cubanmiamiboy

Definitely. With all the countless floor rolling aberrations I have witnessed in my ballet viewing life, getting to see a Petipa survivor is always a breath of fresh air. I say keep it.

Boylston/ Lendorf tonight. Gomes as purple Rothbart.

All I can say is...Teuscher is on her way to greatness!!

Hammoudi and Simkin.

Hammoudi and Simkin as Siegfrieds.

As soon as I realized-(after opening this thread)- that it was "Tchaikovsky" and not "Red Giselle" what was being presented, I decided against it-(and with the help of a friend who told me that "it was good but not great". I was curious about Red Giselle. I have seen many accounts around about it. I went for a run at Central Park instead...?

I am at the dress rehearsal right now. Lane and Teuscher are in.

Undecided about seeing this today. Any input would be appreciated.?

This is very sad. Looking at that beautiful tutu...and knowing the noble cause that prompted its creation...to now see it in yet another of those ever present, awful "comic" ballet routine is quite disgraceful. When I went to Russia I spoke to several people, and I coult sense a longing for the Soviet past in some of them-(the older ones). The Mariinsky might have changed its name for the sake of going with the "new-old" times, but its core is still probably 80% Kirov/K. Sergueev. Same with the Bolshoi and its even worse Geigorovich versions.

Tonight's performance was also a winner for Shevchenko. She dances the role with strength and confidence. Sterns was her Conrad, but I didn't see a love interaction between the two. I always sit very close to the stage, so I could tell theirs were two worlds apart. For me the night belonged to Teuscher. Devon's Gulnare was a very pleasant one. I love the way she projects...her strong, beautiful body type, and the way she doesn't look vulgarly hyper extended-(especially during the pas de esclaves adagio's overhead lifst in which she splits her legs as in a grand ecarte. She also uses her face with great benefit, and in general she transmitted the type of sense of stage control that I always look for in a ballerina. I ca't wait to see her as O/O!

Would that be an issue in Russia...?

Re: Seegueev/Dudinskaya's reign.(and Grigorovich...and Vainonen) I don't really think they did more goodness than not by trying hard at changing Petipa's originals in order to establish their own choreographic legacy. If anything...I feel that the core of the ballet warhorses was better kept in the west, via N.Seegueev and many of his fellow exiled dancers. The Vic Wells was truly the niche in which they were better cherished and passed on, not the Mariinsky..nor the Bolshoi. There is a lot to learn about this in all of Markova's books, as she was the one ballerina lucky enough to embody N. Seegueev revivals. Giselle...Swan Lake...Nutcracker...Sleeping Beauty. Coppelia...La Fille Mal Gardee. They all survived in better shape than in Russia. It was quite a shame that Balanchine's Raymonda didn't live too long, for which I am sure that it had probably many touches he kept from memory as he had probably seen the Mariinsky production. (If one sees his Pas de dix clapping variation, considering that he had not seen the ballet in almost four decades, it is obvious that he had quite a powerful memory). And...that is without even getting into everything that dissapeared out of lack of enough care and respect for Petipa and his legacy. The Soviets embarked in their showy dramballets, and no...they are really not big enough...beautiful enough to try to substitute Petipa's grandeur. That's why I give Makarova's attempt at giving back Bayadere its original logical closure a big round of applause. And still...after Makarova...after Vikharev's try out at restoring such for his home company, we are still presented the Soviet truncated version, next in DC. Right now there is NO reason whatsoever for which new generations of ballet goers are being shown this ballet sans its final act.

I am debating in between Seo's matinee and Shevchenko's evening for today. I don't want to do a double. Not for Corsaire anyhow...

Yo're right. I haven't keeping up with the posts on this season. Tonight's Corsaire was also very enjoyable, and Shevchenko was up to all her character's technical challenges. No falling off pointe or any other visible mistakes. Now...tonight it was Simkin who really made it memorable. His Ali was full of tricks, particularly his set of revoltades/540. He got many gasps, including mine. I also liked Abrera's demure Gulnare, as well as Lendorf's Conrad, although he was clearly obscured by Simkin during the pdd a trois. More Corsaire tomorrow! ;-)

At the ballet right now...and totally unaware of this other name...Shevchenko. She's dancing Medora instead of an injured Murphy. Let's see.

I started watching ballet at the MET as back as 2001-(when I came from Cuba)' and back then the roster was impressive. Right now no so much-(and I don't think Murphy will dance too much longer)-, so I stopped looking at casting announcements and instead just come for whatever comes. Last night was a surprise indeed with Brandt, so let's see what the future holds for her. On the other hand....Le Corsaire is quite a silly story. At least in Giselle and Swan Lake we can still embody the characters' misadventures, as they are quite ever present in human life-(the idea of catching a lover cheating is always a nightmare for must of us...just as with Giselle, and I'm sure we all have been through it). Medora, Conrad and the whole pirates business not so much. It feels quite detached from real life, so unless you have a magnificent production a la Bolshoi, the ballet looks quite bare. ABT's production is aging already...so that's a contributing factor that plays against a pre-conditioned loving eye to it. As a side note. I wonder how much longer the little sequence of the ridicule made of Seyd Pasha's muslim pray will last, given our present circumstances.

I just came back from tonight's performance, so here are some thoughts. First, glad I got Skylar brand as Medora instead of Kochetkova. Masha-(get well soon!!)-is a ballerina whose dancing I have never really cared for too much, to be honest. I came totally unaware of this girtl-(Brandt). Didn't know her...never really noticed her name before, although I might have seen her at some point in some minor roles. Anyhow...Brandt really surprised me with the finesse of her dancing and strong technique. She looks very young, but she really made the role of Medore her own tonight. Technique is there. Strong and not overwhelmingly showy. She went through the PDD a trois from Act II really well. Her fouettes during the coda were beautiful to watch...solid...almost with no travel and with her working leg high a la seocnde-(I can't stand the low bending leg at the knee used by some ballerinas). Her variation with the pirouettes a la second was also spotless, as were her Italian Fouettes during the Jardin Animee scene. If anything, I think she needs to tone down her fixated smile, but I'm sure she will develop her acting skills as her career matures. Cornejo looked a bit off in the beginning, but was his usual self right away. I love this guy. He has a plush quality on his landings that I really enjoy, and a great stage presence, which makes up for his lack of height. He and Brandt looked lovely together. Cirio also did a fine job in his Ali variation. The whole pas looked very well done, although there was a very awkward moment during the Adagio's bows. Cornejo and Brandt decided to take an extra one right when the audience went silent. Simkin got many applauses as Lankedem. I want to see him as Conrad or Ali. I will be back tomorrow. It was wonderful to see all of you, BT'r during intermezzo!! ? ❤

Definitely no El Cheapo with the revivalist of so many Imperial era gems. Vikharev's passing is quite a tremendous loss for all of us lovers of the Tsarist era ballet splendor. Ironically we can now see that much of his great effort to bring back ballet the way it was intended to be presented...as a grand spectacle where scenery and costume designs were as important as the dance itself, current management at the Mariinsky-(where many of this works were created)-insists on reverting his labor of love by dropping his productions and substituing then with Soviet era truncated mockeries-(eg. Bayadere). Hopefully some day Vikharev's productions will grace the Russian stage again. RIP

Yes...tsarist ballet splendor all the way! ???

I believe the Mariinsky's recon of Bayadere ended up with the same fate as its Beauty. Dropped altogether.

I can't understand the stubbornness of the Russian companies to have the Soviet truncated version of Bayadere, given that at one point they had a proper recon with the last "lost" act re inserted. I much prefer the now iconic Makarova's vision. That said...I'm in for this run at DC.

I second that. Yes...he is tall, elongated, impossibly curved insteps and so on and so forth. He always reminds me of the feeling that Zakharova gives me-(unlike him I have never seen her live). That said, I would still get Marcelo ANY day over Hallberg in any given performance.

Enjoy it while it lasts...(Oh...I will miss Delgado so much...?)

OT here...but..is this REALLY the shortest English translation for "el colmo"..??