abatt

It's these types of ballets that allow the "older dancers" to extend their careers. They also provide vehicles for less classically adept younger dancers to potentially excel in lead roles. Frankly, if ABT had to present 8 consecutive weeks of heavy duty classical ballet, they couldn't do it. They would need many additional principal dancers.

Thanks for the clip of Smirnova and Hallberg, California. There shouldn't have been a lack of familiarity between Hee and Hallberg, since they have danced together many times over the years, including during the last run of Onegin. The house was poorly sold last night. Thanks for the report on Abrera. I spoke to a friend who doesn't read or participate on this board who also mentioned that Abrera/Stearns was wonderful yesterday afternoon. Looking forward to seeing it on Sat afternoon.

I saw tonight's show, with Seo and Hallberg. I left at the second intermission. No chemistry or passion between Hee and David. Hallberg's solos were good, but the lifts were not impressive compared to what I've seen from Bolle and Gomes. In fact, I'm pretty sure he simplified two of the lifts in the Act I bedroom scene. Skylar Brandt was my favorite Olga so far. Cirior's Act I was very strong, but I did not like his Act II solo. The phrasing was too staccato. One movement never flowed into the next movement.

Here is a clip of Trenary performing the fiendishly difficult solo variation for Princess Praline. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/arts/dance/watch-a-ballerinas-fleet-footed-solo-in-whipped-cream.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&action=click&contentCollection=arts&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront

I also thought Ferri's Tatiana was very close to her Juliet in the first act. I also felt like they should have cast a more mature looking Olga, because Ferri looked like Lane's mother, rather than her sister. Ferri definitely does not have the flexibility that Vishneva had. Nor does she have impressive bourrees compared to Vishneva. However, I did love her final act with Bolle. I thought Bolle was perfectly cast. He is supposed to be haughty and bored to tears. His partnering in those very difficult lifts was impressive. Also, I felt that he was able to convey Onegin's remorse very beautifully. Simkin's partnering left a lot to be desired. I'm assuming it was his fault that Lane came off pointe during their pdd. While he was a technical marvel during his solo, I felt no emotion during that solo. As for Ferri, I was surprised she was able to do the minimal solo pointe work that is required of her during Act II. I think she may have been more secure than Vishneva. Her Act III with Gremin was masterful. It set exactly the right tone of an adult relationship of contentment and respect, but without youthful passion. I also noticed in the final scene Ferri was very stern with Bolle, in contrast w. Vishneva. However, throughout the pdd you could slowly see her starting to fall for Onegin. In fact, there was one lift during which her facial expression telegraphed that she had fallen passionately again for Onegin. This progressive, subtle transformation during the pdd could only be accomplished by someone with very astute acting skills like Ferri. I found it more convincing than Vishneva's frenzied approach from the outset.

Alexander Hamilton was killed by Burr in a gun duel.

The last act is, indeed, the killer. That last ten minutes or so made it worth the trip. I didn't stay for the curtain calls last night. That final scene was so expertly done it sent chills down my spine. Lots and lots of boring filler, though, for the rest of the evening. Also a big shout out for Blaine Hoven. He did a terrific job as Lensky. One quibble was the way Vishneva handled the ballroom scene in Act III w. Prince Gremin (Zhurbin). She looked stoic and somber, even before she set eyes on Onegin. She is supposed to look like she is at least content. I understand that she is duty bound to Gremin, but if she looks so unhappy during their scene together her decision in the last act to reject Onegin makes less sense. Zhurbin got the facial expressions and acting just right. Vishneva's last scene with Zhurbin was much better- in the bedroom.

I don't necessarily agree with that perspective. The dancers are there to do the work. If they decide to engage in personal relationships that ultimately don't work out, it's their problem to deal with the fallout or leave. It's ludicrous to expect management to tip toe around minefields involving split relationships.

Surprised. I guess spending large amounts of time separated doesn't help. Their marriage lasted less than 3 years. I hope this will not mean that NYCB has to avoid casting them together in the same ballet, in the way that has occurred in the split of Veyette and Megan Fairchild.

The Semionova SL I remember most clearly was with Stearn in 2014- the last season she ever danced with ABT. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/arts/dance/american-ballet-theaters-swan-lake-at-the-met.html It was a wondrous and beautiful performance (by Semionova). .

The festival organizers have assumed that just because it is a Bolshoi appearance, it will sell at high prices.

I saw Stearns paired w. Dvorovenko during the last run of Onegin, and thought it was the weakest and least satisfying of all the casts ABT had during the run.

To Kaysta: Go see Vishneva Gomes. Get someone to cover for you, and give them a big present. YOu should not miss this pairing.

Maybe she can get Mick to donate some money to ABT. That might help her career prospects.

You may know this already, but the Onegin ballet does not use the music from the Onegin opera.

He thinks she "conquered" SL. Any thoughts from anyone who was there?

Ms. Part showed the youngsters how it's done today. Nobody's mime was clearer. The fouettes were neat singles, musical and controlled. She had liquid movement and excellent characterization of the duality of the roles. She kept switching feet because of her injury, I presume. She's not as flexible as she was back in her youth. And oh what a pleasure to see a tall, long limbed couple perform the ballet. SL screams out for long limbs. Something is definitely lost in the aesthetic presentation of the choreography when the leads are short dancers. Whiteside partnered Veronika well, although sometimes when he was turning her she was tilted. A most pleasurable afternoon. This was my favorite SL of the week, and Devon was my second favorite. SL is Part's calling card. As an aside, this week made me miss Polina Semionova. Polina always had such long, gorgeous lines and lovely extensions in SL; she also never had trouble with the technical demands.

People miss entire seasons all the time due to injury. That usually doesn't form the basis for a termination.

I want to focus on Simkin. His solo variations were astounding. He was like a rocket in his double tours. I think he is now at the peak of his powers. He is much more refined than he used to be. He needs work on partnering and characterization, though. Utmost praise for Lendorf. He started out the season in Don Q a bit lackluster, but since then he has proven time and again that he is a brilliant dancer. What a smart and welcome addition to the ABT roster.

Just to clarify, I don't feel that either Lane or Boylston are whiners - not at all.

I do feel like you. She deserves the promotion based on her overall body of work. However, I feel like last night she gave McKenzie the excuse he needed to deny her the promotion. As noted above, double standards seem to abound at ABT: one set of standards for some; an entirely different set of standards for others.

Unfortunately, judgment of quality is based on what you actually do on the stage at the performance. The fact that a dancer can perform every step to perfection in the studio is not relevant. Other factors regarding your health, well being and the like are not relevant as excuses. This is where social media provides "too much information", insofar as performers trying to explain or justify themselves to the general public. Performances and sports are analogous, in that it doesn't matter what you do in the practice sessions; you must bring it to the game on game day. Just as an opera singer will be judged by whether he cracked on the high note on stage, a ballet dancer will be judged by whether he executed the steps at the performance.

Lane definitely had a lot riding on last night. I agree with you that Lane isn't the first person at ABT to commit a major flub, and she won't be the last. However, McKenzie does not seem to apply the same standards equally across the board to all ballerinas in judging who should be promoted or given new roles. If Hee and Misty can be principals, Sarah should be a principal too. SL was not Sarah's strongest role, but her performances in Giselle and other roles make her just as worthy (more worthy( of promotion as Seo and Copeland.

That's true, but my expectations for an ABT SL are quite different from my expectations for a NYCB SL. Full length productions are the bread and butter of ABT, and I hold them to a higher standard in full length productions. Similarly, I hold NYCB to a higher standard than ABT in Balanchine rep.

I actually feel the opposite. Sarah may have done more and better quality fouettes than Hee, but Hee never looked defeated or dejected after the fouette section. She remained entirely in character. In contrast, Sarah was visibly upset and distraught, which took the audience entirely out of the character and story. I thought Sarah's reaction compounded the problem.