Thanks so much, Jerry, for your latest post and thank you, Francis, for the latest press reviews.

I've been following some of the press reviews, Jerry, and have anxiously been awaiting the definitive word from you. Your magnum opus has done the job just beautifully.

There seems to be uniform agreement that these performances were state of the art, with Alina Cojocaru and Diana Vishneva being the dominant stars. I would like to make some personal comments from my experiencing of these exceptional artists, but for the moment I'm still wonderfully immersed in another dreamworld of stars that I saw earlier this week in Europe.

I would like to quickly mention Irina Dvorovenko. You gave her some very nice comments, but otherwise she has been hardly mentioned. I have to say once again that her Giselle over a year ago in Costa Mesa was one of the very best Giselles that I've ever seen and I've seen some very fine ones (four Alina Cojocaru's, at least one Diana Vishneva....). She was dancing with her husband, Maxim Beloserkovsky, which might have made a difference. Maybe I can further describe this performance at another time, but I'll say once again that it was Magnificent !

Thanks again, Buddy. As as said before, it's good to know that somebody reads it.
But I'm a little concerned that you seemed to feel that I gave Irina Dvorovenko's Giselle short shrift. I hope it was clear that I thought hers was a wonderful performance. I deleted a couple of sentences (believe it or not) - maybe I'll put them back in when I submit it to BDM later today. I expected to add at least one sentence anyway to recognize all the Bathildas, and particularly Leann Underwood's interpretation (proving once again that there are no small roles...)
And it's good to hear that I'm reasonably consistent with others - I never read any other review until after I post mine - and after that I rarely get around to it (though I frequently hear about them).
You should write about what you've seen in Europe (or maybe you have and I didn't see them - I rarely have time to surf the site). The way things are going, you can provide a sneak preview of dancers I'll see at ABT a few years later.

Hi again, Jerry.

I thought that you gave Irina Dvorovenko a very fine description, but after all, a performance is what it is and you may not have seen anything that resembled the performance that I saw. I guess it was the amount of general internet interest in her that I was referring to and stating my strong feeling that she is probably well worth keeping an eye on.

The latest performance that I saw was the benefit for earthquake relief for Japan in Paris, Tuesday, with many mainly European stars. It turned out to be extremely fine as well as a very kind gesture on the part of the performing artists. I've been writing about it everyday since and my posts can be seen here if you are interested.

viewtopic.php?f=33&t=34857

Ashley Bouder was there by the way and did just fine. She's everywhere these days and I love her her love for what she is doing. She was the only one from the States. From the Americas, Carlos Acosta was there and he brought the house down with his 'modernistic' performance. He is definitely someone who is going to continue to make huge waves in the world of dance.

Knowing your great and highly justified enthusiasm for encouraging ABT's own artists' development (although ABT is so 'diversified' that it can be sometimes hard to say if some individuals are really one of its 'own' artists), I appreciate your big smile in asking me, in Europe, where the new ABT talent might be coming from. I can't really help you there for the moment. There is so much great talent everywhere and the entire world is so accessible, that it is hard to really say who will wind up where and for how long.

I did see one young dancer in Paris, Olga Esina (Vienna State Opera Ballet, Principal), who apparently was a soloist at the Mariinsky, but unknown to me, who was an unexpected delight and the more I think about her -- a possible future Mind Boggler ! I will also pitch the name of Rolando Sarabia again as a personal favorite for a place at ABT.

Another quick comment about your review, while I'm here. In regard to 'Veronika!!' you used the word 'Instinctive' (actually "Instinctively") though in a different context from what I'm getting at, to describe one of her portrayals. I am always searching for the right words to best describe her generally and "Instinctive" is a new and absolutely excellent one. Sometimes she just seems to have sensory radar on stage. She has every base covered. It's a beautiful and remarkable sense of awareness. I may try to elaborate on this another time.

Thanks for your thanks. It's always great to have sometime to talk to !


[a minor wording addition to the last main paragraph]

In the New York Times, Alastair Macaulay discusses Ballet Theatre's use of guest artists to fill principal roles and the possibilities of developing "stars" from within the company.

NY Times

In the New York Times, Claudia La Rocco reviews the Friday, June 3 performance of John Neumeier's "Lady of the Camellias," with Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle in the leading roles.

NY Times

In The Faster Times, Marina Harss reviews John Neumeier's "Lady of the Camellias." with Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomes in the leading roles. (Scroll past the New York City Ballet section of the review.)

Faster Times

Gia Kourlas previews Alexei Ratmansky's "The Bright Stream" in the New York Times.

NY Times

Lauren Gallagher reviews "Lady of the Camellias" for the San Francisco Examiner.

SF Chronicle

ISABELLA BOYLSTON PROMOTED TO SOLOIST
WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

Isabella Boylston has been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American

Ballet Theatre, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The

promotion is effective immediately.

Born in Sun Valley, Idaho, Isabella Boylston began dancing at the age of

three. While training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet, she won the gold medal at the

2001 Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. In 2002, she trained at the

Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida on a full scholarship.

Boylston joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in 2005. She

was named an apprentice to the main Company in May 2006 and joined ABT’s corps de

ballet in March 2007. Her repertory with the Company includes the Ballerina in The

Bright Stream, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a flower girl in Don Quixote, the second girl

in Fancy Free, the peasant pas de deux and Moyna in Giselle, a Harlot in Romeo and

Juliet, Princess Florine and the Fairy of Fervor in The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois

and the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the lead in Theme

and Variations and roles in Ballo della Regina, Birthday Offering, Brief Fling, Désir,

Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once and From Here On Out. She created leading roles

in Lauri Stallings’ Citizen, Alexei Ratmansky’s Dumbarton and Christopher Wheeldon’s

Thirteen Diversions.

Boylston won the 2009 Princess Grace Award and was nominated for the

2010 Prix Benois de la Danse.

Joan Acocella previews "The Bright Stream" in the New Yorker.

New Yorker

Joel Lobenthal reviews Diana Vishneva's Giselle in City Arts.

City Arts

'Veronika!!' will be dancing the "Bright Stream" at 8:00 -- Saturday, Tomorrow ! In The Evening !

'Natalia!!' will be doing the same at 2:00, Tomorrow Afternoon.

Many other wonderful artists as well !

Enjoy !

http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=6/1/2011

Marina Harss reviews the Thursday, June 9 performance of "The Bright Stream" for The Faster Times.

The Faster Times

Paloma Herrera

A brief, but very nice article.

"To dance is my life,"....

"Modest and very un-diva like, Herrara is at 35 one of the symbols of the nation's foremost ballet troupes. She has been a principal dancer since 1995.

"We [ABT] have cultures from all the world, dancers from all the world... To be 20 years with the company, you really have to love it. And I love it because it's always a place of inspiration."


(referred to by "Ballet Alert!")

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... 3100d4.121

I have a personal fondness for Paloma Herrera because she is the first non 'Russian' ballerina that I ever took seriously.

Leigh Witchel reviews "The Bright Stream" in the New York Post.

NY Post