aurora

really? when she even listed who danced lady montague? I agree totally on this. Also, they are supposed to be a bunch of kids--I didn't think his hair WAS inappropriate anyway. I disagree, but I totally respect your right to say it! ;) I may like Part, but I don't mind criticism of her, I just thought not mentioning her when Lady M was mentioned and she said she was listing the main cast was wrong.

You thought that of her Giselle last year? I thought I was the only one. I liked it, it wasn't in any way bad. But I wasn't blown away by it. I have to say the Giselle I saw this year with Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky was much better in my opinion. I think I made my feelings regarding the Swan Lake somewhat obvious. That said, I did *really* enjoy her Juliet this week. I thought it was really lovely, powerful, different, yes, but within the confines of the role (maybe pushing them a bit, but it was to my eyes, a valid interpretation of Juliet)

Thanks for posting those snippets. You are certainly right about Dunning's prior treatment of Part. And of course, as you rightly point out, I *don't* know that the review appeared as Dunning wrote it. That said, howevever, I seriously doubt any editor would have cut some names out of a list of names, without checking with the author that those were the most appropriate ones to cut. I know editors, and in fact have been one in another context, and that would be really bad form. And I can't think of any possible reason (good or bad!) for including Lady Montague in a list of leads from which Lady Capulet, the much larger part, is excluded. As I said, if it was just a random list of some other people she thought stood out especially, I would have no issue with it. But she STATES these people completed the lead cast...and L.Capulet is not included. I am sorry for being so heated, although I am still rather peeved at this omission and would really like some real explanation of it. The only person who could explain it to me however, is Ms Dunning herself, so that is unlikely to happen.

So the New York Times posted a review. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/12/arts/dan...r=1&oref=slogin On the whole its good and I agree with it. But Jennifer Dunning clearly has something against Veronika Part (Who, to reiterate, was Lady Capulet) and has chosen to take it out in a particularly nasty way in my opinion. If she had given Part a bad review--fine. I would disagree. But ok, its a review, it is opinion. If she had omitted discussing the dancers besides the lead couple and an assorted one or two singled out for special praise or condemnation--again fine. But instead, she listed the cast--including the nurse, including Lord Capulet, and omitted Lady Capulet/Veronika Part. In fact, in the thing that convinces me it was intended as a slap in the face, and not a simple accidental omission is that, in place of Lady Capulet she includes Lady Montague! A role that is on the stage for 5 minutes of the entire ballet (and Lord Montague is not mentioned) I've cut and pasted that part of the review below: ----- Herman Cornejo was a low-key Mercutio, impetuous in his darts and high-flung jumps but with a distracting mop of curls, in a lead cast completed by Gennadi Saveliev as a casually ruthless Tybalt, David Hallberg as a bemused Paris, and Sascha Radetsky (Benvolio), Susan Jones (Nurse), Frederic Franklin (Friar Laurence), Victor Barbee (Lord Capulet) and Jennifer Alexander (Lady Montague). ------ I mean, she even says "a lead cast completed by"... Is anyone else upset by this? I know I like Part a lot, but even if I didn't, I think this is a pretty unpleasant tactic. Say what's wrong with her if you have a problem with her, but to eliminate her like this.. I know there are reviewers on here for various publications--what do you think about this? As I said, it is not that she only mentioned a few dancers--I've seen reviews like that--as you can see in the article, she claims to be giving the main cast. While Lady Capulet may not be the most important person in the ballet, she's a hell of a lot more important than Lady Montague, and at least as important as Lord Capulet and the Nurse...even as Paris.... The New York Times reviews just disgust me more and more.

How interesting! thanks for doing that. Regarding the principles who are "appearing less or intermittently", I don't think Acosta ever performed much more with the company than he does these days--He's always seemed very much the 'guest artist' despite being listed as a member of the company proper. Also, maybe add Stiefel to the list? I know it is due to injury, but he's been out all season (right? if not, than almost all season) and it seems like this a chronic issue with him...

Hallberg came up through the ranks--quite quickly and recently in fact, so some caveat to your last statement is in order I don't know, there seems to be some considerable talent in the lower ranks and some of them have been dancing quite a bit. In fact, given the amount that hallberg is already being used as a principal, maybe another male promotion is in order. On the other hand, of the 4 male soloists, I feel like I only see two (Radetsky and Saveliev) often. Both were quite good tonight. Maybe it is down to my luck of the draw, but does Carlos Lopez dance often? I think I've seen him once, and Pastor only a bit more....

Mine as well! I hope it happens. I quite enjoyed her as Lady Capulet tonight, but I want to see her get more opportunities to dance! I don't think I've spent so much time watching Lady Capulet since I saw Margot Fonteyn do it in the 80s

ABT had 10 soloists this season and is now down to 9...do we think it likely someone will soon be promoted? I know that there are strict rules here (rightly so!) regarding the posting of only confirmed information, but I am just asking opinions, so hopefully this is an ok question to ask (with the understanding that all responses are purely the opinions of the writers, and not meant to be taken as more than such).

it really was a fabulous performance. Everyone was so wonderful. there were no weak links at all. Question--did Vishneva crash into the set as she was running off to see freddy franklin? the stage went dark while she was still running, and then there seemed to be a loud thud. Also, any clue what held up the last act?

I had no idea that's where Tina LeBlanc ended up. I used to love her with the Joffrey back in the early 90s when I was at the school and got to see them all the time. I'll make sure I see her. Thanks so much!

I'd like to second this! I talked about the ballet with my mother (with whom I attended), but I really needed/wanted to discuss it further...I was practically considering talking to strangers on the subway on the way home!! ;) I'm so glad I found this forum to discuss ballet, and grateful for the intelligent opinions on here. BTW--If anyone ever sees me at ABT, do feel free to say hi! I'm probably the only person in the whole theater with a septum (center nose) piercing, so I should be easy to spot! Especially when accompanied by my mother, who is 6' with white hair!! I realize the combination of facial piercing and my mother makes me sound all of 16--I'm really not, I'm just young at heart and my mom likes the ballet.

It seems (at least this season) that the New York Times covers the first night, usually in a stand alone review (as in, its a review of the production overall and a single cast). Then there will be a second review covering the next few casts. For example with Manon-- it opened Monday, which was reviewed. Then there was a second review on thursday or friday, which included the casts for tues eve, weds mat and eve. The scope however, makes the 2nd review rather cursory. they don't bother with the rest of the casts, in part i think because there have for the most part, been about 4 main casts for each ballet--and they all get "covered" in this plan. Of course, dancers vary from night to night, some of the lesser but still important dancers will change, and even one or two of the principles might, but in general, every cast gets some degree of coverage. On the whole, I think the reviews in the Times sort of stink!

The orchestra on a whole was off last night... Every year I complain about how the horn section tends to produce clunkers, but this year they had been uniformly good until last night, when there were a couple of really abominable sounds emerging from down there.

That is exactly it! In fact deliberate was the word we kept using at the performance but I was so exausted when I posted last night that it just wasn't coming to me--just careful etc. You mentioned her inapprop smile at Carreno--did you note the openmouthed "oh no!" face during the series of turns in Act III--I really was amazed that anything less than a serious fall would elicit that response. I know I know---it just seems that after all those years of swanning around some of the swimming ability should have rubbed off!

That's actually a little disappointing to hear, though I can definitely imagine how difficult it would be to turn like that post-baby. Irina is the best Odile I have ever seen, and part of it was the way she kept spinning out those turns, all the time with this look that said, "You like this? Well here's more! You like it even better now? Well just one more triple to get you completely dazzled and entranced!" What's more, she is the only Odile I've seen who actually picked up speed with every turn. I wouldn't be too disappointed. She was very confident, on, fast and impressive--when those triples came, they knocked your socks off. I always loved Ananiashvilli's fouettes, just for the speed and precision. That's fireworks enough for me. Irina's black swan really was fabulous.

I so wish I could have gone! The performances I saw were very good (Dvorovenko) to mediocre (Vishneva), but they didnt' have that sort of soul!

Wednesday Night's performance... Well, I guess I'm not a Vishneva fan. I enjoyed but was not blown away by the performance she gave in Giselle last year that had the NYtimes etc gasping for breath, and tonight was nothing less than a disappointment. For background, I was absolutely blown away by Part last year (couldn't make this year's perforamance--sob!) and have happily gone to see Ananiashvili for years. On Monday as already posted, I saw Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky. I liked it a lot, I wasn't overwhelmed, I thought her arms could have been more emphatic and the emotional content could have been greater, but I really enjoyed it. Tonight...well, I really thought it was not great. I thought Carreno was quite good--he has a nice line, and was very clean, he isn't terribly exciting I don't think, and I didnt feel there was much of a connection between him and Vishneva. He also seemed to have some difficulty in the lifts. She's not a large woman but she's a bit tall for him when on pointe, and he really seemed to be straining in some of the lifts. I guess one of my biggest quarrels with the ABT production is that its so easy for Siegfried to come off as a spineless twerp who will fall in love with anything in pointe shoes. The added longing and lonliness of act one only really serves (unless the dancer really works at it! I never had this problem with Bocca) to make him seem desperate. You feel a bit like he falls in love with Odette simply because she doesn't go off with someone else, nothing more! even his polite glances down the line of princesses in act III has the tendancy to make it look like he's thinking--"maaaaybe this one might do?" before telling his mother no. the pas de trois brought down the house (which was packed btw--I havent seen that many ppl in standing room in ages!). It was the cornejos and reyes. I was pleased to see Erica, as she was out monday. She was really lovely and has such a nice high soft jump. I have to say I never care terribly much for Reyes, she's so unrelentingly perky and cheerful, but in this role, she truly is lovely, and Herman Cornejo is unbelievable. Poor Sascha Radesky had the challenge of living up to the incredibly example of Rothbart set by Gomes on Monday. He couldn't. But he was quite good! especially once he got into the jumping section of his part. He just doesn't ooze (dare I say it on a ballet board?) SEX the way Gomes does in this part. Still, it was a strong performance. So on to Diana Vishneva-- I guess I must just not get the appeal. she was MUCH better as Odette as Odile. Her arms were nice and expressive though her back didn't share the expressivenss the way Ananiashvili, Part or Makarovas does (did). She began act II with some feeling, seeming genuinely startled by Siegfried's presence. But I felt it fell off from there. Act II was uniformly careful and thought out. While this isn't a complaint, I felt there was a total lack of spontinaity. She was dancing in a vacuum. Her dancing was (initially) technically quite on, but it was cold (I felt, I realize people are going to really disagree here). I also did miss Dvorovenko's superior balances (the way she ends series of turns in balances that seem they could last forever is really fabulous), but on the other hand, her arms were superior. So I felt mixed. Good, but not mindblowing. Then came act III-- It was sort of ghastly. For one, her idea of Odile seems to be she now smiles. There was no oomph to her portrayal. I realize ppl can go overboard with the *EVIL* but the part seems to call for a feeling of triumph over S, a sort of enjoyment of deceit. Her smile (if you didnt know the story) could have just made you think she really liked him! As well as not having a personality proper to the role, technically she had major difficulties. In her last series of turns in her variation (prior to the coda) she really messed up and upon finishing (tendu with left leg to the back) fidgeted the entire time ppl clapped on her right foot trying to regain her balance. She also grimaced horribly when her turns went awry, which was the first indication of her difficulty. I don't expect a balerina of her calibre to open mouth gape when she messes up--part of being of the top notch is covering up mistakes with aplomb! Her fouettes were..well...she got through them. First going forewards, then, as she progressively slowed down going sideways stage left. All singles with a very wobbly double to finish. The very short final act, so oft criticized here (and not without reason) was probably her best act. She finally expressed emotion. and all looked good except some of Carreno's lifts. She just sort of charged off the cliff however. Carreno's leap was rather lovely. I always wonder, when the monster-rothbart charges up there right after Odette has, and siegfried has, if he's planning to kill himself as well ;) Also--anyone else find it odd that a swan queen drowns? I always do!

Drb, thanks so much for the review--it sounds so much like the stellar performance they gave last year--maybe it was even better. I just got back from the Vishneva/Carreno. I will post about it later, but I was quite disappointed. I really wish I'd been able to make the matinee...

*sigh* I wish I could. But it is part of an intensive summer Italian translation course and I need it. Why can't they just give her more roles? At least I got to see her as Myrtha and as a big swan on Monday. I'm going to see Vishneva tomorrow night, hopefully that will be good...but I so wish I could be there in the afternoon. Enjoy! and report back!

I hope Ananiashvili comes back and does it again before she retires--I saw her as Odette/Odile every year from the early 90s on...she was so wonderful. Have you seen Part in this role before? I was blown away last year (as I keep saying) and have class tomorrow so I can't go. I hope others enjoy her as much as I did...

A review of Monday night is up on new york times--Linked on the main page of the website. For once, I think it's pretty much spot on. Amazing! Moderator's note: The Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/arts/dan...r=1&oref=slogin

two things-- 1) that was Stappas not Gomes. 2) What did you think of her arms here? I wasn't sure whether I found the effect as pleasing as the usual arms. I really couldn't decide if it was as effectively swanlike or not. I did however like the pause setting up the wings moment. You really saw her will cease, and her being taken over with swaniness (to coin a phrase). That is actually one of the things that has most impressed me about her this season (I hadn't seen her for several years), the stillness she can achieve, and the poignancy she gives moments in which she is not moving. It was very striking in her Giselle Act II as well.

was no one else there? I'll give this a shot. I don't really have time for a full review now, but here's a few notes. Was I caught in the spell? No, not really. I thought the criticism in the NYTimes review of Giselle that Dvorovenko danced wonderfully but didn't act, was somewhat true here, as opposed to Giselle, where I found her exceptionally moving and wonderful (I would have liked to see more comments on her Giselle on here--I was really blown away). That said, I found it to be an extremely well danced and exciting Swan Lake. They clearly pulled out all the stops in casting the first night-- Besides Dorovenko and Beloserkovsky, Gomes did von Rothbart in Act III (it was Stappas as the monster-rothbart), and as previously mentioned H. Cornejo and X. Reyes were two of the three dancers in the PdT. There were also soloists galore--Part and Abrera as the 2 swans, Maria Riccetto as one of the cygnets and as the Italian princess, Anna Liceica as the Spanish princess, Carmen Corella in the Spanish dance and Carlos Lopez in Neopolitan. All that and E. Cornejo had been scheduled for the PdT as well. I thought that while Dvorovenko was strong technically throughout, she was a better Odile than Odette. She really seemed to enjoy the game of Act III so much, that it made her more interesting to watch. Cornejo was amazing as always--I wish there were bigger parts for him to do. Watching Part as one of the two swans, I desperately wished I could go to her SL on weds matinee-- I saw her last year and it was one of the most moving, wonderful SL's I've ever seen--unbelievable. the contrast between the expressiveness of her port de bras and back, and Dvorovenko's which were lovely but didn't seem to be *saying* anything, was striking. I really did enjoy Dvorovenko--she just ddin't blow me away emotionally in this role. I'm sorry if this isn't terribly insightful, hopefully I'll be more eloquent after seeing Vishneva on wednesday. And hopefully more people will start posting on this thread--I'd really like to hear more opinions!

It was her artistry in SL, more than her physique (though on the whole, I'd probably agree with you), that I found so compelling about her. My feeling about body type is that, within reason, it's besides the point. I've loved dancers of many different body types--and I still remember uncomfortably the criticism Tina LeBlanc (of Joffrey in the 90s) got for having *gasp* breasts. Totally Off topic--but I see you are from Seattle--do you happen to know a tiny company based out of edmonds? Olympic Ballet Theater?

Do you mean she's fat by dancer standards? I hardly think so. I would say she's probably smaller that Gillian Murphy, but if not she's not considerably larger. She is tall and she moves large--when I saw her as Myrtha it was noticable the way she devoured the stage with her leaps. If this: http://www.abt.org/images/db_images/news/slpart1ro.jpg or http://www.for-ballet-lovers-only.com/Afb/Part4.jpg or http://www.ballet.co.uk/links/img/veronika_part.jpg Is your idea of too large, then clearly you value different things in your dancers than I do. Now if you said you were distracted by her 40s movie star beauty, well then you might have a point! ;)