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ABT 2018 Giselle


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27 minutes ago, cobweb said:

ABT Fan, did you consider standing room? I have had good luck with this. 

I did consider it, thanks. But, it's soooo far away obviously. I don't like to use opera glasses because you lose peripheral vision and I always wind up missing things.

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There is standing room in the back of the orchestra which is not so far. (However, unless you’re tall you should be certain to be in the first rung.) Sometimes they also open other levels to standing room. For the Carreno farewell I stood in the parterre (or was it grand tier??). 

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1 hour ago, yukionna4869 said:

I believe it was Skylar Brandt yesterday. 

I hope Trenary is okay. She was also supposed to dance Moyna or Zulma at the Wednesday matinee but was replaced (it was announced via loudspeaker).

Also, I can't believe side orchestra balance tickets for tonight have gone up to $200 (I just didn't realize that particular section ever went so high, even with dynamic pricing.)

$35 isn't a lot for a ticket, but I think it's too much for standing room. 

Edited by fondoffouettes
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I concur.  I've done standing room in the orchestra a number of times and it's actually quite good view-wise (the orchestra has a nice downward slope, so standing room is a bit elevated).  But if you're short (I'm ... uh  ... Sarah Lane size), you need to be in the first row.  

I think I did Dress Circle standing room for one of Nina's Swan Lakes, and it was still pretty good.

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1 hour ago, fondoffouettes said:

I hope Trenary is okay. She was also supposed to dance Moyna or Zulma at the Wednesday matinee but was replaced (it was announced via loudspeaker).

Also, I can't believe side orchestra balance tickets for tonight have gone up to $200 (I just didn't realize that particular section ever went so high, even with dynamic pricing.)

$35 isn't a lot for a ticket, but I think it's too much for standing room. 

I actually saw Trenary watching the show last night.  She was sitting on the side Parterre.

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Please, excuse my lack of knowledge.

I never imagined that those hops on pointe in the first act variation were such a big deal. Is it that difficult or challenging?

I think I saw that many times and never thought it would be hard, but now I guess I'm wrong. I don't find that step particularly enjoyable or thrilling, perhaps with two exceptions (both with two legs): a variation from Raymonda and in Ballo della Regina, opening the legs from wide to wider.

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1 hour ago, fondoffouettes said:

Also, I can't believe side orchestra balance tickets for tonight have gone up to $200 (I just didn't realize that particular section ever went so high, even with dynamic pricing.)

$35 isn't a lot for a ticket, but I think it's too much for standing room. 

Yes, precisely my point. Though I was quite close to giving in to that orchestra seat.

I'm curious though, where do you all see standing room availability? On the Met opera site? Where? 

I also hope Trenary is ok and that she'll be back soon. She has some big roles coming up.

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3 minutes ago, eduardo said:

Please, excuse my lack of knowledge.

I never imagined that those hops on pointe in the first act variation were such a big deal. Is it that difficult or challenging?

I think I saw that many times and never thought it would be hard, but now I guess I'm wrong. I don't find that step particularly enjoyable or thrilling, perhaps with two exceptions (both with two legs): a variation from Raymonda and in Ballo della Regina, opening the legs from wide to wider.

Yes, they are very difficult to do well. The dancer is expected to travel a great distance while not falling off pointe, which requires a lot of strength, all while maintaining a relaxed upper body with lovely port de bras and showing no strain in the body or the face (and while remaining in character). It's much harder than it looks, but a principal *should* be able to do this.

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39 minutes ago, eduardo said:

Please, excuse my lack of knowledge.

I never imagined that those hops on pointe in the first act variation were such a big deal. Is it that difficult or challenging?

I think I saw that many times and never thought it would be hard, but now I guess I'm wrong. I don't find that step particularly enjoyable or thrilling, perhaps with two exceptions (both with two legs): a variation from Raymonda and in Ballo della Regina, opening the legs from wide to wider.

Osipova does the most difficult version of the hops on point.  She hops forward, and then rotates 360 degrees while doing the hops.  At least that's my recollection from what I've seen her do previously.  We'll see what she does tonight.  As Danny and the Juniors sang, Let's Go To The Hop.

Today is the birthday of Hallberg, Osipova and Fonteyn.  The ballet stars are aligned.

 

Edited by abatt
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36 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

I'm curious though, where do you all see standing room availability? On the Met opera site? Where? 

Yes, on the Met site, just looking at the tickets available. The two I mentioned were the only two then available in first-row orchestra SR, so I imagine they must have been from a return (otherwise they'd have been snatched up first thing, being at center). I imagine they sold again quite quickly.

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Thank you abatt!

Now that you mention 360 degrees I remember the Walpurgis variation, with 360 hops at the beginning, a diagonal in the middle and some more hops at the end, mixed with pirouettes.

No more off topic, I promese.

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1 hour ago, eduardo said:

Thank you abatt!

Now that you mention 360 degrees I remember the Walpurgis variation, with 360 hops at the beginning, a diagonal in the middle and some more hops at the end, mixed with pirouettes.

No more off topic, I promese.

And Dulcinea's variation from DQ.☺️

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2 hours ago, eduardo said:

Please, excuse my lack of knowledge.

I never imagined that those hops on pointe in the first act variation were such a big deal. Is it that difficult or challenging?

I think I saw that many times and never thought it would be hard, but now I guess I'm wrong. I don't find that step particularly enjoyable or thrilling, perhaps with two exceptions (both with two legs): a variation from Raymonda and in Ballo della Regina, opening the legs from wide to wider.

One interesting thing about the hops is that the more flexible the foot the harder they are to do. With a less flexible foot and more tighly knit ankle, there is less concern about going over on the arch and/or your ankle giving out (particularly if you are trying to cover space). From when I was a dancer eons ago, to now dancers have more and more been weeded in for super arched feet and flexibility. I mean in general. I'm not saying there are no exceptions or it's the only criteria.

Osipova, who had great facility in doing the hops is an interesting case. She is less turned out than many dancers and has super strong legs (as evidenced by her jump). Her body type is better suited for the hops than many others.

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57 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

So...  

How was the Hallberg-Osipova-Double-Birthday-Giselle-Spectacular?

Will leave a more detailed review soon, but the audience applauding for I'd say more than 10 mins at the end, and natalia and david both came out multiple times from the curtain at the same. Compared to her giselle in the Royal ballet DVD recording, her acting has only gotten better. The mad scene is definitely the best I have seen.

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I love this forum and do not come close to being able to be as specific as others but where do I start? Watching Osipova is like having the best meal of your life. She is a natural and passionate - you feel all the emotions and I was in Grand Tier.  People love her technique and we can go on and on about the hops (how fast and far?) and the jumps and the speed of her piquet turns . But it is her - what she brings with her passion and emotion that did it for me. How many times has she danced this ballet? Today she looked as excited as if it was her first ever solo performance. As for David - I find him beautiful and love his lines. I watched him last year without Gillian and go let the feeling he was dancing in a more careful and cautious manner tonight? Maybe it was just me. I love him but this was Natalia’s night!

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Unorthodox as she might be, Osipova DELIVERS, and delivers GRAND. More to come, but not without first declaring that if you heard a hoarse singing/screaming of "Happy Birthday" starting from orchestra, that was me. I couldn't resist letting those too go without it, and it looked to me like others co joined me along the way!😍

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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36 minutes ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

More to come, but not without first hat if you heard a hoarse singing screaming of "Happy Birthday", that was me. I couldn't resist leaving those to go without it, and it looked to me like others co joined me along the way!😍

Yup, around the 3rd or 4th (or maybe 5th) curtain call the audience started singing happy birthday to them. It was quite amazing! Did you start that? If so, Bravo to you!

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7 hours ago, nysusan said:

Yup, around the 3rd or 4th (or maybe 5th) curtain call the audience started singing happy birthday to them. It was quite amazing! Did you start that? If so, Bravo to you!

Yes Susan! I had spoken to an orchestra member-( trumpet)- about the possibility to get the instrument start the melody at the end of curtain calls. But apparently it didn't work. So when I saw that they were leaving already for good, I told myself..." Oh no..the Happy Birthday goes...A CAPELLA!."..and  right there I started screaming the melody. I was in row G center orchestra, and Natasha saw me...(I can be VERY loud and noticeable when needed..😎). Then some around me followed and also upstairs. 

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It's been a couple of years since I've seen Osipova's Giselle and I forgot how idiosyncratic it is. Hers is not my very favorite but it is certainly up there. It is dramatically cohesive, full of tiny dramatic details, ridiculously well danced, compelling and moving.
 
Let's start with Hallberg. The beautiful line was there, along with great acting and an incredible rapport with Osipova but his dancing was very tentative, especially in the first act. That's understandable considering his circumstances and while disappointing it didn't compromise the performance for me, it just put the focus squarely on Osipova - and she was captivating.
 
Her technique is still top drawer. She did not do the 360 in her hops on point but they were so strong and secure and she did the full diagonal from the top corner to the downstage corner with speed, beauty and totally in character. Her penches were high and secure and, of course her jumps were amazing.
 
Her first act Giselle was not your typical delicate, fragile hot house flower - while shy at first she was also a little coy and flirtatious. She was a pretty robust Giselle, more like Ulanova than Vishneva. In the second act she blasted out of her grave looking more like a furie than a wraith. Yet she did convey a weightlessness and spirituality. It was a great performance.
 
Brandt and Gorak danced the peasant pdd. He was much improved, and she was even better than on opening night. She held one balance so long that it almost looked like showboating.
 
Forster was great as Hilarion again and Duncan Lyle was very effective as Wilfred. Richardson and Post danced Moyna and Zulma again. They were both fine but not particularly distinguished.
 
I was not crazy about Shevchenko's Myrtha on Wednesday, and didn't love her opening solo last night either. Her bourrees were fast but noisy and her feet did not look very flexible. However when she came out for her solo with the Wilis she was compelling, with huge jumps and great authority. I think I'm starting to understand what people see in her.
 
 
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