nysusan

I've seen Bouder's SL every season since her debut, with the exception of this season. I've enjoyed most of her performances for her great technique and vivid presentation, even though in the early years she really did dance the white swan adagio as if it were an allegro. I thought she improved steadily over the years, so I'm glad to hear how well she did this time, and sorry I didn't get to see her this year (it wasn't deliberate).
 

Then we come to Reichlin. I'm with you abatt! Based on conversations at intermission Sat night I thought I was the only one who didn't like Reichlin's interpretation. She has such a beautiful body, such long legs that you'd think she'd be a perfect fit for the modern taste for tall leggy O/Os. But IMO she really didn't take advantage of her attributes. 
 

Yes, her legs are long but she really didn't stretch her arabesques, didn't hold them, didn't engage her back, shoulders neck and head. And the adagio was played MUCH slower than it had been for Mearns. Except when she was doing an actual backbend her torso was stiff and rigid. Whats more, she didn't use her body to communicate Odette's feelings - fear, despair, hope - I saw none of it in her adagio.
 

Then, in the Black Swan PDD she had trouble with the fouttees. She traveled forward and got to around 10 or 11. Then she visibly slowed and it seemed like it was taking forever for her to get those long legs around. It was a very disappointing performance.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Fairchild and Garcia make of their roles tomorrow night.

1 hour ago, fondoffouettes said:

I wonder if the quickness of the music negatively affects the pacing of the ballet as a whole. The last time I saw the Martins Swan Lake, I felt as if things moved along so quickly that there wasn't really time for character development, expression of emotion or detailed storytelling. It felt more like "City Ballet dances a swan-themed ballet," if that makes any sense. And, of course, I think the sets and costumes appeal to virtually no one. I also felt as if the pacing and structure of Martin's Sleeping Beauty were really odd, but in a different way, because of the cuts he made, the music he applied to transitions between scenes and the way he divided the acts. There was a disjointed quality; not sure how to more accurately describe it. 

 

I was really torn about whether or not to go this season, given the great casting, but for me, a great Swan Queen still can't save this production. I still may suck it up at some point for the chance to see Mearns in this role.

The quickness of the music, the abstract setting (with no lake whatsoever) and the garish & non specific costumes for everyone except the swans all contribute to creating a distance from the narrative and the characters. 

However, I find NYCB's rendition of the music very powerful and emotional, as compared to ABT's which is somehow very flat. I also find the final lakeside scene to be really moving, with a heartbreaking end that always gets to me. So despite its faults, and the need to tough it out through the first scene, this production always leaves me with the cathartic feeling that you get from a great Swan lake. DEFINITELY not saying that this is a great production, just that in this case the end and the music justify the production.

Although last night the music certainly was played way too fast. Perhaps the pace, compounded by adjusting to a new partner, contributed to what I felt was not a performance from Mearns  at the level of her earlier O/Os. Though she was still pretty great, and I'm glad I went.

By the way, the Washington Post recently published an article called "This is your brain on art" that explores the relationship between art and the brain and uses Swan lake as an example. There is some great footage of Mearns and Jared Angle from 2013 interspersed throughout, as well as footage of former ABT corps member Nicole Graniero and her partner Corey Landot

Click here to see it.

2 hours ago, Dancerboy90210 said:

Fingers crossed that both Stella and Sarah Lane get a stab at Juliet. Seems like the bench of Juliet's has really cleared out (with retirements), so we should see a lot of debuts. Fingers crossed that they don't just give Misty an insane number of shows to try and sell tickets. 

 

I'm assuming that we'll see Christine Shevchenko tackle Odette/Odile- probably replacing Verionika's slot. I wonder who will debut as Nikiya, as I highly doubt we'll see Ferri back this coming season (no much "senior" ballerina rep in the season). Maybe Bolyston and Shevchenko, but I rather see Stella give it a go. From her Instagram, it looks like Skylar is preparing Kitri, so I wonder if that is for the upcoming Met Season. If so, I wonder who would partner her? The short female slots appear to be rather full at the principal level. Unless, Sarah Lane doesn't get a Kitri and/or Maria K doesn't get a show. 

 

any other thoughts on casting?

 

Also- can we change the title of this thread to 2018 Met Season? 

 

Last year's scheduled O/Os were: Murphy, Boylston, Copeland, Kochetkova, Seo, Teuscher and Part. Assuming that Kochetkova returns ( and, unfortunately, there's no reason to suspect that she won't) and that everyone is healthy, that only leaves one O/O spot open. I REALLY hope that it goes to Lane.  Schevchenko has many great attributes but she hasn't struck me as a particularly lyrical dancer. She'd kill the fouettees, but not so much the adagios. At least not yet.

R&J is a different story. Last time they did it in 2016 Vishneva & Ferri both danced Juliet, so there will be at least 1 and hopefully 2 openings.  I hope that Lane gets one - she actually went to Ferri for coaching for this a few years ago - and I'd love to see Trenary get the other spot. But they have to give roles to the new principals so I wouldn't be surprised to see  Teuscher or Schevchenko cast.

Ferri hasn't danced Nikiya in at least ten years so she doesn't factor into casting. However Vishneva and Part both did, so we should have 2 spots open up. I'd like to see Abrera get this, and expect Teuscher or Schevchneko as Nikiya, too. Or maybe we'll get a Teuscher Nikiya with a Schevchenko Gamzetti.

1 hour ago, canbelto said:

 

Huh? That's the worst perspective ever if you follow NYCB or care about actual ballet. Dancers come and go and get injured. Ballets are forever.

3 hours ago, angelica said:

 

You won't regret your decision if you remember that you are not going to see ballets, you are going to see dancers. They really are two different perspectives.

Lets not forget that we're talking about the Martins Swan Lake here. There's no way I'd go to see it for the production itself - the production is horrid. Yet I'm going to see it 5 times. Why? For the ballerinas! 

Also - for the person who was debating switching Bouder for Reichlin - Reichlin is a great dancer but I don't love her O/O. She has the perfect body for it but my recollection of her last time around was that she was rather cold and although the instrument is amazing she didn't really stretch and hold those positions and I don't recall very deep or pliable backbends.

If you haven't seen it yet and you're only going to one I'd go for Mearns.

They actually sent an email with casting for the full Swan Lake run. This is the browser version - casting

42 minutes ago, Barbara said:

I saw Reichlin/Jantzen do the Balanchine one act Swan last winter season and they brought me to tears. I don't know if I can bring myself to see the Martin's Swan. I suppose if I sat through the Bolshoi's I should give the Martin's a try. Thoughts?

The scenery is horribly garish. It always takes me the better part of the first act/scene to get over it, but it does get better from there.

Two things in its favor - the music is played beautifully, with much more depth and urgency than at ABT. And the ending is devastating - truly tragic.

I'd try to go see Mearns, she's magnificent. Not a standard O/O if she was dancing this with a traditional company, but the most traditional of the NYCB O/Os (so far), and yet with her own idiosyncratic take on the role, and thrilling dancing. I'm sure we'll see her on opening night. .

I'd love to see ABT do The River again. I see it every time Ailey programs it and while its enjoyable, its not the same without the point work.

I am also going to WAY fewer performances than usual this season, partly because of casting but mostly because of the rep. Anyone else notice that ABT has a real aversion to BALANCE? Its either guest artists everywhere you look, or no guest artists at all. One soloist gets all the opportunities while the others stagnate - until this past spring season they have never spread it around. And now, all current contemporary work and nothing from their great historical repertoire. Would it have killed them to include 1 by Tudor, or Fokine or Massine or DeMille along with the Wheeldon, Scarlett, Millepied and Ratmansky? It doesn't have to be a choice between "nurturing working choreographers" or performing great works that were made on them in the past.  As great as he is, we really don't need 3 by Ratmansky in a 13 performance season.

Symphonic Variations is the only piece I really want to see, and I'm pretty conflicted about that. I fell in love with it the first time I saw ABT do it back in 2003 with Ashley Tuttle & Maxim Beloserkovsky, but when they did it last year, I thought it looked stiff and rather unmusical. I'm not sure if it was the casting or the fact that since we lost Georgina Parkinson ABT really hasn't had a coach familiar enough with the Ashton rep. I was also let down by their recent performances of Sylvia.

27 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Anyone see the different Rubies cast this afternoon with Lopatin?

Lopatin/Marchenkova were WAY better than Ovcharenko/ Grebenshchinkova. It still looked like the Bolshoi was dancing in a foreign language, but Lopatin got the vernacular whereas Ovchareno just looked lost - like Siegfried wandered into the wrong ballet.

Marchenkova's approach to the Tall Girl role was a little too sexy/sultry for me but she certainly had presence & was assertive.

I'll try to write more tomorrow

Three quick things about the Friday night performance:

1 - I LOVED Dorothee Gilbert (and Baulac/Louvet did the staccato movement)

2- The Bolshoi doesn't have a clue about how to perform Rubies. As magnificent as their Diamonds was - that's how bad their Rubies was. Corps, tall girl, lead couple - none of them got it

3- Watching NYCB's Diamonds right after the Bolshoi's made me realize how far afield the Bolshoi has taken it. Yet the Bolshoi's is a magical alternate version. NYCB gave us the energy and attack that characterizes Mr B's choreography.

PS - There was no announcement but I thought I saw Ashley Hod as one of the Diamond soloists - perhaps replacing Laine Habony? They did announce a change in one of the Bolshoi's "four men" but I didn't catch the names

My thoughts are pretty much in line with most other posters. NYCB did a great job with Rubies, but we expect that so it wasn't surprising. Reichlen proved once again that she is the best Rubies Tall Girl in the world (Big Red is a close second, but still second). Fairchild was fine and I kept wondering how DeLuz could be so fabulous in the famously aerobically challenging Villela role. Isn't he around 40? Amazing.

I had the same problems with POB as everyone else. You don't come to the House of Balanchine and change the steps. Even though they performed the footwork, stripping it of its iconic (and original) staccato execution is unforgivable. And I agree that the costumes were lacking in contrast to the originals, which are so beautifully bejeweled. Still, I thought that their dancing was beautiful, though somewhat cold. Weird that their arms and epaulment were gorgeous but I still found them cold.

The Bolshoi's Diamonds was the HUGE success of the evening and totally worth the extravagant price of admission.  I'd seen Smirnova and Chudin perform the pas de deux at a gala, and I've seen the recordings but seeing the whole company in this was just mind blowing.

The corps and soloists were just perfection. As much as I love NYCB, I don't ever think I was ever so enthralled from start to finish. The corps were so perfectly synchronized, yet not robotic at all. I could not take my eyes off of the 4 female soloists whenever they were onstage. Except when Smirnova & Chudin were on stage. She is simply magical. Her technique is so strong, her epaulment and presentation so beautiful. Chudin surprised me. I'd never really taken note of him except as a strong partner with beautiful line. But last night in his solos he completely won me over. Soft, plush plies, tours ending effortlessly in perfect, tight 5th positions, pirouettes that ended EXACTLY on the music with perfect control - he didn't fudge a thing. This is the kind of male dancing we used to see regularly at ABT 5-10 years ago. I didn't realize how much I've missed it.

1 hour ago, ABT Fan said:

If only the Hallberg/Osipova Giselle were happening in NY. I'd love to see that partnership in that ballet again.

WOW. Maybe I'll spend my ABT spring season money to travel to London in March!

Casting is up on the KC website:http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/BSBSG 

PRINCIPAL CASTING (subject to change)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tues., Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatty: Anastasia Matvienko

Wed., Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Oxana Skorik
Solor: Andrei Yermakov
Gamzatty: Anastasia Kolegova

Thu., Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Ekaterina Kondaurova
Solor: Timur Askerov
Gamzatty: Nadezhda Batoeva

Fri., Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatty: Anastasia Matvienko

Sat., Oct. 21 at 1:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Oxana Skorik
Solor: Andrei Yermakov
Gamzatty: Anastasia Kolegova

Sat., Oct 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Ekaterina Kondaurova
Solor: Timur Askerov
Gamzatty: Nadezhda Batoeva

Sun., Oct 22 at 1:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatty: Anastasia Matvienko

I get emails from ABT reminding me when I have tickets. My email for tonight's program says it runs from 7:30 PM to 9:40 PM. I'd expect it to run a little longer with bows, intermissions etc

1 minute ago, Natalia said:

 

Andrei Ermakov is 6' 5"...is still young, yet experienced in multi-act dramatic ballets (such as Anna K)....and a true Russian Hunk! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Ermakov

 

Roman Beliakov is THE tallest guy at the Mariinsky, so he must be at least 6'5". Just graduated in 2013...so about age 23...lots of ENERGIA!

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ballet/coryphees/coryphees_man/belyakov1/

 

 

I've never seen Beliakov but I LOVE Ermakov, didn't realize he was that tall.

I think the real problem is that ABT no longer seems inclined to look for a suitable partner for Part. They seem to think that Stearns, Hoven, Whiteside et al will do fine. I'll reserve judgement on Hoven, but Stearns isn't a great partner for her and while she looked very comfortable with Whiteside in SL he certainly couldn't handle her in the Onegin &  Manon type of lifts.

50 minutes ago, abatt said:

A friend a few years ago asked Part why she was not doing Onegin, and she quipped that maybe she is not Russian enough.  They have denied Part certain roles, presumably because finding a partner willing to lift her would be problematic.  All of the Tatiana's in this and prior runs are waif-like, and Part simply is not. That may explain why she has also never done Giselle, R&J or Manon, to name a few.

 

The lifts in Onegin are killers. 

46 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

All the more reason to bring in someone like Fabrice Calmels!

Nanushka, you beat me to it! I know I sound like a broken record, but they really ought to get Fabrice Calmels to partner Veronika. Not that I'd object to them bringing in one of the big Russian guys, but Calmels is perfect for her, they've danced together before and he'd make a great Onegin!

7 minutes ago, nanushka said:

It looks like a late change was made to the calendar and Tom Forster performed Rothbart last night. I believe Lendorf was originally scheduled.

Wow, wish I had seen that! They really need to start giving him leading roles.

I had a different take on Veronika's Swan Lake. From her first appearance, I thought she looked tentative. One of the glories of her dancing is her arabesque, the way it grows.  After the  initial extension the leg continues to stretch outward to infinity, while her back engages and her arms and shoulders continue the line. That didn't happen yesterday, she hit her arabesques and only held them very briefly, which I attribute to her dancing through the ankle injury.

I'm not saying that she wasn't beautiful - she was - and I certainly enjoyed the performance but it wasn't the plush, breathtaking Odette that I've come to expect from her.

Other than that, I pretty much agree with what everybody else said. Whiteside's solos were fine- but the important part was that he partnered Veronika well and she seemed very secure  and confident in his hands. Hammoudi was much better as Von R than as Siegfried, and at least he looked good in those boots!

I was so proud of Veronika, completing those fouettés despite the lingering injury - she really showed them how it's done!

37 minutes ago, Jayne said:

Perhaps a tall, strong American male principal on exchange to ABT would get Veronika Part more performances?  

 

 

9 minutes ago, angelica said:

 

Do you have anyone in mind? I think that's a great idea. Better happen soon!

 

Fabrice Calmels!!!!!  Not American, but a dancer with an American company. He and Part have guested together, I'd love to see them together at ABT

9 minutes ago, aurora said:

You get devon teuscher as Gulnare, that isn't too shabby. 

True, but 1 out of 4 principals would not be enough to get me there (except for Part!), especially when I actively dislike 2 of them. Medora has a couple of solos in the first act so I'll probably go to see Teuscher and then decide if I want to stay or just make it an early evening. 

Darn, I wish I was seeing Shevchenko! I was going tonight just for Part, the rest of the cast is not exactly thrilling. Sub Seo for Part and I wish I could get my money back but I guess its too late for that. Fingers crossed that she's recovered for her SL.

Oh, how I wish I could be there for Lane's second Giselle but unfortunately I'm heading out on business tomorrow. Guess I'll just be happy that I saw the first one and keep my fingers crossed for a Swan Lake debut later in the season!

Interesting to hear about Boylston's injury. I enjoyed her very much in the first act. Found her light, airy, lovely style just right for Giselle and she managed to keep her arms & upper body pretty much in check.She did some blazingly fast chaine turns, her hops on pointe were well done (though she looked down, rather than at Albrecht most of the time) and as Nana said, her acting was very naturalistic. Paris was replaced by Brandt in the PPD, she and Gorak turned in a wonderful performance. The 2nd act started well with a monumental Myrtha from Veronika Part. She really owns this role at ABT. Wonderful as Abrera was the other night even she can't come close to Parts ccombination of commanding authority with just a twinge of regret in her opening variation. The way she uses her back and arms is phenomenal. Katherine Williams and Zhong-Jing Fang were her lieutenants and they were gorgeous - the best pair I've seen so far.

Boylston came out well in her 2nd act entrance however, as the act went on I just wasn't engaged with her performance. I didn't notice any technical deficiencies, I just felt that she was not truly dancing in the romantic style most of the time (there were a few instances of those wild arms, jumps were too emphatic) and I wasn't pulled into the drama, which is really, really rare.

Now that I know she was injured, that may provide an explanation. Perhaps she was more focused on getting through the performance than anything else. I hope she recovers quickly.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I'm assuming that Alyona Kovalyova and  Alena Kovaleva are the same dancer.  Alena Kovaleva is dancing the Diamonds ballerina at the Saturday 7/22 matinee POB/NYCB/Bolshoi performance of Jewels (Smirnova dances the other 2 performances). They list her as Prima Ballerina though it sounds here like she is a corphee, or soloist at most. I hate matinees but I think I will have to go to this one!

http://www.lincolncenter.org/lc-festival/show/jewels-2

2 hours ago, mimsyb said:

Unity had been paired with Cameron Dieck (her off stage squeeze) in "Symphony in C", but Cameron suffered an injury during the first movement, and while he finished the movement, he was replaced for the Finale.  Hope this new injury is both minor and short lived.   I love him, both as a partner and when he's just dancing on his own.  Such elegance and style!  He deserves a promotion.

I believe Dieck was injured on Friday night. He was scheduled for Sat evening & Sunday matinee but did not dance.

I also went to all 4 performances of this program and found it wonderful and exhilarating all 4 times. There are no words to describe how wonderful Peck was in AB - so I have nothing to add to the comments that have already been posted.
 

I basically agree with most of the comments - Finlay, and LeCrone were not great, but they were not awful either and didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this program. 
 

I really loved Maria in the adagio movement of the Bizet. Her lines, balances and just the magic she injects into this pas make it totally mesmerizing. I agree that she was losing steam in the coda, but its not like she couldn't execute the steps, they just weren't as zippy as they should have been. I'll gladly put up with a slightly under-powered coda for her sublime adagio! 

So psyched to see Maria in this again.