In the New York Post, Leigh Witchel reviews the Monday, June 18, 2012 performance of "Romeo and Juliet" with David Hallberg and Natalia Osipova in the lead roles.

NY Post

Marina Harss reviews the same performance for the Faster Times.

Faster Times

I just found this comment at David Hallberg's twitter site posted several days ago.

"Romeo Ride tonight. With Osipova. Last time we did Romeo in NYC it took me 2 weeks to recover! Must be more expeditious this time around." -- June 18

http://twitter.com/#!/DavidHallberg

Marina Harss touches on the 'Bolshoi effect' and David Hallberg has alluded to the same thing at his twitter site. Thanks Francis for the article.

"It was an epic “Romeo and Juliet” with Hallsipova–David Hallberg and Natalia Osipova– last night at the Met, with curtain calls and tears already flowing after the first act (and feverish cheering at the end). I’ll admit part of me misses the old Hallberg from before the Bolshoi, the innocent, slightly reticent boy who came alive when he danced.... But still, his dancing is ravishingly, luminously pure. In his playful solo during the Capulet ball–for Juliet’s eyes only–he performs a series of delicate jumps in which one leg swings forward and back. He looks as if he had been swept up by a gentle wind. His dancing has relaxed a bit as well, as if he’s gained assurance, and this, too, is nice to see."

David Hallberg seems well aware of all that is involved here and seems to be doing a fine job in balancing it all and should be highly commended.

Once again, a general comment from Suzanne Farrell, which is a very nice thought for all of us to keep in mind.

"I caution my dancers and students alike not to focus on being a star, but to remember the stars they had in their eyes that made them want to dance in the first place."

http://www.7dvt.com/2012ballet-legend-s ... ine-legacy

Gillian Murphy -- Juliet

Some heartwarming comments from Alastaire Macaulay (New York Times). Among the unanimous and surely justified press/internet praise for the 'international' celebrities in the current "Romeo and Juliet" series Alastaire Macaulay singles out a 'Hometown Girl.' You should enjoy this Jerry (balletomaniac). Having seen her perform some of the finest Odette/Odiles that I've ever seen (along with Veronika Part) I'm delighted to read something like this.

"The three ballerinas and Mr. Hallberg are stars in the best sense: they give off light, and you can’t take your eyes off them. But this “Romeo” can be compelling without visiting celebrities. I caught two other performances with regular company members — Gillian Murphy with Cory Stearns and Hee Seo with Alexandre Hammoudi, each thoroughly effective. One of them [Gillian Murphy] took me yet deeper into MacMillan’s ballet.

** "Yet if you want to know how MacMillan’s choreography should go, she’s the Juliet to whom I’d send you; **

....in this role (not always in others), she’s phenomenally musical, revealing why each movement happens on each beat or phrase. Her Juliet doesn’t do pretty: she’s perplexed, gauche, eager and then impetuous. If it were not for those instants when her line of thought falters, I would say that her force of will drives the whole of Act III beyond all others."

[I added the *s]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/arts/ ... wanted=all

Joan Acocella reviews "The FIrebird" for the New Yorker.

New Yorker

Alastair Macaulay reviews "The Dream" and "The Firebird" for the New York Times.

NY Times

Starting Tomorrow -- "Swan Lake"

This is the one that I would have wanted to have been at. I haven't seen Veronika Part or Gillian Murphy do this in several years, but my memories of what they did -- Four Times Each ! -- are among my finest !


V. Part C. Stearns -- P. Semionova D. Hallberg -- I. Boylston D. Simkin -- G. Murphy M. Gomes -- P. Herrera A. Corella -- P. Semionova D. Hallberg -- I. Dvorovenko V. Muntagirov -- J. Kent M. Gomes

http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx

Marina Harss reviews "The Dream" and "The Firebird" for the Faster Times.

Faster Times

From several days ago, as posted above, Joan Acocella gives us some of her insights into Alexei Ratmansky. His work, for me, has some very fine and interesting aspects to it. A young up and coming choreographer in NYC once said to me that she considers Alexei Ratmansky's ability to invent moves to be among the best. Joan Acocella seems to like him a lot. Thanks, Francis.

"In “Firebird,” he has done what he so often does: mix things—tones, styles, emotions.

"Ratmansky’s choreography is so much like him—detailed, complicated, nuanced, witty--that a blind man would have known that this was him.

"Ratmansky, as usual, is not especially iconoclastic [critical of tradition]. He doesn’t need to prove anything. The pas de deux for the Firebird and Ivan, and the little love dances that Ivan and the Princess do for each other, are more or less traditional. Ratmansky is sophisticated, but he does not think he knows better than love.

"Or that he knows better than Stravinsky. Ratmansky chose to set his “Firebird” to the whole original score, forty-five minutes long (whereas earlier choreographers, Balanchine, for example, have contented themselves with one or the other of the suites....But Ratmansky is an honorable son of Russian music."

Someone else wrote, but I can't find the article, that Alexei Ratmansky asks a lot from his dancers, but 'he doesn't push them.'

Since I've been getting euphorically near the top on this subject at another discussion, I'll move it over here for a moment. I've been watching internet video clips for several days of Alexei Ratmansky's "Cinderella" being performed by the Mariinsky's Alina Somova and Alexander Sergeyev. This seems to be an excellent pairing.

In regard to Alina Somova, If Alexei Ratmansky is looking for a Muse, such as the one that George Balanchine found in Suzanne Farrell, I would think that he need look no further.

A truly grotesque idea, thankfully it will never happen.

Joan Acocella posts a tribute to Angel Corella in the New Yorker.

New Yorker

Leigh Witchel's tribute to Angel Corella in the New York Post.

NY Post

In the New York Times, Brian Seibert reviews the Monday, June 25, 2012 performance of Kevin McKenzie's "Swan Lake" with Veronica Part and Cory Stearns in the lead roles with Marcelo Gomes as von Rothbart.

NY Times

"....her joy in technical adeptness — long a trouble spot for Ms. Part — made this Odile a sympathetic figure."

I do have to say that I've seen her as the lead ballerina in four "Swan Lake"s, two "Sleeping Beauty"s and two "La Bayadere"s and only once would I say that she had some hesitation in her technical ability, but still came through fine.

I would suggest that the picture (Odette) also tells a story in itself. There's only one Veronika Part. And she's quite special !

Natalia, a passing breeze on the internet told me that you liked Isabella Boylston's debut as Odette-Odile Alot -- and Alot and Alot !

So glad to hear this.

Daniil Simkin was up there too, I understand.