alexL

13 minutes ago, pherank said:

Yes, I hope to see some different things too. I'd be happy to see a first rate Square Dance recording. Concerto Barocco, Mozartiana, Liebeslieder Walzer, Vienna Waltzes probably all deserve a permanent place in the digital world. But there's a number of less commonly danced ballets (outside of NYC) that it would be really entertaining to watch:
Monumentum Pro Gesualdo, Le Tombeau de Couperin, Donizetti Variations, Tarantella...but obviously NYCB needs a decent film of an exceptional cast to make these worthwhile.

This isn't in HD but here's a recording by Miami City Ballet's Square Dance. I wish it was in higher resolution but one can still see how brilliant Delgado is.

27 minutes ago, canbelto said:

I once saw the very not-tiny Viktoria Tereshkina lift HERSELF higher in a press lift. 

Kimin Kim did mention in an interview that Tereshkina is the easiest one to partner among the primas because she knows how to "sync" perfectly with her partners. He said something similar regarding Somova as well. Both are very considerate of their partners.

I'm not alluding that Lane is inconsiderate of her partners...it was just an off night for both of them. 

Fyi, McKenzie used to ask the male principals who's their favorite to partner- I know that partnering business is trickier than this but this actually used to(and sometimes still does) happen. If you thought you were seeing certain dancers keep showing up on the cast&substitution list, that's the reason....

18 minutes ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

Just coming out of the theater. Tonight we had Batoeva and Parish as Paquita/Lucien-(yes...I know the name/character change, but a Paquita in the Grand Pas goes with a Lucien, and from then on). Batoeva was indeed more expressive and engaging than Khoreva, and I was already declaring her a winner...until her fouettes and variation in the Grand Pas. She sort of stumbled on her fouettes, and didn't finish on music or on pointe. Khoreva was definitely better, technically wise. Xander Parish looked strained during his circle of jete cupe en turnant....his face grimacing and all.  The one ballerina that really caught my eye tonight was Renata Shakirova as Carducha. Very promising dancer. 

There have been many problems with the moving backdrops. Last night the jail panels didn't come down at all after several failed attempts, and tonight the black backdrop that conceals the change of scenery-(with the silly moving trees in the front)-wasn't coming down either. A very angry Smekalov-(sitting next to me)- stormed backstage to fix the mess, and shouts could be heard. I asked him afterwards about it and he told me "I'm killing someone. This is NOT high level".

To be continued.

I was wondering what's happened with the backdrop. Thank you for the backstory with Smekalov. I can't even imagine how embarrassed he must have been.... Batoeva is usually technically solid so I'm not sure why she struggled so much today. I'm sure she will redeem herself on Saturday evening.

57 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

I've been attending NYCB performances since the late 70's, and trust me, the corps has never been renowned for its uniformity. I remember gasping in shock when the curtain went up on Symphony in Three Movements during a performance that took place about mid-way into the Martins era because I had never seen that diagonal line of corps women look so straight. 

Not all of their Balanchine is objectionable. I can tell you that I would much rather see Shevchenko in Mozartiana than Mearns. 

You are completely right about NYCB not known for uniformity. I pointed it out since someone had written that ABT shouldn't perform it because this ballet requires uniformity. That's simply not true although I do prefer it when they are more in unison. 

And yes, I'd rather see Shevchenko or even Teauscher in Mozartiana than Mearns. 

1 hour ago, canbelto said:

Sure they can do it. But their Balanchine performances are objectively disgusting and awful. 

I don't think anyone can say any company's Balanchine is OBJECTIVELY disgusting and awful. One with SOME ballet background can't say such thing so lightly. 

If NYCB is qualified to dance the classics then ABT can dance Balanchine as they wish. Fyi, I've witnessed the worst pas de trois in my life at NYCB(a Benno who can't even finish his solo in double... pathetic. Unfortunately this dancer is a soloist now). Well, pas de trois is the least of their problem since that entire production is a mess including the dancing itself.

Btw, NYCB can't even do justice to some Balanchine ballets anymore. Their latest Theme and Variations was the biggest letdown of the season. Plus, the NYCB corp were not uniform at all throughout their run of Symphony in C(I always sat on the 1st ring). Someone even addressed this issue under different topic in this forum. Each companies can mind their own business and if you are unhappy with the rep, you can always skip it.

I do hope that ABT would perform more Tudor and Ashton in future.

48 minutes ago, laurel said:

What troubles me is the nonstop critical reportage, both from fans and alleged professional writers, of this beautiful production, which has continued nonstop since its premiere four years ago.  No one likes the reconstruction, it’s too old fashioned, it isn’t exciting, the costumes are bulky, the costumes are ugly, etc. etc.  I adore this production; I love the pageantry, the grandeur, the attempt to place you and your mind in a time capsule and give you a view of a different way of dance and life.  Possibly that’s too much to ask of people these days, when imagination is a scarce commodity.  I’m also sorry people do not understand the language of clothes, as the costumes contain information regarding character which, alas, is of no concern to audiences.  By the way, many if not most of the wigs appear to be new, made of natural colors, and cut in styles more pleasing to the modern eye.  I guess no one noticed this either.  My concern is that the AD will use all the criticism for this production to return to the old one, the one with his name on it, or even a more modern one, but I hope Ratmansky’s reputation will negate this idea.  I could attend another week’s worth of performances of this production and never be bored. 

THANK YOU for this. I second every single word. I hope ABT doesn't change a thing in this production as long as they can. 

It was an insider info but now that she's posted it on her Instagram story it became official. Since it's not on her main Insta page I can't really tag it here.

Seems like no one on this board is aware of this but Lane is replacing Copeland in the evening's performance. 

I never thought Shevchenko is alarmingly thin- she looks perfectly normal to me.

I've seen her SL debut last year and indeed it was the highlight of that week. If I were to see just one SL performance this season I would probably see hers. I'm seeing Shevchenko, Teauscher and Boylston(to see Simkin but I might switch this one depending on his injury status) this season. Hopefully Teauscher can bring it this time cus her performances in last two years have been disappointing in many ways.

ABT website is a bit slow at updating casting changes. According to the Met website, Simkin has been replaced by Hoven in all Manon performances. Who knows how long it will take for them to update his substitute for SL (I suspect his sub will be Whiteside)

Although Blaine Hoven was a remarkable partner today(Lane literally floated in his lifts), he didn't do those grand plié landings for his Lankendem variation.(he just landed in fifth instead.) Maybe he was being cautious to avoid possible injuries. Nevertheless it was a little puzzling since I've never seen any Lankendem who's completely omitted that step. 

Mack was also a great partner but he looked rusty in the first act, especially the failed barrel turn... or was it 540? his air position was so off that I didn't even know what to make of it. He did an admirable job in the 2nd and 3rd act though(tough act to follow after Simkin. In my experience, the only Conrad who wasn't upstaged by Simkin was Vasiliev)

Both Brandt and Lane were just lovely in every aspect. Lane's solo in the first act deserved more applause- sometimes you just wanna tell everyone that what they are seeing is more difficult than it looks!! Brandt had some technical problem in act 2 grand pas(over turned á la seconde etc) but she handled her nerves well and recovered quickly. Her fouettes were on spot with the tempo, perfectly musical. I'm also glad that she didn't open her mouth as often as she used to.

Simkin- what can I say. In terms of the applause noise level he did overshadow the main couple. He even elevated his free leg in the arabesque position as he lifted Brandt overhead(á la Vasiliev.) The only visible mistake I could think of was the fudged chainé turns after landing the last saut de basque. My non balletomane friends didn't even know that was a mistake. I've been following his career since... well, his first competition in Japan and he never ceases to amaze me. Looking forward to seeing him again later this week. 

Out of the three odalisques Hurlin had the best port de bras and feet. She also had a handful of technical errors in her variation but I think she was just nervous on the opening night. I hope she improves as the week progresses. 

Regarding laurel's comment, this is how Simkin ended his variation:

It is my wish to see Obratzova in this production of SB but it won't happen since there are so many Aurora candidates within ABT. They probably won't need any guest for the 2019 season with the exception of Ferri. 

Seeing the Bolshoi and NYCB Diamonds back to back last year wasn't a great idea. I didn't mind NYCB's corp at all throughout all these years until the super Jewels event where I was able to compare them in less then 24 hours. I was more bothered by their stiff upper body than nonuniformity though. As mentioned above, it's a tradeoff. One cannot have NYCB's legs and Russian epaulement at the same time(please let me know if such a dancer exists!). 

1 hour ago, The Traveling Ballerina said:

I think my overall experience was marred by the fact that the corp dancing was not IMHO up to par, and I'm referring to both technically and their attention to formations.

I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I've also noticed some sloppiness in Diamonds as well (throughout the 1st and 3rd act I sorely missed the Bolshoi demis from last yr). The principals were mostly good but also very out of sync in the 4th movement. I'm seeing it again in October at the City Center so hopefully they show some improvements. 

Given his workload in past 2 weeks(he danced as the lead gypsy in pretty much all DonQ I saw. This week he had to dance some corp roles every day on top of his principal assignments) this was an accident waiting to happen. I hope his injury isn't a serious one.  

Apparently my Russian friend(a former corp of Bolshoi) thinks Tatiana Melnik is a wonderful classical dancer so I will try to catch her performances! 

I'm not a huge fan of the current ABT dancers' inperpretation of Balanchine rep myself. However, if NYCB is allowed to dance Petipa anyway they like then ABT can dance Balanchine all they want! 

I have to add that after seeing the Bolshoi dancers in Diamonds I couldn't enjoy the NYCB dancers in the same ballet as much. Mearns, while I do like her in some roles, looked like a log after seeing Smirnova the day before.

I found ABT's Mozartiana way less offenssive than NYCB's godforsaken "Swan Lake"😂

Jokes aside, Chase Finlay and Sara Mearns performed one of the worst Mozartiana I've seen some time ago so the "not honoring the original choreo" does apply to the NYCB dancers as well. 

What a performance by Lane and Cornejo!! Lane had absolutely no problem with her fouettes alternating singles and doubles with her hand over her head with a fan ending with a quad turn. Cornejo was on fire today as well. He was the only Basilio this week who let go of both of his hands after the fishdive in the grand pas. Despite her excellent performance in the 3rd, for me Lane in 2nd act was the highlight. Also, out of every Kitris I've seen this week(I've seen everyone except Seo and Copeland) she was the only one who truely possessed the girlish charm required for this role. I believe her husband Ribagorda was performing as Gamache today on stage with her so perhaps that gave her even more confident for the debut. I have to go to a dinner appointment now so I hope others can elaborate more on this wonderful performance!

4 hours ago, canbelto said:

Fairchild is NOT short. But at this point in his career I doubt he'd be willing to return to a full-time classical ballet gig.

I consider any male dancer under 6' short. If he is taller than 6' foot(although I highly doubt it) then I guess his proportion makes him look shorter than he actually is. 

41 minutes ago, CTballetfan said:

I would love to see ABT make Robert Fairchild “an offer he can’t refuse,” as Cobweb suggested. I do think he has the “appropriate epaulement, acting chops and stamina” AlexL thinks is needed for a full-length ballet b/c he has carried a Broadway show as well as NYCB’s R&J and other full-length ballets. But I wonder if he would be interested in returning to NY.

He might have the right epaulement for Martin's "not so Petipa" Swan Lake production...but to each his own. Whiteside doesn't have the best epaulement either My point is ABT doesn't need to import another short male principal from outside. I hope Lendorf makes a speedy recovery. HE has the right upper body(and more than adequate feet) and stage presence for the classical reps. 

I don't think importing a former/current NYCB dancer is a good idea. Honestly, none of their current male dancers have the appropriate epaulement, acting chops, or stamina for the full length classic ballet. De Luz is the only exception but he's retiring. 

ABT need to test out the taller male soloists in the major principal roles ASAP. I know Whiteside isn't everyone's favorite but he's been a life saver this season. 3 Swan Lakes in 4 days with 3 different partners?? They better pray that he doesn't get injured. 

Anyway, I'm very happy to see Hurlin getting her promotion fairly early in her career. 

1 hour ago, aurora said:

It wasn't actually! As Devon Teuscher didn't do the weds. matinee, they announced Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads would be split between  Stella and Cassie.

In the matinee she was good, although the last italian fouette seemed a bit wonky--almost as if she thought she had reached the end and realized she had one more to go (it wasn't a bad mistake just looked a bit effortful).

The matinee, by the way, was amazing!!

To anyone concerned Gillian's technique is declining, or that she is plagued by injuries now (after the concerning spell of a year or so ago)--she was magnificent. I thought Shevchenko's fouettes on Tues were nearly untoppable, well Murphy's did. Multiples where she alternated the  fan above head with fanning her chest, then some singles which by the end of, she started calmly fanning herself again. All on the music. The rest of the performance was great as well!

She's doing it again Saturday night....

I 100% agree regarding Murphy. I was nervous going into the ballet but she proved me wrong! The only nervous moment for me was during the Kitri variation in the 1st act after she finished her last Plisetskaya jump. The jumps were good it's just her carriage looked a little odd afterwards(not sure how to describe this but if you've suffered a back injury before you know how it looks...) so I hoped she didn't injure her back while performing them. Thankfully she looked fresh for the rest of the performance. When she continued to fan in her singles everyone went nuts! What a performance. 

Trenery's mistake on the last Italian fouette was quite noticeable from my angle. She nearly fell out of her arabesque and barely went back up on pointe. The first half of the variation was lovely though. 

Watching Abrera in Mercedes makes me sad. She could've been an excellent Kitri had she been cast in the role 5 years ago. I saw her Mercedes on Monday's performance as well and she had way more stage presence than Boylston. I'm seeing Simkin/Boylston again tonight as he won't be in NY full time next year. Also I thought his performance felt somewhat underwhelming for his usual standard.(I've been his fan since his first competition in Japan when he was a baby!) Hopefully he was saving his energy for tonight's performance!

4 hours ago, LadyBubbles said:

I don't see why Murphy would pull out after the second act. She did a few years ago because she hurt her ankle during the second act. She's been healthy this season so far, so I hope she stays healthy (knock on wood).

Because she looked a lot shakier this year in the performances I've seen. I've never seen her struggle during the Italian Fouettes or come off pointe after a double that many times in a single performance until this year. Plus she pulled out in last year's SL so I ended up with another Seo SL(This isn't her fault). I'm just hoping she can pull through the whole evening as I haven't seen her black swan in 8 years due to her injuries and my schedule complications. 

10 minutes ago, abatt said:

Anyone else notice that Whiteside is replacing Hammoudi in tomrrow night's SL (partnering Murphy)?  It's on the ABT calendar.

As long as Murphy is still performing I'm fine with it. I just hope that she doesn't pull out after the white act last she did about 2 years ago.