Waelsung

Tough choice, but I would probably go for DQ with Terekhova (still my favorite Kitri) and La bayadere with Komleva.

Best news I've heard in a long time! Especially curious about "other works" Re: possible dates. The Stars of the White Nights festival runs until July 31 which leaves August as the most likely month for the NYC visit. Unless they're planning to split the corps and fly some major dancers back and forth. It's also interesting to find out who's organizing the tour. I think in all the North-American cities, except for Washington D.C., the Mariinsky is being represented by Sergey Danilyan's company Ardani Artists. If they do indeed run the season at the Met we should expect exorbitant ticket prices and constant bait-and-switch casting changes. Still, it's wonderful and very exciting news. I just hope they bring some classical works to compliment their Ratmansky galore and let Kondaurova do at least one Anna Karenina. I get to see it - I can die a happy man

I received the card, too, but I won't be bying any tickets until the casting is announced. Does anybody have at least some ideas who might be dancing in this new production, except for David H.?

Not very likely, I think, especially considering that the Bolshoi has just revived the Grigorovich production of R&J. And Osipova was conspicuously absent from it, btw.

Not only on the subway. Several weeks ago, while picking up my tickets for La bayadere I saw Osipova walk through the Met lobby with Hallberg and Simkin. It was about half an hour before the performance and there was a lot of people around. No one but me seemed to recognize or pay any attention to them, and we're talking not regular New Yorkers, but ballet fans getting ready to attend an ABT performance. As for the mugging story, I can only thank God it didn't result in a true tragedy and hope it will not stop N.O. from coming back to NYC.

I saw the Wednesday night performance and must say that I hated this ridiculous production a lot less than I did before. Part and Gomes were both absolutely exquisite, the epitome of style and finesse. The Act II was especially enchanting. I left the theater in a state of high that not a lot of mind-altering substances can help to achieve

I have some excellent tickets for the ABT Spring season that unfortunately I won't be able to use: La bayadere - May 20 (Vishneva, Gomes, Murphy) - Gr Tier Front Row A-20 - Face value: $104 La bayadere - May 22 (Part, Bolle, Wiles) - Balcony Front Row A-17 - Face value: $41 Lady of Camellias - May 27 (Kent, Bolle) - Balcony Front Row - Face value: $38 Don Quixote - June 01 (Osipova, Carreno) - Balcony Front Row A-20 - Face value: $38 Don Quixote - June 03 (Alonso 90th Birthday Gala) - Gr. Tier Front Row A-26 - Face value: $111 Lady of the Camellias - June 07 (Vishneva, Gomes) - Dress Circle Front Row A-32 - Face value: $64 The Sleeping Beauty - June 19 Eve (Osipova, Hallberg) - Dress Circle Front Row A-27 - Face value: $71 Romeo and Juliet - July 06 (Murphy, Hallberg) - Balcony Front Row A-122 - Face value: $38 These tickets were bought for a friend who can't make it to New York. I'll be attending some of these performances myself or we can arrange a meeting at your convenience at some other time. If interested, please contact me by Private Message or at sharkont@aol.com Thanks in advance! Len

In March of 2011 the Kirov Ballet is coming to Toronto: http://buyticketspro.com/theater/200034867...ing_to_Toronto/ No details yet, but given the right program with the right casts (Kondaurova, Kondaurova and more Kondaurova ) I could be really tempted to come out of my self-imposed seclusion and travel to our great neighbor in the North. Wonder when they will announce the particulars and start selling the tickets. If anybody has any info, would really appreciate it.

It took me over an hour both online and on the phone, but eventually I got everything I wanted. For many month, ever since the Spring season had been announced, I swore to myself I was going to be frugal this year, but completely lost it at the last moment. I blame last night Vasilyev Gala for it - it was so emotional and I realized that I miss ballet so much. Couldn't resist the temptation

Peggy: I can't find any evidence of it whatsoever. Would really appreciate any leads if such a DVD does indeed exist.

Does anybody know if there are any plan to record this for a DVD release?

Wonderful news! Really looking forward to this!

I hope I am not breaking any rules, but I have a ticket for the Friday night, Feb. 19 performance at the City Center that I won't be able to use. It's really a great seat - dead center of row H in the Orchestra. Face value is $75. Would consider reasonable offers. Please feel free to contact me directly. Len

Wasn't he? I was under impression he was and bought my ticket just to see him. Must be one of the senior moments - I've been having those a lot lately:)

Hmmmmm.... I wonder if this means that The Kings of Dance scheduled for NY City Center on Feb. 19 will happen without Vasiliev. I'm furious

That's exactly what I meant: two major, MAJOR parts, both performed for the very first time within a short period of just a couple of weeks and with a foreign troupe to boot. I don't know, for some reason this makes me nervous. I would understand it if Osipova danced her first Aurora with ABT (after all, she did work with Irina Kolpakova on her Giselle, and I guess, will be working with her again). But Juliet right after that? Is it even humanly, I mean artistically, possible to prepare both roles in such a close proximity to each other and give them 100%? Rhetorical question, of course. It's also quite strange, and even suspicious, that they didn't offer her at least one Kitri. Seems to me a much more logical choice, especially paired with Aurora. But OTOH what do I know?

I thought Osipova's Giselle and Sylph last season were exciting, but I'm still having a terribly hard time imaginig her Aurora and even Juliet.

I'd gladly offer half of my kingdom for a decent recording of Giselle with Maximova

Brava, Ekaterina! (BTW, the Firebird DVD with her in the title role is supposed to be released in the U.S. this week)

Two of my favorite Giselles are Bessmertnova/Lavrovsky and Mezentseva/Zaklinsky. Both are available on DVD from Amazon.com The Makarova/Baryshnikov version is also quite impressive, but it's available on VHS only. Still worth getting, methink. As an aside: it's a real crime that Lopatkina's Giselle has not been recorded comercially, and now time is about to run out on Vishneva

Wow! A two-week repertory festival! With On the Dnieper coming back! I think the money I'm going to save on ABT 2010 Met season will allow me to retire early

I seem to be in a minority here, but my all-time favorite male dancer would be Alexander Godunov. I only saw him live when I was a kid, but the impact he made in every role he danced is absolutely unforgettable. What amazed me most was the sense of freedom he projected, the totally convincing illusion that everything was possible for a man capable of flying at will. For me, nobody, just nobody compares to him, and most likely nobody ever will. Of latter-days stars the one that I cared most for was Igor Zelensky. Probably because in many ways he's the exact opposite of Godunov. Today my favorite dancers are Marcelo Gomes and Vladimir Shklyarov - both the epithomes of exquisite nobility and liricism. I also must add that I'm very old fashioned and still firmly believe that ballet is first of all about the ballerina. The men are on stage primarily to help her shine

A very rare moment when I truly regret not having a TV

Thanks a lot to everybody who answered - you guys are amazing! I installed Firefox as my default browser and it fixed the problem. Too bad there are not that many performances left to use the new tickets ordering system

Does anybody know what happened to the ABT/Met tickets ordering system. Earlier this season they offered excellent options to see all the seats available for a particular performance, but now seem to have gone back to the old system, where the customer can specify the desired section only and then is assigned the row/seat number. I really liked the new system so much better and am very disappointed to see it gone. Does anybody know if this is permanent or they will eventually bring it back? Thanks in advance!