FauxPas

Just a note - all the shows have available seats including the 4th and 5th Rings. I picked up a few today. Also, Lincoln Center is not selling standing room unless the shows sell out. Last night and tonight were not sold out. I checked the Atrium and talked to the sales representative there. He said that the Paris Opera Ballet is sold out (not true) but that he didn't expect that any discounted tickets will be sent to the Atrium. So in short, no standing room and no Atrium discount.

Stephane Bullion was replaced by Audric Bezard. Paquette was the blond one and Bezard was dark and had a big jump. "Suite en Blanc" reminded me of a cross between "Symphony in C" and Lander's "Etudes" (less in your face flashy). Constantly interesting combinations and great variety all within the strict classical idiom. All the ballerinas had perfect pirouettes, high clean fouettés and dazzling balances. They all looked like potential Raymondas or Auroras. I was taken by Karl Paquette's entrechat sixes and Mathieu Ganio's beautiful line. Marie-Agnes Gillot was gorgeous. BTW: Agnes Letestu was out as Cigarette replaced by Gillot and I think Cozette or Gilbert is dancing the part later on. Letestu still has a bio in the program but her name is not on the cast list, so I don't think she came over. Aurelie Dupont has the ethereal beauty and serene grace of some kind of dancing goddess and every move was perfect and gorgeous. Benjamin Pech is a charmer. "Arlesienne" by Roland Petit is from a famous naturalistic 19th century play by Alphonse Daudet. It concerns a country farmer Frederi who falls in love with an unseen titular Woman from Arles who turns out to be an unfaithful tramp. One of his own farmhands admits to relations with her! The farmer falls into a deep depression and fatalistic despair that his childhood sweetheart Vivette (who is the girl in the ballet) and mother cannot shake him from. The farmer then hurls himself from a hayloft and commits suicide. Where is Cher in "Moonstruck" to slap him upside the head and say "Snap Out of IT!!"? Jeremie Belingard had remarkable speed and precision in his turns and footwork and danced with unusual emotional commitment and intensity. Isabella Ciarovola was lovely as Vivette. The ballet is worth seeing but Belingard made it a special event. "Bolero" brought the house down. The precision of the movements in these modern works and the technical command of the dancers do bring an extra dimension to these 20th century works that were choreographed for modern dance or modern ballet companies. Every move seems to be in high definition as the Paris Opera Ballet dancers perform them - the choreography is always very clear.

The problem now, Puppytreats is that with Carreno, Stiefel, Corella and Beloserkovsky (in effect) gone, there is a need for a medium to tall danseur to partner Irina, Gillian, Paloma and Julie. David, Cory and Marcelo can only dance so many nights and the tall girls - Semionova, Part et al. need them. Osipova has developed a partnership with Hallberg and Vishneva prefers Marcelo. Those "flying, spinning top DQ types" such as Simkin, Cornejo and Vasiliev are too short to partner those ladies. I suspect Cory will get another shot as Basilio in "Don Quixote" next year though both he and Bolle are really better suited to Espada. We really don't know if Muntagirov, Matvienko or even Vasiliev are coming back next year (though I think we can count on Vasiliev). Kobborg would be the easiest to pair with Cojocaru in "Manon", "Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty", "Onegin" etc. but I think he is really past those roles at this point except for "Onegin".

The first line of my post is "Casting predictions/suggestions". It comes from my head. Bolle definitely could dance Conrad. Basilio in "Don Quixote" is in his repertory - he has danced it with Sylvie Guillem. I would add him to "Sleeping Beauty" definitely - possibly with Dvorovenko or Murphy. Kent has danced Manon many times with ABT - she is about the same height as Vishneva and there were no technical problems whatsoever. Kent looks very tall onstage because of her long willowy proportions. But she actually falls into the "normal size" rather than "tall" ballerina category. I believe that Alina has danced Manon with the Royal Ballet many times. I saw her dance the pas de deux with Angel at the opening night gala. She was lovely but comes across as too girl next door and ingenuous. But I don't think that is the last word on her Manon and people who have seen her in the role in London perhaps can comment with more authority. Anyway, I think she should be given a shot at the role with some more acting coaching. I wish Angel could dance it with her at ABT but anyway... Hee Seo is another potential Manon and though she probably would seem too virginal in the role.

Casting predictions/suggestions: Swan Lake: Semionova/Hallberg; Part/Bolle; Boylston/Simkin; Osipova/Hallberg or Gomes; Herrera/Stearns; Murphy/Mungatirov; Vishneva(?)/Gomes; Dvorovenko/Matvienko. Other possibilities - Messmer/Forster; Abrera/Radetsky; Cojocaru/Hallberg Sleeping Beauty: Osipova/Hallberg; Part/Gomes; Herrera/Stearns; Dvorovenko/Muntagirov; Cojocaru/Hallberg; Reyes/Cornejo; Murphy/Matvienko. Possibilities: Lane/Simkin; Boylston/Gorak; Abrera/Radetsky; Kajiya/Matthews Don Q: Osipova/Vasiliev; Murphy/Gomes(?)or Matvienko; Dvorovenko/Muntagirov; Herrera/Bolle or Stearns; Semionova/Hallberg; Cornejo/Reyes. Other possibilities: Boylston/Simkin; Lane/Phillips; Copeland/Salstein; Novikova/Sarafanov or Obraztsova/Sarafanov Le Corsaire: same as this year. Add Bolle as Conrad, Matvienko as Ali, Semionova as Medora, Muntagirov as Conrad, Zhong-Jing Fang and Christine Schevchenko as Gulnare Onegin: same casting as this year. Add Cojocaru/Kobborg. Give Cory Lensky and put in someone like Forster or Hammoudi as Onegin. Manon: Vishneva/Gomes; Kent/Bolle; Reyes/Cornejo; Cojocaru/Hallberg; Dvorovenko/Bolle or Gorak? New Ratmansky full length A Month in the Country: This will be the same trio as "Lady of the Camellias" - Vishneva, Kent and Dvorovenko. Part could do this part too I suspect. Symphony in C: 2nd movement will be Part, Vishneva, Kent and Semionova. Add Hee Seo to the mix as well.

Okay I will try to do another run down for 2012: Ethan Stiefel, Angel Corella and José Manuel Carreno are gone now. Here is what is left: Maxim Beloserkovsky: Only danced one show - "Apollo". According to a Deborah Jowitt online review, he did well. However, the fact that he only danced in the opening night gala (Swan Lake Act II pas de deux - only partnering there) and one Apollo suggests that the management is pushing him out. His non-appearances last year had to do with injury, this year there is no such excuse. Roberto Bolle: Everything I said last year still applies. Glad to see that he is doing the City Center Fall season. Let him partner Veronika Part again and let the callow Cory Stearns partner another more junior ballerina who is closer to his age and level. Herman Cornejo: Had an excellent season this year with no injuries. Developing as an artist and as a partner. Still too short for many roles but always expanding his repertory. Marcelo Gomes: What can I say? The man is a god to me. Everything I said last year still applies. David Hallberg: Not as crazy versatile as Marcelo but a beautiful dancer. Now he has to split his time with the Bolshoi and is guesting worldwide. Cory Stearns: Cory is developing - his Albrecht with Hee Seo showed strong improvement as an interpreter and in his technique. He has beautiful line and finishes his steps elegantly. He isn't flashy but has a long-limbed open lyrical style of dancing that has potential. I did not see his Romeo this year but did see the Siegfried and Conrad partnering Veronika Part. This is not a good combination. Her authority, womanliness and depth make him seem very bland and boyish - totally callow and out of his league. That is IT right now for the regular male principals. Let's talk about the male guests who papered over the cracks: Johan Kobborg: This is a very good dancer who now is over 40 and it is starting to show. It was not showing as much last year when he was brought in for a "Giselle" and also ended up with two Prince Florimund/Desirés in"Sleeping Beauty". I am familiar with him from seeing him on tours with the Royal Ballet. He was never a flashy pyrotechnics dancer but an elegant classicist with some strong turning and petit and grand allegro abilities. Very articulated leg and footwork. I didn't see him as the Dancer in "The Bright Stream" so I missed his Sylphide travesti turn. Supposedly Kobborg did some impressive pointe work there including multiple unsupported pirouettes. The Romeo showed its value in his superb partnering of Cojocaru who clearly blossoms when she dances with him. His solo work was initially shaky but he improved as the evening wore on seeming to warm up during each act. The Conrad in "Corsaire" seemed awkward and technically fallible and in comparison with the high powered bravura of Vasiliev and Osipova (and strong support from Kajiya, Matthews and Arron Scott) he definitely looked underpowered. I say don't rehire him as a guest next year. If Cojocaru insists on a package deal (which she didn't in her earlier seasons as a guest with ABT - his debut last year was a last-minute necessity) then get a waiver from the Cranko estate and let him dance Onegin to Cojocaru's Tatiana - but that's it. He can handle that part and I want to see him do it. Denis Matvienko: I thought his one Solor in "Bayadere" was a wonderful debut. He had glamour, authority, dramatic projection and powerful technique. More please. Matvienko also has a lovely and accomplished ballerina wife Anastasia who would not disgrace the company at all. Could be awkward having another Kiev trained married couple nipping at Max and Irina's heels but they are both every good. I would love to see him in "Swan Lake" and "Giselle". Both he and his wife recently left the Mariinsky to be freelancers. They could be snapped up (possibly only as regular guest artists) and do the Spring Met season. Matvienko's fully matured artistry and experience could be very useful in the short term. Vadim Muntagirov: Very fine dancer with beautiful lines and a bouyant jump. Critics have compared him to the young Damian Woetzel and I can see the similarities. Undeveloped as an actor but he is young and many of these roles (in the ABT productions) are new to him. Obviously, the English National Ballet is going to have a hard time holding on to him. If ABT wants another accomplished principal, I say offer him a contract. In kindness, they may let him split his time between English National Ballet (not a full-time operation) and ABT. Maybe give him one more guest contract for Spring 2013 and then take him on full-time. Ivan Vasiliev: Okay I was very down on him earlier this season. But the Ali in "Corsaire" (especially the Thursday night show) really turned me around as to his possibilities. He is an exciting dancer. The Ali had more finished technique with more line and no stumbling around between bravura steps that showed that he can be a classicist. Definitely a bravura demi-caractère dancer but an exciting one. However, I don't think he should join ABT as a regular principal. First of all, he is not versatile, he is another short dancer who is limited in his emploi and he hasn't shown an affinity for other types of choreography besides Soviet style Bolshoi bravura. I couldn't see him dancing Tharp, Tudor or Balanchine. Nor should he dance Albrecht, Siegfried or Apollo. He would benefit from some coaching by Kevin McKenzie to clean up his rough edges, curb his tendency to push steps too hard and losing control and develop a sense of line. He needs to connect the steps and keep an elegant carriage between the big jumps and turns. If Vasilev isn't too much of an international superstar to take some coaching, he would benefit. We also don't know if he is going to be personally attached to Osipova indefinitely. If there is an ugly breakup, this could complicate matters. Another potential invitee: Leonid Sarafanov possibly partnering Olesya Novikova or Evgenia Obraztsova in "Don Quixote" next Spring 2013. Now that I see that Sergei Polunin is back to dancing and guesting in Russia, he is another possibility. Next promotion from Soloist to Principal dancer: Daniil Simkin. Again he is limited in his emploi but is eminently deserving of promotion. On the soloist level: Gennadi Saveliev is leaving which leaves us with: Alexandre Hammoudi: Just promoted. Needs a lot of coaching. The charisma is there but not the technique. Not the greatest actor too though he looks great onstage. Jared Matthews: Did a lot of fine work this season - particularly as Lensky in the "A-list" opening night cast of "Onegin" Losing the blandness and dancing better than ever. Go Jared! Sascha Radetsky: Going nowhere at ABT - should possibly consider leaving ABT with his wife and seeing if San Francisco Ballet will take them. Craig Salstein: I love him but not principal material Superb comedian and very versatile stylistically. His Mercutio showed what a fantastic dancer he is. Daniil Simkin: I did not see the Siegfried with Boylston but read the reviews. Seems that he still feels and looks very young onstage. A boy wonder, not a danseur noble. Can do anything with his legs he wants to but is not yet a complete artist. Still he has done well in enough roles (Prodigal Son, Puck in "The Dream", Franz in "Coppelia") that he is worth continuing to develop. He will be promoted and soon. Lots of potential soloists still in the corps: Mikhail Ilyin, Joseph Gorak (breakthrough season for him), Joseph Phillips, Arron Scott, Thomas Forster and Eric Tamm (he hasn't done much this season). I would like to see more of Roman Zhurbin, Roddy Doble and Vitali Krauchenka in real dancing solo roles rather than mime heavies. They could take over some of Gennadi's old assignments. I also would like to see more of Luis Ribagorda (I liked his Neapolitan dance in "Swan Lake" Act III.)

Simkin is likely the next promotion to principal status and then after that Boylston. Giving Hammoudi roles like Romeo and Piotr in "The Bright Stream" and keeping him in the corps is rather awkward. On the other hand, I saw Hammoudi as Piotr and he partnered Part rather well. However, in his solos he listed to one side in pirouettes and turns and looked technically insecure. At other times I have found Hammoudi's partnering downright scary. Hammoudi at times has a goofy look about him onstage (his mouth assumes crooked positions). He has the charisma, height, look and strength but he needs a LOT of work in the studio. If Seo's first Giselle was bland she has grown immeasurably in the role and was heartbreaking this year with Cory Stearns. The Nikiya was a bit stiff but had lovely promising qualities that will grow with repetition. Seo projects a spiritual aura onstage and there is something unique and special about her. I just hope she can stay uninjured and solidify her technique.

Seo was an exquisite Giselle this year and a very promising Nikiya. Everyone loves her Juliet and the reports of her Onegin have been favorable. Her model and idol is Julie Kent. She is a lyrical ballerina, period. Nothing wrong with that but the Gamzatti this year showed Hee's limitations. Misty also didn't excel as Gamzatti though she may improve with repetition (dancing next to sputnik Ivan Vasiliev is another challenge). Isabella Boylston's Gamzatti improved mightily when she got a second crack at it subbing for Osipova. Boylston is strong and I think deserves the opportunities that have been given her recently. Actually the best Gamzatti besides Osipova and Murphy was Simone Messmer who exuded ballerina authority and technical security. She seemed a rounded and mature artist. I think that Simone should get a chance at Odette-Odile next season.

I love Misty dearly but she really shines in modern choreography. When grooming principals, ABT really focuses on who can carry the big classical ballets. Currently the two soloists who are being pushed into big classical parts are Heo Seo and Isabella Boylston (unlucky in love, lucky in her career right now! Take that Natalie Portman! - who is the real Black Swan?). Stella has danced the Kudelka "Cinderella" (beautifully) and big parts like Gamzatti and Myrtha and Lilac Fairy but not much else. That scheduled Giselle never came back her way after she returned from her long recovery from injury. Sarah Lane proved she had the right stuff in spades with her Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty" but never got another big role. ABT brought in Cojocaru and Osipova (with Semionova probably taking the role in the future) taking the opportunity to repeat the role away from her. This season, like Abrera, Lane has been relegated to third or fourth casts with few new roles. Sarah seems to be the go-to girl for the peasant pas de deux or one of the wilis or odalisques but she has stalled right there. Riccetto has realized she is never making principal and is taking time off to explore other horizons. So the favored soloists marked for promotion are Seo and Boylston. Stella and Sarah are just marking time.

I am interested in hearing reports from anyone who saw Beloserkovsky Wednesday night in his lone performance (other than the opening night gala) of the season in "Apollo". Deborah Jowitt was there and found him in good form. I think if you can manage the jumps and partnering in "Apollo" you could manage a "Swan Lake" or perhaps a "Giselle". Anyway, Jowitt and I are kind of on the same page about "The Firebird" a la Ratmansky: http://www.artsjournal.com/dancebeat/2012/06/flaming-magic-and-goofy-girls/

I also went to see the McKenzie gala on Wednesday night. I agree that Misty Copeland is the most effective Firebird. This is not a slam on Misty but she is dancing choreography that is fully using her technical possibilities whereas Osipova seems hemmed in. We know that Osipova can jump higher and wilder. Misty is also filling in the details better. I saw Misty fight to gain her freedom from Ivan's grasp and then learn to respect his bravery. I just feel the dramatic arc is all over the place with too much going on and you just don't where to focus. When the four leads go into that pas de quatre it just goes off the rails. At least Misty made it clear that she is trying to weave some kind of spell over everyone to stave off any violence but then she is being tossed around by Ivan and Kastchei and you are scratching your head. What is going on? There is an interesting ballet in there but it needs to be brought out with some editing. I don't think the sets are cheap looking - they have a "Tim Burton" kind of techno cartoon creepiness that I like.

I guess the wall scene is to show Prince Ivan surmounting his fears and becoming a hero...I guess. Also, the apples seemed extraneous in this telling of the story. In the earlier Fokine and Balanchine it is clear that the apple grove is tended by the maidens for Kaschei and the magical golden apples are for his feeding and care. They also attract the Firebird to the forest grove. Later on the maidens play catch with the apples in a playful dance. Ratmansky just has the apples lined up at the front of the stage where they seem extraneous. We don't even get the idea that they have fallen from the trees nor that the maidens gather there to collect golden apples for Kaschei. And then the Princess and Ivan kind of do pranks and schtick with the apples offering them to each other and pretending to eat them and that looks goofy. Again, if the apples are not really being used as part of the story then cut them. As for the Leto birthing scene in "Apollo" - again the coaching was lacking here. When I have seen it done by other companies you have a tall imposing ballerina who really gives you the throes of childbirth with real agony and the legs shooting upward. Sarah Smith looked like she was doing yoga.

Thirteen Diversions: This is a fine work by Wheeldon - I think among his best. However, the substitution of four different soloists really seemed to mess up the ensemble. Misty Copeland was stunning but the men (three substitutes) seemed all over the place in their group dancing - different height jumps, messy formations, you name it. It looked better and more together last year. Apollo: David Hallberg has it in him to be a great Apollo. However, the music was slow and soft and so were the movements. Everybody seemed to have soft flowing balletic arms. It looked neoromantic and not spare and modern neoclassical. David also didn't properly execute the jump where he shifts the pelvis contrapposto. The arms and upper bodies were too soft and there was little or no sculptural angularity of movement. Also in the entrance of the muses Veronika Part had her arabesques and ecartés at 90 degrees whereas Hee Seo and Stella Abrera were kicking up to their chins or to the back of the head practically. Veronika learned this role at the Mariinsky over a decade ago and she had authority and elegance. NYSusan pointed out that Stella Abrera and Hee Seo should have switched roles since Polyhymnia needs an allegro dancer and Hee Seo is a soft lyrical dancer. Someone like Maria Riccetto, Isabella Boylston or Sarah Lane would have been better. BTW: Stella looked in top form tonight and in the matinee two weeks ago of "The Bright Stream" as the Ballet Dancer. (Veronika Part was stunning as Zina but no mask can hide that unique face and body and she could never be mistaken for Stella even on a very dark night) Yet Stella is down mostly for later casts often relegated to the Wednesday matinee. ABT has just thrown Radetsky and Abrera aside. If it is due to age, well most of their regular principals are over 35 and if it is due to past injuries to areas of the body which could be reinjured - well then why are they giving every ballerina role to Hee Seo who also has suffered multiple back injuries? Abrera is the finer dancer and artist right now. Rant over. Anyway, Richard Tanner was listed as the ballet master on "Apollo" and I think it would benefit the company if someone else took a look at it. The Firebird: I came in expecting to hate it. I have seen the original Fokine done by the Mariinsky and Balanchine's done by NYCB. This really did go against certain traditions that Balanchine faithfully followed after Fokine. First of all both Prince Ivan and Kaschei the Immortal really dance - a lot. In Fokine and Balanchine, Ivan is mainly a partner who walks around and pantomimes and Kaschei is all pantomime. It starts out with Prince Ivan sleeping on the floor of some bleak looking interior with a door. The Prince awakens, decides to venture out into the big, bad world and makes the sign of the cross over his chest. Then he goes through that door in some Freudian rite of passage Joseph Campbell thing. Surprise, surprise, I liked the forest set - yes the trees looked kind of weird but it was colorful and compelling and imaginative. Second surprise - we don't get the entrance of The Firebird - we get a Firebird corps - male and female. Here I am with Fokine and Balanchine - one Firebird, a female and she is unique. Then the Firebird enters in the person of Natalia Osipova with flickering arms and feet and feral darting eyes. She dances among her fellow firebirds - clearly like Odette in "Swan Lake" the firebird queen. Ivan sees her and grabs her after a pretty realistic tussle. The other firebirds don't attack him. With friends like that.... The pas de deux gets rather romantic with the Firebird swooning over Ivan's shoulder. I like Balanchine and Fokine better where the Firebird is a wild animal who must be tamed. Ratmansky's Prince Ivan lets this Firebird out of his grasp to dance out of and back into his arms. Balanchine and Fokine's Prince keeps a firm hold on his prey who pulls away from him until she realizes to respect his strength and bravery. Then the Princesses come in and they are all in weird ragged green tutus with green and yellow Raggedy Ann fright wigs. They are all on pointe and dance a rather interesting group classical choreography. No character shoes and pantomime like in the classic versions. However they are portrayed as klutzy and kooky including the main Princess danced with real flair and courage by Simone Messmer. Kaschei comes in alone with no attending demons (nice shadowplay in the background). Again, Kaschei has lots of choreography and his hold over these maidens seems to be psychosexual. Interesting and kind of kinky but I can take that in my fairy tales. What Ratmansky is up to with Prince Ivan, the Princess, the Firebird and Kaschei dancing a moody pas de quatre with all sorts of lifts and tossing each other around is beyond me. Finally we get the breaking of the egg that holds Kaschei's soul and the rest is pretty straightforward. The maidens lose the ugly green tutus and become elegant blonde maidens in long white shifts. Their knightly lovers are freed from inside the metallic trees. Everybody dances including the Firebird who is handled by the male corps in a rather familiar way. Again in B & F there are demons and no one touches the Firebird except for Prince Ivan - Ratmansky kind of demystifies the Firebird. I kept expecting Osipova to tear into some stage spanning grand jetés but no - most of her choreography was petite batterie and little jumps. Osipova was fierce and danced with great detail and precision and speed seeming otherworldly. I liked a lot of the choreography and the design but questioned several of the choices. I think this is a quirky success. Ratmansky has cut down on the pantomime, processions and character dancing and upped the classical dancing quotient. Lots of group dancing where once there were pantomime scenes or tableaux. All women are on pointe and all the men have bravura steps. Traditionalists will hate it and others will embrace it.

In the Tchaikovsky opera (which I know better than the novel), Onegin discusses the Uncle as if he is alive. Also, in both the opera and the ballet, Onegin returns Tatiana's letter.

I saw the Julie Kent/Roberto Bolle performance last night. This ballet needs a lot of dramatic voltage from the dancers to make an exciting evening. It doesn't play itself. Kent and Bolle are lovely dancers but took too long to catch fire - it was too little, too late. Especially in comparison with Vishneva/Gomes on Tuesday night. Kent was lovely and wasn't unconvincing from a distance as a teenager. But her Act I and II Tatiana was very quiet and introverted without the intensely repressed emotion that Vishneva (and Haydée and Makarova and Ferri and...) brought to the role. She was shy, lyrical and small-scale. Very natural, truthful and subtle but not intense. I didn't get a sense of wild new emotions straining to break free. Whereas Vishneva suggested a rich inner life under the surface, Kent seemed dull and prim. The role's choreographic demands are well within Kent's current physical capabilities - there is not a lot of sustained dancing especially at the beginning. In the pas de deuxs she is lifted a lot. Roberto Bolle basically has a warm, understated sympathetic personality on stage. Bolle is not the kind of performer who transforms himself into the character like Gomes or Bocca did. He works from his own very glamorous and charismatic personality and if it fits the role, then all is good. He is very much the Prince onstage - essentially gracious. He is imposing but unthreatening. His Albrecht is not really a cad and as Onegin he tried hard to be one but no cigar. In the first act, Bolle smiled too much especially when he is dancing with Tatiana - it is automatic with him, he is very much the gallant with his partners. His tall, dark good looks fit the Byronic image to perfection and his dancing was wonderfully clear, expansive and controlled. But the emotional darkness of the character wasn't there - he played the cruel actions but didn't seem to be feeling them or knowing where they come from. So what he did to Tatiana seemed random and offhand. It struck me that his temperment is better suited to Lensky but who would you cast as Onegin with him? Now Pushkin's Onegin is a complex character - he is young, very bored and Tatiana's actions are actually very aggressive for a woman of that time. The woman, especially a virtuous young one, is not supposed to take the initiative with a man. And for a woman of her class a declaration of love means marriage - something that Onegin at that time - dependent on a sick uncle - cannot decide for himself. So his cool return of the letter could be seen not as a callous rejection but a brotherly admonition from someone who at that time is not interested in or able to enter into marriage. Cranko makes him into a sadistic male tease who enjoys leading Tatiana on and then cutting her dead. Anyway both Kent and Bolle did their best work in the last act as the mature regal Tatiana and the repentant, truly amorous Onegin. Kent danced the Act III pas de deux with Prince Gremin with a swan-like grace and tenderness with beautiful supported promenades and arabesques. Kent also subtly suggested the conflicting emotions that tore Tatiana apart in the final scene with Onegin where she rejects him. Having more positive and vulnerable emotions to play worked to Bolle's favor and he seemed genuinely repentent and sincere. Suddenly the two seemed to be sparking off of each other and the emotion was at the right level. But then the ballet was over. Just a note - all the lifts and partnering worked very well. The problem with their Letter/Dream Onegin pdd at the opening night gala was not only a lack of rehearsal but the stage was too shallow. Here Kent and Bolle were better rehearsed and had the whole stage to traverse whereas at the opening night gala they only had the front third of the Met stage to work with. Also I think this pas de deux needs to be rehearsed on the actual stage itself which it might not have been at the gala. The rest of the cast was fine. Jared Matthews stepped in as Lensky again replacing Blaine Hoven and did well. In his Act III solo there were a few shaky moments which weren't present in his excellent opening night performance. Maria Riccetto was a good Olga with lovely clear footwork and turns but less ballon and vivacity than Osipova (a really hard act to follow). Roman Zhurbin was very sensitive and warm as Prince Gremin and an excellent partner. Martine Van Hamel as Mme. Larina and Nancy Raffa as the Nurse are always welcome presences on the stage and added a touch of character and class to their limited assignments. Decent but far from filled house.

Yes both Natasha and Diana made role debuts. Both Irina Dvorovenko and Julie Kent did Tatiana in the 2001 and 2002 performances. Maria Riccetto was one of the Olgas back then too. Xiomara Reyes was another Olga in her first season with the company. Susan Jaffe was also a Tatiana back then but last night danced Madame Larina - made me feel a little old... I kept trying to see Alessandra Ferri as Tatiana but I think she canceled both seasons. Angel Corella, Ethan Stiefel and Vladimir Malakhov were three of the Lenskys. Later at a gala, Ferri and Bocca danced the third act pas de deux where Tatiana rejects Onegin many years later. It burned up the stage. I wished ABT had paired them in the entire ballet.

Okay, if casting is posted - do we know any of these dancers? Is anyone following this company and can provide a cast list and advice on which cast to see?

Didn't Makarova stage her ABT "Bayadere" in late 1980? Wasn't ABT performing their Spring/Summer season at the New York State Theater at that time? I distinctly remember that in the 1970's they performed there. However a check of the ABT website showed that their full-length "Bayadere" premiered at the Met: ABT Premiere: Metropolitan Opera House, New York, 5/21/80 Cast: Natalia Makarova (Nikiya), Anthony Dowell (Solor), Cynthia Harvey(Gamzatti), Victor Barbee (The Rajah Dugmanta), Alexander Minz (The High Brahmin), Johan Renvall (The Bronze Idol) However, I believe Makarova staged the Kingdom of the Shades as a stand-alone piece in 1974 at the NY State Theater and that was when the reduction to 24 shades was likely instituted: ABT Premiere of "The Kingdom of the Shades": New York State Theater, New York, 7/3/74 Cast: Cynthia Gregory (Nikiya), Ivan Nagy (Solor), Karena Brock, Deborah Dobson, Martine van Hamel (shades) The State/Koch stage is definitely shallower and smaller than the Metropolitan Opera stage which is like a football field. The Met stage can definitely handle 32 shades - and I also saw Paris Opera Ballet do the Nureyev "Bayadere" with 32 shades on a Met tour in 1996. My Nikiyas were Isabelle Guerin, Elisabeth Platel (also Gamzatti) and Carole Arbo.

Quick note on Monday night: Alina Cojocaru is a beautiful dancer with gorgeous arms and stunning musicality. However, in the "Shades" the multiple pirouettes in the Scarf solo weren't quite pristine. You could also see her thinking her way through some of movements - making adjustments to the foot, the hip etc. Nothing major but noticeable. However in the coda she shot like a speeding bullet through the chainés bringing the house down. She is a good turner with high extensions and beautiful line. Her phrasing of the steps to the music is a revelation. I was told by someone who saw her last Thursday that she was much better that evening. Herman Cornejo danced his solos splendidly with incredible beats and elevation and lightning fast turns. However, he was somewhat blank dramatically and didn't give a lot of emotion for the ladies to work off of. His partnering was fine despite the fact that he was shorter than Boylston and Cojocaru has much longer arms and legs than he does. Isabella Boylston shook off some of the minor problems she had last Wednesday growing perceptibly in the part of Gamzatti. She acted with more command and really tore into the coda of the Betrothal grand pas. The Italian fouettés were high and solid and the regular fouettés were fast and high if she finished them without total control. She is well on her way. Roddy Doble was an imposing High Priest depending on height and physical presence without the acting detail that Victor Barbee brings to the role. Sarah Lane shone as the First Shade, Yuriko Kajiya was pleasant but unmemorable as the Third Shade. Maria Riccetto was back as the Second Shade and her technique and control really showed what Devon Teuscher and Melanie Hamrick lack. Leann Underwood has also danced this solo well but seems not to be performing. Craig Salstein again did a fine job as the Golden Idol. The dramatic temperature was lower than several of the performances last week. The only excitement came when Cornejo let loose in his solos and Cojocaru tore through the coda of the "Shades" act.

I was there last night. Hee Seo danced a really fine and very promising Nikiya. She has a creamy upper body epaulement and lots of lyrical elegance in the feet and legs. The upper body flows and the footwork in Act I was quite proficient with delicacy and precision. Seo's face is very expressive and her Nikiya shone with a serene radiance. The duet with Solor in the first temple scene was full of passion and she threw herself into the poses with a little more naturalness than Part did on Tuesday. The harem pants solo in the Betrothal Scene was very well danced with easy extensions and smooth transitions from standing stretched upward on pointe to deep penchée with the leg extended back and upward. In the Kingdom of the Shades, Seo started out very well but then seemed to freeze up in the Scarf Solo variation with the unsupported pirouettes (Part has trouble with that section too). She lost smoothness and control and got a bit wobbly. However she recovered for the coda with a whiplash series of chainé turns (much faster than Part on Tuesday). The last act, Seo had nicely light quiet jetés. All in all, Seo was lovely but needs to get a bit more physical strength in turns, stamina in the "Shades" section and develop just a bit more dramatic authority. Last night Seo seemed well on her way. Vadim Mungatirov (product of the Perm Academy and the Royal Ballet School) is a fine young dancer (only 22). Long elegant body, beautiful smooth turns and a beautiful light high jump. Beautiful lines and lovely arms. His mime is clear without the passion and authority Gomes has. His solos got big applause. I would say he would be a fine acquisition if the English National Ballet would be willing to give him up or share him with ABT. Isabella Boylston danced Gamzatti very, very well with exciting attack and strong technique. She did have one or two tentative moments (a tiny inconsequential flubbed traveling step in the "Pas de Venus" Gamzatti solo in the Pas D'Action in the Betrothal Scene PDD and a passing bit of initial stiffness in the Makarova choreographed solo in Act III). After that little flub Boylston turned in a bravura prima ballerina performance in the coda showing off excellent Italian fouettés finished by a solid set of regular fouettés. Her Gamzatti is a bit of the spoiled petulant princess without the grandeur Murphy brings to the part. However, Murphy only recently developed full dramatic authority in this role and Boylston is just starting out. A bit more experience and she will be more than fine. Barbee was again the High Brahmin with Hammoudi rather bland and goofy looking as the Rajah Dugamanta. Christine Shevchenko danced the happy 1st shade solo, a somewhat stiff Devon Teuscher danced the difficult 2nd shade and a fine Simone Messmer danced the 3rd shade solo very well. I wonder what is up with Leann Underwood who often dances the shade solos and other soloist roles? She is very fine. I also think Gemma Bond would have done a better job than Devon Teuscher. Craig Salstein had an amazing night as the Golden Idol - very high and tight and fast turns and jumps. He was an explosion of energy up there. The sets look much better from the orchestra level where the light hits them better and the painted perspective is at the correct angle. I told my companions after Act I that if this is the future of ABT, then it will be fine. I was a little less enthusiastic after Act II but still found it a very fine evening. Evidently Corey Stearns did well at the matinee (I was at work but heard first-hand reports).

The musical disaster occurred at the end of Act I during the chords where Giselle rushes in to separate Albrecht and Bathilde just before the mad scene. Someone didn't play or came in late. I have noticed that David LaMarche is quite the best conductor at ABT while Ormsby Wilkins is much less good. I think it was Wilkins last night.

Quick review of Monday night: Dvorovenko and Bolle. Dvorovenko in general is a very good Giselle. She has strong acting ability and has worked out many fine effects. Yes it is a bit calculated but the effects land in all the right places. Dvorovenko is naturally a strong personality but she creates a nicely traditional sunny but shy and retiring young girl. (Her hair now has some honey blonde highlights in it) The physical and mental fragility seems a bit pasted on and emerges out of nowhere. Whereas Vishneva on Saturday night clearly indicated early hints of the heart problems and frailty. This was done even before Giselle has her first episode during the early group dance with the peasant girls. Vishneva even hinted a bit at mental instability before the mad scene. Irina was kind of vibrant and happy and then suddenly was fainting in Albrecht's arms. She danced very strongly in both acts with excellent footwork and strong technique. The Spessivtzeva variation got a big ovation which she acknowledged at the front of the stage. The mad scene was quite dramatic and wild but didn't seem to emerge from the girl we saw earlier. Roberto Bolle is a superb Albrecht. First of all he is extremely aristocratic right from his first entrance where his measured gestures, imposing height and lofty manner definitely suggest somebody who didn't grow up in a straw thatched cottage. Giselle should have sensed that he is different than the other village boys but then again, this Albrecht looks like a Roman god leaving any young girl dazed and confused. In fact, Irina was the most infatuated and lovestruck of all the Giselles I have seen this season (Seo, Cojocaru, Vishneva and Dvorovenko). Bolle was neither a cad (like Corella or Gomes) nor a sensitive poet/ruminative Hamlet figure (like Hallberg). There was something very centered and authoritative in his mime that suggested a man who is used to dominating his companions and surroundings. Lots of smiles and flirtation but he never lost his self-command or dignity. His dancing was very clear with very controlled turns, strong leaps and crystalline beats and footwork. Blaine Hoven and Maria Riccetto danced the Peasant PDD with lots of bouyancy and precision. Hoven looks a tiny bit thick around the waist and hips onstage but danced well and on the music with secure landings. Act II had another strong Myrtha from Simone Messmer. Christine Shevchenko and Zhong-Jing Fang were wonderful (particularly Fang) as Moyna and Zulma. Fang should be dancing Giselle somewhere if not ABT. Bolle and Dvorovenko both did well except for an unfortunate incident during the overhead lifts. Evidently this was not rehearsed quite enough and Bolle isn't as familiar with Dvorovenko as he is with other ballerinas or Belotserkovsky (naturellement) is with his wife and partner. The first lift found Irina badly centered and she started to pitch forward and down. I think she tried to throw herself into a backbend to compensate and she nearly fell over the other way. After a few seconds of mid-air flailing, Bolle put her down (he managed remarkable composure during those horrible seconds). On the second overhead lift, Bolle made sure he had a firm grasp of Irina's hips and it went off without a hitch. Dvorovenko dug in and pushed onward like nothing happened. No other glitches marred the second act. Dvorovenko's entrechats in the grand pas were high and fast. Bolle I think added an extra set of entrechats during the coda really pushing for the superhuman. His solo was superbly danced. Bolle lost some of his aristocratic cool in Act II quite visibly moved by encountering Giselle's ghost and weeping inconsolably over her grave at the end. There were a lot of Italians in the audience there to see their national dance hero. Lots of applause except for one person who seemed to be booing persistently in the Dress Circle level. Bolle had two stuffed animals (little plush puppy dogs) thrown onstage at his solo curtain call as a presentation/gift. For me it was a starry and dramatic performance and both Bolle and Dvorovenko have charisma and impressive technique. But for me the real chemistry and deep interpretation came from Vishneva and Gomes on Saturday night. They were working on a deeper level of communication. Vishneva also creates a real atmosphere of magic and drama onstage - particularly her Act II wili. Every moment seemed to be a wondrous discovery. This was very good but not on the same level.

Here is a video of Baryshnikov performing the brisés volés: Here is Bujones performing entrechats sixes: What I have noticed is that taller, longer legged danseur noble type Albrechts (Gomes, Hallberg) do the entrechats. Shorter more aerial Albrechts like Baryshnikov and Cornejo do the brisé volés.

On Wednesday, I took the day off and decided to check out Hee Seo and Corey Stearns making their NYC debuts as Giselle and Albrecht at the matinee performance. These are two dancers who have been earmarked for promotion and given major opportunities denied to other talented dancers in the company (Stella Abrera, Sarah Lane, Zhong-Jing Fang, Joseph Philips, Sascha Radetsky et al.) In the case of Corey his partnering has often been lacking, his technique merely adequate and his stage presence handsome but bland. Hee Seo has always been a lovely presence but her career trajectory has been plagued by recurrent injuries which have taken her out for whole seasons. Well on Wednesday afternoon they both justified Kevin McKenzie's extreme favoritism. It was a beautiful performance by both dancers. Hee Seo has gorgeous soft lines and clear bouyant technique. In Giselle's first entrance with the high skipping jumps in the air, she seemed to levitate a bit at the height of each jump. Seo and Stearns both seem very, very young onstage giving them unusual sympathetic innocence and vulnerability. With such young performers the wild extreme passions and terrible mistakes the characters make seem very credible and understandable. Hee Seo began as a very sunny but naturally shy and maidenly Giselle. She reminded me quite a bit of Marianna Tcherkassky's take on the role. Hee Seo has a wonderful natural smile and her facial expressions and acting come from deep inside and are shared with the audience with a kind of shy diffidence. No calculation or artifice were discernible. She isn't the wildest Giselle out there - her mad scene was a retreat into a childlike internal world. She was a naturally peaceful and serene creature. Her technique was tested by the "Spessivtzeva variation" in Act I - some of the multiple pirouettes looked hard pressed but she floated through the skips on pointe with one leg twirling section. At her first appearance in Act II she slowly appeared by the cross over her grave but did give a impressively fast backward whirling dervish turn when reanimated by Myrtha. But she was again a peaceful, serene spirit when she quietly walked in to intervene to save Albrecht from the Myrtha and the Wilis instead of the usual wild dash onstage. In Giselle's solo in the Act II grand pas de deux, Seo has the ability to perform those killing slow motion ecartés to the side without any strain or bobble. The leg just floated upward and she turned fluidly without any shifting her weight or changing position. Her upper body movements were very ethereal and elegant. She had very precise entrechats during the coda and danced everything very, very well. A superb debut. Corey's extremely handsome looks were complemented by real stage authority. He no longer seemed a boy in a man's role. He performed all the stage business in Act I and II with a real understanding of the character. His reaction to Giselle's death was a little too much of an angry petulant teenager but he made up for that with genuine grief in Act II. Both he and Seo handled the partnering excellently - I never worried for Seo and she did seem to float in the air in his arms. During his solos he performed stunning beats and turns. During the series of multiple entrechat sixs in the coda to the Act II pdd, he really got high off the ground and had precise footwork but needed just a bit more stamina since he ended them just a little too early. His upper body was fluid and connected and he seemed a true danseur noble up there. This is frankly his best role and one in which he can stand comparison with Gomes, Hallberg, Corella et al. Bravo! Simone Messmer is already a fearsome and authoritative Myrtha with fast skimming bourrees across the stage at her entrance that were worthy of Gillian Murphy. She also has better command of her upper body and not a trace of the jerkiness that bothered me so much with Michele Wiles. Messmer also had a powerful jump, wonderful severe glamor and clear powerful mime. Patrick Ogle was decent if a bit callow as Hilarion. Jared Matthews and Maria Riccetto danced the peasant pas de deux. She was in good form with really clear footwork and precise positions. He made his presence felt and did some excellent scissoring beats in his jumps. The orchestra sounded scrappy but there were only one or two disasters. Seo and Stearns really gave the international superstars of the company true competition. I was really deeply moved at the end of Act II and I have seen many, many "Giselle"s in my time.

Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle did some beautiful things but looked like they needed one more rehearsal. I would go see them in this ballet - Kent looked in good form and radiated youthful romanticism. Bolle's sex appeal made his dream Onegin powerful and sensual. They just need to dance it a few more times to get it in sync - Cranko has a lot of quick change partnering and changes in direction that didn't come together. As for Ivan Vasiliev, I think we may be dealing with kind of a male Somova. (Men look less offensive doing Somova type tricks) He has got incredible physical ability but goes for too much turning vulgar and unmusical. Now "Flames of Paris" can take this kind of "let me show you my whammies" approach. But he didn't "nearly fell over" - HE FELL OVER. He then in the best Jimmy Cagney/Mickey Rooney style went for the gold throwing in all the trick jumps, 180's and revoltades he could. The audience loved it but the booer was making a point. Vasiliev has zero sense of line, does not connect the steps and is not very musical. In this and in that solo he did for "Kings of Dance" he can get away with this kind of stomp around and then throw your big effects in the audience's face approach. But he is currently more of an acrobat/gymnast than a classical dancer. Hopefully he is not such a "superstar" that he won't take some coaching from Kevin or someone else who will give him some artistry, musicality, phrasing, class and elegance. Part of the problem is Vasiliev's build - he is kind of short and stocky with big thighs. The body is of a demi-caractere dancer. Vasiliev has the cocky manner of a young boxer and is very macho - definitely has the charisma. He is young and can learn. The Simkin solo was also basically another "Let me show you my whammies" special. But Simkin gave it some humor and ironic playfulness as well as knocking out some amazing 180's and triples pirouettes. He also finishes his steps and can be elegant. The JKO male student who stood out was a young Asian dancer who I believe was also praised in the studio performances. In a few years ABT will have a fine Bluebird and Golden Idol. The students looked well trained and several of the girls were good turners. I was impressed by Vadim Muntagirov's bouyant jumps and finished turns. He does have a sense of line and can be the prince. Cojocaru and Corella were wonderful and had great chemistry in the "Manon" pas de deux. They are very well matched physically (several other ABT ballerinas have either been too big and tall for Angel - Gillian or Paloma - or too small - Xiomara) Alina had complementary long lines though she is petite. It made me even sadder that Angel is leaving the company. Marcelo and Diana were unforgettable as always. David Hallberg owned the stage as Solor and Polina Semionova has the right combination of pure classical control combined with Romantic softness for Nikiya in the Shades scene.