nysusan

Just returned from the New Vic myself & couldn’t agree more, it was such a treat to see Danny again!. Artifice wasn’t the type of piece I really like but it was interesting. I really enjoyed the last piece they did to Earth, Wind & Fire, and of course Desmond Richardson’s solo was great. My biggest problem this evening was tearing my eyes away from Tidwell & Richardson. It wasn’t fair to the other dancers, but those 2 are both absolutely extraordinary artists. I usually think of March in NY as a dance drought between NYCB & ABT seasons, but not this year. There may not be much classical ballet around, but there’s been just too much dance for me to even get to here lately. From the Perm Ballet in NJ to Paul Taylor at City Center, Millipied’s concert group,Mark Morris at BAM, American Repertory Ballet at Symphony Space and Puuccini Passion I can barely keep up. I’m glad I made time to see Complexions tonight, it was well worth it.

Wow, that is high praise indeed! What an experience to see the old/new Beauty in the theater for which it was created. Sounds like the performance of a lifetime. It's great to hear how well the festival is going and as a side note, that Pavlenko is back! Thanks for the wonderful reports & please keep them coming!

It was out on VHS at one time but I don't think it's been released on DVD. The VHS has been out of print for ages, and no DVD yet. But the recording does exist so we can hope that there will be a DVD someday. Every once in awhile you can find a used copy on ebay but they typically cost $60 - $120 or so. Big bucks for a grainy VHS Back to the question at hand - Giselle is one of those ballets for which I couldn't even name a favorite, I've seen so many wonderful pairings. fandeballet - Misha & Makarova were definitely a favorite pair of mine, but so were Misha and Gelsy in the same time frame. And, as much as I loved them I also loved Fonteyn/ Nureyev, Fracci/Bruhn and more recently - Ferri/Bocca and McKerrow/ Steifel I have rarely ever seen a film or video version that compares to a live performance but there is one I cherish on an out of print VHS series called "Russian Ballet, The Glorious Tradition" . Volume 3 includes (among many other treasures) the 2nd act pas de deux by Maximova and Gordeev. It is my favorite filmed version, I even prefer it to the Makarova/Baryshnikov tape. She is so light, so grave & beautiful that you really believe she is a spirit, and it never fails to move me. I'm (finally) going to catch Vishneva with Malakhov this spring, and I'm also going to see a few of the Kirov's performances in DC in June. So I may have some new favorites to add to the list soon!

There were "Ardani Artists" brochures available in the lobby at City Center during the Kings of Dance performances. They listed the upcoming North American bookings for their clients, including the Kirov Mariinsky ballet. In addition to the OC engagement it mentioned Chicago, Ottowa and Boston engagements in late October/early November 2006. There was no mention of repertory (with the exception of OC) or casting, but one can hope... edited to clarify: There was no mention of Vishneva, I'm just hoping that she will be included on the Kirov tour. Here are dates & venues from the brochure: Orange Co. Performing Arts Cntr, Segerstrom Hall,10/17 - 19 Romeo & Juliet,10/20-22 Swan Lake National Arts Center, Southam Hall, Ottowa, Canada 10/26-29 (no rep listed yet) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, 11/1-5 (no rep listed yet) Wang Center, Boston, 11/8-12 (no rep listed yet) Susan

I, too have been so glad to see Craig Hall cast more this season. I was very disappointed knowing that I would miss his debut in After the Rain. I saw it again at the Saturday matinee with Marcovici and am convinced that it's the best ballet I've seen since Balanchine (my favorite anyway!). Too bad it's not in the rep next season. Every single person in the cast was just perfect in this - each of the 6 dancers was amazing in their own right, but during the first section you never had the sensation of not knowing where to look first - it was all perfectly harmonious. The musicians were also exceptional. I think this is one of those all too rare occasions when a great choreographer was inspired by great artists and great music. It was perfection. Hall was mesmerizing in The Cage on Saturday afternoon - he is so striking yet so understated, never upstaging the flow of the drama. I was sitting 1st row center in the 2nd ring and did not notice a taboo on his chest, and let me assure you I spent plenty of time staring at his chest! Somogyi was very good as the Novice, but nobody can compete with Wendy in that role. I've also been happy to see Rebecca Krohn getting some featured roles this season - she was great as the Queen, with wonderful presence. Perhaps another "tall girl" in the making? Around the middle of The Cage it occurred to me that I was also going to see The Lesson that evening - an unfortunate coincidence in programming that I will make sure never to repeat! My season ended with Saturday afternoon's Bizet, a brilliant image to keep with me till next season. I loved every minute of it. Sylve's adagio is very different from Whalen's. As other posters have mentioned there is a real sculptural quality to her movements, and a magisterial air. It was a great close to a great season.

I bought tickets to all 4 of these NY performances when they were first announced because Jeune Homme is one of my favorite guilty pleasures and I didn't want to miss any one of these great dancers in it. With the substitution of The Lesson I regretted my initial enthusiasm a little but not entirely, because I could have watched Kobborg's Faun and Tsiskaridze's Carmen 100 nights in a row. I especially loved Tsiskaridze. I can see why he's so controversial, but he won me over completely. His line, his high, easy extensions, the expressive arms and back and above all his artistry really floored me. I have some reservations about the program, but my overall response was very positive. I thought it was so interesting to see these 4 extraordinary dancers perform in works of their own choosing, pieces that in most cases were very different from what I’d guess they usually dance with their home companies. Though I thought Stiefel & Corella were both wonderful I was most impressed by Kobborg & Tsiskaridze. I’d seen them both before, but only once or twice each and I always felt that the material I saw them in didn’t show the full range of their talents (Tsiskaridze with the Bolshoi last year in Pharaoh’s Daughter & Bright Stream, Kobborg with Cojocaru in the Royal’s Cinderella as well as in a couple of gala performances with her). Of course, the fact that their solos were much much stronger than Stiefel's and Corella's may have been a factor, too. Faun & Carmen were unforgettable, and really showed both dancer’s unique attributes to great advantage I think The Lesson was a poor choice for this program. I understand that it was a last minute substitution and it may be fine on your average mixed bill, but when it’s the only narrative dance of the evening and the only piece to include female dancers the misogyny on view is pretty shocking. Despite disliking the material the differences in interpretation Kobborg, Corella and Tsiskaridze each brought to the role of the teacher was fascinating to watch. Kobberg's approach was the most naturalistic, you could tell that he had a strong theatrical background. His teacher was very nerdy, a real social misfit, and very, very scary from the start. He seemed barely able to look the student in the eye until he snapped. Corella was equally effective but different. This character is just such a stretch for him, so alien to his sunny persona that it was riveting watching him in the role. He was kind of like a cross between Snidely Whiplash and Peter Lorre - scary, but over the top campy at the same time. Tsiskaridze danced it at the last performance and his approach was the least nerdy and the most sexual. His teacher was a misfit, but an arrogant, controlling one with uncontrollable desires- a lethal Svengali. In his bows he really bent over backwards to dispel the illusion he had just created as if to say, hey, I’m really a nice guy. A fan threw him a bouqet, which he split into 2 and gave to his 2 ballerinas. They kept trying to step to the back of the stage and let him take his bows but he kept grabbing them, hugging them and bowing to them. It seemed to be a very sincere and touching exhibition on his part. I saw Bojeson a couple of years ago in La Sylphide - this was a very different side of her. As much as I would have loved to have seen Cojocaru again, I can’t imagine a more perfect “student”. Eager, innocent, yet stubborn and flirtatious and a wonderful, wonderful dancer. Deidre Chapman also made the most of her role as the pianist. I was intrigued by the different interpretations Kobborg, Corella and Tsiskaridze each brought to the role of the maniacal teacher, and also really enjoyed watching Bojeson & Chapmen. Still, I had to force myself to focus on the dancers rather than the dance and would have MUCH preferred to watch them all in Jeune Homme or just about anything else. The audience gave The Lesson an enthusiastic round of applause each night, but when the lights came up there were lots of shudders and negative comments. Stiefel was quoted as saying that he hoped this program would bring in a new audience. Although I found a lot to enjoy here I’m not sure what impression a new audience would have gotten from this program that included something as dark as The Lesson and completely ignored the classical variations that most of the world thinks of as bravura male dancing. The NY program did not include pre-performance archival footage or the encore that the California posters described. It ended with Corella’s solos and despite his phenomenal technique and charm, the end was anti climatic. The evening would have benefitted from some kind of ending that featured all 4 men dancing together, even if it was just brief encores.

No, this version was by A Beliy, anyone familiar with him/her? It was a very stark, modernist dance. As Ceeszi said they were both wearing simple black costumes with wide legs and straight lines.

Poohtunia, you said it all. I have seen a few truly great Giselles who had it all, or enough so you didn't notice anything missing. Fonteyn, Fracci, Makarova, Kirkland, Ferri for sure. Maybe Semenyaka & McKerrow. I missed Vishneva last season, and hers is the only ABT Giselle I'm going to see this year. Kent & Reyes will not disappoint, they are both lovely but IMO neither one gave a performance for the ages last season. Someday I'd like to see what Hererra and Dvorovenko can do with the role - but not when the Kirov's Giselle is a mere 3 1/2 hour train ride away. I'm going to catch the Vishneva/Malakhov cast and then catch Amtrak.

rg, thanks for that info, I was just about to ask if it was Cranko's or Neumeier's R&J (not even sure if Neumeier ever even did an R&J). In any case, it was lovely. What a treat to see such accomplished, expressive dancers performing such beautiful material. Some of MacMillan's R&J is wonderful, and I love his balcony scene but it's a shame that NY so rarely gets to see any other versions anymore. As performed by Pierre & Lacarra this version struck me as being much more innocent & dewey eyed than MacMillan's. There was more emphasis on young love, or even infatuation finally & unexpectantly deepening into something more. I have to agree with most of Ceeszi's observations, and thank her for listing all the programming info! This was also my second year in a row attending this gala. Last year Lacarra was the revelation for me. This year I too felt that Mathilde Froustey was the major discovery. She has a combination of steely technique, ethereal line, beautifully pliant feet, and a demeanor at once both delicate and regal. I was also very impressed with her partner, Emmanuel Thibault. Last year's gala featured some real highs, but also a few yawns. This year I thought the level was high throughout. I'll admit feeling a certain reluctance to pay big bucks to see dancers I already see all the time, so I was delighted at Max & Irina's decision to perform against type here. It was lots of fun to watch them cut loose in the modern works. I also enjoyed seeing Sylve and Fadeyev in Tchai Pas, but he looked a bit small for her, and I felt she held back a little. As Ceeszi noted, her 2nd appearance in Dances at a Gathering was beautiful, but brief. I thought all of the dancers were wonderful, but for the 2nd year in a row I don't think Lunkina chose material that showed her at her best. I wish she had chosen to perform part of the underwater scene from Pharaoh's Daughter, but I guess that wouldn't have worked for Sergei Filin! Yes, her technique is strong and she and Filin both excelled in the Pharaoh's Daughter pas de deux (esp the petite batterie), but I think her great strength is as a romantic ballerina and PD does not show this side of her. Even though Filin had all the fireworks in the Paganini pas de deux I thought this selection showed her lyricism to much greater effect than the Lacotte pdd. Richardson, Alvarez & Hoffmann were all great, and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I have to say that for the 2nd year in a row I thought Lucia Lacarra really stood out, even in this galaxy of stars. She is a very unique dancer, I don't know how to describe her except perhaps as a combination of Makarova and Whalen. That description is probably unfair to all 3 of them, but that's all that comes to mind! Although I prefer the Ashton version she & Pierre were heavenly in Petit's Thais pdd. I wish we could see more of them here!

Sat night, Feb 11 Darci Kistler was just beautiful tonight in Duo Concertant. She danced with clean, clear simplicity channeling the music and the choreography. Martins rose to the occasion, and this time the lighting effects worked properly. It was the highlight of the evening for me, maybe even the highlight of the season. Fairchild, de Luz & company danced a lovely Baiser, they seemed to have ironed out the partnering glitches. Fanfare was amusing and I even enjoyed American in Paris tonight. I must have been in a good mood.

Me too

That's interesting information - considering that City Center's website has listed Cojocaru on the program for about a week now...

I agree 100% with Oberon about last night's performance. Abi's fall was a big one, right at center stage, and it was jarring - but she and Whalen brought such beauty, balance and harmony to Concerto Barocco that it could not break the spell. Evans & the corps were all wonderful, this is the masterpiece I remember. Auvergne was a snooze. Nice to see Kristin Sloan getting some featured roles and everyone danced beautifully but this was just monotonous. Fairchild was especially impressive because this was the most lyrical & romantic dancing that I've seen from her and it caught me by surprise. Sylve's Firebird was wonderful. She's a dancer that I love in certain roles & just don't care for in others - she was perfect here. Of course her killer technique was put to good use but her characterization was also extraordinary. She was very avian and strong but also very exotic, mysterious and seductive at times. In this version the Firebird doesn't seem to dislike the Prince at all, both Sylve & Bouder seemed touched by regret upon their exits. Perhaps because here the Prince has released the Firebird long before she gives him the feather it's more of a reward than a bribe for her release. She's not human and they can't relate to each other on the same level that a man and a woman would, but the lack of animosity allows just a tinge of "what if" to enter the equation. I also went on Wed night. Unfortunately I had a seat with a very bad view which made it hard to tell if the spotlights in the 3rd movement of Duo Concertant weren't timed properly, or if it was just my extreme angle that ruined the effect. Still, I haven't seen this little jewel in many, many years and it was wonderful to see it and to hear that music again. Didn't remember it being quite so sentimental, though. Ana Sophia Scheller is quickly becoming one of my favorite dancers. She's lightning fast and has a huge jump but she's one of those dancers who always makes it look as if she has all the time in the world to complete a phrase, even in Divertimento Have the fish dives in Tchai Pas become ridiculously safe and anticlimatic, or have I just seen this a few too many times? They looked more like fish dips than fish dives. I worship Wendy Whalen and last week I watched her dance a performance of Bizet 2nd movement that was sublime, but this Wed I thought she had an off night. She looked shakey. And the fouttees at the end were totally out of sync (not saying this was her fault - I can never tell who is off but someone was WAY off).

drb thanks for the info, that is a very interesting turn of events. I must admit that Jeune Homme is one of my all time favorite guilty pleasures and I was looking forward to seeing it again (esp with Steifel & Tsiskaridze and Vishneva as the woman). However trading it for The Lesson is a small price to pay for the privilege of seeing Ms. Cojocaru, she is truly incandescent. I've never seen Flindt's ballet, but descriptions indicated roles for a man and 2 women and City Center's website mentions "other guests from the Royal Ballet". Dare we also hope for a guest appearance by a prodigal daughter?

There is a story in Playbill Arts today that confirms that Vishneva is out of Kings in NY & LA and states that Tamiyo Kusakari will replace her: http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/3734.html

Late 60's early 70's NYCB's ragged arms and upper body placement pretty much chased me out of the State Theatre. It annoyed me so that I couldn't stand to watch them more than a couple times a season, and eventually not at all. Foolish kid that I was! So one of the first things I noticed when I came back in '03 was how much more uniform their arms had become. They will never be an arms company in comparison to real arms companies, but the change over the years is unmistakable. As to that bored look that Oberon mentions - I also consider it a hallmark of the company, but, again - not new. I remember in the 80's the first time I saw that Robert Plamer video "Addicted to Love" those women in the background screamed NYCB corps to me- tall, beautiful, glamourus & bored,bored,bored! Also re: Swan Lake, since all of NYCB's O/Os have used those constantly flapping arms I assumed that is how they were taught to do it and that Peter wants it that way. In general I don't like it, but Bouder 2 made it work beautifully because , as drb said, she made the movement into an icon of imprisonment and used it to great effect as part of her interpretation.

Me too on Boal. The elegance & serenity of his interpretion was breathtaking. I also liked Steifel's wild boy approach, but I wouldn't put it in the same league as Boal's. I am eagerly awaiting Hallberg's debut this spring... I saw him in the role twice -- at Wall-to-Wall Balanchine and then a few months later at SummerStage. I remember the first performance (which I think was the abbreviated version?) as one where Apollo is pretty rough throughout. In fact, it was, to that point, the roughest Apollo I'd seen. The second time, Thomas seemed very out of shape. His technique -- or lack of it -- got the better of him, and there wasn't much point in trying to divine his interpretation. Editing to add: I swear, honest to goodness, that I didn't realize there was a pun in the last line until after I posted. Forgive me! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Carbro, are you sure that was Thomas at Summerstage? I went to the 2004 Summerstage performance and don't remember him there. I just saw him recently and thought it was the first time I'd seen him. He really impressed so I hope I'd have remembered his Apollo. I just checked my Summerstage program for Tues & Wed 7/27/04 & 7/28/04 and it lists Duncan Cooper as Apollo. Of course there could have been a substitution one night or the other (I only went to one but I don't remember whether I went on Tues or Wednesday).

I've read several posters here marvel at how quickly Bouder grows into a role, but I was still astounded at the difference between her performances on Friday night & at the Sunday matinee. On Friday her Odile was thrilling, but even though there was some wonderful dancing & beautiful imagery in her Odette, at other times I thought her dancing in the white acts had a very abrupt, gawky quality to it. Ultimately I found her Odette lacking, even disturbing - especially in the first act. When Siegfried first startled her she was not just frightened but absolutely panicked. Not a huge, frozen fear but agitated, raw & downright animalistic. She seemed that way for pretty much the whole 1st lakeside act. Far from being a woman trapped in a swan's body, to me her Odette seemed like a wild, frenetic creature without one ounce of vulnerability, tenderness or poetry. She danced with a relentless attack and kept accenting her movements right ON THE BEAT. Her 4th act was much better than her 2nd, with hints of things to come, but not quite there yet. Despite the fact that I didn't like her Odette I still left thinking that it was a good start for a very talented dancer. But she was clearly an allegro dancer in a very complex role that really turns more on the adagio than the allegro. I figured that even if she never became a great Odette her talent was so great that she'd find a way to make the role work for her. But I figured it would take a year or two. I will admit that I just didn't know Bouder well enough. Fast forward to this afternoon and the gawkiness was gone, the attack was softened, all the sharp edges were smoothed away. It didn't seem so much that she changed her approach as that she modulated it. Her Odette was still wild and unruly at first and then again as dawn approaches and she turns back into a swan. But this time you saw her wildness dissipate & her humanity emerge very early on. This time her adagio flowed. It was beautifully nuanced and she presented a very cohesive, moving interpretation. I am amazed to say that I went from disliking her performance on Friday to thinking that her performance this afternoon was one of the best I've ever seen, and I don't say that lightly. It is a very different approach from my favorite Odettes (Fonteyn, Makarova & now Pavlenko)- it would have to be since the staging is so different - but it was still very beautiful & heartbreaking. There were two particularly wonderful moments I will remember for a long time. The first was part of her first act solo, when she burst into a circle of turns at breakneck speed and it seemed as if she was throwing all caution to the wind. The second was at the end of the ballet. After von Rothbart dies she is drawn away from Siegfried and pulled into the formation of swans. She resists the pull,tears herself away and comes back out to him. But she's already turning back into a swan - her arms have started to flutter uncontrollably. In a motif repeated from the first act he wraps his arms around hers and draws them over her breast in an embrace. He soothes her tenderly, quieting her arms. They go through this twice but she can't hold onto her human form, and is drawn away from him back into the lake. It's a beautiful moment.

Yes, for myself this isn't exactly my wish list of dancers I don't get to see much that I'd like to see. Last year I went gaga over Cojocaru and Vishneva I'm sure though that for others, this will serve as a drawing card. But I'm going to skip it, I don't feel like paying a premium to see that slate . Also I'm cautious what I buy in mid winter. I live in NJ and if we get a foot of snow, the $$$$$ I paid out goes down the drain. Unless I drive into Manahattan, all the other posibilities involve multiple links. And driving in a snowstorm isn't fun. Besides they could close the roads to non-essential traffic Same day purchases are safest and I think this may be long since sold out by the day of the performance Richard <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree with your reservations, and hope that they'll add more favorites to list as the day draws nearer. Last year I waited till a week or 2 before the performance and there wasn't much left. Of course that could have been due to the appearances of Cojocaru & Vishneva. Even if the line up stays the same, I really love Lacarra & Lunkina, so I'm looking forward to it. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop hoping for Pavlenko (or Ayupova or Rojo)!

I will add to the chorus here - Mearns debut was magnificent. She was (of all things) a traditional Odette - pure, luxuriant & tender. I was one of the people who thought Martins was crazy with this move - but he was right. Her technique was fine, she had stamina to spare, her line and phrasing were beautiful and her performance was very, very moving. Her Odile wasn’t as spectacular as Bouder's, but it was still excellent and what I liked about it’s concept was that she didn’t try to make Odile the opposite of Odette - it was similar enough to actually remind you of Odette. But while I agree that she didn’t play the temptress I thought she was still very seductive. Yesterday’s matinee was my 3rd SL of the season. I’d been toying with the thought of going to Bouder’s matinee today and Sara’s second performance on Tuesday. As the performance began I thought no, I can’t take any more of this. At the end, as I brushed back a tear I changed my mind and ran downstairs to get tickets for this afternoon & Tuesday night. She was that good.

Got my tickets yesterday - 3rd ring sides @ $75. Here are the 4th ring prices - rows A&B - $75 C-K and side arms - $65 L-O $60 5th ring & standing room - $20

I love it, it's so expressive. It's one of the things I really miss in most U.S. trained dancers. But it can be taken from the sublime to the ridiculous, as in that Hoctor solo: It was in Shall we Dance, and it gives me the creeps every time I see it. Kind of like the worst representation of "toe dancing" from that era. BTW - love that photo of Kent. In fact all of these photos have gone a long way to illustrate the the differrences in the use of the back - thanks to all the posters for providing them!

Methinks tonight's Odile may show us something more than doubles or even triples...It will be interesting Many thanks for the tutorial carbo, I'll give it a try later

Yes, they're really fun photos. Thanks for directing us there Oberon (BTW, I share your internet link limitations. I'm sure it's really easy but somehow I just can't figure it out!)

Hi Andre, I asked Vishneva (through her website) when she is scheduled to dance with the Kirov in DC and she replied that she would not be joining them in DC due to her commitment to dance with ABT. So if you need to see her Giselle you might want to think about combining a visit to NY with the DC trip, but be careful as her preliminary dates don't jive with ABT's. Be sure to let me know if you come out, it would be fun to see you again Bummer that she's cancelled her appearances in the Kings of Dance program. Susan