nysusan

Based on how ENB worded the press release I'd suspect that he is leaving ABT. They said this about 2 dancers from NBC: From The National Ballet of Canada, Francesco Gabriele Frola and Emma Hawes join the Company as Principal and First Soloist respectively, while remaining dancers of The National Ballet of Canada. and this about Cirio: Following his recent guest performances with the Company in Song of the Earth, La Sylphide, and Akram Khan’s Giselle, Jeffrey Cirio, currently Principal at American Ballet Theatre, joins English National Ballet as Lead Principal. I guess we'll see if we hear anything from Cirio or ABT, but I suspect he is leaving.

I was there for the first act on Wed and the entire ballet on Saturday night. My impressions pretty much mirror ABT Fan's. I was there to see Hallberg because these were his last performances of the season and I wonder how often he'll be dancing with ABT in the future. He was wonderful, his dancing was so beautiful and free and I loved his characterization of Romeo as a hopelessly romantic dreamer. Boylston's Juliet was very well danced, but I didn't feel any chemistry between her and Hallberg . She acted the part well, but I was always aware of her ACTING. The best R&J pairs - the ones we have become used to seeing at ABT like Ferri/Bocca, Ferri/Corella, Vishneva/Gomes and the one time we were privileged to see an absolutely heartstopping performance by Osipova & Hallberg - they lived the roles onstage, totally in the moment. Now of course I know that they were acting but you never felt it, you only felt their raw vivid emotions and total immersion in the story. I didn't see anything like that with Boylston and Hallberg and for me, R&J is pretty boring without it. And, yes, I too always think of Franklin the minute Friar Lawrence comes onstage. Even into his late eighties, he was such a presence. I usually go to ABT 3-4 times for most productions, but I see R&J as a 3 hour ballet that contains about 45 minutes of amazing dancing. It really lives or dies depending on who is cast in the 2 lead roles, and without great performances I find it pretty boring. In my book, this was not a great performance. On any given night I see 8-10 or more of my friends during intermissions, but each night this week I only saw 2 people I know, so I guess most of my friends felt the same way I did.

As reported in the Sarasota Ballet thread, Marcelo will be performing the final pdd from The Two Pigeons with Victoria Hulland during the company's August engagement at the Joyce Theater in NY. This will be presented at the Saturday matinee and evening performances. Program 2 Starts with Wheeldon's There Where She Loved and then to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ashton's passing the program will include Monotones I & II and four Ashton diverts/extracts (La Chatte Métamorphosée en Femme; the pas de trois from Les Patineurs; Méditation from Thaïs; and the final pas de deux from The Two Pigeons, performed by Victoria Hulland and guest artist Marcelo Gomes).

Ettore, thank you so much for clearing that up. I can never see Monotones enough so now all disappointment is gone and I am thrilled that i have tickets to 4 performances. I may have to break my "no Saturday matinee" rule and buy another ticket so I can see the Ashton diverts twice. Once everybody in NY knows that Marcelo is dancing on Saturday those 2 performances will surely sell out so I'm buying that extra ticket now!

I enjoyed them so much last year that I bought tickets to several performances right away without knowing what they would be performing, since it had not been announced. Big mistake. I just looked at the Joyce's website and the rep is up. I could not be more disappointed. For a 6 performance run they are only performing 3 pieces plus 1 performance of "TBD Divertissements by Ricardo Graziano". And out of those 3 pieces only one is by Ashton. One. Only 1 Ashton. There is a special program for both shows on Saturday "(In honor of the 30th anniversary of Ashton’s death)" consisting of: Varii Capricci by Frederick AshtonTBD Divertissements by Ricardo GrazianoSymphony of Sorrow by Ricardo Graziano Don't ask me how that honors the anniversary of Ashton's death, unless Graziano is arranging Ashton divertissements, which I think would be unlikely. And this is the program to be performed at all of the other performances: There where she loved by Christopher WheeldonSymphony of Sorrow by Ricardo GrazianoVarii Capricci by Frederick Ashton I am just amazed that this company that has made its reputation on its productions of Ashton's ballets is bringing such a small, weak rep with so little Ashton. Next time I'll wait for them to announce the rep!

Of course, I forgot that you were going to London this summer. How wonderful that you were able to see Cojocaru's Aurora. I only saw her dance it live once - well, twice actually but on the same tour when the RB brought their SB to the Kennedy Center. That must have been 10 -12 years ago, but its still the gold standard by which I judge all other Auroras - and find them wanting. So glad to know that she is still amazing in the role.

So glad to hear that she's returned to ENB and that after all the injuries, the maternity leave (and at her age) her Aurora still gets raves. There are lots of reviews of ENB's Beauty at the Coliseum, here's a link to one of them. https://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/sleeping-beauty-london-coliseum-review-triumph-english-national-ballet

I saw the Wed night cast of Trenary, Shayer, Shevchenko and Hoven. I found the ballet absolutely charming and am looking forward to seeing it again on Friday night. Trenary and Shayer were both great, and the "Hunt of the Lark" divertissement was brilliant. For me, while I enjoyed the whole ballet, that scene alone was worth the price of admission.

Taken out, taken herself out - same thing. She couldn't dance the role. I wouldn't assume that she "took herself out" to save her time and energy for another role. Nobody takes themselves out of the biggest premiere of the season by ABT's world famous resident choreographer unless its filled with difficult steps that they can't do.

I had been considering traveling to see him - I am so glad that I didn't!

ABT needs to turn their attention to the corps in the shades scene pronto - the descent from the ramp and opening was the worst I've ever seen. Uncoordinated arms & eyes, as noted, but to me the most distracting part was that the second girl down the ramp was consistently behind the lead girl and the next 4 or 5 with her arabesques as they snaked through the stage. Once in formation she was still behind everyone else in that first line with her developees and arabesques. And the whole front line were shaking like leaves. ABT should be ashamed, this was completely unacceptable. fondoffouettes & laurel - I agree with just about everything both of you said in your posts. Lane and Cornejo were wonderful, despite her problems with the scarf dance and his lessening flexibility. I also thought his elevation was somewhat diminished, but his last solo in the shades scene was spectacular and it is a pleasure to see the two of them together.

Thank you for noting that. I love Union Jack and I was excited to see it listed when the 18/19 schedule first came out. But then when I checked the schedule online recently and didn't see it I figured it was a major case of wishful thinking on my part. Now I know that I am not delusional, so thank you for that! Its certainly disappointing that they've dropped it, but it still looks like a really great season.

Although I am not a fan of his (except for Chroma - I liked that one) I would not say that his work does not belong in ABT's Met season - I would say that this MacGregor doesn't belong there. We have discussed ad infinitum on this board that the Met audience is conservative and expects a certain type of ballet from them. While I understand the concept of educating your audience, this is never going to make ABT's audience happy. It would be a better fit during their fall season if they insist on reviving it. I understand that dancers hunger for new material and I'm sure they all enjoyed working with McGregor but the prime directive for ABT should be giving their audience what they want. Let me also add that while the gassing of a young girl was an upsetting sight, it was far from my only objection to this piece. I don't feel that the action on the stage made his premise clear but more importantly, I didn't like his choreography. I found it ugly and unimaginative. The dancers executed the steps well (esp Cornejo and Cirio) and it was great to get a good look at Aron Bell, but other than that this was a real loser.

Here are the program notes: "Inside the last colony, humanity is a fragile frontier and survival demands the fittest. As nature reclaims its rites, a mother must choose what she holds most dear, and what she can afford to lose." I am truly grateful that I did not buy tickets for the Firebird/Afterite program as it turns out I would be seeing 2 pieces that I loath. The Dorrance was interesting but nothing I would rush out to see again. It gave Salstein a nice solo to go out on and I'm glad he got that recognition. The evening started with 2 excerpts from Harlequinade. The first, the Ballabille from act , featured garish costumes and my first impression of the choreography was that this was not a ballet I was going to want to see a lot of. However, after that they did "Hunt of the Larks" from the 2nd act and it was absolutely beautiful in every imaginable way. I already have 1 ticket to see the Lane/Cirio cast and I plan to buy another one tonight.

It's been a couple of years since I've seen Osipova's Giselle and I forgot how idiosyncratic it is. Hers is not my very favorite but it is certainly up there. It is dramatically cohesive, full of tiny dramatic details, ridiculously well danced, compelling and moving. Let's start with Hallberg. The beautiful line was there, along with great acting and an incredible rapport with Osipova but his dancing was very tentative, especially in the first act. That's understandable considering his circumstances and while disappointing it didn't compromise the performance for me, it just put the focus squarely on Osipova - and she was captivating. Her technique is still top drawer. She did not do the 360 in her hops on point but they were so strong and secure and she did the full diagonal from the top corner to the downstage corner with speed, beauty and totally in character. Her penches were high and secure and, of course her jumps were amazing. Her first act Giselle was not your typical delicate, fragile hot house flower - while shy at first she was also a little coy and flirtatious. She was a pretty robust Giselle, more like Ulanova than Vishneva. In the second act she blasted out of her grave looking more like a furie than a wraith. Yet she did convey a weightlessness and spirituality. It was a great performance. Brandt and Gorak danced the peasant pdd. He was much improved, and she was even better than on opening night. She held one balance so long that it almost looked like showboating. Forster was great as Hilarion again and Duncan Lyle was very effective as Wilfred. Richardson and Post danced Moyna and Zulma again. They were both fine but not particularly distinguished. I was not crazy about Shevchenko's Myrtha on Wednesday, and didn't love her opening solo last night either. Her bourrees were fast but noisy and her feet did not look very flexible. However when she came out for her solo with the Wilis she was compelling, with huge jumps and great authority. I think I'm starting to understand what people see in her.

Yup, around the 3rd or 4th (or maybe 5th) curtain call the audience started singing happy birthday to them. It was quite amazing! Did you start that? If so, Bravo to you!

Agreed, I love the way she dances.

Angelica, I love Lane, I am a big supporter of hers and while I found her 1st act magnificent on Wednesday I was not as enthusiastic about her second act. It was good, certainly but I didn't think it was great and last year it was great. There've been numerous analyses here so I won't rehash it all again, I'll just say that while I thought she was mostly excellent from the waist down I had issues with her upper body. Head and neck positioning but especially the romantic arm positions fell completely by the wayside. Don't get me wrong, her arms were lovely but they weren't in the romantic style and for the second act of Giselle that is a big no-no in my book. Plus something indefinable was missing. Contrast that with Hee Seo - whose technique is nowhere near Lane's level - Seo's first act was just ok and while her second act had some issues (low arabesques and jumps) her epaulmant was textbook Romanticism and utterly gorgeous. For act 2 Giselle I want Lane from the waist down and Seo from the waist up. These are the dilemmas we are faced with today at ABT. Regarding the future, I have great hopes for Trenary but she will take time to develop. The other dancers you mentioned are all talented but its a long way from being a talented dancer to becoming a great artist and most talented dancers never make it that far.

I really do not think ABT can be counted among the top 5 ballet companies in the world anymore. Up until 10 years ago - absolutely. Maybe even 5 years ago, but definitely not now. We can argue about whether a school and a company style are necessary to be counted among the top companies - but in addition to great ballets, great dancers are certainly required and right now ABT does not have the horses. Who remembers when ballerinas like Ferri and Annanishvili were regular company members, and ABT's male contingent was the envy of the ballet world? Remember when Carenno, Corella, Bocca, Stiefel, Gomes and Cornejo were all dancing with ABT? They were all great virtuosos, all exceptional artists and, with the exception of Cornejo they were all great partners. Great ballerinas came to ABT because they wanted to dance with them, especially with Stiefel, Bocca and Gomes. Now ABT can barely field 2-3 O/Os who can execute the 32 fouettees, let alone perform the white acts with the line, flow and musicality they require. And as we are seeing now they'd have to combine ballerina A's 1st act Giselle with ballerina B's second act to give us one completely satisfying Giselle. And after Cornejo and Simkin the male roster is no better. Who is dying to come to ABT to dance with Stearns or Whiteside? Unfortunately, with just a couple of exceptions ABT's principle roster now is a study in mediocrity. They definitely are no longer in the top 5 in my book.

Oops, you are correct

I just got an email with all the principal casts for Coppelia. The other 2 pairs are Bouder/Veyette and Pereira/Huxley http://email.wordfly.com/view/?sid=MzAyXzE5MTA0Xzg0NTAzXzcxMjA&l=e26e4027-9954-e811-bcb0-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FY18MKTCoppeliaCastingBlast&utm_content=version_A

You are very welcome. I'm sure you'll have a great time, Giselle is one of their best productions.

DO NOT DO IT! I was in orch E-1 last night and the average height woman who was sitting in front of me was blocking my view all night. She kept bobbing her head back and forth (to see over the guy sitting in front of her) and I kept having to do the same. I rarely sit in the orchestra but when I do I always sit in the aisle seat of an outside section cause that usually gives you and unimpeded view, and even if the person directly in front of you is tall, they generally only block the very edge of the stage. Not at the Met - the head in front of me was blocking the center of the stage. I think this is less of a problem further back, but I would avoid that seat in the first 10 rows.

How could I forget to mention Thomas Forster's Hilarion! He was great, his dancing was fabulous and so was his acting. He was definitely more of an in love, protective Hilarion than a bad guy Hilarion. I'm so glad he's getting more prominent roles, he's one of my favorites. I think last night's Wilfred was Alexie Agoudine. He was fine, but with no dancing its not a role I pay much attention to. Susan Jones was Berthe and she always does the mime really well. Seo's mad scene was pretty good. She had kind of a blank eyed "cornered animal" look on her face for most of it, but it worked.

Not being a Hee Seo fan I never really considered going to her Giselle. But then I realized that Bolle's only ABT appearances this season were with her in Giselle so I decided to go. I'm glad I did. Bolle was fabulous - the gorgeous line and high extensions were all there. Plus great acting and leaps that a man half his age would be proud of. He does the entrechats in act 2 and they drew gasps from the crowd. Seo's first act was about what I expected from her, a pretty but generic affair. Her technique was fine and her dancing had a nice, buoyant quality but she didn't really hold her arabesques and there was nothing distinctive about her phrasing. No mistakes in the hops on point and she changed the direction of her head and torso - but her hops didn't cover much ground. Her acting was very bland, too. I don't know if the problem is that her face isn't very expressive but until the betrayal I only saw one expression - happy. No shading, no coloring - just happy. Then we came back for the second act and everything changed - she was beautiful. Her arms were soft as a sigh and her epaulment was wonderfully romantic. Murphy's Myrtha was authoritative and commanding as ever and she looked to be in great shape. K. Williams and ZJ Fang were her lieutenants and they were both wonderful. Brandt and Gorak did the peasant pdd. Though his feet & line are always beautiful Gorak's dancing looked a little underpowered. Brandt, on the other hand, was gorgeous with beautiful phrasing and such a charming demeanor. A real Giselle in the making.