abatt

I saw last night's Dream, and it was truly a dream cast. Julie Kent (Titania) was positively radiant and danced exquisitely. Gomes had it all- wonderful characterization, excellent mastery of the choreography. While Simkin may not be a wonderful Cornejo in the Puck role, he was very, very good. He did not show the shapes of the choreography as well as Cornejo. Unlike Thursday, last night's attendance was respectable but moderate. I didn't stay for Firebird.

I was recently at a performance, where a friend of a friend, who is Russian made some very interesting points which relate to the idea of nationalism in ballet. She stated that she disliked watching American ballet companies because the body types were too varied and unattractive- too many girls with short arms, short necks, and so on. She made these statements by referring to race, as well, but I won't repeat that part. She contrasted this to Russia, where she believes that dancers who lack beautful proportions generally never make it into the company, or at least never make it out of the corps. Since America is seen as a "melting pot", I guess this notion also carries over to ballet as well. Haven't we all commented about how sloppy and varied the ABT corps sometimes looks? Maybe the Russian corps looks so good due, in part, to the relative uniformity of the dancers' bodies in comparison to elsewhere.

Personally, although I have enjoyed Misty's performances, I think she has a long way to go to be considered for promotion to principal. Has she ever danced a principal role where she was the focus for the entire evening in a full length ballet? Not to my recollection.Gamzatti is a short, although pivotal, role. Look at how long Part had to toil as a soloist before her promotion, and she had already danced numerous leading roles w. the Kirov and ABT. Don't even get me started on how Stella has been (mis)treated. Also, do we really want to promote someone for "political" reasons and "ethnic balance" reasons? I don't think so. Promotions should be based on merit, not politics or ethnicity. Moreover, if we are aiming for "ethnic balance", why wouldn't Hee Seo, Yuriko or Stella be equally viable candidates? They are ethnic minorities too. At least Hee Seo has danced a signficant number of lead roles at ABT. (Just to be clear, I don't think Hee Seo or Yuriko are presently ready to be promoted either. Hee Seo has great potential for future promotion based on merit, not ethnicity.)

I went to the opening night of the Dream /Firebird last night. Cornejo was brilliant as Puck. His jumps are so high, and his spins are so fast and precise that it takes your breath away. He plays the character as endearing and comical. Cory Stearns had some lovely lines, but his dancing looked lethargic, especially the spins. He was not adept at the quick changes in direction in the Scherzo. Xiomara is a very sweet Titania, but her small stature robs her of commanding authority. The star crossed lovers were played to perfection by Stella, Maria Ricetto, Jared and Sascha. I did not stay for the Firebird, because I will be seeing it again over the weekend. The house was pretty well sold.

This one looks like a pass for me, especially since I have already made two trips to DC in 2012 (January for the Mariinsky triple bill, June for Bolshoi's Coppelia). The decision for me may ultimately turn on what ABT decides to perform at City Center here in New York, as their engagement occurs during the same week as the Mariinsky DC engagement. Hopefully, ABT will not pull the same stunt as last season of selecting only works that do not require an orchestra.

There is a gorgeous slide show from NY Times of photos from three of the R&Js of this run (Vishneva/Gomes, Cojo/Kobborg, Osip/Hallb) here: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/06/22/arts/dance/20120622_ABT_SS.html?ref=dance Oddly, I could not find an article/review accompanying the slide show. Enjoy the photos.

I would like to know whether their ticket revenues increased or decreased as a result of this new scheme of closing down the 3rd and 4th rings. I guess those stats are not yet available.

I was sitting up in the balcony and I heard laughter at the above mentioned points. It was more than two people. There were enough people laughing that it could be heard throughout the house on Monday. Weird.

Alina was a pleasure as Juliet. It was a lovely performance. It was not overplayed - just right. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not a big fan of Kobborg. I know he's no youngster, but his performance early in the ballet when he dances w. his friends before entering the ball was very poorly done. He seemed to warm up and improve as the ballet went on. Sometimes he looked like he was marking the steps instead of performing full out. I fail to understand why ABT keeps inviting him, unless Alina requires it as part of a package deal. Also, does anyone else here feel that he wears way too much makeup?

The casting for the NY portion of the tour is available on the LIncoln Center website: http://lincolncenterfestival.org/index.php/2012-paris-opera-ballet-mixed-program You can click on the link for each of the 3 programs they are presenting to get the casting for every performance.

ABT has updated the casting on its internet site. Based on Copeland's injury, Osipova will now be doing both performances of Firebird on Sat June 23. Osipova is also doing her previously scheduled performance of Firebird on June 21. Boylston remains in her previously scheduled Firebird on June 22. No info on Copeland's replacement as Gulnare during the Corsaire run.

Ferri and Bocca remain my gold standard for this ballet.

Yes, I noticed the thing you're referring to California regarding the running sequence. To me, it was another example of how she needs to better calibrate certain aspects of her performance in this ballet. Small adjustments in her performance would yield signficant improvements in the overall dramatic arc of her character.

I attended the Monday evening performance w. Hallberg, Osipova and Cornejo. Osipova is fascinating to watch, and she can and does fly through the air like a rocket. However, I thought some of her performance lacked nuance. I don't think she has performed the role many times, and so her Juliet is a work in progress. I don't think she has the upper body fluidity that someone like Vishneva has. Also, sometimes she takes thing to an extreme that is counterproductive. In the scene where she is forced to dance w. Paris in her bedroom, the ballerina is supposed to be somewhat limp (foreshadowing what will happen in the final scene). Osipova took it such an extreme that she practically collapsed to the floor, evoking laughter from the audience. I've been going to R&J for about 15 years, and have never heard laughter at that moment. However, later in that same scene I liked what she did to show her revulsion, as she pulled her body in extreme positions away from Paris (Hammoudi). Also, when she's sitting on the bed hatching her plan to visit the Friar for the sleeping potion, she went from extreme sadness to having a huge grin. It just doesn't ring true.Sometimes less is more in this ballet. I also felt that her reaction to her first kiss with Romeo during the balcony scene was too over the top. Having said all these things, I must admit that much of her dancing was wonderful, and her childlike face and small size enhance the tragedy of the story. Hallberg has the most beautiful lines of any man at ABT, and he was goregous, especially in the balcony scene. The height and speed of his movements (and Osipova's) conveyed the urgency of their love. Sascha Radetsky (tybalt) played the sword fighting scene where he kills Mercutio as though he was completely drunk. Everyone who has seen Cornejo dance Mercutio already knows how wonderful he is in that role. Quick turns, great height on the jumps. Simkin danced an excellent Benvolio. The audience went nuts after the balcony scene, and continued to applaud until Hallberg and Osipova came in front of the curtain. Normally, there are no intermission bows at ABT. Had to head out pretty quickly at the end of the show, but I'm sure the ovation must have been enormous. I was glad to have seen this performance, and Osipova is an astonishing dancer in many ways, but it did not rival Friday's Vishneva/Gomes performance. It seemed that the performance last night was very, very well sold. I miss Freddie Franklin as the Friar. Without him the role is a total bore.

Does anyone know whether Bayadere and La Source from Paris Opera Ballet will be shown in New York City? They are also on the Emerging Pictures Ballet In Cinema website.

http://www.nytimes.c....html?ref=dance This article relates (linked) indirectly to your question. NYCB recently named a new chairman (Jay Fishman) from outside the Board. The article refers to this as "unusual". The suggestion is that Fishman might be able to reach new potential donors for NYCB.

I'm less worried about Vasiliev's four consecutive Ali's than I am about Steifel's Ali's on Monday and Saturday.

Wasn't Gomes originally scheduled to do Ali the Slave at the July 4 performance?

ABT has put on much worse in the past. Does anyone recall the Pied Piper or HereAfter? How about MacMillan's Anastasia? How about Citizen, in which David Hallberg had to wear a bustier? Ratmansky's best works are where he is creating a ballet from scratch, without a prior history associated between the score and a ballet. I still think Russian Seasons and Concerto DSCH are his best work. In Firebird and Nutcracker, he seems to try hard to avoid making his work look like the work of others who have previously choreographed the same ballet. This objective can easily backfire.

The opening night playbill had an insert listing who made the Firedbird possible. David H. Koch was at the top of the list. Based on that I'm sure there will be plenty of money available to tinker with the details. People will be forced to see this again if they want to see the Dream, because they stuck it in as the second ballet on the program for every performance of the Dream. At least it's last, so you can leave early.

I enjoyed the Bourne SL. It was different, but it was musical and well choreographed. The Aussie SL, in my opinion, had none of those positive attributes.

No reports on the Saturday R&J's?

Hi everyone. I went to the Aussie Swan Lake on Sat afternoon. I left at the first intermission, deciding that life was too short (and the day too lovely) to waste on watching the rest of this awful ballet. Glad I didn't miss much in Acts II and III. I left with a new appreciation of NYCB and ABT. Even the worst ballet by Peter Martins is more pleasurable than this Swan Lake. Glad I only paid $29 for my ticket.

It seemed odd that MacCauley was complaining that Chase Finlay was underutilized. Wasn't he injured until recently? Of course they would start him off slowly when he is returning after a long period of absence.

Loved the performance of Vishneva and Gomes as well. I suspect that R&J will not be performed next season. They will probably do Manon instead.