I found Nina absolutely beautiful last night – a moving performance, perfectly in tune with Corella. The Act II supported hops in arabesque were the dreamiest, most fluid I’ve ever seen – bar none, including Vishneva and Makarova. I thought her entire Act I delivered a completely believable and innocent Giselle. The Act II PdD was exquisite and pulled me into the fantasy from the first note. My utmost appreciation to Corella for ending the performance with an expression of true regret and true loss as opposed to the happy smiles and feigned victimization from other Albrechts. Another outstanding performance from Saveliev as Hilarion - he should get a shot at Albrecht before his ABT career comes to a close. He’s one of the most underrated, under-appreciated dancers in that company – and most likely the best partner many of those women will ever dance with.

The peasant pas was just okay – not spectacular, but there was really nothing to complain about. Jared Matthews is not a particularly good partner and had some awkward moments trying to get Riccetto around in supported pirouettes. He has a lot of growing to do in every area.

The corps was outstanding and the audience had difficulty suppressing its appreciation until appropriate clapping moments. I am just amazed at how so many new dancers have been incorporated into the corps this year, and yet, it dances so well as a unit.

Gillian Murphy was a scowling, man-eating Myrta. Her dancing was superb.

There were so many small highlights last night – among them, in Act I at the end of the festivities where Giselle was standing on the wagon, corps dancer Roman Zhurban was the one who got to pick her up to his shoulder and walk forward to the front of the stage. This kid’s face was worth a million euros. He could not contain his joy and pride, and kept looking up at Nina as though he could hardly believe who was sitting on his shoulder.

Thomas and Fang were Moyna and Zulma, respectively. I’d seen Thomas before in this role and she was as beautiful as ever. The surprise was Fang. I had some concerns, because of her modest extension, as to what she would make of the renverses. Well, they were modest, but then were followed by an extraordinary bending of the back that made her Zulma unique and an overall pleasant surprise. Fang shook off all of the severe edges that were an element in her canary fairy dancing in Sleeping Beauty and were evident in her other corps dancing through the season to deliver a very lyrical and beautiful performance.

I thought last night's performance was exquisite - particularly Act II. Nina was luminous, and demonstrated such fluidity in her upper body and her arms. Angel was the perfect partner, and he made it look as though Nina was floating through the air due to his impeccable, seamless partnering. Of course, as always, Angel achieved stunning elevation and speed in his jumps and turns. However, it wasn't just showing off tricks. He melded his virtuosity with great acting. It was a privilege to see this performance. My great disappointment of the evening was the peasant pas in Act I. Maria Ricetto was fine, but bland. Jared Mathews, however, needs some fine tuning. I kept remembering Herman Cornejo's stunning performances of this role in the past, and last night's performance was not anywhere near that level. Gillian scowled to perfection, and delivered an excellent performance.

What I liked about Nina Ananiashvili's Act I was that she was joyous Giselle who balanced an overriding eagerness for life with fragility, shyness and foreboding. She even had a sense of humor playfully teasing her mother and being coy with Albrecht. Nina has lots of nice touches that are traditional but well-realized and honest. Like the haunted look she gets when Berthe describes the Wilis to her. Also, Nina definitely died of a weak (and broken) heart - some Giselles are now discarding the business about Giselle's heart condition. One thing this performance pointed out to me is that until the revelation that "Loys" is not who he claims to be, this is the happiest day of Giselle's life. She goes from one wonderful happy surprise (cavorting with Loys, receiving praise and gifts from the nobility and being proclaimed the Harvest Queen) to another. Then the rug is pulled out from underneath her.

I thought Nina's technique was pretty flawless. Only slight cavils, the spins on her Act II Wili "reawakening" could have been faster and wilder. They were a little careful which is the last thing they should be. Also her left side seems weaker than her right. Some of the ecartés in that cruelly exposed opening solo of the Grand Pas de Deux in Act II showed her working harder on her left side with less flexibility. On the other hand the hopping solo variation in Act I, the entrechats in Act II, the lifts and jumps were spectacular and very much the Nina of old. Add to this the boneless arms, the weightless lifts (bravo Angel who was a major factor in this) and the passionate commitment and you have a memorable Giselle.

The woman next to me was seeing her first "Giselle", she was in tears at the end. I think it was Angel's real, simple grief at the end that got to her. His acting is much more the character rather than Angel (adorable as Angel as himself is), he has more gravitas onstage and his partnering was on the Marcelo Gomes level.

Nina Ananiashvili's Giselle is in the Soviet era ballerina tradition that sees this ballet as Holy, spiritual over material, defying the State values of that time by exemplifying the power of redemptive love. Last night we saw not an old Ananiashvili but, defying time, a new Ananiashvili. Her capacitiy to convey the power of love has deepened from past years, and I wonder if it might just reflect her own life, enriched by her little Elena, now two years old.

The production was not just the ballerina of course. It had a fresh look, and some good and some not so good casting. The PPdD was miscast: grace and ballon were missing in one dancer; and, especially early on, one feared for the other's landings. Yet some casting was perfect: like Haglund's, I also admired Roman Zhurbin's joy at carrying Giselle from the cart and around the stage on his shoulder. His smile lit up the stage, and for minutes after his light was not turned off! After all, he'd just carried his village's Harvest Queen around the village square, or perhaps he'd just carried an historic ballerina around the stage. Whichever, a very enlivening performance by the young dancer. In Act II Melissa Thomas' Moyna was danced with grace and power, a type of Myrta, while Zhong-Jing Fang's Zulma shown more fragile, innocence, a type of Giselle. Beautiful dance-acting. Gillian Murphy gave her Myrta a kind of spiritual stillness, of course a strong, determined leader, locked into her prison of Vengeance, but one happy to be freed by redemption in the end. Her leaps were big and with ballon, and her face glowed a stoic yet pure beauty: there was a soul inside (perhaps all that recent dancing in St. Petersburg and Moscow is paying dividends?). Angel Corella has been a fine Albrecht for Nina in recent years and tonight his two diagonals of brisees volees were thrilling and his partnering was strong: he supported her Act II hops in arabesques so effectively that you could really believe that is was she who was supporting him, keeping him alive just a little longer, till dawn's saving light could rise.

Nina Ananiashvili can project to the biggest of theaters, yet never at the cost of any detail, any nuance. While she lies on the stage, her mother freeing her hair for the forthcoming mad scene, Giselle sneaks a look at the fourth wall, and her head recoils in horror, as if she's just seen time, her future. From then her eyes are fixed on her mother as she rises and moves toward center stage. Her back faces us. Slowly, meekly, but with courage, her head turns to face us, the terrifying fourth wall. Time has reversed, she sees her past. And her lucid madness begins.

Act II was en thrall of her spiritual force. Her Wili spin had not quite the force we've seen from Diana Vishneva, but this was right: for Nina was less a vengeful wili than the others, her love could not be overruled. The corps, too, rose to the level of the occasion with form and spirit. Early in Act I Angel had given Nina ballet's traditional arm-extended upward, two-finger pledge of love, but almost lightly. In Act II, as victory approaches, Nina raises a wraith-like hand, fingers loosely floating into position, and pledges her love to him, but to the wilis too, for this is the love of redemption, universal. The Holy ballet. Nina is Bolshoi. And so was the ovation. And so, the endless curtain calls.

Friday's tickets, as she subs for beloved Diana Vishneva, are Gold.

By the time I got to the Met, the only available tickets were Standing Room in the Family Circle. I demurred and instead watched what I could on the video monitors in the lobby. Not ideal, of course, but neither is standing at the top of the FC.

I saw all of Act I, and Act II through the Wilis' dance. The mad scene was unlike any I'd seen before, since her soul was battling against Wilidom before she died. I have never seen a Giselle provide that continuity between the acts.

On the monitor, Fang had the weightlessness of a pure spirit. I imagine that quality was noted, too, by those in the house.

After more than two hours standing on the hard stone floor, my back and shoulders started to ache. I stayed as long as I could, but ultimately the discomfort intruded on my enjoyment. I'll be back for Nina and Jose on Friday.

You are a warrior. A Wili Warrior.

Loved Nina in act 2. In act 1 technique and therefore musicality were a bit lacking. I must dare say that members of the audience showed such enthusiasm when she entered that in the minds of some she could do no wrong.

Murphy was great -- a wonderful role for her.

Peasant PPD - pretty mediocre.

Nina's 2nd act was amazing.

Julie Kent and Ethan Stiefel in Giselle July 8th.

Breathe taking, Genuine and Memorable are just a few words to describe this performance! I've seen Julie Kent and Ethan Stiefel in many performances, but tonight was the best I've ever seen from both. The emotion behind every movement was unbelievable! Each little movement told the story! Julie has the most supple upper body. Her port de bras IS Giselle! It's so hard for me to put into words what I saw! Julie may be getting older and at times it shows, but over all she takes your breathe away! Ethan, he just holds the stage! From his legs and feet, to his smile! Their chemistry, was electric!

Michelle Wiles as Myrta was also very good. I felt she could have been a little bit more evil, but of course perhaps she wasn't playing it that way! She was a little too stiff for me, because then it went almost contemporary at times when her arm was too straight. But over all she was very good!

The corps was also very well put together! They had great energy and good precision!

I have one pet peeve, which is a large one. From where I was sitting, right orchestra towards the front, you could see someone holding the string to pull the veil off the Wilis!! WHAT?!?! EXCUSE ME?!?! ABT can't get a piece of string long enough to handle that?! Way to ruin the moment!

I know there is a lot I'm not talking about, but mainly because I'm just still in awe of Julie and Ethan!

Bravo!

I also attended the Julie-Ethan Giselle last night. They gave a wonderful performance. I agree that her arms and upper body were beautiful and expressive. Julie didn't have the floating, weightless quality in her solos that I observed in Nina's performance on Monday. Also, I felt that Julie fudged some of the footwork in Act II. Nevertheless, her acting ability and presence more than compensated. Ethan was fantastic in his jumping and in his acting. The peasant PDD was performed by Misty Copeland and Carlos Lopez. They did a very good job, and Lopez drew gasps from the audience with the height of certain jumps. Maria Bystrova was an arrogant, aristocratic princess; a much different approach than Kristi Boone's more approachable and sympathetic princess on Monday. Michele Wiles as Myrta was pretty good, but I thought her upper body was too stiff. Ricetto and Boone were Moyna and Zulma. Sasha was an angry Hilarion. He did a good job with the jumping portions of the role, but in my opinion he did not reach the emotional depths of the character that Genadi captured on Mon. eve. in that role.

For those of us in ABT's touring cities, we have something to look forward to in the coming season. According to the membership office, Giselle will be the 2008-09 touring production for Miami and, I assume, elsewhere.

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, I too saw the all-American home team "Giselle" on Tuesday night. I was glad I went because the last time I saw Julie Kent dance Giselle it was as a replacement for Ferri with Bocca as her Albrecht. Julie and Julio had little chemistry and I found her Giselle flat and predictable that night. Overly calculated and recessive personality-wise. Last night, Julie was completely wonderful.

Beautiful, beautiful port de bras and epaulement. Very truthful emotion at all times. Just the right amount of shyness, flirtation and joy in the first act. The dancing was very solid, not spectacular but lovingly shaped and phrased. Julie has that increasingly elusive quality of grace in movement in all that she does.

Ethan in the second act was dancing like it was ten years ago. Very clean jumps, turns and landings, precise but exciting technique. His brisés volés (sp?) in the coda in the second act got gasps from the audience. It was the only time I saw him this season, so I was glad I saw him at his best.

Michele Wiles had very cleanly articulated footwork as Myrtha and strong jumps. Gillian is now a forceful dramatic presence in the part (Gamzatti too) and Michele doesn't have that kind of authority. A friend on Monday night said she thought Gillian Murphy is definitely the best Myrtha since Martine Van Hamel.

In the Peasant PDD, Misty Copeland was charming if a little shaky in a few pirouettes. Carlos Lopez indeed had some excitingly high, daring leaps and aerial turns but I found his landings sloppy and perilous. He had beautiful form when aloft but I cringed every time he hit the floor, the feet were all over the place. He was very on the music however, striking a pose with every climactic "da-dum!".

Lovely conducting by David LaMarche and you have an equally lovely evening as the more glitzy prima. Not as many flowers though - Julie got three bouquets at her call but no flowers tossed from the house, Ethan got no flowers at all! (Nina got the ultimate accolade of a confetti shower from the upper side boxes house right on Monday).

Bart, maybe you will see first the much-awaited but postponed joint debut of Stella and David in Giselle

I also went to the Kent-Stiefel-Radetsky last night.

Stiefel was fantastic. Really transporting and wonderful. I can't say enough great things about him, and he and Kent had absolutely seamless partnering. The little skimming hops that Kent does while lifted in the air by Stiefel was absolutely beautiful. Stiefel was everything I go to the ballet for - expressive, powerful, technically flawless, and so very charismatic.

I love Radetsky's dancing and mime. He tends not to be as much of a show-offy showman as Stiefel, so he doesn't get the recognition applause when he enters (which I think he ought to), but his dancing is so clean, so precise, and his acting is right on. He's one of the better mime actors at the ABT, where you can actually 'hear' the words he's miming. I thought it was a shame that the Hilarion dance to the death was not better lit. I know it's happening at night in a graveyard in a forest, but come on! You've got a fantastic dancer performing on stage - we in the Dress Circle should be able to see all of him clearly and not be forced to squint for a better look.

Julie Kent has lovely, lovely port de bras. I don't know how she does it. Her partnering with Stiefel was divine. The thing is, I was a little disappointed with her acting in the first act. I have seen Alessandra Ferri and Diana Vishneva in this part, and they both went more heartbreakingly and convincingly insane, and they also had much better articulated heart problems. Sad to say, I felt Kent's Giselle didn't go mad so much as just feel very sad, and when Kent's Giselle died she very prettily melted to the floor and it wasn't clear that she was actually DEAD until everyone started to react. I sat next to a family with two little girls, and both girls asked their mother if Giselle was actually dead, and they read the synopsis again because they weren't sure if she was dead yet!

The corps de ballet Willies were very fine, except for one blooper. The last willie on the left back row must have had something go wrong with the veil-pull off and so she was quite late getting to the stage and had to join her row late.

I felt so grateful and restored and happy at the end of last night's performance, and it went a long ways to erase the disappointment I felt at Bayadere and Merry Widow.

I saw both Monday night's performance of Giselle and also Tuesday's. Will also be going to see Cornejo make his debut as Albrecht on Thursday. I've been attending performances of Giselle since the Bolshoi first danced it in the US in the late fifties. I thought Nina and Angel were exceptional on Monday night, perhaps the greatest performance of Giselle I've ever seen. Nina danced with every pore of her body. She used her eyes to perfection, in addition to her radiance, her perfect line, and flawless technique. In Act II I couldn't take my eyes off her for even a moment. Why, oh why, is there no DVD of her performing this work? That is such a great loss to posterity. Why is there no good DVD of Giselle to be had?

And then I saw Julie and Ethan on Tuesday and I felt the same way--that this was the greatest performance of Giselle I'd ever seen! Julie was breathtaking. She was charming and delightful in Act I, completely in command of her exquisite classical line and technique. In Act II she was truly a spirit, completely weightless, with fluid Romantic arms/hands and finely articulated legs. She reminded me of Carla Fracci, whom I also adored in that role. Julie's performance should be captured on DVD before it's too late.

I agree about the veils. I sat in the side parterre (my favorite seats, as I'd rather sacrifice a corner of the stage in order to see the expressions on the dancers' faces) and saw the arm and the string ("oh, so that's how they do it," I thought). In older productions the wilis used to go offstage for a moment and return without their veils.

Both Gennadi and Sascha were great Hilarions. My impression, though please correct me if I'm wrong, is that the role of Hilarion contains more classical dancing than it used to. Perhaps this is because the quality of male dancers has improved greatly since the 1960s. Gennadi's acting was superb, as well as his dancing. Sascha is a joy to watch as well. I hope that before too long both will be able to move up the ranks to become principal dancers.

I am eagerly awaiting the debut of Stella and David in the leading roles. May her injuries heal quickly and completely. We need her back on stage!

Both performances are indelibly etched in my brain. But where are the DVD people? Why weren't they capturing these transcendent performances?

Angelica

I attended to Monday's performance (Nina/Angel)
Once again, Nina showed what a truly prima ballerina can do on stage.
Her acting in the 1st act was incredibly good. Wasnt she a real young girl coming out of her house ? Her happiness and love was touching. The only thing that I didnt like was when she did the diagonal on point in the 1st act (whats the name of this step?), she did not look at the prince at all, just at her mom. I rather prefer what some other ballerinas like Vishneva or Kent do, when they look at the prince and show him how pretty she is and how in love she is as well. Her madness scene was very good, particularly her dead, which was one of the best I have seen.

Her 2nd act was just incredible. She was a real ghost, weighless, fluid, her arms and upper body was perfectly used. I cant say enough about her 2nd act performance, I never thought that I would have the chance to see her dancing like this again !!! At her age and after giving birth 2 yrs ago, this is just a miracle !!!
I agree with Angelica about the fact that they are not recording these performances.
This year the opera not only recorded the shows professionally, but showed them on TV and right now you can see every now and them a performance of this last year on channel 13. If abt could do the same !!!!
I am sure it would bring a lot of new and young people into the world of classical ballet. Is it a matter of money ?
I just cant stop thinking how sad is not to have Nina's Don Q, Swan Lake and Giselle for the ages.
Her performances this year have just been: Ballet Master Classes, literally.
Even though she doesnt have the technique she had years ago, she has cover that with her experience. The level of details that she incorporates in every single of her characters, make me think that she is dancing a completely different ballet. This should be def taped for the generations to come !!

Murphy’s Myrtha was tremendously powerful, perfect execution (as always), great personality. As in gamzatti, she def own this role. I really congratulate her for the progress shown in these last two years regarding her expressiveness and stage projection. Her acting is much better and she is now putting that together with her amazing technique to take her dancing to a different level. I hope to see her progressing even more and making new debuts in the years to come (I knew she danced in St Petersburg, but somebody else mentioned before that she danced in Moscow as well, did she really dance there ?)

Fang’s Zulma was also a big surprise. One of the best I have seen, very impressive !!

I agree with the above reviews. Nina and Angel took my breath away with the supported hops, and with the angel lift. I will forgive any of her lapses in technique because I think she more than made up with those with her arms, face, timing (a little behind the music sometimes, for the sake of poignancy). Angel's cabrioles (only 4 to cover the whole diagonal of the stage) were stunning. I loved the two of them together. Gillian Murphy as Myrthe was the best I have seen. My favorite gesture of hers is when she slumps a little as Giselle is protecting Albrecht at the cross. It was subtle and very fleeting. It seemed as though the power of Giselle's love for Albrecht confused Myrthe for an instant.

Julia and Ethan were splendid as well. I would not have wanted to dance the night after Nina and Angel; they certainly rose to the occasion. I liked Misty Copeland and Carlos Lopez in the PPdD. The dancing was crisp and easy. Michele Wiles is also a great Myrthe, but once I had seen that gesture of Gillian's, I wanted Michele to do it too. Sascha is a beautiful dancer and did Hilarion well.

Because of David Hallberg's being injured, Herman Cornejo replaced him. Giselle was Xiomara Reyes. I may be wrong but I think this was Herman's debut as Albrecht. He did an admirable job especially in his solos; she gave him the whole bouquet during the bows. He then pulled out a red rose and gave it to her. I am not so experienced but wondered if he was having a bit of trouble partnering in the Grand Pas in act 2.

I agree with one thing in the Times review: the innumerable rewritings of the score by Lanchberry have taken away from the beauty of the music in Act 2. Albrecht's entrance should be to an oboe solo, and a different melody, than ABT's orchestra uses. And in the final PdD, once again the melody has been changed and not for the better. I understand that there are many versions of Giselle, and have yet to see the "original" score (which I believe is at the museum of Opera Garnier in Paris). Why ABT uses this Lanchberry version (cheaper?) is anybody's guess.

Just a quick note before I head back to the Met for tonight's performance.

Herman took a really big leap today in this dramatic debut. When he first came out, he looked like he had the pressure of the world on his shoulders. This was such a huge step for him. His acting was great so long as he was moving, but when he had to stand still, which Albrecht does a lot, he seemed a little lost. It will be interesting to see if 30 hours of thinking about it will make a difference for him tomorrow night. No doubt he will be a great Albrecht sooner than later, but it will be a journey. During his final scene at Giselle's grave and his final walk downstage, he could have been suicidal - he was in that much emotional agony. Very good grasp on what it's all about. Xiomara was a darling Giselle with just a touch of naive ditz. Her Act II is much, much stronger than when I last saw her, particularly the developpe releves, roll down, step into attitude movements around Albrecht. Isaac Stappas was great as Hilarion - what a theater animal! He was especially brilliant right at the end before getting pushed in the lake. Like Frank Smith many years ago, Stappas was able to really let go and convey his exhaustion.

Herrera - Gomes Giselle

Last night was a mixed bag. I was swept away by the magnificent Marcelo Gomes. He delivered an excellent performance as Albrecht. The little touches of his acting were brilliant. For example, in Act II when he first enters the stage holding an armful of flowers, he stroked the flowers as though the flowers were the embodiment of Giselle. When he reaches Giselle's grave side, he didn't just merely bend down on his knees. He sprawled his entire body over the grave and literally hugged the rocks under which she is buried. Some might regard it as over the top. I loved it. Marcelo did not do the brisees (spelling) across the diagonal of the stage, as most Albrechts I have seen. Instead he chose to do an astounding number of high jumps in place to indicate that he was being danced to death by the Willis. (I'm not sure what the dance step is called. Sorry) He was a great actor and a great partner last night. I did not care for Herrera's Giselle at all. Her upper body and neck were stiff, and her arms were not graceful. While I love her in certain ballets (esp. Don Q), she failed to capture the signature Romantic style required here. I also was totally unconvinced by her acting. There was no innocence in her Act I portrayal. I could have lived with that if her Act II portrayal was better. The peasant pdd was done by Blain Hoven and Sarah Lane. I really enjoyed Ms. Lane's performance. She was light and airy in her jumps. Hoven had a bad landing, but he was otherwise pretty good. Veronika Part did a fine job as Myrta, and she executed her solo passages very well. However, the night belonged to Marcelo.

Everybody had already described the exquisite,very moving Giselle of Nina and Angel last Monday night . I just want to add how exciting the Brises that Angel did near the end of 2nd act and the supported hops that Nina did near the end of the same act.I thought they were as good as i remember Natalia and Misha dancing many years ago.
Kudos to ZJ Fang for her beautiful Zulma.I hope this improves her promotion chances.

I thought it was an oustanding performance all around, and it was touching that Xiomara gave Herman the entire bouquet, instead of just the pull rose.

And where can I get one of those cool breakaway swords?

(For those of you who weren't there, when Albrecht threw his sword down at the end of Act I, the pommel unscrewed and the sword fell apart into its four pieces - a pommel, a guard, a handle and just a blade lying flat on the stage - which Xiomara, of course, is going to have to scoop up. As the principals moved left, they switched in a another sword, with a huge guard, just in time for Xiomara to pick it up.)

Paloma gave a first rate performance in Giselle Wednesday night complete with rich, yet modest Romantic port du bras, crystal clear mime, sweetness in Act I, other-worldliness in Act II, and it almost goes without saying, the most beautiful and articulate feet in the ballet world today. Her interpretation continues to grow and deepen with artistry. She does not attempt to imitate anyone’s Kirov or Bolshoi interpretation, but seems to strive for her own individual ideal. She is believable in every respect, and her rapport with Marcelo the Magnificent was wonderful. It was an incredible performance from everyone. Sarah Lane did the Peasant pas for the second time that day, and oh, what a jewel!

For those who are interested, there is a review up on danceviewtimes.com of last night's Paloma-Marcelo Giselle.

Lovely review by Mary Cargill. How old is that photo ABT is sending out for Giselle? I recognize Abrerra and Wiles as Wiles It must have been from a time they were in the corps or just become soloists.

I missed what Haglund's saw last night. I went to see Gomes and Part, of whom I've seen too little this season, before ABT left town. I had not seen Herrera's Giselle before and I had low expectations, so to say I was disappointed would be overstating it. I enjoyed Paloma's exquisite pointe work -- the smooth, controlled releves and deleves of those gorgeously curved feet. But I found her dancing and acting one-dimensional. Had this been a debut, I might have termed it "promising," but it's too late in her career for that word.

Not having an engaged character to play against, Gomes seemed to feel the need to overcompensate. He did tend to overact.
Entrechats sixes, although I think I saw some huits in there as desperation grew. Frankly, I prefer the brises voles, because when done right, it creates the illusion that Myrtha is pulling Albrecht towards her.

To me, this is a very important moment often missed. It reminds us that the Wilis were young women who once loved deeply, only to be betrayed. And here we see Myrtha recall her feeling of being in love. I missed that, but little else, from Veronika Part on Wednesday. However, the speed and smoothness with which she bouree'd across the stage more than made up for it. Perfection! She was merciless, and any humanity she had once had was lost to her singleminded drive for vengeance.

Again, our Zulma was a standout. Yuriko Kajiya, whose season has been a string of small (i.e., soloist role) triumphs, epitomized Romantic style and delicately sophisticated phrasing. Simone Messmer was fine as Moyna.

Blaine Hoven's peasant pas was laborious, especially in contrast to Sarah Lane's apparent ease. She took opportunities to hold balances without distorting the choreography. Very charming performance, even though (tiny quibble) she tends to raise her eyebrows too much.

Giselle's Act I friends were pretty raggedy, suggesting that this sextet had not rehearsed as a unit. However, the corps of Wilis was exquisite. I have never seen ABT's Wilis better, especially remarkable given the corps' recent large turnover.

I never thought of this. It's is a good point, Classic, but there's a technical problem, since you travel in the direction that you're looking towards. Most Giselles' strong side would favor their crossing the stage from left to right. I don't think I've ever seen a Giselle hop towards Albrecht or do more than shoot him glances.

I'm up for another Giselle tonight. See you later!

Thursday: Xiomara Reyes, Herman Cornejo

Wow!

Lucky you! I would have loved to have seen them, but opted for Dvorovenko/Beloserkovsky. Tomorrow night is, of course, sold out.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Two Innocents

Tonight Herman Cornejo seemed to play Albrecht as a young innocent, caught up in a new experience, romantic love, with someone of the wrong social class. The two were so alike that as they danced 'round a circle, Albrecht following Giselle, their jetes were perfectly in time, of the same height, legs making the same angle. Bravo to Herman, sacrificing a chance to show off in favor of artistry, as of course one would have expected of him. Later, as Xiomara Reyes' mad scene developed, she came to the part where she recalls the "he loves me, he loves me not" flower petal scene. He comes to his dying love, contrite, as if to apologize, in great sorrow. She does not repel him. Later, in that leap to him where she crumbles off him and collapses, to her death, one feels she still loves him. As she lies dead it as if he cannot leave her, repeatedly crying at her feet. The villain is more the social rules of the time, rather than some young Count on some last spree before his arranged marriage.

Act II begins by showing that the Church is no better than the Social Order. Hillarion, Isaac Stappas, has to fashion a cross of wood for her unmarked grave, the Church not allowing such a young woman to be buried in the church cemetery, walled "safely" away rear stage left. Somehow Ms. Reyes' entrance from the grave, the positioning of her hands and head, recalls a very old memory of Alicia Alonso. Would she have possibly studied this role with Mme.? In this Act Mr. Cornejo of course gets to turn on the virtuosity. What glorious elevation combined with formal purity! Almost as rewarding as what seemed to me to be very impressive partnering by him. While his double sequence of brises voles did not quite have the thrill (nor audience reaction) of Mr. Corella's on Monday, Cornejo's leaning towards Michele Wiles' Myrta really caught the sense that she was pulling him on some invisible string. All in all, a very auspicious second performance. Naturally the full house sprung to its feet as one at the end, and we stayed there a considerable while.

Yuriko Kajiya, with a certain soft yet expressive and expansive grace, and Craig Salstein, who really can nail the end of a variation, danced the PPdD. Zhong-Jing Fang repeated her success as Zulma, a virtual bonus of extra Giselle-like dancing!

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"...just cant stop thinking how sad is not to have Nina's Don Q, Swan Lake and Giselle for the ages."

There are two DVDs of Nina at the age of 29 (approx, I'm not exactly sure of her age then), one dancing Don Q and one dancing Swan Lake with the State Ballet of Perm. She is breathtaking in both. I understand that the Swan Lake DVD is becoming a collector's item, so get it while you can. I recommend Amazon or Kultur. But why no Nina as Giselle? I think someone should capture Julie Kent and Ethan Stiefel before it's too late.

Where are you, DVD people?

Angelica

The Don Q and Swan Lake videos have been reissued, at a slightly higher price, by VAI.

http://www.vaimusic.com/VIDEO/DVD_4450_SwanLake.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Swan-Lak.../dp/B0015RB70Y/

http://www.vaimusic.com/VIDEO/DVD_4451_DonQuixote.htm
http://www.amazon.com/L%C3%A9on-Minkus-Don.../dp/B0015RB718/

The corps in these videos leaves something to be desired, but Ananiashvili is magnificent.

Wednesday Mat/Thursday Eve (Reyes/Cornejo): what a difference a day makes. Wednesday was an excellent dress rehearsal; Thursday was the performance.

Cornejo's Albrecht characterization is still in the sketch phase but it's a very good indication that it will deepen into a most interesting one. He will give Reyes more in the mad scene as he gains experience in the role and I hope she will revert to the way she did it with Bocca and Carreno. She took that long dangerous moment at the beginning of the mad scene upstage of Albrecht and looking at him, still coming to terms with the betrayal and then is destroyed as she sees his shame. With Cornejo she uses the fourth wall rather than Albrecht. Still beautifully effective but less so, to me, than previously.

But there was nothing sketchy about the dancing. There was such a union of souls in Act I that led so inexorably to Act II. It was really a remarkable performance on so many levels, spiritual, dramatic and technical.

Reyes has a quality of transparency in her Giselle, physically and spiritually. She is almost not there and yet very much there equally. She is a subtle actress (no fussy mad scenes here) who makes every step tell its story in a wonderful arc of creativity. She breaks your heart gradually.

Among her many heart-stopping moments, when she goes from Albrecht to return to the grave her feather arms so clearly tell him "No, my love, you must leave me now".

Another facet of this remarkable ballerina is how she includes everyone onstage in her world. This is true in all her roles.

Herman .. what a dancer he is. He makes it all look so easy and natural that it's over before you realize what he's done, so wrapped up you've been in the beauty and perfection of it.

Having Wiles as Myrta also contributed. Murphy seemed more the cheerleader of the Wilis whereas Wiles was truly a Queen. Murphy may do some of the choreography more strongly but Wiles' bourrees are smooth, small and way superior. And she is far more expressive in the role. In her long solo Wiles made clear that Myrta is preparing the ground for the upcoming sacrifice and not merely dancing a solo in the forest. Wiles is not merely working on her technique; she is showing imaginative growth as well. What a good season she's had after a bit of a plateau period. It's been well worth the wait.

What a spectacular evening! Given the difference between what we saw at Wednesday's matinee and last night, I cannot even imagine what a year of touring Giselle is going to do to Herman's Albrecht. One of the memorable aspects of last night was at curtain when Herman seemed almost overwhelmed with gratitude of being able to finally dance this role. Xiomara seemed pretty thrilled to be able to share that with him. I loved Reyes' portrayal last night. Her variations in Act II were at times danced by a spirit unhinged. Wildly fast entrechat quatres that barely left the floor.

I so love seeing all of these debuts with their little blemishes and awkward moments and then the follow up performances where the artists come into their own and begin blasting their way into ballet history.

If ABT is in fact touring this production next year, try to see every cast. It is truly a gift.

I wasn't happy with the Peasant Pas last night or generally this season. The women had more success with it than the men. Last night, Craig Salstein faced a lot of challenges from a technique standpoint, and wasn't helpful to Yuriko Kayjia in the least. Hopefully, a year of touring will pull this PdD together.

Sounds like the Reyes/Cornejo Giselles were a smashing success! Unfortunately I couldn’t go so hopefully they will present Giselle again next year and I’ll get a chance to see them together.

I opted for the Hererra/Gomes/Part Giselle on Wednesday and was extremely disappointed with what I saw from Hererra. Although there was a certain sweetness and simplicity to her portrayal and her dancing was technically flawless I found her unforthcoming dramatically and thought her dancing lacked any romantic character. I was completely uninvolved in the first act - which I think is a first for me in I don’t know how many Giselles, at least 15 in the last few years. Her second act was somewhat better but still, there was no sense of weightlessness to her dancing, no sense of floating or yearning or transparency discernible in her phrasing. It didn’t help that in her brief appearance in the ppd Sarah Lane pretty much gave a clinic on everything Paloma’s first act Giselle lacked - the delicacy and fragility of her dancing, the lingering balances and infatuation with her partner. Can we please see her debut next year?

I agree with Carbro that even though Marcelo’s dancing was wonderful and his characterization was finely detailed and emotionally charged - he got little back from Hererra in terms of dramatic expression and thus his performance looked overdone at times. His series of entrechats were beautiful, and you really believed his exhaustion when he collapsed at Myrtha’s feet as they ended - but I miss the brises!

I’ve only seen 2 Giselles so far this season but I agree that (with the exception of Ms. Lane) the 2 casts I saw in the ppd were underwhelming. This is especially disturbing in regard to the company’s up and coming men. Though Hoven was better than Matthews neither one impressed, and it’s unusual to see ABT’s men struggling with the choreography - it used to be a highlight of the production.

Are some of the costumes new? They seem to look a bit different from what I remember but I’m never sure if I’m just confusing it with another production.

I enjoyed the Reyes-Cornejo pairing very much last night. They did give the impression of two teenagers in love. Note to ABT: Please give us a Reyes-Cornejo pairing in Romeo and Juliet when that ballet is revived!

I totally agree with the praise of last night's performance. It was the best performance of about 20 I've seen this season. Xiomara Reyes especially -- this is a great role for her, something I wouldn't have expected. ABT has been doing her a disservice by keeping her in "cute" roles. She a tremendous dancer technically, something I tend to forget (it has surprised me many times when I see her whip off some feat with amazing speed and precision). But most of all, she was totally believable, sincere, and full of sorrow and depth.
As to the peasant pas de deux, I had a different take than Haglund's. I found Yuriko Kajiya absolutely lovely (she's had a great season), and not only didn't notice any problems with Craig Salstein, I found myself thinking what a great stage personality he is.
Maria Riccetto and Zhong-jing Fang were Moyna and Zulma. I always find Riccetto a beautiful dancer. Fang was especially beautiful and chilling. And I liked Michele Wiles as Myrtha more than I usually like Wiles; she was more expressive than I usually find her, with lovely arms.
The Wilis gave me the willies! I had goose bumps. But, Note to the Audience: can we please hold the applause while the Wilis are dancing? I understand the enthusiasm, but the sudden smatterings of applause really interfere with the moment.
All season long, I've been listening to the creaking coming from up there in the lighting booth. It sounds like something needs WD-40. Can't the do something about that?

Ditto!

>>Sounds like the Reyes/Cornejo Giselles were a smashing success!

Cornejo's Albrecht (dancing/acting) was the best I've ever seen. I caught his first (NYC debut ) at Wednesday's matinee. Don't miss any chance to see him in this. The only thing that still needs attention is the Act 2 partnering. Cornejo really needs a Giselle who is even smaller, lighter, than Reyes to handle those floating qualities. It was pretty good with Reyes, but not at all what it could be. Experience will help, but I think Reyes is not right for Cornejo. In Act 1, I kept seeing Reyes as Cornejo's older sister.... It was an odd chemistry. Reyes was much better and convincing in her role of Act 2.

I also saw the Hererra/Gomes/Part Giselle on Wednesday evening and share Susan's feelings with Hererra.

>>It didn't help that in her brief appearance in the ppd Sarah Lane pretty much
>>gave a clinic on everything Paloma’s first act Giselle lacked - the delicacy and
>>fragility of her dancing, the lingering balances and infatuation with her partner.
>>Can we please see her debut next year?

From your lips to Kevin's ears!!! I didn't want to be the first one to say it.... I felt much the same about Sarah's presence during Act 1 of Reyes' performance too. When Sarah and her male peasant pas partner first sat on that infamous bench (before Giselle makes her entrance), the audiences started a small reaction of applause thinking Sarah was Giselle. Yeah, she's that into character! Then Sarah proceeded to dance her solos and the ppd with all the qualities one could hope for in a youthful Giselle.

>>I've only seen 2 Giselles so far this season but I agree that (with the exception
>>of Ms. Lane) the 2 casts I saw in the ppd were underwhelming. This is especially
>> disturbing in regard to the company's up and coming men. Though Hoven was
>>better than Matthews neither one impressed, and it's unusual to see ABT's men
>> struggling with the choreography - it used to be a highlight of the production.

Agreed again. I was disappointed with Hoven, (Wed evening ppd) and a bit less disappointed with Ilyin who danced the matinee ppd with Sarah. Ilyin is a fabulous turner, jumper, but doesn't quite have the leg/body proportions (sorry....) to shine brilliantly in such a role. I thought Ilyin was the best overall technically of the new men in the ppd....

Carbro, please give us more details

I totally forgot to mention how exquisite Maria was as Moyna. I was blown away by her ethereal quality. She truly floated from one place to the next. What a beautiful Act II Giselle she will be someday. I also thought Melissa Thomas was perfect as Bathilda and had just the right amount of "B" in her.

What a fantastic evening yesterday! . I am so happy I choose it to see Giselle.
Xiomara Reyes's performance was breathtaking. Mad scene was deeply touching, truly tragic and so intimate!
And Second Act - oh my God! It was hard to believe that those girls who danced willies are actually flash and blood - no, they really were spirits!
Xiomara was absolutely weightless.

Did anybody noticed that to dancers stumbled and almost fall in almost the same spot on the left side of the stage? First Yuriko Kajiya and then Gemma Bond, who had to step aside to weight until other 5 girls finish combination..
Isaac Stappas' spectacular jumps in Act II made some people in audience gasp for air.

I can't agree with the knocks on Xiomara, or unfortunately, with the praise for Sarah. She was one of my favorites as a corps dancer, but not as a soloist. She's like a robot. The expression on her face never changes, and she's always looking up - I guess she's reading the sign in her head that says "SARAH LANE - PRINCIPAL DANCER . . . and some other people from the ABT . . . ". She certainly never bothers to connect with her partner. In fact, it's creepy, because her eyes don't move in her head - she turns her entire head to look around, like a doll with fixed eyes.

I didn't notice those specific things, or her tendency to raise her eyebrows which someone else mentioned but I wasn't sitting very close to the stage and I forgot my opera glasses Wed night. I don't doubt that they were there - even without opera glasses I remember thinking that she needs to be careful not to come across too cute all the time. I don't consider any of these characteristics cause for concern because they relate to her presentation - not to her technique, musicality or the way she phrases her movement all of which I find sublime. And they really didn't bother me, though they will if they continue over time. She is really just starting to dance meaty soloist and principal roles and I'm sure she'll find her way as she settles in to them. Watching her Wed night I couldn't help remembering how much Reyes mugged her first couple of years as a soloist and even Bouder had trouble keeping that huge grin off her face in her early years. Time will tell but for now I think she's ready for more...

Adam, while I too have noticed certain goofy mannerisms of Sarah Lane (like the raised eyebrows and the staring up into space), I wouldn't assume that these mannerisms are based on any arrogance on her part regarding her potential future status as PRINCIPAL DANCER. She's pretty young, and I'm guessing that she will be able to work out these kinks over time. Performers sometimes don't take into account that every little thing they do will be discussed and analyzed by audience memebers or critics. As an example, the New York Times has criticized both Gillian Murphy and Abi Stafford for having their mouths open during their performances. For me, this is a minor quibble, and the NY Times critic was simply being nasty. I enjoy Sarah Lane's performances very much, and a few odd facial mannerisms won't stop me from going to see her.

I've objected to Sarah's pasted on smile and ceiling staring in the past, but in the performances at both the Wed matinee and evening, I thought the smile worked wonderfully. She danced the Peasant pas like she was Giselle, and it made many of us think of her as such. She seems very intent on differentiating herself in her solo work from others who have come before her and is trying new things. Some things work; others don't. I think she's curbed the ceiling glances significantly. I thought her overall Peasant pas had the perfect combination of sparkle and charm.

The men in the Peasant pas were somewhat disappointing - in their variations and partnering. I wish ABT would have allowed Sean Stewart an opportunity to dance it with Kajyia.

Is it pose turn followed by assemble?

Friday, July 11, 2008

Ananiashvili II: Submission

How extraordinarily different from Monday's was Nina's Giselle tonight. From the start one could see apprehension often cross her face, even though she was also eager for the dashing Jose Manuel Carreno's attention. He was more to the cad side of Albrecht, compared to others I've seen this season. After he'd betrayed her and she was at her mother's feet having her hair loosened, she did take a quick glance toward the audience, but not with the look of horror at "seeing" her Wili fate that she showed Monday (this may be seen on the 14-photo Times* set of that performance, number 7), and even early in her mad scene she had a look of resignation, already moving like a Wili.

How powerful is Gillian Murphy as Myrta (and how rich this company is in casting that role). She and the wonderful Corps had me ready to root for them, until...

Nina entered, seemingly prepared for Wilidom, her Wili spin more freely taken than on Monday, dancing with real force. But then came the moment when Giselle led Jose Manuel to her grave's cross, and stood before him as shield. From some sacred place of mystery within her broken heart then came dancing so sublime.... She was simply Love.

Diana Vishneva was in the audience, radiantly beautiful. I wonder if Nina chose to give such radically different interpretations out of respect for Diana, who is famous for such variety?


* http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/0...SHOW_index.html

Okay... who was the Wili with the INCREDIBLE bourre, who sailed across the stage just before Myrtha appeared? Or was that Ananiashvili herself?

6/11/08 Giselle - Nina A, Jose Carreno, Gillian Murphy

The house was sold-out tonight. I thought the performance was overall very strong. I have quibbles with the peasant pdd of Jared Matthews and Maria Riccetto. Matthews needs a lot of work refining his technique, and Riccetto seemed to be dancing without much enthusiasm. Nina A's first act was not as good as her second act. Although she was still believably girlish, she messed up the Spessivtseva variation. I knew from the moment her arms started flailing wildly that she was struggling to stay on pointe. She made it across about half the stage, then substituted a few pirouettes. Her act scene was very well acted though. Not hammy at all, she seemed to wander around aimlessly for a few seconds, then stared at Albrecht, right before dying. It made the betrayal seem all that stronger.
In Act 2, however, the performance picked up considerably. Gillian Murphy was a marvellous Myrtha. Imperious, commanding, with very strong jumps, it's the best Myrtha I've seen. Most of all, Murphy has an essential hardness about her that can be offputting in other roles but is appropriate here. The Wilis could have been better, especially in the hopping arabesques. Carreno's technique is no longer awe-inspiring, but he was a good partner. His brises toward Myrtha were very well done. I thought his portrayal was more introverted than most Albrechts, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Gennadi Savaliev made Hilarion a real, sympathetic character. I thought him tying the cross to make Giselle's grave at the start of Act 2 was a nice touch.
Nina A was fabulous! When Myrtha first commanded her to dance, she spun with surprising speed and abandon. The extremely exposed arabesques were solid, with just a hint of a wobble, but it didn't detract from the overall line. Her entrechats were surprisingly fast and sustained. Most of all, Nina's elevation was still incredible. She gave off an air of absolute weightlessness. This Giselle was a kind Wili, a gentle spirit. I love how when dawn came she raised her finger towards the heavens, a touching vow of love for Albrecht. When she went back to her grave the tragedy was all the deeper.
Bravo Nina!

Wow - with all due respect there is some pretty strong mind reading going on here. Lane is musical, secure and makes the most of every minute on stage. She has some habits to work on, but I think she connects with her partners rather well.

I loved Reyes as Giselle. I think this has been great year for her in terms of showing herself to be a "ballerina." I haven't liked her much in the past (except for a nice performance in an awful Cinderella), but this year her Etudes and Giselle were both wonderful. Which in a way leads me back to Lane. Sometimes it takes a while to grow a ballerina, but I think Lane has the ingredients.

I also think that the up and coming women are so much stronger than the men. I have been very disappointed this year in the men in Blue Bird and Peasant PPD. What's going on?

That WAS Myrtha--Gillian Murphy last night.

I agree. It was a beautiful performance.


I saw Wiles dance Myrtha twice this week. While I thought she danced beautifully both times, her performance was much stronger dramatically Thursday night than it had been on Tuesday. On Tuesday, I kept wanting more drama. She wasn't commanding enough. But on Thursday, she "brought it." I hope she does even more. I loved how imperious she was on Thursday.

I don't think Wiles' bourees were way superior to Murphy's. In fact, the audience audibly gasped at Myrtha's entrance (the bourees across the stage) both nights. If I had to choose, I would say I prefer Murphy's bourees although I think they both bouree well.

Overall, I prefer Murphy's performance to Wiles'. Gillian has this way of rolling through her spine when she does the reverence that begins many of Myrtha's phrases. It adds to the character's other-worldly quality. The movement is so fluid it's almost as if she has no spine for just a moment. She uses her back so beautifully throughout her opening solo. I love it!