So tonight is the big night at the Kennedy Center in D.C. -- the U.S. premiere of the Royal Ballet's new-old Sleeping Beauty.

I'm opening this thread in great anticipation of all Ballet-Talkers' comments.

As a reminder, here is principal casting:

Tonight - Cojocaru/Kobborg
June 23 - Marquez/Bonelli
June 24, mat - Lamb/Samodurov
June 24, eve - Nunez/Soares
June 25 - Cojocaru/Kobborg

The complete casting sheets were provided in the playbills of the mixed-bill performances. I don't have these with me but I recall that Alexandra Ansanelli is scheduled to perform Lilac Fairy in at least one of these presentations.

I find it rather intriguing that they provided the casting information with the inserts.

In any case, I will be going to the Sat and Sun matinees and am looking forward to both.

Of course, if anyone else can add to the casting information, that would be great.

The complete casting is in the program books. I'll give Lilacs, Florestan pas de trois, Bluebird pas, as that's usually what people are curious about

Tonight (Thursday):

Lilac: Marianela Nunez
Florestan: Martin Harvey, Belinda Hatley, Deirdre Chapman
Princess Florine/Bluebird: Sara Lamb, Yohei Sasaki

Friday:
Lilac: Isabel McMeekan
Florestan: David Makhateli, Hatley, Lauren Cuthbertson
Bluebird: Laura Morera, Brian Maloney

Sat mat:
Lilac: Ansanelli
Florestan: Bennet Gartside, Natasha Oughtred, Victoria Hewitt
Bludbird: Yuhui Choe, Kenta Kura

Sat eve:
Lilac: McMeekan
Florestan: Valerie Hristov, Samantha Raine, Hikaru Kobayashi
Bluebirds: Morera, Maloney

Sun mat:
Lilac: Cuthbertson
Florestan: Harvey, Morera, Chapman
Bluebird: Hatley, Sasaki

Well, last night's opening night of the Royal Ballet's new-old Sleeping Beauty is history. I will save my full review for the end of the run, after I've had the chance to fully digest this production. Initial thoughts:

Deep disappointment with the production. Overwhelming joy with the dancing.

The designs -- esp. the washed-out pathetic imitations of the Messel originals -- are boring. The only exception is Catalabutte's wonderful green coat, which seems to be the only treasure that remains from the hundreds of elaborate, primary-coloured confections of 1946. Where is the iconic Aurora Act I tutu worn by Margot Fonteyn, with the Velazquez "Las Meninas" details (red bows, deep pink overskirt, true sleeves...not the flimsy thing on Cojocaru's arms last night)? Where was Prince Florimund-Robert Helpman's bright-red coat & curly wig? Where was the Lilac Fairy-Beryl Gray's cluster-of-lilacs cap & leaf-detailed tutu? [For that matter -- where was Lilac's delicate seashell-pulled-by-butterflies boat? Instead, we get a mac-truck-proportioned float that must have been a cast-off from the last Tournament of Roses Parade.] Where were the vibrant striped gowns for the courtier-ladies or the yellow outfits of the Garland ladies, instead of the pistacchio-mint trifles seen last night? I could go on listing disappointment after disappointment.

The Watteau-esque backdrops are closer to the Messel originals but are either poorly lit or made in a 'cheaper' manner than what is seen in remaining films (i.e., 'The Magic of Dance, episode 1) or multiple books. Many of the props -- beside that dreadful barge -- were cheesy and obviously not in Messel's plan, e.g., Red Riding Hood's forest is now made up of Wal-Mart tin-foil Christmas trees, rather than the big-leaf green trees of 1946.

The staging of the actual dances was much better than the design. While I sorely miss Ashton's Garland Dance in Act I -- Wheeldon's is one of the most undistinguished in memory, on par with MacMillan's ABT version -- and most of the Hunt Scene dances are cut, most of the other segments that were traditionally performed by the Royal Ballet during the Glory Years of the 1950s/60s are there, such as Ashton's divine solo for Aurora in the Act II Vision Scene and the Florestan & His Two Sisters pas de trois in Act III (in place of the Mariinsky's Jewels Quartet).

Performances were almost-all wonderful. Alina Cojocaru is THE Aurora of our generation, as I saw in St. Petersburg this past March...although, Cojocaru seemed to dance in a slightly more 'modern' style (read that: higher leg extensions) last night than what she essayed at the Mariinsky. So that magical night at the Mariinsky remains my definitive Aurora interpretation. Nonetheless, Cojocaru displayed technical greatness (those balances!), beauty of line & infinite youthful charm throughout last night. In Johan Kobborg, she has her perfect prince (despite his dull beige outfit in this production) -- and Kobborg soared in his cabrioles during the coda of the grand pdd.

I am dying to see Marianella Nunez's own Aurora tomorrow night, judging from her impeccable & joyous-faced performance as Lilac last night. This is one ballerina who can truly lift an audience's spirits just with her smile...not to mention her lovely technique!

The other Prologue fairies were a bit tentative, with the exception of the crisp attack and musicality of Laura Morera in the 'finger variation' (Fairy of the Golden Vine).

Sarah Lamb -- like Amanda McKerrow, ABT-ex ballerina -- was born to be Princess Florine. She is small, neat, pale, blonde, not flashy but perfectly precise and charming. Sarah Lamb scored a triumph last night in the Bluebird pdd. Her Bluebird, Yohei Sasaki, was a fine partner & danced clean entrechats & brises-volees but does not have a particularly high jump.

The corps, in general, danced well -- esp. Lilac's eight attendants, crisp and uniform -- but the widely-varying schools of training are reflected in the different manners of upper-body carriage; hence, the Royal corps does not come close to approximating the uniformity & 'aristocratic grandeur' of the Kirov-Mariinsky. Which is not to say that the Royal (or ABT or anyone else) should aspire to be the Kirov-Mariinsky; they are not & should not be. That's a fact of life. But for those of us who have been weaned on a steady diet of uniform perfection from the former Imperial Mariinsky Ballet/now Kirov-Mariinsky, it's a bit disappointing to see anything short of that standard in this, the most courtly and aristocratic of ballets.

All in all, it was a night of specific dancing triumphs but, ultimately, a disappointment. If the Royal Ballet cannot give us the 'real thing' -- the Full Messel -- then please do not falsely-advertise 'The MAGIC is back!' to ballet-lovers who have been waiting 40-odd years for the return of that grand production. The MAGIC is NOT back. For magic -- go to St. Petersburg, Russia, & see The Sleeping Beauty in its definitive form.

p.s. - I am seriously thinking about beginning what I call "The BBC Fund" -- not for the broadcasting company. BBC stands for "Bring Back the Costumes" Fund. In a recent interview, Monica Mason admitted to having recycled some costumes & props from the recent ill-fated Makarova production at the Royal Ballet, to economise. Heck, I propose that we Ballet-Talkers will take the first steps towards raising the funds to give this troupe the lovely Messel costumes that they deserve to have. Hence, I'll pitch-in the first $100 towards the crafting of a TRUE Prince Florimund coat, in bright red.

It is now 9:15 and I just woke up. I'm the one who drove 10 hours (NYC to DC and back) and took two days off from work just to see Alina dance. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

First of all, the drive went well. I left NY at 11:30 and arrived in DC at 4:15. The problem I had was getting to the Kennedy Center Parking Lot. Three times I followed signs that said "Kennedy Center" only to get on a road that lead to a highway that took me out of DC into Virginia. I passed the steps that the priest fell down in "The Exorcist" (TWICE!!), because I accidently got on the Key Bridge which goes by Georgetown and I had to make one illegal u-turn. But, I finally found it, parked the car, picked up my ticket, and sat in the coffee shop across the street in the Watergate until curtain time.

One more story. On Monday night, I went to see "Manon" and I was way, way up in Family Circle. Where was my seat last night? RIGHT BEHIND THE CONDUCTOR. For anyone who was there last night - that was me - front row - center seat. I thought there was some kind of mistake! I bought my ticket on the Internet on Tuesday afternoon. How this happened - God only knows! Never had I been this close to the stage since I was 13 years old and went to see "Annie" on Broadway.

OK - enough stories. Now, this is the first performance I have ever seen of the full-length "Sleeping Beauty". The Royal Ballet presented a beautiful and dynamic production, visually stunning, with spectacular dancing. And thanks to the casting of last night's performance, we got to see three of the ballerinas who are playing Aurora.

Marianela Nunez played the Lilac Fairy - she is playing Aurora on Saturday night. She was so radiant throughout the entire evening (what a smile!) and danced the part beautifully. Just one little glitch, but it wasn't her fault. In Act II, her chariot bumped into the scenery and she had a noticeable wobble, which elicited gasps from some members of the audience.

Sarah Lamb danced the Blue Bird Pas de Deux with Yohei Sasaki. She is playing Aurora on Saturday afternoon. I got really excited when I saw her name in the program, especially after reading on the board about her upcoming Aurora. And she is a lovely ballerina - there is a gentle quality to her dancing and she is probably going to be beautiful on Saturday.

But last night, we saw the best Aurora of all, but I will leave her for last.

I sat there in awe the whole evening. In the Prologue, the dance of the Fairies set the whole tone for the night. I also recognized Thiago Soares, who was the Cavalier to the second Fairy. I saw him dance a wonderful "Thais" with Leanne Benjamin at the Ashton Centennial in 2004. Carabosse was actually played by a woman - Genesia Rosatto. When she entered with her rat-drawn chariot, I had flashbacks to seeing the Disney cartoon and the appearance of Maleficent (which used to give me nightmares). Then, Nunez, with her dancing and acting sets the mood of "Hey- don't worry- eveything is going to be OK!"

The Act I dance with the flowers was beautiful. Again, the Disney cartoon popped up in my head - "I know you - I walked with you once upon a dream ..." Then, my heart was in my mouth waiting for Alina's entrance. What can I say? I have been blessed to see some of the greatest ballerinas in the short time that I have been attending the ballet - Zakharova, Bussell, Vishneva, Ferri, Guillem, Lacarra. I can truly say that Alina Cojocaru is probably the loveliest ballerina that I have ever seen in my life. I actually cried while she was dancing the "Rose Adagio".

She has everything - beauty, presence, technique, artistry, gracefulness, and command of the stage. I could not take my eyes off of her the whole entire night. And when Johann Kobborg came on stage to join her - they make such a beautiful pair. And all of their dances together had that "meltingly lovely" quality. They had a beautiful Act II dance in the forest and their Act III Pas de Deux was spectacular, (especially the part where Johann dips her and she lets go and has her legs wrapped around him backwards).

Here is my only negative. I thought Johann Kobborg was great. (He is much better looking on stage than his mugshot of a picture in the Royal Ballet Souvenir Book). But, I was unimpressed with the rest of the male dancers. For example, Martin Harvey, who danced Florestan, and Yohei Sasaki, who danced the Bluebird are both adequate dancers. But, in NY, we are spoiled by Cornejo, Bocca (no more!) , Corella, Carreno, and Gomes. Kobborg has a lot of the qualities of our New York friends, but the rest of the male dancers were just OK.

Other than that, it was a beautiful evening. I came to see Alina and she was incredible. She was worth the drive. But please - can we ever get her back to NY?

Ceeszi, when I went to see the Kirov last weekend, I had an awful time getting to the Kennedy Center, too. I've been attending performances there for as long as I can remember and never had any trouble driving myself, but I circled the KC three times, just as you did, ending up back in VA every time. I blame it on the construction, as it used to be very well marked. However, I think it will all be exceptional when finished.

When the production was rolled out in the UK, it certainly did not get ecstatic reviews. Many critics complained about the underwhelming sets and costumes.

Ceeszi--

I agree--DC is horrifically signed, esp. compared with New York.

And I know exactly how you got your seat, because it is my subscription seat. On Tuesday at lunchtime, I exchanged my Thursday seat (G108 or G109, right?) for a Sat. matinee seat as I also have a Sunday subscription and I wanted to see different casts. I did the exchange around 12 or 12:30.

I am so glad that you kept "my" seat warm for me. Oddly enough, "my" seat's neighbor to the left was not occupied by a subscriber this season, though I'm trying to get it for myself (in addition to "my" seat) for next season...

Ceeszi – you hit it right on the head for me with those comments. Cojocaru was the ultimate Aurora for me, possessing all the qualities you described. I was a little surprised by the height of her extensions (I know that she can do them, but thought she’d be a little more circumspect) but her dancing embodied a joyful, gentle radiance. Early on she brought to mind the Homeric image of “rosey fingered dawn” gently bringing the morning light. She was lovely, and Kobborg was her perfect partner. The prince can be a really lackluster role – I remember a few of them looking pretty stupid – but Kobborg brought a kind of regal naturalness to the role, and his dancing was elegant and effortless.

Usually my favorite part of this ballet is the Rose Adagio. Hers was good, outstanding even, but not a Rose to make me forget all others. But she just kept getting stronger with each appearance – her 2nd act vision scene was one of the loveliest moments I have ever seen in many years of ballet going, and her final act was brilliant.

Like you I was totally unimpressed by the 2 male soloists who danced Florestan and the Bluebird – so much so that I wondered why they were cast.

Absolutely loved Sarah Lamb and am looking forward to her Aurora at tomorrow’s matinee.

I will reserve comment on the production itself till I’ve seen a couple more casts except to say how much I loved the mime, and Genesia Rosato’s Carabosse. I thought the mime was one of the best things about this production, it was clear and confidently presented.

For Ansanelli watchers – she is scheduled to dance the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain tonight (Friday), Saturday night and Sunday matinee in addition to dancing the Lilac Fairy at the Saturday matinee.

Susan

Thanks all of you for your thoughts from across the pond! For those of you seeing multiple casts, I am very interested in hearing your opinions of how the Nunez and Cojacaru Auroras differ!

In terms of the men, the ABT principals mentioned are that - principals. The RB dancers noted are not of that rank - but still, I think it would be hard to beat the manpower at ABT!!! There is constant talk here of the 'dearth' of male up-and-coming principals.

Sasaki was one of the first RB bluebirds I ever saw a few years ago (in the Makarova production), and he flew. In other things I saw of him that year, his elevation was quite good (I mean, he's know Carlos 'Gravity? What Gravity?' Acosta, but he was notably higher than the others). I recall that he was injured at some point, but can't remember when - still, I'm surprised - and wonder if it will change/improve as it goes... He seems to be a reliable partner to me.

Harvey is one of those who wavers to me. There's some things I've seen him in, in which I thought he was excellent. But others... not so much. Sometimes I think he's still 'finding himself' in a performance, if that makes sense.

Has Iohna Loots done any of the Fairy Variations (Songbird?)? Laura Morera has been looking fabulous this past season in general. Oh, and those of you seeing Yuhui Choe, we *must* compare notes. I missed her Florine (which I think she did here with Zachary Faruque), and am dying to hear more about it!

-Sidenote... in terms of getting to the Kennedy Center... I used to live right next to it and we still had troubles getting to it! And if coming in from eslewhere, we sometimes found it easier (quicker) to park elsewhere or take the subway in - and either way catch the shuttle from the Foggy Bottom metro!.

ami1436, Loots will dance Songbird tonight. She was delightful last night as Red Riding Hood.

Ceeszi, my hat's off to you for all the driving you did. I've driven further primarily for ballet more than once, but not for one performance only.

I don't have the advantage, or in this case perhaps disadvantage, of knowing many productions of Sleeping Beauty, but I was very happy with the sets and costumes yesterday. Everything looks much more vibrant than in certain washed-out photos I'd seen. And while the boat wasn't delicate, for me it was magical.

As for the dancing, Cojocaru, Nunez and Lamb surpassed even my high expectations, and Cojocaru and Kohborg had a touching rapport. I wouldn't call his dancing virtuostic, but the character's the thing, and he was a fine actor and beautiful dancer. I agree with nysusan about the delightful mime. I wanted a more maniacal mien from Rosato's Carabosse, but I suppose I just wanted her to be Anthony Dowell. She was convincing in her own way, and I loved her entrances and exits. All in all, a joyous night! I'll be back for the matinee Sunday, and just maybe tomorrow.

In yesterday's rehearsal, Nunez danced Lilac Fairy with Marquez's Aurora, not a casting combination scheduled for actual performance here. I think tonight's audience will be very pleased with Marquez.

It took me 5 years of living in DC before I could drive to the Kennedy Center without ending up in Virginia! And danged if our cab driver didn't nearly do it to us on Wednesday night (but that's a whole other story for the other Royal thread).

anyway, I just wanted to check in with my take on the Thursday SB (shout out to Pat, Art and Susan, met under the Kennedy head). You know, I appreciate the historical debate on the costumes and production value as much as the next BT person, but for me, what the Royal has imported is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I loved the richly elegant restraint of the set designs and the sumptuous costuming. It all provided a wonderful imaginative and textured setting to what should have been, and was, the focus of the production -- the dancing.

The RB style struck me as being technique in service to artistry -- and not the other way around which too often seems to happen, especially as ballet becomes such a competition-driven culture here in the US. The steps in this particular ballet are rarely very complicated -- they're just done so well, and it was so encouraging to my daughter, the ballet student, to see what a difference exquisitely pure technique makes in performance.

As others have said, Cojocaru's Aurora was wonderful -- the extension, the balance, the relaxed control and commitment. And I could see so much in her dancing with Kobborg that bespoke total confidence and trust. All that said, however, I do look forward to (hopefully) seeing her perform this role in 5-10 years. I wanted to see just a squidge more character development, something that showed me more of the impetuous teen that Aurora was in Act I and the woman she had become by Act III. That kind of acting, for me, is the only thing right now keeping Cojocaru from being a dancer we'll speak of in the same breath as Farrell and Fonteyn, but I do think she's on her way. The next several years will be exciting to watch.

Loved the corps work. It's a lot cleaner than a lot I've seen this side of the Pond. Genesia Rosato's Carobosse worked for me: I thought she was pretty damn sexy, actually! Bummer about the balky carriage ride that the Lilac Fairy took Florimund on there in Act II: It was an otherwise really cool and visually magnificent scene. And Nunez as Lilac Fairy was lovely -- commanding but in a warmly maternal sort of a way. Lamb as Florine was excellent, though not the knockout I was hoping for. Perhaps she was whupped from the night before where she danced her tuckus off as lead female in MacMillan's Gloria? And from the godforsaken DC weather on Thursday (94 degree temperature, 2000 percent humidity)?

In any event, it was a wonderful experience and well worth the journey. And I thoroughly look forward to the day, decades from now, when I'll be able to sigh over my sherry and say, "Ah, yes, I remember when we saw Cojocaru and Kobborg in Sleeping Beauty in oh-six...."

All of these reviews plus comments from friends at ballet class are adding to my anticipation of this weekend's performances.

As for driving to the KCen: as above, it really is dreadful to drive around there. I personally never park in the garage, but if people want directions for future reference, let me know which direction you're coming from & I'll give it a shot.

Koshka - I can't thank you enough! I will never forget Thursday night!

Since I am 'stuck' here in NY, I did not get to see this performance that you all describe so enthusiastically. But, as I read your reviews the above thought occurs to me. I suspect 'Chauffeur' is correct when she predicts 5 to 10 years maturity. With this in mind, I was surprised by those who said she was the best Aurora they have seen.

Some eras, like ours, have a number of very great ballerinas, yet one of them stands in a class apart. Ulanova, Farrell, Cojocaru. They could be the greatest before they were their greatest.

Hi drb& atm711, and a big shout out right back to chauffer! I absolutely LOVE Cojocaru but IMO only time will tell if she joins the pantheon of Ulanova, Fonteyn, Makarova and Farrell. She may be “the greatest” in a specific role but as a ballerina for now I would group her with Vishneva, Pavlenko and Lopatkina . Certainly I think these dancers stand out above all of their contemporaries but they are very different dancers, and I think that whether one really stands out above the others depends upon the role, the specific performance and, above all – the viewer’s taste. Vishneva’s Aurora was every bit as good as Cojocarus in many ways. She was a high voltage Aurora, a 1000 watt light bulb that lit up the stage but she was also a very athletic Aurora, and her huge personality dominated the evening. Cojocaru was a much gentler Aurora. Her endless line, beautiful flow and classical epaulment perfectly expressed the classical virtues that Aurora is supposed to embody. And I do feel that she developed the character, both in her acting and most especially, through her dancing. For me, hers was the ultimate interpretation but we all have different opinions and that’s what keeps things interesting!

I like this production in general, it has a very British sense of gentility but it really ambles along. Pastel colors and lovely backdrops made it the set look like a beautiful water color painting come to life. It looked like a peaceful, bucolic kingdom. But some of the costume choices were baffling. A group of girls in Act 1 were wearing green dresses that looked like they could have been modern day picnic dresses. And I have to say that I prefer the Kirov’s fairy variations and Puss-in-Boots (Sergeyev version, I haven’t seen the reconstruction). But, I love the vision scene, and the grand pas de deux, especially the coda.

Marquez was fine, she acted the part very well and the audience loved her but I didn’t really see Aurora’s character expressed through her DANCING. Also, she didn’t have that endless line and her phrasing was kind of sharp for my taste. I’m not talking about her musical phrasing, and maybe I’m using the wrong word here. I mean the way she actually executed the steps. She’d hit a pose on the beat and then go on to the next, she didn’t linger in her poses. Her leg seemed to move from the hip in her developees and go directly up to it’s final height, there was no resistance, no development. Bonelli looked very good and I much preferred David Makhateli as Florestan and Brian Maloney as the Bluebird to the 2 who danced on Thursday. Maloney especially had beautiful line.

Londoners may think that Ansanelli still looks like a Balanchine dancer, but I was amazed at how far she has come in terms of developing the use of her upper body. At the State Theater her shoulders always looked tight to me, and her upper body kind of stiff but not anymore! The carriage of her shoulders, neck and head were beautiful, and she gave us a lovely Crystal Fountain Fairy. I was also very impressed with Laura Morera’s Florine.

Ewww, Sarah Kaufman from the Wash Post had some opinions similar to mine about Thursday's show. I totally disagree with most of her take on the mixed bill, so she's not allowed to agree with me on Thursday.

anyway, on the "best Aurora" debate, I just have to say that Cojocaru is the best I've ever seen live. I never saw some of the other great names invoked perform live, so it's entirely possible that she could be the best a lot of us have ever seen -- even if she's got room to grow. Again, I am very excited to watch this already wonderful ballerina continue to mature!

Notes on today's matinee.

...I always worry when my judgement agrees with Sarah Kaufman's too, so I just didn't read the review this morning.

Dancing first: the principals were wonderful--Ansanelli as Lilac, Sarah Lamb as Aurora. The remainder of the soloists did a lovely job, though I thought the Fairy of the Songbird was rather frenetic in her movements. I know the variation has a lot of movement, but there was something excessive about it.
Also, at some points Lamb seemed to move through the poses when it seemed like a hold or at least a pause would have fit better.

The corps was raggedy--at one point, the first dancer in the line was good half-beat ahead of the rest on an opening jump (in the 2nd act, I think--where they do the little cabrioles). When they danced linked at the arms, nobody thought to arrange them by height, and it was distracting. Bah.

I like the way Carabosse is done in this production very much--she is very feminine, yet quite evil and catty.

On costumes, I must disagree with Natalia (this must be where the tabula rasa of my nonexistent visual memory helps!)--I loooooove the pastels and thought they made for a beautiful, shimmering production. The only costume I missed a bit was the Kirov's cat-accented cape for Carabosse, but I thought Carabosse's costume in this production fit the character magnificently.

My costuming gripe for the afternoon (you know there always is one with me!): one of Ansanelli's pointe shoes had very deep rose (or very grimy pink!) ribbons, which was out of sync with her tights, the other shoe, and everything else, AND the ends came untucked at one point.

All in all, though, it was a delight and I am looking forward to tomorrow.

The Sat. matinee reminded me why I love this ballet so much! A fresh young Aurora, dancing with a gorgeous company that has Sleeping Beauty in its DNA.

Production - I loved the costumes, they looked scintillating, rich, and very new, even from the 3d row. While respecting Natalia's objections about their design, I guess that I was totally seduced by the "bling." I do think the scenic backdrops, especially of the palace, need a refresh, or better yet a redo. It needs a more brilliant palace to show off this jewel of a ballet in its proper setting!

Principals - Sarah Lamb as Aurora started off with a pretty secure Rose Adagio, although I wish it had been a little more relaxed. It's not enough to execute this exacting variation well, you have to look as if you're having fun :-) I loved the artistry of her Act II dream scene in the forest with Viacheslav Samodurov, her impressive technique in the Act III variations, and especially her final Grand pdd with Samodurov. I didn't see much character development, and she yielded one or two adjustments and maybe one correction, but nothing that detracted from the pleasure of seeing a fresh new dancer in this role. By the way, Lamb is incorrectly listed as a First Soloist in the program. Lamb was promoted to Principal last month, evidently after the KC program had already gone to press.

I've already praised Samodurov's partnering, and also loved the way he strutted his stuff in his Act III solo variations. Overall, I'd say that Lamb+Samodurov was a very good casting decision!

Lilac Fairy - Isabel McMeekan gave a sweet but undercharacterized performance.

Song Bird - I'd walk a mile to see Gemma Bond in this role! For some reason she's only a "first artist" (translation: one step up from the corps) according to the program, but from what I saw this afternoon, I'd like to see her take a step or two up the hierarchy.

Florestan & his Sisters - nice job by all three, and one of the sisters was just absolutely outstanding. Alas, I don't know which of the two sisters this was - either Natasha Oughtred or Victoria Hewitt - the brilliant brunette, if that helps. Can somebody give me the right name here?

Carabosse - Elizabeth McGorian is so hot, and she added so much to the performance! When a dancer has so much fun being "evil," and has so much stage presence that you can hardly take your eyes off her, it raises the level of the whole production. And speaking of stage presence, Christopher Saunders as King Florestan XXIV also added considerable value to what is normally just a toss-off role. In this performance, Saunders made me believe that Aurora's father is really a king, and so she is really a princess.

Corps - granted, there was a problem in Act II when they all lined up in the forest and every leg was elevated at a different length (and one leg, I don't know whose, was actually wobbling.) But, look at their other work in the performance, and I claim that Act II was actually a problem with whoever rehearsed them rather than with the corps dancers as such. These are seriously talented dancers (RB must have an exceptionally good intake program) that have a great individual and collective esprit and I expect to see many of them move rapidly up in the hierarchy. I'm personally willing to put up with a certain amount of unevenness in corps work when I also see such a depth of talent in the ranks. For example, I thought their performance in the great Act I "hopping" dance (one of my favorite corps presentations in all of classical ballet, that never fails to bring a frisson whenever I see it) was totally brilliant.

Overall - a lovely afternoon of ballet that left me wanting, as usual, more!

PS - a historical note, that doesn't have much to do with this afternoon's performance... The RB has a tradition of introducing new dancers at their Saturday matinees, so about 20 years ago, in the mid-1980's, I showed up at a Saturday matinee of Sleeping Beauty, naively having no idea at all of who the cast was, or what I was about to see.

The Aurora was Sylvie Guillem, who had just joined the company. In that production, Aurora entered from the top of a staircase at stage left (audience right), in the middle of a crowd, while a whole lot of dancing was going on below. So, Guillem fought her way through the extras and popped up on the staircase. The Kennedy Center audience, most of whom (including me) had never heard of Sylvie Guillem, went dead silent - and I mean, *completely* quiet - and then took one colllective breath, 4000 people inhaling in unison. I have never experienced anything like that, either before or since, and Sylvie was doing nothing at all except just standing there at the head of the staircase!

From then on, things just got better and better. The traditional way of dancing the Rose Variation is that Aurora starts out diffident, a young girl supported and turned by her four partners, and then grows in confidence as she holds her balance longer and longer on her own. Well, Sylvie wasn't having anything of this. She was like, "you all can pretend to support me if you want to" while she turned and balanced like an angel on a perfect pivot point. So that is why, much as I love all the great Auroras from Margot Fonteyn through Alina Cojocaru, Sylvie Guillem will always be my first love in this role, the pinnacle of classical ballet.

Awesome points, Mike. It calls to mind what I saw on Cojocaru's four-partner Rose Adagio support. Her first two turns were lovely and "adolescently" ambitious for their enthusiasm. I seem to recall there was a bit of a highly human bobble and hesitation on the third. But she regained her confidence on the fourth and finished it with the panache and chutzphah you'd expect to see of an Act I Aurora. I predict that Cojocaru, 7 years from now, will find a way to make even a bobbled third turn part of her character.

Natasha Oughtred is brunette - there are pictures on http://www.roh.org.uk, if that helps.

It is my understanding that Lamb's promotion is effective from the start of the 2006 season this Fall.

Glad folks are enjoying!

Saw the Thursday performance with Alina and Johan. She was well worth the money to stay for the second night, even though I saw the Kirov's Beauty in the fall.

I have to say I enjoyed the RB's Beauty better than the Kirov's just from the fact I think the story flows better with the Royal's staging. I think the Kirov's fairy tale characters were more fun to watch, the RB's dance with that English restraint.

Starr, when you saw the Kirov, did you see the Sergeyev production or the reconstruction of the 1895 original?

A few thoughts as I await the reviews in Dance View Times: Lauren Cuthbertson, only a soloist, was a surprisingly gracious and confident Lilac Fairy this afternoon, and Deidre Chapman impressed again as the Fairy of the Golden Vine and as one of Florestan's Sisters. I thought Ansanelli finally hit her stride today, as the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain. As the Lilac Fairy yesterday afternoon I found her disappointingly sedate and one-dimensional, especially compared to Nunez, who was warm and alive in the moment. Ansanelli did grow in authority as the ballet went on, but this afternoon she seemed a much happier, freer, more musical dancer.

Lamb's Aurora was sweet and demure and I'm very glad I saw her, but where she glows, Cojocaru positively radiates. Cojocaru had a spot of balance trouble in the Rose Adagio today, but she never broke character. No doubt her characterization will mature, but already it progresses through each act, and for me her Vision scene is overwhelming, ardent and mysterious enough to entrance a prince.

There are so many little details in this production that delighted me, and everyone onstage seemed fully in character. I first grew to really love ballet from watching Balanchine. After a production like this, I feel like I've seen 'how the other half lives.'

Thank you, Monica Mason and the Royal Ballet!

I went to all casts -- every performance except for the Cojo/Kobo 'repeat' on Sunday.

Now that the shock of the costumes has passed, I conclude that this is a pretty-darn-good production. The costumes, while too jewel-encrusted & pale, would be quite stunning with new, brighter backdrops. However, the most important element in this new-old production -- the restoration of most of the 1946 steps and mime -- makes the overall staging a triumph.

Now on to a comparison of performances.

AURORA - Alina Cojocaru is the best Aurora, by a mile. She & Vishneva could vie for top Aurora on earth. The taller and ever-smiling (bright-red lipsticked) Marianela Nunez was a solid, if distant, second, performing good Rose Adagio & fabulous solos. She danced on what I call "Competitions Night" on Saturday -- the night when most principals stepped out of that 'English reserve' and played top-me-if-you-can. Nunez and her prince, Suares, even altered the choregraphy of the grand pdd's coda to show-off their jetes and even a Soviet high-lift. Hmmm... That night also saw some rather odd mannerisms by the best of the Bluebirds, Brian Maloney -- fabulous at his first outing on Friday...but bizarre in his deportment on Saturday night. Back to the Auroras. My 3rd-favourite was Roberta Marquez on Friday, who had just the right balance between elegance & flash (especially her ability to do double-pirouettes in both directions). Marquez' prince was, to me, the best & most elegant: Federico Bonelli. Sarah Lamb was a bit of a disappointment, although she improved throughout Saturday afternoon's performance. Stated simply, Lamb seemed terrified during the Rose Adagio and almost all of her balances were saved by the four princes. She stumbled throughout Act I...yet surprised us with a smooth-as-silk triple pirouette in her solo. But technique is not Lamb's main problem. She simply does not project because she is very fair & frail (unlike the tiny but more muscular and expressive-faced Cojocaru). Sarah Lamb was born to dance the ghostly heroines, such as La Sylphide & Giselle Act II. In Sleeping Beauty, she is a great Florine but that's that. Like Amanda McKerrow in the U.S.

PRINCES - Federico Bonelli was the stateliest and most elegant, yet also very strong technically. Johan Kobborg - magnificent in his own technique but especially great as a partner; however, his projection is a big less than Bonelli so I give the Italian top honors. I draw a big line for those two & place the others -- 'in-his-own-world' Vyacheslav Samodurov and the 'over showy' Thiago Soares -- significantly below. For starters, both Samodurov and Soares altered the coda's choreography for the man; Samodurov going further and dancing the Kirov solo! Regarding Soares, it was telling that my seat-neighbor on Saturday night said to me, during the bows, "He looks more the villain than the prince, but I bet that he dances a good villain!"[I told her - indeed, Soares is a great pirate in 'Sylvia.']

BLUEBIRDS - The only truly 'on,' high-flying Bluebird was Brian Maloney -- with Laura Morera on both Friday and Sat nights. I can't get over Maloney's goofy behavior on Sat night, though, at one point even bowing & waving at the Queen. The other two men who I saw (both Japanese) have the positive points but were unable to soar into pas de poison position, as did Brian. I ask myself: Why the heck did the RB not cast their in-house technical whiz, Steven McRae as the Bluebird??? He was THE HIT of 'Homage to the Queen' and widely reported as the RB's finest hot-shot jumper. So why was he here cast only in Garland Dance & other corps sections?

FLORINES - I have a new rising star to report: Yuhui Choe, who danced on Saturday afternoon with the shaky Kenta Kura. Sarah Lamb, of course, was the A-#1 Florine, but both Choe and Morera -- dancing with Maloney -- were fantastic.

LILACS - The only two who made impact on me were Nunez (of course) at the opening and the gorgeous Alexandra Ansanelli on Saturday afternoon. The other two were relatively weak in their classical dancing but gracious in their mime.

PAS DE TROIS - all that I recall is that most of the men were weak. The ladies were wonderful, esp. Natasha Oughtred on (I think) Sat afternoon.

OTHER FAIRIES - I've already pointed out Morera's 'finger variation' at the opening. Also fantastic: Caroline Duprot stole the 'fairy lineup' on Saturday afternoon with a delectable Canari Fairy. Can this lady project! A real beauty.

Thank you, Royal Ballet. Just bring back the true Messel costumes next time!

A couple of notes from Sunday afternoon.

I still love the pastel costumes, but I think the backdrops could be lighter or at the very least better-lit. Many scenes were simply too dark to my eye. I also wonder how much of the perceived drabness of the sets would be improved by more/better light--with the pastel costumes, after all, excessively bold sets might not work very well.

Alina Cojocaru (Sun afternoon) was a delightful Aurora, and super-strong technically in general, but Act I had (to my eye) a few over-acted moments and a series of hopped triple pirouettes where solid doubles would've been much preferred. Her balance at many moments was unbelievable. The only other Aurora I saw was Sarah Lamb, and I agree with Natalia here--she does not really project enough for the role and is better suited to the waif/ghostly roles.

I actually liked Sunday's Lilac (Cuthbertson, I think) better than Ansanelli on Saturday--Cuthbertson seemed more technically secure. Both had beautiful mime. In fact, I liked the mime in this production very much overall.

Once again I thought the Carabosse role was delicious--probably my favorite of all Carabosses. Carabosse's mice and chariot are also fantastic.

I don't know if this was noticeable further back, but there was a 3-year-old girl seated just behind the conductor on Sunday afternoon. He caught sight of her (and looked a bit surprised) when acknowledging the audience before the prologue, and gaver her her own little nod both before the prologue and before Acts I & II. The little girl was enchanted for the whole show.

Natalia - So glad you were impressed with Yuhui Choe - she's been on my 'one to watch' list for years! Gorgeous arms, I want to see her do some more Ashton.

I agree with Koshka on the sets. The only way that I could get it to work for me was to think about it in a hazy-imagination type thing - Almost like you're transported to this sepia-coloured world of a fairy tale, that you know is big and grand but you can't see the details because you're so enchanted by the people/things you see there... does that make sense?

Did anyone see Ansanelli both in London and in the U.S.? Did she grow into the role more? I hate to say it, because I like her a lot, but she just did not work for me at all as the Lilac Fairy. For me, for Sleeping Beauty to work, you need to believe wholeheartedly in the benevolence, humbleness, graciousness, generousity, and elegance of the Lilac Fairy. And I think Nunez gets this hands down.

I think Sarah Lamb has become increasingly ghost/waif-like over the past year. When she came to the Royal she seemed notably different in some of her 'debuts' here - like in Swan Lake pas de trois.

Maloney really waved at the queen as Bluebird??? Wha???

It wasn't a 'howdy' wave but a sweep of the hand and a deep bow to the monarchs, all with a goofy grin, just as he was about to commence his solo variation. The queen bowed back. I kept thinking that maybe Brian was so taken by the huge 'bravos!' accorded him the previous night (Friday) that maybe it percolated to his head a tad? All I can state is that he was extra-show-offy & making goofy faces on Saturday night, compared to Friday.

HOWEVER, despite the deportment, Brian danced magnificently. In the end, that's what counts the most.

p.s. I should have mentioned the 'fishdives' in the Act III Grand pdd. It was notable that the only couple to receive the instant-applause upon performing the fishdives -- indeed, after each and every dive on Thursday -- was the Cojo/Kobo pair. That's because they alone could 'snap' into the dive position in a split second & not waver. The others were OK - no dive was aborted - but the Cojo/Kobo pairing must be commended for their incredibly snappy execution and flair. ALSO - the execution of the final 'swan pose' in the adagio belonged to Cojo/Kobo...I shall never forget how he literally threw her up like a feather & caught her at the hips, then instantly snapped her down into the 'no-hands' swan dive. Breathtaking! The audience went absolutely bonkers.

Sorry to hear Sarah Lamb had problems with the Rose Adagio, she certainly didn't have any in London last month.

Perhaps Cojocaru impresses those least familiar with her dancing; I've been watching her as Aurora for some time now and although she makes a pretty little princess, I've yet to see any real development in the role.

Mashinka, I've been closely following Alina Cojocaru for years -- since I saw her win a medal as a 16-yr-old at the 1997 Moscow IBC, in fact! I have witnessed live each of her celebrated appearances at the Kirov-Mariinsky, where she is an idol of the entire ballet community. Not to forget my regular visits to London, most recently for the 75th anniv gala. Hence, I beg to differ with you; I feel that Alina Cojocaru has developed as an artist -- from adorable junior competition medalist to out-of-this-world prima ballerina. But that's just my own 'inexperienced' opinion.

I agree completely--the dives were showstoppers seen only from this pair.

Once more on sets: It wasn't just that the sets were underlit--there were some times when I thought the _dancers_ were under-lit.

Tons of stuff has been written and I'm still sort of groggy from getting home so late last night.


I have to agree with Natalia on the sets and costumes. The sets are SO drab and washed out looking and the costumes are such a weird mismash. The RB painted themselves into a corner touting this out to be such a big deal. The frustrating thing is that if the sets were.....not brighter....but just a little more color saturated it would look so much better. And it needs better costumes, that work together better.
The Baby Aurora doll in the prolog looked gross, but I'm nitpicking here.


I've always loved how the British danced Sleeping Beauty so I enjoyed the two performances I saw very much, even the odd weak performer. As a company they have a great sense of style in this. And they have a long tradition of doing mime and can execute it wonderfully.



I saw Saturday night with Nunez and Soares with McMeekan as Lilac. I liked Nunez a lot, she's a very strong performer. She seems a bit overly "cute" in Act 1 but this may be polished in time. Soares partnered her well although he's a bit faceless. McMeekan was only so-so in my book. Good with the mime but less strong with her dancing.


Then I saw the Sunday matinee with Cojocaru and Kobborg with Cuthbertson as Lilac. This is the fist time I saw Cojocaru/Kobburg in a substantial piece, previously I had only seen them in Ashton's Scenes de Ballet
and a couple of pdds at a gala.
Cojocaru was wonderful at projecting the innocence and charm of the Act 1 Aurora. Also though there were no super long balances in the Rose Adagio she danced with great strength but also great elegance. Wonderful.

I loved Act 2. Kobborg really pulled off the world weary prince, just the character the Lilac Fairy is looking for. He did his solo with fine polish and style.

Cojocaru was very remote, almost otherworldly here. The whole vision scene really just blew me away. It's really my favorite section of the whole ballet.

Act 3. Again I was blown away by the Aurora/Florimund pdd. They were so "charged" that I couldn't break my attention away. The Fish Dives(a guilty pleasure for me) were fabulous; Cojocaru spun SO fast and then really dove. Each one was applauded. Overwise this pair did much really beautiful dancing; the kind that stays clearly in memory.

Cuthbertson was a good Lilac Fairy, her dancing was good and her mime was beautiful.


This morning I realized that part of what made this performance so special is the partnership chemistry, discussed on a recent thread. And I thought, wow I saw Ferri and Bocca in Manon and Vishneva and Malakhov in Giselle all recently. This reminded me just what this kind of chemistry adds. What you end up with is a total greater than the sum of the parts. I saw three very, very special performances


What else? Even the less than ideal men and other odd negactives, the company knows this piece knows how it should go.

I was delighted to see Ansanelli, she seems to have picked up so much classical style since I saw her in the Corsair pdd early last year in NYC. Great to see her extend her range and also to see her dance so well.

So really, for me the negatives were the sets, costumes, and the Wheeldon Garland Dance (why did they keep that????)

I was so happy I had the opportunity to see this.



Richard

I guess that they kept it because it just premiered one month ago. Seriously, there's no reason why, in the next year or two, Ms Mason & the RB cannot restore the Ashton version of the Garland Waltz -- or even DeValois' 'Three Ivans' of Act III (to Nutcracker Trepak music), very much in the English tradition, yet strangely omitted here.

Like you & so many others, though, the nit-picking doesn't mean that we didn't have great fun this past weekend. It was a joy to have experienced the Royal Ballet in DC, especially in 'Beauty.'

those fish-dives by Cojocaru and Kobborg do deserve special mention! I think that was the first time in my ballet-viewing career that I have ever seen them done and not felt fearful for the ballerina's well-being. They were so powerfully yet beautifully executed. Such snap, crackle and pop!

I think I could live without seeing the most over-played part of the Nutcracker polluting my favorite ballet, English tradition or not.

I’ve seen so many unfamiliar dancers in the past 2 weeks that some details of the various SB casts are a little jumbled in my mind at the moment, but I recall that one pairing did the fish dives so deliberately that it felt like I was watching them in slow motion (I’m pretty sure it was either Marquez/Bonelli or Lamb/Samodurov) and, in any case, the only couple who did them with that “snap” was Cojocaru/Kobborg- at both performances.

I really liked Lamb, even though she looked a little academic at times. She was very much a princess “to the manor born”, rather than young & coltish. Her dancing was beautiful - crisp & authoritative but she hasn’t quite learned how to connect all the movements with that heavenly fluidity that Cojocaru displays. Let’s give her a little time, the pressure must have been huge.

None of the Auroras really nailed the Rose Adagio. Cojocaru’s balances on Sunday were unbelievable - she really took her time and lowered her arm to take each prince’s hand with great flourish - but she overdid it with the pirouettes and came off point in all but the last series. Still, she brings so much to the role that this was inconsequential.

I loved Ansanelli as the Crystal Fairy but as the Lilac Fairy I thought it was very obvious that she did not blend into the RB style. Her solo was beautiful but too showy (compared to the company style) and she doesn’t have that very open upper torso or the flow to her port de bras that the rest of the comany has. Among Lilac Faries I agree that Nunez was outstanding.

By the way - I don’t have a long history of seeing different SB productions but when the Kirov brought the Sergeyev version to the West Coast last year I remember a lot of talk here about how all their Lilac Fairy did was bourre around the stage. While I love all the mime in this production I was surprised that the only real dancing this Lilac fairy did was the 1st act solo. She is certainly integral to the plot, but in this production it really is a mime role, as opposed to a dancing role.

Among the Bluebirds the Maloney/Morera pairing was the clear winner for me. I also liked Kenta Kura on Saturday afternoon. Though his elevation was not outstanding the stretch in his upper body during his solos was beautiful. I liked his Florine, too -Yuhui Choe. Her movements were a little birdlike for me in the beginning but her solos were beautiful, very light & delicate.

The only Florestan that I really liked was Makhatelli but from my barely legible scribblings I think I liked a couple of the sisters a lot - Deirdre Chapmen, Samantha Raines and Natasha Outred. And I loved Laura Morera in everything she did - over the course of the engagement I saw her in 2 of the prologue fairy variations (Golden Vine & Enchanted Garden), in the Florestan pas de trois and as Princess Florine - I thought she was really outstanding in all her roles. On Saturday night I particularly liked Victoria Hewitt’s Crystal Faity and Sian Murphy’s Woodland Glade.

I sat in 4 different locations for this run and it really made a big difference. Many of the effects were not visible from the orchestra but read perfectly from the 1st & 2nd tiers - the initial vision of Aurora in the 2nd act, Carabosse in the mirror above Aurora’s bed in the 3rd, even just the way the scenes became visible through the scrims worked really well from the balconies and really badly from the orchestra.

[quote name='nysusan' date='Jun 26 2006, 08:11 PM' post='184754']

By the way - I don’t have a long history of seeing different SB productions but when the Kirov brought the Sergeyev version to the West Coast last year I remember a lot of talk here about how all their Lilac Fairy did was bourre around the stage. While I love all the mime in this production I was surprised that the only real dancing this Lilac fairy did was the 1st act solo. She is certainly integral to the plot, but in this production it really is a mime role, as opposed to a dancing role.

Susan,

I'm no scholar but from Peter Wright's comments on the Dutch Ballet Sleeping BeautyDVD with Sylve, he comments that the Lilac Fairy was originally really not considered a dance role. His version, in this set, has the Lilac Fairy in a flowing robe and heeled shoes, more or less a reverse image of Carabosse, as these are the two key characters which drive the plot. By the way Wright is WONDERFUL displaying how to do the mime

Wright also says that over the years, stagers wanted to give the LF more to do and gave her some dancing.
I'm not sure know if Wright is completely correct (I do think he must be mostly correct) as I've seen photo's
of early LF both in toe shoes and in heeled shoes. So a question here is did the original LF dance at all.
And if we want her to dance is there much authenic material to give her.


Nureyev, in his version for the POB goes the similar route, both Carabosse and the LF are in non dancing costumes and heeled shoes.

My early Sleeping Beauties, way before video, were all with the Royal Ballet , so although there have been changes over the years, they have been more in the way of adjustments. What I saw this weekend was not too, too different than my first one in 1969 (and I'll admit I was bored stiff. It took me a while to get the piece)

End of my non-scholarly comment, others can I'm sure be more concrete

Richard

To answer the question of whether the Lilac Fairy originally danced or not, one may look to the Kirov's reconstruction, in which the Lilac Fairy is in pointe shoes for the prologue (when she danced the entrée, adagio, variation, and coda with the other fairies) and heeled slippers and a gown for Acts I-III. So there is plenty of authentic material for her to dance, but (as far as I know) only in the prologue.

I've found this to be a fun and instructive thread. Having attended and loved the opening Cojocaru/Kobburg performance, I have just a few impressions to share:

The dancing was superb. To prep for the evening, I had watched Durante's Aurora a couple of times on video. I was amazed that, even from my not-too-close orchestra seat in audience left, Cojocaru was just as expressive while even more fluid with her arms and smile. Nunez was a strong and elegant Lilac Fairy and did a fine job with miming as well as dancing. That being said, the Bluebird was mildly disappointing for reasons mentioned above - in fact, my teenage son (undergoing mandatory ballet exposure) watched the Bluebird carefully and whispered "he didn't jump too high, did he?" Parental note: I was amused when my son nodded off at the start of the Grand Pas de Deux, roused himself a few moments later, and said "have they done the fish dives yet?" He was lucky to see them -- they were spectacular.

I like the pastels of this production's costuming. Beautiful. Indeed, I thought that the most jarring part of the costuming was Calabutte's rich green jacket and tall shock of white hair -- once or twice it overpowered the more muted tones of the other costumes. Perhaps in costuming, the RB should go with pastels or jewel colors but not mix them up.

I agree with the criticism of the ship in the Vision scene, although it reminded me of the Batmobile rather than a parade float. I also thought that the hunting party scene was unnecessarily truncated. These are quibbles, though. Overall Act II was very effective and suitably "Vision"ary.

The orchestra was decent but the Kennedy Center's acoustics emphasized the low end where we sitting, which was distracting. My daugher (formerly a dd but now a rather demanding musician) told me I was being too critical.

The audience came for an Occasion and they got one. The RB more than earned its ovations. Of course, this being Washington, a fair number of people streamed for the doors as soon as the curtain came down -- it was the shockingly late hour (for DC) of 10:40 on a Thursday. The sacrifices we make for art!

Thanks to my fellow BT'ers who attended Thursday, I don't have to detail bits and pieces. Just a few general reactions:

I was so thrilled by the restoration of a Real Sleeping Beauty that whatever design flaws existed (and they do), I was willing to overlook. EXCEPT -- the steps Aurora dances down on her first entrance. That may have been more a function of Ken Ctr's relatively shallow stage. Brits? Leigh?

Heresy, I know, but I never liked the Ashton Garland Waltz and prefer Wheeldon's -- although that isn't without "issues." I just hear the music more like Wheeldon does.

Cojocaru's indelible good moment: Vision scene. Her arms curled in a stylized fourth position, head turned sideways and down, looked to me like a cocoon. Indelible bad moments: extreme extensions, esp. in Rose Adagio. When we see that performance 5-7 years in the future, I hope this feature will be reconsidered. Not only did it look wrong, but it compromised her musicality.

Kobborg was an ideal prince. Loved Nunez's Lilac. Special mention to Natasha Oughtred, assigned not one but both of my least favorite roles -- Fairy of the Songbirds and White Cat -- and making them work for me. Brava for her underplaying of the lethal Cute Factor.

This production is the best Sleeping Beauty I've seen since -- well, the RB Ashton-deValois-Messel version. Cojocaru has the makings of a Great Aurora. Not quite there yet, but well on her way. Was it worth seventeen hours (as it turned out) on crowded Greyhounds? Do it again? Not this week, thanks.

It's just great to read all these detailed, perceptive, informed and well-written reviews that help me see better and remember what I did see.

Cojacaru and then Cojacaru and Kohborg received ovations as thunderous as any I've heard at the Kennedy Center. After her appearance in "Gloria" Tuesday night at least person yelled "Alina!," but it was for Beauty that she really revved us up and sent us home talking out of our heads.

We walked by the open Opera House scenery door yesterday afternoon and there was the silver-blue boat, looking smaller than it had onstage. For me it was the magical ferry it's meant to be, especially with its figure on the prow (and especially when it wasn't bumping into things). The Batmobile, Bill? I see what you mean. I guess it's the circular carvings, some of which could be taken for wheel wells.

I had never cared much cared for Bluebird before. What are the beaten steps in which the dancer repeatedly turns his upper body this way and then that? For some reason, although none were high flyers, the Royal's relatively shorter dancers looked better to me in this than the tall figures I associate with the role.

I understand how the sometimes low lighting and dusky sets combined with the pastel costumes could strike some people as drab. But I saw 2 performances quite close, one from the mid-orchestra, and most of a rehearsal from the first balcony, and I was able to see Aurora and Carobosse behind the scrims from each location. They could have been brighter lit, but the dimness seemed appropriate, as Aurora is only being glimpsed, and Carabosse at that point is being eclipsed, her power fading to inconsequentiality.

The Garland Dance seemd fussy to me as well, and for once the stage seemed crowded instead of occupied with individuals.

The steps are brise voles--and I agree on the size of the dancer. My favorite Bluebird is (was?) Jean Babilee, an enigmatic dancer of short stature--resembled a young Brando. I enjoyed reading all the comments about the Messel production; it was my introduction to "Sleeping Beauty' at its first American appearance so many years ago. It was my favorite for years until that magnificent Kirov reproduction.

They may also be called brisée dessus/dessous.

Thanks, atm711 and Hans.

I concur with you on Babilee's Bluebird.

But I also liked (in that period) Brian Shaw (England) and Serge Golovine (France).

OK. I thought I was weird, but Cojocaru also leaves me a bit cold --- her Aurora is rather flat in her development, and I don't think she ever completely overcomes her small physical stature in her dancing. She doesn't dance small, but you never forget that she's small either. But she does know how to use her back so beautifully. I was surprised at how weak her turns were on Sunday.

I thought Lamb was magnificently elegant: she is like classicism brought to life. The purity of her line no matter what she's doing is pretty breathtaking. I wish I had seen her Florine.

Nunez for me was probably my overall favorite Aurora. She has technical brilliance combined with her bright, sunny disposition, as well as the best command of the English style I've seen --- the way her upper body bends combined with the use of her head and shoulders. I loved her renverses that just lingered, and she had a triple in her act 1 solo that just lingered on improbably. I also thought she and Soares had the best chemistry of the 3 weekend shows I saw: act 2 was hot!

I liked that the 3 men I saw all had their own conception of the prince. Samodurov was dark and brooding, obviously unhappy, and while Soares was similar, he was also the most ardent in his pursuit of Aurora. Kobborg however tried to put everyone at ease and hide his underlying unhappiness with a smiling facade. I thought all 3 men were very fine technically. In the grand pas, Kobborg and Cojocaru looked very comfortable with each other, like they'd done this hundreds of times before, and they were really going for it all on Sunday, much to the audience's delight.

Speaking of style, I thought Ansanelli stuck out like a sore thumb because of her NYCBisms. To be fair, she's only been there for a few months, so hopefully in a couple of years, she'll be really great. She also looked very uncomfortable with her Lilac Fairy.

I also wish I had seen Nunez's Lilac Fairy, but I thought, except for Ansanelli, they were all very good, and of a consistently high level. I found Cuthbertson to be the most musical, as she played with the music and tempi, making full use of all the music, in her solo. In general, I liked all of the fairies, too --- the Royal Ballet has a very deep lineup of women soloists that are very good.

I found the Bluebird men a mix: there were great moments from each, but not one pulled it all together in one performance. Brian Maloney's beautiful arch in his pas de poisson for his solo was nice. Kenta Kura had by far the cleanest brise voles at the beginning of the coda. Yohei Sasaki was probably overall the cleanest, and had nice ballon and turns.

Florines, like the fairies, were very good. Yuhui Choe had an especially bright Florine.

The low points for me were the corps and ensemble work. The worst were probably the Lilac Fairy's attendents, but the fairies' cavaliers were pretty bad too. Moves were not synchronized, lines were crooked, arms and legs didn't match, etc. I was frankly very surprised to see such bad corps work.

BTW, did anyone else notice that Kobborg kind of stared at the Batmobile in wonder as it moved off-stage by itself? Even today, a remote-controlled car would be really cool!

As for the production itself, I found myself preferring the Sergeyev Kirov one more, surprisingly. I think I preferred its slightly more abstract nature which allowed the symbolism of the story to come through more clearly. The final struggle between the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse also seemed more important and consequential because of it. The Royal Ballet tells a great story, and the mime was wonderful --- the style and effectiveness of it is something no American company can come close to --- but it didn't have the epic feeling of the Kirov's that I saw last fall.

--Andre

They sure did. And earlier, I'm pretty sure that he woke her up with a real kiss too. (Of course they're a real life couple). How sweet.