fondoffouettes

I agree this is not cool, not cool at all, unless the money goes to the dancers' fund to provide coaching, maybe a fund raiser idea there for Moore (joking). Just curious if this happened to Herrera or Reyes tickets too? Or is this just the draw Kent has.

There were plenty of tickets available for Herrera and Reyes. I think it's a combination of Kent and the ballet she is retiring in. Perhaps a Herrera Don Q would have been a huge seller; who knows. I imagine any hardcore Kent fans would have bought their tickets months ago when they were affordable, so I don't know who would drop hundreds on a terrible side seat in Family Circle at this point.

A complete, new production of Raymonda, staged by Kolpakova (assuming that Ratmansky won't want to do another full-length quite so soon), and featuring the Raymondas of Veronika Part, Gillian Murphy, and Isabella Boylston.

Yes, this would be at the top of my list. The fact that the current production has not been revived for eight years or so is a pretty clear indicator, I believe, that KM would most likely scrap that production in favor of a new one. However, I suspect it would be a much tougher sell at the box office than, say, a new Sleeping Beauty. I'd love to see Sylvia again while Gillian Murphy is still in her prime and while Veronika Part is hopefully still dancing the role, but that one is not a huge seller, either.

Please, please, please no more than one period-piece bodice-ripper (Onegin, Lady of the Camellias, etc.) per season.

I wish ABT would revive their practice of inserting one or two pas de deux into their mixed programs. The mixed programs at the Met this season were very short, and how nice would it have been to see Herrera dance the Don Quixote pas de deux one last time? Or a Corsaire pas de trois just for the fun of it? I consider myself a serious dance fan, but sometimes I like the instant gratification of an excerpted pas de deux (if danced well).

A preliminary report from my correspondent in the field at tonight's performance:

Boylston is dancing wonderfully, so full of joy. She fills the stage with her presence much more than Lane. And Gorak fills his coat much better than Cornejo!

Part almost fell getting back into the boat at the end of the Vision scene. Don't want her injured before her Swan Lake!!

UPDATE:

Lovely Blue Bird pas de deux from Abrera and Hoven. Did the overhead lift at the end of the first movement, as they had done previously. Disappointing grand pas de deux. Supported pirouettes wobbling all over. Don't like it when it looks like the ballerina steps into the fish dives -- but even worse when it looks like she tumbles into them. Last third of Gorak's variation lagged, lagged, lagged. No sense of the music from Boylston in her variation. Left after that to catch train.

The ABT season was so buried in the old website. It's great that the performances are now highlighted on the home page, along with visuals of ABT's productions and dancers. Maybe one of these days ABT's own website will say farewell to the 90s.

Re Amour's comments above, in the Vision Scene, the ballerina's foot is resting on an inclined pedestal (don't know the formal name of that contraption they place on the floor for her to step on). Not to take any credit away from Vishneva and her balances, but that support enables the ballerina to hold the unsupported pose on pointe, not her own strength. Also, in the Wedding Act, in the section with the deep backbend, Marcelo placed his arm around her back to enable Vishneva to bend that deep. The other Aurora's I've seen perform less deep backbends, but it's done without any supporting arm around their back.

Thank you for explaining how these balances were accomplished. From where I was sitting, it was really difficult to tell what was going on in the Vision Scene when they brought out that pedestal and I wasn't sure exactly how it was used. Is it the same support system that Simkin photographed here?

https://www.facebook.com/daniilsimkin/photos/a.661219130581995.1073741829.658722760831632/816297861740787/?type=1

Or is this device used for practicing the Rose Adagio balances?

I thought the deep backbend was one of the most beautiful moments in the ballet (I saw Lane/Cornejo do it), though I wasn't sure how exactly she was balancing. She must have been leaning on Cornejo's chest as you suggest.

After the performance on the platform of the 66th Street subway station, a flautist was playing excerpts from the score. Presumably he was sight-reading, and I have to note that he found the first shade variation particularly tricky. He probably didn't suspect that the hack Minkus' oom-pah music might not be as simplistic as it sounds.

Speaking of Minkus, I just have to mention the dream I had last night. I was going to a recital at the Saratoga Springs opera festival of -- wait for it -- Minkus lieder.

I wonder who the soprano was going to be?

Tonight's performance was one of the most dramatically satisfying Bayaderes I've ever seen at ABT. I'll write a more complete recap tomorrow, but in short -- I felt as if Veronika has reached new technical and expressive heights, and that Gillian was the most incredible foil to Veronika's lyricism. As Gamzatti, Gillian was fiery, confident and all of her technical virtuosity felt as if it were applied to fully express her character -- not just to show off. Nedak was such a supportive and responsive partner; his dancing felt very reminiscent of Gomes for me, though I must say his partnering of Veronika was probably the cleanest I've ever seen. The supported pirouettes were gorgeous and the lifts were lovely.

The stars aligned and we got the three amazing leads that this ballet requires.

Would it be fun to have Nina as a next AD?

Well, it has certainly sounded like ABT ballerinas are craving an additional female coach. Georgina Parkinson's death left a huge void, and Jaffe's tenure was so short. Kolpakova is in her early 80s. A female AD like Nina would perhaps be a welcome addition for some of the female dancers in the company.

Thanks for the reports. I'm looking forward to seeing this now! I have to admit, I'm not too fond of dancers that appear childlike in their proportions, but it's encouraging to know that Kochetkova made a better impression in Bayadere than in SL or SB.

I have tickets to see Kochetkova in place of Osipova on Saturday night -- would love to hear any reports from last night or tonight!

Well, about the dancing: I think Ratmansky's style serves some dancers better than others. For instance, I think Stella Abrera is someone who fit into the productions style and aesthetic beautifully. Just because she naturally dances in a rather modest, understated style. Her low to the ground sissones and lower attitudes didn't seem like affectations -- it's a continuation of how she normally dances. Skylar Brandt is someone I can also see fits very naturally into the production.

Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes less so ... Murphy wears Gaynor Mindens and didn't look comfortable executing the steps in demi-pointe. Gaynor Mindens are really designed for extra support in pointe work. Gomes I think is so used to extravagant, heavy partnering that the ban on overhead lifts and the shorter, pure cavalier role (no real variation until Act Three) made him seem diffident and disengaged.

I think this production actually is the one production where it'd be very hard to fly in guests. Ratmansky demands (and gets) a tremendous amount of rehearsal time for his productions, and I'm not sure I can picture, say, Natalia Osipova performing pirouettes in demi-pointe.

I agree wholeheartedly regarding Stella. I thought she was LOVELY as Princess Florine and looked super comfortable in the choreography.

Sarah Lane's steps on demi-pointe seemed unobtrusive and as quickly executed as steps on pointe. I didn't find myself thinking that the 19th-century style of dancing looked out of place or distracting.

I was seated in the balcony, and the gold ornamentations shown hanging at the top of the above photo are not visible from the balcony level.

I could see them from the orchestra, but they didn't look gold/glittery as in the maquette above. They sort of had the same brown ink drawing look as the rest of the scenery. I was disappointed that they didn't really add to the brilliance of the scene.

The scenic design reminded me of the Nutcracker production in that visual richness was achieved more through the costumes than through the scenery.

The orchestra section is SOLD OUT for Misty Copeland's R&J.

She is definitely being made principal at the end of this season, whether we like it or not!

Um, just checked her Swan Lake and everything but balcony and family circle is sold out. Wow.

I voted for Ratmansky because I think he fits really well with ABT's identity as a company that focuses mainly on story ballets. I think the company could really use someone with his level of taste and sophistication -- as well as obvious reverence for the classics. And he really has brought out the best in ABT's dancers, while also valuing homegrown talent.

That said, I have no idea how any of these people would do from a development standpoint. The AD is basically the fundraiser-in-chief, so whoever ABT eventually chooses will have to have a knack for cultivating donors.

When does McKenzie's contract expire? I feel as if this information was reported on these boards at one point.

Marcelo Gomes and Nina Ananiasvilli taking company class together 2 days ago: https://instagram.com/p/3EnSqiiuRh/?taken-by=marcelua

This explains why she looked so fab and youthful at the Saturday evening alumni reunion performance! Can she be invited back as a guest artist to relieve Seo of some of her extra performances?? I'd pay any price to see her dance with Gomes.

P.S. This is what Macaulay means by Boylston's streaky hair. She has some highlights that don't at all look natural, as well as very prominent, dark roots. It's pretty much in keeping with what a lot of women her age in NYC do to their hair, though.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/arts/dance/isabella-boylston-on-treasuring-giselle-and-trusting-herself.html

I guess it might help soften her face a bit. I agree her eyes look rather dead most of the time.

I've been so distracted by Stella's debut that it just dawned on me that the NYT completely ignored the opening night cast (unless there are plans to mention Seo and Stearns in a Giselle wrap-up piece at the end of the run). I can't think of any other instance in the past few years in which this has happened. I think it says something that Macaulay deviated from the norm and focused on the Saturday casts, including Stella's noteworthy debut. ABT's last-minute press release about 200 alumni being in attendance might have helped, too.

Agree. Does this mean they'll get no before-the-curtain bows? That'd be too bad, as those are often special moments.

"Members of American Ballet Theatre’s alumni will be recognized prior to the start of the evening performance."

I'm hoping this means they will be acknowledged from the the stage prior to the performance rather than being invited onstage afterwards. I'm guessing McKenzie or Moore will make an announcement from in front of the curtain. Maybe all the dancers in the audience will stand up or something like that?

But Lane isn't and wasn't the only small Ballerina ever. There have been plenty of greats that were tiny (Kirkland). Plus once Lane is on pointe that jacks her up to almost 5'5. Her limbs are well proportioned, she doesn't look small.

It comes down to the fact that she just isn't popular right now. I was hoping to see her in Swan Lake.

If a ballerina can dance Aurora -- and dance it very, very well -- it seems kind of ridiculous that she's not dancing other principal roles. Underutilized talent.

Yes, Boylston and Gorak were scheduled to lead the SB on the Wed matinee. Talk about false advertising. How do you advertise Osipova and Sarafanov for months and months, and then remove both of them. Unreal. Really tacky for ABT to engage in this kind of bait and switch.

Did ABT really think that Osipova and Sarafanov were going to fly in and instantly learn Ratmansky's production and tone down their dancing so that it resembles the 19th-century aesthetic? I had my doubts ...

Seo and Stearns are taken out of the premiere weekend of SB (May 30 evening) and replaced by Boylston Gorak. Interesting.

So when were Boylston/Gorak originally slated to dance it if they've been scheduled to now replace both Seo/Stearns and Osipova/Sarafanov? I can't keep up with all of these changes!!

ABT’s website is no longer listing Osipova/Sarafanov for the June 10 evening Sleeping Beauty. Does anyone know when they were removed from the schedule? Fingers crossed that nothing happens to their La Bayaderes.

It's now listed as Boylston/Gorak. This must have happened very, very recently, because I was just looking at the Osipova/Sarafanov Sleeping Beauty this weekend.

I'm still seeing Abrera

I think there is probably has something to do with that page recently being updated. It's showing a cached version (or something like that!) rather than the new version of the page when you refresh it. It's doing the same thing for me. But it always changes back to Stella after I refresh it a few times.

Mussel, this is such HUGE news that I hope you don't mind me reposting it in this thread. I happen to already have tickets for that date, and while I hope Semionova is well, I'm THRILLED to get to see a Stella, Shklyarov and Part Giselle!

Question: should I dress up for these salon events? I've never attended these events held in the Frick so I don't know... I know this question may sound stupid but I don't want to be embarrassed because of my attire!

I'm guessing the crowd will skew towards business casual. I imagine it will be similar to the Frick's Wednesday evening lecture crowd, which consists mostly of people who have come directly from work. It's a mix of suits and business casual, with some casual-casual, as well. I'm not sure this is of much help, but I wouldn't worry too much of getting super dressed up.