nysusan

Looks great, can't wait to see it at Summerstage. Thanks Deborah, and have a great time in London!

I've seen Sylvia with all 4 casts and I've enjoyed them all - especially all the Sylvia's. This ballet provides really good roles for ABT's ballerinas and for upcoming soloists (Eros, Orion, Diana) plus the music and choreography are both so beautiful I hope they keep it in rep. And the costumes and scenery are gorgeous - not a hint at McKenzie's tendency towards Disneyfication.

I'm going to see the Murphy and Vishneva casts again so for now I'll limit my comments to the Hererra/Gomes and Wiles/Bolle casts. These 2 are not among my favorite ballerinas so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them both. Hererra's performance was beautifully well rounded. She wasn't the fiercest of Amazons, but she showed strength, acted well and performed the steps with a wonderful combination of technique and lyricism. Of all 4 casts, she and Vishneva seemed to understand Ashton's musicality best and I loved Hererra's phrasing. She was a delight in all 3 acts and Gomes was her Aminta. It's a pretty thankless role but he danced it well and was able to convey Aminta's passion for Sylvia without looking too much like the local yokel.

Michelle Wiles was paired with Bolle. I love this guy, Kevin - can we keep him? He is not a virtuoso but is not lacking in technique either. His jumps were high, pirouettes fast and perfectly controlled and his line is absolutely stunning. But the best thing about Bolle is what he brings out in ABT's ballerinas. Wiles has more than enough technique and stamina for this role and her interpretation started off with a more athletic, almost tomboyish take that she kept up through the act 2 seduction. There was no question in Orion's cave but that she was a nymph on a single minded mission. Then, in the third act she started off with a really lovely, regal style and somewhere after the beginning of the pas de deux when she was in Bolle's arms it was as if she just took a deep breath and let it all go - all the tension, the stiffness that often mars her otherwise flawless dancing. All of a sudden her dancing became light, joyous and - delicate. It was as if a light bulb went on and it was wonderful to see. I hope she keeps this up! I will have to disagree with fondoffouettes - I particularly enjoyed their execution of the "head" arabesque, I thought it looked very natural and loving and flowed well.

Although all of the dancers I've seen in the role of Eros were fine, none really wowed me until I saw Simkin last night. Admittedly it's tough to compete with my memories of Cornejo and Tidwell when ABT first presented Sylvia but Simkin was certainly in their league. He showed a great flair for the 1st act comedy and his variation in the 3rd act was beautiful - high, light jumps, gorgeous line and princely (or in this case, Godly) bearing.

I thought all of the secondary roles were done well and agree with abatt that, as much as I love Hammoudi, Stearns was the standout among the Orions. I finally see what ABT management must see in him, his dancing was clearly a cut above the others. I particularly liked Leanne Underwood as Ceres (despite a nasty fall last night) and Kristi Boone as Diana. It was a little jarring to see Part cast as Terpsichore but it was a treat to see her, even in such a small role.

I am really tempted to go to NY to see the Wednesday performance, but the only seat I can afford is a balcony box, which is described as having a partial view. Is this worth it?

Hans, the balcony boxes can be ok if you don't mind a view from the side. Get seat 2 or 3 and you will see 80-90% of the stage. Forget about any other seat in those boxes. If you can stretch your budget a bit Goldstar is offering Orch balance seats at 38.50 + 7.50 service charge. Hope to see you there - I'll be in a balcony box!

http://www.goldstar.com/events/new-york-city-ny/sylvia.html

Thank you all so much for your reports on these performances. Despite having tickets for 4 of them I didn't make any - home with the flu. Reading all the posts about them have brought some bright spots to my days...

Brava Veronika!

I thought Osipova & Hallberg were both stupendous. Absolutely gorgeous dancing from both of them, great chemistry together and I found the performance very moving. Her 2nd act wasn't as ghostly as some but the lightness, buoyancy and height of her jumps suited it well. I've never seen Giselle's series of entrechats done so beautifully and it looked like she was doing something different with her feet - like holding them in the pose for a second as she moved backwards - but I don't know technique well enought to explain exactly was she did. Her whole performance was just gorgeous with some very individual touches. Boy do I hope she becomes a regular guest artist with ABT.

I agree with everyone that Vishneva's dancing was excellent but am with Faux Pas in thinking that while last nights performance was great it simply was not in the same league as the one she gave a couple of years ago with Malakhov. That one set the bar ridiculously high – I consider it to be one of the best I've ever seen and on a level with Fonteyn/Nureyev, Fracci/Bruhn, Makarova /Nagy, Kirkland/Baryshnikov and Ferri/Boca. This one was merely great.

I see 2 reasons for the difference. First, while he provided strong support for her, the chemistry between her and Corella was not great. It was ok, but some partnerships are special and this one was not. I would love to see her with Malakhov again (assuming that Albrecht is still within his capability) or Gomes. Second, as Faux Pas noted she has changed her approach and while this Giselle was more traditional I think her earlier interpretation was more compelling and had a greater emotional impact. The girl who was so passionate that she danced herself to death was replaced by a slightly wilder version of the standard sweet/shy first act Giselle. Beautifully done but the toned down first act made for less contrast with the second act. I also don't really love the tendrily arms approach to the second act and don't recall her doing that previously (although I could be wrong I remember Pavlenko adopting that style and thinking that I preferred Vishneva's more rounded romantic style arms & upper body).

I loved the fact that Maria Bystrova went straight from dancing Bathilde on Monday to Giselle's mother on Tuesday – what a wonderful, versatile dancer. Other highlights included Lane & Simkin's PPD (although I agree that Lane needs to work on facial expression & head positions) and Hamrick & Abrera as Moyna & Zulma. It was especially wonderful to see Abrera back – she danced that second variation like a dream. Agree with all the other posters that Wiles was merely ok as Myrtha, there was no shading to her dancing.

I also saw Nina/Gomes/Murphy on Monday and all I can say is – WOW. I was very hard on Nina last season because I felt that her technique had fallen too far for the works she was attempting but she looks to be in much better shape this year. I loved her in Corsaire and her Giselle on Monday moved me to tears. Certainly, she is no longer in the same technical league as Vishneva but aside from the change to the hops on point there were no technical deficiencies. She and Marcelo were wonderful together – there just aren't enough superlatives to describe him anymore. I enjoyed Murphy's Myrtha, she has come a long way in this role. I remember when she gave an unbending "take no prisoners" interpretation but over the past couple of seasons she has added nuance with softer epaulmant and a more flexible torso.

I went to both Saturday performances and was thrilled at the substitution of Simkin and Boone in the matinee. Simkin's Prodigal was extraordinary. I feel like I keep using that word each time I see him, but he continues to impress in every new role. His dancing is so pure – high jumps in perfect position, executed with perfect control and that uncanny ability to make a jump linger in the air so you see that perfect line so clearly. Turns? Beautiful, fast and ended cleanly each time. But of course, what wins me over completely is his artistry and that's what made his Prodigal so extraordinary. As impressive as it was, the technique was secondary to the telling of the story and creation of a character. His Prodigal was a naïve innocent – in no way prepared for the big, cruel world. He alone among the ABT men really did the ending justice and brought a tear to the eye. Kristi Boone was fabulous as the siren with big, juicy developees, very sexy and very much in command of the stage. Her eye makeup reminded me of the eyes you see on Egyptian statues. That plus the many 2 dimensional, serpentine poses gave her Siren an air of "otherness" along with seductive power. And there were no partnering glitches, none.

I also enjoyed Corella's Prodigal. It was instructive to see this much beloved dancer in the same role and on the same day as Simkin. He has very different gifts. His dancing was exuberant and heartfelt though the positions were much less clearly articulated. His Prodigal was hungry for experience and his scenes with the Siren were super hot however I agree with Dufay that his ending was not effective.

By the way – for Simkin fans – the casting handout at the Met includes the role of Eros for Sylvia and Simkin is scheduled for it once, with the Wiles/Bolle cast on Wednesday.

As for the rest of the program, I agree with previous posters who noted that Lane and Hammoudi were not as effective as Copeland and Lopez in Desir. Copeland's dancing was just so fierce and gutsy that I think she really made something of nothing…a feat that Lane didn't accomplish for me. Hee Seo & Gomes were gorgeous in that 3rd pas, but seeing Boylston and Stearns again in the evening performance made me realize just how beautiful and evocative Ms. Boylston's dancing is. Messmer and Doble were beautiful in the first pas, she especially took a very different approach from Murphy. It seemed like much more of an adagio pas, filled with yearning, while the image I recall from Murphy was one of allegro with quick, sharp changes of direction.

The 3rd cast of Dneiper just didn't do it justice, in fact I had to fight to stay awake for the last 2/3 of the matinee. All the performers were up to par technically, but they didn't have the personalities or theatricality of the first cast. I had no such problem at the evening performance where Gomes, Part, Hererra and Hallberg again drew me in to this very old story. Dneiper is a keeper in my book.

I also felt that ABT's Prodigal Son was unsuccessful for many of the same reasons as abatt did – I especially feel that while Cornejo was good at the beginning he was unable to convey the complete devastation and loss the character goes through at the end. I also agree that he and Wiles were not a good match, but I had no problem with Wiles' individual interpretation. I thought her Siren was a total dominatrix – really giving the poor guy no quarter. Unfortunately the partnering between the two principals was poor and even more disturbing – the male corps did not do a good job with all of those intricate manipulations of the Siren. It's impossible for me to say if that was their fault, her fault or a lack of rehearsal time but effects that were supposed to make her look imposing & overwhelming looked awkward. I wish I could see Simkin & Dvorovenko in this but unfortunately I'll be out of town for both of their performances.

I disliked Desir intensely, but it provided great roles for Copeland, Lopes, Boylston and Stearns and I'll enjoy seeing other favorites in it (at least that's what I keep telling myself since I have tickets to 2 more performances of this program!).

I enjoyed Dneiper and agree with Michael that the use of sets & juxtaposition of village groups with principals provided an intricate part of the subtext – collective vs. individual and the closed in feeling of a small rural town where everyone knows everyone else's business and one person's choices affect everyone. However all that confetti/cherry blossoms did have me concerned about slips and falls – but all the dancers got through it fine and were just fabulous. I enjoyed this piece but am not sure yet how much or if it will hold up to repeated viewings. Time will tell.

I went to several NYCB perfomances before ABT's season started but have just been way too busy to post anything. But Robbie Fairchild and Janie Taylor's debut in Opus 19 at yesterday's matinee was so wonderful that I just had to find a few minutes to post. Fairchild, in particular, just blew me away and may have become my favorite NYCB male dancer on the strength of this one performance. His technique was wonderful but his line and plastique were what I found really thrilling. His interpretation was well thought out and very evocative. Taylor was also great, but I expected that from her! She was intense and fearless as usual with extensions that just ripped through the air.

FYI – although Mearns was listed on the cast sheet in the lobby Ellen Bar actually danced the first part of Vienna Waltzes with J Angle. I just love the sweep of this piece and even a couple of my least favorite dancers were just fine, if not fabulous. The evening started with Kowroski/Marcovicci/Pereira/Hendrickson in Chaconne. Although Kowroski was stunning throughout I thought the partnering in the first section looked a little rough. I just love her approach to the last section –it's so intelligent and witty, and this on top of those lethal weapon legs and gorgeous extensions. Stephanie Zungre also impressed in a small soloist role, I found myself running to my Playbill as soon as the curtain came down to see exactly who that soloist was!

I went last night and had a great time. This will never be my favorite ballet but with ABT's roster of male stars it can be great fun, and last night it was.

First the ballerinas. I've never been a big fan of Maria Riccetto, and last year I was very disappointed in Nina's performances in DQ and SL so I was a little nervous sbout this casting. Riccetto was fine - her dancing lovely as always but as Gulnare she also had a personality and was fun to watch. As others pointed out, Nina was not the Nina of old, but I thought she was lovely as Medora. What a wonderful artist she is, totally believeable and charismatic. Her technique was more than good enough, but then she was partnered with Gomes and what ballerina wouldn't be at her best with him?

The men dazzled - Gomes made something special of Conrad, which can be a thankless role and it was a pleasure to watch him interact with Siimkin, Lopes and Carenno. Carenno has lost a step by now, but was there ever anyone who danced a more virile, less campy Ali? He was wonderful, and Simkin was a wonderful surprise. The youtube clips and gala perfomances made it obvious that he was a phenomenal technician, but it was great to see what a natural, commited actor he is - this guy has the whole package. He also seems to be a decent partner. I didn't feel the nervousness that I usually do when dancers like Cornejo or the young Sarafanov dance a pas de deux. Sarafanov manged to overcome his strength issues and while Siimkin's small stature means that there will always be partnering challenges to overcome he seems to take these responsibilities seriously and IMO is well on his way to becoming a solid partner for ABTs smallest ballerinas.

The Odalesques were Lane, Copeland and Kajiya and all 3 were lovely.

Thanks so much for posting this. I don't always watch SYTUCD but now that I know that Alex Wong is on I will watch or tape it for sure. I remember him from the ABT studio company and have seen him a couple of times since he joined MCB - he's so talented!

(No one seems to be doing the jumps into deep plié that Vladimir Malakhov used to do, too dangerous?)

Hi Faux Pas. Danil Simkin did the jumps into deep plie on Tues evening. It reminded me of Malakhov.

Excellent, he's listed in the cast I'm going to see on Sat night!

I really want to see Stiefel in PS, and a business trip means that there are a few performances of this program I just won't be able to see so I bought tickets for opening night and figured that would be it for me. Now with the announced casting for the other 2 pieces I know I will at least go to the Saturday matinee and if I really love the program I might do a double and pick up a last minute ticket for Sat evening. There are so many favorites cast it's hard to make the decision to skip seeing any of them!

Let's just count our blessings that she isn't Kitri. But, with the leads, and Big Red, I think there are quite a few things that cancel out Alina Somova

Not to mention Yevgenia Obraztsova as Amour, Bazhenova & Ioannisyan in the Fandango and a variation from Olga Esina. When was this performance taped? Isn't Esina the much hyped Vaganova grad who was part of that big Kirov exodus a few years ago? I saw her Lilac Fairy with the Kirov a few months before she left and then saw her and her husband with the Vienna State Ballet about a year later. Wonderful dancers, despite Ms S there's a lot to look forward to on this DVD!

Just noticed that Janie Taylor has replaced Sara Mearns in the Whelan role in Concerto DSCH. I have mixed feelings, since I love them both. Mearns was also scheduled for a Tchai Pas and has been replaced in that as well. Looks like this season is starting out with a lot of injuries, hopefully all of our favorites will be dancing again soon!

More complete casting for ABT's ALL-PROKOFIEV CELEBRATION is now on the ABT web site. A lot of people seem to be getting a chance at principal roles. I think it's great!

I hope they also list the individual dancers for "Airs" and not just company. Hee Seo and A Hammoudi seems to be frontrunners for promotions. NYsusan must be thrilled

You got that right! I'm very happy to see Hammoudi and so many other talented ABT corps members getting chances to develop and to be seen in solo roles. I'm very happy with the casting I see for the Prokofiev program, though I also wonder what happened to my old favorite Zhong-Jing Fang. I'm sure Hee Seo will be wonderful in La Sylphide, but Fang would be wonderful, too

It certainly is a curious program to promote to the general public, but who knows? It's only showing 1 time in Manhattan - during a very busy weekend in a very busy and ballet filled stretch here but I am going to try my best to make time to see it. I am curious about the Ballet Russe versions of Rite and Les Noce, but what sealed the deal is that when looking at the website I found a series of photos from the film. The flaming red hair of the Firebird is unmistakable - none other than our own BIG RED!!!!! Take a look at the multi media section at the bottom of the page:

http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/5866-st...source=calendar

Danny Tidwell is squandering his vast talents on junk, if last night's performance was any indication of what he has been doing lately, in my opinion. Marcelo's little solo dance was fun, sexy and extremely well danced.

As much as I love Danny I'm afraid I have to agree. The best I can say about him and his partner is that they looked like they were having fun. I wasn't. I was very surprised to see Marcelo scheduled to dance a Bob Fosse broadway solo. I'm sure it's never been danced quite that way before and while Fosse experts might take issue with some style elements I thought it was very entertaining. To me that was a great example of a classically trained dancer translating his skills to a different style and perhaps moving out of his comfort zone to try something different that still provided an appropriate platform for his skills and talent.

I'm sure she has her reasons - but this is very sad news. I found her to be a wonderful dancer with NYCB - one of my favorites. I only saw her in her first season with the RB, when she was still adjusting to their style. It was great to hear of the progress she made there and it makes me very sad to think that I'll never see her dance again. She's still so young, hopefully at some point she will change her mind...

Thanks for the report, Ceeszi! I was there too and agree that there were a few glitches with this year's gala but considered overall, it was a fun night. Regarding the performers - unfortunately that was definitely not Ashley Bouder in the Grand Pas De Quatre - it was Angelina Zuccarini, who I really enjoyed in the 1st variation. Big Red was the epitome of grace and elegance here as Taglioni. We got Jeni Ringer subbing for Sarah Mearns in the first pdd from Who Cares. As for the Corsaire Suite - Joseph Phillips partnered Sara Lane, and by process of elimination I believe that was Zachary Catazaro having the unfortunate night as Conrad. He is a big, handsome dancer who appears to have strong technique and elegant lines, so hopefully we will get to see him again on a better night.

The Corsaire Suite was interesting and lots of fun. Lane's dancing was pristine and lovely . Schklyarov and Tereshkina were wonderful - absolutely wonderful but both looked a bit out of control - like they were totally jet lagged, found themselves in front of a house full of screaming teenagers and decided to just let loose and have fun. It was something that I don't think we would see them do anywhere else. He pushed his pirouettes a la Corella and settled into a 5th position preparation with a little wiggle and a devilish smile. She was perfection, then about 3/4 of the way through the fouettee series at the end - I'm not sure what happened. I think she fell of point and then just put her other leg down and finished them off on the other leg and in the opposite direction. She did this all with a big smile, without missing a beat so I'm not even sure about what I saw - just that it was a pleasure to see her on the City Center stage again!!

It sure is disapointing to hear that we won't get to see Terioshkina & Gomes do the Manon Pas de deux. I just saw Gomes a couple of days ago with Patrelle Dances so at least his withdrawl isn't due to injury. Without the two of them and Schklyarov I guess we can forget about that Corsaire Suite which looked so good on paper. Also noticed that the YAGP site dosn't list Ashley Bouder who was supposed to dance the Grahn variation in the Grand Pas de Quatre. That's a shame but there are always lots of changes at a gala like this and there's still lots to look forward to. Did I mention Danny Tidwell? Tsiskaridze? Kondaurova? I'm also looking forward to seeing many familiar faces in unfamiliar roles - it will be fun even with all the cancellations!

This may be coming together, although I won't be able to home from DC Sunday night. If I use the Alaska 15K miles for a discounted plane ticket, the difference should cover the hotel room Sunday night, and I'd have most of Monday to be a tourist.

Many thanks for the advice, nysusan!

Helene, try www. megabus . com. i just got my two round trip tickets for $4.50 (I haven't got the tickets yet for the performances, only to the Burlaka talk and the dress rehearsal). I tried megabus twice, and they are NICE and reliable (conveniently leaving from Penn Station in NYC, and only within 25-30 min WALK from Kennedy center)..... I might gamble and get the Sat & Sund. Matinee and the openning night.

Added after checking their site

they have a 6:45am from Penn Station for $5, 7am from Pike Street for $1, and 8am from Penn for $5.

I am NOT a morning personmyself, but for the russian ballet - i MADE myself get up early several time,,,,,, sleeping in on the bus ;_))

YID, I checked the Megabus website a few minutes ago and all the NY departures they're showing for 6/21 are from Pike Street in Chinatown PLUS their website indicates that these are operated by Eastern Express - a known low service Chinatown bus company. Do you know anything about this? The Megabus website also indicates that some of their departures from Penn Station & DC are also operated by Eastern. I was ready to give them a try but not if I'm taking the chance on a Chinatown bus ride! I might try Bolt instead

In an attempt to make lemonade of lemons, and in an attempt to stimulate the economy with my upcoming baby tax refund, I was thinking of taking the train to DC for the Osipova "Le Corsaire" on the 19th, and returning to NYC the next day for the Part "La Sylphide" at ABT.

But looking at this cast list,

...

should I see Shipulina before NYC, and actually pay attention to my best friend on whose couch I will be surfing on Friday night? There's a rare chance I could make the Osipova Sunday matinee, if I can figure out the logistics of getting there on time and stashing a suitcase, but that might be a bit much, since "I" and "leave at the crack of dawn" are rarely uttered in the same sentence.

I have seen Shipulina several times and always enjoyed her dancing but if it's a question of her or Osipova Ms O wins hands down. Plus Vasiliev is partnering her. I'm going to the V Part Sylphide on Saturday and then hopping on a bus Sunday morining to catch the Osipova/Vasiliev Corsaire matinee in DC. My big regret is that I can't go to opening night with Alexandrova and Tsiskaridze but it's impossible for me to get away early in the week

The line up for both galas sounds just fabulous – there is lots and lots to look forward to. It would probably do well to remember that there are generally pretty substantial changes to the initial plans – but these plans sound great!

After Natalia's Mariinsky Festival reviews I can't wait to see Terioshkina and Gomes in the Manon pas de deux at the Peter the Great Gala. I'm also particularly looking forward to seeing DANNY TIDWELL (yippe!) at the Stars Gala along with Gillian Murphy & Joseph Phillips in Tarantella and all those wonderful overseas guests.

Well, the Osipova casting difficulty seems to be ever-changing, but still has not been solved. The Bolshoi website eliminated the originally posted Kennedy Center casting a few days ago. Now, the new casting on the Bolshoi website lists Osipova performing in Le Corsaire on June 19 and June 21. As noted above, on ABT's website, Osipova is still listed for Sylphide on June 17 and June 19. Thus, unless Osipova is planning on cloning herself, the Bolshoi's new casting does not solve the problem. Why is this so difficult for them!?

I agree, it's frustrating – especially because ABT's subscriber priority exchange week ends on Saturday. However since the Bolshoi went so far as to take down the old casting and replace it with a new schedule this time the fault may not lie with them. They now have Osipova performing with them on the 19th and 21st so it's possible that ABT will reschedule her 6/19 performance for one earlier in the week. If that's the case I just wish ABT would straighten it out on their calendar so I can make my last ticket exchange!

By the way, I thought the lines for ticket exchange were considerably shorter than they've been in the past and I was able to get good seats for everything I wanted. Mostly performances that feature Osipova, Nina, Vishneva or Part. That doesn't bode well for the box office - I remember being frustrated at not having good seats available for Nina and Vishneva in recent seasons.