abatt Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Maybe the fact that Marcelo is no longer dancing Bayadere contributed to Vishneva's decision not to dance it at ABT this season. I'll bet she was mighty pleased when the casting reshuffle caused by Hallberg's cancellations resulted in her getting Marcelo as her Giselle partner instead of Hallberg. Link to comment
c-green Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 California, thank you for your reply. I haven't seen this "rough cut" film. I'm looking forward to seeing the film when it is released. For Marcelo tends to evaluate himself moderately, I expect he will change his mind. Naomikage, thank you for your information and opinion. The decision of Manuel Legris and Laurent Hilaire is very interesting. Maybe Marcelo thought as well. abatt, totaly agree Link to comment
Josette Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 FYI to naomikage: I saw Manuel Legris dance Solor twice in La Bayadere in May of 2001, when he was 36 1/2. He was wonderful. Link to comment
mussel Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Maybe the fact that Marcelo is no longer dancing Bayadere contributed to Vishneva's decision not to dance it at ABT this season. I'll bet she was mighty pleased when the casting reshuffle caused by Hallberg's cancellations resulted in her getting Marcelo as her Giselle partner instead of Hallberg. The question is why was she cast with anyone other than Gomes in the first place. Link to comment
abatt Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I agree, Mussel. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Gomes - Vishneva partnership is a great one, and on the same high level as Ferri - Bocca, in my opinion. Those two dancers should always be cast together. Link to comment
Drew Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 But I see different qualities required in Solor in La Bayadere, so I understand that role might be too demanding if you want to show the audience the very best of yourself. I think Solor is much more difficult than Bourne's Swan, as this is a classical Petipa ballet and you have to have strict perfection as a classical dancer and in Bourne you don't have to be that strict, that is not a classical ballet anyway. (I love that work and have seen it more than 50 times) Especially the Chabukiani variation in the Kingdom of the Shades coda needs perfection with that double assembles and bravura. I agree that classical ballet requires particular kinds of strength, very different from what might be demanded in a work by Matthew Bourne--and even when it comes to classical roles, one might choose to retire one and not another. When Gomes danced Bayadere a couple of seasons ago, he already danced a version of the Shades scene variation/coda without the double assembles. I don't think it made him a lesser Solor: actually (and I wrote this at the time) I preferred that approach to poorly done double assembles. Link to comment
Waelsung Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Maybe the fact that Marcelo is no longer dancing Bayadere contributed to Vishneva's decision not to dance it at ABT this season. I'll bet she was mighty pleased when the casting reshuffle caused by Hallberg's cancellations resulted in her getting Marcelo as her Giselle partner instead of Hallberg. The question is why was she cast with anyone other than Gomes in the first place. My question is why she was cast at all:) Link to comment
abatt Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Because she is a top tier artist and is one of the few dancers whose name sells vast quantities of seats at the Met, especially in certain ballets like Giselle, R&J, Manon, Onegin.... SB is a stretch for her at this stage of the game. I'd rather see her do a modified SL than SB. Link to comment
MRR Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 But I see different qualities required in Solor in La Bayadere, so I understand that role might be too demanding if you want to show the audience the very best of yourself. I think Solor is much more difficult than Bourne's Swan, as this is a classical Petipa ballet and you have to have strict perfection as a classical dancer and in Bourne you don't have to be that strict, that is not a classical ballet anyway. (I love that work and have seen it more than 50 times) Especially the Chabukiani variation in the Kingdom of the Shades coda needs perfection with that double assembles and bravura. I agree that classical ballet requires particular kinds of strength, very different from what might be demanded in a work by Matthew Bourne--and even when it comes to classical roles, one might choose to retire one and not another. When Gomes danced Bayadere a couple of seasons ago, he already danced a version of the Shades scene variation/coda without the double assembles. I don't think it made him a lesser Solor: actually (and I wrote this at the time) I preferred that approach to poorly done double assembles. Last year when I saw him in Bayadere he replaced the assembles with double saut de basques, which I wouldn't consider much easier except that he "only" did five double saut de basques in comparison to the six (or more) double assembles some Solors do. But even though he was technically conservative in some places, Marcelo was one of the most intense, expressive Solors I've ever seen and it was a first rate performance. Link to comment
naomikage Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 FYI to naomikage: I saw Manuel Legris dance Solor twice in La Bayadere in May of 2001, when he was 36 1/2. He was wonderful. Thank you. I assume he would be wonderful even then. I might have misunderstood, he was in his late 30's when he said so. Link to comment
naomikage Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Very interesting conversation in this topic. Of course I am a big fan of Marcelo, I also saw him dance Solor with Diana Vishneva in 2012 at the World Ballet Festival and they were superb, such amazing partnership. I think he did the saut de basques but that looked great too. I also loved the Vishneva and Igor Kolb partnership at the Mariinsky because they both have strong character and the two fits in so well as though they were each other's lost half. So I am very sad that Vishneva (and Kolb) are not coming to the Mariinsky Japan tour in November-December, when they are expecting to do Jewels, Legend of Love, Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake. I was expecting Vishneva's Juliet. Maybe that is another sign that she will not be doing much full lengths. Link to comment
abatt Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 She still does Juliet and a number of other full length ballets. However, her appearances at both ABT and Mariinsky are quite limited in number. Link to comment
CTballetfan Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I would like to see one of the full-length ballets I have not seen: Othello, Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella and could use some advice. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each ballet and which cast would you recommend seeing in each? I am familiar with all the ABT principals and soloists, my favorites being Gillian Murphy, Marcelo Gomes, and Diana Vishneva, but would take advice on who is best suited to a particular role. Looking forward to purchasing tickets on March 22, when tickets to single performances become available. Thanks. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 ABT premiered its new "Sleeping Beauty" in Southern California" last Tuesday, and you can get feedback on the various casts, remembering that most of the dancers are getting one or two performances is a different style than they are used to. http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/38485-abt-to-unveil-new-sleeping-beauty-for-75th-anniversary/ Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 There is a DVD of San Francisco Ballet performing Lar Lubovitch's Othello which could help you decide whether it's your kind of thing. Link to comment
California Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 There is a DVD of San Francisco Ballet performing Lar Lubovitch's Othello which could help you decide whether it's your kind of thing. There are also a couple of YouTube clips of Gomes with Ferri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fTbFsZ6mm4&list=RDdz30Pdn-_Jg Link to comment
Waelsung Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I have a question about cast decision as well. If I do decide to see the new SB in NY after all, I'd definitely want to avoid Vishneva - just can't fathom a credible Aurora pushing 40. Plus, ever since Vishneva started doing her solo programs of modern dance her body became too athletic for classical ballet. I'm not really interested in all this muscle. Neither am I too keen on Osipova's take of Aurora. So, what options does this leave me with? What would be the best cast to see besides Vishneva and Osipova? What do esteemed members of this forum think?I am beginning to seriously consider S.Lane, but would love to hear other opinions. Thanks a lot in advance everybody! Link to comment
abatt Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 My opinion on the SB's is to go for either Murphy-Gomes on opening night of the production in NY, or go for Lane/Cornejo. Seo is no technical wizard, to put it mildly. Boylston is a work in progress. I've always liked Paloma in this role, but there seems to be a sense that she is phoning it in for this from what I read of the Calif performances. Also who knows what her chemistry will be with TBA for her farewell. Also re CT balletfan comments above, be warned that Othello is modern dance, not classical ballet. Link to comment
vipa Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'm going for Lane. I saw her do it several years ago and found it enchanting. Link to comment
Drew Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I've always liked Paloma in this role, but there seems to be a sense that she is phoning it in for this from what I read of the Calif performances. Also who knows what her chemistry will be with TBA for her farewell. I love reading everyone's reviews, but I'm conscious that this production is just underway. The current performances amount to something like 'out of town' tryouts--all the ballerinas should be more comfortable once it gets to NY. But even if that were not the case, it seems highly unlikely to me that Herrera will be phoning it in for her farewell performance. She dances other ballets being done this season. Presumably she wanted Aurora... Link to comment
Barbara Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'm seeing the Lane/Cornejo SB because I think it will suit her perfectly. And crossing fingers that Cornejo is uninjured. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I suggest seeing either Murphy or Lane. I'm going to see Lane myself, but if my wallet allows I might see both! Link to comment
Username Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I have a question about cast decision as well. If I do decide to see the new SB in NY after all, I'd definitely want to avoid Vishneva - just can't fathom a credible Aurora pushing 40. Unless they cast a 16 year-old as Aurora, nobody will be credible anyway. So there's really no difference between 39 year-old Vishneva, 31 year-old Lane and 29 year-old Boylston; they are all too old. Personally, I'll go see Vishneva while we still have her. Link to comment
angelica Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I'm definitely going to see Lane/Cornejo. I saw Lane dance Aurora several years ago and she was absolutely beautiful and technically assured. She nailed a sequence of triple pirouettes that I will never forget. She is a very fine actress as well. Link to comment
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