Haglund received the brochure for ABT’s upcoming six performance stint at Avery Fisher Hall in October. It included an array of photographs, mostly by Fabrizio Ferri. One photo confirmed that a soloist has not had a full meal in a while. Others reminded Haglund of the just ended but already missed Met season – Marcelo Gomes as VonRothbart, Veronika Part in Mozartiana. And then there was the picture of the 3-legged ballerina – with two left legs.
It is a fun and useful exercise to think what a 3-legged ballerina might be able to do – simultaneous en dehor and en dedan pirouettes with a passe retiré to each side comes to mind immediately, followed by attitude turns with two legs in back making a perfect square, and of course the coolest pas de chats imaginable.
ABT’s fall season celebrates their shorter works and more adventurous repertory as opposed to full length ballets, and the company can sometimes use the season to perform painful experiments on its audience. Somehow we survive. But please, Haglund is just not ready for a 3-legged ballerina – with two left legs. Not this year.
Tickets are on sale now, and they’re not unreasonably priced.