It's almost here. We certainly have been patient all these years. After starring in a dozen or so performances of Aurora in the Royal New Zealand Ballet's acclaimed production, our Stella Abrera finally gets to dance the role on her home stage for her home fans opposite Marcelo Gomes' Prince Désiré. ABT, of course, has always denied her the respect of including those RNZB performances in her official bio (not a high profile accomplishment, apparently) – which is also a slap in the face to Ethan Stiefel who was the director of the company at the time. But ABT seems to have no trouble trumpeting the amateur school performances of its corps members or their local amateur group performances.
Since ABT has purposely mischaracterized her June 30th performance as "first time in role", let's throw out a little reminder of the truth from Down Under:
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We have the casting for the National Ballet of Canada's long-awaited visit to Lincoln Center with Christopher Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale. Sonia Rodriguez and Guillaume Coté will be making debuts at the Saturday matinee. We're very excited to see if this stage production measures up to the gigantic dramatic impact that it made on the big screen cinema by The Royal Ballet last year. Get your tickets here. Haglund recommends sitting close for this one.
Casting
Leontes
Piotr Stanczyk (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Evan McKie (July 29 at 8:00 pm)
Guillaume Côté* (July 30 at 2:00 pm)
McGee Maddox (July 31 at 2:00 pm)
Hermione
Hannah Fischer (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Jurgita Dronina (July 29 at 8:00 pm)
Sonia Rodriguez* (July 30 at 2:00 pm)
Heather Ogden (July 31 at 2:00 pm)
Perdita
Jillian Vanstone (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Elena Lobsanova (July 29 at 8:00 pm, 31 at 2:00 pm)
Rui Huang (July 30 at 2:00 pm)
Florizel
Naoya Ebe (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Francesco Gabriele Frola (July 29 at 8:00 pm, 31 at 2:00 pm)
Skylar Campbell (July 30 at 2:00 pm)
Polixenes
Harrison James (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Brendan Saye (July 29 at 8:00 pm, 31 at 2:00 pm)
Félix Paquet (July 30 at 2:00 pm)
Paulina
Xiao Nan Yu (July 28, 30 at 8:00 pm)
Svetlana Lunkina (July 29 at 8:00pm, 30 at 2:00 pm)
Tanya Howard (July 31 at 2:00 pm)
*Debut
All casting subject to change
26 responses to “observations 6-28”
Hi Haglund, Let’s not forget that Stella’s performance on June 30th is also her ABT 20th anniversary celebration. Get out the vote! If you are already a fan of Stella Abrera, then please help fill the remaining seats at the Met. If you aren’t a fan of Stella’s, please go to this performance because you will leave with a new favorite amongst your beloved ballerinas.
Hi Haglund, Let’s not forget that Stella’s performance on June 30th is also her ABT 20th anniversary celebration. Get out the vote! If you are already a fan of Stella Abrera, then please help fill the remaining seats at the Met. If you aren’t a fan of Stella’s, please go to this performance because you will leave with a new favorite amongst your beloved ballerinas.
I wish I can get there for this momentous evening and look forward to your review Haglund! So jealous! 🙁 I am sure she will look amazing! I just wonder why only give her the one show vs giving it to a new soloist?! After all she has waited, as we have, forever! I am all for nurturing the next generation, but let’s be honest, Stella should have been given a second show so we all have a chance to see her 🙁
I wish I can get there for this momentous evening and look forward to your review Haglund! So jealous! 🙁 I am sure she will look amazing! I just wonder why only give her the one show vs giving it to a new soloist?! After all she has waited, as we have, forever! I am all for nurturing the next generation, but let’s be honest, Stella should have been given a second show so we all have a chance to see her 🙁
Thanks for the reminder, Angelica.
H.F. Yes it is a shame that Stella didn’t get a second performance especially given the fact that the inelegant ox got two. It’s further ridiculous that Sarah Lane, who dances circles around the inelegant ox, only got one performance, also.
Thanks for the reminder, Angelica.
H.F. Yes it is a shame that Stella didn’t get a second performance especially given the fact that the inelegant ox got two. It’s further ridiculous that Sarah Lane, who dances circles around the inelegant ox, only got one performance, also.
Indeed Haglund and totally agree about Sarah! Both Stella and Sarah should have gotten the respect after all these years 🙁 It seems obvious that Ratmansky has his favorites?! Or those whom have powerful board sponsors!?
Indeed Haglund and totally agree about Sarah! Both Stella and Sarah should have gotten the respect after all these years 🙁 It seems obvious that Ratmansky has his favorites?! Or those whom have powerful board sponsors!?
Ratmansky adores both Stella and Sarah, but he may not have the last say on how many performances the dancers get.
Ratmansky adores both Stella and Sarah, but he may not have the last say on how many performances the dancers get.
Good to know Haglund and if so, wish he would have had more say! I do wonder why they were not given more shows 🙁 Sad for us who can’t make it on those dates!
Good to know Haglund and if so, wish he would have had more say! I do wonder why they were not given more shows 🙁 Sad for us who can’t make it on those dates!
I hope you’ll be able to see Cassandra Trenary as Aurora tomorrow. You’ll see she was made for that role.
I hope you’ll be able to see Cassandra Trenary as Aurora tomorrow. You’ll see she was made for that role.
Stella’s Aurora debut in ABT wold be so lovely. I envy you for seeing this.
And for The Winter’s Tale, this is indeed worth seeing live on stage, having musicians on stage makes the music hear better. And please do not miss the second cast, Jurgita Dronina, Evan McKie and Svetlana Lunkina, which is the best cast of this. Seeing Lunkina live itself is a treat and the drama will be so intense with them. I am coming from Japan to see this cast
Stella’s Aurora debut in ABT wold be so lovely. I envy you for seeing this.
And for The Winter’s Tale, this is indeed worth seeing live on stage, having musicians on stage makes the music hear better. And please do not miss the second cast, Jurgita Dronina, Evan McKie and Svetlana Lunkina, which is the best cast of this. Seeing Lunkina live itself is a treat and the drama will be so intense with them. I am coming from Japan to see this cast
@ Haglund Fan- I think Ratmansky really loves Sarah Lane, which is probably the main reason she was ever cast as Aurora in the first place.
@ Haglund Fan- I think Ratmansky really loves Sarah Lane, which is probably the main reason she was ever cast as Aurora in the first place.
Thank you Gerry! Glad to hear that! Since I think she has the emotions and technique to be one of my favorite dancers in the company, I know many prefer dancers who are better at the “tricks” but IMO emotions is what I look for when I watch a show, I cannot explain it but there is a feeling that some dancers have, and, no offense or disrespect to anyone, but let’s just say Whiteside isn’t one of them.
Thank you Gerry! Glad to hear that! Since I think she has the emotions and technique to be one of my favorite dancers in the company, I know many prefer dancers who are better at the “tricks” but IMO emotions is what I look for when I watch a show, I cannot explain it but there is a feeling that some dancers have, and, no offense or disrespect to anyone, but let’s just say Whiteside isn’t one of them.
Well, that was quite an evening. Stella Abrera danced wonderfully as always. Marcelo Gomes and Veronica Part were lovely as lilac fairy and Prince Desiree…
But the evening truly belonged to Stella. And it was so lovely to see so many members of the company go on stage to give her flowers in the end during the standing ovation. She couldn’t even hold all the bouquets. It was just beautiful.
Well, that was quite an evening. Stella Abrera danced wonderfully as always. Marcelo Gomes and Veronica Part were lovely as lilac fairy and Prince Desiree…
But the evening truly belonged to Stella. And it was so lovely to see so many members of the company go on stage to give her flowers in the end during the standing ovation. She couldn’t even hold all the bouquets. It was just beautiful.
So great to hear about Stella’s much deserved evening! Looks like she had flowers galore too from the company’s social media posts, so wonderful for her! However, I just read the NYT review and it feels as if she and Lane are both cheated from their performances, yet again! 🙁 I don’t understand why MaCaulay didn’t wait to review the entire run, especially since this was a day before Stella’s special day? Was this another MaCaulay snub? No matter how anyone feels I see Lane as Aurora and deserves at least a mention!? And, Stella has waited long enough for this special debut!
So great to hear about Stella’s much deserved evening! Looks like she had flowers galore too from the company’s social media posts, so wonderful for her! However, I just read the NYT review and it feels as if she and Lane are both cheated from their performances, yet again! 🙁 I don’t understand why MaCaulay didn’t wait to review the entire run, especially since this was a day before Stella’s special day? Was this another MaCaulay snub? No matter how anyone feels I see Lane as Aurora and deserves at least a mention!? And, Stella has waited long enough for this special debut!
MaCaulay has his favourites as he always reviews the same dancers over and over again. While I personally like Boylston’s Aurora (she may not be the most artistic or elegant ballerina but she is very joyous and steady in her dance), I also did see Hee Seo’s performance and it was blank to the extreme. Barker slowed the music and still she wobbled during the Rose Adagio to the point where one could see the strain and the shaking from far away. I do not understand why dancers are not matched to roles they can physically master. Watching her and Abrera back to back was like night and day.
But finally some long-overdue recognition for wonderful Stella Abrera.
MaCaulay has his favourites as he always reviews the same dancers over and over again. While I personally like Boylston’s Aurora (she may not be the most artistic or elegant ballerina but she is very joyous and steady in her dance), I also did see Hee Seo’s performance and it was blank to the extreme. Barker slowed the music and still she wobbled during the Rose Adagio to the point where one could see the strain and the shaking from far away. I do not understand why dancers are not matched to roles they can physically master. Watching her and Abrera back to back was like night and day.
But finally some long-overdue recognition for wonderful Stella Abrera.