fondoffouettes

I would like to add a more complete description of the exhilarating performance on Friday night. First, kudos to ABT's marketing team for finding a way to fill the house during the last week of the season and also over the July 4th weekend. I've attended half-full Corsaires and Swan Lakes over past July 4th weekends, so it was great to see a packed and highly responsive crowd filling the house on Saturday evening. I guess Sleeping Beauty is the answer.

Stella was again lovely as the Lilac Fairy. She was less technically secure in the series of unsupported pirouettes in the prologue, but somehow her presence, miming, and upper body seemed even more expressive than earlier this week. Since the dramatic text of ABT's Sleeping Beauty is so muddled, it takes quite a ballerina to pull off the role of Lilac Fairy and help the story to make sense. Stella does a beautiful job of making the Lilac Fairy seem as if she is orchestrating the plot with command and calmness.

The fairies at Friday's performance were excellent. Christine Shevchencko danced the happiness fairy very securely, though I sometimes like when that fairy seems a bit more hyperactive. After catching her very impressive last-minute performance in the Ratmansky piece (substituting for Gillian Murphy), I hope we will have the opportunity to see more of her in the future. Kristi Boone is, as always, a perfect fit for the very intense fairy (I believe the fairy of valor?). However, when she is cast in these sort of intense, athletic roles, it becomes harder and harder to imagine her dancing anything softer or more lyrical. Simone Messmer's pointing fairy variation was outstounding--the best I've ever seen it danced. She was brimming with energy all night. Gemma Bond and Katherine Williams were both lovely and danced with great delicacy in the two slow fairy variations, which can so often look awkward.

Aurora's birthday scene was lovely, but Part's performance really only got better from there. I sensed some odd issues of coordination between the pit and the dancers in this scene, though later in the evening they seemed to be perfectly supportive of Part.

I wonder whether the conductor added an extra bar of music to let Veronica finish her last balance in the Rose Adagio. Does anyone familiar with the music know?

I wish I could answer puppytreats' question definitively, but it did feel as if the final round of balances was longer than it ever has been before. I think they were just playing the music incredibly slow. I'm not always a fan of such tempo adjustments, but it was breathtaking to see the suitors rotate Part so slowly and to see her hold that arabesque, perfectly still, for such a long period of time. All of her balances were fine, but she didn't attempt to hold them for extended periods of time as she has done in the past. Yet, during the sequence in which she receives a rose from each suitor and raises her leg sky-high, she emphasized her ability to balance in that pose after the support of the partner was released.

From the moment Part pricked her hand on the spindle through the vision scene, I felt as if I could have been watching a performance of Giselle. As others have said, Part truly is a master of adagio, and in this act and the final one, the orchestra played at a tempo that allowed her to luxuriate in each detail of the music. Poses or details that seemed barely articulated in Tuesday's performance were here finely etched. To get back to the issue of balances--Part seemed to hold one forever in that strangely beautiful moment when, her back facing the stage, the Lilac Fairy and the prince support her in an arabesque and then release her hands.

The wedding act was, I believe, the strongest one ever delivered together by Part and Gomes. By the end of the act it felt as if their dancing was brimming over with energy. It has been noted that supported pirouettes can be an issue for Part and her partners, but the last set executed by Gomes and Part (the ones that travel across the stage), were performed rapidly, flawlessly, and with great panache. So too, Part's rapid-fire series of pirouettes around the stage at the end of the pas de deux was performed with greater speed and security than I've ever seen. It was thrilling to experience two great dancers give everything they have, and then some. I have enjoyed seeing other dancers, particularly Stearns, partner Part so well, but this performance made me realize how much I miss the special chemistry she has with Gomes. He performs the lifts so effortlessly and allows her to pose perfectly in the air (which is something that can become distorted with other partners).

I dream of another Part/Gomes Swan Lake, especially now that both of them are clearly at the height of their artistic powers...

If it's one of those two I'd guess SL, as it is the older production (no matter how flawed the SB is).

SL actually is a fairly handsome production physically--Von Rothbart costumes notwithstanding.

SB is not, but both have problems with the dance text.

SL thus seems a more appealing revamp project (financially), as hopefully some of the sets/costumes could be retained.

NB: I think this maybe should be in the 2014 prediction thread not the 2013 gen info one?

I agree that the scenery (excepting the rickety maypole) and costumes for Swan Lake are actually quite lovely and are among the most richly detailed in ABT's repertoire. I wouldn't mind if they kept the physical production and restaged it, hopefully with a more complete final act. Does Ratmansky ever do more historically-based reconstructions/restagings of nineteenth-century ballets? Or are they always in the vein of the ABT Nutcracker (i.e. mostly original choreography)?

Now that I've gotten more used to the Disneyesque elements of the Sleeping Beauty, it has given me time to take in the awful quality of the painting of the backdrops and side panels (not sure of the term for the flat panels by the wings). During every wedding scene we have to look at a hideous, poorly drawn, poorly painted cherubin face above the central door where all the characters enter. And the forest in the vision scene looks like it was painted by someone who specializes in airbrushed t-shirts.

I will write more tomorrow, but just a quick note to say that tonight's Sleeping Beauty--the vision scene and wedding act, in particular--was one of the most wonderful ABT performances I've ever experienced. It's difficult to enumerate all of the small details that made tonight's performance so special, but I do keep replaying certain moments in my head. I won't soon forget the way Gomes lowered Veronika in slow motion after the final lift in the wedding pas de deux, everyone's eyes following her pointed feet until they finally made contact with the stage floor. And the way they hopped backwards together en arabesque, in perfect unison, in the same pas de deux was enthralling (Waelsung hit upon the perfect adjective for tonight's performance). And I keep remembering the way Part looked at her own hand and then regarded Gomes with a sense of tenderness as she placed her hand in his during the wedding pas de deux. I've never experienced an Aurora who seems more truly human--transforming herself from naive girl, to otherworldly, sylph-like phantom, to fully blossomed woman in love.

It was a triumphant night for Gomes and Part. I'm a fan of both of them and feel as if I know their dancing very well by now, but both managed to surprise me in the way they pushed beyond the already high level of artistry they have achieved in the past. I've never seen such richly embroidered characterizations delivered in such an unmannered, fresh manner. I felt as if I were experiencing the ballet with new eyes and becoming reacquainted with what makes Gomes and Part so special.

I swear I saw the Puss N Boots pas in their SB years ago. Very short dance but cute. Did they take it out??

The cats get a bit of dancing as they enter the stage, as do Cinderella and her prince and Little Red Riding Hood an the wolf. Oddly enough I had the same feeling that in previous years the cats have danced more in the ABT production. Does anyone recall? Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part. Also, I thought a decision was made in previous years to bring back the king and queen for the wedding act, but this didn't happen at Tuesday's performance (or perhaps they were planted so far to stage right that I couldn't see them).

There's a physical detail in Copeland that bothers me-(I've seen her a couple of times onstage). She has hyper curved lower legs, and I noticed that the effect during chainee turns is weird. Because her legs don't create a straight line, when together they separate from the knees down, and then the chainee turns loose very much its magic, which is largely based in placing both feet as close as possible while executing the steps. In general she danced fine, but I don't think she is Principal material.

This is something I have noticed, as well, and it can be distracting in certain passages, like the chainee turns you mention. Her legs have the odd and (to my eyes) unattractive effect of looking like they bow out beneath the knee, which obviously isn't the physical reality for a dancer. This can be seen very clearly in the wallpaper images of her twitter feed (https://twitter.com/mistyonpointe). Unfortunately, I feel as if it is a physical quirk that becomes most jarring in classical tutu roles, though when Copeland dances as brilliantly as she did as Florine earlier this week, it's easy to forget about any less than "ideal" aspects of her line.

I would like to add a belated response to the the June 26 Sylvia matinee with Part and Gomes. After viewing this performance, I felt that the ballet is a fantastic showcase for Part, and Sylvia and joins Odette/Odile and Nikiya as one of her top roles. I hope she will have the opportunity to explore the role again in the future. Yes, the story of Sylvia is inconsequential (who can really be moved by sixteenth-century pastoral poetry?), but Ashton's ballet provides a tripartite challenge for the ballerina that is thrilling to behold--be bold and imperious; be seductive, sinuous and sexy; and finally be prim and precise and perfectly tutu. From pumping her fists in the air among her fellow glamazons, to letting loose in Orion's den and delighting in her own wily, sensuous abandon, to finally etching the pizzicato in the most delicate manner, Part was utterly enthralling.

Sylvia is a moving ballet--not in the personal, cathartic way that Swan Lake or Romeo and Juliet can be, but rather in sheer dance terms. An image I will never forget is Part's dart-to-the-heart variation in Act I in which her leg tries to escape the inevitable, stroking the dance floor in a backwards, segmented fashion, while her arms and chest reach towards Aminta. I've never seen it danced with more genuine pathos. Nor will I soon forget the wild yet self-possessed Part who wrapped her body around Orion in the second act. One critic has said that Part is best when she "goes for broke"; this was it.

In a way, Part and Gomes's performance reminded me of another classically-inspired piece that is near and dear to me, Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos; the story is ridiculous and not at all intended to be moving in real life terms, yet it but provides a vehicle through which the artists can achieve some of the most beautiful singing possible. Whether through the vocal chords of a Jessye Norman or the sensitive body and mind of a Veronika Part, works like these can reach a plane that is sublime.

As ABT's summer season draws to a close, I feel an incredible sense of gratitude towards the dancers. It's performances like this Sylvia that I will savor all year. In the never-ending doldrums of winter, when March never seems to end, I'll think of Veronika Part held aloft over Marcelo Gomes's head as she triumphantly enters the stage--arriving before my mind's eye again and again to delight and inspire.

It's almost painful to read these reports of Seo's Rose Adagio. This is the Met, after all, not a school recital. Yes, there is more to SB than balances, but they are so iconic, you have to wonder if anybody at ABT had second thoughts about handing her this role. Or perhaps somebody should have looked at her trying them before giving her the role. Not every dancer is suited for every role. When Colorado Ballet did SB last year, all three principal women did a good job with Rose, one was fabulous (Maria Mosina), and nobody fell off pointe in the numerous performances I saw.

Adding to the bizarre evening others have described, you have to wonder what Stella Abrera was thinking as she did the Lilac Fairy. Ethan Stiefel liked her enough to give her SB a couple of years ago in New Zealand. With some help from Google, I found an old review that says Abrera has great technique, but the characterization could be improved. No mention of faltering balances:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10770177

You just have to wonder why McKenzie took a chance on Seo, when they must have had early indicators about these problems, and Abrera was right there. At least Lane gets to do SB, but is it true she's had to wait five years for another shot at it?

Yes, I think it's possible that balances in general might be a problem spot for her. After the issues in the Rose Adagio, I thought she might try to emphasize the other balances that occur throughout the ballet, most notably the striking echo of the Rose Adagio pose that occurs during the wedding pas de deux. However, these were held for as little time as possible, so I guess they might just be outside of her comfort zone.

I had exactly the same though as California as I was watching last night--what must Stella be thinking as she observes all of this? Her performance last night was radiant and secure. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the beautiful shapes she created with her arms.

Yes, it is sadly true that Sarah Lane has had to wait five years to dance Sleeping Beauty again at the Met. I was there for her debut and she danced beautifully. The Rose Adagio was approached with a sense of youthful enthusiasm, complete with secure balances held for a nice length of time. I remember the rapturous applause that greeted her after she had completed that sequence. Temperamentally, she seemed perfect for Aurora and managed to present an evolved persona throughout the three acts. I remember she had a few bobbles with some of the turns in the birthday act (I think she went for triples when she probably should have gone for doubles), but that is just a minor point. It was really a triumphant debut and I can only imagine how she would have built upon her interpretation in subsequent performances. Her comments in the recent Huffington Post interview are interesting, though--after not dancing a role for five years, it essentially feels like she is starting from scratch. How can an artist develop when opportunities are so few and far between?

I'm not ready to write off Hee Seo in the role of Aurora. She's clearly more a lyrical dancer rather than a technical powerhouse, but you never know where she could go from here (just look at the progress Cory Stearns has made in the past year). And I hate to bring up ancient history, but Veronika Part's development as Aurora got off to quite a shaky start. However, her balances are now actually something she emphasizes in all the classical roles she dances, and they are a beautiful sight to behold. Sarah Lane's debut certainly was much stronger than Seo's, and much more full of joy rather than anxiety. I'm glad she is getting to dance the role again and I only wish I could play hooky from work to go see her.

I may write a more complete review at a later time, but just a quick note right now about Hee Seo's debut as Aurora. She got off to a rather shaky start (nerves, I suppose), as exhibited in a somewhat tense rather than joyful rose adagio. Her first set of balances was just fine--not held very long but they were still leagues better than, say, those of Julie Kent in the last few Sleeping Beauties she has delivered for ABT. However, the second set of Seo's balances were shaky and after the third one it was clear that something was going wrong and her leg was lacking the strength to keep her in position. As she was being rotated after the third balance, she started to tilt jarringly over to the side and then she fell completely off pointe. She was helped back up by her suitor and then managed to complete a very quick fourth balance. But Sleeping Beauty is more than the rose adagio, and she acquitted herself well in the rest of the Act I choreography. She only improved in the vision scene and then again in the wedding act. As mentioned by Classic Ballet, certain elements were approached in an extremely cautious manner. However, the quality of her movement and graceful upper body are at time reminiscent of both Stella Abrera and Veronika Part. I hope she can develop the role more fully and work on a more reliable technique.

What can I say about Stella Abrera this evening? She could give a master class on how to dance the Lilac Fairy. I always enjoy her dancing, but this was some of the best I have ever seen from her. I remember now that years ago she used to sometimes seem a bit tense and taut in her upper body and face, but it's all so much softer now. She dances the Lilac Fairy in a way that is both authoritative yet gentle; you know she is going to ensure that everything turns out alright.

I have seen Misty Copeland dance quite a lot but have never been a fan per se. However, she danced wonderfully as Princess Florine tonight--brava! Kudos to her for holding her leg extended quite high while she flapped her "wings." She was so on, and really elegant--it never looked like she was pushing. Joseph Gorak was his usual elegant self and brought grace rather than flash to the role of bluebird. As much as I love his dancing, I at times wish it were larger in scale (though I will take his gorgeous dancing over something flashier and vulgar any day).

Simone Messmer was wonderful as the pointing fairy. Isabella Boylston was great as the fairy of ferver but her eye makeup was ghastly. Was she going for a black swan look? Has Gillian been giving her makeup tips? I haven't at all been familiar with corps member Stephanie Williams, but she danced really well as the fairy of sincerity and stood out among the group. She dances a fairy variation that I always think looks awkward, but she made it look beautiful. I will look out for her again in the future.

Lastly, bravi to Aurora's attendants for looking fabulous in the birthday scene. A joy to watch.

It's too bad there isn't more flexibility in terms of who Cornejo and Simkin can partner, but this may be helped by the additional principal roles which will hopefully be offered to Lane and Boylston.

And what about Stella Abrera? Where does she fall height-wise? Ought she not also be promoted to principal status?

Her willowy physique makes her seem tall, but I think she may actually be more along the lines of Murphy or Herrera or perhaps slightly taller (not sure).When they pair her with Radetsky she always seems a tad too tall for him. Abrera was one of the dancers I was immediately drawn to when I first began attending ABT performances and the quality of her dancing has been outstanding--consistently musical, lyrical, and simply a pleasure to watch. Unfortunately I feel as if they are no longer testing her out for principal roles, as they had several years ago when she was assigned Cinderella and a couple Giselles (though the latter never took place due to injuries).

I've always been curious to see how she would fare in a full-length classical ballet or as MacMillan's Juliet or Manon. Unfortunately her New York-based fans have never had the opportunity to experience this, though I'm always thrilled to see her as the Lilac Fairy, Mercedes, or Myrtha.

In looking at the bios of ABT principals, it's interesting that virtually all of them were promoted from soloist to principal within a span of two to four years. Veronika Part had to wait seven years to be promoted from soloist to principal, which seemed like a very long time. Abrera became a soloist in 2001, so I'm not optimistic that she will get her shot, but you never know. Saveliev occasionally danced principal roles in his decade-long career as soloist with ABT, so perhaps Abrera could be afforded the same opportunities, even if she doesn't get a promotion?

Whenever you are a very tall female dancer or short male dancer, I think you are going to run into these casting change problems. A few years ago there weren't enough tall male dancers to go around, and Gomes had to dance like crazy when Bolle or another tall male dancer would pull out. ABT has clearly worked to bolster their roster of tall male dancers:

Tall female principals requiring tall partners: Part, Semionova

Tall male principals who almost always partner tall dancers: Bolle, Stearns

Tall male principals who often partner both tall and mid-height dancers: Gomes, Hallberg

Tall male soloists who often dance principal roles: Hammoudi, Whiteside

If you look at the mid-height and short dancers, I think what is interesting is that there are quite a few short or mid-height female dancers (Kent, Seo, Vishneva, Osipova) who are often paired with tall dancers like Gomes or Hallberg. Perhaps in the past they would have been paired with dancers like Corella or Carreno, but the company doesn't currently have those sort of versatile, mid-height male principals at the moment. I know Corella was on the short side, but he was versatile in that he could dance with Herrera and Murphy. Jared Matthews comes to mind as someone who might fill this sort of role, if he were given more partnering opportunities.

Mid-height female principals who often prefer tall partners: Kent, Seo, Vishneva

Mid-height female principals who require someone at least as tall as Corella, but ideally someone a bit taller: Murphy, Herrera

Mid-height male principal dancers: ??

Short male prinicipal dancers who require very short female dancers: Cornejo, Simkin, Vasiliev

Very short female principal dancers: Reyes, Osipova

Very short female soloists: Lane, Boylston

It's too bad there isn't more flexibility in terms of who Cornejo and Simkin can partner, but this may be helped by the additional principal roles which will hopefully be offered to Lane and Boylston.

Abatt, I seem to recall that the production premiered in DC in March 2000, not NY, and that Kent was the first O-O and Corella was Siegfried. Don't recall who was Purple Rothbart. I'm sure that the thread on the world premiere of this production is in the BA archives, somewhere. I'm among the many who posted. Many of our critiques were eventually fixed, e.g., the very bright 'rising sun' Japanese flag motif apotheosis (now more subtle and not just a big red circle in the middle). 'Mr. Green Swamp Thing,' alas, has not changed...and the moving turkey in his hands, at the beginning, is still a hoot.

Thanks to you all for your recollections and also the link to the review. It's amazing to think Marcelo has been dancing the role of Rothbart for fourteen years now, and he always seems so fresh and exciting each time. Natalia--I think the stuffed turkey may have been replaced with a slightly revised bird this season. I usually try to avoid looking at it altogether, but something seems different about it this year. It appears as if the wings now have a mechanism to make them flap so Rothbart doesn't need to manipulate/strangle it as much as in the past. May the old turkey enjoy a long and peaceful retirement.

What bothers me about the swamp monster is not so much his appearance but that he doesn't relate at all to his sexy purple incarnation. They truly seem like two separate characters, not doubles like Odette/Odile.

Okay, revision: Natalia--I'm sorry to hear that the hyperactive turkey has in reared its head this season! Maybe I just saw Rothbarts who minimized its ridiculous appearance.

All the discussions about Gomes so perfectly inhabiting the role of purple Rothbart made me wonder who created the role back when the McKenzie Swan Lake premiered in 2000. The program notes only mention who danced Odette/Odile and Siegfried, and Gomes's bio on the ABT website does not list Rothbart among the roles he has created. I only began attending ABT's Met seasons in 2004, so I wonder if any ballet talkers recall who created the role and/or who the main Rothbarts were in the early 2000s?

I unfortunately only caught the tail end of Malakhov's career with ABT, but I imagine his temperament would have been perfectly suited to Rothbart, even if his physique is not as big and imposing as Gomes's.

I can only echo nanunshka's very thorough and vivid description of last night's Swan Lake. I believe I've seen nearly all of Veronika Part's Swan Lakes at ABT, and her performance last night was truly remarkable. Usually the success of a Swan Lake depends largely on the intense romantic chemistry conveyed by the two principals. (I recall, for instance, a very early Gomes/Part Swan Lake, which took place over a Fourth of July weekend, in which they could barely keep their hands off each other.) But last night Stearns was more of a vehicle to showcase Veronika and her exquisite portrayal of the Swan Queen. In some ways this focus on the female dancer and relative anonymity of the male dancer made the lakeside acts reminiscent of a traditional Romantic ballet. At times I was reminded of the dynamic between the male and female leads in a ballet like La Sylphide--hapless prince discovers a beautiful, enigmatic creature that he doesn't quite comprehend, yet he is inexorably drawn to her. You could understand why Cory was so easily deceived by the black swan; he never really understood who or what Odette was in the first place. This mood was heightened by Veronika's portrayal of Odette; it was by far her least "human" portrayal of Odette/Odile, in the very best sense. I've never seen her more animal-like, with her expressive upper body and face mimicking the qualities of a bird--delicate and quivering in the lakeside acts, and predatory in the black swan pas de deux. This isn't to say I wouldn't like to see Veronika dance with a more emphatically loving Siegfried again, but perhaps there was something about her pairing with Cory that allowed her to achieve one her most exquisite and detailed performances to date.

A note about Cory's dancing--he has truly developed in leaps and bounds since first taking on principal roles a couple years ago. He has become a much more polished, confident partner, with lovely leaps and spins. His technique and stage presence is quickly catching up with his "princely look." Now that he has become confident in principal roles hopefully he can begin to focus on the dramatic side of his art.

Someone in ABT's costume department should have intervened before letting Vasiliev on stage in the Rothbart costume. You couldn't possibly design a less flattering costume for his body type. It's not unheard of for costumes to be redesigned for principal dancers, so what happened? Maybe they thought it wasn't worth it to invest in a costume for a principal who may not consistently return for Met seasons. Also, I think the swan tail in the back of Odette's tutu and the red spangles at her chest are completely unnecessary and distracting.

In response to Jayne's question about ABT's orchestra--yes, they do sound pretty good this season (at least at the performances I've attended)! Sometimes the quality of the playing at Swan Lake performances was truly appalling--wonky horns and sections of the orchestra completely out of sync. Last night they sounded richer than ever and no gaffes to speak of. The violin soloist was excellent; did they hire an outside person again? I've never seen Veronika give a more musical performance of Swan Lake, articulating tiny details of the score that can often go unnoticed; this wouldn't have been possible without the support of the conductor and a truly harmonious relationship between the dancers and the pit.

Yes, and yes, Colleen. But I find him extremely unrefined, compared, for example, with the likes of the triumvirate of Hallberg, Matthews, and Gorak. Do go yourself and see what you think.

It is true I've seen him (Whiteside) in roles where "refinement" is not necessarily a critical category (basilio in don q, slave in corsaire) but I wouldn't say this was my impression at all. I thought he was a very strong actor in Don Q. Very affectionate with Part and a good, strong, partner. They had much greater rapport than I've found her to have with Stearns traditionally (he was very much improved in Corsaire though so we'll see).

He wasn't knock your socks off as the slave, but was good and relatively elegant, even if this is not his best role

He was also excellent in the Hallberg part in the new Ratmansky.

Except that he is an "outsider" I'm not sure why there is a rush to dismiss him.

Based on talent/experience etc, I think he is certainly the most likely the next male principal (barring something dramatic). And rightly so, despite the fact there are several men in the corps, as well as a male soloist that I would like to see promoted as well.

Hopefully we will see some of the men promoted to soloist soon and they will be given further opportunities.

I apologize for contributing to the offtopic-ness.

This season I've seen Whiteside in the Ratmansky piece, as Basilio in Don Q, and as Ali in Corsaire. The impression I got was that he is incredibly talented, and though he may require further refinement, he seemed like someone who could certainly rise to the level of an ABT principal. He managed to develop a real rapport with Veronika and support her during a debut in a role that couldn't have been more against type. I think it's important to remember that ABT hired him in as a soloist rather than a principal, considering him an artist still in need of development rather than one of their pre-packaged, imported stars. Considering all the roles that have been thrown at him this season and all the new partners he has had to dance with, I am inclined to think he is rising to the occasion. I think it's premature to write him off. It took several trials, false starts, and detours for Veronika to gain her footing at ABT and blossom into the gorgeous, confident dancer she is today. We could at least give Whiteside a season or two to settle into his new role with the company before making final judgments.

From a practical point of view, ABT needed a male dancer this season who could partner taller dancers, especially now that Semionova is in the mix and Hallberg appears less frequently than he used to. Kent will now only dance with Gomes or Bolle. Vishneva also seems to have a "Gomes clause" in her contract. Perhaps ABT felt that it was wise to hire someone who already had a lot of experience dancing principal roles rather than take a chance on one of the men still in the corps.

I agree that there are men in the corps who are deserving of promotions. Gorak continues to dance beautifully and my eye is always drawn to him.

As a side note, Jared Matthews has been dancing impeccably this season. He has always been a good dancer, but his dancing seems to have reached a new level of precision and impact that is quite noticeable.

Does Ratmansky have a ballet noir up his sleeve for Veronika? I hope so.

I wonder what happened to Misty's Nutcracker? Has there been report of an injury? Now that the casting has shifted, both of the performances I'm attending will be Part/Hammoudi, but I suppose there are worse dilemmas to be in!

Macaulay seems to have a little inside information about the ABT Met season. Has a press release gone out?

“The news comes, though, that Ballet Theater will revive “Le Corsaire” next spring in a new production."

http://www.nytimes.c...?pagewanted=all

I won't be sad to say goodbye to the silver bikini bottom/harem pants combo worn by the female corps in the last act. Now if only we could ditch the 80s hair band gypsies in Don Q...

Ditto the second night of Firebird (the McKenzie tribute) and the following Thursday (the first double-bill w/ The Dream): both heavily attended.

Apropos ABT's income reports: another blog, where rules of civility and common courtesy seem not to apply as they do here, insults "ballet alert" readers for our apparent willingness to accept ABT's version of their financial situation. Very distasteful.

Golden Idol, I just responded and hopefully showed that we are "alert" enough to thoughtfully interpret ABT's financial reports. I think the blogger may have actually been implying that we ballet alert fans, rather than the larger core ballet audience, may be the ones who are best equipped question and dissect ABT's decision making, etc., but you can read it both ways. I dunno!

I really wish they were not doing Onegin again, though I realize it's standard ABT policy to bring back new productions and revivals for a second Met season. Every year it seems like there is one silk skirt/petticoat ballet, be it Lady of the Camellias, Onegin, or that ghastly Merry Widow, and to my mind at least they seem like frothy filler. I think the general consensus was that Onegin was only really effective with one cast (Vishneva/Gomes), which doesn’t seem to justify a revival. The one upside is that the ballet allowed for some non-principals to shine, Joseph Gorak being the prime example. His dancing was absolutely glorious.

Nanushka--That's why I said it was out of left field. I don't think Part being cast as Manon is particularly likely to happen, but I don't find it to be out of the question. Zenaida Yanowsky of the Royal is about Part's height, and she's danced Manon.

Manon should be a petite or 'normal height' dancer to do justice to MacMillan's choreography, lifts being only one part of it. The large/big boned ladies like Bussell, Semionova, Cuthbertson, Makhalina are 'heavy loads,' no matter how strong the Des Grieux who is lifting her. Even if they can be lifted and hoisted into positions, the audience cannot help but notice the strain. Just thinking about the perils of lifts takes away from the magic. We should not even be thinking about the effort. [This was one of the few 'negatives' of the recent Boylston/Simkin Swan Lake...the lifts turned out well but one was aware of the effort.]

I agree with Natalia and Nanushka. I am a huge Part fan, but Manon essentially gets thrown around like a rag doll (if you'll pardon the expression) in the final Louisiana pas de deux, so much so that it verges on being overwrought, though I still revel in it most of the time. It's too bad because I could imagine her vamping it up as Manon à la Netrebko, though with a touch more subtlety.

I also agree with Nanushka's assessment that there may not be enough strong partners in the ranks. I have some scary memories of tense partnering from corps/soloist dancers for that crazy barrel roll drop in Raymonda (not sure what you would call it).

I agree on Stella but, alas, her 'time for promotion' was ca-2006 (before she & Radetsky took long hiatus)...back in the days when she was annouced as Giselle, then it never happened.

I couldn't agree more with Natalia on this. I have long admired Stella and was immediately drawn to her when I first began attending ABT performances, but I think the ship has sailed on a potential promotion. While she is a beautiful dancer, she hasn't always been the most consistent or technically secure (I am basing this only on my past eight years of attending ABT performances). She is generally very lyrical and graceful, but she sometimes seems to get stiff in the neck, shoulders, and face when presented with challenging elements. I realize these criticisms are similiar to those leveled at Part when she was a soloist, and she has now risen to the challenge and blossomed as a principal. I wish the same could have happened for Stella, but I fear now that the timing just isn’t right.

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10151056138090027

NEW PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCED AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

HEE SEO PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL DANCER AND

ALEXANDRE HAMMOUDI PROMOTED TO SOLOIST

7/6/2012 - Hee Seo has been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and Alexandre Hammoudi has been promoted to Soloist. The promotions, which become effective immediately, were announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Hee Seo was born in Seoul, South Korea, and began her ballet training in her hometown at the Sun-hwa Arts Middle School. She was awarded a three-year full scholarship to continue her training at the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington, D. C. In 2003, Seo won a scholarship to train at the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart. She is the recipient of the 2003 Prix de Lausanne Award and the 2003 Grand Prix at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York.

Seo joined the ABT Studio Company in 2004. She joined the main Company as an apprentice in May 2005, became a member of the corps de ballet in March 2006 and was promoted to Soloist in August 2010. Her repertoire with the Company includes Polyhymnia in Apollo, Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadère, the title role and Zulma in Giselle, Olympia in Lady of the Camellias, Natalia in Alexei Ratmansky’s On the Dnieper, Tatiana in Onegin, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the Lilac Fairy, the Fairy of Sincerity and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois, the Polish Princess and a big swan in Swan Lake, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Thaïs Pas de Deux and roles in Ballo della Regina, Birthday Offering, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Dark Elegies, Duets, The Leaves Are Fading, Seven Sonatas and Thirteen Diversions.

Alexandre Hammoudi is a native of Paris, France and began his training at age seven with Max Bozzoni of the Paris Opera Ballet. He continued his training at the Academy of Dance Salle Playel in Paris from 1996-1999 and subsequently at the English National Ballet School in London and the School of American Ballet. He has won numerous international competitions, including the Trophee Arabesque and the Biarritz Dance Competition. At age16, Hammoudi became a member of the National Ballet of Cuba and toured South America with that company.

Hammoudi joined the ABT Studio Company in 2002, joined the main Company as an apprentice in April 2003 and became a member of the corps de ballet in April 2004. His repertory with ABT includes the Rajah in La Bayadère, Pyotr and the Lead Highlander in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Bright Stream, Lead Mazurka/Czardas in Coppélia, Ivan in Ratmansky's Firebird, the Jailer in Manon, the Nutcracker Prince in Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, Olga's Fiancé in On the Dnieper, Romeo and Paris in Romeo and Juliet, the Spanish Prince and a Fairy Knight in The Sleeping Beauty, Orion and Apollo in Sylvia, and roles in Black Tuesday, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Brief Fling, Clear, Continuo, Désir, Duo Concertant, Glow-Stop, The Leaves Are Fading, Overgrown Path and Private Light. He created the Spanish Dance in Ratmansky's The Nutcracker as well as roles in Everything Doesn't Happen at Once, From Here On Out, Pretty Good Year, Seven Sonatas and Thirteen Diversions.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2012 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 7. For more information, visit www.abt.org.

Hee Seo and Alexandre Hammoudi in "Romeo and Juliet." Photo by Rosalie O'Connor.

Also there was a sequence of lifts where Veronika twisted from a backbend into a penchee sort of thing in the lift, repeated three times, and every time Cory looked awkward. I'm not sure what the trouble was there, but Vasiliev who is not nearly as big as Cory made the partnering look effortless. I felt Veronika responded to Ivan and their pas de deux was off-the-charts with energy.

There was a priceless moment in yesterday's performance when Vasiliev, while traversing the stage with Veronika held high in a lift, went up onto one leg with his foot en demi-pointe, held the position for a moment, and then proceeded across the stage before letting Veronika down. I know all of us Part fans always hope she'll have a secure partner, but it was an unexpected thrill to see her with a partner who was not only secure but made such risky, bravura element look effortless.

That said, Ali does far less partnering than Conrad, so it's perhaps a little unfair to compare their partnering abilites (though it's certainly accurate to say that Cory does not project nearly so much stage presence as Veronika and Vasiliev). As griffie states above, Cory made some of the lifts look awkward, but I was pleased to see that he and Veronika did not alter the "standard" ABT choreography for the bedroom pas de deux, as I recall Wiles and Hallberg did a couple years ago. Seeing Veronika release one of her arms from Cory's shoulder as she was held in a crescent moon-shaped position above his head was a sight to behold. She did not attempt to position herself perpendicularly to the stage floor, as Kent does in the DVD, but this was probably a smart decision.

Veronika's fouette sequence was one of a handful of jaw-dropping moments during the performance. I've never seen her do them faster or more crisply, and while not traveling very much. She delivered doubles throughout, timed to the music, with one last double at the end. So many times when ballerinas try to end with a double or triple they have too much or too little momentum, ending in an unattractive position. But Veronika ended them perfectly and with a true sense of panache.

What can I say about Cornejo? He has been a pure joy to watch in every role I have ever seen him in. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in every male role Corsaire as to offer.

Joseph Phillips was fantastic as the villainous pirate. I’ve never seen him dance better, and he more than held his own against the technical fireworks of Cornejo and Vasiliev.

I never thought I’d enjoy all that goofy Pasha nonsense, but Julio Bragado-Young was far and away the funniest I’ve ever seen. I loved the moment when Veronika was unveiled in Act I and he fell backwards to the sound of the harp.

The orchestra was truly in the swashbuckling spirit yesterday, with several of its members wearing eye patches, and some wearing gold hoop earrings and bandanas.

My apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, but the ABT website calendar shows Part dancing in place of Vishneva tomorrow evening:

May 25

Metropolitan Opera House

New York, New York

7:30 PM

La Bayadère

V. Part

M. Gomes

N. Osipova

For example, in the snow scene, the snowflake corps of dancers should float through the air. However, possibly due to the stage constraints, most of their choreography was very contained and simplistic. I also thought that the choreography for the flowers and bees suffered from the same problem. Too many people on stage, but not much room to move around. The Spanish dance was pretty standard stuff. Sascha was the Arabian Dancer tonight. I thought the music called out for more sensual, sinuous choreography. I was very disapponted with the Russian dance (Ilyan, Salstein, Scott). It was comical in a Three Stooges sense, but it was a wasted opportunity for some great choreography. I didn't care for the costumes of the Nutcracker's Sisters (Boylton, Hamrick, Kajiya, Messmer, Underwood). More importantly, once again I felt like their choreography was too simplistic and a bit dull.

Abatt, I think your assessment of the second act is spot-on. I felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to create national dances that were more detailed, more virtuosic, more connected to the grandeur of the score. I too wish the Arabian dance had been more sensuous, and I don't see why Ratmansky needed to project a psycho-sexual storyline onto this dance (the dancers are supposed to be entertaining Clara; why would they present an after-school special on sexism?). The waltz of the flowers began to feel monotonous after while, but the 'Three Stoges' Russian dance was the biggest mistep. This could have been an opportunity for virtuosic male dancing (a la Neopolitan dance in Swan Lake), but instead it was goofball dancing that wasn't actually funny at all. And this is followed by the Polichinelles, who wear similarly-colored costumes and do similar goofball dancing, so it all felt like a bit much. And I realize Mother Ginger is traditionally a drag role, but I felt as if they portrayed her as just "another silly drag queen," without any motherly qualities at all.

I liked quite a lot of the choreography for the two principals (I saw the matinee preview with Kajiya and Hammoudi). In one of Macaulay's recent Nutcracker articles he wrote about how Balanchine did not choreograph a pas de deux for the surging music that leads up to the snow scene, as no dance can capture the grandeur of this music. He's probably right, but it was still nice to see a beautiful pas de deux at this point in the ballet! The mirroring of the grownup Clara/Nutcracker and young Clara/Nutcracker in this scene was quite touching. I liked how the children sat downstage during the pas de deux, perhaps spinning out their fantasies while their imaginings were dramatized behind them. There are many complicated lifts throughout this pas de deux and Hammoudi and Kajiya executed some beautifully and some more hesitantly (I don't see how anyone could possibly do all of them perfectly, given their difficulty). It was really stunning when Hammoudi spun Kajiya around in the air, making it look effortless. She was so light and graceful throughout, with perfect balance and great turns (I love how she sometimes holds a pose just a second longer than necessary to showcase her balance). Hammoudi was such an elegant partner who projected a sense of warmth and graciousness and certainly looked the part of a handsome prince. The grand pas de deux at the end had many additional complicated lifts, including one in which he holds her above his head by one leg with her other leg extended en arabesque (or perhaps this was the first pdd? they've become somewhat conflated in my mind given their similarity). Kajiya seemed to dance a somewhat "twinkly" version of the sugar plum fairy variation, so perhaps the choreography was different from that of Part? I thought it was a bit much when Kajiya went offstage in the middle of her variation and poked her head around the scenery as if to say "how cute am I?," though obviously this was not her choice.

I agree that the wedding proposal and cheesy veil at the end of the ballet seemed totally out of place and more fitting for a campy production like the Trocks would do. I felt like I was watching the finale of The Bachelorette. And the idea that every little girl wants to grow up and and get a big diamond on her finger and wear a veil is tiresome (I felt like it cheapened Clara's dream). I'm hoping this can go the way of the Sleeping Beauty shower curtain.

I really liked the sets and most of the costumes, and I appreciated the way in which they related well to one another. I would best describe the style as 1830s seen through the lens of a midcentury Technicolor movie. It was jarring at first to see huge blank China blue walls, but I ultimately liked the spareness, restraint and openess of some of the sets, which again reminded me of movie sets from the 1950s and 60s. The tree was disappointing but the very effective perspecival tricks surrounding the giant chair really distracted from that. There's no way they could have had a tree that would grow large enough and still relate in scale to the enormous chair. I agree with abatt that the Nutcracker sister outfits were very unattractive. The music they dance to is so dainty and delicate and yet they were wearing big ugly green top hats. I'm not sure what can be said of the Sugarplum fairy's outfit except that it looked like it was trying way too hard to be whimsical without actually being charming in any way whatsoever. Kajiya and Hammoudi looked stunning in their white and silver oufits.

I wonder if anyone thought the acoustics of the orchestra sounded a bit off. I was sitting in the Balcony section and there was this odd effect in which you would hear the instruments separately rather than as a meshed sound. It was difficult to see into the pit, but I think it was a relatively small orchestra, which left a lot of score sounding much less grand than it should. I really missed the chorus during the snow scene (the instrumental replacement sounded so thin and unmagical).

While there are some issues in the production, I feel as if most can be tweaked or modified in the future (if ABT chooses to do so), whereas a production like Sleeping Beauty is just unsalvageable at this point. I was amused, moved, and entertained throughout Ratmansky's Nutcracker and look forward to seeing it again. Whereas ABT's Cinderella production is quirky in a way which makes it seem like a novelty not worth revisiting, I think it's possible that some of the quirky qualities of Ratmansky's production could ultimately help differentiate it from other productions and make it worth revisiting year after year.

Did anyone attend the unofficial prima tonight? I'm dying to know what the production is like (though will find out in 18 hours or so for myself!). The pictures of Veronika in the NYT were so dreamy...