mimsyb

Nice. There were also quite a few seats in the side sections of the Grand Tier that night. I was wondering that had it NOT been Stella in the role, but Semionova, would there have been even more empties? I'm sure Stella helped fill quite a few seats. And also, many of the ABT alumni in the orchestra probably took up a lot of seats which may or may not have been sold otherwise.

I wouldn't make too much of the fact that Stella didn't cover a lot of territory on the Act I hops. Some dancers do, and some don't. I seem to re-call Nina doing a small circle with hers at one point (which is much harder!), and the old film footage of Spessivtseva shows her not moving all that much down stage. I've even known dancers who substitute quick fondus in eface' in place of the hops. I certainly don't view this lack of spatial coverage as a "technical weakness". It's what one does with the hops that matters. Stella more than conveyed her joy of dancing and the love she had for Albrecht. She held her skirt very daintily at one point and glanced over at Shklyarov as if to say, "these I am doing especially for you". It was an extraordinary example of choreography doing what it's supposed to do and that's convey an emotion. I say brava, brava, brava!

Yes, a triumph! I am speechless. I knew she would be wonderful, but I didn't think she would be THIS wonderful! OMG! One of the best Giselles I've seen. So many details, I can't enumerate all of them, but suffice to say, she was so present at every moment, both in her technique and in her portrayal. And he was more than splendid. Such nobility rarely seen since Bruhn. I take back what I said about the entrechat sixes......when done like this, all else pales. I was so moved by the two of them together, as if they had been doing this forever. So hoping this might be the beginning of a new partnership. Please!

I love the diagonal brises! When done well, they have such a yearning, pleading quality as Albrecht heads DS towards Myrta. Angel always did them exquisitely. Somehow the entrechat sixes never seem appropriate for a man on his last legs, pleading for his life.

Or possibly waiting to review Stella's debut tonight in "Giselle". Which might prove to be more exciting than the Opening cast.

When I think of all the great and wonderful choreographers that have done work for ABT, Lar Lubavitch's name does not come to mind. Decidedly third rate stuff. Why, indeed, was this revived for this anniversary season in particular? All that time and money. What a complete waste. If ABT wanted another ballet for Julie to dance in her final season why not revive the splendid "Dark Elegies" by Tudor? This is a far superior work and Julie was always so moving in it. And while we're at it, why wasn't ANY Tharp being done this season? (OK, the Gala audience got "Push"). But the "Bach Partita" or "Upper Room" surely would have been better choices than "Othello". The mind boggles.

I f you're only seeing the three performances, I'd pop for the $$ and go directly to the Grand Tier. Best seats in the house and also one can see full stage and patterns. I often go "day of" and depending on the ballet and who's dancing get better locations than my usual subscription seats (which ABT refuses to make better, no matter how much I make the request.. So I usually just exchange them for better seats on "exchange day").. Some prefer to sit in the orchestra, but as I'm a bit smaller than some, I never want to chance it sitting behind someone tall. then seeing is impossible! My opera glasses make it easy to see feet and faces! I always think it better to "sit up" when at the Met. Where do you sit when you see ballet in SFO? That Opera House is quite large also. So maybe that can be a guide for you. I would also avoid the side Parterre Boxes. Yes, less $$, but depending on your seat, it's a limited view. The Grand Tier is the place to be!

WOW! Great for her! Can you ever imagine something like this happening over at ABT? Hahahahaha! It's why I love and go to NYCB so often. One never knows when magic might happen.

Maybe not injured. Just sick. Cold/flu? It can take a bit out of one.

I've seen only one cast of this double bill, which was on Saturday PM. Not having seen the other ladies, I felt Tiler was wonderfully soft with her port de bras and had a nice touch of the sprite about her. Her jump was nothing special, as I'm sure Bouder's was, yet I enjoyed her dancing quite a lot. Nice footwork and attentiveness to details. "Bringing the water" was one and her happy little "hand claps" another. Garcia, for me, lacked some of the cleanliness of the jumps, but he was, I think, very good at his mime and story telling. City Ballet dancers don't often have to do this, so it was nice to see this aspect of portrayal in evidence. Harrison Ball as Gurn did well, but I would very much like to see Joseph Gorden in this role. The corps looked fairly at ease with much of the sylph work, but was a bit stilted in the party scenes.(Claire Von Enck a lovely sylph) Again, the story telling was at times stiff. I like this ballet quite a lot, and am happy that NYCB took it on. The "Divertissments" in the first half of the evening had some wonderful moments and then some that were not so. First, I have to say in full disclosure, that after seeing the Danes perform many of these same dances this Winter at the Joyce, I found NYCB's version to be not quite up to par. It's not in their DNA. And certainly difficult to learn in a few short months of rehearsal. What I found most lacking was the deep and luxurious demi plie that the Danes use to wonderful effect. At times I saw a "Bottom" to their plies before the beginning of the next step. This is not evident with the Dances. The City Ballet men would jump to a' la second, pause and then do a turn, for instance. Not so with the Danes, who would continue through the plie up into the turn and make it all of a piece. Also, the women in particular still retained a lot of the "broken wrist" aspect of their arms which made the movements seem even more stilted at times. Also, I noticed a lot of self consciousness about the dancers, especially during the final Tarantella section, where dancers exit and re-enter quite a bit. The "new greetings" to these entries seemed a bit forced, whereas with the Danes they retain the sense of "community" throughout and just go about their business of doing the dance. The upper body carriage for many was difficult, particularly the men, who have to lift themselves off the ground without use of their arms and still look elegant. My teachers used to call it the "aplomb of the upper body". The Danes have been doing this for years. Not so at City Ballet . Still there were moments of beauty and joy. While not possessing the sheer joy and amplitude of Ida Praetorius during the pas de deux from Flower Festival, Teresa Reichlen accomplished a certain sweetness and breath to her work. I wasn't as much a fan of Taylor Stanley in the Ballabile section, who seemed to have a tightness in his neck and shoulders, and again a shortage of plie. But then there was Joseph Gorden who seemed to take to the Bournonville stlye as if born to it. What a joy to see him toss off his beats and turns, etc. I think he was one of the men who didn't substitute his endedans piroettes for endehors. He did them, cleanly and precise. Bravo to him! All the while looking as if he could do this all day! And there was one lady in the final pas de six who was so fine. Don't know her name. She had dark hair and wore a pale blue dress. Danced the last of the variations. Her epaulement was just wonderful, as were her jumps, beats and turns. So, while there was a certain lack of naturalness about some of the dancing (and at the end, some dancers did look tired out!), in general I loved seeing these dances. It cannot be easy to switch gears and dance in a completely different style than from what one is used to doing. So A plus for the effort and let's see more of this again.

"Lilac Garden" was staged this time around by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, both renowned for their Tudor portrayals and subsequent re-constructions. They've been doing this for ABT for awhile and seem to know the dancers well. Last time I saw ABT do "Lilac" and "Pillar" were at City Center which does have a much smaller stage and worked better for both ballets. And yes, I would agree that perhaps other dancers would do more with the piece at hand. Still, in this production this Garden seemed rather large and the dancers had so much more room to cover in some of their movements. The intimacy and repression just got lost in having to move across the stage at times. Some of Tudor's lifts always remind me of closeted emotions, but here they more resembled an attempt at the abandonment of some of the more Russian style of lift. I could see many of the small details of course. (I sat front row, Grand Tier). Still, I would have preferred if there wasn't all that extra space surrounding the dancers on either side and upstage. I wonder if it's at all possible at the Met to move the proscenium drapes in a bit on the sides and simply dance in a smaller space. That too might prove distracting. I simply don't know (without benefit of comparison).

I wish I knew more. Only what the board said outside the main staircase, and of course the program insert. Hopefully, nothing serious. MAybe others know more.

Audience was a bit small. However, "T&V" was simply grand! Big difference from what I saw on Wednesday. Gillian was radiant and spot on. Glistening foot work and creamy adage. Whiteside a gallant partner. I also felt the four demis were of as piece last night. No ragged edges. Especially a standout was Shevchenko. I just love to watch her dancing. Really improving. Corps look sharp and more together. But it was Gillian that held the center of attention. She just gets better and better. "Lilac Garden", for me, also suffers from being danced on a large stage. I felt this too for "Pillar of Fire" on Wednesday. The bigness of the Met overwhelms the characters and makes them less real, more a card board cutout. Dancing fine, but many nuances lost. Reyes seemed so small next to both Hammoudi and Forster. And Forster seemed way too young for her! I remember seeing a performance of this by the Studio Company a few years back at the Joyce theater. It seemed to carry more resonance than last night's performance. Yet, here again last night, Shevchenko stood out as the Woman from his Past. I love this ballet, with all it's richness of textures and style. But it seemed a bit shallow last evening. On to "Fancy Free" which was pure delight. Craig replaced an injured Cornejo and was stellar! Just wonderful. But of course the evening belongs to Gomes. He dances and acts at such a high level that he seems impossible to catch. Still, Cory was also superb last night. His acting has improved so much recently. The three guys were a joy to watch. Isabella showed lots of vulnerability in her pas with Cory and Luciana Paris had great snap and sass as the Girl with the Red Handbag. All in all a wonderful way to end the evening. When ABT casts correctly, they are at the top of their game. Tonight was one of those nights. And of course much of the talk at intermissions was all about STELLA and Giselle! I wouldn't be surprised if the Met BO crashed yesterday!

One of my dance fantasies is to transport myself back in time to the Mercury Theater in London. Just to see these ballets done as they were danced originally. Maybe not better. But surely an experience.

While I agree with you, Helene, it saddens me that words like "raking it in at the Box Office", "Crying all the way to the bank", and "rope to hang herself" are now part of the conversation.

I was there last night and Julie was, of course, replaced in "Pillar of Fire" by Devon Teuscher. I was sad not to have seen Kent, as it is a signature role for her. (I have seen her dance this role many times). Teuscher is still finding her way into this role and hopefully if danced more will become a fine interpreter of Hagar. The question of course is whether ABT will still do these sorts of ballets given the rather scrappy attendance as seen last night. "Pillar of Fire" (for me) doesn't benefit from being danced on the larger stage. It loses much of it's intensity and sense of repression. Still, I liked Roman Zhurbin very much and still wonder why he isn't getting more substantial roles. I know he is known for his fine characterizations in many ballets. But his partnering is superb and just his whole manner of dancing is deserving of more than what he is usually given. I'd love to see him in "Fancy Free", for instance. He has good technical chops and is still young. Wish I could say "Fancy Free" was a fun way to end last night's program. Maybe it was just "second cast" jitters, but I found it wanting in many ways. None of the men really let loose. Simkin did his usual mugging and didn't have that silly insouciance that Cornejo brings to the role. Whiteside was just OK. Baca, new in the role, needs coaching and time. Gillian was radiant as always, but alas I have to say Stella looked too old to be dancing the" girl with the red handbag" role. At least with this particular cast. Time for her to maybe retire this role. The opening "T&V" was danced with little style or commitment . The dancers get the job done, but there seems to be little radiance and overall bravura to the work. Isabella and Cory, both fine, but I barely remember much of what they did. The whole evening seemed like that for me. Nice, but forgettable. Maybe I've been seeing too much of NYCB recently where I come away with a bounce in my step and overjoyed at the calibre of dancing seen on the stage This is just the first week for ABT and already everyone seems a bit tired and slack. Sure there were a few glimmers here and there, but overall, just a bit disappointing. I'm sure things will get better........... won't they?

Something to ponder. What happens if, after all of this hoopla, she doesn't get promoted? What then? Would she stay? Go? Go where? Any other company want to take all of this on? McKenzie is in somewhat of the proverbial corner.

The Rubinstein Box Office in the Atrium is a good way to sell half price seats. City Ballet, Paul Taylor, etc.; almost everyone uses it. To the best of my knowledge neither ABT or the Met uses it. ABT does use other forms of reduced pricing, but the Atrium is a perfect place to sell seats not previously taken. And again, I say to cast the "visiting stars" in some of these ballets would probably go a long way to sell seats. I would pay money to see Vishneva dance "Lilac Garden", or Osipova dance "Rodeo". Think outside the proverbial box a bit.

Fifty pages and counting!

With everyone being "followed" on Facebook, Twitter, etc., it seems we think we "know" these dancers. Social Media has erased any illusion of privacy. There's scant mystery about any of them any more. Personally, I find being "followed" in any form is a bit creepy.

Maria danced Second in "Symphony in C" last year and fell off pointe on the "switch". Recovered quickly and with her usual aplomb. Had that small little smile on her face, as if to say, "oops, that doesn't happen very often". But really, dancers come off pointe all the time. It's how they recover that matters.

Totally agree about "glad to be a New Yorker" at evenings such as this. Simply splendid in almost all respects. What can anyone say about Mearns in this role in "Walpurgisnacht"? She is beyond belief. The minute she had completed the super swift turns down the diagonal I longed to see them again! Her speed and quick silver definitions of the steps are beyond compare. And her musicality throughout made me want to get inside her lungs just to feel the exuberance of her breath! And also kudos to Alexa Maxwell who more than held up her own throughout. Brava! "Sonatine" is one of those little jewels that creeps up on you and then totally captures your heart. Both Tiler and Joaquin, simply delicious. Also loved "La Valse". Such music! And I felt Sterling had found new maturity in this role from the last time I saw her. Yes, Amar is a bit wasted here, still...... Last up "Symphony in C" was, as always, a rush of pleasure. I've sort of come to expect that Bouder will be a tad off at times musically. It's how she gets back on that's the fun! Veyette looks back to full strength. Maria, in Second, looked a bit stronger than when I saw her last season when she actually went off point during the "switch". Yes, her arabesque penches are some of the most luxurious ever! I felt Erica Pereira not totally right for Third. She's not a great jumper and her movements always looked a bit diminished to my eye. Gonzalo better than I've seen him in the past. Fourth carried the day, and the Finale was energetic and glistening. All in all a wonderful night of dance. Being an evening of "Dance France", I couldn't help but think as the evening progressed how incredible it would have been if Balanchine could have choreographed the recent "American in Paris" on Broadway. His understanding of the sex and jazz, the wit and style necessary to carry the day is what is sorely lacking in Wheeldon's work for the show. Balanchine understood the underlying "perfume" of a dance's character. Wheeldon barely scratches the surface. Balanchine would have made the world of Paris come alive and given us an emotional center.

"Firebird"! Really? Well, there's one ballet I won't need to spend money on. Never thought is would return.

Erich Bruhn?

While I would agree with this in so many ways, NYCB is still a New York company, not only in name, but it doesn't do the amount of touring elsewhere that even ABT does. While I believe it more readily represents a distinctive "American" style, I'm not sure a title of" National company" would be a good fit.