Haglund's Heel

ABT on Goldstar.com

Discounted tickets for The Bright Stream are available at Goldstar.com as is the July 4th matinee performance of Le Corsaire.  Prices for Orchestra seats at B.S. are $31-$52.50.  L.C. is strictly $45.  Haglund can't actually recommend Goldstar.com's service because he has never used it.  It doesn't appear that one knows what seats he has purchased until he picks up the tickets on the day of the performance - kind of a drawback.  And of course there is a "service" fee of $7 or $8.

The Bright Stream doesn't seem to be selling very well - not even with all the freaking guest dancers.  Wow, who wants to miss the opportunity for a big belly laugh - maybe even a wet your pants laugh – when Kobborg appears in a tutu with his head bandana and beard.  Gosh, how could anyone possibly think about missing something so uproariously funny and so worth yanking the performance opportunity from an ABT dancer?  Ohhh nooooooo!  It looks like Haglund will have to miss it because he will have a headache on that date.  [knock, knock]  Uh oh, someone's at the door.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Hands.  Would you like a ticket to Kobborg's performance––  Wait! Wait!  Mr. Hands, I didn't mean to insult you.  Stop, Mr. Hands.  Not my head, Mr. Hands!  Please stop, Mr. Hands!  Oh my head.  Ohhhh nooooooooo!"

"Mr. Sluggo told me to get rid of your headache."

 

Congratulations to NYCB's new PRINCIPALS!

  photos by Paul Kolnik

The Unofficial Information Exchange received word that two of Haglund's favorite ballerinas, Rebecca Krohn and Ana Sophia Scheller, have been promoted to Principal Dancers!

This is Rebecca's 13th year with the company and Ana's 8th year with the company.  Both are so deserving, not just because their dancing has risen to an incredible level of artistry and skill, but because of the enormous importance of the contributions to the company over their tenures.  The core audience has recognized these dancers as principals for a long time.  This makes us very, very happy!

Congratulations! 

 

NYCB – Where opportunity knocks – 5/18

. . . regularly.

Tonight in Balanchine's Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet we saw three soloists and a corps member thrown into the deep end of the principal pool, without life jackets, for a swimming test.  Nearly everyone swallowed a little pool water before they rose to the surface, found a steady stroke, and made it safely back to the end of the pool, relieved and victorious.  They swim again next Tuesday, May 22.  Haglund suspects they will be springing off the high board for maximum effect.  If you're not elsewhere at Lincoln Center that night, NYCB is a very good place to park.

The lovely corps member Emily Kitka opened the Allegro movement eagerly, nervously excited, and with her energy just a wee bit out in front of her feet.  Ten seconds into her solo, her leg buckled and she nearly went down.  She caught herself, breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and then proceeded to dance a humongous solo.  The choreography is a gift to anyone who dances it because it is loaded with big, sweeping moves that cover the stage in a conventional way and it is always a crowd pleaser.   Emily is a big dancer – tall, long substantial limbs, a very large face with a huge smile.  When she began sweeping her arms in her solo in front of the corps, it was if a huge eagle had just landed in front of a flock of sparrows.  She was gorgeous, and she was superb in the choreography.  This dancer is a distraction in corps work because of her size.  If NYCB can find men who are big enough to partner her and also bring her feet up to speed, we may have ourselves another R136a1 right in our midst.  What's R136a1, you ask? 

Also in the first section were Rebecca Krohn and Chase Finlay who debuted in the PdD.  Finlay has been out of action for close to a year, it seems.  He looked like he was under a lot of pressure tonight and a little unsettled.  Not only was he back on the big stage, he was in a big part that required big partnering skills which he didn't necessarily have before his absence, and he was partnering a ballerina who, while not tall, was a height challenge for the also not tall Finlay.  There were some frantic moments, some awkward moments, but there were also some very beautiful moments.  Their solos looked finished, but the PdD was shaky.   Finlay's quality of movement recalls that of Peter Martins, though in a much smaller way, and Rebecca in her cooler moments can conjure up memories of Suzanne Farrell.  But putting these dancers together tonight didn't quite bring back the Peter and Suzanne magic.  More rehearsal would be a good place to start.  Haglund wishes he could be at their performance next Tuesday, but he has a previous commitment at an Indian temple across the plaza.

The third debut in this ballet was Ana Sophia Scheller dancing the Andante (third section) opposite Gonzalo Garcia.  She was spectacular in every possible way.  Unbelievable.  What is it in the Argentine water that produces such startling strong dancers who seem born committed to clean classical technique?  Scheller, Herrera, Bocca, Cornejo x2, Núñez.  Ana Sophia has developed into a classical ballerina in the grandest sense.  Haglund must disclose that Ana Sophia's recent efforts in the faux contemporary DGV were less than fully cooked, but in good choreography she is on the verge of being unbeatable.  Isn't there a young Acosta floating around somewhere in the world who is looking for a partner with whom he can catapult to stardom?  Well, she's right here. 

The evening opened with Liebeslieder Walzer, a lovely piece by Balanchine to Johannes Brahms Opus 52 and Opus 65.  Four singers and two pianists shared the stage with the four principal couples.  The ballet is set in mid 19th century Vienna with the dancers in period costumes, pumps instead of pointe shoes.  After the first 18 waltzes, the curtain came down for a long pause, and when it rose again, the dancers returned with the women wearing balletic romantic costumes and pointe shoes.  Where the dancing in the first act was more traditional and intimate, the dancing in the second act was bigger, splashier, and more intense.  According to the program notes, Balanchine viewed the first act as real people who are dancing whereas the second act was their souls.  If Haglund hadn't read that, he would have thought that the second act represented the dancers' memories or dreams of how they had danced on a previous night or perhaps even the embellished descriptions of the evening as relayed to friends. 

The cast consisted of eight principals:  Ashley Bouder with Tyler Angle, Wendy Whelan with Jared Angle, Maria Korowski with Jonathan Stafford, and Janie Taylor with Sebastien Marcovici.  The choreography was mostly sweeping PdDs although there were phrases where the eight principals came together.  It was a mostly low stress affair with the dancers seeming to truly enjoy dancing with one another in a dance about dancing.

The evening's Pump Bump Award, a Louboutin suede and diamond beauty, is bestowed upon Ana Sophia Scheller who seems destined to become one of our most important ballerinas.

 

ABT - Terror at Twelve O'Clock - 5/16 eve

. . . and then it was time for Act II of this evening's Giselle starring Paloma Herrera, Roberto Bolle, Stella Abrera, and Jared Matthews.

Stella Abrera's Myrtha swiftly and silently bourreed across the floor of the dark forest summoning the restless spirits to rise from their shallow graves and come together to begin their nightly ritual of unholy revenge.  In white tulle and veils, they were a vision of beauty, but underneath it all, they were -- wait for it -- a sisterhood of psychopaths led by the most stunningly beautiful twisted sister of them all.  The vindictive spirits roamed the forest until they caught their first victim of the night.  Poor Hilarion.  He never left anyone at the altar.  He didn't deserve to die.  But the guiltless sisters needed their nightly relief, and He. Was. It. 

Stella Abrera was brilliant tonight as Myrtha – dark, unrelenting, all-powerful, but in the end, powerless over Giselle's love, forgiveness, and determination to save Albrecht.  She came flying from the back of the stage with grand jetes that streamed forward at Mach speeds, each one landing silently.  Her double circle of sauté de basques – two circles of circles – was sensational.  And oh, how her Myrtha menaced and threatened Albrecht – making him do 29 or 30 entrechats six at the end.  She snapped those tender myrtle branches from the rocks and wielded them to orchestrate terror throughout the night forest.

Jared Matthews' Hilarion was terrific  - but not as good as his Albrecht last month in Chicago.  Oh, let's not start any nastiness this late, but suffice to say, New York is being robbed this year by not being allowed to see Jared as Albrecht and Yuriko Kajiya as Giselle.  And of course, we're being robbed for too many years to count by not getting to see Stella realize her dream to dance Giselle.  What was that articulate comment in Dance Magazine about Stella's lost opportunity to dance Giselle following recovery from an injury - "a well-deserved opportunity that, inexplicably, has not again materialized" – INEXPLICABLY.

Roberto Bolle and Paloma Herrera were enjoyable as Albrecht and Giselle.  Much more than competent.  Less than thrilling.  The chemistry was thin.  We believed more in their steps than in their love for each other.  Paloma seems to have plateaued in her development of her Giselle, and there doesn't seem to be anyone at ABT who can help bump her to the next artistic level in this role.  Her Act I needs to be fresher – not louder, not jumpier, not screaming crazy like Osipova, but just fresher and more distinct. 

Moyna and Zulma were again danced by Isabella Boylston and Yuriko Kajiya with the same result as last evening only Yuriko was even better musically and managed to attract some balances in arabesque that were mighty impressive from an artistic standpoint. 

Let's be fair and go back to the beginning, because there was some very fine dancing in Act I in the Peasant PdD by Misty Copeland and Craig Salstein.  Both have gained new strengths in their roles since the last time Haglund saw them.  Misty's arms, especially, are more rounded with more space between the forearm and the ear when the arms are held in fifth high position.  Boy, tonight on the little section which begins with emboites going backward to the knee from which the dancer springs to a double pirouette, Misty impressively got firmly down to the knee and stayed there confidently for a count before launching her pretty pirouettes.  It was no small statement about this dancer's strength and coordination.  She didn't need much help from Craig on those turns either.  His variation was much tidier than on previous occasions when he may have pushed too hard to impress.  He and Misty have a nice chemistry going.

The corps de ballet was mostly fine but for a couple of musically rugged spots with some of the newer Wilis.

The Pump Bump Award, this luxurious leatherette rhinestone and feather wedding party stiletto, is bestowed upon Stella Abrera for her boldly brilliant Myrtha.

ABT – Giselle 5/15

After much serious thought, Haglund bailed out of the Facebook IPO today.  He wasn't going to buy many shares anyway, so the FB deal will probably still go through without him, in case anyone is worried. He bailed out because this whole Hoodiegate thing with Zuckerberg has really gotten under the skin.  How you dress counts in business and in social circles.  If you're trying to achieve something, you've got to dress like you want it.  Sometimes you dress up; sometimes you dress down.  How you dress counts.  Just ask Count Albrecht.  If he had shown up in front of Giselle tonight in his gold threads (overdressed) or in a hoodie (underdressed), he wouldn't have stood a chance with her.  Thank goodness Albrecht was being steered in the right direction by Marcelo Gomes, an impeccable fashion force wherever he goes. 

And so ABT opened its week of Giselles at the Met with mostly fine performances and a few magical ones.  One goes to see Julie Kent's Giselle to get a glimpse of the classic shapes of those iconic moments in Act II when Giselle as the spirit awakens, forgives Albrecht for his betrayal, and saves him from the Wilis.  Her Act I when Giselle cavorts around in the village and ends up going mad and dying is not especially strong, and hasn't been for as long as Haglund remembers, but there have been times when her Act II has been peerless.  Her second act is still extraordinary for its lightness, ghostliness, and clarity of classical form, though perhaps overshadowed by the memory of past performances. 

The images from Julie's Giselle tonight that Haglund tried to store away safely in memory for easy retrieval later included her arabesque that leaned against Albrecht - a shape that was as classically pure as it gets – from the tips of the fingers to the tips of the toes; the height of the body above the legs and the curved shape of the back foot in grand jetes; the collection of the feet crossed at the ankles under the skirt; the rapid, skimming entrechats quatre that traveled backwards; and the shape of Giselle's horizontal body as it was held aloft over Albrecht's head.  All very lovely tonight.

Marcelo Gomes' Albrecht tonight was utterly charming as he innocently played the game of chase with Giselle in Act 1, and he was suitably tragic in Act II.  His technique was wonderfully colored and shaded to convey the depth of his feelings.  The series of entrechat sixes suddenly took on new drama as he performed them while accelerating down stage.

Veronika Part's Myrtha is one which causes the men in the audience to plead "Kill me now."  Veronika, beautiful tonight as always, looked like she has decided to dance in a lower weight class this season.  Haglund recalls hearing during his collegiate nights at Joe's Bar in Iowa City, where Dan Gable regularly spun wisdom on all sorts of subjects, that wrestling in a lower weight class than you usually do can really provide a distinct advantage over the opponent.  Veronika's arms and shoulders appeared newly and quite beautifully sculpted tonight.  And judging from the extent that Hilarion's face was messed up when he appeared for his final death sentencing before Myrtha, the fitness program seems to have been worth it.  Haglund loves all of Veronika's variations as Myrtha, but he so looks forward to the moment when she stalks Albrecht and nearly puts him out of his misery.  He is only saved by the bell - the 4:00 am bell, that is.  Such deadly force.  Such beauty.

Hilarion was danced by Gennadi Saviliev, who will retire at the end of the season.  Saviliev's Hilarions have been gold these past few years, and they will be missed a lot.  He always gets your sympathy as opposed to trying to be the despicable bad guy as most portray the character these days.

Moyna and Zulma were danced by Isabella Boylston and Yuriko Kajiya.  Yuriko's musicality and phrasing make her dancing magical.  Her solos were brief but so beautiful.  Isabella has such awesome shaped feet and legs, but sadly does not have a classical upper body or expressive arms.  Haglund didn't see a Wili, and didn't see a potential Odette either.

The Peasant PdD was sprite-like but lovely as performed by Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin.  Their side by side dancing and variations were fantastic, but their partnering in the pirouettes sometimes ended awkwardly.  ABT is lucky to have these two gutsy dancers.  When a maneuver doesn't meet an optimal result, do they back away?  No, they ramp up the energy and attack it again with more determination.  Gutsy.  The highlight of the Peasant PdD was catching the reaction on Peasant Blaine Hoven's face when Daniil spun a pirouette and caught an unbelievably long balance at the end.  Most likely, Blaine will be up to bat in the Peasant PdD this week as well.

The Corps de Ballet was tight and tidy tonight.  There are several new faces, all of whom seem to be fitting in quite nicely.

The Pump Bump Award, an Iron Steampunk Stiletto by Tory Burch, is bestowed upon Veronika Part for the deadly beauty of her Myrtha.

OMG Ivan Nagy is back in town!

Be still my heart!  IVAN NAGY is back in Manhattan rehearsing Gelsey Kirkland's students in the Swan Lake PdD.  Ivan Nagy. 

NO DOUBT Natalia Makarova and Cynthia Gregory are trying to squeeze back into their white tutus for one more chance to have Ivan Nagy wrap those delicious arms around them!  OMG Ivan Nagy is back.  Haglund is going bananas.  BA-NA-NAS!

He quit too soon.  He disappeared.  Ballet let him slip away.  Haglund has wondered aloud on this blog how ABT could have lost an artistic connection with someone as important as Ivan Nagy.  Now Gelsey has brought him back to ballet and to her students and to us.

It's settled.  We all will go to Gelsey's Academy performance on Friday, May 25th at Symphony Space.  Here's the link to order tickets.  AS A BONUS, you will be treated to the mighty Herman Cornejo dancing James' variations from La Sylphide.  Yes, the MIGHTY CORNEJO will be dancing, too!

Gelsey has rehearsal pictures of Ivan Nagy with her students on her website.  Haglund lifted one here, but go to the site to see them.  Oh, God, Ivan Nagy is back. 
 

 

Not on Haglund's calendar

ABT's gala.

Anyone who purchased a ticket for this performance is hurting the ABT dancers and is supporting the regime's harmful practice of importing guest dancers.

NYCB – Serenade, Firebird, Symphony in C 5/13

It's been a great weekend to be a New Yorker:

Rangers advanced.

Pettitte returned.

Jared Angle found his pirouettes.

 

Have no fear, Andy only needs one game to get his rhythm back just like Jared only needed one Symphony in C to get his sparkles adjusted.  At the matinee performance today, Jared and Megan Fairchild led the first movement of Symphony in C beautifully, finally bringing this movement up to par with the other three.  Maria Kowroski and Tyler Angle were divine in the the second movement's adagio - just divine.  Ashley Bouder & Joaquin De Luz and Tiler Peck & Adrian Danchig-Waring repeated their brilliant performances from earlier in the week.

Teresa Reichlen and Justin Peck were fantastic together in Firebird.  Sometimes it seems that dancers don't appreciate the part of Ivan, but Justin filled the opportunity with theatrical nuance, energy, and spirit.  His PdD with Tess was as coordinated as it could be and he did everything he needed to do to allow her to dance her best.  Tess burned today.  Totally.  Smoked.  Loved her Firebird.  It's so nice how NYCB has such a distinctive trio for this role.  

The program opened with the magical Serenade.  Janie Taylor, Sterling Hyltin, Rebecca Krohn, Jonathan Stafford, Ask la Cour and the exquisite Corps de Ballet made Haglund weep.  Of course, the whole experience was made a little holier because he got to sit in the blessed 4th Ring where the clean, crisp air and the view of the stage are the best in the house.  Even the tall blond fellow from the team across town - you know, the one embroiled in controversy - found refuge in the rafters of the 4th ring today.   

Janie's abandon, Sterling's innocence, and Rebecca's urgency swirled through the notes of the Tchaikovsky - a heady cocktail for the thirsty balletomane.  Rebecca's expansive wingspan, reach of the legs, easy speed, and pristine finishes so often evoke those of this company's legends.  Pure pleasure.

The Pump Bump Award, a blue jeweled leather pump by Jean-Michel Cazabat, is bestowed upon the ladies of Serenade for one more glorious performance.

UIEX - new ABT dancer

Thanks to the Haglund'eeler who noticed in this blog review of Boston Ballet's Don Q that the writer reported that principal James Whiteside will leave Boston Ballet at the end of the season to join ABT in some capacity.  He should definitely rethink the move.

It sounds like McKenzie has so lost his credibility and the respect of the company that he's going to have to go out and replace every last dancer.  

At what point does the board remove the CEO because he's lost the confidence of the employees as well as the ability to manage and develop the talent within?  How low does ABT's stock have to go before the board will act?

 

ABT spring season

Ardani Ballet Theatre opens its eight week season this week at the Met Opera House with a slew of loaners and bad publicity.  So what's new.

Boasting the worst marketing department in the history of all performing arts, ABT now burdens its artists with going out and creating their own media buzz as a condition of getting on stage while its marketing professionals spend their time fussing over the souvenir kiosk.

Last March, a Chicago reporter quizzed Kevin McKenzie on the underground pipeline of imported guest dancers from Ardani Management to ABT.  McKenzie acknowledged the pipeline and that the reporter's reference to ABT becoming Ardani Ballet Theatre was half true - "exactly".  McKenzie tried to sway the point of reference from importing transient guest principals to importing young, gifted dancers from South America for the corps.  Read it here because you won't see a link on ABT's Twitter or Facebook pages. 

In the May issue of Dance Magazine, David Hallberg says in reference to his coach at the Bolshoi, "that's what I've needed for a long time – a really great coach".  This echoes his comments in early interviews about his reasons for jumping to the Bolshoi.  Apparently there are no coaches at ABT who could guide him toward improving his dancing the way he needed.  And as we have seen, ABT opts to spend its donors' money and the U.S. taxpayers' money on imported marginal guest dancers rather than permanent, highly respected coaches.

In the Sunday NYT, there is an interview with several corps and soloist members who make it clear that ABT's reliance on importing foreign guest dancers into the company is working against the institution.  Congratulations to the dancers who are finally speaking out and let's watch closely how quickly ABT starts dumping them. 

Where is the dancers' union in all of this?  How are these imported transient artists getting union passes to come in and swipe the ABT dancers' job opportunities and especially swipe their advancement opportunities? 

What about ABT's MO of going out and sabotaging other ballet companies'  seasons by enticing dancers to bolt so they can squat at ABT?  Osipova, Vasiliev, Polunin all walked out on employers because of interference with their perceived opportunities at ABT.  Semionova demanded release from her contract, because she saw ABT opportunities opening up with the expected retirement of Julie Kent next year.  Matvienko was dumped by the Mariinsky on the heels of his guest contract with ABT.  McKenzie has been soliciting Muntagirov behind the ENB director's back for months.  All the while, ABT's own extraordinarily gifted dancers go unused, uncoached, unappreciated, and unlistened-to.

The only conclusion one can reach is that the ABT Board is turning a blind eye to McKenzie's impotent artistic management and staffing, and that it finds illicit pleasure in boasting about its exotic, foreign imports at its parties.  ". . . I shot a zebra in Africa . . . Oh, but I imported Semionova. . . See my imported marble and black pearl cocktail table which I found in India. . . Oh, but did you see my Osipova that I imported from Russia?"  Yes, that's the way it's played out over and over again.

You know how to stop it - other than dumping McKenzie, of course?  The Bolshoi, The Royal Ballet, The English National Ballet, the Berlin Opera - they all need to start demanding financial compensation from both the artists and ABT for sabotaging their seasons and soliciting their artists under employment agreements.