Classic_Ballet

I would dye to see ABT taking over the weeks left by the City Opera at the State theater.

That would allow so many opportunities for talented young dancers of the company and for many of the ABT loyal fans too

I beleive both NYCB and ABT would benefit from this, and there is no need for an overlapping in the rep.

I am sure both companies would get a lot of new fans.

Please, bring back "La Fille.....", Manon, Oneguin and Ashton's Sylvia !

A few unrealistic wishes:

Kevin M., please, the whole world is screaming for beautiful/emotional Act IV to be added to the current production of SL , its been more than 10 yrs waiting ! Could Ratmansky stage a new one based on the original?

I beleive there is a lot of material at Harvard's library in Boston.

How about the much talked Tudor's R&J ?

A few more realistic wishes:

- Vishneva/Gomes in Giselle (and in Manon/Oneguin)

- Part doing 2 SL (as last year, on Monday and Saturday )

Part/Bolle in Bayadere and SL (if not, then give her Marcelo, pls)

- Another Semionova/Gomes SL (I know, there is so much Marcelo can dance)

(Osipova's debut in SL with David ?)

- Since it looks like Corsaire is coming back, I am going to ask for Osipova/Vasiliev/Simkim.

(How about Part's debut in Medora ?)

- Alina C, Polina S. and Osipova in as much as possible

- Sarah Lane debuting in a full length (whatever they think is better for her, but something serious/challenging, pls)

I support strongly the ideas of Macmillan's Mayerling and Ashton's Rhapsody

The NYT review of Sleeping Beauty is out. Surprise,surprise!! AM almost gives it a favorable review.

He has partially complimented Part twice in a week....one wonders if he is feeling well??

so funny, i could not believe my eyes either.....he will end up adoring her, in a year or two, lol, and once he does, then Part will turn, all of the sudden, in the most lyrical, expressive and gifted dancer that he has seen in the past 30 yrs.........

BTW, I saw Veronika on Monday, she danced very solid and had some majestic moments, especially in Act II, but I think she did much better last year, which I remember being magical. I think she had too little rehearsal time after her SL on Friday night, and this may have had an impact on her performance.

The production looked even worst to me, cheap, like.. really cheap, the lighting was awful too. The costumes.....better not to say anything at this point....Marcelo danced amazingly, as usual, and partnered Part as he can only do, however, he also looked to me a little tired sometimes (I dont blame him!). In general, everybody looked low on energy...I guess its the end of a long season and the corp dancers must be exhausted..

I loved Abrera very much, and I am not a big fan of her, but she did dance beautifully and strong (much better than in her Mercedes, for example). Simkim solos were stunning, especially his elevation...., and Sarah Lane held herself very well, her variation was flawless, the partnering looked good...until the end. She slipped through his hands, and ended up being held in an ugly position, next to his hip.......

I hope by Friday things look a little better, I cant wait to see Alina again !!!!

I have a very odd story to report from tonight's performance. After a very solid Rose Adagio by Veronika, a man walked briskly down the left orchestra aisle carrying a bouquet of red roses and shouting "brava!" He was stopped about ten feet from the orchestra pit by an usher, but he clearly wanted to throw the flowers onto the stage. The man became very upset and threw the flowers at the usher's feet. The man then stalked back up the aisle, muttering angrily to audience members around him. The usher picked up the bouquet and followed him out. It was crazy!

More to come on the performance later...

yes, it was crazy, apparently he started to cry half way through her variation, the emotion started to build up as Part went through the second round of promenades, and it ended just the wait you described

A. Macaulay just wrote a review on this year's Swan lakes.

www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/arts/dance/swan-lake-one-classic-ballet-many-interpretations.html?ref=dance

He didnt like Semionova's performance (was he at the same theater ? )

He talks nicely, for once, about Part and mentioned Wiles (including that SL was her farewell performance with ABT)

Her favorite of the week was Gilliam, and he talks about the stunning triple-pirouettes that she threw in Act II, mentioned before in this board.

I used to disagree with him 150%, lately I had started to enjoy his reviews more and more.....and here we go again to bad old times.....

If not, who are the most likely candidates on the free market???

Here is an idea, Yoel Carrreno, Jose's brother, who is dancing in Europe but still not committed to a big company.

I have seen him on youtube (he has a channel) and I believe he is one of the most talented/experienced (still young and healthy) dancers out there in the free market.

His fiancee (or wife, I dont know) is also, according to the youtube videos I have seen, a superb dancer, i actually dont know if I like her more

I think she was a principal at Cuban National Ballet, with Yoel Carreno, before they both left the company.

I dont know how easy, from a legal point of view, is to bring two cuban dancers here from Europe, but its def. a pretty cheap and promising choice.

ksk04, yes we did, ha

i just checked and yes, they are both principals of The Norwegian National Ballet

There is a really nice article in Dance Magazine about Part. (dancemagazine.com/issues/July-2011/Russian-Soul)

She is also the cover of the July issue.

Very kind and impressive words from Kevin M., I. Kolpakova and M. Gomes.

Beautiful article, in wich dance critic Laura Jacobs says that Part's performance of Aurora "was the most tenderly musical and stylistically expressive that this writer has ever seen" and Mckenzie says that "“Her Nutcracker, my god, it was out of this world”

I am very happy to see that Part is finally coming along all together to become the great ballerina that she can be.

Its clear that Semionova is now a must for the company.

Young (26 yo), healthy, with an impressive range which can cover from the most dramatic roles to the more technically demanding ones, and add to that a sweetheart/adoring personality and a lot of respect for the company.

This ballerina is a rarity, and to me she is the only one who could possibly fill Nina A shoes, a dancer that the audience and the rest of ABT dancers, both (which is very important), can fall in love with, as it happened with our beloved Nina A.

Semionova and Marcelo brought ballet to a completely different level tonight.

This performance will stay in my mind as one of the most complete, balanced, emotional and technically accomplished performances

of all times. Def the best Swan Lake I have seen in many, many years.

The house went crazy, literally.

Marcelo's technique was as I never saw him before, he is always been magnificent, tonight was even more.

She just took everyone on a ride, the corps, everyone looked very different, the whole company

This ballerina is a true star.

Sublime beauty and musicality mixed with stunning technique and artistry.

Cant get better than this !

I saw Kevin m. and R. Moore, and I hope the members of the board were there too, they have to bring her here.

I went last night and I have a completely different opinion to some people here.

Part performance was by far, in my opinion, the best of all week (I saw Irina, Gillian and Kent/Murphy on Thursday).

Her Odette is astonishing beautiful, musical, absolutely exquisite, with an unparalleled port-de-bras which also always respond to the music with perplexing perfection (no disorderly/unmusical swan-arms movement ever).

Having seen most of her performances on SL here, I agree that maybe last's year was better (2nd one) (it was a sublime night, which I will always remember), however, last night was still an over the top performance.

Part is considered by critics in Europe (London and Russians) and for many people in the ballet world as one of the best Odette of her generation, of course, that doesnt mean that everyone has to like her, but from there to saying that she is a miscast on SL goes a long way.

Her Act II variation last night was sublime. She produced some remarkable moments, and even though her partnership with Stearns still needs improvements, it was definitely better than last's year (she danced SL twice last year, one with Cory and one with David). I was actually very impressed with Cory's improvement, especially on the artistry side.

True that he is still a work in progress, but I do see a big potential and more importantly, improvement in almost all departments. I think that with the right coaching and experience he can become in a really good/accomplished dancer/partner.

As a matter of fact, Bolle changed many of the liftings when he danced with Part, as David did as well. Cory did every single lifting and they looked real good. On the other hand, supported pirouetted did not look easy and there were some weird moments in the adagio mainly because I think he didnt positioned Veronika well.

Veronika danced secure in Act III, without any fireworks, but with power and beautiful (single fouettes, which ended right on with the music with a well executed double pirouette).

Unf in the worst Act IV in the world (I do agree strongly with Alasteir Mc., I always wonder how could someone create something so distasteful and anticlimactic with such a magnificent music) there was not much that Part could do, although she did put a lot of emotion and the last good bye (before the awful Von Robart lifting and the running uphill to commit suicide) was very touching.

I was also very disappointed with Hammoudi performance. I had some hopes for him to make it all the way to the top, since his stage presence is superb. However, I dont know now after what I saw in Camelias and last night.Beside the partnering problem with poor Seo, his dancing was small, inconsistent, technically/artistically not accomplished. Hopefully it was all nerves and these problems will go away with experience, but I am worried, since carrying over the load of a full length ballet is something that not everyone can do.

As for the other 2 performances. I loved Kent's Act II very much, besides her diminished technique, her passion and musicality was so big that I just loved her to death. Beautiful !

Gillian was amazing as usual on Act III, but I think her previous injury may still have had a little impact on her since the swarm-arm fouettes were gone in both performances and she looked a little slow/uncontrolled (as for my standards with her jaw-dropping technique, of course) both nights. Her Odette was lovely, she is not the ultimate lyrical dancer but you can tell she has improved hugely her artistry....still I do agree with previous posts who mentioned that she was unmusical on Act II, especially in the adagio and part of the variation. On the spectacular side, her diagonal (at the end of Odette variation) was incredible, she threw triple or quadruple perfectly centered pirouettes, slowing them down with the music progressively, while moving her arms, which caused a tremendously beautiful visual effect, Brava !

As for Irina, again, more of the same. She has everything a ballerina needs to shine to the very top. Beauty, sky-high extensions, good technique, wonderful lines....everything..you named, however...., whenever I see her just getting the job done, as someone said before (so right !), its just terrible, its actually painful...those doll-like poses, in her perfectly measured, calculated performances, with no risk, nothing, left me ice cold and with a pretty bad feeling.

Its incredible how a dancer like, for example, Reyes who is naturally not nearly gifted as Irina, always give 110% on stage, and that makes me feel, as an audience, very satisfied, despite shortcomings from lines, etc.....I have seen Irina pull out some amazing shows, but at this point I am kind of tired of so many disappointments....

Kobborg was here, I saw him on Monday after Cojocaru's Don Q.

I know this topic is pretty polemic, but in my opinion, as an audience member, I really thank very, very much ABT management for giving me the chance to enjoy all these stars in the season. Its truly a very unique opportunity for a ballet fan.

Last week I saw 5 Don Q's in a raw. Why ? Because I couldnt resist to see Sarabia, gorgeous A. Cojocaru and Semionova, and from our own dancers, I never miss Gillian in this role (btw she was as usual a technical marvel) and I wanted to see Simkim debut. If ABT have had any of their current female dancers doing Don Q instead of Alina and Semionova, I dont think I would have seen 5 Don Qs, since none of those dancers is exciting enough as for making me going to see so many Don Q's in a raw. I know it may sound cruel, but its the reality, and many of the people who I know go to see ABT often, feel exactly the same way.

This applies also to the coming week, with Vishneva, Cojocaru and Kent doing in Giselle. Its such a unique opportunity, that I feel very lucky to live in a town with a company that brings the best to its audience.

Its true that Kobborg case may be different. However, ABT artistic team may think that the in-house male who could replace Maxim are not ready to do so in such a short notice, because they may want to maintain certain standards (and I know some people here may disagree, and I may disagree as well, actually, especially if you compare Maxim with some highly talented guys on ABT current roster).

I have seen quite a few ABT dancers who looked promising and then later, when opportunities came through, they didnt rise to the occasions.

I, for example, dont see Radetsky partnering Irina in Giselle, especially with the difficulty of the partnering in Act II. Its just an opinion.

I was there last night too.

I personally liked more the second part.

Part I

Gillian and David looked sharp and so clean on tchaik. Loved it !

Part/Gomes also danced very well. The pdd is pretty hard and they seemed very well connected too.

I also think that veronika fell off point at the end, but besides that she pulled off a great performance.

Much better than when I saw them at BAM in December.

Majisimo was ok, but the lighting was really awaful, very dark ! Nothing special about it.

I think they should have picked something more enjoyable. The Feijoos sister didnt get the chance to do much at all, a pity.

Part II

Vishneva/Gomes was my fav of the night, the chemistry between them is really amazing. What an artists !

As a long time admirer of Alina, I enjoyed her performance to the fullest as well.

She puts so many details on it. There was not scenography or anything to back up her performance, just the 4 princes (which I think were very nervous). Overall, it was not spectacular but very well danced, she is so refined and cute !

Herrera surprised me with a very beautiful pdd of swan lake (act II)

Loved to see Hammoudi given this opportunity. He looked great on stage and partnered her well (a few minor details, but nothing important). Again not my ultimate odette but a very high quality performance.

Irina's amazing arms, back and extensions helped a lot the piece she danced. Maxim did not look at his best.

I think that this Splendid Isolation III is a little different to what she did before (or I may be wrong ?)

Didnt she wear a black dress another time when they did S.I. II or I ?

Julie danced beautifully, but agree the partnership dod not look great

I also think the coreography is pretty weak, so there is not much more she could do here.

Wiles/stearns was by far the worst of the night.

I have enjoyed Michelle's technique before, and actually, I thought at some point that she had potential, if she could develop her artistry, soften her back/neck, etc.....Anyways, I dont really know what happened last night, but to me it was on the limit to be embarrasing, especially when you are dancing between these major stars.

Better not to go into details, I even felt bad for her.

Stearns didn not make things better, he looked tired at the end of his variation and run out of steam in his final turns..

Cory has beautiful lines and is elegant, but I dont think he has the technical level to pull off a great Basilio, at least as of today.

If he run out of steam in the pdd....I cant imagine in the full lenght..

and finally, kuddos to Boylston. She looked amazing in the Bright Stream.

I was very, very impressed, those jetes were to dye for...

Also, noticed big improvement in Simkim partnering skills.

He partnered Isabella very well.

Now, on to Don Q.

Cant wait for Sarabia/Simkim debuts and Alina/Semionova Kitris !

Here is my take on the SL(s) that I attended

Kent/Gomes

Julie was a beautiful Odette. This is a role in which she has always been amazing, and I was very happy to see that

she can still perform it so well. In general, technically, she was much more accomplished than I expected.

The Chemistry with Marcelo was really good. She has lost back-flexibility, but still she has wonderful extensions and

stunning port-de-bras.

Her Odile was pretty good as well, although I have always seen her too pretty and sweet for the role.

Odile variation was strongly executed, no fireworks, but precise and overall very well danced.

The fouettes in the coda were weak, but nothing different to what I was expecting (she is never been the ultimate technician, on the

contrary, much more of a "white-tutu ballerina") and the final act was very passionated and lovely.

To me she was the 2nd best Odette (after luxurious Part).

Marcelo was literally AMAZING !

No words to describe his emotions, and technique.

Incredible control on those turns, so clean ! Bravo.

Wiles/Stearns

Once again, mixed feelings with Michele.

On one hand, she has def the potential to make a very complete and astonishing Odette/Odile combo, but she lacked focus and quality, as happened before,

in her port-de-bras and upper body movement. She certainly delivered some very beautiful moments as Odette, but at the same time, you have to painfully

see how quickly she goes from beauty in her movements to total stiffness, and unattended and awafully looking poses.

You can see the enormous potential, but at this point I am starting to wonder if she will ever take her dancing to the next level

He Odile was def my favorite of all (even better than Gillian, I dare to say).

The technique was literally, jaw-dropping. She is so strong !

In Odile variation, first, she threw quadruple pirouettes in attitude, followed by a triple, I think.

More impressive is the fact that she finished them so clean and perfectly centered.

Later, she went for DOUBLE-PIROUETTES a la seconde ! (twice)

This is a marvel, and is rarely seen, especially when is done with such security and presicion.

I admire her strength and the fact that she has no fear at all. I saw her falling badly 2-3 years ago, when doing this, so

it was a delight to see her going for it again without any hesitation.

The control and speed of the series of pique-chaines were like, OMG, and again what impressed me the most is the fact that every single time when she turns,

the center is just perfect. Her fouettes are not as crazy and risky as Gillian's, but she did throw a couple of quadruples, together with few doubles.

I liked more the musicality of them and the fact that she finished so strong and fresh, like she could easily go for another round !

Throughout the 3rd Act the balances were absolutely astonishing, as if she were hammered to the floor, she caught all of them, whenever she had a chance, and this time,

for my delight, with pretty high arabesques.

All this combined with a pretty good impersonation of the character. Brava !

Stearns was a good partner, very refined, beautiful lines...so a lot of potential here too.

Still, obviously, needs to do some work on partnering (although he is already a great partner) and especially on his technique, which needs more improvements.

Overall a good performance, but as a whole, the least exciting of all 4 that I saw.

Murphy/Carreno

It was awasome to see Gillian, once again, adding more and new details to her Odette.

No question she has soften her back amazingly (how great of an imporvement on a young dancer, speaks a lot of how hard she works)

Much improved port-de-bras and above all, the level of expressiveness, much better as well.

This, of course, made a remarkable adagio, beautiful !

I couldnt stop thinking how unfair was to record her at such a young age in a role like this !

Odette variation was also incredible (she threw two cuadruples pirouettes (in the diagonal)).....Brava.

other notes:

- Great chemistry with Carreno (they have been dancing together SL for quite some time now)

- Passionated end of ActII, transformation into a Swan (only Part surpassed her here) and nicely executed port-de-bras for the finale.

Her Odile, well, as always, amazing. Clean, pure technique. Crazy fouettes, i still cant believe that she manages

to show us her port-de-bras while doing multiple turns ! How much control and coordination you need for that !!!! Unbeleivable.

The rest of her variation, perfect as well.

She has also much better extensions now ! and she did caught a few real good balances as well.

Four act: very passionated, beautifully acted and she is probably the best at throwing herself into the lake (no fear at all here)

Carreno has aged, we all know that, but the clean and stylish dancing is still there, its such a pleasure to watch such a “noble danseur”. He is also an amazing partner, which makes his ballerina very secure and he really knows how to get the best of her.

Overall, third best Odette (very high quality) and a very satisfying, complete and balanced performance.

Part/Hallberg

Veronika surpassed herself on Sat night.

I have no words to describe the luxurious expansion of her movements, the majestic beauty of her lines, and the perfection in every single movement of that gorgeous body.

In a role like this, she epitomizes the purity and classicism of a ballerina, that arabesque is truly to die for.......a performance that brings u on stage, make you suffer with her, it will def stay with me forever. Veronika's port-de-bras is one of the most beautifully and carefully executed that I have ever seen.......the way she uses her wrist and especially her fingers. More than that, the way she moves her two gorgeous wings WITH the music is totally astonishing.

The Adagio was so beautiful that i just didnt want them to finish it ever.

The finale was heartbreaking, she kissed David (for real), he hold onto her as much as he could, very emotional...the faces were to be recorded...... then, she transformed herself into a swan, back again, and flew away of the stage.

I could go on an on here...........what a ballerina, and what a beauty, she is as special as I have rarely seen a dancer.

Its just a wonder. After more than 15 years of SL, and after seeing her quite a few times here at abt, I cant beleive that she made me feel such an emotion with this second act.

Her Odile was better than on opening night. The variation was very well danced, great balances ! and she toned down a little the evil-smile and projection.

Singles and musical fouettes in the coda, more importantly, on the spot ! which is something that I appreciate quite a lot.

Act IV was once again, to remember, both very much engaged in the performance, the last good bye was to make you cry !

David was great. Some problems in the partnering, likely due to the lack of rehearsals, especially in Act II.

Some of the lifting were removed (she is also probably too tall for him), for example, the one at the end of Act II. She went on a penche and David kneeled

on the floor instead, it did look pretty anyways. He did an awasome job with the liftings on Act IV, wich are very hard and complicated, Bravisimo !

His variation was clean, awasome, and as usual, those jetes are like OMG, with such a soft landing !

I felt that as long as the performance progressed, the chemistry went on and on....

I saw them dancing together back in 2007, i think. Def this performance was much better (and that one was already great)

Overall, by far, my favorite and most complete performance of all.

I attended on last night too (Part/Gomes)

I am still on a high, this is one of the best nights for Veronika since she came to ABT.

One of the best all arounds Auroras i have ever seen, and Marcelo was just magnificent.

Rose Adagio was great, not the longest balances ever, but good enough to pass them successfully and secure.

The rest of Aurora variation in Act I was just a dream, this ballet really needs long lines, beauty and lyricism..... its made for her, Brava !

Vision Scene was Majestic, the music here is so beautiful, i enjoyed every single movement in details, her head, arms, shoulders, i ate it all !

it was like millimetric and mathematic perfection.

whoever coached her here, OMG, what a job !

Grand pdd, probably my favorite.

Fishing Dives were literally to be recorded, perfectly positioned, her endless legs pointing straight to the sky.

Marcelo was obviously responsible for this perfection as well !

Her variation will stay in my mind for ever, her foot work was sharp, clean and crystalline as I have never seen, and the upper body expression was literally to die for.

....and the Beauty, ...yes, the beauty, I am in Tony Mendez team now, She is the Sleeping Beauty !

No doubt when you look at the stage that her monster stage presence quickly tells you who is the Princess in the group

I also loved Abrera lilac Fairy, it was very very delicate, Abrera is really soft and lyric as well.

Only problem is that close to Part, she looses a lot in the stage presence department, but I still did love her performance.

Blue bird pdd was kind of dissapointing.

I loved Radestky Bird-Like movements, even when jumping, but the problem is that he doesnt have the fireworks needed to shine in this part as

for example, Cornejo and Simkim. Boylston was ok, she got messy a couple of times, but not that bad, clean foot work in general.... in the first pdd they danced together

they fell so much behind the music, that it ended up with him lifting her without music at all, very odd, def not pretty. She has talent but this was not my fav pair whatsoever.

The rest of the Fairies / Cast was good too (not my fav Caraqbosse, but it wasnt bad either).

The production has been fixed for the good, huge difference to the premiere.

Still some things may need to be changed, so, slowly, season by season, we are getting there.

i still hate the jumping competition at the begining of the vision Scene, so out of context to me, awaful !

and i am not a big fan of Carabosse being an allien coming from the sky (actually, hate it) and the customes of her troupe (how awful this cockroaches-like customes)

some other customes are ugly too, but again, the production overall looks much better and last night proved that when danced with delight and perfection is very much enjoyable !

Bravo Marcelo and Veronika, now i am cant wait for that gorgeous SL on Monday

I would love to see "La Fille..." back soon, together with Oneguin !

Last year there were only 3 performances (as far as I remember, maybe 4, but def not the whole week) of Ashton's Sylvia, which I find absolutely beautiful (particularly abt staging)

I attended to 2 of them and most seats in orchestra were pretty much sold.

When I saw the all Ashton week, I was really sad not to see his Sylvia coming back again.

Same thing goes with Giselle, is pretty much sold out always (I attend a minimun of 3) and for some reason it is never programmed 2 years in a row (as compared to SL which comes every year, and I dont blame it since it sells amazingly well)

As much as I love ballet, I am not crazy for these combined programs, especially at the met, during ABT spring season.

All of my balletomanes friends have only go once (if so) during this last week, as compared to a few times when abt have a full-lenght production.

I attended only once and I think I am pretty much done, Its hard to see two full weeks of the season invested in just two programs, with ballets that we have seen so many times (Fancy Free, Company B, The Dream, for example) (if at least we had some more variety, i.e, something from Tudor, ........)

As for the comment about other ABT dancers who are less than thrilled by the presence of guest artists appearing for one or two shows, this is how ABT operates. ABT has always operated under a "star" system, and has frequently imported international stars from other companies for guest appearances. As an audience member, I'm very happy that ABT makes efforts to bring us world renowned dancers here in New York. Let's face it, Osipova, Cojocaru and others help fill the enormous MET auditorium and sell loads of tickets. IN an 8 week season annually, trying to fill a 3,800 seat auditorium must be very challenging. Moreover, we tend to complain and/or not buy tickets when McKenzie uses some home team members for certain leading roles.

i am very happy about that too, one of the reasons why i enjoy the met season so much is because of the unique opportunity that we have to enjoy some of the biggest world stars dancing here. This season, having Osipova, Vishneva, Cojocaru and Bolle, is like...it cant get any better

and of course, its a huge help to fill the 3800 seats !

i was so glad to see the house packed on tuesday.

tonight is sold out as well

It has been very interesting to read the commentary on Osipova. I saw her in Giselle last year and Don Q on Tuesday. Both times I had the same reaction: Wow!!! ... followed by, she makes everyone else on stage look bad. (I saw her last year in Sylphide, too, but she didn't make as much of an impression there.) As somone else commented, she makes ABT look like a regional company. But that puzzles me, because it's not like I've never seen bravura dancing before. But when I'm watching Murphy whip off a series of triple fouettes, or Corella spin so fast his turn implodes on itself (don't know how else to describe it!), or Simkin do his dazzling ballet-cum-gymnastics thing, I'm not thinking to myself that no one else on stage is at their level. But that's what I think when I see Osipova. There's something about her that strikes me as "other," and I don't know if that has to do with the sheer level of her virtuosity, her style being different from ABT style (if ABT even has a consistent style), something about her stage personality, or... or what.

In my opinion, it may be a little bit of everything, but i disagree on the idea that abt dancers look like regional dancers next to her. ABT dancers are extremely talented. Not to mention that most of the principals are second to none of the principals of the big companies in the world.

There is def a big disconnection between her and the rest of the company, and I think that's the reason why a lot of people are having this feeling, more than her brutal power eclipsing everybody else. In my opinion, its more a matter of Osipova not paying much attention to the rest of the people and being focused on herself. And in addition, there is also a big difference on style. As I said before, why did she change the coreography so much ? Its intriguing to me.

As talented as she is, honestly, she could fly over abt's Don Q version easily, however, she still danced it on her own way..........to me that says a lot about her dancing on her own style/comfort zone, rather than integrating herself into the whole company.

As a matter of fact, i know that this is a feeling that a lot of dancers in the company have, again, despite recognizing her prodigious technique.

They can easily tell when the principal is bringing them together in a perfomance or when she just dont pay attention to them at all.

This is just my opinion, though

The striking thing to me was the mixture of feelings that she left on me after the show.

I attended last night as well.

Its hard to explain my feelings about the performance, lets say I came out with very, very strong mixed feelings, something that i have rarely experienced before.

On one hand, there is no question that Osipova's POWER is unlike anything i have ever seen. Its truly unbelievable, not only her jumps but her extensions, speed and energy.

I could not believe my eyes, and I saw her giselle/sylphide and her opening night giselle excerpts this year as well, but this was different. She entered the stage flying from the side and landed almost in the center. After that, it was literally one OMG after the next, every single time when she came out, the audience gasped, for real, it was such a tremendous power, that again, i could not believe it. On Act two her jets were so huge..., especially here you could see the girls from the corp behind, so it was easier to get an idea of the elevation that she reaches......and I could go on and on.....

On the other hand, the technique didnt look clean to me, in general. For example, she always kicks her leg down way too much in the fouettes or keep it low too when in passe (in turns), which together with pulling her arms in, helps her to turn faster, def....... i dont know, its weird.....because the speed she reaches is also not normal, its pretty amazing, at the same time...... it just doesnt look pretty to me.....I dont see any control at all when doing pirouettes or any other turn, it always looks like she is got to do it fast otherwise she'll fall or will lose the center of her turns, as it happened last night a few times.

Her acting skills are not bad, but I just felt like she turned the whole performance into a circus/olympic competition or exhibition show. Its hard to explain, she was on one page, the company in a different one,....... is it because she is so powerful that I am not used to it ?

I also saw her too energetic, to a point of being out of control/music many times just to show her huge extensions/jumps and I did not like the fact that she changed so many things of the choreography, starting from act I, and including the balances of act III.

I am still confused, it was amazing, but also it didnt feel like ballet.....like Nina/Vishneva's Kitri, that I remember so well in my head.

It was definitely very unique.

Carreno partnered her beautifully, the lifting were amazing and the way she threw herself into his hands on Act 3 was also incredible, you could tell that she felt so secure.

In one of the one-handed lifting, she totally took her arms out of him, crazy ! Carreno danced so elegant and so clean ! Its unbeleivable that he can still dance that well at his age, def he is not the same as compared to when he was 30yo, but the control and the cleanliness is still the same, bravo !

The rest of the cast.......

Boone looked beautiful as Mercedes but I did not like her as queen of dryads, she fell of point/position at the end the italian fouettes, and her jetes were very poorly executed, i dont like her port-de bras either, to me, she looks a lot like Herrera on this kind of roles.

Kajiya was ok amour, but did not come close to Lane, who I agree, owns the role.

Sinkim was a marvel, also agree that I would love to see him in Basilio with Natalia (assuming he improves his partnering skills, of course)

Mathews was ok, but far from David/Marcelo on Espada.

How about Osipova ? Has she ever danced either of the roles ?

I can imagine her flying all over the stage in Act III !

Osipova does both roles. She started out doing Gamzatti and more recently has been essaying Nikiya if I have the order correct.

Clips of both are available on youtube.

THANKS !!!!

I just saw the video of her Nikiya and I am still speechless !

Gosh, why didnt she dance that here !!!!!

Dvorovenko is wonderful as both Nikiya and Gamzatti. This season ABT fielded only three Gamzattis and Murphy was the only one who also dances Nikiya this season. In the past Susan Jaffe, Paloma Herrera, Cynthia Harvey, Leslie Browne and Amanda McKerrow alternated the parts. In Russia, Natalia Makarova danced Gamzatti as well as Nikiya at the Kirov.

Two years ago Irina danced a Nikiya to remember for ages !

It was very disappointing not to see her scheduled for Bayadere this year....and yes, her Gamzatti was amazing too, only saw it once though.

I remember her italian fouettes were spectacular.

How about Osipova ? Has she ever danced either of the roles ?

I can imagine her flying all over the stage in Act III !

I

Herman and Angel were both brilliant in the Bronze Idol variations. I doubt Herman will ever be doing that role again. It is now beneath his level, as it is a soloist role. Isn't it ironic that Herman and Angel, two of ABT's most dazzling talents, happen to be brothers in law.

I agree, I doubt I will ever see him again doing this. I just thought about an especial performance, like for example, when Nina came back and danced Nikiya, I remember that Irina danced Gamzatti that night...it was incredible.

I went saturday nigh too and I was very impressed with Cory's debut. Compared to the last two years, one can see a tremendous evolution in his dancing/partnering and acting skills. His stage presence in magnificent and he has probably all the attributes required to be become a great noble dancer. I also agree that technically, he still has a lot of work to do, especially I dislike the little energy/height of his jetes.

Again, compared to last year his technique seems much improved.

He partenered Veronika pretty well, some of the difficult lifting did not look good but overall he did a great job and they looked great together.

Veronika was gorgeoulsy lyrical and passionated. Her dancing is so expansive and luxurious and her jetes, once again, were breathtaking.

Michele danced/acted much better than on Tuesday night, her 3rd act variation was flawless, beautiful.

Sarah Lane stood out as the first shade, she threw a couple of beautifully executed triples pirouettes and the diagonal on point was perfect, quick and strong. Brava ! I also love the way she uses her upper body, I wish she were given more opportunities, her potential is huge.

Kajiya and Ricetto also nailed their variations. On the other hand, I didnt like the way the three of them danced together, each seemed to go dancing on her own.

The corp was very well synchronized and looked gorgeous tonight too.

Simkim danced Bronze idol and as mentioned before, almost fell at the end when going up the stairs.

He danced very well although I think I was expecting more, I actually like better Salstein on this character.

Will Herman dance this again ? He and Angel are the best I have seen doing it.

I also wanted to mention that in all the performances that I attended there seemed to be a lot of empty seats (at least in orchestra level).

Also, the audience did not seem not be as involved in the performances as I usually see at the Met.

I hope this situation changes as the season progress.

I am tempted to go to see Gillian tonight, i am sure she will be absolutely fantastic (especially in Act II with that prodigious technique)

I attended last night (Part/Gomes/Wiles)

Gorgeous and imperial-looking Part was just exquisite.

This ballet seems to be a perfect vehicle for her dancing style and line.

Marcelo danced beautifully. He is a master partner and showed that in Act II, where his partnership was top quality, crystal clear, effortless.

Part and Gomes Vision Scene was trully Majestic. Part sky-high and perfectly lined arabesques were to die for. Once again, I found her technique much improved and more importantly, fearless... the diagonal of piques were real fast. S

The corp looked terrific, better than on opening night. The three shades, unf, did not look the same. I think nerves got into Schevchenko, and although she started her variation well, the end wasnt pretty. She fell off point/balance in the diagonal, despite the fact that she was going pretty slow and could barely move across the stage. Again, I think it may have been a matter of nerves, I know she is pretty talented. Boylston looked better, although she had a couple of tumbling moments..but she also had a couple of real good ones. The exception was by far Underwood, who danced the last variation.

I was very impressed with her technique and musicality once again. She nailed it flawless, with tremendous control and confidence. I loved her slow pirouettes in passe, which were in real slow-motion and perfectly executed, beautiful. Every time I see this young ballerina I really get like, wow...I hope she get some more exciting opportunities to develop, seems like there is a huge potential there.

Michele had up and downs moments. In Act I, scene 2, here fight with Part worked real well, loved her there. Right after, scene 3, her dancing was technically very accomplished (as usual) but I dont like the way she uses her upper body and still see a lot of stiffness on her neck/back. Another problem here is that there is a lot of jetes to be done in her variation and she is not great at jumping. On the other hand, her supported pirouettes are amazing, you could tell that Marcelo didnt have to do anything, she woud just turn in a perfect axis by herself with endless energy. The Italian fouettes were solid, although I enjoy them more on ballerinas with bigger extensions (like Irina, for example). I was expecting very much her variation in Act III (I have seen her do this incredibly well). Unf, at the end on it, I think she fell behind the music and had to rush it (or maybe the music tempo was way to fast), I had the impression that she stayed behind almost all the time, trying to catch up......

Part series of jetes in the final act were totally breathtaking, the last three were so strong that she looked as she left the stage literally flying.

Macauley thinks Lady of the Cam. is "foolish". I guess I'm not surprised by his reaction, but most of the audience seemed to enjoy it.

he also thinks is "idiotic".

Since he adores cornejo, he only says good things about him, despite the problems already commented...he also made fun of Ethan being "so ultra-blond that he looked as if he were auditioning for the Hitler Youth" and ignored Reyes/ Irina, and Marcelo....i disagree with many of his opinions, although sometimes he makes good points, but if there is something that i cant stand is his pointless comments making fun of dancers (which are pretty common) and his blindness with people he adores no matter what they do, whereas the opposite goes to those he hates, no matter how good the may have danced in a given night.......its pretty pathetic

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Classic_Ballet: Thanks for the Cornejo information. May I ask why Cornejo has such problems partnering other ballerinas?

Your wellcome. Well, I cant tell you exactly why, is mainly a matter of technique and I guess upper body strenght.

If you think, for example, Angel is a great great partner. He manage to partner taller ballerinas extremelly well, i.e. Herrera, Diana, his sister.

I think they are all "on pointe" taller than him.

The difference in height between Angel and Herman is not that dramatic if you see them side by side (Corella is def taller, though), however, the diference in the partneship skills is def dramatic. Herman is a gifted dancer, is trully a pity.

Another example of great partner is Carreno. He has partnered Zakharova ! Semionova ! who are very tall, but again, his techinque is amazing.

On Part, I thought she was definitely over the top in her facial expressions and her from time to time tossing her head backwards a little bit (a lot more than normal ballerinas do). She kept her mouth, bathed in a bright red lipstick, open most of the performance, showing her pearly whites. Her eyes were glaring at Marcelo alot, and her eyebrows were strong. Sometimes, literally, for certain more dramatic interactions with Marcelo, her mouth and eyes would form into an expression one might associate with viciousness or forcefulness. I thought that her performance was lacking.

As for Part's physicque, the black bustier-type top of the Odile costume made her shoulders look very broad -- to me broader than Marcelo's. At times, I caught myself thinking that I understood why she is now frequently paired with Bolle or Marcelo, and thanking Kevin M she won't be risking anything vis a vis Hallberg. Also, the white tights worn by Odile left the upper thighs of Part looking just on the border of being strong and appropriate, as opposed to bulky and lacking in line.

I'm sad I missed the introduction of the prior dancers. When I arrived at 6:55 pm (25 minutes late), I caught the second part of Birthday Offering.

On Veronika, what you mentioned is in part very well suited for Odile characterization. She is def broad shouldered, yes, but her line is problably the most beautiful in the company. Her legs are endless and beautifully toned. She is a very woman-like ballerina. Many people think she resemble Ava Gardner, and I agree.

She is very tall and she is not skinny, as for example, Julie or Diana, or even Zakharova/Lopatkina. Thats why she needs tall and strong partners. I am sure thats one of the reasons (among others) for abt to bring Roberto, so they dont put so much pressure on Marcelo. David has danced with her before (I saw them in SL, for example), and it didnt look bad but I dont think he is strongh enough for her.

Veronika is a peculiar dancer, it took sometime for me to adore her......is a very differet style and with her is all about delicacy, her upper body is just gorgeous, i would say she is one of the bast examples of the Kirov School. She also has to be correctly cast...Raymonda, Odile/Odette, Nikiya, Lilac Fairy, Quee of Dryads.... are some of her best roles.

Although, I think she shouldnt have the door closed to develop on other roles (same for Gilliam and Michelle, who seem to be on the same page )

I dont understand, for example, why Herrera dances Juliet/Giselle and she doesnt . I am sure Veronika wd make a much better Juliet/Giselle than Paloma, in my opinion, but again....who knows. Paloma was given a lot of roles/opportunities when she was a rising star (I liked her way better then) and prob thats why she keeps dancing them, as opposite to Veronika, who made it to the principal level at 30, i think

I am dying to see her again as Aurora this year.

I enjoyed the gala last night quite a lot, way better than in the last 3-4 years.

Bolle/Kent were the highlight of the night for me, incredibly beautiful. Bolle showed what a tremendous partner he is, allowing Kent to feel totally secure in those complex lifting and throughout the whole pdd. Julie looked very much in great shape, displaying all her artistry and refined dancing, to make this pdd looks absolutely terrific.

Osopiva/Hallberg were second on my list. I was very critic with Osipova's style in last year's 2nd act, despite her unlimited talent. I remember also thinkg...oh this is the 1st time that she was dancing with ABT, 1st time with David, 1st timw at the MET stage, ........all this factors can really have a dramatic influence in the quality of the dancing of a very young dancer, as she is, at a big stage....not to mention the fact that Giselle is a character that really needs time to develop, and its unfair to compare such a young ballerina with a master-experienced diva as Diana, for example, who I also remember delivering a Giselle the same week, that I will never forget.

Last night I saw a much improved style in her upper boddy and arms and the partnetship looked totally different as well. It was totally sensational, both of them danced at a very very high level. Considering how young these two dancers are, one can easily think that these two could develop a partneship "for the ages" !

I feel so lucky to have them here, hopefully Osipova will become a regular and they will have the chance to dance together for many more years

Visheneva was faboulus in Thais.....although I disliked very much the partnering of Mattews. This pdd is really really difficult and I think she needs someone taller and stronger than Jared M. to make it work. Probably Hammoudi, Tam, I dont know.......Bolle/Gomes would be ideal, of course.

Michelle danced the Rose Adagio wonderfully. I have so many ups and downs with her, last night she was great once again. I liked the fluidity of her movements and she didnt look as stiff as some other times. The first round of balances went well, although you could tell that she wasnt totally confortable at that moment, yet (which in a short appereance like this one, is not surprising, as compared to dacing the full length). As the variation progressed, Michelle looked more and more confident and really radiant. By the time she got to the 2nd round, she was on fire, and delivered four jaw-dropping balances, with a lot, a lot of control and grace. She ended up in rock-solid arabesque that brought a lot fo applause from the audience. Very well danced, I was very happy to see her dancing like this, again.

Veronika and Marcelo danced SL Act III pdd. At first I was very surprised by the choice. As much as I adore Part because of her grandeur, beauty and line, we know that she can get scared and show that to you, when complex steps are coming...I just thought, god, dont let this be part II of the Rose adagio that we had 3 years ago, because that wd be devastating, especially after being a principal and after the great season that she had last year. I was actually mad, thinking, why didnt she danced that Act II adagio, where she looks like the epitome of a classical ballerina...at the end of the day, these galas are to show off and attract the audience, right?

Surprinsinly, Part came with such confidence and energy that she looked like a pretty different ballerina, how wonderful was to see this..she was probably a little bit over the top, but I didnt care because she danced with such grace and power...... beautiful partnered pirouettes, extensions to dye-for, the right speed, .............The fouettes were beautifully executed with great musicality. To me, this is an example that you dont really need to make the ultimate pirouettes to dance this coda well. Her leg was right up pretty much at 90 degrees in every single turn, she was smiling and she stayed pretty much in her spot until the very end when she advanced to the front of the stage, as most of them do, to leave room for their partner who is executing his solo right after. Marcelo looked great as well, although he is more of a noble danseur than the super-skilled turner/technician ( and i mean it in a very positive way, he is probably my favorite dancer with David). Great to see Veronika atacking this coda fearless and looking so confident.

Did I mentioned that she looked, once again, gorgeous ! and yes..somebody commented before she looked larger than Marcelo, she is "on pointe" taller than him.

Reyes/Cornejo SB pdd didnt look good. First, Reyes is not a dancer for this Ballet because she doesnt have the lines, body proportion and grandeur required for Aurora. Second, Herman, as wonderful as he is as a dancer, continues to have big problems partnering ballerinas, and Reyes is pretty small framed herself. The first of the fishing-dives was kind of a mess (and this is not Reyes fault, she did what she could to fall in the position, but he just couldt lift her). The other two looked better, but of course she was very careful not to throw herlsef into his arms, so they looked pretty calculated. I have seen her dance this with Carreno and she def looked a lot better.

Annbonnay, as for your question regarding Reyes being a principal and dancer history.

If she is properly cast, she is effective. In general, she is musical, expressive and in roles like Juliet, Giselle, Kitri and even Medora, she can deliver good performances. She is very reliable (this is key) and, although she will never give you the ultimate show, she always dances well and make very little mistakes. Is a pretty versatile ballerina wich is also a very good thing . She has great foot work as well. Mainly, I think they were desperately looking for a partner for Cornejo, because within the NBA-roster of females principals at ABT, no one can dance with him. She basically competed with Erica Cornejo, and she was the one promoted, and I think it was the right decision. Erica was def great, but I think Reyes is better and more versatile than her.

She is Cuban, was trained in Cuba Ballet School but left the country I think at a young age (I dont think she ever danced with the National Company) and then she was a Principal, I think, at the Royal Ballet of Flounders (Belgium), where she danced probably more roles than here.

I also asked myself that question a few times, I would say she is not the regular abt principal...but again, when she is cast correctly, she can dance pretty well.

Another mistake from ABT, in my opinion, was casting her as Raymunda, another role not suited at all for her line and proportions.

Herrera/Stears danced Awakening......Cory looked fantastic, I like him more and more. Paloma, well, I gave up on her a long time ago.

She looks great on Balanchine or Modern/Contemporary dance, but put a white tutu on her and god............

Murphy/Stieffel Don Q.

Gillian's Monster technique is ideal for this pdd. She danced it real well, of course, although I have to say that I have seen her do way better than last night. She had problems with both balances at the begining of the pdd and I think she ended the fouettes running out of steam, although, as usual, they were out of this world, fanning herself while executing double/triples pirouettes and I think she did 1-2 quadruples too. Probably, after what I have seen her do, sometimes in the boundaries of what is humanly possible, I always expect so much from her !!!

It was great to see Ethan once again, and yes, lets hope that knee holds there for quite sometime.

The rest, including the shades (well danced by the corp, but with the usual tumbling of 1-2 ballerinas in the front row, which I hate, I have to say) was ok as well.

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