accob

Merde Julio!

I would be very interested to hear about Molina's Spartacus, which he choreographed for himself and Erica Cornejo (who I miss so much )...fished around for a little while and found just two reviews of the opening night gala, one from Boston Globe and another very impressively written one from the Harvard Crimson (albeit no mention of Cornejo): Karen Campbell- The Boston Globe Erica Sheftman- The Harvard Crimson Was anyone there? Please?

Just to clarify: shoud we not have a ballet company that have a classical repertoire but wait for Kirov and Bolshoi and Royal to give us Swan Lake and Giselle, my two favorite ballets? What about Baryshnikov, Makarova, Julio Bocca, Alessandra Ferri, Nina Ananiashvili, Malakhov, Carreno, Corella, Gomez and so many others - who spent their entire ballet career on the American soil? I think this view should be very discouraging for them all. How sad. All these dancers spoke of their love of ABT and American Audiences.

The taller girl, with dark hair was Gabriel Baden.

Thursday Night: Herrera, Beloserkovsky, Bocca I must say I liked Paloma better than I have in past seasons. This ballet is perfectly suited to her in that her technique is strong and consistent and that is exactly what is needed. She executed every single pirouette, balance, and transition perfectly- there was not one flaw, not one misstep, teeter-totter, hop, skip, pause...it was so smooth- I was amazed. She interpreted Raymonda as a youthful, Giselle-esque girl who is almost frightened by the perspective of suitors courting her but is at thesame time thrilled. The one part I really did not like is her solo with the chiffon scarf. She looked extremely uncomfortable, and was just flinging that scarf up and down like she was trying to get water to drip out of it to dry it. There wasn't that sense of the graceful flowy scarf making beautiful patterns in the wind :rolleyes: , it just looked really strange. Anyway, I felt that the pairing of her with Beloserkovsky was just awful. They looked so concenrated on the technicalities, throughout all their pas de deux (even in the dream scene) they just looked so worried, they didn't ever relax, they never looked eachother into the eyes. Granted the partnering in thisballet is extermely difficult, and they pulled off all the elements very well. Beloserkovsky, however, was such an unloving suitor. He showed off himself (quite well, I must add) but never her. When Bocca came out, however, it was a completely different story. Herrera somehow suddenly became a human being! Obviouly aroused by his presence, she constantly stared him in the eyes, and became excited everytime he'd approach- she smiled and was even a little seductive. Of course, with Bocca there, it's pretty hard not to be- unless you're one to be intimidated. Bocca was an ardent suitor who was in love with Raymonda as much as Beloserkovsky wasn't. Not to mention that the two look better together than Herrera with Beloserkovsky! To have De Brienne win the duel was strange- his sword was half the size of Abderakhman's and the poor guy kept getting knocked over by Abderakhman (as much as Bocca attempted to "bounce off and flail away in pain") Herrera's Raymonda was obviously very much taken with Bocca's Aberakhman and to have her wed De Brienne (with Abderakhman killed off almost 40 minutes before the end of the ballet) seemed extremely strange to me. Did anyone feel this way with any of the other casts? Oh, a word about Part- I saw her as the Lady in White, and even covered head to toe in a white robe I thought she was absolutely gorgeous. Her lines are exquisite, and her presense is so grand and elegant- the moment she made her entrance I could tell this would be a special performance- she has this ability to create an aura around her without even doing that much. I loved her and I look forward to seeing more of her later this season. Stella Abrerra looked beautiful in her solos as well. The costumes and scenery are so beautiful in this production! It all looked so rich and fairytale-like, colorful and creative. It added so much to the ballet. P.S. Sitting in seat 7 (all the way on the left) in first row is a whole experience on its own. It had some surprising benefits. I enjoyed some *hysterical* backstage performances by certain favorite performers of mine during the last 40 minutes of the ballet (ahemmm ).

Why Giselle05, you really summoned it up well! I agree with everything you said. :-) Especially happy about my favorites :-) They truly are an amazing couple. They had so much class. Did anyone else feel like something was really missing...something like...perhaps, Nina?

I am a huge fan of Ananiashvili, bart. In fact I was going to purchase tickets for all her performances at ABT in the spring, but alas... To me she is the epitome of someone who combines amazing technical bravura with sublime artistry, something very few ballerinas manage to merge successfully. Last year at the MET, I saw her in Swan Lake with Julio Bocca- it was absolutey the most incredible performance I'd ever seen! Her balances and fouettes were just unbelievable. She stayed up there forever, for hours on end, it seemed like. The house was roaring! Add to that her lyricism, especially as Odette, and those arms in the famous bourres, she really was like a swan! And her coquettishness as Odile...I loved every minute of it! Also, many years ago I saw her in Giselle, also at the MET. It was a long time ago, but what I do remember is in the second act, when she first comes out, Myrta commands Giselle to dance, and she begins to spin around in an arabesque in plie- Nina looked like a spinning top, I'd never seen anything quite like it, it literally looked like you were fast forwarding a scene in a video! Crazy. She is adored by the public here, and hopefully she'll be back next season! :-)

Broken Promise is probably the Albert Evans ballet...as Distant Cries is the Edward Liiang one that Peter Boal and Wendy Whelan danced together at the Joyce Theater recently.

ooo Malakhov for Nureyev sounds good

Ariodante- your analysis is quite perfect. :-)

On a side note, I was just wondering...has anyone ever tried sitting front row at the MET? Do you feel like you're looking up and cant see some things, or is it just right? *getting tickets soon for ABT's spring season*

So the single sale brochure has come out?? :excited to see ferri on the cover:-)

ahh i see..thanks. so as of now, you can only buy tickets for the gala, and subscriptions, correct? i want to get really good seats for the ferri-bocca giselle, and i hope i still can! :-)

Hmmm... I didn't know you could order already?!?! Have you received a brochure?

Men: Hugh Grant Sean Penn George Clooney Colin Firth Tom Cruise Pierce Brosnan Women: Natalie Portman Scarlett Johanssen Charlize Theron Penelope Cruz Kiera Knightley Diane Lane Julianne Moore Julia Roberts Audrey Hepburn

Balanchine- Serenade The Four Temperaments Who Cares? Apollo Stars and Stripes Martins- Thou Swell Morgen Todo Buenos Aires Wheeldon- After the Rain Liturgy MacMillan- Romeo and Juliet Swan Lake and Giselle

Maris and Andris Liepa...and Alexander Godunov to add on to my newbies

I thought this would be interesting... Who did you give a gift to? What did you give? Did they reply? etc...

Angel Corella Julio Bocca Joaquin De Luz Damian Woetzel

People don't go to see Alessandra Ferri for fantastic turns. People go see her in ballets like Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Manon, etc., because of her absolutely extraordinary dramatic gifts, and her ability to completely live the role she is dancing. That isn't to say she has bad technique- but certainly it isn't as strong as say, Paloma Herrera's. Of course what was mentioned about becoming a principal too fast could be a possible reason, but there are also her feet- which pose an obstacle very difficult to overcome. Then again those are famous feet. If people want to see Sleeping Beauty, of course they will want to see a great technician, but that isn't what Ferri is about. Also, an all-around dancer is actually extremely rare. Here in New York, I can think only of Nina Ananiashvili, who dances practically all the ballets, with great artistry AND amazing pyrotechnics. Ferri is known and adored world-wide as a dramatic ballerina. In fact, I read once that in Italy she's the official "Juliet", and responds to all mail adressed to Juliet! I agree that some dancers are being pushed too fast. What about the recent promotion of Megan Fairchild to principal?

Alessandra Ferri Julie Kent Darci Kistler Alexandra Ansanelli Saskia Beskow how could u forget ferri and kistler??

In my opinion, the greatest ballet couple of the past few decades is Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca. They first began dancing when he was still in his teens, and over the many years they have forged a partnership which probably will not reappear in a long time. When they dance together, it is like their souls become one, they look so free and recently, even nostalgic when they dance. Ferri says, in the new book "A Closer Look", by Rosalie O'Connor, that when they dance together in Romeo and Juliet they do not act, for they aren't afraid "just to be". They feel so at ease with eachother, and it is apparent onstage. I would recommend going to the library, and viewing "Ballet", a film by Frederick Wiseman released in 1995 which follows ABT on their European tour. Culminating the film is the Balcony Pas de Deux and Bedroom Pas de Deux with Ferri and Bocca, which was actually filmed in 1992, when they were still quite young. I think it is one of the most amazing ballet performances ever recorded. The emotions are raw- you could see, hear (the cameras are right onstage..) and feel them. Plus, Bocca is one of the most phenomenal partners- Ferri is not one of the most outstanding technicians, but in his arms she whips off turns on those dangerously gorgeous arches of hers as if it were nothing. True, they don't dance as often together as other ballet couples do, but that is because they are often on seperate continents- Bocca directs and dances with Ballet Argentino, and Ferri often guests with the La Scala Ballet in Milan. If I were to compare them with anyone, it would not be with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, as they often are. Fonteyn was almost two decades older than Nureyev, and it makes a difference. I would compare them to the husband-wife team of Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova, who had similar palpable chemistry on stage and very similar movements. They do not have a very wide repertoire together, limited mostly by Ferri's own. But those ballets that they did dance together, and especially Giselle and Romeo and Juliet, will go down in history. They also do a very beautiful "Other Dances" together. (Also available at the NYPL). Ferri also danced with Bocca in Argentina several times, including mambo and tango pieces, some of Bocca's favorites. :-) (Todo Buenos Aires, anyone?) Ferri and Bocca mostly dance(d) romantic pas de deuxs together...For me, they always epitomize a love story. They clearly have nothing to hide from eachother, and it always becomes clear on the stage. What they create is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, both Ferri and Bocca are close to retirement. Sadly, great ballet couples are disappearing.