fondoffouettes

I thought she was always about that large, actually.

I'm not sure if this is the correct area for this sort of discussion, but did anyone else notice that today's review by Macaulay of the All-Classic program seemed remarkably 'phoned-in'? He even seemed to repeat phrases from old reviews in places. For example: 6/30 review of All-Classic program: "It’s amazing how much the whole climate of the Metropolitan Opera House improves once American Ballet Theater stops presenting its 19th-century classics." 6/10 review of All-American program: "As soon as American Ballet Theater introduces mixed bills to its repertory, the whole climate improves." 6/30 review of All-Classic program: "Diana Vishneva, partnered by Jose Manuel Carreño, was lusciousness incarnate" 6/9 review of All-Ashton program: "But “Thaïs...looked ravishing, with Diana Vishneva lusciousness incarnate and Jared Matthews both handsome and devout." I much prefer Macaulay's writing to Rockwell's saccharine and generic reviews, but I've grown a little tired of him repeating the same sentiments and nitpicky preferences over and over again. Yes, we all know by now that he will never like the way Gillian glances at the audience! And upon reading his most recent review, I now find he's starting to simply become trite.

Ambonnay--I can't thank you enough for posting this info! I was still in a Saturday morning daze when I read it (and almost couldn't believe my eyes), but I threw on some clothes, cabbed it to Lincoln Center and was able to trade in some unwanted R&J tickets for tonight's performance! I can't remember ever seeing David and Veronika dance together (perhaps once as Espada/Mercedes several years ago?). I saw Veronika on Monday night and have never been so heartbroken by Odette before, so I can't wait to see her in more experienced hands tonight...

Aurora--I agree with everything you say about the Bluebird/Florine pdd; your description seems spot-on. Boyleston started out fine but got quite sloppy at points, and Radetsky seemed to be pushing himself hard without achieving the affect of joy and airiness that should characterize the part. I too left with the impression that Boyleston could perhaps grow into and develop this role, whereas Radetsky may simply be miscast as Bluebird. Also, I've rarely seen a male dancer that can make the flapping bird arms look natural and not silly (Cornejo being the exception), so I can't really fault Radetsky too much on that point. There was a lot of enthusiastic clapping and hooting in my section after this pdd, but I think people may simply have been excited to see a more flashy section of dancing (on the flip-side of coin, some really beautiful moments last night received very little applause). I too feel that the production is much improved--the toned down costumes, added variations, etc.--but the sets and backdrops looked as drab as ever. They are crudely daubed and uninspired (think high school play). Why are there sunnyside-up eggs growing on the castle walls? I don't think sets need to be realistic, naturalistic, or highly detailed, but they should at least evoke some sort of atmosphere and these ones evoke very little at all. It's remarkable that in a city filled with artistic, creative people, we are given something so glaringly ugly and thoughtless. The most interesting scenery comes in the last act, which seems to evoke stagecraft of eighteenth-century French theatre (the frothy clouds and gilded rays of light, the trompe-l'oeil curtains, the simple mechanical door which opens and closes in the back to reveal the characters). I think this works very well with the stylized and courtly dancing in this act. Despite problems with the production, I was fully captivated by Veronika. I saw her in the production premier a couple years ago, but last night she appeared so much more at ease, luxuriating in every beautiful phrase of Tchaikovsky's score. While her balances were not sustained for very long in the Rose Adagio, they were very secure (no wobbling or leaning from side to side), and her last two were held significantly longer, which produced a nice effect. As aurora notes, her balances in the third act were quite stunning. What was perhaps most touching was how overjoyed she looked to be dancing with each suitor, how much she seemed to be enjoying the scent of the roses as she collected them. She always seems to make these sorts of details look poignant--never stagey. Her leaps throughout the rest of the act were impressive as usual. She was truly in her element in the Vision scene and handled the tricky technical elements very well. What was perhaps most beautiful was the pose that she strikes several times throughout the act when she stand still, with one hand above her head and other hand below, framing her face. I was surprised that the third act was perhaps the most impressive of all. I've never thought anyone could live up to the grandeur of the music for the pas de deux, but Marcelo and Veronika surely did. And they did so through the sheer beauty and dynamism of their gestures, expression, and self-assured dancing. Their partnering was perfect (none of those glitches that sometimes crop up), and they both seemed to be casting loving glances at one another throughout, which really helps in a ballet that is sometimes romantically unconvincing. To see Veronika dancing with so much confidence and freedom, her face aglow, was truly a wonder to behold!

This is such disappointing news! I find Savaliev be one of ABT's most dramatically flat soloists (I keep picturing the plastered-on grin), which becomes especially apparent in flashy roles like Rothbart. He is obviously a fine technician, but his style can often feel stiff and leaden. Gomes is so spectactular as Rothbart, and I think Hallberg has become just as exciting in the role and really made it his own. It's too bad Hallberg is only dancing the role once, for the Sat. eve Irina/Maxim Swan Lake...

He was there--I saw him in the orchestra section and heard him give 'bravas' to Osipova at the end of the performance.

I attended the Sylvia last night with Bolle and Wiles, and they both danced very well. Michelle especially shone as Sylvia. I haven't seen her much this year, but her rather forceful dancing style suited itself well to the stern aspects of Sylvia's character in Act I. I was suprised by how much detail she put into her acting throughout all acts. I don't necessarily expect Sylvia to be an opportunity for great acting or a moving emotional arc, but she really captured Sylvia's shifting moods over all three acts. She seemed to particularly glow in the third act, and she danced the pizzicati and pas de deux with a great sense of joy, energy, and attack. Bolle did a beautiful job with all of the partnering, especially the sustained lifts in the pas de deux. I thought perhaps he didn't make the most of supported arabesques in which he grasps Sylvia by the sides of her head. His solo dancing in the first act started out a bit tentatively, and he never quite achieved the crispness and musicality that I saw in Angel when he danced the part two years ago. His grace and bouyancy in the third act surely made up for that, however. It's hard to judge him purely on his dancing, per se, since his stage presence and physical beauty make such an impact and seem to be a significant part of his appeal (judging from what I overhear during curtain calls). In regards to the choreography, I find this to be one of the most satisfying full-lengths overall in that there are no boring lulls, no endless matador or pirate dances, no national dances that seem to go on and on forever. All of the female corps (I believe) wear pointe shoes and are given challenging turns and leaps throughout. The result is that it's very hard for the corps to stay in synch, but I'd take fouettes in tandem anyday over a perfectly executed Hungarian dance. What struck me last night is that Ashton left no music unchoreographed--every strain of music had a coresponding hand gesture, flick of the foot, or bend of the knee. I left feeling as if he had done justice--and then some--to Delibes' gorgeous score.

I did notice that there were cameramen in the side parterre boxes, so I believe it was being filmed for archival purposes. Presumably it will end up at the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center at some point in the future. I recall that most non-commercial ABT recordings require one to obtain permission from the company before viewing them, but perhaps it would be worth it to jump through the hoops to see Nina's farewell.

I attended the Nina farewell on Saturday evening, and it was an evening I don't think I will ever forget. I have only attended ABT performances regularly for the last five years, and I've only ever seen Nina a handful of times. The most memorable was perhaps four or five years ago when I sat way towards the back of Family Circle (alas, no student tickets available!) when she danced Odette/Odile opposite Julio Bocca. Her beautiful flutterting arms made such an impact from so far away...I vividly remember the moment when she folded her upper body onto her legs before the Act II pas de deux. Her hands slowly rose and fell with every breath she took in a way that looked so much subtler and less calculated than other ballerinas. And I of course remember the showers of roses that poured down from the balconies during the curtain calls. Swan Lake seems like such a daunting ballet for a ballerina to dance as her farewell, but Nina danced it on Saturday with a such a heightened degree of artistry, pathos, and technique. She only really needed to dance a 'passable' Swan Lake and everyone would have still loved it, but instead she decided to hold back nothing. Perhaps this was most dramatically demonstrated in the black swan pdd, in which there were several novel elements--an extra lift by Rothbort, the moment in which she emerged from behind Marcelo's cape doing swan arms in imitation of Odette, the extra pirouettes around the stage, the solid fouettes with unusual arm positions, and the shocking moment during the coda in which Marcelo threw her into Angel's arm in the 'fish' position. A significant portion of the orchestra section gave her a standing ovation at this moment. The sheer assuredness of her black swan was invigorating. Nina's white swan was of course heartbreaking--full of gorgrous positions, rippling swan arms, and tragic facial expressions that never seemed contrived. The partnering was flawless, and Angel managed to make every lift look effortless. As Macaulay noted in today's review, the curtain calls were a show in and of themselves. The warmth and generosity Nina exuded was reflected back at her by her adoring fans. When she turned her back to the audience and bourreed across the flower petals on the stage, facing her ABT colleagues, performing flawless rippling arm motions, it was both touching and tongue-in-cheek. She rippled her arms at least one or two other times in addition to a repeat of the infamous throw from the coda of the Act III pdd. I could see she had a mischievous grin on her face and see mouthed to Marcelo, "let's do it again." Nina looked like she was having so much fun, and so was everyone in the audience!

While I think it is extremely rude to shout out during the middle of the performance, I really do wish people would not applaud so early or so frequently. In my opinion New York audiences honestly tend to be so provincial in their knowledge of ballet that they applaud awkwardly and at moments that are not proper. Too much applause makes me think I'm at a sporting event. It always makes me feel so uneasy when they applaud when Siegfried throws himself off the precipice during the finale of Swan Lake. I'm not a fan of the Tosca-like ending, anyways, but it just makes it worse when people applaud during it. Do they know that Odette and Siefried are killing themselves and that it's not just a jumping contest? My other pet peeve is when people applaud after every dramatic or pronounced coda in the music, even if there was no remarkable dancing leading up to that coda. Well, I was watching a Russian video of Coppelia (or perhaps it was some other ballet) in which audience members were clapping to the music--at least we don't have that problem!

I've come up with another objection to the overture, although you may not be able to comment on today's version. After von Rothbart grabs the young Odette and lifts her in the air, she is lifted and held in a series of stark, rapidly shifting positions, before the part with the stuffed swan. The unnecessarily "posy" and dramatic nature of each of those Odette positions does not seem in keeping with any other part of the ballet. Those positions are even more dramatic and rapidly placed together than certain very tension-filled moments in the ballet later on. So I think the choreographic style in the prelude is not appropriately matched to the remainder of the ballet. I've never thought about that aspect, but I think you are entirely right. Between the loose hair, flowy dress, and series of rapid, dramatic lifts and poses, it almost seems like something that belongs in a MacMillan ballet.

I first saw ABT's Swan Lake four or five years ago with Gillian as Odette/Odile. Since that time, she has seemed to improve her artistry and build on her already impressive technique. I agree with Ambonnay that something felt unemotional and slightly unsatisfying about her portrayal. She has obviously tried to soften her Odette and add nuance to her arm gestures and expression, which is a welcome change. Her black swan was very exciting, as expected. Whenever she appears on stage in that black costume with her seemingly lavender-white skin, I can only think of Madame X. Her fouettes were spectacular; she incorporated wild swam arm gestures during her triples. Angel's Siegfried was certainly very good, but lacked the finesse and energy he's brought to the role in years past. His jumps weren't as buoyant; his turns weren't as buttery smooth. It is strange to see Angel appear as if he's not completely engaged in a role. It's hard for me to judge Savaliev objectively in his role as Rothbart because David and Marcelo inhabit the character so completely... Jared, Stella, and Maria were all very secure and clean in the peasant pas de trois; it wasn't the over-the-top virtuosic pas de trois that Cornejo has created in past years, but it was very satisfying and musical. Stella wasn't quite as buoyant as she sometimes is, but still very lovely and expressive. I was worried about her earlier this season when she was pulled from some roles, but it's great to see her dancing so well again. My new technique for 'coping' with the stuffed swan in the prelude is that I simply keep my eyes shut for the entire overture. Though this presents another problem--I end up focusing on the orchestra's thin sound. The brass section didn't produce any cringe-worthy moments as in past years, though, so that was a sign of improvement.

I cannot agree more--and it always looks like Rothbart is strangling the ridiculous stuffed swan rather than caressing it, anyways. I also seriously question the need to have the 'swamp monster' incarnation of von Rothbart--it really seems like an unnecessary complication to the story. I really wish Kevin M. had a better editorial eye or sense of aesthetics... I know this is off topic, but did anyone else notice the significant swath of unpainted wood on the mechanical branch in Act II of La Sylphide (the one that the Sylph appears to be perched on)? That and the rickity stuffed sylph that glided (jerkily) off into the sky at the end of Act II really made me wish there were someone at ABT who could edit out such clunky, inelegant details...

It's too bad Gomes won't be dancing Orion; I remember he was excellent in the role...but it will be nice to see some soloists and corps members in the role, as well.

Had Veronika originally been scheduled for an evening Sylphide at some point? Or was she always just scheduled to do the matinee? I am glad I will get a chance to see her!

I know this may be wishful thinking, but is there anywhere online one can go and see a full cast listing? Even if not in advance, for ticket buying purposes, I'd like to be able to check out what dancers get cast in various roles. I'm with you, vipa! I wish we could know casting for these demi-soloist roles... and Isabella Boylston is someone I'd go see, if only I knew! I was there on Tuesday night when she danced the third odalisque, and it was nice to see her in the role. She did several beautiful double pirouettes(?), but then she started to look shaky and nervous in the ones towards the end. It almost seemed as if the applause from the audience acted as a distraction and threw her off--I suppose that can happen? In any case, it was nice to see her dancing boldly and taking risks! I must admit I am growing a little tired of Riccetto. I think she's very musical, crisp, and technically gifted, but somehow her performances are starting to seem a bit severe. I really enjoy the three Odalisques, but I was thinking the other night that I've never really seen a trio in which all three dancers look comfortable and/or cohesive as a group. I wonder why that is the case with these variations?? Also, I am really starting to warm up to Paloma so far this season...her dancing was so radiant and plush in the Tchai pas de deux and she really was lovely in Corsaire--very warm and emotive. I've often found it difficult to connect with her in the past, so this has been a nice surprise.

I'm waiting to buy tickets for the D.C. Corsaire engagement until it gets closer to the actual performance date. If the casting holds, I would like to see Alexandrova on the 18th and Osipova/Vasiliev on the 19th. Since I will not be able to exchange any tickets for the DC performances (I live in NYC), I'm holding back on purchasing tickets for the Kennedy Center for now. Hopefully it won't sell out. I think tickets tend to become available close to the performance date. If not, so be it. TBA on the 19th at ABT could end up being someone very interesting. I would love to see Sarah Lane in Sylphide, for example. Doubtful they will train an additional person for the role, though. They will probably just assign the role to one of the other ballerinas who is performing that week. It's hard to imagine which of the other principals would take it on--Nina dances it the night before, and Reyes and Part the next day. I suppose that since it is not a full-evening ballet it wouldn't be quite as strenuous to dance it two days in a row. My hope is that they will cast someone like Lane in the role, but now I wonder if I should just trade my ticket in for the 17th...Does anyone have any other hunches as to who could possibly dance on the 19th?

A letter to the editor responding to Macaulay's critique of Sarah Lane was published in today's NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/arts/27a...S.html?ref=arts I was at Lane's debut, and I can't help but agree--I really do think she proved herself as a ballerina who can carry a lead role like Aurora.

I believe David was using that link to YouTube to illustrate how that leap is generally performed in case readers had not seen the current ABT production of Swan Lake. That PBS filming of Gillian and Angel is probably the only commercial recording that represents that leap (or the current ABT production of Swan Lake, for that matter).

Just bring your student ID...they never ask for proof of age. Usually they push away your student ID and never even look at it.

It is best to call the box office at 10am when it opens. They can tell you whether or not they are offering student rush tickets for that day, so then you don't have to run down to the box office in person. Also, the tickets are supposed to be $35 dollars on Friday and Saturday, but they recently charged me only $25 dollars for a Saturday night performance. I'm not sure if this is a change in policy or if it was just a slip-up.

Today's edition of the casting sheet handout at the Met agrees, giving her partner as M. Cote. This is her big opportunity, don't you think? Yes, I think this is an extremely exciting opportunity for her!

You are probably right but a Murphy- Hallberg cast would be nice too.Any ideas for "Leaves..." Abrera maybe, she is unlike Kirkland (who I saw in the role) but has an air of mystery and fluidity that might work. A connected topic - ABT is ripe for promotions. I had assumed that Part would become a principal soon. Is that happening? Could Abrera be on the principal track? Also, I have been rooting for a Lane promotion to soloist. Are any promotions likely to be announced any time soon? I feel like this site is sometimes like "the oracle." It is difficult to know whether Abrera could be promoted to principal, but I certainly hope so! She is lovely as the Lilac Fairy and as Myrta. However, it is difficult to know if she will remain permanently as a soloist, like Carmen seems to be doing. It seems like Part would be the next obvious promotion, though I don't think ABT knows quite what to do with her. She dances lead roles in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, and yet she is completely absent from other ballets.

The program insert on Saturday night said she was injured. I'm wondering about Ethan Stiefel, too, after he was replaced at intermission on Saturday. David Hallberg said in a pre-performance talk that Xiomara hurt her foot. I'm not sure how badly, though. In a rehearsal for Manon, Stiefel and Gillian (dancing the drunken pas de deux) both fell over. Stiefel acted as if he had hurt his neck, so perhaps that is what is currently ailing him.