nysusan

In a word - NO! I think it's cruel & unusual punishment for ABT to schedule them so often.

She may have danced Myrtha already, I'm not sure. But then, maybe not since ABT hasn't done Giselle in NY the last couple of seasons. Their casting of Myrtha looks very strong. In addition to Wiles - Murphy, Part, Abrera, and Carmen Corella are all scheduled to dance Myrtha- all wonderfull, powerful dancers. There's a lot to look forward to from ABT this spring!

I have to temper your enthusiasm here - from the casting on the brochure it looks like she's cast as Myrtha in Giselle - which is as it should be. She is an absolutely wonderful dancer,but she is young and needs to be brought along at a reasonable pace. She has had a lot of "firsts" lately in big, ballerina roles - Hagar in Pillar of Fire, T&V,Swan Lake, Raymonda. She will be a wonderful Myrtha but I think the title role in Giselle would be a stretch for her at this point. She has technique to spare, now she needs time to develop her craft & her artistry. I'm glad ABT is giving it to her!

Couldn't agree more. This was a great night of ballet from beginning to end. Kent, Beloserkovsky & Co breathed life into Les Sylphides, with the always stunning Abrera & a surprisingly good Yuriko Kajiya. Maria Ricetto was lovely, and so secure technically in Mozartianna with the amazing Angel Corella. Carmen Corella & Grant DeLong also stood out in Amazed, but it was Misty's evening - and she ruled. Last season I noticed that she was being given more & more small soloist roles, but this has been a breakout season for her. This was no corps girl in front of us, last night she established herself as a ballerina.

I just got my Met brochure and the casting is unbelievable, I am going to go broke next summer. In addition to the guest arrtists & premieres noted in the press release we get to see Nina in Les Sylphides(with Beloserkovsky 6/16 & 6/21), Corsaire, Raymonda, Don Q, SL, Giselle & Ballet Imperial, Ferri in Les Sylphides (with Hallberg 6/18 & 6/22), Giselle (with Bocca) & the Onegin pdd(w/ Bocca) AND McKerrow is scheduled to dance the White Swan pdd on 5/28, 5/30 and 6/1, Spectre with Corella on 6/22 and 6/17,and a Giselle with Stiefel on 7/14. Part gets the White Swan pdd on 6/2, the real SL with Gomes on 7/7, and Myrtha in Giselle (with Vishneva & Malakhov!) on 7/12 and on 7/16 (with Kent & Corella)

I am so upset that I missed Meunier in Sinfonietta, she wasn't in the cast I saw earlier in the season. I was looking for an email address on ABT's website - to inquire as to which of the upcoming Sinfonietta's she's cast in. Couldn't find one. Does anyone know how I could find out?

I saw Gracheva in Don Q and Raymonda in Boston. I think Leigh's descripton of her as "hard edged" in DQ is right on the money, yet she was smooth as silk in Raymonda. Go figure

re: the Bale review - I agree, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I love Glazunov's score for Raymonda, I Iisten to parts of it all the time. I think it contains some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. And I can't tell you how many times I have watched those Dudinskaya/Sergeyev and Kolpakova/ Semenov Raymonda excerpts. The reviewer made it clear that he didn't like the music or the choreography, so I didn't really give his opinion much credence. After trashing the music & choreography it wasn't surprising to me that he didn't like the performances either.

Ethan Stiefel & Maria Riccetto were scheduled for Spectre de la Rose last night. Unfortunately, according to the dreaded white slip inserted into the program Stiefel is injured & was unable to perform. I hope he is ok. Cornejo & Reyes did Spectre again and Hallberg replaced Cornejo in Pretty Good Year. He has such a long, beautiful, clean line, and dances so effortlessly in any style. It's just wonderful watching him. They've been giving him a lot of roles this season & so far I think he's been up to every challenge. Hererra & Corella did Corsaire again, and the crowd went wild as usual. He especially really seems to enjoy pulling out all the stops and going for broke in this show stopper. Instead of Wiles & Hallberg in Grand Pas Classique we got Wiles & Saveliev in the Swan Lake Act II pas de deux. I haven't seen Wiles in SL yet, but I was very impressed with this preview. She displayed much more subtlety, nuance and fluency in her upper body than I would have expected. I guess that's one more SL I'll have to add to my Met season plans! Gillian Murphy & Marcelo Gomes led the cast in a rousing Theme & Variations. Gomes was his usual self - perfect. After my dissapointment with Murphy's style in Les Sylphides I have to say that from the moment the curtain rose on T&V it was apparent that she was born to dance this role. She was so assured, so fleet, so muscial, one never thought for a second about how difficult or how fast the choreography was. The music just seemed to pour out of her, she was totally in sync with the music ,the choreography, the texture of this ballet & she drew the audience right into the performance with her. I have rarely seen such a complete performance from Murphy, she is truly wonderful when all the pieces come together.

Exactly. And possibly start bringing in that younger audience they want & need to develop.

I saw VIII, it was wonderful! But first - after reading Michael’s impressions of Spectre I also wondered who (at ABT) could have done justice to the role of the Rose. Beloserkovsky has the line and would have been more poetic but isn’t enough of a virtuoso. Nobody comes to mind. I see Michael's point completely about Cornejo being miscast, and agree, but I still found his performance enjoyable on it's own merits. I agree with many of Michael's impressions of the gala - Paloma Herrera has never been one of my favorites but she looked wonderful in the Black Swan pdd. In contrast - I have never seen the Corsaire pdd performed with as little heat as Murphy & Carreno. Murphy's pirouettes were astounding but what an academic and detached performance. And opposite Carreno no less! On to VIII - it was fascinating and very theatrical. I really didn’t know what to expect - a costumed period drama - yet abstract, not narrative. It worked beautifully, laying bare the feelings and situations of the 3 principles and placing them squarely within the context of their society while just sketching the outline of the actual story. It was much more dramatic than I expected. Corella was wonderful, as was the entire supporting cast but the evening belonged to Ferri & Kent. They were both brilliant. In fact, even though I know there are 2 more casts coming I can’t imagine anyone else in those roles, they will be a tough act to follow. The other premiere was completely different. It was fun to watch, very speedy & joyful but probably not choreography for the ages. But something that’s fun right now is ok with me and one of my favorite things about McIntyre’s piece was the casting - Stella Abrera, Sarawanee Tanatanit, Zhong-Jing Fang, Herman Cornejo, Bo Busby, Alexandre Hammoudi and Matthew Murphy. It seems like Abrera & Cornejo have been in everything these first few days, and good for them. It was also really great seeing the rest of those talented young dancers get something to sink their teeth into. They all did themselves proud, but especially Fang. She has everything that is missing today in so many of ABT’s leading women - starting with inate musicality & lyricism. Which brings me to my one real disappointment so far, Les Sylphides. Others may disagree, but I really found this Sylphides to be very earthbound. It wasn’t actually bad - in fact it was fine, but not magical. The dancers all painted a very pretty picture but it seemed static, lacking poetry. Murphy was better than I thought she might be but it still felt as thought she was over-emoting and placing her movements where they belonged rather than responding to the music. In the great Sylphides I remember it felt like the dancers were impelled by the music, floating on a breeze. Here they looked fine but with the exception of Erica Cornejo I just didn’t think they showed the fluidity, the lyricism necessary. I’m of two minds about this because it was very pretty but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing. I’d be interested to hear what others thought...

I think they have gone up drastically, and for me the success of the Fall for Dance festival demonstrates what a devastating effect that has had on attendance. Those tickets sold out 95% within HOURS. Meanwhile, the gallery has been empty at every ABT performance except this afternoon, where it looks like they brought in a busload or 2 of kids. Why don't they sell those gallery seats at $10 bucks each. Wouldn't the advantage of building an audience and creating the impression of a full house outweight any other consideration? I doubt that it would have a negative financial impact, nobody who can afford a better seat is going to buy a gallery ticket but lots of people who love dance just can't aford it. Tickets to live performances have always been relatively expensive, but I recall as a kid being able to buy $5 student rush tickets to ABT at the State Theater in the 70s. I certainly wouldn't have been able to see the company often without that discount, and who knows if I would have turned into the life long fan that I have become. If I was young and/or poor now I would hardly ever be able to see ABT but you can bet I'd join the 4th ring society every year & you'd see me there on a regular basis. To NYCB's credit, that's long term thinking.

Don’t let the thought of seeing the Kylian pieces twice discourage you from going both nights. When I saw the City Center schedule I groaned at the thought of having to sit through them again but I just saw them last night, and they’re not that bad. It’s just that ABT schedules them so often I must have seen them 5 times last season, and that’s too much! They’re not my favorites, but I enjoyed Petite Mort last night, and the audience loved Sechs Tanze. And a word about Wiles - like Carbro I was also disappointed in her debut performance as Hagar last season, but I just saw her this afternoon and her progress in the role has been unbelievable. She really seems to have found the heart of her Hagar and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her in Pillar now. Especially if you’re lucky enough to see her with the same supporting cast I just saw - Hallberg, Gomes, Meunier & Butler. It was an excellent performance all around. So go both nights if you can, but if you can only go once I agree that the second night is the better choice - Part’s Mozartiana is beautiful and you will see a very fine Pillar with the Wiles cast.

I decided not to take a chance on the Saturday matinee & got a ticket for Tuesday night. Figured the best chance to catch Lopatkina & Pavlenko was opening night. We'll see how it works out!

Oh, that!

I just looked at the calendar on Pavlenko's website, and it indicates that she will be appearing at the Mariinsky Theater in Diamonds on Jan 21st, which would make it unlikely that she would dance in DC on 1/22. On the other hand, who knows how up to date that calendar is, it doesn't list the DC engagement at all. BTW, what is going on in Washington in January? Last year I stayed at the Watergate during the Kirov's Swan Lake run for about $120 a night. I just checked and they want $900 a nite for 1/18 or 1/22!!!!!

Hmmm.. I decided not to go to DC for the Kirov's Cinderella but Lopatkina in The Dying Swan and Pavlenko in La Valse, I don't know how I missed noticing that. I think I have to go to Washington in January after all!

I'm curious about the Italian restaurant directly across from the Wang on Tremont. It looked like a really casual restaurant/bar - the kind of place I'd expect to serve great home style Italian if I came across it in NY. I was planning to try it but a cab driver suggested Maggiores instead (mistake). Has anyone tried the one across from the Wang? I'll probably go back for La Sylphide and I'm always looking for inexpensive restaurants close to the theater. Susan

Wonderful review Natalia, thank you. I saw the Gracheva/Filin Don Q & enjoyed it immensely. Makhasiants led a beautiful Czardas in the opening night Raymonda, but her gypsy is truly amazing & not to be missed. Allash danced the Queen of the Dryads on Saturday night and I also was surprised that she didn't do the developes-a-la-second into fouettes, until Gracheva did them in her variation. One thing that has me a little confused about this production. The ones I've seen previously identify Mercedes as "a street dancer" but the Bolshoi program listed Mercedes and the street dancer (act 2) as 2 separate dancers. Based on this I assumed that Mercedes was Espada's girlfriend (act 1 & 2) and the street dancer was the one that tried to seduce Espada with the castanet dance in the tavern, before Mercedes danced on the table. Can anyone clarify? Thanks, Susan

I was there and I was stunned by the poor reviews the Gracheva, Filin, Belogolovtsev cast of Raymonda received in the Boston papers. I couldn’t disagree more strongly, especially with regard to Gracheva. She was exquisite. And the audience was quite appreciative. This Raymonda is a tale of courtly love that unfolds slowly like a beautiful, intricate, richly layered tapestry. The scenery is a bit austere, and there were a few “star wars” touches to some of the crusaders costumes, but nothing like the Disney meets Miami Vice costumes & scenery ABT brought us. Gracheva and Filin brought out many of the themes that we normally associate with ballets like the Sleeping Beauty - the continuity of a royal line, respect for court traditions - and the maintenance and defense of a culture, a way of life. Gracheva’s technique was superb, and she and Filin brought out all the richness and nuance of the story through their dancing. Filin showed a wonderful clean line and high leaps, he was a very dashing knight. Gracheva had rock solid technique - wonderful, secure balances, high extensions and the most gorgeous phrasing & musicality I’ve seen in a long time. She is a true classicist - regal, royal, majestic, but she also radiated warmth. Her back & torso were wonderfully straight and centered, and her arms were beautiful. She has an amazing ability to slow down time, to present a series of steps, perfectly articulated and crystalline and fit perfectly within the musical phrase. She never appeared rushed, her dancing was lush and plush and she gave each movement it’s full measure. She did not distort the music in any way, yet she danced as if she had all the time in the world. I remember hearing a description of Ulanova “like cream pouring from a pitcher”. I’m not comparing the two dancers, but that’s the feeling I got from Gracheva. The only flaw I could see in Gracheva’s portrayal is that Raymonda is supposed to be a young girl, and she did not look young. I also saw her in Don Q, and there it was apparent that speed & turns are not her strong point but none of that came into play in Raymonda. She and Filin had wonderful chemistry from the start, and by the end of the ballet they just radiated the glow of a regal couple who were not only very much in love, but one whose union had an air of inevitability about it. I also saw Maria Allash with Alexander Volchkov and Rinat Arifulin. What a difference, they were a totally lackluster 2nd cast. Allash looked young and beautiful, and her dancing had a certain delicacy to it, but none of Gracheva’s grandeur or graciousness, no phrasing or plastique. Also there was no feeling of growth in her characterization. She and Vochkov had absolutely no chemistry between them, they danced like strangers and with no regard to the story (let alone a back story). As if in response to the lead couple the whole production seemed very flat the second night, and the audience response was noticably muted compared to the first night. All of the supporting roles were well done. Alexandrova and Shipulina were the first cast Clemence &Henriette. MA looked like a dancer of great promise but Shipulina was the one I really loved. In addition to Nelli Kobakhidze, Ekaterina Krysanova really impressed me. Both Abderakhmans were effective and all of the character dancers were great - the Saracen couple (both casts), spanish dance, czardas and especially Anna Antropova & Gregory Geraskin’s mazurka. It is a long ballet, especially the first act, and it can flounder without great performances from the leading couple. Gracheva & Filin kept me mesmerized throughout their performance but, to be fair, I did overhear a couple of comments like silly & boring, and someone voiced a complaint about the first act that I found interesting. They said that “nothing happened for the last 35 minutes”. In a way they were right, there’s very little narrative progression, but each one of those gorgeous variations illuminates the development of Raymonda’s character, of her relationship to the court and with Jeanne de Brienne. I don’t think I would recommend Raymonda to anyone who doesn’t absolutely love classical ballet. Anyone who has a hard time sitting through a traditional version of Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake should skip Raymonda. But if you love 19th century classical ballet - this is a combination of pure Petipa and the kind of character dancing Russian companies are justly famous for. The only thing I agree with the critics on - the male quartet of soloists in the third act was ragged, very much below the level I expected

Those tickets really did sell out fast, so much for the theory that there is no audience for dance. Just make it cheap enough & they will come. I have 2 tickets for tomorrow night that I can't use. If anyone wants them please PM me. Peter Boal is scheduled for Episodes Susan The tickets have been taken...

hockeyfan228 - I am going to see that cast in Boston 10/6 - I'll let you know what I think when I get back to NY the following week Susan

Polovtsian Dances? That should be interesting I know their website lists it for D.C., but I just can't imaging ABT doing Polovtsian Dances. Not if it's the same one I've seen on that Kirov highlights tape. It looks more like "character" dance than classical ballet. You know, the kind of thing that Russian companies do so well and everyone else looks silly attempting. I wish they were doing it at City Center, mabe they could substitute it for the Kylian...

Yes, thanks so much for the casting news. I'm also going to miss Alexandrova in Boston, I got tickets to 3 performances and still managed to miss the one she's cast in! However I am looking forward to seeing Gracheva, Allash, Stepanenko, Filin and Volchkov

ABT has updated the casting info on their website in light of Nina A's medical leave. Kent & Murphy are now splitting all the performances of Les Sylphides. There is one TBA Motzartiana, Part & Kent are splitting the rest. The casting for some performances of Pillar of Fire has also changed, they've taken Murphy out of some and given Wiles one performance.