Kristen

Nanuska - That backstage tour of the Met that I took maybe 15 years ago is what made this backstage opportunity so irresistable - I recommend it to everyone - I went during opera season and saw the wig room, the opera costumes (a bit larger than tutus!), but I'd love to see more!

Drew - 3 performances this weekend! You were just there - I know, I met you on May 24. Enjoy. I"m headed back that way on July 4 to catch the July 5 Le Corsaire, take the train to DC for the Paris Opera Ballet's Giselle at the Kennedy Center on the 7th before flying home. Then back to work - darn, this working full time and not being the recipient of a major trust fund is starting to interfere with my ballet recreation plans!

Thanks to all for your comments (and for reading my rambling posting) - I would have killed to see where they store all the costumes, the dressing rooms etc. I used to sew, many decades ago. I was lousy at it, unlike my sister, who is an artist - but still, would love to turn those costumes inside out to see how they're constructed. Well, maybe that will be another "priceless New York" offering in the future. They did offer the opportunity to see the makeup artist do up Von Rothbart, but that one didn't sing to me like the stage manager opportunity. Forgot to mention, any number of the dancers sat down on the dirty floor in their costumes! I was shocked, but didn't say "do you know how much that costs?!?" Special message for Bart - yes I probably should have danced down the ramp, I'm sorry to hear about the jellyfish problem - and after meeting CubanMiamiBoy briefly on Thursday night, I'm sure a good time was had by all no matter what you did in Miami - he's full of life and in another posting I need to ask him why the annual Miami International Ballet Festival is such a screwed up semi-disaster every year - but that's another topic. Merde! (By the way, I NEVER heard a single dancer say that)

I had what I regarded as the opportunity of a lifetime to be backstage at the Met on May 25th as a “guest stage manager.” (Purchased from http://www.mastercar...cities/newyork/) A bit of background info – I’m a lifelong balletomane since seeing my first Coppelia in Palm Beach when I was 8 – was it the ballet or the fancy dress and shoes I got to wear, followed by an ice cream sundae at Schrafts, that made me a fan? I’ll never know. And no, I was never a ballerina wanna be – I’m a marine science librarian in Florida – not skinny, not coordinated, not athletic – just your basic ballet nut. Anyway, I had a ball! It was an incredibly interesting, fun evening with one thrill after another for a lifetime balletomane. I thank all the ABT people who made this possible, particularly the 3 stage managers who gave their time to show me what their jobs entail. I’ve been on 2 other trips since then, so haven’t had the chance to write this up till now. Have been rolling around the evening’s events in my head and have jotted them down as I thought of them – thus the (Long!) disjointed posting below. The most striking thing I noted during the entire evening was the dichotomy between the “just another day at the office” attitude of the stagehands, stage managers, and even some of the dancers, alongside the formalities, niceties and traditions of the ballet world. The dancers initial a list when they arrive at the theatre. Then, 30 minutes before starting time, they are expected to check in with the stage manager. The principal dancers did not officially check in (we all know who they are and they are warming up onstage), but the corps and soloists all stopped by and gave last names to be checked off on the list. Vishneva was ill (I was informed via email that morning by ABT) and replaced by Part (she’s lovely and thinner than I recall her) Of course I was disappointed by the absence of Vishneva – had Osipova cancelled, I might well have just thrown myself in front of rapidly moving taxi on Broadway. Osipova was warming up on the stage when I arrived. Yes, she’s phenomenal from a distance, she’s phenomenal up close. ( I’m sure they all got sick of me saying WOW !! every time she or Gomes moved) More on Osipva later. I accompanied the stage managers as they verified that all the props were available – the fans, the dagger, the battery operated lights for the corps dancers in the last act, etc. The conductor came on to the stage about 15 minutes before the start and conversed with the principal dancers. I was told this is traditional for him to “bond” with the dancers, so that he knows who is dancing that night and he can conduct the orchestra to meet the variations in timing of the different dancers. Gillian Murphy was also practicing onstage although she wasn’t dancing that night. I was told that many of the dancers do that to get more “stage time.” Such pretty RED hair. When you walk on the stage you can feel the “give” and spring of the special flooring (harlequin?) that is placed over the Met stage. The ramp for the Kingdom of the Shades act is decidedly unglamorous – a metal ladder leading to the ramp that is covered with a slightly padded, somewhat sticky covering to keep them from slipping. The scrim in front of it allows them to light Nikiya’s brief appearance at the top of the ramp. (And yes, I climbed up the ladder and walked down the ramp and managed to resist the urge to lift my chubby thigh in an arabesque!) I never saw ANYONE sweat, even after the most arduous solos! Also, if the dancers are nervous – they hide it well – only a few of the corps dancers were visibly nervous. An elaborate control panel is located stage right at the place where the dancers enter and exit downstage. There is a monitor that shows the stage and another that shows the orchestra. The stage manager consults a paper script where literally every ten seconds of the ballet is spelled out as to who is entering, exiting, the lighting cues etc. My big role at this panel was to push the button that rings the chimes in the house to call the audience back from intermission. Felt like a 4 year old, but it was cool! I wore headphones for the first 20-30 minutes to hear all the calls being made, but quickly got sick of it because I wanted to concentrate on the music and the dancing. It is surprisingly quiet backstage – the sound from both the orchestra and audience is very muted. Part is a beautiful dancer and I enjoyed seeing her, though I felt that Cojocaru (the night before) was a superior Nikiya. Also, let me mention that Vasiliev was phenomenal as Solor that same evening. I felt he might be a better Golden Idol than Solor – I eat my words. Gomes – gorgeous, charismatic, beautiful dancer – what more can I say – he was bundle of energy backstage – constantly moving, dropping to floor to do pushups, etc. Gamzatti’s very quick costume change between scenes 2 and 3 of Act 1 - from the ankle length gold costume to the gold tutu - takes place in a booth right off stage left. Vasiliev was backstage in jeans and a t-shirt and was very attentive to Osipova, kissing her forehead, clapping a couple of times as she made her first entrance. He has a much more handsome face than the camera shows – I had only seen him in pictures and videos and the camera does him no favors. But those thighs! Unmistakeable. (Loved the headline in one of the London papers reviewing Osipova and Vasiliev’s Don Q at Convent Garden – the headline was THIGHS AND DOLL.) Osipova – tiny physique, exquisite little face. Her jumps are astonishing (borrowing that word from the NY Times dance critic.) In Act 1, Scene 3, her final grand jete landed behind the curtain in the wings. She looked upset, shook her head and said in Russian (I was told) “This stage isn’t big enough for me.” Is there a stage big enough for her? Good Lord – how does she fly into the air in such an apparently effortless way? She seemed very serious the entire evening (concentrating, nerves?), until after the curtain calls when Kevin McKenzie kissed her cheek and then she smiled and laughed. Vasiliev came up to her, lifted her over his head and spun her around. What a sight! (I said to my husband later – “well, THAT never happens at home!”) I didn’t get to see the Kingdom of the Shades from the wings. The stage manager explained that they clear the wings for that act (and there are lots of people back there to clear our). The reasons she gave were – it’s the most difficult act in all of ballet, people in the wings are distracting, it’s traditional to clear the wings and there are superstitions surrounding breaking this tradition. The corps dancers form a circle and link pinkies in a “we can do it” bonding moment before the second act. I watched this act from the lighting booth at the back of the orchestra. It was interesting to hear all the lighting calls and see how subtle changes in lighting make such a difference. Yes, the Golden Idol is actually painted gold. Apparently, the paint doesn’t allow the skin to breath at all and is quite dangerous. He is painted right before the last act and showers it off right after the curtain calls. He has a few little pieces of costume, but basically he’s spray painted. During one of the intermissions, the stage manager pointed out that I had just been standing next to Natalia Makarova. WHOA! She’s very tiny with a regal carriage, but to see that she walked liked an older person with aches and pains made my heart clutch and my eyes tear. We all get old, but it pained me to see a dance legend who has lived such an intensely physical life move that slowly and carefully. The stage manager calls how many times the dancers go out for another curtain call. She said that despite the muted sound of the applause backstage, she has enough experience to know when the audience is going nuts and begging for more. The flowers presented during the curtain calls are beautiful roses, each one at the peak of opening. The one easy to retrieve, thornless rose is marked so that the ballerina can pull it out and give it to her partner. Later, offstage, out of view, Gomes and Part gave one another big hugs – a beautiful moment in an evening of beautiful moments. One of my favorite scenes in The Turning Point is when Emma (Anne Bancroft) reflects in her dressing room “but there are moments when it all comes together – the lights, the music, the costumes, the dancing.” This was definitely a full evening of those “moments”.

Bart - Seeing Broadway isn't slumming!. I do them all - opera, Broadway musicals, Ballet (my first love ..). I know this is a ballet discussion group, but if you venture into Broadway, do see Tracie Bennett in End of the Rainbow - phenomenal. Audra McDonald will probably rob her of a Tony (and I LOVE Audra), but Tracie SHOULD win. Will be back on here shortly reporting on my stage manager experience and heading back to the Met to see Le Corsaire on 7/5. Oh crap - have to drive to North Carolina from Florida tomorrow. I despise the mountains the way the snowbirds hate Florida - I'm just less vocal about it!

sorry - hit the post button by accident. Yes, Bart, that was me ringing the bells to make everyone return from intermission. Felt like a thrilled 4 year old to be allowed to push the button! Everything backstage was thrilling - will provide details - I promise! (And allowing your partner a night off while you went to ANOTHER Bayadere - that was the right thing to do!)

Kristen, I wondered when you would post! Can't wait to hear! I thought of you when the gong to get seated went off. I assumed that was you! LOL

Can't agree enough about Ilya's comments re the Copeland/Vasiliev pairing. I just got back from NY, saw 3 Bayaderes, had the fun of meeting "Drew", "CubanMiamiBoy" and Bart Birdsall (and partner) on Thursday at intermission. I had the incredible experience of being backstage as a (yes I paid for it!) guest stage manager for Friday night - Part/Gomes/Osipova - an experience of a lifetime and will post about it all shortly - regarding Copeland, the stage manager asked me, "well maybe you're just not a Misty fan" to which I said "no, that's the not the problem - she and Vasiliev were badly paired - he's in another league." Anyway have much to say on my "guest stage manager" experience and will post that as soon as I get a chance - in a nutshell, it was a MAJOR THRILL. Just now catching up on the BA postings and will get back! K

Okay - Parterre Level it is for me on the 24th. I'm the one who reneged about meeting on the 25th because I bought the "guest stage manager" opportunity from Priceless New York (mastercard) for the 25th. Decided to fly in a day early and catch another Bayadere from the audience. Look forward to meeting all of you. I'm 60, as of yesterday (yuk) and I'll be in black (it's New York, not Florida right?) with patterned stockings. See you tomorrow evening. Kristen

Well - I was looking forward to meeting all of you during intermission on May 25th, but I got a better offer. Happy to say I'm the lucky buyer of the MasterCard "priceless" offer to be a "principal stage manager." for one night and what better night could there be than this one! http://www.mastercard.us/priceless-cities/newyork/offer-details.html?id=895971 No words to describe how thrilled I am. Kristen

Bart- Nice to know you're in the area and I can meet you too at the Met next month and next season at the Kravis. Not a Coppelia fan at all, so didn't go this weekend, though it was the first the ballet I saw as a child, and obviously, changed my life! As for Gamzatti - I, too, love the role -years ago, saw someone post that if their house were on fire, they would take the cat and their (then) VHS tape of Darcey Bussell as Gamzatti in the Royal Ballet's Bayadere. I TOTALLY understood - Darcey Bussell - what a Gamzatti - she made my husband a total ballet fan with that one performance - I don't expect Osipova to disappoint in that role - saw her do DQ with Carreno at the Met - what more could anyone want from an evening at the ballet!

The meet up sounds great - I'll be there and look forward to putting a face on all these posters - and to personally thank cubanmiamiboy for his posts about Miami City Ballet (I'm up the coast here and catch them at the Kravis in West Palm Beach) Cheers, Kristen

Drew - Many thanks for your long, detailed reviews - living vicariously here in Florida, but have multiple tickets for the Met Season, so will get over the fact that I didn't spring for the Chicago trip. Again, thank you. Kristen

Any word on a DVD of the Osipova/Vasiliev production of Don Q?

Estelle - Like JustdoIt, I'm looking forward to your reviews from Paris. I get to see MCB regularly in West Palm Beach, Florida and have been repeatedly dazzled by the dancing of Jeanette Delgado. Enjoy - looking forward to your reports. (While I think MCB has become a fine company, my heart belongs to American Ballet Theatre.) In an aside, I attended the opening night gala last July at the summer festival at the Theatre du Chatelet (Novosirbirsk Ballet). A man was talking loudly during one of the ballets and 2 large Russian men got up, yelled out something, then picked him up bodily and tossed him through the swinging doors into the outer lobby. The incident filled many of my fantasies of what to do with talkers, hummers, foot tappers, texters and candy wrapper rustlers! My husband's comment was "boy, these Russians really take their ballet seriously!"

Interesting that VolcanoHunter mentioned no distortion of their bodies. I saw both DonQ and Coppelia at a small (empty!) theater in central Florida and the distortion was pronounced both times. I have to wonder if it's a small screen problem? Bottom line, if Osipova were that short and wide, she'd be unemployed! Fortunately, I saw her dance Don Q live at the Met last year (phenomenal)and I'm well aware that the video is distorting her.

I'm glad to know it wasn't just me regarding the distortion of their bodies -how does one make dancers look short, wide and in need of a diet? Oh, well, on the other hand, I was thrilled to see it. I did see Osipova dance Don Q with ABT last season and was dazzled. However, I was totally unprepared to be equally stunned by Vasiliev - phenomenal! Despite the intense closeups depriving the audience of the "big picture", I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the costumes, fans etc. at close range. I think it's a shame that this Ballet in Cinema series is so poorly advertised. I live in Florida and there are no Carmike theaters located in some of the most heavily populated areas (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach etc.) I drove three and half hours round trip to see it in a pathetic little theatre in central Florida and there were only 2 other people there. I even bought my ticket in advance in case every ballet school in Florida decided to bus in their students. Sadly, that didn't happen - but you can't go if you don't know about it. Despite the problems with filming, the satellite blips etc, you'll find me at Coppelia.

I must be missing something - I've read that New York Times article twice now and don't see any reference to 2012 -it says "this fall." Are you referring to another article?

So glad you mentioned Maximova - I saw her perform when she was approx. 53 - truly phenomenal, her onstage rapport with Vasiliev was unlike anything I've ever seen - was so glad to see the NY Times review her performance weeks later at the BAM,referring to her as "eternal springtime." What a great description.

How about bringing back Gaite Parisienne and Great Galloping Gottschalk? Both such fun and the Gottschalk is great for a City Center sized stage. Also haven't seen Makarova's version of Paquita is many a year.

I saw the performance on 6/12 and considered it to be a high point in ballet going all the way around. I found Herrera to be enormously improved in her upper body - she always had the legs and incredible feet covered before, but now she's much more complete. Like Michael, I find that her facial expressions are distracting. We were in the 7th row, which gives a certain intimacy with the dancers provided you're not seated behind a 6 footer or some lady with helmet hair. It was a fantastic evening all around. Carreno never disappoints. (Be still my beating heart). Loved seeing Veronica Part for the first time - lovely dancer who knows how to sell this character. Of the flower girls, I know Michele Wiles is a favorite, but couldn't take my eyes off Stella Abrera. Wish I were seeing it tonight. Kristen

I thought Vishneva to be one of the most ethereal dancers since Makarova. However, In this production she didn't seem to connect. I think it's difficult to fly in for a couple of days and achieve the same look of dancers who have truly formed a partnership. I absolutely despite Romeo and Juliet (HATE the music of Prokofiev), but went anyway, just to see Vishneva and considered it worth it.

I am thrilled for all of them. Cornejo is incredible, though ABT is certainly not lacking in male dancers that dazzle with every step. Every time I have seen Carmen Corella, I've thought "how can it be that she's still in the corps?" Glad she's been promoted. Congrats to all 4.

I saw NYC Ballet tonight. Outside the opera house, there were a few people begging for available ABT tickets, so it may well be sold out tomorrow night. (I'll be there, but won't be selling mine)Kristen

It's been my experience that ABT has done casting WELL in advance for many years. Personally, I've found that they stick with their original casts, barring injuries, which certainly are unpredictable. In fact, Susan Jaffe remarked that she never really planned her retirement around Giselle, but that she and Carreno had been cast a year ahead for that date in June and her decision to retire came after that. ABT doesn't seem to change casts on a whim as I saw happen with the Kirov's recent appearance at the Met.