According to ABT website, V Part, P Herrera, M Gomes and D Halberg will be the !st cast of A Ratmansky's 1st ABT premiere. Anybody knows anything else about this new production?Is it a story ballet ?

This article in Wall Street Journal's magazine, describes the ballet as an "unorthodox love triangle in the Ukraine." Not much other info in the write-up, but it contains a lovely photograph of Part, Gomes, and Herrera and reproductions of three costume designs by Galina Solovyeva.

Thanks for the WSJ link. It's a steamy photo. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable and worthwhile ballet.

Hmmm ... I wonder what distinguishes an "unorthodox" love triangle from your plain old orthodox one?

Guy+ enchanted maiden+evil seductress, guy+spunky real girl+animated doll, guy+spunky Scottish Lassie+forest fairy, guy+coquette+sleepwalker, and guy+siren+dad have already been done. (I'm sure you can all think of more.)

What's left? Will Gomes have to choose between his girl and the collective's new tractor? (Actually, I'm pretty sure Prokofiev composed "On the Dnieper" before the Soviet Union fully collectivized agriculture.)

I think Tudor did all the orthodox triangles ...

Perhaps the fact that four principal dancers are listed? Any three-year-old can tell you that, as triangles go, four is pretty unconventional.

The ABT website has a new site devoted to 'On the Dneiper,' with synopsis, pics, and a rehearsal video!

http://www.abt.org/dnieper/

At least the "unorthodox love triangle" (square?) makes sense now...

Very nice site... Thanks for the heads up, Batsuchan!

Very nice indeed. I hope ABT will post more videos. I've found the video section of the NYCB website very enjoyable.

I haven't bought my tickets for the Prokofiev program yet. I'm still looking at casting - I can only go once.

Me too. It would be nice to see and/or hear from David and Veronika.

The press office sent out a release today regarding the microsite:

NEW MICROSITE TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF ALEXEI RATMANSKY’S

ON THE DNIEPER

www.abt.org/dnieper < http://www.abt.org/dnieper > to feature Rehearsal Footage and Artist Interviews


American Ballet Theatre has announced a new microsite at www.abt.org/dnieper < http://www.abt.org/dnieper > . The site highlights the World Premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s On the Dnieper, scheduled for June 1, 2009, at the Metropolitan Opera House.

www.abt.org/dnieper < http://www.abt.org/dnieper > , available in both English and Russian language versions, enables visitors to go behind the scenes of the ballet’s creative process with rehearsal video and interviews with ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky and two of the work’s leading dancers, Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes.

Also included on the site are biographies of the creative team, costume and set designs, rehearsal photos and historical facts about the Dnieper River.

On the Dnieper is supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Additional funding for On the Dnieper is provided by the generous support of The Ross Stretton Choreography Workshop Fund and Leila and Mickey Strauss. Funding is also generously provided by The Rudolf Nureyev® Dance Foundation. American Ballet Theatre’s All-Prokofiev Celebration is made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s All-Prokofiev Celebration, June 1-6, priced $19-$110, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th Streets in New York City.

Interesting that this mini-site is bilingual English/Russian.

I just saw the first video segment, and from the small segment (I know it can be dangerous to generalize from the sample) it looks like a major hit for ABT. It has certainly whetted my eagerness to see Dneiper!

The video has increased my anticipation for the premiere as well. And hearing the talk about Ratmansky's demands--like his desire for the dancers to express emotions through their movement--made me think he might be following in Tudor's footsteps a bit with this piece. And thus perhaps it makes sense he arrived at ABT afterall, where the dancers, in my opinion, are more adept at telling stories.

Viewing this special website with all of the wonderful designs and that stunning photograph + seeing Ratmansky being interviewed in front of a reproduction of the Bakst design for "L'apres midi d'un faune" led me to fantasize that ABT might someday produce a lovely souvenir program a la Ballet Russes. Now that's something I could imagine buying at the theater! (Dirty pointe shoes aren't my thing)

I liked it. As I said on another board, I felt the beginning scene could have been more powerful. A Son/lover/boyfriend returning from the battlefield has to be an incredibly emotional scene. The ending scene could have been more emotional as well. Women weep when their boyfriends break up with them!

Lighting was awful. Orchestra is the same as usual, outstanding, pitch perfect, and never missing a note.

I'm sure it will join the repertoire, when ABT or other companies want to do an "all Russian (& Ukraine) evening" I see this ballet replacing ""Aurora's Wedding" and others over time if a company want to do a short Prokofiev piece.

In his review, Macauley was not entranced with V. Part---he said

"VP dances well as Natalia but lacks the vulnerability that could give the ballet the pathos it needs---you see she suffers, but you don't greatly care...."

Hmm-mm-- perhaps she was relieved to be rid of the two-timer --and it's a bit much to dump all women in one pot, MJ

I haven't seen the ballet yet--I bought my tickets before the cast announcements hoping to see Stiefel's Prodigal--which I thought would save the day (no matter who did Dnieper) ---it's a Sat Mat performance and I will try hard to keep an open mind.

If a dancer collapses and crumbles on the floor, is it not the emotional equivalent of weeping? IMO, Hee Seo was more effective in the role, but Part did not fail to register her grief at the end. I usually like Macaulay, even when I don't fully agree with him, but this time, I don't know what he was talking about.