Yes, Folks, AURORA!
"We're delighted to have secured a star of Stella's calibre to perform In this spectacular production," says RNZB General Manager Amanda Skoog.
The new production, choreographed by RNZB's ballet master Greg Horsman with designs by Gary Harris, has been three years in the making.
Sleeping Beauty will be the first production of the first year for new Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel. Hey, Mr. AD, how about live streaming it on the internet?
Here's a list of performances:
Wellington: 28-30 October & 2-5 November, St James Theatre. Featuring the Vector Wellington Orchestra. Invercargill: 8 and 9 November, Civic Theatre. Dunedin: 12 and 13 November, Regent Theatre. Palmerston North: 22 and 23 November, Regent on Broadway. Napier: 26 and 27 November, Municipal Theatre. Auckland: 30 November - 4 December, ASB Theatre, The Civic, THE EDGE. Featuring the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Rotorua: 7 and 8 December, Civic Theatre. Christchurch: performances scheduled for 16-19 November have been cancelled due to the earthquake.
Congratulations, Stella!
At last! Thank you, Haglund, for letting us know. I do hope principal roles at ABT will follow. If not, I'll have to check out the air fare to New Zealand!
Posted by: Angelica Smith | July 04, 2011 at 09:51 AM
Already checked. Air fares are out of my range.
Posted by: Haglund | July 04, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Then they're probably out of mine, too! I wish I could find a way to give you a scholarship. Your reviews are extraordinarily insightful.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | July 04, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Thank you very much.
Posted by: Haglund | July 04, 2011 at 12:02 PM
Ethan Stiefel has the best ideas! :)
Posted by: Rachelmarch.blogspot.com | July 05, 2011 at 01:10 PM
Though I just hope her Aurora performances don't conflict with ABT's week at City Center....
Posted by: Rachelmarch.blogspot.com | July 05, 2011 at 01:11 PM
Unfortunately, I suspect it might conflict with City Center. But I'm not going to complain. It's too big an opportunity for her, and besides, the CC season really sucks except for In the Upper Room.
Posted by: Haglund | July 05, 2011 at 01:22 PM
Also interesting that it's Stella not Gillian, since I heard she was going to perform with RNZB when Stiefel took over. Go Stella!
Posted by: Rachelmarch.blogspot.com | July 05, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Happy for Stella, sad she is unable to make her debut with her own company. Good on Steifel.
Posted by: K | July 05, 2011 at 06:00 PM
We need to raise money to send Haglund to New Zealand to see Stella's debut. I don't know how many subscribers this blog has, but if we were each to contribute something, wouldn't it be wonderful to read about it from none other than Haglund? A real grass roots movement in the interest of an international art and one of our most beloved ballerinas!
Posted by: Angelica Smith | July 07, 2011 at 09:52 PM
LOL!!!
Well, it's a damn safe bet that our city's mainstream media isn't going to make the trip to New Zealand to see New York's Ethan Stiefel's inaugural directorial debut of his inaugural season starring New York's Stella Abrera in her debut performance of the company's premiere performance of its three-years-in-the-making Sleeping Beauty. Nah, not much of a story there at all. What if Stiefel decides to dance in it? Nah, no story whatsoever.
We need to do a prayer dance for a live-stream event. Dance, Angelica, dance!!
Posted by: Haglund | July 07, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Live stream would be awesome, Haglund! Will petit allegro do it? Having gone back to ballet classes after 37 years of not dancing at all, I've lost my 90 degree arabesque, my sustained-in-the-air grand jete, and my promenade, but I can still glissade jete, coupe, ballonne, pas de bourree, changement, changement! I will do a Stream-New-Zealand-Ballet-Live-Prayer-Dance in petit allegro, and we'll see if it works.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | July 08, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Okay, but don't go crazy. The gods would probably respond to beautiful Petipa-inspired port de bras, too. ;)
Posted by: Haglund | July 08, 2011 at 12:03 PM
I will use Stella Abrera as my role model.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | July 08, 2011 at 03:06 PM
Haglund et al -- sorry you can't be here in New Zealand to see Stella Abrera dance Aurora. I'll be there on opening night and you will find there'll be plenty of reports from New Zealand dance writers, with reviews in all the main centres included on www.theatreview.org.nz
Posted by: Raewyn Whyte, dance editor, Theatreview | October 19, 2011 at 11:34 PM
Raewyn! Thanks so much for letting us know that you will be covering the premiere and for furnishing the link.
To say that we are insanely excited would be an understatement.
Posted by: Haglund | October 20, 2011 at 09:17 AM
Live streaming would be AWESOME!!!!
Posted by: Angelica Smith | October 20, 2011 at 09:35 AM
From your lips to . . .
Posted by: Haglund | October 20, 2011 at 12:17 PM
PS Haglund, I am lookiing forward to seeing the production tonight, and then interviewing Stella Abrera tomorrow morning -- after her debut performance as Aurora tonight. Am I right in concluding that this is her first Aurora -- not just her first with this company? That has not been mentioned in any of the promotional material here, yet when I tried to find reviews of her in the role I couldn't. I promise to report back -- in about 8hrs time, assuming I can access this hotel computer when I arrive back from the show.
Posted by: Raewyn Whyte | October 27, 2011 at 10:50 PM
Hi Raewyn. Here's a link to Stella's biography at American Ballet Theatre:
http://abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=19.
As far as we know, this marks Stella's debut as Aurora. Her principal role in Sleeping Beauty at ABT is Lilac Fairy which she dances with exquisite grace and poetry.
We're looking forward to all the reviews and pictures.
Posted by: Haglund | October 27, 2011 at 11:08 PM
Ok so, briefly on a night when I was just there for pleasure (and to inform my interview) -- Stella Abrera rules! A beautiful, lissom Aurora, with impeccable technique, split second timing, a mature authority in everything she does, and she utterly charmed the audience. I look forward to seeing how she develops before I see her again on November 30th when I will be reviewing. Sadly the Prince wasn't in the least convincing -- he was another very recent import from the US - Sergio Torrado ex San Francisco Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet Fine in the technique department but cold, autocratic, somehow more like a father figure than a love-smitten hero.
I'll pointt toreviws online as they become available.
Cheers
-Raewyn
Posted by: Raewyn Whyte | October 28, 2011 at 05:30 AM
Thank you, Haglund, for bringing us the good news. If ABT doesn't make Stella a principal dancer asap, I will never subscribe again and I will certainly tell them why.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | October 28, 2011 at 03:01 PM