Swan Lake ABT 2022

[Buddy]

23 minutes ago, abatt said:

The McKenzie version would be better if they restored Act IV.  Right now it's mostly an opportunity to change the scenery while a few swans run around aimlessly in front of the curtain while the scenery is being changed. 

 

I love those Swans running around, Abatt.

We don't have to agree on everything, I guess ?   🙂

 

[bingham]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

I have always liked Devon in SL.  She keeps getting better in the role.  Her long limbs are put to full use here in creating a gorgeous Odette, fully stretched lines and beautiful use of her arms, neck and back.   She handled the ballroom scene allegro work with attack, knocking out multiple doubles in the fouette portion with very little traveling.  Ahn's work was  respectable, but never electrifying.  He had no trouble with the partnering.  His big solo in Act I was beautifully done.  He has gorgeous lines and his legs are extremely long.  However, his work in the ballroom scene tended to be a bit conservative. Hopefully he will gain confidence as the run continues.  As might be anticipated, I felt there was no chemistry between the lead couple.

I thought J. Sebastian did a great job as Purple Rothbart.  He had a commanding presence, and he executed the choreography without difficulty.  

Benno was Hoven, who danced with Hurlin and Williams.

 

 

In Devon’s IG a few weeks ago, she had coaching sessions with , Isabelle Guerin, one of the great Etoiles of the Nureyev period at POB. If ABT would need an additional classical coach , they don’t have t look far for one.

[nysusan]

How much did I love Camargo in Swan Lake? So much that the first thing I did when I got home was buy a ticket to his R&J.

Not a pyrotechnic virtuoso but a true danseur noble with beautiful lines, though his floppy hair reminded me somewhat of Corella. Although he flubbed the first  double tour in his ballroom variation he came right back and did the second one beautifully. He had great elevation, speed and was a strong, attentive partner. He has such a warm, engaging stage personality and had great rapport with Boylston, who I also enjoyed.

 

Boylston is not a favorite of mine but this is the second time I've seen her O/O and I liked her both times. Somehow her idiosyncrasies don't bother me here. I liked her plastique and phrasing and she was very secure technically and emotionally engaging.

 

I was excited to see Gorak listed as Benno but then disappointed that Hoven was announced to replace him. McBride was fine in the pdt but I really liked Fangqi Li, who did the entrechat variation. Williams & Misseldine were both gorgeous as the 2 big swans and it was a treat to see Curley's purple VR. That man is going places!

[Buddy]

I agree with you, Nysusan, that Daniel Camargo has a very graceful manner and presence.

"Boylston....I like her plastique and phrasing and she was very secure technically and emotionally engaging."

At the end of the evening this was most noticeable for me and the same for the Corps de Ballet of Swans. It all built very well.

Isabella Boylston seems to be very popular, very likeable, very talented, highly proficient and was very well received last night. She's developed a more artistic presence since I last saw her years ago in Swan Lake. I think that she'll continue to grow noticeably in artistry and perhaps develop a very fine combination of exciting technique and subtle nuancing of character that builds on this, which could make her a very interesting and individual artist.

I wish her much continued success.

I also have to say once again how totally impressed and in love I remain with Devon Teuscher's performance from the night before. 

[fondoffouettes]

6 hours ago, Buddy said:

I also have to say once again how totally impressed and in love I remain with Devon Teuscher's performance from the night before. 

I really appreciate the reports of Teuscher's performance. I believe I saw her in her Met debut, and perhaps again the next season, when she still seemed to be finding her way in the role. It sounds like she's developed into a swan queen with grandeur, which certainly appeals to me! I'll be tempted to see her in a future season. 

[Buddy]

6 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

I really appreciate the reports of Teuscher's performance. I believe I saw her in her Met debut, and perhaps again the next season, when she still seemed to be finding her way in the role. It sounds like she's developed into a swan queen with grandeur, which certainly appeals to me! I'll be tempted to see her in a future season. 

I've now been highly fortunate to have been able to see four Swan Lakes and one to go, Gillian Murphy tomorrow, with some very fine, even extraordinary, performances, Fondoffouettes, and my feelings about the wonderfulness of Devon Teuscher's performance haven't changed at all.

Today

Christine Shevchenko -- Very fine with moments of sublimeness. Much to look forward to.

Skylar Brandt -- Someone very, very special !

And the overall quality seems to improve with each performance.

Also there seem to be a lot of fresh young faces which makes for a pleasant compliment to the usual matured surety. One of these belongs to Zimmi Coker, who danced in the Pas de Trois this evening, and who, besides being vibrant, is very talented. 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Buddy

[ABT Fan]

Anyone have a detailed report on Brandt/Cornejo last night?

[JuliaJ]

Very successful debut for Brandt last night. She is a natural Odette and I felt her Act II was really first rate, especially for a debut. So much attention to detail in the way she uses her neck and hands and the extension of her leg during adagios. Also, her acting is very strong. She has a lot of tricks of up her sleeve, like in Act II when Siegfried lifts Odette up in a series of backbends, her backbends were so deep and daring that she looked fully upside down over his shoulder. In Act III she held an unsupported attitude balance for so long that in the end she had to come out of it for the sake of the music. There were moments when Odile's fierceness felt a little forced, but Brandt will grow into this role with time. She already has the full ballerina package of technique, artistry, and acting. 

Cornejo was very good as always but I felt he showed his age a little bit more last night than he did in the Don Q performance I saw two weeks ago. Gabe Stone Shayer made very little impact for me as Von Rothbart. Not nearly enough camp and slimy glamour in his characterization, and the dancing was a bit sloppy.

Loved the pas de trois of Frenette, Coker, and Granlund. I've noticed Coker as a great talent for awhile but Granlund really caught my attention last night, even with a botched finish on one of the solo variations. She's a great jumper. Frenette is tall and handsome and has a big, beautiful jump with the softest of landings. Hope to see him as Siegfried sooner than later. 

The floor (with the blue patterned covering they use for Swan Lake) sounded really squeaky last night during some of the men's turns. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by JuliaJ

[Buddy]

1 hour ago, JuliaJ said:

Very successful debut for Brandt last night. She is a natural Odette and I felt her Act II was really first rate, especially for a debut. So much attention to detail in the way she uses her neck and hands and the extension of her leg during adagios. Also, her acting is very strong. She has a lot of tricks of up her sleeve, like in Act II when Siegfried lifts Odette up in a series of backbends, her backbends were so deep and daring that she looked fully upside down over his shoulder. In Act III she held an unsupported attitude balance for so long that in the end she had to come out of it for the sake of the music. There were moments when Odile's fierceness felt a little forced, but Brandt will grow into this role with time. She already has the full ballerina package of technique, artistry, and acting. 

Cornejo was very good as always but I felt he showed his age a little bit more last night than he did in the Don Q performance I saw two weeks ago....

Loved the pas de trois of Frenette, Coker, and Granlund. I've noticed Coker as a great talent for awhile but Granlund really caught my attention last night, even with a botched finish on one of the solo variations. She's a great jumper. Frenette is tall and handsome and has a big, beautiful jump with the softest of landings. Hope to see him as Siegfried sooner than later. 

 

Thanks, JuliaJ, for your very complete summary. Except for a line or two that I've omitted from your comments I agree with almost everything that you've written and certainly share your enthusiasm for this wonderful performance. 

I didn't know that it was a debut for Skylar Brandt, which makes it even more impressive. I watched her most of the evening through theater glasses. The focus was never 100%, which gave her a more dreamlike appearance. At the end of the Lakeside Act II, I was sharing enthusiastic compliments about her with the lady sitting next to me and I said, 

"She was like a little dream !"

There was a one handed (I believe) lift towards the end of the evening where she and Herman Cornejo were picture perfect. The image could have be hung in the Met.

Zimmi Coker remains the one that stood out for me in the Pas de Trois, Juliaj, and in fact from all the unknown young faces that I scanned during all the performances, but there's much that I might have missed and I'm not familiar with many of the dancers. I do agree that Breanne Granlund was very fine as well in the Pas de Trois. (I may have confused the two, but I don't think so). 

I thought that Calvin Royal III in the afternoon was one of the most interesting male ballet dancers that I've ever seen. I'm very impressed. I was watching him carefully through my theater glasses, quite unusual for me with a male dancer, until Christine Shevshenko appeared and completely commanded my attention, which was probably as intended. She's quite exceptional as a 'dramatist' and I'd like to discuss her more at another time.  Her performance and Calvin Royal III's were very fine.

  

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Buddy

[California]

1 hour ago, JuliaJ said:

Very successful debut for Brandt last night.

I'm sure this was a NYC debut for Brandt, but she performed it in May 2021 with Boca Ballet Theatre, partnered by  Aran Bell. I watched it on a livestream. Not the nerve-wracking setting of the Met, but it did break the ice for her. 

Here's a news release from the company: https://www.bocaballet.org/news/bbt-to-welcome-abt-principal-skylar-brandt-for-swan-lake

She posted some YouTube clips: 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by California

[abatt]

I thought Brandt's performance was a good debut, with work still to be done.  I thought she was more in her element in Act III than as Odette.  She seems to have been drilled in hitting positions, which sometimes made her phrasing as Odette look too harsh, particularly in the Lakeside scene pas with Herman.  One thing I really liked about Devon's performance, in contrast to Brandt, is how Devon would slowly unfurl her limbs in the adagio sections of the ballet. 

Cornejo is always a delight, but I have to wonder how many more SL's are in his future.   He is not as much of a virtuoso as he once once was due to age, but he remains many levels above most of the male principals at ABT both in technical ability and stage presence.

I did not like Shayer as Purple Rothbart.  I thought he looked at bit sloppy and struggled with some of the big partnering moments.  But even more than that, his short stature does not work for this role.

 

Added- No doubt about it.  Brandt can definitely hold balances for a very long time.

Still waiting for a Siegfried who matches my memories of Gomes and Bolle as the  romantic lead here.

Edited June 30, 2022 by abatt

[fondoffouettes]

20 minutes ago, abatt said:

I thought Brandt's performance was a good debut, with work still to be done.  I thought she was more in her element in Act III than as Odette.  She seems to have been drilled in hitting positions, which sometimes made her phrasing as Odette look too harsh, particularly in the Lakeside scene pas with Herman. 

Cornejo is always a delight, but I have to wonder how many more SL's are in his future.   He is not as much of a virtuoso as he once once was due to age, but he remains many levels above most of the male principals at ABT both in technical ability and stage presence.

I only saw the first half of last evening's performance (not because the performance was lacking), and I agree completely with your assessment of Brandt. I also found her lacking in dramatic depth. Her Odette was a bit soulless. While Irina and Max may be helpful for drilling down the technical elements, I wonder if she could use coaching on the dramatic side of things. (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.)

I agree with others that the adagio was gorgeous. The overhead lifts were stunning. Her variation didn't really come together fluidly. 

Brandt may also acquire more artistic maturity with age. This is purely my opinion, based on social media, but I feel like she's been infantilized by her wealthy family. Just going out and living life -- experiencing things that aren't at all dance-related -- may make for a more well-rounded artist.

Cornejo is still head and shoulders above many other principals. But his dancing did have a slight forced quality at points yesterday evening.

[abatt]

Note about Frenette.  A very promising dancer.  Was this his debut as Benno?  I wasn't sure.  Nice elevation and line.  But tone down that facial makeup!  Way too much.

[nysusan]

I agree with abatt and fondoffouettes.

 

I thought Brandt was a more natural Odile than Odette, and her Black Swan pdd was great.

 

IMO she did not display the requisite fluidity in the first lakeside scene, and I saw no sign of a russian back, or the energy radiating throughout her body. And though she hit some beautiful positions she never really seemed to stretch them from her toes to her fingertips. I thought she looked much better in the second lakeside scene.
 

Equally important I agree with fondoffouettes that her Odette lacked dramatic impact - I did not feel for her at all. Still, it was a good debut. I was hoping she'd hit it out of the park like she did with Giselle but for me it just did not happen.

 

Also agree that, while still better than most ABT male principals, Cornejo now looks like he is in the twilight of his career.

 

Shayer's VR was completely forgettable.

[fondoffouettes]

45 minutes ago, abatt said:

Note about Frenette.  A very promising dancer.  Was this his debut as Benno?  I wasn't sure.  Nice elevation and line.  But tone down that facial makeup!  Way too much.

I think it must have been his debut. His manège of jetés was really beautiful. I liked Coker and Granlund, but Coker's very open mouth -- for nearly the entire pas de trois -- was really distracting. 

Frenette's cheeks were indeed incredibly rosy. I was wondering if maybe he didn't get full makeup coverage and his flushed cheeks were showing through. But I couldn't really tell from where I was sitting. An over application of makeup like you say makes more sense. 

It was great to see Nicole Graniero in the corps. I'm glad her summer season engagements with ABT have continued post-pandemic. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by fondoffouettes

[abatt]

5 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

 

Frenette's cheeks were indeed incredibly rosy. I was wondering if maybe he didn't get full makeup coverage and his flushed cheeks were showing through. But I couldn't really tell from where I was sitting. An over application of makeup like you say makes more sense. 

 

It was too much blush or bronzer on the cheeks, but also too much eye makeup.  I thought it was distracting.

[nanushka]

I too mostly agree with @abatt and @fondoffouettes about Brandt's Act II Odette.

(I also had to leave at intermission. Not the sole reason, but the auditorium — at least where I was seated — was almost unbearably warm and humid. It was incredibly uncomfortable breathing into a mask, and I have generally never been much bothered by that in the past. 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.)

Starting with the PDT, I thought Frenette's debut (if that's what it was) was very promising. His solo portions especially were quite good. But his nerves were really showing. As an example, on several occasions he finished partnering a supported pirouette by suddenly remembering to put on a big smile. He could also find a better way to manage his height during those, as he had a tendency to hunch over while supporting his partner. (I'm not on Instagram much anymore, but when I used to be, Frenette's posts often reminded me a bit of Sara Mearns', in his rather nice willingness to be really open and honest about his vulnerabilities and struggles/strivings. Mearns, though, doesn't let those show onstage one bit, unless they're dramatically appropriate. Frenette will very likely mature as an artist, and I look forward to seeing that.)

Granlund, too, was quite promising — I don't think I've ever seen her in the PDT before — but there were numerous bobbles throughout both the ensemble sections and her solos (including the slightly botched finish mentioned above).  Coker looked great, as always, though I agree about her mouth.

Cornejo's Act I variation was quite strong — especially his extraordinarily fluid turns in second.

Moving to Act II, the four cygnettes were quite good, and they kept up the tempo throughout — something ABT cygnettes often have a problem with especially with the pas de chats to stage right late in the piece. Their ending, too, was cleaner than I've often seen at ABT.

Brandt's highlight was definitely the adagio PDD. Veronika Part has always been my ABT gold standard for Odette; I love a tall dancer with gorgeous long legs in the role of swan queen. Brandt is obviously not that, but her manner of slowly unfurling the développé extensions was truly breathtaking. As mentioned above, her backbends in the lifts were quite striking, but for me they struck a bit of a note of the grotesque — exaggeration to the point of senselessness. ("Why is Siegfried carrying her around upside-down?") If she tones those down a bit, with a slightly less extreme effect, they'll be fantastic. I wish I'd been able to see her Odile, but I trust there will be many more ABT Swan Lakes in her future.

Edited June 30, 2022 by nanushka

[cobweb]

After much inner debate about which casting (if any) to see, I went last night to see Brandt and Cornejo. I found Brandt meticulously prepared with scrupulous attention to detail, but lacking in inner life. I thought her Odile was more persuasive, and I appreciated that she stuck with clean, single fouettes, with an impressive minimum of traveling. For Cornejo, I know his technique has diminished, but I am used to him having a commanding, grand presence from the very minute he appears on the stage. I found his presence surprisingly low energy last night. 

I enjoyed Breanne Granlund in the pas de trois despite the bobbles; she has a lovely fleet and delicate quality. Coker is a charmer, and I found her smile infectious. Patrick Frenette has an absolutely gorgeous line and noble carriage. Stunning. But the partnering looks labored and the excessive makeup was distracting. Also, I find him a bit blank. His face is beautiful with huge eyes (or is that the makeup?), but something about him feels closed off and not engaged with the audience. 

I couldn't clearly hear the casting changes that were announced before curtain. Can anyone confirm whether the Polish princess was Kanon Kimura? I found her beguiling. 

Also like others, Gabe Stone Shayer doesn't do it for me as Purple Rothbart. Not sure why he was even cast in this role, it needs someone taller who can look menacing. 

After hearing Buddy's report about Devon Teuscher, I bought a ticket to see tomorrow night's performance too. 

 

[nanushka]

2 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Also like others, Gabe Stone Shayer doesn't do it for me as Purple Rothbart. Not sure why he was even cast in this role, it needs someone taller who can look menacing. 

I didn't see Shayer's Rothbart, but even Vasiliev couldn't pull that off. To start, those boots look silly on a short dancer. And the whole scene really requires a commanding presence. Having seen Shayer's disappointing Espada (which, for me, also best suits a taller dancer), I expected to find his Rothbart disappointing if I'd stayed.

I think he's being tested for possible promotion to principal. He's made something of a public stink about his lack of and/or delayed promotion in the past on social media, and I wonder if McKenzie is trying to either keep him appeased or give him a fairer shot.

[MarzipanShepherdess]

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! 

Christine is a very polished, technically assured Odette and Odile but she just doesn't make me FEEL anything when I watch her in the role. She hits the marks, but I don't get the heartbreak, ardor, or tenderness my favorites brought to Odette or the wicked glee or sensuality they delivered as Odile. I found her interpretation to be a bit cool. An imperious Odile, a crystalline Odette. Would not want to see her again in this role.

Calvin, I would want to see again. I think it was a very promising debut. He is really an interesting dancer, as @Buddydescribed him, with a unique presence, depth, and a feel for character. It wasn't a fully formed interpretation, but one is emerging. His Siegfried is young and shy, not fully at ease with himself, rushing into love, and he conveyed that innocence beautifully. There were moments where he got a bit lost on stage, I think he's still figuring out how to convey that shy innocence AND hold the stage. The moment when he realizes he's been tricked by Odile and Von Rothbart was particularly heartbreaking. There were moments where his characterization faltered, but then he'd do something really beautiful and emotive a few movements later. An example being his final moments on stage: his rush up the rocks was kind of half-baked, he was trying to grab at the rocks but it didn't really look convincing, but then he did one of the most beautiful final leaps I've ever seen a Siegfried deliver. Just glorious. Even though his technique can be uneven (great elevation, sometimes unpolished on the landings, for example), I found him more compelling to watch than Christine who, objectively has better technique. 

Not much to report on Ischuk's debut as PVR. Nice jumps but did not project the authority or sexy sleaze that can make this such a great role. I'm still waiting for someone worthy to walk in Marcelo's purple suede thigh-highs. 

 

[Buddy]

40 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

Brandt's highlight was definitely the adagio PDD. Veronika Part has always been my ABT gold standard for Odette; I love a tall dancer with gorgeous long legs in the role of swan queen. Brandt is obviously not that, but her manner of slowly unfurling the développé extensions was truly breathtaking. 

Veronika Part was always on a level of her own for me, Nanushka, perhaps the best in the world any many ways. Gillian Murphy did a very respectable Odette/Odile as well and I greatly look forward to seeing her once again tonight.

Still, Skylar Brandt, whom I've just seen for the first time, has a certain dreamlike 'magic' that could also put her in an 'extra-special' category -- for me, anyway. I'd like to see much more of her.

Christine Shevshenko  has a 'dramatic' prowess that makes her quite 'out of the ordinary' at a world class level.

Devon Teuscher was simply -- Heart-Touchingly Wonderful ! 

 

  
 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Buddy

[JuliaJ]

7 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I didn't see Shayer's Rothbart, but even Vasiliev couldn't pull that off. To start, those boots look silly on a short dancer. And the whole scene really requires a commanding presence. Having seen Shayer's disappointing Espada (which, for me, also best suits a taller dancer), I expected to find his Rothbart disappointing if I'd stayed.

I think he's being tested for possible promotion to principal. He's made something of a public stink about his lack of and/or delayed promotion in the past on social media, and I wonder if McKenzie is trying to either keep him appeased or give him a fairer shot.

I would hope Shayer is not on the principal track from what I've seen in the past few weeks. He doesn't fit well into either the danseur noble or the short, jumping virtuoso category. I can't imagine him leading any full-length classics. 

I was not against his promotion to soloist given the principal roles he had previously taken on, but I felt his very public suggestion that his career was stalled over race -- during a very rocky moment in American racial politics -- was not a good look for him and ended up making his promotion look like a PR move. 

[MoMo]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Note about Frenette.  A very promising dancer.  Was this his debut as Benno?  I wasn't sure.  Nice elevation and line.  But tone down that facial makeup!  Way too much.

Yes, last night was Patrick Frenette’s debut as Benno. 

[nanushka]

1 minute ago, JuliaJ said:

I would hope Shayer is not on the principal track from what I've seen in the past few weeks. He doesn't fit well into either the danseur noble or the short, jumping virtuoso category. I can't imagine him leading any full-length classics. 

I was not against his promotion to soloist given the principal roles he had previously taken on, but I felt his very public suggestion that his career was stalled over race -- during a very rocky moment in American racial politics -- was not a good look for him and ended up making his promotion look like a PR move. 

I agree on all those points — don't see him as principal material (unless he dramatically improves), thought he deserved the soloist promotion, thought his public comments were very much not a good look.

[ABT Fan]

11 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I agree on all those points — don't see him as principal material (unless he dramatically improves), thought he deserved the soloist promotion, thought his public comments were very much not a good look.

I also agree with this and I seriously doubt he’s on the principal track.