Buddy

I came across this along with the beautiful pictures and thought that I could include it here. After last year's virus laden season. "Happy New Year our dear audience, readers and ballet lovers." Added: I just found this in another of the related videos and thought that it might be appropriate. "Like a sculpture to be awaken by the power of Love… By the power of light and music that sounds from inside. There is Galatea in every of us. So give the true sense to the perfection of your lines enriching them with treasures of your soul."

Could I suggest this ? More comtemporary . 🙂

"Back on The Road Again" 😊 Some beautiful photos. I posted this at another topic a few minutes ago but thought that Pherank might like them added to the collection here as well. "Sleeping Beauty," in Kazan, May 18, 2021. https://www.lapersonne.com/post/sleeping-beauty-backstage-kochetkova/

Here are some beautiful photos from the Moscow Academy's graduation performance. They include pictures of a young star, Eva Sergeenkova. She, and others(?), look like young Zakharovas. Can never have enough of those ! 😊 https://www.lapersonne.com/post/bolshoi-ballet-academy-behindthecurtain/ (Thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie for this information and the photos) 'Funnyly,' I looked at the photos in the box, bottom of page lower left, and thought, "She sure looks a lot like Maria Kochetkova." Guess what ! Yep ! "Sleeping Beauty," in Kazan, May 18, 2021. https://www.lapersonne.com/post/sleeping-beauty-backstage-kochetkova/

I hope so, Silvermash, and thank you. I've actually preferred the 'classical' works that I've seen at POB over the years, which is perhaps why a fine Odette/Odile would register so well with me. I felt somewhat the same about Veronika Part at ABT. She might not have had the range or versatility, but the classical ballets that she performed were some of the best performances that I've ever seen.

I believe that he was one of the two that you mentioned, Marta. He was having a better than usual night, from what I had read, and she seemed to me to be letting him take more of the spotlight to encourage him. Thanks, California. We actually had a brief discussion. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/46164-abt-veronika-part-swan-lake/

Thanks, Miliosr. I have to say again that she looked very good to me as Odette/Odile (Swan Lake) at the 2016 Mariinsky Festival, where I've seen some of the best in the world.

Yes, Roberta, it was really nice to see live dance again. The announcer said that it's the first performance at the Center in fourteen months. I'm quite ballerina focused, so I'm glad that you pointed out your feelings about Thomas Forster and I join you in congratulating him. I often miss what the men are doing because they are intended to be somewhat invisible, but the ballerinas would never shine the way that they do without them. As sort of an aside, I remember Veronika Part dancing one of her exceptional Swan Lakes with a partner that was relatively new to it. For me, she commands the stage completely, but this evening it seemed that she stood back somewhat in order to let him shine a bit more. I thought that it was a fine gesture, if in fact it was her intent. I've seen a fair number of Odette/Odiles (Swan Lake), most of them quite fine, each one bringing something special, and I thought that Devon Teuscher, in her turn, did a very fine interpretation. I've always liked Hee Seo. She was invited to two Mariinsky Festivals and I thought that, in essence, she shone at both of them.

ABT -- Dance at Dusk -- Live from LA For 45 minutes after more than a year offstage I thought that these performances were very respectable. Don Quixote pas de deux, performed by Christine Shevchenko and Joo Won Ahn. Swan Lake pas de deux Devon Teuscher? and Cory Stearns? Romeo and Juliet pas de deux, performed by Hee Seo and Thomas Forster? A Time There Was pas de deux, Soloists Katherine Williams and Blaine Hoven (a work featuring choreography by ABT’s Gemma Bond and music by Benjamin Britten) Let Me Sing Forevermore? ("the Jessica Lang-Tony Bennett ballet," Roberta) Cate Hurlin? and Aran Bell ? (Thanks, Maps and Roberta for dancer identification) I await the day when Christine Shevchenko delivers facially like she did in LA awhile ago as Gamzatti, a truly great acting performance ! She danced quite well this evening. Devon Teuscher and Hee Seo were just fine. A Time There Was was fine. The last work, Let Me Sing Forevermore?, a sort of jazzy one, was fun. I was truly delighted by ABT's all jazz Indestructible Light in Costa Mesa with an all young cast and this one pointed in that direction. This sort of thing could work very well if of the quality of Indestructible Light. The two dancers certainly had the ability.

"Interview – Former dancer Gavin Larsen on writing Being a Ballerina, the Power and Perfection of Dancing Life: Marina Harss, Fjord Review" "If you had a son or a daughter, would you want them to become a dancer?" "Yes. Yes, absolutely. It’s the most glorious feeling. To feel that kind of exuberance and beauty, full power and extension and stretch and the marriage with music while you’re doing it, and then the community of other people who feel that same thing. It’s priceless. Everyone should dance. Everyone should let their soul sing. I mean, the hard things about ballet are hard. But, as I said, never ever did it even occur to me that there was a question of the balance between input and output, until the very, very end." https://fjordreview.com/being-a-ballerina-gavin-larsen/ (Thanks to Ian Macmillan at BalletcoForum)

I'm still quite glued to Der Rosenkavalier: Erste Walzerfolge. That's okay since we have until June 17 to take in all of Vienna Waltzes. Having never looked at this work carefully there's so much that I could write about at first glance. What George Balanchine has done with the waltz as a point of department is very exciting. High swirling kick steps, arms way above the head, upper body sculpture, it's all new invention to this dance world. The women's flowing gowns, at one point, recall ancient Greek sculpture, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Stories are being told. Elevated emotion expressed. All in the context of the waltz. Suzanne Farrell amplifies all this. She makes it all personal and godlike. Her backbend exit is one of the finest moments in dance that I've yet seen. Maria Kowroski is sophistication and fineness. Her dance is not as much an expression of life flowing intensity, like Suzanne Farrell, but more a heart-touching story being told, a woman in love. The way that the dance ensemble concludes in the Suzanne Farrell video has its differences. I'm noticing the feet more than anything. The footwork is very precise and exciting in its exactness and speed. There's expression in this virtuosity, even meaning. In the more current version, the dancing is more expansive, the feet are further apart. It's more of a spectacle that's been fine tuned over the years and has a fairytale elegance that's almost magical. The women's gowns sail through through the heavens -- Hollywood and Broadway elevated to the stars.

I missed the discussion here and posted two comments at the NYCB forum. I also enjoyed the Vienna Waltzes very much.

I have to say again that I'm enjoying very much the digital presentation of Vienna Waltzes' DER ROSENKAVALIER: ERSTE WALZERFOLGE. I have focused primarily on Maria Kowroski and she's elegant lovely. I also went immediately to the video of Suzanne Farrell. For me, she's as committed and encompassing as I've ever seen her. I debate somewhat all the deep backbends until she does her final one disappearing behind the curtain and I'm hooked. The ensemble dancing is spellbinding. I could spend a lot more time watching both of these. Added: I think that with Maria Kowroski it's more a story and with Suzanne Farrell it's more about the performance. Both are very effective.

Another ballerina that I like very much, ECat, is Héloïse Bourdon. She appeared at a rather young age as Odette/Odile (Swan Lake) at the 2016 Mariinsky Festival, which is quite an honor. I thought that she was very fine. I didn't hear much mention of her after that. Checking the POB website, she's listed as a Premier danseur, one step down from Etoile (the highest ranking), so that seems good. Miliosr or Merit, maybe you know how she's doing ?

Here’s a video of Maria Iliushkina performing Giselle over a year ago. It’s a video clip that I’ll post because it’s from the producer. It’s the first time that I saw her do a major role and I think that she was as beautiful then as ever. Also, in the recent performances that I mentioned in my previous post, I think that she and Maria Khoreva are, once again, as lovely as I’ve ever seen them.