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ABT 2017 Corsaire


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2 hours ago, vipa said:

Hmm with Boylston injuring her ankle in Giselle (hope she is recovering speedily) and Kotchetkova, Part & Murphy pulling out of shows with injuries, Swan Lake week could get interesting! 

 

Ooooooo... Should I be preparing another unexpected Megabus trip to NY?

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51 minutes ago, nysusan said:

Darn, I wish I was seeing Shevchenko! I was going tonight just for Part, the rest of the cast is not exactly thrilling. Sub Seo for Part and I wish I could get my money back but I guess its too late for that. Fingers crossed that she's recovered for her SL.

You get devon teuscher as Gulnare, that isn't too shabby.  :D

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9 minutes ago, aurora said:

You get devon teuscher as Gulnare, that isn't too shabby.  :D

 

True, but 1 out of 4 principals would not be enough to get me there (except for Part!), especially when I actively dislike 2 of them. Medora has a couple of solos in the first act so I'll probably go to see Teuscher and then decide if I want to stay or just make it an early evening. 

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34 minutes ago, angelica said:

 

It was KMcK who chose this casting, not Hee herself. Maybe that's something we can agree on?

I was the other person who mentioned her and I agree with you.   I do like Hee Seo (I think her Juliet is quite stunning), but it was frustrating for us (and probably her as well) last year when she was made to cover for multiple injured dancers.  Honestly, I mean no disrespect to Hee.  Even if she isn't my cup of tea in every role, she is obviously a beautiful and talented dancer.

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I'll be seeing Shevchenko and Lendorf tomorrow! What a season for unexpected injuries, but also quite exciting to see the soloists' debuts!

 

If Murphy has to pull out of Swan Lake, who could replace her? I would've said Teuscher since she and Gomes partnered at the Kennedy Center, but she's doing the matinee that afternoon, so it seems doubtful they would have her do two performances in one day. Part, if she's recovered? 

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50 minutes ago, Victura said:

I'll be seeing Shevchenko and Lendorf tomorrow! What a season for unexpected injuries, but also quite exciting to see the soloists' debuts!

 

If Murphy has to pull out of Swan Lake, who could replace her? I would've said Teuscher since she and Gomes partnered at the Kennedy Center, but she's doing the matinee that afternoon, so it seems doubtful they would have her do two performances in one day. Part, if she's recovered? 

 

I think Hee Seo is likely since she's done SL with Gomes before and her own show is a few days later so she'd have time to recover.

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1 hour ago, Kaysta said:

 Honestly, I mean no disrespect to Hee.  Even if she isn't my cup of tea in every role, she is obviously a beautiful and talented dancer.

 

On the subject of tea (though not exactly Corsaire) I very much liked Seo's dancing as Princess Tea Flower. In some respects she was my favorite of the three I saw. 

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1 hour ago, Kaysta said:

I was the other person who mentioned her and I agree with you.   I do like Hee Seo (I think her Juliet is quite stunning), but it was frustrating for us (and probably her as well) last year when she was made to cover for multiple injured dancers.  Honestly, I mean no disrespect to Hee.  Even if she isn't my cup of tea in every role, she is obviously a beautiful and talented dancer.

 

Thanks, Kaysta. What troubles me about Hee Seo, is that when I've seen her in a studio rehearsal she looks stunning. But when she's onstage she seems not to project out to the audience. I have the same problem with Cory Stearns. They are both beautiful dancers, but a coach who can bring out that intangible stage presence would be welcomed.

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2 hours ago, Kaysta said:

  I do like Hee Seo (I think her Juliet is quite stunning), but it was frustrating for us (and probably her as well) last year when she was made to cover for multiple injured dancers. 

Exactly my sentiment. I didn't realize that she is prone to mistakes until I was forced to see her in all the shows that she subbed in last 2 seasons.

Seems like she might sub for Murphy in SL next week... Oh well. Hopefully she can bring it since I bought the ticket for the show! 

 

I'm so happy for Shevchenko and Brandt! I was actually secretly disappointed because Brandt didn't get her Kitri this season. Shevchenko was very impressive in DonQ and Giselle. Just hoping that her partnering with Lendorf goes smoothly this time. 

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I attended the June 7th matinee of “Le Corsiaire’, a ballet about swashbuckling pirates and beautiful slave girls.  Gillian Murphy was supposed to dance the lead role of the slave, Medora, but due to an injury she was replaced by soloist Christine Shevchenko.  Shevchenko was absolutely brilliant in the role.    She showed off her incredibly fast chaine turns and in the slave pas de de trois her fouettes were very fast singles with several doubles thrown in.  Her Conrad was the Danish dancer, Alban Lendorf.  He stood out for his high soaring leaps with soft landings and very nice multiple turns.  As well, Shevchenko and Lendorf were very good together.  There was a very sweet chemistry between them.

 

Stella Abrera was fine as Gulnare, Medora’s close friend.  But when she danced her first solo in the Act I pas de deux with Lankendem, it looked like she simplified the variation. I remember her dancing more traveling fouettes when she performed the same role last year. Lankendem was performed by corps member, Gabe Stone Shayer, whom I hope will be an ABT soloist before too much longer.  Shayer executed thrilling deep knee bends where he popped right back up again.  I have not seen such a fantastic Lankendem since Vladimir Malakhov danced the role in the 1990s.  His multiple turns on an angle were also very exciting

 

The most electrifying dancing was executed by Daniil Simkin as the slave Ali.  The slave pas de trois (which is sometimes done as a pas de deux) was the first part of ‘Le Corsaire’ to arrive in the West and it is still danced alone at galas.  The very slight Simkin presented his partnering aplomb by lifting Shevchenko’s Medora high above his head.  The audience went crazy, however, when Simkin performed four revoltades in a row.  A revoltade is a turn where one leg flips over the other.  Simkin also went down on his supporting leg (I don’t know what this move is called) while doing turns a la seconde.  As the evil pirate, Birbanto, Arron Scott gave a performance rich with very clear miming and spot on comic timing.

 

As always, ABT’s ‘Le Corsaire’ was a fun ballet full of virtuoso performing.  I hope Christine Shevchenko is promoted to principal and Gabriel Stone Shayer to soloist before too long.

 

 

 

 

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What a fabulous performance tonight! I'll have to write more later, but Skylar Brandt was a wonderful Medora. Unbelievable really, when you consider she had three days to learn the part and it was her first principal role in a full-length (not including Whipped Cream). The rest of the leading cast was amazing all around. Several gasp-inducing moments for the audience. I'll add now that I sat in front of Brandt's uncle whom I got to briefly meet and her parents and other extended family were sitting scattered around me as well. It was not only wonderful to witness such a big night for a dancer full of promise, but to hear her family gushing with excitement and pride. 

Edited by ABT Fan
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I was at Skylar's debut Monday night, and loved the performance so much that I returned again tonight. ABT has a new star in its crown. Sarah, Herman, Daniil, Jeffrey, Craig (though he should smile a little less)--they were all wonderful too.

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I just came back from tonight's performance, so here are some thoughts.

First, glad I got Skylar brand as Medora instead of Kochetkova.  Masha-(get well soon!!)-is a ballerina whose dancing  I have never really cared for too much, to be honest. I came totally unaware of this girtl-(Brandt). Didn't know her...never really noticed her name before, although I might have seen her at some point in some minor roles. Anyhow...Brandt really surprised me with the finesse of her dancing and strong technique. She looks very young, but she really made the role of Medore her own tonight.  Technique is there.  Strong and not overwhelmingly showy.  She went through the PDD a trois from Act II really well.  Her fouettes during the coda were beautiful to watch...solid...almost with no travel and  with her working leg high a la seocnde-(I can't stand the low bending leg at the knee used by some ballerinas). Her variation with the pirouettes a la second was also spotless, as were her Italian Fouettes during the Jardin Animee scene. If anything, I think she needs to tone down her fixated smile, but I'm sure she will develop her acting skills as her career matures. 

Cornejo looked a bit off in the beginning, but was his usual self right away. I love this guy.  He has a plush quality on his landings that I really enjoy, and a great stage presence, which makes up for his lack of height. He and Brandt looked lovely together.

Cirio also did a fine job in his Ali variation.  The whole pas looked very well done, although there was a very awkward moment during the Adagio's bows. Cornejo and Brandt decided to take an extra one right when the audience went silent.  Simkin got many applauses as Lankedem.  I want to see him as Conrad or Ali.

I will be back tomorrow.  It was wonderful to see all of you, BT'r during intermezzo!! ? ❤

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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12 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

What a fabulous performance tonight! I'll have to write more later, but Skylar Brandt was a wonderful Medora. Unbelievable really, when you consider she had three days to learn the part and it was her first principal role in a full-length (not including Whipped Cream). The rest of the leading cast was amazing all around. Several gasp-inducing moments for the audience. I'll add now that I sat in front of Brandt's uncle whom I got to briefly meet and her parents and other extended family were sitting scattered around me as well. It was not only wonderful to witness such a big night for a dancer full of promise, but to hear her family gushing with excitement and pride. 

 

I'm so glad I decided to go last night, as I was on the fence until Brandt was cast. Of course, I wanted to see Lane, Cornejo, Simkin, Cirio, but Le Corsaire is such gluttony (oftentimes wonderfully so, but the storyline is well...we know) I was going to sit that one out.

 

Brandt has incredible potential and given the circumstances of her debut I don't want to criticize much (and most of her performance was terrific anyway). She had great stage presence and didn't seem nervous or lacking in confidence at all, which is really something. In Act I during a series of a few fouettes her working foot became flappy, but all subsequent fouettes were technically sharp. She had a few little bobbles here and there, but that's nothing to write home about and I think they were probably more due to the lack of preparation she was given and possibly some nerves. She has the technique in spades and carried herself with grandeur. I didn't find her chemistry with Cornejo to be that special though. They worked well together overall, but I don't see it as a potential star coupling. Maybe I need to see them together again under different circumstances. As someone else noted, she needs to relax her face as her smile was way too big and bright at times, and she lets her mouth hang open too much (as if she's "Ahhhhhh...."). In the bedroom scene, Cornejo was unmatched in his passion and sensuality as here her big smile didn't work at all. But, perhaps she was too excited by dancing this part that she couldn't help it, so I can forgive that. I feel that she'll grow into her characterizations in time, and I think wonderfully so.

 

Cornejo was magnificent and had some gloriously big jumps and pirouettes. His character was spot on. And, as noted above, his partnering has improved dramatically (I noticed that in Giselle as well).

 

Simkin was his usual earth-defying self, and garnered some well-deserved gasps during his solos. He seemed to eat it all up, which worked for this ballet.

 

Cirio was beautiful as Ali even though he doesn't have the same arsenal of tricks that Simkin and Cornejo have. But, his technique is so clean and he gets great height in his jumps and his elegant presentation is unmatched by Simkin. 

 

Salstein was a great Birbanto w/ humorous touches and sharp technique.

 

Lane was utterly gorgeous as Gulnare. What elegance and glamour! Her confidence and maturity have skyrocketed this season and was noticed during her Giselle as well. She is a ballerina.

 

Cassandra Trenary, Katherine Williams and April Giangeruso were the Odalisques. Trenary was lovely with crisp technique and so was Williams (Williams may be another potential soloist down the road). Giangeruso was less successful with a set of turns that ended poorly as she fell out of them awkwardly. She also has a stiff upper back and arms that are more noticeable during pirouettes.

 

Overall, a great cast and a wonderful performance. 

Edited by ABT Fan
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26 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Cirio was beautiful as Ali even though he doesn't have the same arsenal of tricks that Simkin and Cornejo have. But, his technique is so clean and he gets great height in his jumps and his elegant presentation is unmatched by Simkin. 

 

ABT Fan, I agree with everything you wrote about last night's performance, but I want to take a moment to emphasize what you said about Cirio. We have gotten so accustomed to flying male principal dancers that the bar has been raised for those so-called "tricks" so they have become almost de rigeur. I agree that Cirio was a stunning Ali, that his technique was impeccable, and his elegance and "line" gorgeous. He's a great addition to ABT's principal roster.

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1 minute ago, angelica said:

 

ABT Fan, I agree with everything you wrote about last night's performance, but I want to take a moment to emphasize what you said about Cirio. We have gotten so accustomed to flying male principal dancers that the bar has been raised for those so-called "tricks" so they have become almost de rigeur. I agree that Cirio was a stunning Ali, that his technique was impeccable, and his elegance and "line" gorgeous. He's a great addition to ABT's principal roster.

 

And, I agree with you 100%. I was initially on the fence when he was promoted as I thought it was too soon, but he's proved himself and I think he definitely has the "It" factor.

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I also enjoyed Skylar's performance last night, as well as the rest of the cast.   I hope her performances as Medora lead to additional future lead roles for her.  As noted above, her technique is very strong. 

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