NY Times Review on ABT Romeo and Juliet

[Ambonnay]

Very appreciative NYT review, not by Alistair M, is out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/arts/dance/12romeo.html

Photo is by Matt Murphy, a friend of Hallberg and former ABT dancer before health problems affected Murphy.

I liked that the review only described the Hallberg/Osipova performance. Hallberg has been getting rave revew after rave review this season (past seasons too):

"a superb partner"

"daring Romeo"

"As Romeo, Mr. Hallberg was at his most fresh, exhibiting his confidence through clear, clean jumps and an ardor that matched."

"In his masked dance at the ball Mr. Hallberg made the first move with gleaming leaps and turns — his weapons for seduction. And during the rapturous balcony scene, ... he was rhapsodic.... By the end, dancing only for each other, they were windswept."

"... the courage to bare all whenever they [Hallberg and Osipova] step onstage gives them a resolute harmony. As young ballet stars they show a longing to push past the point of comfort in their roles.... You can sense their impatience, their devotion and, finally, their desire not to settle for a performance on the surface."

[Jane Simpson]

Very appreciative, indeed - but for the benefit of anyone who doesn't have time to read the complete review it's maybe worth saying that Gia Kourlas is at least as admiring of Osipova as she is of David Hallberg. Having read what he said himself about the performance, I doubt Mr Hallberg would want even the most casual reader to get the impression it was all, or even mostly, about him!

[bart]

The review is remarkably balanced. (It is, of course, Romeo AND Juliet we are talking about.)

I always enjoy reviews which focus on the interaction of ensembles (even if the ensemble is just a partnership) than when the lens is focused narrowly on one favored performer to the exclusion of context.

As someone who has not and possibly will never have the chance to be in a theater when these two dancers are performing together, I really do appreciate getting the whole picture.

[Ambonnay]

Another rave review:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100712/ap_en_re/us_dance_romeo_and_juliet_2