abatt

No Kochetkova, either. But we are getting David Hallberg!

NYCB is doing Other Dances in the spring of 2018, on an All Robbins program.

Daphnis required a big cast, and it cost a lot of money to train all those dancers. I'm not surprised they are bringing Daphnis back. Personally, I liked Abrera in it with Stearns ( I think). However, I did not like Boylston at all in the second cast. I'm not sure McKenzie's 25 year tenure is deserving of celebration.

Maybe that's why Ferri never performed Swan Lake, and instead made her career based on the "long skirt" roles with less exacting technique.

Yes, but Ferri is 54 years old. Ferri's technique is very weak. She looks great when someone is partnering her, but she clearly can't do the solo footwork anymore. Ferri was performing in a ballet where dramatic skill counts for almost everything, and the footwork technique for her role was, in my opinion, not terribly important. Ferri is choosing her ballets carefully because she is aware of her increasing limitations. If you're going to take on the major roles, you ought to be able to perform the choreography.

McKenzie seems to be interested in seniority and diversity. Although Hammoudi is not anyone's idea of a great dancer, he may just get the promotion. Hallberg, Gomes and Bolle are simply not able to carry a big workload anymore. There is a chronic lack of tall men available at the principal level. Stearns and Whiteside can't do it by themselves. Lane should be promoted too. Stone Shayer and Royal need to get out of the corps, ASAP. I

I think the promotions are decided and affirmed at the board of directors meeting. Those meetings usually take place at the end of a business quarter, which would be around June 30. Thus, I think any decisions will already have been made before Shevchenko performs Mozartiana.

I don't read Part's comment as saying that she will no longer do the role. Her comment says "Last Swan Lake Met 2017". That doesn't mean that she won't perform the role again during the Met 2018 season.

It's not just that she says other dancers took away her opportunities. That's the experience of every ABT dancer, because of the guest artist policy. She specifically uses the words "white dancers", and so she automatically turns it into a racial discrimination issue.

Just to be clear, Copeland didn't just promote herself on social media. She used and continues to use the media to accuse her superiors of denying her opportunities because she is black. Here is an excerpt from a NY Times interview from Apr 22, 2017: "For years and years, I watched as white dancers came in — when I knew I was more talented or brought more depth to a role — but had to sit back and watch it happen. But I didn’t stop working." https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/22/style/misty-copeland-sally-field.html

Thanks for the video. Who were the two men on the far right in the video?

A friend a few years ago asked Part why she was not doing Onegin, and she quipped that maybe she is not Russian enough. They have denied Part certain roles, presumably because finding a partner willing to lift her would be problematic. All of the Tatiana's in this and prior runs are waif-like, and Part simply is not. That may explain why she has also never done Giselle, R&J or Manon, to name a few. The lifts in Onegin are killers.

Yes. Misty definitely danced Lise in Fille. I think it was with Cirio, and I'm pretty sure I saw it. I recall that she did good work in the role.

Usually they do these novelty ballets two consecutive years, because they have already invested the time and money in teaching the roles. I anticipate that Onegin may return again next season, and then put into storage again for a few years.

Everyone performed better on Thursday evening than on Tuesday evening (same cast entirely). Only issue was Ferri's difficulty in her solo in Act II, right before Onegin slams his fists down on the card table. Bolle had fallen out of some of his turns on Tuesday, but they were much better last night. The final scene of Act III was devastating and brilliant. For an Onegin opera performance, I recommend Hvorostovsky and Fleming at the Met Opera from a number of years ago. The singing and acting were so good it brought tears to my eyes at the opera house. Available on DVD. Can I conjure my mirror so that Roberto Bolle emerges from it ?

I don't think this only relates to Vishneva and Ferri. Gomes, Hallberg, Bolle and Abrera are older and/or fragile dancers. This isn't meant as an insult. Gomes and Hallberg have clearly dropped a lot of roles, and it remains to be seen whether Hallberg will feel sufficiently recovered to take on the big classical roles again like SL, DonQ and the like. The fluff ballets help them add appearances during the season. Going forward, after Vishneva's departure, I believe that we will see Misty cast more in these fluff ballets too, because she can appear twice in one week and give the box office a big bump.

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.