ABT Swan Lake: Met 2023

[ba11et0mane]

young ballet fans are rare but we do exist!! I got into ballet as a non dancer during the pandemic, at first it was a causal thing but I fell down the rabbit hole quite quickly! I am starting college in a month-ish for age reference and have been spending this summer bringing my friends who know little to nothing about ballet to see ABT. The responses have been extremely positive even though they didn’t have high expectations at first hahaha. 

[nanushka]

1 hour ago, ba11et0mane said:

young ballet fans are rare but we do exist!! I got into ballet as a non dancer during the pandemic, at first it was a causal thing but I fell down the rabbit hole quite quickly! I am starting college in a month-ish for age reference and have been spending this summer bringing my friends who know little to nothing about ballet to see ABT. The responses have been extremely positive even though they didn’t have high expectations at first hahaha. 

Welcome to the club! Was there a standout performance or experience (virtual or live) that really got you hooked?

Edited July 17, 2023 by nanushka

[ba11et0mane]

43 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Welcome to the club! Was there a standout performance or experience (virtual or live) that really got you hooked?

thanks  im pretty sure I spent days binge watching videos of the black swan coda seeing which ballerinas could do the most impressive fouettés then I just fell into the black hole of ballet clips available on youtube. then once ABT announced the met 2022 season I was ecstatic. I’ve been to 10 ballets since then. Luckily my mom is an ex dancer (big mariinsky fan) so I always have someone to go with and she is very glad i’ve joined the ballet fan club on my own lol. 

[Marta]

abatt said: 

Skylar has made excellent progress as Odette.  A terrific performance.  And Herman was full of energy and dancing magnificently.  Her Odile last season was very good, and it was so again tonight.  She  did an unsupported balance for a very long time.  Wonderful mixture of single and double fouettes.  

I saw  Brandt in this Thursday night performance  for the first time in SL.  She was excellent,  and I have no doubt that her interpretation will grow.   I didn't have any sensation that her performance was overcoached. I have to say though that I was  not fond of  her  prolonged unsupported balance.  It's supposed to be a snapshot ... I was  surprised and so happy that Cornejo was dancing  brilliantly.  I did not expect this.   Especially in Acts I and II, the decline  in technique from a few years ago was evident although not glaring.  As already reported here, Erica Lall was just wonderful.  I would love to see Aran Bell and Shevchenko dance together.

[Rick]

Did Nina invent the rippling arms in the Act 2 exit? Or did someone else do it before her?

[nysusan]

11 hours ago, Rick said:

Did Nina invent the rippling arms in the Act 2 exit? Or did someone else do it before her?

I remember Makarova doing them back in the Seventies. Hers were amazing. Cynthia Gregory's were totally different but also amazing.

[Fraildove]

I think most of the Soviet ere ballerinas did them. Plisetskaya’s were also notable. Makarova was the first that I thought of.

[Marta]

1 hour ago, Fraildove said:

I think most of the Soviet ere ballerinas did them. Plisetskaya’s were also notable. Makarova was the first that I thought of.

Makarova was the first I thought of too. I wasn't 100% sure though.  She was unforgettable!

[vipa]

14 hours ago, nysusan said:

I remember Makarova doing them back in the Seventies. Hers were amazing. Cynthia Gregory's were totally different but also amazing.

I remember Cynthia Gregory being quite stunning in her Act 2 exit. Her arms were fantastically expressive. I'm sure there were many others. Gregory was my favorite of that ABT era.

[choriamb]

On 7/10/2023 at 7:51 PM, nanushka said:

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!

I'll add to that:  they were very interesting together last Fall as Grasshopper and Spirit of the Corn in The Seasons.  (I hadn't enjoyed Boylston when she performed it opposite Whiteside...but she and Forster had a very interesting quiet intensity together.)

[MoMo]

Thomas Forster replacing Herman Cornejo tonight as Albrecht in Giselle at Wolf Trap, with Skylar Brandt. ( Herman was shown rehearsing yesterday. Hope he is ok). 

[nanushka]

She’ll look so tiny next to him! If you’re there, please let us know how they do!

[MoMo]

1 minute ago, nanushka said:

She’ll look so tiny next to him! If you’re there, please let us know how they do!

Unfortunately, I am not there. I saw this on ABT website. ( It’s very hot there). 

[California]

16 minutes ago, MoMo said:

Thomas Forster replacing Herman Cornejo tonight as Albrecht in Giselle at Wolf Trap, with Skylar Brandt. ( Herman was shown rehearsing yesterday. Hope he is ok). 

With excessive heat warnings and 80% humidity, at an outdoor theater, I'm amazed anybody is dancing. Interestingly, Cornejo is skipping Vail this year for unknown reasons. The BAAND festival cancelled performances with comparable weather. 

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

I heard from friends that are at Wolf T. tonight that rain (and lightening too) during the first act cooled down the theatre and it was not as bad as feared.  Hope Herman is OK too.  What a beautiful venue (when the weather cooperates).  I heard that it went very well but waiting for a full report. 

[matilda]

Skylar posted some Instagram stories of the applause from last night's Giselle and the top of her head barely reaches Forster's shoulders when standing on flat feet. 

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

Brandt's instagram has some great footage.  I heard that she danced masterfully. Forster is the tallest male principal I believe, taller than Bell.   I do not mind Brandt dancing with the taller dancers and she has successfully performed with Bell.  I assume Forster was the most experienced Albrecht available, so there was no choice in the matter.  I know it is hard to partner with someone that you have not rehearsed with.  Credit to both of them. 

[nanushka]

9 minutes ago, TheAccidentalBalletomane said:

Brandt's instagram has some great footage.  I heard that she danced masterfully. Forster is the tallest male principal I believe, taller than Bell.   I do not mind Brandt dancing with the taller dancers and she has successfully performed with Bell.  I assume Forster was the most experienced Albrecht available, so there was no choice in the matter.  I know it is hard to partner with someone that you have not rehearsed with.  Credit to both of them. 

Thanks so much for the heads-up, as I don't regularly catch what's on IG. The clips looked great — particularly the pas seul, where she didn't rush the dedans/dehors turns (as she did at the Met), even seemed to luxuriate in them a bit (though I'd have liked the second one to be more on the music). I love the commentary in the backstage viewing room! And the shots of her playing pool with Tom!

Edited July 30, 2023 by nanushka

[ba11et0mane]

does anyone know if the footage skylar posted from the TV was recorded for ABT, or was just shown as live feed from the stage during the show?

[maps]

1 hour ago, ba11et0mane said:

does anyone know if the footage skylar posted from the TV was recorded for ABT, or was just shown as live feed from the stage during the show?

The footage posted is from the live feed at Wolf Trap and the audience sees it on jumbo screens on each side of the stage. Plus 2 on the sides of the lawn, and a super jumbo screen in the middle.  Footage posted by Brandt, Gonzalez, Ischuk and perhaps more would have been recorded on phones by colleagues from a lounge flat screen.  Wolf Trap has 5 fixed cameras, planned zooms, etc and can also use handhelds.   I think Brandt posted it "looked like a movie."   The lounges and back stage areas for performers are also lovely- recently renovated.   Extensive HVAC backstage. 

First day of operation for the simulcast was for the Washington Ballet Giselle 2018.  ABT R&J was 2017 but it's 2019 Swan Lakes were on the jumbotron.  The performers lounge A Better Backstage - Wolf Trap All Access  has been renovated since 2019.  Depending where you sit, the stage and screen are in your sight line.   We saw 7/27 which was a great show and could be marketed from the recording.  MIssed seeing 7/28 - was going to try to catch act 2 but could not. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by maps

[nanushka]

I would guess it was just a live feed from the stage for in-house viewing. Courtney Lavine's story is captured in one of Skylar's own stories, with the caption, "Wolftrap has the best filming equipment. Felt like we were watching a movie." (And with perhaps Courtney herself saying, "Eat that stage, girlfriend! Wow, wow, wow!")

ETA: I see @maps has confirmed, just as I was posting.

Edited July 30, 2023 by nanushka

[maps]

On 7/29/2023 at 9:08 PM, nanushka said:

I would guess it was just a live feed from the stage for in-house viewing. Courtney Lavine's story is captured in one of Skylar's own stories, with the caption, "Wolftrap has the best filming equipment. Felt like we were watching a movie." (And with perhaps Courtney herself saying, "Eat that stage, girlfriend! Wow, wow, wow!")

ETA: I see @maps has confirmed, just as I was posting.

Courtney Lavine was a beautiful Bathilde - several zooms.

Edited August 4, 2023 by maps

[ba11et0mane]

26 minutes ago, maps said:

The footage posted is from the live feed at Wolf Trap and the audience sees it on jumbo screens on each side of the stage. Plus 2 on the sides of the lawn, and a super jumbo screen in the middle.  Footage posted by Brandt, Gonzalez, Ischuk and perhaps more would have been recorded on phones by colleagues from a lounge flat screen.  Wolf Trap has 5 fixed cameras, planned zooms, etc and can also use handhelds.   I think Brandt posted it "looked like a movie."   The lounges and back stage areas for performers are also lovely- recently renovated.   Extensive HVAC backstage. 

First day of operation for the simulcast was for the Washington Ballet Giselle 2018.  ABT R&J was 2017 but it's 2019 Swan Lakes were on the jumbotron.  Depending where you sit, the stage and screen are in your sight line.   We saw 7/27 which was a great show and could be marketed from the recording.  MIssed seeing 7/28 - was going to try to catch act 2 but could not. 

Thanks so much for clarification! do you think it would be possible for ABT to retain the footage from the live? have they been able retain WT live footage in the past? it would be a total shame if they couldn’t. Brandt’s giselle is a very coveted one after all

[maps]

1 hour ago, ba11et0mane said:

Thanks so much for clarification! do you think it would be possible for ABT to retain the footage from the live? have they been able retain WT live footage in the past? it would be a total shame if they couldn’t. Brandt’s giselle is a very coveted one after all

There's a record button and ABT didn't post any 2019 Swan Lake footage during the pandemic. 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by maps

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

I thought it was funny that you heard other dancers or stage crew etc. playing ping pong and chatting in the background while one of Brandt's colleagues was recording the internal live stream during the hops ...  Its crazy that we can see these tidbits.  The awakening scene seemed really fast.  I assume the screens are also for people that want to sit out on the lawn? Of course, it was raining anyway, so I expect only the covered area was attended.