observations 5/17

When Haglund awoke early this morning, his mailbox already contained a report that Yuriko Kajiya and Aaron Robison were phenomenal in last night's performance of Giselle outdoors under the stars and moon in Houston Ballet's production at the Miller Outdoor Theater. We knew they would be. One last chance tonight for everyone to experience those spooky Wilis marauding through the night mist.

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Haglund just read on FB that when Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo perform Ratmansky's version of Sleeping Beauty, they will omit the fishdives in the PdD. Of all the couples, Ratmansky has chosen them to execute the Stepanov notes that call for a series of three double en dedans pirouettes, each finishing with a pose in second position. Why not have the dumpster Boylston do that version or the struggling Seo or Vishneva who is already simplifying her own version and turning the virtuosity into a joke? Why choose Sarah and Herman who are fully capable of doing the more complex without making it look like a cheap or clumsy trick? Oh wait, maybe they were McKenzie's choice so that he can make a comparison to the simplification for Copeland's pitifully deficient technique in her dumbed down Swan Lake. No doubt, McKenzie just loves the idea of dimming Sarah's illustrious technique and artistry. What a cheap shot.

If a comparison of then vs. now is truly the idea behind this change, why not have Sarah and Herman alternate fishdive, pose, fishdive and why not have ALL of the couples do it?

Edited to add: Why doesn't Ratmansky have his Osipova delete the fishdives and substitute a quaint finishing pose? She shouldn't be dancing Sleeping Beauty in the first place, regardless of the version unless it's Mark Morris or some version intended to look inelegant. The more we think about the choice of Sarah Lane as the sole dancer to perform this simplified version, when in the last presentation of Sleeping Beauty at the Met she wiped the floor clean with the other Auroras, it makes us sick at the politics at ABT of trying to hide its true talents in order to make the mediocre look better.

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OMG, Natalie Portman is going to play Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a movie. The big question is: Will she swing her own gavel?

 

Comments

[M&M]

Haglund, since ABT thinks Sarah is not capable to do the fishdives in Sleeping Beauty, Sarah has recently accepted the role as Natalie's gavel swinging body double in the upcoming GInsburg film.

[Haglund]

LOL or the double for the actual gavel that Natalie pounds.

[Jeannette]

As Vishneva has withdrawn from tonight's gala due to "Injury," maybe NY will be spared her watered-down Aurora after all? Sorry to read that Sarah gets the booby prize of easier choreography.

[Haglund]

Jeannette, maybe by the time Vishneva gets to her Aurora, if she does, she will have re-thought a few things and will not try to turn the iconic diagonal of pirouettes into a joke. I won't be spending any money to see it again, though, until I hear from other people that the real Aurora has returned. And most likely, I'll skip her Giselle because of the alterations that she made in it the last time - most notably her marring of the iconic pose at the end of the PdD in Act II in order to present a neck-nuzzling public display of affection to her partner. Personal PDA in classical PdD is enough to keep my money in my wallet.

Re: the fish dive. I've been following the FB comments on this. Ratmansky says that he gave Sarah and Herman a "choice and they decided to try the original". I think it will have a very anti-climatic effect, given the rush of beauty in the music. If it didn't, he'd have everyone else doing the same thing including Osipova.

[Genna]

Speaking of possible injuries and cancellations, on Dansomanie's twitter feed it says Cojocaru is cancelling two Giselles with Hamburg Ballet 5/20-21 for prrsonal reasons. Cojocaru on top of being principal with ENB, is also guest principal with HB. Either Cojocaru is injured or she is doing what she is known for, that is cancelling shows at last moment sometimes to dance elsewhere more prestigious or glamorous, as it had been insinuated few months back when she ditched ENB's Swan Lake at last minutes notice in order to dance Lady of Camellias at the Bolshoi. ENB fans were not happy when Cojocaru's reasons became known. With her ABT La Bayadere on 6/4 so close to her scheduled Giselles, one has to wonder if either injury or opportunity to get back into the graces of ABT management is the case here. Maybe both, who really knows. If she is injured then Kevin has two weeks to prepare Sarah for debut in La Bayadere.

[Haglund]

Well, Genna, that is certainly interesting. I looked at the Dansomanie Twitter and Alina's and it does sound like something unpleasant and/or unsettling is going on with her.

McKenzie will never give Sarah Lane La Bayadere or any other major role - for what ever reason. It seems that he would rather cancel the entire season than give his own gleaming dancers opportunities. Sarah should have the run of the repertoire at this point in her career. She should be dancing La Bayadere, R&J, Swan Lake and Giselle.