Amour

My thoughts on tonight's program. Well, for starters, it's a little thin. Only 4 pieces, 1 of which is 11 minutes (Spectre), the other (Dying Swan) only 4 minutes. At least we got 3 substantial programs at BAM.

As for Sacre, I like the music and generally find the dancing interesting. Tonight, I really missed the Mariinsky orchestra. The Kennedy Center Orchestra is ok but the Mariinsky would have made the loud passages very exciting. As for the dance (I won't call it ballet) I've seen it done by both the Joffrey and the Mariinsky in a Blu-Ray entitled the Mariinsky Dances Fokine. Both were danced with more enthusiasm than what I saw tonight. The corps was really kind of ragged, everyone dancing to their own slightly different rhythm. And I didn't especially like Petushkova as The Maiden. She didn't jump high enough or twist her body around. I think Sacre can be a very exciting piece if danced well. It certainly still looks modern (despite all the stomping) even though it was choreographed more than 100 years ago.

Then we had Shapran and Kim in Spectre. I like Shapran but don't think she has yet developed into the artist her fellow Vaganova student Smirnova has. I do think it will come with time, consistent hard work and good coaching. I also would like to see her gain a little weight. She is now much skinnier than even Skorik (she'd gain some stamina). I don't think she simply went from pose to pose but I didn't see a full fledged interpretation of a young girl having a kind of erotic dream either. As for Kim, I was surprisingly mixed. When he first came out, he wasn't really on his legs and his attitude turns and pirouettes were a bit off. But when he started to jump, that was the Kim I saw in London. His jetés, tour jetés, and tours en l'air were very high and exciting. He just hung in the air. But somehow the upper body and arms were not delicate enough and Kim didn't really convey the androgyny of the character. I, too, remember Ruzimatov (and Kolb) doing the role more successfully. I think both Shapran and Kim can get there (and they seem to have chemistry), they just need some time.

Kondaurova danced The Swan. She was beautiful, liquid arms, arched back, beautiful face. I assume Lopatkina is still the gold standard but the audience loved Kondaurova and she got a standing ovation.

On to Paquita. I don't know the names of all the variations but thanks to YT (and Russians disregard of copyright) I'm familiar with many of the dancers. Oxana Marchuk is blond with big eyes and a big, toothy smile. Tonight she wore gold and danced the variation Lezhnina used to dance. Asaben is a brunette.

Anyway, Paquita's first opening minutes were rough. The 8 dancers (2 formations of 4 dancers) were not together in their timing and their spacing was off. Also where is the Vaganova epaulement going? Every generation it seems to get weaker. Disappointing. The lead corps dancers were steadier and stronger. Skorik and Ivanchenko were the leads. Again, he was a great partner, made her look better than she is and was great with lifts, etc. His technique in terms of the solos is pretty sloppy but he still has beautiful epaulement and posture. Skorik was not at all bad technically. She pulled off her fouettes without a hitch, even throwing some triples in. She also was secure in the rest of the piece. But when you look through the opera glasses at her face, you can see how tense she is. The best variation was danced by Kondaurova. She was lovely and its a travesty she didn't get the lead. Marchuk followed her and did a good job but nowhere near what Lezhnina used to do. I thought Matvienko (in the last variation) did well with the grand jetés (she seems to be a great jumper) getting height and covering space. However, she's not the strongest turner in the world. As for the PDT (tonight Gonchar, Diana Smirnova and Stepin) I loved him but the girls were not together. So, while it was definitely the strongest piece tonight, Pacquita was a bit of a mixed bag.

The end of Paquita from Friday evening (the 30th). (photo by my husband Owen).

Do you still have a program from that night? There are no mistakes, dancers all listed correctly for the 27th. The problems are in the other performances.

The casting list on the Ken Cen website is at odds with the playbill/program. Which is to be believed?

The playbill is totall screwed up in terms of pages. Our Friday night performance was correct for the first 2 pieces (Sacre and Spectre) but followed by a page from what appears to be Saturday evening's performance. The usher confirmed the mistake. But you had to recognize some of the performers to know the playbill was wrong.

Also, Natalia, Nikitina was injured in NY and is out. Tonight our insert said she was replaced in the Paquita PDT by Nadezhda Gonchar.

Just got an email from ABT. The Trios subscription is now available. And yes, abatt, Osipova is back. She danced Onegin in London Friday night.

Tonight was the All Bach program at NYCB. First up was Concerto Barocco, which is one of my favorite Balanchine works. Tonight's leads were Tess, Sara and Ask all of whom did a good job. But I have to say I think Tess has reached a new level in her artistry. As with her performance last night, she showed confidence, personality and stage presence. She seems to be using her tall, long limbed body to its full extent. In the beginning, I have to say my eyes were totally drawn to her and not to Sara (who seemed to be trying to catch up to the music). Ask is a suitably tall partner and there were no bobbles tonight (I did see the one you saw with Adrian, balanchinette, it just didn't bother me that much), just a beautiful, well executed PDD. By the end, Sara had caught up to the music so the finale was wonderful.

Then came Robbins' Goldberg Variations. What to say about that? It was my first time seeing it though I am familiar with the music (just piano). There was good and bad. The good was that much of the dancing is beautiful; sustained, long legato phrasing where every movement is stretched out. We get gorgeous développes to the front, penchées, attitude derrière, and a myriad of other steps. While Faye Arthur's and Zachary Catazaro start the piece, we quickly move from them into PDT or a variety of combinations (all men, two women, 4 couples, the variety is endless). What was really great, IMO, is that the majority of the piece is danced by soloists or corps members, namely Lauren Lovette, Anthony Huxley, Joseph Gordon (not long for the corps, methinks), Taylor Stanley, Daniel Applebaum and the one principal Abi Stafford (who I think has been injured but at this point looks no better than Lauren). Lauren, Anthony, Taylor and Gordon were all terrific. Then towards the end we get the principal couples: Tiler with Gonzalo, Maria with Tyler and Sterling with Tyler's brother Jared. I thought all three couples dances wonderfully with this sustained, adagio movement. It was especially nice to see Tyler dance solo (and with some brisée volees and a la seconde turns) so you can see he can dance as well as partner. I also like Sterling; she made the most of her proportionally long arms and legs. And of course Tiler Peck did a gorgeous job with Gonzalo, holding some passées for a long time. She also did some perfect fouettes. (She got the most applause) And at the finale more corps joined those who had danced. Finally Goldberg ended like it began, with Faye and Zachary.

The main thing about this piece was that it was simply too long. To have a piece with mainly the same kind of slow,sustained, legato quality go on for 1 1/4 hours is simply too long. This piece should have used only some of the variations and been 30 minutes long. Really, I would rather sit through the 45 minute Sacre (which the Mariinsky is doing in DC) than this.To some extent my concentration was faltering partially because of a bad toothache. But while I would like to see this piece again, it would be more digestible in smaller portions. A few people walked out of the theatre before the piece ended and my seat mates complained they were terribly bored. The other thing was I saw chunks of Balanchine's choreography being lifted. One example is when Maria(I think) does a backbend into Tyler's arms and he slowly rotates her face down, 360 degrees with her head back and finally (I think) her leg développes front. But that was not the only one instance, just the only one I csn recall quickly. Taken together these drawbacks are significant, especially when we, as the audience, are not really used to seeing more than about 1 hour of dance before an intermission (and even, then, in SL, for example there are all different types of music and dancing during that hour). I will probably try to catch this program again but I feel like I have to take notes.

What a difference a cast can make. We again had Donizetti Variations, La Valse and Chacoone tonight but the leads were different. While we had basically the same cast of Donizetti, Andy Vyette danced the male lead instead of Joaquin. Ashley was still fantastic, maybe even a little more so than last week due to Andy's strong partnering (especially how high and how long he could lift her). But when it came to the solos Andy simply didn't match Joaquin. He did not have enough speed for the multiple a la second turns, pirouettes, tours, & split air jumps. As a result, he did fewer of them and did them more slowly (and less cleanly) than Joaquin. He also didn't jump as high or cover as much ground. Thus, he wasn't that much fun to watch. I would say that while still excellent, the piece lacked the over the top excitement it had last week.

As for La Valse, it was a thousand times better with Sara Mearns than Sterling Hyltin. Sara brought her innate musicality and dramatic flair to the role. She may not have the vulnerability of Janie Taylor, but I liked her interpretation, especially when she accepts the necklace from Death, looks away from the mirror and then plunges her arms into the black gloves. Tyler Angle, as usual, was her partner and was fine. Justin Peck was ok as a seductive Death but I thought he looked a little bit out of shape (clearly choreographing is coming first these days). I was very impressed with the demis tonight: Lauren King was a lovely, pretty dancer (she reminds me a bit of Janie) partnered well by Antonio Carmena, Georgina Pazcoguin is simply a dynamo (definitely one to watch) partnered by Sean Suozzi and the handsome Zachary Catazaro (another one to watch) shined in his partnering of Ashley Laracey. I love the Romantic swirling music, matched with the long, beautiful swirling gowns .All in all it very successful performance of this piece.

Finally, there was Chaconne. Tonight Tess Reichlen and Adrian Danchig-Waring were the leads and again the piece was also a thousand times better than with Maria and Tyler. Adrian is a gorgeous dancer (big quads of steel, too), with clean pirouettes, fast brise volées, nice lines and a sureness about his partnering. In the past I have often not liked Tess, finding her without personality or stage presence. Well, tonight she showed both, along with an ability to hit her lines (be they arabesques, penchees, or the Balanchine hip thrust forward thing). She smiled, as did he, so they looked like they had some chemistry (Maria and Tyler did not) and even as though they were enjoying themselves. I would also commend Adrian on his strong partnering; Tess is a tall, big girl and helping her find her balance can't be easy. But the section where Tess extends her leg to a high second and her arms are overhead, Adrian takes her hand, turns her a little and then grasps the other hand was flawless. And they repeated this move again, with their back to the audience. My friend,who danced with NYCB during their "glory days" found Tess too safe and unwilling to go just a bit off balance (the definite hallmark of Balanchine style back then) But I say baby steps, first lets get her to feel comfortable on stage and then she can start risking this (hopefully she has a good coach).

Chaconne has a large cast and is proving to be training ground for young corps members like Hod, Phelan, Sanz and even for apprentices (Clara Miller, Miriam Miller,Preston Chamblee and Baily Jones). Then there the long time corps members like Devin Alberda who need to be promoted to soloist NOW. Anyway Chaconne tonight was far from soporific (as I found it last week) and the evening proved to be very enjoyable.

Fourth week casting up. Surprisingly Tiler Peck is not cast in Juliet.

Seems like Martins is sticking with his original Juliets. I'm surprised he is still casting Sterling H. It seems he's always wanted youth not developed artists. At least that seemed to be his original idea. Personally I always thought that idea a bit wacky.

He seems to really favor Hyltin (I actually don't like her). I do like everyone else in the cast, though, so I might go see it if tickets are still available. I'm glad to see Peirera is getting to do a few Juliets. BTW, this is just the first few days. Tiler might still get a Juliet.

Well, we decided to buy tickets for the Saturday matinee (what else would we want to do in DC?) to see Kondaurova in Pacquita. But that also means 3 performances of Sacre. I hope we survive.

NYCB performed tonight although (undoubtedly because of weather) the orchestra was about half empty. There were rows of empty seats so we moved from the back to row J center.

The first piece was Martins' Symphonic Dances. I really like Rachmaninoff's piece but Martins's choreography in no way visualizes the music as I see it. He uses some of the dramatic emphasis to have men do things like circle their arms around their heads. Really? It felt very sophomoric. However, Andy Vyette was the lead man (Hyltin the lead woman) and anything he's in can't be all bad. Hyltin wasn't too bad; she had nice arms and feet. But she need some more power to her dancing. I also appreciated that the piece has a large cast and that tonight all the demis were corps member (O'Hara, Phelan, Hod, Woodward, Ball, Hoxha, Gordon and Walker).Still, the piece really is a dud, IMO. I'd love to see the Ratmansky version created for Miami City Ballet.

Lauren Lovette made a strong debut as the Novice in The Cage. She danced with strength and ferocity. She was helped along by her fellow creatures, especially Savannah Lowery as the Queen. And Craig Hall was excellent as one of the Intruders. It is really good to see him on stage and know he will still have a career even though Wendy is gone.

Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia were lovely in Andantino but this seems kind of a minor Robbins work. I mean is Tiler is never not good in something? It's just this work is relatively short and seems undemanding of its dancers.

Finally, there was Cortège. I'm not sure I have ever seen it before although I've seen Raymonda lots of times (especially the third act). It took me awhile to adjust to the choreography or to see Balanchine using parts of it (the solo with the claps) and filling the rest in with his own choreography. Cortège is very pretty and the choreography, when different from the Petipa, still fits the music. However, I still prefer the Petipa; maybe I'm just used to it. I do think the star of the piece was the exuberant Georgina Pazcoguin as the head female czarda. She was lively, fast, musical and joyous in her dancing. Ask was pretty good as her partner. In fact, the czarda sections are some of the strongest in the piece. Like Symphonic Dances, Cortège has a big cast and I was pleased to see that apprentices Clara Miller and Preston Chamblee were dancing (though I still can't pick them out). Some of the non czarda girls are in longish skirts while others come out in tutus. As for the lead parts, they were danced by Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle. I think Tyler did ok, especially with the partnering. But after some batterie, it looked like he was getting tired. And, I'm sorry to say, I didn't like Sara. First of all, she just didn't seem grand enough (maybe I've seen too much Lopatkina the past 2 weeks). Second, when she comes along the diagonal, clapping her hands, then doing a pirouette that land in a jete to fourth, she just didn't look on her leg. And during that clapping section (Balanchine does away with most of the claps) her head looked like it was in front of her body. Finally, having just come from seeing the Mariinsky, (where everyone is thin and looks pretty similar height and weight wise) I was very aware that Sara is quite a bit broader and heavier than most of the other female dancers. Similarly, corps member Silas Farley sticks out because he about a head taller than all the other men. Nevertheless, despite these complaints I thought Cortege was the most successful piece of the night, thanks to the outstanding ensemble work.

How is the NYT audience supposed to balance his castigating the first 2 performances of SL (which included Lopatkina) while Gia Kourlas lauds the 2 youngest (and in my opinion worst) leads in SL: Skorik and Parish.

Although Macauley's review was published in the January 17 print edition of the New York Times, the online version is dated January 16, 2015, which is when he would have had to submit his copy in order for it to be in print on January 17. I therefore don't think Lopatkina's performance informed his review. (ETA: She performed on January 16.) He surely would have mentioned her if he saw her perform and would likely have compared her performance with Tereshkina's.

I only saw one performance (Tereshkina's & Shklyarov's second), but there are a number of things in his review of opening night that ring true to me.

Macauley did see Lopatkina's performance because I saw him there. He sat one row in front of me.

I have dredged up this topic because I was so irritated by Macauley's reviews of the Mariinsky. It seems he has very preconceived feelings about companies that prejudice him. How is the NYT audience supposed to balance his castigating the first 2 performances of SL (which included Lopatkina) while Gia Kourlas lauds the 2 youngest (and in my opinion worst) leads in SL: Skorik and Parish. Macauley is really a dance historian, not a critic and I really wish the NYT would beg Roslyn Sulcas to come back as lead critic. Then we'd have some less jaded, ill humored reviews to read.

Finally, although he does this less often now, I've been sick of Macauley comparing today's NYCB to the "glory years" of the '70's. How many performances from those years did he see? 20? 30? He was living in London then and could only have seen a limited amount. For those of us who lived here then and went all the time, there is nostalgia. But also a recognition that Balanchine is dead and we are lucky NYCB has survived. And of course Macauley can never write a review without criticizing someone doing something wrong. I've just had it with his reviews. I wish he'd go back to London.

Macauley review for the Chopin program is up here:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/arts/dance/mariinsky-ballet-concludes-brooklyn-run-with-chopin.html?ref=dance&_r=0. Clearly, seeing the Mariinsky is extreme punishment for him. Hope he doesn't go to DC.

I

Seen at intermission: Mikhail Baryshnikov in the lobby having an animated discussion. He was trying to go incognito with a black trenchcoat and sunglasses but he gave his dancer background away when he danced out a step and he pulled his arms up in a tight fifth position and the proud posture came back. So I can now say that I've seen Baryshnikov dance live.

We saw Baryshikov,too. He left the orchestra just before us, going up to the mezzanine. Actually, I didn't see the trench coat and glasses; he was just in a turtleneck sweater. But my husband and I thought he looked bad. He had about 3 days beard growth and my husband thought he looked very haggard. My husband (who was standing near him) also said Baryshnikov was talking very softly, so good ears, cancelto. He seemed to be with a blond woman, who I did not recognize as Lisa Rinehart ( his partner). And yes, he comes to lots of performances but I've always wanted to respect his privacy and never spoke to him.

I've seen him at the ballet many times but I've always been warned that he is a very private man and to respect his privacy. However at the end of the intermission I saw two girls running up to him and asking for selfies and he seemed very gracious about taking one with them. So ...

I've found dancers are usually very gracious. Lopatkina and Yermakov were very nice when I spoke to them at NYCB last week. I guess I just don't know what to say to Misha; I'm not really up on his latest projects. I saw him dance loads of times but that was years ago and seems like old news (25 years ago at least). I know Peter Quanz and he never wants to talk about anything other than what he's choreographing now. The rest is just old news to him and he's not at all interested (we have a video of a ballet he choreographed for the Mariinsky in about about 2007 that he still hasn't put up on YT. I have to ask him if I can put it up). I'm sure Baryshinkov would be gracious, I just have to figure out what I'd say to him.

I

Seen at intermission: Mikhail Baryshnikov in the lobby having an animated discussion. He was trying to go incognito with a black trenchcoat and sunglasses but he gave his dancer background away when he danced out a step and he pulled his arms up in a tight fifth position and the proud posture came back. So I can now say that I've seen Baryshnikov dance live.

We saw Baryshikov,too. He left the orchestra just before us, going up to the mezzanine. Actually, I didn't see the trench coat and glasses; he was just in a turtleneck sweater. But my husband and I thought he looked bad. He had about 3 days beard growth and my husband thought he looked very haggard. My husband (who was standing near him) also said Baryshnikov was talking very softly, so good ears, cancelto. He seemed to be with a blond woman, who I did not recognize as Lisa Rinehart ( his partner). And yes, he comes to lots of performances but I've always wanted to respect his privacy and never spoke to him.

I was there for five of the performances. Audience reaction was very enthusiastic for all three Swan Lakes I attended, pretty enthusiastic for the Cinderella (not really surprising, since Vishneva is very familiar to NY audiences) and pretty muted for the Chopin.

I was there for all the performances except the 20th and the 22nd. I thought the audiences were very enthusiastic throughout. Lopatkina's SL got the most enthusiastic reaction. The whole house immediately gave her a standing ovation. I thought the reaction to Cinderella was a bit more muted, although Diana definitely got the crowd cheering while Matvienko did not (I missed Batoeva). Yesterday, after In The Night there were lots of bravos and cheers and while some of the audience filed out, the rest in the orchestra (I was in row J of the orchestra) stood up for a standing ovation. The dancers looked genuinely happy.

Today, I found Chopiniana and In The Night slightly different due to cast changes and perhaps the dancers being more familiar with the restrictions of the small stage. First, Viktoria Brileva (or Brilyova?)the second soloist in Chopiniana is an absolutely gorgeous dancer. She mastered the Romantic style so well. The limpid arms, tilted head, small jumps from fifth or into fifth were done so gently and softly. It is a crime this girl is still just a coryphee. Selina was also great, again. And I thought Skorik looked more comfortable and less tense today (I was close, center orchestra row J). I still don't see joy in her dancing but I certainly see professionalism and commitment to doing a good job. As for Askerov, up close you can see he never really straightens his legs or fully points his feet. His legs are not especially nice looking so, combined with the lack of stretch, he just doesn't have a nice line. Also, I don't think he can act or partner securely. So, in short, I don't like him and am mystified by his first soloist status. But today I found the ballet far more interesting and not just "pretty".

Today I was able think more about Without. I think it may be a ballet about love and longing, with all the different couples at different stages in their relationships. One couple dances, then another. 3 women will dance with 1 man, or 1color coded couple are dancing, another woman approaches and the man goes off with her. Toward the end 4 of the women seem to be consoling Matvienko. Later 4 of the men carry off her partner Zverev. I don't need a story for a ballet, just beautiful dancing. But this seemed an obvious theme. As for the choreography, today I found the ballet beautiful but a little too long. Still I like the use of the slits in the curtain for individuals to disappear into. There were no casting changes in Without, so I thought it just the same as last night.

Robbins' Into The Night did have cast changes. Shklyarov replaced Stepin as Matvienko's partner in the first couple and the third couple was Lopatkina and Yermakov instead of Tereshkina and Smekalov. I thought Shklyarov was better than Stepin (who I actually like a lot) though this is the most lyrical (and traditional) of the 3 PDDs. Among my friends and I there were differences of opinion on whether Lopatkina was better than Tereshkina. I love Lopatkina but felt she was too grand for the role, which has a lot of comedy in it. But anytime she gets to dance it's always a pleasure to watch her. But I think everyone agreed the star of the piece was Kondaurova. Her part was also partly comic and she understood that. She is also a phenomenal dancer to watch: tall, long limbed, flexible back, legs and feet. She is also stunningly beautiful. So she is a very imposing presence. I also loved long copper dress with its swooshy skirt (the costumes are gorgeous) I truly enjoyed this ballet very much with both casts, just they were slightly different interpretations.

In short, I liked this rep program and having it based on 1 composer was a good (though hardly novel) idea. I do wish there had been orchestration for Chopiniana but I think Gergiev and the orchestra were playing elsewhere last night. I'm very sorry to see the Mariinsky go (though my husband and I are going to DC next weekend to see them). I hope they don't wait another 2 years to come back.

I saw today's (Sunday's) Chopin program at BAM. My short review: I loved it. I'll write up a longer one, but one problem I have is that the program only lists the dancers (less the corps) but not the roles. Can I assume that the first two dancers listed for Chopiniana were the leads? And that the dancers are listed for In the Night in the order they appeared? And what about Without?

If anyone knows who danced what, or where I can find that information online, I'd appreciate it.

For Chopiniana, Oxana Skorik was the lead soloist who danced with Askerov. However, the program simply omitted the name of one of the demi-soloists. Today, it was Viktoria Brileva (or Brilyova on the Mariinsky website; thank you Canbelto for recognizing her). She was the soloist with black hair. The other soloist - Yana Selina -is a bit shorter with slightly reddish hair. Lavrinenko (dark hair) and Marchuk (blond hair) were the 2 corps leads around whom the circular patterns formed. Last night Brileva didn't dance but I figured out it was Xenia Ostreikovskaya (a blond). Viktoria was much better than Xenia. First, she's stunning. Then, with her long neck and open épaulement she is the epitome of a Vaganova ballerina. And she did the Romantic style SO well. Gentle arms, soft landing in fifth. She was great.

Yes, the dancers for In The Night were as they appeared. For Without: Matvienko and Zverev wore red, Shapran (very skinny) and Yermakov wore a kind of blue, Selina and Stepin wore purple, Tiliguzova and Latypov wore orange, and Frolova and Parish wore green. Hope that helps.

I'm kind of partial to bad boy Sergei Polunin (minus the tattoos).

Tonight we got a break from full length ballets and saw a rep program entitled "Chopin". All the ballets in the program were set to Chopin and all played by a pianist with no orchestra. The ballets were Fokine's Chopiniana (known here as Les Sylphides), Benjamine Millepied's Without and Jerome Robbins' In The Night.

Chopiniana was very beautiful. The wonderful corps, with their fluid backs, long necks and undulating arms were always in sync, whether in formations,doing bourrées, or standing still. Yet the ballet seemed dull (which it does not have to be). Some of this may be due to the fact that the ballet was danced to music from a single piano, no orchestration. But fair or not, I'm attributing most of this dullness to the choice of Skorik and Askerov as the leads. She has greatly improved. She dances with confidence, no mistakes, and her lines are right (no 120 degree arabesques or a la secondes up to her ear like Somova).There is also a new maturity to her look (she looks about 25, no longer a teenager). But she dances with no joy. And when near a dancer like Vaganova trained Yana Selina (who was one ojf two soloists) you can see her epaulement is lacking. As for Askerov, I simply don't like him. He is an ok technician but a very bland actor and I fear a bad partner. So a very pretty but boring ballet.

Next up was Benjamin Millepied's Without. I simply don't know how to describe this ballet. It does not really have a contemporary feel, like some of his ballets. I don't especially like how he used the music but I would have to see the ballet again (this was my first time) to articulate why. What we had were 5 color coded couples (Marvienko w/Zverev, Shapran w/Yermakov, Batoeva w/Stepin,Tiliguzova w/Latypov &Frolova w/Parish). They dance, sometimes as couples, sometimes all men or all women. There are also several solos. I enjoyed this work more than Chopiniana but it is far from a masterpiece (what Millepied is?). Instead I focussed on the performances. I loved, loved, loved Kristina Shapran! This dancer graduated 2nd in her Vaganova class 3 years ago. She was unfortunately totally overshadowed by Olga Smirnova as Filin made Olga a star while Kristina hopped from one ballet company to another. Well now that she has come to the Mariinsky I hope she gets her due. She is tall, long legged, slender, beautiful, great turnout and a good stage presence (the last needs a little more work). The very tall and strong Yermakov was her wonderful partner. I thought they lit up the stage. Matvienko and Zverev were also very compelling. I love Stepin but did not think Batoeva was his equal here. And I loved seeing Ernest Latypov. He is a recent Vaganova grad that is very strong technically and that Fateyev seems to be fast tracking (yay!). Unfortunately, we also had Parish. He is a nice dancer but looks NOTHING like a Mariinsky dancer. He dances everything with a very active upper body: head thrown back, arms and chest outstretched, lots of facial expression) I think this is to disguise deficits in his lower body (lack of turnout?). Dancing at one point next to Stepin, he looked like a guest from another company. In fact, all the other Mariinsky men kept their upper bodies still and faces neutral. Parish dances everything as though it were Macmillan. No!! I can kind of see why Monica Mason sidelined him at the RB.

Finally, there was Robbins' In The Night. I have never seen NYCB dance this but took a peek at YT (Tiler & Amar dancing part of the 3rd PDD). Although the Mariinsky may not dance with NYCB's attack, I thought this was very well done (it also helps that it is a good ballet). Matvienko & Stepin were the first couple, dressed in lilac. There is a lot of swooning and elegance in this PDD and they danced it beautifully. But then came Kondaurova & Ivanchenko in burgundy. I was absolutely blinded by the beauty of this couple. Kondaurova is so tall and long limbed, flexible and has a beautiful face and great stage presence. And when given a good partner, she can relax and just dance. Ivanchenko may not be the best Mariinsky technician but I've now seen him several times (also with Lopatkina in London in SL) and he is a GREAT partner. He is understated, always makes the woman look good, can easily lift tall ballerinas like Kondaurova and Lopatkina and obviously makes them feel secure. It was a joy watching Kondaurova radiate confidence today after her SL the other night. Tereshkina and Smekalov as the 3rd couple in black were also good (she more than him). This PDD is somewhat humorous as the lifted woman often shakes her legs (as though stomping) or or her arms. Tereshkina pulled this off very well and with humor but was simply outdanced by Kondaurova. I am eagerly anticipating how Lopatkina will make this role her own.

Well, it's late and that's my not so brief summary of tonight. I love seeing new work (or new to the Mariinsky), and seeing good dancers doing well so the bulk of this program was a joy.

As for tonight, some friends found Tereshkina markedly better than opening night. I didn't notice that much difference but lack of jet lag (and lack of Gergiev; Gavriel Heine conducted) probably accounted for a lot of it. Her interpretation, though, was the same. I find her kind of a cold Odette. Her Odile sparkles and tonight the fouettes ( played at a human speed) only travelled partially downstage. But 2 of her SLs in 1 week were a bit much for me. I'm looking forward to a change tomorrow night with the Chopin program.

I took a break from the Mariinsky tonight (really Skorik and Parish) to see NYCB and I'm glad I did. This is the program Lopatkina should have seen; it's so different from the Mariinsky rep.

The evening started out like gangbusters with Ashley and Joaquin in Donizetti Variations. All I can say is OMG, AMAZING, FANTASTIC!!!! I have no words to describe how wonderful it was. The piece is very fast and virtuosic and these are the 2 to do it (same program and cast repeats at the Saturday matinee). Ashley has échappés, pirouettes, Italians, and jump whose name I can't remember (1 leg tucked under, the other extended), chainees, etc all done at incredible speed. Joaquin has tours, pirouettes, split jumps in the air, pirouettes where his momentum comes from his standing leg going on relève, and more. These two virtuosos executed all these very fast, virtuosic moves perfectly (I was in row F orchestra which is close enough to see mistakes). Amazingly, Ashley was fast enough to still play with the music, holding a balance a little longer here, speeding another movement there. To me this is a sign of her growing artistry. Joaquin really didn't have time to do this except to speed up his turn from a la second or his pirouettes. What's more, these two seemed to be having great fun. The crowd roared every time one of them completed a solo. By the end of the pieces there were cheers, bravos and loud whooping from the audience. They deserve it.

I would also like to mention the corps dancers were no slouches. One girl stood out in particular but I can't figure out her name (I initially thought it was Lauren King, but she didn't dance in the piece). Of the 3 men. Devin Alberda stood out for his musicality and improving ability to partner. I know it wasn't Alina Dronova, but that leaves Sara Adams, Emilie Gerrity, Magan Johnson, Claire Krezschmer or Kristm Segin. If someone sees the matinee please post.

As for La Valse, I love the piece but not Hyltin in it. As sz said up thread, Hyltin is a sparrow when they need a halk. Certainly, Sterling does not embodyt the dualities of frailty and strength the way Janie Taylor did. The next time I see the piece will be lead by Sara Mears and I have every confidence she will dance it great drama, depth and artistry.

Finally, Chaconne. This piece seems to reference court dances (though the program doesn't say so). It is set to music by Gluck that neither I nor my husband found interesting, Maria and Tyler as the leads, were lovely in their lines. So, I might add was everyone, including apprentices Baily Jonces, Preston Chamblee and Clara Miller. But coming after two such great ballets, it was a little soporific). This could also be due to my nightly commutes to BAM. In any case, i look forward to seeing it again.

I took a break from the Mariinsky tonight (really Skorik and Parish) to see NYCB and I'm glad I did. This is the program Lopatkina should have seen; it's so different from the Mariinsky rep.

The evening started out like gangbusters with Ashley and Joaquin in Donizetti Variations. All I can say is OMG, AMAZING, FANTASTIC!!!! I have no words to describe how wonderful it was. The piece is very fast and virtuosic and these are the 2 to do it (same program and cast repeats at the Saturday matinee). Ashley has échappés, pirouettes, Italians, and jump whose name I can't remember (1 leg tucked under, the other extended), chainees, etc all done at incredible speed. Joaquin has tour, pirouettes, split jumps in the air, pirouettes where his momentum comes from his standing leg going on relève, and more. These two virtuosos executed all these very fast, virtuosic moves perfectly (I was in row F orchestra which is close enough to see mistakes). Amazingly, Ashley was fast enough to still play with the music, holding a balance a little longer here, speeding another movement there. To me this is a sign of her growing artistry. Joaquin really didn't have time to do this except to speed up his turn from s la second or his pirouettes. What's more, these two seemed to be having great fun. The crowd roared every time one of them completed a solo. By the end of the pieces there were cheers, bravos and loud whooping from the audience. They deserve it.

I would also mention the corps dancers were no slouches. One girl stood out in particular but I can't figure out her name (I initially thought it was Lauren King, but she didn't dance in the piece. Of the 3 men. Devin Alberda stood out for his musicality and improving ability to partner. I know it wasn't Alina Dronova, but that leaves Sara Adams, Emilie Gerrity, Magan Johnson, Claire Krezschmer or Kristm Segin. If. Someone sees the matinee please post.

As for La Valse, I love the piece but not Hyltin in it. As sz said up thread, Hyltin is a sparrow when they need a halk. Certainly, Sterling does not embody the dualities of frailty and strength the way Janie Taylor did. The next time I see the piece it will be lead by Sara Mears and I have every confidence she will dance it great drama, depth and artistry.

Finally, Chaconne. This piece seems to reference court dances (though the program doesn't say so). It is set to music by Gluck that neither I nor my husband found interesting, Maria and Tyler as the leads, were lovely in their lines. So, I might add was everyone, including apprentices Baily Jones, Preston Chamblee and Clara Miller. But coming after two such great ballets, it was a little soporific). This could also be due to my nightly commutes to BAM. In any case, i look forward to seeing it again.

To see a current great documentary on ABT watch Frederick Wiseman's "Ballet" filmed around 1992. The first part of this 3 hour film focuses on rehearsals in NYC. In the 2nd part, we follow ABT on tour. There is some great footage of Ferri and Bocca performing the R&J balcony and bedroom scenes.

That is a great film, isn't it. I love Wiseman...

I like "Ballet" more than 'La Danse" probably because I've seen all those dancers dance and I'm familiar with them.

I, too, love Wiseman. At this last fall's film festival we saw "National Gallery" about the museum in London. Now I want to see 'At Berkeley" which everyone loves.

I know Ric Burns is a great filmmaker but a very different one than Wiseman. I'm sure we will get a glowing review of ABT's history (except for the great Baryshikov years that some seem to want to forget).

(As excited as I am about Sleeping Beauty with a wide range of appealing casts including possible chances to see Lane's Aurora and Boylston's debut alongside Vishneva's or Murphy's Aurora, I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw a Smirnova-Chudin Bayadere on the schedule.)

Well Smirnova is injured now and has had to pull out of some performances. June is a long ways away but I certainly hope she is healthy by then.

I'm very excited for the Justin Peck premiere on Feb. 4. Mearns, Ramasar, Ulbricht (Hallelujah!), Garcia &Vyette. Sounds great! I'll be happy to take another look at Pictures at an Exhibition but it won't be the same without Wendy (especially if it's Hyltin taking her place). Still I'm looking forward to it.

BTW, replacements now seem to be on the casting sheets.