Kristen

Bart - Enjoyed your reports very much and will take a look at tidbits since St Petersburg has moved way up on my bucket list. Upgrade on Air France and 8 ballets in a week - life doesn't get much better than that!

I only rarely go to NY for the fall season and was thinking of going - happy that they've moved to the "New York State Theatre" (I refuse to use the new name) since I'm not fond of ballet at City Center. However, once I discovered that the first weekend in November is also the weekend of the New York City marathon, I had to rethink the plan - cold weather AND ridiculous hotel prices may be too much for me to swallow.

Thanks to all for a lively discussion on this topic. I admit I initially erred by posting a knee jerk reaction to EV’s Miami bashing. When you spend every year for 5 decades plus hearing how much better it is “up north” or “back home”, eventually you end up as a reactionary lunatic. This is a ballet forum, not a “take it and stick it, New Joisey and New Yawk forum! That said, I so appreciate that Villella created Miami City Ballet and we now, for the first time, have what I call a “first rate, second tier ballet company” in Florida. Need I mention that the Delgado sisters of MCB were named in the NY Times article on Sunday as being among the 11 finest American ballerinas. Although EV doesn’t like the Giselle’s etc. he disses in the interview, I have attended MCB’s Don Q and Giselle and they were not “world class”, but very respectable and enjoyable, not to mention well attended (I see MCB at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Matinees are PACKED because hey, old people don’t want to drive at night. I still have excellent night vision but go to matinees, because a relaxed dinner out afterward is almost as important as ballet!). In fact, I have introduced some of my non ballet watching friends to ballet by gifting them with tickets to see MCB’s Don Q. Lucky for them, Jeanette Delgado danced that day. They were dazzled. EV’s all Balanchine, all the time, has worn on me over the years – HUH? are there actually people who WANT to see Bugaku – if there are, they weren’t in the audience with me. I’ll be the first to say Balanchine was a genius – this is not to say he didn’t do ballets that made me say “I paid for this ???” – and believe me Villella staged a bucketload of those in 25 years. Okay, stop me from criticizing – Viva Villella for creating a great ballet company – and yes, leaving with a bitter taste in your mouth is not how anyone wants to go out the door, but it happens. P.S. CubanMiamiBoy – Thanks for pointing out that there IS an ice skating rink in Miami! Jayne - Yes, they could replace NYCB in Saratoga - great idea - MCB wowed them Paris for 3 weeks

Bravo VRSFANATIC!

Marina Harss (I always enjoy what she she has to say) interviews Edward Villella after leaving (not happily) Miami City Ballet. http://dancetabs.com/2013/07/edward-villella-founding-artistic-director-of-miami-city-ballet/ Very interesting - Having apparently been slumming it in Miami for several decades, EV Now bites the hand that fed him for 25 years. You can take the boy out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the boy. As a (nearly) life long Floridian and unabashed lover of New York, I don't know why anyone would even bother to compare the two places .... however, an interesting interview, nevertheless.

Drew - Many thanks for your report. I'm just catching up on my Ballet Alert readings and appreciate all the Marinsky reports. Kristen

Thanks for keeping my hopes high. Have tix for Don Q on Saturday, a ballet they currently own, in my book.

I totally agree (and appreciate) Natalia's long posting re Sunday afternoon, above. It was a special, special performance. I flew back home to Florida today not wondering at all why I'm stalking performances around the globe of Osiliev /Vasipova, as they are sometimes called. Technique and artistry aside, they are the most charismatic dancers I've seen live since Baryshnikov in his prime. (yes, I'm that old ....) I saw them do Don Q in Australia last month with the Australian Ballet. They had an off night with visible bobbles, but that they are STARS was lost on no one. As one Australian in the loo next to mine said "they just dance on an entirely different level than we're used to seeing." (And no, I didn't go to Australia to see them dance - just got lucky that our vacation coincided with their appearance.) I thought Sarah Lane did a great job of holding her own amidst all that star power. And I loved how Simkin's slave performance kind of said "take that, thunder thighs!" It's not easy to share the stage with Vasiliev (even in those much less that flattering white tights!) Simkin gave a stellar performance. Agree totally about the ECONO CAVE set , but loved the new backdrop for Jardin Anime - thought it was magical and the children totally charming.

I've been on the website for 53 minutes now. Have put tix in my shopping cart 6 times now, but no luck in paying for them. TOTAL FRUSTRATION !!!

Cristian - Don't have a coronary - you didn't miss her - I got confused - Russian ballerina, name starts with K, senior moment I meant Kochetkova - apologies - and we missed seeing you last Saturday. Kristen

I was mesmerized by Julie Kent's short performance as Juliet at the Kennedy Center Honors. As she danced, I texted my sister, who is only a casual ballet watcher , "Julie Kent still a GORGEOUS Juliet at 43". Her response was "43 ???????" I'd say Julie can easily dance another year or two - a retirement at a Swan Lake matinee would be odd, but who knows? Ananiashvili's departure from ABT at 46 might have been a year or two premature - she blew me away at her ABT retirement performance. Love to see them into the later years of their careers,as long as they don't stay too long at the party (Nureyev comes to mind). Must be a wrenching decision.

Sorry to be late to the party, but I only seem to get onto Ballet Alert on the weekends. Birdsall's review of the YAGP in Tampa could have been written by me (and I had a lovely evening there and glad to get together with my new BA friend Bart Birdsall). Agreeing with Birdsall, Mack and Douthit from Alvin Ailey almost turned me into a modern dance fan overnight - they were phenomenal. Angelica: Abrera was lovely as always and I share your frustration that she hasn't been promoted, though I find the role of Myrtha less than compelling no matter who dances it. Like Birdsall, I was very impressed by Kondaurova and Seo, Gomes and Part. The Flower girl/Bridesmaid in Don Q, an ABT corps dancer, Skylar Brandt was a standout with a bright future. The early reported programs had promised Tarantella which I assumed Bouder/Ulbricht would dance. Instead, it was Flames of Paris, not a favorite of mine, though they both showed off their amazing skills. The costumes were so incredibly awful I had trouble focusing on their dancing. If you've seen the small, no name touring ballet troupes from Russia that come through (and yes, I see them all) you've seen these appallingly cheap, unflattering costumes. Had I been Bouder, I'd have stomped my pointe show and said I'M NOT WEARING THAT! Anyway, an enjoyable evening - wish they had identified the YAGP students dancing in the first act - many very impressive - hoping to get a better look at them if Ballet in Cinema gets this on the screen.

Abatt - Thanks for the heads up about the Ardani site - I'd long ago given it up as a site that would never be updated. You're right - it is a goldmine of info - am spinning around the room right now (clumsy, yes and wearing ugly Croc sandals, but still spinning!) having discovered that Osipova/Vasiliev are scheduled to dance Don Q in Melbourne with the Australian Ballet in March 2013, during the very week I'll be there.

PBL _ Drew's advice is excellent all the way around - have been frequenting both of these theaters for the past 25 years! As for recommending performances, the Osipova/Vasiliev performances of Don Q are what I would pick. I have introduced numerous people to the ballet over the years - including my husband. He says that if you don't like a Don Q with a stellar cast then ballet is not for you! I expect we will be hearing their names decades from now. As far as seats go, there are really no bad seats in the Koch (oh it KILLS me to call it that) theatre. And just about every seat at the Met has a drawback. The side orchestra is out for a child (and anyone else). As Drew said - Dress Circle is okay with binoculars - though no bargain. A great house for ballet is the Kennedy Center in DC and they bring in some of the world's great companies.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Telegraph review in Leonid's link above. I haven't seen anyone more beautifully articulate Osipova's unique skills: She astonishes in all the ways you would expect of her. For Osipova is not merely a world-class, instinctive technician (though she is supremely that), but specifically a performer who, by some strange magic, appears to find it easier to be off the ground than on it: the air welcomes and embraces her like no other female dancer I have ever seen. The tiniest skip seems to send her soaring, and yet – however high, far, or fast she jumps – she miraculously manages to land in complete silence.

Wonderful news and such a deserving recipient!

Bart - Thanks for the report. Sorry I was out of the state last weekend and didn't make it to Sarasota.

Thanks, California, for the link. Yes, they've always had fundraisers in Palm Beach, but minus the appearance, so glad to see they will be performing. The Kravis is one of my favorite venues for dance or anything else. Beautiful theater - no bad seats - even on the sides of the nosebleed section. ( Please don't let them do The Leaves are Fading or Rodeo .....)

I noticed in the season brochure from the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach that ABT is doing a one night appearance March 23rd. I can't remember the last time ABT appeared in Florida. Many decades ago they did a week or two every January in Miami. Anyone know if this one nighter is part of a Florida tour?

Great site for figuring out times - timeanddate.com - here's the St Petersburg page http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/difference.html?p1=352

Left New York after the Osipova/Kobborg/Vasiliev Le Corsaire - took the train to 105 degree! DC - loved Giselle - not a Giselle fan, but the POB to me has the finest corps in the world - absolutely ethereal. Isabelle Ciarovola moves across the stage in such a way, you're not sure she's earthbound. I've never found anyone in POB to set the house on fire, but maintain that their corps totally carries them as world class. Loved it - had to return to Florida to get away from heat!

Phenomenal night - Yuriko made me wonder why Seo was being promoted instead of her. Okay, call Vasiliev a "circus animal", vulgar, etc. but if you were there you saw his astounding performance and a "theater animal" - how he loves the audience and vice versa! Osipova - perfection, absolutely. A night to remember.

Ditto to Natalia's post above - thanks SO much for the detailed review. I felt like I was there. No dancer in my lengthy ballet viewing history has ever sold the absolute joy of dancing better than Corella. Thank you - sick that I missed this one - in my next life perhaps I'll have the time and $$ to plant myself on the upper west side for the entire season each year. Had to pick this week or next, so at least I get the Osipova, Kobborg, Vasiliev Le Corsaire on Thursday. Also, thank you onxmyxtoes for posting the you tube link (also many thanks for the mute key so I could tune out that annoying twit yellowing Bravo incessantly - we get it, Bravo, now give it a rest!)

Abatt said it better than I could. This isn't an affirmative action operation. Having seen Copeland's Gamzatti .... she's a truly lovely dancer, BUT - and I posted this earlier - she was not in the same league as Cojocaru and Vasiliev on May 24th and to me it was painfully obvious, just as substituting Boylston for Osipova on the 28th didn't really work (WAY too tall for Cornejo). I feel for Copeland because she is fighting the ballet body stereotype (call me a jerk, but I have a problem with Gillian Murphy's breasts ...) Copeland may be under the impression that the dancers currently eclipsing her just have a "name" http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-dancers-in-conversation.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all, but that's not it - they're principals for a reason. I think Seo is a stellar dancer, but I don't think she's "arrived" yet either. It's not a black, white, ethnic issue - which brings me to a topic I haven't seen discussed - the article about Kevin McKenzie in Sunday's NY Times - where he discussed these disgruntled dancer issues - probably needs a new topic posting.

Thanks, Bart and to all all others, for your posts. (Seeing the number of views versus actual replies makes me determined to post more often how much I appreciate everyone's reviews! I pretty much operate as a lurker and so love reading what everyone posts.) I did forget a few things - got to glimpse two other luminaries backstage - Irina Dvorovenko and Susan Jaffe - I was a huge Jaffe fan - saw her in January 1982 in Miami Beach when she was 19 dancing Swan Lake for the first time with Baryshnikov - all the way to her retirement night at the Met, another very special evening. Her (way too short) partnership with Carreno was wonderful. And Bart - as much as I adored this backstage experience, it has its drawbacks - like running from the front wings to the back wings trying to keep up with the dancing as it moves downstage and upstage - then having to move out of the way for the blue tubs that provide the mist. Having said that, I'd do it all tomorrow again.