angelica

I seem to have had a very different reaction to last night's Swan Lake. As a long time admirer of Veronika Part, I'd been awaiting last night's performance as the highlight of the season. But the moment Veronika jumped out on stage for the white act, I felt something was wrong. The fluidity of Bayadere and even Bright Stream seemed absent--to me she seemed more like a swan possessed (which, of course, she was), but possessed of something beyond sorrow and longing. I found her movements awkward, absent the eloquence for which she is so treasured and is unique to her dancing. In fact, she seemed almost manic--I was afraid she was going to have a seizure right then and there, as she mimed her story to Cory. Now, perhaps she had to try extra hard because of his blankness. "Don't you get it, dammit, Siegfried?" He's handsome, has a beautiful line, can lift, but he never fails to disappoint with his absence of fervor. I felt that Veronika's Odile was far better than her Odette. The only explanation I can come up with is that with all the foreign guest artists being praised for their over-the-top acting, perhaps she was coached to dance Odette this way, absent the lyricism and fluidity that was so present in Bayadere. And her mouth was open for all the drama in Act II--I wonder where she got that from.... The supporting cast couldn't have been better. The pas de trois in Act I was wonderful. So were the leading swans. But what happened to the waltz of the big swans in Act II? When did that get taken out? And I must say that I find the opening of the fourth act a travesty. Compare with the fourth act on the DVD of Ananiashvili dancing with the State Ballet of Perm. I suppose one could say this is a more contemporary SL, but I don't at all get those high-stepping swans and what all the running back and forth is supposed to suggest--perhaps they are distraught as to what will become of them? Can anyone explain this to me?

I saw Marie-Agnes Gillot dance the role of Myrtha in Paris about three years ago, and she tore out of the wings and flew over the stage like the proverbial bat out of hell, a wili on the warpath if there ever was one. If you have the opportunity to see her in this role, I highly recommend that you do so. She will also be dancing Bolero in New York, and I'm going to see her in that as well. One can never get enough of her.

That should have been "light as a feather." As I said, I'm still recovering!

Thank you, abatt, for reporting on all four casts. I'm still recovering from my double-header of yesterday and completely agree with you about Hallberg-Seo and Dvorovenko-Stearns. Having seen only those two casts, I must say that Hallberg was breathtaking and compelling, almost demonic in his rejection of Tatiana and later desperation. Seo was ardent and fluid (the way I remember her in R&J), and I found her fine acting a nice surprise. And I completely agree that Dvorovenko did not create the arc from youthful adoration to maturity. I also felt her acting was contrived. To be fair, I think that the pairing of Dvorovenko and Stearns was unfortunate because he looks so youthful next to her sophistication before they even move a muscle. For Olga-Lensky, however, I found Kajiya and Gorak just wonderful. Gorak has a beautiful line and executed the steps well and with confidence; Kajiya was light as a feature and pitch-perfect.

Also Dvorovenko-Stearns, please.

Also Dvorovenko-Stearns, please.

Why, oh why, don't they promote Stella Abrera? She is one of the most exquisite dancers of this generation and after her performances in SB in New Zealand, has shown her ability to carry major principal roles. I think that at this stage she is more polished than Semionova, who still needs some serious coaching to bring her fluidity up several notches. I would have no hard feelings for any of the Soloists and Corp dancers for leaving and dancing elsewhere. McKenzie relies on hiring foreign stars way too much instead of developing what he has. Too often McKenzie lets dancers, who could be brilliant, languish away in Corps, or never promotes dancers who should have been promoted ages ago (Abrera). The only 2 positive things I can say he has done was establishing an associate school for ABT (We will happily see the fruits of this in the future reflected in the Corp being uniform) and hiring Ratmansky. Other than that, his decisions as an AD, I feel, holds back ABT from becoming great like companies such as the Mariinskiy, Bolshoi, or POB. Well said. I totally agree. The only thing I would add is that he promotes certain dancers who are not ready for promotion at the expense of those he doesn't promote.

Why, oh why, don't they promote Stella Abrera? She is one of the most exquisite dancers of this generation and after her performances in SB in New Zealand, has shown her ability to carry major principal roles. I think that at this stage she is more polished than Semionova, who still needs some serious coaching to bring her fluidity up several notches.

I couldn't agree more. Stella is now at the pinnacle of her career and it's sad both for her and her potential audiences that she hasn't been given the opportunity to dance the major principal roles. Maybe if she were to change her name to Abrerova....

I saw Part in the opening performance, and she was ravishing.

The Metropolitan Opera House was, indeed, Heaven last night when Veronika Part opened in Bayadere. She has lost weight, which has given her a sleeker body and an even more beautiful line. Sensuous, rapturous, eloquent--there's no one in the company, with the possible exception of Stella Abrera, whom we don't get to see in major major roles, who even comes close. Her performance was flawless. I'll let others report on last night's other dancers, but I will say that the corps, although very much in unison coming down the ramp, seemed to me extremely bland, lacking the fluidity and musicality that you see in the DVD of Paris Opera Ballet performing this ballet.

Thank you for posting this. It makes me want to attend every performance!

I cast my vote for brises. I find the entrechat sixes really boring, I don't care how much faster or higher they go. Brise is a GORGEOUS step when the line is perfect and you're doing it desperately at the command of a Veronika or Stella. Ballet is most of all about "line."

I saw Devon Teuscher in the dress rehearsal, and while it may have been a promising beginning, she didn't hold a candle to Veronika Part or Stella Abrera. But of course they are very much senior to her. Let's just say I didn't feel I was discovering an up-and-coming principal. And I agree totally about Isabella Boylston--in addition to her lack of refinement.

It was Yuriko Kajiya, and she was sensational--light and exquisite and technically perfect--she nailed those pirouettes from the kneeling position and everything else as well. Best part of the entire DR!

^ That made my evening (other than watching Corella in Giselle tonight). My ticket for Corella's last ABT performance is Center Orchestra Row K on the aisle. Awesome! Please report after the performance whether that is, indeed, the "perfect" seat.

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I wanted to ask: how is the view from the closest Side Parterre boxes (1 and 2)? Too close? Too much of the stage cut off? Thanks so much! Surprisingly not bad, because that box is slightly curved in towards the stage. It's not my first choice seating, but if that's the best option for a performance you want to see, then I'd sit there. Just make sure that you're in the first row of the box. Otherwise it's hopeless. Thanks for the prompt reply! I have Box 1, seat 3 for a performance for which no other front row side parterre seats are available. I was contemplating exchanging for a different section if the view was too distorted. Seating preferences are very individual. In my view, for example, there is no "perfect" seat anywhere in the Met (well, maybe Orchestra Row K on the aisle). Center Parterre, which is the priciest section, is too far back for my taste. Same for Grand Tier center. I would prefer losing some of the stage in order to be up close. That said, I usually avoid Box 1 if possible. If there's another seat available that you KNOW you like, then I'd recommend you exchange the ticket. I do believe the "dynamic pricing" has already gone into effect, however.

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I wanted to ask: how is the view from the closest Side Parterre boxes (1 and 2)? Too close? Too much of the stage cut off? Thanks so much! Surprisingly not bad, because that box is slightly curved in towards the stage. It's not my first choice seating, but if that's the best option for a performance you want to see, then I'd sit there. Just make sure that you're in the first row of the box. Otherwise it's hopeless.

Please tell us more about Friedmann Vogel, whom I'm seeing for the first time on this video. Those renverses left me breathless. Where is he from? Where is he going? He is an exquisite dancer.

Veronika Part is a sensational Myrtha. It's one of her signature roles. She will be exquisite with the Osipova/Hallberg casting.

I just called the Met and ordered a "select your own performances" "subscription" of four performances, and was able to select a section but not specific seats within that section. I was able, however, to narrow it down to Row such-and-such to Row such-and-such, not directly behind the conductor. I was told that if I don't like the seats, when the tickets arrive I can return them and asked for "upgraded" seats. I can also show up at the box office during Exchange Week and exchange the tickets for seats that I can choose myself from what's available. Hope this helps somewhat.

Yesterday afternoon was a glorious moment in the history of ballet. Sarah Lane and Joseph Gorak performed an exquisite final Nutcracker of the season. The fact that they missed the Grigorovich lift was a minor detail in an otherwise beautiful performance, with glorious radiance and gorgeous "lines" on both of them. This is a partnership made in heaven and I hope it is one that will develop into a great one. As for the ballet Nutcracker itself, I've gone three times, and each time it gets better, as there is so much to take in that it takes more than a single performance to see it all. I love Ratmansky's choreography as well as his charming sense of humor. All in all, a treasure. I'm definitely going again next year.

Ratmansky ballets have deep emotional undercurrents in addition to their whimsical humor. The PdD, in Nutcracker, for example, are rapturous, and I think the ballerina who most exemplifies that aspect of Ratmansky is Veronika Part. IMHO she hasn't been given the opportunities at ABT that she deserves, and I so much hope that Ratmansky will choreograph a ballet on her the way Balanchine choreographed ballets specifically for one or another of his ballerinas over the years.

David really needs to recover 100% before dancing again. The danger of re-injury is too great at 80%. However bummed we all may be, and I am too, the risk is too great to accept anything less than complete recovery. I read somewhere that for professional ballet dancers there is a 100% chance that they will be sidelined by injury at some point in their career. The last thing we want is a chronic injury in one of our most highly prized dancers.

For the last couple of years, for the first hour or two on that big day (April 1 this year), you can't pick individual seats, but only sections. I assume that's because the site is overwhelmed. But then the seat selection feature comes back and you can pick your own seat. The same thing happened last month when single tickets went on sale for San Francisco Ballet. But it has been worth the wait in both cases to see what's available and pick your own seats. Oh, this is so helpful to know. Thank you, California, I never would have guessed!