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nysusan

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    Swan Lake ABT 2022

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, JuliaJ said:

    I think Brandt set the bar really high with her (in my opinion) transcendent Giselle so expectations of her Swan Lake have naturally been high.

     

    33 minutes ago, Drew said:

    So in defense of Brandt -- whose performance I did not see -- and other still-developing ballerinas I will say that I think of Odette-Odile as the most daunting and difficult of ballerina roles; the genuinely great performances of it that I have seen are few and far between and they have all been by experienced ballerinas who had been dancing the role for years...

    I agree with juliaj, her Giselle was transcendent and among the best I've ever seen so I was hoping for the same with Swan Lake. But as Drew pointed out, Odette/Odile is a different beast. I've seen many great Giselles but only a handful of great O/Os and upon reflection - all of them had been dancing the role for some time when I first saw them in it. Some for a VERY long time - my first great Odette was Fonteyn (with Nureyev), and she had been dancing it for a couple of decades at that point. Add to that Makarova, Pavlenko, Lopatkina & Part and that is some very rarefied company.

    I'll be interested in seeing Brandt again in a couple of seasons to see how she develops.

    Swan Lake ABT 2022

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    I agree with abatt and fondoffouettes.
     
    I thought Brandt was a more natural Odile than Odette, and her Black Swan pdd was great.
     
    IMO she did not display the requisite fluidity in the first lakeside scene, and I saw no sign of a russian back, or the energy radiating throughout her body. And though she hit some beautiful positions she never really seemed to stretch them from her toes to her fingertips. I thought she looked much better in the second lakeside scene.
     
    Equally important I agree with fondoffouettes that her Odette lacked dramatic impact - I did not feel for her at all. Still, it was a good debut. I was hoping she'd hit it out of the park like she did with Giselle but for me it just did not happen.
     
    Also agree that, while still better than most ABT male principals, Cornejo now looks like he is in the twilight of his career.
     
    Shayer's VR was completely forgettable.

    Swan Lake ABT 2022

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    How much did I love Camargo in Swan Lake? So much that the first thing I did when I got home was buy a ticket to his R&J.

    Not a pyrotechnic virtuoso but a true danseur noble with beautiful lines, though his floppy hair reminded me somewhat of Corella. Although he flubbed the first  double tour in his ballroom variation he came right back and did the second one beautifully. He had great elevation, speed and was a strong, attentive partner. He has such a warm, engaging stage personality and had great rapport with Boylston, who I also enjoyed.

     
    Boylston is not a favorite of mine but this is the second time I've seen her O/O and I liked her both times. Somehow her idiosyncrasies don't bother me here. I liked her plastique and phrasing and she was very secure technically and emotionally engaging.
     
    I was excited to see Gorak listed as Benno but then disappointed that Hoven was announced to replace him. McBride was fine in the pdt but I really liked Fangqi Li, who did the entrechat variation. Williams & Misseldine were both gorgeous as the 2 big swans and it was a treat to see Curley's purple VR. That man is going places!

    ABT 2022: Of Love and Rage

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    I saw L&R last night and have mixed feelings about it. I read  the synopsis (and the page in the program that discussed the "challenging subject matter") and had no trouble following the action.
     
    Callirhoe's treatment didn't bother me either - this is based on a novel from ancient Greece where enslavement and subjugation of women was the norm. Perhaps we could have hoped that Ratmansky had chosen a different vehicle but this is what interested him and that's what you get.
     
    I found it entertaining for the most part, though I did start to zone out a bit towards the end of the first act. I loved that there was so much dancing, and so many roles providing opportunities to see dancers who are not always spotlighted.
     
    Biggest takeaway of the evening - who is Jarod Curley and why haven't I seen him before? He was great and I'm hoping to see a lot more of him in the future.
     
    Biggest disappointment? Seeing Joey Gorak in the very minor role of one of the 3 suitors. It was an opportunity for the other 2 suitors, corpsmen Frenette & Tamm but a big step down for a soloist like Gorak.
     
    In another small role I really liked Katherine Williams as the Queen of Sheba - she is definitely ready to take on more & bigger roles.
     
    I liked Camargo as Dionysius - who I agree is the most sympathetic character in the whole story - but not sure how much I liked him. I need to see more of him to decide.
     
    There was some great choreography for Chareas and my attention was riveted on Bell pretty much whenever he was on stage. I found Hurlin less compelling, perhaps due to the nature of her choreography.
     
    And I agree with other posters who pointed out that you never really care about the characters - which is a major problem with this ballet!

    ABT 2022: Of Love and Rage

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    On 6/20/2022 at 11:36 PM, vipa said:

    Filling seats might be a topic unto itself. The Met is huge. Back in the day, the Royal Ballet came to the Met  and was often standing room only for Fonteyn and Nureyev and even Sibley and Dowell. Everyone knew who Nureyev was. He was in the news, in gossip columns etc. Over at State Theater, there was an audience eager to see what Balanchine had up his sleeve. At the same time ballet dancers were on magazine covers, and on TV variety shows. Twyla Tharp was part of the fashion scene. Now, the media landscape has changed significantly. Filling the Met seems daunting, and NYCB rarely opens the fourth ring, and sometimes even has the 3rd ring closed. It's a complicated issue with a lot of factors. The world has changed.

    Fonteyn/Nureyev- ah, those were the days! But you don't have to go back that far for ABT Met SRO performances, you don't even have to go back to the days of Makarova  or Kirkland and Baryshnikov. Didn't Vishneva & Gomes sell out the Met? Ferri/Bocca? Ananiashvilli? Cojocaru at her guest appearances? If they didn't completely sell out the Met, I recall those performances being extremely well sold, it was very hard to get a good seat.

    Now you can have any seat you want, except for Swan Lake. Those performances are selling well, though not near to sold out. But when tickets first went on sale you still could have gotten any seat you wanted for any Swan Lake.

    Re: L&R not selling well - I'm not surprised. Its an unknown quantity, with dancers who are unknown to the general public and Ratmansky has a very mixed track record at ABT. If I was a casual ABT goer or subscriber who sat through The Golden Cockerel or the Tempest I certainly wouldn't be rushing out to buy tickets to L&R. But if it got a great review (it did) and great word of mouth (not so far, at least not here) I might buy a ticket next time around. That's what I recall happening with Whipped Cream, which I loved.

    I'm going to see L&R tonight and hoping for the best!

    Did anyone see the Shevchenko/Forster cast?

    Don Quixote ABT 2022

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    I mostly agree with Faux Pas. Hurlin was excellent. Very different from Brandt, she didn't have Brandt's polish but was very high energy. There was room for improvement but her performance was great overall and will only get better.
     
    Her 2nd act hops on point were not the springiest and she didn't cover as much of the stage as Brandt, but they were perfectly respectable. Her 3rd act fouettes were absolutely spectacular. She did multiples interspersed with singles and alternated opening the fan over her head and at chest level - all in perfect time with the music.
     
    I have to say that Ahn to me is just a great big blank. His technique is solid but not outstanding and I find his line & musicality lacking. I also cannot get over the fact that he had to use both arms to hold Hurlin up in the "one arm" 1st act lifts. Geesh, if Cornejo & Simkin can do it, he should certainly be able to do it. I wish she had been dancing with Bell as originally scheduled.

    Don Quixote ABT 2022

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    I thought Cornejo was really great. Yes, he's lost a step but he still dances wonderfully - much better than any of ABT's other male dancers except Simkin - and I was happy to see those gorgeous lines, amazing turns and that refined technique. His partnering skills have improved greatly, and that was something that really bothered me earlier in his career. In his solo work he seemed completely in control rather than trying to push for more. And of course there was the Cornejo charm & swagger - not much else you could want in a Basilio.
     
    To me Brandt was good, maybe even very, very good but not great. Its funny, I always saw her as a soubrette and was blown away at her amazing Giselle. Now in a soubrette role I liked her best in classical mode in the Queen of the Dryads scene. In the other acts she showed solid technique, great balances, fast secure turns but there was something missing. Maybe attack & fire. I just don't think she was at the same level as my favorite Kitris but considering this is her NY debut I think she did very well.
     
    I have not been a big Trenary fan lately but she was an excellent Mercedes/Dryad Queen. Shayer was an ok Espada but I thought he lacked line and elan.
     
    Coker and Magbitand were great as the gypsy couple.

    Susan Jaffe named artistic director of ABT

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    28 minutes ago, bingham said:

    Actually, ABT did Nureyev’s version in the Mid -seventies. I remembered, C Gregory, MV Hamel and G Kirkland danced the leading role.

    I remember that production too, and all of those ballerinas were wonderful Raymondas. As I recall Nureyev and Bruhn alternated in the roles of Jean de Brienne and Abderakhman. Those were the days!

    Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Koch in June

    in Pacific Northwest Ballet

    Posted

    Thanks, Helene and Sandy for the input.  I am definitely a classical diehard, but have occasionally liked other types of dance and I'm going to the Sat eve program so we'll see how that turns out. Will make a last minute decision about switching my ABT tickets. I'd like to see Diamonds but then again, some part of me still wants to keep Kowroski's last Diamonds performances in my minds eye so skipping this one might not be a bad thing. There's plenty of time to decide.

    Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Koch in June

    in Pacific Northwest Ballet

    Posted

    Can any of our PNB watchers tell me if they have an extraordinary Diamonds ballerina these days? I bought a ticket for one of the mixed bill programs but not their gala. Their Koch visit is up against ABT at the Met and if feels like they only announced it something like 2 weeks ago. I (and most people I know here) booked my ABT tickets months ago and I'm going to ABT on 6/22. I'm loathe to start trying to switch things around for an unknown quantity. I mean, if we were back in the Korbes days I'd switch immediately with no hesitation but I don't know PNB's current dancers and we get a lot of really great Diamonds ballerinas here.

    Any thoughts?

    American Ballet Theatre 2021-2022 season

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    ABT shows 4/25 as the date single tickets go on sale and I received an email a couple of weeks ago saying that "affiliate members" at $480 per year get early access tickets on 4/18.
     
    There was no mention of the usual subscriber exchange week in my subscription ticket packet so I emailed ABT asking when the subscriber priority exchange period was. They really didn't answer my question directly but after going back & forth they said that subscribers could buy tickets starting on the 18th.
     
    So I went today and had no problem exchanging my tickets. There was no line at all and I was in and out in 15 minutes. Got the seats I wanted for all of the performances I wanted. I bought three Don Qs - Brandt/Cornejo, Boylston /Simkin and Hurlin/Bell. Two for Love & Rage - the Hurlin & Shevchenko casts. Two Swan Lakes - Brandt/Cornejo and Murphy/Forster. I kept my ticket for the mixed rep program since casting isn't out for that yet and I'm done for now. I may wind up picking up a ticket for one of Camargo's shows and/or one R&J but based on my experience today I'm sure there will be plenty of tickets available so plenty of time to make that decision.

    Tiler Peck At City Center

    in Multi- and Cross-Company Events, Festivals, Galas, & Dancer Groups/Solos

    Posted

    On 3/15/2022 at 10:22 AM, cobweb said:

    Reading these reports, I'm sorry I missed this!! I took a pass because so often these mixed-company/gala/whatever-type programs have dubious programming. Wish I had realized the programming would be so good! Along these lines, does anyone have thoughts about the upcoming City Center Dance Festival? I'm familiar with the Paul Taylor programming, but can anyone provide informed perspective on the programming for Ballet Hispanico (another work inspired by Eva Peron - Dona Peron, really?), Martha Graham, or Dance Theatre of Harlem?

    The Graham company is bringing some classics. Chronicle is a very powerful anti war piece. My only objection to it is that it seem as if its been on every single program for at least the past 5 years so I'd prefer to see some other works, there are lots that haven't been performed recently. But if you haven't seen it - its very moving. Appalachian Spring is wonderful and very uplifting. I remember loving Acts of Light but haven't seen it in many years. They are doing an excerpt from it in their gala program. I am quite leery of "reimagined" pieces, especially a lost Graham piece reimagined by Sonya Tayeh so I can't recommend Canticle for Innocent Comedians but I am very excited to see Hofesh Schecter's new piece. I know nothing about him or it except that Daniil Simkin will be appearing in it, which is enough to get me there!

    Daniil Simkin with Graham in April

    in Dancers

    Posted

    Its great that Simkin will be guesting with ABT in DC & the Met Spring season but NY fans may also be interested in seeing him with the Martha Graham company at City Center in April. He is performing in a new piece by Hofesh Shechter, which is co-produced by Studio Simkin. Its on April 6,7 & 9. 4/7 is their Gala.

    Its not ballet but it should be interesting, especially if you like Graham! This is part of City Center's Dance Festival.

    https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2021-2022/city-center-dance-festival/

     

    ABT SS Met Season - casting?

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    While I'm sure Brandt & Cornejo will be great in DQ, I'd be even more inclined to see them in Swan Lake. I always thought of Brandt as a soubrette but her recent Giselle with Cornejo really blew me away. It was the most magical performance I've seen from an ABT principal ballerina in a long time. Based on that alone I would want to see their Swan Lake, which will be her NY debut. IMO currently ABT's best swan queen is Shevchenko so that would be another good choice.
     
    I would recommend Hurlin/Bell in DQ. This will be Hurlin's debut in the role. She is a fierce dancer (nicknamed Hurricane Hurlin) and Bell is fantastic. Hurlin is a soloist who is destined to be a principal soon.
     
    For "Of Love and Rage" I agree with other posters that either Hurlin/Bell or Shevchenko/Forster would be good. I love all 4 dancers.
     
    If I go see R&J it will be the Trenary/Cornejo cast. Not sure about Trenary - I go hot and cold with her but she is an interesting dancer and I have no desire to see any of the other casts.
     
    I would also try to see Murphy before she retires but she's just not my #1 in any role anymore and I don't really think of her as a Juliet. Although if I decide to see more than 1 R&J I may get Murphy/Forster for Forster's Romeo.

    Daniil Simkin is no longer listed as an ABT Principal Dancer

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    22 minutes ago, abatt said:

    Slim pickins at ABT for bravura roles.  I would have seen Simkin in a heartbeat in Don Q.   I used to love Cornejo in Don Q, but he isn't in top form  anymore.  Good thing they are now down to 5 weeks at the Met. I'm not sure they have the staffing of principals to carry 8 consecutive weeks of shows.

    I would have seen Simkin in anything in a heartbeat! Frankly, I don't think they have the roster to carry even 5 weeks anymore. I am only interested in seeing Brandt, Hurlin, Bell & Forster. Maybe Trenary.

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