The spirits were flowing freely from one end of Lincoln Center to the other on Saturday. Haglund was happy drunk as a skunk all day long.
First, you can take the afternoon’s debut cast of NYCB’s La Sylphide and just ship it to Denmark. Utterly brilliant. So brilliant that Haglund is nearly at a loss for words, but he’ll try to think up a few.
Lauren Lovette’s spirited Sylph, filled with beauty and mischief, also possessed a strong sense of Bournonville form, especially the seemingly effortless clear footwork that we have come to take for granted from her. When the curtain opened to reveal this Sylph kneeling next to the chair where James slept, we at once observed the delicacy in her arms, her graceful profile, and an expression of love that radiated all the way back to the cheap seats where Haglund was sitting on the edge of his. Lauren’s full surrender to the Bournonville style was evident in her skimming jumps in which her torso was high atop the hips and the legs created a lovely wide arc — none of these modern split jumps that some ballerinas are afraid not to execute because their modern-day casual audiences value the gymnastic elements of ballet more than the classical elements.
Anthony Huxley, his star rising so quickly and authoritatively that we knew to expect brilliance, still astonished us with the completeness of his artistry in the role of James. Would we have liked to see those double tours go left as well as right? Sure, but we’ll wait for them, and in the meantime savor every phrase of of his articulate, musical being, and now, his mastery of character development. He is riveting on stage whether in flight or standing dead still.
Lauren King’s Effie and Troy Schumacher’s Gurn were imaginatively played in earnest with a theatrical eagerness that made every moment they spent on stage one of pure joy for the audience.
Then as the Saturday sun set and the clearest skies of spring revealed the new beginnings of a beautiful waxing crescent moon, our wait came to an end. More than a decade after receiving our first promise – after more than a decade of interruptions from injury, from lesser dancers’ unrestrained ambition, and from ABT's near fatal drug-like use of guest artists, we finally got to see our own Stella Abrera’s Giselle on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. The authority of the evening’s audience was among the highest – seven decades of alumni with scrutinizing skills of forensic scientists, many if not most of whom are plenty unhappy with ABT’s sidelining of this gorgeous dancer and other homegrown talents in favor of imported media candy.
When Stella opened the door of Giselle's cottage and first appeared on stage, there were roars from every side of the theater - roars of relief, roars of “It’s about time!” and roars of “Finally!” She gave one slight smile to acknowledge the welcome and then set about her business of portraying ballet’s most beloved village girl – launching into joyous saute ballonnes that skipped and flew while she looked in every corner for her beloved Loys who she believed was hiding from her. When he finally appeared – in the form of Vladimir Shklyarov from the Mariinsky Ballet – Giselle bloomed with love. Beautifully matched, both physically and temperamentally, they looked for all the world like they belonged together. There was much charm in their tandem grande jetes with neither straining for height in the jumps.
The Act I variations were filled with details that revealed Giselle’s weak heart and her conflict between heeding her mother’s warnings and following her own heart. When she struck a happy arabesque and bent into a deep penche with plie, we saw not only nearly unbelievably gorgeous lines but also the foreshadowing of her ghostly penches in Act II. Why the hops on pointe were tentative was a mystery as was why her variation with the attitude turns included double en dedans pirouettes that did not switch into a stepover turn. We happily noticed that Giselle’s shoes were essentially silent; so, it may be that they were a little too soft for those hops. We vote to keep the ultra soft shoes but keep working on the hops. Other than those two elements, the act was flawless and concluded with a mad scene so thoughtfully detailed and well acted that the moment of death hit hard with its emotional impact.
Shklyarov’s own variations were characterized by the elegance and magnificence that one expects from a Mariinsky principal. What a surprise it was, though, to see such warmth and rapport - two things that were not evident when Haglund saw his Romeo to Vishneva’s Juliet some years ago. And what a sensitive partner. Stella seemed to have full confidence in him every second they were on stage together.
The Act I Peasant PdD, performed by Craig Salstein and Misty Copeland, was underwhelming. The slow tempo made it all excruciatingly dull and lifeless, but seemed to be of necessity in order for the dancers to make it through. Without exception, every releve that Copeland does includes a wavering reverberation in the ankle from the force of her weight coming down on the foot. Every time. It’s simply bad technique that some teacher should have eliminated before she ever got into the corps. It looks unstable and unaesthetic. The clomping loud noise from the shoes is inexcusable, particularly when our evening’s Giselle never made a sound with hers. Where are the uniform quality standards for this company?
Tom Forster’s Hilarion is a work in progress, but we have no doubt that we’ll soon see a remarkable portrayal. In Act I Hilarion was a nice guy who sort of loved Giselle and was sort of suspicious about Loys. Act II was much, much better – his desperation and pleading were believable but his exhaustion less so.
Veronika Part’s Myrta was as beautifully vengeful as should ever be allowed. Haglund will swear that the myrtle switches she wields are getting bigger and bigger every year. When she whipped them into the air and into the wings, they whistled and we may have heard the groans of all of her victims who preceded Albrecht. Myrta’s streaming jetes soared like arrows piercing the hearts of men everywhere. Beautiful, yes, but only safe with a fourth wall separating the viewer from this angry spirit.
Act II was one for the ages – so beautiful and full of harmonious shapes and lines. The breadth of Stella’s port de bras was astonishing. Yes, the arms are indeed long, but they seemed endless in each arabesque - the energy continuing off the tips of her fingers. The lines of the legs and feet were so beautifully tapered. The flow of her movement so evocative of a weightless spirit. The iconic pose with Giselle resting in arabesque behind a kneeling Albrecht was picture perfect. As good as this Act II was, Haglund is certain that it was not Stella’s best. Another performance will include the lingering balances that have characterized her dancing for 15 years and more stability in the developpe releves.
However, we may not ever see a better Pas de Deux in Act II. The coordination between the two artists was masterful. The overhead lifts were epic and the slow, slow descent of Giselle from her horizontal position was a testament to Shklyarov’s skill and strength. His own variations were mammoth in terms of technique and drama. His 34 entrechat sixes grew in height and anxiety until he ultimately dropped to a heap on the floor while an angry and beautiful Myrta leered at him. His final wandering and collapse at Giselle’s grave revealed true remorse and suggested that the pain in his heart would remain forever. It was a very powerful ending to a most beautiful evening of Giselle.
It's terribly clear to one and all what we have missed over the years by the sidelining of such a beautiful artist as Stella Abrera, particularly given the absence in quality of dancers pushed in front of her. Normally in the world of ballet, such a brilliant performance of Giselle would yield more opportunities, growth, good luck - all those things signified by a waxing crescent moon like the one watching over last evening. But in this case, there still hangs heavy a sense of hopelessness that the inferiority in artistic direction will prevent what should rightly be.
Our golden H.H. Pump Bump First Position Award is bestowed upon Stella Abrera for her exquisite Giselle:
Visit Not My Day Job Photography for some lovely pics of last night's curtain calls.
I wasn't able to attend last night's performance, but your eloquent words make me feel like I was there. Thank you, HH, and kudos to the wonderful artist Stella Abrera!! May this be the first of many staring roles for her at ABT!!
Posted by: Kitkat | May 24, 2015 at 02:37 PM
Abrera and Shklyarov is one of those partnerships that could be legendary. He seems to be a quiet, unassuming kind of guy and Abrera has the same quality. There is footage of him dancing with Semionova in Giselle, and he even with her he didn't have the rapport and warmth he had with Abrera. I really wish I could see them together in an intense pas de deux type ballet where they could really show off their chemistry.
And I'm sad that there is no follow up to the momentum Stella Abrera established last night. McKenzie couldn't give her one of the other ballets that Semionova had to give up? It all had to go to Seo?
Posted by: melponeme_k | May 24, 2015 at 03:28 PM
Stella's performance last night reminded me of the Giselle that I saw in 1960-something with Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev. What I remember most from that performance decades ago was the way Maximova did those sauts de chat from upstage left to downstage right towards the end of Act II, when she is desperately dancing for Albrecht's life--it was as if she never touched the floor in between. That same sensation came over me last night when Stella did them, getting higher, faster, and opening her legs more with each subsequent jump. Thrilling. Also heart-stopping were her supported elongated Romantic-style arabesques, each of which was so beautiful as to seem of another realm. Actually, it was another realm, the realm to which only a great ballerina can give us access.
Dare we hope to see her in Romeo & Juliet? Dare we hope for a promotion?
Posted by: Angelica Smith | May 24, 2015 at 04:05 PM
It was indeed a lovely performance of Giselle last night and such a treat to see Stella in her NY debut. The audience was so supportive throughout and in the curtain calls. Even Shklyarov got into the spirit by exiting the stage to give Stella a solo bow.
Instead of seeing the NY City Ballet matinee, I went to a Giselle double header. Roman Zhurbin as Hilarion in the afternoon was such an outstanding actor that I have to admit that Forster's performance in the evening disappointed. A minor quibble about an otherwise fabulous performance by all the dancers.
I loved Stella's choice to cough slightly in the first act to convey her weak heart. I don't remember seeing that before from other ballerinas.
Posted by: Jennifer | May 24, 2015 at 04:54 PM
stella is glowing in those photos, as she should be. She is a star and proved herself worthy of so much more!!! She can carry an entire evening and take our breath away!
Posted by: M&M | May 24, 2015 at 04:56 PM
Angelica, those racing sauts de chat were thrilling and yes, her leaning Romantic arabesques are peerless.
Stella clearly held her own with this Mariinsky principal. I just cannot get over how good they looked together and how well matched their dancing was.
While I'm sure that Stella could dance Juliet, in my mind, I have already watched her dance with the white scarf as Nikiya. She would be remarkable in that role.
Maybe we will experience the good fortune of having Osipova and Cojocaru not show up.
Posted by: Haglund | May 24, 2015 at 06:07 PM
"200 witnesses," was all I could think as McKenzie stepped on stage before the performance. If this is as miraculous as I expect, there will be 200 witnesses to what you will have done if Ms. Abrera is not promoted this year.
Tourists and irregulars around me had expressed disappointment that David and Polina weren't dancing--they were why some had bought their tickets. I was so overcome with anticipation that I forgot my manners and assured them that they were in for something special.
One of them, an older man, trailed me as I left the theater. "You were right," he said. "Tonight she became a star." I was still crying, and mumbled a thank you, but "She's been a star for years."
Posted by: JPB | May 24, 2015 at 06:11 PM
So true, JPB, 200 EXPERT witnesses to McKenzie's crimes.
McKenzie treats ABT like it is his private hobby-company where he can waste the taxpayers' dollars, the donors' dollars, and the ticketbuyers' dollars without ever having to explain his rationale for his shit-poor decisions. I'm done being polite about it. ;-)
You're right that Stella has been a star for years. I remember first standing behind her at barre in David Howard's class when she was 16 or 17 years old and being flabbergasted at her potential and artistic intelligence. Her star quality was apparent then. It should be a crime for any so-called artistic director to squander that.
Posted by: Haglund | May 24, 2015 at 06:26 PM
Nice words for Stella:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/arts/dance/review-american-ballet-theaters-giselle-bounds-as-past-giselles-watch.html?_r=0
Posted by: Haglund | May 24, 2015 at 06:56 PM
More nice words from Marina Harss: http://dancetabs.com/2015/05/american-ballet-theatre-giselle-abrera-debut-new-york/
Aussie critic Deborah Jones was in the house too, and I expect will post something soon: http://deborahjones.me
Posted by: Anna C | May 25, 2015 at 05:13 AM
Thanks Anna. Can't wait to read what Deborah Jones says. Much credit should go to the Australian Ballet's Principal Ballet Mistress, Fiona Tonkin, for Stella's beautiful and exquisitely detailed interpretation.
Posted by: Haglund | May 25, 2015 at 07:34 AM
Loved reading your piece about Stella's debut! Thank you! I was so thrilled to be there; I actually burst into tears at the end (I was so moved by her). I was sitting amidst some former ABT dancers, and it was great to watch their reactions to her beautiful performance. I don't want to name names, but one former ABT dancer (and NYCB dancer. There, it narrows it down a bit) was actually cheering in such an infectious way that I feel like I was at at NY Yanks game (if only our Yanks were that good this year, Haglund!:)) and we were cheering on Derek Jeter's last at bat. The love for Stella from her fellow dancers -- including a couple of NYCB principals and some NYCB corps members who also came to toast Stella -- pretty much says it all. She is a dancer's dancers, as well as an audience favorite, and I'm guessing that that means a lot to her, her family and friends (even if the powers that be at ABT don't quite get it.).
Posted by: Deb Broide | May 25, 2015 at 10:03 AM
Deb, beautifully said. I believe I clearly heard the distinctive cheers from the un-named one. What a terrific night it was.
Posted by: Haglund | May 25, 2015 at 10:54 AM
Stella, through the eloquence of her dancing and not her words, has more than proven that she should deserves a promotion, and not because ABT needs "the first Filipino American principal ballerina"! :)
Posted by: Richard | May 25, 2015 at 05:12 PM
True, Richard. Devotion to the highest levels of artistry will bring ABT more success than devotion to diversity as a marketing gimmick.
Stella and Sarah Lane have deserved appointments to principal for a long time. The outrage and disgust over ABT's advancement of its least worthy dancers is growing louder and more intense each day.
Posted by: Haglund | May 25, 2015 at 06:01 PM
Hi Haglund,
Love your blog. Now that I'm free I'm able to attend the ballet more and loving it. I did see Stella and Vladimir and was blown away. I was already expecting great things from Stella but knew nothing about Shklyarov. Brilliant on every level!
Okay, I also went last night to see Julie. Believe it or not, I have never seen her dance in person...
I can see how magnificent she must've been ten-twenty-thirty years ago.
She should not have been doing this part, however. She was shaking and falling and hopping all over the place.(and not hopping when she was supposed to be!) And changing integral choreography. She completely lost it on the hops. Hops? That was one of the few steps I could do in my youth. But not only that, she broke character. The look on her face was, this can't really be happening. It was embarrassing but I felt badly for her too. Yes, it's an achingly short career and yes, it's not fair that our bodies break down so quickly, but I paid 100 bucks for that ticket. I took a train in and a cab and I think for that I should get a ballerina who can get the job done. Everyone who goes into the career must realize that by 40, it's most likely going to be pretty much over and maybe even earlier. A few manage a bit beyond that but most. No.
The peasant pas was another disaster. I am not going to say who the ballerina was because again, another mortified dancer on stage. Are they trained to look horrified when they mess up? She's in the corps. She fell out of every double pique endehors pirouette. Finally for the last two, she singled them. Fine. It's a hard step.
But there are how many dancers in this company? I know gorgeous dancers who can't get a job who can do that step in their sleep!
My God! This is ABT. The Met. NEW YORK CITY! Why didn't they have Skylar Brandt do that part? She would've done clean doubles and probably thrown in a triple or two-- also clean and would've been twice as charming. They better promote her and fast!
It was Julie Kent's last Giselle. The theater should've been packed to the brim.
Not even close.
The over-all effect of the performance, (Robert Bolle aside, who I believe also dumbed down his perf so as not to look too good. He did relatively little dancing but is certainly in great shape!) was completely amateurish. I don't think there's a regional ballet company in the country that couldn't have outshone that performance-- by a wide margin! I realize that this is much of what you are trying to convey on this blog. I needed to see it for myself. And for whatever it's worth agree with you completely.
Marianella, please hurry on over here!
Posted by: Laurel | May 26, 2015 at 05:15 PM
Laurel, I'm sorry to hear about Julie's sub par performance but I cannot say that I'm surprised. Her Giselle last year was terrible, too, and terribly unattended. She hasn't been in dancing physical condition for years but hasn't wanted to give up the limelight all the while preventing other dancers from giving us memorable performances. It is disgraceful that McKenzie has allowed her on stage in this condition. It's so easy to recall the excellent shape that Ananiashvili and Ferri were in when they gave their last performances at age 46 and 44, respectively. They are still in excellent dancing shape. Kent has no excuse for her laziness.
You paid $100 - imagine the investment of the whole house that night. They paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to see what McKenzie KNEW was going to be a crappy performance.
What makes me just as sick is her nonstop ingratiating public expressions of "Thank you - I'm so-o-o-o grateful" weep weep weep. Her career has been finished for quite a while, and she needs to get out of the way.
I imagine that her final R&J will be better simply because there are no iconic Master steps and she can leave out everything that she doesn't want to do. She'll just let Bolle carry her around and that will be all there is to it.
Posted by: Haglund | May 26, 2015 at 05:59 PM