christine174
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Posts posted by christine174
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Have you seen Part in this role before? I was blown away last year (as I keep saying) and have class tomorrow so I can't go.
I hope others enjoy her as much as I did...
Yes, I saw Veronika last year and found her just so beautiful. Are you sure you can't skip out on that class?
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Murphy/Corella 6/27
Just a brief note; will leave the comprehensive reviews to others. I found Murphy's "White Swan" disappointing, lacking in depth and fluidity. She doesn't have enough swan-ness in her arms, and her acting, such as it is, is all surface. It made me miss Nina Ananiashvili, and especially, made me look forward to seeing Veronika Part tomorrow. But, the "Black Swan" -- wow, does Murphy ever glitter and come alive here. Dazzling!
I didn't find the chemistry between her and Angel especially compelling, but he is always a pleasure to watch, and didn't disappoint this time. I was left muttering, as I usually am with him, "holy cow!"
I enjoyed some of the demi-soloists, especially Misty Copeland and Sarah Lane. Will there will be a promotion after Erica Cornejo leaves? I would be glad to see either of these two as soloist. They have very different qualities, but I especially like Misty's expansiveness and graciousness; it reminds me of Veronika Part.
The audience went wild at the end, and I was among them.
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I find Veronika Part a totally compelling and beautiful dancer. I'm glad this topic was started -- and it's funny, because I've sometimes considered posting something asking just that: can anyone put their finger on it and explain it, just what IS it about her that is so totally regal and beautiful? Someone said it was "intangible," and perhaps it is. I had mixed feelings about her when I first saw her perhaps two years ago, because I love technical razzle-dazzle, as in Gillian Murphy, and Part definitely cannot pull that off. I agree with the poster who said she seems weak in the ankles, and at times when she's turning, it's like those long legs just get away from her. She has definitely lost weight this season, however, and as someone said on the main ABT thread recently, she appears no taller or heavier than Michele Wiles. As I say, her technical shortcomings are evident, and yet, and yet... there is no ABT dancer I would rather see. I do wish very much she would get promoted and get plenty more opportunities to dance, and ABT, if you're out there reading this, I think you'll find she will sell tickets for you!
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I'm with you, drb! Vishneva is a very exciting dancer in every way. The chemistry and partnership between her and Malakhov was riveting and chilling.
I find I have some criticisms -- the corps looked a little ragged at times, and I found Michele Wiles, a dancer I confess I don't "get" in general, uninteresting. (I kept wishing for Veronika Part as Myrtha; this role is tailor-made for her commanding and regal presence. Why isn't ABT making better use of her talent?? But I digress...) Despite some criticisms, though, I loved tonight's performance from end to end -- is that the Vishneva magic?
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I'd love to hear reports from people who saw the second casts of stepsisters. I saw Cornejo and Corella, and loved both. They are getting a lot of attention, but who else is doing these fun roles? And how are they?
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For those of you who attended last Saturday's matinee and had to contend with the crying babies and children, you may be interested to know that I called the Metropolitan Opera house, spoke to someone in customer service who was very sympathetic to my complaints and urged anyone concerned to send in a letter, that this will be taken seriously by management. Letters should go to:
Issue Management Department
The Metropolitan Opera
Lincoln Center
New York, NY 10023
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One caveat. Four of the season's eight Saturday matinees were specifically designated as ABTKids performances.
Thanks for the info! I didn't realize that. Did that include this week? It does make the situation somewhat different, although I wish the ushers would still move in more quickly, and children under 3 or 4 should not be there at all. But thanks again; I'll be a bit more tempered when I call.
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Not only were those screaming babies a constant distraction (not only from the balcony, but from all over the house) I also had the pleasure of having as neighbors someone behind me snoring through the first lakeside scene and 2 women in the middle of the row in front of me who felt the need to get up and make their way out of the auditorium just after the start of the white swan pas de deux!
... besides the wailing babies, during Act IV I distinctly heard a childish voice, from somewhere in the balcony, saying, "Mom, I want to go home!"... and it was hard to refrain from shouting back, "then go!"
I am going to call tomorrow to find out how/to whom to register complaints, and I will report back with what I find, and hope people will join me in making formal complaints, especially since this was a problem last week as well. However, ABT's website appears to be down tonight, and I don't have the phone numbers. Can anyone inform?
GWTW, thanks for the link to the Pa. Ballet's website and their policy on not admitting children under 4. I wonder why the Met doesn't do the same?? As someone noted, this is not generally a problem in opera, where I have attended many a matinee without this occurring.
To focus more on ballet, what would people say were the high points of the Swan Lake run? For me it was Vishneva (especially Tuesday night), Veronika Part, and David Hallberg's von Rothbart.
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Christine174,
THe dancers are right in the middle of the sunset. Is this to what you are referring?
Yes, that's what I'm referring to. I feel like an idiot, but I really couldn't see it from way upstairs where I was, and, Richard, I was looking! Sorry I missed Vishneva's special gesture.
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A few notes on the production, after seeing it 5 times from the family circle. Kevin McKenzie, are you out there? Is ABT aware that:
--At the end of Act III, when the doors open and Odette appears flailing her arms, she cannot be seen from the balcony at all? Some of the people around me had no idea what was going on at that point, and wondered why everyone was staring so fixedly at an open, empty doorway.
--After Odette and Siegfried make their leap off the cliff, the dancers can be glimpsed, a moment later, dashing offstage, through some opening in the rocks/trees on the right?
--Finally, it's been so long since I've seen it from downstairs that I'm not sure about this, but is there some sighting of Odette and Siegfried at the very end, as the sun is rising? If so, that also cannot be seen from upstairs.
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I appreciate that it's the parents who are at fault here, but unfortunately, that doesn't help when I can hear a baby crying somewhere, I don't know where, during the middle of a performance. I think we should let management know the performance was seriously disrupted, so that they take a stand about letting babies into the theater (it's not like they can enjoy the performance) or get the ushers to take action more quickly.
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A brief report after an exhausting Swan Lake marathon (5 this week).
At today's matinee, Vishneva's lovely, liquid performance was difficult to truly enjoy, thanks to I don't know how many screaming babies in the upper balcony. It was truly maddening. Were you upstairs, Richard? I gather last week's matinee was just as bad. Does anyone know the Met's policy on letting babies in, and to whom do we complain? Perhaps we should organize and complain to management... getting back to the performance, I also found it difficult to enjoy David Hallberg in the pdt, because I can now only picture him as last night's totally evil von Rothbart! I'll never look at him the same way again.
Tonight, Gillian Murphy, Angel Corella, Marcelo Gomes. What can I say? Murphy is just so perfect and solid in everything she does, it's dazzling. Yet, like Herrera last night, she doesn't have that swan quality, the arms, the hands, and she doesn't seem to let swan-ness get into her, the way Part and Vishneva do so well. And you don't need me to tell you what you already know, that Corella and Gomes were outstanding.
Now, to whom do we address the screaming-baby complaints?
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I am reporting on three Swan Lakes: Vishneva/Saveliev (Tuesday), Part/Gomes (Thursday), and Herrera/Acosta (Friday). Forgive me if I mainly cover the women.
Veronika Part is extremely beautiful. I thought I had never seen anything as beautiful, as expressive, as swan-like as she was. The 2nd act pdd was just perfect. It's as if she just becomes a swan, and her use of the upper body is extraordinary. I could never tire of watching her. Her problem is that technically, she's not on the level of, say, Paloma or Michele or Gillian. She had trouble in the Black Swan pdd, with the fouttees -- all singles, not on the music, and she seemed barely in control. As others have noted, at other times she seemed to fall off pointe, etc. Her upper body is perfect, but being so tall, it's as if her legs get away from her, and she's not in control of them. Gomes was wonderful, as a partner and in his solos -- very strong, solid, perfect.
Tonight, Herrera/Acosta. Herrera is just boring after Part. She has a wild fan club, the audience was screaming and raucous, and I was impressed, no doubt about it, at her panache, her fouttees, her everything! But she doesn't even begin to have depth, expressiveness, or beauty that Part has. Acosta -- very impressive, and also popular with the audience. I'll throw in a word for David Hallberg's Von Rothbart, which I found deliciously evil, something I woulnd't have expected from him, and wonderfully danced.
For me, the winner: Diana Vishneva. As drb and nysusan have already said, it's hard to be rational. She has a marvelous quality that I find hard to put into words, it's the way she moves, so fluid and so strong at the same time, the way her legs move at lightning speed, her vulnerability and expressivenes, gleeful collaboration with von Rothbart, but I'm just rambling here, and I'll leave you to read others' comments on her, with which I wholeheartedly agree. She seems to have joined the company -- since the program now says "Joined ABT as principal 2005"...??? If so, I'm very, very glad! She's the new Nina!
And one more word about Tuesday night -- Herman Cornejo as Benno. He is a total scene stealer. Let's put him with Xiomara, a really underused principal! Is there any reason we're not seeing a Cornejo/Reyes Swan Lake this season???
For tomorrow: Vishneva/Saveliev, again, and Murphy/? not sure who. Then Giselle!
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Just returning from tonight's Don Q with Diana Vishneva and Jose Manuel Carreno and wanted to report briefly. Diana Vishneva was fantastic. Not only is she technically amazing -- light, airborne, rock solid -- she also has a marvelous stage presence. She did well in this lighthearted role, but also showed a serious side and I would love to see her in a role with more depth -- say, Odette/Odile. I hate to say it, but she made me forget Nina is gone! To be sure this is only one role, and one night, but my feeling was that Vishneva has the qualities -- technical brilliance plus depth and sophistication -- that made me love Nina A so much. I wish she would stay!
I was less than impressed with Michele Wiles, who did not begin to have the same onstage presence as Vishneva. But loved Sarah Lane in her role as Amour.
SWAN LAKE June 26-July 1
in American Ballet Theatre
Posted
No, it was the Hungarian Princess (Misty) and Polish Princess (Sarah), but even in these small roles they stood out. I think I saw them both doing these roles, probably more than once, last year.