Roberta
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Posts posted by Roberta
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10 minutes ago, JuliaJ said:
......probably a couple fairy-tale characters (Cinderella, the guy with the giant head with all of the kids...). ...
Ah, so the little Nijinska & DeValois additions from the 2017 "Aurora's Wedding" are gone, as predicted. We're back to the Cinderella and Tom Thumb/Maneater episodes. Thanks. I'll be there for the 2nd Lane/Cornejo performance on Friday. Cannot wait to see them.
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19 hours ago, angelica said:
My former ballet teacher used to say that ballet is a Fine Art, like painting, and is not in the same category as other forms of dance. This is, indeed, an elitist attitude to which I wholly subscribe.
Count me in with the proud Elitists! This thread (@Pherank's q above) asks us to address the reason behind the dearth of classical-ballet reviews in the NYTimes and other traditional media. I'm afraid that our pride in being elite won't be helping matters but big deal. It won't keep us from enjoying our ballet. I'm willing to be the Last Balletomane Standing, reviews or not.
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24 minutes ago, aurora said:
I think you somewhat underestimate the number of people who care about the arts.
I was referring to classical (Euro-heritage) performing arts and, of course, caring more for ballet. of course there's interest in "arts"...but our sorts of arts? Or maybe it's more of a problem with classical ballet...just noticing Abatt's comment about opera reviews.
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The world no longer revolves around a few elitist arts lovers (of the old-style European variety) who are privileged enough to live in one of a handful of expensive cities with major opera houses.
Furthermore, even if potential arts patrons live in those cities or on the less-expensive fringes of those cities, most people either do not have the time or energy to commute into those centers and $pend their hard-earned ca$h on the classical performing arts. Many folks are working 2-3 jobs just to take care of their families' needs. They're lucky to have time to click on YouTube or pop a DVD or BluRay into their sets.
At the end of the day, the NYTimes and other traditional or online newspapers don't want to spend resources to cater to - what? - about 50-100 persons? - for whom English is the primary language and who really care about reviews of specific classical performances. How many Engl-reading individuals really care? I'm guessing that all 50-100 of them post or lurk on Ballet Alert or balletcoforum.
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@FauxPas Indeed I remember the first ABT version's telecast with Gregory as Aurora. The designs were an attempt to recreate the 1946 Messel originals, which had been discarded by the Royal Ballet in the late 1960s. Alas, they could best be described as "A Hint of Messel." For example, I remember Aurora's Act I tutu being described by a great critic (Walter Terry?) as "Pepto Bismol Pink."
It's not enough to give "A Hint of Bakst" or "A Hint of Messel" or whatever.
As for the 1890 Imperial costumes reproduced perfectly (warts and all) for the 1999 Vikharev recon - yes, there were loud clashing colours BUT they were authentic after-Vsevolodsky et al. I still get shivers down my spine thinking about that Apotheosis with the multiple backdrops, ending with the tableau of Good vs Evil and the floral swags lowering from the ceiling. Exquisite.
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4 hours ago, FauxPas said:
I....the Kirkland production (remember that Aurora was the daughter of the Burger King?, the daisies on the suspenders the boys wore in the Garland Dance and the Scottish Prince in purple tartan with maribou accents? - he was FABULOUS!!!) ...
Oh, I had nearly forgotten Burger King with his "Whopper" of a golden-paper crown! ROTFL! I also remember the big silver-eagle bed that very quickly traversed the forest, as Aurora slept on it.
My problem with the current ABT SB designs is that they are so cheap-looking and blah when compared to the substantial magnificence of the 1890 "originals" in the Mariinsky-Vikharev recon. For 2015 ABT-Ratmansky version we were promised, "after Bakst 1921." They did not come close; just a little taste of 1921, whereas the Mariinsky gave us "the full Monty" of 1890. If one announces the designs of a great production from the past, one delivers. Go great or Go Home!
Notice the colours of these Bakst drawings, taken from the 1921 Folio of his designs. I've seen one of these folios at the U.S. Library of Congress. These costumes were intended to be vivid and substantial in fabric:
Remember when the Royal failed in its first attempt (ca 2005) to revive the great 1946 Oliver Messel production? We got the grand old sets with watered-down costumes. This was corrected a few years later with the true 1946 costumes. What a difference. Go Great or Go Home!
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1 hour ago, nanushka said:
I could be wrong but I believe the more substantial wedding scene changes were not done when the full ballet was revived but rather when Act III was done as Aurora’s Wedding as part of the Tchaikovsky program in 2017. My guess is they will not be included as part of the full ballet.
That was the intention. In the end, the only Nijinska-1921 bit revived by Ratmansky was the Chinese pas de trois (Porcelain Princesses and man). We also had the Three Ivans by Ninette de Valois but that was already widely known from Royal Ballet versions. I remember having been disappointed that Ratmansky had gone the easy route for the Three Ivans.
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3 hours ago, abatt said:
All of the SL's are sell outs or near sell outs, so I'm not buying into the idea that McKenzie needs to give Misty multiple Swan Lakes to boost ticket sales. Yes, that theory works for lesser titles that the public is unfamiliar with, but SL tickets sells very well regardless of casting.
Maybe ABT is trying to show diversity within the paying audience, whenever dancers of color are cast, although I'm not sure how that will be proved, other than taking photos of the audience during intermissions. Credit cards used to purchase tix don't identify race, AFAIK.
As for Sarah's surprise performance as Odile last night - I'm so envious of all who were lucky enough to have attended! I have my finger on the trigger, ready to buy performance and train tix the moment that I learn that Sarah may be dancing "O&/orO" again on Saturday night! Or perhaps this may happen at Wolf Trap, closer to home, with the Copeland/Cornejo SL? Not that we wish bad luck on any other principal...
Wasn't Sarah Lane a cover for someone else two years ago, when she got her shot at O/O? Or am I mixing that with her two Giselle performances that season?
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If a Clark Tippet ballet were to be revived, I was hoping for Bruch Violin Concerto. Oh well - beggars won't be choosers.
No mention of possible set(s) for Ratmansky's The Seasons. Hmmm. Maybe the San Francisco edition, next year, will have jacked-up designs with sets and props.
Maybe we'll get an Apollo starring Aran Bell, with Catherine Hurlin as Terpsichore?
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20 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:
There have been several clips of Cornejo rehearsing SL on Instagram in the past couple days and he looks to be in great form.
I’ve seen absolutely no info on Simkin. He has continued to post (non-current content) on Instagram but has not mentioned his injury or responded to well wishes, as far as I’ve noticed.
And ABT's Instagram account has a clip of Hallberg rehearsing the leap into the lake, so presumably he's doing well at the moment.
Thank you. Let's hope for a "3 for 3"!
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I'm having a tough time keeping the list of remaining Siegfrieds straight. Are they all on-board and healthy to dance? I'm particularly thinking about Cornejo (w/ Misty tonight), Simkin (w/ Isabella tomorrow) and Hallberg (w/ Misty on Sat night).
https://www.abt.org/events/swan-lake/
I second a report on Bell's debut this afternoon, please.
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7 minutes ago, nanushka said:
I don't see that happening. He has a loyal fan base here, and he's guaranteed a hearty welcome in NYC any time he wants to dance here. I expect he'll continue on, with a role in the company similar to that of Roberto Bolle.
Yeah, just like Yulia Makhalina (& even Lopatkina!) remains on the Mariinsky roster.
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17 hours ago, ABT Fan said:
I I agree she [Shevchenko] should have been given two, but the others are clearly more favored (esp Teuscher). ...
Indeed. Let's not forget that the three ballerinas scheduled to dance O/O at Wolf Trap-Wash, DC, are Seo, Copeland and Teuscher, in that order. Seo gets the all-important opening night reviews.
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Soloist to Principal -
Boy, it had better be Forster among the men, perhaps also Royal. Hoven a bit bland for my taste but he's definitely capable and has paid his dues. All three have paid their dues - Forster, Hoven, Royal. As much as I've loved Mack for a long time, here in DC, I'm not so sure that he'd be taken into the company permanently. I'd squeal with joy, if so...but if they do that and keep my guy Forster out of Principal level, I will unleash the full force of my Italian temperament.
For women, Cassandra Trenary for sure. Brandt maybe, although I find her use of the "saucer eyes" a bit annoying...not so aesthetically pleasing...but she is technically capable.
Corps to Soloist -
Aran Bell - no ifs, ands, or buts! Maybe also Klein and Sebastian, if more than one or even two Soloist spots become available? Maloney and/or Shayer, if the administration wants to promote "demi-caractere" types of dancers?
Women? McBride is very impressive.
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Thanks, Marta. No need to see the documentary to see a great 8+-minute clip of Nureyev dancing Taylor's Aureole with the RDB:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q-ztXxdG_o
Also, isn't it Nureyev in this complete performance of Appalachian Spring? first of 4 parts...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgaKGSxQVw
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A review of the 2019 Nureyev documentary:
https://trustmovies.blogspot.com/2019/06/dont-bother-with-nureyev-too-often.html
Ouch! Not so promising. Which begs the question, "Why?" How many documentaries on Nureyev have we had, since the great one by Patricia Foy? Why was yet another one needed, if it has so little new information or footage to add?
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As it turned out, I decided to use my Amtrak ticket and attended the Saturday matinee. I'm happy that I went, to witness the magnificently moving performance by Thomas Forster as Mr. Rochester. Wow - simply wow! I was hoping that Kevin McKenzie would come out to promote him to Etoile on the spot, as they do at POB. Forster is a true gallant - great acting, gorgeous feet, wonderful partnering and, from what I've seen in other ballets, a fine classicist. Time for promotion!
As for the work on view, the least said the better. It's a two-hour parade of gestures. A story told mostly in mime. The only recognizable dancing parts were the 4 or 5 duets for Jane and Rochester - the first and last ones being absolutely sublime! - and the scene of the party guests that opened A2. (An audience member sitting beside me sighed, "Finally, some real dancing!" My other neighbor never made it back to his seat after intermission.) It's good that the very best segment ends the ballet, thus ensuring the standing ovation.
The dreary set with grey-on-grey scrims was depressing and on the Economy Plan side. The costumes were serviceable. The lighting was dreary; I could barely make out the action at times & I had a great seat in the first row of Grand Tier-Center...$130 bucks to strain my eyes through opera glasses and still see barely half of the action! The only good thing that I can say about the backdrop of wavy lines evoking rolling hills, is that it made me think a bit about the backdrop of Ashton's Symphonic Variations...only in shades of grey.
I surely hope that ABT doesn't misinterpret the standing ovations as approval of the overall piece. It would be horrendous if the company acquires more issues of "The Cathy Marston Classics Illustrated Collection" of digested books.
Le Corsaire ushers in four consecutive weeks of true ballet. It can't come quickly enough.
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So cute. Congratulations!
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I agree about The Tempest being awful. Ditto the one where Copeland and Whiteside groped each other. The tap-dancing pointe shoes. And some of the Millepieds, such as I Feel the Earth Move.
3 hours ago, abatt said:At least they are getting full use of the smoke machine they had to rent for In the Upper Room.
ROTFL - I almost spit-out my lunch!
re. Jane Eyre - After these terrible reports, I'm wondering if I should bother to spend on an Amtrak ticket to see the Saturday matinee? I may cut my loses with the ABT seat price (Dress Circle) and use the Amtrak points for another weekend. Truly - time is precious.
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It's a winner! After work, I missed my aquatics class and went straight home, to begin reading. It's an easy and delightful read so far, yet very well researched with known and heretofore-unknown primary and secondary sources, including the unpublished bio by daughter Vera Petipa. The illustrations are nice, some of them new to these eyes BUT...for the full illustrated explosion, I fear that I may have to acquire the 2-part jumbo "Tanzmania" catalogue of the St. P Theatre Museum (5,500 rubles/$85 + whatever the int'l shipping may cost, which must be a huge amount...it may be cheaper to jump on a plane and carry it back home):
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22 hours ago, California said:
New message just now: delivered June 4. I don't buy/read every dance biography that comes along, but I've become more interested in seeing how Ratmansky has reconstructed some of Petipa's work.
Mine came today, too. After all of the messaging from Amazon, it was only a one-day delay. LOL. We can say that they care for their customers.
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Starting the topic. I'm going to the Saturday matinee (Boylston/Forster) but look forward to reading impressions on all casts.
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28 minutes ago, California said:
Amazon tells me today to expect it June 5. I'm pretty sure that was the original expectation.
Thanks. I can wait two days, for sure. The email today from Amazon apologized that the book wasn't coming today, so some people received the June 3rd date.
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I may have celebrated too quickly. I received an email from amazon that the US shipment of this book is delayed but no mention of the new date.
When I ordered it months ago, we were promised June 3, 2019.
When I ordered it months ago, we were promised June 3, 2019.
ABT 2019 Sleeping Beauty
in American Ballet Theatre
Posted
Hee Seo -
In addition to what Nanushka wrote (the obvious strengths and weaknesses related to her performing abilities), Hee was promoted ahead of "long-time audience favorite" soloists like Sarah Lane and Stella Abrera, who fans had been expecting would've been promoted first. It was all unfortunate.