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Nutcracker casting at Segerstrom Center


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I have heard it referred to as a "torch lift."

If you search google-images for "torch lift" you do get several images of what we're discussing. One site calls it "the Grigorovich lift," which I don't find helpful. Another, the Anaheim Ballet, calls it the "one-armed seat lift." They show it a few times here although it's difficult to see the entire sequence for comparison with the other clips on this thread:

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That lift is from Spartacus, although I don't know whether that was the first ballet in which it was used.

In this clip from Spartacus, there is a similar lift at about 4:50, but he doesn't get her overhead at all. Of course, this is a long ballet, so it could be elsewhere. I'd be interested in knowing from the historians when the lift was first used. It seems to be attributed to Grigorovich - is that accurate?

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I'm just home from opening night and will write more tomorrow; however, Veronika Part was replaced by (a truly divine) Gillian Murphy tonight and I was hoping that if anyone has info on whether she is injured, they could let me know publicly or privately--I'd really like to see her during the run, but I don't want to buy tickets to her second show if she's got a injury, only to be surprised again. They had enough time to print the cast slip with Murphy on it, so it doesn't seem so last minute (though ABT posted this morning on their Facebook that Part/Gomes were the opening cast).

PS. Glad you NYCers didn't like this one so much--glad to have it out here for awhile. Really lovely overall!

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I was also at opening night. Gillian was a nice surprise, and she's still scheduled for Friday night with Whiteside. No explanation for cast change that I have seen. House about 75%, but it's Thursday night.

At Friends dress rehearsal of Act 2 this afternoon, leads were listed as Gorak and Boylston. I guess I don't know all the dancers well, but it looked like Stearns. Ratmansky himself was there, especially coaching Boylston. Kolpakova coached Seo in the sugar plum fairy variation, although she's not scheduled until next week.

I didn't ever see this in Brooklyn. I was especially impressed by the way he moves groups around in surprising and interesting ways. Notably, the flowers with the bees, especially a sequence of throw lifts on the diagonal. Act 1 choreography for kids also very clever. Ditto the polichinelles in 2, especially their exit (which reminded me of the heathens in Prodigal Son).

As for THE lift, Gillian runs toward Marcelo and very noticeably bends her supporting leg and pushes up, while Marcelo is pushing her other leg up at the knee into position. My language isn't very clear, but the dynamics look a lot closer to the Grigorovich version, and she's doing some of the work.

Very disappointed that some old cultural stereotypes stayed in, especially those pointing fingers by the Chinese

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I'm just home from opening night and will write more tomorrow; however, Veronika Part was replaced by (a truly divine) Gillian Murphy tonight and I was hoping that if anyone has info on whether she is injured, they could let me know publicly or privately--I'd really like to see her during the run, but I don't want to buy tickets to her second show if she's got a injury, only to be surprised again. They had enough time to print the cast slip with Murphy on it, so it doesn't seem so last minute (though ABT posted this morning on their Facebook that Part/Gomes were the opening cast).

PS. Glad you NYCers didn't like this one so much--glad to have it out here for awhile. Really lovely overall!

I saw this change to Gillian at least a day ago if not more, I thought it was a bit odd myself that she would be doing back to back two days, but then again it didn't surprise me since it is of course Gillian :) Guess I haven't been paying much attention since I am sitting here on the east coast. On the ABT website Veronica is only in one show now Sat. evening. Good luck ksk04! Either way if you have never seen this ballet it was fun for my family and hope it is fun for everyone in CA.

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I am passing this information along because I find it interesting. There is history behind those pointing fingers of the Chinese dance in The Nutcracker. In the Chinese culture, those who were very rich wore gold finger thimbles that sat upon the index finger. The richer you were, the longer the gold finger thimble.

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At Friends dress rehearsal of Act 2 this afternoon, leads were listed as Gorak and Boylston. I guess I don't know all the dancers well, but it looked like Stearns. Ratmansky himself was there, especially coaching Boylston. Kolpakova coached Seo in the sugar plum fairy variation, although she's not scheduled until next week.

Gorak is no longer listed to dance opposite Boylston on the ABT calendar. It now says Stearns.

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I saw the opening night Nutcracker from the front row (took my Mom), and found it a total delight. From the outset all the performers were fully engaged in their roles and appeared to be having a good time, and this includes the marvelous children participating from the new William J. Gillespie School. The casting of Seth Koffler as the Nutcracker Boy and Justin Souriau-Levine as Fritz was spot-on. I have never enjoyed the ABT corps de ballet so much as last night in the Snow scene and Waltz of the Flowers; all the women looked beautiful and it was wonderful seeing them bending and swooping as if they were dancing an Ashton ballet with a lovely use of port de bras; and the Snow choreography was terrific.

Gillian Murphy was, as ksk04 said, divine - a gorgeous, radiant presence with dancing that looked effortless. Her sustained attitude pirouette in the first act and the double en dedans pirouettes opening into arabesque in the second act were so sustained that they took my breath away. Her technical control is extraordinary and it does not look like she spent hours in the studio laboring - her dancing unfolds beautifully in front of you. She and Marcelo Gomes are such generous performers. Also loved Tom Forster in Arabian, Joseph Gorak's finesse in the tiniest of details as the Recruit Doll, Skyler Brandt's brilliance in Chinese, and I couldn't take my eyes off of Sarah Lane in the "Nutcracker's Sisters" choreography. If I had one concern, it's simply that I am used to seeing the Russians' choreography more in the Moiseyev bravura folk-dancing vein, but that's Ratmansky's choice and my expectation colliding and this is not a criticism.

As performed on the opening night, it was altogether a wondrous evening with humanity and wit.

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A thought about the sets: several people (including today's OC Register) have remarked on the cramped feeling of BAM, but the second act felt a little too sparse to me. Beautiful blue with gold painted "fences" plus some benches on the sides for the flowers to sit on. The variations seemed swallowed up in all that space, but at least they must have felt free to let go on things.

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Hee Seo is now listed with Gomes for Saturday evening, instead of Part. As mentioned, Seo, in costume, rehearsed her variation at the Friends rehearsal Thursday afternoon, so perhaps they wanted her ready for Saturday, just in case.

I saw Murphy and Whiteside Friday night. I am not really one of his fans, but his partnering was superb and Gillian was her usual radiant self. The house was about 75%. The OC Register this morning mentioned that both of Copeland's performances next week are sold out.

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Hi everyone new user here.

I'm planning to take a friend to the Nutcracker at Segarstrom tomorrow. Any advice on whether we should see Stella Abrera/Alexandre Hammoudi or Gillian Murphy/James Whiteside?

I saw Gillian/James yesterday and they were fantastic together. She is amazing in the role and I'd love for my friend to experience what I did, but I also really want to see Stella as well. Hopefully we'll get to meet/get a photo with one of them after the show at the stage door.

Thanks a lot!

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