Amour

Satuday night's R&J, Ferri's farewell, was all one could ask for. Everyone was in the audience to pay tribute to her, from the ABT members not dancing that night (Julie Kent, Paloma Herrera, David Hallberg) to Isabella Rosellini, Peter Martins, Darci Kistler, Julio Bocca and, of course, Ferri's partner Fabrizio and their two daughters. The performance from Ferri was wonderful - dancing and acting seamlessly combined to such a high level that Ferri believably becomes the 14 year old Juliet. When she looks at Romeo you really feel the passion of her new love while you also feel her despair every time her parents enter a room with Paris. Cornejo was also wonderful as Mercutio (he performed the entire role this evening). Bolle was, as in Manon, technically excellent but rather flat dramatically (at least compared to Ferri). This Romeo and Juliet partnership simply did not have the sizzle of Bocca and Ferri but to expect another partnership to have that intense quality may be asking too much. During the final curtain calls, all the ABT principal dancers came out and gave Ferri flowers (and hugged her). Julio Bocca came out holding the hands of Ferri's two daughters and, during a later call, came out with Ferri and Bolle and carried Ferri back into the wings, to great applause. During the approximately 20 minute standing ovation there were countless bouquets thrown, gold confetti rained down on the stage and the audience screamed and brava'd their immense appreciation for the years of wonderful dancing this great artist, Alessandra Ferri, has shown us. I know I will really miss her dancing.

I have an extra ticket for Swan Lake on the 28th (performers/Nina and Angel) since my husband is unexpectedly out of town. Seat is in center orchestra (rear, row DD). Let me know by e-mail or PM if you're interested.

I saw the 2nd half of Round 1 (Coppelia Act 3 PdD) Thurs. evening. IMO, the standouts were Paulo Arrais of Brazil, Wu Husheng of China and Seung-Won Shin of Korea. In no one couple were both the man and women both equally good (or bad). Paulo and Wu are long-legged and elegant dancers, with big jumps and good, sharp beats. What made Paulo stand out for me was his dramatic stage presence - his continuous rapport with his partner (who was unfortunately not his equal) and his fluid arms/upper body. Wu was also very good but had less presence. Seung-Won was the best of the women, tall, fluid and elegant with clean technique (no wobbles, good positions in poses) and a good pirouettes. As second best woman, my vote would go to Abigail Simon. I happened to sit next to Deborah Wingert (who set and coached the piece) and behind the row of judges (I was almost directly behind Claude Bessy). Deborah seemed pleased with the first six couples (or, as she put it "five out of six paid attention") while it was interesting to watch Bessy either paying close attention or talking to her fellow judge when, (the latter,I fear, she felt a performer wasn't doing so well). I'm curious how these performances are scored but since the judges enter and leave separately from the audience, I never had a chance to ask.

Friday night's "Manon", with Vishneva and Gomes, was a very good performance. It was also a different interpretation than that of Ferri and Bolle. Vishneva's Manon is a cunning temptress, shrewd in her manipulation of men and not saved by her tragic end. Vishneva, with her flexible back and legs, hyper-extended arms, and wonderful balance was able to achieve gorgeous positions throughout the ballet. Yet, I found this to be something of a distraction in the first and third acts. In Act I missed the intensity of Ferri. Vishneva took the speed slower (especially the turns), her walking passés less high and the dancing generally more posed, and less emotionally intense, making it seem less natural. In Act 3, the choreography in the death scene seemed somewhat altered. Even more noticeable, one could see Vishneva placing her arms in positions that would look lifeless (as opposed to Ferri, who can play a corpse more effectively than anyone else and makes her limbs utterly limp and like deadweight). To her credit, Vishneva performed this last death scene with some emotional shading - initially barely able to move, by the end her Manon progressed to the point where she is also limp and dead. I actually found Act 2 more understandable because of Vishneva's interpretation. Her calculating seduction and preference for monied suitors is clearly expressed and made sense whereas Ferri plays Manon as more of an innocent and an unwitting dupe of her brother Lescaut. Gomes was as virtuosic as always. He was a more solemn Des Grieux than Roberto Bolle and took both his passion for Manon as well as her seeming betrayal with Monsieur G.M. very seriously. His dramatic skills were sharp and I felt I understood the interpretation (particularly his rejection of Manon's maniuplativeness, in his tossing away her bracelet) more clearly than I had with Bolle. I felt Bolle was a bit stronger technically, however, in terms of balance, turns and partnering. Saveliev's characterization of Lescaut was good but he flubbed some lifts with Vishneva in Act I. Michele Wiles hasn't quite mastered the comedic aspects of the mistress role but her dancing was technically strong and musical. Craig Salstein, with high jumps, sharp beats and great musicality made the most of the role of beggar chief while Olga Dvorovenko was a perfect Madame. Isaac Stappas was the cruel jailor and the scene in which he abuses Manon had much more brutality than it generally does when Ferri performs Manon. All in all it was an excellent performance and offered a subtle contrast with some of the other interpretations seen this week.

Since Ferri has twice substituted for Xiomara this week (in Manon), maybe the same will happen next week for R&J. Does anyone know if Xiomara is injured?

Hnh? Ferri is 44; Bolle 32. I am arithmetically challenged here. When Bolle danced in the recent Aida that Alagna quit, there were reviews that made it sound like Bolle is in his mid 20's. I don't know his career, and I was surprised to read in one of the recent Links articles that he is 32. In a recent interview, Bolle says he first met Nureyev when he was 15 (and afterwards, Nureyev wanted him for a role but La Scala wouldn't release him). Since Nureyev died in 1993, the youngest Bolle could be would be 29.

Malakhov has wonderful technical abilities - deep, soft plies when landing from jumps, great flexibility, elegant lines and very musical. I know that Diana likes to dance with him. But because I find Malakhov quite effeminate (both on and off stage) it's hard for me to believe in him as a romantic lead, especially in MacMillan ballets. I'm actually looking forward to seeing Diana with Marcelo Gomes in Manon (and Swan Lake), since Marcelo is such a technical virtuoso and only sometimes plays a "good guy" as he will be doing here. As for R&J, having seen the absolutely WONDERFUL, UNFORGETTABLE performance of Giselle that Diana and Angel Corella did 2 years ago, I'm definitely looking forward to them reprising that same chemistry in R&J.

Just arrived home from this evening's "Manon" with Alessandra Ferri and Roberto Bolle. This was a wonderful performance, as Ferri and Bolle have great chemistry and danced seamlessly together (though perhaps not with the same wild abandon and fluidity as Bocca and Ferri). Bolle is princely, and danced with great elegance and unfailing balance. Ferri, as I had hoped, was superlative - passionate, expressive, dancing the choreography without pause, so that it seems completely natural and unposed. (For a photo of the pair and review of their Monday night performance one can see the Wednesday NYTimes Manon review.) Herman Cornejo was a convincing Lescaut (although his technique is superior to his dramatic skills) while Gillian Murphy performed the role of his mistress with both coquettishness and humor. The audience's appreciation of the performances (and huge affection for Ferri) was demonstrated during innumerable curtain calls. During these, bouquets just kept flying onstage and one (of about 12 thrown) almost hit Ferri. For those not lucky enough to see the performance live, it was recorded on video for the research archives of the NYC Performing Arts Library.

Anyone interested in learning more about how dancer's "inhabit" their roles should try to purchase Frederick Wiseman's documentary "Ballet" - a 3 hour film about ABT that was filmed around 1992. The first half of the film centers around rehearsals and coaching sessions while the second half has excerpts from ABT performances in Greece and Copehnhagen, including Ferri and Bocca doing both the balcony and bedroom scenes from R&J. Some highlights of the film include Irina Kolpakova coaching Susan Jaffe in La Bayadere and Agnes DeMille coaching Amanda McKerrow in "Leaves are Fading". Kolpakova, for instance, tries to get Susan to articulate what she is thinking about in Act I when Nikiya first sees Solar (Susan unfortunately says "nothing") and tries to get her to emote without getting "too hysteric". The technique seems to be getting the dancer imagine they either are the character or are in a position similar to the character (secretly meeting with one's illicit lover). It involves bringing something of yourself to the role and not simply copying movement. In any case, for dance lovers (and ABT fans), this is a film not to be missed.

I must say I disagree - the technical and dramatic abilities of various ballerinas can be quite different, which is why it is so interesting to see different principals perform the same role. No two ballerinas dance a role the same way just like no two actors perform the same role identically (a recent example would be the Liev Schrieber vs. Eric Bogossian in Broadway's "Talk Radio"). In terms of judging "acting", watch some silent movies or even people talking on the street (don't listen, though) and you can see how different gestures and facial expressions express things in addition to words (i.e., when people talk about "reading body language"). An exaggerated turned out hip and cocked head convey coquettishness/flirting, hands thrown up can convey despair or impatience, while a lingering touch of one partner's hand to the other's convey love. Also very important is eye contact; when Alessandra Ferri looks deeply into her partner's eyes she conveys great feeling. This kind of electric connection is totally different from simply looking somewhere in the vicinity of your partner's face/body. All these seemingly small movements are often subtly altered by different performers and help us distinguish one performer from another. And exaggerated movement or facial expression in the wrong place or at the wrong time can make an actor/dancer seem inauthentic. There is also projection and stage presence. Some dancers can project so strongly (i.e., Nureyev, Julio Bocca) that they can be motionless on stage and yet be utterly compelling. As for Julie Kent, having seen the excerpt of Manon she danced at this year's gala (as well as her Cinderella last year), I believe her dramatic skills have vastly improved lately. However, for most of her career, I considered her a "cold" dancer (a bit like early Susan Jaffe); good technically but without much projection or ability to deeply relate to her partner. I think some of this comes from a dancer's own personality and maturity. Certainly, Kent's Manon is different from Ferri's, (who, in turn, is different from Vishneva or Darcy Bussell). While one's personal preference for one performer over another is subjective, to say that they are all essentially the same is IMO simplistic.

ABT is updating their online calendar approx. 24 in advance of cast changes. 24 hours is also the minimum time required by the Met box office to exchange tickets. Since so many ABT dancers seem to be injured/ill this season, it is probably a good idea to check the ABT site for changes if you think you might want to exchange your ticket in event of a cast change. I was lucky enough to remember to do just that at 6pm this evening and ran down to the box office to exchange my ticket for tomorrow night for Friday when I saw Diana wasn't performing. (While Julie Kent's facility for dramatic ballets seems to be improving, she simply isn't in the same league as Diana, IMO) Hopefully, Diana will perform Friday and in her future scheduled performances.

Klavier, Judging from what I've read and I've heard, ABT's SB is, production wise, rather a disaster. However I, too, have tickets for Sat. night and am planning to go despite all that had been said. First of all, Diana Vishneva is performing and this season she is dancing beautifully and I look forward to seeing what she can do with this role, despite all the choreographic/story alterations that have taken place. I'd also like to see what Kirland has to offer, peformance wise. As Leigh Witchel says, if for no other reason, go to see the dancers. As for other versions of SB (especially those on tape or DVD), I happen to be partial to the Kirov's SB, especially a performance from 1992 (on DVD) , which features the beautiful Larissa Lezhnina as Aurora and Yulia Makhalina as the Lilac Fairy. Lezhnina is beautiful, charming, youthful and extremely good technically (her Rose Adagio is lovely to watch) while Makhalina is gentle, gracious but yet authoritative in her role. If you feel disappointed after Sat. night, I'd recommend renting or buying this Kirov DVD.

I agree, Faux Pas. Ferri, in particular, is powerfully dramatic, acting not only with her body and gestures but with her intense facial expressions. Watching from row M in the orchestra, using opera glasses, it struck me how her dramatic presence resembled that of the silent screen actresses, who had to communicate with their faces (especially their eyes). Ferri has effectively married this dramatic technique with her fluid, expressive dancing, which makes her a uniquely affecting performer.

I agree with nysusan above and also with Haglund's view of Part's performance. And I don't think the problems can really be blamed on the male cavaliers, although they may have played a part. I saw Irina Dvorovenko perform the same Rose Adagio with 4 corps men at Works and Process at the Guggenheim, and she had none of these problems. The fact is that any ballet principal should be able to AT LEAST execute a ballet's steps competently (if not with great artistry) and Ms. Part was simply unable to do this. Indeed, she did not simply fall off pointe, but was hanging on to the suitors (to try to balance) for dear life. A significant portion of the ABT MET audience pays almost $100 a ticket per performance and for that, they deserve to see a performance that is at least competent, if not of stellar artistry. The performance by Ms. Part was so painful to watch, such a train wreck, it was like seeing a student/apprentice dancer trying desperately to salvage a performance in a role much beyond their capabilities. Of course, any dancer can have a bad night. But for ADs to allow dancers to dance principal roles (and premiere them), ADs HAVE to be sure that dancer is technically strong enough and consistent enough to get through the role adequately. Otherwise they risk alienating a large portion of the audience (who would spend $100 again after that?). Perhaps even worse, the company's reputation suffers (for having ill-prepared dancers) and it exposes the dancer to a kind of negative spotlight that can only hurt their career.

I just returned from Boston having seen the Kirov's Saturday night performance of Swan Lake. I'm sorry to say that I found it a dull and disappointing affair. The worst was Somova - she lacks both the overall technique and the emotional depth to dance Odette/Odile properly (or interestingly)and relies on her extensions to please the crowd. As nysusan has previously pointed out, her dancing occasionally has no flow and, what I found most astonishing in a company like the Kirov, was how atrocious her fouettes were in the third act - I have simply never seen any fouettes that bad. Igor Kolb gave a decent performance as the Prince and Maxim Chashchegorov, as Rothbart, was one of the few cast members who looked alive (although he has little to do in this version of Swan Lake). Most disappointing, though, was that the corps also danced rather lifelessly throughout. Where, I wondered, was the perfect alignment, the musicality,the stage presence, etc.? Some of my perception may have been enhanced be the poor sight lines at the Wang; even though I was in the front portion of the orchestra, (and close to the center), I occasionally could not see what was happening at the right side of the stage. It also seemed I never had a proper view of the corps, when they are in their lines and formations in the second and fourth acts. The end result was that the performance I saw made me appreciate ABT all the more and feel a bit sorry that I travelled from NY just to see the Kirov.

Tonight's (Friday, 10/20) program was a success. All the pieces - Symphonie Concertante, Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes, and In the Upper Room - were all well danced. In Symphonie, Julie Kent was lyrical and danced the allegro sections with ease (unfortunately, the same can not be said for the other female lead, Paloma Herrera) and the corps were energetic and clean. It had been years since the last time I saw Mark Morris' Drink to Me only with Thine Eyes (the late 80's) and I was pleased to see how well it has stood the test of time. Marcello Gomes and Michelle Wiles stood out in this work, although corps member Cory Stearns was the real revelation (tall with a nice long line and a good partner). Finally, Tharps' In the Upper Room was the crowd pleasing finale. Although the piece was somewhat less well danced than last year, Gillian Murphy was excellent, displaying the loose upper body typical of Tharp while maintaining a strong center. David Hallberg was almost as good. My only complaint was with Stella Abrera, (who mirrors Gillian), who was stiff and, especially towards the end,kept forcefully jerking her head like a a bobble-head doll or someone with Parkinsons.

I also attended tonight's closing performance and had the luck to see it from row L in the orchestra. Although I have seen this ballet many times, I have never seen it this close up; it is incredible how many dramatic nuances (particularly in the street scenes) come through only at close range, (such as Romeo flirting with Rosaline or the lead harlot's contempt for Tybalt). Although I wondered whether I could ever be happy watching Ferri dance this ballet with anyone other than Bocca, I believe her chemistry with Carreno was quite good. Carreno is a much stronger and more sensitive partner than Corella (with whom Ferri performs "Romeo" on the La Scala DVD) and their partnering had none of the straining or half-lifts Corella had. Although Carreno is not as energetic as Angel, I find him a more elegant dancer (and a natural turner) and more deeply dramatic. Although the Ferri/Carreno pairing may not have been quite as ardent as Ferri/Bocca, I thought they danced together with great sensitivity and each looked grief-stricken when they believed the other has died. Saveliev was a more aggessive and confident Paris than Hallberg was on Monday night. And while Salstein does not quite equal Herman Cornejo in technique or elegance, he did a very creditable job as Mercutio. And finally, NO ONE is able to portray a dead, lifeless Juliet like Ferri (no mean feat, if you have ever tried to let all your weight go limp when someone is picking you up). At the curtain calls, I thought Ferri and Carreno looked quite appreciatively at the other, maybe some hope for a new partnership. All in all, a wonderful closing night and a successful spring season for ABT. As an aside, also in attendance at tonight's performance were Ferri's husband Fabrizio and her adorable young (and very sleepy) daughter Emma.

Unfortunately, I agree with you, Zerbinetta. This season, Corella's dancing is not only sloppy but he doesn't seem emotionally connected to the ballets. While I appreciate his energy and efforts to please the audience, he should try, at this point, to work on his artistry not just his athleticism. I would rather see more depth, drama and fewer pirouettes (let's have them done cleanly, not just spinning on momentum).

Did anyone see the Ferri/Carreno performance on Tuesday? I wonder what the chemistry of these two will be. About Jennifer Dunning's review, although she can be truly nasty (and knows more about modern dance than ballet), I don't think too much should be read into her neglecting to mention Veronika Part. For my part, I found her statement about Herman Cornejo's "distracting mop of curls" not only wrong but utterly beside the point. (Since when is hairstyling something that merits discussion in a ballet review?) Unless it serves some purpose in illuminating the dance (for example, mentioning long legs and as contributing to a long line or a male danseur noble image, or discussing use of feet, hands, head, etc) discussing a dancer's facial or physicial attributes is almost always inappropriate and generally comes off as either cruel or lecherous. As for Part's performance, I've often seen Georgina Parkinson as Lady Capulet and prefer her to Part in this character role, especially in her dramatization of anguish over Tybalt's death (which I found neither particularly moving nor genuine Monday night).

Not the same passion or breathtaking abandon as Ferri and Bocca, but Vishneva and Corella did a pretty good job. Vishneva was dramatic, increasingly swept up by her love for Romeo and her determination to be with him forever. Alot of her performance seemed modeled on Ferri's, though, but not as hearfelt - Vishneva was more girlish than innocent, and her heartbreaking parting with Romeo during the bedroom scene didn't have as much wild grief nor did her death scene. As for Angel, unfortunately, he is simply not the partner Bocca is. While Angel is wonderful dancing solo, his partnering in this particular ballet is weak. You can see him struggling, (sometimes shaking with the effort of the lifts); at times he didn't lift Vishneva high enough to show her positions adequately, while at others it looked as though he might drop her. When Vishneva would hurl herself at him I sometimes worried that he might not catch her properly. While the chemistry between the two seemed ok (and Angel's partnering of Vishneva was definately better than what he displayed on the DVD of "Romeo" with Ferri), he still has a ways to go to make the partnering look as effortless and exciting as Bocca did with Ferri. Given that so much of this ballet rests on the seamlessness of the partnering and lifts, this is critically important. Still in all, these two hopefully have many more years to perfect a partnership and this evening was a promising start.