American Ballet Theatre - Spring Season 2012!! — Page 3

Thanks, Addy--I've DVR'ed it.

---

The CW website has a great page for the show with pictures and videos:

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/breaking-pointe/photos/006577505b5/

---

Yes, Addy, I did see this! :) I also think it deserves it's own thread as I'm afraid it might get lost because of the thread title. I'll be watching and thought about Glebb immediately when I read about this.

---

Julie is a force to be reckoned with, and I will be so sad when she hangs up her toe shoes.

---

Osipova has been part of Ratmansyky's (stupid in hingsight) "star system" in Russia--Firebird seems met for her. How was his productions? Did they use a vastly new production? For years the Fokin original has been hard for any company to crack, so it would be interesting to hear how a new take is--but like most of the Dhiagilev era ballets, it was as much about the design as the dance.

Regardless, she's my current fave of the Russian female dancers.

Whizzer, that's what's always confused me abhout Onegin. I haven't seen it--I'd like to--but to not even use a piano version of the "letter scene", or even the *theme* from that seems odd (not that I think it's ever been adapted for piano, but Cranko had his usual team when he did the piece, who could have adapted it). Still--it sounds like an amazing chance for choreogegrapy (the letter scree).

I actually saw Osipova in Onegin with Marcello and thought of how gorgeously Julie Kent would have done it.

But it was my first time seeing Osipova and I was very impressed. I would love to the two of them dance together.

The one who really impressed me, however, was Marcello. His acting as Onegin far surpassed anything I've seen him do before. Maybe because I see him as being so handsome and hunky, I just assumed he was just that, plus good ballet technique--and that was all he had to be.

But his performance as Onegin was complex and multi-leveled: the arrogance, the regret, the guilt, the desperation. I was surprised by how bothered I was by him at the beginning and how moved I was.

I also saw Jared Matthews as Count Lensky and thought he was spectacular. When he slapped Marcello Gomes across the face with his glove--not once but three times--I gasped out loud. His acting was very strong as well.

I think it's a terrifically staged ballet. The storytelling is extremely strong and visually it's stunning. I felt as emotionally engaged as I would have been at a well-acted play, something I don't expect to feel at the ballet.

I didn't mind missing the opera music. Both letter scenes were extremely involving just as they were. It was an entirely different thing.

I'm seeing Romeo and Juliet this Saturday, with Julie Kent again--and with Roberto Bolle, whom I've never seen.

We see Firebird and The Dream after that.

Having been a Balanchine/Robbins/NYCB guy all my life, I've been slowly won over by my ABT subscription--and it was this Onegin that really did it.

---

Updated On: 6/12/12 at 12:37 PM

From the insane curtian Calls Friday Night..
R&J Curtain Call: Gomes/Vishneva

---

I will slap you across the face three times with my glove and challenge you to a duel if you ever disparage Julia Kent again.

Having seen her in Giselle, Bright Stream and Rome and Juliet, I am astonished that she plays a teenage girl more convincingly than any dancer I've seen--or any actress too, for that matter.

But, insult her again, and you shall meet me with pistols.

---

I know this is the ABT thread, but I saw The Australian Ballet's Swan Lake on Saturday and thought I'd post thoughts here. I hated and enjoyed it at the same time. It was a frustrating experience because the dancing was SO good, especially by Odette; she was truly sensational. And then there was the concept: Odette (Princess Di) is in love with Siegfried (Prince Charles), but there's a villainess in the wings, the now Baroness von Rothbart (Camilla), who has put a love spell on Siegfried. Odette goes crazy and gets sent to the sanatorium (she is even forcibly hosed down by some nuns in act two). In her dreams at the sanatorium she sees the swans, and only in her dreams can Siegfried truly love her. Odette breaks out of the sanatorium and crashes Rothbart's ball, entrancing Siegfried once again. Rothbart calls up the nuns and tries to get her sent back, but Odette eludes them and jumps into the lake, killing herself. Siegfried will live, but spend the rest of his life only thinking of her.

The final act seemed like it was taken straight from Black Swan. Odette never really was Odile (she arrived at the ball in all white and was clearly Odette), but when she went to the lake at the end she was in all black and looked like Natalie Portman did in that black outfit she wore.

I saw if you want to create a ballet about Diana, Charles and Camilla go for it. Don't pretend that it's Swan Lake though. This really had little to do with the original story, and several couples around me walked out after the intermission because they were unhappy.

Did anyone else go, or maybe catch Infinity?

---

Who is dancing your Firebird, PJ?

I think I only have Swan Lake and Le Corsaire left at ABT. It's always depressing when the all too short season comes to a close. I really wish they could space the productions out a little more- or at least save The Australian Ballet and French Opera Ballet until later in the summer.

---

I thought the era of major ballet companies doing complete re-imaginings of classic shows had died, but I guess like with some opera directors, it's hard for some directors to resist mucking with work they feel everyone has seen before already. That sounds *awful* Do you know if they still kept much of the classic choreography (ie the 32 fouettes)?

Not sure if anyone else on here is interested in this, but the full After Petipa is online--comparing the original choreograghy with now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xpOVN3cfGc