Inge

23 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

Stearns partnering was great, as was his solo dancing, but he did nothing for me emotionally (big surprise). A friend of mine who only goes to the ballet once or twice a year said it looked like he was wearing a mask for much of the performance. He hardly even seemed entranced with Odile. He finally came to life in Act III, when his regret and love were palpable. 

Stearns' frantic grasping at her at the end of Act IV was so moving. It's a shame that it took so long for him to get there. He really let her shine though, which is a fine quality in a Siegfried. 

Honestly the hottest moment of the whole ballet was that brief interlude between Royal's Purple Rothbart and Giangeruso's Polish princess. 

Also, shout out to Duncan Lyle's bit in the Spanish Dance. It was the very best of all the manufactured 'Spanish flair' I've seen on the ABT stage in a while. 

Tesucher was glorious tonight. She's been a little low energy this season and it seems like she was saving it up for this. 

Once Gillian retires, Teuscher will be the runaway crown jewel of ABT Odettes. Her port de bras was so lush, and her pantomime was lovely. She clearly knows this is her signature role. 

The jury (well, my jury) is still out on Odile, especially since Shevchenko hasn't had her turn yet. Teuscher's Odile was less polished but still a joy to watch. In a year or two I'm sure she'll completely conquer it. The only downsides were that her arabesques were a little leaden and she had a habit of looking down a lot during the pas de deux. 

I wish someone would just tell her to do single fouttés. She almost spun out of those weirdly-timed doubles, which weren't even necessary. People were already completely on board with her solid technique and star power. Why don't people like single fouttés anymore? I love them. Nina Ananiashvili's lighting fast ones. Yuriko Kajiya's slow ones that look like a little bird on its perch. I miss solid singles. 

But overall she was a pro from start to finish. The kind one doesn't expect to see at ABT anymore. 

45 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Cirio was an incredible Mercutio. What a strong, secure technique he has and his stamina was such that I think he could dance this part 8x a week. He was charming and full of personality, though I agree that his death scene should look more organic. 

The biggest surprise was Forster as Tybalt. Wow. He stole every scene he was in. A fully committed, evil, menacing, commanding performance.

From what I've seen and gathered, the Mercutios and Tybalts have done a lot of heavy lifting this week (notably during sluggish town scenes). I keep forgetting that Cirio is only 27, which makes me excited for his character development in the coming years. 

Wish I could have seen Forster in this role. Would have loved to see him hurl himself at Hallberg. This season I've only seen him as very charming, slightly simple good guys. He's not in any of my Swan Lakes next week so I'll miss his Purple Rothbart as well. 

16 minutes ago, Fleurfairy said:

I get the feeling a lot of people have been boycotting due to the really underwhelming casting, me included. Misty getting two performances with two different Romeos was ridiculous. They couldn’t have paired Sarah Lane (a natural Juliet) with Daniil?? That would have been amazing but much too logical of McKenzie. 

Also pretty sure the majority of people wanted to see Abrera and Hallberg together. 

For me it would be Lane & Cornejo They are one of the few ABT couples that generate heat when they're together. ABT is seriously lacking in notable partnerships right now. Misty I understand due to ticket sales, but Boylston doesn't need two. She's dancing everything this year. 

McKenzie should just let Ratmansky do the casting. His choices have always been (on the whole) astute. 
 

It's really saying something that this board has been so dead, except for the debut roles. 

I was going to grab standing room tickets for tonight, but something about Romeo & Juliet just felt underwhelming this year. And it's usually one of my favorites. 

1 minute ago, Ilovegiselle said:

Stella was spectacular tonight!  Her acting was en pointe!

 

is it just me or I thought her chemistry with Paris (Thomas Forster) was much stronger?  He might be a better choice for Romeo.  Also, his performance has been exceeding Hammoudi.  I think Forster deserves a shot as a leading role.

YES! I was about to say I loved him in this role! 

He was so charming and handsome. Abrera's girlish little grin after their first dance was to die for. 

Romeo basically just ruined everything in this version. 

28 minutes ago, laurel said:

Gorgeous, emotionally fluid performance by Stella Abrera tonight in R&J.  Her golden dancing lit up the stage to the extent that her partner, competent but charisma-free James Whiteside, completely vanished from view every time they shared a scene.  And I think he realized it, too.  Three years ago, after sitting through a ghastly, amateurish performance of Juliet by Misty Copeland just prior to her promotion, I swore I would never attend this wonderful ballet again, but tonight, what Copeland had destroyed in my eyes was rescued and reborn for me by Stella's dancing.  So glad I decided to see it!  I'm not sure she'll ever be "permitted" to dance Juliet again.

Spotted tonight in the audience:  **Marcelo Gomes** (!!), seated orchestra right with his partner, Nick, along with Gennadi Saveliev.  All three appeared happy, relaxed and glad to be there.  And I fantasized:  ten years ago, in another reality, another time, it would have been Marcelo on stage with Stella in this ballet, and everyone of us would have been happier and better off for it.

Did you catch Whiteside & Abrera's 'first look' moment? Because from where I was sitting all I could see was Whiteside's face, and it looked like he was stifling a giggle attack or making an inside joke...was Abrera doing the same thing or was he just making a weird artistic choice? Why is goofy smile his go-to Romeo characterization? Who is coaching this ballet?! 

It got so ridiculous that during the Act II letter scene I just ignored Whiteside watched Zhong-Jing Fang and Arron Scott in their steamy little flirtations. Every time Whiteside was flanked by Luis Ribagorda and Arron Scott, it was even more apparent how little charisma he was projecting in comparison to the supporting players. And the way Hammoudi hurled himself at Romeo as he was dying? Amazing work from everyone. 

I can only imagine that Abrera has been dancing this role in her dreams for years. That's the only explanation for her work tonight, which was equal to someone who has performed Juliet many, many times. Her footing on her initial solo was shaky, but other than that, stick a bow on it. Bravissima. Imagine if she had been partnered with David Hallberg.

I have to admit I teared up a little when i turned my head to see Gomes chatting with Gillian Murphy. How strange that The New York Times used a picture of Gomes dancing Swan Lake with Veronika Part for that recent Macaulay 'All About Odette' article. 

Tonight would have been great with a different Romeo. 

I cannot believe the luminous Stella Abrera waited this long for that pairing. Whiteside was uncomfortably bad (for me, at least. Others seemed to be enjoying it).

I feel terrible when I have nothing positive to say about a performer...he executed most of the lifts well? Some of his solo work was nice? I liked him in Harlequinade last week? 

Come on, McKenzie. 

58 minutes ago, angelica said:

I love Shevchenko, but I won't go to any performance with Whiteside in a leading role.

Why doesn't ABT pair him more with Boylston? They have a good rapport and (sort of) similar dancing styles. 

Shevchenko is an ideal Kitri, but this is indeed a weird pairing. Maybe they just needed someone tall for her? While I loved Whiteside's Harlequin, I wish Shevchenko were able to dance with Lendorf again. They built a nice foundation last year with Don Q & Le Corsaire. 

58 minutes ago, Rick said:

Devon’s upper body flexibility was fine. What was lacking was a sense of abandon, or surrender. I mean, her Romeo was this tall, dashing Aran Bell who seemed completely in love her, and yet she seemed to feel nothing.   She went through the movements without expressing emotion. I think it’s her first time dancing Juliet so hopefully her interpretation will be more convincing next time. 

Perhaps they were a little mismatched. I was wondering if Bell's youth would make it difficult for Teuscher to connect with him romantically. Maybe her brand of more muted elegance doesn't gel as well with Juliet, or it was just first-time jitters. 

Since Bell's debut was so successful, it would be fun to see him with another young corps member next year. Paulina Waksi does look like Olivia Hussey from the Zeffirelli version, just saying. (or Hurlin maybe?)

I'm also curious about Shayer & Ribagorda. Although Juliet goes through the ballet's real character arc, 'the boys' have all the best choreography. Bell, Shayer & Ribagorda seem like a dream team. 

10 hours ago, NinaFan said:

I’m looking forward to Bell's debut as Romeo tomorrow as well as his Von Rothbart next week.  I saw him in both of his Harlequinade roles last week and like many others on BA, I have been watching him as a corps dancer since he was hired.  He seems to have a lot of “front row” corps roles this season, and I was hoping that he was being groomed for larger roles.   It never occurred to me that he’d get a Romeo. I wish Lendorf had not missed his Romeo along with the entire season, but at least Aran is getting a chance in a principal role. 

If Aran is anywhere near as good as corps dancer Harrison Coll's debut as Romeo (NYCB), then we've got a real up and comer in Aran.

If Bell knocks it out of the park (& I think he will), I hope this means more fun casting surprises in the future. Even if he's wobbly here and there, it will be exciting to witness the beginning of something! It's a well sold performance, so I'm sure the energy will be great. 

I'm more upset about missing this than I was the Hallberg/Osipova SuperGiselle. 

And I could be totally wrong, but is this Gabe Stone Shayer's debut as Mercutio? If I weren't going to Alvin Ailey on Fri, I would have bought tickets to the Seo/Stearns performance just to see him. 
 

38 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Just curious, what role did Bell dance in Harlequinade?

Nothing extravagant. Just a henchman (I think) and then maybe a member of the court in Act II? He lost some of that awkward teen aura that's been sticking to him (probably because he's still a teen, to be fair). I realize that Romeo is a teenager, but Teuscher is so elegant I was worried it would require a very large suspension of disbelief. 

These past two weeks have been a blur, but his AFTERITE showing made an impression on me. Whoever is attending this week's matinee must bring us all reports! Pretty please

Article (Kourlas, so it's very fluffy)  on Aran Bell's Romeo debut. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/arts/dance/aran-bell-romeo-and-juliet-american-ballet-theatre.html

Very bummed I'm going to miss this. While I haven't been particularly enamored of Bell's stage presence, his appearance in Harlequinade was notably more charismatic (perhaps a recent dose of confidence?) and most of the other casts are pretty unexciting. He looks great here. Not at all mismatched with the Teuscher, as I had initially feared. 

I was wondering...how many Romeos has ABT tried and dropped? Gorak and Hammoudi come to mind. 

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

Also Kaho Ogawa stood out in the Larks section - is there some reason I don't understand why she has not moved ahead more? 

I think she's very young? I remember doing some sleuthing because I wondered the same thing. She was radiant as an Odalisque last year and I always want to see more from her. 

This video says she was 10 in 2006, so I imagine it's just a matter of time before she gets more solos. The soloist rank is ready for some newcomers. 

Angelica, you hit the nail on the head with your Swan Lake investment comment. If they're going to perform SL yearly, Acts I & IV need to raise the bar. Harlequinade may have more staying power than The Golden Cockerel, but I don't see ABT bringing it back very often in the future.  

It took me a long time to figure out what kept Harlequinade from being 100% successful for me, but I think it boils down to: 

1. A lack of pantomime experts coaching the dancers (maybe I'm wrong? Edward Villella is amazing, but he's not specifically an expert in historic pantomime)
2. The Met is not the right venue. It would be perfect as a smaller scale traveling show. Or at least in a smaller theater. 
3. Too many children whose discipline wasn't quite up to the task of sustaining their large cut of Act II. 

I enjoyed it enough to see it twice (on a budget & during a 50-hour workweek, so that's really saying something). I absolutely love the choreography for Colombine, the corps, and Pierrette. 

https://balletdecour.com/2018/06/09/abt-harlequinade-shut-up-we-cant-hear-the-pantomime/

2 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Love how McKenzie blames her injury, which healed many years ago, for delaying her promotion.

So annoying. I assume Kourlas must know that his statement is complete BS (ballet is supposed to be a specialty of hers after all...), but just let it slide? 

Stella was so good this week as Pierrette. Hers is the only Juliet I'm seeing and it's usually a 3-per-week ballet for me. The casting combinations are underwhelming (Misty + Herman intrigues me, but of course the ticket prices are sky high). 
 

44 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

Whatever the reasons may be for Copeland not appearing in Harlequinade, it appears Brandt was indeed subbed in quite late in the game and hadn’t prepared the role.

What an MPV. 

Was wavering whether or not to attend a third show this week, but I really can't resist last-minute Skylar. No matter my frustrations with the production, Colombine's choreography is a dream.

49 minutes ago, Ashton Fan said:

Some people find it difficult to come to terms with a work which provides small scale pleasures and effective mime passages rather than the big technical set pieces which is what audiences have come to expect from all the " after Petipa productions" with new improved choreography which is what most companies stage in his name.

I love mime. I think the problem is that the mime passages last night weren't very compelling. Tuesday's audience was much less enchanted than Monday's because the performers (except for Abrera) were underpowered. Also the kids just weren't very good. 

This reconstruction would have done better in the Koch Theater. It's not a huge scale Met production. I found it much too intimate for this stage. Everything Cirio did just sort of evaporate before it hit the audience, and I was in the orchestra. 

Ashton Fan, this doesn't relate to your post, but I'm getting tired of all the didactic 'but let me educate you about Petipa' responses. The program itself is unsuccessful because something vital has been lost in translation, and it's not the right company/venue for it. At least in the performance I saw. Who knows, maybe on Thursday I'll change my mind. 

4 minutes ago, canbelto said:

The child suite of dances is also in the Balanchine version. They actually sort of dance the "story" again. I agree it got a little repetitive but I think it's an important part of the ballet's structure.

Balanchine's Coppélia children's corps is wonderful. Harlequinade's excessive use of children is a little tiresome whether it's Balanchine or Ratmansky. 

1 minute ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

 The kids section I am a bit partial. I found it too long.

YES. By the time the third group came out I felt like I was at a recital, not The Met. 

Quote

Last night's cast was stronger nthan tonight's. Boylston nailed the choreography and steps way more secure than Lane who, tragically, took a nasty fall onstage, which was somewhat concealed for it happened right behind an umbrella that a kid holds open center stage.

I wouldn't call it tragic or a nasty fall. She just sort of slipped when she was walking and got right back up. 

I'm gathering my thoughts for a better review than this, but...

Jeffrey Cirio's partnering was pretty bad tonight. I can sit through almost any fault except uneasy lift after uneasy lift. It's a shame, because I really wanted this role to work for him. His solo was great, but his characterization was very flat. Turns out, a so-so Harlequin really sinks this ship. 

Hallberg was surprisingly one-note. It was good, but I expected a little more from him . Lane was solid, also a bit one-note. Colombine is the 'straight man' of the group, so I'm more inclined to focus on Colombine's technique than her acting here. Lane's solo work was lovely, and made the difficult choreography look easy.

To my surprise, Abrera was the one who lifted the show. She just 'gets' Ratmansky's work. She was the only one who had the right feel for the material and her character projection was wonderful. Every moment with her was golden. 

I heard grumbles around me that the two leads 'need more personality.' Unfortunately, I agree. I'm seeing the first cast on Thursday. 

10 hours ago, CharlieH said:

JUST back to the hotel. One word: GORGEOUS! Two more words: TSARIST SPLENDOR! In other words...El Cheapo is absent!

Total triumph tonight, judging by the loud bravos for Ratmansky & the designers, in addition to this perfect cast. Boylston’s solos are all ultra difficult terre a terre dancing - incl lots of hops, some in circular patterns - that few ballerinas alive today could master. Whiteside combined amazing quick beats and great humor in mime to win us over as Harlequin. Murphy resplendent as Pierette, a meatier role than we see in Balanchine. Pierot is almost 100% mime...so Pierette has an unnamed “mystery man” for her partnered dancing (Alex Hammoudi).

i made lots of notes comparing this Petipa original to the famous versions of Gusev (Maly, Leningrad 1950s) and Balanchine (NYCB, 1965 & 1973). Both men remembered LOTS of the Petipa but not necessarily the same movements (for ex, Balanchine got the Ai Ballabile’s snaking exit correct and much of the kids’ dances; Gusev got the head bobs of the Scaramouche ladies...and a signature “big rond de jambes move” by the ensemble in the finale). But both Balanchine and Gusev forgot that Bonne Fee is a mime role in heels - originally Marie Petipa (I think), here Tatiana Ratmansky!

Lots to digest. Now I’m being summoned to supper by friends so I’ll end here.

I can't wait to see Boylston in this role. I've been waiting for a long time for a ballet that made her style of dancing 'work' for me, and she looks perfect for this. The same goes for Whiteside. 

I was just going to go to Wednesday and Thursday's performances, but now that you say that Pierrot is almost 100% mime...I don't know if i can skip out on David Hallberg just miming his was through a ballet tomorrow. 

Thank you for this amuse-bouche of a review! 

I have to admit, I'm a little worried about Boylston's disclaimer here:

'If you approach watching Harlequinade as taking a little trip back in time, I think you will really enjoy yourself and be transported.'

Anyone who goes tonight, please report back! I'm debating whether to see 2 or 3 casts. 

23 hours ago, cobweb said:

Reporting late on last Tuesday's performance, with Mozartiana, Not Our Fate, Pulcinella Variations, and Glass Pieces (I did not stay to see Glass Pieces). I have loved Maria Kowrsoki since she's returned from maternity leave (well, since before then, as well), but for the first time she didn't look so great to me. I thought she looked tired and wobbly. Tyler Angle had more ease than I expected in his variations. I am ready for some fresh casting in this piece (Ashley Laracey?). This was my first viewing of Not Our Fate. I found the music bombastic and could not figure out what the piece wanted to say. This seemed to be the "Dancers Running Around" school of modern choreography, with much frantic to and fro under dark lighting. The audience roared with approval, which I found disheartening. Really? Finally, this was also my first viewing of Pulcinella Variations, and I'm relieved to be able to say I found it very interesting and rewarding, with whimsically intriguing costumes. Emilie Gerrity continues to look very grand. Glad to see it again. Too tired to sit through Glass Pieces again., so I left at intermission 

Looking forward to the season closer tomorrow. 

I too was confused by the fact that Not Our Fate received the loudest applause. I'm assuming it's because of the impressive pas de deux by Preston Chamblee and Taylor Stanley. 

There is a good ballet buried under all the excess. I think perhaps a lack of confidence pushed her into overstuffing it. And boy oh boy did the piece bring out the melodramatic side of Michael Nyman's music. 

I really wanted to like this. 

38 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

A quiet landing is nice, but I've decided to not judge the ABT dancers on this particular factor while they are at the Met, a house that was meant to project sound from the stage (and, by most accounts, has excellent acoustics for opera). I was just reading about how Balanchine had the State Theater designed so that it would dampen all sound from the stage, which, of course, caused acoustical problems for NYCO for years. And, even after the recent acoustical enhancements to the State Theater to satisfy NYCO, I rarely hear the NYCB dancers' shoes. I haven't noticed if that's the case when ABT occupies that theater in the fall.

Yes! It's a nightmare stage for dancers. I wonder if anything could be done about it? Is there a temporary way to dampen the noise? Even light, accomplished dancers like Kotchetkova can sound like an army drill in some variations at The Met. 

But yes, Hurlin's first leap in her solo was completely silent. The second, not as much, but I spent the rest of the time listening to her steps and watching her feet closely to compare them to the other Shades' landings. It was pretty incredible.