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Sleeping Beauty 2023.


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Sadly, last night was not a match  to the previous night's splendid performance.
Shaky first round of  balances by Aurora in the Rose Adagio. Better ones during the second ones with promenades.  Legs all over the place during Act III Grand pdd fish dives, and multiple displaced landings by Desiree in both his Vision Scene and Grand pdd variations. Princess Aurora was almost dropped on her wedding night 😞

Isabella LaFreniere was Princess Aurora. Peter Walker was Prince Desiree.

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I have to agree Cubianmiamiboy.  Thought Fairchild/Gordon a true delight the evening before.  They, Peck/Chan (who has it ALL it must be said) and Woodward/Huxley clearly are the SB pairs to aim for.  Just so many glories to behold.  Last night held just so many embarrassing moments.  Can't conceive this lady may be considered for promotion to NYCB Principal.  Highlight for me in that performance was Emma von Enck as a most delightfully saucy cat - as ever magnificent in her placement. Takahashi was solid but needs to mature in terms of the overall weight balance of the BB PDD.  That said, the end of his second solo/coda variation was supreme but earlier in that same the forward brises clearly lacked definition - and why I wonder was the blue dye chipping off of his slippers?  Fingers crossed he can grow into the marvel that is Meija in the same role.  When the aviary pairing is Meija/von Enck it is total world-class dynamite.  Ka-BOOM!

Edited by meunier fan
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Peck/Wai Chan tonight.

Tiler was exquisite, because one can tell she owns the music. She's a very musical ballerina, so she can play a lot with the little accents with every fiber of her body, particularly neck, face and arms. Now...if we dissect the ballet down to the two most technical moments, the balances of the RA and the fish dives of the Grand Pas, Fairchild was superior. Tiler's first round of balances was a bit shaky, the second ones with the promenades better, while Megan's were perfectly placed, with no rush and slower slower...even putting her arms en couronne. There was a little scary moment during the fish dives for Peck and Chan as well.

The Bluebird pdd was not good, at least during the adagio. He couldn't complete the placement of Florine on his shoulder lift. There were other mishaps all around.

Didn't warm up to Laracey's Lilac. 

 

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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I gotta say Woodward did beautifully during the first part in all the hard sections. She boosted confidence in the Rose Adagio...even trying for a longer unsupported balance at the end of the last promenade that made her somehow lose a bit of her center, but with no major consequences. Her Vision Scene was lovely as well. 

Let's see act II.

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10 minutes ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

I gotta say Woodward did beautifully during the first part in all the hard sections. She boosted confidence in the Rose Adagio...even trying for a longer unsupported balance at the end of the last promenade that made her somehow lose a bit of her center, but with no major consequences. Her Vision Scene was lovely as well. 

Let's see act II.

I'm here as well.  I loved that last balance. It almost seemed like she was teasing the whole time then brought it out in the last one.  She plays Aurora really sweet and innocent and I love it.   Her penche's have been strong & striking.  

Edited by Balletwannabe
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1 hour ago, Balletwannabe said:

I'm here as well.  I loved that last balance. It almost seemed like she was teasing the whole time then brought it out in the last one.  She plays Aurora really sweet and innocent and I love it.   Her penche's have been strong & striking.  

Sadly...I didn't warm up to her Grand Pas. She looked tense and ended up resorting to a fixed smile. The fish dives were also not good. Her lower leg did wabble the tree times, more obviously on the last, and the lower portion of her body was twisted. I also noticed she got his hand to support hers during the three poses of the dives. That looked a bit like cheating.

Fairchild still reigns supreme this run.

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I thought he was dropping her during the first fish dive!

I enjoyed this performance.  Least favorite was LeCrone, I hope NYCB brings in acting coaches for these types of roles.  I'm a big Hod fan but did not enjoy her in Diamonds.

Favorites for me tonight: Woodward, both MacKinnon sisters (fairies) & Malorie Lindgren (Ruby).

Edited by Balletwannabe
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15 minutes ago, Balletwannabe said:

Least favorite was LeCrone, I hope NYCB brings in acting coaches for these types of roles.  

Agree. I have never liked LeCrone in anything I've seen her, tutu wise. And Carabosse is a problematic role for her. See...this role has been historically associated with men in drag, and the companies that have women on it usually depart from grotesque-witch to imposing bad fairy, a la Maleficent. And I don't think LeCrone conveys that second idea. 

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Phelan was very sweet. She's a beautiful woman, and  certainly looks radiant onstage. Now ..on "Adagiometer" matters, gotta say her balances were secure with no wobbly  ankles, but still not on the technical level of Fairchild or the dramatic accentuation of Peck.

Same with the fish dives at the Grand Pas. Knees and hands were much more better placed than Woodward's at the matinee, and I could tell much of it has to do with her strong partnering. Still....the three of them were done veeeery carefully.... without fireworks. One thing I have noticed in all ballerinas BUT Fairchild at the dives is that they secure their placement carefully on the one arm lower lift with one bent leg AND THEN , after being positioned, they drag and bend the other leg. Sort of dividing a moment that should be done in a blink of an eye. A moment that should be a flash sweep of arms and legs becoming two. I have also seen this during the fish dives of TchaiPas, where more and more partners secure their ballerinas after the jump in a not too low position and so she , after feeling secure, gives him a silent "ok" to be lowered more, at many times bending her torso-( which one can see it's not the case with the daring Villella/McBride jump/straight body with face almost touching the floor.

Anyhow....I enjoyed the night. The cats and Red Riding Hood divertissements are priceless. A very smart move from Martins, I must say.

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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It was an exciting performance today. LaFreniere was much better than the first time I saw her. The second run of balances with promenades still better than the first ones. The fish dives without major problems, but still too carefully executed...too slow.

Mejia was great as Bluebird, as well as Pereira's Princess Florine. I thought she would get a shot at Aurora. In fact the cast that I would had loved to see over everybody never happened. That of Bouder/Furlan, for major medical/familial reasons. Another Aurora I'like to see is Pereira. Another Prince Desiree, Ulbricht.   Pereira  was a wonderful Swannilda, if memory serves. But back to today...Mejia's Bluebird landings were plush and silent, and he showed excellent ballon.

The Diamond variation is very strange. It looks totally out of place with the rest of the choreography of the other two female dancers, which somehow follow pretty much the Russian/Soviet scheme. Where does that music comes from? I suppose from the many cuts of Marchionesses, Baronesses and other noble women dances from the forest scene..? In any case....Martins went to modern with it. Too much of a contrast with the other fairies.

The cats were superb. 

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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The Diamond Fairy music in the Martins' Sleeping Beauty is the sapphire music from the original production--Petipa liked lots of jewels!  Ashton used it in one production as a 6th fairy (Fairy of Joy) for Georgina Parkinson.  There is a version of it on YouTube, Monica Mason coaching.  The dance, with music starts at :23.  I once found a version of it danced in costume by another Royal Ballet dancer, but can't find it now, I'm afraid.  I love Ashton's version, so musical, and I just try to imagine it whenever I see Martins' version.

 

Edited by cargill
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10 hours ago, canbelto said:

The Florine was Sara Adams, another diminutive brunette soloist who resembles Pereira a lot in looks.

Ahhh....thanks! I didn't have my program, and not being too close and with my poor vision I thought she was Pereira....being so tiny.😉

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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On 2/24/2023 at 6:52 AM, cubanmiamiboy said:

Sadly, last night was not a match  to the previous night's splendid performance.
Shaky first round of  balances by Aurora in the Rose Adagio. Better ones during the second ones with promenades.  Legs all over the place during Act III Grand pdd fish dives, and multiple displaced landings by Desiree in both his Vision Scene and Grand pdd variations. Princess Aurora was almost dropped on her wedding night 😞

Isabella LaFreniere was Princess Aurora. Peter Walker was Prince Desiree.

I saw LaFreniere's second SB on the Sunday matinee and it was beautiful. None of the mishaps you mention.

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