PdG

 

 The "G" is for gymnastics.

 

Haglund prefers Nadia.  She earned her place on the podium.

 

Sepia colored pictures from ABT fall season advertisement.

 

 

Comments

[Angelica Smith]

You're good, Haglund!

[Haglund]

Angelica, these pictures of the new Ratmansky piece make it look like it could possibly be in the vein of his Middle Duet, which I so hated. Not interested in seeing any PdG even with the Big G himself.

[robin]

i think the pictures are lovely, which is not to say i'll love the choreography but i'm not going to write it off just because a flexible polina is in the photos. i'm not at all a fan of grotesque contortionist choreography & can take or leave high extensions in general but i'm certainly willing to give this one a shot. flexibility & beautiful legs are hardly something to complain about ;)
meanwhile i'm wondering who else is cast in this...

[Haglund]

Hi Robin. I complain about flexibility when it's offered up for the sake of flexibility or when the choreography is about putting the flexible woman into pose after pose that illustrates little more than her flexibility. IMO that's coupling, not dancing. Dancing has to move from one place to another by using the feet. The Middle Duet PdG by Ratmansky was the worst thing of his I have yet to see, and I hope this new piece doesn't recycle any of those ideas.

I'm not wondering so much about the cast for this as much as I'm wondering whether KM is going to take away the lead in Tudor's Leaves from Abrera, who was better than Kent in it the last time, and hand it over to Hee Seo the way he's handing over most of Stella's roles, unfortunately. It would be so disrespectful, but at the same time wouldn't surprise me.

[dc]

What's with her feet and shoes in the top pic, esp.the right foot? Yikes!

[Haglund]

dc, I think they're a characteristic of the extreme sport of ballet.

[Sphillips814]

Haglund, I prefer Nadia too! And unfortunately, completely agree with everything you have to say about ABT. They are my favorite ballet company, and Kevin M. is a very nice guy, but still...

[Haglund]

Hi Sphillips814. Thanks for reading H.H.

Every one of these guest artists and especially the ones who have been permanently imported, all know that they have pushed ABT company dancers away from earned opportunities and in doing so have adversely impacted a lot of wonderful dancers' careers. What kind of a person does that? What kind of person decides that he's going to grab someone else's opportunities regardless of how it adversely impacts those around him? I generally try to avoid those types of people and will continue to avoid the ones who come to ABT.

[robin]

and now osipova is dancing swan lake with acosta at the royal. egads.

[Haglund]

Well, you have to believe that wasn't Dame Monica's choice. Osipova looked like a Trock in the YouTube clips from her debut at the Mikhailovsky. Such hideous legs and arms etc. She is no, repeat NO, substitute for Tamara Rojo. In fact, we have the new young Tamara Rojo simmering at NYCB. Wait until Ana Sophia Scheller's Odette/Odile hatches. Just wait. And of course, ABT let her slip through its fingers as it did with Chase Finlay.

At least the London fouette-counters will be happy with Osipova even if she makes everyone else there spew.

[robin]

yeah, i have to say out of all the guests (or whatever she is now) she is one that really does nothing for me. i liked her alright in bright stream but found her overbearing in onegin,thought she made little effort to her relate to her partner (jared) throughout the performance & i just find her lacking subtlety in general. (plus she was not terribly gracious towards jared during the bows which i found irksome as well.)she has some really odd facial expressions at times & i didn't care for her SL clips from mikhailovsky either. the fact that she seems to sell out the house is beyond me & that they up the price for every performance she's in is seriously annoying.

[Haglund]

Osipova's brand of entertainment speaks to people who have no taste. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them around.

[robin]

plus i heard of her refusing autographs to a bunch of young summer intensive students at the stage door because she needed a cigarette- walking a few feet away from them & lighting up. i don't care how awesome you are, that's just obnoxious :(

[Haglund]

Not good to hear. How many of those students will emulate her?

[robin]

i know :( hardly the image we want our young, aspiring ballerinas to admire.

[LKR]

Robin, I witnessed the Osipova incident you are referring to. It was rather appalling.

I share the same reservations about Osipova's dancing as Haglund and others who have commented in this thread. Her lines are distasteful, for one. I recall watching a video of her in Don Q pas performing the developee a la seconde. She gets her leg up to her ear, but in doing so sacrficies the turn-out of the standing leg and hoists her hip up to a degree beyond imagination. And this is not even taking into account that poorly shaped foot at the end of the leg. And for the life of me I can never understand the appeal of Osipova's "artistry." Her face always looks like it's trying to eat flies.

[Genna]

For a long time I thought I was the one lacking in taste and appreciation of artistry because I didn't like Osipova's way of dancing. All of you here have summed up how I feel towards this gymnast under the disguise of a ballerina. Aside from the ugly line and disregard for proper positions that are the basis of classical ballet, Osipova gives off a sense of performing for the sake of performing. Nothing she does seems organic or rooted in soul-searching art emanating from within; there's a distasteful supplanting of technical trickery over actual dancing where steps are done to convey emotions, stories, or mood. I for the life of me could not understand how Osipova is applauded for these transgressions against canons of classical ballet.

I was literally shocked when I saw the small clip of her Odette. Forget bad line, where was the line to begin with? From head to tip of fingers to toes, there isn't an ounce of lyricism in her body to do Swan Lake justice. You can tell this wasn't an artist who seriously undertook the role of Odette/ Odile with months of preparation, as many of wonderful Russian Odette/ Odiles like Lopatkina and others have done. Osipova seems intent on forcing audiences to regard her weaknesses (the grotesque athleticism, wacky lines, un-balletic positions, etc..) as somehow being the new way of dancing e.g. ballet moving forward. I have heard from younger or new fans who don't know any better, that Osipova's way of dancing is exciting new direction that ballet is progressing.

I am in my 30s but I feel like an crotchety old fogie when I rail against the tackiness of such styles of "dancing". Thank you Haglund for making me feel like I'm not such an outcast for not loving such a popular ballerina and the way she dances.

[LKR]

I also find it rather interesting that the Bolshoi doesn't seem to have suffered at all since Osipova left, even considering how big a star she is. They have such a deep roster of wonderful ballerinas that enable the company to thrive even without her.

[Haglund]

Hi Genna and LKR. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

LKR - I agree that the Bolshoi hasn't suffered as the result of Osipova and Vasiliev walking out on them. In fact they've "traded up" by hiring Obraztsova after her departure/firing/resignation/whatever from the Mariinsky. The Bolshoi actually got someone who will bolster up the classical side of the company.

Genna, I've always felt that there was a large group of annoyed-but-diplomatically-silent people who didn't like the Osipova/Vasiliev circus that ABT has turned into. They're coming forward slowly but surely.

What is important is for people to speak with their money. When ABT comes calling for money, give them a lecture instead.