drb

It's a fair bet, though, that Herman Cornejo gets to dance the Peasant Pas in the first Giselle of a run, the pas de trois in the first Swan Lake of a run, etc.

and is listed for the first Corsaire (July 7) and the first R&J Mercutio (July 10), and only those.

... in a year or two with Malakhov (if ABT bothers to book him for more than one or two performances a season) she will knock us dead with a complete portrayal of both roles.

Devoutly to be wished. But in a 22 day period Vladimir not only gave us two Manons and a Giselle but also danced two Solors for his Berlin company. It must have been exhausting. And I think it might have been the first time his company was performing his 1999 production of Bayadere, more work still. So we really couldn't have asked more of him this season.

P.S. Getting back to Wednesday night, the doors to seating were delayed in their opening because things were still going on on stage. The curtain was also a few minutes late going up. Makes one wonder re adequate rehearsal time, or...

Isn't Diana just two years into dancing Odette/Odile? At least with four companies, always a different partner. I believe this was her first time dancing with Jose Carreno. Not every partnership has chemistry. But it was strange that lifts looked effortful, assisted turns always clumsy.

Historically, he has been a fine, often outstanding partner. Consider the review of the Murphy/Corella O/O earlier in this thread. Her Odette didn't click, far beneath her Odile. Yet when her partner was Carreno her Odette was magic, surpassing her Odile! Go back to the discussion of the performance where a kid screamed throughout the Act 2 PdD! Yet the need to "name it up for TV" by switching to super-star Corella just didn't work, and trying to attract those TV viewers with the same cast live since, has lead to a loss of Odette. Yet I respect Angel's growth as a partner, he showed technical perfection when partnering Diana in Giselle, and interaction began to grow his second time with her. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Earlier in the day we saw a permanent pair, it happened to work its first time, and by now (their fourth Swan here plus more on the road, as well as in other ballets) they can create, together, a performance that presents an unending arc of four acts, and makes the ballet new each time.

We need Prima Ballerina Diana Vishneva, she has given surpassing beauty and depth in her towering Giselles and Manons already this season. Lets hope she finds her Siegfried, or brings one who clicks with her from somewhere else. Malakhov, obviously, if he can, and has the time to be away from his own company in Berlin.

We also need regular, experienced partnerships. You'd think someone would have noticed the merit of sticking with pairings that grow and have chemistry what with Ferri/Bocca, and now Part/Gomes, such glaring models. But those with better vision and greater expertise apparently see higher art in playing partner hop scotch.

While I've yet to see an official list, a careful scan of the last week's program dancers list shows the following apprentices are now members of the corps (in confirmation, NYCB's site now lists each dancer, still sans photo and bio):

Congratulations and Welcome to

Robert Fairchild

Kaitlyn Gilliland

Jenelle Manzi

Troy Schumacher

Gretchen Smith

Max van der Sterre

If I've missed anyone, please post!

Do I detect a softening of Mr. Gottlieb's tone about NYCB generally and Peter Martins specifically? Or is the softening in my head? In any event, I love reading him, and I certainly agree about "Cut to Sharp, " the cheers for which had me mystified on its opening night.

Farrell Fan, well, head softening isn't all that bad, as Veronika Part reminded me today. It can be bliss. I was one of those swept along by Slice to Sharp, but will the dancers maintain that ecstacy? So far not. At any rate, I agree with him on Russian Seasons, my favorite premiere, with After the Rain, since The Master left us.

I'd really like to know where his statement There are stirrings in the ranks of the ballet masters and mistresses which may gradually lead to needed changes in casting and coaching. comes from.

Hope.

Part/Gomes, Wednesday matinee, June 28

Daughters of St. Petersberg Day began with Veronika Part's Odette/Odile. Her partner Marcelo Gomes, the greatest present-day Siegfried? (I'd vote Yes), delivered a tone-setting Act 1. When he danced with Benno's (Gennadi Saviliev) girlfriend, he wasn't a Prince taking his "right", nor "slumming", rather honoring the wish of his servant/friend, despite tutor Kirk Peterson's displeasure. Then an unease began to cross his visage and the soliloquy began. Rather less attention to epaulement than seen with Beloserkovsky, the head staying very straight up: but with high artistic purpose. The head was poised on a fulcrum, to one side his present reality, on the other dangers of another world. This was a soliloquy worthy of an Anthony Dowell.

Act 2 found him somehow quite at home in the alternate reality of swans. As Veronika Part entered with a grand grand jete, nothing could have been more real or natural to this prince. Looking just a bit puzzled, Odette seemed to find this quite-at-home Siegfried not so much to be feared as to be explored. Her miming to him was both easy for him to read and more goose-bump producing than any prior miming I've experienced. Four Part Swans, four very distinct Odettes by this supreme ballerina. This time she was as if Farrell, to Siegfried's Balanchine. It was an Odette of Ideal Beauty. In this world of swans, the perfect woman. Dancing together in total harmony, one long unfolding of Mariinsky epaulement, a mighty river flowing in a mythic universe where every direction is up. In order to not disorient the mortals watching, they kindly used the stage's floor. But these two didn't really need it. Both of her variations were danced in total grace, her technique so much stronger now, with endless arms and legs unconstrained by time, that all there is is beauty. After the second variation, the lift that always draws applause leads to the moment in which she gave him the lowdown on reality in this space, jolting him with what he would have to do, and then Swampy Rothbart's pulling her back to her swan body, the pure and simple arms rippling, back to audience, and Siegfried alone, between two worlds.

In Act 3, he was doing fine, holding onto official reality, till somewhere near the Hungarian dance. First a troubled look, becoming what was perhaps a wish to see that other, perfect world. By the time he was dancing, with full propriety, with the princesses, he at times seemed unable to see them (rather as Albrecht Malakhov not seeing Giselle Vishneva in early Act 2). With Siegfried straining for that other world, his mother (what a fully drawn character by Georgina Parkinson) had more than one concern about this son. He seemed to see Odette before Odile's entrance, though tellingly his gaze was in another direction.

The new and slimmer Veronika Part was confident as Odile (of course) but also as a ballerina, showing no concern about the test to come. She knew that other world and easily brought him to it. Both danced with ease and amplitude, thrills and virtuosity, his double tours en l'aire included, and she did her 32, well-placed and finishing with a double that flowed as if a swan's feather. He then did those turns that seem to slow to a near mid-course stop and then explode, ex nihilo, into more powerful ones. Sensational! They conclude, with Veronika flashing a massive smile: she conquered Siegfried, what man wouldn't be conquered by her, but she's also conquered Odile.

Although I was looking toward the stage as Act 4 began, I have no memory of the hopfrog scene at all. Only the great partnership existed. She entered. He saw her. Love won. But now it is time to return to see that other Daughter of St. Petersberg.

...2) What did you think of her arms here? I wasn't sure whether I found the effect as pleasing as the usual arms. I really couldn't decide if it was as effectively swanlike or not...

While eternally won over by Makarova's way, I could see some point to Dvorovenko's choice. Given that hers was so much a danced version of Odette, perhaps the high upward reach could represent her forced surrender to Rothbart, and the (reversed from en couronne) outward turn of hands could suggest her loss of royal status. The wing beats down from these heights could also say that she was trapped in the swan body and was forced to use wing-power to move.

Dvorovenko/Beloserkovsky Swamp Lake, June 26

1. As the curtain went up, relief: Frederic Franklin was there, it had to be a good Act 1. His teacher dominates the act, keeping the poltical house in order despite undercurrents of social change. The PdT was danced by Xiomara Reyes (the one who is partnered), Yuriko Kajiya (a late sub) and the required for opening night reviews, Herman Cornejo as Benno. Now that Xiomara has such a workload in Principal roles, I suppose she was cast to assure a good review and to fit with Herman. But it is an assignment hardly to inspire an established star, and was another blunder by AD McKenzie, depriving one of those invisible under-30's a chance to grow and thrill. Also a chance missed to give some potential partner practice with Mr. Cornejo, so he doesn't have to wait till his golden years to dance lead roles. At least Ms. Kajiya had a chance to display her grace and musicality. Mr. Cornejo owned the house with his virtuosic display. Maxim Beloserkovsky had an auspcious beginning, with greater maturity in his port de bras, and head placement that was both harmonious and expressive, in his soliloquy.

2. Perhaps the Royal family's budget cannot handle the extra insurance required to expose Benno and the hunting party to the swamp's mosquitos. In any case, they don't come along swan hunting with Siegfried. This choice certainly undercuts Siegfried's chances to convince Odette that he can be trusted. At least there is mime. But pure dance has to suffice to advance the story with these leads. It is the beauty of Ivanov's choreography that carries the story. Tho' less expressive than some, Dvorovenko's adagio advanced the story: Irina's trembling petits battements seemed to convey both her predicament and her hope. A substantial ovation followed this adagio and both her variations. Her first variation ended with a diagonal of especially powerful pirouettes. The second variation also featured technical execution that conveyed her fear of impending separation from Siegfried. Again under influence of Rothbart (Marcelo Gomes--whoops! Thanks Aurora, it was Rothbart in his swamp thing form, played by Isaac Stappas) her exit to rear stage left, back to audience, featured wings raised high, almost an exaggeratedly high en couronne, except hands turned outward, before each flap down, rather than the more horizontal rippling wings many Odettes favor. A late replacement may explain why the four Cygnets were not evenly spaced. Veronika Part and Stella Abrera were the two big swans. Ms. Part is badly miscast in this role, quite simply because she is too good in it: no Odette, save perhaps Lopatkina, could overcome such a swan in her midst: more visible, more swan, more Queen.

3. The third act was saved by a few dancers. Zhong-Jing Fang's grace as the Hungarian Princess. Some day one of these Siegfried's is going to throw the ballet off-kilter by selecting her! Marcelo Gomes, in his only Rothbart this season, dominates with his by now legendary command. Irina and Max delivered the goods, even though acting was underplayed, except for Irina's very enticing hot smile. No longer playing the "who can reach 50 rotations game" with Paloma and Gillian, post baby Irina now goes for purity and staying in place. 32 singles and two triples.

4. The abomination. (But before this, the art of dance: Ronaldo has just set the all-time World Cup scoring record, and did so with a magnificent goal, the ballet of the beautiful game, watch tonight's sportscasts for the replay!) The hopfrogs hop chaotically from lilipad to lilipad in the swamp to begin this act. What price choreographic credit? Irina and Max get to jump in the lake. Stalin gets his happy ending. And the dancers get six curtain calls from the standing audience.

I recall last weeke when we saw Manon, that Julie Kent, wore tights which appeared soiled... could be wrong, but I thought this was part of the costuming... Perhaps Vishneva's legs were meant to look bruised as in an abused prisoner? ... a litte ballet verite perhaps???

Yes, one would surely be able to show abuse with makeup on the legs more believably than by painting it on tights, where a skinned knee might slide or wrinkle into something not as real. But not only is a bare leg a better vessel than tights to indicate rendered abuse, the violation of not wearing tights is, per se, one more, final abuse. This all makes sense to me in a reading of the story in which des Grieux raises Manon from an amoral state rather than one where Manon degrades innocent des Grieux to her state of amorality (after all, he ends a muderer). But this is about Diana and Vladimir's presentation, which is one where he raises her to the level that her love defeats a vile society's drive to break women.

Diana's choice to not wear tights as a prisoner was a dramatic masterstroke. From the ballet's opening scene, when we saw the cartload of dehumanized prostitutes, the ballet is played against the background of that society's dehumanization of women. The story of the main character, Manon, on the other hand, is of a pretty 16-year old girl who begins as an amoral cipher, a pure object, and grows her humanity to an archetypal height. Finally, in the most degrading environment possible, stripped of everything, she adds even that final degradation for a balerina. Her humanity achieves its epiphany, amorality transcended by love. That love was worth breaking all the rules of that society and of classical ballet. Brava Diana Vishneva!

and does anyone know about that happy, young, wonderfully energetic, Troy Schumacher, who has such a great line?

New Corps members Kaitlyn Gilliland, Robert Fairchild and Troy Schumacher are all now listed under Dancers on NYCB's site, so far sans photo and bio (William Lin-Yee, for instance, not quite so recent, has a photo but not yet a bio). Are there any other newbies? Has anyone seen an official announcement?

June 24, matinee

Today began with Wheeldon's Klavier, somewhat dismissed at its premiere, but which in fairness seemed more "finished" at its second performance last season. I'm still not there with it, but am learning there is more there there: it has its mysteries, and while waiting for its satori, Susan Walters playing of Beethoven is so moving.... I'm already looking forward to a fourth viewing.

Miranda Weese is growing her version of In Memory of..., still perhaps anticipating the finale too much at the beginning, but her vision of the role is deepening. Wendy Whelan's interpretation is a tough act to follow. Charles Askegard's very subtle interpretation of Death as simply a lack of life, is a perfect foil to Miranda's victim.

Western Symphony, conducted by retired but not retiring Andrea Quinn closed the program. One keeps on thinking that Jennie Somogyi is finally all the way back. Only to see her notch it up another increment each performance. Ably partnered by Mr. Warmth, Nilas Martins. I couldn't help noticing that Kaitlyn Gilliland was again teamed with William Lin-Yee. They seem to have some magic going. Please Mr. Martins Sr., hire the Apprentice, and lets see these two in some soloist pairing. This is exactly what you do that the guy across the Plaza can't/won't. After the happy first movement came the charismatic duo of Sterling Hyltin and Albert Evans. Of course he's a star, but this young ballerina is on the verge of joining NYCB's constellation. Nicolaj Hubbe partnered Sara Mearns in the finale. The score lacks the musical fascination to spur that side of Sara's magic, so she wisely used role to hone her fouettes. Finished with a triple, early on there were a couple of doubles, earlier still a triple of great beauty. OK, Odette, wait till her next Odile!

Since I am 'stuck' here in NY, I did not get to see this performance that you all describe so enthusiastically. But, as I read your reviews the above thought occurs to me. I suspect 'Chauffeur' is correct when she predicts 5 to 10 years maturity. With this in mind, I was surprised by those who said she was the best Aurora they have seen.

Some eras, like ours, have a number of very great ballerinas, yet one of them stands in a class apart. Ulanova, Farrell, Cojocaru. They could be the greatest before they were their greatest.

Vishneva/Malakhov/Manon II, June 23

It is fascinating to watch great partnerships perform the same ballet more than once. Tonight's interpretation was radically different from Wednesday's. Tonight it was much closer to love at first sight. Once Vladimir got his nose out of the book and saw Diana, his eyes were fixed on her. When he sat in the chair on the opposite side of the stage he nearly forgot his book. When finally he did glance at it he couldn't get back into his read, had to flip back a few pages to find a place he could remember, but then put it down. As he got up to walk closer to her he used it as a prop to hide his intent, but as soon as she came over to sneak a look at it, they quickly looked at each other instead. His courtship dance was more a celebratory display, very stretched, with lyric amplitude. And the duet was a passionate rush to get to the next, bedroom, scene. Throughout the evening he seemed to find his great virtuosity of the 1990's. Diana, of course, was glorious. Her back was amazingly flexible, snaking from an "S" to its mirror image in her swan dives in the second act. As she somehow grew larger, in the stage-filling sense, he matched her by constantly increasing the power of his dancing. Acting by dancing. Again, as on Wednesday, they would not be separated in their curtain calls. While it will never be the same without Ferri/Bocca, love as real love will still live in our world of ballet, at least a little while longer.

I'm very surprised re: Ulanova...

So, apparently, would be Maya Plisetskaya. Writing about her great "rival" in her autobiography:

What astonished me was the lines of her body. Here she had no equals. Her arabesques looked as if drawn by a finely sharpened pencil. She had remarkably educated feet. I saw it immediately. It was as if she were speaking quietly through her feet. Her beautiful arms made every pose complete. There was not a single sloppy step throughout the whole performance.

June 21, matinee, Vishneva/Malakhov/Manon

A very different Manon to that of Monday night, Russian soul replacing Latin Heat. Please forgive any stereotyping, it is just how it was. And, of course, Vladimir is not Russian, but from the Ukraine, Bolshoi-schooled.

He was a classic bookish young naif from 19th Century Russian novels. So absorbed in his book (he must have been reading, judging from the spectrum of his reactions to the text), that he didn't even notice Diana till he'd got up to go. He stopped when he saw her, but just as a shy young man seeing a pretty girl. Then he was off to the other side of the stage and back to his read. She began noticing him. And when he got up and walked toward center stage, nose in book(he had sneaked a couple of peeks at that pretty girl), she got up and put her nose into his book, seemingly to read what could be more interesting than she. He didn't notice that either, till her pimp brother pulled her away. He began his courtship solo most gently so as not to scare the girl away, and when he knelt before her his hand barely grazed hers and he backed off. He was giving Manon her shyness. They began the duet, and gradually she began loosening the boy up, and he began to laugh happily. She gave him a light peck on the smile. And the rest is history. In the bedroom PdD, they had a wondrous mix of childlike play and young love passion. He was giving her her childhood, and perhaps really enjoying what bookworming had taken from his.

She of course loved her life of jewels and the illusion of power over men. Given Diana's beauty, not hard to understand. In the middle of the ballet, when he saw her life at Madame's "hotel" he was shocked (not interested in the many offers, he did spill a glass of champagne down the front of one woman's dress), and when she first saw him there, shame crossed her face. She dropped her false life one layer at a time, in a brilliantly crafted performance. As layers wilted away the pair grew more and more deeply in love, and intensity grew. Then after the rape by the jailer, Vladimir kills him. For this young man it would have been more acceptable to die for her than to kill for her. His being was so shattered by this deed that she had to rescue him from the crime(s) scene. Off in the swamp, in the final PdD, she was as much a comfort to him, as he to her. All the technical miracles were achieved, enabling Diana's grand amplitude to fill the theater, and all the hearts within it.

That is a very unusual repertory for Saratoga with the two premiers and several all or mostly very solid Balanchine works.

The Gala will complete Saratoga's view of the amazing sequence of this year's Diamond Project hits. From NYCB's site:

Joining the 1992 international hit from the first Diamond Project, William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman pas de deux, will be three highlights from 2006: Slice to Sharp (Elo), The Red Violin (1st Movement) (Martins), and In Vento (Bigonzetti).

'...everything man does he does for his ideal woman. You live only one life and you believe in something and I believe in a little thing like that.' George Balanchine

Navigating to that site was worth it, to find this quote!

I do hope that he will become an AD somewhere, he has so much to give. Esp. his passion!!!!!

In the Time Out interview from Monday's links:

I read on a ballet chat board that you would take over ABT someday.

Oh, okay. [Laughs] Well, not now, that’s for sure. I don’t want any big responsibilities. In the very long future, it’s not a bad idea. I would love to do that.

I remember a season-ending performance of Don Quixote that was Paloma Herrera's debut as Kitri. Each was born in Buenos Aires. Bocca took care of his very young partner with engulfing devotion, directing every moment of his attention toward her, adoring her, making us see only her. Latin Fireworks never burned hotter at ABT. His gift to her was such a triumph that the Sunday Times, in its prewrite just before the next season began, featured that performance, front page (Arts and Leisure Section), with photo. Paloma was later to repeat the favor by baptizing young Angel Corella's Basil.

What a danseur. What a noble heart.

If you remember the Millenium TV special in which each hour featured a country's midnight hour, Argentina's celebration was centered on Julio and his company, his gift to Argentina.

Also ABT's Julie Kent and Victor Barbee (they have a two-year old son; he's now listed as Associate AD, but still dances--tonight played G. M in Manon).

Also, there are some very openly acknowledged partner-partnerships, such as Cojocaru/Kobborg (Royal) and Murphy/Stiefel (ABT).

June 19, Ferri/Bocca/Manon

During the curtain calls, a dozen or so, there was Alessandra with a joyous smile to fill the Met and Julio, very happy too. No Giselle still locked in her trance, this was not a Manon to stay dead. Not when so loved by her des Grieux. In the final duet of death the triple spin lifts, the one armed catch, ballet's perfectly arched Ferri feet were all there. But so was every ounce of possible passion, every gram of agony, every breath not taken. Ballet's great dance actress and actor can have it both ways.

As dying goes in this world, it was a good way to die. Hair shorn, raped, in a swamp on the wrong side of the world. But really in love and loved. And Bocca her Bogart.

The Act 1 PdD must have contained ballet's longest and deepest kiss. Wildly romantic, ultimate chemistry. Yet dwarfed by that finale. As it should be, but how hard for mortal dancers. How hard for mortals.

It was hard to understand Manon's anguish at the death of her pimp of a brother, Lescaut danced by Herman Cornejo. That it was incomprehensible must mean that Mr. Cornejo did one fine job, making this slime of the earth even slimier than Swan Lake's Swamp Thing. Victor Barbee's M. G. M. oozed it too. And gaoler/rapist Sascha Radetsky was so directly dirty as to almost justify his murder by des Grieux. With all the depravity and intensity going on around her, Gillian Murphy played Lescaut's mistress and her beautiful, forceful dancing gave some respite, refreshing us for the next emotional knockout from the power couple.

Another power moment as Alessandra flew herself onto the bed, all limbs flailing, total abandon. So many indelible images. That bracelet from G. M. that she didn't want to give up. But did, just in time to cement her love before the cops came. But then placed back on her wrist by the gaoler to celebrate his act of rape. How cruel, that French custom of shearing hair of convicted prostitutes, a final dehumanization.

Brava, Bravo, Bravi.

The end

For now, here is a collection of some of my most favorite Bocca-Ferri images:

Bocca and Ferri image gallery

Those remarkable Other Dances photos, 13 years after their first NYC performance of the ballet are testimony to an ever-growing partnership. From the Times review of that first, in 1991:

With the possible exception of Gelsey Kirkland, however, none dared infuse the ballet's performances with the same unabashed high mannerisms provided by Mr. Baryshnikov and Miss Makarova. None, that is, until Monday night at the Metropolitan Opera House, when Julio Bocca and Alessandra Ferri of Ballet Theater were seen for the first time locally in "Other Dances."

The wonder of this performance was brilliance of nerve, its very peculiarity. Mr. Bocca and Miss Ferri virtually reinvented the choreography, twisting or tilting their bodies into new shapes....

... Moreover, Miss Ferri's low-slung dips into ballet's fourth position characterized an interpretation predicated on the extreme, while Mr. Bocca, stressing his own accents, met her on the same dramatic ground. One never knew what they would do next, and a duet that can sometimes be bland was always alive.

We know what they'll do next. And last. Manon tomorrow and then the end of the greatest modern partnership (well, OK, Diana and Vladimir go on) on Thursday night.

You've really nailed it Hans. They seemed to have forgotten that Balanchine's Balanchine style very much emphasized epaulement. Quoting the former Balanchine dancer and current great teacher (of many NYCB dancers) Wilhelm Burmann, from a Dance Magazine interview in 1996:

"How can you get dancers to move when all they want to do is stand in First Position, with their arms in Second Position with the head immovably facing front for forty-five minutes at the barre! People from the street can do that. Epaulement becomes a tremendous effort. No wonder there is no joy of movement. Any movement you do with your legs without using your torso is garbage. You might as well not do it. I see a lot of exaggerations being taught in Balanchine's name. It's out of hand. His use of beautiful arms, hands, and head positions has become contorted."

In full:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_...v70/ai_18640447

...Absolutely, I love how Diana creates the character and expresses emotion through her dancing, which is critical. Dancers who try to Act it miss the point. But I think she also acts it, and beautifully....

... I hate how Giselle just walks on and offstage in Act 2, with no descent into the ground. That is one of my favorite moments of the ballet, because to me its a sign that Giselle has fought and won against the Wilis. She descends into the grave, haiving saved Albrecht. She is at peace. With the ABT production, I'd like to ask Kevin McKenize: where does Giselle go? ...

Susan

Perhaps what I meant by "dancing, not acting", is acting from (actually English here could stand a word that was all prepositions) the dancing, and that some of it, the fleshing out of the character comes from her epaulement fleshing out the body, and twisting and weaving through time translating into nuanced, sweaping emotion.

The Saturday Act I was more acted than Wednesday's first Act. She was much more the young rather innocent village girl: as she danced for Albrecht her looks toward him were glances to see if she were gaining his approval, pleasing Angel. Near the end of the great variation where she first looks at him, then symmetrically repeats the steps toward her mother, she did the choreography straight: seeking approval of each. She's a young girl who loves to dance, and earns approval with it. With Vladimir she'd used the look toward him to send a yearning message instead, and when ending the repeated move toward her mother her head twisted back toward him, the surprising change of direction seemingly just as properly dancy --her epaulement? --expressing the unconditionality of her love with Albrecht. As regards your wonderful observation earlier in this thread regarding the earlier Giselle

One touch I loved was how, in the 2nd act he often stared straight ahead instead of looking at Vishneva. It's a small detail but an important one, it makes dramatic sense because she's a spirit now and though he can feel her presence he really can't see much but fleeting glimpses of her. I thought it was very effective.

as she was sending this deeper message of the heart toward Malakhov in Act I, his gaze seemed diverted into space: as so much of Act I is a type of what is to be in Act II, here Malakhov anticipated for us what would be in Act II: it became a sign of something to look for in Act II, as you did!

Why the more traditional approach to Act I on Saturday? I'd say it was about the partner; not how they had distinctly different partnering or acting styles, it was more about Vladimir than Angel. As she has said of Malakhov, she is a half-soul and he is her missing half a soul, and together they are whole. The touch of his hand to her sleeve and her response early in Act I that signaled that theirs was already a profound love, meant for me that I was watching one dancer, dancing through two bodies. On Saturday I was watching two great dancers in two bodies, the normal way that people or souls occupy bodies. The famous Malakhov backbends were just one way that the two half-souls were one, his whole-body style of dancing made their respective "dance-acting" that of one soul speaking as one voice. Both men, after their respective fashions, understood that they existed by the grace of, and to serve, Giselle. And isn't that part of the lesson they were supposed to learn?

Entrances and exits. Saturday Diana made the most of her Act II walk-on. At first she stood still at the grave, surveying the scene. This is not where she expected to be. Her strength of character, her courage allowed her to walk slowly into the scene, slowly but not tentatively. Her wili spins were as much her own power as the power of the wilis taking command of her spirit. The unbreaking momentum of her dance powered her to victory, which was a victory for the wilis too, one of liberation. (Last year Part as Wili Queen showed this with an expression of transcendent bliss as sunlight burst the walls of what had been her spiritual prison.) Giselle's exit was again only backing off stage. But the dancer playing Albrecht evidently can make his own exit. We've read of Bocca's version, signalling his exit from Giselle as well from Giselle. Angel left Diana very differently from how Vladimir left her (as described earlier in this thread). He received his parting single flower from Giselle. This time the lilies pile was at the grave rather than center stage. But he did not care about them. Just the one from her. Holding it to his heart Angel simply turned to the audience, walked toward us as that last lily weighed on him, slowly lowering down away from his heart.

Oh, and as Giselle had backed toward (into?) her grave, and was slipping from sight, a hand could be seen guiding her by the waist. After dancing like that, she deserved a better funeral.