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Kings of Dance/NYC/Feb. 24


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Vasiliev's solo last night was one of the most magnificent pieces I have ever seen on stage. Labyrinth of Solitude, Music was Vitali's Ciaconne in G Minor, Choreography by Patrick de Bana. His expressiveness and movement showed an aspect of his ability which I have never seen before.

Leonid Sarafanov, formerly of the Kirov and now also with the Mikhailovsky, had been scheduled to appear......was even listed yesterday on the website......but was not there, and there was no mention of him in the program. Anyone know what happened?

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Huck, I don't think Sarafanov was scheduled to come to NY with the Kings. Kings tours to many different cities, with varying cast members. You mentioned the highlight of the program. Without a doubt, Vasiliev was thrilling. Sadly, most of the rest of the program was garbage. Instead of Kings of Dance, it shoud have been called Kings of Twitch. Most of the dancers' solos consisted of odd hand, head and arm twitches. There was very little actual dancing going on. David Hallberg was made to look foolish by Nacho Duato's choreography as he pranced around the stage in a big skirt, which he sometimes threw over his head to show us his underpants. Oh, and did I mention that sometimes David put the hem of the skirt in his mouth? Guillame Cote's solo was even more tedious, as he twitched his arms and hands for what seemed like an eternity. Denis Matvienko twitched while rolling on the floor. Gomes did a dopey solo that at least had a few minutes of actual dancing. I feel like I was pickpocketed by Mr Danilian. There must have been a memo that went out to the choreographers instructing them to create inane, simplistic choregraphy so that the dancers wouldn't get injured. Thank goodness Vasiliev's choreographer (DeBana?)was the one and only choreographer who took full advantage of the marvelous technical abilities of King Vasiliev. What a major disaster and waste of money and time.

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I feel like I was pickpocketed by Mr Danilian. ... What a major disaster and waste of money and time.

This is how I feel about almost every Ardani production I've attended. I'm so glad I decided against going last year; they are just so condescending to the audience: "Oh we'll just throw whatever onstage with some 'stars' and you'll eat it right up!"

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I feel like I was pickpocketed by Mr Danilian. ...What a major disaster and waste of money and time.

Me too, felt the same. I didn't like his previous installment of King of Dance, and my fears of lost money were confirmed.

About the performance. I did find Vasiliev solo very moving and powerful. However, seeing him among other dancers, highlighted his (in my humble point of view) shortcomings, his body type, leg muscle tone and lately lacking extensions. He still has a most powerful jump and spin, but his splits are almost non-present.

I could not care less for choreography of the program, however it was nice to see the great bodies of the dancers (I adored David's feet, and eloquent lines of his and Denis'; Marcelo's fluidity).

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Hello Abatt

This link is still live, and although Sarafanov's name had been dropped from this page, it still appeared on the "casting" link (now dead) a day or two before the performance. Also, if you look at the last 2 of the clips shown here, he is practicing with this group in the same pieces, quite recently.

http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionnew.aspx?performanceNumber=6249

Oh well, more than I need to know.

I agree with you........with the exception of Vasiliev's piece, the choreography made the rest of them look like they had a serious nervous disorder. And yes, Hallberg's outfit was pathetic.

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Somehow the flamenco style of the Hallberg piece would have worked better on Marcelo Gomes. The "skirt" started out as culottes and then was unfastened into a flamenco skirt. Nacho Duato was responsible for both choreography and costume and God may forgive him but I never will!! My reaction to all the choreography was that each choreographer was drawing from the same bag of tricks. Everything was an alternation of voguing arm movements, weird hand gestures with a few standard classical virtuoso combinations thrown in, so we know that these are ballet stars and not hip-hop artists. Have them flail around a bit so we think there is some kind of profound artistic angst going on underneath.

Actually, the Patrick de Bana piece for Ivan Vasiliev was cut from the same cloth as the rest of the pieces but Vasiliev's go for broke intensity and raw physical and emotional power made it look like a masterpiece. It got a screaming stomping standing ovation and was interrupted with applause and gasps throughout. I am not sure that Vasiliev is going to be a great artist - he is a big personality and technical dynamo but there is a lot of refining to do. The only classical ballet I have seen him in is "Coppelia" at ABT where I noticed that he lacked classical line and elegance. He was better in Ratmansky's "The Bright Stream" and probably is a fine Grigorovich Spartacus. He didn't convince me as a classicist. He would knock you dead with the cabrioles, pirouettes, barrel turns and then lose the line and placement in the intervening steps. Here that "knock out a few whammys" and then slouch around was built into the choreographic style. Ivan Vasiliev also is short with overly muscular legs - basically a demi-caractere dancer. Unlike most of the short thunder thighed virtuosos I have seen he isn't the greatest jumper. His elevation is mediocre. On the other hand every choreographer he danced (De Bana, Bigonzetti and Gomes) threw in a bunch of revoltades, 180's, splits, tours a la seconde and barrel turns to show off his power. Also, he was something of the class clown in the two ensemble pieces - a goofy show-off and the butt of the other dancers jokes.

Guillaume Côté, the most understated classical dancer came off worst (Hallberg didn't fare as well has he usually does either) because the style of the choreographies didn't suit him. I actually loved Côté's piano concerto composition (which he played part of live onstage!) which was used for Marcelo Gomes' "KO'ed" the big finale for all the boys. Talk about multitalented and multitasking! I actually sort of liked this last piece best and feel that Gomes may develop into a talented choreographer. Gomes came off as the most authoritative and versatile dancer and the most finished artist - almost the grand old man of the group! God I am getting old!

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......This is how I feel about almost every Ardani production I've attended. ....

Join the club. And Vishneva's 'Dialogues' haven't even made it to City Center yet. Buyer Beware.

Buyer beware indeed. Here's the trailer: Her "Dialogues" is "Beauty In Motion 7.0" or what the iPad is to the iPhone.

If you love the product you'll upgrade.

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......This is how I feel about almost every Ardani production I've attended. ....

Join the club. And Vishneva's 'Dialogues' haven't even made it to City Center yet. Buyer Beware.

I swore off all Ardani productions because I always feel cheated by them. I really don't know what they would have to put on for me to buy a ticket to their event. Maybe only if they resurrected some long-gone dancers from the dead :)

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abatt you are right, i also have same thoughts.

Huck, I don't think Sarafanov was scheduled to come to NY with the Kings. Kings tours to many different cities, with varying cast members. You mentioned the highlight of the program. Without a doubt, Vasiliev was thrilling. Sadly, most of the rest of the program was garbage. Instead of Kings of Dance, it shoud have been called Kings of Twitch. Most of the dancers' solos consisted of odd hand, head and arm twitches. There was very little actual dancing going on. David Hallberg was made to look foolish by Nacho Duato's choreography as he pranced around the stage in a big skirt, which he sometimes threw over his head to show us his underpants. Oh, and did I mention that sometimes David put the hem of the skirt in his mouth? Guillame Cote's solo was even more tedious, as he twitched his arms and hands for what seemed like an eternity. Denis Matvienko twitched while rolling on the floor. Gomes did a dopey solo that at least had a few minutes of actual dancing. I feel like I was pickpocketed by Mr Danilian. There must have been a memo that went out to the choreographers instructing them to create inane, simplistic choregraphy so that the dancers wouldn't get injured. Thank goodness Vasiliev's choreographer (DeBana?)was the one and only choreographer who took full advantage of the marvelous technical abilities of King Vasiliev. What a major disaster and waste of money and time.

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......This is how I feel about almost every Ardani production I've attended. ....

Join the club. And Vishneva's 'Dialogues' haven't even made it to City Center yet. Buyer Beware.

Any reviews of Vishneva? Is it worth going to NYC tomorrow?

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Ivan Vasiliev has been busy on his new Twitter account. He just announced that the Kings of the Dance will perform again, in London, March 19-22, 2014:

http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=2444

This new incarnation of Kings of the Dance showcases the American Ballet Theatre's reigning stars Marcelo Gomes and Ivan Vasiliev, and Russia's brilliant Denis Matvienko of the Mariinsky Ballet and Leonid Sarafanov of the Mikhailovsky Ballet.
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