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Giselle05

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  1. Giselle05

    Ferri & Bocca

    Been very busy with school, but thought I would take a minute to refresh one of my favorite subjects I was reading the Chicago Tribune and was happily surprised with this beautiful tribute to their partnership from Sid Smith, as part of a compilation of "great performances" in the arts lives of each contributing critic to the Tribune. The ballet portion, i.e. love letter to Bocca and Ferri, begins on page 4 and ends on page 5. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/mag...=rss&page=4 Here's a sampling: ...plus a lovely picture: http://biografiajuliobocca.blogspot.com/
  2. I remember her mentioning at a Spotlight Seminar in 2005 that right after her last Romeo and Juliet with Julio, she danced a Romeo with Robert Bolle in Covent Garden, which was "really hard". Then she said something about Bolle being a beautiful dancer whom New York really should see at some point... maybe this is his op? He is much younger than her, could be a sort of "passing the torch" thing, I don't know...
  3. I have never felt as emotionally drained as I did after Monday night's performance. This was a historic performance. The passion, intensity, and love between these two dancers was probably and maybe always will be, unmatched. This was not Manon and Des Grieux, but Bocca and Ferri, living a love story, and saying their goodbye. As I was leaving the theater after the third act, I heard someone remark that they could not imagine ever seeing ballet again. And that is exactly how I felt. Judging from the uproar that shook the MET on Monday I can't even imagine what tomorrow night will be like. Writing about it is almost impossible, no words could do do justice to this performance, and their artistic and personal partnership. Bocca was a timid book-worm who could not look anyone in the eyes- until he saw Ferri. From the moment he first saw her, he gazed at her until their first pas de deux. Yes, this Des Grieux was in love with Manon at first sight, but you also got the sense that Bocca, the dancer, was trying to cherish every moment on stage with Ferri. When they met in the back of the stage for the first time, they walked slowly towards eachother as if magnetic forces were drawing them together. There was no acting here- no pretense, they looked completely serene as if they knew they were meant to be together from the very beginning. This was indeed not a Ferri night, not a Bocca night, but a Ferri and Bocca night. However, Alessandra seems to be in the best shape of her life. The long, sustained balances, gorgeous feet and never-ending legs. All her movements are so tasteful- she has the most amazing arches but she will never just throw her foot out there- she stretches it for what seems like a lifetime, and you can just see all her muscles contracting until there's nothing else she can give. It is one of the most beautiful sights to behold. What happened next is something I will surely never forget. The pas de deux started off charmingly- the feather pen Ferri snatched out of Bocca's hand to throw into the wings fell straight down at her feet. It was under no circumstances a predicament of what came after. I won't even attempt to describe the passion and heat that was that pas de deux. Before the climactic kiss, they paused for a long moment, millimeters away from each other. That kiss WAS surely the longest, deepest kiss in ballet history. Their abandonment on stage is indescribable, as well as how comfortable they are with each other. I can't even begin to count the kisses (and not pecks) they planted on each other during the six minute sequence. Their huge smiles radiated with joy. After the last pose, Bocca rolled over on top of Ferri and they cuddled some more, although through the ovation I could hardly manage to keep my concentration. The ovation continued through the entire next scene, when Lescaut comes in with Monsiuer GM. The last pas de deux I have no idea how to describe. The moments before it were extremely touching. As they lay together at the foot of the stage I witnessed something so tender I felt like I should look away and let them have their moment. Julio lay by Alessandra's side and bent over her, gazed at her, and then took his sleeve into his hand and began to wipe beads of perspiration off her face. Too close for comfort, maybe, but in this case I felt like the luckiest person that I could see this. Then he stroked her face with his hand. It was such a quiet, loving moment. The death-defying triple spins were unbelievable, and the agony on their faces indescribable. He kept pulling her in to him, searching her face, and she would just melt in his arms. It was so emotional. As the curtain came up, they just stood together in the center of the stage, looking up at each other. She had both her arms around his waist and he was holding onto her arms. I thought the lid would come off the MET. As they stood together, looking up into the balconies, you could see how touched they were by all the love pouring down on them. Alessandra picked up one of the many bouquets thrown on the stage, kissed it, and presented it to Julio. The curtain calls were almost as heartbreaking as the performance- it was hard for people to accept that they were saying goodbye to each other- they made it so personal that the audience was going through all their emotions with them. I can't even imagine what they must be thinking. Looking back on these twenty years and realizing that it is all coming to an end. I heard later that the entire corps de ballet, watching from the wings, was in tears.
  4. Giselle05

    Ferri & Bocca

    As mentioned on the Julio Bocca thread, it is perhaps worth repeating here that Thursday will not be Julio and Alessandra's last performance together- according to Bocca's website, they are dancing Manon with the Ballet Nacional de Chile in October. However, it will be no less emotional: an excerpt from today's NY Sun article, "The Last Bocca Farewell": Full Article
  5. FauxPas, you're correct- Julio is in fact dancing Manon with Alessandra in October- if you scroll down on his home page, you will see that it says: Julio Bocca, Alessandra Ferri, e Ballet Nacional de Chile. If you click on "Mas Informacion", it gives you a synopsis of Manon. So Thursday night, while still incredibly emotional, will not be AS heartbreaking as it could have been, for it is not their last performance together. This appeared on his website just a few weeks ago. As for completely stopping in December of 2007, that is really the case. He has said in numerous recent interviews that he intends to stop dancing completely because of the toll dancing takes on his body, and he wants to explore other things- like buying a boat and sailing around the world. :rolleyes: He also wants to dedicate himself to his company Ballet Argentino, and also later on, to coaching at ABT. An article in today's NY Sun: The Last Bocca Farewell
  6. Giselle05

    Julio Bocca

    With Julio's retirement impending in just a few days, I thought we might dedicate a thread to him, and write about his most memorable performances, what you will miss, and anything else you might want to say about this incredible dancer. When Bocca burst upon the dance scene in 1985 after his Gold medal win in Moscow, he was immediately hailed as the "Argentine heir of Nureyev and Baryshnikov" and was an overnight sensation. He will undoubtedly forever be considered one of the greatest male dancers of this era, up there with Baryshnikov, Vasiliev, Bruhn, Bujones. Aside from his explosive virtuosity, he is truly one of the greatest artists. He developed this artistry over his illustrious twenty-year career with ABT, and I hope many of you will contribute your memories of him during this time.
  7. Just back from the most moving Giselle I have ever seen. I'll try to write a full review tomorrow or later, but here is what needs to be said for everyone who did not see it tonight (perhaps people up in the balconies missed this too): As Giselle (Xiomara Reyes) descended back into her grave, Julio Bocca began to fumble with the white lillies strewn over the cross. Then he dropped to his knee and began fumbling with something on the floor. As I inched upwards in my seat to see what was going on, I saw that he was taking off his slippers. People around me, all in tears, began whispering in shock- Julio stood up and placed his shoes at the feet of the grave, and walked slowly off stage into the last wing on stage left, in just tights. The curtain dropped and there was what seemed like an eternal silence before the entire orchestra audience stood up even before the curtain was raised for the first curtain call. It did not look planned at all- it was almost the natural thing to do. It seemed as if he was doing it for himself, marking the end of an era, not for anyone else. As he walked off, he looked up into the lights and then into the wings. As the curtain came up, Julio (visibly emotional) had his arm around Xiomara, and the ovation was defeaning. Amidst all the flowers raining down, there was a note. The ever-spontaneous Bocca picked it up, read it, then signaled to his secret admirer out in the audience that he'd be expecting a call and mouthed "call me"- it was hilarious and bittersweet, and he ran off. The audience kept wanting more and more. As for Reyes, of course it would have been glorious in more ways than one if Bocca danced his last Giselle with his Giselle of twenty years, Alessandra Ferri, but never have I seen anyone more devoted to and loving of her Albrecht.
  8. I have to second Afternoon of a Faun and Symphony in C, and add Theme and Variations, Serenade, Who Cares?, and a nice good romp of either Don Quixote PDD or Le Corsaire PDD. Not really ballets, but.
  9. Katia Gordeeva is now married to Ilia Kulik, who although was a skating champion, could perhaps be considered a ballet dancer...Center Stage? No? Ok, nevermind.
  10. I think Diana Vishneva and Alessandra Ferri resemble eachother immensely, especially a bit younger Alessandra. When Diana came out on stage at the end of the ABT Gala with all the other principals (led on by Bocca, of all people), I could have sworn it was Alessandra, albeit a bit taller...alas she didn't dance Manon that night. Both are absolutely beautiful and unique. I think Bocca looks a lot like Sean Penn. And Wendy Whelan and Sarah Jessica Parker could be sisters.
  11. Giselle05

    Ferri & Bocca

    An excerpt from Alessandra's piece from Julio's autobiography..from around 1995. "When I saw Julio for the first time we were both young, he was barely nineteen years old and I was twenty-two… It was in Giselle that exploited between the two of us this love. It was just then that I realized, and I believe that he also, that there was so much affection and so much in common. What one feels in those moments is love, when you are naked in front of the other and you see them for what they are, strengths and weaknesses, lights and shadows. On the stage the two of us abandon completely to this feeling; only thus can be born a magic partnership that causes sounds to the public. I saw that when I looked at him in the eyes, Julio was there. In reality we did not speak, not that there was need, it was something felt: as it happens among bride and groom, when at times the words do not serve; the love is, and suffices. And thus when they ask you with whom you want to dance, you respond "with Bocca" without needing to reflect, without almost knowing why…The love, certainly, cannot be lived alone… Each time that we have danced Romeo and Juliet, our union intensifies itself, and now Romeo is for me Julio, and the result is that it is very difficult for me to think about another partner. With the course of the years, grew among us a beautiful friendship. The intense moments that live themselves in our work unite us a lot. They were nine years of large emotions. But they were not only beautiful moments, because our relation is authentic and, as in every relation, in every history of love, there are moments in which the two are well... but when one of the two has difficulties, the other goes to their side. And there were even moments of tension...But when we dance all other feelings pass thanks to all the respect and all the love that we have. Also transformed is our mutual confidence- our international career as guest artists led us to dance together throughout the world. We found ourselves alone in the hotel, the two of us having dinner, and a friendship of words was born- we opened up to each other and trusted things from one to another...The value of our union is notified, exactly, in the difficult moments. When I find myself very nervous, for me to dance with Julio is fundamental, because I have the security of an optimal partner; but above all, it helps me psychologically. While we dance he looks me in the eyes and gives me courage, tells me "you Give him, Go him". I do thesame thing when I see that he is the nervous one. In those moments one tries to be more sweet, and dances with the conviction that that sweetness arrived at the heart of the other and will help it. Looking at another in the eyes and seeing that he gives you all brings you to say: "I do it for him, the others do not count."
  12. Giselle05

    Ferri & Bocca

    Ferri and Bocca's partnership has provided the most magical moments in ballet for me. Their performances are my most cherished. I'm going to take my time and try to write an eloquent tribute to them later although I doubt my words could do much justice to them. On dancing opposite Julio's Romeo, here is what Alessandra says in Rosalie O'Connor's book "Getting Closer": "This ballet brought Julio and me so close that suddenly we were not ashamed to stop acting and instead just to be. I know he looks at me and I look at him and not at an imaginary Romeo and Juliet. He became my love." In Julio's spanish autobiography of sorts (it is basically a one-hundred-something page long interview), Alessandra writes about three pages about him and their partnership towards the end. I have this part saved on my computer, messily translated on Google of course, but it is worth the read, and I'll post that a bit later as well. For now, here is a collection of some of my most favorite Bocca-Ferri images: Bocca and Ferri image gallery
  13. What a night!!!!! This was a repeat of last year's mindblowing performances except Paloma replaced Julie, making it a 100% Latin cast. And it was on fire! If last year's or this year's performances of this cast were not taped, it is a HUGE, HUGE loss. Yesterday marked three events- Noche Latina, the celebration of ABT's Latin Contingent which is by far not limited only to Principal dancers, Corella's Tenth Anniversary with ABT, and Bocca's last Le Corsaire. Animal intensity comes close to describing Julio, I suppose . If anyone came last night looking for latin fire they certainly found it. I am not a big fan of Herrera's, and last night it was as if I was looking at a different person. She came alive! I have yet to see someone lack rapport with Julio, or perhaps Julio lack rapport with anyone. I saw real passion from Paloma! At the beginning of their Pas de deux in the cave (I still do not know what this is called and what the music is- is it simply called the Bedroom Pas de deux? It is one of my favorite pas de deuxs) they locked eyes and then threw themselves into it with abandon. It was different from last year's pas de deuxs with Julie- whereas Julie has a very soft, gentle, ethereal like presence that meshed beautifully with Bocca's machoism, Paloma matched him and as a result the movements looked more daring and dramatic. At the end, they just kept schmoozing...and schmoozing...and, well then Bocca was poisoned. Her technique was perfect all through the night, with sustained balances after her turns and clean fouettes alternating single-double for the first sixteen. In her solos, she still lacks presence for me- her arms do not have enough definition and she doesn't accent her movements, especially when it is necessary in correspondence with the music. But her artistry has improved a great deal and she brought humor and passion into the performance, if not the minute details I loved from Julie last year, special glances here and there, a flutter of eyelashes here, gasp there, laughter, etc. As for Bocca's retirement, there is no apparent physical necessity, he is absolutely in top form. He still flies onto the stage and soars extremely high, suspending himself in the air. I always love this cast in the second act, if this is not a contest I can't say what is, Cornejo, Corella, and Bocca try to outdo eachother every second and it is just so much fun to watch! After Corella thrilled with his turns, Bocca again flew on and attempted his triple assemble entourne, (he got about 2 3/4 of the way around) and all three finished the pas de deux with their trademark latin gusto. Cornejo and Corella keep getting better and better- Cornejo's turns are now a la Carreno (who actually was having an off-turning day)- very consistent and solid, he seems to just turn and turn and then right when its time to proceed to the next step, he says, OK I'll come down now, and he sustains the last pirouette- a quality seen especially in his jumps as well. Corella, adorable as ever in this blue pantalones and gold hoop earring was better than ever in his variation and got a thunderous ovation as usual. Bocca inserted his trademark side split leaps in the menege (sorry, no idea how to spell that, corrections?). He did not hold back at all the entire night, though there was one moment in the First Act when he lost his balance a tiny bit after a series of jumps and turned it into a "You know I meant to do that" moment, shrugging his shoulders, and what not and finishing with a grin- it's these moments I'll miss most when he retires. He lives every single moment on stage passionately. Malakhov is unmatched as Lankendem but Carreno, if not as fun, was great to watch maybe because of his reserved manner. The assembles into grande plies are thrilling to watch but always make me extremely nervous- they are so hard on the knees! As FauxPas said, your eye was drawn to Veronika Part immediately as one of the Three Odalisques because of her regal bearing and large, lucious movements. Riccetto and Abrera were technically perfect and very pretty and both have great things ahead of them. But Part has that star quality. Even when she just walks around the corner to begin a diagonale with her back to the audience, she has such a commanding presence- she is such a beauty onstage. She is also a reserved soubrette- she does not put on this big act of flirtation with the audience or those around her, it just seems to happen naturally with her smile and way of moving. The Third Act in this production always seems out of place to me (Jardin Animee) but I suppose it is a must. One of my favorite moments is when Conrad and Birbanto sneak into the palace and pray with the Pasha. Cornejo and Bocca have such a sense of comradeship on stage (Cornejo, after all, was taken by Bocca into his company as a fourteen year old) and it was evident from the very beginning how much they enjoyed performing together, and it makes Le Corsaire's silly plot so much more enjoyable when the dancers are having fun with it and acting as a team. Noche Latina was a great way to celebrate the unprecedented Latin talent in ABT. In leading and demi roles, there were four representatives from Argentina (Erica and Herman Cornejo, who were wonderful together, Bocca, Herrera), two from Cuba (Reyes, Carreno) one from Spain (Corella) and even one from Uruguay (Maria Riccetto), and others, I'm sure. At curtain calls, Angel grande jete-ed out and was thrown some flowers from the audience. After the first round (or two) audience members all over the theater kept cheering and applauding for a good two minutes with the house lights already on in hope for some more, but the powers backstage didn't cooperate. Perhaps running off to get ready for their big dinner? ;) A wonderful night at the MET.
  14. nysusan, you took the words straight out of my mouth! That was EXACTLY what I was thinking. That last moment was adorable, spontaneous, and what Other Dances, in my opinion, should be like throughout. It should be like a conversation, free-flowing, completely spontaneous, with each person's movements a reaction to the other's, depending upon what happened in that moment. Which was what made that last moment lovely. The performance seemed very static and did not have the lively energy I was hoping for. Kent and Corella did not play off eachother, but like you said, were taking their own apporaches, dancing by themselves to the same music. I really disliked Corella's approach, I felt like his movements were too aggressive and he focused too much on technical virtuosity, whereas in this ballet I think it is more about sustaining lyrical movements and adding in the Hungarian quirks. A Bocca-Vishneva pairing would be lovely, Bocca is absolutely incredible in Other Dances, he has such a kinetic understanding of all these different folklorian dances and he dances it so sensually. I have seen him paired only with Ferri, and as usual they were so intimate when they danced it. I think that is an important quality in this ballet- a feeling of intimacy between the two dancers. Enough about Other Dances- as most, I loved Apollo. The Apollo excerpt and Chaconne were my two favorites of the night. I also was surprised by Acosta, but I loved his performance- he looked very regal and refined. Herrera's Terpischore was wonderful as well. She doesn't have her personal quirks which I think always make it so much more interesting, but with her articulate legs and sharp feet I had enough to look at. I wish the solos had been included in the Dvorovenko-Beloserkovsky Swan Lake PDD. Her fouettes were extremely speedy- she doesnt add embellishments like others but takes them much faster than others. Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky were both "fierce" and exciting and had a stronger rapport than usual. I don't know if I am in the minority but I dont think they have good chemistry on stage together, and they have extremely difference styles. Sometimes I feel like every one of their movements, gestures, glances, and reactions are very rehearsed and calculated instead of having a spontaneous chemistry, and it takes away from their performances. The Le Corsaire Suite and Sylvia Suite definetely should have been switched. The Sylvia looked a little out of place and Wiles and Hallberg looked somewhat unrehearsed. He struggled with some of the partnering (sitting up close, you could see his face writhe behind her tutu when something didn't work out ) but otherwise he was the usual David- clean, elegant and handsome. Le Corsaire delivered all the goods- Carreno was an amazing Ali, his grande jetes were even better and higher than I've seen from him in a while, he is in top form! Murphy with her triple fouettes (although I swear I saw a few quadruples), Cornejo with his absolutely insane barrel jumps had the audience laughing in amazement. Vishneva was beautiful in Manon, as she stealthily crept along the shoulders of all the different men. She was very seductive and expressive. The highlights of Manon for me, however, are the pas de deuxs, and I wish one of them had been excerpted, althought I know the Bedroom one has become somewhat of a cliche, and it was danced by Ferri and Bocca two years ago. I look forward to seeing the whole thing. Chaconne was the highlight for me, for it was so different from everything else and from what one usually sees at these galas. Bocca's unparalleled artistry shone through every movement, and it was a very intense, passionate performance. Aside from a few turns and jumps it was a very quiet, elegant, contemporary piece and Bocca found just the right moments to infuse fiery accents and passionate explosions in the slow movement. He received a large ovation and two curtain calls. It was his last ABT gala and he looked very moved. All in all, an enjoyable night, though not one of ABT's greatest galas.
  15. I agree that Sylve and Gomes looked great together at the YAGP gala. I have yet to see the Part-Gomes Swan Lake but am really looking forward to it! Of partnerships I'd like to see, I would LOVE to see Julie Kent and David Hallberg paired together. I can't really explain why but I've always had this image of them together, even before casting for Kaleidescope was announced Both long and beautiful, with exquisite lines and very gentle and lyrical movements...I think it would be perfect. Yes, there is quite an age gap but I would love to see David paired with a mature ballerina like Julie. Just my two cents.
  16. Currently, Tewsley is dancing Roland Petit's La Chauve Souris with Alessandra Ferri in Tokyo (which explains her absence at Monday's gala- their last performance was on May 21): La Chauve Souris click here for the schedule. Not sure if he is currently attached to a company...
  17. You're welcome :-) I thought many would find it very interesting!
  18. From metopera.org, under "Buy Tickets" for the Opening Night Gala: Giselle Harvest Dance: Company Other Dances: Julie Kent, Angel Corella Piece D'Occasion: Stella Abrera, Gennadi Saveliev, Ruth Ann Swenson Le Corsaire Suite: Gillian Murphy, Marcelo Gomes, Jose Manuel Carreno, Xiomara Reyes, Herman Cornejo Apollo: Paloma Herrera, Carlos Acosta Black Swan: Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky Chaconne: Julio Bocca Sylvia Act III PdD: Michele Wiles, David Hallberg Sylvia Coda: Company
  19. Not really related, but here's a very long, interesting article I came across by Michael Kaiser about his tenure as executive director of ABT. If it should go somewhere else, please feel free to move it. I think its an intriguing look at the backstage processes of a company of a magnitude like ABT. http://www.artsmanager.org/lessons/abt.cfm
  20. I think you are talking about the one with Ferri and Guillaume Graffin? Or is it Robert Hill? lol, the one where you can just see the top of her, her hair is down and she is leaning against him against a black background? I don't think there has ever been one with Ferri and Bocca on the cover...but if I am wrong, please tell me! Fabrizio Ferri is actually Alessandra's husband The cover image with Murphy and Stiefel is beautiful. That, Carreno as Ali and Bocca in his shredded shirt are my three favorites :-)
  21. Sorry, but they will NEVER be released. It is required by contract with the dancers that when they record a full performance the sound must be flawed with "beeps" and running visual flaws must "be inserted to further prevent commercial usage." NYPL for the Performing Arts is permitted Archival videos, but "never" to be commercially distributed. The contract covers these matters on pp. 23-26 below: http://www.musicalartists.org/ContractsDan...B_2005-2009.pdf Sorry if I was unclear, I meant I was interested if they ARE in fact taping on a regular basis, not even for commercial release but just for archival purposes, whether at the NYPL or the dancers/companies collections. ...and to encourage more to be submitted to the NYPL! :-) Thanks for the link, though, drb.
  22. My thoughts exactly!!! I'd pay my whole savings for some of these performances! that Corsaire performance is worth..a lot. As are many others. And I am sure they were taped. Farewell performances especially MUST be taped, no? I remember we had the discussion a few months ago about taping of performances..NYCB tapes every performance, so they DO have them somewhere. I say, seriously, that we inquire about them. Or just out of curiosity, if we called up the press dept. at ABT and just asked them outright if performances are taped on a regular basis. Maybe I'd rest if I just knew they were sitting somewhere...
  23. I have tickets for the Opening Night Gala and the Opening night of Le Corsaire. :-) (the 29th and 30th)
  24. Could you please provide a link to this? I'd love to see it as well.
  25. With no Ferri/Bocca Giselle, I'm going to see Vishneva with Malakhov, and Reyes with Bocca, because I'm curious to see her Giselle but mostly because Julio is retiring... Last year I saw Kent with Bocca and thought Kent was beautiful, especially in the First Act..I think I wrote my impressions of it in the ABT Giselle MET '05 thread.
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