Spring 2015: Romeo and Juliet

[Helene]

I don't see how using a dancing double would have affected whether Aaronofsky or Millepied would win an Academy Award. It was Portman who didn't dance, and that didn't stop her from winning one.

[abatt]

I don't think the treatment of Lane at ABT stems from the Black Swan issues. I think she is just one of many excellent soloists who are left to rot at ABT. That's why so many talented people have left (Messmer, Kajiya, Jared Mathhews, to name a few). The business policy that went into effect several years ago at ABT is at odds with the development of talent from within. (I'm talkng about that candid interview that was quickly erased from youtube). I do feel sorry for Lane, and agree with Canbelto that it would have not taken anything away from Misty or any of the other Juliet's to allow Sarah to take one Juliet.

[nanushka]

I don't see how using a dancing double would have affected whether Aaronofsky or Millepied would win an Academy Award. It was Portman who didn't dance, and that didn't stop her from winning one.

It would be just as much in Aronofsky's and Millepied's (financial) interests for Portman to win an Oscar as for they themselves or the film to win one. Just because the controversy didn't ultimately prevent her from winning one doesn't mean there weren't fears in the lead-up to the Oscars that it might. Indeed, it was reported at the time that, according to Lane, she'd been asked to keep her mouth shut at least until after the Oscars.

When it comes to votes from the Academy, perception matters -- and if the perception is that the makers of the film had done something extraordinary, that could only help their chances.

I'm not suggesting this has anything to do with why Lane didn't get the R&J. Just responding narrowly to the above point.

[stuben]

I don't think the treatment of Lane at ABT stems from the Black Swan issues. I think she is just one of many excellent soloists who are left to rot at ABT. That's why so many talented people have left (Messmer, Kajiya, Jared Mathhews, to name a few). The business policy that went into effect several years ago at ABT is at odds with the development of talent from within. (I'm talkng about that candid interview that was quickly erased from youtube). I do feel sorry for Lane, and agree with Canbelto that it would have not taken anything away from Misty or any of the other Juliet's to allow Sarah to take one Juliet.

In agreement that if they are not doing anything to nuture their own, we might just see more at the exit door. ABT should know that they are not the only company in the country or for that matter the world. Yes, the prestige of being in NYC or being the Nation's company may be attractive to many, but if I was a dancer I would wonder if it is better to sit on the sidelines for this prestige or dance and get the coaching to improve? I read somewhere a while ago that KM and the artistic staff seems to use other companies to be their training ground for whom they hire, like they did with Whiteside vs nuturing Jared to get promoted. Maybe this makes sense to save on coaching costs for the in-house talent? With the financial issues I have been reading in several comments, it seems they want guarantee sell outs or you are just overlooked as a talented dancer. It is sad since many dancers don't have the PR branding or money to back them up.

[NinaFan]

It would be just as much in Aronofsky's and Millepied's (financial) interests for Portman to win an Oscar as for they themselves or the film to win one. Just because the controversy didn't ultimately prevent her from winning one doesn't mean there weren't fears in the lead-up to the Oscars that it might. Indeed, it was reported at the time that, according to Lane, she'd been asked to keep her mouth shut at least until after the Oscars.

if I recall correctly, Lane honored their request not to speak out until after the Academy Awards were over. I would hope that no one would hold it against her for disclosing that she was a dancing double after Ms. Portman won the Oscar.

[ABT Fan]

From a financial standpoint, particularly if ABT is struggling as has been suggested, giving Misty an extra performance makes sense. Her Swan Lake is completely sold out, and last I checked, her Romeo and Juliet on Saturday was close to being sold out. I think the only other performances that have sold out this spring season are Julie Kent's farewell and the anniversary gala.

As for the shuffling of Hee Seo into Wednesday's performance, perhaps the thought was that replacing Osipova with a principal would look better on paper than replacing her with a soloist. (For what it's worth, I've seen Seo perform a few times and thought she was quite lovely.)

That said, I had been keeping hope alive that Alina Cojocaru could have graced us with her presence again, but alas, it was not to be...

Copeland's SL is not completely sold out, I just checked, but it might as well be. There are only 7 seats left and those are in the expensive Parterre section. Impressive. And her original-slated debut in R&J on 6/20 has sold much better than even the all-star cast of Vishneva/Gomes of 6/19. Very impressive. I'll bet the management is expecting her additional R&J on 6/16 to now sell like wildfire. From a strictly financial perspective, I understand giving Copeland another show (if their reasoning is financial). I don't like it, but I understand it. Ballet is still a business and they need to make money.

[vagansmom]

Regarding sitting on the sidelines or dancing a lot, I know that I would have a hard time leaving ABT if I were a dancer with them. It's SO hard to get a long-term contract in ballet that having a steady income with ABT would be worth it. Most companies here in the USA have short seasons. All too many companies are struggling much harder than ABT. I couldn't imagine leaving a paid dancing position, even if I felt I were underutilized, to head for the uncertainties of another company. Not unless I were close to the point of leaving the dancing life altogether. At that point, it would probably be worth it to give it a try elsewhere.

[nanushka]

if I recall correctly, Lane honored their request not to speak out until after the Academy Awards were over. I would hope that no one would hold it against her for disclosing that she was a dancing double after Ms. Portman won the Oscar.

I think Lane did an interview with Glamour before the Oscars in which she apparently revealed more than the film's producers were comfortable with. After the Oscars, she did further interviews, claiming that she had been contacted by the producers after the Glamour interview and asked not to say any more until after the Oscars.

So, she didn't reveal the "gag order" until after the Oscars, but she had apparently "spoken out" at least once before, and it sounds like they weren't happy about that.

More info here.

I don't think it was ever a secret that a dance double was used; I think the issue was more about how much was Portman dancing vs. how much was Lane dancing.

[abatt]

It's really difficult to uproot your life in search of a better ballet position. Presumably Lane could go into a smaller company as a principal, but as noted above, for all of its awful policies, ABT still provides a steady reliable income and benefits. Plus, considerations involing the job of her husband also come into play. Sometimes practically must win out over other considerations. Also, I recall Sarah saying a number of years ago that she wanted to start a family, so probably staying at ABT is her best option if that's a goal.

[NinaFan]

I think Lane did an interview with Glamour before the Oscars in which she apparently revealed more than the film's producers were comfortable with. After the Oscars, she did further interviews, claiming that she had been contacted by the producers after the Glamour interview and asked not to say any more until after the Oscars.

So, she didn't reveal the "gag order" until after the Oscars, but she had apparently "spoken out" at least once before, and it sounds like they weren't happy about that.

Thank you nanushka! That would explain why I had heard about Lane as Portman’s dancing double fairly early on, but then heard nothing else about it for months!

[stuben]

Regarding sitting on the sidelines or dancing a lot, I know that I would have a hard time leaving ABT if I were a dancer with them. It's SO hard to get a long-term contract in ballet that having a steady income with ABT would be worth it. Most companies here in the USA have short seasons. All too many companies are struggling much harder than ABT. I couldn't imagine leaving a paid dancing position, even if I felt I were underutilized, to head for the uncertainties of another company. Not unless I were close to the point of leaving the dancing life altogether. At that point, it would probably be worth it to give it a try elsewhere.

Good point on this vagansmom, still remains the unfortunate state of this wonderful artform controlled by big money, as in recent issue with San Jose Ballet and now Ceder Lake Ballet. Lucky for NYCB with PM in the helm holding strong.

[Just an Observer]

The "Black Swan" controversy was an issue for the movie, not ABT.

And Millipied is married to Natalie Portman, who was "exposed" as not having danced what people thought she had.

[oscarlevantfan]

Regarding sitting on the sidelines or dancing a lot, I know that I would have a hard time leaving ABT if I were a dancer with them. It's SO hard to get a long-term contract in ballet that having a steady income with ABT would be worth it.

I think this is indirectly why the corps at ABT tends to be at the same time really weak but also unfortunately underutilized (for example, there's a new corps member who IMO is very talented but who has yet to be cast this season, she's a great dancer but never gets the chance to get out on stage)--- and yet, I saw an event at Miller Theater last year that featured a lot of seasoned ABT corps members. I didn't get a program and spent the first hour thinking I was watching the Barnard students. Not professionals. These students are really quite good! Thought I to myself... :-o

[vipa]

I think this is indirectly why the corps at ABT tends to be at the same time really weak but also unfortunately underutilized (for example, there's a new corps member who IMO is very talented but who has yet to be cast this season, she's a great dancer but never gets the chance to get out on stage)--- and yet, I saw an event at Miller Theater last year that featured a lot of seasoned ABT corps members. I didn't get a program and spent the first hour thinking I was watching the Barnard students. Not professionals. These students are really quite good! Thought I to myself... :-o

I know it's been said before but one problem at ABT is rep. A lot of full length story ballets have very little for the corps to do or very little that's challenging for them to do. Contrast that with NYCB which has a lot of ballets that are wickedly hard for the corps, but enables them to get on stage doing challenging stuff, showing TPTB what they can do, and motivating them to stay in top shape. It's tough for everyone at ABT

[Jayne]

also, the breakneck schedule of the rep - back to back ballets changing every week, sometimes three per week. This is quite different than PNB which has up to 2 months between each rep. Here is the Met spring season:

Week 1: Mixed Rep A (Les Sylphides / Pillar of Fire / Fancy Free)

Mixed Rep B (Theme & Variations / Jardin aux Lilies / Rodeo)

Week 2: Gala (wide variety)

Othello

Giselle

Week 3: Giselle

Sleeping Beauty

Week 4: La Bayadere

Week 5: Sleeping Beauty

Week 6: Romeo & Juliet

Week 7: Swan Lake

Week 8: Cinderella

Honestly, that's the schedule that most companies perform over a 9 month season - not over 8 weeks!

[stuben]

also, the breakneck schedule of the rep - back to back ballets changing every week, sometimes three per week. This is quite different than PNB which has up to 2 months between each rep....

Couldn't agree with this comment from Jayne more. As the season goes on with this "breakneck" schedule, even the more seasoned dancers seem tired in their steps, as many have mentioned about the disappointments with even wonderful dancers as Sarah or new soloist like Devon, whom IMO are beautiful dancers in their own right, perheps they are all just over rehearsed and pure exhaustion with this schedule IMO. This circles back to the fact that the Met is not a home unlike so many companies who have their home base with stage availabilities, as Houston who now have an amazing new home and own stage year round. I recall a number of years ago, when the economy was better, there were talks about a permanant home for the ABT, but I do wonder if donors pulled out since that never surfaced again. It is IMO a travisty since this is supposed to be our Nation's company, but in name only.

[laurel]

The AD began ignoring Sarah Lane long before Black Swan. It was right after she made her NY debut as Aurora – when was that, 2008? It was a Wed. matinee with Cornejo, and she gave a gorgeous, technically superb performance - she nailed that Rose Adagio! - and the audience went wild for her. But she had a Cheshire Cat grin plastered on her face through much of the first act, which seemed to be a major strike against her. Instead of giving her additional opportunities so she could improve, the way he does now with Hee Seo, the AD simply stopped casting her in leading roles. Her wonderful debut was also brushed aside by the critic from the NY Times as if she were simply a speck of dust. Whatever it was the AD didn’t see in her then, he’s never changed his opinion since. Tragic, and such a terrible, terrible waste.

[RUKen]

Nobody else has commented on the Monday dress rehearsal, so I will. I apologize that my ballet vocabulary is not as extensive as the more frequent commenters on this board.

They rehearsed Act 1 with Misty Copeland and Joseph Gorak (the Saturday matinee cast) in the leads, and then repeated the balcony pdd with Evgenia Obraztsova and Herman Cornejo (the Thursday leads). After the intermission, Act 2 was skipped and Act 3 was rehearsed with the Obraztsova/Cornejo cast.

Copeland and Gorak seemed tentative in their partnering, and Misty needs to develop more depth in her characterization of Juliet; she seems to rely on a few stock facial expressions. Joseph was very convincing as Romeo.

Because Obraztsova/Cornejo performed the balcony scene immediately after Copeland/Gorak, it was easy to see the difference. Evgenia showed a wide range of expressions and was always in motion; she never seemed to be waiting for her turn to dance the way Misty sometimes did. She and Herman looked not like a new pairing but like they had danced together for years. Their "performance" in Act 3 was equally satisfying; I've always been a fan of Herman Cornejo and now I want to see much more of Evgenia Obraztsova. I think that anyone who is going Thursday night will see a great performance.

After Act 3 was finished, and they briefly rehearsed the bows, the crypt set was broken down and the bedroom set was in place during the notes. While others were getting notes, Misty was on stage in warmup clothing running through some of Juliet's movements by herself. Kevin McKenzie then gave her a few notes before the rehearsal ended.

[nanushka]

Copeland and Gorak seemed tentative in their partnering, and Misty needs to develop more depth in her characterization of Juliet; she seems to rely on a few stock facial expressions. Joseph was very convincing as Romeo.

This is going to be a big challenge for Misty going forward. She always seems to rely on that one rather extreme smile. (Reminds me of Sarah Lane -- though her smile was rather different -- back when she first did Aurora.)

Misty could also use some professional consultation on her makeup application. I recall some orange lips and other atrocities in the past.

[Amour]

Well, tonight I'm going to talk about a performance I never thought I'd see and to which I did not buy a ticket: Misty's R&J debut. I missed Act 1 so can only speak to Acts 2 & 3. What happened was my husband and I got out of a movie (The Wolfpack) at the Walter Reade and decided to walk across the plaza. R& J was just having their 1st intermission and I asked someone how he liked it. He did but was leaving for dinner and gave me his ticket! Row L orchestra:) Wow! And I ended up sitting next to a dance critic whose review should be up in Dance Tabs.

First, the few good things I have to say. Misty was not as bad as I expected. Not great but not bad. She has stage presence. The dancing isn't up to snuff and she overacts like crazy but overall not that bad. And the long skirts cover all that extreme musculature. But really Joey Gorak! He was PERFECTION as Benvolio. Gorgeous lines, perfect pirouettes. If he's not named a principal by 2016 I'll be very surprised.

Now the rest. First this was probably the first R&J that left me totally unmoved. Granted, I was brought up on Ferri & Bocca but still Vishneva and Osipova have turned in quite good Juliet performances since then. Misty and Hammoudi (Romeo) had zero chemistry and I mean ZERO. They barely looked at each other and he, in particular was a terrible actor. For that matter his dancing wasn't good either. It looked sloppy and bland. Really, when he was with Mercutio (Craig Salstein) and Benvolio (Joey) all I could watch was Joey. Misty, due to her very womanly body does not look in any way like 14 years old. Really, it's a stretch to even imagine her as 21. And unlike Ferri, who at 44 years old could still act like a girl, Misty acts like a woman.

Then there was the partnering, which was labored and really awkward looking. Hammoudi looked like he could barely lift Misty. Given what RUKen and nanushka have posted about Misty's dress rehearsal with Joey I think the partnering issues are her fault. The crypt scene was especially terrible. Misty did not look dead at all; you could see her lifting her legs up to get in position. I think she still needs to drop some weight and learn how to better lift up her weight. And she seemed terrified of the flying lifts. She ran up to Hammoudi, then would stop dead in her tracks and he would pick her up (or try to). I'm used to Ferri, Vishneva and Osipova who really go for it. They would run and jump and their partners (Bocca, Marcelo and David) were always there to catch them. And those really fast pirouettes that Ferri could do, playing with the music. Well, tonight Misty did about half as many and they looked very unmusical. The bedroom scene was just blah and the crypt scene was pretty bad and totally emotionally uninvolving.

Finally, Craig Salstein was Mercutio. The mandolin dance left a lot to be desired. Craig bailed on the last jump over the final man (where he does a series) feigning a bad back. C'mon Craig. I remember when Herman and Joaquin De Luz used to alternate as Mercutio. Those were the days:) The corps girls who play Juliet's friends (tonight Skylar, Gabrielle Johnson, Jamie Kopit, Isadora Loyola, Katherine Williams and Stephanie Williams) were out of sync with each other and their spacing was off. More rehearsal needed there. On the other hand, the 3 harlots (Luciana Paris, Zhong-Jing Fang and Alexandra Basmagy) were very good.

Finally, there were lots of empty seats in the orchestra tonight. In fact, the whole house was simply not crowded. That was a surprise, given how Misty clearly has a top drawer PR person working overtime for her.

So, tonight was not a total dud but definitely not a performance I would have paid to see. Thank you to the total stranger who gave me his ticket, though!

[vagansmom]

Amour, I'm not going to address the dancing because I wasn't there (although I'm not a fan of her dancing - she's not ready for the big roles), but I do want to comment on 2 points you made about Misty's appearance: her "extreme musculature" and "Misty, due to her very womanly body does not look in any way like 14 years old."

I remember when comments about Wendy Whelan were split between her dancing and her extreme musculature (and thinness). In the latter years of her career, I rarely saw those comments - it was all about her dancing. And then there's this: http://dancemagazine.com/issues/July-2008/Is-Muscular-the-New-Skinny Most of the article is about modern dancers, but ballet dancers are also represented and interviewed.

Re your comment about Misty not looking like a 14 year old because of her womanly body: Have you seen 14 year old girls today? I work with middle school students all the time and most of them look like women in their 20's. I think it's truer today than in Juliet's time. However, as a local history buff, I've gone through hundreds of old class photos from my town and the surrounding towns. I'd say that the 14 year olds from the late 1800's were at least evenly split in looking either like a child or a woman. The exceptions are ballet dancers and gymnasts who nearly always look much younger than their years, but that's not true of the general population. I think Misty's "womanly body" is just fine for a 14 year old, even in Shakespeare's time.

[canbelto]

Here's the original Juliet, Lynn Seymour. Certainly a rather "womanly" body:

[stuben]

Misty and Hammoudi (Romeo) had zero chemistry and I mean ZERO. They barely looked at each other and he, in particular was a terrible actor. For that matter his dancing wasn't good either. It looked sloppy and bland. Really, when he was with Mercutio (Craig Salstein) and Benvolio (Joey) all I could watch was Joey. Misty, due to her very womanly body does not look in any way like 14 years old. Really, it's a stretch to even imagine her as 21. And unlike Ferri, who at 44 years old could still act like a girl, Misty acts like a woman.

Then there was the partnering, which was labored and really awkward looking. Hammoudi looked like he could barely lift Misty. Given what RUKen and nanushka have posted about Misty's dress rehearsal with Joey I think the partnering issues are her fault. The crypt scene was especially terrible. Misty did not look dead at all; you could see her lifting her legs up to get in position. I think she still needs to drop some weight and learn how to better lift up her weight. And she seemed terrified of the flying lifts. She ran up to Hammoudi, then would stop dead in her tracks and he would pick her up (or try to).

Like vagansmom, I cannot comment about the particular performance since I wasn't there either, but I have to admit surprise about Amour's comment about Hammoudi, this doesn't sound like him as I have seen him in past R&J with Seo and they were so connected, this may be an issue of whom he was casted with, this can happen. I felt his acting was absolutely enthralling in Othello so I don't find his acting poor whatsoever. As for the lifting, again, this may be his partner and that is unfortunate for him. I know that if there is insurity on the partner then there is reservation in every movement, that alone can cause much anxiety that can lead to cautious appeal on stage.... just my two cents.

[abatt]

I'm able to relate to what Amour is saying about the partnering, but have no comment about the acting as I was not there. If your partner is running toward you for a lift, it is much easier to accomplish the lift if the person does not come to a dead stop right before reaching you. Once the person comes to a dead stop, they become more like dead weight when they are lifted, and the lift automatically looks labored. If the woman is still in motion when the lift begins, some of that momentum helps the man to do the lift.

[stuben]

I'm able to relate to what Amour is saying about the partnering, but have no comment about the acting as I was not there. If your partner is running toward you for a lift, it is much easier to accomplish the lift if the person does not come to a dead stop right before reaching you. Once the person comes to a dead stop, they become more like dead weight when they are lifted, and the lift automatically looks labored. If the woman is still in motion when the lift begins, some of that momentum helps the man to do the lift.

Couldn't have said it better myself abatt, exactly my point but you did a better job clarifying. Which leads me to believe the comfort level of partners casted together. Plus, rehearsal time allowed for new partners since this would be a first, I believe, with Copeland and Hammoudi.