old (harmful) methods of trying to keep weight off which get passed down generation to generation. New ideas are also invented and passed around in dressing rooms (for example, has anyone heard of eating toilet paper to attain a feeling of fullness? It's not only ballet students who do this.) Most dancers -- male and female (especially younger and newer dancers) -- still subscribe to the erroneous belief that "If only I were skinnier, etc....) I'd say this does not only exist to some degree, but to a major degree! Things are no better these days, with today's competition for spots in companies, than they were a decade or two ago. I only wish someone could prove me wrong.

This is such a tragedy! My heart goes out to her family and friends. I found the following touching tribute by her friend and former ballet school dance partner in the Phillipines: Mary Saludares tribute from friend

You'd be surprised at how dirty (in some cases, filthy) some tutus are, yes, even in professional companies. They get sweated in during each performance and get cleaned maybe once a season -- if at all. Sometimes the perspiration is so imbued in the material that it leaves a permanent stain. And then there's the altering -- the repositioning of hooks and eyes, the tightening strings and elastic shoulder straps; retacking the underpinning threads that connect the layers; the taking in under the arms or in the bodice, or the letting out of darts and folds -- to accommodate different dancers over the life of the costume. Some companies don't have a dedicated costume mistress or master, so there is not that fussy tutu person breathing down each dancer's neck, watching their every move in the tutu. Years ago, I had the privilege of steaming the wrinkles out of Anna Antonicheva's Act I Giselle romantic dress (the usual white with blue sash that most Giselles wear). After my utter amazement at the teensy-tiny size of the waist and bodice, I proceeded to try to put some life into the garment. The white part was gray with wear, the bottom edge of the dress frayed, the blue at the bodice more dusty than you could imagine. And was it ever wrinkled, having traveled from Moscow. That's why I was given the job of trying to revive it for its stage debut in Toronto. I worked and worked on it, did the best I could, but a lot of wrinkling still remained. I steamed that tutu almost up to curtain. In performance, MAGIC!....the drab romantic tutu I was worried about looked stunning! Fresh and lovely, with no gray overtones at all, it was absolutely beautiful.....and I was absolutely dumbfounded. Of course, Antonicheva's dancing made the tutu look lovely, but I also think that stage lighting doesn't get enough props.

Almost, except for the shape, bart. They are big round garment bags into which one or more tutus go. These do get folded (like tacos) because of traveling room contraints, but they should be laid flat as soon as one's destination is reached. Because of the fragility of the tutus, they should be carry-on luggage on airplanes. There is a large strap with which you can sling the bag over your shoulder. Most important is to get one that fits the tutu(s) (some have straps inside to keep the tutu from moving around) and aren't too large. You can imagine what sliding around inside the bag can do to the edges and underlayers. Tutus are precious cargo! Also, once donned, they should never be sat down in.

His brother's name is Ethan and, in one of the articles about him, he ties ballet in with cooking: Another article begins: Here's a link to an article about him, for those interested: Ethan Stowell, Christopher's brother It's funny how he is called a German-born (which he is) chef, because one tends to think of him, then, as a German or a European who happens to be working in America, given that info.