Ambonnay

Sergei Polunin was excellent and exciting in his "Diane and Acteon" Pas de Deux with Sarah Lamb, tonight This was the first time I saw Polunin dance live, and the accolades he has received so far are well-deserved. For a dancer his age, his artistry was more developed than most. And his super high jumps and in-the-air spins, with his leg whipping around, were spectacular! Differences that actual program had to that listed on the YAGP page cited above: -- Gomes/Semionova danced the Manon Pas de Deux instead of the Onegin Pas de Deux -- Rubinald Pronk (Morphoses) danced a world premiere "L'effleure", choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, to Vivaldi's music. -- There was added at the end of the first Act a performance by the winner of "So you think you can dance". I thought Lamb/Polunin, Froustey/Heymann and Semionova/Gomes dance well, but, to me, Polunin stole the show among the professionals. Joaquin De Luz performed twice, once on his own and the other time with Tiler Peck in "Stars and Stripes". Joaquin made a noticeable mistake at one point after he crossed the stage, with a stumble forward towards the end of this passage. However, he was close to the edge of the stage and sort of stumbled towards the curtained area. I had a quick bite to eat at Osteria del Circo across the street from City Center. A tagliatelle a la bolognese that was not al dente enough. It's hard to expect too much from Le Cirque and affiliates nowadays. I had been hoping to go to Milos, even closer to City Center on the same sid eof the street. But that restaurant's bar area was fully occupied.

Why is Hallberg nowhere in the photos? Gomes is in three photos plus the cover (duplicative of one of the inside photos). Stiefel gets two photos, as does Bolle. Also, Michele Wiles is noticeably absent from the photos, when Murphy appears three times. Note Murphy has new photo for her bio on the ABT site.

New booklet of season with photos up: http://www.abt.org/performances/trios/trios.html

The NY Times has an article on Corella: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/arts/dance/14corella.html

I got most of the tickets that I had ordered on top of my subscription tickets, yesterday! However, some tickets I ordered are still in the process of being shipped, when I called the Metropolitan Opera box office about some "missing" tickets. I am pretty happy with the seats I got for the various performances

Yes re: attendance. The program indicates that Vasiliev will be dancing even -- in a piece he will choreograph! Vladimir Vasiliev And Daria Khokhlova (Bolshoi Ballet) Piece D’Occasion – WORLD PREMIERE Choreography: Vladimir Vasiliev Music: Frederik Chopin, performed live by Ekaterina Mechetina http://www.yagp.org/vladimir_vasiliev_site...010_program.pdf And David Hallberg will perform his Dance of the Blessed Spirits, like he did in the recent "Kings of Dance" NY performance.

Some interesting observations from Corella as to why he is not more featured in the Met 2010 ABT season: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/dance/...-leon-interview "Q: I was just thinking: Did you leave ABT and not tell anyone? A: [Laughs] Well, not really, no. Between the fact that ABT has a lot of people and I spend a lot of time with my company, it was just…[Pauses] For this Met season, I was totally available. I said to Kevin [McKenzie, artistic director], “I’m here 100 percent depending on what you want me to do,” but all he had to offer me are two ballets. Q: What will you dance? A: The opening night of Don Q and one Romeo and Juliet with Diana Vishneva. I was a little bit sad, but that’s how things work. I think also it’s because my company’s going to perform in New York. Probably he feels like it’s too much Angel for one year. He has a lot of people now like Marcelo [Gomes], David [Hallberg], Roberto Bolle. They’re also bringing a lot of short ballets that I’ve done for many years; there’s also Lady of the Camellias, which would have been a great ballet to do. I think because I’m here with the company [his own], I’m not going to be there for the rehearsal process. [Lady of the Camellias choreographer] John Neumeier is very intense. It’s funny because the pieces he’s done at ABT have been done on me, and not only done on me, but literally based on my personality. There was Spring and Fall Getting Closer. [in that], I’m some sort of light that everyone wanted to get close to. He had me onstage for almost 50 minutes."

ABT is now on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ABTBallet Other ABT-related links follow (not exhaustive list): http://twitter.com/DavidHallberg -- no recent posts unfortunately http://twitter.com/marcelogomes47 http://twitter.com/MBHoven http://twitter.com/daniil http://twitter.com/Istappas http://twitter.com/Messmerizer

Colleen: You're too kind about my posts. The playbill does not seem to distinguish between the matinee and any other performance (if there is one) on Sunday (February 21). Here is what is indicated for February 21, for the performances where danseurs can be different: For 4: Matvienko, Carreno, Gomes, Cote (the same combination as I saw last evening) Morel et St Loup: Cote as Saint Loup, Gomes as Morel (same as what I saw) Remanso: HALLBERG, Desmond Richardson, Carreno (only common person is Hallberg to what I saw) -- This could be interesting because Hallberg's dancing is so refined, and the dancing I saw from Richardson is so... well, the opposite. On For 4, I did like it, but it seemed to me more "structured" than the other multi-danseur works in the program (pas de deux in Morel et Saint-Loup, and Remanso). The piece For 4 begins somewhat dramatically as the four danseurs are shown as dark shadows against a medium blue background. They move around a bit to create different poses, while still in the shadows, typically with their arms raised in various positions. When they emerge, they are all clothed similarly -- in dark pants (some are a blackish purple, others are a dark grey laced with forest green overtomes). Along the edge of each pant is a matched satin/other similar material trim -- like certain tuxedo pants. The top worn by each danseur is black, with some sparkly buttons and is translucent. One can see the physique of the men's torsos beneath the translucent black material. De Lux seems noticeably shorter than the others, and Cote and Carreno seem more refined in their dancing than Matvienko. The piece involves, in many places but not exclusively, the four dancers doing the same steps or doing the same steps one slightly after another in progression. Sometimes the four of them are side by side. Sometimes two of them are in front of the other two. They move and use different parts of the stage, but, to me, this work did not showcase the purportedly excellent qualities of the participating dancers. If I were to showcase a King, I would have chosen a work with greater technical difficulty and greater dynamism (not in the sense of kinetic energy, but in the sense of a work that aspires to do more) and more variation in the moves simultaneously conducted by the four dancers. To me, this work represented an opportunity cost rather than anything I didn't like. That is, there could have been so much more done to showcase the capabilities of the danseurs. Maybe you can report on your thoughts after viewing it? The solo portions of For 4 were more interesting to me than the portions where all four danseurs were on stage together.

I attended yesterday evening's performance of "Kings of Dance" at City Center. Hallberg was amazing and lyrical, as usual Carreno danced his solo quite well, and the Gomes/Cote pas de deux was beautiful. This was my first time seeing all danseurs except the three ABT principals, in person, and I came away with a favorable impression of Cote and the springy and cheerfully-styled De Luz from within the non-ABT personnel. Surprisingly, Matvienko did not impress; his solo (involving exaggerated, almost to me Charlie Chaplin-type comedy, but much less well executed) stood out as being of noticeably inferior quality to those of the other danseurs. Also, this program did not necessarily highlight the technical dancing skills of Tsiskardize. That being said, I was very happy with the program and seeing Hallberg in this environment is a true privilege. The audience seemed to include more members speaking Russian than I ordinarily see at ballet performances in NY. I sat near the front of the Grant Tier level. Subject to the issue of the failings not being helpful to a complete view, I think that is a nice area to sit. Act One -- Film Presentation The film shows the Kings practicing, and some thoughts from them about how happy they are to participate in the touring program. There are also some choreographers included in the film. Interestingly, I Vasiliev, who performed in certain Russian performances of Kings, is briefly included in the film. I understand he is in DC active in the Spartacus production there. -- For 4, Franz Schubert/C Wheeldon Denis Matvienko, Jose Manuel Carreno, Joaquin De Luz, Guillaume Cote* Act Two -- Small Steps, Micahel Nyman/Adam Hougland Marcelo Gomes (created for Kings of Dance) (pretty good) -- Vestris, Gennady Banshikoc/Leonid Jakobson Matvienko (very poor program and poor execution; I thought he was the weakest of the Kings overall) -- Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Christoph Gluck/Frederick Ashton DAVID HALLBERG! (extremely lyrical, but not as long a solo as I would have liked) -- Five Variations on a Theme, Bach/David Fernandez (created for Kings of Dance) De Luz (pretty good) -- Ave Maria, Schubert/Igal Perry Carreno (excellent) -- Lament, Charles Veal, Caroline Worthington/Dwight Rhoden Desmond Richardson (seemed too intent on showing off his body; wore pink speedo-type item only; I thought his performance lacked finesse) -- Fallen Angel, Gia Kancheli, Samuel Barber/Boris Eifman Nikolay Tsiskardize -- "Morel et Saint-Loup" from "Proust ou les Intermittances du Coeur", Gabriel Faure/Roland Petit Variation -- Cote* Pas de Deux -- Cote, Gomes* (excellent; a sensual and moving piece and unusual to see, at least in New York) Act Three -- Remanso, Enrique Granados/Nacho Duato HALLBERG, Cote, Gomes (Gorgeous piece; Hallberg is again extraordinary -- how many superlatives can I accord his performances?)* -- The Grand Finale "*" denotes that the danseur can change for other performances in NY To me, the Kings program further highlighted how extraordinary some of the danseurs at ABT are. Hallberg, Gomes and Carreno seemed to me to the strongest danseurs in the program. Maybe that is an unfair comparison because Tsiskardize only appeared in one portion of the program (as well as briefly in the Grand Finale) and Matvienko is a relatively newly annointed principal. However, I thought even Cote and De Luz danced noticeably better than Matvienko. The beauty of the physical appearance of the bodies of Hallberg, Gomes, Carreno and Cote was obvious throughout their performances. The three ABT principals all performed their respective solos with their chests bared, and a neutral or white leotard or pant. Gomes looked quite muscular, and his solo, which featured a repeated move of his lifting up his shoulders as if in a shrug and then letting his arms dangle in front of him, highlighted the definition of his muscles along the sides of the front of his torso and on his back. Carreno looked toned and balanced. Hallberg's legs seemed as long as ever, and his body lines were so appealing. Next to Gomes in Remanso, one could tell that even Hallberg's body lines themselves have a refinement and beauty that are delicate and yet somehow also sufficiently robust. I thought each ABT principal's solo did express a bit about that danseur. Hallberg was by far the most lyrical and classical of the three in his solo The playbill includes the following information: "Dance of the Blessed Spirits was originally created for Sir Anthony Dowell, who staged the ballet for Mr. Hallberg for this tour. Mr. Hallberg is the first dancer after Sir Anthony to perform this work. In April 2010, Mr. Hallberg will make his debut with both the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and Mariinsky (Kirov) ballet in St Petersburg." I wonder if he will be dancing with Osipova in some cases? I should note Cote did not do a solo during Act Two on the night I visited. That is presumably because he is active in both Morel et Saint Loup and Remanso. On February 20, when he will not be doing Morel et Saint Loup (hello -- Hallberg as Saint Loup on that night) and will also be absent from Remanso, Loup will do a solo -- "The End", music Brahms, choreo by James Kudelka. Gomes and Carreno brought people who seemed like the respective choreographers of their solos on stage after their respective performances. One development in Kings is the increased emphasis on showcasing choreographers. This was mentioned in the film and also evident from how choreographers were sometimes brought on stage. The City Center concessions stand had chocolate M&Ms and also the peanut butter version. Yum

The NY Times over the weekend had an article on the upcoming Kings performance. The article features M Gomes: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/arts/dance/14gome.html

Agreed. But if Cojocaru is to provide only one ABT performance this season, should she be scheduled to dance the same Sleeping Beauty ballet for the matinee of the very same day that Osipova is dancing Sleeping Beauty with Hallberg (also Osipova's only Sleeping Beauty of the season, though not Osipova's only performance of this ABT season)? I am developing a strong interest in ballet, but I don't think I could view two Sleeping Beauties in one day.

The current edition of Pointe magazine contains a small article entitled "King David". -- The Kings version that will be performed in February has been "revamped". -- David Hallberg: "We're a melting pot of styles and nationalities, which is fascinating for audiences". "We're not doing the standard gala fare." "It's eclectic and modern". -- "Hallberg was especially excited to learn Duato's turbulent "Remanso", new to the Kings program this year. "I remember watching Vladimir Malakhov dance Remanso when I was about 14 or 15, and thinking that it was a ballet that might feel comfortable on my body. It's a masterpiece.""

Apologies I don't know much about the NYC Ballet, but how does the company's structure of having so many principals (relative to, say, ABT) relative to other dancers affect the economics of the company and works that are chosen to be performed?

An excerpt on ABT dancers from A Macaulay's weekend NYT article on "Choreographic Climate Change", a summary of the last decade of dance (not limited to ballet, of course): "Speak to dancers of the 1980s, and they're aware how many of today's dancers can quickly pick up complex steps that few could then. it is not unusual to see the male stars of American Ballet Theater do sextuple pirouettes on half-toe and then pause there, without needing to bring the heel to the floor; that's just one piece of virtuosity I don't remember seeing 20 years ago. Sure, this isn't one of ballet's golden ages. But I watch David Hallberg and believe that America has never produced a finer example of the princely, noble type of dancer, and I'm aware that Ballet Theater has in Herman Cronejo, Angel Corella and Marcelo Gomes performers no less remakable." (italics added)

Alastair Macaulay wrote a piece summarizing dance in general during the past year, for this weekend's NYT Arts and Leisure section. "Another loss came wityh the retirement .... of ... Nina Ananiashvili. She went out with memorable performances of 'Giselle' and other ballets; the curtain calls following her farewell performance in 'Swan Lake' were full of laughter and affection. Fortunately, Ballet Theater's spring season at the Met abounded in compensations. The advent of the guest ballerina Natalia Isipova was one: the continuing high summers of the dancers Herman Cornejo, David Hallberg and Marcelo Gomes were others. The glow given off by the whole company in Frederick Ashton's 'Sylvia' was my brightest memory of the summer.... When we look at the dances of Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheelden ...., we can see they're the best dancemakers in ballet today. Yet it's still hard to know quite how good each one is -- especially Mr. Wheeldon .... Does either Mr. Ratmansky's or Mr Wheeldon's work yet have any sure identity as dance theater? ..." In the same edition, Gia Kourlas also writes about the past year: "At American Ballet Theater Hee Seo made an auspicious debut as Juliet in July .... Still in the corps de ballet, Ms. Seo marries dramatic radiance with the poetics of classical ballet; her body soars with each step. And as Myrta in 'Giselle' Simone Messmer, who has just been promoted to soloist, capped a strong season with a portrayal full of vigour and clarity, yet never brittle. They are two of Ballet Theater's most riveting ballerinas in the making...."

My first NYC Ballet performance, and I get Whelan as Sugarplum!

Note the following casting for R&J: Sat., Jan. 30 at 1:30 p.m. Romeo: Stearns Juliet: Dvorovenko Stearns is paired with Dvorovenko, and Seo does not have a Juliet at the Kennedy Center.

Alastair Macaulay has a full-page article entitled "Notice the Feet In That Body of Work" in this weekend's NYT (Arts and Leisure section). The premise of the article is that feet and footwork are important to dancing, and to highlight some of the noteworthy instances (not limited to ballet) where dancers and choreographers have done well with respect to the feet. The secondary purpose is to caution against the practice of many choreographers today not to emphasize the feet. Here are certain ballet-related excerpts: -- Osipova is mentioned as one of the visiting dancers that "made footwork a matter of sensational importance". Along with the Argentine tango dancer Gabriel Misse, Osipova "left an impression of blaze behind them, and, though they're compelling through to their fingertips, much of that incandescence came, in contrasting ways, from beneath the ankle. With Ms. Osipova the exceptional thrill came from the liftoff provided by her feet; in more than 30 years of watching ballet I've never seen that degree of spring.... I don't mean to mention that either of these artists relies on footwork as a stunt. Ms. Osipova is remarkable to watch just standing on point. She is one of those ballerinas ... whose weight seems to contradict reality and to flow not down to the toe but up through the body and into the air...." -- David Hallberg, like Osipova, gets a nice picture in the article. Hallberg is shown performing in "Ballo Della Regina", which is noted in the article as an example of Balanchine's capability to highlight footwork. "The feet of David Hallberg, Mr. Misse and Ms. Osipov are exceptional by any historical standard...."

I am really surprised too. But I guess there's really no harm to Seo from staying in the corps, if she is, as she has been and will be, getting principal roles in some full-length ballets. It's just a matter of time for Seo. BTW, what, very broadly, has generally happened to soloists if, at some point, it becomes clear they will never make Principal? Does the soloist have the option to stay on, if he or she is content with the status quo, or is there an "up or out" policy that is implicit to being a soloist?

Simon G: I think Cory Stearns has promise, including with respect to partnering, and he has made progress in the last two years. I don't doubt that he will probably continue to improve (query at what rate), and continue to get substantial roles (including roles that are typically occupied by principals). But, as you suggested, what I was remarking on was the attention he has received and the extent to which he is sometimes overly touted. I suppose that is part of being the "next big thing" at ABT, and of the infatuation-ridden and puffing nature of media nowadays. Millepied's being puffed for his choreography and for his incursions into assistig on film (further noted by the Vogue article) is another thing that I don't agree with. But that is a topic whose discussion is to be had on another day....

Sorry to cause the above discussion. Note R Bolle has posed for various shots that have appeared in fashion/general non-ballet-driven publications, including Vanity Fair. http://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2...bert-bolle.html I vaguely recall Bolle having posed for Vogue US or Vanity Fair shoots (with models) in the last year or two (?). Is the optional aspect of danseurs' armpit shaving also applicable when they are performing, as opposed to in photo shoots? For example, in Apollo, I wonder what the practice is. I should have noticed this when the many ABT danseurs in Millepied's new work at Avery Fisher were performing wearing their little black vests.

I don't know if this is an appropriate topic for board discussion, but here goes: another thing I didn't like about the Cory Stearns leaping photo is that his armpits seem not entirely shaved. I found that kind of disgusting, although I'm not sure what the standard or practice is for danseurs in this regard.

I agree that the piece is "fluff", but that doesn't mean one can't object to the inaccuracy of the description of Stearns' partnering as "phenomenal". Phenomenal suggests a very, very high level of excellence, which, at least in my mind, Stearns has not (at least not yet) achieved.

This month's edition of US Vogue has a four-page article, with photos by A Liebovitz, on C Stearns and B millepied entitled "On The Rise". Stearns does not look good in the two photos included in this spread. In one, he is sort of leaping with arms sort of outstretched above him, topless, but his feet look like toad's feet. In the other photo, he looks like he is out of focus and does not look good. The text is even sillier. Excerpts follow: "Among Stearns' many strengths -- his line, his musicality, his inherent romantic appeal -- is his phenomenal skill as a partner. 'That's my favorite thing in ballet,' he says. 'I love feeling that it's just the two of you on stage. It's very stage." Please......... Stearns' current strengths do not include his partnering, in my mind at least. To say that his current strengths include partnering, let along "phenomenal" partnering, is a real stretch....