nysusan

Giselle05 - thank you for the great description. I was only planning to see 1 performance (the Wiles/Solymosi/Acosta/Riccetto/Radetsky/Tidwell cast) but you made the opening night cast sound so great that I decided to go and get a ticket for Tuesday night!

So sorry to hear that Oberon. I know what you mean about the Met - it’s cavernous! Last year I decided to splurge & go for 1st row Grand Tier seats for a couple of performances and I felt like I was miles from the stage. I usually go for the boxes about half way up the side...I’ve sat as far up as the dress circle boxes & it’s been fine. This year I have tickets for one performance in a balcony box. We’ll see how it goes...

Midsummer’s was.. effervescent,a beautiful bauble, delightful from beginning to end - I loved it. Went Friday night & Sunday matinee. Thought all of the principles were great but especially Carmena, Reichlin & Evans on Friday & Kowroski & Scheller on Sunday. Hytlin was also lovely in her debut. Albert Evans as Puck may have been my favorite performance of all. He brought a wonderful sense of impishness along with complete command of the stage and, of course that wonderful dancing. Regarding Sylve - having seen no other Titania’s before her (at least not Balanchine Titanias) I thought her dancing was very expansive and regal, a true queen. But I also understand what Bobbi & BW said about her being “earthbound”. That’s a quality I find often in her dancing. It’s something that I usually like a lot about her. In many of the killer Balanchine roles - say Sanguinic in 4Ts or T&V. With some other ballerinas you might be nervous about whether they’re going to make it through their variations but she steps onto point & it’s like she’s planted there, like her toe is glued to the floor. It’s usually a very good thing, but here it did make her seem very earthbound. Not a bad performance by any means - she was wonderful - but to me her Titania was 95% queen and 5% fairy.

Carbro & Oberon, thanks for your encouragement. I look forward to posting my impressions, I've really been enjoying NYCB this season Oberon, the times article and the postings here have me eagerly anticipating Balanchine’s version of Midsummer’s, but is it ok if I think of it as the perfect way to kick off the summer ballet season, rather than the end of the ballet season? After all, it does continue across the plaza at the Met…see you there?

Colleen & Zerbinetta, I agree with both of you about Danny’s Spectre. I thought I had heard some lukewarm reviews earlier but I saw him Wed night and thought he caught the tone of it beautifully, and his dancing was gorgeous. So light, such perfect line and musicality, and what a perfect danseur noble body! I also saw Acosta and McKerrow at the Wednesday matinee and was totally blown away. McKerrow was beautiful, and Acosta was truly amazing. He really did manage to combine an otherworldly androgyny with a distinct erotic edge. His huge leaps, his expressive arms and his high energy level really made you feel the pulse of the music in his dancing; it was very alive and urgent. It felt like he was enticing the girl, leading her deeper into the dream. Having seen the program 3 times now, I want to revise my initial harsh assessment of Polovtsian Dances a bit. I still stand by my criticisms, but the bottom line was that when the last performance of the season was over my first thought was that I hope they do it again next year. It’s just so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!! As in the case of some other recent ABT revivals I guess I think that a flawed production is better than none at all…

Me, too - Friday & Sunday. I've never seen Midsummer before - it sounds wonderful! I'm just sorry I missed De Luz & Bar

Isn't he amazing! How many dancers of his technical ability are also seductively witty, or should I say wittily seductive? Although I realize that role was created for a man of slight build, I can't help thinking about what he could do with Three Virgins and a Devil. Since when are there size limits on devils anyway? In my dreams, ABT stages the ballet for Gomes. I'm still casting the virgins. Any suggestions? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> here, I know, but fun to think about. ABT revived this recently, for the 2003 City Center season so I doubt we'd see it again very soon. They fielded 2 casts: Devil: Carlos Molina/Craig Salstein Fanatical One: Erica Fischbach/Sasha Dmochowski Greedy One: Adrienne Schulte/Maria Riccetto Lustful One: Kelley Waddell/Marian Butler Youth:Julio Bragado- Young/Carlos Lopez I'd love to see Gomes as the devil maybe with Monique Meunier as the fanatical one, Xiomara Reyes as the greedy one and Misty Copeland as the lustful one. Alternate cast could be Acosta with Carmen Corella, Erica Cornejo and and Anne Milewski. Oh, and I'd like to see Jared Matthews get a chance at the youth along with Julio B-Y :blush:

Sometimes it does. But I remember performances in the old Blair production, especially with Makarova and Nagy, where it tore out your heart. They did the mime, and they took time with it. She'd look at him, mime "I'm going to die," and then run to back and jump. You could see him think, just for a second, and then he'd make the same gesture and follow her. It was a half-second more than impulse. He knew what he was doing. They both believed in it, and so I would too. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As far as I'm concerned that video should be required viewing, the "gold standard" of productions. Pity it's no longer available commercially. It is the standard I hold other productions up to, and Makarova & Nagy's performances are the ones I measure all others against. In fact, before I comment on Murphy's performance I'm going to pull out that tape,watch Makarova's act II again and try to analyze exactly what I find missing in Murphy's Odette. Now that I think of it, maybe one of the reasons I thought this production worked so well on TV is that I got back to my hotel room late and missed the prologue. Alexandra's right - a Princess who wanders around in her nightie is fair game for any ogre that crosses her path...

Kevin McKenzie, marketing genius – who knew? I have substantial reservations about the live version of this production. So much so that even though Swan Lake is my favorite ballet, and there are several ABT ballerinas whose performances I’d like to see every season (well, all of them, really) – I won’t do it because I can’t sit through this production that often and I just find it so unsatisfying. At an absolute minimum they really need to restore at least the first 5 minutes of the 4th act. You know, everything that happens before Sigfried finds Odette! Still, this staging plays BEAUTIFULLY on TV. It’s amazing. The costumes & scenery looked so lush, Parkinson & Franklin were priceless, Gomes oozed evil sensuality and Murphy & Corella came across beautifully. Really, the whole company looked great. This production is a perfect introduction to Swan Lake for the casual ballet fan, i.e – the TV viewer. My hat’s off to McKenzie.

Amen. I'm so tired of everyone putting their own spin on Swan Lake - it really stands on its own. I would love to see a plain simple SL with the 4th act intact and no modern interpolations or "streamling" of the Petipa/Ivanov choreopgraphy. I think the ABT Blair staging is probably the closest to the original I've ever seen. Of course, I've never seen the original so I don't know for sure. I love the Kirov's version, though I know the Jester is an addition and of course, the ending is wrong. Reading these archives has made me realize that I don't even know the music as well as I thought I did. I always thought the music of the apotheosis justified the "united in heaven" ending, rather than a straight tragedy. Now it seams that music was an interpolation, too. I would love to see (and hear) a reconstruction like the Kirov's reconstruction of Bayadere.

Fokine Tribute 6/17 In the spirit of making the most of a bad situation, the good thing about being stuck in a hotel room a thousand miles away from NY for a few days during ballet season is that a break in my hectic schedule gives me the opportunity to actually sit down and think about what I saw… and post about it. Sorry about the length of this post but that’s what happens when I have time on my hands! I saw this program the night before I left, on 6/17. Although I had mixed feelings about it, overall I thought it was very good, and I found myself thinking about it a lot, especially about Les Sylphides. Les Sylphides I love Les Sylphides. I have fond memories of watching Makarova & Nagy in the leads with ABT in the 70s, and often go back to the taped excerpts I have of Makarova dancing both the prelude & the pas de deux. Co-favorite video version is the RB with Fonteyn, Nureyev, Merle Park and Annette Page. I had reservations about ABT’s version after seeing it during the City Center season. I thought the dancing of the corps had a somewhat static & academic tone when they should have been lyrical & weightless, and I really wasn’t 100% happy with any of the soloists except Erica Cornejo and Max Beloserkovsky. Murphy’s jumps and turns were brilliant but I thought she didn’t really embody the romantic style. Kent was gloriously soft and romantic but her footwork left something to be desired. I know Alessandra Ferri doesn’t exactly have the strongest technique in ballet but she is such a magical dancer and a true romantic ballerina so I decided to buy tickets for all of her Sylphides. I was more than a little disappointed when she withdrew, and did not have high hopes when I saw that Abrera had gotten most of her performances. Abrera is one of those dancers that I’ve really loved in some roles, but at other times I’ve found her dancing brittle. In Sylphides she was beautiful, the most satisfying performance I’ve seen from ABT in the principle female role in this revival. Her jumps and turns were strong, her footwork clear and she was so musical – I don’t know where it came from but this was a side of her I hadn’t seen before! She was fluid through the torso – in fact her torso and ports de bras were extremely nuanced -soft, rounded, light and wispy. She was able to make the movement breathe and linger through the whole musical phrase, even after she had stopped moving. She is a stunningly beautiful woman with very strong technique and I was really happy to see her do so well in this. Liceica was lovely, and Fang was a joy to behold in the prelude. The first time I saw Fang on stage I knew that I wanted to see her dance the prelude, so I was very happy to see her cast in it. She was like a wisp of a spirit floating on the breeze. Gomes’ partnering was perfect but this is not my favorite role for him. He is so poetic but somehow his dancing has a weight, a groundedness that I don’t think works well in this. I remember thinking the same thing about him in Symphonic Variations a few seasons ago. Not that he was bad, I just don’t think he was well suited for the role. The biggest difference for me this season was in the corps. They seem to have adapted to the romantic style much better since last season. True, they did hold their arms in stiff positions occasionally, but I think that’s in the staging. This time their dancing breathed through the music, they didn’t “pose” in their positions like I thought they did last season. Perhaps the larger stage and greater distance from it at the Met allowed me to see the ensemble as a whole and watch all the patterns emerge and fade out and then morph into new groupings. I found myself caught up in the sweep of the movement, in the mystery of it, rather than focusing on specific dancers or even particular groups of dancers. This time they made it sing. Petrouchka I fall squarely into the camp of those that don’t get Petroushka. I remember seeing it with Nureyev way back when – but all I remember is that I didn’t like it. Still don’t. Cornejo was fine; his was a very forlorn, hapless puppet. Reyes’ ballerina was appropriately superficial & heartless and Stappas was fine as the Moor. I guess maybe the whole point is that the ballerina & Moor weren’t deliberately malicious; they couldn’t help being who they were, nor could Petrouchka help being a misfit. Maybe this is one of those things that really illuminated the problems of it’s times, and doesn’t have the same impact when taken out of it’s context. Spectre I was struck by how different Corella’s Spectre was from Cornejo’s. Corella’s looked much less classical. He didn’t show us the perfect line, the beautifully articulated leg positions that Cornejo displayed, his was a much more expressive reading of the role, especially his arms. We all know what a great jumper and turner he is, but he really played down the pyrotechnics and gave a beautiful, lyrical performance. McKerrow was lovely as the young girl but honestly, I was so captivated by Corella’s performance that I don’t really have a distinct recollection of hers. Polovtsian Dances This could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better. It just isn’t the type of thing that ABT takes naturally to, especially the men. Part was gorgeous and glamorous as the Polovtsian Princess, and Paris was fine too, but neither of them had much to do. I really liked Acosta as the Polovtsian chief. He has such a dangerous edge to his dancing, like an uncaged tiger and it worked very well here. He was a fierce, prideful, fearsome leader. Welcome Andres! I think I can understand why Andres felt that way about Acosta in this, but I had a different take on it. I thought he was fine with Part but wasn’t relating to any of the other men on the stage because none of them were relating to the character of the dance. He was kind of disconnected here, he had nothing to play off of. These are supposed to be savage warriors – fearsome nomadic tribes that wandered the steppes pillaging & marauding – but Acosta was the only one who conveyed that. The rest of them were just a bunch of ballet dancers prancing around with fake bows in their hands. They might just as well have been dancing holding umbrellas or bouquets for as much good as those bows did…I think Franklin was quoted as saying that he tried to get them to work “into the floor”. Right idea but poor execution. I know that companies like the Kirov & Bolshoi have dancers who make careers of nothing but character dancing whereas our dancers have to do everything - but honestly, if ABT couldn’t afford the time for sufficient rehearsal & coaching they should have passed on this one. Plus the music loses a lot of its power without the chorus. Well, I can only hope that the male corps finds it’s way in this eventually as the female corps has grown into Les Sylphides. And that a donor with deep pockets underwrites a chorus for next season…I can dream, can’t I?

Double Feature: Why bother? There was so little dancing in this, I hardly felt like I was at the ballet. Especially in the first half of The Blue Necklace. But the costumes were gorgeous, and it was intermittently entertaining. I did like the party scene at Dorothy Brooks mansion. All of the dancers were superb - including Sylve (subbing for Kowroski), Woetzel, Gold, Ansanelli and the 2 little girls - but Bouder stole the show. Boy did she sparkle. The moment she came on stage was the moment this became interesting, and not just an old silent film melodrama. Making Whoopee was a little faster moving, and provided a great role for Tom Gold, but when I want to see a musical comedy I go to Broadway, not the State Theatre. On the other hand, the audience loved it.

Hi carolm! This is , I know, but I still have to throw my 2 cents in here and elaborate a little on Leigh’s post. I actually chuckled a bit when I read your comments about Jewels in the NYCB forum. As someone who saw the NYCB frequently in the 70’s when the master was still around, and then took a hiatus from the company until 2 years ago, let me say that the first thing I noticed when I started watching them again was how much more cohesive the corps had become. That was one of the things that really put me off the company back in the day. There’s a quote about Balanchine’s corps that I ran across in one of the forums here “24 girls doing 24 different things at 24 different times”. I don’t recall which poster said it, and if they were quoting someone else - but it sums up my memories of the old NYCB perfectly. I found it unbelievably jarring but I guess that was the way he liked it. Of course,it’s not as if all the NYCB had to offer was a wild, unruly corps of model-thin needle head girls - there was also Balanchine’s genius & amazing performances by the likes of Farrell, McBride, Kent,Villella, et al. I remember some astounding evenings - the first time I saw Concerto Barocco, Apollo, Symphony in C, etc. - but in the end I just couldn’t get past that unruly corps & spent the bulk of my time & money at ABT. By the way, I love the RB and have really enjoyed reading all of your posts here. I fell in love with Symphonic Variations when ABT did it, even though I didn’t think the ballerinas they cast did it justice. I’m so jealous of you all, and disappointed that they’re not bringing it to the U.S. on their tour next year. Susan

Oh, I forgot to mention one very important change they’ve made in the staging. At the end of the dream sequence, Raymonda no longer wakes up lying on the middle of the floor with her tutu all crumbled beneath her. Now, she staggers backward from the center to the side of the stage where her friends have discreetly entered with her chair. She falls backward into it and sits in a pose reminiscent of the way it was done in the film with Dudinskaya. Much better!

Very interesting posts! All I've seen of Eifman is Who's Who - which was mediocre and Musegate - ugh! But Red Giselle sounds fascinating, and I don't know enough about Spessivtzeva to be appalled like I was with Musegate. I hope they bring it back to NY, I missed it the first time it came through

I'm really sorry that Misty Copeland won't be able to dance in Polovtsian Dances and Les Sylphides. Of course, I'll also miss Steifel,but I think these were big opportunities for Misty, I hope this won't be a set back for her. In addition to Tidwell's Spectre I'm looking forward to both Licecia & Fang in Les Sylphides. I am unfortunately going to miss Hallberg & Melanie Hamrick. I really liked Melanie in the studio company, I'm sure she'll do a beautiful prelude. And Hallberg as the poet.. sometimes it really pisses me off the way my job cuts into ballet season!

Many thanks to Helene & Bart for the historical context. Marriage to the Saracen would have been a strategic alliance between the Tsar of Hungary (Raymonda's uncle) and the Islamic east. Hungary was located at the crossroads of various competing empires.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Interesting info, somehow it makes me feel better to think that McKenzie - Holmes might have been following some semi logical line of reasoning. Though you're right to point out that Raymonda wasn't supposed to be historically accurate. I was just hoping for some consistency - in the midst of a conflict of philosophies (and the actual conflct of the crusades) you don't generally entertain the notion of marrying the enemy... I was thinking more along these lines - thinking of the Saracen as a heathen who could never be taken seriously as a suitor. Sexy & dangerous, yes - but not marriage material for Christian royalty. Throw in the possibility of kidnapping and it really makes Raymonda’s dream/nightmare ring true. Back to the performance - If it sounded like I was less than enthralled with Veronika then let me set the record straight - I was most definitely held spellbound by her performance. I’ll take magic over technique any day. It just makes me sad that we’re forced to make that choice these days at ABT. I love ABT and I love Raymonda but, based on the production and the casting I decided to limit myself to just one performance this season. I have to admit that as soon as the matinee was over I rushed down to the box office and got a ticket for Saturday night with the Murphy/Corella/Saveliev cast. We’ll see...

Please, Carbro, don't encourage Mr. McKenzie!!! The idea of a member of medieval French royalty "choosing" between a French Knight and an Saracen Knight during the crusades is still a little hard for me to digest. But the fairy tale color combinations ABT used for the costumes & scenery placed the action firmly in the land of make believe, so I guess clinging to any shred of historical plausibility is silly. Despite it's flaws, I'm still a sucker for this ballet. I chose the Part/Gomes/Solymosi cast. Part was luminous, she was a Raymonda to the manner born. She had some lovely moments, and I liked the way her character changed from the opening scenes, to the dream scenes and then the wedding scenes. She was really able to convey a difference between her public behavior in the early court scenes, her freer,more erotically charged personality while she was dreaming, and the mature,regal Raymonda we saw at the end. Her Grand Pas was worth the price of admission (silent claps at the start but then an audible one in the middle). However while her demeanor was enchanting, and her epaulment was gorgeous,I don't think anyone went home raving about her technique - and there were some partnering problems. Gomes is a pretty big guy, but they still had trouble on some of the overhead lifts. I'm thinking of the ones in the first act, when he lifts her up above his shoulders and it looks like she's behind him with her knee braced on his shoulder. Let's just say they were a little rough. Ditto when she is held aloft by 2 men and then Gomes joins them and the 2 men leave & he's holding her by himself. On the other hand, towards the end of the ballet they did a lift that ended in a fish dive that was wonderfully done & very exciting. Aside from the partnering problems, Gomes turned in his beautifully nuanced performance - well danced & well acted. I thought Solymosi was adequate. No way is he in the same league with ABT's best male dancers, but he was ok, and they really need to find some big, tall men. He didn't really appear to be much, if any bigger than Gomes, but Part seemed more comfortable with him. Maybe it was just because the nature of her dancing with him was less controlled than it was with Gomes (recoiling in horror, and all). Maybe ABT should try to get Evgeny Ivanchenko. Can we put together a recruiting committee to go up to Washington when the Kirov's in town and tell him what a wonderful town NY is? Abrera, Liceica, Tidwell & Hallberg were the friends. Abrera looked a little stiff to me in this role, but that's just nit picking. I really like Licecia, and, of course, watching Tidwell & Hallberg was heavenly. I thought the Saracen & Spanish dances looked a little raggedy, but I loved Sasha Dmochowski in the Czardas.

Borree & Kowroski were 2 of the ballerinas who came onstage in street clothes and presented him with bouquets, and I believe the other 2 were the afternoon's other 2 muses - Weese & Ringer. Whelan also gave him a bouquet. The thing that struck me immediately about Boal's Apollo yesterday was the sheer sense of joy he showed dancing it. I have not had the fortune of watching him through much of his career, only the past couple years. For me, as for many people, he has been the definitive Apollo. I always identify him with the Belvedere Apollo. His characterization is inquisitive and questing but also the most contemplative, reasoned & elegant Apollo of them all. At this farewell performance, that sense of unflappable serenity was tempered somewhat by the smile that lit up his face early and often as the dance unfolded. He really seemed so happy to dance this one last time. Borre's style is still a bit florid for me, but I agree, this was the best I've ever seen her dance. Agon was danced wonderfully and it did look like Krohn up there instead of Tinsley as the insert indicated. I had been looking forward to seeing Kowroski & Evans in this and they did not disappoint. Reichlin, however took me by surprise. I don't know why, I always love her but she really seems to have taken her dancing to another level this season. She was phenomenal. I enjoyed WSS, and the house seemed to agree. It's not pure ballet, but it works as dance theater and shows off an unexpected side of these talented dancers. I didn't find it dated at all. NY Export: Opus Jazz is the Robbins piece I find dated! I can see why Boal chose Opus 19 for his farewell performance, what a great range of movement and emotion it allowed him. It was a privilege to watch him & Wendy dance together one last time.The farewell was so heartwarming, and Boal was so modest. He will be missed greatly. Let me add my endorsement of the 4th ring society. I really prefer to sit closer, but who can afford to attend 2-3 times a week at the regular prices? So I have a 2nd ring subscription, and then I fill in the rest of the season with 4th ring society tickets week by week after the casting has been posted...

Great point, and I agree completely. Unfortunately she isn't cast for even one performance of Les Sylphides and I'm going to miss her farewell performance of Giselle Absolutely. And you described the differences between Part & Vishneva so beautifully, I wish I could catch and remember the technical details so well but I find it really takes away from my enjoyment of the performance when I try to concentrate on analyzing it and remembering the details. And my ballet vocabulary is limited, to say the least!

Giselle05 - thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on last night's performance. Your description of Ferri & Bocca in Onegin gave allowed me a moment of vicarious pleasure. It's also interesting to read so many differing opinions of the same programs, it's such a clear illustration of the wide range of opinions in any given audience. Pity the poor AD who has to try to please us all! Giselle, Joe - I picked up a printed brochure at the Met a few nights ago that gave updated casting info as of 5/31. Unfortunately Ferri has been replaced for the 6/22 evening perfomance of Les Sylphides. It's now listed as Riccetto, Saveliev, Copeland & Boone. I think it's great that so many dancers are getting opportunities this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing them but IMO - ABT is not exactly overrun with world class romantic ballerinas at the moment. I had really been looking forward to seeing Nina in Les Sylphides. After she withdrew my only consolation was that we would get to see Ferri. So this is a real disapointment for me. To make matters worse, I have to be in California the entire week that they are doing Giselle. I have tickets for Ferri's Friday 7/ 15 performance, so I'll have my fingers crossed hoping my early morning flight home on Friday doesn't encounter any delays Susan

Richard, can you expand on your impressions of Ferri & Bocca in the Onegin pdd? I was so upset at having to miss those performances (I'm writing this from a hotel room in Orlando), but consoled myself that I'd get to see Ferri twice in Les Sylphides. You can imagine how I felt when I saw that she cancelled those appearances... Yes, I think it was Carbro who mentioned the cheating on the double air turns. I'm sure you're both right, I just have a blind spot were he's concerned! Susan

I managed to sneak in the Monday & Tuesday night ABT performances between my vacation and business trips ... Swan Lake pdd - On Monday night McKerrow was meltingly lovely with beautiful line in the Act 2 pdd. She & Max complemented each other perfectly. After her display of lyricism, Herrera & Carreno came out & pulled out all the stops in the 3rd act pdd. The audience went wild and gave them both huge ovations throughout. Although I still have reservations about Hererra's musicality & lack of fluidity in the upper body I think her talents serve her well in this piece. Those perfect feet & gorgeous legs were shown to full advantage, and here the lack of fluidity in her back & torso just brought out the unyielding hard edged brilliance in her Odile. She was great, and her balances were stunning. Carreno was wonderful, as always. On Tuesday Julie Kent made a wonderful swan queen. This may seem like an obvious statement, but I've seen her in the full length SL a couple of times and she's not usually one of my favorites. This time she brought a beautiful serenity and fluidity to the role, and what really surprised me was what I can only describe as a lack of visible preparation. Her turns, her jumps seemed totally effortless and spontaneous, really as if she was reacting to the moment. She was a supremely sad and poignant Odette. Malakhov had little to do here, but he was a wonderful, elegant prince. The Nutcracker pdd was a perfect choice for Reyes & Cornejo. It gave him an opportunity to show what a beautiful, clean classical technique he has - but somehow he looked really tiny dancing with Reyes. Maybe it's just the immense size of the Met stage, or maybe he really needs an even smaller partner. All went well till the final lift, when it looked like he made a last second save. Ballet Imperial - My apologies in advance to the Balanchine purists, but this is one ballet that I feel benefits greatly from a more dramatic reading. I was bored after the first 10 minutes of Tchai Piano Concerto #2 at NYCB last season, yet enthralled with Nina & Marcelo Gomes in BI at the Met last year. Having seen Vishneva a couple of times previously I found her plastique a natural fit for Balanchine, with those long limbs and the effortless 180 degree extentions. I thought that her background of Kirov clasicism combined with that gumby body would be perfect here. Technically I guess she was, but she left me cold. On the plus side, she really articulated all the angles & syncopation of the steps beautifully. She brought out things I had never particularly noticed before - the hops on point and movement with bent knees were so clear and crystalline & her phrasing really worked with the movement to bring out the neoclassicism of the steps and differentiate it from pure Petipa. However I really missed the heady romanticism inherent in both the music and the choreography. Even though she was a very grand and queenly ballerina, she didn't make me feel the mystery and pathos of the dance and so I felt that her performance was lacking. She was not helped by her partner, Malakhov looked very uncomfortable with his role. I liked Liceica - she brought a lovely delicacy to the second ballerina role but, for me, it just didn't mesh dramatically with Vishneva's interpretation to form a cohesive whole. I preferred the Tuesday night cast of Part, Gomes & Wiles. Although Part didn't articulate the steps anywhere near as clearly as Vishneva did, she acquitted herself well technically and the majesty and deep sense of loss she brought to the role kept me wrapped up in the drama unfolding on the stage. I also loved Wiles. She made that killer 2nd ballerina role look like a walk in the park. Her dancing was effortless and she brought such brightness, such an innocent joy to the role that it was a perfect contrast to Part's melancholic Queen. As far as I'm concerned, Gomes owns the male role in BI. Watching him with Nina last year was a revelation for me, he was so poetic. On Tuesday he was even better that I remembered. In addition to his perfect dramatic tone, his dancing was just as smooth as silk. What wonderful ballon in his jumps, what cushiony, soft landings. He can do no wrong in my eyes. T&V was a pleasure on Monday night. It was great to watch Murphy in this again. Having seen 3 casts at NYCB recently, and 4 casts at ABT last season I can confidently say that she is my current favorite! She has just the right combination of steely technique & lyricism for me. I'm not crazy about Saveliev, but his dancing was solid and he was a dependable partner. I thought the corps and the 4 female demi soloists were particularly sharp, especially the unannounced Stella Abrerra. It's unusual to see her in such a small role these days, and I could not take my eyes off her whenever the soloists were on stage. On Tuesday T&V seemed a little dull. The tempo seemed a little slower, and Herrera's style of dancing was too academic for me here. I usually love Corella, but he seemed to be pushing too hard. I guess Askegard really got me used to the elegant, effortless approach and Corella's boyish exhuberance seemed out of place. After missing the gala and a whole week of Don Qs, it was great to finally have my start to the ABT season. Any complaints I had were minor - just preferring one approach above another. The company looked wonderful & I can't wait for my next performance.

I, too thought the company looked great last night. This was the first time I'd seen Harlequinade. It's not the kind of ballet that I will want to see over & over, but it had it's charms. I was surprised at how comfortable the dancers looked in it (since it's the type of material NYCB doesn't do very often), so it was interesting to read Michael's comments about the coaching. I thought all the lead characters did a great job, but especially loved the corps and the children. And Ansanelli yet again brought just the right touch to a role that could easily have been over the top. Sylve looked so much more comfortable in Suite # 3 last night compared to the performances I saw from her last season. The technique & presence were all there, but this time she really looked like she was having fun, especially at the end. I also thought Rutherford's phrasing looked much more dramatic than I remembered from last season. Did anyone catch Weese in T&V last Saturday night? The luck of the draw got me the Sylve & Fairchild performances. I'm very happy with the casts I have, but I'm wondering if I'm really going to regret missing Weese in it this (I've never seen her T&V). I love Suite # 3 - could easily watch it 5 nights in a row but I'm pretty busy next week, so I've been debating about going to another performance...

Just came across this information... it's not clear to me what kind of performance this will be (i.e. ballet, modern,mixed media) but it looks like Danny's going to be participating in this benefit performance at the Henry Street Settlement. http://www.movingstill.net/event.htm Unfortunately I will be out of town on the 26th. Susan