angelica

Polina Semionova dances Kitri and she has long legs. As does Ananiashvili. And don't underestimate Maria Kowroski--had she been trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School she would have knocked Kitri right out of the ball park. Personally, I never liked Plisetskaya. Maximova and Bessmertnova were my cup of tea.

Just to present the other side, Colleen, I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the Osipova/Vasiliev performance. However, for me, their dancing falls far short of what I admire most about classical ballet, namely, the classical line, which is created by turnout, pointed feet, eloquent port de bras, and a body that is in geometric harmony with classical style--a short torso and long, long legs. Maria Kowroski uses her long legs to brilliant effect in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. The reason Ivan can perform those absolutely incredible jumps is because he is landing on very short, muscular legs. When I saw him in rehearsal in the studio, he came down with a huge thud every time. If David Hallberg, who to me is the embodiment of classical style, were even to attempt those jumps, he'd surely break a leg because his body isn't compact and muscular enough to support the force of the landing. As for Osipova, IMHO, she overacts. I, too, have seen many performances of Don Q over the years, and I would say my favorite Kitris were Kirkland and Ananiashvili. For the men, Corella and Carreno. I don't think I've seen Cornejo, and I'd better get out there and do it soon! I wouldn't say that Vasiliev is technically accomplished because he doesn't dance with classical technique. Rather, I would say that he is acrobatically accomplished, that he can jump higher and turn longer than most everyone else, except that Angel and Herman can turn more. He doesn't dance with turnout or pointed feet, and doesn't hold anything like a good first position or fifth position. Baryshnikov, who of all the great dancers is built most like Vasiliev, had classical training that he never compromised for the acrobatics. In an interview reported in The New York Times, Ratmansky spoke of Vasiliev's abilities, but also stated that he needed more discipline in classical technique. To each his own.

What they really need to do is promote Stella Abrera to principal status. Also give her Queen of the Dryads. I saw her doing them in a company class and she nailed them all. Stella Abrera danced Queen of the Dryads in the Saturday 5/25 matinee I attended, and looked amazing! This was my first time seeing Don Quixote, so I have nothing to compare it to (and I'm no expert), but I could see no flaws in her performance. I'm sooo glad to hear that. Right now she is one of the very best dancers in the company, with an unaffected classical purity, a totally reliable technique, and a riveting stage presence. She is a terrific actress as well. All of which is to say, at the risk of repeating myself, that she deserves principal status and an opportunity to dance the roles she was meant to dance. I'm hoping for a Giselle in 2014. She's a terrific Myrtha, but she deserves to dance the title role.

What they really need to do is promote Stella Abrera to principal status. Also give her Queen of the Dryads. I saw her doing them in a company class and she nailed them all.

Oh dear, a google search tells me that "eye candy" may connote that the person is lacking in depth or intelligence and is only a "pretty face." That's not at all what I mean to suggest about Cory. I think he has a gorgeous ballet line and his acting continues to grow in depth. He was amazing, for example, in The Moor's Pavane. I mean "eye candy" in the most positive light--he is, quite simply, in addition to everything else he brings to the stage, gorgeous to look at.

I think Cory Stearns is eye candy.

I actually prefer the links because the embedded videos take longer to load than simply clicking on the links.

We could all make a long list of ABT dancers who deserve to be promoted but haven't been. Among them I would include Joseph Gorak, Jared Matthews, Stella Abrera, and Sarah Lane. I don't know the corps dancers well enough to identify the standouts, but Luciana Paris comes immediately to mind.

I agree, vipa, that A Month in the Country would be improved by more dancing. However, I attended the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, and just seeing David Hallberg walk across the stage was worth the price of admission, so to speak. He gets more gorgeous with every year, and his line is so exquisite that I didn't even mind the dreadful costume.

If I'm not mistaken, Balanchine liked it when a dancer took a fall because it meant that the dancer was "going for broke," so to speak, giving it her/his all. I've seen Sarah fall in rehearsal, and I think she's someone who'll take the risk in service to a performance rather than play it safe.

Not to mention that copy editors must adhere to the style of the publication, namely, "house style," e.g. Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press Style, et al., which is not a decision of the copy editor, who is merely an employee, but, as you say, that's another thread. I promise, no more about copy editors.

My son is a copy editor and we often joke that everyone blames the copy editor! Except that if you're that copy editor, it's not a joke. Posted in good fun.

Thank you, abatt. Don't you think they should? I've seen Hallberg as Espada and Abrera as Mercedes (for example). These are dancers who will bring people into the theater.

Please could someone give a shout-out when the Espada/Mercedes casting goes up? If they can give Purple Rothbart, they ought by now to know Espada/Mercedes. Thanks in advance.

MakarovaFan, I did check out Smirnova's Nikiya, as you suggested, and I found it interesting and reassuring to see the difference in her use of the wrists and hands from the way she used them in Swan Lake. Now I'm thinking that someone (herself, a coach, a teacher?) suggested that in Swan Lake she use her wrists and hands as wings, which is perhaps why she breaks at the wrists all the time. Her Nikiya was beautiful. I loved the way she used her torso and her pliant back, and it is apparent that she can use her wrists and hands in other ways. Maybe she just needs to see herself (on YouTube) or have someone tell her that her wrists and hands don't need to be flapping every minute to convey that she's a swan.

I saw Jared Matthews dance this role on Monday night, and he was extraordinary. It's a difficult solo that demands perfection and Jared nailed it. In addition, his acting in the scenes leading up to the duel was completely believable.

I totally agree that last night's performance of Onegin was memorable in every way and that Diana and Marcelo delivered a dramatic and heartrending performance. However, I want to make a special comment for the performance of Jared Matthews as Lensky. His acting, the rise of his emotions from quizzical to dismay to desperation was seamless and completely believable. His dancing in the solo before the duel was sublime, and is emblazoned in my memory, I hope forever. His performance definitely showed him ready to be promoted to principal dancer. ABT might have thought of that before inviting a cadre of foreign male principals, but as is all too often the case, ABT fails to promote its own. Promote Jared and put him on stage--he is the better mousetrap, and the people will come.

I completely agree with you, and I also find this "break" in the wrists and sharp fingers very distracting - actually I found her arms generally, especially as Odile, to be stiff. She does have speed, great technique and brilliant turns, but I don't think she has any wonderful flow of movement. I found her Odette very cold and involving. She was more suited to Odile, but even here, she is aloof. It is interesting that she herself says, as quoted above, "in Mariinsky theatre, my dance would be considered as more spiritual and refined, but Bolshoi audiences sometimes might judge it as cold." Actually, I feel many Mariinsky audience members would consider her cold also: this is my main criticism of her. I look at her and never can engage with her - she is not a warm, expressive dancer and not a natural actress, and so I cannot like her. I watched Smirnova's performance again and then watched a couple of others, including Evgenia Obratzova and Ekaternia Borchenko (whom a friend of mine recently saw live at the Mikhailovsky) and they were both more fluid in their movements, their arms and hands not at all angular. Moreover, they made eye contact with their partners repeatedly. I agree, Tiara, that Smirnova is very "cold." And that it isn't a question of Mariinksy v. Bolshoi, it is a question of quality of dancing. It is interesting that the quote Buddy gives, "In ballet, épaulement denotes the dancer's ability to turn, bend and shape the placing of the trunk, shoulders, arms, neck and head to produce the subtlest contrasts and oppositions. In Italian art it is contrapposto, and this is what gives life, veracity and power to a drawn or sculpted position. In classical ballet it turns the academic pose into the beautiful, the fascinating" comes from an article praising Smirnova. In my view, artistic epaulement is something that develops over years of training, but is instinctive in some dancers and artificial in others. At the risk of repeating myself, Veronika Part gets it right--her epaulement seems inborn, natural, not affected--whereas with Smirnova I feel that she exaggerates it at the end of every pose, to achieve a purposeful effect that becomes mannered rather than fluid.

Having checked the seating availability for Monday night's Onegin (Vishneva/Hallberg), and also the Wednesday night mixed repertory (including Seo/Hallberg), it is apparent to me that you can get really good seats a day or two (or three, I guess, if it's the weekend) before the performance when ABT releases the seats in its "hold." Great Orchestra Prime seats as well as rows A and B in Grand Tier center. For anyone who wants to get a ticket, it may be worth waiting until a couple of days before the performance to get a good seat, rather than buy one in advance that isn't so good. Of course, there is some risk involved here (for example, I'll be interested in whether good seats will show up suddenly for the Semionova/Hallberg Swan Lake), but I wanted to let people know about this option.

This is just to alert Ballet Alert members that some awesomely good seats have just been released by ABT for the Vishneva/Gomes Onegin on Monday night, including some in Center Orchestra and two in Row A Grand Tier. They're not discounted but they're available, and I would suggest that you snatch them up online (or at the box office if you're near there) asap if you'd like to see that performance.

The wrists and elbows (especially) were a bit much for me too, angelica. I admire her portrayal right now, but I don't love it yet-hopefully she will grow in time though. So good to hear that I'm not alone, ksk04! Which gives me the courage to go even further and say that to me, her dancing, while technically a tour de force, was affected and mannered, an exaggeration of what true artistry, as opposed to calculated posing, is about. Admittedly, every ballet looks different on every artist, which is why we go to multiple performances of the same ballet. For me, the gold standard for Odette/Odile is Nina Ananiashvili (you can see her on the DVD that was made when she was 29 years old, dancing with the State Ballet of Perm) -- these days it's Veronika Part. I will keep an open mind on Smirnova, however, as she develops in her roles.

I'm apparently alone in my opinion that while her technique is extraordinary, I found the angularity of her arms detracting from her Odette, especially the continuous 90 degree break at the wrists, which I found more appropriate in her Odile. For me, there was no vulnerability in her Odette portrayal--less hyperextension and more fluidity would have made me love her, but I can't.

Thank you for posting, Abatt! I, too, was awaiting word on Onegin. I'm not surprised that it took Hallberg some time to find his groove. He's been out for 10 months recuperating from a foot injury, so I wouldn't be surprised at some anxiety appearing back onstage again. Perhaps his care in partnering Seo has something to do with a shoulder injury some time ago. The last thing he (and we) need is for him to be injured again. Ballet is such an unforgiving art, with no room for a do-over. One false move and you're sidelined. I saw Gorak as Lensky (was it last year or two years ago that ABT previously did Onegin?) and thought he was wonderful. I'm glad to see that you, and hopefully others, are noticing him too. I can't wait for my Vishneva/Gomes performance on Monday night!

Good choice! Sorry for the confusion. What I meant was that you keep the Part ticket, do not try to exchange it (you can't and you wouldn't want to), and attend that performance. In addition, if last-minute tickets to Semionova/Hallberg become available, you go to their performance also. Two Swan Lakes are better than one, especially if you're obsessed. And you will have seen the two best casts (IMO).

Maybe because of the execrable violinist. I remember thinking--this is New York City, they can't get a decent violinist?