Today the Royal Ballet pulled Alina Cojocaru from her next scheduled performances following her latest injury layoff. She had been scheduled to dance in Symphony in C on May 28 & 29 but is unable to perform due to injury.
So, is ABT going to continue to hold open Herman Cornejo's all-important June 21st performance of Swan Lake for a perpetually injured guest artist while they have homegrown dancers who could deliver better performances in the first place? Or maybe they have some Grade B regional company dancer they want to import as another guest artist or hokey "exchange dancer" instead of allowing the company's own brilliant artists to shine.
Let Sarah Lane dance Swan Lake.
54 responses to “ABT – Guest artist still injured”
I’m already going to two Swan Lakes but if Sarah Lane gets to dance with Herman Cornejo, I’ll be there!
I’m already going to two Swan Lakes but if Sarah Lane gets to dance with Herman Cornejo, I’ll be there!
So would I. Unfortunately, McKenzie would probably rather pull Herman completely than give Sarah the opportunity to dance a role at home that she has already received acclaim for internationally. And so it goes . . .
So would I. Unfortunately, McKenzie would probably rather pull Herman completely than give Sarah the opportunity to dance a role at home that she has already received acclaim for internationally. And so it goes . . .
A double debut Swan Lake with Sarah would be so exciting.
Or Reyes – they were terrific in Don Q Friday night. And why
does Stearns have 3 SLs with 3 different partners? Poor guy.
He’s being Chase Finlayed.
A double debut Swan Lake with Sarah would be so exciting.
Or Reyes – they were terrific in Don Q Friday night. And why
does Stearns have 3 SLs with 3 different partners? Poor guy.
He’s being Chase Finlayed.
True, Naomi. They always look great together in everything they dance at ABT including Sleeping Beauty. They are both loved by the audience who has been waiting a long time to see them get their chances. And what would get more media hype than finally letting the real Black Swan dance in her own name?
Reyes has always been capable of dancing Swan Lake and did so with her previous companies. It’s McKenzie’s astigmatic artistic vision that has prevented Reyes, Lane, Cornejo, Abrera, Matthews and many others from delivering their remarkable artistry to us.
True, Naomi. They always look great together in everything they dance at ABT including Sleeping Beauty. They are both loved by the audience who has been waiting a long time to see them get their chances. And what would get more media hype than finally letting the real Black Swan dance in her own name?
Reyes has always been capable of dancing Swan Lake and did so with her previous companies. It’s McKenzie’s astigmatic artistic vision that has prevented Reyes, Lane, Cornejo, Abrera, Matthews and many others from delivering their remarkable artistry to us.
Pulling herman altogether had bloody well not even be an option.
Pulling herman altogether had bloody well not even be an option.
Hope not, but no doubt, McKenzie has a call into David Koch to ask him what to do.
DK: “Don’t you have a Russian you can plug into that spot? Do you have to use an ABT dancer?”
Hope not, but no doubt, McKenzie has a call into David Koch to ask him what to do.
DK: “Don’t you have a Russian you can plug into that spot? Do you have to use an ABT dancer?”
Haglund…did you read Macaulay’s review of the Osipova/Vasiliev DQ? Has he been sniffing around the site again?
Haglund…did you read Macaulay’s review of the Osipova/Vasiliev DQ? Has he been sniffing around the site again?
lol, K. He and his copy boy in tight pants don’t want the burden of having to come up with anything original.
I was surprised that he didn’t mention that Vasiliev hasn’t hit a fifth position in a month of Sundays or the sloppiness of Osipova’s pirouettes in second position or the flower girl’s bulky jumps and heavy landings. It’s all wonderfully preserved on YouTube now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1reQ-keZV1I
Vasiliev is so ordinary by Moiseyev standards and so hideous by ballet standards. But to the ignorant, e.g. Macaulay, etc., the combination of the two is catnip.
There are plenty of people who wouldn’t be caught dead at a Moiseyev or Shen Yun performance – “it’s not ballet,” they sniff – but present the same stuff very badly executed in Don Q, and all of a sudden, they are thrilled.
lol, K. He and his copy boy in tight pants don’t want the burden of having to come up with anything original.
I was surprised that he didn’t mention that Vasiliev hasn’t hit a fifth position in a month of Sundays or the sloppiness of Osipova’s pirouettes in second position or the flower girl’s bulky jumps and heavy landings. It’s all wonderfully preserved on YouTube now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1reQ-keZV1I
Vasiliev is so ordinary by Moiseyev standards and so hideous by ballet standards. But to the ignorant, e.g. Macaulay, etc., the combination of the two is catnip.
There are plenty of people who wouldn’t be caught dead at a Moiseyev or Shen Yun performance – “it’s not ballet,” they sniff – but present the same stuff very badly executed in Don Q, and all of a sudden, they are thrilled.
Haglund,
I saw the Saturday night “Don Q”…..First of all , it is in a poor version of the ballet…the two “circus acts” were just grotesque…but the audience lapped it up….and from where I stood in the Dress Circle , it looked like the theater was sold out. To be honest…it was not even worth $25! I was told by friends that Cornejo and Reyes were “terrific”……This ballet – choreography and designs – should be scrapped …perhaps McKenzie should just have performances with all his imported “superstars” where do their favorite bits….and then give us decent versions of the classics with the real artists of ABT….I thought that both Osipova and I. Vasiliev left the Bolshoi because they wanted to widen their artistic horizons”…..and then they proceed to dance ….the same ballets that they did at home…well, almost , they did dance in “Symphony in C” – poorly….in the Third Movement – last season at NYCB , Antonio Carmena gave a wonderful performance in the Thired Movement….and then we had to look at Quasimodo run out of breath at ABT….
Haglund,
I saw the Saturday night “Don Q”…..First of all , it is in a poor version of the ballet…the two “circus acts” were just grotesque…but the audience lapped it up….and from where I stood in the Dress Circle , it looked like the theater was sold out. To be honest…it was not even worth $25! I was told by friends that Cornejo and Reyes were “terrific”……This ballet – choreography and designs – should be scrapped …perhaps McKenzie should just have performances with all his imported “superstars” where do their favorite bits….and then give us decent versions of the classics with the real artists of ABT….I thought that both Osipova and I. Vasiliev left the Bolshoi because they wanted to widen their artistic horizons”…..and then they proceed to dance ….the same ballets that they did at home…well, almost , they did dance in “Symphony in C” – poorly….in the Third Movement – last season at NYCB , Antonio Carmena gave a wonderful performance in the Thired Movement….and then we had to look at Quasimodo run out of breath at ABT….
Hi Fred. The people who want McDonald’s are getting it.
Hi Fred. The people who want McDonald’s are getting it.
Haglund, I don’t think McKenzie is a very intelligent man. OK you wheedled it out of me: he’s a man of mediocre intellect. He’s someone’s lickspittle. Whose?
Haglund, I don’t think McKenzie is a very intelligent man. OK you wheedled it out of me: he’s a man of mediocre intellect. He’s someone’s lickspittle. Whose?
Haglund- I watched the video you posted. The first thing I thought is that they are the least musical pair (unless the audio and visual were not aligned). But it seems like they move with the music as a guideline, instead of dancing to the musical. And Natalia just kicks her leg like a can-can dancer with no grace- she is not presenting her leg with any sort of control. And Ivan jumps from a parallel sixth position and kind of looks like a bouncing gremlin on the stage. I guess I can commend them for creating steps that other people haven’t done before??
Watching this made me think of the 1994 video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHLjVBq_zm0) of Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera doing the same pas de deux (basically 20 years ago) and how they did tricks that were, IMO, equally impressive, but much cleaner and more musical. I know that neither one of them are known for their impeccable technique, but they were able to balance impressive “tricks” with classic positions. Paloma’s balance here is even better than Natalia’s, and Angel doesn’t look like an imp.
Watching the current Don Q video has confirmed my assumption that I’m going to need to avoid the ballet circus at all costs. It really does set a poor example to our budding ballet students who think they need to perform tricks like N/I to be successful. I think you can even see the effect on the flower girls who were trying too hard to “keep up” with N/I that they looked sloppy. I wish we could go back to the golden days when people like Cynthia Harvey were doing Kitri. I’m really sad.
Haglund- are you going to make it to Veronika’s Don Q, or are you avoiding JW? I think she will bring a refreshing take to Kitri and am bummed that she is doing Wed matinee, when I need to be at work.
Haglund- I watched the video you posted. The first thing I thought is that they are the least musical pair (unless the audio and visual were not aligned). But it seems like they move with the music as a guideline, instead of dancing to the musical. And Natalia just kicks her leg like a can-can dancer with no grace- she is not presenting her leg with any sort of control. And Ivan jumps from a parallel sixth position and kind of looks like a bouncing gremlin on the stage. I guess I can commend them for creating steps that other people haven’t done before??
Watching this made me think of the 1994 video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHLjVBq_zm0) of Angel Corella and Paloma Herrera doing the same pas de deux (basically 20 years ago) and how they did tricks that were, IMO, equally impressive, but much cleaner and more musical. I know that neither one of them are known for their impeccable technique, but they were able to balance impressive “tricks” with classic positions. Paloma’s balance here is even better than Natalia’s, and Angel doesn’t look like an imp.
Watching the current Don Q video has confirmed my assumption that I’m going to need to avoid the ballet circus at all costs. It really does set a poor example to our budding ballet students who think they need to perform tricks like N/I to be successful. I think you can even see the effect on the flower girls who were trying too hard to “keep up” with N/I that they looked sloppy. I wish we could go back to the golden days when people like Cynthia Harvey were doing Kitri. I’m really sad.
Haglund- are you going to make it to Veronika’s Don Q, or are you avoiding JW? I think she will bring a refreshing take to Kitri and am bummed that she is doing Wed matinee, when I need to be at work.
Haglund, I just watched the video you posted, and I’m a bit confused. Isn’t there this thing in ballet–what is it again? my mind is blocking–oh, yes, I know, turnout! Isn’t that right? Turnout? And something about pointing the feet? And a classical ballet line? And first and fifth positions? I didn’t see a whole lot of that stuff here, so please, could you tell me why this out-of-proportion male gymnast is hopping and jumping all over the place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House where people come from all over the world to see great classical ballet?
Haglund, I just watched the video you posted, and I’m a bit confused. Isn’t there this thing in ballet–what is it again? my mind is blocking–oh, yes, I know, turnout! Isn’t that right? Turnout? And something about pointing the feet? And a classical ballet line? And first and fifth positions? I didn’t see a whole lot of that stuff here, so please, could you tell me why this out-of-proportion male gymnast is hopping and jumping all over the place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House where people come from all over the world to see great classical ballet?
True, Angelica and K. It doesn’t reflect very well on Ratmansky either. He was the one who judged them fit for classical ballet and he basically was in charge of the school when it turned out Osipova. I can’t sign on to Ratmansky’s mantra that their extra juices compensate for their technical shortcomings. I doubt that anyone is telling ABT’s corpsmen that it’s okay to set up their tours with a sloppy sixth position or forget about fifth.
There is a male principal at NYCB who has extremely short legs, but I’m telling you, he’s got a tighter fifth position than the ballerinas. And when he does a double tour from fifth position, he squeezes that position even tighter as opposed to loosening it up as most men do these days. The result is the fastest, most controlled, and most beautiful formed tours that I’ve ever seen.
ABT needs to learn how to get along without David Koch’s money, even if it means that Rachel Moore and Kevin McKenzie won’t get $60,000+ and $30,000+ raises. He’s ruining his little ballet company which he could care less about except to use as the butt of a joke with his political cronies.
The fish rots from the head down – always.
True, Angelica and K. It doesn’t reflect very well on Ratmansky either. He was the one who judged them fit for classical ballet and he basically was in charge of the school when it turned out Osipova. I can’t sign on to Ratmansky’s mantra that their extra juices compensate for their technical shortcomings. I doubt that anyone is telling ABT’s corpsmen that it’s okay to set up their tours with a sloppy sixth position or forget about fifth.
There is a male principal at NYCB who has extremely short legs, but I’m telling you, he’s got a tighter fifth position than the ballerinas. And when he does a double tour from fifth position, he squeezes that position even tighter as opposed to loosening it up as most men do these days. The result is the fastest, most controlled, and most beautiful formed tours that I’ve ever seen.
ABT needs to learn how to get along without David Koch’s money, even if it means that Rachel Moore and Kevin McKenzie won’t get $60,000+ and $30,000+ raises. He’s ruining his little ballet company which he could care less about except to use as the butt of a joke with his political cronies.
The fish rots from the head down – always.
Sad thing is, Haglund, when you point out such obvious infringements upon classical ballet tenets, you are somehow judged to be killjoys. I hear people dismiss these obvious faults as things to be overlooked because Don Q is where such atrocities are allowed. Since when did Exuberance= Gross Deviation From Ballet Tenets? What excuses did they have for Natalia’s bent legs during Giselle saubresauts? That she needed to do it in order to jump higher?
Ratmansky promoted Natalia like she is next coming of Pavlova and Nijinsky combined. I wonder if he too is in on the grift as well, along with Ardani, McKenzie, O/ V, Semionova et al. Too many rotting fishes stink up the boat carrying the barrel, have to get a new boat and start over to get rid of stench.
Sad thing is, Haglund, when you point out such obvious infringements upon classical ballet tenets, you are somehow judged to be killjoys. I hear people dismiss these obvious faults as things to be overlooked because Don Q is where such atrocities are allowed. Since when did Exuberance= Gross Deviation From Ballet Tenets? What excuses did they have for Natalia’s bent legs during Giselle saubresauts? That she needed to do it in order to jump higher?
Ratmansky promoted Natalia like she is next coming of Pavlova and Nijinsky combined. I wonder if he too is in on the grift as well, along with Ardani, McKenzie, O/ V, Semionova et al. Too many rotting fishes stink up the boat carrying the barrel, have to get a new boat and start over to get rid of stench.
You’ll get no argument from me, Genna.
You’ll get no argument from me, Genna.
http://marinaharss.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/when-more-becomes-less-notes-on-don-q/ Saw this posted on Herman Cornego’s FB page. Says alot! Also received my issue of this month’s Pointe, with the headline “Corps members who are up and coming stars” Not one of them were from ABT. Sad state of affairs from my favorite company.
http://marinaharss.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/when-more-becomes-less-notes-on-don-q/ Saw this posted on Herman Cornego’s FB page. Says alot! Also received my issue of this month’s Pointe, with the headline “Corps members who are up and coming stars” Not one of them were from ABT. Sad state of affairs from my favorite company.
Hi Stephanie. That is sad. Maybe Pointe Magazine should do a feature on “Brilliant and Beautiful Dancers Stalled in the Corps and Soloist Levels While the AD Imports Trashy and Ugly Substitutes.”
I can’t say enough how important it is to withhold donations from ABT at this point in time. They are spending everyone’s money on importing garbage instead of spending it on an elite coaching staff which they have needed for a very long time. Oh yes, and McKenzie and Rachel Moore are giving themselves huge raises while the artistic product suffers. This is McKenzie’s way. He wants to do it all himself and not have any input from people who really and truly know what they’re doing. When you have one of the most mediocre former corpsmen now rehearsing your principals and soloists in roles that he never even got close to, you know that the company is in a most unfortunate downward spiral.
The fish rots from the head down.
Hi Stephanie. That is sad. Maybe Pointe Magazine should do a feature on “Brilliant and Beautiful Dancers Stalled in the Corps and Soloist Levels While the AD Imports Trashy and Ugly Substitutes.”
I can’t say enough how important it is to withhold donations from ABT at this point in time. They are spending everyone’s money on importing garbage instead of spending it on an elite coaching staff which they have needed for a very long time. Oh yes, and McKenzie and Rachel Moore are giving themselves huge raises while the artistic product suffers. This is McKenzie’s way. He wants to do it all himself and not have any input from people who really and truly know what they’re doing. When you have one of the most mediocre former corpsmen now rehearsing your principals and soloists in roles that he never even got close to, you know that the company is in a most unfortunate downward spiral.
The fish rots from the head down.
Or how about if Pointe Magazine/Dance Magazine or one of those other everything-is-beautiful-at-the-ballet publications tackle Kevin McKenzie on his specific reasons as to why he refuses to promote Stella Abrera to principal. How about digging into why this beautiful, theatrical dancer of enormous stamina and integrity and experience is continually shoved away from promotion and opportunities in favor of weaker, technically marginal dancers. How about digging into the issue of dancers who solicit the strong arm of their donor sponsors to help ease their ways into roles and promotions. How about writing something worthwhile for a change.
Or how about if Pointe Magazine/Dance Magazine or one of those other everything-is-beautiful-at-the-ballet publications tackle Kevin McKenzie on his specific reasons as to why he refuses to promote Stella Abrera to principal. How about digging into why this beautiful, theatrical dancer of enormous stamina and integrity and experience is continually shoved away from promotion and opportunities in favor of weaker, technically marginal dancers. How about digging into the issue of dancers who solicit the strong arm of their donor sponsors to help ease their ways into roles and promotions. How about writing something worthwhile for a change.
Having wathed the Don Q video posted here, you can imagine my dread that I am going to see Vasiliev in Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, and Osipova and Vasiliev tackle the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere – which is part of the dance series in Orange County next season, as they are presented in their own program. [I had the great joy of seeing Nicholas Le Riche dance Le Jeune Homme in Paris in the mid-90’s and it was the most exhilarating performance I had ever seen. Unforgettable. I do not want that memory tampered with.] Within the dance series next season is yet another all-Diana-Vishneva program with works by contemporary choreographers, which means a lot of emoting from the beautiful Diana, and probably not much dance. It is evident that Ardani has gotten a lock on the programming for the dance series in Orange County.
Having wathed the Don Q video posted here, you can imagine my dread that I am going to see Vasiliev in Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, and Osipova and Vasiliev tackle the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere – which is part of the dance series in Orange County next season, as they are presented in their own program. [I had the great joy of seeing Nicholas Le Riche dance Le Jeune Homme in Paris in the mid-90’s and it was the most exhilarating performance I had ever seen. Unforgettable. I do not want that memory tampered with.] Within the dance series next season is yet another all-Diana-Vishneva program with works by contemporary choreographers, which means a lot of emoting from the beautiful Diana, and probably not much dance. It is evident that Ardani has gotten a lock on the programming for the dance series in Orange County.
J, I’m so sorry to hear of the deteriorating offerings in Orange County. Others have voiced their complaints here as well. The Segerstrom schedule was probably put together long before Miss O added a permanent spot at the Royal Ballet to her resume. Maybe she will cancel Segerstrom and they will bring in someone else.
You could think about just saving your money and flying east for some fall performances of NYCB or ABT or some next spring.
J, I’m so sorry to hear of the deteriorating offerings in Orange County. Others have voiced their complaints here as well. The Segerstrom schedule was probably put together long before Miss O added a permanent spot at the Royal Ballet to her resume. Maybe she will cancel Segerstrom and they will bring in someone else.
You could think about just saving your money and flying east for some fall performances of NYCB or ABT or some next spring.
I split my time between the left coast and NYC, I definitely will not be buying tickets to anything OC has to offer in their laughable “dance” series this year. Vishneva’s modern programs are very self-serving, with more imagery than anything to do with dance. Osipova and Vasiliev should be banned from going near anything not even props from Bayadere.
I split my time between the left coast and NYC, I definitely will not be buying tickets to anything OC has to offer in their laughable “dance” series this year. Vishneva’s modern programs are very self-serving, with more imagery than anything to do with dance. Osipova and Vasiliev should be banned from going near anything not even props from Bayadere.
Yikes! I saw her 2 years ago, but… yikes! Does she even take class anymore? Even a nice, clean passé would make a big difference, but it takes work.
I almost feel sorry for him. It seems he wants to develop, but he’s trapped.
Yikes! I saw her 2 years ago, but… yikes! Does she even take class anymore? Even a nice, clean passé would make a big difference, but it takes work.
I almost feel sorry for him. It seems he wants to develop, but he’s trapped.
Here’s a thought. Maybe they upped the level of vulgarity because they want out of their contracts for 2013-2014. Miss O has her principal contract with the Royal Ballet which seems to have screwed up McKenzie’s plans for next year. Maybe the two just want out. Well, good riddance.
Here’s a thought. Maybe they upped the level of vulgarity because they want out of their contracts for 2013-2014. Miss O has her principal contract with the Royal Ballet which seems to have screwed up McKenzie’s plans for next year. Maybe the two just want out. Well, good riddance.
The strange thing is most British fans are happy to have them at Royal Ballet, if online forums are any indication. Weird that the company which was empitome of understated presentation and one which gave us Fonteyn, is now embracing empitome of crassness. I suspect once British fans get bored with bombastic circus dancing, they will soon rebel.
The strange thing is most British fans are happy to have them at Royal Ballet, if online forums are any indication. Weird that the company which was empitome of understated presentation and one which gave us Fonteyn, is now embracing empitome of crassness. I suspect once British fans get bored with bombastic circus dancing, they will soon rebel.
I think you’re right Genna, and then O/V will go back to the Bolshoi where it will be too late for them.
I think you’re right Genna, and then O/V will go back to the Bolshoi where it will be too late for them.
I’ve thought the same Genna–their reaction has been a bit at odds with what they claim to want. It appears the sheen is wearing off for many in NYC right about now…The next year or so should be very interesting to watch.
I’ve thought the same Genna–their reaction has been a bit at odds with what they claim to want. It appears the sheen is wearing off for many in NYC right about now…The next year or so should be very interesting to watch.