Opening up this thread for a discussion of the Swan Lakes at the Kennedy Center, which begin tonight with Veronika Part, then Gillian Murphy at Saturday matinee and Nina Ananiashvili in the evening, then ending with Michele Wiles on Sunday afternoon. I'll be catching the Part and Wiles performances.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATER
SWAN LAKE Opening Night (McKenzie, after Petipa/Ivanov)
Friday, February 20, 2009
Kennedy Center Opera House

Odette/Odile - Veronika Part
Siegfried - Marcelo Gomes
Von Rothbart - David Hallberg
Pas de Trois - Yuriko Kajiya, Maria Ricetto, Jared Matthews


I believe that I have gone to 'Ballet Heaven' and come back -- I have witnessed the most glorious, heavenly, perfect Odette of my 40 ballet-going years and her name is Veronika Part. WOW! Meltingly lyrical, with exquisite arabesques, buttery bourres, perfect legs and feet, sleek-and-trim yet feminine, extraordinary port de bras, a face of ultimate beauty AND a dramatic ease. This was Veronika Part's Odette tonight. What about her Odile, you ask? Mighty fine, thank you. She did not go for the multi-fouetes that we know Gillian and Michele will pull off...but she managed splendidly, including a zippy series of 32 nice single fouettes ending in a double, all performed with a devilish smile. Veronika Part became an A-#1 BALLERINA tonight, for me. I have never seen her in a long, major role quite as wonderfully as what I saw tonight. The promise of 1990s St. Petersburg has finally come to pass. I bet that her beloved teacher, Inna Zubkovskaya, was smiling from the heavens tonight!

Marcelo Gomes was a dramatically "on" Siegfried and a perfect partner to the statuesque Part. He doesn't wow us with technique but with total artistry. I LOVE the way that he completes each enchainement or variation with a flourish, right to the beat of the music. This guy knows how to give maximum 'oomph' to his finishes!

David Hallberg is on a roll. Tonight he essayed a surprisingly devilish Von Rothbart, with some wonderful dancing thrown in his Act III ballroom solo. We will see his Siegfried at the Sunday matinee and I bet that it will be a dazzler, opposite Michele Wiles.

The Act I Pas de Trois, alas, was underwhelming, though properly, cleanly danced by Yuriko Kajiya, Maria Ricetto and Jared Matthews (resembling a grown-up Daniil Simkin, in a way!). I had almost written-off this trio as merely "OK" until one point in the coda when Kajiya surprised us with a 1st-arabesque balance that went on forever. Whoa! - where did that come from? Kajiya - you wowed us!!!

The ensemble was quite good. No complaints.

It was Veronika Part's magical night and one that I will forever keep in my heart.

Natalia Nabatova
Washington, DC

I have nothing to add to Natalia's excellent review. It was truly an exceptional evening, a real triumph for Part, and one I will remember.

Bless you, Hans. I am still in awe of what I have just witnessed...truly...

Actually, I do have one thing to add. This was the evening I brought a group of my ballet students to see Swan Lake, so they were also able to see this performance of a lifetime. I believe for most of them it was their first time seeing the ballet live--a very good introduction indeed!

That smile was a killer! She and Gomes brought everything I remembered from the last time they danced this here, and a good deal more. Memories fade, of course, but I don't remember her malicious glee, her confidence, her projection of triumph, her overall characterization of Odile being quite as sharp last time. Whether in black or in white, she was more beautiful than ever.

Thanks for your review, Natalia.

Thanks for the feedback! So...it is well past midnight, which means...this is February 21, Veronika Part's birthday. Happy Birthday, beautiful Odette!

I can think of a perfect birthday gift for her today. How about it, ABT? (hint-hint)

Wonderful review Natalia, thanks! My husband and I just walked in the door after driving back from DC. I'm really glad we were able to make the trip, it was well worth 8 hours on the road!

So nice of Veronika to give US a birthday present...maybe we can all send psychic energy Kevin's way and will him into giving her the gift she so deserves!

Sorry but I can't resist---this is the time to say "we told you so"....


Odette, Odile, Nikia, Aurora,the Sylphide, Mozartiana---what more does a girl have to do to be called Ballerina, Mr. McK???

Thanks, atm!!! To be honest, I did not 'get' her as a first-flight ballerina'til last night. Yes, a gorgeous woman who looked great wandering about waving a flower-topped stick as the Lilac Fairy. Lots of unfulfilled potential, e.g., I found her lovely when, as a 15-yr-old student, she portrayed Pavlova in the little Neumeier gem, Pavlova and Cecchetti, on the stage of the Mariinsky. Wait - wait - wait. I practically gave up on her after those (to me) unfortunate Auroras at the Met in '07. All of that is erased after last night.

ny susan - It was definitely worth the drive, wasn't it?

Natalia, Terrific review as usual.I have a feeling that KMc is going to surprise us soon with what we have been hoping for.Maybe, he is just waiting for this triumph to occur. I just hope Ms. Kaufman does not rain on Veronika's parade.

I wouldn't hold my breath on McKenzie promoting her. He has been using her in principal roles for years, but he refuses to reward her with a principal's contract she deserves. It seems he only promotes people who can perform quadruple turns.

Wonderful review. I have to think that maybe the partnership of Gomes and Part contributes to her performances. I saw her as O/O with Hallberg as Siegfried and while lovely at moments, i have to admit that it was not that exciting of a performance. A few weeks later, Part and Gomes together in Bayadere - magical. The Shades act was absolutely unforgettable, and their duets were interrupted by a long, loud ovation.
I'm so happy for Part's success.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Part & Gomes have a very special spark together, which is why I made the trip to DC and yes, it was worth it!

Now that I’ve had some sleep, here are a few observations. What is usually most striking about Part in SL (or anything, really) is her plastique, her plush upper body & port de bras and her emotional immersion in a role. All of those traits were there last night but what struck me most this time were her line & musicality. There were certainly some very high developees and that 6 o’clock penchee at the end of the PDD but I think these just have to be accepted as part of the “standard” interpretation at this point. However I was totally mesmerized by the beauty of her line throughout but especially in some very low (maybe 45 degree) arabesques and in attitude - from head to toe to fingertips her line was ravishingly beautiful, perfectly harmonious and miraculously expressive. This contributed greatly to her interpretation. I haven’t seen such an anguished Odette in a long time, and I’m still amazed at how a women as tall as Part could convey such emotional fragility in the midst of such a sensual & passionate portrayal.

Her musicality was also very apparent - her dancing sang in the lakeside acts but it also came out in her Black Swan fouettes. As she began them I was thinking that they really weren’t very fast but then I realized that they were perfectly timed to the music and somewhere around the 10th or 12th the music accelerated briefly and so did she - all perfectly in character as she reveled in her control, her power and her triumph over Siegfried.

I agree with Natalia that the pas de trois was fine but undistinguished. The secondary roles that I liked most was the combination of Joseph Philips & Craig Salstien in the Neapolitan dance. They are both great jumpers and turners but I never noticed how similar they are in height & physique - they were perfectly complimentary and wonderful to watch.

Also noticed that there were having some technical problems with the production. One side of the front lakeside curtain kept getting stuck which was pretty distracting to us. My husband and I both realized that we didn’t see Siegfried actually raise those 2 fingers and pledge himself to Odette at the end of the lakeside scene. I’m wondering if he actually didn’t do it or if our view was blocked by the circle of swans swirling around them. Did anyone actually see that part of the scene, or notice it’s omission?

Finally, I will not harp yet again on the specific problems I have with this staging but have to note that, as wonderful as Part & Gomes were, for me this was not one of the best Swan Lakes I’ve ever seen simply because the shortcomings of the production kept working against them. They’d build up these incredible swells of emotion and the choreography would just let it all dissipate...again & again.

Susan, I didn't see Siegfried 'swear' his love to Odette, either, and I was in the 2nd tier, so my view was not blocked by the swans. I agree with you about the production, of course. What they did to Act I is pretty egregious, and I didn't find the staging for the swan corps in Act IV very effective.

Re: Part's extensions--extreme extensions and an overstretched look are something I am very sensitive to, and I don't think she took anything too far in that area. Her extensions never had an uncontrolled look about them, and she always kept her body upright and did not let her leg get too close to her torso or interfere with her arms. The 180º penchée, as you noted, seems to be expected of everyone now, and I thought it looked all right on her. She kept it at a perfectly straight line, unlike some who crank it into a slight oversplit. It is surprising how just two or three degrees make a big difference!

Thank you, Natalia and nysusan for the beautiful reviews!

I, too, noticed that Gomes didn't get to swear his love. Part actually lowered his hand before he got it all the up, just as she did during their first encounter. I found it a curious change.

The lakeside curtain getting stuck was a bit distracting. Does the curtain usually open and close without trouble and simply had an "off night"?

Thanks so much for the wonderful report, nysusan.

Three times Gomes-Siegfried tried to swear his love to Odette (or Odile) and three times she 'interrupted' him, which, as Rosa notes, was curious:

1st - Act II, just as the swans begin running in circle, he & Odette are standing in the center. He began to slowly raise his arm and, when at waist length, she halts him in a 'brushing off' gesture.

2nd - Act III after the Black pdd, he fully raises arm & hand but she quickly pulls it down in a devilish-playful manner as if to say "Enough! You just blew it!"

3rd - Act IV during the soulful Russianesque adagio (with oboes)...just as the corps swans are slowly entering the stage, he once again fully raises his arm and she, once again, immediately brushes it off.


Rosa, thanks for reminding me about that darn curtain! That curtain's malfunction was to blame for NO curtain calls! At the very end of the performance, AFTER the regular bows, the darn "shower curtain" gets stuck, so the main red Kennedy Center curtain could not be lowered...so THERE WERE NO CURTAIN CALLS! An abomination! If ever there was an occasion for screaming our lungs out at the curtain calls, this was it, but we were denied this joy. Instead, the house lights came on, we all stopped applauding and left, with that silly "shower curtain' the only thing on the stage.

What is it with ABT and shower curtains?

That made me think of how at least twice in Act IV Part-Odette mimed that she would kill herself and Gomes-Siegfried rushed to her, separated her fists, and embraced her tightly.

Did anyone attend this afternoon's matinee?

...or Saturday's evening performance with Ananiashvili? Did all of us BalletTalkers "call it quits" after Friday's sublime experience with Veronika Part?

Were there curtain calls of any type at either Saturday performance?

I went to the Saturday evening performance with Ananiashvili. I do not know much about ballet so cannot give detailed technical comments, but my overthoughts were:

1. Simkin is amazing. I look forward to seeing much more of him.
2. Nina is so amazingly fluid with her arms. The fouettes seemed solid with only a slight bit of traveling towards the end.
3. The first few minutes of Jared Matthews's Act Three von Rothbart were delightfully wicked, but then he seemed to taper off and not give it the zest I thought the role could support without being over the top.
4. My favorite part: I have to say, with all the remarkable dancing, was Prince Siegfried going to the woods, telling Benno he wanted to be left alone. All the elements came together and this part was so haunting for me.

They received a standing ovation at the end.

Yet another amazing performance of "Swan Lake" today, this time by Michele Wiles. We were treated to innumerable balances (never so long as to be off the music, though), multiple impressive pirouettes, including triples à la seconde during Odile's variation, detailed, beautifully expressive port de bras and hands, and a poetic, moving interpretation. I am very, very glad to have been able to see this performance. While both her Odette and Odile were technically brilliant, she did not rely on 'tricks' to carry her through the ballet. Her Act II Odette was nervous and jumpy, slow to trust Siegfried, which made it all the more touching when she finally did. While her Act III fouettés included doubles and triples, it was, surprisingly, the final diagonal of arabesques voyagés en arrière that were the real climax. Every single relevé in arabesque was perfectly still, right on balance, hypnotising Siegfried and drawing him toward her. In Act IV, she overcame the bland, drama-free choreography to deliver a scene of noble sadness.

David Hallberg was very good as Siegfried. He suffers a bit from what I call 'Ethan Stiefel Syndrome'--beautiful lines, but no weight. Marcelo Gomes, as seen Friday night, has a very noble gravitas to his movements that I prefer. Still, the interpretation was convincing, and as Hallberg still seems fairly young, the 'inexperienced youth' approach works. I could really see his Paris Opéra training in the velvety smooth articulation of his feet.

Marcelo Gomes continues to make it difficult to complain about the tawdry 'Dance of the Purple Pimp' because he does it so well! As much as I would love for that part to be removed, he performs it perfectly.

The pas de trois had some notable moments--Hee Seo danced with a sunny, bright manner, graceful port de bras, and agile footwork, and Renata Pavam performed the tricky pirouette sequence at the end of her variation with ease and confidence.

The character dancing in Act III was, as before, a problem for two reasons: the choreography is not very good, and most of the dancers don't have the ability to save it. The czardas and mazurka made me long for the Mariinsky, and while the sparkling Maria Bystrova tried (essentially singlehandedly) to rescue the Spanish dance, she just wasn't given enough to work with. The bouncy Neapolitan dance was a welcome relief, although it is still not very well constructed.

It is quite unfortunate that all this excellent classical dancing does not have an appropriate setting. This production, although the sets and costumes are lavish and beautiful, has too many problems to name. The combination of such excellent dancing with a really good staging would make this a "Swan Lake" to be reckoned with.

Oh--I nearly forgot to mention (imagine that) one more standout: Veronika Part as one of the two big swans in Act II. Not that it wasn't nice to see her again, but putting her in a demi-soloist role after that Prima-quality performance on Friday seems unjust. Her performance proved that you can take the dancer out of the role, but you can't take the role out of the dancer--while dancing on the music, exactly in step with Kristi Boone (who was lovely by the way), Part remained every inch the haunting swan queen.

No curtain calls at this performance even though the 'shower curtain' worked fine, so I wonder if they just don't do them with this production. It does not really seem fair to deprive Ananiashvili of that in her final Kennedy Center performance with ABT.

How is my friend the Swamp Thing faring in DC?

Ah, miliosr, you reminded me of one of the main things I love to hate about this production: the awful prologue with that ridiculous toy swan. Not even five minutes into the ballet, and that thing ruins my suspension of disbelief. There is also the matter of Swamp Thing running up onto the cliff right after Siegfried throws himself in as if to say, "Swimming, what fun! Cannonbaaaaall!"

Speaking of that jump off the cliff, Gomes made it both spectacular and ardent Friday night. Part jumped at a bit of a angle to us, but Gomes positively leaped, and at such a diagonal that we saw him sail through the air for several seconds it seemed. It was beautifully done.

Absolutely, kfw. That was one heck of a jump!

My late (and slightly disorganized) thoughts...

Part and Gomes were a match made in heaven with a very special chemistry between them. Their partnership was one of kindred artistry rather than dazzling technique. They completely believed in the lake of tears and sold it to me singlehandedly.

Marcelo Gomes’ Siegfried was handsome and noble, ardent, a fine dancer, magnificent partner, and dramatically “on.” He possessed a commanding stage presence that drew my eye to him even when he stood still or was on the side of the stage. The best Siegfried I’ve seen live or on TV.

It was not be until late in the party that the full weight of his mother’s order for him to marry hit Siegfried. As he seemed to try to break free from the couples whirling around him before he gave us that haunting soliloquy, perhaps he was unconsciously attempting to follow the faint calling of a swan. Nothing else then was more natural for him than to stumble onto the lake, that world, and find…

His Swan Queen. Veronika Part was the most beautiful, heartbreaking Odette. She was sublime, lyrical, with lovely lines, gorgeous legs and feet, wonderful arms, and a deep understanding of the role. I hadn’t really gotten into the performance during Act I (maybe it was because I had trouble knowing where to look with so much going on), but as soon as Odette did that huge jete onto the stage, I was suddenly enraptured.

Her first moments were sad, melting, caught between swan and woman; then the terrified stillness when face to face with the awed Siegfried. Fear almost gave her wings as she ran from the prince again and again.

I was struck by how much Gomes attempted to capture, just touch, Part. He barely took his eyes off her, as though afraid she would vanish. Once he swiftly followed behind her, his hands moving quickly to hold, calm her frantically beating wings. Two clenched fists paused above his head, only air in his tight grasp as she fled.

This night was not one of love at first sight. She stole his heart when she related her strange history – mime clear and emotional – which to him was very real, believable. A change came over him and his hands rested over his heart before he attempted to swear to love her. It was not until during the pas de deux that he won hers. (Earlier after she’d bowed in thanks for his promise not to shoot her companions, she recoiled when he reached out to touch her, fearful of this glimmer of possible freedom.) At the beginning he raised her and offered his hand: she looked into his eyes and placed her hand in his. There was a reluctance towards him at first; still afraid to dream. Here he did not try to quickly chase or rush things like before. Instead he was patient, sensitive, tender, protective. And as time went on, he won her slowly and surely until she melted into him, bodies fitting perfectly. They were in their own world which could not be shattered by anything or anybody. Near the end she tried to leave one last time. He caught her hand and firmly shook his head, “You can’t go. Not when I’ve found you at last.” And she stayed.

(Huge response. Part was called on twice. Gomes didn’t seem to notice the audience as he watched her. A heavenly, exquisite White PDD. )

Part-Odette’s newfound hope and love was expressed clearly in the solo and coda.

Then dawn summoned her back to her other self. Desperately she tried to fight the spell, reaching out to Siegfried whose grasp was not firm enough to keep her. The anguish in their parting foreshadowed the second meeting. Now there was no hope or dreams of freedom, just betrayal and grief. Yet amidst the darkness was forgiveness in the final heartbreaking pas de deux. Love so deep and true, it could not be defeated by evil as the lovers were separated by Rothbart again and again, always finding each other before they drowned (Gomes’ leap was splendid, straining to follow Part). Maidens bowing in homage, now free, they appeared with the dawn, having found life after death. A spiritual happy ending for this prince and swan queen.

Part and Gomes had their Act III, yes, and it was rather fine! During the dance of the princesses Siegfried was longing for that other world, love. His walking by the hopeful bride candidates and pausing before the last had the feeling of “I can’t do this,” before rushing to his mother. Part’s Odile was wicked, confident, and glamorous, while at times a dark reflection of the swan queen when she imitated her. It was impossible for Siegfried to resist this Odile/Odette. And did she know it when she performed those wonderful single 32 fouettes in time to the music; and at that final moment of the coda tossed her head back triumphantly with him at her feet as he passionately pressed her hand against his cheek! What a wicked smile she flashed him when he swore to love her, dooming Odette. Gomes beating wildly on the ballroom doors like a madman I found extremely haunting.

There was more: Hallberg’s devilish, dangerously handsome Rothbart; Maria Ricetto, Yuriko Kajiya, and Jared Matthews’ nice pas de trios; the national dances (I missed half of them as I kept glancing over to Gomes to see his interaction with the princesses and queen) which, expect for the “anything you can do I can do better” Neapolitan, seemed alike and danced small/marked – don’t know if it was ABT’s style or McKenize’s choreography; the swan maidens were good, though the staging for them in Act IV was ineffective; and the stunning sets and costumes.

Yet for me there really was only Gomes and Part from the beginning at the lake to the end with the touching moment Veronika gave Marcelo a rose. What a magical partnership! The best Siegfried and Odette IMO. ABT has a treasure with this pair and should cherish them.

Thank you, Veronika, and thank you, Marcelo, for such an enchanting performance that I will remember for a long time. The night was yours.

I'm green with envy . Grrr, I would have gone to see Part now that they canceled Miami wouldn't I being stuck with tests here

Oh, Hans!

I seriously thought something similar, "He looks like he's going to jump in after them!" when Rothbart ran up onto the cliff. Does he really need to check to see if Odette and Siegfried hit the water? It kind of ruins the mood of the finale.

Grateful for that lone Saturday evening review, OKOK. Hans, now I can say "You said it all" about yesterday's Wiles/Hallberg performance! I have very little to add to my own take...

American Ballet Theater
SWAN LAKE (McKenzie, after Petipa/Ivanov)
February 22, 2009
Kennedy Center Opera House

Odette/Odile - Michele Wiles
Siegfried - David Hallberg
Von Rothbart - Marcelo Gomes
Pas de Trois - Hee Seo, Renata Pavam, Blaine Hoven
Two Big Swans - Veronika Part, Kristy Boone
Cygnets - Lane, Milewski, Kajiya & ??? (in place of Ricetto...I could not hear the pre-perf announcement)


Michele Wiles was technical perfection yesterday, conquering icily and resolutely, whereas Veronica Part was all passion and 'singing body' last Friday. However, Michele was more than technique -- those arms and hands were exquisite! She has such a command of her technique that she is able to 'play' with the music and use the balances as points of emphasis for the music, rather than mere tricks. Brava! The audience went absolutely wild for Michele, with (to my ears) even more bravos and standing-os than for Veronika, which is unusual for a DC matinee audience, which can often be half asleep.

David Hallberg showed-off his gorgeous lines -- those arched feet, mamma mia! Somewhat lacking in the emotional department, he was the perfect cool partner for Michele...the cool couple. Whereas Veronika and Marcelo were SCORCHING FIRE on Friday, Michele and David were SHINY ICE.

Marcelo Gomes continues to own the role of Purple Pimp, getting THE single biggest applause and bravos of the day after his ballroom solo...and lots of laughs when he picked-up and cast aside one princess to go to the next one. Roman Zhurbin nicely essayed the Green Giant-Swamp Thing version of Von Rothbart.

The Pas de Trois team was good, although I still don't quite "get" the fuss about Blaine Hoven, who was nonetheless clean and precise. Renata Pavam -- almost a twin of Maria Ricetto in looks! -- was wonderfully musical in the 2nd solo. However, it was Hee Seo who totally wowed me with her gorgeous line and feet, and 'joie de vivre' quality. What elevation and spring this "prima of the future" has!

Luis Ribagorda and Tobin Eason were both fantastic in the Act III Neapolitan Dance.

Like Hans, I was a bit put-off by the casting of the divine Veronika Part as one of two "Big Swans"...so this was her Birthday Present? Gosh, it seems cruel but, then again, she is "only" a soloist and can go from the lead to the supporting cast overnight. Geez, when will this change?

In sum, it was a GREAT performance for Michele Wiles. All of the promise that I felt when visiting the Washington, DC, Kirov Academy of Ballet ca 1992 and seeing a little 11-yr-old girl with so much talent and desire...all of the promises of great things have indeed come to pass. Sometimes dreams DO come true!

Natalia Nabatova
Washington, DC

p.s. I agree about Marcelo's wild bellyflop on Friday. How could I have forgotten to mention that crazy dive? He could win an Olympic diving competition with that high, perfect "U"-shaped beauty of a flop. It's a "classic"!

p.s.s. I am now covered in goosebumps thinking "The next time that I see Marcelo Gomes will be on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater as Albrecht to Vishneva's Giselle!" Oh - my - G.........

How was the boxoffice in DC for this run?I dread that the next "big news"from ABT is not Veronika's promotion but dancer layoffs.If this happened to NYCB,which is supposedly better financed and endowed, then the ABT corps de ballet are also in danger.

Bingham, there is mixed news to report on the box office.

The SWAN LAKES were, I believe, sold out. At my two SWANs (Fri night and yesterday's matinee), the 2nd Tier -- uppermost level of the theater -- was full, which rarely happens -- not even with the Kirov DON Qs last month. I know that Nina's Saturday night was sold out a while back, according to the KennCen website.

The Mixed Bill, alas, did relatively poorly. On Tuesday, when I went, the 2nd Tier was about one-third full when the house lights went down. I was told by a reliable source that only 20% of 1st Tier had been sold. On the other hand, Orchestra level appeared to be at least 80% full on Opening Night, to my eyes.


I echo your sentiments about the ABT corps. These are some of the greatest dancers on earth...down to the Apprentice level. Let's keep our fingers crossed for NO layoffs. As for trimming the budget, I say: No more RABBIT AND ROGUE type of commissions, please. Dance the Old Reliable chestnuts, pack the theaters and keep the dancers employed! There will be plenty of time for experimentation in the future, once the economy picks up.

Sorry I'm on the late freight here . Thanks so much Natalia for the wonderful (Feb 20) review! I'm so happy to read your report that Part and Gomes made such a great impact! I always knew she had it in her! Well done Nika !

I was in row M of the orchestra Friday night, and there were empty seats from that row down on the left side at least. But not too many.

Oh, and Rosa, thanks for that great, detailed recollection and review!

The name of the fourth cygnet on the announcement sounded like Jacquelyn Reyes to me.

I was in row R and also saw plenty of empty orchestra seats. Plus I only bought my tickets a week before the performance...

And let me add my thanks to Rosa, Hans, OKOK & Natalia for their reports!

Thanks, Hans!

Ms. Kaufman showered Part with roses in her review.


And thank you Hans, OKOK & Natalia for the wonderful reports on the last two performances!