nysusan

So far I've seen 2 performances of Cinderella this weekend, Pavlenko/Sergeev and Shirinkina/Zyuzin. I've never actually seen a production of Cinderella that I love, and for me this one is no worse than any other. I think it's actually better than many, especially with trancsendant performances by great dancers who are also great actors (Pavlenko/Sergeev).

It is not pretty -the costumes & scenery are bare bones - grimey in the first act, understated in the ball scene and inexplicable (costumes for the 4 seasons & the male & female groups in the Prince's "seeking" scene), but then this is a very contemporary & adult Cinderella, hardly a fairy tale. In fact I think that's why I like it. One of my big problems with Cinders is that the music is so darkly sardonic, it doesn't really suit the story (except perhaps in the first scene) and it doesn't offer many opportunities for great pas de deux. Ratmansky's choreography really suited the music perfectly and he has given Cinders & the prince an absolutely lovely pas de deux in the 2nd act.

My takeaway - this is a fine and interesting ballet to see once or twice as long as you don't go into it expecting to see some lavish fairy tale production, but its not something I'd want to see over and over.

Shirinkina was a lovely Cinderella, she played it very young and innocent and her lyrical style suited the role perfectly. Maxim Zyuzin is an interesting dancer who I'd like to see more of in the future. He has a very engaging stage personality and all the right moves

Pavlenko/Sergeev - they were breathtaking. I don't think that he is exceptionally tall, but he has the long, lean lines of a danseur noble, great elevation and easy turns. Pavlenko, well, first off let me say that I agree with Natalia's husband - SHE'S BACK! Down to fighting weight with pristine technique hers was Cinderella as everywoman - warm, kind, a triumph of the human soul. Her dancing was technically strong and extremely expressive - those arms can speak volumes, not to mention those eyes. Not surprisingly, she and her husband had great chemistry. From the moment he saw her Sergeev's prince was besotted and you knew he'd do anything to find her.

Hi Natalia! Thanks for posting that link to the Gene Schiavone photos. I was looking at them yesterday and there's one that sums up my impression of Skorik but I wasn't able to link to it on the hotel's computer. Here it is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gene-Schiavone/139401237973?ref=ts#!/photo.php?fbid=10151173864742974&set=a.140674237973.113767.139401237973&type=1&theater

I also saw the Kolegova/Askerov Sunday matinee, and I agree with ksk04 about Kolegova. She is a beautiful woman and she danced well, she was traditional, a very soft Odette. She did all the steps but I found her boring, unemotional and unfocused. Askerov was a much better actor than Ivanchenko but not nearly as good as Schklayarov. His elevation was fine but his upper body was very stiff.

ksk04 - Korsuntsev may be not be a great actor compared to,say, Gomes, but he's been just fine the past few years. In fact I remember when the Mariinsky did Scheherazade at the Kennedy Center (I think it was last year) he and Lopatkina sizzled while the Lopatkina/Ivanchenlo cast was a snooze.

I just looked at the Berkley casting and Korsuntsev is dancing both performances with Kondaurova - those Berkley audiences are in for a treat!

I completely agree with Cygnet's thoughts about the Friday night performance - Kondaurova was magnificent. Her dancing had a wonderful, sculptural quality to it, her arms seemed to be pushing against the atmosphere, fighting against her fate. Her dancing was flawless and expressive and she was so passionate! The only thing that kept this from being one of the great Swan Lakes for the ages was that she was dancing in a vacuum, saddled with the inert Ivanchenko. This pairing is just as criminal as ABT's constant pairing of Part with Steans, perhaps even worse. I pray that management realizes that they have a great, potentionally legendary O/O in their ranks and pair her up with Korsuntsev. This was not a one time "off" performance for Ivanchenko, it's his typical performance. He's a big, tall guy who can partner the tall ballerinas flawlessly, but he's a cipher.

Sat night was almost the opposite. Schklyarov was a wonderful Siegfried. He showed great elevation, absolutely soaring leaps in the BS Pdd that drew gasps from the crowd. He was fully engaged with his O/O and all the other dancers around him, very invested in the role. He does make a slightly puppyish impression but that's due to his looks. It really can't be helped and I think it works ok in the Mariinsky version.

Skorik was curious. She was not the disaster that Somova's early performances were or that her youtube clips would lead you to expect. She was ok technically most of the time and there were no big, noticable mistakes but she did simplify some of the steps. They didn't do the iconic overhead lifts on the diagonal in the 1st lakeside scene and my friend pointed out that she didn't really do all the beats we're accustomed to seeing in Odette's coda. Her beats sur le cou d'pied (I think thats what they're called) at the end of the WS pdd were very weak. She made it through the BS fouettes with no problem till she fell out of them at the very end. This was not a big flub, it was hardly noticable unless you had seen Kondaurova the night before who ended under perfect control in a beautiful, solid, triumphant 5th position!

What I didn't like about her was her manner of dancing. She is very skinny with very long arms & legs and a long neck. That may sound like I'm describing Lopatkina, but their physiques couldn't be more different. She looked scrawny to me, all elbows and hands and head and her arm motions were distinctive but not fluid. She has an extremely flexible back, which I usually love but with her it looked like her dancing was all about hitting these specific positions, making just this or that impression. Many of her poses were striking but the sum total didn't add up for me, and she didn't seem to have much rapport with her Siegfired or her audience. I did not feel one ounce of tragedy or empathy for her plight - in fact she didn't bring out Odette's plight at all, at least not to me. So, for me she was not "unworthy" of being a Mariinsky O/O, just an unemotional performer whose style of dancing is not to my taste. It is inconcievable to me that they had her open the engagement when Kondaurova is on the tour, she should be given time to develop under less high profile circumstances.

The corps was impeccable and Anna Lavrienko really stood out for her verve in the Neopolitan dance. Xander Parrish cut a very fine figure in the pas de trois and all the women I saw in it were very good (Nikitina,Ivannikova,Gonchar & Shirinkina) but with the exception of Shirinkina I can't help feeling that they weren't quite up to the Golub, Tkchenko, Osmolkina perfomances we used to see.

Yes, thanks for all the reports, can't wait to see Kondaurova tomorrow night! Hope the bat stays away...

Aurora, you & I must have been posting at the same time!

Regardless of personal opinion on Vasiliev's talents, I think abatt brings up the most important point: his height. Kevin already under utilizes Herman because of how he views his height and the ballerinas available to partner him; I would expect that Vasiliev won't have the same issues from management though....what a shock.

I think Vasiliev is wonderful in certain things and not so great in many others, but he is certainly an exciting and charismatic dancer. Partnering is not an issue for him as it is with Cornejo and Simkin because despite his height he is very strong. I remember seeing him as Ali in Corsaire last season. I think Part was dancing Medora - anyway whovever it was she was obviously too tall for him yet he partnered her beautifully. It must have been Part because I remember thinking that I wish they'd pair her with him instead of Stearns!

I have been debating whether or not to make the OC trip for weeks however now that I know the engagement is Somova and Matvienko proof I took the plunge and bought tickets last night.

I am not enthusiastic about either Skorik or Kolegova but I've never seen either's O/O so I will give them a chance. I don't actually mean to put them in the same category - Skorik seems to have major technical problems, though I've only seen her live in small corphee roles. Kolegova is a very good dancer, I just didn't like her style as Aurora and don't think that bodes well for her O/O.

I agree that giving Skorik opening night is completely inexplicable - and its not selling well. Last night I got an email with a $35 ticket offer for orchestra seats on opening night. Its a 1 day only deal so click here

if you'd like to take advantage of it:

http://www.scfta.org...ne%20Day%20Sale

Also, when I ordered my tickets I asked about the 3rd Tier. It is not sold out, they haven't put it on sale. That's a shame.

Still no word about Society NYCB!! Not knowing if it will be continued, I don't know whether to buy single tickets or not... ?? I guess it's looking like it's NOT going to be renewed, but I really wish they would announce either way.

I received a renewal letter in the mail yesterday. Same pricing but you must renew by a certain date (sometime in Oct) to maintain your membership. It doesn't sound like they're planning to open it up to new members.

California, I found a link to a hopefully current pdf seating chart on the new website. When you go to the "Buy tickets" feature on a particular date, instead of clicking "Choose seats," click "Give me the best available seat." Once there, you will see at the top right, it says - faintly - "View Seating Chart." This opens the pdf seating chart. The reason I discovered this, you see, is that the "Choose seats" feature simply refused to load, so I was forced to go for the best available seats.

Thanks - I found it. It's the same as the one I saved in PDF last year.

WARNING: The seats on the new select-your-own-seat chart don't match the numbering on the "view seating chart". E.g., on select-your-own, in the first ring, AA7 and 11 are showing closest to the stage, but on the "view seating chart" they're the ones away from the stage. BIG problem. Which is correct???

AA1,3,5 etc are farthest from the stage. The numbers get higher as you get closer to the stage.

OMG and OG(oh G-d)... How i wish to see Tereshkina & Kondaurova and HOW I WOULD LIKE TO AVOID Skorik (she's even worse than Somova). Should we sign a petition to Gergiev/Fateev to not cast her.... Tough call for casting gambling. Does anyone know if the venue allows ticket swaps due to casting changes (as kennedy sometimes allows)?

Agreed & agreed. This casting is a disaster and now I don't know if its worth the trip. I had been planning to go for a 3 day weekend & see 4 performances but nothing would get me to sit through Somova and Skorik. The Sat night performance is a double booby prize with Somova/Ivenchenko.

I/m not sure I can justify spending almost a thousand dollars and traveling 3000 miles each way to see 2 performances, not even for Tereshkina/Schlyarov and Kondaurova/Korsuntsev.

I hate current Mariinsky management, they should be ashamed at what they're trying to foist on us.

The programs have been posted on the ABT website, linked below

http://www.abt.org/c...tdate=10/1/2012

I am very disappointed to see that The Leaves are Fading is only being performed twice - and one performance is on a Friday matinee. That is one ballet that definitely rewards repeated viewing.

Edited to add: And that single evening performance is on the same night as the Stars of the 21st Century Gala!

I thought the Semionova/Hallberg performance last night was remarkable. I saw her 1st ABT SL last year and was not overly impressed. I found her very good, technically great but not moving. Last night I fell in love with her. It was one of the best Act II's (1st lakeside scene) I've seen in many years. Gorgeous line, fluid phrasing, melting back. Emotionally engaged throughout.

I agree that her Act III fouettees were not on a par with Murphy's or Bouder's, but that was a very small and, IMO, completely forgivable flaw. Hallberg was wonderful, but we knew he would be. His theatrical sense has grown remarkably since he started working with the Bolshoi and it has made a world of difference.

Hammoudi had great stage presence, I found him to be the most convincing purple Rothbart I've seen (after the master). Though he certainly did have some technical weaknesses. Hope he can overcome those.

I used to think that the non-stop grinning was a 'Russian thing' with the role of Terpsichore (e.g., Assylmuratova & Zakharova) until I saw Part, who had the more appropriately serious visage.

I wish I'd seen that. One thing I remember about Part as Terpsichore at the Met in '99 is her grin.

I also remember that grin in '99, I remember all of ABT's muses grinning from ear to ear with Dvorovenko batting her eyelashes at the audience. This time they were all more appropriate, with Part only smiling at a point somewhere around the middle of the pdd. That, to me, is acceptable. Although I agree that,overall, Apollo was very soft compared to what we're used to I enjoyed the performance with the exception of Hee Seo who was simply miscast as Polyhymnia. Hallberg was gorgeous, as were Part & Abrera.

There is some sort of confusion here--

in 1999 Part was not with ABT. She may have done this in 99 (she danced it with Kirov) but she was not one of ABT's muses grinning etc.

Sorry, of course I have my dates wrong. Part did it with ABT a few years ago, and thats the run I'm recalling. The muses were all very smiley back then...

This has now become a MUST-SEE. I'm ordering my tickets today

I absolutely LOVED the Bourne Swan Lake, I thought it was brilliant and I was hoping for a similar experience with this version. Alas, it was not to be. This one was just so, so bad...

So nobody has seen them yet? Or is it that everyone is at a loss for words...

I wasn't planning to see the mixed bill but I got a free ticket so I went. It was a mixed bag. The first piece was a 45 minute combination of film about how the company started & how it has developed (rather self congratulatory, but then they are celebrating their 50th birthday) interspersed with gala type excerpts.

The excerpts were La Favorita , the 2nd act pdd from Giselle, grand pdd from Don Q and 2 modern pieces, Molto Vivace and an excerpt from Stanton Welch's Divergence. I'm not familiar with La Favorita but it was a classical type pdd that reminded me of Grand Pas Classique.

Basically, I thought the dancers looked much more comfortable in the modern works than in the classical/romantic pdd. In fact, my 2 favorite dancers were the ballerinas from Molto Vivace & Divergence, Amber Scott and Leanne Stojmenov respectively.

Although the women all looked well schooled, there was a certain stiffness and rigidity in the classic works that made them look very academic. The Giselle excerpt was very strange, the ballerina (Rachel Rawlins) showed rather formal, non romantic epaulment during the pdd, but became softer during her solos, some of which were quite lovely. Reiko Hombo did the DQ pdd with Chengwu Guo. She was the only one of the 3 women who did the classical/romantic pieces who really looked like a natural for the style she was dancing. She brought great soubrette charm and technical fire to DQ and I enjoyed it, especially her "fan" solo.

They had some tall, dansuer noble types (Ty King-Wall) and some great jumper/turners (Chengwu Guo) among the men but there was just a tiny bit of sloppiness and lack of clarity about them that kept them from being in the same league as ABT's men (IMO, anyway).

The program went down hill from there. I didn't enjoy McGregor's Dyad 1929 or Warumuk, although they were both danced very well. Waramuk especially started well, I liked the first 2 movements but after that ballet lost out to some very modern dance influenced aboriginal dancing and it lost my interest.

I saw their Swan Lake yesterday and, frankly, it is one of the worst ballets I've ever seen. They chopped up the score (just a few examples - the first act included the music from one of the national dances and some 2nd act lakeside music & they broke up the pas de trois music).

I found the choreography boring and unmusical, which made it very difficult to watch.This is Graeme Murphy's Charles/Diana/Camilla inspired version. I couldn't muster any sympathy for any of the main characters and I was ready to go home after the 45 minute 1st act but I convinced myself to stay. In the 2nd act the jilted princess bride Odette was confined to a sanatorium where she dreams of being a swan. It was better, but still not good and I left at the 2nd intermission.

I can only take solace in the fact that about a week from now the lovely Veronika Part will make all visions of this frankentchaikovsky nightmare vanish.

I used to think that the non-stop grinning was a 'Russian thing' with the role of Terpsichore (e.g., Assylmuratova & Zakharova) until I saw Part, who had the more appropriately serious visage.

I wish I'd seen that. One thing I remember about Part as Terpsichore at the Met in '99 is her grin.

I also remember that grin in '99, I remember all of ABT's muses grinning from ear to ear with Dvorovenko batting her eyelashes at the audience. This time they were all more appropriate, with Part only smiling at a point somewhere around the middle of the pdd. That, to me, is acceptable. Although I agree that,overall, Apollo was very soft compared to what we're used to I enjoyed the performance with the exception of Hee Seo who was simply miscast as Polyhymnia. Hallberg was gorgeous, as were Part & Abrera.

I thought 13 Diversions was at least 4 diversions too long, though Misty's solo & ppd were wonderful. Firebird was a mess.

I agree that Vishneva and Gomes were wonderful last night. Th other soloists were good, but I felt that the rest of the company looked very listless and unengaged, I was really bored when V&G weren't on the stage. Or maybe I've just seen too many R&Js. Its not my favorite ballet but ABT just fields so many casts that are capable of transcendent performances in it that its hard to stay away.

Now we have people who read Grand Tier and are going there. Now it is switched to Parterre. I personally think Grand Tier will be fine as long as we move over to the side where you are near a wall and can look down on staircase so we don't block the staircase which I suggested previously. I will look in both levels I guess.

Let's meet on the Parterre Level, it makes the most sense. On the Grand Tier if a group of us are standing to the right of the staircase then we are getting in the way of the ladie's room line, elevators and flow to the restaurant. On the left there are also elevators and people heading to the bar & terrace.

Just get on the elevator and press the Parterre button!

Most people check BT frequently, so I don't think there will be any confusion.

I'm copying this from the ABT - Visheva/Gomes/Osipova thread in hopes of clarifying where we all plan to meet during the first intermission on Friday 5/25.

I thought top of the main stairs.....is that Grand Tier or Parterre? I can't remember.....

Bart, The top of the main stairs is the Parterre Level.

Okay, let's plan on that during first intermission. Let's hope others are reading!

Actually, the top of the middle (what I consider to be the main) staircase is the Grand Tier Level. There are also 2 side staircases that veer off and lead to the Parterre level, which is why I hope Helene will see this and clarify which one she was referring to. Otherwise we can just pick one. I would vote for the Parterre level cause the Grand Tier tends to get crowded with people heading to the bar and to the terrace.

I thought top of the main stairs.....is that Grand Tier or Parterre? I can't remember.....

Bart, The top of the main stairs is the Parterre Level.

Okay, let's plan on that during first intermission. Let's hope others are reading!

Actually, the top of the middle (what I consider to be the main) staircase is the Grand Tier Level. There are also 2 side staircases that veer off and lead to the Parterre level, which is why I hope Helene will see this and clarify which one she was referring to. Otherwise we can just pick one. I would vote for the Parterre level cause the Grand Tier tends to get crowded with people heading to the bar and to the terrace.

I don't know whether there's a common place, but when I've been in town for the last couple of summers, I've met my friends by the center costume case at the top of the entry stairs.

Are we all meeting at the very top of the stairs at the Grand Tier level or on the Parterre level? I think their are costume cases on both...

Not so for Vasiliev. FauxPas, I agree with you 100% about Vasiliev (and almost everything else in your post!) I like that kind of go-for-broke gusto in my figure skaters, but not in my ballet dancers. A friend of mine thinks he missed his calling as a martial artist. I agree.

I immediately thought of Elvis Stojko when I read your comments.

Well...yes...but I still recommend people give him a chance in a real (as opposed to gala) performance. I've never seen him in the classics and have no idea what he will be like-- though I hope to find out next week. And he's obviously no David Hallberg nor is meant to be. But as Spartacus I have seen him give an emotionally as well as physically powerful -- and controlled -- performance.

As you know, he's very Bolshoi, but I think he's a major talent. And given how young he is, he may just need some seasoning...

I also thought his Spartacus was riveting, and also loved him with the Bolshoi in Don Q. It will be interesting to see what his Solor is like.

A discussion forum on precisely this issue of brises vs. entrechats might be of interest:

http://balletalert.i...hats-or-brises/

The discussion variously names Lifar, Nureyev, and Bruhn as the person who first introduced entrechats sixes. Also, the discussion seems to be ambivalent on the issue of whether brises were there originally. Any clarifications anyone?

Regarding Cojocaru, it seemed quite clear to me that, contrary to what was implied in some of the previous posts, the steps she was doing weren't a mistake---i.e., they were planned. She didn't fall off pointe during her variation---she deliberately performed a different set of steps. This was a little puzzling to me, since there was a lot of other pointe work elsewhere that she did quite effortlessly (e.g., pique turns in the same variation).

agreed re: Cojocaru - ABATT metioned in her post that the changes seemed planned, and I agree. But why would she plan to simplify a variation she has done numerous times before unless she felt that she couldn't do it this time? And she also simplified the entrechat zig zag variation in the 2nd act grand pas de deux.

Re: Albrecht's entrechats vs brises vole - I saw Fonteyn/Nureyev and Fracci/Bruhn beore Misha in Giselle and my recollection is that Misha introduced the brises vole. I'm not saying that nobody did them before him, just that from what I recall the entrechats were standard till he popularized the brises.

She hopped on the diagonal of the stage, and then using the same working foot she did 360 degrees of hops, and then proceeded to resume the hops along the diagonal of the stage without ever coming off that pointe of her foot.

With a ball on her nose?

It may sound like a circus trick but in fact it was completely in character and musical as well as utterly astounding, especially coming (for me) after Cojocaru's failure to execute the traditional version of the steps.

Like the last few posters I also saw the Cojocaru/Corella/Murphy, Osipova/Hallberg/Abrera and Vishneva/Gomes/Semionova Giselles.

Cojocaru is one of my favorite ballerinas and while her Giselle was certainly well worth seeing IMO what I saw this time around is no longer on the same level as Osipova and Vishneva. I HOPE this can be attributed to a current injury and not just a decline in her technique due to the cumulative effect of her many injuries and well known foot problems. She still has a wonderful, floaty quality to her dancing, beautiful, easy extensions, gorgeous phrasing and line and is a very great interpretive artist but her technique has definitely declined. Last season when she flubbed a bit in DQ I put it down to a bad night. Now I don't know.

Osipova & Hallberg have great chemistry together. Even with Hallberg's newfound dramatic presence, they have very different personalities and I think they complement each other well. Like a variation on the "she gives him sex, he gives her class" theme. Their Giselle was very intense and very moving as well as a technical marvel. I also thought this was the strongest overall cast. I loved Abrera"s Myrtha - she was commanding, but with a deep sense of sorrow. Also Copeland and Salstein were both spot on in the peasant pas and Boylston & Hee Seo were lovely as Moyna and Zulma.

Vishneva/Gomes were wonderful, as usual. It amazes me how she keeps refining her interpretation. I found Semionova's approach to Myrtha strange. Her dancing was very wild. While her jetes and menage were beautiful it really wasn't in character for Myrtha as I know it from ABT and the Mariinsky.