Dale Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 Official release: POLINA SEMIONOVA TO WITHDRAW FROM PERFORMANCES WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE Due to injury, Principal Dancer Polina Semionova will withdraw from her remaining performances with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House. It was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Semionova was scheduled for seven additional performances during the Company’s 2015 Spring season. Guest Artist Maria Kochetkova will replace Semionova in an excerpt from Act II of Giselle in this evening’s 75th Anniversary Gala performance. Soloist Stella Abrera will replace Semionova in the title role of Giselle on Saturday evening, May 23. Principal Dancer Hee Seo will replace Semionova as Nikiya in La Bayadère on Monday evening, June 1 and at the matinee on Saturday, June 6, and as Juliet on Monday evening, June 15. Seo will also replace Semionova as Odette/Odile on Monday evening, June 15 and Saturday evening, June 27. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2015 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Official release: Principal Dancer Hee Seo will replace Semionova as Nikiya in La Bayadère on Monday evening, June 1 and at the matinee on Saturday, June 6, and as Juliet on Monday evening, June 15. Seo will also replace Semionova as Odette/Odile on Monday evening, June 15 and Saturday evening, June 27. Well, looking on the bright side, Hee Seo can certainly use the practice, but I wish there were more variety in the substitutions. Link to comment
kaskait Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Well, looking on the bright side, Hee Seo can certainly use the practice. Not even one Swan Lake for Lane? That is just petty. The very definition of the word. But then again, I'm not surprised. Lane would make all the rest of them look like turkeys. Link to comment
vipa Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Well, looking on the bright side, Hee Seo can certainly use the practice, but I wish there were more variety in the substitutions. This would have been a great opportunity for KM to offer opportunities to some dancers, not more and more Hee Seo. Link to comment
nysusan Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Well, looking on the bright side, Hee Seo can certainly use the practice, but I wish there were more variety in the substitutions. LOL!! Actually, this is quite disgusting. ABT's weakest principal will now get 3 Nikiyas, 2 Juliets and 3 O/Os? Mckenzie shows no respect for his artists or his audience Link to comment
abatt Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Gulp. I have a lot of ticket exchanges to make. I still want to see Kimin Kim, so I might end up keeping the Bayadere, in spite of Hee Seo. Link to comment
onxmyxtoes Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 LOL!! Actually, this is quite disgusting. ABT's weakest principal will now get 3 Nikiyas, 2 Juliets and 3 O/Os? Mckenzie shows no respect for his artists or his audience I also wonder if her body can handle all of this extra workload. Why would he risk injuring her from all of these additional shows? Spread the love! Link to comment
kaskait Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 LOL!! Actually, this is quite disgusting. ABT's weakest principal will now get 3 Nikiyas, 2 Juliets and 3 O/Os? Mckenzie shows no respect for his artists or his audience The last thing ABT should do is P off their Russian contingent. Since they count on them for their box office. They will NOT be happy with Seo. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 That Bayadère matinee should be very exciting for local Koreans. But yes, it is a lot of Swan Lakes, with only one day rest in between each, plus a Cinderella the following Monday. And will she really dance Juliet two days in a row with two different partners? It's asking a lot. Link to comment
abatt Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Does McKenzie think that forcing Hee Seo on the public repeatedly is going to increase box office. My future plan for next season is to buy fewer tickets in advance, since nothing really sells out at ABT anyway. Link to comment
kaskait Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Does McKenzie think that forcing Hee Seo on the public repeatedly is going to increase box office. My future plan for next season is to buy fewer tickets in advance, since nothing really sells out at ABT anyway. It would have been interesting if he tried to push Misty Copeland on the Russians. LOL. I think I would almost pay to see the fur fly on that one. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 According to the mass email that Amtrak sent to customers whose emails are on file: Effective with departures from Philadelphia at 5:53 a.m. (Train 110) and New York City at 5:30 a.m. (Train 111) on Monday, May 18, Amtrak will restore normal service on the Northeast Corridor. Perhaps Macmillan believes that the exposure the barely identified Hee Seo got in the Ric Burns documentary will translate into box office. Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 That Bayadère matinee should be very exciting for local Koreans. But yes, it is a lot of Swan Lakes, with only one day rest in between each, plus a Cinderella the following Monday. And will she really dance Juliet two days in a row with two different partners? It's asking a lot. So she's going to dance Tuesday O/O, Thursday O/O, Saturday O/O, Monday Cinderella, Wednesday Cinderella. Why on earth would they decide it's best to have a single dancer do all that? What is the urgency here? Even if you don't want to give an opportunity to a dancer who's not already doing the role (e.g. Sarah's O/O), why not have some of the other current regulars (e.g. Part, Murphy) fill in for a few of the performances? Link to comment
Golden Idol Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 KM must really be besotted with her, but apart from that, the work load will be exhausting for her--how can it not be? Link to comment
California Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I'm wondering how much this might have to do with the partners, especially Bolle in Swan Lake and Stearns & Hammoudi in R&J. Are they considered a bad match with Lane? She knows both roles, although she's never done them with ABT. Grueling schedule. Link to comment
abatt Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I think McKenzie objects to Lane. Since she is so tiny, I can't imagine anyone objecting to partnering Lane. However, I bet Bolle and Gomes will not dance with Part (in SL) because she is too big. Part could have easily picked up a SL and a Bayadere. Wonder if Kimin Kim also refused a Part hook up because she is so tall. I wonder if Vishneva was offered any of these assignments and turned them down. Why, why would he not at least give Murphy the opening night R&J. She has danced that ballet with Cory before. Stay tuned for the next installment of the soap opera As ABT Turns. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 why not have some of the other current regulars (e.g. Part, Murphy) fill in for a few of the performances? Perhaps McKenzie asked them and they declined. Part and Murphy are older than Seo and may feel it necessary to pace themselves a bit more. Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I bet Bolle and Gomes will not dance with Part (in SL) because she is too big. We've gotten indications of this from Bolle before, but in the case of Gomes this would be a new development. (And it would be sad, because theirs was such a fantastic partnership!) Link to comment
abatt Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I guess we are quite lucky that McKenzie decided to give Stella the one Giselle. We are lucky that he didn't stick Hee Seo into that Giselle, too. Link to comment
mussel Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 According to the article, Seminonova and Malakhov had a major falling out for unpublished reason, now that Malakhov is out of the picture and her longing to reunite with her brother and husband in Berlin, I wouldn't be surprised if she leaves ABT and rejoins Berlin State Ballet: http://www.exberliner.com/culture/stage/polina-semionova/ Link to comment
abatt Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Gomes has not partnered Part in SL for quite a number of years. I think that's intentional, not a coincidence. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 So far there hasn't been any official news of anyone refusing a part or partnership this season except Herrera, who turned down the reconstructed "Sleeping Beauty" as her retirement performance: Herrera was to retire from ABT on June 9 at the Metropolitan Opera House, as Princess Aurora in Alexei Ratmansky’s new production of “The Sleeping Beauty.” But she has pulled out of that show, she announces with a wide smile that suggests relief. “It wasn’t my choice to retire with ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ ” she says, in the lyrical rhythms of a light Argentine accent. “I don’t feel comfortable with it. . . . I wanted to do something that I’ve done a lot with ABT. “I’ve been here for 24 years and it’s been my life, and I really wanted to retire with something that meant something special to me,” she continues. “It was not very nice that I didn’t have a choice. It was like, ‘You have to retire in this production.’ ” http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/these-star-ballerinas-are-retiring--graceful-and-grateful-to-the-last-dance/2015/03/20/62f0ef6a-cf24-11e4-a2a7-9517a3a70506_story.html Link to comment
kaskait Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I guess we are quite lucky that McKenzie decided to give Stella the one Giselle. We are lucky that he didn't stick Hee Seo into that Giselle, too. I'm wondering how that happened as well. Maybe McKenzie wasn't wearing his glasses that day and mistook the two of them. Whatever the case, someone was on Abrera's side and I'm glad. She is one of the best dancers in the company and she deserved that part. Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Gomes has not partnered Part in SL for quite a number of years. I think that's intentional, not a coincidence. It wasn't very long ago that Gomes stepped in for an injured Stearns to partner her, though I can't recall exactly when or whether it was SL or perhaps Bayadere. Anyone recall? Maybe it was 2 years ago? Link to comment
nanushka Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I guess we are quite lucky that McKenzie decided to give Stella the one Giselle. We are lucky that he didn't stick Hee Seo into that Giselle, too. Perhaps only because she would have been dancing that one two days in a row as well. Link to comment
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