Swan Lake ABT 2022

[ECat]

It is such pleasure to read all of these detailed reviews. I live in Los Angeles and I was unable to get to NY this season so I really appreciate all of you sharing your thoughts.

3 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

(After all, Max was often wooden onstage. Irina was a beautiful dancer technically, but sometimes it didn't seem like much was going on behind the eyes.)

@fondoffouettes I have seen performances with Max and Irina that were actually quite moving. Perhaps I got them on special nights. They danced Giselle a while ago in Costa Mesa and they gave very heartfelt performances. Also, Irina was quite emotionally connected during a performance of La Dame Aux Camelias I saw in NY.

[FauxPas]

I am seeing Gillian and Thomas Forster tonight. 

Let me rush in to defend Irina Dvorovenko's acting - I actually saw her act onstage in an adaptation of Henry James' "The Beast in the Jungle".  She also was wildly funny and childishly temperamental in Encores' "On Your Toes".  There's a lot going on behind those eyes onstage and onscreen these days. 

I found Irina particularly delicious in comedy.  She was fabulous as "The Merry Widow" in Ronald Hynd's ballet version and a charmer as the Operetta Star in Antony Tudor's derivative "Offenbach in the Underworld".  Irina did period style very well.  She also was a delicious Kitri in "Don Q" opening and closing her fan over her head while knocking out fouettes.  I didn't see it but her comedy in Le Grand Pas de Deux by Christian Spuck as a bespectacled ballerina klutz was evidently priceless.

I had less luck with her big classical roles where I often got her on a bad night where she had onstage bobbles.  Her Gamzatti however was always spot on and there was lots of evil going on behind those eyes.

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by FauxPas

[abatt]

I agree with Faux Pas in that I don't think we can attribute Brandt's current limitations in SL to either Max or Irina.  The buck stops with Brandt herself.   Also, Brandt's debut was successful in many ways.  It just wasn't an absolute triumph.  She needs more experience in this.  Throughout the performance, I got the sense that this role in this theater was her dream come true at last.  I would see her again in future runs of this to see her progress, although I'm not a fan of short Swan Lake leads.  It was a very respectable debut in one of the most difficult roles in the classical  rep.

 

Added - I think a lot of dancers don't realize that certain tendencies are distracting on stage.  A number of years ago when Murphy was still a soloist the NY Times specifically mentioned that Murphy's mouth was hanging open during a performance.  After that, Murphy corrected the problem.  I doubt anyone at ABT told Zimmie that her mouth is too frequently hanging open.  I also doubt anyone told Frenette that his makeup looked terrible.  I remember an article where Devon said that she got some training elsewhere because of an award she won, and for the first time they pointed out that she raised her eyebrows when she did fouettes.  So we know there is insufficient training at ABT, and that polishing has to come from the outside.  Although sometimes this board can get a bit mean, there are also valid critiques that the dancers may never hear from their coaches.

Edited June 30, 2022 by abatt

[MarzipanShepherdess]

38 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

I am seeing Gillian and Robert Forster tonight. 

Let me rush in to defend Irina Dvorovenko's acting - I actually saw her act onstage in an adaptation of Henry James' "The Beast in the Jungle".  She also was wildly funny and childishly temperamental in Encores' "On Your Toes".  There's a lot going on behind those eyes onstage and onscreen these days. 

I found Irina particularly delicious in comedy.  She was fabulous as "The Merry Widow" in Ronald Hynd's ballet version and a charmer as the Operetta Star in Antony Tudor's derivative "Offenbach in the Underworld".  Irina did period style very well.  She also was a delicious Kitri in "Don Q" opening and closing her fan over her head while knocking out fouettes.  I didn't see it but her comedy in Le Grand Pas de Deux by Christian Spuck as a bespectacled ballerina klutz was evidently priceless.

I had less luck with her big classical roles where I often got her on a bad night where she had onstage bobbles.  Her Gamzatti however was always spot on and there was lots of evil going on behind those eyes.

 

Agree, justice for Irina! I thought she was a great Odile as well: sexy, vampy, self-possessed, always looked like she was having a ball. Total femme fatale energy.  As you did, I also enjoyed her in "The Merry Widow" and as Kitri. She didn't do "soft", romantic roles as well--I never liked her Odette--but she could be great in roles that drew on her excellent comic timing and flair.

[nysusan]

3 minutes ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:

 She didn't do "soft", romantic roles as well--I never liked her Odette--but she could be great in roles that drew on her excellent comic timing and flair.

This - exactly.

[Drew]

I was rather moved by Dvorovenko's Dame Aux Camellias. The question of whether someone is a good acting coach may be a different one, anyway, from whether they were themselves a great dance-actress. And, as others have mentioned, the issue is really Brandt not her coaches.

So in defense of Brandt -- whose performance I did not see -- and other still-developing ballerinas I will say that I think of Odette-Odile as the most daunting and difficult of ballerina roles; the genuinely great performances of it that I have seen are few and far between and they have all been by experienced ballerinas who had been dancing the role for years...

[Marta]

3 hours ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:

Saw Christine and Calvin yesterday afternoon for Calvin's debut, which I think was also Andrii Ischuk's debut as Purple Von Rothbart. Seeing ABT now makes me feel so OLD: I feel like such a granny pining for the "good old days", but that's really the primary feeling I had yesterday seeing this Swan Lake. I miss Marcelo! I miss Diana, Veronika, and Nina! I miss Irina vamping it up as Odile! 

   My feelings are the same, including the old part!  Nina and Veronika in Swan were the absolute greatest I've seen in person, and Diana's Giselle was equally great. 

  I unfortunately have not seen any of the current SLs so i really appreciate all the thoughtful reviews of everyone.

 

[JuliaJ]

I think Brandt set the bar really high with her (in my opinion) transcendent Giselle so expectations of her Swan Lake have naturally been high. I for one thought it was an excellent debut but everyone's baseline for what makes a great Odette/Odile is going to be different. One thing that's certain is she is having a very exciting breakout season, including last fall (and to think that last run of Swan Lake, in 2019, she was still dancing the pas de trois). Very much looking forward to her further growth as an artist. 

[nysusan]

15 minutes ago, JuliaJ said:

I think Brandt set the bar really high with her (in my opinion) transcendent Giselle so expectations of her Swan Lake have naturally been high.

 

33 minutes ago, Drew said:

So in defense of Brandt -- whose performance I did not see -- and other still-developing ballerinas I will say that I think of Odette-Odile as the most daunting and difficult of ballerina roles; the genuinely great performances of it that I have seen are few and far between and they have all been by experienced ballerinas who had been dancing the role for years...

I agree with juliaj, her Giselle was transcendent and among the best I've ever seen so I was hoping for the same with Swan Lake. But as Drew pointed out, Odette/Odile is a different beast. I've seen many great Giselles but only a handful of great O/Os and upon reflection - all of them had been dancing the role for some time when I first saw them in it. Some for a VERY long time - my first great Odette was Fonteyn (with Nureyev), and she had been dancing it for a couple of decades at that point. Add to that Makarova, Pavlenko, Lopatkina & Part and that is some very rarefied company.

I'll be interested in seeing Brandt again in a couple of seasons to see how she develops.

[FayBallet]

3 hours ago, cobweb said:

His face is beautiful with huge eyes (or is that the makeup?),

It's not the makeup. I thought Frenette danced beautifully. So glad he's been having such a great season.

4 hours ago, nanushka said:

I've sometimes noticed that the Met auditorium is warm before an ABT performance, but then once the doors shut and the air starts getting pumped in, it cools down. This definitely did not happen last night.

I'm usually freezing in there. I agree that last night was warmer than usual, but I was very happy about it.

I also couldn't hear the substitutions from last night, so if anyone knows them, please share!

After reading all the positive feedback, I'm excited to see Calvin Royal III's Siegfried in the future.

[MoMo]

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

I am seeing Gillian and Robert Forster tonight. 

Let me rush in to defend Irina Dvorovenko's acting - I actually saw her act onstage in an adaptation of Henry James' "The Beast in the Jungle".  She also was wildly funny and childishly temperamental in Encores' "On Your Toes".  There's a lot going on behind those eyes onstage and onscreen these days. 

I found Irina particularly delicious in comedy.  She was fabulous as "The Merry Widow" in Ronald Hynd's ballet version and a charmer as the Operetta Star in Antony Tudor's derivative "Offenbach in the Underworld".  Irina did period style very well.  She also was a delicious Kitri in "Don Q" opening and closing her fan over her head while knocking out fouettes.  I didn't see it but her comedy in Le Grand Pas de Deux by Christian Spuck as a bespectacled ballerina klutz was evidently priceless.

I had less luck with her big classical roles where I often got her on a bad night where she had onstage bobbles.  Her Gamzatti however was always spot on and there was lots of evil going on behind those eyes.

 

Hi. Not to be too “nit picky”, but Gillian will be dancing with Thomas Forster tonight, not Robert Forster. Robert Forster is the late actor, star of “Jackie Brown”. Thank you. 

[Royal Blue]

Barring the unlikely creation of an extraordinary full-length narrative ballet masterpiece, Swan Lake will continue indefinitely to be regarded as the quintessential and most iconic work of the art form. Typically, Swan Lake served as my own introduction to the world of ballet. There was never a time when I did not value the work, although naturally not every performance impacted me equally. Yet after numerous viewings with Nina Ananiashvili, Susan Jaffe and Veronika Part (among others) in the magnificent dual role of Odette/Odile, it is clear that I have never been more attuned to the beauty and power of Tchaikovsky's glorious music or the masterful choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov than presently. No doubt, Devon Teuscher and Christine Shevchenko (no less than the NYCB ballerinas who essayed the part in recent years) benefited from this, but how is that their fault? Fundamentally, both were splendid enough as Odette/Odile on Monday evening and Wednesday afternoon respectively to have fired me up about attending more of their performances, and becoming reacquainted with the classic works in ABT's repertoire.

Having the same individual portray both Odette and Odile confers psychological depth to the story, while at the same time providing a unique opportunity for a dancer to showcase her various skills. In any effective performance, every second Odile is onstage in the Third Act is electric, since the ballerina is simultaneously “seducing" both Siegfried and the entire audience. Teuscher and Shevchenko both offered forceful, alluring portrayals as Odile. Nevertheless, the immortal beauty of the ballet resides foremost in its two lakeside Acts. At the two performances I viewed, there were instants and indescribable details here of great beauty galore! Both women were at once deeply touching and stately as Odette. Teuscher's tremendous use of her long, gorgeously proportioned limbs in her enactment of the Swan Queen was not only ravishing in itself  but served wonderfully to differentiate her from the other swans. While not as tall, Shevchenko's considerable artistry made her own interpretation of the role as exquisite and soulful.

In addition to the rest of the music, Act I of Swan Lake contains one of the greatest waltzes ever composed. Unlike the two Acts by the lake that essentially one can watch endlessly, however, it can seem to drag after many viewings. Still, in Kevin McKenzie's version there is a short section for Siegfried which to my mind is one of the most sublime moments for a male dancer in ballet. In the midst of the abundant revelry occurring during his birthday celebration, the Prince dances a gorgeous solo to a pensive piece of music by Tchaikovsky of heartbreaking loveliness. This remarkable musical evocation of Prince Siegfried's character and soul by the great composer virtually begs a committed dancer to make every effort to perform the solo unerringly and poetically. Both Joo Won Ahn and Calvin Royal III are excellent dancers with a lot of potential, impressive jumps and beautiful lines. However, Ahn was relatively passionless in both the solo and generally in the ballet. Royal, on the other hand, appeared engaged throughout, and his solo was —thrilling!

Without familiarizing myself with the dancers in the current roster, mentioning names is not possible. All the same, the Cygnettes, the “Two Swans" and the rest of the swans at both performances were simply fabulous and adorable. Interestingly, in contrast to the ending in NYCB's production, in ABT's version the swans have to dance to the stirring music at the ballet's conclusion without Odette on the stage. They were magical in this monumental segment! And a nice touch afterward: at least during one part of the final bows the swans in perfect alignment stood straight-faced with downcast eyes.

[FauxPas]

Last night I saw "Swan Lake" again for the first time in three years.  Kevin McKenzie's production has some good things in it - I like the solos for Siegfried in Act I and the pas de deux in Act IV.  The one intermission and the shortened final act make it a rather fast and sometimes dramatically flattened narrative.  Dancers like Nina Ananiashvili or Veronika Part  have been able to fill in the blanks and give Odette/Odile emotional space and richness - probably due to their experience with the longer authentic Russian versions.

Last night, Gillian Murphy came back, now in her early forties, and really filled out the role.  Technically she is still on top of the assignment despite a few tiny signs of age - she cannot balance like she used to.  As Odile in Act III (to cut to the chase), the fouettés in the coda started high tight and interspersed with regular multiples - I think she did a solid quad early on - while traveling in a straight line downstage.  Then just a measure or two before the end she tired and dropped out of maybe the last three turns or so and sort of did a lovely set of turns to fill out the music.  No biggie.  Her back is still supple and flexible and her turns and multiple pirouettes are stunning.  The use of the arms, although not comparable to the Russians, is fluid and expressive.  I think that being older, she has mellowed and settled into the role (Act II Odette) and isn't pushing for virtuosity but more for expression and storytelling.  She brought real sorrow and dramatic weight to Odette in Act II and had good chemistry with Thomas Forster, her Prince Siegfried.

Forster really made one regret he wasn't promoted (or at least cast in solo roles) much earlier - like ten years ago.  Tall handsome presence, involved acting, excellent partnering with high secure lifts and also did secure clean turns in his solos.  Excellent jump too.  He also had a strong dramatic presence and filled out the story.  Only bobble was that he finished his solo facing the back of the stage which he quickly fixed by swirling front with an arm flourish.

Jarod Curley was Purple Pimp Daddy Von Rothbart and Duncan Lyle was Swamp Thing Von Rothbart.  Curley again had authority and stage presence to burn and made something of his third act "Russian Dance" solo.  For example the tricky balance was very solid.  Not Marcelo, but damn good.

First act pas de trois trio was very strong - Chloe Misseldine, SunMi Park (a pairing familiar from their flower girls in Don Q) partnered by a newcomer to me Sung Woo Han as Benno.  Han is another new face to watch out for - high clean jumps and turns, secure  landings and confident classical style.  All three looked very finished and experienced which is unusual since they are fairly new young corps dancers.  Misseldine's long limbs did not impede speed or form and she again shone.  Park had a sunny smile and radiated joy.  All three look like they are headed for bigger things.  

In Act III, the Neapolitan male duo was Cameron McCune and Jonathan Klein (replacing Luigi Crispino).  Klein we know and he danced as well as we expected him to.  However, Cameron McCune really is a very good dancer who has been languishing in the corps for far too long.   His name had been mentioned when discussing men who could be promoted to soloist but I hadn't seen him in anything where he could stand out from the crowd.  McCune easily kept up with Klein and even outshone him in a few places.  He really had technique and energy to burn and danced very strongly and cleanly - more solos please for this young man.

It was a lovely evening and the audience was very demonstrative in its affection for prima ballerina Gillian Murphy throughout and at the curtain calls.

Edited July 1, 2022 by FauxPas

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

I am so happy for Ms. Murphy and for Herman Cornejo too in that they are able to perform this year after a couple of wasted pandemic years.  It would be a shame if they decided to retire during the pandemic.   As these stars wind down, I think it is great to see the strong performances, especially of the younger ballerinas; Ms. Brandt (a personal favorite), Ms. Shevchenko, Ms. Hurlin, and soon Ms. Trenary (who will be dancing R&J). I feel it is a very strong new crop. as the recent Giselle, Don Q. and Swan Lake productions have illustrated.  Congratulations to ABT. 

[ABT Fan]

7 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Jarod Curley was Purple Pimp Daddy Von Rothbart....

Thank you for the much needed laugh! I think I will refer to this character like this from now on...

So great to hear that Curley was as amazing as you said he was - his L&R last week was tremendous.

I appreciate everyone's reviews. I still haven't bought a SL ticket so need to get on that.

[cobweb]

Devon Teuscher was beautiful in Swan Lake last night. Grand and heartbreaking. Her arms alone brought me to tears a couple of times. She extends and completes her positions so fully, so musically, that the finish of a position gave me a gasp more than once. And her dancing is clean, unmannered, and forthright. (By way of comparison, since I saw her two nights ago, Skylar Brandt looks terribly mannered and shallow.) Teuscher left me with many beautiful images and feelings. I've been wanting to go to today's matinee to see Daniel Camargo and Jarod Curley, but I am hesitant to disrupt last night's beautiful memories with a different Odette/Odile!

Joo Won Ahn danced well. He looks great in white tights, can handle the partnering, and his solos look good. Overall no complaints, and I'd enjoy seeing him again. He can definitely grow in characterization. Also I feel that, although he is tall and already dances large, he could dance even larger and make more of an impact. Just feel he has a capacity for more projection that he is not quite taking ownership of yet. 

The pas de trois was Blaine Hoven, Catherine Hurlin, and Paulina Waski (subbing for Katherine Williams). Catherine Hurlin was lovely, airy, floaty, and precise. Blaine Hoven didn't look so great IMHO, seeming heavy and not flexible. Waski suprisingly didn't look very clean or flexible either. I was wondering whether Gabe Stone Shayer has done Benno. I could see him more as a sunny Benno type, as opposed to the menacing Von Rothbart. 

Jose Sebastian was a terrific Purple Rothbart. Is this season his debut? I was startled to realize he is still in the corps de ballet. What happened to his career?? I remember him looking so promising years ago, it's amazing this is his first effort at this role. 

Patrick Frenette tore up the Spanish dance, and the makeup was more normal looking. He has a ton of potential. 

[abatt]

The thing about Ahn is that he seems to do easier variations than some others. As an example of what I'm talking about, in the ballroom scene, Herman did multiple double tours in a row, whereas Aha did the variation as double tour, followed by a piroutte, then another double tour.  At the end of the variation Herman completed with another double tour for effect. Herman is considerably older than Ahn, but Herman's choice of the choreography he performed in the variation was so much more difficult (and thrilling).   I understand that Ahn has to dance SL three times, but Herman only had to dance it once.  However, I really hope that going forward Ahn decides to step up and do the more difficult variation options in these classical ballets.  Ahn is a perfectly proportioned beautiful dancer.  But he needs to add more virtuoso content.

Edited July 2, 2022 by abatt

[cobweb]

I agree, abatt. Thanks for the clarification about the choreography in the ballroom scene, I had the sense it was different but don't know it well enough to pinpoint it. I definitely feel that Ahn has the potential to push himself more, to become a larger, more exciting and commanding dancer. 

On another note, I wish they would reopen standing room, which has been closed since the pandemic. Sometimes I actually like to stand, especially after sitting down all day at work. 

[BalletFan]

2 hours ago, cobweb said:

Jose Sebastian was a terrific Purple Rothbart. Is this season his debut? I was startled to realize he is still in the corps de ballet. What happened to his career?? I remember him looking so promising years ago, it's amazing this is his first effort at this role. 

Jose made his debut as Purple Rothbart back in 2019. I think he's very good in the role.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzG-TrAAusf/?hl=en

[volcanohunter]

2 hours ago, abatt said:

The thing about Ahn is that he seems to do easier variations than some others. As an example of what I'm talking about, in the ballroom scene, Herman did multiple double tours in a row, whereas Aha did the variation as double tour, followed by a piroutte, then another double tour.  At the end of the variation Herman completed with another double tour for effect. Herman is considerably older than Ahn, but Herman's choice of the choreography he performed in the variation was so much more difficult (and thrilling).

I have never expected a tall dancer to produce the same pyrotechnics as a short dancer. The laws of physics put taller dancers at a substantial disadvantage, and I'm sure the tradeoff between line and flash is as old as ballet itself.

[cobweb]

A few notes about the matinee, with Boylston, Camargo, and Jarod Curley. I went primarily out of curiosity to see Camargo and Curley. They did not disappoint. Camargo is a beautiful dancer with gorgeous lines and nobility. I was most impressed with his stage presence - warm, open, and interesting. I liked him just on that basis. Any chance he might join the company? Hope so! There were perhaps some partnering glitches; I noticed at least twice in supported turns when it seemed like Boylston was expecting one more revolution and had to quickly adjust. Still I would definitely be glad to see Camargo again. 

Jarod Curley's Purple von Rothbart was impressive. How old is this kid? I was amazed at his authority and seductive presence, especially at what I assume is a very young age. Looking forward to more!

Boylston was fine, good, not as full of annoying mannerisms (eg, floppy wrists) as when I last saw her. The adagio was fairly subdued, Odile more lively of course. The audience loved her. I was glad to get an updated view of her and might even see her again in something else. 

The Neapolitan was a great introduction to two apprentices, Elwince Magbitang and Jake Roxander. I've heard so much about Magbitang that I paid more attention to him, but Roxander stole my attention too, he dances so so large. Both look like terrific additions to the company. This Neapolitan was also the best danced, by far, of the three performances that I saw. They were way more in sync with each other than the two other performances, which were pretty ragged. 

Finally, I have to say how much I enjoy Zimmi Coker. Today, she was the Polish princess and cyngettes. I can't say what kind of range or depth Coker has, or how she will do in bigger roles, I just know that whenever I see her I love her! Even in as tiny a detail as the downcast eyes of the swans lining the side of the stage, Coker seems committed, more committed and engaged than the other downcast-eye swans. I know that's vague, but I can't explain it any better than that. 

I saw three Swan Lakes; that is all I'll see of the company this year as I'll be away for the next month. When I made those plans, I didn't really think I'd miss ABT, so thoroughly has my allegiance shifted to NYCB. But after seeing Teuscher's Swan Lake I'm very sorry to miss her Theme and Variations. And more generally, I've realized that I still have more of a taste for the classical style than I realized! Sorry to be missing the rest of the season. Looking forward to many reports here, and looking forward to next year!

[abatt]

Cobweb, I suspect that ABT will revive T&V for the Fall Season, so you may have another opportunity to see it then.

I was at both the afternoon and evening shows.  While I do see improvement in Boylston (I last saw her in SL with Lendorf in 2017, I think), she still did not move me at all.  A very lovely technician, but not much poetry in my opinion.  Carmargo is a very strong dramatic dancer and he was doing very well technically too - stretched lines, high jumps.  However, in the ballroom scene I felt that he bit off a little more than he could chew.  He went for five double tours in rapid succession.  None of the landings were very good.  I would have preferred fewer double tours with better precision in the landings. 

Now for the evening show.  Aran Bell is the real deal.  Charismatic stage presence, good acting skills, excellent technical skills.  He is a must see dancer as far as I'm concerned.  And Hee Seo was utterly sublime in the lakeside scenes in Acts II and IV with Bell.  Her flexible back, and gorgeous arms made all the difference.  These two dancers had chemistry together.  They were the only couple of the run who actually brought a tear to my eye.  Hee's solos in Act II were fine.  Act III was going well for Hee until the dreaded fouettes. She started out strong with nice crisp singles, and she traveled forward (but not to the side wings).  At a certain point she was slowing down, evidently getting tired.  Then she came off point, did one more fouette and stopped.  It was fine because she filled out most of the music.  Aran Bell did the same  variation that Ahn did.  Overall he did a fine job in Act III.  Big jumps, good spins.  And the last act was sublime - a real heartbreaker.  Dramatic adagio is Hee's forte in my opinion, and she was great.  Such deep back bends and sorrowful employment of her neck, head, arms and eyes.  Aran Bell did an Olympic quality dive into the lake at the end.  He jumped so high off that cliff that I gasped.  Possibly the most exquisite jump into the lake I have ever seen at ABT.   

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by abatt

[Drew]

Very happy to read about Seo's performance. In the right role (and/or on the right night) I have found her a beautiful classical dancer.

[MarzipanShepherdess]

14 hours ago, Drew said:

Very happy to read about Seo's performance. In the right role (and/or on the right night) I have found her a beautiful classical dancer.

I agree! There were a few years (2018 and 2019, certainly)  where she was CONSTANTLY being pulled in when other ballerinas were out, and was dancing a huge load already, and I think some people now underestimate her after seeing her when she was really overstretched or just miscast. But I’ve seen her do really lovely Juliets, Lilac Fairies, and Nikiyas. I think she’s one of the most lyrical dancers in the current company. There’s depth there. 

[California]

17 hours ago, abatt said:

Aran Bell did an Olympic quality dive into the lake at the end.  He jumped so high off that cliff that I gasped.  Possibly the most exquisite jump into the lake I have ever seen at ABT.   

If you follow Aran_Bell on Instagram, look at the two new images on his Stories of that jump: a still and one in slow motion. Wow!