All the way home on the train after seeing the final performance of ABT‘s Airs/La Sylphide, Haglund sparred with his internal editor. She can be such a humorless b____. But tonight she’s twirling around a strongly-scented pink scarf, so Haglund will mind his Ps and Qs. Another fine performance of Airs with Sean Stewart as the standout and Simone Messmer not far behind. Stewart was the only one of the men who was able to coordinate his head and arms with the sharpness one sees in Taylor dancers. Messmer has this Francie Hubor thing going which is so beautiful to watch. La Sylphide was heaven when Veronika Part and Craig Salstein were dancing but painful when Cory Stearns was dancing or standing around trying to figure out what to do with his face and hands. Veronika was stunningly beautiful in the Sylphide costume and danced like a dream. It was such a pleasure to see her in a work that required lightness, speed, and joy. She pulled it off remarkably well in spite of having to dance with a pile of cold, bland mashed potatoes. Craig Salstein as Gurn was brilliant in both character and dancing. His Bournonville backward traveling grand jetes entournant were so pleasurable to watch because he managed to turn his head back over his shoulder to the front so clearly and quickly - whereas the load of mashed potatoes failed consistently. And Salstein’s batterie was swift and clean - a treat to see. Now to the mashed potatoes. Haglund doesn’t see how McKenzie can continue to put Stearns on stage in principal roles when he is so sub-par and ineffective - not to mention how it denies so many better dancers these opportunities. Yes, this guy is tall and handsome in some respects and seems genuine in his efforts, but he’s not delivering. Haglund has seen 50 year old women attach beats to eschappes better than Stearns did tonight. His eschappes didn’t even open to second position. They were in some sloppy first position. Of all the backward traveling grand jetes he had to do, he only managed to look back over his shoulder once. His acting was worse than his dancing. Nothing there. Nothing. Cold, bland mashed potatoes. Just awful. Why does McKenzie hold Stearns to lower standards than those to which he holds everyone else? Haglund is putting all of it behind him now. In only six days, the world will be made perfect for a short time when Prince Roberto Bolle lifts the hands of Veronika’s Odette to begin the White Swan Pas de Deux. Let the quivering and sobbing begin. For tonight's performance, Haglund awards this curly cue Pump Bump to the Sylphide and Gurn: Copyright © 2009
Comments