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DeCoster

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    former dancer/ fan/ dance librarian
  • City**
    New York
  • State (US only)**, Country (Outside US only)**
    New York

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  1. and another debut: Joo Won Ahn as Siegfried (sorry if mentioned)
  2. According to the Master Calendar both Brandt and Lane's Desirees are TBA. Since Trenary is with Gorak for her two, it seems unlikely Lane will be paired with him again. If not Cornejo maybe Blaine Hoven can get a chance here.
  3. I completely agree regarding Gorak. He was much weaker in last year's Sleeping Beauty than several years back with Boylston. And after last week's T&V, I'm afraid I have to avoid him. I feel quite bad for Lane who keeps getting stuck with him and whom I'd rather not avoid. I would much rather see Gabe Stone Shayer get these opportunities, honestly. He shone in Harliquinade and Whipped Cream, and he always seems to rise to the occasion. Great news about Hurlin. Also looking forward to Murphy's return and Kim's visit.
  4. It wasn't a fall season performance. It was one of those July 4 matinees at the Met, a mixed bill. Edited: I found it. (Not July 4, Memorial Day!) " The Memorial Day matinee at 2:00 P.M. on Monday, May 25 will feature Diana Vishneva's ABT debut in Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux." My mom and I front row grand tier seats. It was a memorable performance. In my searching I read that Misty copeland and Jared Matthews were to dance Tchai Pas that season. Did that happen?
  5. I think Boylston also danced No Assembly Required (while still in the corps) although I thought I saw it at City Center. In terms of Balanchine, I'm happy with anything except Prodigal Son and Fancy Free, which I've seen too much. (And yet I have very special memories of a Vishneva/ Corella Tchaicovsky Pas that just can't be matched by the current squad.)
  6. But Mack is only dancing one Ali (a Wednesday matinee). I think it's obvious they are bringing him to the Met to dance Conrad with Schevchenko. Do Scott, Klein, Maloney, or the others you mentioned have the size or the technique to pull off that partnering assignment? I don't think they'd want to try! One doesn't need a big fan base to get a chance on the Met stage in one of these big roles. I saw Cory Stearns debut as Conrad with Dvorovenko when he was a 22 year old corps member who most of the audience was unfamiliar with. He had been practicing the role with Veronika Part and Dvorovenko since Gomes was injured that season, yet some of the partnering was still sketchy. Bell has had a lot of opportunities come his way since Gomes resigned, and think it has a lot more to do with his size and skill as a partner than any fan base. Mack has proven himself as a partner in big roles, and has danced Conrad with the English National Ballet. I'm actually with KM on this one. Excited to see Mack, Shevchenko, Trenary, and Simkin in Corsaire on 6/15!
  7. I agree Misty will be an excellent Pierrette. As others have mentioned, she excels in comedic roles. (She was terrific in Coppelia with Cornejo.) It really doesn't make sense to avoid her in *everything* because she can't meet the intense technical demands of Swan Lake. Although Harliquinade is Petipa, it doesn't make the technical demands on the principal dancers of say a Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake. Still I loved it so much, and can't wait to see it again. I think much of the genius in the reconstruction is in what Ratmansky does with groups, but it's also just a lot of fun. Gabe Stone Shayer and Cassandra Trenary were my favorite cast (I saw 3) last Spring. I'm surprised he isn't cast on tour. He's tailor-made for this role.
  8. ABT Fan, I'd love to see On the Dnieper revived too. (I thought I was the only one!) I think only Hallberg and Seo remain from the original lead casts. I also think it would be fun to bring back Bright Stream with this new crop of dancers. Audiences love that ballet. I love the score. I think the Zina role (danced by Reyes, Herrera, and Kent back in 2011) would suit Copeland and Trenary well. And it would be great to see Murphy and Boylston revive the ballerina role. Excited that Harliquinade is likely. I was only able to see one cast (Trenary and Shayer) because I have a small baby to tend to now, and it left me craving repeated viewings. Outside of Ratmansky I'm always keen to see Ashton and Tudor, in particular Les Patineurs, which I've never seen. I think Sylvia would also suit the new crop of principal ballerinas and make sense for the dearth of male principals, since the Aminta role isn't very challenging. Also please ABT management, bring Marianela Núñez back to dance Ashton! I'm not for too many guest artists, but she is one for the ages and a great inspiration to current dancers.
  9. Boylston danced Gamzatti at Mariinsky. Seo danced Giselle, perhaps a year or two later. I think there is some video of both appearances on youtube. Not sure if there was any other coaching.
  10. I was there last night. Boylston was terrific. I think Giselle is one of her strongest roles. She's got mad hops, as they say in the basketball world, and she has really made strides in controlling her tendency to jerk her head and neck with her big jumps. Her leaps, which always soared, now look more effortless with a more relaxed upper body. I think her acting has improved too. There were no technical snafus, and her characterization, especially in the first act, was just wonderful. Strong hops on pointe, lingering balances, and soaring leaps -- yeehaw! Whiteside danced well. I find his Albrecht very haughty and even a bit villainous (particularly when he steals the daisy), which, paired with Forster's somewhat sympathetic Hilarion, creates a weird dynamic for me. I think this contributed to a little lack of magic or chemistry in the second act. I didn't really believe the love story. I wish I could have seen Lendorf with Boylston as I think they would have been magic together in Giselle. Generally speaking, however, I like Whiteside best in Ashton and Balanchine ballets. One criticism: I wish Boylston (and others) would stop "winging" their feet so severely in arabesque, particularly arabesque penche, where it completely breaks the line of the leg. (It's really noticeable if you are not viewing her straight on.) I feel that I may be outside of popular opinion here, as winging is quite the norm, and even expected now. Boylston seems to take it too far, however, where her foot seems almost flexed at times. I'm nit-picking here, as she was pretty flawless otherwise. Teuscher delivered what I thought was a respectable Myrta, but I agree with others it's a work in progress. Excited for her Nikiya! I hope others go on Saturday, as I'm interested to hear your thoughts. One thing I admire about Boylston is her capacity to grow and improve as an artist. I know she has pursued acting coaching independently, and from her Instagram it appears she was receiving coaching in Giselle from Carla Korbes. Something paid off, as she is much better than a few years ago in achieving the slope of the neck and soft arms required of the romantic ballet. Boylston is still not on the level of Vishneva, Ananiashvili, or Reyes (my 3 favorite ABT Giselles), but she's my favorite current ABT Giselle. Admittedly I haven't seen Copeland, but I have seen the rest. Sadly, I think Abrerra could have been great, but injuries have weakened her potential. Murphy lacks the fragility. Lane lacks the jumps (as does Copeland, I'm sure). Seo I need to give another chance, as it's been a few years, but I can't imagine her first act rivaling Boylston's incredibly strong performance.
  11. Thank you for your review NYSusan. I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised by Seo's performance. I felt the same way when I caught her Swan Lake last year. Looking forward to reading everyones' reviews here. I have a small child at home now, so I'm only able to attend five performances this season. I've never seen Boylston's Giselle so I'm giving her a shot this year. It's a pity about Lendorf, but so it goes.
  12. I haven't seen Gisele Bethea on stage this season at all, and between her height and her feet she's hard to miss. Has anyone noticed her?
  13. I forgot about Eric Tamm. I really thought he was a soloist! I recall him partnering Gillian and Stella, so he must have been tall.
  14. Don't get me wrong, I idolized Ferri growing up -- had her picture from Dance Magazine plastered inside my locker at school. I totally agree with you. And we can choose casts based on their strengths. For instance, I didn't go to Misty's Giselle or Swan Lake this season, but I admired her performances in La Fille and Coppelia, where I thought she managed beautifully both technically and theatrically. Like Ferri, she is not suited to everything she is cast in.
  15. Here's just one example that popped up in a quick search, from a 1995 review of Bayadere. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/08/arts/dance-review-a-triple-feature-of-la-bayadere.html "Ms. Ferri radiated some of her old luminosity in the "Shades" segment, but her technique here faltered unacceptably for a dancer of her rank."
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