cubanmiamiboy

Some more thoughts. Sylvia is much about its beautiful score, something i could definitely grab much more at the ROH and its great orchestra than at the MET. Delibes' Wagneresque score full of brass and leitmotifs is so grand and intricate that it really makes this ballet hard not to be enjoyed. Sylvia's first entrance music is as explosive as it can be, and Natalia, as petite as she is, made her way looking like a true goddess. Her petite allegro pizzicatto variation in the last act she completely owned it. The sequence of sautes on pointe here are usually a feat that many ballerinas fail at executing with the required crispness and right length, and we know very well those ballerinas who can luxuriate in them without rushing, and those who can barely complete it in a speedy way. Case scenario, the Marzipan lead in Balanchine's Nutcracker, or the most aggressive sequence of the traveling ones in the Cuban black swan coda. Natalia was perfect. Muntagirov, as I said, looked beautiful onstage, and his variation in the pas de deux was spotless. Still, it is obvious that this is a ballerina's ballet, for which Aminta does not has much stage time. As someone else noted, he's absent from the entirety of Orion's island act. I have never been too fond of the inclusion of the two little goats in the middle of the grand pdd, although I guess Ashton wanted to follow the score as it originally was intended. As it is, we get the pdd in a complete different way as the standard form we're used to, and instead we have Sylvia, goats, Aminta, Adage and coda. Somewhat unorthodox. Sylvia is quite a wonderful addition to any company wanting to expand its full, story classical ballets repertoire in the best Petipatesque line. My mother asked me why, if this is a Roman mythology-inspired ballet, Sylvia and her entourage were wearing tutus in the last act. I tried to explain her that this is quite a tradition in the best Imperial ballet times fashion, regardless of plot, historical correctness and such. The ticket was expensive, but totally worthy.

Just keep going to the box office once you're there. When I went, it was empty, and the woman before me on the line returned an Osipova/Muntagirov ticket for their sold out performance, which I snatched right away. According to the sales girl, this usually happens in daily basis.

I just arrived back to Miami. I will write some more impressions of the performance later on, as well as one Nutcracker from the ENB I also attended. For now I just want, once again, to really thank the wonderful Londoners for always making me feel so welcomed. London never ceases to impress me with its warm and endless displays of the best hospitality this world has to offer. I have nothing but many words of appreciation for this lovely city which always make me feel right at home when I'm there. Its people really go above and beyond to make their guests feel special. I can't wait to be back!!😍😍😍😍

Intermezzo after Act I. Muntagirov and Osipova OWN the stage. Natalia's jetes are as unhumanly executed as they can be. The woman FLIES, people! Muntagirov has a princely demeanor that probably reflects very well Ashton's intentions with Somes. He looks dashingly handsome onstage, probably mirroring one of Somes' best qualities, physical attractiveness. The house is FULL TO CAPACITY. More to come.

Hello! I just arrived in London today, and stopped by the ROH box office right on time to snatch a last minute returned ticked for Osipova's Sylvia this Saturday. Her Aminta will be Muntagirov.😍😍😍 Will report back!

If anything... Teuscher seems to arouse my interest. I'm gonna follow her for sure

Back to the Petipa/Ivanov Fee Dragee solo, here's Melissa Hayden-( partnered by Villella)- omitting the sequence altogether @ 8:22. Francesca Hayward-(RB)- doing them quite clearly. Iana Salenko for Burlaka's reconstruction for Berlin's troupe . You can quite see them.

I apologize for the delay. Reality is.... there's not too much to report. The only reason I went was to see this up and coming ballerina in yet another tutu role, but one that I really have never cared too much for. I have always found Cinderella's score too anticlimactic...the very opposite of the basis of ballet "musique dansante", and with very few flashy moments, if any at all. I have never seen the Fonteyn video in its entirety, with Ashton's take, neither Lavrovsky's with Strutchkova, so I might be missing something there. As far as every other version I have seen, including this one, it never truly succedes in arousing enough interest on me. Teuscher danced in a small stage, with canned music and surrounded by non professional dancers, all of them amost teens, so she honestly looked the oldest and the tallest up there, which was a bit weird. Stearns partnered her, at times awkwardly, although I would think they might had just rehearsed the whole thing for the first time probably the very same day of the performance-(the did two). And that's about it. Quite uninteresting, but it has little to do with Teuscher or Stearns and much with the whole thing, choreographically and musically wise.

You are totally right, Drew. I always knew the ballet in its original 1947 form, sans gargouillades...with just the quick pas de chat. But hey...once the choreographer puts them there, they were there to stay. The Sugarplum variation seems to have had them included since it's conception, according to Markova's account on Sergueev and his notations. I must say I find this pas as one of the most lovingly and classically crafted among the whole known Petipa repertoire. Gargouillades shown at 1:27. Bejart production. 6:58. No gargouillades. Only pas de chat. Lorna Feijoo for Alexandra Fedorova's staging for Alonso's company, 1947

Thanks for the video, cambelto. The slowing down of the music for the variation here from the sharp, sparkling take on Markova's is so obvious. It really gets on my nerves the modern taste for lethargic tempi. The gargouillades were, apparently, an issue ever since the introduction of the pas in the West by N. Sergueev for Markova at the Vic Wells. She talks extensively about all her hard work with the regisseur from scratch-( he couldn't demonstrate, and he spoke almost no English). They worked almost consecutively staging the "big four": Giselle, SB, SL and Nutcracker, and straight from the notations. Balanchine's is an entire, different, mid century new take on the choreography. He barely uses a couple of steps from the Petipa/Ivanov original. And yes...the gargouillades are ESSENTIAL to dance this pas, as they are to do T&V. If a ballerina can't do them, she then doesn't conquer the pas. Leslie Collier do the wonderfully on the RB video. Here's Dame Markova on the issue.

I notice the tendency of many ballerinas to substitute the harder gargouillades on the original Fee Dragee's solo for simple pas de chat. Dame Alicia Markova seemed to be VERY specific about not cheating. Her gargouillades are very visible and sharp. Many ballerinas sometimes choose to substitute the whole sequence altogether for an entire different set of steps, which I find appalling-( quite like the fouettes issue on SL). I wonder if some of you might remember this step in the choreography, although I know NY's ceased to have it for some decades now, and even more after Balanchine introduced his own for City Ballet. This was always a point of technical discussion for balletomannes in Havana. Maybe in UK too, as the Royal still performs it. Here is Paloma Herrera omitting the whole sequence.

Does anybody knows who the dancers in Melania Trump's Christmas White House decorations are .? At 0:20 they greet her along the Waltz of the Flowers music. A male dancer also shows up with her partner doing a pdd pose.

The dancer playing Sugar Plum Fairy is Amaya Rodriguez, ex Cuban National Ballet Principal.

I'm on my way to see this. I am finding Teuscher very interesting, so I feel like starting following her. Will report back. https://www.parkerplayhouse.com/events/detail/owdf-cinderella

Like someone said...I'm willing to bet that he's enchanting the angels. RIP noble servant of beauty.

I saw two performances in Broward. Mind me...I did so right after watching the regal, svelte, quasi military -formed ladies of the Mariinsky in "Bayadere", so yes...my appreciation of the Miamian "Diamonds" this time has been certainly molded after subjectivity with the Russian troupe as a backdrop of memories. Out of the two performances what I remember the most is how much more appreciation I have now for "Rubies", after seeing it wonderfully danced by veteran Tricia Albertson, who seems to be reinvigorating herself as she gets older instead of slowing down, partnered by a fantastic Kleber Rebello, one of my ever favorite dancers of all times-(as seen live, I mean). My last "Jewels" I had seen was at the Mariinsky in SP, and although their "Diamonds" was, of course, impressive, their "Rubies" was not particularly brilliant. Well...it was quite the opposite here with MCB. I really had never cared too much for "Emeralds". No matter where do I see it-(I've seen it live by NYCB, MCB and MB)-I always find it soporiferous. It never fails to puts me to sleep, and this time wasn't the exception. As I say...I found "Diamonds" this time less regal or "Petipaesque" than my last one seen in SP. MCB is a company of VERY short dancers-(Jordan Elizabeth Long and Callie Manning are the two very exceptions, and that's mainly the reason for which they always land parts sans partners). That said...I appreciate their efforts at this Balanchinean's tribute to his memories of the Imperial Ballet's classical white acts, but this is a part that I definitely prefer seeing the Russians do. One little detail I observed during "Diamonds" is that, given that the company uses the original Karinska's designs, the white tutus for the corps are those droppy numbers that sort of shorten even more the small frame of the Miamian girls. From the two couples I saw in "Diamonds", I liked Katia Karranza partnered by Renan Cerdeiro much more than Lauren Fadeley/Chase Swatosh. On a side note...Fadeley, as the "Tall Girl" the first night, looked heavy.

Doing my best to channel the role...,😋 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155359939989191&id=647664190

Traveling arrangements are more difficult this season with so many performances to try to avoid. I guess I will try to design everything around the Osipova/ Hallberg performance-( if it happens at all)- and Harlequinade.

My summer trip then needs to be ultra carefully calculated. I certainly DON'T want to spent all that money and and effort to be stuck with bland Seo or weak Copeland. In descending order my interests go to Murphy, Shevchenko and Lane. Geez...the female lineup is quite thin this days...😶

Well. I grew up with blackface characters. They are an important pilar within the vernacular Cuban theater, and , far for trying to make it disappear, its study and legacy is encouraged within theater careers alumni. http://www.habanaradio.cu/articulos/teatro-bufo-costumbrista-vernaculo/ I went back last night to compare the current versions. Ponomarev vs. Vikharev vs. Makarova. All I can say is that..boy...Petipa really knew his stuff. He was a genius.

The "drum dance" dancers are also heavily darkened.

AND...let's keep in mind that, as per the video of the recon I just provided, Gamzatti had, originally, her share of 32 fouettes during the pas de trois coda, now eliminated in favor of the re invented italian fouettes/20 regular fouettes. Sometimes I wonder what if Petipa could be brought back to be a witness, for one night, of his Soviet "re-imagined" ballets. And poor Vikharev. All his efforts...and all that labor of love put into such magnificent production, which would had been a unique item in the ballet world...all for...nothing.

Not sure about this. If they are still keeping the black gloves it is to indicate the kids are black. If they wanted to erase any indications of blackness the would had removed gloves and leggings...AND black necks. They removed the paint probably because they were required to do so. Still...black hands paired with white faces is silly.

More thoughts: THE BLACKFACES. Now all those in need of politically correctness during the Golden Idol section should be happy with the removal of the blackfaces. But...are they really COMPLETELY "politically correct"...? They still have black hands, black legs and black necks....all that paired with white faces..! I think the Mariinsky is being sarcastic here. They are still letting you know that the kids are black. And we were demanding the out of the blackfaces to indicate blackness...and they are still indicating blackness EVEN without the blackfaces. Interesting. ;-)

Edited: Double post