abatt

Teuscher was very good today in her debut as Giselle. Aran Bell was breathtaking. He is the perfect romantic lead. His dancing was flawless. The guy has it all - dramatic presence, fabulous technique and good partnering skills. He had no trouble with the overhead lifts of Devon, who is quite tall. He did at least 32 - may have been 33 - entrechat sixes. I expected that given her strong technique Teuscher might take more risks, but for the most part she played it safe. in act I during the hops of pointe she periodically rotated the hops a bit to point her foot toward Aran Bell. I've seen others in the past do this as well. It added an additional dimension of difficulty. She whirled around pretty quickly at the opening of Act II when she is first summoned by Myrta. Lovely use of her arms and upper body. Messeldine improved, but still is too slow at her entrance in my opinion. She also needs to arch her back more. Hey, maybe now that McKenzie is gone they could bring in Veronika Part, a flawless and memorable Myrta, to teach! Park and Sebastian did the peasant pas. Park had complete mastery of the chorography. She is likely a future candidate to dance Giselle.

I know someone else who was at the Giselle dress rehearsal who thought Teuscher was wonderful.

Forgot to mention how wonderful Park was in the second act as Moyna. A very strong technical dancer. I hope we also see her in the peasant pas sometime this week.

Seo was truly beautiful. Gorgeous arms and effective use of her back and neck. She lacks technical brilliance sometimes, but her adagio work was sublime. I had no problem with her mad scene. I can't stand it when people overact in that scene. For me less is more in the mad scene. She dies of a broken heart, and we don't need scenery chewing to portray that emotion. She seemed to float in Act ii. Cory is a great partner, but otherwise I felt underwhelmed with his performance. He lacks blaze, and his technique is acceptable but unremarkable. Have to agree that the peasant pas sometimes looked like a student performance. Both performers need improvement. They lacked polish. Gonzalez tried to impress wtih big jumps, but he often lands with a thud. I thought Messeldine's performance was a work in progress. Her initial entrance was slow and plodding. Not good. She also looked stiff in the early parts of her solo. The phrasing of her initial solo needed more backbends and floaty arms. She improved in her second big solo after Zulma and Moyna have performed. Messeldine definitely has a big jump. I will give her that. Nice to see classical ballet after the LWFC. Onwards. i had not intended to book this particular performance, but I couldn't stand the thought of returning to LWFC, so I exchanged into this Giselle. Hee Seo was certainly worth the trip. Although I think other Giselles will have more breathtaking technical moments this week at ABT, Seo's adagio work was top tier.

Janze seemed to be the most noble and elegant of dancers. I think NYCB should try and recruit Aran Bell from across the plaza.

Oh no. I so enjoyed his dancing. Wishing him well. I wish we could have seen him again in a role he conquered early in his career in Davidsbundertanze. Interesting how some dancers decide to leave a little earlier than necessary, while others refuse to retire and hold on until the bitter end.

Kikta and Nadon as Siren in Prodigal. Mejia as Prodigal. Miller in Diamonds

Didn't Gerrity do third movement (maybe it was fourth?) last fall. Gerrity is unrecognizable in that cover photo. Was the messy hair supposed to be a way for ballet to appear more accessible to the masses. Look no ballet bun. Ballet dancers have messy hair just like regular people.

Oh no. I hope this does not jeopardize her upcoming performances with the Ukranian Ballet in Giselle, or the rest of her ABT season.

I think that the feeling of overkill on LWFC goes back to the weakness of the choreography. This wears out its welcome much faster than things like Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and the like because those are much deeper vehicles for great dancing and great dramatic insight. In contrast, LWFC really doesn't pay dividends with repeat viewing. How many times can you see people rolling around on the floor, on a table and still be interested.

Did anyone notice either Blaine Hoven or J. Gorak cast in any minor roles in LWFC? They are still listed on the website, but not listed for any upcoming assignments. I'm a little surprised and disappointed by the Myrta casting for Giselle. Teuscher, Shevchenko and Hurlin seem very well suited to the role. Did everyone see those incredibly fast bourees when Shevchenko danced Mama Elena in LWFC?

Melanie has written a novel titled "First Position". She gave an interview about it on the Today Show. I presume a clip of the interview will be available soon if anyone is interested.

Misseldine was the eldest sister, not the mother. The mother was Claire Davison. Claire missed her big moment of cursing Pedro. She is supposed to touch the top of his head. at the end of Act II. She was too tall on that contraption that she was being wheeled around on, and the best she could do was wave her arms around the vicinity of Pedro's (Carmago's) head. I definitely agree with the post above that Of Love and Rage had considerably more classical ballet than LWFC. LWFC is balle Light. Is it a sacrilege to say I preferred Carmago. Cornejo was good, but Carmago was better. I was less impressed with Park. The role requires better acting, and she lacks experience compared to Trenary. I thought Brandt was all wrong for the feisty middle sister in the second cast. Her dinner table orgy scene was disjointed and awkward. In Hurlin's hands it flowed more seamlessly and looked sexy. Also, whose bright idea was is to pair Aran Bell with Brandt in the campfire scene. He looked like a giant and she looked like a midget. Yes, Wheeldon relies heavily on special effects and other bells and whistles instead of creating choreography. Maybe this is what audiences prefer. I'm not sure.

Last night the run time was approx. 2 hrs. 50 min.

Forgot to mention the stellar work of Hurlin. I am eager to see her in every role she takes on. Also, watching Trenary and Cornejo together made me eager to see their R&J. I hope it actually happens. The role of Dr. Brown is very minimal. Nice to see Forster on stage, but it is a very forgettable role.

Last night it was 3 hours, but it was a "gala" night so maybe the intermissions will be a little shorter for the rest of the run. I found some photos of the celebs who attended. Mick Jagger & Melanie Hamrick (in a Dolce & Gahanna dress) were at the after party, but I'm not sure if they saw the ballet. The photo was definitely inside of Geffen Hall, where the party was held. The NY Times review is available for those with subscriptions. Verdict - too much plot, not enough dancing.

The work held my attention and I enjoyed it, but I wanted more actual dancing and less gesturing. The choreography for the group dances is relatively simplistic and not technically challenging. The final pas was very well done, until Wheeldon decided to add that little bit of kitsch at the very end, which I will not reveal so as not to spoil it for others. I think this work would have benefitted from an editor who was willing to slash scenes from the ballet that were not essential to the basic outlines of the story. One thing that distinguishes the classics is that each act has a major dance divertissement of the leads. I thought there just wasn't enough impressive choreography in this to justify a nearly 3 hour run time. ABT has apparently stopped the ticket giveaways in the upper levels to fill the house for the gala. Lots of empty seats in the balcony and family circle. MacMillan didn't need fake fire effects to convey passion. I realize that fire is part of the book, but it says a lot that Wheeldon frequently relies on scenic gimmicks to substitute for quality choreography. Couldn't the spirit of the mother deliver her warnings with good mime and acting or dancing. Instead he gives her this outlandish wig and she is hidden under tons of fabric as she is carted around the stage. When Shevchenko smushed her hand down on Cornejo's head I busted out laughing. I don't think that was the intended effect. Overall I felt that the choreography was more like something you would see at a Broadway show rather than the level of sophistication I have come to expect from a top tier ballet company. One act of Don Q has more sophisticated and difficult choreography than 3 acts of LWFC.

Due to the generosity of a friend who is a member, I attended the dress rehearsal last night. I didn't stay for the final act. Since it was a dress rehearsal, I'll keep my comments to a minimum. Wheeldon was there supervising every aspect. Having never read the book or seen the film, I felt that there were just too many characters and plot points in this work. This may have been fine for film and in a novel, but in a ballet it becomes a problem. Study the synopsis before the performance, or you may find that you are sometimes lost. (This was also a problem last season for Love & Rage). The rehearsal cast was opening night cast - Trenary, Cornejo.... I agree with the posts above that the first act is far too long. In particular, the technical crew was having some issues regarding lighting. Hopefully it will all be straightened out for tonight's show.

Yes. He was great. I don't recall who was his partner for that show.

Just because the unions negotiated a deal with the Met Opera for Sunday opera performances does not necessarily mean that the same deal applies to ABT.

NYSusan is there, and booked the trip to see Lane.

Er, two of the least suitable people for Other Dances are Boylston and Ahn. They lack dramatic insight. Maybe the rest of the program will be good. By the way, Paul Taylor returns to the Koch Oct 31 thru Nov 12. Why do I mention this on an ABT thread? That leaves the two weeks after the NYCB fall season as the likely dates for ABT to appear at the Koch int he fall.

Oh no. NY Susan went to Houston to see Lane. Did these "circumstances" exist before her abrupt withdrawal from the performance. This is no way to treat your fans.

For me, this smacks of willful ignorance. Based on my experience, theaters all over NYC are packed to the rafters for programs and artists that the public wants to see. You couldn't beg, borrow or steal to get a ticket to Dudamel at the NY Philharmonic, Yuja Wang at Carnegie and Yo Yo Ma at the NY Philharmonic. These are only a few examples that come to my mind for this season. Stop blaming Covid, and look inward as to why attendance is weak.

That appearance may be deceptive. Nearly every performance of LWFC was offered on TDF. So on the seating chart it may look like a ticket sale, in reality large numbers of tickets may have been supplied to discounters like TDF.