sz

>The work has a lot of energy, and there are lots of attractive bodies >dancing it, but my answer remains the same. To me, however

>accomplished, it's program filler.

High energy, running around with fast movements (for the most part). Costumes are pretty basic classroom style. Many dancers at NYCB refer to Fearful as a ballet dancer aerobics class.

I recently saw Alina Cojacaru dance at the Royal Ballet and was not distracted at all by her shoes. I was just glad she is still dancing so well.

I'll notice the feet/shoes at first, then very quickly care less as Alina's dancing is always so gorgeously in full bloom.

Cojocaru has severe bunions, the reason for the very wide box on her shoes.

Yes.... And Alina's foot size, length-wise, is also quite large for such a small dancer. I should have been clearer.... it's not just the width being large that can greatly excel a dancer with technique.

I've mentioned this before, but a dancer I've noticed that wears shoes with an EXTREMELY wide platform that makes her feet look very large (especially compared to the rest of her body) is Alina Cojocaru. I wonder if she has bunions that make her feet look larger, or whether she just prefers having an extremely wide, boxy platform. They look much wider than the shoes on Gillian Murphy:

Gillian is an average, tallish girl with average-sized feet (for her height). Alina is short/small with large feet. There's an advantage to having larger feet, eg, a solid base for balances and turns, and lots of push off for jumps, but the porportions can look odd at times. It is much harder to dance on small feet, esp in pointe shoes, when you are a tall, large, woman such as Veronika Part.

In the Midsummer casting -- Interesting that Jennie Somogyi is going into Hermia but not dancing Hippolyta..... Apparently, at this point in her return from the tendon injury, she is staying away from jumping and Hippolyta

Maybe Jennie's just staying away from the very slippery stage in Hippolyta, during which dry ice is let loose to wet and cloud the stage. It's terrifying for any dancer not alone one who just returned from a serious injury.

How does a dancer know when to leave a beloved role behind? Particularly a role that is - as Leigh expressed it - a custom-tailored suit.

Usually, your body and your respect for the role, the ballet, tell you it's time... before a director does.

The last time I looked, all the ABT principal dancers had sponsors listed in the program. Now will the ABT principal dancers all sponsor students?

Several former professional dancers, I'm friendly with, anonymously sponsor new ballet talents. My greatest respect goes to Stiefel as well for being able to do this publicly, and I hope it inspires others who would want to be involved in the future of ballet this way. It's very admirable.

Beautiful portrait of one of NYCB's brightest young dancers, Ana Sophia Scheller:

http://www.geneschiavone.com/gallery/Indiv...l-Dancers/ana_4

A lovely picture. Scheller's even more radiantly beautiful while smiling on stage, dancing up a storm.

Her recent performances in the pas de quatre of Peter Martin's Swan Lake were very impressive, both technically and in her style of giving it all without looking like she's killing herself for the audience. Such feminine warmth to her dancing style too. I hope Scheller will soon get a chance at some of the leads Bouder and Fairchild have taken on recently.

Sylve, Sylve and more Sylve!!! Oh boy! Must take a long, over due weekend trip to DC for this!

Diamonds with Peter Boal.

Romeo and Juliet with Peter Boal(!!!)

Elyse Borne was....was one of the orginal demis in Ballo della Regina and may be seen on the video of that ballet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That demi was her older sister, Bonita Borne.

>Who was that male dancer in Symphony with the incredible extension?!!!

In what movement? Demi or lead role?

I prefer the clap too, but it's not a make or break thing for me... Depends who is dancing the role. Raymonda, however, should not be dancing on top of the music, eg, too lightly. The clap, if well done, definitely adds paprika to her solo, and she becomes the music unlike any where else in the ballet.

I remember the house trembled a little when Monique Meunier danced the lead in Balanchine's Cortege at NYCB. A perfect role for her.... Such a long time ago... sigh... Monique just recently danced Dewdrop with SAB's Stamford, CT, performances.... She looked...not in shape... to be polite.

>>From your post to the Trocks' ear...

That would be so hilarious!!! I may send a note over there...

Oh my... Oh my... I'm going to need a very stiff martini before attending any of these performances.... But can't wait to see what Sylve does with Allegro(!).

...be sure to see Reichlen as Dewdrop!

I keep clicking on that SPF photo of her from the TIMES, I can't get over how lovely she looks...and then sz tells us her earlier jetee was even lovelier! Massive star quality!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's a brief but nice interview in "Time Out" this week of Tess by Gia.

Yes, definitely see Tess in Dewdrop too if you get the chance. There are lots of grande jetes!!! Who said she's not a turner???!!! You'll see plenty of Tess's beautifully calm, elegant turns in Dewdrop, as well as in Sugar Plum... This is a big girl who doesn't struggle with the usual technical difficulties of being a tall female dancer. Very unique. I can't wait to see what else Tess will be cast in soon...

I was very surprised, ok disappointed, not to see Tess cast again for the *plum* role this week, and the next week... Are they nuts (tee hee) over there??!!

Kowroski was listed for 12/15 but has since been replaced by Abi Stafford. Injuries to favorite dancers are the bane of ballet-going...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sylve also cancelled out of two Dewdrops the week prior. Tess Reichlen filled in.

With Swan Lake around the corner.... you know it's very likely that Kowroski and Sylve will be carrying the leads... and it is a much different preparation (marathon-style) rehearsal period for SL, White/Black Swan, than it would be for Nutcracker's leads. I suspect these ladies are dancing like crazy all day long, building up stamina and endurance for SL. Adding Nutcracker, well rehearsed, to that schedule just isn't possible... physically.

>...Paul Kolnick does a great job capturing the "compleat" Reichlen in this photo in the Times, especially with the detail gained when clicked to enlarge:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/13/arts/dance/13nutc.html

I was there!! Dunning's review of Tess Reichlen's Sugar Plum debut barely covers her astonishingly gorgeous dancing and physical presence, beauty. Whomever wrote that Tess has a Grace Kelly alure describes her well. Michael's review here is also without exaggeration. A stunning, stunning debut. She absolutely took my breath away many times. The audience had a similar response in gasping at Tess's entrance for the pas de deux, her technical accomplishments, and most of all her overall regal, cool (but not cold) elegant style with huge lines.

Paul's photo for the Times, btw, was Tess's second grande jete, to the left. Her first one, to the right, was the most beautiful, expansive, effortless, graciously wonderful grand jete I've ever seen!!! And especially so on a "big girl." One expects a short female to lift off well. But to see Tess's long limbs in such ease of execution, and fullness, was amazing. Her pirouettes in the Sugar Plum solo were also calm, smooth, balanced turns. No rushing, faking, nervousness for Tess. It absolutely amazes me that such a long-limbed, tall, young ballerina can move so well, so quickly and without the usual heaviness or loose-limbed weakness of taller females. I think Tess is either 5'8" or 5'9" -- not on pointe!!!. Again, a stunning debut for her! Brava!!!!!

What a let-down!  Like you, I sat through one hour of floral arranging and baking gingerbread dogs, hoping to glimpse some of Julie & Jose-Manuel's pas de deux. Instead, we only saw a half-second of five fairies (or unicorns?) cavorting, followed by a two-second  'reaction' shot of Pres. Bush as he paid very close attention to the ballet. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The fairies were Maria Bystrova, Kristi Boone, Zhong Zhing Fang, Sarah Lane, and Adriene Schulte. If you blinked you missed them trying not to bump into each other on a stage the size of a picnic table.

A repeat of the White House program is on HGTV tonight at 6pm.

a few more cast names:

clara - x. reyes

prince - h. cornejo

sugar plum and cavalier (as noted in photo) kent and carreno

arabian dance - e. cornejo & i. stappas

russian dancers included d. keane (+ others)

the characters also included fairies and unicorn but i have heard no more other dancer's names.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fairy at the front right, in pink, is Sarah Lane.

NYC Opera's gala opening this year, at which Paul Kellogg was honored, had lots of empty seats; a few days later, he announced his retirement. Maybe Peter will make everyone happy by following suit. 

Do you think if SYMPHONY IN C were on the programme instead of the silly & dated Robbins it would draw a bigger crowd?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For Sym in C with excellent casting (their other prob), sure, I'd think the house would sell far better than it currently has for Opus Jazz.

There is no comparison of NYCO to NYCB. NYCO hasn't had a strong place in the opera world for many, many years.

Fernando was my first ballet partner and my first beau, childhood sweetheart, while at SAB.

Those who knew him and/or ever had the pleasure of dancing with Fernando, will never forget how elegantly beautiful his style was. Fernando's regal, Cuban, princely, pride made his brilliant technique and lines of perfection so fascinating and heart wrenching to watch. Lines, lines, lines... Fernando could not make a bad one if he tried! His turns, beats, and jumps made your jaw drop to the floor. But we will most remember Fernando for his refinement and pure physical, classical beauty. He was born to be a ballet's cavalier!

>...for me, Act 2 is all about love. Love lost and found and lost again. If a

>Giselle can't make me feel that she loves Albrecht, that's it for me....

>Fracci doesn't convey love -- she acts like she's already a Wili.

>Giselle is not yet a Wili. She is still capable of love

Yes! Act 2 is the night Giselle is to be initiated as a Wili. She should not

already be one. The power of her love must radiate through the ethereal

facade. It's a rare accomplishment, but breathtaking when it happens.

Carla Fracci's Giselle was wonderful in Act 1 -- innocent, beautiful, dewy. But her Act 2 was IMO too cold, icy, and remote.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm in agreement with you re Fracci's Act 1, though I've only seen her on film. Fracci's Act 2 left me cold too.

Ferri can be divine in Act 2, but she doesn't (now-a-days) quite capture the innocent, fragile, young maiden of Act 1.

I would think Act 2 of Giselle is much more difficult to cast than is Act 1. Lots of dancers are dewy, beautiful, youthful, but not many can transcend the earth. And lately I've been thinking that, acting wise, quality changes, Giselle might be far more difficult to accomplish for a ballerina, than is Swan Lake, from White to Black. Swan Lake is technically more demanding, but Giselle is the greater challenge overall.

What about Alonso? I have heard a lot said about her (I even own a video tape in which Arnold Haskell says that she IS Giselle).  I wonder if anyone who saw her would agree.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw Alonso at the Met a long time ago, but she was too much a mature woman then for the role. I would love to see a film of Alonso's Giselle when she was in her twenties. Does such a film exist?

"IS" Giselles?

Gelsey Kirkland IS, most certainly was, Giselle, just as Aprile Milo (opera) IS Tosca. And one act in either story would not stand up well, for me, without the other being brilliantly, believably done. Sort of like watching R&J. The death scenes would be most strange to watch without convincing beginnings of innocent, blooming love and its drama unfolding.

Alina Cojocaru, without hesitation, is my favorite Giselle of today's women (in both acts).

....and the astonishing performance of Sarah Lane in The Upper Room.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh great! You saw this too! Sarah's debut in Upper Room was my favorite debut and peak moment of this ABT season. And she had only two rehearsals to learn this ballet!!!! Her performance debut was Sarah's first run through with all of that smoke and extreme lighting effects!

Upper Room is a very fast-paced, complexly choreographed piece with few standard ballet steps. There is quite a bit of tricky partnering with multiple partners, as well. I was beyond impressed with Sarah's fearlessness, her fresh yet intense and sparkly style. She seemed to be having the time of her life. The audience responded in kind.