United Ukrainian Ballet at Kennedy Center, February 1-5, 2023

[FauxPas]

Your wish is my command @abatt!  

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/ballet/2022-2023/united-ukrainian-ballet/?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=23DBUkrainianBalletEM2&utm_content=version_A&pid=3833286&promocode=498680

• Wednesday, February 1 Evening Performance

  Giselle: Christine Schevchenko
  Albrecht: Oleksei Tutuniqe

• Thursday, February 2 Evening Performance

  Giselle: Lisa Gogidze
  Albrecht: Oleksei Tutuniqe

• Friday, February 3 Matinee Performance

  Giselle: Iriyna Zhavlova
  Albrecht: Stanislav Olshansky

• Friday, February 3 Evening Performance

  Giselle: Lisa Gogidze
  Albrecht: Oleksei Tutuniqe

• Saturday, February 4 Matinee Performance

  Giselle: Iriyna Zhavlova
  Albrecht: Stanislav Olshansky

• Saturday, February 4 Evening Performance

  Giselle: Lisa Gogidze
  Albrecht: Oleksei Tutuniqe

• Sunday, February 5 Matinee Performance

  Giselle: Christine Schevchenko
  Albrecht: Oleksei Tutuniqe

Edited January 6, 2023 by FauxPas

[abatt]

thanks!

I think working with Ratmansky on Giselle will greatly improve Shevchenko's understanding and performance of the role.  Looking forward to seeing her performance in Washington.

 

Edited January 6, 2023 by abatt

[California]

4 hours ago, abatt said:

thanks!

I think working with Ratmansky on Giselle will greatly improve Shevchenko's understanding and performance of the role.  Looking forward to seeing her performance in Washington.

 

Shevchenko did Giselle three times in London in September. Ratmansky was in the audience all week, so we might reasonably guess that he helped with coaching that week. 

Of the KenCen casting, the only one not in London is Zhavlova. I believe this troupe did this production in Paris in the fall, but I know nothing about that casting. 

Both Albrecht's were in London. They will be getting a real work-out in DC! Five performances in five days for Tutuniqe!

London principals not on the KenCen casting: Katja Khaniukova, Alina Cojocaru, Alexander Trusch, Oleksii Kniazkov

My favorite Giselle in London was actually Gogidze (somebody I'd never heard of before) so I'm glad to see her scheduled for three performances in DC.  Both her technique and interpretation were more compelling (for me) than Shevchenko or Cojocaru.

A small detail: several dancers have changed the spelling of their name for the Kennedy Center. Tiutiunnyk is now Tutuniqe. Olshanskyi is now Olshansky. I wonder how that got decided?  (I remember some early news reports in 1974 that spelled Baryshnikov as "Barishnikov," but that quickly disappeared.)

Edited January 6, 2023 by California

[volcanohunter]

4 hours ago, California said:

I believe this troupe did this production in Paris in the fall, but I know nothing about that casting. 

The main troupe of the National Ballet of Ukraine just finished a run of Giselle in Paris, but it was not performing the Ratmansky version.

Transliterating names from one alphabet to another can be tricky, and I think the Kennedy Center is actually notorious about typos on its site, but Olshanskyi has not changed the transliteration of his name since moving to Miami City Ballet.
https://www.miamicityballet.org/portfolio/stanislav-olshanskyi

[volcanohunter]

Gogidze is posting stories of Giselle rehearsals with Oleksii Kniazkov, so I'm inclined to think the Kennedy Center typos are at play again. Kniazkov is at the UUB base in The Hague, he's rehearsing, he's already danced Albrecht throughout the Netherlands and in London, so why wouldn’t he be dancing in Washington? 

[volcanohunter]

Gogidze has also posted a story of herself rehearsing Myrtha. She alternated as Giselle and Myrtha in the Netherlands and London, so it's not strange that she should dance both roles in Washington also.

[California]

I was at opening night at the Kennedy Center of the United Ukrainian Ballet. (So were some other BalletAlerters and I'll be interested in their first impressions.) My biggest disappointment: the fact that there is nothing in the Washington Post (as of 9 am) about an important event, both artistically and politically. I thought they might at least have Sarah Kaufmann do some free lance writing, but apparently not. I hope I'm wrong!

Christine Shevchenko was glorious. This Giselle is very spirited and fun and she captured that wonderfully. Her technique was quite impressive throughout. She will also do the final performance on Sunday.

Oleksii Tiutiunnyk was a powerful Albrecht, with fabulous balloon in his jumps and numerous entrechats. He seemed genuinely in love with Giselle at the end of Act II.

Sets and costumes are the ones they borrowed from Birmingham UK, which surprised me. I thought they'd borrow something from ABT or Pittsburgh. That bizarre three-story peasant "hut" with windows is just strange.

Lots more mime than we are used to, but it was understandable. The ordering of things is rather different in many details from more familiar versions, but okay. I just love the Wiis Fugue - the choreography by Ratmansky is genius for consistency with the overall dance style and narrative. And watch for the moment when Giselle and Albrecht run through the crowd and he "flies" her across the entire front of the stage. I saw an interview with Hallberg long ago looking at that passage and he just gasped. 

I wondered if they'd include the contraption on the stage where Giselle is swallowed up by the earth and they did! Through most of Act II, all we saw was a little bit of rock formation poking out audience right, but as Giselle and Albrecht enjoyed their final dance moments on the opposite side of the stage, the rock started sliding forward onto the stage until the whole contraption was on stage. I guess the KC stage is a little too small to leave it out through Act II.

Shevchenko and Tiutiunnyk ran out for bows carrying a Ukrainian flag with "Support Ukraine." Then Ratmansky came on with another flag. Then half a dozen more hoisted up by the corps and singing of the Ukrainian anthem. Very, very moving.  Lots of press in the foyer but I didn't recognize famous people. Perhaps they slipped into the boxes when lights came down.  I'm always puzzled at the red roses Albrecht brings to the grave (instead of lilies) and the red roses Shevchenko got during bows. Why not yellow roses for Ukraine? 

I do urge anybody in the vicinity to go see it. Performances through Sunday with three lead casts. This version casts wonderfully new light on more familiar versions.

EDITED TO ADD: photo of the final bows when they all sang the Ukrainian national anthem. The audience stood, although almost nobody knew the anthem.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKsXV3IsSL/

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by California

[FauxPas]

They have blessedly added another Albrecht in Denys Nedak who guested at ABT as Solor in "La Bayadere".  Excited!

I am going on Saturday.  Sorry not to see Tiutiunnyk.

Wednesday, February 1

Evening Performance

Giselle: Christine Shevchenko
Albert: Olekseii Tiutiunnyk

Thursday, February 2

Evening Performance

Giselle: Elizaveta Gogidze
Albert: Olekseii Kniazkov

Friday, February 3

Matinee Performance

Giselle: Iriyna Zhalovska
Albert: Denys Nedak

Evening Performance

Giselle: Elizaveta Gogidze
Albert: Olekseii Kniazkov

Saturday, February 4

Matinee Performance

Giselle: Iriyna Zhalovska
Albert: Denys Nedak

Evening Performance

Giselle: Elizaveta Gogidze
Albert: Olekseii Kniazkov

Sunday, February 5

Matinee Performance

Giselle: Christine Shevchenko
Albert: Olekseii Tiutiunnyk

[nysusan]

Sorry to be missing Nedak, I'm going to Sat eve & Sunday mat.

[Juliet]

I’m here this afternoon. Beautiful, clean dancing and vibrant staging in first act. 

[YouOverThere]

I attended the Thursday performance, For a number of reasons, including getting a seat in the last row of the upper balcony due to arriving late, I wasn't in the best position to objectively assess the performance. That being said, I wasn't impressed by the changes to the first act. I felt that they made the story less compelling. Having the men act like they were obnoxiously drunk while the women were dancing during the Harvest Festival was distracting. I didn't feel that the choreography for the corps in the first act was any sort of upgrade.

I probably won't see this a second time, as the Sunday performance is already listed as a sell-out and there are only a handful of tickets left for Saturday evening.

Reviews of performing arts presentations have grown increasingly infrequent in the Washington Post, so I'm not shocked that this presentation didn't get a mention. February is a very crowded month at the Kennedy Center, with Alvin Ailey, ABT, and the Washington Ballet performing the next 3 weeks, plus a full classical music schedule that includes recitals by Lang Lang and Joshua Bell.

[maps]

On 2/2/2023 at 9:33 AM, California said:

I was at opening night at the Kennedy Center of the United Ukrainian Ballet. (So were some other BalletAlerters and I'll be interested in their first impressions.) My biggest disappointment: the fact that there is nothing in the Washington Post (as of 9 am) about an important event, both artistically and politically...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKsXV3IsSL/

 

Our first impression, which lasted throughout the performance, was the magic woven by  casting Iriyna Zhalovska and Denys Nedak.  Giselle is sold out for Sun matinee and approaching sell out for all weekend shows.   The WaPo is not ceasing ballet coverage so  assume it was decided not to do a story on this program.  New York City Ballet premiere by Thai American dancemaker is milestone - The Washington Post 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by maps

[California]

1 hour ago, YouOverThere said:

I attended the Thursday performance, For a number of reasons, including getting a seat in the last row of the upper balcony due to arriving late, I wasn't in the best position to objectively assess the performance.

I have to admit I am glad at least some of the ushers are adhering to the "no late seating" rule, although you got caught in it! On Friday night, front orchestra, several couples were seated late in prime orchestra seats, crawling over several others. Maybe that's acceptable during the overture, but not well into the first act! And a very young child (2?) was seated on the lap of the woman in front of me, squirming and making noise. They left at intermission. Too bad they don't have a sound-proof room for crying babies, like you see at the Met Opera!

And while I'm complaining, I talked to several of those "helpers" for the digital program. I was told KenCen is trying to save money by eliminating print programs and a lot of people are complaining. Selling ads didn't cover it? The digital things seem to work on iPhones, but I have an Android phone and it never works. How about a poster in the lobby with casting and we could take a picture of it instead. European theaters sell beautiful, glossy, full-color programs, but I guess American audiences can't be counted on to buy those after getting free ones all these years. One helper suggested opening a browser on my phone, going to the KenCen site and there are digital programs there. Yes, but pretty clumsy and small. 

[abatt]

2 hours ago, YouOverThere said:

I attended the Thursday performance, For a number of reasons, including getting a seat in the last row of the upper balcony due to arriving late, I wasn't in the best position to objectively assess the performance. That being said, I wasn't impressed by the changes to the first act. I felt that they made the story less compelling. Having the men act like they were obnoxiously drunk while the women were dancing during the Harvest Festival was distracting. I didn't feel that the choreography for the corps in the first act was any sort of upgrade.

I probably won't see this a second time, as the Sunday performance is already listed as a sell-out and there are only a handful of tickets left for Saturday evening.

Reviews of performing arts presentations have grown increasingly infrequent in the Washington Post, so I'm not shocked that this presentation didn't get a mention. February is a very crowded month at the Kennedy Center, with Alvin Ailey, ABT, and the Washington Ballet performing the next 3 weeks, plus a full classical music schedule that includes recitals by Lang Lang and Joshua Bell.

For me the interpretation of having the men seem drunk makes sense, because they are celebrating the wine harvest.

I also noticed in the first act when she picks the flower and starts pulling off the petals for the He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not countdown, this production does not have the Albrecht character secretly pull off a petal to fool Giselle into thinking that she counted wrong.  He merely shows her that she did in fact count incorrectly.  Many wonderful nuances and changes throughout. 

I love the fact that the nobility is not  portrayed as  a bunch of snooty people who look down on the peasants.  

My main criticism is with the company, not with the Ratmansky staging.  Having seen Giselle over the years by top level companies, the lesser technical abilities of these dancers became apparent.   The men in the company are not impressive technicians, in my opinion.  I saw opening night (Wed) and Thursday night.  Shevchenko was in a different level technically than the Company's own dancers.  As an example, Shevy's  hops across the stage were marvelous, and she continued until she essentially ran out of hopping space.  In contrast, the Giselle on Thursday quit the hops about halfway through.  Shevy also has a much bigger and higher jump than Thursday's Giselle. 

Ratmansky was BEAMING with pride when he took the stage at the end of the show on Wednesday with the company. 

Nice to run into California at the show and at the hotel.  PS - The Residence Inn  Foggy Bottom is undergoing extensive renovation.  Our room smelled like paint, and we could hear some drilling on another floor at around 9AM on Thursday morning.  Also, the heat was  not adequate.  I can't even imagine what that room must feel like in today's deep freeze.  I'll stop ranting now.

Edited February 4, 2023 by abatt

[YouOverThere]

2 hours ago, California said:

And while I'm complaining, I talked to several of those "helpers" for the digital program. I was told KenCen is trying to save money by eliminating print programs and a lot of people are complaining. Selling ads didn't cover it? The digital things seem to work on iPhones, but I have an Android phone and it never works. How about a poster in the lobby with casting and we could take a picture of it instead. European theaters sell beautiful, glossy, full-color programs, but I guess American audiences can't be counted on to buy those after getting free ones all these years. One helper suggested opening a browser on my phone, going to the KenCen site and there are digital programs there. Yes, but pretty clumsy and small. 

I had assumed that they discontinued programs for environmental reasons. I don't think that printing programs is expensive (around $1/copy when printing large quantities). I have been able to do the QR thing with my Android phone, except that I haven't figured out how to save the program so that I could use my phone for something else and then come back to it. But that just gets the same thing as using the website (tkc.co/OH for the Opera House).

[YouOverThere]

7 hours ago, California said:

I have to admit I am glad at least some of the ushers are adhering to the "no late seating" rule, although you got caught in it!

My seat was in the back row of the upper balcony anyway. I would have gone for the back of the orchestra if I'd had time to "shop" for a ticket (a combination of it taking me longer to get there they expected from the hospital where I was visiting my cancer-stricken usual ballet accomplice, my first 3 choices for parking being unavailable - 1 of them due to construction, taking 7 minutes to drive less than a mile to an alternative parking location due to ridiculously long red lights, and having the misfortune to encounter people who were taking > 5 minutes to buy tickets).

[California]

24 minutes ago, YouOverThere said:

My seat was in the back row of the upper balcony anyway. I would have gone for the back of the orchestra if I'd had time to "shop" for a ticket (a combination of it taking me longer to get there they expected from the hospital where I was visiting my cancer-stricken usual ballet accomplice, my first 3 choices for parking being unavailable - 1 of them due to construction, taking 7 minutes to drive less than a mile to an alternative parking location due to ridiculously long red lights, and having the misfortune to encounter people who were taking > 5 minutes to buy tickets).

Oh, I'm so sorry for all these complications!   Saturday afternoon, two couples were seated very late in Act I again in the orchestra pretty far down. It's one thing if thing if they're on the aisle. But these have been people in the middle of the row, so people are standing up blocking people behind them. I assume ushers think they're being "nice" to seat people late, but still...

[California]

Finally, somebody wrote an actual review of the United Ukrainian Ballet at the Kennedy Center -- but it appeared today (according to Google alert), when the last performance is already sold out. If dance criticism is mostly gone from major papers like the Washington Post, there's not much hope for its future. 

https://mdtheatreguide.com/2023/02/dance-review-united-ukranian-ballet-presents-giselle-at-the-kennedy-center-opera-house/

[California]

21 hours ago, abatt said:

Shevchenko was in a different level technically than the Company's own dancers.  As an example, Shevy's  hops across the stage were marvelous, and she continued until she essentially ran out of hopping space.  In contrast, the Giselle on Thursday quit the hops about halfway through.  Shevy also has a much bigger and higher jump than Thursday's Giselle. 

Ratmansky was BEAMING with pride when he took the stage at the end of the show on Wednesday with the company. 

Yes, the hops on pointe were a problem with both Gogidze Thursday night and Zhalovsky at the Friday matinee. Zhalovsky did just a few and then switched to a releve on her right leg to finish. She improved at the Saturday matinee and finished. 

Ratmansky has been in the audience at every performance (audience left about 6 rows back). He ducks out before the end and, from Instagram, it appears he's in the wings singing the anthem with the company. Presumably he doesn't need to be there for any more coaching after so many performances. Many corps men from Act I, now in street clothes, appear in the back with more flags to sing the anthem. The entire audience stands for this although we don't know the words and then breaks out into loud cheers and applause. It's very emotional every time I see this and I assume the company sees how much love and support they have in the US. 

[canbelto]

Gogidze had no problems with the hops on pointe Saturday night. Excellent performance from both f the Giselles I saw (Saturday matinee and evening).

[YouOverThere]

2 hours ago, California said:

If dance criticism is mostly gone from major papers like the Washington Post, there's not much hope for its future. 

The article is probably behind a paywall for most of the readers, but the link says it all (the article is dated Dec. 1, 2022):

Dance critic Sarah Kaufman laid off by Washington Post - The Washington Post

[California]

I was at the final performance Sunday afternoon, with Shevchenko, who was wonderful, of course. I gather it was sold out days ago. I was going to look up some names on the digital programs on the KenCen site, but they're already gone. 

The main annoyance today: a one-woman Shevchenko fan club who applauded and screamed very loudly at everything Shevchenko did. When Shevchenko appeared from the wings with an armful of lilies and started handing them to Albrecht, Fan Club Lady started clapping and cheering, all by herself! Yikes. And on impressive sequences (like the hops on pointe and the rapid-fire changements in Act II), she started clapping and screaming at the beginning. She applauded virtually nothing else -- Albrecht, peasant, Hilarion, Wilis chug, you name it. Did she think Shevchenko needed the encouragement? Or was that to educate the rest of us to support her? She was seated in fourth row orchestra on the left. Ratmansky was actually over on the right this time, but he couldn't avoid noticing.

Now I have to wonder what's next for these dancers. From instagram, it sounds like they're putting together a mixed bill, with one piece by Ratmansky. But it seems unlikely we'll see them again in North America. I found the national anthem, all those flags, and the applause and cheers from the audience very, very moving. I'm glad several of us got to see it.

[canbelto]

The digital programs are available here:

https://www.kennedy-center.org/digital-program/?program=united-ukrainian-ballet

[California]

38 minutes ago, canbelto said:

The digital programs are available here:

https://www.kennedy-center.org/digital-program/?program=united-ukrainian-ballet

Thanks @canbelto!

I wanted to check spelling of Oleksei Tiutiunnyk, Shevchenko's partner both Wednesday and today. My favorite Albrecht, for sure! As others have noted, such ballon! 

[volcanohunter]

On 2/4/2023 at 8:00 AM, California said:

How about a poster in the lobby with casting and we could take a picture of it instead. European theaters sell beautiful, glossy, full-color programs, but I guess American audiences can't be counted on to buy those after getting free ones all these years.

I hate digital programs. Just like I resent tickets that can be accessed only through an app. I particularly dislike a hard-copy program with a QR-code instead of a cast list. It's not that I can't access it; my Android phone copes just fine. But I refer back to old programs surprisingly frequently, and I'll be damned if I can find the digital programs of shows I saw a year ago. (If they insist, companies ought to have an archive of all digital programs which is easily accessible from their website menu.)

The cast list posted in the lobby is standard practice in Japan. Printed cast sheets are also handed out (very basic, printed on an ordinary sheet of white paper), in addition to the souvenir programs on sale. (As of a few years ago, anyway, there was never a shortage of glossy leaflets for that and dozens of other shows. In fact, everyone was handed a big, fat packet wrapped in plastic. The theaters helpfully provide recycling boxes into which you can dump the whole thing.)

The fat, glossy programs are a more practical idea in repertory companies, where (evening-length) ballets return periodically and the programs aren't necessarily reprinted for every run.

A number of companies/theaters ostensibly eliminated printed programs as a Covid precaution - and then never brought them back. 

I suspect a lot also depends on whether or not a theater has an in-house printing shop.

Asking North Americans to pay for a glossy program would probably be a very tough sell. Most companies that once produced glossy season booklets with photos of dancers and repertoire have since eliminated them, because they weren't economically viable. In any case, the volunteers running the National Ballet of Canada's gift shop told me so plainly.