Ringer's Beautiful Beauty -- Wednesday Night

[Michael]

I’ve never seen Jennifer Ringer dance more all out than she did tonight -- the opening performance of Sleeping Beauty this season. I have certainly never seen her let her self go so totally, dance so large, so spaciously, bounding about the stage taking such huge chunks of air in her stride and phrasing so big and so cleanly. Lovely response to the music within the melodies. She also made us remember what a big girl she was, with what a big jump, see the quality again that Merce Cunningham showed us in her in Summerspace. Philip Neal was her Prince. The wedding pas de deux had tremendous dramatic punch and her petite allegro coda which followed it was to die for.

This is the role which made Ringer a principal dancer some years ago. Tonight’s performance perfectly fulfilled the promise she showed in it at that time. She was more interesting, and stronger, more beautiful at the end of the performance than she was at the beginning.

Also a wonderful performance from Maria Kowroski as the Lilac Fairy. The result of her Russian coaching, one notices, is that she has adopted a Kirov placement in her shoulders, neck, back and arms and in the way she holds her head. The back of the shoulders are shown to great advantage with a Russian carriage. Kowroski is a beautiful girl with long eloquent feet, a long neck and a beautiful upper body. Previously known for her legs, she should just as well be known for her arms and hands and the Lilac Fairy is the role above all which shows that to advantage. Her mime was very clear and above all very graceful. She danced extremely clean, I loved the way she turned out so perfectly and led with her heals coming back into her fifth positions or whipping out of one of those pirouettes into a grand jetee and then tombee to the front. Dance Diamonds by all means if it means that next week a role like this will be easy for you.

Bouder in the Diamond variation, and Van Kipnis in the Ruby, also deserve special mention. And oh yes, Ellen Bar in the Courage variation in Act I.

[Giannina]

Green green green.

Giannina

[lampwick]

Willy Burmann deserves credit for Maria Kowroski's upper body improvement as well. He works with her quite a bit and is a wonderful teacher.

[The Uncrossed Fifth]

Green green green.

What do you mean?

It was a decent performance last night. City Ballet looked quite under-rehearsed and there were many slip ups. jennie ringer, however, was beautiful as always.

The shock of the evening was that the audience didn't storm the pit last night, for the orchestra was the worst i have ever heard it. There were times when i actually coverded my ears: Puss and Boots; aurora's variation, and garland waltz, just to name some horrid renditions of tschaikovsky's music. I really wish that they would bring in guest horn players instead of dancers at this point.

However, michael, i disagree with you on the fact that this was one of jennie's better performances. She was beautiful, but i thought that she looked tentative during the rose adagio. Also, her initial entrance seemed like forced enthusiasm.

[Juliet]

Uncrossedfifth,

Giannina and several of us use "green, green. green" as indication that we are green with envy. BA shorthand, if you will--sorry if it was unclear.

Having seen Ringer's significant and wonderful development this year into a much more interesting dancer, I am happy to hear that the performance went well. I saw her debut a few years ago and look forward to seeing her again.

Hope that others who attend will let us know your impressioins.

[Leigh Witchel]

I'll see your Ringer and raise you one Weese, one Ansanelli and two Bouders.

I missed Ringer this go-round, but as I am seeing this production FOUR times in the next week, something had to give.

All Beauty, All The Time here! I like Beauty fine, but I'm doing this primarily to see the dancers.

[carbro]

Giannina, I'm green, too, after reading Michael's report :green: , and I was there. (Sorry Michael. I don't mean to be contrary. )

I'm with UncrossedFifth. I think this was one of Jenny Ringer's least wonderful performances in a long time. Did she look beautiful? Absolutely. Is she a stronger, more confident Aurora than last time? No question. But there was an unaccustomed flatness to her dancing -- a lack of spark -- that left me feeling unsatisfied.

I thought Maria was -- how you say? -- all over the place. Lots of missed footings and near falls in her Wedding Act variation. In the Prologue, she lacked the authority to be Carabosse's equal. The only time she looked powerful was when Ashley cowered before Lilac's "commanding" sweeps of the arm. And the only reason they appeared "commanding" was because of the intensity of Ashley's feintings.

Ashley, by the way, may now be one of the great Carabosses. (And I am not a member of the Merrill Fan Club.) She was deliciously evil and had a wonderful time being so, taking the house along with her.

Act III: Brava to Bouder for making the awkward Diamonds variation fluid. Kudos to Fairchild's charming Florine. DeLuz's Bluebird needed more stretch in the legs. Coming through from the faillis, his so-called working leg was limp and line-less.

Neal's partnering was good, but his dancing looked tired. Actually, pretty much everyone (except the two Ashleys -- Merrill and Bouder ) looked tired :yawn: :sleeping: :yawn: . Understandable, but not acceptable.

[Michael]

What I mean, Uncrossed 5th, is that I thought it was by far the strongest performance I've ever seen from Jenny Ringer. That doesn't make me right or you wrong, though -- Different folks see things differently, it's almost the rule, not the exception.

I will not trade a Ringer for two Bouders, by the way. I will not trade any Bouders.

[Alexandra]

You know, guys, you may have something here with the "trade you one Ringer for two Bouders " I'll work on it!! There's a Hollywood lottery site that I've never checked, but I understand it gives stock ratings for different movies.... Not that we'd ever do that HERE

[Giannina]

Yes, my "green green green" was definitely envious. Sorry for the confusion.

Giannina

[Michael]

Re Bouder's star quality, an anecdote. Sitting next to me was a six year old girl on her mother's lap. Act II, it's late, she's nearly asleep. Mom is explaining to her, sort of a running commentary .... "That's the princess" and "That's the Prince" ... "He's waking her up" etc. Little girl hardly interested, squirming constantly, trying to sleep. Bouder then takes the stage in Diamond Costume. Six year old sits up, asks clearly: "Mommy, Who's that?" Exactly, the eye is drawn to her, who is that masked woman?

[Alexandra]

That's a great story -- thanks for that, Michael (and thank you for your lovely review, too. I wish I could see these!)

[Michael]

Well, before my memory fades, I'll add a few details indicating to what a degree Carley and others and I inhabited parallel universes Wednesday night. It won't do to be too discouraged by disagreement.

First, I thought the orchestra played pretty well and especially that Andrea Quinn conducted well. I particularly liked the coordination between the orchestra on the one hand and Ringer and Neal on the other -- Between them the dancers hit the big Choreographical accents Bang on the big Orchestral climaxes without the slightest hestitation -- the pirouettes into Big Poses on the Big Notes. Another indication of Ringer's go for broke attack and complete lack of caution. Remembering some times, years past, when conductor Kaplow and Wendy Whelan seemed to engage in a game resembling the person who tries to slap the other's hands while the second person pulls their hands away to make them miss, I thought this a pretty good accomplishment.

Seth Orza and Jessica Flynn were, I thought, particularly good and as much on the edge of the risquee as you might want to see in their White Cat/Puss'n'Boots divertissement. He's very strong and when he picked her up and placed her on his knee, Bang (as John Madden might say), she folded up and stayed there. Before and after that she played it very Teasing. I heard more than one person near me gasp. Flynn is innately dramatic and quite beautiful.

The Lilac Fairies attendants danced well. In general I thought the performance well rehearsed, for an opening night. The decision to darken the house on Tuesday and do a complete dress run through of the Ballet that night instead was, I think, a good one.

Not sure what my judgement is of Martins' production in general on seeing it again, I will reserve until a couple of more viewings (avoiding Borree tonight, though). Costumes were rich. Haven't seen Beauty in general for a couple of years, so when I laughed out loud during the Vision, thinking "Now Lilac is telling him `Boy have I got a girl for you! .... Only there's one slight problem' ", I'm not sure if it was Martins' production, the performance, or just one of those perverse tricks of my own mind which was responsible. The one intermission rather than two in this production means that the Vision follows the Spell directly without an entr'acte and that Act II begins with the Awakening and moves straight into the Wedding. That compositional decision is the major aesthetic one involved. Since I didn't want to leave my seat anyway last evening, I did not find it disagreeable, but it sure does change the shape of this ballet. I missed the Panorama, I like to see it here as much as in the Nutcracker.

I did not particulary enjoy the Garland Dance, I was happy when it was quickly over, but perhaps I was sitting too close to it.

Going back to Ringer's performance and to my enjoyment of the Ballet in particular, the key thing was the moment when my critical faculties pretty much shut down and, watching her -- I watched, that's all. This doesn't often happen to me, but when it does is when perhaps I enjoy a performance the most of all.

[Leigh Witchel]

Thanks, Michael. Your reports are helping me look forward to revisiting the production tomorrow. Not sure how I'll feel after seeing it four times, though!

I was thinking more of poker than baseball cards, but on reflection, it's a marvelous idea, isn't it? Ballerina cards! Collect and trade them all! No, I would not trade a Bouder either. Nor an Ansanelli, a Weese or a Somogyi. Not even for a Ringer.

Ballerina

[Herman Stevens]

"One Slight Problem"

That's very funny, Michael.

Unfortunately I don't know how the Kiss Scene is in Martins' production. In the Peter Wright production (Royal Ballet + Dutch National) it's very hard not to laugh when the Prince Dufus at last spots Aurora in her bower.

So he runs like a beagle, only to return to Lilac, miming "But you didn’t tell me she was asleep! It's too late!"

"Why don't you think of something?" she mimes, pointing at her head.

"Think? Why?" he says. And only then it dawns upon him this is the Girl He's Supposed to Kiss.

This reminds me, btw, of a hilarious X-rated version of this entire scene, as told to me by a Kirov Aurora. Let's just say the four cavaliers got there first.

Herman

Edited February 20, 2004 by Herman Stevens

[Hans]

If that scene is the same as the one on the Solymosi/Durante tape of the Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty (I lost my copy so can't look at the cover), then I agree, it is positively hysterical. I especially enjoy it when Lilac taps her forehead impatiently ("THINK, you imbecile! Ugh, men!") while the prince just stands there looking ridiculous until his "Ohhhhhhhhhh" moment and then runs up to slobber on Aurora.

[carbro]

I always read that mime (a moment in most productions) as "Think, Stupid!" :rolleyes:

Now, if we read the story as the Dawning of the Age of Reason (one of which I am particularly fond), that makes no sense whatsoever. But it is always good for a (silent) giggle.

[cargill]

I think that moment depends on the way it is done. If the Prince does the lightbulb going off in my head exaggerated moment, it can look silly, but I think done right, it is beautiful. It stresses the importance of the moment, of love conquering darkness, and the feeling should well up from his heart into his eyes (think Peter Boal!), and then burst out with the music. We would miss that if he just ran up to her immediately.