Haglund's Heel

June 29th Manon PdD still unannounced.

There are about 127 hours to go until the kick-off ceremonies for ABT's Met season but the June 29th Manon PdD casting has not yet been posted on the website calendar.  Will McKenzie award the opportunity to a company member who deserves it (like, who deserves it more than ABRERA?) or will he give it away to a guest artist? 

Maybe next year the entire Met season can be devoted to guest artists thereby further de-emphasizing and de-valuing the company's own dancers.

Choreography Crisis

Over at Vanity Fair, James Wolcott blogs about Laura Jacobs' article, Dogma & Diaghilev, which appears in the May issue of The New Criterian.  Jacobs asks "How did we get to the point where just about every new classical dance is meaningless?" and a little later suggests "I suppose George Balanchine deserves some blame."  No doubt the folks over on BalletFart are wrinkling their noses like they just snorted their own bad smells. 

Frankly, Haglund thinks much of the blame should be pointed at Lawrence Ferlinghetti for all the trouble he started with A Coney Island of the Mind back in 1958.  We all loved that drivel so much.  Oh, the "empty air of existence" and the "strung-out citizens in painted cars and they have strange license plates and engines that devour America."  And then a few years later that guy and his Trout Fishing in America became all the rage.  That book was about Nothing more than Seinfeld was about Nothing.  But everyone had to have a copy of it and pretty soon the rage was all about being Nothing.  Nothing was the coolest you could be.  Nothing was Something.  You see, if you acted like Nothing, people would act like you're Something, because they didn't want to look like they really were attracted to your Nothingness which they wanted to believe was Somethingness.  But didn't we outgrow all that?  

Seems not yet.

ABT Gala casting changes

Regrettably, it appears that Jose Manuel Carreno will not dance in the ABT Gala program according to changes uploaded to the calendar today.  He had been scheduled to dance the Thais PdD with Diana Vishneva.  She will now dance with Jared Matthews.  Our first opportunity to see J.M. will be during the Saturday matinee of La Bayadere with Julie Kent.

The Sleeping Beauty PdD from Act III had been assigned to Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg.  However, the calendar now indicates that Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes will dance it instead of the R&J PdD.  Osipova and Hallberg will dance the Act II PdD from Giselle.  (Haglund has a call into Yogi to see if including this PdD from Giselle in the Gala makes the season an "official" one, but it's probably a bit of a stretch to expect that Yogi will buy that argument.)

According to the program, Osipova will be followed by Veronika Part (Black Swan PdD) who will be followed by Vishneva.  Haglund thinks that it will be a delightful exercise to compare Osipova's qualities to Part's and Vishneva's. 

It is fitting that Angel Corella will anchor the Gala evening with his solo performance of David Parsons' Caught.  How nice it will be to give the audience an opportunity to express its gratitude to this magnificent artist who has anchored so many seasons for ABT.  What a shame it is that ABT decided to deny him a full season of performances and in doing so deny the audience so much joy.

On the Dnieper revisited

Haglund is looking forward once again to seeing the beautiful sets of On the Dnieper during ABT's upcoming Met season and has been encouraged by comments made by Alexei Ratmansky which suggest that he will continue to work on the piece.  Aside from the Prokofiev music that really doesn't grab you by the throat and scream "Dance, you fool, dance!" and aside from the over-steppiness of the choreography, the main problem with the piece from an audience's perspective is the slightness of the story (see synopsis here.) 

So, Haglund – always eager to help out especially when he hasn't been invited to – has revised the libretto to give it the kind of weight that he and his friends like to see in a story ballet.  Compare this to what's at the link above:

Sergei comes home from war with a group of soldiers.  He still loves his Natalia dearly and looks for her in the large crowd of welcomers.  He finds her and they embrace but they both sense a distance between them that was not there before.

 

Sergei then approaches Olga and Olga's mother who are searching for their father/husband among the soldiers.  Sergei must tell them that their father/husband will not be coming home.  He has died on the battlefield - a hero who saved many, including Sergei.  Sergei describes the battle and gives Olga and Olga's mother the fallen soldier's personal effects - his flag, his medals, his uniform hat, the family pictures he carried with him.

 

Sergei then tells Olga and Olga's mother that he promised their father/husband as he lay dying, that he (Sergei) would forever take care of Olga and her mother and that the soldier could leave this world in peace.

 

Sergei experiences the expected conflict and torment of loving Natalia but having promised the dying soldier that he would always take care of Olga and her mother.  Both Olga and her mother begin to develop feelings for Sergei who responds genuinely to both.  (The audience is never quite sure which woman Sergei is servicing or whether he's servicing both.)  Sergei continues to desire Natalia and meets with her secretly.  During one of these meetings he is observed by Olga who tells her mother what she has seen.  The mother and Olga plead with Sergei to be faithful to them and explain that they could not survive another loss as tragic as when their father/husband died on the battlefield.

 

Sergei then attempts to hook up Natalia with his best friend, thinking that she would find supreme happiness with a handsome, wealthy man who was desired by most all other women in town.  Natalia initially resists but then pretends to fall in love with Sergei's friend.

 

Seeing Natalia with his best friend, Sergei weeps at his loss but then forces himself to regain his composure.  As he strolls slowly away with Olga on his right arm and her mother on his left, he looks back over his shoulder at Natalia who is in a crumpled heap on the floor having realized that she has lost Sergei forever.  Sergei's best friend stands off to the side with arms folded not understanding what has provoked Natalia's tears.

 

As Sergei and the women stroll away, there appear the faint shadows of fallen soldiers in uniform who stand and watch them.  Sergei pauses to look at one, slowly salutes him, and walks away with the women.

The curtain lowers.  The audience applauds and screams wildly.  Standing in the aisle, Alastair Macaulay whips out his cell phone to call in his review but can barely be heard over the roar of the crowd.  "History has been made and I am so glad to have been here," he dictates.  Haglund has not exactly been invited to write Alastair's reviews for him, either, but eh.

On the Dnieper will be performed on June 9, 11, 28 and July 1 – most likely with its original storyline.

On Haglund's Calendar: NYCB McGregor premiere

Wayne McGregor presents his first choreographic composition for an American company this Friday, May 14th, at NYCB.  The choreography's title, Outlier, and the title of Thomas Ades' violin concerto used by McGregor, Concentric Paths, already conjure up images of interest.  Whether expectations are met or not, the evening's success is already assured with Jenifer Ringer and Philip Neal leading the season's first performance of Serenade – the cast of which also includes Kaitlyn Gilliland.

All things come to those who wait.

For months and months, Haglund has been fretting over his inability to get the attention of the Great State of North Dakota.  Every state in the union had visited Haglund's Heel  except for North Dakota — that is, until today!  Oh North Dakota, you complete Haglund.  You had him at hello.  Don't worry, Haglund is not gonna do what you all think he's gonna do, which is, you know, FLIP OUT!  But he wishes to express his profound gratitude to the person in or around the western border town of Williston, North Dakota who this day, forever to be celebrated as El Seis de Mayo, tapped "Haglund's Heel" into his search box and clicked his way into the H.H. world.

 

NYCB 5/4 – Concerto Barocco, Duo Concertant, Four T's, Symphony in Three Movements

Last night Jennie Somogyi gave a musically-sensitive, kick-ass performance in the Sanguinic movement of The Four Temperaments.  Her Sanguinistas – Sara Adams, Likolani Brown, Kristen Segin and Mary Elizabeth Sell – were little Somogyi soldiers who dispatched their steps with the same authoritative command as their leader.  Everyone – including Somogyi’s partner last night, Tyler Angle – seemed to pick up his game when Somogyi was on stage – one more reason not to miss any of her dwindling number of performances this spring.  Craig Hall as Melancholic, Albert Evans as Phlegmatic, and Teresa Reichlen as Choleric all gave strong performances as well.

The evening opened with Concerto Barocco led by Wendy Whelan, Ellen Bar and Charles Askegard.  Whelan was as musically inspired and fleet-footed as ever – a joy to watch.  Haglund wishes that Ellen Bar would lighten up a bit when she’s given spotlight opportunities.  Last night saw her holding her lips together so tightly when it was apparent she wanted to smile that it created a forced fierceness of expression that was neither attractive nor fitting for the piece. 

What was evident in Concerto Barocco and the evening’s closer, Symphony in Three Movements, was that the company’s port de bras, never anything to brag about, needs spiffing up.  How hard is it to make first position round instead of square?  Were Balanchine’s choreographic instructions really that the hands travel up the front of the body and brush the boobs before opening to second position?  Doubt it.  In certain instances last night, it looked like the beginnings of some weird balletic masturbation.  Ladies, please stop touching yourselves with your port de bras.  

Symphony in Three Movements didn’t have it’s best night either.  Haglund adores Abi Stafford but does not think that casting her in this piece was the best idea.  Stafford’s strengths lie in creating fantasy and romance and interpreting music in a uniquely lovely manner - not especially useful in Symphony in Three Movements.   And Sebastien Marcovici should not be in any ballet that requires him to wear white shoes.  His feet were awful, just awful, and he appears at this point not to be in performance shape.

The other leads, Rebecca Krohn, Sean Suozzi, Ana Sophia Scheller, and Adam Hendrickson,  all gave wonderful performances with Krohn and Scheller displaying confidence and attack in terrific debut performances. 

The highlight of the evening was Duo Concertant  performed by Sterling Hyltin and Robert Fairchild in their New York debuts.  Haglund admits to not watching a lot of the steps, because he couldn’t stop focusing on the dancers’ faces as they interacted with each other and the onstage musicians.  There was a whole little story going on there that was sweet and honest.  Fairchild and Hyltin played off of one another and at times against one another just as the violin played off and at times against the piano.  Both could devour space when the movement called for it, but they also made the moments of stillness seem of gigantic importance.  And Fairchild as a partner has hands that seemingly never miss. 

Haglund is glad to see Duo Concertant back in circulation and has a special Dolce and Gabbana Pump Bump Award in its honor:

David Hallberg: Cultural Diplomat Extraordinaire

Haglund has been following with great interest the tidbits of information coming out and the picture coming together of David Hallberg’s recent three week dancing expedition to Russia and the Republic of Georgia.  Hallberg is arguably the best that America has to offer in ballet, and it was exciting to see him traveling the globe convincing countries who have a priorital claim on the art form that the depth of our classical talent is to be respected and admired.  What is particularly exciting is that he is just beginning to scratch the surface of his dramatic talents and seems eager to sponge up artistic pointers from the world’s greatest dancers of a generation ago such as Vladimir Vasiliev.  

This whirlwind tour began with Hallberg dancing Albrecht in Vasiliev’s Giselle at the Bolshoi Ballet opposite soloist Natalia Osipova.  Ms. Osipova danced with Hallberg in ABT’s production of Giselle last summer in New York.  She is scheduled to appear this season with him in Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet, and opposite Jose Manuel Carreno in Don Quixote.  

We are very fortunate that an audience member surreptitiously videoed portions of Act I of this Giselle performance and posted them on YouTube here and here.  It is apparent from these bits, from Hallberg’s breakthrough performance of Albrecht last year, and from his various published comments that he thoroughly enjoys dancing with Osipova and that she challenges him to strive to a higher plane.  This is all good because being a happy dancer makes it easier to be a thriving dancer.  And the dance world has a vested interest in seeing Hallberg continue to thrive.  

That said, no one has yet referred to Hallberg-Osipova as a partnership.  Nor is it likely that they will ever be referred to as one in the vein of Bruhn-Fracci, Nureyev-Fonteyn, or Bocca-Ferri.  They don’t particularly compliment one another physically nor do they share stage temperaments that work magically together the way the above mentioned pairs did.  They are, simply put, two very talented but very different dancers doing their jobs very well.

After conquering the Bolshoi in Moscow, Hallberg journeyed up to Saint Petersburg to perform in the Mariinsky Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty opposite principal Alina Somova.  Our favorite audience member was on the job again and uploaded three wonderful video snippets of Hallberg dancing on the Mariinsky stage here, here and here.  He looks spectacular in his circle of coupe jetes which the audience interrupted with applause.  In another clip, we have the opportunity to see Hallberg perform a series of gorgeous side to side assembles at the traditionally slower tempo which we don’t often see in this country.

His Sleeping Beauty partner, Ms. Somova, is a lightening rod for controversy, if ever there was one.  The Mariinsky has seemingly decided that she has qualities that warrant her jumping rungs up the organization/repertory ladder in spite of technical deficiencies and in spite of the existence of more competent dancers who have been toeing the Mariinsky corporate line for years and waiting patiently for their opportunities.

Somova’s deficiencies are of the type that no one understands why they are not being addressed.   Exhibit A - she has a proclivity for inappropriately throwing her leg up to her ear and beyond in the Petipa classics.  Exhibit B - her fouette turns make her look like a polio victim.  Exhibit C - her mugging grins at the audience drive people up the wall.  Exhibit D - her grand jetes typically split beyond 180 degrees giving her jumps a dropped crotch look.  Exhibit E - her long acrylic fingernails are professionally unbecoming.  And yet, Haglund has observed a soft, lovely, charismatic quality and a sincerity in Somova’s dancing that are very, very appealing.  This past New Year’s Eve when the Mariinsky Ballet televised a program that included Somova in Paquita, Haglund was pleasantly surprised at her restraint and tidiness.  She really seemed to have improved since the Mariinsky’s visit to City Center several months earlier when she delivered appalling performances.  Not all things had improved, mind you, but enough improved to drive the interest to see more.  

Haglund is curious to know if the Aurora with whom Hallberg danced was the Somova who came to City Center or the Somova who we saw on New Year’s Eve or some other Somova.  Blondness aside, the physical pairing of Hallberg and Somova is appealing.  Their stage temperaments are similar.  She doesn’t overpower him the way his most common partners at ABT do.  Reports are that our hometown kid seems to have done well from the Russian perspective and that he and Somova were called before the curtain a half dozen times following the performance.  So we shall wait and see what develops.  

But Hallberg hadn’t yet completed his itinerary.  He then maneuvered his way across the border into the Republic of Georgia to dance in a gala at the Georgian State Opera and Ballet Theater in Tbilisi.  The ballet company there is directed by Nina Ananiashvili who presented Hallberg with the International Prize Star during his visit.  During the gala he performed Ashton’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits and a Swan Lake PdD.

In a span of three weeks, Hallberg was welcomed with opened arms by two competing Russian ballet companies in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and then charmed his way into the Republic of Georgia to dance there.  Secretary of State Clinton should do so well in her diplomatic efforts in that region.

In any event, welcome home to Hallberg.  The spring season at the Met cannot come soon enough.  We can’t wait to see you.

On Haglund's Calendar: NYCB 5/4 Robert Fairchild & Sterling Hyltin in Duo Concertant

Of course, seeing Robert Fairchild and Sterling Hyltin in their New York debuts in Duo Concertant isn't the only bit of excitement scheduled for the evening.  Symphony in Three Movements will include the debuts of Janie Taylor, Ana Sophia Scheller, Rebecca Krohn, and Sebastien Marcovici.  As an added bonus, we will be treated to Jennie Somogyi in The Four Temperaments.  With Concerto Barocco opening the program, it will certainly be a night for the violins and piano.  (Not complaining.  Just being observant.)