Spring 2015: The Sleeping Beauty

[Kaysta]

Just saw the Vishneva cast. I preferred the matinee to be honest. Will type more later, but my main complaint is with Veronica Part.

If she can't dance the role, and they have to water it down to a few jumps here and there, she shouldn't be cast. Day and night between her Lilac and Stella's. I am so utterly disappointed with what I saw from Part.

[abatt]

Vishneva & Gomes = Perfection. Great performance. Today's backbend in the wedding scene was unsupported. Amazingly deep. Gomes didn't put his arm around her until the last possible second. What an incredible vision scene they did together. Breathtaking. Fish dives were again flawless. Gomes gave a more energized account of his solo than in his prior performances. Vishneva is the brightest star in the ABT firmament. A great way to end the SB run.

[Drew]

I was impressed by the range of casts being fielded in the featured roles from performance to performance. I saw the production four times and each cast did have somewhat different strengths and weaknesses. But in every performance the production offered many pleasures and the company seemed to have something to sink its teeth into as a company. I would be happy to see this Sleeping Beauty again assuming the company 'tends' it properly. It certainly has brought ABT respectful critical attention of a kind it doesn't often get.

Though I saw Vishneva a different night, I completely agree with Abatt about her ... Of the four Auroras I saw (Vishneva, Murphy, Seo, and Boylston) I thought she did the most to characterize Aurora through her dancing, the most to tell a story in which Aurora develops from birthday girl to bride. She also danced the most serene rose adagio--and had the inestimable benefit of Gomez as her prince for the Act 3 adagio and fish dives...I loved Part's dancing as the Lilac Fairy in the same cast and the 'simpler' variation she performs is, as I understand, a variant drawn from the notations. I do think it is less interesting than the one I saw danced by Abrera and Teuscher. However, the latter variation looked a bit difficult for the sake of difficult for my taste even with Abrera who negotiated the steps, as best I could judge, successfully, but looked like she was concentrating. Teuscher had noticeable difficulties--though I was impressed by how she pulled off the long dress and giant feather headpiece later in the ballet. (I did like the way Teuscher danced the first fairy variation at a different performance.)

But I thought Part's dancing of her prologue variation, notably her epaulement, was simply gorgeous, slightly marred the first time I saw her do it by a bobble at the end, but (in my eyes) perfection on Wed night when she danced the Lilac Fairy to Boylston's Aurora. I allow that it may take a Veronika Part to make the variation she dances seem compelling; her mime is also beautiful. (Wed she did take a very unfortunate tumble into the boat at the end of the vision scene...so no performance I saw her give was completely ideal, but I am very happy I got to see her Lilac Fairy.)

[Amour]

Vishneva & Gomes = Perfection. Great performance. Today's backbend in the wedding scene was unsupported. Amazingly deep. Gomes didn't put his arm around her until the last possible second.

The way they do that cambré is that Aurora sticks her stomach out and then falls against the Prince. A bit of a cheat, but who cares. It WAS outstanding. The entire performance. More later.

[Batsuchan]

The way they do that cambré is that Aurora sticks her stomach out and then falls against the Prince. A bit of a cheat, but who cares. It WAS outstanding. The entire performance. More later.

I totally agree with you and abatt!! Absolutely wonderful performance tonight thanks to Vishneva & Gomes!

I think "Sleeping Beauty"--any version--is never going to be a favorite of mine given the lack of drama and looong prologue, but I totally loved tonight's show.

Usually, whenever Vishneva & Gomes do the same ballet twice in the same week, the first performance is wonderful, and the second is a knockout! So it was tonight! Gomes supported Vishneva in the pirouettes with one hand today, and I think she did more revolutions in the pirouettes going into the fish dives so they looked even more spectacular. And as others have mentioned, the hidden-support backbend was truly gorgeous!

Vishneva is a radiant Aurora--but what really elevated the performance for me was the palpable connection between Vishneva/Gomes. There's not a lot of romance in this ballet--they don't get to flirt like they do in "Giselle," for example--and yet they looked so genuinely, deeply in love. Can't wait to see them in Romeo & Juliet!

I have to also mention that Cassandra Trenary was another standout as Princess Florine--such great control, beautiful port de bras and fantastic stage presence! I hope to see her as Aurora someday soon!

[choriamb]

Question: what is the meaning of the mime gesture performed by the Fairy Candide during her variation, where she looks like she's sliding long gloves off her arms, from her elbows down to her wrists? Carabosse mocks her for this and it's later repeated by the Lilac Fairy just before the Vision Scene, when she's describing Aurora to the Prince.

How's this for a pedantic answer? It sounds like she's signifying Aurora will have white arms, which has both general and specific meanings in Greco-Roman mythology. The general significance is just that Aurora will be wealthy, as opposed to a poor woman who would have tanned arms from working in the fields. (And, like today, signifiers of leisured wealth were also signifiers of beauty...except that the description "tanned with poker-straight blonde hair" has the exact opposite connotation for us today.) The more specific meaning might be that she'll have a queenly or goddess-like status: Hera, the queen of the gods is often called "the goddess of the white arms."

(By the way, thanks for the great review!)

[canbelto]

I was also at tonight's performance. Agreed -- amazing work from Diana, who danced the Rose Adagio with more strength and security than she did 15+ years ago. Her wedding pas de deux with Marcelo was amazing. Fishdives stunning.

I was very disappointed with Veronika Part's Lilac Fairy. I can understand if she chose a simpler variation, however, I don't understand why she also hunched her shoulders forward in such an ungainly fashion during the whole variation. One of the things I admire most of Veronika is her proud, regal, shoulders and arms.

Simkin and Trenary were stronger tonight than opening night. Great end to a great run.

More thoughts here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2015/06/sleeping-beauty-take-3.html

And for those who are curious, this was Vishneva's Rose Adagio more than 15 years ago.

I dare say she was so much stronger tonight.

[Helene]

Diana Vishneva just tweeted this message with a lovely photo of her, Gomes, and Ratmansky:

thank you Alexei and all my ABT colleagues for this amazing #sleepingbeauty journey @ABTBallet @marcelogomes47

[volcanohunter]

I actually have quite the opposite view. I think this production demonstrates an unusual commitment to company coaching and training that must have been given in order to achieve the degree of company unity that has been on display during this production's run. This strikes me as a good sign for the company, and if it takes an unusual production such as this to instill a sense of the need for company coaching, then all the better. Perhaps ABT has been complacent for too long, dancing ballets that they think they can manage with little corps unity, and perhaps this production is posing a challenge that will force the dancers to rise to the levels of achievement that it requires.

I think one of the great things about the production is that it is so stylistically exacting, it's practically rent-a-principal-proof. But let me also say that ABT still has a very long way to go to achieving company unity. I just watched three performances of The Sleeping Beauty (Nureyev) performed by the National Ballet of Canada on the heels of seeing ABT's Beauty and Bayadere, and the corps in Toronto is vastly superior. No comparison. The National Ballet's corps is cohesive, they're accurate, they're synchronized. I don't know if I've ever seen ABT's male corps actually dance in unison. In Toronto's Beauty they were always perfectly synchronized. I mean, what are the chances of getting seven fairy cavaliers to perform pirouettes in unison? Jumps, maybe, but not turns. And yet they did. The same goes for the soloists. Many ABT regulars would probably be amazed to see Toronto's "Principal Fairies" (Lilac Fairy being a 100% mime role) nail all the pirouettes in the Lopukhov variation and the coda, no excuses. And all three Auroras I saw got through the Rose Adage without a hitch, raising their arms above their heads during balances without ever looking frantic about it. I realize that the schedule in Toronto is spaced out more rationally throughout the season, while ABT is trying to stuff 13 different ballets into eight consecutive weeks. But that's the way ABT chooses to do things, so they can't use it as an excuse for not being up to snuff.

[choriamb]

I actually have quite the opposite view. I think this production demonstrates an unusual commitment to company coaching and training that must have been given in order to achieve the degree of company unity that has been on display during this production's run. This strikes me as a good sign for the company, and if it takes an unusual production such as this to instill a sense of the need for company coaching, then all the better. Perhaps ABT has been complacent for too long, dancing ballets that they think they can manage with little corps unity, and perhaps this production is posing a challenge that will force the dancers to rise to the levels of achievement that it requires.

Agreed. I think Ratmansky (and Ashton) ballets are good for overall company engagement in general.

While I've sometimes griped that Ratmansky's works can be too busy to have an emotional focus, I'm hard-pressed to think of even a short, mixed-bill piece by him that doesn't contain at least four meaty dance roles.

As much as I love Onegin, on the other hand, solos are confined to four dancers (and Olga and Lensky don't dance that much).

[Amour]

Ok, tonight was my 3rd SB and my 2nd viewing of Vishneva/Gomes. Again, I thought they were spectacular, particularly Diana. Nobody else (sorry) at ABT has such a pliable torso and gorgeous epaulement. It is like a totally different ballet from what I saw on Thursday from Sarah/Herman. Not just them but all the other roles (like Bluebird) had their best cast. On Thursday (the Sarah/Herman show) my husband didn't understand why I had raved about the ballet (I had seen it Monday with Diana/Marcelo). He was bored and frankly so was I. Not tonight, though. It was again wonderful. For those counting pirouettes, Diana did some triples (which she fell out of tonight) in the Vision Scene. Also some triples in the Wedding Pas before the fish dives. But who's counting? (Haha)

Before I go on about tonight's show I do want to say that in the Wedding Pas, primarily in his solo, Herman did exceed Marcelo in the crispness of his batterie and the height of his jumps and entrechats. But Marcelo is a better partner and actor. On Thursday, the Vision Scene seemed drained of drama. Tonight Marcelo urgently searching for Diana made it come alive.

Back to tonight, I said much of what I had to say about the 2 leads on Monday. So again they were exquisite. In the prologue Sarah was beautiful and classical looking as the Breadcrumb Fairy. This isn't an easy fairy variation; it has lots of hops on pointe. But Sarah danced it the wonderfully. I'm still trying to process why it didn't work for her as Aurora. Poor Stella is stuck with that new, rather hideous version of the finger pointing fairy (Violente). She does as best she can with the variation but it's just ugly choreography.

Veronika was back again as the Lilac Fairy. She may have a slightly easier version of the variation than Devon or Stella but is terrific in her firm, guiding presence. Much better, I thought, than Devon though I'll bet Stella could pull it off.

Daniil was bluebird and tonight was tremendous! All that clean, crisp batterie with no hint of strain in his upper body. And his ability to twist his torso back and front, in parallel with his legs. Fantastic!! Please don't give Gabe Stone Shayer a role (this one) he can't do well. Everybody (ABT, the dancer, the coaches) don't look good, then. Gabe is really good but he's just not good enough at this (as opposed to jumping as the head fakir in Bayadere) for the Bluebird role. And Cassandra Trenary was very musical and light as Florine. A very nice contrast to Misty. I wonder if she might get promoted?

Another standout dancer is Isadora Loyola, who did the White Cat (to Sean Stewart's Puss in Boots) at each performance I attended. She is technically quite secure; she held all her attitudes derrière for a long time. But she is also a great actress, very feline, good at getting the humor in the two roles across.

As for the jewel fairies I've seen Bella, Skylar and tonight Christine Shevchenko do the role. My favorite was Skylar. Beautifully proportioned body with elegant upper body, I thought she made the most of the three. And Zhong-Jing Fang (otherwise known as ZJ) did a great job as a last minute sub for the sapphire fairy.

Well it's late now and I'm going to finish this off now before I fall asleep on the keyboard:) Maybe more thoughts tomorrow:))

[Amour]

Thanks so much, canbelto, for all these great YTs. I definitely agree that Vishneva is stronger and more confident now than 15 years ago. Now she really knows how to luxuriate in the music. And she just generally looks more secure. I guess that comes from experience and repeatedly doing the same ballets (despite their differences) for years.

[abatt]

The info about Hera queen of the gods= goddess of white arms makes complete sense. Thank you for the clarification. I believe that when the little boys come out with gifts on the pillows as to each fairy, the gift relating to that fairy is a tiara, right?

I also noticed Part's hunched shoulders that canbelto referred to. That problem existed each time I saw Part do the Lilac fairy. Uncharacteristic of her, and very unattractive position.

Loved Trenary and Simkin. I wish Simkin would walk to his position at the corner of the stage a bit faster, though, after the initial portion of the pdd. He walks so slowly to his spot. Is this for effect or to catch his breath.

[nanushka]

How's this for a pedantic answer? It sounds like she's signifying Aurora will have white arms, which has both general and specific meanings in Greco-Roman mythology. The general significance is just that Aurora will be wealthy, as opposed to a poor woman who would have tanned arms from working in the fields. (And, like today, signifiers of leisured wealth were also signifiers of beauty...except that the description "tanned with poker-straight blonde hair" has the exact opposite connotation for us today.) The more specific meaning might be that she'll have a queenly or goddess-like status: Hera, the queen of the gods is often called "the goddess of the white arms."

(By the way, thanks for the great review!)

Ahhh....thanks so much for the info! That makes a lot of sense, but is rather obscure for modern audiences. A little miming dictionary in the program might help! It's too bad, also, that the article on the reconstruction that was in May's playbill wasn't reprinted in this month's, as many more people actually saw the production this week than in its initial two-day run, and I'm sure there were many who hadn't read up on what they were seeing.

[nanushka]

Loved Trenary and Simkin. I wish Simkin would walk to his position at the corner of the stage a bit faster, though, after the initial portion of the pdd. He walks so slowly to his spot. Is this for effect or to catch his breath.

I noticed this with Blaine Hoven as well, twice, and I suspect it's to catch the breath, though it could be a (misguided) attempt at some effect. I've seen it on videos of some Bluebird PDDs as well, so I wonder if the first movement of this particular PDD is particularly tiring for the male dancer, compared to some others? I did notice yesterday afternoon that Zhiyao Zhang wasted no time in getting back to position and began his variation almost immediately after Sarah Lane had cleared the stage. I liked that much better.

[mimsyb]

So we bid a fond (or in some cases, not so fond) farewell to "Sleeping Beauty" for this year. I saw four different casts and was there last night for Vishneva/Gomes/Part. While all three had their moments, I have to say I've never seen such top shelf dancers look so diminished doing this choreography. Diana certainly can act this role, as can Marcelo. But both came off rather small bore last night. Just when I wanted to sit up and take notice, Diana did those rather unbalanced looking demi pointe chainees. No better way for a "downer" finish to a variation! They did do the fish dives and her legs snapped upward more quickly than the others I saw dance. He sort of ran out of gas at the end of his variation, with feet not terribly pointed or clean in the batterie. Herman's were the best in this section. Part did little for me in her Lilac role. Shevchenko was at her most glowing and gracious best when she danced it. I see her as Principle material in the not so distant future. Both Luciana Paris and Skylar Brandt were wonderful in their Prologue variations. Sarah Lane got totally lost in hers. (as an aside. when Sarah was in the corps, she stood out and shone like a bright star. Now anytime she's onstage in any group setting, she totally disappears). Of all the Diamond fairies, Skylar was the most crystaline, but Shevchenko also glistened. These two dancers, along with Cassandra Trenary are, IMO, the future of ABT. Trenary/Simkin came off well with this choreography for Blue Bird/Florine, and still told a story while dancing. I agree about Isadora Loyola as the cat, but also thought Eilna Miettinen was superb in this role. She's dancing so well right now. I love watching her on stage. Talk about terrific port de bras! Nicole Graniero as "Little Red" was very fun, and she too should be getting more things to do. Gomes was the best Carabosse (better than his Prince, actually, although Marcelo wears the famous red coat the best). Raffa is too small for this role. Craig was also good here, cause he can overact til the cows come home and it actually works! For me, I'm still taking Dramamine to calm my stomach after seeing SO MANY BALANCES in the Garland Waltz! Like other scenes in this production, there are just too many people on stage at a time when I'd like a bit of clarity. And speaking of lots of people on stage. The extras that walk in for the Prologue and also appear throughout in other scenes are a stitch! Some of those men look like they are truly on their last legs and are being dragged along by the women. Are the only guests invited to these parties all that old? (as another aside; I found it so re-assuring last week when I saw all the same old guys lining up in "Bayadere". They have been there FOREVER! One could barely walk and keep up. A job for life in that temple, I assume. Hahahaha!)

All in all, I like the scenery in this "S.B."production and some of the costumes work. (it is ever so much better than what came before!) But I'm finding after seeing it four times, I'm a bit bored by the choreography. (hence I start looking at the old extras!). The score remains a wonderment; the choreography less so. Too many dancers look out of sorts dancing it; as if they wandered into the wrong rehearsal room. I had hoped after four tries I would feel uplifted by it all. But I feel I'm the one who has been put to sleep for a hundred years. And I wonder if I would venture another ticket to see it again next year. Oh, if only the King and Queen had had a boy child! Things could have been so different. So now I am looking forward to "R&J" this coming week to rev my engine again!

[vagansmom]

Volcanohunter, I believe that the National Ballet of Canada hires most of their dancers from their school. So, with the identical long-term training, it would make sense that they'd have the kind of unity you speak of. Dancers at ABT come from various schools and have had different training backgrounds: Vaganova, Cecchetti, Balanchine (yeah, I know there's no specific Balanchinian syllabus, but you can still always tell if someone's been trained in the B. style). I think it's impossible for ABT, without enough corps rehearsal time and maybe even with, to be able to achieve such unity. It would be nice if they would start using their JKO school (assuming the training is up to par) as their method of hiring dancers. But right now, I see the school strictly as a cash cow for them ala their ballet summer intensive programs that are now all over the USA. Their "brand" name (everything and everyone is now a "brand," right?) is golden, but there are loads more summer intensives with better training.

[Helene]

From listening to dancers talk about the summer intensives they've taken, it seems to me that they try to get a lot of different teachers and experiences while they have the opportunity, and that taking different programs and the direction in which the students are sent are often encouraged and enabled by their teachers.

PNB published a list of where the PNBS students are going this summer, 34 in all. Two are PNB programs, the Francia Russell Center Summer Course (16) and Pacific Northwest Ballet School (17), and two are exchange programs, with the Royal Danish Ballet School (2) and National Ballet School (1). They range from schools with a neoclassical performance tradition to more classically oriented programs, likes American Ballet Theatre School and the Bolshoi School to more contemporary focused programs, like Lines Ballet School.

It does seem that the PD's who just completed their first year don't attend summer programs, unless it's one of the exchange programs. I don't see any of the other non-graduates' names on the summer intensive lists.

[c-green]

I saw Marcelo's Carabosse in LA. Honestly, I thougt that the role is a totally waste of him though he acted well. Carabosse is a just funny old witch, that's all. It doesn't require dedicate meanings and nuances.

I much prefer to Prince role for him. Ratmansky reduced Prince' dancing part, so emphasizing of each scene's meaning depends on dancer's skill. His expression skill seems to suit such role rather than Carabosse.

[angelica]

But I'm finding after seeing it four times, I'm a bit bored by the choreography. (hence I start looking at the old extras!). The score remains a wonderment; the choreography less so. Too many dancers look out of sorts dancing it; as if they wandered into the wrong rehearsal room. I had hoped after four tries I would feel uplifted by it all. But I feel I'm the one who has been put to sleep for a hundred years. And I wonder if I would venture another ticket to see it again next year.

That is exactly what I meant when I said earlier that I was concerned about the longevity of this new SB and whether it would have the same fate as Ratmansky's Nutcracker. I actually was elated after the first act, but towards the end of the third act, especially during the fairy tale divertissements, I couldn't wait for it to be over. I will probably buy a ticket to see it again next year just to see Vishneva dance Aurora and Part do Lilac Fairy, assuming and hoping they will be, as the consensus on this board seems to be that the Vishneva/Gomes/Part cast was the best, and that's not the one I saw.

[aurora]

That is exactly what I meant when I said earlier that I was concerned about the longevity of this new SB and whether it would have the same fate as Ratmansky's Nutcracker. I actually was elated after the first act, but towards the end of the third act, especially during the fairy tale divertissements, I couldn't wait for it to be over. I will probably buy a ticket to see it again next year just to see Vishneva dance Aurora and Part do Lilac Fairy, assuming and hoping they will be, as the consensus on this board seems to be that the Vishneva/Gomes/Part cast was the best, and that's not the one I saw.

I feel exactly the opposite. I saw it twice and even though I think the first cast was better on the whole, I enjoyed it more the second time and look forward to seeing it many more times to come. Critics also thought the company looked energized and excellent performing it on the whole...

Then again I love Ratmansky's Nutcracker as do many others I know, including dance critics and former dancers. And the fact that it couldn't make a major hit of it for multiple years when up against the institution of NYCBs when that one IS a longstanding institution and is located at Lincoln Center, vs what so many clearly considered the wilds of Brooklyn hardly seems a condemnation of Ratmansky's Nutcracker.

[canbelto]

Well here's the thing. This SB is not a star turn ballet. It demands excellence from everyone in the company, from the corps to the character actors to the leads. So if you only go to the ballet to see your "favorites" Veronika/Diana/Stella/Marcelo/whoever this isn't the ballet for you. The Kirkland version became an empty star vehicle, requiring only a good Aurora. But I think this ballet is a great investment in ABT as a company.

[Kaysta]

I feel exactly the opposite. I saw it twice and even though I think the first cast was better on the whole, I enjoyed it more the second time and look forward to seeing it many more times to come. Critics also thought the company looked energized and excellent performing it on the whole...

Then again I love Ratmansky's Nutcracker as do many others I know, including dance critics and former dancers. And the fact that it couldn't make a major hit of it for multiple years when up against the institution of NYCBs when that one IS a longstanding institution and is located at Lincoln Center, vs what so many clearly considered the wilds of Brooklyn hardly seems a condemnation of Ratmansky's Nutcracker.

I thought it (SB) was better each time I saw it as well (three times). I only saw Ratmansky's Nutcracker once (and thought it was just ok), but I honestly wish I could see it again. At the time I saw it, I had the Balanchine version in my head. I'd like to see it again now that I know it's completely different. I feel like I may have a greater appreciation for it.

[vagansmom]

Helene, my post wasn't meant to be a discussion of where and when dancing students go to summer intensives, but a statement of why ABT's corps can never, under present conditions, look like NBC's corps, and about why many ballet companies in the USA have ballet schools. Unlike NYCB, who regularly hire from their school, most ballet companies don't. Maybe they do for trainee or apprentice programs (which are often unpaid, and many of them even require the "trainee" to pay school tuition), but not when it comes to hiring directly into the company. The company basically gets free or close to free labor.

So, in discussing ABT's school, I wondered if the training is good enough to be hired into ABT (I've heard pros and cons, but it's encouraging to know that a couple beautiful dancers from JKO are now apprentices with ABT). As a a member of the board of directors of a well-respected ballet pre-professional school and as mom to a former serious ballet student who had a professional dancing career, it's been hard not to notice how many summer programs and year-round schools have sprouted up in the aftermath of the economic crash. And how most ballet companies now require students to attend their summer programs as a long-term auditioning process for filling their trainee/apprentice ranks. Rarely are those dancers actually brought into the corps. So dance students are required, when they are in the 17-18 year old range, to put all their eggs into one basket whereas the ballet companies benefit tremendously by being able to fill their summer school rosters. It wasn't like that in my daughter's day. I think it's a terrific marketing plan on the part of ballet companies because it provides a steady cash stream, but it makes it that much harder for students on the verge of professional auditions to get noticed by more than the one company whose summer school they attended.

I am hoping very much that ABT will follow NYCB's hiring model. NYCB has never been known for a perfectly synchronized corps, but their corps is dancing fast and at levels at least equivalent to that of soloists and principals. It's a different animal. But with ABT's repertoire, it seems to me that if they hire dancers who've been in their own school for a good 2 or 3 years (after all, even SAB is a finishing school since they weed out most of their homegrown students at around ages 11-13 to make room for talented students from elsewhere in the world), then there will more synchronicity of their corps.

[sandik]

Well here's the thing. This SB is not a star turn ballet. It demands excellence from everyone in the company, from the corps to the character actors to the leads. So if you only go to the ballet to see your "favorites" Veronika/Diana/Stella/Marcelo/whoever this isn't the ballet for you. The Kirkland version became an empty star vehicle, requiring only a good Aurora. But I think this ballet is a great investment in ABT as a company.

I've had the same thought about SB watching the Ronald Hynd production here at Pacific Northwest Ballet -- it's laced with opportunities on many different levels for dancers throughout the company. It's a pleasure to watch someone work their way up the ladder from "friend of" roles through the small ensembles and solos to larger parts.