Waelsung

MakarovaFan & Waelsung - don't forget that while ABT's policy is no exchanges or refunds they generally will exchange tickets at the box office as long as you go a few days ahead of time. They definitely will not give refunds.

Thank you nysusan, as a subscriber I have exchange privileges, but what will I exchange my Friday ticket for? I already have a ticket to the Monday performance with Ananiashvili and Corella, and there's nobody else I'd like to see, especially at these prices (my seats are in the orchestra). Had I known in advance, I would have exchanged for a Sleeping Beauty or La Bayadere, but now it's obviously too late.

On top of that, starting next year all ticket exchanges will command an additional $5 fee. If you consider that there was no single subscription ticket that I have actually used myself this season (all of them have been exchanged or given away to relatives and friends), subscriptions start losing their appeal rather fast

With Diana out, can we get our tickets refunded at the box office?

I wish we could, but I'm afraid we can't.

This whole season has been such a terrible disappointment for me. Of all the casts that I originally wanted to see the only one that was left intact was La Bayadere with Part and Gomes. Everything else was a total waste of my time and money.

I realize injuries happen, but it looks like Diana's condition was serious enough to stop selling tickets to her performances a long time ago.

I don't feel the ABT managemement has been completely honest about this situation and this is why I am not going to renew my subscriptions next year.

vishneva's out, according to her site:

BLeeper: Diana, We pray for your speedy recovery. Where is your injury and when did it happen? We were coming to N.Y. but will not be there if you do not perform. Your healing is more important at this time. It would be wonderful to meet you sometime and we would make the trip to N.Y. just for that purpose. Hope you feel better soon. Speedy recovery to you and take good care.

Diana: Thanks. Unfortunately, probably, till the autumn I cannot dance. To the future meetings.

Diana: Thanks for your care. Unfortunately I have received a serious trauma and in this season I can not dance in ABT. To a meeting in a following season (in the autumn on tours KIROV ballet in the USA and in May 2009 in MET).

she took the date off her calendar too.

That was to be expected. I wonder how serious her injury really is.

All this does not bode well for the chances of Vishneva appearing Friday

I exchanged my ticket to the June 11th DQ - have absolutely no desire in watching a grandma Kitri. The only thing that I had a slight interest in seeing and didn't have tickets for already was The Sleeping Beauty with Lane. Terribly disappointed

The June 11th DQ has disappeared from the Performances section of the Vishneva's website. Even though ABT still lists her for this performance, I think the chances of her dancing this month are practically nil. I wonder who will be replacing her...

Waelsung, we've been discussing the one article that mentions Part might be leaving here:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=22733

This is only one source and other information has come down the pike, so for the meantime, we should be careful regarding her status at ABT.

I love V.P. - she's my favorite ABT ballerina, but I can't see her staying here if they keep offering her roles like Lady Capulet and one of the two Big Swans.

I hope they promote her though and she stays...

Sadly, Veronika Part is leaving ABT after this Spring season, so we're not very likely to see her again in NY any time soon

Yes, but she's not retiring - just leaving ABT. I'm sure she will be dancing somewhere - and whether near or far I still hope to be able to see her in SL and much else. It will undoubtedly take extra effort and planning and require a major dip into my ABT budget - but I can't bear the thought of never seeing her dance again. That's not possible.

I feel the same way, but if she moves to Europe [snip], it would take a miracle for me to go see her

Two years in a row without a VP Swan Lake is cruel & unusual punishment…

This is her last season at ABT, so unfortunately, we have to get used to many years without VP Swan Lakes

What a bummer. I completely missed the cast change topic and went in expecting to see Diana Vishneva, but got the geriatric Ananiashvili instead. I think her performance was terribly disappointing, clumsy and sloppy with botched fouettes being its nadir. Gomes barely caught her at the end of the Black pdd, but the way he did it she looked like a kielbasa in his hands.

I'm really upset and have a very bad feeling about the rest of Vishneva performances. She's already not listed for Tharp (thanks goodness I didn't buy tickets for this) and God only knows whether or not she will be able to dance the scheduled Kitri and Giselle.

And what happened to Part? If she also cancels her O/O and Nikyia this ABT season can be written off completely.

Ananiashvili can't cut it for me. And anyway, shouldn't she be retired by now? Gomes looked like he fell in love with his mother .

Thanks, drb and YID!

Thanks for the reports everybody. Very happy for Osipova and Vasiliev - saw their Don Q in Kennedy Center last year and absolutely loved it. Did Semionova and Bollet perform? It was supposed to be Semionova's American debut.

Saturday evening, April 19, 2008

An absolutely out-of-this-world Serenade, incredibly boring (despite Sarafanov) Rubies and technically imperfect and problems-ridden Imperial that gave me goose bumps. Was this the last time we saw Lopatkina and Zelensky on stage together? Their parting was heart breaking - I felt like it was me who lost her.

Kondaurova is the revelation of this tour, though. When Lopatkina retires she's going to be the best ballerina in the world.

Everything IMHO, of course:)

..Somova... Who is this Mystery?

Didn't Somova's regular coach, Olga Chenchikova (Mrs. Makhar Vaziev), stay back home with her husband?

I saw Mr. Vaziev in the hallway of City Center - he finally made it to NYC after all:)

I have to second and third the above reviews. Raymonda and Paquita were an absolute delight as was the corps in the Shades. But Somova's Nikyia was truly atrocious, and it's a crying shame that they gave her the opening night (it should have gone to Tereshkina IMHO - then we would have the perfect cast for this kind of program).

Lopatkina was not her usual melancholy self. I happen to love her melancholy, but it was nice to see her so radiant and happy. Vishneva dazzled with her technique, and all the variations in Paquita were very good (even Somova: here she was ideal and the audience loved her acrobatic circus style).

Among the supporting treasure grove I would single out Kondaurova (incredible as the Third Shade) and Tereshkina, who is going to be a huge star very soon.

Men, OTOH, were rather disappointing. Korsuntsev just looks good and that's about it. Fadeev didn't have much to do. And Sarafanov, brilliant as he is, seemed intimidated by the unusually small stage.

Overall it was a perfect ballerina evening, with incredible abundance of talent, and even Somova with her tasteless antiques couldn't spoil it.

I have one ticket to the April 5th Kirov Ballet performance that to my great chagrin I won't be able to use. It's an excellent Orchestra seat right in the middle of row K. The face value is $110, but I will entertain all reasonable offers (would really hate to see this ticket go to waste). Payment can be made by PayPal and I can mail you the ticket with delivery confirmation. Or we can meet at City Center on April 1, 2 or 4. I would also consider exchanging this ticket for a good Orchestra seat to either Apr. 12 or Apr. 19 evening performances.

The casting has been posted to the Kennedy Center website:

CASTING

Tue., Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Diana Vishneva

Solor: Andrian Fadeyev

Gamzatti: Viktoria Tereshkina

Wed., Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Uliana Lopatkina

Solor: Ivan Kozlov

Gamzatti: Tatyana Tkachenko

Thu., Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Irma Nioradze

Solor: Andrian Fadeyev

Gamzatti: Irina Golub

Fri., Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Alina Somova

Solor: Leonid Sarafanov

Gamzatti: Ekaterina Osmolkina

Sat., Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Uliana Lopatkina

Solor: Ivan Kozlov

Gamzatti: Tatyana Tkachenko

Sat., Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina

Solor: Anton Korsakov

Gamzatti: Irina Golub

Sun., Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m.

Nikiya: Alina Somova

Solor: Leonid Sarafanov

Gamzatti: Ekaterina Osmolkina

It looks like I'm going to miss Tereshkina's Nikiya, but otherwise I'm quite happy - couldn't ask for more really.

a totally strange (out of box) idea? about "abundance of Somova shows"....

Should we consider sending a forum letter to Ardani Artists to REPLACE Somova with other dancers? I hope they may hear the "VOICE of the paying audience" ;-))

It's not too late - almost 5 months before the tour ;-))

I would not mind contacting Ardani Artists on behalf of the forum ;-)) (but I 'll need the forum's support) ;-))

I don't think this will have any effect on Ardani's management, but even if there's a slightest chance Somova will be replaced in at least some of the shows, I'm all for it...

And I'm not interested in seeing Somova at all.

Why?

Well, I saw her O/O last year in Boston and thought it was an abomination. I also saw quite a few video clips on youtube and on Russian TV and really don't feel like watching them all over again. Especially when I have to travel to a different city, pay for hotel and incur other expenses, not to mention the cost of my ticket.

Somova is being pushed down our collective throat by the Kirov mangement because they think she's exactly what we want and what we will pay to see. There's only one way to prove them wrong.

I hope you have verrrrry deep pockets. Also, I wonder how many of these VIP seats will end up at regular prices or just given to friends.

Exactly. Doesn't look like they're selling very well.

Diana Vishneva has confirmed on her website that she's planning to dance Nikiya with the Kirov in Washington D.C. on Jan. 22.

I seem to be not as unhappy with the announced casts as most of you guys. I was going to see only the first three progrmas anyway, and I think that even with the Somova-galore we're supposed to get enough of Lopatkina and Vishneva to justify keeping my tickets. At least for the moment. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed until April 2008 and hope that they both can make it to NY.

The tentative casts for the April 2008 City Center performances have been posted to the Ardani Artists website. They are as follows:

WEEK 1

April 1, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Raymonda (Act 3)

Music: Alexander Glazunov

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Lopatkina, Kozlov

Act Two Paquita (Grand Pas)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Vishneva, Fadeev

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Somova, Sarafanov

April 2, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Raymonda (Act 3)

Music: Alexander Glazunov

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Novikova, Fadeev

Act Two Paquita (Grand Pas)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Tereshkina, Ivanchenko

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Lopatkina, Kozlov

April 3, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Raymonda (Act 3)

Music: Alexander Glazunov

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Tereshkina, Korsuntsev

Act Two Paquita (Grand Pas)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Somova, Korsakov

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Vishneva, Ivanchenko

April 4, 2008 at 8PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Osmolkina, Korsakov

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Golub, Kolb

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina

Act Three Scheherazade

Music: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vishneva, Kolb

April 5, 2008 at 2PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Kolegova, Korsuntsev

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Gonchar, Korsakov

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina

Act Three Scheherazade

Music: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Kondaurova, Ivanchenko

April 5, 2008 at 8PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Osmolkina, Kolb

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Golub, Sarafanov

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vishneva

Act Three Scheherazade

Music: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina, Kozlov

April 6, 2008 at 3PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Kolegova, Ivanchenko

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Golub, Sarafanov

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina

Act Three Scheherazade

Music: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vishneva, Kolb

WEEK 2

April 8, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Le Corsaire (Le Jardin anime and Pas de Deux)

Music: Adolphe Adam

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Vishneva, Korsakov, Korsuntsev

Act Two Diana and Acteon (Pas de Deux)

Music: Cesare Pugni

Choreography: Agrippina Vaganova

Tereshkina, Lobukhin

Pause

Don Quixote (Grand Pas de Deux)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Alexander Gorsky

Somova, Sarafanov

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Lopatkina, Kozlov

April 9, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Le Corsaire (Le Jardin anime and Pas de Deux)

Music: Adolphe Adam

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Lopatkina, Kolb, Kozlov

Act Two Diana and Acteon (Pas de Deux)

Music: Cesare Pugni

Choreography: Agrippina Vaganova

Osmolkina, Lobukhin

Pause

Don Quixote (Grand Pas de Deux)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Alexander Gorsky

Tereshkina, Korsakov

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Novikova, Fadeev

April 10, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Le Corsaire (Le Jardin anime and Pas de Deux)

Music: Adolphe Adam

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Tereshkina, Sarafanov, Ivanchenko

Act Two Diana and Acteon (Pas de Deux)

Music: Cesare Pugni

Choreography: Agrippina Vaganova

Novikova, Lobukhin

Pause

Don Quixote (Grand Pas de Deux)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Alexander Gorsky

Vishneva, Fadeev

Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows)

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Somova, Korsuntsev

April 11, 2008 at 8PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Bolshakova, Ivanchenko

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Golub, Kolb

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina

Act Three Etudes

Music: Karl Czerny

Choreography: Harald Lander

Somova, Sarafanov, Fadeev

April 12, 2008 at 2PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vasnetsova, Korsuntsev

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Gonchar, Sarafanov

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vishneva

Act Three Etudes

Music: Karl Czerny

Choreography: Harald Lander

Novikova, Schklyarov, Korsakov

April 12, 2008 at 8PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Osmolkina, Kolb

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Golub, Korsakov

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Lopatkina

Act Three Etudes

Music: Karl Czerny

Choreography: Harald Lander

Tereshkina, Sarafanov, Fadeev

April 13, 2008 at 3PM Act One Chopiniana

Music: Frederic Chopin

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Kolegova, Ivanchenko

Act Two Le Spectre de la Rose

Music: Carl Maria von Weber

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Gonchar, Kolb

Pause

The Dying Swan

Music: Camille Saint-Saens

Choreography: Michel Fokine

Vishneva

Act Three Etudes

Music: Karl Czerny

Choreography: Harald Lander

Somova, Sarafanov, Schklyarov

WEEK 3

April 15, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Steptext

Music: J.S. Bach

Choreography: William Forsythe

Vishneva, Kolb, Lobukhin, Sergeev

Act Two Approximate Sonata

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Scheschina, Ivanov, Riu, Popov Selina, Pimonov, Kondaurova, Zyuzin

Pause

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude

Music: Franz Schubert

Choreography: William Forsythe

Tereshkina, Gonchar, Osmolkina,

Sarafanov, Fadeev

Act Three In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Golub, Kondaurova, Novikova, Scheschina,

Selina, Dubrovina, Lobukhin, Sergeev, Pimonov

April 16, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Steptext

Music: J.S. Bach

Choreography: William Forsythe

Kondaurova, Pimonov, Lobukhin, Sergeev

Act Two Approximate Sonata

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Scheschina, Ivanov, Riu, Popov Sergei,

Selina, Pimonov, Kondaurova, Zyuzin

Pause

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude

Music: Franz Schubert

Choreography: William Forsythe

Tereshkina, Gonchar, Osmolkina,

Sarafanov, Schklyarov

Act Three In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Golub, Kondaurova, Novikova, Scheschina,

Selina, Dubrovina, Lobukhin, Sergeev, Pimonov

April 17, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Steptext

Music: J.S. Bach

Choreography: William Forsythe

Kondaurova, Pimonov, Lobukhin, Sergeev

Act Two Approximate Sonata

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Scheschina, Ivanov, Riu, Popov Sergei,

Petushkova, Nedviga, Dubrovina, Timofeev

Pause

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude

Music: Franz Schubert

Choreography: William Forsythe

Tereshkina, Gonchar, Osmolkina,

Schklyarov, Fadeev

Act Three In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated

Music: Thom Willems

Choreography: William Forsythe

Golub, Kondaurova, Novikova, Scheschina,

Selina, Dubrovina, Lobukhin, Sergeev, Pimonov

April 18, 2008 at 8PM Act One Serenade

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Somova, Korsuntsev

Act Two Rubies from Jewels

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Vishneva, Fadeev, Kondaurova

Act Three Ballet Imperial

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Lopatkina, Kozlov

April 19, 2008 at 2PM Act One Serenade

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Osmolkina, Ivanchenko

Act Two Rubies from Jewels

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Tereshkina, Korsakov, Gonchar

Act Three Ballet Imperial

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Somova, Kolb

April 19, 2008 at 8PM Act One Serenade

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Kondaurova, Korsuntsev

Act Two Rubies from Jewels

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Golub, Sarafanov, Gonchar

Act Three Ballet Imperial

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Tereshkina, Schklyarov

April 20, 2008 at 3PM Act One Serenade

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Tereshkina, Ivanchenko

Act Two Rubies from Jewels

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Novikova, Schklyarov, Kondaurova

Act Three Ballet Imperial

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine

Vishneva, Fadeev

*************************

If this sticks without major changes I'll be very happy.

This is a very disappointing analysis. Even more so exactly because it does make sense. If the Nikiyas are limited to Somova and Tereshkina, I will have to cancel my hotel reservation and sell my tickets. I do want to see Tereshkina, but she alone does not justify a trip to D.C. for me. And I'm not interested in seeing Somova at all.