aurora

There aren't a lot of tickets available (in the sections I was looking at) and I'm pretty sure that automatically triggers the higher prices. What I paid today was the same I did for Sarah Lane's Swan Lake a day or two before when it was also quite well sold.

I would have assumed that: http://moscowballetcompetition.com/en/news/prizes-and-awards-xiii-international-ballet-competition-and-the-contest-of-choreographers which is the website I was looking at, was the official website with the most accurate inforamation, not a beta site run by a tv company. But the one you link to is certainly much clearer, more specific, and seemingly more accurate.

Looking at the website the only mention of Laureate is with regards to diploma winners (choreographers). But Choreographers area also the only ones mentioned as winning medals. Everyone else is listed simply as Prize I, II, III, diploma. Since in the choreographer category those things are associated with gold, silver, bronze medals and "title of laureate" I would assume in her place that I had that title, even if it was incorrect. Their published information gives that impression. I'm not defending her, I honestly don't care. But while I'm happy to believe your husband is correct, this seems fairly reasonable a mistake to make (and maybe they should have proofread and edited their English language website while they were at it. The country isn't Chili).

That really was excellent. Thanks for calling attention to it!

I didn't find him tentative in Giselle either, and there is nothing easy about that series of entrechat-six in act II (though he made it look surprisingly so). (he did only do that once in a week of course!!)

oof no kidding! 1) it is more of an advertisement than an article (as you say, free plug, which honestly ABT kind of deserves after the lack of reviews) 2) It also feels like the first paragraph of something. I got to the bottom and was like--that is it? did the page not load properly? 3) What is there is half baked--if it is about Tchaikovsky and ballet, why isn't it even telling us what the music is. Obviously it is clear(ish) with some (though he could say *what* pas from Nutcracker). But what is the music for Aftereffect? More clarity on Mozartiana? bleh

It might be insulting to the other dancers (I doubt they are that insulted, they are not blind to the fact that Misty gets big audiences and they know that financial considerations are critical for the company) but it is smart. According to the 2010 census, The racial makeup of Chicago was 32% black, 45.3% white (of which 31.7% was non-Hispanic), 5% Asian, and 3% from two or more races.** **online articles do note a recent increase in the Asian population, but no consistent/reliable figures are available and were vague as to what constituted Asian Audiences in Chicago will not have seen Stella on video, she has gotten less national press, and there is not the large potential Filipino audience in Chicago to make that a selling point. If ABT was on tour in the Philippines I think Cirio and Abrera would be touted over Misty. This may seem crass, but that is advertising. Butts in seats. That is fundamental to the health of the company. And the company needs to be a successful business. Also while I know people on this board feel differently about her than does the general population, if you see the way Misty's performances tend to sell, probably a good number of people would like to know which program she is going to be in...they could have actually gone for the opposite strategy of making people guess in order to drum up more sales that way. Instead they let people know she's in B only (it seems).

We are trying to figure out the correct pronunciation of Russian names, not the Spanish pronunciation of Russian names...what is the point of this? Also that is how most English speakers I know (myself included) say her name, which I also have gathered is wrong. This is not clarifying...

That is a good point as well! But if it is due to the dancers, that would (I'd argue) be part of a discussion of them. When I said the choreography doesn't change, I meant when a company is doing the same production and that is what is being reviewed again. I should have been more specific on that. Obviously if it is a new production, then that (which would include different choreography, at least to some extent) would necessarily be a much more critical and substantial part of the review (at least in my ideal review world!) I will say Macaulay's articles (not proper reviews) on the histories of ballets, like that on Sleeping Beauty, are interesting, and personally I think the best sort of thing he writes. I just find it less successful when he shoe-horns too much of it into reviews proper. Perhaps largely because of the space limitations.

Gabe Stone Shayer has been doing a lot of soloist parts for 3 years. I wouldn't call him likely only because I can't predict but certainly it is more "deserved" than "wild card" at this point

That was a standout to me as well. I know he likes to position himself as a connoisseur of choreography as opposed to the balletomanes who are gaga over dancers and thus crass. But his definition which opens the review was hilarious: "One definition of a balletomane is someone who cares more about dancers than about choreography, to or beyond the point of madness." I mean who besides himself has ever included "to or beyond the point of madness" in their definition of a balletomane? And the fact of the matter is, he is just as guilty of caring wildly about dancers as anyone else. If you read his reviews (when the Times ran them with any frequency) over time, or look at his Instagram, he is just as clear in his preference for some dancers as anyone on this board. Most of his enthusiasms are male--there was the David David David period!!!! the brief excitement (before any really seemed deserved) over Corey Stearns, the ongoing adoration of Cornejo. He is more moderate over female dancers generally and almost always complains about things as well, but his love for Sara Mearns is well documented. As was his dislike of Wendy Whelan. I just don't see why it is necessary to act, as he does, like caring about who dances, is somehow silly. It is a performing art and as he does clearly know and recognize, the performers matter. So does the choreography. A good performance takes both, and in my mind a good review should consider both. However since the choreography doesn't change and the performance does, I'm rather more interested (when it is something performed frequently) in reading about the performance; he is more interested in focusing generally on the choreography, sometimes neglecting the specific performance almost entirely. A balance is ideal.

The fact Jared Matthews is from Houston and that he and Yuriko Kajiya (who I also miss) could both be guaranteed to be principal dancers surely had more to do with their choice to move than bringing in Veyette. Matthews was actually getting cast a lot but I think it less likely (though I would have liked it) that Kajiya was going to be made principal at that time...

That may be more because of the recently commented upon lack of DVDs of ballet being made in the US of late (someone said when the last ABT was--I think the SL?) than racial politics. There have been a lot of ugly incidents in Italian soccer this year. Though probably it is less bad than in Russia.

When you say 4 in a row it implies performances, as you said ballerinas in a row. I think I already basically illustrated why this is completely abnormal in my earlier post.

That also didn't happen. since Devon who was wednesday matinee, did the fouettees.

http://www.daniilsimkin.com/photo-so-this-happened-last-night-with-a-culmulative-amount-of-4-reharsals-sarah-lane-sarahlaneps103-rose-to-the-occasion-and-performed-her-abt-abtofficial-debut-of-the-title-role-odetteodile/ Great photo!

The thing is, they do. I'm confident this year's fouette fiasco is an aberration due to the injury situation, which is unusual but happens periodically in every company (look at the comments for the end of the season at NYCB). Boylston can and does do them reliably. She was dealing with an ankle injury. Murphy can do them spectacularly, but was injured and couldn't perform Kotchekova also couldn't perform and is also a reliable performer of the fouettes. Part: for all the comments (which I agree with) about this not being her strength, she does perform the fouettes reliably. (Please don't let me have jinxed you Veronika!!) Teuscher, the debutant, made a success of them Lane, the other debutant, did not, but I'm willing to chalk that up to illness and lack of prep time leading to a more nerve-y than normal debut. Surely circumstances warrant some ** on her "failure" That leaves Seo and Copeland as the "incapable of reliably performing all the standard steps" We've pretty much discussed their problems to death--but it is two dancers and they both have their strengths as well, be it financially and in allowing the company to build from within, or artistically (albeit fiercely debated)--as evidenced by an impassioned review of Seo's Odette. I'm not saying that the fouette situation this season hasn't been disappointing, clearly more so for some here than others, but I don't think it is quite the tragedy it is being made out to be, and the "steps" in question are one step--the fouettes. The only dancer I saw who could not dance the choreography properly was Hammoudi, the difference between what he did and what Simkin did was like seeing two entirely different ballets.

Nothing tops the nightmare of Maria Kowroski's fouettes in 2010 (I think it was) when she did very few off balance turns, and then attempted a few, frantic, dizzy looking arabesques, and then just stood at the corner of the stage as the music played on interminably. It was excruciating.

Don't forget our own Nina!

We don't have that ranking system. We don't have prima ballerina as a ranking. They are principals. And that IS their rank whether or not one agrees. Not that we can't disagree of course!

I believe he has been recovering from a prior back injury, rather than that he injured his back in rescuing the man on the tracks.

FYI: I exchanged an Onegin ticket that I couldn't use for Lane's debut tomorrow, and they are apparently selling VERY well. So much so that he commented on it, and I wasn't able to get anything in my usual area (which isn't a hot ticket)--all sold out! If anyone wants to say hi (or avoid me!), look for the woman with dark blue and black hair (and glasses). I'd imagine that will narrow it down at the Met.

I also saw today and agree on quite a few things, not on others. I thought Teuscher was great. I had no problems at all with her Odette. I disagree pretty vehemently about her back flexibility etc. I thought she put a lot of emotion into the role. I do agree about Prince Wetblanket. And it is pretty hard to do a totally one-sided love story with a brick wall. I too would like to see her with a different partner. The only flaws in the performance came in Act III-- one of the Neapolitans (poor Jonathan Klein) lost his shoe, and had to get it back on, but he and Gabe made a good go of it. I thought Royal looked excellent--danced well and had charisma which is something few bring to the part. I also noticed that the arabesque became a non-moment. Not sure how I felt about it...ultimately I decided that his very nice arabesque that was not held as intended was preferable to the torturous wiggling that often occurs when its going poorly, and it was his debut. I don't just want to repeat things, but that music error was inexcusable, I'm glad it didn't throw them off more! Also, I agree on the pdt--Fang has looked fantastic in everything I've seen her in this season. Really lovely dancing from her. All I can add for Hammoudi is that he leapt to his death very nicely. Please stop giving him principal roles.

Did McKenzie dance alternate choreography? How was it him pulling wool over anyone's eyes? Would you have preferred that although Boylston felt she could do the role, he yanked her from the ballet with little notice because she decided to not do the fouttees? What if a dancer you liked less had been given the performance instead? Perhaps Boylston made the decision during the course of the performance based on how her ankle was feeling... I understand being disappointed at the lack of fouttees, but it isn't typical of this dancer or this company. And as has been pointed out there is a long tradition of principal dancers/rolls having some flexibility in their variations. You perhaps see it more often in men's variations and the more spectacular leaps and turns, but it is not a recent thing.

O/O is perhaps the hardest role, posing massive technical and dramatic challenges. We may see debuts, but it is definitely harder to learn in a week or so and perform well than Medora. I was expecting if Murphy pulled out that it would be Seo. Why? Look at the scheduling. Given height and who is performing what day she's really the only logical choice. It wasn't going to be Teuscher. That's her matinee day. And Boylston is coming back from injury herself and thus wasn't going to dance 2 days with only one off in between. Part may still be injured, so she also was out of contention. Similarly, if Part is unable to dance Sat, I expect Devon will get that performance, due to scheduling issues. A lot of it is a simple matter of making it all work out.