ABT has posted its list of dancers for the spring gala but no announcement yet about the program. (Edit: Thanks Rachel, for letting us know that you can click on the calendar date to see the dismal program. What happened to the Gomes premiere that was supposed to be included?)
Last month in its season announcement, ABT thought that it was so important to tell everyone who the original ABT dancers were in the secondary roles of Olga & Lensky (Onegin), Orion & Eros (Sylvia), Von Rothbart (Swan Lake), Lilac Fairy, Carabosse & Bluebird (Sleeping Beauty), Birbanto (Le Corsaire), but it doesn't think it's important to tell us now. There are people who would like to buy a ticket or two to Onegin but are holding out in fear that they might have to end up watching Osipova or Vasiliev, too, or watching Vasiliev's squatty little legs pound around as Von Rothbart or Bluebird.
Get the casting up, folks. And while you're at it, make the changes you need to make. Alina Cojocaru has been injured and unable to dance at the Royal Ballet. According to the ROH calendar, she doesn't have any performances until the very end of May although she apparently will perform in a benefit of her own organizing in a few weeks. Is ABT really going to hold Herman's Swan Lake for her without evidence that she can dance it and when there is a better dancer in its own ranks who would create more media buzz and do a better job than an injured guest artist whose home company doesn't often let her dance the role? Let Sarah Lane dance Swan Lake with Herman Cornejo in their ABT Swan Lake debuts and let the hometown crowd have something to cheer about.
Why not dump Osipova and Vasiliev into that tiresome Mark Morris piece to try to make everyone like it, and let ABT's own classical dancers take over Symphony in C? What?! Natasha & Ivan aren't dying to dance choreography by the iconic modern dance choreographer? Don't they have to be as versatile as the repertory is diverse?
Guess not.
58 responses to “ABT Gala is small news so far”
If you click on the calendar date it does tell you the program – and it’s dismal.
If you click on the calendar date it does tell you the program – and it’s dismal.
Thanks Rachel. Is that program even worth dressing up for? Not going.
Thanks Rachel. Is that program even worth dressing up for? Not going.
You took the words right out of my mouth, Lane should get to dance with Cornejo, I would prefer that over Kajija. Cojocaru has been so frequently injured and even when she isn’t injured, her technique has eroded a lot in such a short time span. Seems like now she only dances regularly in galas which serve to propel her name on the international stage.
Props to Lane for her yt interview on discountdancesupply channel, where she alluded to “lost artistry” today and that audiences shouldn’t be overly impressed with high jumps or turns. Perhaps a dig at Osipova and Vasiliev?
You took the words right out of my mouth, Lane should get to dance with Cornejo, I would prefer that over Kajija. Cojocaru has been so frequently injured and even when she isn’t injured, her technique has eroded a lot in such a short time span. Seems like now she only dances regularly in galas which serve to propel her name on the international stage.
Props to Lane for her yt interview on discountdancesupply channel, where she alluded to “lost artistry” today and that audiences shouldn’t be overly impressed with high jumps or turns. Perhaps a dig at Osipova and Vasiliev?
In my opinion the program is so bad I wouldn’t be that interested in going if it was free. Boy do I miss the days of Alex Ferri.
In my opinion the program is so bad I wouldn’t be that interested in going if it was free. Boy do I miss the days of Alex Ferri.
Rachel – Ferri & Cornejo at the Signature Theatre in November/December in a Martha Clarke multi-disciplinary piece. At least it’s something.
Rachel – Ferri & Cornejo at the Signature Theatre in November/December in a Martha Clarke multi-disciplinary piece. At least it’s something.
Genna, thanks for pointing that out. Here’s the link so everyone can see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7RcSBvoCS0
She’s so right. There’s a place for outrageous tricks that don’t incorporate ballet aesthetics, but it’s not on the ballet stage. The way that some of these woo-hoos holler during an Osipova or Vasiliev performance, you would think that they never saw a performance of Moiseyev or Shen Yun where the tricks are far more spectacular and in keeping with that particular art form.
Genna, thanks for pointing that out. Here’s the link so everyone can see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7RcSBvoCS0
She’s so right. There’s a place for outrageous tricks that don’t incorporate ballet aesthetics, but it’s not on the ballet stage. The way that some of these woo-hoos holler during an Osipova or Vasiliev performance, you would think that they never saw a performance of Moiseyev or Shen Yun where the tricks are far more spectacular and in keeping with that particular art form.
I find it interesting that the RB is willing to take on an itinerant guest artist, like Osipova, since they’ve been fairly badly burned by Cojocaru’s frequent flying over the last 4 years or so. I know Cojocaru is part of the actual company, but she seemed to swear up and down that after her year-long recuperation she was going to take things more slowly and pick her partners/ballets more carefully which hasn’t seemed to happen, as she still jets around. It seemed like Monica Mason had enough when she didn’t cast her in Sleeping Beauty last time around. Osipova has been remarkably lucky that she has been fairly injury free, but I wonder how long her luck will last as she gets a bit older.
Thank you for the link to Lane’s interview, Genna and Haglund.
Why is Vishneva dancing Onegin with James Whiteside in the ABT gala? Is it not the Act III pdd with Onegin?
I find it interesting that the RB is willing to take on an itinerant guest artist, like Osipova, since they’ve been fairly badly burned by Cojocaru’s frequent flying over the last 4 years or so. I know Cojocaru is part of the actual company, but she seemed to swear up and down that after her year-long recuperation she was going to take things more slowly and pick her partners/ballets more carefully which hasn’t seemed to happen, as she still jets around. It seemed like Monica Mason had enough when she didn’t cast her in Sleeping Beauty last time around. Osipova has been remarkably lucky that she has been fairly injury free, but I wonder how long her luck will last as she gets a bit older.
Thank you for the link to Lane’s interview, Genna and Haglund.
Why is Vishneva dancing Onegin with James Whiteside in the ABT gala? Is it not the Act III pdd with Onegin?
McKenzie is trying to push Whiteside up and over the top to principal before too many people in ABT’s big donor base find out that this is a histrionic personality who has a side career of sexually provocative behavior which is often offensive in multiple ways. His favorite costume is a pair of underpants. He creates suggestive and offensive videos that glamorize pain and violence. Poor Vishneva. She has to dance Onegin with someone who would rather be wearing her lashes and costume. It just gets worse and worse at ABT all the time.
McKenzie is trying to push Whiteside up and over the top to principal before too many people in ABT’s big donor base find out that this is a histrionic personality who has a side career of sexually provocative behavior which is often offensive in multiple ways. His favorite costume is a pair of underpants. He creates suggestive and offensive videos that glamorize pain and violence. Poor Vishneva. She has to dance Onegin with someone who would rather be wearing her lashes and costume. It just gets worse and worse at ABT all the time.
Hi Haglund, thanks for the news. To be fair to Cojocaru, I’ve seen most of her performances in London over the past few years and the last tine she pulled out of a performance was in 2010. Thats pretty great by anyone’s standards. She even managed to perform a couple of extra Swan Lakes during the Royal Ballet’s last run (she performs the role often) in place of an injured dancer. Several principal ballerinas are injured here at the moment.
K, perhaps Vishneva is dancing the beautiful Tatiana/Gremin pd2 with Whiteside?
Hi Haglund, thanks for the news. To be fair to Cojocaru, I’ve seen most of her performances in London over the past few years and the last tine she pulled out of a performance was in 2010. Thats pretty great by anyone’s standards. She even managed to perform a couple of extra Swan Lakes during the Royal Ballet’s last run (she performs the role often) in place of an injured dancer. Several principal ballerinas are injured here at the moment.
K, perhaps Vishneva is dancing the beautiful Tatiana/Gremin pd2 with Whiteside?
Hi bookworm68. Thanks for stopping by H.H.
Didn’t Alina go six years without dancing Swan Lake at the Royal? Maybe the reviewer didn’t know what he was talking about when that was written or when he implied that her Black Swan was nearly a disaster.
http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/228805/Review-Swan-Lake-Royal-Ballet-Royal-Opera-House-London-WC2
So if she debuted S.L. in 2002 and between 2002 and 2011 she missed six years of performing it, how might she have performed the role often?
Sorry to hear about all the injured principal ballerinas you are incurring. Will other dancers get a chance to dance the principal roles or will the RB import guest artists to deal with the situation like ABT does?
Hi bookworm68. Thanks for stopping by H.H.
Didn’t Alina go six years without dancing Swan Lake at the Royal? Maybe the reviewer didn’t know what he was talking about when that was written or when he implied that her Black Swan was nearly a disaster.
http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/228805/Review-Swan-Lake-Royal-Ballet-Royal-Opera-House-London-WC2
So if she debuted S.L. in 2002 and between 2002 and 2011 she missed six years of performing it, how might she have performed the role often?
Sorry to hear about all the injured principal ballerinas you are incurring. Will other dancers get a chance to dance the principal roles or will the RB import guest artists to deal with the situation like ABT does?
Pet peeve time: I went to the NYCB website to see if they’d announced their 2013-14 season yet. They did, but they didn’t announce either the rep or the dates (and they don’t show up in the month-by-month listing either), apparently that has to wait until May 1st. Why announce a season then not provide any information about it for another two weeks? Am I missing something?
Seriously, the people that run arts websites sometimes…..
/pet peeve
Pet peeve time: I went to the NYCB website to see if they’d announced their 2013-14 season yet. They did, but they didn’t announce either the rep or the dates (and they don’t show up in the month-by-month listing either), apparently that has to wait until May 1st. Why announce a season then not provide any information about it for another two weeks? Am I missing something?
Seriously, the people that run arts websites sometimes…..
/pet peeve
Cojocaru has successfully managed to dance all her Swan Lakes (as well as a few extra ones) the last few two times the Royal Ballet has revived it. I remember seeing her sometime around 2006/7 (I must have been mistaken if she didn’t perform though) but you’re right, she did miss a lot of Swan Lakes due to injury (as well as Mayerlings). I don’t think Swan Lake is the best ballet for Cojocaru (or a lot of Royal Ballet ladies) and would love to have seen Lane with Cornejo.
At the moment plenty of upcoming first-soloists and soloists have got great opportunities after filling in for injured ballerinas- the lovely Yuhui Choe debuted in the role of Alice and got another go at Gamzatti, Melissa Hamilton was cast in Apollo and Bennet Gartside is making his debut as Rudolph in Mayerling. Its great to see the depth of talent in the company. It seems like the ideal way to deal with the situation.
Cojocaru has successfully managed to dance all her Swan Lakes (as well as a few extra ones) the last few two times the Royal Ballet has revived it. I remember seeing her sometime around 2006/7 (I must have been mistaken if she didn’t perform though) but you’re right, she did miss a lot of Swan Lakes due to injury (as well as Mayerlings). I don’t think Swan Lake is the best ballet for Cojocaru (or a lot of Royal Ballet ladies) and would love to have seen Lane with Cornejo.
At the moment plenty of upcoming first-soloists and soloists have got great opportunities after filling in for injured ballerinas- the lovely Yuhui Choe debuted in the role of Alice and got another go at Gamzatti, Melissa Hamilton was cast in Apollo and Bennet Gartside is making his debut as Rudolph in Mayerling. Its great to see the depth of talent in the company. It seems like the ideal way to deal with the situation.
Just yesterday, the Royal announced that Cojocaru is being replaced in Bayadere and Mayerling this month due to injury:
http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-la-bayadere-20-april-and-mayerling-25-and-30-april
Just yesterday, the Royal announced that Cojocaru is being replaced in Bayadere and Mayerling this month due to injury:
http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-la-bayadere-20-april-and-mayerling-25-and-30-april
Henry, I’m pretty sure that the NYCB 13-14 will be up on the website before May 1st. It’s very interesting that the announcement only named 2 of the 4 full length ballets for the year. I keep wishing for a brand new Don Q for all those potentially spectacular Kitris that they have.
Henry, I’m pretty sure that the NYCB 13-14 will be up on the website before May 1st. It’s very interesting that the announcement only named 2 of the 4 full length ballets for the year. I keep wishing for a brand new Don Q for all those potentially spectacular Kitris that they have.
Thanks bookworm68. It seems like the RB has given its soloists a lot more opportunity to shine than ABT does. ABT even imports for secondary roles that could be danced brilliantly by many corps members. Gartside as Rudolph sounds like something not to miss.
Thanks bookworm68. It seems like the RB has given its soloists a lot more opportunity to shine than ABT does. ABT even imports for secondary roles that could be danced brilliantly by many corps members. Gartside as Rudolph sounds like something not to miss.
Thanks J for the link to the announcement. My guess is that ABT will completely ignore the situation.
Thanks J for the link to the announcement. My guess is that ABT will completely ignore the situation.
In addition to adding Sarah to Herman’s Swan Lake, ABT should move her from the Wed mat of Sleeping Beauty w/Simkin to the Wed eve SB with Herman. Then replace Simkin with either Abrera & Radetsky or Abrera & Tamm or Abrera & Hallberg since it appears that David might delay his return to the Bolshoi. Abrera polished the role of Aurora with more than 10 performances on tour with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She deserves a shot at it more than anyone else and we deserve the opportunity to see her.
In addition to adding Sarah to Herman’s Swan Lake, ABT should move her from the Wed mat of Sleeping Beauty w/Simkin to the Wed eve SB with Herman. Then replace Simkin with either Abrera & Radetsky or Abrera & Tamm or Abrera & Hallberg since it appears that David might delay his return to the Bolshoi. Abrera polished the role of Aurora with more than 10 performances on tour with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She deserves a shot at it more than anyone else and we deserve the opportunity to see her.
Haglund, I’ve always wanted NYCB to dance Don Q as well! I saw Bouder’s Kitri when she guested at the Mariinsky Festival (Matvienko was her Basil) and she was dynamite.
I hope Cojocaru recovers from her injuries soon. Aurora is a role to which she is perfectly suited. Some of ABT’s casting choices for the Met season have been baffling to say the least (Hee Seo as Natayla in A Month in the Country, no Murphy in Symphony in C, Gartside opposite Murphy in Swan Lake…). I think Vishneva, Abrera, Part, or Irina would have been fabulous as Natayla (I think Seo is lovely dancer but not mature enough as a ballerina yet.)
Haglund, I’ve always wanted NYCB to dance Don Q as well! I saw Bouder’s Kitri when she guested at the Mariinsky Festival (Matvienko was her Basil) and she was dynamite.
I hope Cojocaru recovers from her injuries soon. Aurora is a role to which she is perfectly suited. Some of ABT’s casting choices for the Met season have been baffling to say the least (Hee Seo as Natayla in A Month in the Country, no Murphy in Symphony in C, Gartside opposite Murphy in Swan Lake…). I think Vishneva, Abrera, Part, or Irina would have been fabulous as Natayla (I think Seo is lovely dancer but not mature enough as a ballerina yet.)
Hi bookworm68. It looks like there’s no Kitri in NYCB’s immediate future, but hopefully it’s on their “to do” list.
ABT’s Met casting baffles a lot of people. Casting an ingenue as Natalia instead of one of the company’s brilliant and mature artists who can actually do all of Ashton’s steps in A Month in the Country has raised more than a few eyebrows. It’s probably ABT’s thought that neither the audience nor the critics will be familiar with the story or choreography beforehand and will simply be overwhelmed by how pretty Hee Seo looks in makeup. You can bet those steps will be watered down for both Seo and Julie Kent.
To my knowledge, it’s Matvienko with Murphy, not Gartside. As yet, Gartside isn’t an Ardani property or associate property which seems to be the requirement for greasing one’s way into an ABT guest slot.
Hi bookworm68. It looks like there’s no Kitri in NYCB’s immediate future, but hopefully it’s on their “to do” list.
ABT’s Met casting baffles a lot of people. Casting an ingenue as Natalia instead of one of the company’s brilliant and mature artists who can actually do all of Ashton’s steps in A Month in the Country has raised more than a few eyebrows. It’s probably ABT’s thought that neither the audience nor the critics will be familiar with the story or choreography beforehand and will simply be overwhelmed by how pretty Hee Seo looks in makeup. You can bet those steps will be watered down for both Seo and Julie Kent.
To my knowledge, it’s Matvienko with Murphy, not Gartside. As yet, Gartside isn’t an Ardani property or associate property which seems to be the requirement for greasing one’s way into an ABT guest slot.
The ABT website still lists Gartside as Murphy’s Swan Lake partner:
http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=6/1/2013
Personally, I would rather see Matvienko in SL as I like him as a dancer. I would start worrying if his wife, Anastasia (great technician, pretty face but nothing special otherwise) starts guesting at ABT. When Matvienko moved to the Mariinsky she rode on his coattails and got parts that should have gone to far better dancers (Novikova, Obraztsova, Osmolkina).
I initially though was cast as Vera and couldn’t believe my eyes that she was actually to play Natalya. The dramatic nature of the part would have been catnip for Vishneva and Irina (who both have glamour in spades). I doubt whether Seo is capable of portraying the character’s myriad of emotions. The pairings are a mess too.Kent/Hallberg would have been better- it’s typical of ABT to cop out of pairing Kent with a younger partner even when it’s appropriate to the ballet. I don’t even want to think about Bolle as Belyaev- he’s the least Ashtonian of ABT’s men.
The ABT website still lists Gartside as Murphy’s Swan Lake partner:
http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=6/1/2013
Personally, I would rather see Matvienko in SL as I like him as a dancer. I would start worrying if his wife, Anastasia (great technician, pretty face but nothing special otherwise) starts guesting at ABT. When Matvienko moved to the Mariinsky she rode on his coattails and got parts that should have gone to far better dancers (Novikova, Obraztsova, Osmolkina).
I initially though was cast as Vera and couldn’t believe my eyes that she was actually to play Natalya. The dramatic nature of the part would have been catnip for Vishneva and Irina (who both have glamour in spades). I doubt whether Seo is capable of portraying the character’s myriad of emotions. The pairings are a mess too.Kent/Hallberg would have been better- it’s typical of ABT to cop out of pairing Kent with a younger partner even when it’s appropriate to the ballet. I don’t even want to think about Bolle as Belyaev- he’s the least Ashtonian of ABT’s men.
Hi bookworm68. That’s Whiteside not Gartside. Whiteside is a truly obnoxious soloist who was imported from Boston with the maneuvering assistance of a former teacher of his who is now employed in ABT’s school and is the partner of the school principal. He’s getting all the political help he needs in order to rip opportunities away from the real ABT dancers who deserve them more. I will probably skip that Swan Lake even though I really want to see Murphy, because I just can’t stand this guy’s antics.
Bolle will probably be fine in A Month In The Country. His Aminta in Sylvia was well-danced and well-acted a few years ago. He’s not just another pretty face. He can do it all.
Hi bookworm68. That’s Whiteside not Gartside. Whiteside is a truly obnoxious soloist who was imported from Boston with the maneuvering assistance of a former teacher of his who is now employed in ABT’s school and is the partner of the school principal. He’s getting all the political help he needs in order to rip opportunities away from the real ABT dancers who deserve them more. I will probably skip that Swan Lake even though I really want to see Murphy, because I just can’t stand this guy’s antics.
Bolle will probably be fine in A Month In The Country. His Aminta in Sylvia was well-danced and well-acted a few years ago. He’s not just another pretty face. He can do it all.
Hi Haglund. Oops, sorry for the confusion. I was thinking of Whiteside but my mind must have run away with me. Thanks for the insight. I’l still be going to the Murphy Swan Lake as I haven’t seen her dance it for a few years.
I have nothing against Bolle (his Romeo is one of my favourites)- apologies for coming across the wrong way.
Hi Haglund. Oops, sorry for the confusion. I was thinking of Whiteside but my mind must have run away with me. Thanks for the insight. I’l still be going to the Murphy Swan Lake as I haven’t seen her dance it for a few years.
I have nothing against Bolle (his Romeo is one of my favourites)- apologies for coming across the wrong way.
Hi bookworm68. I think there is a video of Bolle as Aminta with Darcey Bussell in his Sylvia debut at the RB. The big guy can really move his feet and move them cleanly. His Onegin is also superb. Nuanced, believable. And yes, I totally agree that his Romeo to Ferri’s Juliet and to Dvorovenko’s Juliet was outstanding.
Hi bookworm68. I think there is a video of Bolle as Aminta with Darcey Bussell in his Sylvia debut at the RB. The big guy can really move his feet and move them cleanly. His Onegin is also superb. Nuanced, believable. And yes, I totally agree that his Romeo to Ferri’s Juliet and to Dvorovenko’s Juliet was outstanding.
Don’t forget Bolle’s partnering of Ferri in Manon. That was hands down the best ballet performance I ever attended.
Don’t forget Bolle’s partnering of Ferri in Manon. That was hands down the best ballet performance I ever attended.
Oh yes. What a week of Ferri Manons that was with both Bolle and Corella. I remember seeing Bolle sitting on an orchestra aisle at the matinee Manon with Ferri & Corella. It was Corella’s best ever dramatic performance, and Ferri was of course unreal. At the end, Bolle stood up with everyone else and clapped hard. Incredible performances all week long from all of them.
Oh yes. What a week of Ferri Manons that was with both Bolle and Corella. I remember seeing Bolle sitting on an orchestra aisle at the matinee Manon with Ferri & Corella. It was Corella’s best ever dramatic performance, and Ferri was of course unreal. At the end, Bolle stood up with everyone else and clapped hard. Incredible performances all week long from all of them.
those were the golden days… sigh.
those were the golden days… sigh.
Yep.
Yep.
Hi Haglund, thanks for pointing me towards the Sylvia dvd with Bussell. I’m seeing Bolle’s Aminita opposite Semionova’s Sylvia so will probably wait until then. I really enjoyed his Swan Lake with Part a few years back as well- those two looked gorgeous together. I wasn’t a huge fan of his Onegin but that was for personal reasons (he seemed too gallant and sensitive). I would really like to see him as Lensky but can’t think who could be cast as Onegin opposite him!
Hi Haglund, thanks for pointing me towards the Sylvia dvd with Bussell. I’m seeing Bolle’s Aminita opposite Semionova’s Sylvia so will probably wait until then. I really enjoyed his Swan Lake with Part a few years back as well- those two looked gorgeous together. I wasn’t a huge fan of his Onegin but that was for personal reasons (he seemed too gallant and sensitive). I would really like to see him as Lensky but can’t think who could be cast as Onegin opposite him!
It looks like the link was edited because now the Gomes piece is listed.
It looks like the link was edited because now the Gomes piece is listed.