FauxPas

Good as done, Colleen La Bayadere: Monday May 26, 2014: Semionova, Shklyarov, Seo, Barbee First of all, Polina Semionova, a technically proficient dancer who has at times failed to engage me as an interpreter, is a glorious Nikiya. She actually combines the best qualities of both Vishneva and Part in this ballet. She has the sinuous flexible back and fluid arms of Vishneva. Her epaulement is simply ravishing and we know she has no problem with pointe work and multiple unsupported pirouettes and such. Like Diana, Polina also gives a passionate, full-blooded dramatic interpretation to the role of Nikiya in the first act. Like Part, Semionova has long limbs with high extensions, a strong jump and a sense of amplitude in her movements. Like both Part and Vishneva she is a beautiful woman and is facially expressive in this role. Vladimir Shklyarov had an eventful, accident prone debut in the first act. He came on with a light bounding jump and very clear mime. He is physically well-matched with Semionova and their first pas de deux went well. Then came the Garden Betrothal Grand Pas... He came on well but there was a section where the two sets of pas de quatre ballerinas in the pas d'action are bourreeing towards the wings and back and Solor has to cross from downstage right to center stage. Shklyarov anticipated the cross and just ignored the ballerina in front of him and banged straight into her. She nearly fell and he did fall but they both instantaneously righted themselves and went on. I chalk this up to nerves and lack of onstage rehearsal (Shklyarov did dance the Shades scene in the dress rehearsal last Friday). Then he launched into his solo which has feather light batterie and high arched jumps. However, he had one bad landing nearly toppling forward. The audience didn't care and gave him a huge hand. In the "Shades" scene Shklyarov put the pedal to the metal to make up for his previous mishaps. He was adding extra spins and his jeté has wonderful ballon. However, he seemed to be off the music - he would do a bunch of bravura steps and then there would be extra music playing while he walked around or just stood there before doing his series of tours. Marcelo and Whiteside both danced the steps right on the music with no gaps. The last act went very well. Hee Seo who is a soft, not especially technically brilliant dancer had a very good showing as Gamzatti. She has a beautiful stage face and was surprisingly steely in a delicate iron butterfly way. In the Garden Scene she performed quite fine Italian fouettes and ended with a series of solid, unspectacular but clean single fouettes and finished without a mishap. The last act was danced well - Makarova's solo for Gamzatti is quite congenial for many ballerinas. The movements look good and seem very danceable. The rest of the cast was the same as the opening night - Sarah Lane (excellent), Misty Copeland (nailed her solo unlike opening night where she fell off pointe) and Devon Teuscher were the Three Shades. Victor Barbee was a tormented, imposing Brahmin. Alexandre Hammoudi looked very picturesque with his jeweled feathered turban as the Rajah Dugamanta. Craig Salstein did a wonderful clean fast rendition of the Golden Idol solo (done as a divertissement in the Second Act in the Russian versions). There were many extra curtain calls and Polina had an ardent fan who threw her three or four bouquets from the auditorium which Shklarov gallantly scooped up and presented to her. For a Monday night it had a very gala tone and lots of enthusiasm.

I found Boylston very impressive in her technical strength last night. However, I spoke with NYSusan during the intermission and she noticed that Boylston has some bad habits - noticeably a stiffness in the upper body. Boylston also has a tendency to push into steps from the chest - kind of leaning into the steps and jutting out the head instead of imagining an invisible cord in her middle pulling her forward. This can create a certain jerkiness. NYSusan also complained of a "steppy" quality of emphasizing individual steps rather than creating a line. I found the strong attack exciting and NYSusan agreed that she improved as the performance went on. (Boylston was being coached by Susan Jaffe before she changed jobs - currently the only other ABT female coaches are Nancy Raffa, Susan Jones and Irina Kolpakova who is in her 80's now and can't take care of everybody) Andrew Veyette was a real treat - fully in command of the part and the stage. But I saw Jared Matthews standing in the soloist line behind him. Jared Matthews was cast in the "turning boy" role in the Ninth Symphony section of Ratmansky's Shostakovich trilogy. He certain would have been able to dance the multiple pirouettes in the lead role in "Theme and Variations". He would have had time to learn it in the month or so since Corey Stearns injury. These artistic management decisions may have contributed to Jared's decision to go to Houston Ballet. Ratmansky has always championed young dancers giving talented corps and soloist dancers a major role in his premieres - sometimes in the alternate cast. I liked both Paloma and Misty in Duo Concertant - Paloma had more mystery, maturity and authority. Paloma who studied at SAB has always been a strong Balanchine stylist. Misty seemed an energetic sexy dynamo who then turned into some kind of distant vision. I thought that Eric Tamm had strong clean lines and also had wonderful Balanchine black and white leotard ballet style. James Whiteside really articulated the steps with wonderful definition, speed and energy. He keeps getting better and better - a fine acquisition for ABT and much needed right now. Craig Salstein reminded me of Hollywood character comedian Erik Rhodes as the Italian gigolo in "The Gay Divorcee". Both Veronika and especially the demure Hee Seo lacked a certain flirtatious coquettishness as the Glove Seller. Hee Seo seemed to be a member of the ensemble while Part had more star presence. Notable work from Skyler Brandt and Christine Schevchenko as the lead can-can girl. Stella Abrera is good at seductive roles and would be a gorgeous Glove Seller. Irina Dvorovenko was wonderful as the Operetta Star in Tudor's "Offenbach in the Underworld" which is a bald "Gaîté" knock-off. She would have been perfect for the Glove Seller as well.

Some notes here: "Gaîté Parisienne" served a purpose for the touring Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in the forties and beyond. Very often they were performing ballet for rural audiences or in smaller cities in the U.S. where there were few sophisticated audiences for classical ballet. People went because it was Russians dancing but they didn't know about toe dancing and if they actually would like it. But these audiences did know about the can-can and also knew musical theater and operetta. So "Gaîté Parisienne" was a perfect work for a ballet newbie. Light, fun, sexy, a little ballet then a little can-can and knockabout comedy as well. It was also good for touring with maybe a less than first rank ensemble because there is only one ballerina on pointe and one danseur and the rest are character dancers. I think that many audience members recalled this ballet from their childhood when ABT first revived it over 25 years ago with the Lacroix costumes and nostalgia played a part. But those days are now receding into the past and fewer people who saw "Gaîté Parisienne" over 60 years ago are in today's audiences. So it does seem like a throwaway relic from the past. One thing it does need is a certain showmanship, European naughtiness and charm which, as Alastair Macauley wrote in his Times review, is something the current dancers of ABT have trouble capturing.

To see the corps formations in the Kingdom of the Shades you would need to be in Grand Tier. So I would go higher.

Ord7916 - there was a discount going around on Goldstar. I was going to skip Tuesday and Wednesday night. I bought a Family Circle ticket for Thursday before the prices went up and considered taking off work for the matinee on Wednesday with a last-minute ticket. But when Gomes and Lendorf were subbed in for Stearns and Matvienko for the evening shows, I had to go. I stood for the opening night gala. BTW: Gomes did dance Basilio over 10 years ago with Nina Ananiashvili early in his ABT career. Since then he has nearly always danced Espada.

I attended on Tuesday night and both shows on Wednesday. Tuesday May 13: Semionova/Gomes. I actually enjoyed the wit and playfulness Gomes brought to Basilio and his dancing - though not virtuosic - was solid and fine to my eyes. However, I have been spoiled by prime Bocca, Corella and Carreno as Basilio. Only Herman Cornejo on a good night, in top physical condition is on that level today at ABT - Ivan Vasiliev has the raw power but not the refinement. Gomes added fun touches - like in the Inn Scene where Basilio does a spin before Kitri jumps into his arms, Gomes pretended to have a dizzy spell. I thought his dancing was noble and elegant rather than brilliant. Semionova was really lovely and very high-spirited. Her balances in the wedding scene pas de deux were just adequate but she made up for it with the final set of fouettes in the coda. Isabella Boylston and Misty Copeland were the flower girls. Jared Matthews was excellent as Espada though Gomes is the gold standard in that part. Seo was not the sexiest Mercedes but she did fine. In the Dream Scene, Hee Seo showed technical improvement as the Queen of the Dryads. She began with solid Italian fouettes and got applause for them but then fell out of the very last one. This is much better than last year when she was stumbling from the very beginning. Seo's technique is improving but she is not yet on Abrera's level, though she has been made principal which Abrera likely never will. Sarah Lane was in sparkling top form as Amour. Her husband, Luis Ribagorda did some excellent dancing as the Gypsy Boy with high jumps and split leaps - give him more soloist roles, ABT. Some sour tuning from the horns in the pit - rather exposed in this score. Wednesday matinee May 14: Part, Whiteside. I agree with fondoffouettes above - Part is an excellent jumper and does have high extensions so Act I went much better than I would have expected. The diagonal of pirouettes with the line of matadors got a big hand and an extra bow. The only weak spot were the backward jumps with the head kick which Semionova did much better the night before. As expected, the Dream Scene Dulcinea was gorgeous - Part has a way of expanding and filling out the music with her epaulement that is just heavenly. In the final wedding pas, Part's balances were brief but there, her solo lovely but the final fouettes were a little off. She started them with great speed and stamina but the working leg was rotating rather low and to the side, in the Russian manner. She also advanced downstage as she did them in a straight line which doesn't bother me at all really. By the end the fouettes started to get too loose but there she ended the series with a solid triple or quadruple flourishing her fan over her head. But they needed to be higher and tighter. Otherwise, she looked gorgeous and radiant with humor and high spirits. Whiteside is a good actor and his technique was excellent - he has a lot of speed and great form. His partnering was excellent though I noticed that he struggled a bit with the overhead lifts - using both hands once and having to move around. (Part is not easy to maneuver and I suspect doesn't help her partners much - dead weight) Abrera was by far the best of the Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads ballerinas so far. Radetsky was in good form as Espada. Nicole Graniero was a revelation as Amour. Christine Schevchenko was marvelous in her Flower Girl variation but I felt that Skyler Brandt struggled a bit with hers. I second the praise for Zhiyao Zhang - after losing Carlos Lopez and Joseph Phillips, ABT needs another small virtuoso dancer. Roman Zhurbin was moving as Don Quixote. Wednesday evening, May 14: Reyes/Lendorf. Reyes, who is over forty, danced better than most ballerinas half her age. The only concessions to age I would give her were in the final pas deux - her balances were not held as long as she used to and she bobbled on the last fouette in the coda. However, she tore into the fouettes with total abandon opening and closing her fan over her head and only lost it on the last one. Brava! Otherwise, she was an adorable little spitfire. Lendorf has sexy eyes and a mischievous grin. Both the Cuban and Danish schools seem to train their dancers in mime so the lovers' acting and byplay were quite spontaneous, detailed and convincing. His jumps have beautiful ballon and his feet are lovely. Again, I don't think he was on his very best form having just jetted in and dealt a last-minute change of partner. But he is a beautiful dancer and he gave me a lot of pleasure - though he lacked the kind of devil-may-care brilliance and abandon of the latin and russian virtuosos I have seen previously. Matthews was again Espada and Misty Copeland was Mercedes/Dryad Queen. Misty began well in her Dream Scene solo but slipped out of one fouette but then recovered for a strong finish. Gemma Bond danced excellently as Amour but she is taller than Reyes and maybe even than Misty so visually it looked odd. Bond is very musical - I wouldn't mind if she was promoted to soloist. The flower girls were both lovely - charming Melanie Hamrick and a very strong Devon Teuscher who excelled in her difficult solo. Arron Scott was the fine Gypsy Boy. Very vivacious performance all around ABT was smart to schedule "Don Quixote" early in the season when everyone's energy is so high and they are relatively free from injuries and end of season wear and tear. On to Kochetkova/Cornejo tonight!

Casting for the NY tour has been announced: The Bolshoi Ballet and Orchestra Sergei Filin, Artistic Director, The Bolshoi Ballet David H. Koch Theater (Broadway at 63rd Street) Swan Lake July 15, 16, 17, 18 at 8 pm; July 19 at 2 and 8 pm; July 20 at 2 pm Ballet in two acts Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Libretto by Yuri Grigorovich after the scenario by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltser Choreography by Yuri Grigorovich Scenes in choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky Designer: Simon Virsaladze Music Director and Conductor: Pavel Sorokin Lighting Designer: Mikhail Sokolov Odette-Odile Svetlana Zakharova July 15, July 17 Anna Nikulina July 16, July 19 (matinee) Ekaterina Shipulina July 19 (evening) Olga Smirnova July 18, July 20 The Princess Mother Ekaterina Barykina July 15, July 17, July 19 (matinee), July 20 Kristina Karasyova July 16, July 18, July 19 (evening) Prince Siegfried David Hallberg July 15, July 17, July 19 (evening) Artem Ovcharenko July 16, July 19 (matinee) Semyon Chudin July 18, July 20 The Evil Genius Vladislav Lantratov July 15, July 17, July 19 (evening) Denis Rodkin July 16 Artemy Belyakov July 18, 19 (matinee), and 20 The Tutor Alexey Loparevich The Fool Igor Tsvirko July 15, July 17, July 19 (evening) Denis Medvedev July 16, July 19 (matinee) Alexander Smoliyaninov July 18, July 20 Friends to the Prince Kristina Kretova Maria Vinogradova July 15, July 17, July 19 (matinee), July 20 Chinara Alizade July 16, July 18, July 19 (evening) Master of Ceremonies Alexander Fadeyechev Hungarian Bride Yulia Grebenshchikova July 15, July 19 (matinee) Angelina Karpova July16, July 19 (evening) Olga Marchenkova July 17 Ana Turazashvili July 18, July 20 Russian Bride Anna Rebetskaya July 15, July 17, July 19 (matinee) Maria Vinogradova July 16, July 19 (evening) Yulia Lunkina July 18, July 20 Spanish Bride Anna Tikhomirova July 15, July 18, July 20 Anastasia Meskova July 16, July 19 (evening) Chinara Alizade July 17, July 19 (matinee) Neapolitan Bride Daria Khokhlova July 15, July 20 Kristina Kretova July 16, July 19 (evening) Anna Tikhomirova July 17, July 19 (matinee) Maria Vinogradova July 18 Polish Bride Anna Leonova July 15, July 17, and July 19 (evening) Anna Okuneva July 16, July 19 (matinee) Yanina Parienko July 18, July 20 Three Swans Angelina Karpova July 15, 17, 18, 19 (matinee), and 20 Olga Marchenkova July 15, 16, 18, 19 (matinee), 19 (evening), and 20 Ana Turazashvili July 15, 16, 17, 19 (matinee), and 19 (evening) Yulia Grebenshchikova July 16, 17, 18, 19 (evening), and 20 Four Swans Yulia Lunkina July 15, 16, 17, 19 (matinee), and 19 (evening) Diana Kosyreva July 18, 20 Svetlana Pavlova Margarita Shrainer Anna Voronkova Waltz Yanina Parienko July 15, 16, 17, 19 (matinee), and 19 (evening) Anastasia Meskova July 15, 17, 18, 19 (matinee) Ana Turazashvili July 15, 16, 17, 19 (matinee), 19 (evening), and 20 Anna Okuneva July 15, 17, 18, 19 evening), and 20 Anna Leonova July 16, 18, 19 (matinee), and 20 Anna Rebetskaya July 16, 18, 19 (evening), and 20 Artemy Belyakov July 15, 16, and 17 Klim Yefimov July 17, 18, 19 (matinee), 19 (evening), and 20 Dmitry Yefremov July 15, 16, 18, 19 (matinee), 19 (evening), and 20 Mikhail Kryuchkov July 16, 18, 19 (matinee), and 19 (evening) Denis Rodkin July 15, 17, and 20 Yegor Khromushin Don Quixote July 22 at 8 pm; July 23 at 2 and 8 pm Ballet in three acts Music by Ludwig Minkus Libretto by Marius Petipa after the novel of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes Choreography: Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky New choreographic version: Alexei Fadeyechev Set designer: Sergei Barkhin Costumes, based on sketches by Vasily Diyachkov (1903) revised by Tatiana Artamonova, Elena Merkurova Music Director of the production: Alexander Kopylov Conductor: Pavel Sorokin Kitri (alias Dulcinea) Maria Alexandrova July 22 Ekaterina Krysanova July 23 (matinee) Ekaterina Shipulina July 23 (evening) Basilio, a barber Vladislav Lantratov July 22 Semyon Chudin July 23 (matinee) Mikhail Lobukhin July 23 (evening) Don Quixote, an errant knight Alexey Loparevich Sancho Panza, his squire Alexander Petukhov July 22 Roman Simachev July 23 (matinee) Sergey Minakov July 23 (evening) Gamache, a wealthy nobleman Denis Savin July 22, July 23 (evening) Denis Medvedev July 23 (matinee) Juanita, Piccilia, friends to Kitri Anna Rebetskaya Yanina Parienko July 22 Maria Vinogradova Anna Okuneva July 23 (matinee) Chinara Alizade Anna Tikhomirova July 23 (evening) Espada, a toreador Denis Rodkin July 22, July 23 (evening) Vitaly Biktimirov July 23 (matinee) A Street Dancer Anna Tikhomirova July 22 Anna Leonova July 23 (matinee) Anastasia Meskova July 23 (evening) Mercedes Oxana Sharova July 22, July 23 (matinee) Kristina Karasyova July 23 (evening) Lorenzo, innkeeper, Kitri’s father Yegor Simachev Lorenzo's Wife Anastasia Vinokur Duke Alexander Fadeyechev Duchess Ekaterina Barykina July 22, July 23 (evening) Maria Zharkova July 23 (matinee) Tavern Keeper Roman Simachev July 22, July 23 (evening) Alexander Petukhov July 23 (matinee) The Queen of the Dryads Olga Smirnova July 22, July 23 (evening) Anna Nikulina July 23 (matinee) Three Dryads Angelina Karpova Olga Marchenkova Yulia Grebenshikova July 22, July 23 (matinee), July 23 (evening) Four Dryads Daria Gurevich July 22 Yulia Lunkina July 23 (matinee), July 23 (evening) Anna Voronkova Svetlana Pavlova Alesya Gradova Cupid Yulia Lunkina July 22 Evgenia Savarskaya July 23 (matinee) Daria Khokhlova July 23 (evening) Spanish Dance Maria Zharkova July 22, July 23 (evening) Nino Asatiani July 23 (matinee) Two Guitars Nino Asatiani July 22, July 23 (evening) Lyudmila Yermakova July 23 (matinee) Vera Borisenkova July 22, July 23 (matinee), July 23 (evening) Gypsy Dance Kristina Karasyova July 22, July 30 Anna Antropova July 23 (matinee), July 23 (evening) Bolero Anna Antropova July 22 Kristina Karasyova July 23 (matinee) Oxana Sharova July 23 (evening) Vitaly Biktimirov July 22, Yevgeny Golovin July 23 (matinee) Anton Savichev July 23 (evening) First Variation in Grand Pas Maria Vinogradova July 22, 23 (evening) Daria Khokhlova July 23 (matinee) Second Variation in Grand Pas Ana Turazashvili July 22, July 23 (evening) Cinara Alizade July 23 (matinee) Spartacus July 25 and 26 at 8 pm; July 27 at 2 pm Ballet in three acts Music by Aram Khachaturyan Libretto by Yuri Grigorovich after the novel of the same name by Raffaello Giovagnolli with ideas from the scenario by Nikolai Volkov Choreographer: Yuri Grigorovich Designer: Simon Virsaladze Music Director of the production: Gennadi Rozhdestvensky Conductor: Pavel Klinichev Spartacus, Mikhail Lobukhin July 25, July 27 Leader of the Gladiators Denis Rodkin July 26 Crassus, Alexander Volchkov July 25, July 27 Leader of the Roman Army Vladislav Lantratov July 26 Aegina, courtesan Svetlana Zakharova July 25, July 27 Ekaterina Krysanova July 26 Phyrgia, Anna Nikulina July 25, July 27 Sweetheart to Spartacus Maria Vinogradova July 26 Gladiator Denis Savin July 25, July 27 Anton Savichev July 26 Mimes Chinara Alizade Batyr Annadurdyev July 26 Anton Kondratov July 26 Victoria Litvinova July 26 Alexei Matrakhov July 25, July 27 Anna Okuneva Yanina Parienko Anna Rebetskaya July 25, July 27 Yegor Sharkov Roman Simachev July 25, July 27 Anna Tikhomirova Maria Zharkova Vasily Zhidkov July 25, July 27 Dmitri Zhuk July 26 Three Shepherds Andrei Bolotin Alexei Matrakhov July 26 Denis Medvedev July 25, July 27 Alexander Smoliyaninov July 25, July 27 Igor Tsvirko July 26 Four Shepherds Vitaly Biktimirov Yevgeny Golovin July 26 Yegor Khromushin Anton Savichev July 25, July 27 Alexander Vodopetov Shepherdesses Svetlana Gnedova Alesya Gradova Daria Gurevich July 26 Daria Khokhlova Yulia Lunkina Svetlana Pavlova July 25, July 27 Courtesans Anna Antropova Anna Balukova July 25, July 27 Yulia Grebenshchikova Kristina Karasyova Anna Leonova Anastasia Meskova Anna Nakhapetova Anna Rebetskaya July 26

Lots of beautiful women in ball gowns working the foyer. A few people felt that the gala wasn't as gala as it had been in the past. Opening Night Gala Program Don Quixote (Act I Entrance): Paloma Herrera - Paloma looked to be in good if not scintillating form. Good high jetés and she has always been a good turner. If you can forget about Osipova, Gillian on a hot night or Nina Ananiashvili in the 1990's this was very good. There were then speeches by Rachel Moore, Kevin McKenzie and then a very elegant Sigourney Weaver described ABT's outreach programs and introduced four students of the JKO school as a prelude to their performance. (Nowhere in sight: Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg or David Koch...) Pièce d'Occasion: JKO School This was a ballet for the students by Raymond Lukens - it was a fluent exercise in bouyant neoclassicism similar to "Etudes" or "Suite en Blanc". Mostly corps formations with a few tiny solos - two or three boys looked very promising and there was a very lovely girl whirling about among them. I have to say that for the first time I saw that the JKO school was producing dancers with potential. Some looked like they might eventually staunch the massively depleted ABT roster in the near future. Cinderella (Act II Pas de Deux): Hee Seo, Marcelo Gomes This was the ballroom pas de deux where Cinderella and her Prince dance alone. Backdrop of starlit sky. Marcelo was his magnificent self in white. Hee Seo had a nice soft attack over solid technique (the role doesn't seem to be beyond her comfort level) that looked very English school. Kind of that Antoinette Sibley mixture of delicacy with steel underneath. This pas de deux works better as a quiet romantic interlude between all the frenetic ballroom action before and after - by itself it looks a little muted and low key. Manon (Act II Solo & Adagio): Polina Semionova with Roberto Bolle (Corey Stearns had been listed to do the partnering work here as Des Grieux but was still injured) Semionova looked sensual, feckless and quite alluring here. I wasn't sure that she had the acting ability or fragility for this part but she totally convinced me. This is the big scene in the gambling den/brothel where Manon is passed around by all the men in the room including awkwardly, her former lover Des Grieux. Bolle and Semionova (not scheduled to dance together) make a glamorous couple. Roman Zhurbin was a menacingly elegant Msr. GM, Manon's current protector. La Bayadère (Pas d'Action): Isabella Boylston (replacing Gillian Murphy), Ivan Vasiliev This is the Gamzatti/Solor betrothal dance with the two teams of pas de quatre girls. The program slip listed Gillian Murphy as injured - yet she is still scheduled to dance the bravura role of Kitri this Wednesday. Hmmm.... Boylston was well-matched physically with Vasiliev (not so sure about Gillian and Vasiliev) and danced with radiant authority. She very much took the stage as Gamzatti - radiant smile and the way she tore into her solo, you know she would nail it. Boylston in the coda also nailed the series of Italian fouettes with the regular fouettes as a finish - she did a triple or quadruple to finish. Vasiliev had some rough landings from those backward leaps with the leg beats. But his barrel turns were killer. Acted well too. Both dancers looked to be on the same level. Intermission The Dream (Scherzo): James Whiteside, Daniil Simkin Both men looked great and Simkin was a big audience pleaser with whiplash spins and leaps. Manon (Act I Bedroom Pas de Deux): Julie Kent, Roberto Bolle Bolle was the picture of romantic gallantry and Julie was surprisingly youthful and dynamic. It looked like they may have fudged one section (seemed to be walking around when they should have been dancing) but I don't know the choreography well enough to be certain. Coppélia (Act II Excerpt): Xiomara Reyes with Alexei Agoudine as Dr. Coppelius This is the bit where Dr. Coppelius has brought "Coppelia" (Swanilda) to life and has her dance for him. Xiomara was adorable and looked in great form. Nuages: Diana Vishneva, Marcelo Gomes Jiri Kylian choreography to Debussy music. The danseur basically twists and turns the ballerina like a pretzel or origami throughout - very intense and kinetic. Lots of acrobatic partnering which Gomes is the best at. Marcelo was shirtless in blue tights and she wears a blue shift. They both put it over with great intensity and passion. Gaîté Parisienne (Peruvian, Pas de Deux & Can-Can): Herman Cornejo, Veronika Part, Jared Matthews, Misty Copeland, Joseph Gorak The costumes are still eye-poppers ("It's a Lacroix, sweetie"). Cornejo looked to be having a ball and was very funny as the Peruvian. Not dancing the role during the regular run though - Simkin and Salstein. Veronika looked glamorous and high-spirited but is not exactly the kittenish type needed. Rather like a Duchess impersonating a grisette. Her dancing was good but looked a little heavy in attack and speed. Jared Matthews was very gallant as her partner (Freddy Franklin's old role) but seemed to be working hard to get her around. Joseph Gorak exuded high-stepping panache as the Can-Can master of ceremonies. Misty Copeland as the Flower Girl spinned around with joyous elan. Festive capper to the evening.

The reason given for the pseudonym was that according to a book on Tudor "it wasn't in his usual style". In fact it also reminded me of Balanchine's earlier neoclassical Petipa hommages like "Symphony in C". "Trio con Brio" was reconstructed from a primitive silent 16mm film that was done on a cranked up camera. The can of film was stored in an attic in Jacob's Pillow since 1952. It was missing about a minute of film which included one entire male solo which had to be reconstructed. The main problems were that the film was dark, had variable speeds and was silent. It took two years to figure out which beat of choreography synched with which beat of music - they had several dancers and the music director work it out in a rehearsal room by slowing down the film. It is a lovely piece. http://antonytudor.org/ballets/trio-con-brio.html I must say that Natalia's review is absolutely accurate and spot on. The pieces are mounted with a kind of loving care and precise attention to detail. Again the intimate space really helped the dancers connect with the audience.

Okay, what ballet should Paloma choose to exit in? Two popular choices for ballerinas are: 1) Title role of Giselle - provided farewells for Amanda McKerrow and Susan Jaffe 2) Swan Lake - farewell vehicle for Nina Ananiashvili, Angel Corella and Jose Manuel Carreno and Cynthia Gregory (Act II) or another ballet? Paloma is quite fine in "Sleeping Beauty" and "La Bayadere". Would she still be up for "Don Q" next year?

1896 ballet by Marius Petipa, music by Pyotr Schenk. Supposedly was the most lavish spectacle Petipa had done so far. Restaged by Nicolas Legat in 1910. Libretto based on Perrault. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault03.html This probably would be a wedding pas de deux where the handsome hero has saved Bluebeard's wife from joining his previous wives in death. Handsome hero kills Bluebeard and marries now ex-Mrs. Bluebeard. Mrs. Bluebeard gets to keep castle, treasury and dungeons.

I am always divided about guest/exchange/part-time artists. It is great to have wonderful international dancers come to your city. Then you don't have to wait for Bolshoi or Mariinsky-Kirov tours or schlep down to D.C. or Russia, Paris, London, Milan etc. to check them out. For example, the prospect of seeing Olga Smirnova in "La Bayadere" is enticing and yes, Shklyarov is another inviting prospect.. Inviting international guest stars does create variety and novelty which this season, as originally announced, sorely lacked. However, then there is the case of neglected soloists like Stella Abrera who might be a wonderful Nikiya in "Bayadere" or Sarah Lane who could be a charming Kitri and has danced Giselle for other companies. I already mentioned Tamm, Gorak, Matthews and Forster. Are Kevin Jackson and Denys Nedak (who may be quite fabulous dancers) really such box office attractions that their appearance will draw audiences? Wouldn't it have been better to give Matthews, Tamm or Forster a Solor? Also perhaps Gorak as Des Grieux provided they all got adequate coaching and rehearsal? But I think the big take away from this is that ABT can no longer cast a week long run of "La Bayadere" or "Don Quixote" or even "Manon" from the resident full-time company. When Julie Kent or Paloma Herrera retire or if Veronika Part notices she is getting only matinees, unimportant new roles like Lescaut's Mistress and decides to go to the Mik or English National Ballet, ABT will be seriously hit in the female principal ranks. So we are back to the original question of "poach from without" or "promote from within"? I say a bit of both but the promoting from within doesn't seem to be working very well lately. Also, the coaching and artist development are seriously lacking at ABT which also impacts the growth of young dancers.

I keep confusing Lescaut's Mistress with the Manon Lescaut figure in Neumeier's "La Dame aux Camellias" which was also danced by Veronika Part. What strikes me as odd here is that once again, ABT has one or two injured male principals and they are scrambling around trying to grab premier danseurs from all over the world to fill in. This happened in 2011 when Maxim Beloserkovsky and Ethan Stiefel were injured or unable to dance at the beginning of the season. Then Herman Cornejo got injured. Malakhov and Bocca were no longer dancing with ABT. Carreno was set to retire at the end of that season. He had to reappear after his retirement gala to sub for an injured Hallberg in one of the last "Swan Lake" shows of the season. Suddenly, ABT was scrambling to get Ivan Vasiliev, Johan Kobborg and Guillaume Coté drafted in. Since then Stiefel, Carreno, Beloserkovsky, Corella and Gennadi Saveliev have retired. Talented corps dancers like Joseph Phillips got frustrated and left and Sascha Radetsky will leave at the end of this season. Currently there is this shortage of male talent in the principal ranks. Ivan Vasiliev with his limited repertory is only dancing a handful of Don Q's. David Hallberg is functioning more like a guest artist than a resident principal. Simkin and Cornejo are limited by their height as to who they can partner. Meanwhile Vadim Muntagirov and Denis Matvienko are regular guests now. Matvienko's injury along with the usually dependable Corey Stearns being out for the first month or so has really precipitated a crisis. Matvienko is not a company dancer but a guest artist yet his injury has the management scrambling - a ballet company should not be dependent on guest artists. Clearly with Stiefel and Carreno retired they need two tall or medium tall star male principals to take their place. Whiteside was fast tracked from soloist to principal and is doing all he can - but clearly ABT needs another male principal. Among the soloists the markedly improved Jared Matthews could be called on to do more. Hammoudi has yet to show that he can carry a soloist's load let alone a principal's. Eric Tamm, Gorak and Thomas Forster should be groomed to take over lead roles. With Radetsky's and Kristi Boone's departure and Isabella Boylston's almost inevitable future promotion to principal, there is room for new faces in the soloist ranks. These three guys are due for a promotion.

BTW: I read up a bit on "Flesh and Bone" on Starz. Irina Dvorovenko will also be acting in this series. It has a lot of ballet people and Ethan Stiefel will serve as the choreographer/dance consultant. Ethan and Sascha are like best buds. BTW: Sascha is very well-remembered and has higher profile outside the ballet world from his role as Charlie in "Center Stage".

Frankly, Kristi Boone hasn't really been doing much for several seasons now. She did a few runs of "Giselle" as Myrtha but otherwise her roles have been ones that could be done by an accomplished corps dancer. Her retirement will open up a soloist spot for a deserving corps dancer like Gorak.

Natalia, you and I seem to see Part and Vishneva very differently. Vishneva is very thin and you see every muscle. But she has long delicate muscles and a very willowy movement style. I don't see her as an allegro powerhouse - more an adagio dancer in the Makarova line. Also I find Vishneva "over the top" with her very emotive performing style but not pushy or vulgar in any way. Part is certainly beautiful and is capable of delicacy of movement but physically Vishneva is more the delicate type. Part is rather statuesque (perfect quality for Italian Ballerina) and solid and weighted. I don't think Part is the "ethereal" type ballerina - hence her not dancing Giselle with a major ballet company just her Myrtha. BTW: Tudor said in an interview that the Italian Ballerina was inspired not by a particular ballerina but by classical Italian architecture - Palladian columns and Romanesque arches etc. Interesting interview in the Times from 1998 about Gala Performance (BTW: I saw this cast - the then promising Melamed was very good replacing Dvorovenko): http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/30/movies/the-inner-ballerina-three-dancers-approach-larger-than-life-roles.html Hee Seo actually would not really work well in any of these roles but would be suitable (and has been I think) in stuff like "The Leaves are Fading" - soft lyricism is her forte.

That ABT casting doesn't quite hit it on the head for me, I would suggest: Russian: Vishneva is too soulful and delicate. Gillian could do it but Boylston is a good match too. Semionova maybe. The best would have been Irina Dvorovenko - fabulous comedienne. Over a decade ago she was to do it at City Center and was photographed in the costume for the brochure - but never performed it due to injury. Italian: Actually Veronika Part could nail this and if Vishneva were to do this ballet then Italian is her part. French: Xiomara Reyes

Likely this Giselle is part of the exchange program that is bringing Tereshkina and Shklyarov to ABT in June?

Well the panorama music is often cut down (as it was at the Maryinsky). It is stunning music and I hope to hear all of it. As for the choreographic text used in 1921 - it was staged by Nicolas Sergeieff, the former regisseur of the Imperial Russian Ballet, St. Petersburg from the notations currently housed at Harvard. So it would have been basically a faithful reconstruction of Petipa's original text as notated around 1900/1903. But I have read that Bronislava Nijinska had a hand in excising much of the mime and rechoreographing a few of the dances in Act III's wedding scene. Stravinsky made a lot of changes to Tchaikovsky's score. Given that Ratmansky in collaboration with Yuri Burlaka at the Bolshoi has used the Harvard Collection Sergeyev notations before in reconstructing "Le Corsaire" and "Esmeralda" among other Petipa ballets - and they were used in the 1890 Mariinsky "Sleeping Beauty" reconstruction, I suspect his reconstruction would be based on that material. Perhaps Doug Fullington will be involved, dare we hope? Hopefully, Ratmansky will leave Petipa's major classical dances intact limiting his original choreography to some character dances which his off-kilter sense of humor should make memorable and charming. I have read that there are sketchy portions of the Sergeyev notations like the Blind's Man Bluff section of the Hunting Party before the Vision Scene. Or the Knitting Ladies. Here are photos showing Bakst's original costume designs and some actual costumes: http://nga.gov.au/Exhibition/balletsrusses/Default.cfm?MnuID=3&GalID=23

I see there is also initial casting up for Gaite Parisienne--the two casts are Part/Stearns and Seo/Gomes. I'm not at all familiar with the ballet, but perhaps others can deduce which roles they will be dancing. Always exciting to see Part take up a new role! The role that Part would likely dance is the Glove Seller which Alexandra Danilova created and Susan Jaffe performed when it was revived by ABT over two decades ago. I missed a later performance with Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca (I think as the Peruvian). The other female roles - the Flower Seller and Can-Can Dancer - are pretty minor and can be performed by soloist or corps dancers. I guess that Stearns would be in Freddy Franklin's old role as the Baron and so would Gomes (though he might be inspired casting in the goofy comedy role of the Peruvian). The Peruvian was created by Massine for himself and is done by a shorter demi-caractere dancer. BTW: all the of secondary roles and corps choreography basically are musical comedy and can-can dancing. You really don't need a large classically trained corps to do this work - four classical dancers in technically undemanding roles and musical theater dancers for the rest. Typical of the early days of American ballet when large dance academies didn't really exist and classically trained dancers - especially men - were scarce. Many ballet men started in other areas of dance and got trained in ballet as teens or adults - i.e. Freddy Franklin and others.

I went for the Sunday matinee on December 22nd. The announced cast was Sarah Lane/Joseph Gorak. Gorak was replaced by Jared Matthews. I hadn't read the earlier review of their first show, so I was disappointed that Gorak didn't dance. However, Matthews was really quite excellent and Sarah Lane was exquisite. Lane is tiny, easy to lift and gifted in terre-a-terre petite allegro which is helpful. Jared Matthews is taller with more upper body strength and greater partnering experience than Gorak, so the PDD had no bobbles. Jared whipped out some great pirouettes in the coda. That "man of many faces" Roman Zhurbin was first sinister then charming as Drosselmeyer. I really think the grand pas needs a smaller lighter dancer as the "Dream Princess Clara". Another cast I really enjoyed in a previous season was Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo. Xiomara was feathery light and Herman partnered her beautifully. Lane had the same lightness mixed with classicism. I love Marcelo Gomes and Veronika Part. However, Part is a very grand ballerina with long limbs and she needs broader choreographic outlines with luxuriant adagio steps and jumps to work her magic. There are adagio and allegro technicians and Part is an adagio technician while Xiomara and Sarah Lane are allegro technicians with smaller limbs and greater speed. The first act of the Ratmansky "Nut" has much more action and variety than the Balanchine at NYCB. The second act, I generally prefer Balanchine to Ratmansky. I like the Dewdrop ballerina in the Waltz of the Flowers (I saw a smashing Tiler Peck dance it a few Saturdays ago with Anna Sophia Scheller as the Sugarplum). I also prefer Balanchine's choreography for the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" which follows the music better. Ratmansky has the ballerina walking around during melodic sections where she should be dancing and doing big pirouettes where petite allegro tacqueté footwork and beats would fit the music better. BAM looked well filled in the top balcony with young people and families with children. My ticket was $16.50 and I could see the stage fine.

I saw this lovely, if choreographically slight piece on December 11th. There was a talk-back afterwards with the cast. First of all, the music chosen is lovely. Poulenc, Debussy, a little Massenet and a lot more Mompou - all beautifully played by Sarah Rothenberg. A lovely evocative set and effective lighting. Basically there are four pas de deux's on different stages of a relationship - love's happy fulfillment, sad parting of the ways, joyous reconciliation and morning after regrets/separation. In between there is narration by Amy Irving as Chéri's mother and moody solos by the two protagonists. Cornejo's final solo as Chéri shows off a few pirouettes and ends in suicide. Just over an hour long. One of the newspaper critics described the choreography as watered down pas de deux's by Kenneth MacMillan without pointe work or bravura steps for the danseur. True - however Alessandra Ferri was a definitive MacMillan stylist and this role shows off much of what made her Juliet or Manon magical. There are also big echoes of her Marguerite Gautier in Neumeier's "La Dame aux Camellias" though I never saw her in the part since she retired from ABT by the time they did it. (Imagine her with Julio Bocca in that piece, I think at La Scala?). Ferri still has an amazingly flexible back and high extensions and when she is lifted (which is often) she points those arched feet like a ballerina. Ferri also changes in appeance remarkably without any makeup. In the joyous early love scenes, she can look like a teenager and later on like a careworn older woman. Every inch of her communicates deep emotion. Cornejo gives it right back to her and if he seems more callow and less complex that is true to the character of the younger feckless Chéri. He is moving as the broken man in the last scenes. However, the stage is small and the seating area intimate so you are very close to the dancers which is good. But not a lot of room for big jumps or barrel turns - that is not Clarke's style anyway. A few gems from the talkback: Ferri mentioned that every step was grounded in a dramatic motivation - there were no steps that were for pure technical display or abstract form. So if Herman put his arm around her waist it was to caress her and the lift that followed was their mutual response. Ferri said it was different from ballet where you do the steps and then try to inject human feelings and motivations into them. Each gesture or move was part of a conversation between the two dancers. Clarke mentioned that when Ferri was in her prima ballerina peak, her vocabulary was too simple for her. However, now Ferri was "ready". Also she mentioned that the big barrel turns and leaps that Herman Cornejo, in his prime, specializes in would not work for this character or the slice of life story. Cornejo charmingly interjected that he sometimes does do bravura leaps and turns at home... Amy Irving said that she was amazed at the acting of both Ferri and Cornejo and if they ever wanted to stop dancing that they could shine on the dramatic stage.

All ballet schools in Russia use the Vaganova system AFAIK, therefore certainly Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina would have been trained according to the same principles. However, if Tsiskaridze's comments about the Mariinsky/Vaganova Academy "graveyard" are true, he probably will be looking to revolutionize things and break from tradition. Lopatkina would see herself as the custodian of the purest fount of the Vaganova school. Mr. Tsiskaridze being her boss and having authority over her would make her position more untenable if they have fundamental differences in their interpretation of what constitutes proper Vaganova schooling. Both are strong-willed, are big stars with large egos but with very different personal styles. I cannot see Lopatkina submitting herself to Tsiskaridze easily. I also wonder about Vishneva's comment about the rector of the school having good morals since that person must interact with children. That comment must reflect on Tsiskaridze since he is now the rector and Vishneva is criticizing his appointment. We have heard reports of his manipulating the dancers he coached at the Bolshoi (i.e. Anzhelina Vorontsova). There were criticisms of his teaching skills and personal ethics as a coach at the Bolshoi.

Am I the only one who thinks that maybe Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina are potentially incompatible as co-leaders? I mean Lopatkina sees herself as the High Priestess of the Kirov/Mariinsky tradition and Tsiskaridze is very much from a different tradition. Also, both are very strong-willed stars with very different personal styles. Lopatkina is very focused, expresses herself carefully, is self-contained, deeply religious and in most respects, to the external view, quite conservative. Tsiskaridze is flamboyant, outspoken, aggressive, individualistic and not always truthful or direct. This is a bad combination in my eyes. Give them a few months together - no a few weeks - and the fur will fly.

For those who have been put off by the high price or scarcity of tickets for "Cinderella" next week. The box office has now opened up the Fourth Ring for all shows Wednesday through Sunday afternoon. The first two rows in the center are $91.00 but the rest are $29.00 plus the $2 service charge. Get them while they last.