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I saw Herman too. Absolutely fresh, clean, youthfully sexy, playful and brilliant; technically and in his acting of the role. In an extremely impressive debut, Herman managed to add many new nuances to all of his demands (technical and acting) that I've never seen before including a triple tour en l'air in Act 1. Herman was at ease and on fire at the same time!! I want to see him in this again ASAP. All I can say is what were they (ABT/Kevin) waiting for??!!!

The best moments of the ABT gala for me were Joseph Phillips and Herman Cornejo, both of whom were in brilliant, top-form shape.

Clearly, Schiavone had a very limited view, and eye, in taking these pictures. Lots of the sensationalism, little of the genuine, abundant beauty so many of us saw night after night. I wouldn't buy this collection for a dime except to remember Novikova. Schiavone took many nice pics of her, but she was only a minor star on this tour... Where are the dozens (at minimum) of the amazingly beautiful Kondaurova (aka Big Red)?!!!.... NYC loved her so much. There are only one or two pics of Shklyarov?!!! There's only one cast of Etudes covered by his pics?!.... None of the Balanchine programs were photographed?!!.....tisk... Schiavone's cannot compare to the pictures Costas will have for his book. Costas photographs for NYCB and other companies. He was invited to take pictures of the Kirov during *all* of their performances, rehearsals, and classes. Can't wait to see them.

I'm with you, YID. I think I'll remain spoiled for a very long time after seeing those wonderful, exciting performances from the Kirov. Balanchine's choreography (Chaconne), of course, stood out exceptionally for it's sophistication and visually musical brilliance. Yes, I think there could have been more of that and less of the rolling around on the floor between men and women.

Vasiliev and Osipova were beyond belief, fantastic!! They brought a whole new level of technical brilliance and bold fun to NYC. The audience bounced out of their seats to give them a standing ovation, and the screams of appreciation were the loudest I've ever heard from an audience. Thank you City Center!!

>[suzanne Farrell's] Awful beats? I can't let that go unchallenged. I'll single out just > three roles - Chaconne, Mozartiana and Walpurgisnacht Ballet You're right, "technically" cabrioles are considered beats. But I consider cabrioles rather as an embellishment to a large jump. There are no scissor-like crossings for women's cabrioles (yet!!). But you're right the cabrioles were just fine at the Kirov. I was referring more to entrachet sixes and the brisse volees (apologies for the spellings.) Suzanne managed them, some better than others... (she was not known for brilliant jumping technique). Somova and the Kirov managed *some of them* too, but not as well as NYCB / ABT on the whole perform them. As I said before, I really don't care if the beats are perfectly done, but it surprised me that the Kirov, with all their gorgeous training, didn't perform them well.....not even nearly as well as NYCB /ABT does overall. That's what looked "a bit messy" to me.

What I meant by "a bit messy".... was that neither Somova or the other soloist lead (Osmokina), or most of the female corps, at Sunday's performance did any of the required beats, of Ballet Imperial. The brissee volees (sp?) were barely there and the other beats were non existent. The only female dancer who did all the beats was Gonchar.... but then there were far many other probs with her dancing. NYCB is far better at the foot work.... but at this point, I don't really care.... but I couldn't help noticing that it looks messy to fudge them, if you know they're suppose to be there. It's not just Somova.... and her problem with tiny footwork/beats has much to do with her extreme hyper extended legs and large-ish feet. She doesn't have the small feet that NYCB's, tall Tess Reichlen has. It will be a challenge for Somova to conquer beats, but I have no doubt she will... And in Diamonds she will not have to do any!!!!!! Suzanne Farrell had awful beats too.... Life goes on. But that's what I meant by "a bit messy."

Sunday, April 20, 2008 What a difference a day makes!! Tereshkina as the lead (waltz girl) in Serenade was intense, extreme and rich. I think her attack and very strong technique would have been better served in Ballet Imperial, but.... she's absolutely fantastic in everything I have had the pleasure of seeing this City Center visit. Shklyarov in Rubies!!! Lit up the place!! Here come those adjectives again.... Strong, elegant, fun, extreme, fascinating on so many levels.... handsome as heck too!! Novikova was better this afternoon, seeming to play off more with her bit wild and crazy (wonderful) partner. Novikova has a lot of potential. Big Red!!!! WOW! As the soloist, tall girl, of Rubies. Absolutely fantastic!! On top of the usual adjectives, now add a quirky, very sexy, mysteriousness. She was amazing. Somova improved today too. She still needs some polishing, but she was absolutely fascinating to watch in the way she goes for everything without hesitation. I love that! And the fact that she is gorgeous! Fadeev, Somova's partner was a bit unreliable as a partner, there were several near scarey moments, but Fadeev danced his part well. Let's hope all who sponsored this visit from the Kirov will make it happen again very soon. Thank you for the last three wonderful, exciting weeks.

My quick notes on the all-Balanchine program: Big Red is absolutely perfect, gorgeous, in Serenade, in either Dark Angel or the waltz girl parts. Not sure she'd be able to get through Ballet Imperial though without problems, but Big Red is divine in the right parts for her. Novikova, as everyone here pretty much has agreed, was lovely with an excellent technical ability, but was much too sweet/cute for Rubies. That's not the style of this ballet (or desired for any Balanchine ballet really). Gonchar is a dull, but very strong dancer. Her horsey teeth are nothing compared to her poor absorption of the music, feeling the flavor of the music. She dances everything with the same approach. Very boring. Was sorry to have missed Vishneva in Rubies. It's a part she is wonderfully made for. I saw her in it when the Kirov brought the entire Jewels to the Met six years ago. I thought the corps overall, for the entire performance, was not that good. Restricted in movements, flat. It's a tough thing for the Kirov to dance Balanchine excellently.... Their training is so different with strict, correct lines on top of controlled technique. There isn't much letting go, pushing past what is "classical" in their style. This works in the older ballets beautifully, but with Balanchine there has to be a youthful, sexy, (almost rebellious) freedom to movements that the Kirov (ditto Royal and Paris) just do not own yet in their bodies. NYCB can look sloppier because of this, but, when done at its best, it's a more natural looking artist style. Then again, not sure I'd want to see NYCB dance Bayadere any time soon... I thought much of the Kirov's performances of Balanchine ballets were forced acting and not enough brilliant "just dance it to your fullest." But they, overall, have improved much at dancing Balanchine ballets since the first time I saw them attempt it with Serenade, six years ago at the Met. Ballet Imperial appeared to be too much, too soon for them, but something to work towards. It's a very difficult ballet. Somova I thought had it best, but was still overacted and a bit of a mess, though she handled the style of the technical demands better than the other leads. Her partner, Shklyarov, was definitely at his best, completely understood the ballet demands of him, and he performed it with elegant, intense, huge dancing. BRAVO! If he joined NYCB, I'd be the first one in line for ticket sales!

I predict Cornejo will be fantastic on many levels. He's a big favorite of mine at ABT.

"but they'd better not substitute The Unmusical Gymnast/spokesmodel for Carefree Panty Liners at the last minute" Somova is not the only Kirov female dancer whose panties can be seen under her tutu when she dances....

Sunday, April 12, 2008 Performance Well, that tacky, audition-tape-like ballet of Etudes came together gorgeously at this performance with Alina Somova, Leonid Sarafanov, and Vladimir Schklyarov in the leads. All were in top form with every technical trick in the book excelled (and then some). I've always thought very little of this ballet except that it does show the many sides of a ballerina's (eg, audition tape) artistic and technical talents... And it shows one trick after another for the rest of the cast. The barre work of the corps makes me giggle with glee though it hardly resembles anything in a real class today. Still, the production value is extremely effective in size and quantity. Somova danced every technical demand of Etudes with full comand, sparkles and smiles -- huge jumps, hops on pointe, turning grand jetes (coupe jetes in a circle - WOW), gorgeous lines, fast and slow controlled pirouettes -- all with complete ease. She was even more wonderful than I had expected (and stunningly pretty, I was sitting close to the stage).... But what totally teared me up was how beautifully (warm, mysterious, light and dreamy with femininity) she danced the romantic ballerina excerpts -- Etudes tribute to LaSylphide for example. This young lady can dance anything, and she has shown NYC that she is rightfully Kirov's new diamond in the crown. A white tutu and tiara suits her most perfectly... After this performance, I kept imagining Samova in Diamonds of Mr. B's Jewels... I do hope we get to see that very soon... Sarafanov was beyond belief. I don't think there was a technical demand in the ballet volcabulary that he didn't execute in Etudes, and he does everything with full attack and brightness, charm. Yes, you could count 'em, he did eight, double tours, en l'air, in a row!! This after several entrances of very difficult jumps and turns. Sarafanov seems to never have an "off" moment. The newcomer to this season at City Center who danced the third lead in Etudes was Schklyarov. Very American looking actually, and extremely charming in his performance style. Schklyarov has beautiful legs and feet, arms, legs, with a strong technique. Sound familiar?! I never get tired of saying this about the Kirov, because it's true, it's the norm, rather than the exception. But what makes Schklyarov really special is that he has some of Fadeev's charm: when/if he almost messes up, eg, landing to his knee from a turn series, yet he doesn't completely fall over or put his hand down to the floor, Schklyarov flashes the audience a sweetest smile, and that makes whatever almost happened all the more clever in its rescue. Etudes' last performance here with the Kirov was divine, crazy fun!!

Thursday, April 10, 2008 Count me among the very happy, very attentive audience members who were completely thrilled by this night's performance of Le Corsaire pas de deux with Tereshkina and Saranfanov!! And then Bayadere with a more soulful, on top of her beautifully extreme technique, Somova!! Didn't hurt that the orchestra was in fabulous form too, as was the corps and Kondaurova ("big red") as the red-tutu'd soloist in DonQ, as well as the third soloist of Bayadere. Bayadere: Somova was hauntingly beautiful on many levels as she found a new tender expression in her upper body. I had tears in my eyes, many times, watching her as a creature from another world, not just a great balletic athlete with a stunning body. She danced Bayadere as I've always dreamed it could be done. Somova, accompanied by her strong partner, Korsuntsev (tall, dark, handsome), received a standing ovation in front of the curtain for three well-deserved calls, after taking a couple of bows with the entire cast. Le Corsaire: Opening the night was Tereshkina and Sarafanov in this bravura pas. They both were flawless, extreme in lines and daredevil show-offs with their beautiful technique. I know, I know, I keep using the same adjectives over and over, and they barely describe what is so exciting and great about these accomplished two dancers. Some things escape words.... Tereshkina's solo ended with a perfect, extreme arabesque, holding there on balance, on pointe, for what seemed like 3 seconds! But that was just the delightful cherry on top of her amazingly strong performance overall, full of gorgeous attack with princess-like presence. I think she'd be a great Raymonda. Back to Le Corsaire, Tereshkina's entrance, I just can't get it out of my thoughts. It was rich with proud ballerina feeling, a strong open chest, long, expressive arms. Her feet, as well as her legs were expressive too, not just jabbing into positions. The choreography here is fairly simple, but it takes a fine ballerina to make it work as something more. Tereshkina ended her divine entrance with a brilliantly controlled triple pirouette. It was as if I was watching a different ballet from Tuesday's because of the way Tereshkina (and Sarafanov) danced Corsaire. They don't struggle with the challenges. You don't see the hard work involved. What you see is thrilling magic.

I was there too, Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Corsaire: I loved Vishneva's tutu including the rhinestone bicep bracelets. She looked absolutely drop-dead glamorous, gorgeous, and danced very well, inspite of some bumps along the way. Vishneva gets extra star points from me for not letting the couple of "off" fouettes rattle her nerves. Vishneva's experience was surely evident in the way she rescued what was "off" and continued with the remainer of fouettes as if nothing had happened. That's a most horrible place to lose one's balance and then have to get back into a spinning mode. Diana and Acteon: I don't think I will ever see a better Diana than in this performance with Tereshkina. If it was an "off" night for Vishneva, it was most certainly a huge, "ON" night for Tereshkina. Sharp as a fresh razor, her attack was elegantly strong for all of the very difficult technique required. Her turns, jumps, big, long-legged extensions, bright footwork, everything was daring and beautiful in their extremes. Tereshkina was a bright star. [Re Alastair's bitchy review today..... Seems he's just suffering from being spoiled -- having seen so much of the incomparably fine Balanchine choreography. These early Kirov programs are not about that sort of sophisticated style (of choreography). But there is so much else to enjoy... beginning with bravura technique and that Russian strongly elegant way of presenting it. I think that the Kirov has many of the finest dancers in the world. I hope it will not be another six years before they return to NYC.] Don Quixote Pas de Deux: Somova completely blew me away with her flirtatous style (not Spanish, not Cuban, but plenty of Kirov charm, attack, extremes, pride, and elegance.) Her fouettes single-single-double, to the end of 32, were absolutely amazing. I loved the new level of lines she added to her fouettes without sacrificing the brilliantly fast turns, on a dime (until the last two or three which barely moved from the starting spot). WOW!! Samova definitely has a style, all her own, and confidence / strength to dance just about anything. I may have to go back to see her in Balanchine's Ballet Imperial.... I'm so curious now.... Sarafanov, as Somova's partner in DonQ, was completely beyond impressive with more beefy, flawlessly fantastic technique. Double tours into double pirouettes with hands on hips (no less!) were a spectacular success. I confess, I still much prefer him in thin harem pants, nearly bare-chested and with a headband..... but.... in DonQ he was a fine compliment to Somova. Fearless is the adjective I keep thinking of when watching these two thrilling dancers. So, yes, it was a very exciting evening overall. Convinced me to buy yet another ticket for tonight's (4/10)!!! performance. Thank you Pres. Bush for the soon-to-arrive stimulus package ($$)!! And I need another dose of Samova in Bayadere without the opening night's nerves.

April 1, 2008 Performance Panda, et al., Never be hesitant to add your differing opinions. Variety makes websites fun! I went to see The Kirov on the opening night at City Center as well. I did miss the folk claps in the Kirov's Raymonda (pas de dix), but the orchestra (reduced size) more than made up for anything that was lacking. The orchestra was a great pleasure all evening adding such richness and beauty to every ballet. Raymonda: I'm not a fan of Lopatkina, though she managed a few lovely, spontaneously impressive movements. One in particular, I don't think most would have noticed, but it was how delicately and with full controlled balance, she placed her passe working leg into fifth on pointe, at the beginning of her variation, when the folk, hand clapping usually takes command. She only did this once, but it was quite breathtaking and regal. Other than that, Lopatkina left me cold. Her dancing seemed "old." However, her male partner, Korsuntsev was a tall, fresh, handsome, big-mover dancer, with beautiful long legs and feet. The stage looked much too small for him. The two soloist females, especially the first (Selina?), were excellent. I loved the Kirov corps in all three ballets. Such elegant lines, beautiful legs, feet, arms, with a bit of flare in pushing past the limits of their fine Russian, classical training. Ditto the soloists. It's not that fussy, super clean stuff... They're classical but with an approach not too unlike NYCB, where the best dancers take risks with what is usually expected and correctly pleasant. My ideal dancer would be one trained in both the Vaganova and Balanchine styles -- Paquita: I've stopped being a fan of Vishneva for awhile now, though she accomplished a good, strong performance of Paquita on opening night here. She's very pretty, but.... yes, a bit sloppy too. No matter, there were plenty of exciting and beautiful female soloists to watch. And Fadeev, Vishneva's partner, was a real, hunky charmer with a fine, strong technique to match. Bayadere: My favorite male dancer of the night: Sarafanov(WOW!!!!). Talk about pushing the extremes of what's possible in ballet, the ballet body, on top of brilliant technique and sexiness in an elegant, youthful style. Sarafanov was the most fascinating male I've ever seen in this ballet. Samova: Most here do not like her AT ALL. But perhaps because of my years at NYCB, I have a great appreciation/understanding for why the Kirov does love Samova and why they push her into roles she's not quite ready for. It's that Samova's an extreme dancer who is still growing into her extreme body. I do agree that she could tame some of her extreme lines a bit to focus on other ingredients of whatever ballet she is dancing. But at the same time, I love that she is VERY extreme, and not quite in control of her talent's possibilities. Her lines, her quirks, are interesting.... and she is not without technique. In Bayadere some of her lines were stunningly executed, eg, when she did her first huge a la seconde into arabesque gently, without the slightest forced adjustment, to whisper into Sarafanov's ear. My heart skipped a beat. It was unearthly gorgeous in execution, with perfect lines and a hauntingly dream in feeling. But then the second time, Samova executed the same movement with a matter of fact harshness. I think Samova was definitely having an off night, overall, for whatever reasons.....but I'm still looking forward to seeing her again. She executed very difficult steps in Bayadere just fine -- ones that Veronika Part has not even come close to executing well yet. It would take too long to list them all here. So, no, I don't think Samova is just about her extreme extensions. She has a jump, those grande jetes from one corner of the stage to the next were striking. Her arabesque turns were strong if a bit nervous to both sides. Ditto pirouettes done both right and left. And she did the double pirouettes into arabesque facing the audience without coming off of pointe when she reached arabesque (for a second). Many ballerinas just come down to a flat landing. Special mention should also be given to the stunning first soloist in Raymonda and the first corps girl out onto the stage in Bayadere(!!)...(I think it was Yana Selina). She was as beautiful as I've ever seen in those parts. And Kondaurova, a strikingly tall, lyrical redhead easily distracted me from others on the stage. I'd like to see Kondaurova in Bayadere's female lead one day... Anyway, I enjoyed this performance very much. Wish I could go every night --

>....who or what company today embodies that "classical" style, technique or >training that we are asked to set next to "Balanchine" technique... This is a huge question; I could take pages to reply... But very briefly, yes "classical" style does strongly, still exist with many variants in many different ballet companies, USA and abroad. Balanchine took the beauty of "classical" dancing/training and pushed its limits where he wanted to see change. He didn't dismiss/destroy the "classical" style completely. So now, there are many variants of Balanchine-trained dancers as well as "classical" dancers -- thanks to the variety of coached rep available to companies in and out of USA. It's a pretty exciting time knowing dancers are being exposed to all sorts of ballet styles. I only wish NYCB would have chosen an Artistic Director by the name of Suzanne Farrell who would have been more devoted to inspiring/keeping alive what Balanchine wanted for his company.

> do you remember the Symphony in C costumes with the brocade bodices that NYCB used for a few years? Carbro, I only remember wearing the satin(ish), boned, sleek bodices with a very flat, simple bow at the top. I have heard about the brocade version, but have no memory of seeing them. I wonder what London will think of the current (not Karinska's originals) Western Symphony's costumes...

Thank you for such interesting info regarding tutus. You seem to be a very accomplished artist in this field. I'm wondering, with all the negative comments from London, right now, about the Symphony in C (NYCB's) tutus.... Have you seen them? What did you think? I'll have to dig up my coffee table book on Karinska by Toni Bentley and see what comments I'll find there about the ideas behind the original designs. But, in the meantime, my impression has been that Karinska and Balanchine wanted a youthful, more fluffy tutu style with less width (a al pancakes) so that the panties are for the most part not visible. (There are ruffles on the panties.) The satin bows also add a youthful but sophisticated, feminine touch. I think, on leggy dancers, these tutus are gorgeous. I do wish that NYCB's Symphony in C tutus were a little bit flatter, a couple less layers. When freshly taken out of storage/cleaning, they can look too puffy, which is what I think happened this week in London. Then again, after a long season of repeated performances, these tutus can easily get saggy, turning into a very short, skirt-type look. Definitely undesirable for Sym in C when wearing a tiara.

Megan LeCrone is far more a young Karin von Aroldingen. She has an interesting upper body (wide shoulders and long arms), but her legs, technique and overall style cannot compare whatsoever to the gorgeous, elegant, strong, fierce energy, and bright, angular beauty that Wendy Whelan once brought to NYCB. Wendy now is at the end of her career, and most of her recent performances, for me, are a sad reminder of what once was. Yes, there's room for another Karin type at NYCB, but I'd love to see LeCrone in Stravinsky Violin Concerto (Karin's old part) instead of Agon. Now that ballet would have been a far better choice to bring to London (among hundreds of others) than Peter's costume parade of Thou Swell.

Oh, and if you've never seen Symphony in C, it's a fantastic ballet. Casting, overall, hasn't been ideal for awhile, but in London, there will be some gems to see: Peck, Mearns, Scheller, Garcia, Carmena.

Especially good treats to see: * Bouder and Ulbricht in Tarantella * Hubbe in Zakouski * Taylor in Serenade * Bouder, Ulbricht in Fall of Four Seasons, and Millepied (if he's in the mood, and the tempi is not too fast...) >I notice that Tess Reichlen is shown as making her debut in In Vento - who created that role? Kowroski? Yes, Kowroski was the original lead female. In Vento is also a good treat on my list, but it's not my favorite. I do love the music and Millepied as the male lead. It would be worth seeing. And I'll be curious to hear what sort of style/chemistry the tall, long-limbed, cool, coltish beauty of Reichlen brings to the ballet. p.s. And don't miss Alastair Macaulay's comments in the NYTimes tomorrow about NYCB. I'm in total agreement. It is a terrible pity that the director, Peter Martins, doesn't have the good judgment to make necessary decisions before such a publicly-shaming article must be written.

I could not put it any better.....my ABT attendance will seriously dwindle next season...for the coming season I have tickets to see Part, Ananiashvilli and Vishneva---the rest of the roster has never measured up for me to TRUE ballerina status. Promoting Part to principal at ABT would be a very good idea. I'm frankly surprised that it hasn't happened already..., but such a promotion would also demand of Kevin to provide Part (and her grateful audiences) ballets in which Part would dance strongly and more frequently. Part also needs her own, tall, strong, complimentary partner... instead of sharing Hallberg and Gomes with other (already listed as) principal ladies. All of these factors, I think, have kept Part from a more satisfying career at ABT. Yes, that article was sad.

Interesting article but rather thin on listing all the ballet opportunities Part has had with ABT. From ABT's website: "Her roles with the Company include Terpsichore in Apollo, a Shade in La Bayadère, Twig in Cinderella, Prayer in Coppélia, Mercedes and the Queen of the Driads in Don Quixote, Myrta in Giselle, leading roles in Ballet Imperial and Mozartiana, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, the Chief Nursemaid in Petrouchka, the Polovtsian Princess in the Polovtsian Dances, Raymonda, Henrietta, the White Lady and the Lead Spanish Dancer in Raymonda, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette-Odile, the Polish Princess and a Big Swan in Swan Lake, a leading role in Les Sylphides and Symphonie Concertane, Terpsichore in Sylvia and the second movement in Symphony in C. She created a leading role in Kaleidoscope and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison. " While I certainly understand Part's frustration with the politics at ABT.... she is very much loved by Director, Kevin McKenzie, and has been given many more opportunities than this article at Ballet.co suggests. Problem is, that there are many other principals (avec imports) and soloists who are stronger. I think ABT's recent choices of rep at City Center and at the Met have also been a problem.... Part's not a Ballo type.... and the company hasn't done Mozartiana or Sym in C for some time - roles in which Part excelled. I think the audience and ABT's dancers would benefit from a better variety.

Under Kaplow's conducting at NYCB, I don't think TP2 is *distorted* at all to consider dancers' tempi needs. I'll have to listen to a recording or two I have at home to confirm this. But at NYCB, the rule has always been that music/musicians and choreography/dancers are complimentary partners.

>for both performances of Piano Concerto this weekend the piano >was not in the orchestra pit -- instead the pianist was placed >on the stage level, on that stage extension outside the >proscenium stage right... The piano is heard much stronger/louder outside of the pit, and I think that's where it has belonged in TP2, at NYCB, for years now. Did anybody notice that Troy Schumacher was the page turner for the pianist on Thursday night?!! It was Troy!! The pianist was ok, but I agree it was Kaplow's fine conducting overall that made this performance (as with so many others) work so beautifully. Whenever I see Karoui's name in the program, I cringe knowing I'm going to see less dancing, most of the dancers will look rushed, and the music will not be of any finer quality for all of Karoui's rushing.