ABT, Spring 2022 at the Kennedy Center (DC)

[Roberta]

3 hours ago, balletlover08 said:

Hurlin was injured in the fall (but I'm unsure what the injury was exactly).....

I too was impressed by the short clip that Chloe posted, she is a wonderful turner. Is that flower girl variation unique to ABT? I've seen the first one danced by other companies but not this one. 

That's the lone bridesmaid variation in the Kirov-Mariinsky version. Chistiakova dances it in the DVD that stars Terekhova & Ruzimatov.

The 2nd bridesmaid variation in the current ABT production is the jete variation that is usually the first variation in the Bolshoi version. Osipova used to dance it in her younger days, whenever she wasn't cast as Kitri.

re. Hurlin - injury or not, she's always been a relatively weak classicist, such as in the Grand Pas Classique during the Costa Mesa stream, April 2021. It was the same in Tatantella as a student. She's wonderful in contemporary ballet, though. She's a natural modern dancer - the Lang works, Paul Taylor's Airs (also as a student), Twyla's Deuce Coupe, most of Of Love and Rage, which is not Petipa-style classical...it's Ratmansky Moderne. Really good interpretive artist (remember Mademoiselle Chartreuse in Whipped Cream).  Both Hurlin and Misseldine are great hopes for the future, each in her own way. I admire both.

[California]

4 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Very surprised about Hurlin. I wonder if any of these limitations you saw were due to nerves. She's done the leads in Nutcracker and Love & Rage, but this is her first major principal role in a full length. This makes wonder what her O/O debut will be like. She was supposed to debut Aurora at the Met in 2020, so if she cannot hold unsupported balances or do any hops on pointe, it makes me wonder why Ratmansky would cast her.

I was thinking Rose Adagio when Hurlin had problems! In Act III, she is in Attitude position, he turns her all the way around and then waits...and waits...and waits...for her to let go and put her right arm over her head. It was up and down in a New York minute (or is it second?).  But injuries, whatever they were, would also mean she's out of shape overall and just doesn't have the strength for this.

She's only doing one Swan Lake (the July 6 matinee), partnered by Ahn, probably not the strongest partner for a debut.

[balletlover08]

1 hour ago, California said:

I saw ABT's final performance of Don Quixote at the Kennedy Center Sunday afternoon with Joo Won Ahn and Hee Seo. A few observations:

• Joo Won Ahn was a joyous Basilio who truly seemed to enjoy performing today. I don't know if this was his debut in the role. He was just promoted to principal during the 2020 lockdown. His jumps and leaps have a very nice relaxed and effortless balloon, even if he doesn't add the complications and embellishments we saw this week from Simkin and Bell. 
• Hee Seo has not been one of my favorites, although I understand others have praised her Juliet. Her happiness throughout did not seem as natural and genuine as Ahn's, but okay. She has a solid technique for most of the challenging choreography, including the hops on pointe and pique turns in the dream sequence, but her fouettes in Act III were very unfortunate. I do understand that many on this list think we pay too much attention to the 32 fouettes in this and other works, but I wonder if dancers with real problems shouldn't be permitted to substitute something else (as Makarova often did). She started with a few doubles, then fell off point and had to add a step to get back into the turns, then started travelling seriously on the diagonal to a front corner of the stage where she ended badly. Audiences cheer madly no matter what, but it was pretty awful. I don't know if she was just having a bad day or if she always has difficulties with these fouettes.
• Partnering: They had a problem with the same Act I move that gave Shevchenko and Stearns problems last night. He lifts her straight up, then brings her down into a fish dive position. So far so good. Alas, she slid down to the floor and lay there flat on her stomach for a moment. It wasn't a great distance, and she didn't seem to be injured, but both seemed startled. The back-to-back mishaps remind us that this move is more difficult than it seems when perfectly executed. The one-armed lifts in Act I seemed solid and they held them for a decent time. No extra curtain calls in front of the curtain, as applause died down quickly. No flowers or flags.
• Luciana Paris was a sizzling, exuberant Mercedes, but less secure as Queen of the Dryads. Her Italian fouettes got off to a shaky start but finished strong. 
• John Gardner was Kitri's father at some performances and Sancho Panza at others. As recently announced, he and Amanda McKerrow will be Guest Repetiteurs for the Met season. It was nice to see him bring his extensive experience to the stage. https://www.abt.org/amanda-mckerrow-and-john-gardner-guest-repetiteurs-2022-season/
• Calvin Royal III gave the Ukraine introduction.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MET: For those who can only see a few performances in June at the Met, I'd make these recommendations:

1. Daniil Simkin: It is such a treat to see him again as a guest and who knows if he will return after this visit. Don't miss him.
2. Herman Cornejo: He is in top form, but he's 40 years old (41 in May). Don't count on him being around in this shape for many years more.
3. Aran Bell: He is as good as it gets, but (fingers crossed), we'll be able to see him for many years ahead. 

Great insights, thanks California! 

I think Sierra Armstrong was supposed to debut as Queen of the Dryads this matinee as they split Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads. So perhaps you saw Sierra instead? 

[California]

29 minutes ago, balletlover08 said:

I think Sierra Armstrong was supposed to debut as Queen of the Dryads this matinee as they split Mercedes/Queen of the Dryads. So perhaps you saw Sierra instead? 

I just checked the digital program--you're right! They did split Mercedes and Queen for the Sunday matinee.

[abatt]

Thanks for all of the reports on the Don Qs. 

These reports made me excited and hopeful in some respects by the success of certain dancers who are new to their roles, but also disheartened  that McKenzie is continuing to  put people out there in lead roles who cannot perform the choreography.  There is no place to hide in a difficult classical ballet, and the shortcomings of those who don't have the technique become very obvious, very quickly.

 

  

Edited April 4, 2022 by abatt

[aurora]

18 hours ago, California said:

I was thinking Rose Adagio when Hurlin had problems! In Act III, she is in Attitude position, he turns her all the way around and then waits...and waits...and waits...for her to let go and put her right arm over her head. It was up and down in a New York minute (or is it second?).  But injuries, whatever they were, would also mean she's out of shape overall and just doesn't have the strength for this.

She's only doing one Swan Lake (the July 6 matinee), partnered by Ahn, probably not the strongest partner for a debut.

I saw this performance too.

She had trouble on this one balance. I saw no issues with the hops. They may not have eaten up the entire stage but they were done with lightness and confidence.

Besides one bobble on one balance there were no technical weaknesses in my view.

Just to reassure those of you who are now concerned about technique and technical weakness. Her classical Act II variation was in my view sublime.

[DPell]

Cate shared the fan variation on her Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cb54s_SJaEb/?utm_medium=copy_link

[nysusan]

1 hour ago, DPell said:

Cate shared the fan variation on her Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cb54s_SJaEb/?utm_medium=copy_link

That was lovely, thanks for sharing!

[fondoffouettes]

On 4/3/2022 at 6:53 AM, California said:

Stearns has been a principal since 2011 and is 36 years old. Is he in decline or has he always been this blah?

He's always been blah. But I also feel like he dances pretty cleanly (if not very impressively), so the mistakes you describe don't seem very characteristic. I recall him being a pretty solid partner with Part.

Edited April 4, 2022 by fondoffouettes

[Marta]

ABT fan said:

And, re: your comments on Stearns - he's always been blah, and yes, serviceable at best. I've never understood his promotion to principal - 10 years ago maybe the thinking/hope was that he'd improve or maybe they needed a tall principal. 

fondoffouettes said:

He's always been blah. But I also feel like he dances pretty cleanly (if not very impressively), so the mistakes you describe don't seem very characteristic. I recall him being a pretty solid partner with Part.

I saw Stearns twice with Part in Swan Lake, and have to agree with "serviceable at best" rather than "dances pretty cleanly", although  he was an adequate partner.  Thanks to everyone who reviewed DQ and especially for the recommendations which I will recall when I  get tickets to see it in NY.

[FauxPas]

Aran Bell's third act Basilio variation:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb59OTngDbu/

In rehearsal:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb059-lpDpl/

Cate Hurlin in Kitri’s Act 1 entrance: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cb51_w6p63K/?utm_medium=copy_link

Cate Hurlin rehearses the Act I Kitri castanets variation:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CbyD4LHpHRt/

Looks good to me.

Add on:  Chloe Misseldine in the Bridesmaid's variation:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb4A1YoArva/

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by FauxPas
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[California]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:29 AM, Roberta said:

. . . the Clark Tippett Bruch Violin Concerto that I've so been longing to see once again.

Colorado Ballet is doing seven performances of the Bruch Violin Concerto in April, as part of Ballet Masterworks (along with Prodigal Son and the Kylian Sinfonietta): April 14-16 and 21-23. Live orchestra for everything at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. https://tickets.coloradoballet.org/events?view=list

Edited August 9, 2022 by California