aurora

Can we qualify these statements a little? It certainly depends on the child does it not? I KNOW I was attending Swan Lake and loving it by age 6 at the latest. I knew the story and thought it a fantastic one. As for too much dancing...That is what I wanted to see. We were going to the ballet after all. I had been taking "ballet classes" if you can call them that for 3 years already at that point and thought I wanted to be a dancer. I know you were speaking generally, but to hear some of the great joys of my childhood deemed "absolutely not suitable"... As an introduction to ballet I would agree neither is the best for a child, but for a child that shows an interest in the art form, why on earth not?

Well I didn't get to go, so it doesn't exactly qualify, but... My mom tells of the time they went to see ABT and left me at home. They got home from the 3 act ballet, but instead of finding me asleep they walked in the door to find me seated by the elevator, arms crossed and GLARING. I was SO ANGRY that they had gone to the ballet without me I had refused to go to bed and had sat there furious all evening. The poor babysitter had finally given up in despair. It was the debut of ABT's Sleeping Beauty with Makarova, in 1976 I believe? . This means I was 2. Generally they took me from a very young age. They found if they explained the stories well to me beforehand I was very good at sitting quietly and behaving myself. Although I think I (obnoxiously or cutely--Depends on your POV!) danced around during intermissions. Besides, who wants to come home to a glaring child by the elevator?

The opening night was yesterday, I hope that someone attended and will post here! by no means the same thing as a report from a ballet talker, but in the meantime.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In-kOSPw93w

It is so me to put my foot in my mouth. Again, I meant no disrespect to fans of Osipova. I only meant that there are ticket buyers, who are not regular ballet goers, who assume that the Russian import is superior. To those who point to exhaustion, fevers etc. I just have to say that for me the performance I see, is the performance I see. In opera I don't want to hear that so-in-so is not in good voice that day. I just think that if you go out there and do it there are no qualifiers, whether you are a tennis player or a ballet dancer. I wasn't saying it to say you shouldn't be disappointed, but when you are judging a live performer on a single performance, and saying, based on that, that she isn't suited for that role...well I think it is a legitimate thing to take into consideration. And you saw her in the role. Many of us who purchased tickets to see her in that role did not, because of that illness. It may have been poor judgment on her part to continue and perform, I won't argue that point. But it is unfortunate for her to therefore be judged *in her appropriateness for that role* based on that performance, in my opinion.

Michael, I agree with you about her Medora in Washington. I saw it too and was underwhelmed. I was even less impressed with her partner, Ivan Vasiliev, in that performance. However, she had just come from doing a Giselle and 2 Sylphides at ABT within a very short time before she did the D.C. Corsaire. I'm chalking the mediocrity of that performance up to sheer exhaustion, especially since I really loved her Giselle and her Sylphides at ABT. Also, if I am remembering correctly, which I think I am, the eventual explanation for the cancellation of her final performance of Corsaire in DC is that by the time she did perform the one you saw, she was ill and feverish.

You have an interesting way of wording things. I take it you dislike Part. Her "only two La Bayaderes"--That is what most people get. If that. You didn't state other performers number of performances in the same way, you simply stated the number of their performances with no judgment implied. I believe she is partnered with Bolle because they are both tall and statuesque. She has been a difficult dancer to partner because of her height. Hallberg (who I adore!) is tall but not terribly strong and performs a lot. Bolle looks very well with Part and it makes a lot of sense to partner them. I don't think that Hallberg highlights a weakness in Part's dancing. In fact I don't see jumping as a weakness in her dancing. Her leaps eat up the stage. Have you seen her as Myrtha? Weak is not the term I would use. Opinions of course vary on dancers, and Part divides opinions perhaps more than most. I don't mean to imply that you aren't entitled to see her jump as a weakness, of course you are. But you stated it as if it was a fact. I just wanted to point out that at the least, fairly educated opinions differ on this issue.

interesting you cite those two as they are completely dissimilar in type and style both of dancing and acting and happen to be one of my most favorite and one of my least favorite dancers at abt. You see them as similar? I believe you are a bit confused. She has never done Kitri in NY. She performed Giselle and La Sylphide last year. Yes she is famous for Kitri but she has never performed it in NY. I believe she danced it in DC in 2007. Maybe she has danced it elsewhere in the US but not in the last few years and not in NY ever. Last year was her first time ever performing full length roles in NY and they were only the romantic roles. That said I am very much looking forward to her Juliet which is a role she has long said she wanted to dance and I imagine would be very good for her personality.

That may be so, but they also used to refer to women who worked in offices as "girls" and that is no longer considered ok. Just because it was done in the 70s doesn't mean it is acceptable today. I realize she was wondering who came up with it, so your point is legitimate, but Martins could still take the initiative to stop the practice. I think her complaint about it is a valid one. That is a depressing thought. You may be right, but I do think that dance companies are among the most so, in the fact that they infantilize their employees, and that one's life is much more tied up with one's job than it is in a "normal" work environment given the extremely long hours and intimate quarters... At the risk of commenting on the discussion, I'd also suggest you are being rather condescending towards her...which given her topic of discussion, borders on the ironic, but hey, you might be right. In any case I applaud her guts, honesty, and wish her good luck.

She (Part) was doing saturday evening--hopefully she still is....

I observed Macaulay applauding for Part on Saturday night. That is nice, but not really the point. She doesn't know this, nor do his readers. What they know is what he writes about her, which is at best lukewarm, and even when he says something positive (paraphrased slightly) "VP danced better than I've ever seen her" he follows it with a jab "but she was still a bore." To make this not only about Veronika Part, it should be said there are several other dancers he responds similarly to--including Wendy Whelan. He has very strong and clear opinions about dancers. This is not necessarily a bad thing in a critic. It may in fact be a necessary one, or at least one that is impossible to avoid. But it makes him a bit of a "bore" for me--I can guess what he will say about almost any dancer without bothering to read the review: David Hallberg (who for the record, I too like very much)-- effusive gushing; Cory Sterns--the same; etc etc. I also find some of his criticisms, like those pointed out by Bart in the opening post in this thread, truly bizarre. Small feet make someone's dance quality "slick rather than handsome"? what is one to make of this? I have been known to have quibbles about body types for various roles, but this just strikes me as criticism for the sake of it...

I'll try and write more later (especially if no one else reports, or if their opinions were significantly different than mine) as I have almost no connection now but WHAT a pleasant surprise today's matinee with Ricetto and Hallberg was! For those who do like a traditional Giselle, Ricetto certainly filled the bill--and this was only her second go at it, I for one look forward to seeing her grow in this, and I would not have counted myself as an enthusiast (I got the ticket back when this was still billed as Hallberg/Abrerra). In fact with the exception of Lopez in the peasant pas this all corps and soloist cast (excepting David) hit it out of the ballpark. Also, kudos to Ricetto for extreme graciousness. Forget giving your partner a rose, she gave David the whole bouquet

Just to clarify, MCB has a rank between soloist and principal of "Principal Soloist"--it is this rank that Alex current holds, not that of soloist, although the MCB website does not state when Alex was promoted (I believe it was earlier this year if I am remembering correctly from a post on the Winger where Alex is a blogger).

He's made it very clear he doesn't care for her. I think one has to accept that as a given (as with other dancers at both ABT and NYCB).

I hope to write more about the evening later but I wanted to concur with something abatt said... I am not as familiar with this ballet as many people on here I am sure, but I too found this a major problem. I am not a Wiles fan, but I can enjoy her in some roles, even if she will never be a favorite of mine. But a Siren has to have some sort of sexuality to her--some sort of animal magnatism or allure. And Wiles had none. This is not a criticism of her looks, so I hope no one takes it that way--but there was nothing in her portrayal to give any sense as to why she would be remotely desirable and without that, nothing makes much sense. She just seemed like a bossy, tall, powerful (yes, she had that), bore.

OT but... following on the discussion of Michelle Obama's fashion taste, and recent discussion in the nytimes (of all places) of the emphasis her clothes place on her arms, it took me a long time to recognize this for a typo!

The "lead" role in that pas de trois is always a rather thankless one. Poor David though. Not much fun as a role to get for one's birthday! And on that note. Happy (belated) Birthday David!!!! (sorry for veering slightly OT, but the gala was indeed Hallberg's birthday night)

it is! But why is it (for me) still showing up in the soloist section?!

What do you mean?? Have I missed an announcement?? I think he means Herman Cornejo--and as far as i know he is not leaving ABT.

wow--having seen Beauty in Motion I have to say I am shocked...

What a wonderful piece of news this is! I can't believe they finally did it!! Congratulations to a much deserving new ABT principal!

The Osipova saga continues.....I just took a look at ABT's website. The Sylphide for Fri Juen 19 is now listed as TBA/Hallberg. So it looks like Osipova is out of the June 19 performance. Typical of ABT to bait and switch on casting. It's happened numerous times in the past, and so now I expect it all the time. and in the greatest of ironies--i switched my tickets from the 17th to the 19th because originally the 17th was the date that she was double booked.... argh!

On stevedores and sailors mostly, as way of showing pride in masculine strength and courage. Not on pretty girls. I didn't realize we were speaking exclusively of female dancers, especially since most of the examples of tattooed dancers have been male

I have no argument with the idea that visible tattoos don't belong in classical ballet. However your reasoning causes me to want to respond. For one thing, tattoos are less "modern" than the extreme extensions that are seen in ballet today (tattoos have been around in western society since the 19th c at least). Moreover, there are very few health risks associated with piercings or tattoos provided you go to a clean shop and take care of them while they are healing (which is pretty easy and minimal). As for ugly, that's merely your aesthetic judgment. For one thing, not all tattoos and piercings are the same. Some are ugly, some are strikingly beautiful. Just because you find them ugly doesn't make them so. Unless you fancy yourself a universal arbiter of taste. Personally I think people who walk around in track suits in public (on airplanes!) are hideous. And don't forget, there are people who don't see the beauty in ballet (though I'd imagine not on this board), something you might want to consider before you issue blanket statements on things which are ugly.

Not the coda! It is breakneck speed! Also--I believe Natalia's notes said Gillian Murphy for Tarantella, but that is not what the youtube video says, nor does it *look* like her...

Some of Don Q too!