Kaysta

DeCoster, I also agree with you regarding Hammoudi. I thought he was a pretty good Orion, and I enjoyed him more than Stearns as well.

So after seeing tonight's performance, I realize that in retrospect, I didn't really enjoy the matinee that much. The night cast was 1000% more enjoyable for me. I think Isabella Boylston is really coming into her own. I was very impressed with her. Yes, like the matinee, there were a few technical flubs here and there, but Boylston's overall portrayal of Sylvia was so much stronger. When she dances, she uses her entire body, and covers the stage so even if you are sitting in the back, you see her. I just don't get that with Seo's dancing. With Seo, I feel like she dances the steps well, but it's Hee Seo dancing pretty, instead of Hee Seo becoming the character. The only time I've seen Seo become her character is Juliet, when she dances with Marcelo. I also thought Parish was stronger than Bolle.

Despite my complaints, I really do applaud ABT for not over utilizing guest stars this year. I just hope attendance picks up the rest of the season, or it might not happen again.

Just finished Hee's Sylvia. My impression--ehh. Were there parts that I loved? Yes. I thought the footwork and attack in her act 3 solo was enthralling. I thought her act 2 was pretty good, though she could dial up the sensuality. But I disliked her entire act 1. It wasn't because of technical mistakes (though there were a few) but she lacked the fierceness and pride I associate with Act 1 Sylvia. Bolle is still a presence to watch, but I didn't feel much chemistry between his Aminta and Seo's Sylvia. So while I enjoyed the afternoon and thought there were some lovely moments, I don't think I'd want to see Seo in this again. Now her Juliet, I'll be excited for. Oh, the Met was only half full. Maybe ABT needs the stars.

I thought Serenade was incredible, despite my not wanting to like it because I'm still pissed at Angel's politics. But as I've only seen Serenade once before (on video, by the SAB students) I'm not really able to comment on whether or not they were dancing in the Balanchine style. Oxana Maslova did do her hyperextensions as the dark angel. The star of the show was Lillian DiPiazza as the Waltz girl.

If we do, I promise I'll stop griping for the rest of the spring season. ?

Getting ready to see Serenade. Tonight will be my last chance to see some of my favorite dancers before they move on.

Every dancer does not dance in every ballet, so again, I don't buy that it isn't possible. Maybe it requires some changes that ABT is unwilling to make, but it's not impossible. Edited to add: in no way am I disrespecting the hours they work. I know they work long and hard. My complaint is more with ABT. I don't believe in "impossibilities." I think anything is possible, if you work towards a solution. Disagree with me, but it's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

Touche. Everyone can sit here and give me a million reasons of why it isn't possible, but I don't buy it. Sorry. Seven months have passed from the time the season is announced to now. There is time to learn the role. And I bet you there are corps dancers and soloists who would do whatever it takes to learn that role if given the opportunity.

Amen. I didn't want to be the one to say it, but I completely agree. And I don't want anyone to come in here and say they don't have time to teach roles to the younger folks as understudies. The season has been planned since OCTOBER! They have known since October what they were performing during the Met season. That gives them plenty of time to arrange for one extra solist or corps member to learn the part. I'm not asking for 30 folks to be understudying. Just one extra in-house dancer per lead role, so if injury comes up, that person can get a quick refresher and jump in. I don't want to hear it isn't possible, when Ratmansky can teach the entire company his Sleeping Beauty in six weeks. It's possible if you plan ahead.

I hope Gillian can recover quickly. She is my favorite ABT dancer, and I booked tickets for a lot of her performances. Selfishly, I will be devastated if she is out for a prolonged period of time.

Hope they pick it up by Saturday.

Well, opening day of the spring season is finally here. I hope for no injuries and good performances over the next 8 weeks. I hope someone is attending Sylvia tonight, I can't wait to read reports!

Thanks, Angelica. I appreciate the information.

So I tried to switch out of my Hee Seo Sylvia and the ticket agent refused, saying that is only a subscriber benefit. I told her I have more than 10 shows over the spring season purchased, and I don't subscribe only because they don't have pick your own seat subscriptions (after the regular subscribers seats are filled) like NYCB and I am super picky about where I sit, and she didn't seem too moved by my plight. So I'm keeping my Seo tickets, but bought tickets for the night show with Boylston and Parish as well. I'm feeling angry with ABT's ticket policies, and think I might cancel my membership.

And given their repertoire and extensive use of mixed programs, NYCB is also more likely to have some of the younger dancers step into leading roles, which as I spectator I find interesting and exciting. Yes, I'm bummed when someone like Tess Reichlen is pulled from Rubies, but I can get over it and get excited about seeing someone new and refreshing in the role that I had never seen before. To me at least, NEW = EXCITING. ABT (outside of Ratmansky's ballets, who I assume probably has some say in casting) doesn't really give young dancers much of a shot. I understand it's the nature of having many principals and a consequence of how the met season is set up, but my rambling on point is that Seo in the place of Semionova is not likely to garner a lot of overt enthusiasm. But maybe it's just me. The way I see it, with Seo, I know what I'm getting. With someone new covering, I don't, and that is exciting to me. (Though best would have been able to see Semionova) Hope Polina is well.

But who says it has to be at the last minute? They've had the met season schedule since October, that is plenty of time to have an extra understudy learn the role. Injuries happen all the time, having a backup plan that doesn't constantly rely on the same dancers might be a good thing. Yes, forcing someone else to learn the role NOW would be a crazy idea. We know that Sarah Lane learned Juliet at one point, yet has never danced it at the Met. So they obviously are teaching roles to people who aren't casted to perform.

Stuben, that has been listed on ABT's Semionova bio for a long time. Although I do wonder if she is done with ABT. As Zobeide mentioned above, I wish they would have given Semionova's roles to younger soloists or corps members. I realize it's last minute at this point, but I do wonder how long McKenzie knew Polina wouldn't be dancing. And even if it was last minute, they should still be teaching these roles (as understudies) to other dancers to handle emergencies. I would have been super excited to see someone like Trenary take on Sylvia, as I think she has the technical chops to handle it. I'm not trying to disrespect Hee Seo. As I said earlier, I find her Juliet absolutely stunning and love her in that role. I just think Sylvia is a bad role for her. Oh well, I will attempt to exchange into Gillian/Marcelo on Thursday night. If that doesn't work, I hope Seo surprises me.

I don't think abatt is blaming Polina. KM/ABT has a habit of waiting till the last minute to announce huge casting changes, as if they are selling tickets on a name they know won't perform.I don't want to see Seo in a technically demanding role like Sylvia, and I would have never bought tickets to see her. Unfortunately , I'm not a subscriber, despite the fact that I buy tickets to at least 10 performances, so now I'm stuck seeing Seo. Not happy with ABT and their antiquated subscriber policies and shady cast listings.

Well this sucks, pardon my french. I really wanted to see Semionova in Sylvia, and now I will be seeing Hee Seo. And while I like Hee Seo in more lyrical roles (I really enjoyed her Juliet last year), I'm not sure I will enjoy her in Sylvia. Don't mind seeing Boylston in place of Semionova for Swan Lake, but I hope Marcelo still dances. I've never seen the two them paired, should be interesting. If they end up replacing Marcelo with Hammoudi, I will become quite ornery.

Also, I just want to add that the placement of the piece wasn't well done either. If they had placed Everywhere We Go first, maybe the loudness wouldn't have bothered me, and I'd be able to concentrate on the choreography. But to have it follow the simplicity of a single piano, with Mussorgsky's full of emotion Pictures, was a mistake, at least in my opinion.

Exactly! That was my problem with it! It felt loud, all horns blaring, all the time. No subtlety. It gave me a headache and definitely influenced my opinion on the overall piece.

Just got back from the matinee today. Happy to realize I do like modern stuff after all, as I enjoyed most of what I saw today. I'll start off with the highlight of the day for me: Pictures at an Exhibition. I've been wanting to see this for a year and half, and it was as amazing as I thought it would be. I think the costumes and changing background are genius. My favorite part was the pas de deux between Rebecca Krohn and Tyler Angle, which was stunning. I've seen a lot of Rebecca Krohn over the last two weeks, and I am really loving her dancing. She has such beautiful long legs and arms, which makes for gorgeous lines. She moves through the music so beautifully. For those who saw this with the original cast, was this the part that Wendy Whelan danced? Because when I was watching Krohn, that is who I thought of. Not to take away from Krohn, who again was the highlight of the program for me, but it just looked like choreography built for Whelan, and I wish I would have gotten to see her in this. The rest of the cast was also good--I especially enjoyed Georgina Pazcoquin and Claire Kretzschmar. I was a bit disappointed with Zachary Catazaro's solo, as I didn't think he attacked the choreography as well as the clips I've seen of Ramasar doing that part. I also enjoyed Estancia, even though I wasn't sure how I felt about it when the horses first came out. But I actually ended up enjoying it, and thought that Scheller and Danchig-Waring had great chemistry together. There was a lift bobble that didn't quite happen the way I think it was suppose to, but they covered well. While I've seen Danchig-Waring before, this was the first time I felt like I SAW him. He was great in the "city boy" role with strong dancing and a smoldering sexiness that I was not expecting. I'm officially a fan, haha! My least favorite was Peck's Everywhere We Go. It's not that I hated the choregraphy, because some of it was quite interesting, especially some of his formations with groups. But I hated the Stevens score, it was too modern for me. It's amazing how much the music can influence the performance for me. Plus, the choregraphy (probably by design, but I still didn't like it) was too repetitive. I felt like it was never going to end. It was a let down after the electricity and beauty of Pictures.

Yes, and it showed, especially during the Nutcracker pas de deux this winter. One of Corella's handpicked newbies flubbed the SP fairy PDD pretty noticeably. Not saying mistakes don't happen, and I think this dancer is incredible, but it's not like the folks he brought in are perfect in every style.

Elizabeth Mateer is another dancer leaving, for San Francisco ballet.