Kristen

I've posted a short review under OTHER AMERICAN BALLET COMPANIES

This production was a total pleasure and I was impressed with the quality of the production. Kudos for a third time viewing of a Boca Ballet Theatre production. (I saw the Mariinsky do Swan Lake in January and do not want to draw any comparisons, since we’re playing in a totally different league here, not to mention that my Mariinsky ticket didn’t sell for $35) The Boca Ballet dancers were of all sizes, styles and talent levels, but gave a cohesive, well rehearsed performance overall. Ariel Soto, guest from the Cuban Classical Ballet, was a Benno with a great jump and stage presence. Seeing Sara Mearns for the first time live was a delight, particularly from the sixth row in a small theatre. She’s a gorgeous dancer and any minor flaws were the result of partnering problems – understandable when dancers meet up shortly before a guest appearance. Simon Ball was a competent, if unremarkable, partner. He cuts a pleasant figure, but lacks elevation. I’ve never seen him before and in younger years, perhaps he had it, though you also have to consider the limiting effect of a small stage. The audience felt pretty much as I did – polite applause for Ball, very enthusiastic for Mearns. Mearns transition from Odette to Odile was magnificent, with much of the personality transformation communicated with flashing eyes. Her fouettes traveled a bit, but given her incredible Balanchine style speed, who would care? No, she doesn’t have those Russian swan arms, but nevertheless, I can’t imagine any NYCB dancer delivering a more gorgeous, nuanced Odette than Mearns.

Ditto to "wow great news". Hoping my tix to Nov 13 and 14 in NYC will get the casting I want, after all. Thanks for the info, meunier fan.

Mimsyb - Thank you for making me glad I didn't make the trip to NY and for today's big laughs. Very funny but also very sad. If only McCauley were one tenth as entertaining as you.

Wonderful!

Hey cubanmiamiboy. I'm going on Sunday the 3rd. Let me know if you'll be there and we'll meet up. I haven't seen Means live so it's a great opportunity to see her up close at a bargain price.

August 1-3, 2014 in Boca Raton FL ( I have no connection with this company - just live close enough to attend.) copied from http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1106939802869-195/Swan+Lake+to+Feature+Sara+Mearns+6.24.14.pdf Boca Ballet Theatre is thrilled to continue to bring the highest caliber of guest artists to our community. We are excited to announce that Sara Mearns, a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, will guest star in Swan Lake as the double role of Odette/Odile - the evil black swan and the lovely white swan. Boca Ballet Theatre’s lavish production is staged after the original choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and set to the music of Peter Tchaikovsky. Mearns will be joining guest artist Simon Ball, a principal dancer with Houston Ballet, dancing the enchanting role of Prince Siegfried. We are proud to welcome Ms. Mearns to our stage, and are equally thrilled that Mr. Ball will return to our stage after charming audiences as Romeo in 2013's Romeo and Juliet.

Thank you FauxPas. From your lips to KM's ears.

Bart (birdsall) thanks for all your reports. I'm looking forward to more. Bad timing on the dog park incident- OWW! Hoping my cat, Giselle, doesn't knock me to the floor.

Love the wish list from Mussel. Does anyone know why ABT remains in Luddite mode regarding DVD and live streaming ?

I'm apparently a lone voice here but I love guest artists. It beats promoting dancers to principal before they're ready.

Thank you KBarber for the heads up on this. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

I attended both galas and thoroughly enjoyed them. I had only been to the YAGP gala in Tampa last year (the one that was filmed) and never to the ones in NY. Like everyone else, I went to see the big name guests, but I have to say that I found seeing the YAGP kids dance during the opening each night a real treat. The finale of the grand defile the first night was absolutely amazing considering they had 350 dancers to choreograph and very little time to do so. Both nights they opened with kids from Julliard – very young and very talented - a violinist and a pianist. One of the performances the first night that REALLY stood out was by about 20 young men (from Monterey, Mexico, I think) – modern dance, totally captivating with some of the most interesting choreography I’ve seen in some time. Each of the performances was introduced by a short film where the principals talked about what they were going to dance. That really gives you a greater connection with the dancing – I really liked that. Some were better than others, obviously, but all in all, a good idea. I agree that the first night Pas de Duke with Simkin was a disappointment. It was much improved the second night. “Being Natasha” world premier – couldn’t wait for it to end. So boring and to waste time interviewing the person who costumed it – REALLY? Leotards with a piece of black fabric tying the dancers together. Smirnova and McKie so well matched in Onegin, though I found her costume to be a bit overwhelming – it robbed you of seeing how beautifully she dances. World premier of Ameska – a ballroom style number with Misty Copeland. I thought she was wonderful and so much more suited to this than Gamzatti (the last thing I saw her do). Lucia Lacarra in white swan – she was magnificent – beautiful line without the foot up by the ear overextension that is so common. The MOMIX dancers both nights – incredible. I’m all about point shoes and tutus, but these people could bring me around to a different way of thinking. Salenko and Gatti – good in Don Q, but better in Corsaire the second night, particularly with the added energy in the Pas de Trois from Brooklyn Mack. He’s a little rough around the edges, but makes up in personality and enthusiasm for anything I might find lacking. He did a high flying Gopak solo also that was perfect for him. Lacarra and Dino in Three Preludes – ZZZZZZZZ – when will it be over. Ditto for Kochetkova and de Luz saddled with an equally boring world premiere of Kubler Ross. Smirnova/McKie very impressive in a premiere to Richard Strauss vocals and in Diamonds. Bouder and Chudin – Abatt summed that one up well already. Beckanne Sisk and Fabrice Calmels in “Light Rain” – not my cup of tea, but well danced and OMG – is he one gorgeous guy. Worst of the second night – “On Velvet” a premiere danced by Evan McKie – not his fault – it was just awful. I’ll skip Rubies altogether since I absolutely hate it no matter who is dancing – hate the music, hate the choreography, hate the costumes (calm down, all you Jewels lovers!) I may have missed a few, but this gives you an idea. This was far from the standard polite, enthusiastic ballet audience. The screaming teenagers in the audience took some getting used to, but it beats the Florida audiences with their whistling hearing aids, burbling oxygen tanks and clunking walkers (wish I were kidding ….)

I went both nights. I'm in the airport headed home and will post soon. I LOVED this so much more than I expected.

I also called the box office because the online ticketing was assigning me seats and I'd already picked those I wanted. Got a very cordial, helpful person the phone - now, if only they could mail me the tickets in an envelope that doesn't say DAVID KOCH ... God, I hate that. I'm going up for November 13 and 14 - hoping to meet some other Ballet Alert people.

http://starsofamericanballet.com/ http://www.bocaballet.org March 5th – Boca Raton, Florida July 16th – 20th – Jacob’s Pillow – Becket, Massachusetts August 8th – Aspen, Colorado August 13th -14th - Santa Fe, New Mexico October 22nd – Waimea, Hawaii October 23rd – Hilo, Hawaii October 25th – Oahu, Hawaii Tickets for their stop in Boca Raton FL only $35. Daniel Ulbricht, Megan and Robert Fairchild, Tiler Peck, Andrew Veyette and Lauren Lovette. Guest emcee - Steven Caras. (I have no connection to Boca Ballet or this event - just spreading the word, since for me it's a not miss event only 1.5 hours down the road.)

Jaffe/Carreno

Thanks to all who posted - have enjoyed reading all the reviews. I attended on Friday night - dazzled by the overall quality of the corps, the costumes and sets - VERY disappointed by the orchestra. I found Somova lovely, but lacking in that ability to make me experience ballet nirvana. She had zero rapport with Shklyarov, though his lackluster dancing in the 1st act might have been responsible. I found the loud rustling noise of the swan’s tutus hitting one another very distracting. Once we reached the black Swan section, Shklyarov displayed grand jetes with totally unexpected ballon and Somova became an Odile that spoke to the audience. The woman sitting in the row ahead of me spoke with a Russian accent. When Somova completed her black swan fouettes, the woman gave a “thumbs up” signal to someone across the aisle. At the intermission, the woman across the aisle came over to her and said “you’ve done WONDERS with her.” So perhaps excellent coaching explains the transformation of Somova that has been discussed here. Standouts were the joker, Vladislav Shumakov, displaying that Angel Corella style pure joy of dancing that so few have. Viktoria Krasnokutskaya was dazzling in the first act pas de trois. Would love to have seen Rothbart, Ivan Sitnikov, dance Siegfried. Wonderful QUIET audience – are ALL the coughers, hummers and candy wrapper rustlers in Palm Beach?

Nice review of Osipova as Juliet in theguardian.com today

Abatt - Thanks for your help - I know that Universal Sports shows all of the Grand Prix events, but unfortunately Comcast doesn't provide it here on the east coast of Florida. I tried to stream it directly, but that apparently isn't an option.

I agree - Johnny Weir is a VERY good commentator. The link between ballet and figure skating is obvious - sad that NBC doesn't seem to understand that pairs and Ice dancing might be of interest to their viewers, but that's another topic for another forum, I suppose .... sigh.

The wisdom of leaving Florida the last day in January for a ballet performance in DC is always in question, particularly now ... However, I already have plane tickets and ballet tickets and if turns out that Johnny Weir is dancing Odette in his swan costume, it won't surprise me. While I understand there are injuries and illness, does anyone change casting for no discernible reason more than the Bolshoi and Mariinsky? Fortunately, I wasn't wedded to any of the principals, but the reactions above are distressing.

I can't begin to tell you how good this book is - and no, I don't know the author. I read this posting many months ago and thought - oh yeah, self published e-book - , no comments, etc., hit delete key. For some reason, it stuck in my head and a few weeks ago, I went to Amazon and saw all the deservedly stellar reviews and downloaded it to my Kindle. I'm totally engaged in this 600 plus page book. It's well written in historical novel fashion and if you're engaged by Tchaikovsky's music - ballet, concertos, operas, etc., this book can't be missed. Any review I might post here would simply repackage the eloquent reviews on Amazon. Check them out here http://www.amazon.com/Adin-Dalton/e/B00EH0SRAO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1384101211&sr=1-1 . It's Sunday and I have nothing on the schedule but to return to this fascinating book.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I was in a monster stadium theatre in Palm Beach gardens which was hosting a 4 person audience. When are the companies producing these wonderful events going to figure out how to publicize them? Without ballet alert and twitter feeds I'd never know about them.

To borrow from Sandik - GO, JUST GO. Yes, some find Giselle "boring" (my husband, sister and mother), but you have the opportunity to see the Mariinsky Corps do one of the great classical ballets - and Osipova! Okay, yes, I'd rather see her do Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris - more flamboyant roles - but believe me, I'm sure she won't disappoint in Giselle - she's an incredible artist growing every day in different roles and her charisma and audience connection can't be beat.