fandeballet Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 What was the best cast you saw in any ballet, when each dancer was at the top of their games. The most magical evening, ever!!!! I will start it off with a performance of La Cosaire from July 17, 2002, with ABT. The cast included Malakov, Corella(Ali), Acosta(Conrad), Herrera, Reyes, De Luz,etc., and company. It is not the greatest ballet, but ABT made it seem like the best ballet ever, that night!!!!!!! :hyper: Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 (edited) This one is easy for me! I don't remember the exact date or year (mid 60s)...Christopher Gable and Lynn Seymour in Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet" (Royal Ballet). I was an aspiring teenage dancer at the time and it was one of those life altering experiences for me. I have never left the theater after a performance so moved or inspired as I was that evening. This couple created the title roles for this version of R and J... Edited March 4, 2005 by Gina Ness Link to comment
Brioche Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 1978 - San Francisco - ABT - Waited in line for 8+ hours (it was fun actually) Giselle - Kirkland, Baryshnikov, Van Hamel........ Memorable to say the least! Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 (edited) Brioche...that truly does sound memorable. I saw Bruhn and Fracci in Giselle...awesome, too... P.S. I just thought of another amazing Giselle couple that I had the privilege to see. Natalia Makarova and Ivan Nagy. Of all the roles I saw her dance, this is the one that was my favorite...She was divine as "Giselle". Edited March 5, 2005 by Gina Ness Link to comment
Ari Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 A performance of Ashton's Fille Mal Gardee in 1976 with Ann Jenner, David Wall, and Alexander Grant. So perfect was this cast that I didn't want to dim the memory by seeing any other casts. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was years and years before I got another chance to see the ballet again, by which time I was regretting my decision. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 I saw the best cast of Stravinsky Violin Concerto last year at San Francisco Ballet: Aria I: Lorena Feijoo/Yuri Possokhov Aria II: Julie Diana, Vadim Solomakha I've seen other dancers dance their roles as well -- Bart Cook in Aria I, for example -- but never have I seen a more perfect overall cast. Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 I've seen photos of Alexander Grant as Alain in "Fille". I'm sure he was brilliant! I would love to have seen the creator of "Lise" in Ashton's version, Nadia Nerina. Link to comment
Brioche Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Thanks Gina! Other faves of mine: Gina Ness, Lynda Meyer, (who were the men Gina? Zoltan and Attila?) in the first performance of Smuin's Quattro a Verdi at SFB in the late 70's. An electric evening for this young dancer. The next one is legendary already - Kristin Long, Tina Le Blanc, Katita Waldo (all moms) Gonzalo Garcia, Parrish Maynard (those legs - both of em) In Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude..........did I get that right? LOL I was so happy to have seen that cast do that wonderful work. Wow! Ann Jenner. I wish there was more of her on videotape. B Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 (edited) It was Alexander (Sasha) Filipov and Dennis Marshall...one of the most exciting moments of my career! Many, many curtain calls...Brioche, you are so sweet! Thanks...I am just back this evening from my second ballet class after not taking classes for a year and a half (although, I teach...NOT the same!) Grande plies seemed exhausting to me! You made my day! P.S. Did you know that I was a Mom, too, when you saw me dance? Not too many of us had kids at that time in the company...My whole professional career at SFB...I was a Mom at age 19... Edited March 9, 2005 by Gina Ness Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 There are so many it is hard to remember them all however even 32 years later, Pennsylvania Ballet on tour, Rider College, 1973, John Butler's After Eden, Alba Calzada and Lawrence Rhodes. I still, to this day can dream about that pas de deux. I wonder sometimes if I would still love it so much since I have not seen it performed in at least 20 years. It actually changed my perspective on what at that time was regional ballet. The next day I could not wait to call Pennsylvania Ballet to inquire about auditions. The next thing I knew I had past almost 9 years in Philadelphia. Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 (edited) Oh, yes...I saw them perform After Eden, too. I was very taken with Lawrence Rhodes as a dancer. He had such charisma onstage... Powerful!...Alba taught quite a bit at SFB as company instructor during my years there. She is a wonderful teacher. vrsfanatic...she is the only teacher I have ever studied with that always repeated every barre combination: first side, second side and then, repeat. I was constantly amazed we could fit all that in and still do so much in the center. P.S. Pennsylvania Ballet...Benjamin Harkarvy...I certainly understand the attraction to that company and director. Edited March 9, 2005 by Gina Ness Link to comment
Brioche Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Thanks Gina - I do remember you were a mom then. At the time in SFB's "souvenir" program there was, as I recall, a pick of you and Gardner and your son. Is that right.? Another exciting night for me in the late 70's - Cynthia Gregory and Fernando Bujones in the Diana/Acteon pas de deux. Whoa! Best, B Link to comment
Recommended Posts