Xiaoyi Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 Onegin Saturday Matinee: Larkin Miller (debut), Svetlana Lunkina, Siphesihle November (debut), Tirion Law (debut), Donald Thom (debut) I went for Svetlana Lunkina and was surprised that she only got one show this round. Maybe it is due to her stamina or the inexperience Onegin? All the hard work of two and a half months (according to pre-show talk) for only one show. The show was flawed but still very beautiful and touching. The young Larkin Miller was good in Act 2 when focusing on acting and in the farewell ppd "because the partnering of the final scene doesn't have to look smooth" @volcanohunter. However, the partnering of mirror duet was clunky and slower than Cote's. I felt like I was watching a shy schoolgirl's dream rather than a passionate dream. I could feel Lunkina was hesitant in the difficult lifts and her relief when each pose was achieved. The Act 1 solo was more of a variation in a ballet competition. He was playing Onegin rather than being Onegin. His jumps were light but his chaine was ugly with separate legs. Siphesihle November and Tirion Law were definitely not traditional Lensky and Olga. They were small in physique and playful in the charactization. (My friend joked "they looked like 8 years old.") Siphesihle focused on doing more pirouettes and failed to respond to the music properly or deliver the tragedy in Act 2 Lensky solo. Tirion was flat in delivering emotions but she was super light in lifting. Siphesihle made an exciting lift in Act 1 letting go of her waist for one second. Svetlana Lunkina saved the show. In Act 1, she showed her butterflies towards Onegin, the handsome stranger, right after seeing his reflection in the mirror, while most ballerinas portray mostly nerve. Her back bends in the air and the exquisite bouree showed longing and fantasy. The confusion of the rejected girl was naturally presented in Act 2 solo with controlled technique. In Act 3, she was colder in the ball duet with Prince Gremin than Jurgita. (I think both directions make sense.) The farewell ppd was as heartbreaking as ever with Svetlana's precise acting and again her back bends. Link to comment
Raina Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Despite the fact that all the debutantes made mistakes, the performance on the afternoon of the 25th turned out to be very moving and emotional. I liked Lensky and Olga performed by Siphesihle November and Tirion Law. Their dancing had youthful ardour. November was convincing in the dramatic episodes, and the duel scene moved me to tears. I really enjoyed the image of Onegin created by Larkin Miller. I understand that he was very nervous, and it is not easy for a young and not very experienced artist to prepare such a difficult role. Not everything turned out perfectly, but his hero was exactly how I imagine Onegin to be. Additional bonuses are his height and appearance. Larkin could grow into a wonderful Onegin if he gets a chance to dance the part in the future. Let's wish him success in his dancing career. Svetlana Lunkina is simply a cosmic ballerina. Each of her dramatic roles penetrates to the depths of one's soul. Shame on the National Ballet of Canada for having one of the great ballerinas of our time on staff and giving her only one performance to dance. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 (edited) Onegin, 25 November 2023, matinee Svetlana Lunkina’s immersive and multilayered acting makes pretty much all other ballet acting look simplistic and superficial. Her Tatiana is convincingly bookish and sensitive, as though she’s really reading, not staring into a prop. She’s palpably infatuated with Onegin. She doesn’t merely gaze at him doe-eyed; it’s clear that he thrills her. If anything interfered with the “mirror” duet, it was the sets. Between the desk, the “mirror” and the bed, there was practically no room left over to maneuver. More than once Lunkina and Larkin Miller had to hold a pose and wait for the music for move along because they had simply run out of space. Still, in every overhead lift I marveled at the beauty of her legs, and the "slingshot" lifts were especially spectacular. I hadn’t seen a ballerina look so exultant in the backwards torch lift since Veronica Tennant 35 years ago. Lunkina was masterful in the second act. The day before Jurgita Dronina had run into trouble after Onegin attempted to return her letter: she buried her face in her hands and her torso began to shake violently, which led a few people in the audience to giggle. Instead Lunkina made sure that the audience would see her features fall and her eyes well up with tears. Her variation didn’t look desperate or needy, but like a duty she had to perform and somewhat distractedly. (She saved her desperation for the duel scene.) When she returned to the stage composed again, she poignantly wiped away a final tear. What was also devastating was how hurt she looked as she watched Onegin flirt with Olga. I agree that in the third act her duet with her husband (Donald Thom) is formal rather than rapturous. They are dancing in a ballroom with everyone watching, after all, and she responds by offering classical perfection and poise. This contrasts all the more strongly with how she repeats parts of the duet with him in the second scene. No doubt I am repeating myself from seven years ago, but it is fitting that the final duet is set to Francesca da Rimini, because Lunkina does appear as though she is enduring hell and her soul is being torn to pieces. But I cursed the presence of the idiotic stove that Santo Loquasto placed at stage right. During one lift I feared that Lunkina’s legs would collide with its chimney. (And the fact that Loquasto placed the "door" to the room upstage center, not stage right, as it was originally, means that every Onegin needs to make a sharp turn to stage left as he barrels out the room, or else he risks colliding with the doorframe.) Toward the end of the duet tears were streaming down Lunkina’s face, her body looked as though it were about to break, and when the curtain came back up, it was obvious that she was completely spent. It had been many years since I had cried at a performance of Onegin, but I did this time. The real crying shame is that she has had only two opportunities to perform the ballet over the past seven years. That is madness. I can understand why Reid Anderson cast Miller as Onegin. Miller is reminiscent of Anderson himself in the role. Of course, it’s still early going for him, but Miller’s interpretation is straightforward—his Onegin is haughty and self-absorbed. He didn’t overact, he didn’t drop his partner. No doubt with time his first-act variation and everything else will become more assured. I’m not entirely convinced of Miller’s danseur noble credentials, though. There were a lot of fake arabesques. I thought Tirion Law was charming as Olga. I also thought that Siphesihle November fared very well in the first scene, perhaps more jaunty as Lensky than is typical, but jumping easily and very high, managing all the partnering. His tall crown of braids was coaxed into something like a 19th-century hairstyle, and overall it improved the perception of his proportions. November is very short, hence the hairstyle he usually wears, and I worried that when he challenged Miller’s Onegin to a duel, it might appear unintentionally comical, but it didn’t. Then I realized a bigger danger was that he had to lift Lunkina, who is about the same height, during the duel scene. I was afraid she might end up on the stage floor in a split, but she didn’t. What I wasn’t convinced by was his performance of the pre-duel monologue, which was too reminiscent of angsty music-video dancing, if I can put it that way. I especially appreciated Stephanie Hutchison as the Nurse, for not turning her into a caricature of an old woman. And there was good humor, not overplayed, in the party scene, when Alexandra MacDonald’s tall Madame Larina led a mazurka with the much smaller Scott McKenzie. Edited December 8, 2023 by volcanohunter Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted December 9, 2023 Share Posted December 9, 2023 The Nutcracker has just begun, and already injuries are throwing a big spanner into the works. Jurgita Dronina is out for the entire run, and Koto Ishihara's first appearance has been delayed by a week. At the moment Genevieve Penn Nabity is scheduled to dance 10 Sugar Plum Fairies, plus three Snow Queens. Link to comment
Drew Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I had missed this review of Lunkina in Onegin...what a compelling performer she sounds in all your descriptions. Link to comment
Raina Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Casting Alice Tirion Law* (March 6, 8, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 10 at 2:00 pm) Emerson Dayton* (March 7, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm/March 9 at 7:30 pm) Hannah Galway* (March 7, 13, 16 at 7:30 pm/March 9 at 2:00 pm) Jeannine Haller* (March 14 at 7:30 pm/March 17 at 2:00 pm) Jack/The Knave of Hearts Naoya Ebe (March 6, 8, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 10 at 2:00 pm) Keaton Leier* (March 7, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm/March 9 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James (March 7, 13, 14, 16 at 7:30 pm/March 9, 17 at 2:00 pm) Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit Donald Thom* (March 6, 8, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 10 at 2:00 pm) Siphesihle November (March 7, 9, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm/March 7, 9, 13, 16 at 7:30 pm) Spencer Hack* (March 14 at 7:30 pm/March 17 at 2:00 pm) Mother/The Queen of Hearts Svetlana Lunkina (March 6, 8, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 10 at 2:00 pm) Chelsy Meiss* (March 7, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm/March 9 at 7:30 pm) Heather Ogden (March 7, 13, 16 at 7:30 pm/March 9 at 2:00 pm) Alexandra MacDonald* (March 14 at 7:30 pm/March 17 at 2:00 pm) Father/The King of Hearts Rex Harrington† (March 6, 7, 8, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 9, 10, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm) Johnathan Renna* † (March 7, 17 at 2:00 pm/March 9, 13, 14, 16 at 7:30 pm) Magician/Mad Hatter Ben Rudisin (March 6, 8, 9, 12, 15 at 7:30 pm/March 7, 10, 14, 16 at 2:00 pm) Donald Thom (March 7, 13, 16 at 7:30 pm/March 9 at 2:00 pm) Noah Parets* (March 14 at 7:30 pm/March 17 at 2:00 pm) * Debut † Guest Artists All casting subject to change. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 It's interesting that Chelsy Meiss is making her debut as the Queen of Hearts. Since she has a background in tap dancing, during the last run she danced the Mad Hatter, the first woman to do so. Link to comment
Rosie2 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 As usual, once the casting has finally been announced, I have the same cast for more than one show. I'm so pleased that Chelsy Meiss is getting a crack at the Queen of Hearts and I think she will be deliciously over the top in it - I'm changing one of my shows just for her. I'm also looking forward to opening night with the glorious Lunkina as the "Queen of Tarts." Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 (edited) Casting for the mixed bill on 20-24 March, featuring William Yong's UtopiVerse, Emma Portner's Islands and Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc. UtopiVerse Lotus Koto Ishihara (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Tirion Law (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Leo Ben Rudisin (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Siphesihle November (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) The Daemon Christopher Gerty (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Noah Parets (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) The Undermined Emma Oulette islands Heather Ogden and Emma Ouellet (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Alexandra MacDonald and Alexander Skinner (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Hannah Galway and Jenna Savella (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Suite en Blanc La Sieste Chelsy Meiss, Tene Ward, Monika Haczkiewicz (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Chelsy Meiss, Alexandra MacDonald, Calley Skalnik (Mar 21, 23 mat) Clare Peterson, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Monika Haczkiewicz (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Thème Varié Brenna Flaherty, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Koto Ishihara, Naoya Ebe, Harrison James (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Calley Skalnik, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Sérénade Isabella Kinch (March 20, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm) Brenna Flaherty (March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Presto (pas de cinq) Koto Ishihara (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Jeannine Haller (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Ayano Haneishi (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie, Noah Parets (March 20, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Keaton Leier, Kota Sato, Josh Hall, Alexander Skinner (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) La Cigarette Calley Skalnik (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Svetlana Lunkina (March 21, 22 at 7:30 pm/ March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Mazurka Spencer Hack (March 20 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Siphesihle November (March 21 at 7:30 pm) Aidan Tully (March 22 at 7:30 pm) Naoya Ebe (March 23 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James (March 24 at 2:00 pm) Adage Svetlana Lunkina, Harrison James (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Heather Ogden, Ben Rudisin (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Emerson Dayton, Spencer Hack (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) La Flûte Svetlana Lunkina (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Heather Ogden (March 21 at 7:30 pm/ March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Emerson Dayton (March 22 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Ben Rudisin, Naoya Ebe, Harrison James (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Spencer Hack, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/New-Yong-Islands-Suite-en-Blanc Edited March 7 by volcanohunter formatting Link to comment
Rosie2 Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 And again I have the same cast for two shows! I'm waiting on the 'phone to try and exchange for another date - this is becoming tedious. Link to comment
Violetta Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 On 3/8/2024 at 4:23 PM, Rosie2 said: And again I have the same cast for two shows! I'm waiting on the 'phone to try and exchange for another date - this is becoming tedious. Rosie2, I feel you! Thank you btw for posting the Triple Bill Casting. I saw Onegin back in November and while the supporting cast was wonderful, I was not at all happy with the principal cast I saw. I was actually with someone who was new to watching ballet, and even they were of the opinion that the two principals exuded nothing on stage, just going through the motions. For this, I would love to see casting posted in advance...like way in advance...why is this not possible with this company, especially given ticket prices? On 3/7/2024 at 5:59 PM, volcanohunter said: Casting for the mixed bill on 20-24 March, featuring William Yong's UtopiVerse, Emma Portner's Islands and Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc. UtopiVerse Lotus Koto Ishihara (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Tirion Law (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Leo Ben Rudisin (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Siphesihle November (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) The Daemon Christopher Gerty (March 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Noah Parets (March 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) The Undermined Emma Oulette islands Heather Ogden and Emma Ouellet (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Alexandra MacDonald and Alexander Skinner (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Hannah Galway and Jenna Savella (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Suite en Blanc La Sieste Chelsy Meiss, Tene Ward, Monika Haczkiewicz (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Chelsy Meiss, Alexandra MacDonald, Calley Skalnik (Mar 21, 23 mat) Clare Peterson, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Monika Haczkiewicz (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Thème Varié Brenna Flaherty, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Koto Ishihara, Naoya Ebe, Harrison James (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Calley Skalnik, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Sérénade Isabella Kinch (March 20, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm) Brenna Flaherty (March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Presto (pas de cinq) Koto Ishihara (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Jeannine Haller (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Ayano Haneishi (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie, Noah Parets (March 20, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) Keaton Leier, Kota Sato, Josh Hall, Alexander Skinner (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) La Cigarette Calley Skalnik (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Svetlana Lunkina (March 21, 22 at 7:30 pm/ March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Mazurka Spencer Hack (March 20 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Siphesihle November (March 21 at 7:30 pm) Aidan Tully (March 22 at 7:30 pm) Naoya Ebe (March 23 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James (March 24 at 2:00 pm) Adage Svetlana Lunkina, Harrison James (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Heather Ogden, Ben Rudisin (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Emerson Dayton, Spencer Hack (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) La Flûte Svetlana Lunkina (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Heather Ogden (March 21 at 7:30 pm/ March 23, 24 at 2:00 pm) Emerson Dayton (March 22 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller (March 20, 23 at 7:30 pm) Ben Rudisin, Naoya Ebe, Harrison James (March 21 at 7:30 pm/March 23 at 2:00 pm) Spencer Hack, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller (March 22 at 7:30 pm/March 24 at 2:00 pm) https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/New-Yong-Islands-Suite-en-Blanc Thank you for posting this!! PS, I do not see Genevieve PN cast here, hope she is ok? I was really hoping to see her perform again after her Romeo and Juliet last year Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 The triple bill is proving to be a tough sell, especially with two mostly unknown properties on the program and the fact that people just shelled out for expensive tickets to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, often with multiple kids in tow. So the company is offering a 50% [!!!] discount with the code NIGHTOUT . Discount codes were quite common several seasons ago, but I can't recall a discount this steep. Link to comment
Raina Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland March 12 Alice- Tirion Law Jack/The Knave of Hearts- Naoya Ebe Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit- Donald Thom Mother/The Queen of Hearts - Svetlana Lunkina Father/The King of Hearts- Rex Harrington Magician/Mad Hatter- Ben Rudisin I agree that casting should be announced earlier. I exchanged my tickets for March 12th and sat in the 5th ring instead of the 3rd because there were no other tickets in my price category. I think we can congratulate Tirion Law on a successful debut. Her Alice was childishly inquisitive, with lovely plastique and quite artistic. She was on stage almost the entire time and did not look tired at the end of the performance. Naoya Ebe is one of the most technical dancers in the company. I love him in plotless ballets; I really liked him in Paquita, Etudes, Forsythe's ballets, as well as Ratmansky's ballet to Shostakovich. In my opinion, in narrative ballets, he lacks a bit of stage temperament, but he is a reliable partner, and as a member of the audience, I do not have to worry about the quality of his jumps, pirouettes and lifts. On the other hand, Donald Thom, despite his more modest technique, has greatly increased as an artist. I really enjoyed his recent performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, Emma Bovary and Alice. I would also like to note the successful performances of Ben Rudisin as the Mad Hatter and Peng-Fei Jiang as the Caterpillar. Svetlana Lunkina was the real queen of the show, showing an unusual combination of bullheadedness and femininity in her character. I was disappointed by the changes to the parody of the Rose Adagio, where a woman performed instead of the fourth cavalier. I don't understand the point of it. It was very interesting to see Canadian ballet legend Rex Harrington, who once again proved that there are no small parts for true artists. It was clear that he was enjoying his return to the stage. I enjoyed the fun and colourful performance; all the artists danced with enthusiasm, the orchestra sounded great. It was a real pleasure. Link to comment
Xiaoyi Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland March 13 Alice- Hannah Galway Jack/The Knave of Hearts- Harrison James Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit- Siphesihle November Mother/The Queen of Hearts - Svetlana Lunkina Father/The King of Hearts- Johnathan Renna Magician/Mad Hatter- Donald Thom I watched the first cast with Tirion Law / Naoya Ebe last Friday and picked the second viewing for Hannah Galway, as she impressed me a lot in Emma Bovary. Hannah looked more teenager than a child, but she got the expression and body language of a young explorer vividly. She made funny WTF face with her hands under her armpits when she observed the wild behavior of other characters. I love her expansiveness and her way of filling the music. Glad to witness an artist grow with the feature role opportunities. Harrison James is always a reliable partner and great technician. His acting is a bit bland / stereotyped, like Naoya Ebe. I admit the role of Jack / The Knave of Hearts does not provide much room for character shaping. But I remember being moved by Francesco Gabriele Frola's solo in Act 3 in 2019. Siphesihle November is a highlight of the night. The White Rabbit suits his talents and personality perfectly. He jumped like he had springs under his feet. He showed a lot playfulness and responded naturally to the music. I was happily surprised to hear that Svetlana Lunkina was dancing The Queen of Hearts replacing Heather Ogden. She combined her techniques effortlessly with the humorous acting. The twinkle in her eye made the queen warmer and less scary. Donald Thom did a great job as the Mad Hatter. He is more comfortable with tap dancing than Ben Rudisin. Noah Parets and Jason Ferro were lovely as the gardeners. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 (edited) This run of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been hugely successful: 15 sold-out shows, with only standing room available. This despite the fact that tickets are expensive, and the ballet is on the long side and more dependent on scenic effects than choreography. The first act in particular drags, and, as is not infrequently the case with Christopher Wheeldon’s ballets, depends on the ability of dancers to insert meaning that isn’t always present in the choreography itself. Characters such as the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Duchess and the Cook are clearly drawn, but unfortunately I don’t think that’s true of Alice or the Knave, and in those cases the dancers have to do the work. To my mind, the Act 1 sequence of Alice shrinking and growing is too long, as is her variation in Act 2. The duets for Alice and the Knave are downright formulaic, and inevitably I found myself looking at something else: the nervous White Rabbit at the back of the stage, the flirtation of the Cook and the Executioner in the downstage left corner, even the musicians in the orchestra pit. I think I wasn’t alone, because I could hear the audience laughing in unison with me. Earlier Alices Jillian Vanstone, Sonia Rodriguez and Elena Lobsanova have all left the stage, and Miyoko Koyasu has been demoted to one of Alice’s sisters (and a whole bunch of other corps roles). So this run saw four new Alices, although I saw only Tirion Law on March 10 and 12. Law is an appealing dancer, she moves beautifully and shows real stamina, but at this point her acting looks like a few stock expressions – broad smile, wide-eyed amazement, furrowed brow and pout. This projects well, but there aren’t many nuances and undercurrents of complex feelings. She and Naoya Ebe had little chemistry. But when Law danced briefly with the Caterpillar, performed by her real-life husband Peng-Fei Jiang, then her eyes really sparkled. I thought Donald Thom was superb as the White Rabbit, not as nervy or physically extreme as Edward Watson had been, but an excellent and very detailed characterization with rapid dancing. Spencer Hack as the Duchess was a riot: hugely vivid and theatrical, particularly when lusting after Jiang’s sinuous Caterpillar in the trial scene. Points also to the crazed Cook of Jordana Daumec, Siphesihle November as the Fish Footman and especially Noah Parets as the Frog Footman. However, Ben Rudisin struggled a bit as the Mad Hatter. It was strange to find him more vivid as the Magician in the first scene than at his titular tea party, where he didn’t come across as especially mad, and where his tapping sometimes fell behind the music. During the trial scene he came across as more convincingly crazy, but on the 12th conductor David Briskin had to slow down the music considerably during Rudisin’s manège. Rudisin is very tall, much taller than Steven McRae. During his entrance from under his little proscenium, wearing his tall hat, Rudisin had to stoop down to get from under it. But I don’t believe that tall dancers can’t tap. Rudisin isn’t as tall as Tommy Tune. Svetlana Lunkina as the Queen of Hearts dove into her role with relish. Her character appears only fleetingly in the first two acts, but when she was rolled out on stage in the third act in her enormous red dress/armor, the expression on her face seemed to announce to the audience that now the real fun would begin. I, too, am puzzled by the replacement of one of the Queen’s male flunkies with a female dressed differently, not least because the parody of the Rose Adage becomes less obvious. She was a sort of no-nonsense woman who would volunteer first, while the three men cowered with quaking knees. In other words, they were funny, and she was not. But why was she unafraid of the Queen when the other women of the court were peering fearfully from behind hedges? Lunkina is not as tall as Zenaida Yanowsky, who was too tall ever to have danced Princess Aurora. So there are no height jokes, and Lunkina’s cavaliers were all tall. Nor is she short and dumpy as illustrations of the Queen of Hearts usually depict her. Lunkina is a genuine Princess Aurora, and the comedy of the tart adage stems from her frustration with the ineptitude of her partners and her particular brand of gleeful derangement. Although during the croquet game, she was menacing and elicited vocal sympathy from the audience for the pursued hedgehogs. The central scene of her interpretation comes in the variation at the beginning of the trial scene, which she invests with a wide range of dynamics and mercurial mood shifts, ranging from the way she stomps on pointe and pounds her fists, to her sexy little tango with the executioner. It’s a pity Lunkina doesn’t get to do more comedy, because she’s very game (not least the way she topples backward at the end) and very witty. And of course there was Rex Harrington as her King, hamming it up with obvious satisfaction. Edited March 17 by volcanohunter Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 P.S. Evidently the severely slimmed-down program and QR code from the beginning of the season didn't go down well with audiences. A partial program with synopsis and cast list is back, though without rosters or lists of donors. I still think the full roster of dancers should be included. Link to comment
Rosie2 Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 It appears that the ticket discount offered on this week's mixed program has worked to a certain degree. I just checked and considerably more tickets have been sold since last week but there are still lots of seats available in 3rd and 4th ring for some shows. Mixed programs are usually a tough sell unless something big and popular is included that people are familiar with. According to the Friends Corp facebook page, The New York Times has a "great" article today about Emma Porter and the ballet Islands making it's NBofC debut this Wednesday. I'm going twice because I want to see Lunkina perform both the Adage and La Cigarette. I see that Dronina and Penn Nabity continue to be absent from the stage and I suspect they are injured. Hopefully they will both be back for Don Q and Jewels. I've seen film of Dronina's Emeralds and Kitri and would love to see her on stage in both those roles. I wish them all the best of luck. Link to comment
Xiaoyi Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 (edited) 1 hour ago, Rosie2 said: According to the Friends Corp facebook page, The New York Times has a "great" article today about Emma Porter and the ballet Islands making it's NBofC debut this Wednesday. Gift link of the article in case anyone is interested: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/arts/dance/emma-portner-ballet-choreographer.html?unlocked_article_code=1.d00.eJjz._B3uuQAS2vnC&smid=url-share 1 hour ago, Rosie2 said: I see that Dronina and Penn Nabity continue to be absent from the stage and I suspect they are injured. Dronina shared a snippet of her rehearsing fish dive in Don Quixote with Larkin Miller on Instagram about a week ago. So I guess she is healthy and back to work now. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4b7fhfMRzM/?igsh=eWJlem9laTJhNGk5 Edited March 19 by Xiaoyi Link to comment
Violetta Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 On 3/19/2024 at 3:44 PM, Rosie2 said: It appears that the ticket discount offered on this week's mixed program has worked to a certain degree. I just checked and considerably more tickets have been sold since last week but there are still lots of seats available in 3rd and 4th ring for some shows. Mixed programs are usually a tough sell unless something big and popular is included that people are familiar with. According to the Friends Corp facebook page, The New York Times has a "great" article today about Emma Porter and the ballet Islands making it's NBofC debut this Wednesday. I'm going twice because I want to see Lunkina perform both the Adage and La Cigarette. I see that Dronina and Penn Nabity continue to be absent from the stage and I suspect they are injured. Hopefully they will both be back for Don Q and Jewels. I've seen film of Dronina's Emeralds and Kitri and would love to see her on stage in both those roles. I wish them all the best of luck. I agree Rosie2, I would love to see them back, especially Genevieve PN, she's one of my favourite! I would actually love to see either of those dancers in Jewels or Don Q; already bought my tickets to both (annoyed I had to book blind) but I hope I do not get the same cast I saw for Onegin (Koto and Naoya) because that performance needed more rehearsals/more work, in my opinion. Did anyone else see those two in Onegin here? I was super disappointed, especially after the Onegin performances I have seen in previous years. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's Covid, but I think that some standards for the company in general have slipped (my opinion). Not ok though, as they gouge us at the box office. Thoughts? Enjoy the Triple Bill to all who are going, look forward to reviews :) Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 I wasn't going to post anything until after seeing multiple casts, but this is more of a public service announcement for people who haven't yet seen the program. Arrive 40 minutes late. Utopiverse is a colossal turkey. Link to comment
Xiaoyi Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 (edited) 3 hours ago, volcanohunter said: Utopiverse is a colossal turkey. I totally agree with that, but still gonna watch it again for the second cast and the little snippets of beautiful dancers. I did not expect much of the work when the trailer/photos showed projection background. To me, UtopiVerse is a downgraded mix bag of David Dawson and Crystal Pite. The duets were so dry and unmusical. The highlight to me was Noah Parets (playing one of The Heretics), who always brings meaning and character into his movement, however small his part is. A big corps at least made sure that I have someone to look at even if I did not like choreography and the principals. Emma Portner’s Islands was dark in lighting and monotonous. The one-pair-of-pants fun dried up quickly. Since I’ll be back for more Suite en Blanc, I’ll check if Halway and Savella’s coupling has more chemistry. Suite en Blanc was sublime and saved the night. How beautiful Svetlana Lunkina was in Adagio and La Flute. Her musical phrasing, her arabesques and head positioning. Another highlight was Larkin Miller in Theme Varie. His entrechat six was amazing. I would look forward to his Basilio debut with Jurgita Dronina and possibly an Albrecht debut in November. Edited March 21 by Xiaoyi Link to comment
Xiaoyi Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 18 hours ago, Violetta said: already bought my tickets to both (annoyed I had to book blind) but I hope I do not get the same cast I saw for Onegin (Koto and Naoya) because that performance needed more rehearsals/more work, in my opinion. Did anyone else see those two in Onegin here? I was super disappointed, especially after the Onegin performances I have seen in previous years. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's Covid, but I think that some standards for the company in general have slipped (my opinion). @Violetta Is it better to buy shows when the casting is published? The tickets are never hard to buy except The Nutracker and Swan Lake. Or buy a subscription so you can change shows for free? Or call the box office and pay $10 each ticket to change shows if the cast is unsatisfactory? I would rather tolerate a worse / more expensive seat than a terrible cast. Link to comment
Raina Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 (edited) March 20, 2024 UtopiVerse Lotus Koto Ishihara Leo Ben Rudisin The Daemon Christopher Gerty The Undermined Emma Ouellet islands Heather Ogden and Emma Ouellet Suite en Blanc La Sieste Chelsy Meiss, Tene Ward, Monika Haczkiewicz Thème Varié Brenna Flaherty, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller Sérénade Isabella Kinch Presto (pas de cinq) Koto Ishihara; Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie, Noah Parets La Cigarette Calley Skalnik Mazurka Spencer Hack Adage Svetlana Lunkina, Harrison James La Flûte Svetlana Lunkina; Harrison James, Donald Thom, Larkin Miller After the successful run of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the triple bill on March 20 elicited mixed feelings in me. Despite the interesting design, especially the lighting, the first piece, UtopiVerse, seemed boring to me. The performers of the main roles, with the exception of corps member Emma Ouellet, did not even try to breathe life or at least some feeling into their dancing. The concept of the ballet remained a riddle for me. Against this backdrop, islands looked more interesting and emotional. Suite en Blanc was somewhat disappointing. Most of the dancers made glaring mistakes. Perhaps this was due to fatigue, little time for rehearsals after Alice or opening-night nerves. Against this background of mediocre performances, Svetlana Lunkina stood tall like Mount Everest. A brilliant and unforgettable performance! I also want to note the wonderful dancing and partnering of Harrison James. Calley Skalnik danced cleanly. The quartet of Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie and Noah Parets demonstrated synchronization and smoothness. But the other dancers need to work and work some more on their classical technique. Edited March 21 by Raina Link to comment
Raina Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 March 22, 2024 UtopiVerse Lotus Koto Ishihara Leo Ben Rudisin The Daemon Christopher Gerty The Undermined Emma Ouellet islands Hannah Galway and Jenna Savella Suite en Blanc La Sieste Clare Peterson, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Monika Haczkiewicz Thème Varié Calley Skalnik, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller Sérénade Isabella Kinch Presto (pas de cinq) Ayano Haneishi; Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie, Noah Parets La Cigarette Svetlana Lunkina Mazurka Aidan Tully Adage Emerson Dayton, Spencer Hack La Flûte Emerson Dayton, Spencer Hack, Peng-Fei Jiang, Larkin Miller The overall impression made by Suite en Blanc on March 22th was much better than on the 20th. Perhaps the dancers had overcome their nerves and were able to demonstrate their best form. Isaac Wright, David Preciado, Scott McKenzie and Noah Parets were again satisfying in their synchronicity. Monika Haczkiewicz demonstrated a calm and confident manner on stage. I think she could make an interesting character dancer. Lifar's choreography suited Calley Skalnik well; I liked her performance in the Thème Varié. Svetlana Lunkina in La Cigarette was graceful and flirtatious. Aidan Tully performed the Mazurka beautifully. Emerson Dayton and Spencer Hack did not disappoint in the Adagio, Emerson's fouettés and turns were quite confident. I am very glad that thanks to the two triple bills I saw, I discovered two promising young dancers - Emma Ouellet and Aidan Tully. I look forward to watching their creative growth. Link to comment
Xiaoyi Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Maybe it is too much to ask No one of NBoC, including Svetlana Lunkina, performed the difficult move of shifting weight from one leg to another (around 2'00" in the video) without obvious hesitation. Link to comment
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