Haglund's Heel

RNZB – Secret Lives ... Season 2, Ep 8

Update:  Flowerbomb is beginning to load the episodes to her new host.  Here is the link to Season 2, Episode 8.  The episodes from Season 1 are up as are the first and last episodes of Season 2.  Since her channel is marked as private, the technicality marshals may leave her alone - for a while.  F'bomb is da bomb diggity.  Much thanks!

Happy Tuesday.  Courtesy of Flowerbomb, here's Episode 8.  Oh, NO!  This is the Season Finale!  Flowerbomb, how long do we have to wait for the next season to start?

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E8 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

 

 

RNZB – Secret Lives ... Season 2, Ep 7

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for the Royal New Zealand Ballet's hit TV show The Secret Lives of Dancers.  Flowerbomb was fast on the draw last night - getting the latest episode up on Vimeo for all of us in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world to enjoy.  Thank you, F'bomb! There's no better way to start the day. 

We all knew that Abigail Boyle would pull it together and have a tremendous performance as the second cast's Aurora; we just had to wait a week to see it.  She's a lovely dancer and the few glimpses of Tonia Looker's Aurora reveal the same.

This episode focuses on the company's tour to Christchurch only months following the city's devastation from the earthquake.  Quakes were continuing to register in the area at the time of the company's visit.  Very emotional stuff. 

While this show is airing all over New Zealand, the RNZB is touring its acclaimed NYC rep program all over the country to rave reviews with Gillian Murphy as its principal guest artist.  Gotta say that for such a small company, they really have their media strategy together.

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E07 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

 

RNZB – Secret Lives ... Season 2, Ep 6

Thanks to Flowerbomb, we have almost instant access to Episode 6!  F'bomb says that the last part of the video got cut off, but that it basically ends there and we find out what happens to Abigail Boyle next week.

Some beautiful clips of Stella Abrera and rave comments from the other dancers.  We really need to see more of her in New York - that is, in lead principal roles.  Not to mention that long overdue promotion.

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E06 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

 

 

RNZB – Secret Lives ... Season 2, Ep 5

Flowerbomb has uploaded Tuesday night's episode on Vimeo.  Not many dance clips this week but there are a few lovely moments of the 2nd cast Aurora, Tonia Looker, in one of her variations.  The sets and costumes are fab - and that dragon...!  Love the "Where is Greg?" moment.  Must say that the sizes of these dancers' apartments in New Zealand are impressive.  Does no one live in 300 sq ft with a shower stall?

Next week's episode is opening night!

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E05 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

F'bomb, you da bomb.  Thank you!

     

 

RNZB – Standing O for Keigwin's Final Dress

The fashion and culture website Thread reports that Larry Keigwin's world premiere for the Royal New Zealand Ballet deserved its standing ovation:

Who knew what to expect from the second piece – described in the programme as “athletic and rigorous.” From the beginning, Larry Keigwin’s Final Dress enthralled: the curtain opened to backstage lay bare, dancers in leotards and/or semi-nude. Drawn into the dancers’ world, this was like an artistic interpretation of The Secret Lives of Dancers: their beauty, grace, strength, and skill up front and central. The audience was delighted – and a standing ovation was well deserved. Lucy Balfour was delightful in her vintage dress from Hunters and Collectors in Cuba St, drawing us in with her smile and those amazing arms.

This was a hard act to follow – and while 'Who Cares?' by the two American greats Balanchine and Gershwin was beautifully executed and again displayed Gillian Murphy’s enormous talent, we kept harking back to the astonishing, moving, sexiness of Final Dress.

NZ's TheatreView says Final Dress was the highlight of the evening:

Showing dancers behind the scenes before the performance, Larry Keigwin has created this piece on the RNZB and this clearly comes across. The personalities of the dancers are reflected in the dancing and they look the most comfortable in this work. The music is intriguing and compelling, the overall effect is immersing and the audience gets lost in it.

Here's a news clip with good footage from the final dress rehearsal of Final Dress including interviews with Keigwin and a couple of the fabulous dancers.

Stella Abrera Arrives!

The Secret Lives of Dancers, which is the Royal New Zealand Ballet's major hit TV reality show, airs only in New Zealand on Tuesdays.  However, some blessed angels, like Flowerbomb, have managed to load it on to YouTube and Vimeo so that we all can enjoy it - at least for a while until someone yanks it down. 

Below is Season 2, Episode 3 when the company dancers find out that ABT's Stella Abrera is coming to town to dance Aurora in RNZB's massive new production of Sleeping Beauty.  There is a short clip of one of her variations at about 2'35" but she doesn't actually arrive until Episode 4 which follows below.  Our angel Flowerbomb has uploaded all of the Season 2 episodes so far broadcast to Vimeo.  This show is addictive.  But besides loving it for including Stella, the RNZB dancer who the producers seem to "go to" for his insight and ability to draw out responses from his colleagues, Jaered Glavin, is priceless.

The program's producers rightly refer to Stella as a "prima ballerina" and "one of the best dancers in America."   Yes, she certainly is.  What a shame it is that we don't get to see her dance more often.

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E03 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

Season 2, Episode 4.

 

The Secret Lives of Dancers S02E04 from flowerbomb on Vimeo.

Our profound thanks and gratitude to Flowerbomb.

 

Leapling Lizards! RNZB takes on NYC!

On February 29th, Gillian Murphy makes her debut with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in its program entitled NYC.  Opening night in Auckland will include three works representing a little bit of what is going on in New York City's dance scene these days.  Benjamin Millepied's 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini, a world premiere by Larry Keigwin, and Balanchine's Who Cares? comprise the program.  Gillian will dance in 28 Variations with Qi Haun and in Who Cares? with Paul Mathews.

Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner were called in to stage 28 Variations.  You may recall that they worked with the dancers in 28 Variations who Millepied employed for his gig at the Joyce Theater a few years ago and in a very short time had a profound effect on the development of Maria Riccetto, Eric Tamm, and Sarah Lane.  How wonderful it would be if Amanda were Gillian's coach for her debut Giselle at RNZB next November.

It looks like the stars are aligned and the plan is in place which could put RNZB on track to bolt forward this year like Usain at the 9 sec. mark. 

 

 

RNZB - Sleeping Beauty clip

Gary Harris (designer) and Greg Horsman (choreographer) talk about their new production of Sleeping Beauty for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.  Check out the fire-breathing dragon in these clips which seem to be from a dress rehearsal!  This looks like something that we need to see in New York, and it seems like it might fit nicely in the New York State Theater.

The clip includes a blurb of Stella Abrera in class and in interview which is all fine and dandy, but we need to see her freakin' Rose Adagio. 

 

RNZB – Abrera continues to captivate New Zealand as Aurora

The New Zealand Herald has a feature article that focuses mainly on Stella Abrera in conjunction with its preview coverage of the RNZB's performances of Sleeping Beauty in Napier, Auckland, and Rotorua this week and next.  Raewyn Whyte interviewed Stella for the article following her international debut as Aurora recently in Wellington:

"Abrera has given a good deal of thought to the challenges she faces. "I am familiar with the role, as I have understudied it several times over the years with ABT, and I had just enough time with the company to put the rest together before the tour started. The more I dance her, the more I learn about her."

On this Thanksgiving Weekend, there are more than a few people who are thankful that Ethan Stiefel stepped in and accomplished what Kevin McKenzie couldn't or wouldn't – that is, to give this world class ballerina the chance to shine like we know she can.  Hopefully, we'll see some video of one of her performances soon.

In the meantime, Haglund found this video which says a little something about this situation:

 

 That Stiefel sure do play a mean piano, don't he?

 

They're still talking about RNZB Sleeping Beauty and Stella Abrera's Aurora

From Saturday's edition of the New Zealand Listener:

"One of the highlights of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty is guest artist Stella Abrera’s interpretation of Princess Aurora’s first encounter with Prince Désiré."

and this

"Abrera, from the American Ballet Theatre, is stunning. A poised Aurora, she has total control over the challenging choreography, dancing with finely nuanced movement and expression."

Here's the rest of the review.  This whole production sounds magical.

Update:

Here's a rehearsal photo  of Aurora and Désiré by Dean Kozanic in Christchurch, NZ  this week.  It appeared with a brief article at Press.co.nz.

Update:

From the November 17 edition of Theatreview.org.nz which reviews the RNZB's performance in Christchurch:

"Guest artist Stella Abrera radiated warmth and displayed masterful technique as Princess Aurora and was partnered with bravado and splendour by new dancer Sergio Torrado"

 

RNZB takes Sleeping Beauty on tour

RNZB is on the first leg of a national tour of its enormously successful Sleeping Beauty.  From the Southland Times review of last night's performance in Invercargill:

"Performing for a near-full theatre last night, the strongest performance was from Aurora, played by guest soloist Stella Abrera of the American Ballet Theatre, who conveyed strong emotions with her face as well as her movements, which were precise, elegant and even breathtaking in the final act."

10/30 Update: scroll downStella Abrera Debuts as Aurora in RNZB's Sleeping Beauty Premiere

Okay, Haglund is a little more sour than usual because he could not attend last night's world premiere of the Royal New Zealand Ballet's production of Sleeping Beauty starring Stella Abrera as AURORA.  But the word is out already this morning that Stella stunned them with her Beauty.

Raewyn Whyte, who will be formally reviewing the opening performance in Auckland on November 30th, attended the premiere and was kind enough to send all Haglund'eelers a few notes which appear in full here and which include:

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.

You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the link above and through the numerous comments – numerous because there are a lot of Haglund'eelers in these here parts who are unhappy about missing Stella's debut.

Check back here for reviews (click on "comments" at bottom of post), pictures, and comments as they come in.

In the meantime, congratulations to our Stella!

Update:

Here's what we've been waiting for.  Evan Li caught some lovely photos of the performance and has placed them on the RNZB FB page here, including this one of AURORA (click on photo to enlarge):

Photo by Evan Li for RNZB.

 

Stiefel's ABT retirement (and other) plans

Ethan Stiefel told reporter Valerie Lawson of The Australian that his 2012 spring performances in Le Corsaire and Swan Lake with ABT at The Met will probably be his last with the company. 

The new artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet spoke more about his collaborations with Johan Kobborg which include a new La Bayadere that the two will prepare for the National Ballet of Canada's 2015 season.  Designs will be by Robert Perdziola who is well known for his opera sets and costumes at The Met Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Opera Australia, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

The article in The Australian, which has an interesting typo in the penultimate paragraph, also seemed to confirm that Stella Abrera's Aurora in RNZB's Sleeping Beauty later this month is still a go.  Fist Pump, Baby!!

 

NYC Down Under

Ethan Stiefel's 2012 season for the Royal New Zealand Ballet begins with a program called "NYC" – get it?   It actually stands for New Young Classic and will be a program consisting of three short pieces from the Big Apple:  a brand new work by Larry Keigwin, Millepied's 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini, and Balanchine's Who Cares.  Next up will be Angelina Ballerina's Big Audition followed by Cinderella.  Closing the season will be the new Stiefel/Kobborg production of Giselle with Gillian Murphy in the title role.

RNZB's handsome 2012 brochure is already up on its Facebook page and a YouTube video of Stiefel's 2012 announcement is loaded into its channel.  

This is ambitious and has pizzazz.  Wonder if they've penciled in a date yet for a Joyce Theater debut.

 

ABT defections continue

NYT reports that David Hallberg will join the Bolshoi while continuing to perform with ABT and other companies on a limited basis.

Meanwhile, down under, Ethan Stiefel and Gillian Murphy have given a few recent interviews (here and here) from which the following information was taken:

Gillian will dance with ABT at the Met, but spend most of her time in New Zealand where next year she will dance the title role of Giselle in the new Stiefel/Kobberg version and Cinderella.

Stiefel's first programming choices for the Royal New Zealand Ballet include works by Larry Keigwin and Benjamin Millepied, and he hopes to build the company's talent, repertory, and capacity to enable more international touring - including a visit to the U.S.

Where are those ABT internal promotions to principal?  We need to see no fewer than SIX.