. . . from the couch in trendy Hell's Kitchen awaiting the introductions for the Guggenheim's Works & Process which tonight will be presented by ABT.
http://www.ustream.tv/worksandprocess
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pencils sharpened
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erasers cut off
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Mac cache emptied
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cell phone silenced
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wine poured
7:35 It seems things are off to a tardy start.
7:38 John Meehan would make a very good director for ABT.
7:42 Why does ABT keep torturing us with this Morris nonsense? Yes, the dancers have nice feet and legs. It's as elementary and unsubstantive as it can be.
7:44 McKenzie managed to say plenty of nothing in that little interview.
7:51 Gray Davis and Stella Abrera are sublime in The Leaves Are Fading in one of the secondary PdDs. That McKenzie took away the leading PdD from this beautiful ballerina in the prime of her career is criminal. It was kind of cruel of John to suddenly bring up Giselle when everyone knows that is exactly the role Stella should be dancing but hasn't been allowed. Her grace and demeanor while being interviewed were exquisite as well.
8:10 The Swan Lake excerpt was not very encouraging. What is wrong with Hee Seo's back that she can't bend it more? No expression. Fine feet and legs. The only way to describe this is the "Stepford ballerina syndrome." One compliment for her: the mime about the tears looked similar to Nina's in that the tears went all the way down over the edge of the tutu.
8:15 It's very nice that the pre-professionals in the JKO are learning to dance completely without affectations. The problem is that they are turning out dancers without perfume, without lovely organic qualities in their dance-speech. It's like computer-speech. ABT should stop all this pretense and just teach Vaganova in the upper body and POB in the legs and feet.
8:27 If you look at videos of Veronika Part and others as students at the Vaganova school, you see immediately that they already had that special perfume. While they didn't have affectations, they did have something special. These young students are plain toast.
8:30 Joe Gorak is a little too lovely in that Bournonville. Maybe it's the small stage. Bujones. Bujones. Bujones. Bujones. That's what we need.
8:32 Isabella Boylston in the Kitri solo was like something from Amateur Hour. No spark. Horsey. Muddled. No expression or worse an unpleasant one. ABT shelved Yuriko's brilliant and charming Kitri for this?
8:33 Arron Scott's ball dance pretty darned good.
8:50 The Moor's Pavane registered well on this stage. Alex Hammoudi is not a natural choice for The Moor and his character was much less developed than Tom Forster's Iago. Stella, intensely dramatic. Hee Seo, a fish out of water: steps, yes; character, no.
8:58 Ratmansky's Carnival of the Animals is a nice piece for students, but it tends to get a little too precious.
More than ever, Haglund intends to pay to see only the dancers he wants to see at ABT and will not pay to see amateurish or half-baked interpretations. If it turns out that he only goes to a couple of performances at the Met this year, then maybe he'll be able to afford this little Chesterfield that he wants so badly.
30 responses to “. . . and we’re live”
I just got here; I hope I haven’t missed too much Stella or Sascha!
I just got here; I hope I haven’t missed too much Stella or Sascha!
Wow–send the kid who just nailed the entrechat sixes straight into the Albrecht costume. I thought a few of the young men were very impressive.
Wow–send the kid who just nailed the entrechat sixes straight into the Albrecht costume. I thought a few of the young men were very impressive.
I hope Radetsky isn’t injured again. A few years back when he and Stella danced the leading PdD in Leaves, they were sublime. So perfect.
Yes, K, some of the young men are quite impressive, much more so than the young ladies.
I hope Radetsky isn’t injured again. A few years back when he and Stella danced the leading PdD in Leaves, they were sublime. So perfect.
Yes, K, some of the young men are quite impressive, much more so than the young ladies.
A HH reader just confirmed via email that she thought Stella was indeed startled by that awkwardly worded question from John Meehan that sounded as though he was asking her if she had danced Giselle. Surely, he must know what a sensitive issue that is with her and all of us. Also, the HH reader thought that when Meehan mentioned Sleeping Beauty, Stella probably thought she’d better not mention that she had actually danced the title role of Aurora (TEN TIMES) in New Zealand, and stick to mentioning her Lilac Fairy.
What a sad state of affairs it is at ABT that dancers have to minimize their worldwide accomplishments in public because the director refuses to recognize them.
A HH reader just confirmed via email that she thought Stella was indeed startled by that awkwardly worded question from John Meehan that sounded as though he was asking her if she had danced Giselle. Surely, he must know what a sensitive issue that is with her and all of us. Also, the HH reader thought that when Meehan mentioned Sleeping Beauty, Stella probably thought she’d better not mention that she had actually danced the title role of Aurora (TEN TIMES) in New Zealand, and stick to mentioning her Lilac Fairy.
What a sad state of affairs it is at ABT that dancers have to minimize their worldwide accomplishments in public because the director refuses to recognize them.
Haglund, do you know if a recording of this will be available online later? Sadly, I wasn’t able to make the live broadcast, but would still love to see it.
Haglund, do you know if a recording of this will be available online later? Sadly, I wasn’t able to make the live broadcast, but would still love to see it.
What a great commentary, Haglund!
In addition to being one of ABT’s finest ballerinas, Stella was the epitome of grace under fire last night. Hee Seo was a blank in Swan Lake. All that half-baked mime did nothing to convey the tragedy of Odette’s story. And Isabella Boylston, even apart from the fact that she didn’t come close to her head in those famous grand jetes, simply has no arresting stage presence.
I love the way you characterize the JKO students. They were utterly bland and uninteresting to watch–no “perfume” says it very well. The entrechats sixes were impressive, but I so much wish ABT would go back to the version with brises.
What a great commentary, Haglund!
In addition to being one of ABT’s finest ballerinas, Stella was the epitome of grace under fire last night. Hee Seo was a blank in Swan Lake. All that half-baked mime did nothing to convey the tragedy of Odette’s story. And Isabella Boylston, even apart from the fact that she didn’t come close to her head in those famous grand jetes, simply has no arresting stage presence.
I love the way you characterize the JKO students. They were utterly bland and uninteresting to watch–no “perfume” says it very well. The entrechats sixes were impressive, but I so much wish ABT would go back to the version with brises.
Kit, they usually upload a video of the performance shortly afterward. However, I see that they are still trying to get the April 14th performance of Wendy Whelan uploaded; so it may be a little while before they get the ABT one up.
Kit, they usually upload a video of the performance shortly afterward. However, I see that they are still trying to get the April 14th performance of Wendy Whelan uploaded; so it may be a little while before they get the ABT one up.
Hi Angelica. Both Hee and Isabella were terribly amateurish. Isabella has already had a full performance of Don Q; so what is her excuse? Meanwhile, Stella continues to out-dance, out-perform, out-grace, out-act both of them, but she receives no opportunities to shine in leading roles. After this event, how can anyone look at Hee Seo and see a principal while Stella continues to deliver superior performances and receives no recognition for them? Stella has been with ABT since she was 17, and McKenzie has a perverted sense of entitlement that he can keep this gorgeous dancer confined to the cellar in order to make lesser dancers seem more palatable. Hee and Isabella stunk last night, and it’s time that McKenzie smelled that reality.
Hi Angelica. Both Hee and Isabella were terribly amateurish. Isabella has already had a full performance of Don Q; so what is her excuse? Meanwhile, Stella continues to out-dance, out-perform, out-grace, out-act both of them, but she receives no opportunities to shine in leading roles. After this event, how can anyone look at Hee Seo and see a principal while Stella continues to deliver superior performances and receives no recognition for them? Stella has been with ABT since she was 17, and McKenzie has a perverted sense of entitlement that he can keep this gorgeous dancer confined to the cellar in order to make lesser dancers seem more palatable. Hee and Isabella stunk last night, and it’s time that McKenzie smelled that reality.
Haglund, are you James Wolcott?
Haglund, are you James Wolcott?
No! But I am extremely honored by your question. Just to make clear, nor am I Alastair Macaulay.
No! But I am extremely honored by your question. Just to make clear, nor am I Alastair Macaulay.
I think all of your readers are curious as to who you are. Why don’t you reveal to your readers your identity?
I think all of your readers are curious as to who you are. Why don’t you reveal to your readers your identity?
I do on occasion. Active blogging can easily jeopardize one’s employment. That’s why companies try to control personal blogging, tweeting, FB of their employees. Most everyone who I read, and who doesn’t derive income from blogging, uses a nom de plume.
I do on occasion. Active blogging can easily jeopardize one’s employment. That’s why companies try to control personal blogging, tweeting, FB of their employees. Most everyone who I read, and who doesn’t derive income from blogging, uses a nom de plume.
My blog, folks.
–Haglund
My blog, folks.
–Haglund
I like that you remain anonymous, Haglund. It’s like tenure for academics: you can say what you mean without losing your post. I enjoy reading your blog very much and find your posts remarkably honest and often, wonderfully complimentary of the dancers, which is sadly missing in so many reviews these days.
I like that you remain anonymous, Haglund. It’s like tenure for academics: you can say what you mean without losing your post. I enjoy reading your blog very much and find your posts remarkably honest and often, wonderfully complimentary of the dancers, which is sadly missing in so many reviews these days.
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Thanks, Elizabeth.