Swan Lake ABT 2022

[stuben]

On 7/5/2022 at 9:14 AM, MRR said:

I couldn't get into Christine's O/O at all.  Her Odette never came to trust much less fall in love with Siegfried, nor did it seem human, employing wild, over the top undulations of her spine despite having a rather stiff back in arabesque or attitude.  Her Odile went for an icy Noir glamour, which could have been effective but for the extremely harsh port de bras, abrupt stops of position, and the lack of any star quality that projected to the back of the theatre.  Her dancing was often indulgent, lagging behind the music, while somehow never grasping the authority of the dual role.  While she has plenty of capabilities of a principal, the overall impact of the afternoon was that of a soloist. 

I guess it is up to individual opinions here as I and my family felt otherwise, and actually was pleasantly surprised to see so many attend this performance thinking most will be with families and parties on the 4th. We thought Christine and Calvin had great chemistry in their dancing, I have to admit I am not a fan for "tricks" as many seem to look for, it isn't the YAGP. I always look to see how a dancer shows emotion even afar and thought they both did wonderfully at that, the audience gave them a very long standing ovation! Again this isn't a reflection of MRR's in-depth opinion. In addition, I felt both Zhong and Waski did wonderfully as I had an opportunity to see them in Pas de Trois as well, they seem to be a good pairing this season, and MRR's comment can be due to the fact that Waski seems to have just come right off the Boston Ballet season per her IG that my daughter reminded me of: https://www.instagram.com/p/CecTiONsexs/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

From this it looks like she went from one company season to another without any breaks? Plus based on her IG it looks like she has been filling in for so many missing dancers this ABT season?

[MRR]

@stuben I appreciate your viewpoint and enjoy the variety of opinions on this forum. I remember there being high praise for Christine's O/O in the 2018 and 2019 run which perhaps made my expectations unrealistic. Dramatically she left me cold but I am glad you enjoyed her and hope she continues to grow in the ballet. 

[maps]

On 7/5/2022 at 10:35 AM, abatt said:

Good point.  I think the company gets a tax deduction if it gives away tickets for educational purposes.   The family circle and certain parts of the balcony seemed to have a lot of kids.

Did ABT close the Family Circle for the 7/6/22 matinee?  It was NA online like frequent NYCBs with closures at it's Koch theatre.  PNB presented by Joyce at Koch closed rings from 3rd on up. 

After reading the great posts on ABT, I'd love it if they did Paquita Grand Pas on a mixed bill-bravura and great opportunities for soloists. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by maps
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[ABT Fan]

18 minutes ago, maps said:

After reading the great posts on ABT, I'd love it if they did Paquita Grand Pas on a mixed bill-bravura and great opportunities for soloists. 

I’ve been wanting them to bring back Paquita for years now. They have so many dancers who would be brilliant in this, even at the corps level.

[NinaFan]

3 hours ago, maps said:

Did ABT close the Family Circle for the 7/6/22 matinee?  It was NA online like frequent NYCBs with closures at it's Koch theatre.  PNB presented by Joyce at Koch closed rings from 3rd on up. 

 

If I recall correctly, the MET began closing Family Circle for Wednesday matinees around 2018, although it could have been earlier.   I know the Koch theater opens closed tiers as needed (meaning the lower sections begin filling up).   I would hope the MET would make Family Circle available if they ran out of seats in the other sections.

Edited July 6, 2022 by NinaFan

[JuliaJ]

I attended the matinee today and thought Hurlin gave a very commendable debut performance that she should be proud of. She has a lot going for her including height, perfect proportions, long extensions, and technique to spare. It wasn't perfect (she struggled to get her leg all the way up during a couple of the developpés in Odette's solo -- only was a problem on the right leg -- and her upper body could have been a little more fluid; she doesn't quite have that silky quality as of yet) but she's fairly young and not even a principal yet, so she has a lot of time to grow into the role. All of the foundations were there. Act II showed off how strong of a turner she is, especially the fouettés, which were probably the fastest singles I've ever seen.... she did double speed for the first half before slowing down at the music change (nickname "hurricane" is very appropriate!). She stopped maybe one turn early but hid it well. Her unsupported black swan balance was very brief but didn't take away from the performance. Acting was solid in both acts. I would see her in this again. 

Ahn danced mostly clean, just a couple of very minor bobbles with pirouettes and one brief, small partnering mishap in a supported turn. He has nice lines and can land a double tour in 5th. Like others have noted, I thought his stage presence lacked impact (although he is strikingly handsome in white tights). But I will cut him some slack given he basically went from corps member to principal and never got to dance a single season as a soloist. He has the goods of a danseur noble and I hope he can improve by next spring. He's been a real MVP this season, subbing for so many shows.

Was a little disappointed that this show had the exact same casting for pas de trois (Frenette, Coker, Granlund) AND Purple Von Rothbart (Shayer) that I saw last week. However, the PDT trio gave another solid performance, and I would say all three of those dancers are worthy of soloist promotion at some point. I found Shayer just as blah as last week, although he does have an impressive split-jump sissonne.

I expect we will be hearing of Hurlin's promotion soon after her successes in Don Quixote and now Swan Lake. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by JuliaJ

[Papagena]

9 hours ago, MRR said:

I was impressed if not necessarily thrilled with Bell.  His presence is not as towering as I expected; at least on the cavernous MET stage he doesn't appear 6'3".  Overall there's an extremely good command of technique with a floaty ballon, soft landing, and everlasting pirouette.  His line doesn't evoke the poetry of a Hallberg or the strength and volume of a Gomes, but he dances with quality.  

 

You have an excellent way of writing up a dancer's style and performance! This is exactly how I feel about Bell - he is quite 'good' at everything whenever I see him but lacks that special something to make me go out of my way to seek out his performances. However ABT is in need of a versatile partner like him and will use him frequently, so I'm excited to see how he develops artistically in the coming years. 

I had to opt out of my SLs last week because of covid exposure, but really felt I was there with your writing. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Papagena

[angelica]

I'm going to go on record as saying that Hurlin's O/O debut this afternoon was phenomenal! This is the first time I've seen her in a major role, and I was thoroughly blown away. I thought her Odette was soulful and believable, and her Odile was on fire. Her perfectly proportioned limbs gave her a beautiful line in every dimension, and she has technical chops to spare. In addition, nothing she did seemed forced to me. Her acting emanated from true feeling, where she was inside the role. Definitely a promotion in the near-term.

I also thought  Ahn has a beautiful line and that he acquitted himself well in his acting. Again, it wasn't forced.

Like JuliaJ, I was disappointed to see the same cast as last week in the secondary roles. Was hoping to see some of the new men whom I couldn't distinguish in Of Love and Rage because figuring out who was who was extremely complicated on just one viewing. However, today Neapolitan pirouettes were fun to watch, and I think I know who was who.

 

 

 

[ABT Fan]

Tonight was an interesting mixed bag. I went solely to see Forster, Curley and the pas de trios (Misseldine, Park, Han) but I was glad to see Murphy as this will probably be my last time seeing her in a lead role.

It was a packed house and the audience was committed (and they loved Murphy). She is imo glaringly past her prime, but her devotion, artistry and depth of experience were still evident. Wonderful little nuances, esp in Act II, like a flick of the hand or a tilt of her head spoke volumes. Technically, I found it difficult to watch at times. She has always had legs of steel and is a born turner and she relied heavily on those natural talents throughout the ballet. I think tonight was very hard for her to get through and no doubt the pandemic and loss of subsequent performance opportunities were a cruel blow to this older artist. She seemed to be muscling through many passages, like the developes a la seconde in Act II - it was more like a kick or a whack to gain momentum so she could get up on her leg and complete the phrase. She's lost a lot of flexibility in her back, especially her upper back, and in her shoulders, chest and neck - I think the lack of movement of her upper body bothered me the most. Forster seemed to be picking her up more than he should have, there seemed to be little jump from her to aid in certain lifts. Always the queen of fouettés, she did all singles traveling forward a good deal and stopped around 25/26 clearly running out of gas while her elbows drooped low distorting the arm position. Her lower body was all power, while from the waist up she was weak and stiff (she did strike a few lovely attitude arabesques with a rather deep back bend, which I found surprising given everything else). I suppose when you know a dancer from when they were in top form, it's harder to see them at this stage. But, again despite her technical limitations now, she is still a queen and a superior artist. 

I was a bit disappointed in Forster, whom I love so much and am so glad to see he's finally getting the opportunities he should have had several years ago. Several of the more complicated turns (into arabesque for one) were botched a bit or he came out of them early and had to cover. His jetes were gorgeous as always and pirouettes were mostly very clean. What I found most surprising in him was a lack of character development, as he is one of the company's most gifted actors. It was a bit one note. I didn't feel his lament and struggle in Act I, while he pondered his mother's orders to marry. And, his grief was not palpable enough when he realized he betrayed Odette. His partnering was extraordinary though.

Curley: wow, wow, wow! I had high hopes after seeing his Mithridates twice and man he did not disappoint. No one since Gomes has come even close to the authority, manipulation and sleazy charm necessary for a successful Purple VR. From his first entrance when he turned his back to the audience and swung his cape, he had everyone's attention. When all four princesses fell in line at his feet it was believable. This guy can't be more than 22 (he joined the corps 4 years ago) but he projected such natural power that it's hard to fathom his youth.

Misseldine, Park and Han are the new dream team. Han has been in the corps for 9 years - where have they been hiding him?? I have never noticed him much and I think I had a rather neutral opinion of him. What incredible height he gains on every jump, with crisp, quick pirouettes. Misseldine I think will promoted at the end of the Met season. She is a very rare talent, much like Bell with a maturity and artistic sense way beyond her years and experience. All 3 danced with such natural joy, no forced or pasted on smiles, such an openness and expansiveness of their faces and upper bodies, and beautiful technique. Misseldine is going to sky rocket through the ranks.

The corps from the swans to the aristocrats to the Act III character dancers looked better than I've seen them in years. I thought that after DQ and L&R as well.  As noted in the other thread on SS casting the corps is chocked full of talent, bursting at the seems really, with hardly any place to go. The soloist roster needs to be either expanded and/or a few retirements are needed asap - it would be a real shame to keep some of these promising dancers metaphorically standing in the back waving a rose back and forth. And, they need soloists who can take on actual soloist, and some principal roles when principals fall ill or become injured. Misseldine, Park, Han, Curley, Coker, McBride are amongst those.

[California]

8 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Always the queen of fouettés, she did all singles traveling forward a good deal and stopped around 25/26 clearly running out of gas while her elbows drooped low distorting the arm position. 

This report on Murphy's fouettes is so sad. I can imagine how painful this must have been for her, not to mention her long-time fans. I wish they would find an appropriate retirement performance for her, but nothing seems to be scheduled. 

Thanks, as always, for these detailed reports on the SLs this season. Very informative and interesting to read.

[nanushka]

I had a very different experience of Forster's dramatic performance. I felt that he was dramatically committed at every moment. It was not a dramatically extreme performance — rather subtle, in fact. But I felt he used his face, head, shoulders, carriage and demeanor to project a complete character and character arc. I saw important shifts in the interactions with his mother in both Acts I and III, and with O/O throughout Acts II-IV.

As noted, his partnering was excellent — really exquisitely attuned to every detail of support and characterization. He didn't disappear behind his ballerina, but he remained completely devoted to presenting her first and foremost.

Technically, his dancing was indeed somewhat underpowered and imperfect, especially in his Act III solo. He generally did a good job of covering the deficiencies, but by that point he seemed a bit tired. The Act I solos were stronger, and the jetes were gorgeous throughout.

His death leap was one of the more impactful that I've seen — in particular, because it was visually striking without being showy. He didn't jump up and strike a pose before plunging down; rather, he bolted straight forward into the fall. There were a few quiet gasps near where I was sitting, but no burst of applause, which I thought was telling of the effect he achieved. As in other aspects of his dramatic performance, he was impactful without pushing for impact.

Forster is certainly not "the complete package," but I'm so glad he's finally being given these opportunities! I'm excited to see his Romeo.

[abatt]

9 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

I was a bit disappointed in Forster, whom I love so much and am so glad to see he's finally getting the opportunities he should have had several years ago. Several of the more complicated turns (into arabesque for one) were botched a bit or he came out of them early and had to cover. His jetes were gorgeous as always and pirouettes were mostly very clean. What I found most surprising in him was a lack of character development, as he is one of the company's most gifted actors. It was a bit one note. I didn't feel his lament and struggle in Act I, while he pondered his mother's orders to marry. And, his grief was not palpable enough when he realized he betrayed Odette. His partnering was extraordinary though.

 

I too was disappointed with Forster.    He makes difficult choreography look difficult. His weaknesses were apparent even in Act I, and just became more pronounced in Act III.  He was a good partner, and it seems like he and Murphy are now always paired together.   His classical  technique has always been weak, and that has not improved.  The Ratmansky choreography was better suited to his abilities, as his deficiencies are most exposed in the Petipa canon.  As of right now I will not be attending the Murphy Forster R&J, but perhaps the MacMillan choreography will look better on Forster.

Even though Murphy was not at the level she used to be, I'll take it!  Even at a reduced level, her technical accomplishment was still at a high enough level.  I'm okay with the fact that she isn't doing all 32 fouettes.

Just adding to the chorus of people who found Hurlin quite wonderful yesterday in her debut.  Watching her made me realize that she could do well in any leading role at ABT, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her at the company.

 

 

[nysusan]

9 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

It was a packed house and the audience was committed (and they loved Murphy). She is imo glaringly past her prime, but her devotion, artistry and depth of experience were still evident. Wonderful little nuances, esp in Act II, like a flick of the hand or a tilt of her head spoke volumes. Technically, I found it difficult to watch at times. She has always had legs of steel and is a born turner and she relied heavily on those natural talents throughout the ballet. I think tonight was very hard for her to get through and no doubt the pandemic and loss of subsequent performance opportunities were a cruel blow to this older artist. She seemed to be muscling through many passages, like the developes a la seconde in Act II - it was more like a kick or a whack to gain momentum so she could get up on her leg and complete the phrase. She's lost a lot of flexibility in her back, especially her upper back, and in her shoulders, chest and neck - I think the lack of movement of her upper body bothered me the most. Forster seemed to be picking her up more than he should have, there seemed to be little jump from her to aid in certain lifts. Always the queen of fouettés, she did all singles traveling forward a good deal and stopped around 25/26 clearly running out of gas while her elbows drooped low distorting the arm position. Her lower body was all power, while from the waist up she was weak and stiff (she did strike a few lovely attitude arabesques with a rather deep back bend, which I found surprising given everything else). I suppose when you know a dancer from when they were in top form, it's harder to see them at this stage. But, again despite her technical limitations now, she is still a queen and a superior artist.

 

lol, sounds like we were at 2 different shows last night! I recall Murphy doing several multiples at the start of the fouettes but then, as you noted, the second half were fast singles moving forward and she clearly finished before the music, though she covered it well.

 

I have never been a fan of her Odette so I haven't seen her O/O in at least 6-7 years and I thought her Odette had improved greatly. IMO her plastique was much improved, pliant and expressive in the adagio with beautiful flow and upper body positions including that one incredible backbend.

 

I was also a little disappointed in Forster, though I love him and thought he was ok. His line is beautiful, his legs are beautiful, his jetes are beautiful, he has noble bearing but his acting could be more developed and it looked like he did simplified the steps in some his solos - perhaps he's just too tall to get those legs around properly.

 

I enjoyed the pdt but Park is the second dancer I saw in this role who did not do entrechat sixes, I think Granlund was the only one I saw who actually did them, the rest did a watered down version with only 1 or 2 beats. I think Erica Cornejo spoiled me and its a shame that most of today's dancers can't come up to the standard she set.

 

[MRR]

The Hurlin debut was one of the main reasons why I made a last minute trip to NY, my first in five years and seeing ABT at the MET in seven.  Her clips on social media are always exciting---she has abundant personality and a vigorous technique---but I've seen very little of her live.  Overall I share most of the plaudits written above.  It's odd to say but I thought she made a terrific impression in the otherwise ridiculous prologue (the stuffed animal swan never fails to cringe).  Her eyes were wondrous and big as she entered the stage with an abandon that forcefully resisted Rothbart. 

Hurlin is an aficionado of allegro which made for a big test of adagio and legato as Odette.  Her entrance showed controlled, sustained pique arabesques which shifted on a dime to a wild, uncontained, agitated quality as she first encounters Siegfried.  The mime was emotionally committed if not timed especially well (the lake of her mother's tears didn't get full value), and one could argue she didn't project the magisterial authority of past great Swan Queens.  However, for me the latter point is unreasonable to expect of a debut and wouldn't have been the right approach anyway:  Odette is a Princess, not a Queen, and Hurlin conveyed her innocence.  There was a sense of assuming authority over the corps of Swans not by choice but responsibility; as the Chosen One she has to trust Siegfried to save not only herself but all of them.  

Her Act II adagio featured an open, unstrained attitude and arabesque with a relative lack of shape of her feet preventing a longer line.  The port de bras were grandiose with fluttering, birdlike motions particularly as she plunged into those deep penchees following the supported pirouettes.  Her gaze, frightened of Siegfried at first, slowly revealed a melancholy as she fully entrusted her weight into his arms in the swaying attitudes.  Dancing of a high quality almost to the very end, Hurlin had a slight problem on the last supported pirouette veering far to the left, and the ending serre were thinly sketched, not even beating for 3/4 of the promenade. The développé of the solo were sustained if hit or miss as far as the double rond were concerned; otherwise she left a strong impression with a space devouring diagonal and good entrechats of the coda.  She smiled vividly as Siegfried swore to love her, staying with him until the last second before forcibly boureeing upstage with big, flapping port de bras.  

Her Odile had a theatrical, almost vaudevillian aura which was not at all subtle.  Her expression changed rapidly, sometimes making a bit too clear how she was manipulating Siegfried and upset to have him out of her grasp.  The port de bras came across less disciplined than in the white act with lots of wristy arms not bending enough at the elbow and tension creeping into the shoulders and neck.  These are obviously details which will refine with experience, but her technical and theatrical momentum were unfailing, only building as the pas de deux went on.  The adagio was generally sound with only one supported pique turn going awry as Ahn partnered her for an unnecessary extra revolution.  The solo opened with immediate double attitude from a rond de jambe with the second attempt better than the first, and closing with an emphatic, speedy manege.  The fouettes were thrilling singles, keeping up entirely with the breakneck tempo for the first 16 and falling just a bit behind on the latter.  Hurlin has further polish, authority, and depth in the dual role to explore, but her portrayal was spontaneous and alive, immersing herself in creating the story right in front of you.  

Ahn as Siegfried was a generally strong partner with an airy, controlled jump and unforced stage presence.  He projected neither emotional weight nor charisma, and his partnership with Hurlin was one of rapport over chemistry.  His pirouettes suffered relatively in comparison to his jumps, attempting less revolutions than Bell throughout the show and having some bobbles during the Ball solo (not so for his tours, which were impeccable).  There's nothing inherently special about his dancing though he is capable and usable in a lot of areas.  Despite a lukewarm reaction to him in the first two acts, I understood his casting far more in the latter part of the ballet.  Much of the technical acumen of a great danseur is there: I enjoyed how stately and calm his deportment and landings were, and his acting, limited for now, never became hysterical.  

Shayer had some swagger and command as Purple Pimp; alas his technique prevented him from elevating beyond that. His lines were clipped, the multiple scissoring jumps barely left the ground, pirouettes lacked control, and the arabesque balance, held a fairly long time, seesawed with obvious tension in his hands.  Patrick Frenette as Benno bordered dangerously close to mannerism, but technically had a good show with steady tours and pirouettes and an exciting final manege.  Both pas de trois ladies impressed with Breanne Granlund executing fantastic high entrechat six (better than Frenette's!) and Zimmi Coker showing a natural epaulement and presence.  April Giangeruso replaced Lauren Post in Two Swans and with Courtney Lavine appeared quite earthbound.  The Cygnets (Nicole Graniero, Luciana Paris, Betsy McBride, Erica Lall) restored the high standard from Monday.  

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by MRR

[Rosa]

for everyone's wonderful reports and observations! Thank you! I particularly enjoyed reading about the many debuts this season for Royal, Curley, Forster, Han, Frenette, Ischuk, Misseldine, Brandt, and Hurlin.

[Royal Blue]

Despite a few conspicuous flaws in her dancing, Gillian Murphy's performance as Odette/Odile Wednesday evening was —from my perspective— emphatically inspiring and replete with exquisite moments, including breathtaking turns. Eminently glad that I bought a (basically) last minute ticket to see her!

Although one naturally wishes that Thomas Forster had danced with greater precision, his turn as Prince Siegfried was arresting.

Viewing this production five times in ten days forced me to reconsider my opinion of Act I. All its encompassing celebratory music and dancing makes Siegfried's solo particularly poignant and unforgettable.

Indeed, this run of Swan Lake has left me more immersed than ever in this gorgeous and gripping work! Ballet as an art form seems intimately linked to this particular opus in a way which makes the two appear inseparable.

 

[abatt]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-swan-lake-alonzo-king.html

A rave review for Hurlin. 

 

 

[ABT Fan]

I really wish I could have seen her debut. 

[abatt]

18 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

I really wish I could have seen her debut. 

I'm sure she will be cast as the lead in SL next season. 

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

Here is an interesting article comparing Brandt's and Hurlin's O/O and loving both as two different but exceptional performances.  https://criticaldance.org/american-ballet-theatre-remarkable-role-debuts/

[Buddy]

I’ve returned once again to the Skylar Brandt White Swan Duet video with the Boca Ballet Theatre, which I consider to be a fairly good representation of her ABT debut, after watching a number of videos of young Mariinsky hopefuls. Whereas the Mariinsky dancers remain unequaled, for me, in refinement and dreamlike beauty, Skylar Brandt, who also dances beautifully, stands out for something different. Her power of inner expression, most noticeable in her face, is totally her own and perhaps unequaled by any other ballerina that I’ve seen in the genuineness of its intensity.

Also very impressive to me, in this viewing, is the structuring of her motion. It modulates back and forth between being powerfully expressive and ethereal. It’s an extremely effective combination.

These qualities, I believe, make her someone quite remarkable, a one-of-a-kind, who I feel will stand out as being  Someone Very Special indeed.

In regard to TheAccidentalBalletomane's previous post I do look forward to seeing Catherine Hurlin as well.

Added comment: I could probably carry on an equal, but different, sort of rave about Devon Teuscher’s wonderfully beautiful performance if I had a similar video record. 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Buddy
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