Swan Lake opened last night to a less than full house - thanks to no marketing by ABT.

Michele Wiles as Odette/Odile was amazing from the hips down with rock steady turns, including a four revolution pique and triple fouettes, but her upper body did not do much to encourage the fantasy. The whole issue is the lack of definition in her arms and shoulders and the lack of lift and strength in the upper arms and elbows. You need all of those things in order to convey a bird like quality and especially Odette's fragility. It's also a problem that is fixable, so why don't they fix it? If they can't do it in the ballet studio, send her to Radetsky's trainer at his gym. This arm problem is the one thing that is keeping us from having another astonishingly beautiful and heartbreaking Odette. Fix it, for Pete's sake.

Hallberg as Prince Sigfried and Gomes as von Rothbart just about outdid themselves last night. I had to laugh in Act I while watching Mr. Franklin, the tutor, watching every step of Hallberg's. Yes, Freddie, some day he will be as great as you were. Hallberg was pretty grand last night - so young and yet such a firm grasp on the heart of the matter. He doesn't venture past four revolutions in his pirouettes, but when he unfolds those legs to a perfect finish, he is beyond beautiful. Gomes played von Rothbart as the son of Satan last night - brilliantly - with such detail and huge dancing. Seeing these two dramatic heavy weights on stage together was fun. McKenzie could tinker with his own choreography in Act III to give them more interaction.

The corps was beautiful last night - breathing as one and completely focused - and were led by our gorgeous big swans Part and Boone.

Radetsky, Kajiya, and Riccetto pulled off an impressive PdT - with Radetsky's sissonnes and tour jetes explosive.

Thanks for the report Haglund's. That's exactly what I remember from the first time I saw Wiles a couple of years ago, and why I haven't gone to see her since. Strong technique and beautiful line are absolute prerequisites for the role but as far as I'm concerned Odette/Odile is as much about the upper body as the lower body. Seeing half of a great performance doesn't interest me.

When I saw Wiles last year in "Swan Lake" I found her interpretation of Odette rather imposed from outside and artificial. She looked overcoached with carefully placed positions and studied affect. I don't remember any problems with her arms per se. However with dancers like Vishneva and Veronika Part doing Odette, the others do seem to lack something. That Kirov upper body training...

However, her Odile was exciting especially after she slipped during a series of tours and then pulled out all the stops during the coda to show her stuff to the crowd.

Also having seen Veronika and Diana with Marcelo and Angel with Nina A., the rapport between Michele and David H. seemed lacklustre. They look good together but don't strike any sparks or pull out the best in each other. I think maybe next year with Veronika gone, Michele should dance with Marcelo. Then her Odette/Odile might pop with some excitement.

I saw Michele do Act III with Acosta some years back, and they were indeed wicked. So, you may be on to something there, FauxPas. The frustration is knowing just how thrilling she could be as Odette if this arm issue could be fixed. That said, arms won't be a problem in Don Q or Etudes in which I'm expecting her to blow us away. Right now, she really is the superior technician at ABT.

Hallberg certainly surpasses 'Freddie' with his beautiful classical line--and feet! If, as you say, that he has a 'firm grasp on the heart of the matter' that is an area where Franklin excelled and I would hope that he is mentoring the young man.

Has the casting for the pas de trois been announced anywhere? Is Cornejo dancing at all? Thanks.

Unfortunately, pd3 is generally not announced. Seems that first cast this year is Radetsky, Kajiya and Riccetto, so my guess is no, Cornejo is not dancing that role.

Really? What about Nina?

I caught the Wednesday matinee with Herrera, Stiefel, and Saveliev. It’s been a long time, if ever, that I’ve seen Herrera and Stiefel paired in a dramatic classical production, and I didn’t think that either enhanced the other. They were more suited for each other when they were much younger. Paloma has since moved on to a deeper level emotionally with her performing, but Ethan IMO is still skimming the surface with regard to characterization of dramatic roles – although he certainly shines in the more comedic roles like Don Q.

The individual dancing was first rate – everything one expects from these two – but the partnering and connection left something to be desired. Stiefel put her down from a couple of lifts in a rather hard fashion, and while he allowed her sufficient rotations in supported pirouettes, he didn’t push her to brilliant multiples the way Corella, Carreno and Gomes do, and of course, Bocca always did.

Herrera was a touching and fragile Odette, bird-like, and full of sorrow. She really tugged at the heart strings. The exiting bourrees with her back to the audience in Act II were so pretty with every tiny bird muscle in her back rippling. Every step to point was a perfect perch with those exquisitely shaped feet and legs. Her Odile was a temptress who toyed with Sigfried – but Paloma doesn’t do evil.

Stiefel was in fairly fine form yesterday, throwing off pirouettes that were secure with 4 and 5 revolutions. Jumps were clean and bright – not those that someone with his injury history should still have. I’m really looking forward to seeing him in the new Tharp piece.

Saveliev is dancing better than I've ever see before. It’s tough to be compared to the von Rothbart put out there by Gomes or Hallberg, but he managed far more than just a credible characterization with solid dancing.

Haglund's, who were the P de Trois dancers.Thanks.

Sorry, I forgot to include. Lane, Kajiya and Lopez. (The program had Boylston listed instead of Kajiya.) Ms. Kajiya was her normal wonderful, lyrical self. Ms. Lane was out-of-this-world radiant, fleet fleet fleet, and just beautiful.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Nina Ballerina

A couple of months after turning 45 Nina Ananiashvili danced a Dream White Swan Adagio, one that may occupy dreams of people for a very long time, and sets an immense standard for ballerinas who follow her in this role. After her Act II Giselle had dominated the Gala, perhaps this was to be expected. Above all there was a great economy of characterization; her wings were simply a swan's, her expression that of a deep Georgian sadness, she was simply emptied of hope in that prison-body of a bird. The mime, of course, but not a need to act or tell the story, she was just there. Her dancing was a stream; her arms, wings, that had been there so long that they were as natural to the rest of her body as would be arms to the body of a pristinely trained classical ballerina. By being a ballerina, she was a swan. Marcelo Gomes was the perfect pure partner, giving his ballerina the security to grow her freedom. A supported turn: her wings could unfurl freely as rotation was ending, rubato as natural as a breath. While Diana Vishneva's following variations last season perhaps surpassed Nina's in virtuosity, tonight's Adagio was simply ballet's art at its summit. The ovation was immense.
As the Act ended with Rothbart's summoning Odette back into her prison, Nina's masterstroke: Her parting touch of Siegfried's shoulder was that of a human hand in its full freedom and feeling, and that one pure moment of humanity-returned would make all the heartache that was to follow worth the risk. Nina, her back to us, rippled her wings in one very generously long exit.

Her Odile was of course appropriately different. The opening adagio with Mr. Gomes, another high point. Not an experienced partnership, on Monday she is paired with her Angel, here we saw Mr. Marcelo's extraordinary partnering skill. In the many supported spins it was his iron hands, perfectly placed and moving with machine-gun precision, that enabled her dancing to again be one unending stream of art. Her fouettes, she actually dared some triples, perhaps not the speed of Osipova's, but gutsy and she got through it. And obviously had a triumphant feeling! Mr. Gomes was a model of classical intent and execution. David Hallberg's bad guy, now in context, was everything that his opening night variation wasn't, and earned its audience roar. (By the way, in Act I, Gennady Saviliev, as remarked earlier in this thread, has really raised his virtuosity this season. Always so admirably a model of classical style: while his circle of jetes did not show substantial elevation, his final diagonal did, and his return on the diagonal was marked by fine double air turns. Bravo!)

That horrendous example of AD "creativity", Act IV, with those poor ballerinas at the beginning playing frogs on their lilly pads in a swamp pond, one running this way then that, causing them all to rotate 180 degrees on their pads, another three off to who knows where...ugly unclassical movements... But then Nina and Marcelo save it in their parting, only to have that ridiculous apotheosis that breaks the tragedy--and caused a lady behind me to break out in violent laughter (not nice to the audience, but so earned by the brilliant perpetrator of this travesty).

Ovation immense. Many a bouquet of red roses tossed to Nina. Each lead received loud applause, even the normally booed Swamp Thing, tonight Vitali Krauchenka. Nina just made everyone so happy. And not the least, herself. From the formally presented bouquet, not only her worthy Prince received a flower, but also the villains Rothbart and Swampy, and conductor Ormsby Wilkins, and one final one tossed to the orchestra. In a curtain call she sweetly visited the stage right side also, and caught a huge pink bouquet on the fly!

What a bummer. I completely missed the cast change topic and went in expecting to see Diana Vishneva, but got the geriatric Ananiashvili instead. I think her performance was terribly disappointing, clumsy and sloppy with botched fouettes being its nadir. Gomes barely caught her at the end of the Black pdd, but the way he did it she looked like a kielbasa in his hands.

I'm really upset and have a very bad feeling about the rest of Vishneva performances. She's already not listed for Tharp (thanks goodness I didn't buy tickets for this) and God only knows whether or not she will be able to dance the scheduled Kitri and Giselle.

And what happened to Part? If she also cancels her O/O and Nikyia this ABT season can be written off completely.

Ananiashvili can't cut it for me. And anyway, shouldn't she be retired by now? Gomes looked like he fell in love with his mother .

Obviously you and I went to see a completely different ballet. I was very disappointed that Diana was injured, but I thought Nina was spectacular! I agree more with drb - that Adagio was one for the ages.

I largely agree with drb's review, but would add a few comments. I was disappointed to not see Vishneva perform, but Nina was wonderful as were David and Marcelo. I sense ABT is actually quite upset with Vishneva.

The corps performed both well and poorly. The good work was at the end when they were swans and the weak work was in the scenes such as the May pole. Two of them dropped the ribbons as they danced around it. They also couldn't work as one at times.

I was not thrilled with Ormsby's "interpertation" of some of the more lyrical passages and it felt that he wasn't getting the sweetness from them I expected. I'm not a musician but a few passages just sounded terrible to my ears and the performers seemed to struggle a bit to look lyrical.

I did get the impression that perhaps some more rehearsals could have solved all of the kinks I observed as some of this choreography looks quite intricate to get so much working with precision.

Question to historians here:

Are the headdresses the women wear (not the swan muffs) but the other ones at the court... are these examples of actual items worn at some time in the past in history or are the the creation / design of the costume designer? They looked like gold wire ear muffs with a headband or something.

I don't care about perfect historical accuracy in a fairy tale, but was curious about some of these ""styling choices". Anyone know about these items?

On another note: Rose tossing

A man got himself all the way down to the front of the left aisle (facing the stage) with a supply of stemmed roses which he tossed onto the stage. What struck me is his throwing accuracy and Ms Annaniashvili even managed to catch one bouquet. I would think that rose tossing at a "target" is rather difficult. He was rather good at this.

First of all, I was there last night. I was not disappointed to see Nina Ananiashvili, she is one of the great ballerinas of the last century and one of the great ones for much of the first decade of this one too! Diana is INJURED, ABT has no reason to be angry with her whatsoever, if they are which they aren't. IT HAPPENS. How long have you been going to the ballet? Dancing on an injured foot has many times seriously aggravated an injury and caused permanent damage. We have many seasons in the future to enjoy Diana but not that many to enjoy Nina even with a few concessions to age. Get over your disappointment over missing your favorite and notice how wonderful some of the choreography, music and other performers are.

Yes, you could see that Nina has lost some power and strength in the lower body. Arabesques weren't as high and balances were at a minimum. The Act II adagio had an understated lyricism and delicacy I hadn't noticed before and was very moving. I thought I saw a kind of "English" quality in this style that was new and delightful and unusual for Nina. NYSusan found Nina's arms "over the top", I just found them ultra-Russian and typical of Nina Ballerina's romantic style. I judged her still a lovely Odette but the Odile is on borrowed time.

The Black Swan PDD had a number of glitches. Marcelo and Nina have danced "Swan Lake" before but not for several years. I think that in the intervening years, Nina has developed a need for more support from her partner that Marcelo didn't know about due to the last-minute substitution without much rehearsal. His partnering was not as flawless and intuitive as it always is. Nina clearly needed to be lifted rather than jump into her supported arabesque backwards leap upward in the pas de deux section of the Black Swan and one of them was botched and she came down hard. Nina's solo as Odile was absolutely gorgeous. In the coda, Nina was trying to slam out some multiples in her old style and really overreached herself. She fell out of the fouette more than a few times and settled for clean singles until she ran out of steam. On Monday, I would suggest she stick to clean, sustained singles all the way through. Plisetskaya and others substituted a tour of piqué turns for the fouettés. Considering that Nina's piqués are still some of the greatest I have ever seen, there would be no dishonor at this point at taking that option if her fouettés aren't what they were. Her last scene was gorgeous and heartbreaking though she doesn't do the big swan dive Marcelo does at the end.

Still the loss of power and virtuosity makes me glad I decided to forego seeing Nina in "Don Quixote" this year though the pairing with Angel intrigued me. I saw a glorious, exuberant performance four years ago with José Manuel Carreno and want to keep that joyous memory unclouded. BTW: Nina's arms were bare and I thought her face, body and arms looked lovely and in fine mature but athletic shape. She by no means looks out of shape, middle-aged and certainly not geriatric. I could see no wrinkles and no sagging flesh. Some loss of power and virtuosity yes, but she still has a lovely message to deliver and the means to deliver it. I look forward to her Giselle.

The other heroine of the evening was Simone Messmer, buoyant and fresh in her pas de trois solo, a super big swan jumping in for Part mid-scene and lovely as the Princess in the ball scene. David Hallberg went from the ultimate danseur noble prince (per Alastair Macauley in the NY Times who seems smitten) to the ultimate sexy devil as the noble Von Rothbart incarnation. He has his trademark beautifully pointed feet and stretched out legs but a feline grace and attack that were new to him and very effective.

BTW: I spoke to several dancers backstage after the performance and received first-hand confirmation from several sources that Veronika Part was suffering from some kind of stomach ailment or bug. She is not injured and is determined not give up Saturday afternoon's "Swan Lake".

To answer your questions, I am not a dancer but an architect who has been attending ballet for years but only regularly for the last 6 or 7. I am aware that injuries when not treated or left to heal can become worse or permanent. No one wants that to happen. Nor am I saying that Ms Vishneva is not injured.

But to your point, the injury happened more than a month ago supposedly and she went on to perform the dying swan at the Gala WITH an injury. Now this appears on the face to be imprudent and risky as you point out. And it would seem that she should have rested and not appeared in the Gala. But she did and why she did I have no idea nor whose decision this was. But even after the gala ABT did not announce the recent cast change (for last night and did so 72 hours before the performance) because apparently the injury is worse than they thought at first, but they hope to get her on stage for Don Q on the 11th. I hope Ms Vishneva has a full recovery. She has a lot more to give.

Ms Annaniashvili was wonderful and I am thrilled and feel privileged to see her perform
and I thought her arms and hands were extraordinary.

I bought a ticket to last night’s performance after hearing about the substitution. Ananiashvili opposite Gomes and Hallberg was just too much to pass up. Unfortunately I got stuck on the outside aisle of Orchestra Balance only 4 rows from the stage. So basically, I saw a lot and missed a lot at the same time.

What I saw was Ananiashvili enthralled at performing with both Hallberg and Gomes. The prelude with vonRothbart seducing the young girl was very dramatic. Hallberg’s eyes directed into Ananiashvili’s had a chilling impact, a “this is not pretend, Nina; I am truly evil, and here we go . . .” And then they went.

Nina’s Odette was to die for. All of those details that are so important to creating this fantasy were on display. When she stopped at the end of a series of travelling turns, it was a dead stop with her wings bent over the top of her head – nearly broken. When her hands ‘spoke’ of her mother’s tears filling the lake, you saw the water flowing. Her bourreeing exit with back to the audience was breathtakingly beautiful. The final Act II supported pirouettes with hummingbird quality serrees and final penchee were as dramatic as it gets. I don’t care if she’s eighty years old, this white swan was one that I’ll remember for a long time. I wouldn't say her arms were over the top - they were Bolshoi.

I couldn’t fault Gomes on his partnering last night. He was where he was supposed to be at every second. We don’t know how much rehearsal the two of them had, but the outcome was pretty good, and I doubt that anyone has ever lifted Nina as high as she went last night. In the Act II PdD, Gomes lifted her high and she split those legs and then pulled them back together with even greater speed and force. Thrilling.

Nina’s Odile had some uncharacteristic problems with her fouettes last night. I suspect that all will be redeemed on Monday night. Her overall performance as Odile was the complete package. Again, it was the details. Where Odette was careful, Odile was reckless. Where Odette was shy, Odile was in-your-face. Where Odette was sincere, Odile was deceitful.

Both Gomes and Hallberg had outstanding evenings, and both seemed pretty thrilled to be sharing the stage with Nina. And that Saveliev – where has this Saveliev been hiding from Saveliev all these years? He had a huge PdT with Melissa Thomas and Simone Messmer. This is the first time I’ve seen Thomas in the PdT and she was beautiful, assured, and captivating. And Messmer - last minute cast in a tough PdT and then thrown into the Big Swans mid-dance to replace Part. I hope somebody bought her some flowers or at least a beer last night after the performance. This girl did a great job under some tough circumstances.

One of our future swan princessess was dancing her heart out in the cygnettes. I trained my binocs on Sarah Lane to see this beautiful little face filled with Odette’s soul and arms working like there was no tomorrow.

SanderO, injuries like torn ligaments can take over a month to heal. One of the visitors backstage last night was Alexandra Ansanelli (who is exquisitely beautiful and incredibly sweet to talk to). Her right foot was in a full cast/brace. She is in New York for at least another three months because she has a serious injury and is taking the time away from the Royal Ballet to spend extended time with her family in New York. However, she won't be dancing for some time. Then there is the real tragedy of Julio Bragado-Young who is walking with a cane, will require another surgery and may never dance again after losing his beautiful wife. After thinking about that, be glad it is only a ligament and that Diana will probably be dancing by the end of June if not July.

The "Dying Swan" is only four minutes long and consists of one step, the bourree. I saw a seventy year-old Maya Plisetskaya perform that ballet. Of course it is difficult requiring sustained footwork but nothing on the level of a complete "Swan Lake" with every step and difficulty imaginable including jumps, fouettés, balances, turning on point in chainés over three long acts. Vishneva may be healing but still in pain when performing pirouettes or balances and in great danger of permanently damaging her ligaments or having her foot fail her precipitating another injury. Diana may not have all her stamina back and can't risk another injury dancing a virtuoso ballerina role. Ms. Vishneva has been a generous and reliable performer and this is the first injury that has seriously impacted a New York season. In last year's Spring season Diana had some infection-type illness that took her out of "Sleeping Beauty" and "Manon" but she returned promptly for the end of the season when recovered. This business of her cancellation and the hand-wringing is ridiculous and tiresome. This is a fact of life in the dance world and happens every season even to our absolute favorites.

In past years I have been deeply disappointed to miss Vladimir Malakhov and Alessandra Ferri's Spring seasons at the Met after waiting a year to see them again. Ethan Stiefel's fans have probably suffered with him when he has missed many seasons recently. I am sure that when Vishneva feels restored and recovered enough to give of her best in a complete virtuoso classical role, and I feel she has the integrity and sense of responsibility to sense that if she cannot do justice to the role she will disappoint herself and her audience, she will dance again with ABT within a few weeks.

Give her some credit for having integrity and professionalism, it was generous of her to dance at the opening night Gala which is a major fund-raising and social event and needs all the star-power it can get to pull in press and big donor money.

Thanks for that information. Looking forward to Saturday matinee.

Thought Nina was lovely last night. Interesting to see Gomes and Hallberg switch roles from Tuesday night.

Gad, I wish they'd do Blair's or Ashton's ACT IV.

along with Blair's or Ashton's Act II

But you're right, it's McKenzies Act IV that's most egregious

Throw in the Blair Acts I and III and you have a darned good Swan Lake! (I'll take Blair's IV over Ashton's. A minority opinion, I know, but either beats what we're seeing now.)

I also was very happy to see Nina, whom I'd not seen in this production before. I thought both her O and her O were beautifully rendered. Someone remarked on the strong chemistry between her and Gomes. In her Act II variation, Nina appeared to have trouble with her one-footed releves, and I think this may have been her problem with the fouettes. Tossing in the doubles cut down the number of releves, but she just didn't have the control Thursday night.

Watching Nina, you can't help be aware of the heritage she brings with her. As far as I'm concerned, she brings an artistic insights that come only with maturity.

Marcelo's Siegfried is a young man not quite grown up, an interpretation that I like very much. His ebullience during the Black Swan was endearing, and you could almost imagine him going up to the queen saying, "Mommy, Mommy, I want to marry her!" His mime is nuanced and clear. I've never seen a dancer look more natural while miming. It almost takes on a conversational quality, as it should. And best of all, on the third call following the Act II adagio, he stood at the side of the stage as he presented Nina and bowed slightly to her.

And yes, special kudos to Simone Messmer, so unflappable at being thrown on in mid-role. (sorry) Didn't she also do one of the national dances in Act III?

Yes, I did think her arm movements were excessive, but that's just my taste. Although Odette is imprisoned in a swan's body by day I always think of her as as a woman in her scenes with Siegfreid. The struggle to recover her human nature is also an essential element and it's the humanity that matters to me so I dislike an overly swanny or animalistic portrayal. I also think that the constant use of swan arms diminishes their effect and lovely as Nina's arms are I wish she'd tone them down - they'd have more impact for me if used a bit more judiciously. And while her arms are gorgeous I didn’t really feel that their movement was connected to her back in that deep Russian way. But that's my opinion. It’s been about 30 years since my last Bolshoi Swan Lake - I barely recall it but maybe I just don’t like the Bolshoi approach. It’s certainly true that the Kirov Odette/Odile is my favorite, although Fonteyn was my first great O/O the next one was Makarova and current favorites are Pavlenko, Part & Lopatkina.

Anyway, although I didn’t consider the Thurs night performance as one for the ages I do think that Nina, Marcelo & co were very, very good. The act 3 lapses were troubling, but that’s what happens with age & lack of rehearsal time. On the other hand, there were things about Nina’s Odette that were wonderful - her mime in the first lakeside scene brought tears to my eyes and she had many other striking moments but the sum of the parts just didn’t add up to a great SL for me. I will admit that I was distracted by the absence of V Part after the pdd, but I recall not being enthralled by the pdd before I noticed her missing.

I’m going to see Nina with Angel on Monday so this is to be continued...

So, last night was supposed to be Julie Kent. I open the program and it's Odette Irina D. and Odile Julie Kent.... that was my reaction! I was not happy and while Irina wasn't bad, she wasn't Julie Kent! Julie Kent seemed a little weak in her variation, though she pulled it off, but the Black Swan Pas was breathtaking! Just gorgeous!

More Later!

That was my reaction, too! If they had to split the role, I would have preferred to see Kent as Odette and Dvorovenko as Odile, but why did they do this in the first place? Anyone have ideas/theories?

I was hoping other people would have beaten me to this, as I have a headache and am not really up to posting a real review right now, but I wanted to report that Veronika Part was fantastic today (I thought anyway!).

Her Odette is always breathtaking, but her Odile was a far cry from the last time I saw her (in 2005), when I would have described it as somewhat tentative.

She OWNED the stage this afternoon. She was confident, glowing and evil, and if anyone has ever looked as drop dead gorgeous in that tutu I've never seen them (that was just the icing on the cake though).

You could dislike her take on the character (I know some people prefer a more subtly evil Odile), but her confidence was magnetic and she had no technical difficulties at all. Her fouettes were singles and on the slow side, but solid (I didn't fear she would fall out of them as I did both Vishneva and Somova in the Kirov season) and still, travelling only slightly forward in a straight line towards the end I believe.

David Hallburg was his beautiful self, and gave a very nuanced performance (I don't think I've ever seen a Prince so distressed in the 4th act) and his leap into oblivion was a thing of beauty!

Kudos also to the most sensuously evil Von Rothbart of all time, Marcello Gomes. He was hypnotizing.

Saturday matinee, May 31, 2008

Odette AND Odile

Today, for the first time, Veronika Part's Odile rose to the level of her Odette. From her first Swan Lake, she has, for me, been ABT's most poetic, most pure Odette, full of all the mystery and beauty of classical form that this role calls for. Instead of her seemingly permanent Siegfried Marcelo Gomes, this time her prince was David Hallberg. So that I missed searching for that always varying surprise magic moment she and Marcelo somehow would deliver in Act II. After brilliant Act I dancing, concluding with a Hamlet-like soliloquy, Mr. Hallberg was a splendid lakeside partner to Veronika. A hint of things to come, at that early moment where she is about to look up and be startled by his crossbow, she struck a perfect balance. Their PdD built from chaste classicism to hope, her variations free and all in beauty, virtuous virtuosity.
But this is all expected from the Company's Classical Prima-Lyrica. The surprise came with her Act III Odile. Certainly the particular brilliance of her Act II variations gave a clue, but even moreso the confidence of her bearing when she first appeared as Odile. Virtuosity in full measure, great balances, yet never overdone, the line only she can deliver, and truly confident fouettes, ending not in fatigue but with a flourish. The compleat ballerina! Why not? She is after all a young ballerina entering her prime. Mr. Hallberg had a madness in his eyes that should have terrorized the princesses, and made them thankful for his rejection. And Marcelo Gomes's Rothbart: the most spectacular villain since Liepa's Crassus.
There is a moment in Act IV that mimics one in Act II. Odette's back to Siegfried, her left leg wraps around his back. A moment later her right raises back, over his shoulder. In Act II all is chaste, they do not touch. But here they do. She has her humanity, and he his sanity. They will have their tragedy, but it will be a human one. Victory.

In a more perfect world, Mr. McKenzie would have appeared during the curtain calls, knelt, and promoted her to Principal. As it was, after the final curtain the house lights went up and spotlight went off. But the audience stayed and forced four more: Mr. Gomes, Ms. Part, Mr. Hallberg, and the victorious couple. Onward to Bayadere! And many seasons to come of Veronika Part keeping the Classical Flame burning at ABT!

Ain't that the truth.

Part's Odette today was everything I'd remembered it to be from two too long years ago. Exquisite and hypnotic. Her Odile was good in terms of a Part Odile, but she had some clunky moments manuevering within the supported pirouettes and partnering and her variation had the minimum of virtuosity for an Odile. But I'll take it when it's wrapped up in delicious evil like it was today. I loved her persona as Odile - absolutely loved it. Lots of hiss. Back to Odette – Odette was sumptuous and suffering with endless legs and line that usually only come in dreams. She just has to stand there in that costume and one is instantly grabbed by the fantasy.

Hallberg turned in another fantastic performance. However, I felt his disconnect with Part. Usually, Hallberg burns his eyes into his partner's, but today he sometimes looked at the tiara or top of her head instead of into his partner's eyes. While on paper this looks to be a perfect match, I sense that maybe it's not a very easy relationship.

Gomes as vonRothbart was even better than on Tuesday night. Nasty, spiteful, vindictive, venomous - oh, lord he was good.

The PdT was Messmer, Pavam and Hoven. This is the first time I've seen Hoven in the PdT. I don't know if he's done it much, but it looked like a couple of more times is all that is needed for him to be brilliant in this. He was concentrating a lot and looked a little tight while executing most everything really, really well. And he's got all that prince stuff, too, just waiting to be fully developed and utilized.

What was up with the awkward front-of-curtain bows? It took a long time for Gomes to come out, then Part appeared by herself, then Hallberg wandered out by himself. Did they not hear us wildly cheering and decide to head for the subway before us?

I'm glad I missed the Friday night split up of Odette and Odile. Was there an insert that said why Julie wasn't dancing Odette?

It did not say. She didn't look injured, so maybe an illness or something. It was still a nice performance. Just seeing her Black Swan Pas was worth it! The corps was spot on too!

Haglunds, I had the same feeling about the Hallberg/Part relationship. I felt there was little chemistry between the two of them; something he definitely has with Wiles. This is my first time seeing Part and I have a question about her interpretation/execution. As Odette she didn't do the lightning fast beats sur le coup de pied nor did she do the mesmerizing undulating swan arms as she bourees off the stage. What's up? These are two things I've come to expect and look forward to seeing. I was rather surprised that Part omits them. Can anyone shed light for me?

Actually, she did do the 'coup de pied' beats; but while Hallberg was turning her they showed to the rear of the stage!--granted, they were not the most delicate I have seen---that honor belongs to only one ballerina---Alicia Markova.--as to the undulating arms---- they were there---beautiful, but not as over-the-top as Ananiashvilli.

All in all, I am with drb---she should have been named Ballerina....

Maybe I misspoke in saying that Ms. Part omitted the beats and arms. They were there to be sure, but the beats were very very slow and the arms barely "waved". I've seen many other ballerinas do these things to heartbreaking effect (admittedly, not Markova), which made me wonder if Ms. Part's interpretation might be just that, a choice she made. Any thoughts?

count me in as well--hopefully this will be the season. After all, she still has some bayaderes to do...

but in my view she is now, without question, the best odette/odile (whole package) they have.
What a surprise! you all know by know that I think she's fabulous.

As for ABT Odette/Odiles as the 'whole package', I would say she's penultimate. As much as I love her Odette and certain parts of her Nikiya, her problem from the gitgo has been pulling the whole package together for any performance. Yesterday's Odile was wonderful on persona, but elementary on technique. Not principal level - not yesterday. Let's hope she keeps working hard on her technique and her relationships at ABT, and minimizes the times she withdraws from soloist and demi-soloist performances for illness or injury or whatever.

Sadly, Veronika Part is leaving ABT after this Spring season, so we're not very likely to see her again in NY any time soon

Waelsung, we've been discussing the one article that mentions Part might be leaving here:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=22733

This is only one source and other information has come down the pike, so for the meantime, we should be careful regarding her status at ABT.

Thank you for all the reports on Part's Swan Lake everyone!!!



Was this the first time Hallberg and Part danced together?

No--I think they did Sleeping Beauty together last year if I'm remembering correctly (anyone sure?).
But this is (as far as I know) the first Swan Lake they've done together--the prior 3 years at least she had been cast with Gomes.

I may have had a somewhat different reaction to the Halberg/Part partnership than others on this thread. Without exactly thinking that everything in this past week's particular performance worked--in particular, some of the lifts seemed less than spacious and easy--I still felt that they were physically so gorgeous together, their lines so elegant and refined, that it's a partnership well worth developing for the future. I also thought they generated a lot of emotion in Act IV (more, in my eyes, than Ananiashvili and Gomez who were superb in Act II but seemed to suffer somewhat from lack of preparation time in the final two acts--she was replacing Vishneva as noted above).

Her Aurora partner at both Met Sleepings was Marcelo Gomes, not David Hallberg. Have they, perhaps, partnered on the road? I do agree with some of the above comments that her partnership with David Hallberg did lack the chemistry that all her work with Gomes has shown. But David's dancing and partnering was very impressive. Hopefully this partnership will have a chance to develop, and anyhow the Part/Gomes unity goes on with Bayadere.

Part was partnered by Hallberg in La Bayadere while ABT was on tour in Paris. She also did Apollo twice with Hallberg at the Met. Also, he was her partner at least once when she danced Mercedes in Don Q.

I loved Part and Hallberg at the Sat matinee. I thought they looked absolutely gorgeous together and I guess I was far enough back that it looked like Hallberg was looking at her and not through her - so I thought they had great chemistry together. I don't think you can find another pair of dancers with such stunningly beautiful & complimentary line, I loved them together in Apollo a few seasons ago and I'd definitely like to see more of them together.

Her Odette was pure poetry – the best I've seen at ABT in the past 5 years. She has an arabesque that just goes on into infinity, absolutely beautiful plastique in motion or stillness and an incredible depth of emotion to her interpretation. I do love it when a ballerina does major undulating swan arms as they turn back into a swan during their lakeside exit but that's a small flaw and I prefer her understated arm style in general.

I also loved her Odile, I thought the characterization was fabulous and that she really nailed the black swan pdd. I know it wasn't perfect but it seldom is and I just don't agree with the following statement:



I think that's a very harsh assessment. It's true I've seen better fouettes but usually that's coupled with major overreaching resulting in botched endings, falling off point etc (I'm referring to performances I've seen by Murphy and to Nina's Swan Lake last week). I don't consider that preferable to 32 clean ones. Just earlier this season both Reyes & Kent showed really poor form in their fouettes (not in Swan Lake, but still - Reyes fell off point several times during the fouettes in her variation during the gala and Kent pretty much took a tour of the stage during hers in Corsaire). Part's were slow but they were right in time with the music, almost no traveling, perfect in form – the working leg was high the entire time & she picked up the speed at the end & finished with a multiple – in perfect position. I don't see a problem with that and I didn't see a lack of technique in her pique turns, her balances etc. She will never be a monster allegro ballerina but I wouldn't say that the level of allegro technique she showed was not at a principal level.

Regarding whether or not she will stay at ABT – the only official report I've seen is the interview that specifically states that she gave ABT notice that she was leaving at the end of the season. There is a post from Juliet in the casting thread about a conversation she had with ABT's PR person who says that she's not leaving. That would be great news but I won't believe it till there has been an official announcement. Frankly as much as I would miss her I don't think she should stay unless the circumstances change. It's ridiculous for her to be dancing demi-soloist roles like a big swan at this stage of her career – shameful really. I'd miss her terribly if she left but unless they're promoting her I think that moving to another company would be a better career move.

Of course the roles are much smaller, but he's been Cavalier to her Sugar Plum Fairy as well.

I love V.P. - she's my favorite ABT ballerina, but I can't see her staying here if they keep offering her roles like Lady Capulet and one of the two Big Swans.

I hope they promote her though and she stays...

Comparing Part with the technically diminished Ananiashvili was quite interesting. Part has a long-limbed, statuesque, sculptural quality to her Odette that sets her apart as their Queen even if she didn't have the little feathered tiara headpiece. Ananiashvili was smaller-scaled and more delicate, a haunted and fragile creature. Part had a certain stoicism in her suffering and more grandeur. Ananiashvili really stressed the swan arms throughout whereas Part became more human in the Pas de Deux. Part had higher arabesques, better balances and deeper backbends. Ananiashvili is still a better turner with more fluid and accurate pirouettes and revolving piques. The smaller footwork was handled better by Ananiashvili who is smaller and quicker. Part has long legs and feet and quick petite batterie doesn't come easily with that physique. Part definitely did do the swan arms at her exit, I was watching carefully with binoculars, but they were more swan wings and less rippling water in effect. More subtle.

I really have to agree with Susan about the Odile, there were impressive technical feats in there. First of all, she has high extensions in her developpées and she struck some stunning balances as both Odette and Odile. I felt the variation in the Black Swan PDD was beautifully spacious and precise with lovely rounded pirouettes. I guess some people wanted greater speed - ditto with the fouettes. However, the fouettes were all clean singles with the working leg just above the knee and sustained well with minimal traveling and in time with the music.

Of course then there are those arms, the epaulement and the musical phrasing, peerless.

As for David's chemistry with Veronika. I saw him last year with Michele and thought this was a more dramatic pairing and it improved his overall performance. Sometimes being too comfortable with a partner makes you coast through a role. First of all, David handled Veronika beautifully showing real care and concern in his partnering. Marcelo has more temperment onstage than David and his passion always brings out the best in Veronika. Also, Marcelo really seems to consider it a great thing to dance with Part despite her insecurities. He is very giving with her onstage and she needs that. David is cooler and more cerebral in his performing with an Apollonian quality. These factors, the greater electricity with Marcelo and David's more reserved approach might make one think there is a bad rapport. I thought it only suffered by comparison with the partnership with Marcelo.

What I did feel is that there was a balance between the White and Black Acts this time. There was not really that much "yes, but..." concerning the Odile on Saturday afternoon. It was interpretively strong, not subtle, but commanding and she looked confident of herself and her dancing. Where she might improve her Odile is adding the "woman of mystery" approach that Makarova developed later in her career. Aloof, glamorous, not too vampy - sort of "you come to me, I don't come to you" approach. Make her a Garbo-like sphinx and siren who doesn't do much and has men falling over themselves. I think that would be her best approach. This was a gloating, smiling seductress who was very open and exultant in her allure and rather brazen. I would like the cool but alluring interpretation better.

Thank you for the comparing/contrasting of Part and Ananiashvili, FauxPas. I appreciated your descriptions and details, they made me feel like I was there.

Did anyone see the evening performance? With Carreño and...Murphy?

Thanks Faux Pas for helping me understand the inherent differences between Hallberg and Gomes as partners. Both so different and yet utterly compelling in their own right. To see them both on stage in the same ballet is a real treat. I wish I had been able to see the opposite casting of Hallberg as von Rothbart and Gomes as the Prince.

Gomes just keeps adding and adding to his von Rothbart character. This year, I noticed his Dracula moment when he stood glaring at the audience, grasped his throat with his hand, and threw his head back laughing. He is so good, it hurts.

How right you are, Haglunds. I just watched Marcelo as VonRothbart on YouTube and Saturday's performance was even more deliciously seductive. How could you NOT fall under his spell.