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ABT Swan Lake: Met 2023

ABT Fan

By ABT Fan
in American Ballet Theatre

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ABT Fan

ABT Fan

Posted
Posted

I'll have to miss most of SL as I'll be out town, but looking forward to Saturday's performance. As always, I'll look forward to reading everyone's reviews throughout the week, for not just O/O and Siegfried but also VR and the peasant pas de trios, etc. Really wish I could see Hurlin's. 

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nanushka

nanushka

Posted
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3 minutes ago, abatt said:

Bad news.  Per the Met website, Boylston is now listed on the Wed matinee for Swan Lake, replacing Murphy.

Ugh. I was really hoping to see Murphy's Swan Lake one last time, and looking forward to seeing Forster as well. Now I'll have to decide if I still want to do a double-header that day — maybe not.

I'd love to see Roxander do Benno, curious if he's cast.

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ABT Fan

ABT Fan

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I thought Boylston and Forster were fantastic together in Jane Eyre, the ballet that most everyone hated except me. 😊 Their chemistry was surprising and very natural. Hope that is the case with SL, though completely understand everyone’s disappointment over Murphy.

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nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted (edited)

I too really enjoyed Jane Eyre! (Quite to my surprise.) I agree they were great together in that. I don't necessarily see them as mismatched for Swan Lake — I just don't want to see her in that role. (I remember going to JE specifically to see Forster do a full-length, disappointed he was paired with her, but pleasantly surprised. I've only liked her dancing in certain things, and she is quite far from my ideal O/O.) I love Forster, but I think I'll have to miss him this time. I'm very excited for Hurlin's that night!

Edited by nanushka
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abatt

abatt

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I saw last night's SL.  Carmago danced and acted beautifully.  A very impressive performance.  Boylston has the same problems that have been an issue for her for years in this.  She is a brilliant technician, but her head and torso are often the least free parts of her body, which is a significant drawback  in portraying Odette.  Her ballroom act was amazing -  an unsupported balance that seemingly went on forever.  She did at least 30 utterly wonderful fouettes, finishing with at least a double pirouette (it may have been a triple).  Yet despite the brilliance in technique, this SL lacked a tragic dimension. 

 

Park was breathtaking in the pas de trois.  Sebastian did well as Rothbart but had difficulty controlling a spin in his solo.  Roander and Klein were fantastic in the Neapolitan dance.  The audience was packed.  

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ABT Fan

ABT Fan

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27 minutes ago, abatt said:

I saw last night's SL.  Carmago danced and acted beautifully.  A very impressive performance.  Boylston has the same problems that have been an issue for her for years in this.  She is a brilliant technician, but her head and torso are often the least free parts of her body, which is a significant drawback  in portraying Odette.  Her ballroom act was amazing -  an unsupported balance that seemingly went on forever.  She did at least 30 utterly wonderful fouettes, finishing with at least a double pirouette (it may have been a triple).  Yet despite the brilliance in technique, this SL lacked a tragic dimension. 

 

Park was breathtaking in the pas de trois.  Sebastian did well as Rothbart but had difficulty controlling a spin in his solo.  Roander and Klein were fantastic in the Neapolitan dance.  The audience was packed.  

That’s how I felt about her Odette last time I saw it.

Roxander posted a video of the complete Neapolitan on his IG. A bit far away but you still see how amazing it was. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuivnPCAlbC/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
 

Gonzalez posted a story today saying he’s debuting as Benno tonight with Coker and Granlund in the pas de trois.

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matilda

matilda

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I think Macaulay is talking about the choreography and staging, not her performance:

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Tonight’s “Swan Lake”, with Isabella Boylston and Daniel Camargo, could have been a real “Swan Lake” if the wonderfully detailed and committed Boylston, both intense and delicate, were performing a version of Odile free of Soviet kitsch distortions and textual alternations - she’s probably better equipped to deliver the real Petipa choreography than anyone today - and if the final scene had the movingly poignant choreography of Lev Ivanov rather than McKenzie’s fatuous theatrics.

(From this post, in the comments)

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fondoffouettes

fondoffouettes

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46 minutes ago, matilda said:

I think Macaulay is talking about the choreography and staging, not her performance:

(From this post, in the comments)

From what I remember of his writings in the NYT, I believe he is in favor of going back to an Odile more like the one in Ratmansky's reconstruction, who is not a black swan. He's written about how all the black swan-isms were added at some point in the 20th century; I don't remember the details. 

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abatt

abatt

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1 hour ago, WLH said:

Another mesmerizing jump into the lake from Aran Bell last night. I love when you can hear those around you practically losing their breath 

Yes his dive off the cliff was spectacular, but Carmago's the night before was also remarkable.   I was captivated by last night's performance.  Hee is so elegant, and she uses her back, head and arms to maximum effect.  Of course, she does not have the level of technical brilliance of some other dancers, but her technical achievement was fine (I think 26 fouettes).   For me, this was a SL with tragic dimension.  Aran Bell was superb.   He is a first rate classical dancer.

The most negative part for me was when Ahn, playing Rothbart, nearly dropped a princess during a lift gone wrong.  Did you catch the look on her face?  Total fear.  He is a tall and strong principal.  I expect better.

 

 

Edited by abatt
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WLH

WLH

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Yes!! This was my first time seeing Ahn, and I noticed a few “wobbles” in his solo, which surprised me as I know you all have said he is reliable technically. Maybe an off night?! 
Totally agree, abatt. I felt that Seo was better last night than she was in the role last year. She has the arms this ballet requires.

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abatt

abatt

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Hee has made a lot of improvements over the years.   During fouettes she used to either bail out quickly, or the fouettes would veer  all the way to the side of the stage, towards the wings, as she was doing them.  Now she moves forward in small increments in a straight line, as most people do, and does a highly respectable number of neat fouettes.  I recall a number of prior outings years ago when I was afraid she would either end up in the orchestra pit or in the side wings offstage because she lacked control.  Fortunately, she put in the work and got the help she needed to improve. 

Edited by abatt
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