Ansanelli as Aurora

[Leigh Witchel]

A fascinating contrast to Bouder's Aurora. With Bouder, I sensed the strength and victory of a princess; as usual with Ansanelli, I felt the vulnerability and the warmth. I can't help but watch her performances at this point as if I were watching my favorite niece; I was digging my nails into my friend's knee during the Rose Adagio. But Ansanelli nailed it; like Bouder she's another dancer who takes every risk, but somehow Ansanelli gets you even more caught up in them. What still surprises me is that she isn't nearly as frail as she projects. She passed up the fourth suitor in her first set of balances without the promenade.

Her sense of the innocence of Aurora was lovely, especially in the first act. One of her sweetest touches was that she handed the roses to her mother instead of scattering them at her feet. I think it's fine to scatter them, you can make the scattering an offering as well, but I could see she felt that anything less than handing them to her mother was disrespectful.

I loved her performance, and it was a fine debut. If there's something to work on, it's to get more control over her lines. If you prefer a modestly proportioned Aurora, you'll quibble a lot more than I do with Ansanelli's; the positions aren't always orthodox. I don't think she could (or should) ever be that sort of orthodox Aurora, but she can mute some of the wildness if she chooses.

Nilas Martins was her partner, and he seemed energized in the vision scene, but ran out of gas in the wedding. Something was wrong with the three turning dives, they made all of them, but laboriously. I think the difficulty was that they began the step too far apart.

Amanda Hankes debuted as Lilac, and I liked her. Another friend felt she didn't project, but for me she's got the right carriage for a Lilac, so it worked. Lovely breath at the top of her extensions in her variation as well, but she also seemed to flag a little in the wedding. She may not yet be sure how to pace the role.

For what it's worth, I thought Fairchild was perfectly cast as Bluebird. Not sure in what context the role would waste her.

[bobbi]

Thank you, Leigh, for using the exact words I was struggling for: not an orthodox Aurora. I enjoyed every single second of Ansanelli's debut while at the same time feeling she wasn't exactly looking as it should have looked in every classic Aurora pose and variation. The is an Aurora without the expected classic turn-out, yet she inhabited this role as if to the manor born. The audience was delighted with her. How lucky we are now that we have two new Auroras (Bouder of course) to treasure in the coming years!

By the way, the Bluebird pas (with Fairchild and DeLuz) was everything it should have been (unlike Tuesday night's). DeLuz was just fabulous (and I'm glad to see that he has cut back on the ABT-type (applause milking) bows after each of his variations. And a special word for the Court Jesters (Carmena, Hendrickson and Ulbricht): they were outstanding and, it seemed to me, totally enjoying themselves and conveying that to the audience. They were a big hit. In fact, all of The Wedding's cast was more enjoyable than on Tuesday. Up and comers: Seth Orza may turn into a danseur noble in due time (if he can find a way to land more silently), and little elegant Sterling Hyltin with her exquisite carriage and thousand-watt smile is a joy to watch.

I'll be there tonight again for Bouder's second Aurora (and really looking forward to it).

[cargill]

I didn't see this performance (I am going on Sunday), but if she ignored the 4th suitor to stay on balance, the way some of the Royal Ballet dancers do, I think that is a gross breach of ettiquette, and way too show offy--though a dancer friend told me that actually it is easier to stay on balance once you have it, than to bring the hand back down and do the promenade. As I said, though, I didn't see it.

[Leigh Witchel]

Mary - It was in the first balances, the series without the promenade. I think you're right about the motivation. I don't think she did it to ignore the suitor, but to preserve the balance. It looked like something that suddenly happened rather than something she was attempting, and it did look like it was a safer choice than reaching for his hand.

[BW]

It's always so interesting to me to read the remarks of others who attended the same performance as I did.

I second and third Leigh's remarks about Alexandra Ansanelli. She sold me on being a sweet, young, insouciant 16 year old who was thrilled with life. I absolutely loved her in this role and had never seen her in a "tutu ballet" before.

Who else can I say that I thought was exceptional? Joaquin De Luz, without a doubt - his dancing was like quicksilver and he thoroughly embodied the Bluebird's spirit as well. However, unlike the other posters, I did not feel he and Miss Fairchild were well suited as partners at all. I am sure she is an fine dancer, and although I did not see her save the night(s) last summer at SPAC, and heard she was great in Coppelia recently, she just didn't have the physique for this role, to me, and seemed to be in real contrast to De Luz. I hate to say this but I found her a disappointment in this role.

As for Aurora's Prince - I couldn't help but think that Joaquin De Luz might be better suited to her. Nilas Martin looked the part in the sense of "princely bearing" but that's where it ended for me.

During The Wedding scene, of all The Jewels, I have to say that Carrie Lee Riggins' really had the energy and "brilliance" last night. Naturally the two cats were entertaining, as were the gymnastic court jesters, and of course Little Red Riding Hood fairly stole that part of the show.

That's my take on last night's performance - and I want to add that I thought the scenery was done really well. I don't know if those scrims (is that the right word) were new or not, but they looked great...and the growing vines, which I do remember, were pretty good too...though I think everyone had to chuckle a bit as The Prince hacked his way through them.

[Colleen Boresta]

I saw the same cast in the Sunday matinee of "The Sleeping Beauty". I agree with

what everyone has said about how wonderful Ansanelli was. She was truly a radiant, golden girl Aurora. As for her "Rose Adagio" Ansanelli held her balances perfectly. It was truly a thrilling performance. And I really enjoy Peter Martins' "Sleeping Beauty" (unlike his "Swan Lake" but that is another story). I was very impressed with the entire cast, except for Nilas Martins. The man sitting next to me described Martins' Prince as klutzy and he was exactly right. Come on - the last thing a ballet dancer should be is klutzy. I hate to say it but I don't think Nilas Martins would even be a soloist in any other company. He truly gets worse every time I see him. Fortunately the part of the Prince in "The Sleeping Beauty" is a very small one.