NYC Ballet Fans, part 2

emason

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Tonight's Onegin: Kent, Bolle, Lane, Simkin - OK, the Times review slammed Simkin for his bad partnering skills, so someone must have shoved him up against the men's room wall and educated him as to the facts of life. He was on his best partnering behavior tonight. Nothing bad, no gaffes that I could see. In fact, dare I say it, he was probably the best thing on the stage tonight. Corps in the first act was its usual raggedy, under-rehearsed self. Kent and Bolle danced decently but there was precious little 'there' there. Technique was showing everywhere. Our fave Lutz telegraphers have nothing on these folks; I think every single turn must have been telegraphed a minute in advance. Lots of executing of moves, but not a lot of dancing of moves if you know what I mean.

Curtain calls: Lane got one bouquet of flowers and promptly pulled a rose for Simkin. Kent got two bouquets and didn't bother giving Bolle a single flower. Lane gets L3 with + GOE; Kent gets L1 with - GOE.

Marge and Rob, you should have a much better evening as you have a much better cast.
 

Marge_Simpson

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emason

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Marge,

I just picked up a ticket for SFB for the 18th. Do you want to meet for dinner?
 

Marge_Simpson

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I'd planned on buying a ticket for W&P on Wednesday. I know they usually sell out quickly, but I've never rushed to my computer at 10 AM in hope of snagging a ticket. When I logged on at 11 AM ,the Sunday performance had already sold out. :mad:
 

emason

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I was interested in the opera one about Two Boys; when I got to my computer all they had was 'obstructed view'. I just gave up; there will be other opportunities. Now we have extra cash to spend on actual performances.
 

Rob

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Bolshoi is doing Giselle in DC the week of May 20 -- and Zakharova/Hallberg are performing on 5/20 and 5/22. I have tickets!

Coming up to NYC to see Cojocaru in Bayadere on 5/24. And probably for Vishneva's Giselle too.
 

ballettmaus

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Not entirely New York related but for the ballet fans interested - Polina Semionova has become an honorary professor at the state ballet school in Berlin. It is also quite possible that she will return as a guest dancer to the State Ballet once Vladimir Malakhov leaves the company (as director and probably as a dancer as well) this summer. According to various reports and articles, the two had a falling out which was the reason for Semionova's departure in the first place. Nacho Duato is supposed to replace Malakhov.
 

Rob

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I like some of Nacho Duato's work.

I saw ABT at Kennedy Center last night. Les Sylphides, Aftereffect by Marcelo Gomes, and The Dream (Ashton).

Les Sylphides was quite nice with a caveat. I realized that when I see ABT, I ignore the corps unless they are the only ones dancing. This is because I will get annoyed if I look at them out of line, different arms, some dancing like soloists (holding a balance instead of dancing on the music). I did notice lines out of whack twice, and in the opening, there is a lot of port de bras where the elbows need to bent and lift in unison and there were a couple of girls off. Too much elbow at the wrong time. But overall, when they were the only ones dancing, it wasn't awful. Nobody lost balance and teetered around (like they did the last time I saw Bayadere and Giselle). Soloists were Boylston, Part, Hamrick, Gorak, and they were good, especially Boylston who did the Mazurka grand jete solo without landing like an elephant and the pas de deux. Very light. Gorak could roll through his toes a little more.

Aftereffect was not memorable (might have been called Afterthought), but it wasn't bad either, and it featured some young talent - all men. Corps member Zhiyao Zhang stood out with an amazing series of double tours and great precise feet/nice lines. There were a couple of men who were painfully thin - Calvin Royal might have been one of them (I don't know these young kids).

The Dream was really pretty - I always liked it as a child so I have a fondness for it. Xiomara Reyes was Titania, James Whiteside was Oberon, Daniil Simkin was Puck. This is the only role they should ever let Simkin do. With the one shouldered costume, his chest and arms look like a 12-year old. He doesn't have to partner (no wonder he can't partner with no arm or chest muscle - I don't think I have ever seen him barechested before :scream:), and he can just do what he does best - jump and turn. And boy did he. At least 8 pirouettes at a time. I still hate him. James Whiteside was very good -- controlled and authoritative. There isn't really anything special or incandescent about Xiomara Reyes, but she was definitely capable. I hadnt seen her before. Bottom was good on pointe, but I can't remember who danced it.
 

emason

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Be grateful for small mercies. Whiteside's barechested Ali the Slave in Corsaire is one of the most unappetizing things I've ever seen on the stage of the Met. Simkin cannot possibly have been worse.
 

Rob

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Oh I saw Simkin as Ali too. He couldn't even lift Osipova. Totally dropped her. She gives good death stare.
 

IceAlisa

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Not entirely New York related but for the ballet fans interested - Polina Semionova has become an honorary professor at the state ballet school in Berlin. It is also quite possible that she will return as a guest dancer to the State Ballet once Vladimir Malakhov leaves the company (as director and probably as a dancer as well) this summer. According to various reports and articles, the two had a falling out which was the reason for Semionova's departure in the first place. Nacho Duato is supposed to replace Malakhov.
Too bad she left but kudos for the honorary degree. :respec:

Bolshoi is doing Giselle in DC the week of May 20 -- and Zakharova/Hallberg are performing on 5/20 and 5/22. I have tickets!

And probably for Vishneva's Giselle too.

OMG, you are soooooooo lucky. I would love to see Zakharova and especially Hallberg, the first rude Merrikan principal at the Bolshoi! And not to mention Vishneva's Giselle. :swoon:
 

Rob

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Just noticed this:
MAY 29

Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York
7:30 PM

La Bayadère
V. Tereshkina
V. Shklyarov
I. Boylston


I love Tereshkina too.

And this


May 28
7:30 PM

La Bayadère
O. Smirnova
V. Muntagirov
H. Seo
 

Jubak

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There were a couple of men who were painfully thin - Calvin Royal might have been one of them (I don't know these young kids).

The Dream was really pretty - I always liked it as a child so I have a fondness for it. Xiomara Reyes was Titania, James Whiteside was Oberon, Daniil Simkin was Puck. This is the only role they should ever let Simkin do.

Calvin is an African American dancer, last time I saw him, he was definitely not too thin. Now, on to Daniil. I saw him do the young boy (surprise) in "Month in the Country" and he stole the show - which is hard to do w/Bolle in the cast (although Bolle wasn't nekkid enough)! He was spectacular. Not my favorite ballet, though. Saw him also in the Ratmansky "Tempest" and he also was a stand out. So there we have it - 3 ballets he can do well. I don't know about Ali. But most white ballet boys are too pale & slight for it. I love David Hallberg to pieces, but just don't love him shirtless - he's too pale & slight.

Saw Xiomara in "The Dream" 2 yrs ago and it's one of the roles I do like her in. Hated her Giselle - too "earthbound" and not at all ethereal. It was my first time seeing Cory Stearns & he was a lovely surprise as Oberon. I just don't find James Whiteside as having much personality when I've seen him.

Went to the YAGP final night Gala but clocking in at almost 4 hrs, from what I heard, I only made it through the first 1/2 which was still 2 1/2 hrs! Daniil danced "Pas de Duke" with Alicia Graf Mack from Ailey and was charming but had no "soul". The piece is so specific that it looked like he needed to clock more performance hours before hitting a NYC stage. She of course, had no problem. Now, on to who is too skinny - Olga Smirnova (Bolshoi Ballet) and Evan McKie (Stuttgart Ballet / National Ballet of Canada) did a piece and I found HIM so ropey & skinny that I literally couldn't enjoy the dance. He looked like he was straight from that exhibition "Bodies" and was like an anatomy lesson come to life, and not in a good way. Pasty pale and I swear, has an 8-pack abs. Danced shirtless, which was not a good costuming choice. Too much "sinew" kind of like Madonna. Blech!

On to the other end of the scale - Beckanne Sisk (Ballet West) and Fabrice Calmels (Joffrey Ballet) danced to Arpino's "Light Rain" which I thoroughly enjoyed, albeit it a little long (maybe I was tired) Sexy piece and I have no clue as to Fabrice's technique as the piece is not classical ballet, but damn, he's a sexy, hunky guy. Tall, French, very muscular, in a good way, whoo-boy. I came home & Googled him to see what else he's done. He's a Joffrey star and did Othello. And he's not pasty-white. I'd love to see what else he can do but chances are I'll never see him unless I go to see the Joffrey in Chicago, IL. He looks like he could give Bolle a good run for the money, body-wise.
 
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Rob

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One of the painfully thin men was African American, but not sure who it was. Some of these dancers are one stomach flu away from too thin though.

Light Rain was done on a couple of friends of mine years ago. I liked it then, haven't seen it in decades. I like Beckanne.

I can't imagine Reyes in Giselle. Just can't.

I Saw James Whiteside as the second lead in Onegin and was not impressed. He was much improved in The Dream. I see him as a second or short ballet lead though. Not a full length lead.

Stuttgart never comes here. In the Haydee days, they came all the time. Loved them.
 

Jubak

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Rob - then Calvin's lost weight. He wasn't big but maybe he's dropped too much. Sorry I didn't comment on Beckanne - she was quite good, also. Very bendy and came off infinitely better than she did on the WB show about Ballet West (pretty dreadful show) I was looking at Daniil's website & he has oodles of pictures, with many of James Whiteside, who looks so animated & handsome but when I've seen him dance, he's a bland as Wonderbread. I think last thing I saw him in was "Sleeping Beauty" which isn't a ballet to give him any personality. (I didn't pay for tickets as I had comps - not a ballet that I'd choose for myself) I've heard ABT plans to redo the ballet, and I hope so. I am not the target audience for this ballet. There were lots of little girls in the audience & they seemed to enjoy it.

I got to see David Hallberg do Onegin & he really is ideal for it. I can see Whiteside being cast but I don't think I would pay $$ to see him.
 

Rob

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Jubak - Oh, that McKenzie/Kirkland Sleeping Beauty is a mess. So many ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz scenes, especially the vision scene/travel scene with the boat going back and forth and back and..... I wanted to run out of the theatre. Isn't it recent? They should scrap it and bring someone else in to rework it. I like some versions of SB - but it has to have a divine ballerina. I was very distracted the last time I saw ABT by the terrible unison in the group scenes. And I am not just talking about the corps. 3 soloist fairies could not dance together to save their lives. I go nuts over this. Gimme Mariinsky!

I saw Vishneva/Gomes in Onegin - they were so amazing that people were crying. Including Gomes. Balling his eyes out in the curtain calls. They were totally overcome.
Whiteside/Boylston were Lensky/Olga - she was good, he was not. Not only did he botch some steps, but he was bland. He was far more authoritative in The Dream, though he could have been far more devious.

I looked at the Daniil website too -- there are a number of cheesecake barechested photos flexing his nonexistent muscles-:scream: He looks so much better in a full costume.

I saw the YAGP gala review -- you have to read it. Very amusing -- it almost sounds like you wrote part of it (I think it said Evan McKie's piece was embarrassing). I guess you didn't make it long enough to see Brooklyn Mack of the Washington Ballet. He is very good and has a personality.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq-GSXh9OEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HHgrz5tenA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTccLuRsD9c
And he can pull off barechested.
 
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