nysusan
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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.
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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...
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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
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Carbro, we seem to be on the same wavelength quite often, I've often found myself nodding my head in agreement when I read your posts...
I like your Muses, too, Susan, and while I think Gillian would be a really fine Terpsichore, I'd just love to see Veronika in that role.Veronika came to mind as soon as I started thinking about the Muses, but then I thought I'd wait to see how she does in Ballet Imperial. She has such a wonderful quality about her dancing, both expansive & expressive, but I'm not sure it's the kind of quality I prefer for Balanchine's works. On the other hand, I knew I wanted to see Murphy in more Balanchine the first time I saw her in Theme & Variations.
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Doesn't ABT do the complete Apollo? I'm sure I saw Ethan Steifel perform the birth scene in an ABT Apollo, with Herrera as Polyhymnia (cannot recall the other muses)
Thant must have been during my "dark " years. Would love to see it, they have several men who would be interesting as Apollo, including Steifel & Gomes. My choices for the muses would be Murphy, Wiles & Meunier...
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What a fun topic! If we can resurrect dead guys than my choices would be Nijinsky, Nureyev, Baryshnikov & Vasiliev.
Nijinsky would dance Faun & Spectre, Nureyev would dance the Corsair pas de deux(with a young Fonteyn) , Vasiliev would dance Spartacus and Baryshnikov could dance whatever he wanted, as long as it was classical ballet!
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Evans, absolutely Evans.
Robert Tewsley would be remarkable, I think, but I guess it would have to be as a guest artist at this point.But if we're going to entertain the possibility of guest artists then the one male dancer I would really love to see as Apollo would be David Hallberg. Wouldn't it be something to watch him grow into that role...
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Let me add my congratulations, I've enjoyed watching both of them the past couple of seasons. I think la Cour posseses great elegance, and has really shown a strong presence on stage. I look forward to seeing more of both of them
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Ouch! What possessed Ben to choose that score? It was positively painful!Yes, where did Milliped find that music? It hurt.
Yes, it was painful, but I didn't find it as painful as the music Martins used for Tala Gaisma. And all that tortured writhing Mr. Martins gave us under that murky lighting! I think Rockwell referred to it as a modern Apollo. The man sitting next to me last night referred to it as the anti-Apollo and I agree with him!
I did like the Evans piece, it really brought out qualities in Bouder that we don't normally see, like plasticity & sensuality along with her usual speed, clarity & daring. She continues to impress and it's great to see her range expanding. Also liked the Liang piece - Whelan & Boal were wonderful but I agree, all the duets were minor pieces. I guess I liked An American in Paris best, but that's faint praise. It was a well decorated, well danced piece of fluff. It was an underwhelming gala!
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Goro, thanks so much for sharing your impressions of the performance. Julie Kent has never been one of my favorite dancers, but after reading your review I think I'm going to try to catch her in Giselle this summer. If she changes my mind, it wont be the first time it's happened. I saw Amanda McKerrow in Swan Lake 5-6 years ago. Although her line was beautiful, I found her cold and avoided her from then on. Imagine my disappointment when I saw her name on that dreaded white slip, subbing for the dancer I had come to see in Giselle. McKerrow blew me away, her Giselle was so delicate & ethereal, truly heartbreaking. Now I'm really bummed that I will have to miss the final Giselle of her career due to a business obligation...
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Thank you Marianna! Yes, I am lucky to have the opportunity to see all these great dancers, but my bank account is not feeling very lucky since I bought the tickets!
I may have to subsist on bread & water this summer to make up for all the money I've spent on NYCB,ABT & now the Bolshoi. Then again, I might lose some weight on a bread & water diet so it's all good!
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I'll second Dale's recommendation on 'Bright Stream.' I've seen the original cast -- Alexandrova & Filin -- live & in at a later Russian-TV telecast. I've also seen the other casts live. No doubt - go with Alexandrova/Filin.
I was also debating about which cast to see for Bright Stream. I had a really hard time making my mind up but I decided to go for the Shipulina/Tsiskaridze cast since I've heard such great things about Tsiskaridze and I expect to see Alexandrova & Filin in DonQ. And I really liked Shipulina when I saw them in Boston. Of course, she was dancing soloist roles in Boston, we'll see if I made the right choice for Bright Stream.
The way it stands now the one dancer I'm not going to see at all is Lunkina. Such tough choices, I wish I could afford to see them all!
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In anticipation of the Bolshoi's North American tour this summer, can anyone guide me on the pronounciation of Tsiskaridze, Belogolovtsev and Antonicheva?
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The casting has been posted on the Met's website, just click " tickets & info" for the ballet you're intersted in
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/bolshoi.aspx
It looks like they're bringing a really strong group and I'm torn about which casts to see. I was planning to concentrate on Zakharova and catch one performance by Alexandrova but Lunkina has 2 matinees (7/23 Spartacus and 7/30 Pharoah's Daughter) and Tsiskaridze has 2 performances (7/26 Bright Stream and 7/29 PD with Alexandrova). Stepanenko gets a DQ and a Bright Stream & Antinocheva has the first Spartacus.
Damn those high ticket prices!
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I picked up a flyer at the Met Box office yesterday - a printed flyer, mind you! Pricing is pretty steep:
Orch prime - $95
Orch balance - $80
Center Parterre Boxes -$150
Side Parterre-Boxes- $80
Center Grand Tier - $95
Grand Tier Boxes - $80
Dress Circle - $80
Dress Circle Boxes- $60
Balcony - $60
Balcony Boxes- $45
Family Circle - $45
Family Circle Boxes - $30
Standing Room (Day of performance)
Orch, Grand Tier & Dress Circle -$20
Family Circle - $15
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Yes, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, we really appreciate it. I understand how you felt about Paloma, I feel that way about her too most of the time!
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Well, thanks to all of you for the info. Now I will be first on line at the box office on Sunday to buy my favorite seats before most of the general public gets there!
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I forget if it was during ABT’s last Met Opera house season or the one before, but Misty Copeland was cast as a shade in La Bayadere, and during the part of the kingdom of the shades scene when they are all lined up doing those long balances she was front and center, right in the first row of dancers. I must admit that it was a little distracting, simply because your eye was constantly drawn to her rather than taking in the sweep of the whole scene on stage. But no more so than if she had been exceptionally tall or, as carbro said, a redhead! And what a beautiful dancer. One of the great pleasures of the past few ABT seasons has been watching her take the opportunities management has been giving her and make the most of them. At City Center she and another young dancer (maybe Grant DeLong?) were given the leads in a late season performance of Amazed in Burning Dreams and the audience just loved them. For some reason there were a lot of teenagers sitting in my vicinity and they just went wild for them. I still remember one girl behind me saying to another “ I wonder if she knows how beautiful she is, and how much we all love her”. I didn’t notice if the girls were black or white or another race entirely - but it was great to hear the excitement and adulation in their voices...
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C'mon - someone must have seen Lane & Cornejo in Theme & Variations. They're not scheduled to dance it in NY so we're relying on reports from KC!
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I was just on NYCB's website & noticed that an excerpt from Apollo has been added to the program for Boal's farewell. I'm so glad they decided to add that
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As has been pointed out elsewhere on BalletTalk, tickets go on sale May 1.
Don't you think it's pretty strange that tickets are due to go on sale in less than a week and there still hasn't been any official announcement? I couldn't even find anything on the Lincoln Center website. What's up with that?
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It really was a great night at the State Theatre. Quinn was perfect last night - and I certainly complained about her often enough when she conducted Tchaikovsky last season. It's funny, I thought Stars & Stripes on the same program as Union Jack was a bit over the top but the docent at the first position talk said that Balanchine also choreographed a tribute to France and envisioned the 3 pieces on the same program (she mentioned the name of the France tribute but I've forgotten).
Completely agree with Charlieloki about Damian, Wendy et al in Union Jack, but I thought Kowroski looked a little subdued in Wrens. And I LOVE Kowroski. Did anyone else feel that way, or could the problem be that I've watched that '93 excerpt with Maria Calegari maybe 100 times in the past week...
Ansanelli & Woetzel were great in S&S. We were so lucky to get a double dose of both of them last night. Damian's dancing is so distinctive, he really puts his mark on any role he dances. I like Ansenalli more each time I see her. Such sharp, secure technique, and such an intelligent approach to her roles. She has such a small girlish look she could easily descend into terminal 'cuteness' but never does. Her line & phrasing always surprise me. Thought the men's regiment in Stars & Stripes was right on, and I also loved Ellen Bar - such a kittenish majorette. Was that the Allegra Kent role?
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Don't forget the ABT Studio Company gala on Thurs 4/21. It's at the Rose Theatre which is part of the new "Jazz at Lincoln Center" complex in the Time Warner Center. Some of the tickets are really pricey but it looks like there are $50 & $10 seats available as well.
http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/prod/se...asp?EventID=590
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I've never seen Roy Kaiser but I'm with you on Hubbe, Corella and Hall - especially Hall. I never really noticed him in the corps at NYCB but I just saw him with the Milliped group and was immediately struck by his elegant line & the intense, weighty quality of his dancing. My first thought was that I'd love to see him cast in Melancholic. Another dancer I've never seen much of at NYCB is Sebastien Marcovici. But I just saw him on the street (at least I think it was him) and boy, was he handsome.
Going way back - Michel Denard & Ivan Nagy were my favorites. Currently - David Hallberg, Marcello Gomes, Thiago Soares, Massimo Murru, Igor Zelensky.
And yes, Marga - Jared Matthews is one to watch in the corps at ABT - along with Grant Delong
Can't forget Baryshnikov & those soulfull blue eyes...
All-Star Tchaikovsky Extravaganza
in American Ballet Theatre
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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