Bello, bello, bello ! красивейше, красивейше, красивейше ! Magnifico, magnifico, magnifico!
Пышно , пышно, пышно! Grazie molto! Grazie molto! Grazie molto! спасибо, спасибо, спасибо!
Roberto Bolle and Veronika Part did what The Babe and A-Rod were never able to do at Yankee Stadium. They knocked it out of the park last night. Mixing Russian passion with Italian glamour and British finish, they created a fairytale of such beauty and grandeur that it felt like we’d just been handed the World Series without having to sweat.
A few years ago when Alessandra Ferri brought Bolle in for her Farewell Performances as her “gift” to us, as she said, Haglund was suspect. He danced well with her and was easy on the eyes, but something kept many from believing he was the real deal. Could he pass muster without Ferri?
Bolle is the Real Deal. He’s the updated version of Old School with Dowell good manners and Nureyev influence in presentation. Haglund loves men who step over the line, so to speak, and push their techniques to and over the edge. But it is ever so refreshing also to run into one for whom it would be unthinkable to do so. Those who have become accustomed to the fiery brilliance of so many of our Siegfrieds may find Bolle’s resistence to overstatement underwhelming. They would also find Dowell and Bruhn underwhelming. Haglund thinks Bolle is to die for and hopes that we never have another week of Swan Lakes without Bolle and Part.
Haglund thought that Bolle would handle Siegfried’s solo in Act I better, because his strengths include his extensions and slow opening lines. No doubt he will be working on that turn that finishes in arabesque with the renverse so that it will be dazzling the next time. The DVDs of his Sylvia with Bussell and the YouTube clip of Excelsior illustrate his remarkable ability at this speed.
Whatever complaints Veronika Part may have had in the past concerning ABT, she should be kissing McKenzie’s feet for handing her Bolle. And her glorious performance last night pretty much sealed the deal for Bolle as well. He knew that he had an exceptional bird in hand, one that will add much glamour to his already stellar reputation and career. He should add her to his Bolle & Friends tour just to do the Act II PdD.
Veronika’s performance last night was the most complete, balanced, confident, elegant, heartfelt Swan Lake that Haglund has seen from her during her years with ABT. Whereas before, her bobbles were a noticeable distraction and impairment to her performances, the little off balances are now simply danced through like every other accomplished ballerina does. Makarova, Ferri, Gregory, Murphy, and even Paloma have had off moments in each and every performance, but they danced right through them - and tonight, so did Veronica. Brava!
Haglund is glad that Veronica’s White Swan costume underwent a change between Acts II and IV to remove that sleeveless skin colored mesh shirt that was attached to the bodice. Yuck!
The lifts were spectacular. The choice of the big arabesque lift replacing the “overhead and around” lift was a good one. Less difficult, but with greater reward. Every time Roberto and Veronika embraced, it was a picture that Haglund wanted for his wall. No doubt about it, they are the fairytale.
And a word for the tall, dark super standing on the balcony during Act III - You lucky dog.
Gennadi Saveliev does not have the Gomes or Hallberg effect, but he’s still darned good at portraying a very traditional Von Rothbart. He was evil and untrustworthy, and danced very well. Roman Zhurbin was once again fantastic as the ugly V.R. swamp thing. His Act IV contact with Bolle was very good. His death scene nearly got the bad guy our sympathies.
The orchestra! Ormsby Wilkins is a rock star! He made the orchestra sound like it was double its size last night. Such a great job. Such depth of emotion coming from the pit. He really deserves to have his picture and bio on the ABT website. Come on, people.
Someone must have given the Corps and Soloists one heck of a pep talk, because they were, across the board, sensational and all danced like they were principals.
Blaine Hoven replaced Jared Matthews as Benno and was the best Haglund has seen him dance all season. Still flaps his wrists and hands like a Firebird when doing entrechat seises, because he insists on holding his palms down instead of turned forward. (How he ever got a passing grade in Conover’s class at NCSA with those hands is a mystery.) Hands-while-jumping-notwithstanding, he was terrific, and a perfect partner to Stella Abrera and Maria Riccetto who both also delivered the best PdT performances Haglund has ever seen from them.
Stella was exquisite, high energy, on spot turns, easy jumps, and a beautiful smile. True, Siegfried could not take his eyes off of Stella during either her solos or the trio dancing because she was a strong candidate for his love. But Haglund could tell and at this point was actually reading Roberto’s mind as he sized up Stella for next year’s Giselle. “I want to share lilies with her,“ he thought. Yes, indeed. We want to see you do that, too.
The Neapolitans, Craig Salstein and Joseph Phillips, were the best so far this season. Tremendous performances and technique from both. They rocketed their ways through four and five revolution pirouettes - not turns, but real pirouettes - and stirred the audience into interruptive applause. What a great job. Haglund demands to see Salstein as the handsome Von Rothbart next year and will start an ugly petition if need be.
Simone Messmer and Nicola Curry as the Big Swans were beautiful. Such different dancers, with at times Nicola looking like Veronika’s little sister. Lovely grand jetes from both. And Messmer with Julio Bragado-Young (and Wilkins’ conducting) led the Czardas to brilliance in Act III.
The Corps de Ballet again was simply astonishing in its beauty.
A tremendous effort from everyone last night and a blue ribbon First Position Pump Bump Award for all:
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