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tikititatata

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Everything posted by tikititatata

  1. Sorry for the delayed reponse bart! The dancers need not be contemporaries -- we're mixing leagues (companies) and time I also have to add Morris' Sylvia with Miyako Yoshida (Royal) and Gennadi Nedvigin (SFB) or Mikhail Sharkov (Bolshoi). A Swan Lake (version TBD) with Nadja Gracheva and... ??? sandik -- love the alternate!
  2. Peggy R, you captured my feelings precisely for this program (esp with West Side Story Suite), despite having seen a different cast! Can't agree more For variety-sake, this is an interesting program, but there is very little actual dancing; it ends up being less interesting, content-wise. bummer. Saw the March 8 evening show. Fancy Free (with Molat, Anderson, Karapetyan; Elizabeth, Zahorian, Olson) was fine. Davit Karapetyan suits this trio better (than last year's casting), and they look good together. This piece is more difficult to pull off than I thought. Everyone has to be "into it" 100% for us to be fully convinced of the scenario. Pascal Molat is such a showman; I still remember seeing him last year and being floored by his solo! Pretty good repeat this year. Garrett Anderson's musicality and movements are perfect for his role here; great casting. In the Night (with Tan/Martin, Waldo/Vilanoba, Feijoo/Smith) UGH what a horrible piece. I suppose I haven't seen enough Robbins, and prematurely figured I'd like most of them... except this! Had relatively high expectations (so much you can possibly portray in a piece entitled "in the night") but it seemed one dimensional and boring. THE EXCEPTION BEING -- Lorena Feijoo to the rescue!! The third duet with Lorena was AWESOME. She brought so much fire and passion to the stage, I couldn't dare take my eyes off of her. The only time I was able to blink was when she stepped off stage. She has an amazing ability to transform otherwise mundane pieces into something special; she is a true professional. I wouldn't watch this piece again; unless it's just the third couple. with Lorena. Westside Story Suite Great to see the corp de ballet showcased, but I'd like more classical ballet in a given program. BIG shout out to Shannon Roberts who came blasting out of nowhere and rocked as Anita. Her singing and dancing (broadway style?) is very convincing (she sheds any inkling of ballerinaship), good for her!
  3. Thanks for starting us off Peggy R! And please, don't undermine your opinions -- we're all allowed to write and express ourselves (we saw it, and felt something), regardless of our day time profession Funny enough, I saw the same show. I went based on the casting that was posted online, but there were several changes... (*ahem*) The webmaster is slacking a bit this season...? By the way, did Vadim Solomakha really partner Yuan Yuan at the end of Nutcracker '07? I was a little confused by that "guest appearance" but didn't attend to verify. Sorry for the aside. Divertimento #15 I generally despise most things Balanchine, and I say most b/c I'm still waiting to come across that wow-ing piece. Divertimento 15 is a tolerable one for me, and it's a good one for SFB. I thought Kristin Long was rock solid and impeccable in her technique and that's it. I agree w/ Peggy on Katita; other roles suit her better. For this group in particular, their arms can be neater/cleaner. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes Interesting piece... Haven't read the program notes yet, but was told Morris choreographed this a while back. He sure knows how to pick his cast though -- I went just by the dancers! Oh, the substitution was Ruben Martin for Jaime Garcia Castilla (*sniffle*). I wasn't completely sold, esp in the beginning. The flip-flop across the floor movement was like an exercise, and I wasn't inspired. I started enjoying it towards the end, and by the time the four couples entered (in the original entrance pose) with the entire cast on stage, it was done... SFB dancers look good doing Morris' choreography, so this is a nice program to have in the mix. One major suggestion would be to change the material of the clingy costumes; not a flattering look, unfortunately, and the crinkles are too obvious since it's white. Also, the arms are inconsistent in the fourth position lunge -- I realize all the dancers have their heads and one arm on the floor, but someone should've mentioned whether the uplifted arm should be 12 o'clock or limp. *PICKY* I know! Firebird Didn't see it.
  4. Peggy, that's so great (I wanted to go, but couldn't), thank you for sharing! I think she getting soloist roles here and there, more so in the recent seasons, such as Kitri's friend for the full production Don Q, a 2007 piece Concordia which features 2 couples, a fairy variation for Sleeping Beauty (though the entire fairy cast was made up of soloists/corps members and one new principal) -- as far as I've seen. For 2008 Giselle, I suppose the only soloist roles would be 1 of 3 female roles in the pas de cinq or a Willie soloist? Myrtha!! But I can imagine Helgi casting his vision of "Muriels" of this up and coming generation -- the tall women of the company -- so I won't count on anything. Anyhow, I always notice her in a crowd (as a Snowflake or a Swan corps) which is telling. More contemporary pieces this season, but I hope for good roles for CW!
  5. Right, I suppose they filmed several sessions for a reason (why broadcast those performances with troubles)! I've just seen it happen so many times and I also happened to go on a night when they were experiencing a huge number of technical difficulties and the prince was stuck in his jacket at the wrist for 4 minutes. Kochetkova & Karapetyan are a newer but technically superb pair; I wonder if they will make these available for sale...? Wish you could've seen Frances Chung and Jaime Garcia Castilla too -- very beautifully clean dancing with wonderful acting!! They should be another good pair to look out for during the regular season (*fingers crossed that they will be paired*)!!
  6. I had no idea they were broadcasting this production I do agree that Maria Kochetkova is quite lovely; I look forward to seeing more this season. As for Tea, I wonder if you saw Daniel Deivison or Nicolas Blanc? The up and coming Deivison was impressive -- possibly the best -- when I was him this week. Blanc is often casted in this role as well. I also think this entire production is very rushed (the party scene steps are literally too fast for the young dancers) and was surprised to see a lot of kids who are unable to listen to music. The School is so strict, how is this allowed, I wonder?! I really miss the old production, not sure if you've seen it, where the Mother Ginger and her crumblettes were adorable sans bear. The Arabian lost its mysterious allure as well (it's quite obvious she's hiding in the lamp)... but there were changes for the better I suppose (the drosselmyer is less sketchy; redundancies are cut out) but there are problems that have not been fixed considering they continue to have problems (since 2004 or so). The Nutcracker Prince's emergence from his "shell" is particularly worrisome at EVERY SINGLE performance, struggling too long to break free. I wonder why they haven't changed the cuffs. Also, was there a little too much snow towards the end? It looked like a blizzard to me... often times less is more. Thank you Helene for your review
  7. Courtney Wright of SFB should've been promoted to Soloist by now!! The promotions at SFB are strange IMO, I rarely agree with the timing. She's beautiful and we deserve to see her in more prominent roles!!!
  8. While dance is not a sport and there are no statistics to keep track of, wouldn't it be great if we could pick our dancers for a favorite piece? In the real world, I believe this is called a gala organized by powerful people... but if I were to pick: I would LOVE to see Nacho Duato's Romanso with Steven McRae (Royal), Jaime Garcia Castilla (SFB) and Ikolo Griffin (Smuin Ballet). All 3 on one stage would be too much for me to handle; ga-ga!!!
  9. Hello FauxPas, I hesitate to jump in b/c I haven't seen full productions of Sylvia other than Morris'. I read a lot of reviews here and elsewhere of people despising MM -- whoa! But I actually enjoyed it a lot. I thought his story line was very clear and perfectly nuanced. SFB (Tomasson ballets actually) often has too much deliberate miming or acting, but Morris suggests just enough. Of course his Sylvia is a contemporary ballet, though Act III is jam packed with some crazy hard combinations for the main couple (esp Aminta). I wrote a lot for SFB's 2006 Season, though I won't reiterate them here. I actually like Sylvia as a character and Mark Morris had a great approach to it -- developing a strong woman who is true to herself throughout the story. Person and plot, I prefer her to some other heroines ;)
  10. to add a little more... Kitri & Basilio Wow... what a season. I was envisioning this program of DonQ to have possibly two additional couples, so it amazed me that in the end, 3 couples danced 9 shows. I really admire how the dancers shifted and filled in where necessary. I saw the opening nights of each couple, so they may have developed more with their second and third+ shows. Casting-wise, I thought Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan were a good pair and technically compatible. There's a lot of room for their character development and I didn't really feel the energy or the chemistry -- in fact I felt just as nervous! Molly Smolen was technically more "on" (I felt Vanessa forced a lot of things/turns on 4/28), but her partnership with Tiit Helimets wasn't perfect either. Molly and Tiit have a different sense of musicality which shows in the minor details department (where Vanessa and Davit were very together musically). I was excited to see this real-life couple on stage, and while the overall energy was better on Sunday (4/29), I found that all four principals danced independently in their own spotlights. As I had felt in the past, there is something really genuine in the partnership that's developed when Tina LeBlanc and Gonzalo Garcia share the stage (5/1). They had great chemistry, acting, and comical timing. Their partnership was truly beautiful--they really SHARED the spotlight, which I liked. I also appreciated the fact that they had worked out some technical partnering glitches on their second show (5/3). Back when Gonzalo and Tina danced Giselle (2005?), there was a general consensus on how Gonzalo portrayed this puppy-love smitten Albrecht. Perhaps this DQ role suited him better and maturity may have factored in, but I found that an additional dimension that was lacking in Gonzalo's Albrecht surfaced in his Basilio. The pretend suicide was possibly the best, quite humorous as I had remembered Baryshnikov's to be (on tape). Their acting was very natural (as was the makeup; GG's was lighter than in the past, it seemed) and I loved every artistic touch they made. I really wish someone would correct Gonzalo's arms (elbow to fingertip), b/c I think his classical dancing would look better. Otherwise they were basically perfect I'll miss their partnership... Queen of Driads: YuanYuan Tan was more or less technically solid in this role, but I felt as if I were witnessing a Prix de Lausanne moment or similar. She executed the variation well and offered minimal context... Her dancing is so beautiful that I want more from her! I was surprised that Muriel Maffre wasn't casted for this role. This variation is not very exciting though since it looks like Lilac Fairy + 6 italian fouettés + Myrtha, after the conventional développé a la seconde beginning... Cupids: SFB students as Little Cupids were probably the most together of the dancers in the Dream Scene. I want to root for Patricia Perez since her Cupid was sort of close to what I like. I think she shows a lot of promise and would grow with the right corrections. I like her style among the corps. Kitri's friends: Frances Chung and Courtney Wright (different performances/casts) both looked great!! Really love their dancing and artistry. Frances and Dores Andre had some nice moments though like BalletNut said, they were not always together... Great job by : Katita Waldo as Mercedez was a hit for me. She really rocked this role, though I don't see why this couple has to appear in all three acts... the designated music is usually fun though. : James Sofranko as Sancho Panza was super! Nice choice of casting and great acting by James. : Damian Smith's Gamache was hysterical. I love that he didn't over do it. Sometimes you might miss a hand gesture or two, but if you looked over, he was in character throughout the entire 2.5 hours. It was brilliant. : Garret Anderson as the Gypsy lead. I'm not a big fan of this scene, but when they dance it like they mean it, you can't help but watch with conviction. I liked his acting. and he was sympathetic to the gypsy woman... it was nice. : There is little classical ballet required for the non-leads in this production, but when you actually spot a few classical sequences, like the random tidbits of Toreadors, you really do appreciate the fact that dancers like Jaime Garcia Castilla go all out and perform them clean. His training is immaculate.
  11. uh... good call; better for me to say "common in my experience." The beginning of SFB's wedding pdd is the first I've seen danced that way so I thought all others I've seen are traditional. Maybe I've only seen the typical format performed as a gala piece by other companies. I'm used to the [tombee pas de bourrée][pas de chat][pirouette] repeated twice more where SFB cuts it; then the [développé lift][front attitude][soussous][step up en dehors] repeated with chaînés where SFB has an across the floor side by side grand jeté... which doesn't excite me. Also, it's interesting that Vanessa and Tina (I think) go into the lift prior to the fish dive with their backs to the audience... hmmmm.
  12. Muriel's farewell performance on May 6, 2007: 2nd movement from GLASS PIECES (with P-F Vilanoba and corps) pas de deux from AGON (with Tiit Helimets) "The Alaskan Rag" from ELITE SYNCOPATIONS (with James Sofranko) == intermission == THE DYING SWAN pas de deux from CONTINUUM (w/ Damian Smith) part I from ARTIFACT SUITE (w/ PFV & Kristin/Pascal and corps) The name escapes me, but my most memorable piece of Muriel's is a duet performed at the 2005 gala... the music was electronic(?) and she was spectacular... wish I could have see that again. Muriel has always had such a wonderful stage presence. When she appeared, she really pulled the set and the production together; her distinct aura/presence is truly irreplaceable. She is such a deep, thoughtful, and interesting person/artist. As much as I will miss her at the Opera House, I look forward to her upcoming involvement in the arts! (I found her to be a captivating speaker when I heard her speak recently.)
  13. Thanks for that comment! I think DonQ itself is a good full length for SFB (its energy and characters/dancing required), but this particular version (Gorsky and Petipa plus Tomasson/Possokhov) can use a lot more "remodeling". The transitions aren't smooth, especially in Act 1, where we just move from one set of dancers to the next, often in a cut and paste style. and I don't want a master of ceremonies to fill the space either... just some choreography to accentuate the adjacent variations and allow the story to flow better. I like the pdd but the juxtoposition with the tone of gypsy woman's solo is perplexing in Act 2. I haven't seen enough different DQs, but is there a better version out there that would suit SFB? I have issues with this DQ production obviously, but SFB's showcase of the classics is so limited as it is, and I'm not sure if larger scale ballets like Le Corsaire or La Bayadere are possible, which is why I keep going back to see their DQ. I also prefer the traditional choreography for the Act 3 pdd, but I am a viewer that goes nuts at the end of a good show -- as was my case with the main couples in the past like Lorena Feijoo/Joan Boada and Tina LeBlanc/Gennadi Nedvigin -- which is why they keep bringing it back Sorry for the tangent; I'll post my comments from DQ 2007 once I ward off reviewer's fatigue... Quiggin - such an eloquent and nice comment for Gonzalo
  14. Have you read Rachel Howard’s review in SFChronicle re: the midseason slump? She captured my sentiments precisely. I really appreciated her honest critique. I must add that the slump doesn't refer to the dancing, it's more on piece selection/programs as a whole. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...ype=performance While her review was about Program 6 (On Common Ground, Night, Rodeo), I found it applicable to Program 7 as well (Elemental Brubeck, Concordia, Symphony in C). Rodeo is a fun, crowd-pleasing piece to end a program, so I won’t comment on it; it suits SFB well, I think. And I’ll skip Symphony in C... but the world premiers were absolutely ghastly though please feel free to disagree. In order of personal preference (and I didn’t see multiple casts) here are my thoughts: Night – I remember being excited about this when it premiered years ago, but couldn’t remember much from it. This year, I liked it fine thanks to Tina LeBlanc who was absolutely stunning and beautiful; I love classical dancers who are just as technically superb in contemporary pieces. The remaining cast I saw was an inexperienced group (mostly corps, as opposed to the world premier when most roles were headed by veteran soloists and principals) and the group’s dancing needed a lot more work and polish. I love Tina. Elemental Brubeck -- Thanks artist for your comments on Rory Hohenstein in Brubeck; I wanted to see him, but couldn’t make it to his shows. This is a very “American” piece by Lubovitch, just flowy and dancy though not a complex piece. I see why audience members tend to eat this up, but for me, Brubeck went on a little too long. The dancers looked very comfortable and great, especially Gonzalo Garcia, Matthew Stewart, Rory, and Frances Chung. Concordia -- was rather disappointing. It was well danced and poorly choreographed. By this far into the season, I’m tired of contemporary pieces like this if it doesn’t offer something unique or new (like Eden/Eden). The classical/contemporary juxtaposition was too literal. But... after seeing Tomasson’s premier, this piece is bearable. On Common Ground -- I felt bad for the dancers in this piece. The choreography is not at all captivating and I question the motivation behind this piece. Perhaps I should read the program notes. This piece shall be awarded the worst Tomasson piece and the worst of the season. Yes, that bad. He picked some top principal dancers for this piece (Tina, Lorena, Davit; I didn’t see Joan) who are always interesting to watch, and Tina drew me in slightly with her dancing in a duet with Ruben, but otherwise it was a painful experience. Costume and scenic designs by Woodall were questionable as well, but perhaps it matched the piece. I wish I could be more positive...
  15. Program 5 (I agree with much of BalletNut's review above) I generally like Morris' works, but Pacific is not his best and SFB dancers don't look good in it. This piece should get rid of the pointe shoes and be all-out modern, as triplets should be done on flat/bare. I especially don't like the arms, as when the women have clock-like straight arms in diagonal as they traverse en pointe since they look stiff and awkward. Those parts would have more flexibility/mobility/expansion if the dancers are not on pointe. Rory Hohenstein was the only one who rocked this piece. There are a few repeated phrases that can look awkward: 1) this "strike a G" pose where they slide with their legs in second, plie, and jerk into a "side bend contraction" with the bottom elbow bent, 2) the hopping a la seconde sequence with this ronde jambe en l'aire that ends with a side neck jerk before turning, and 3) the recurring bent elbowed arms in front of your face. Rory has the right amount of natural stiffness in his upper body that makes 1, 2, and other flowy movements (undulating upper body and arm that accompany low developes) look so comfortable and fitting on him. He really made the G phrase interesting to watch. I'm glad he was the lead blue skirt man. Carousel is a fine piece that looks good on SFB. This would also make a good gala piece, as it did for NYCB (program notes). I'm not crazy about 5th Season, though I was pleasantly surprised at two things now that I see it a second time--that Tomasson doesn't overuse the corp and is consistent in assigning the music to certain groups/couples (his tendencies in full production ballets). I saw the same cast as last year on 3/17 (sat eve) and it was exactly as I'd remembered: mediocre and nothing to get excited about. The only take home message was that YuanYuan, partnered by Tiit, really milks her movements in the Largo and made me realize how much she has mastered the art of making Tomasson's choreography look interesting. She makes you watch her. My major annoyance with this piece is the Tango--this is possibly the most UNSEXY tango I have ever experienced. Don't get me wrong, I usually don't care for things to be sexy, but a tango MUST be sexy, sultry. Both the choreography and dancing (of two recently promoted principals...) need work. Then I saw a slightly different cast (Lorena/Davit in place of Katita/Gonzalo) on 3/21 and went ga-ga! Now THEY were HOT. They were so intense from the opening number, I couldn't take my eyes off them. They exude such intensity and emotion, it was fun to watch, and their dancing made the (one drastic) lighting (cued at a dramatic musical phrase as the opening couple blast off stage) quite effective. They had such great chemistry and partnership in their duet as well. Lorena and Davit make a great pair b/c they are both technically solid and equally expressive. Fancy Free is a fun piece to end the night. All three casts (Pascal/Garrett/Gonzalo; BenS/Rory/Ruben; MattS/James/Davit) had their good moments. I hope SFB adds it to their regular repertoire so the dancers can develop it more.
  16. Program 4 Eden/Eden is very complex and stimulating, and made me want to see it several more times. There is a lot going on in this piece -- visually, vocally, musically, choreographically -- and in your head, but what makes this multimedia piece appealing as an audience is that the different components do not overwhelm our senses and do not take away from what's presented and how we perceive them. Wayne McGregor is quite a genius. I was so intrigued by this piece initially for its conceptual motivation (cloning), and was struck by McGregor's approach to presenting this debate through imagery, dialogue and his distinct movements, while really allowing us to form our own opinions. The choreography itself is so curious... very demanding and challenging... sometimes grotesque-looking... the intensity is the exact opposite of those slow, adagios in classical ballets. (I think Muriel Maffre described E/E's movements as "raw" and "primitive" in the program notes.) SFB dancers looked truly amazing in this piece, and I have never been this pumped after seeing a piece; it really is a good combination of creativity and dance ability. I love McGregor's vast use of space -- E/E opens with nothing on stage except for a dancer (the journeying woman) under conical lighting, which reminded me of a specimen under examination on a microscope stage. The lighting in the beginning continues to be circular and outlines the boundary for the "process"/dancing to take place. Each dancer/couple is introduced "from the earth" (Ossola's words from program notes) and appears in the back, elevator-style and joins the gathering of dancers. They are all uniform, wearing nude shorts/leotards and hats, and I had little ability to tell people apart! I think it was Pascal and Dana, the second couple to take the stage, who looked great in their beginning part. Later, when the stage is used more square, there is a men's section, first a duet (Jaime and Rory, I think) which kicks butt, and then a trio of Jaime, Rory and Pascal(?) that's absolutely fabulous. A lot of times, I couldn't really tell Rory and Pascal apart, as they both looked similarly striking (and their habits weren't as noticeable). This section starts to add more dancers to the stage, and there is a moment where they line up in the middle and do wave-like, repetitive phrases that weave them in and out of the line. It's a slight reach, but I can't help but think metaphase of DNA replication (or maybe metaphase-II for cloning?!) at this imagery (and it happens in the middle of the piece, brilliant!), and more than ever, I was reminded of how much the dancers and their limbs *in these costumes* represent the "X" looking chromosomes. The only disapproval I had with E/E was copying Jiri Kylian's idea of mannequin bodices appearing from above and hovering over dancers lying flat on the ground. McGregor of course distinguished his usage by having the clones remove their individualizing garments off of the bodices and onto their own, which is quite interesting. Later, I liked the use of the foreground/background switches where he has three women in front of a black scrim, and a trio dancing in the back. While the spoken text with procedural information on cloning and DNA synthesis (from the opera Three Tales) reminds me of science videos, there are also few everyday conversations included, giving a more human experience to counter the mechanic, machine-like existence (there is a lot of human/machine juxtaposition). Jaime's narrative solo that comes towards the end of the piece is spectacular, as he is very fluid, but especially for his captivating expressions -- the pauses and phrasing of the movements are stunning. I can see why the creator would cast him here! I always marvel at Jaime's beautiful dancing and prefer him in strictly classical pieces; but he really surprised me with his versatility in this piece. I was ecstatic to see him move McGregor-style. I enjoyed every ounce of the dancing with the cast of Muriel/Gonzalo, Dana/Pascal, Katita/Rory, Jaime/Hayley/Moises. After all the chaos of cloned and individualized dancing, they disappear one by one, and we are again left with the lone journeying woman. I was really creeped out at the end when I first saw it, the vast space that you're left with after so much stimulation makes you aware and vulnerable of the possibilities and repercussions of cloning. I love the depth and the complexity of this piece, and the freedom McGregor gives us in its interpretation, how we perceive it in bits and as a whole. I look forward to more of his works, and quite possibly on SFB. What an interesting man, check out his podcast: http://www.sfballet.org/danceeducation/adu...on/podcasts.asp I also liked the title of Mary Ellen Hunt's review in Contra Costa Times: Ugly is beautiful in 'Eden/Eden'
  17. And onto general comments… Casting choices: * Tomasson's change for the better was to take out the decoration guests--Beauty/Beast and Harlequin/Columbine of 2001-- from cluttering the Act 3 stage. The length of the production is plenty (2h40min), but it's curious that we don't have Little Red Riding Hood. or Cindrella. But again, we have a herd of Polonaise peeps to fill the stage. * Surprised that Nicholas Blanc wasn't cast as Bluebird. His technique is cleaner than the other two chosen. Same goes for Garen Scribner as a Jewels Cavalier. The costumes: * Unlike some no-no costume choices I've pointed out in the past, I'm happy to note that Desiree's tops in Act2 & 3 were just right. (SFB's Siegfried could use a similar look instead of the v-neck and torso elongating design.) * The Bluebird can be 2.5 shades lighter and would still be darker than the backdrop. The male's top seems to house too many feathers, giving an unfortunate shoulder pad look especially when doing successive entrechat sixes. It's very bluejay. * Does it hurt to simplify Carabosse and her minions' costumes? They don't dance enough, but just flinging their costume is just boring if not distracting. A black unitard with a strikingly simple cape or robe is fine, no? How about technique-filled dramatic choreography that would make the Royal household regret not having invited her? They have such a short stage appearance, it would barely tap into their stamina if it's jam packed with choreography * I was never a huge fan of those wigs, but they actually look great! The lighting: * in Act2 is weird. I think they are trying to mix it up by not using the spotlight in select parts of the Vision Scene and during the fog walk to Sleeping Beauty (they instead employ scattered dim lights throughout the stage) but it's not effective. At times I could barely make out Desiree miming in darkness. Then 2 seconds later, the mobile sets do their thang and the stage lights flood on... how about dimmers? The orchestra: I really value how much an orchestra can contribute to a performance. There can be times when the music is so beautiful, even more than the dancing. Unfortunately, we are having some rough times. I'd like to think though that they got better throughout the nine performances. I second BalletNut on the mishaps of O.N. The triangle was disastrous in Jewels. The two halves of the orchestra were in disharmony during Fairy of Serenity especially on 2/27. The piano was louder than the rest in certain codas. I cringed more than I wanted to. But props to Ormsby Wilkins (2/27, 3/3); I really liked his conducting He was slightly fast on some variations where a dancer(s) may prefer slower speeds, but that's minor. He really pulled together the orchestra and brought out critical musical emphases despite those individual technical difficulties. Unintentionally comical moments: * To make it easier for us to follow the story, Yuan Yuan decided to STAB her hand with the spindle. LOL - I almost fell out of my seat! * The start of Act 2 is sort of unnecessary but it's possibly on the concise side; we just need to set the stage for Desiree's short solo. Desiree's attendant has a minor role in this scene to move the story along. He's supposed to get the participants' attention (basically ours) to alert us of Desiree's entrance, and Gaetano Amico (3/3) decided instead to clap his hands AT Desiree to come in. oops!
  18. Be warned, this is long! First my comments on the dancing… YuanYuan / Tiit: YuanYuan's technique in Rose Adagio Opening Night was probably the strongest I've ever seen her. As BalletNut captured perfectly, we witnessed YYT in her long balances; Aurora who?! Her extensions and lines are beautiful as always, but they were executed (literally) as if for a photo shoot. I would've also loved for her acting to be just as top notch as her extensions and balances. Her acting is often too literal in full-length ballets (see "unintentional comical moments" below), and she and Tiit had no chemistry. Also agree with BalletNut about Tiit as a self-effacing partner and an excellent one for YYT. He is quite princely, I must say, though he is more of a Mr. Adagio. It was rough watching his ending in Act III solo with consecutive jetes. YuanYuan and Tiit’s partnership was most together towards the end of their grand pas coda; they looked nice. Tina / Gennadi: Thank you Helgi for this (dream) cast. Their dancing and acting complement each other perfectly and beautifully. And sad to say, this run wasn't perfect, but it doesn't get better than this couple. Their acting and chemistry felt very sincere and natural on their first night (2/27) and as expected, they were technically beautiful as well. They were "almost there" (i.e. perfect). Comparing with Vanessa/Gonzalo (gala) and YuanYuan/Tiit (O.N.), the fish dive sequence was most secure with this couple as well. Aurora’s endedans at the edge of (as opposed to being centered behind) Desiree's left arm after which Desiree curls his arm around Aurora's waist is scary from our perspective (Gonzalo and Tiit both do this), and you can tell that YuanYuan was holding back from the way she held her pose. Tina and Gennadi went into it smoothly and stably, though on their final show (3/3 mat) there was an uncharacteristic mishap (Tina fell off point in the middle of her turn, throwing off their timing into the dive), which Gennadi luckily hung onto. phew. Tina was absolutely beautiful in Act2 Vision Scene--they had many beautiful moments--and she was technically strong in all her variations. She seemed slightly and unusually off in her turns in this run but Gennadi really showed his partnering strengths during such moments. Actually, let me just side-track and mention that this program also reemphasized that Gennadi Nedvigin and Joan Boada are possibly the most reliable partners of SFB in both classical and contemporary pieces (Joan had a major save in Bluebird as well, you go!). Other male dancers dance beautifully on their own but their partnering seems rough and/or not consistently stable. In Tina’s performances, my main concern was with her Rose Adagio partners. I'm sure the princes are chosen carefully based on height and other qualities, but to be brutally honest, they are not the strongest of partners (Tina’s princes were Jaime, Jonathan, Hansuke, Garrett). It may just be me; she may have been perfectly fine being partnered by these soloists/demi-soloists, but I was pretty nervous. Oh, I also LOVE her "fever scene" -- her acting is so communicative and not overdone (she just drops the spindle, enough to show you OU!); her technique is exquisite; and most of all her BURRES are more beautiful than words can say. Now her burres are real. *ahem* I’m surprised I don’t see real burres more often. Thank you Tina! Gennadi is an excellent choice for a role like Desiree. He dances with such ease and has a non-standoff-ish demeanor, which I adore. His gestures are gentle but communicate clearly (the way he tells his attendant to “go away” is so nice). His turns and jumps are crisp and flawless, given that he pulls through to the end His often 200% perfect dancing can be sprinkled with an out of the blue wobble! His musicality and timing are wonderful. At the end of Act 2, there is almost too much music dedicated to the wake-up kiss. It felt like an eternity on opening night, like a cheesy drama where you're like, "Kiss already!" but Gennadi’s timing discarded the potential for awkwardness. Muriel as Lilac: Opening Night truly belonged to Muriel. Act 1, namely the Fairy section, would have been unbearable w/o her. She has an amazing stage presence especially for full production ballets, and her musicality in her variation was so full and never-ending. Watching Sarah Van Patten as Lilac (2/27, 3/3) reminded me that Helgi's choreography, especially in mimes/storytelling, is very literal; it is very easy to perform them so. On the contrary, Muriel has wonderful artistic sensibility and truly stands out amongst SFB dancers in her delivery. Parish as Carabosse: Funny enough, back in 2001, my favorite couple was Tina & Parish, and he now returns as her Carabosse. Opening night w/ Anita Paciotti gave me chance to make a list of reasons why I always despise Helgi's Carabosse: Choreography is unfun and very anti-climactic. Costume is so-so. The sparks can be cheesy. Wait, where's the choreography? Then I saw Parish (best on 2/27) and decided to forgo my complaints. He was such a diva, I loved it. He really made the best out of sections lacking in choreography. He really stole the stage. Despite his spindle falling out, which he decided to repeat, his musicality was great and his exits/entrances were right on cue. The Fairies showcased a group of soloists/new principal and only confirmed what I already knew. They are pretty dancers--Nutnaree (of Tenderness) has gorgeous lines--but I always feel like I'm watching class. If I saw them w/o the program or music, I wouldn't know who was who. Sarah VP (Generosity) and Elizabeth Miner (Playfulness) are too stiff for my liking; Molly Smolen was too bold, but then again, I've never once liked SFB Fairies of Courage. I thought Courtney Wright (Generosity) was great, especially on 2/27. As a group, they all dance pretty differently and separately, which is unfortunate in end poses, etc. Jaime as a Jewels Cavalier: Another fabulous casting choice. I couldn't help but miss Ikolo Griffin who was amazing in 2001, but I was very happy to see Jaime in this role (2/24). His solo was gorgeous and technically superb, not to mention it’s hard to watch others when he’s on stage (it’s a pas de six, mind you). Also, Jonathan and Garret (3/3) had great camaraderie as cavaliers together. Joseph and Hansuke (2/27), are a good match in their showy demeanors but are not together at all. Their technique also needs work; I was unimpressed. Jewels: Of the women in this pas de six, Courtney Wright stood out beautifully (esp 2/24) in the female duet. I liked Molly better in this role (2/24, 2/27) than Courage, but I wasn’t crazy about it; I preferred Frances Chung’s performance (3/3) as the lead Diamond Fairy. The dirt: Here is an unfortunate public announcement that must be addressed. Too many men at SFB fear the double tour, or have utter disregard for executing it properly. This includes two Desirees/principals! It's a "trick" we all know too well and it's painfully obvious on stage: the quarter degree head start prior to take off. And you know there are ample opportunities to showcase this in Desiree's variation... I'm just surprised the faculty/staff haven't corrected them. Will not comment on Bluebird as I was too disappointed.
  19. As discussed in the Lincoln Center thread, the Gala reaffirmed that contemporary pieces better suit SFB. There were a few hits, but I was more disappointed in the casting--why Tomasson assigns beautiful classical dancers to non-classical pieces and those who excel in contemporary works in the most classical pas de deux is beyond me. (-) Sleeping Beauty Act III pdd: I wasn’t thrilled with Tomasson’s SB several years ago and was trying to approach this season with a neutral perspective, but the Gala pdd didn’t help one bit. Gonzalo Garcia excels in contemporary reps, as was the case with Sin Regreso in Gala 2005. Perhaps it was the complete disconnect btwn his focus/attn and gesturing arm, or seeming VERY uninterested from the beginning, or his rough (and later unstable) partnering; he didn’t come across as Prince Desiree. Vanessa Zahorian was very technical and academic as always. They’re a good match up physically but I prefer them in something more contemporary/Balanchine. (-) Giselle Act II pdd: Great gala piece, but not my choice of dancers. Lorena is very strong in both classical and contemporary pieces, but Giselle is not her role. (Would’ve loved DonQ again, Lambarena, …smile with my heart.) In a striking contrast, Tiit was almost too somber and subtle, you didn’t know who was dead and who was mourning. I might like to see them in the full production though. To best showcase his beautiful dancers, Tomasson could have casted Tina LeBlanc and Guennadi Nedviguine here (instead of the Gerald Arpino piece). I’ve never seen their partnership for Giselle, but loved them separately in 2005. I would be happy *just* to see GN do those GORGEOUS entrechat sixes! Side note on costume: I hate being distracted by something so silly but SFB must revamp their wardrobe with the $30 mil they raised on this evening. Prince Albrecht wears a faded black top with gray tights (Tiit wore something slightly different, with a “stripe shirt” showing underneath); how about all slate, dark gray, or black? Anything to make him look the part, he’s royalty! (-) SYMPHONY IN C was utter, visual diarrhea in black and white—not at all the dancers’ fault. On the contrary, the corps was surprisingly very together. I have yet to experience a breath-taking moment in the world of Balanchine. (+) Absolutely loved Yuan Yuan Tan and Damian Smith in Christopher Wheeldon’s pdd from AFTER THE RAIN. So beautiful, I’m at a loss for words and certainly won’t do justice to the piece. I hope you saw it too, or you get to see them perform this at some point… (+) LAST BREATH: wow! This piece is packed with high energy and tricks but boy did Davit Karapetyan look good. His use of space and floor was boundless and his movements were so fluid. This piece showed a whole different side of DK from what I knew (a classically technical dancer in Swan Lake 2006), I’d like to see him in more modern! (+) Molly Smolen’s BRAHMS WALTZES IN THE MANNER OF ISADORA DUNCAN, what a great choice! She’s so captivating and expressive, she made me wonder who else is SFB is capable of such a portrayal. I look forward to seeing her in a variety of repertoire this season. (+) SOIRÉES MUSICALES: The energy of this piece fit Kristen Long and Joan Boada very well. In fact the choreography was perfect for Kristen, who looked very at home, esp in those double step-up arabesque endehors(?) Joan is such a wonderful partner but he wasn’t his usual best. His performance was fine by most stds but he is better and capable of more if given a different piece. I thought he was fighting the choreography a bit in his solo, but then he’ll do a simple sauté (or that crazy tour, land in coupee and up into another dbl tour) and my heart flutters. It may not hurt to redo their costume here too, as they looked very much like a figure skating pair. Estelle, re: Aunis, there may have been a switch in the program from Other Dances. I'd certainly love to see it with live music!
  20. Michael, I’d love to check out what Morris would create on his co., too. And sure Act I choreography isn’t as exciting as III or comical as II, but I enjoy Morris’ Sylvia esp since I’ve been disappointed by some other full production ballets (Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake) SFB put on recently. Sylvia highlights a couple of beautiful, classically-trained dancers who should be shown more, so I ignore the rest. In terms of choreography not fitting a company, this season’s Spring Rounds by Paul Taylor was disastrous. The piece was clearly Paul’s attempt to create a piece for ballerinas (more adagios, minimal crazy lifts); much of the choreography is uninteresting, if not just typical, recycled Taylor movements, and the SFB dancers looked messy. I’m glad they didn’t bring it to NY!
  21. nysusan, huge fan of your post, as I have been wondering if I’m the only one who ponders this: Also agree in regards to Yuan Yuan Tan. Her performance/portrayal in Swan Lake this year in SF wasn’t what I had hoped, but she has been outstanding in contemporary pieces. I hope you get to see her in Quarternary. No, I think you’re right on. And I say this as an avid SFB goer. It depends on the piece obviously, but I find some (including principal) dancers consistently sloppy…
  22. Thank you jps; you, drb and others are making me more eager to see Ashton’s version (while I continue to like Morris’). Reading reviews of the home season, it was interesting how some viewers were clearly uncomfortable with Morris’ choices -- Eros’ ambiguous character, nude boy in Act 3, gay-ness anywhere. But in so many ways Morris took risks and brought out things that are normally not addressed in classical, full production ballets. Hence, I’m a fan of drb’s comment: Many who were outraged by Morris’ version seemed to forget that he is not a classical, but a contemporary ballet choreographer, thus utilizing different “vocabulary.” Some phrases/poses in Act 1 are actually more difficult, in my opinion! Balletchic101 – I agree with you re: the corp’s lack of cohesiveness, esp in Act I. Re:Heralds, I wonder if you would’ve liked the match up of Ruben Martin and Garen Scribner, who were beautifully paired, musically and stylistically in SF. Garen also danced well with Rory Hohenstein.
  23. Funny you mention that! I almost said the same thing to the SFB orchestra after seeing ABT’s Stravinsky program in early June! Just out of curiosity, did Martin West conduct all three Sylvias? West and Gary Sheldon alternated during the home season, and while Sheldon has almost always been my reliant conductor through the years (he makes the orchestra sound different/better than on alternate nights), West is very accommodating towards the dancers (also mentioned somewhere in program notes). I mention this b/c Act II can be drastically different if the tempo is faster – which happened on the third show in SF, I think? – where the humor was lost. But seeing the reviews, I take it that Act II was as hysterical as it could be! I’ve really enjoyed your thorough posts – thank you! And I am so happy that you got to experience Guennadi’s Aminta… *sigh* I wish I could’ve seen it again. I'm also a huge fan of his pirouettes -- the suspension is effortless, non-chalant, natural -- truly my favorite! I think faster turns are just spins... And I agree with you whole-heartedly on Muriel and Katita’s differencet portrayals of Diana (from your earlier post) – I just couldn’t articulate it on my SFB post, but you captured it perfectly!
  24. Mark Morris' Sylvia is refreshing in so many ways. I love the way he lays out the plot, his use of music, repetitive phrases that serve as a theme or parallel threads that recur throughout the ballet, his comical timing, and in general, those (choreographic) moments of pleasant surprises. His repetitions are inserted everywhere - nonchalantly and slightly tweaked - that I found myself picking up different things every time I saw Sylvia. His choreography is so distinct, more often technically demanding, and beautiful... The Act III pas de deux has some awkwardly difficult promenades, lifts, and positions to name a few and clearly distinguishes this work. And imbedded in these not-so-typical choreography are truly classical and gorgeously difficult combinations (e.g. Aminta's third act variation, whoa!) that bring out the best in some SFB dancers. I apologize in advance for what I am about to do: I'll comment on Sylvia '06 by character, as opposed to by performance, which is sort of illegal by viewer standards, perhaps? AMINTA - hands down, Guennadi Nedviguine is IT!  His attention to detail, his timing, his technique, his ACT THREE VARIATION!, his reliable partnering of 2 different Sylvias, his stage presence, his acting, ... ALL make him so perfectly Aminta. Everything about this role is challenging (though he makes it look easy) and Guennadi really exceeded any expectation I may have had. His training is immaculate, and unfortunately rare in American companies. I can't see too many other people being convincingly Aminta; but I was sad that I missed Joan Boada's interpretation (he danced in 2004 but not this season). SYLVIA - I enjoyed both Vanessa Zahorian's and Yuan Yuan Tan's portrayals of the title role. They both had different but meaningful artistic touches to the character that made them convincing. Vanessa and Guennadi had a wonderful partnership, and I was in love with both of them And I think Sylvia suits Yuan Yuan great, from the poses to character development to the movements, etc. But I'm curious about how she would have danced this role next to Damian Smith as Aminta. I have seen several pieces this season - namely Quarternary and Artifact Suite - in which they had great chemistry Yuan Yuan and Gonzalo Garcia didn't strike me as lovers, unfortunately. ORION – Pierre-Francois Vilanoba was well-suited. His gestures in the Act 2 were perfect. And he and Liz Miner were really direct and humorous in this cave scene. Damian Smith was a gentler, hard-to-hate villain (as in I wouldn't mind if he captured me). But technically speaking, he had some beautiful attitude turns, chaines and contractions in Act 2. Yuri Possokhov had a good toughness, and a character suitability that was a mix of the aforementioned two. I enjoyed the match up of Yuan Yuan and Yuri though! EROS - Jaime Garcia Castilla should be held hostage for this character FOREVER. This role is crazy (stylistically) in a hard to describe way. This ambiguous role seems to make some audience members uncomfortable but I thought it was brilliant. Jaime made this role very important to the production, and rightfully so (especially felt in Act 3 narrations). He is another rarity, a gorgeous specimen from another universe. Helgi should designate him in main soloist roles for many productions to come. Eros is difficult to pull off, choreographically and artistically. If you have any slight reservations, this character will not work. And Jaime, with his beautiful arms/lines and dancing, was remarkable even in the silly robe! Who can pull this off that good!?! He had great stage presence and good acting to compliment his dancing -- he is so captivatingly beautiful I forgot to watch the others when he was on stage. Garrett Anderson is another pretty corp dancer who I tend to keep an eye on. He's quite noticeable (like Jaime; and in a good way) as one of the Celebrants on his non Eros days, and his stature, dancing, and stage presence also made his Eros fun to watch. Overall, I enjoyed Sylvia for the individual *sparks* of specific dancers, in addition to Morris’ creativity. Unlike other classical full production ballets, the story line also provided a more interesting main character who undergoes character development (finally a female lead who is independent, career-oriented, and doesn’t fall immediately in love upon meeting a man for the first time!). As reviewers and other friends have commented, SFB may have been more pumped in 2004 – as it was their premier and Morris’ directions were still fresh in memory – but as a first time viewer, I was excited to see this new production.
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