Washington DC – This is a town where conspiracies – real and imagined – abound. Today at the Kennedy Center (whose name is this country’s surname most laden with conspiracy theories), the town’s inhabitants fully related to and appreciated the schemes, deceit, and treachery that the glamorous witchy-bitchy Odile was calculating in Act III of Swan Lake. The folks in the seats could identify with Odile's dishonesty and were charmed by it. She began her Black Swan variation with:
(triple en dehors pirouette + double attitude turn en dehors + stopped on a dime in plie on one leg) x 2
For those who can’t interpret that equation, don’t fret; it’s advanced balleculus. It may be easier to envision her tornadic blast of 32 fouettes that included 16 counts of multiple revolutions, her stunning balances that reminded one of the stillness of a cobra before it strikes, or her teasing smile.
In only her second performance of the role, Devon Teuscher made quite a statement about what it means to be a Petipa-qualified ballerina in Swan Lake. She is the first new one that ABT has introduced in a dozen years who possessed the technical, stylistic, and artistic qualifications for the dual role. That little description of her Odileness in the paragraph above was just a teaser. The soul of her Odette was the real story today. Her character's emotional depth was revealed with fine detailing via the use of the head, neck, eyes, and of course her beautiful port de bras. Her swan arms were not the fussy type that we see commonly today. Rather, they seemed to be part of her character's breathing mechanism. She told her story with urgency but was never rushed. And, oh, the mime at the lakeside was so heartfelt and clear - from the hand gestures that sculpted the waves of the lake water to Odette telling us about her mother’s tears and showing us how they rained from the tips of her fingers.
There were times during the afternoon when it seemed Devon’s swans had been imprinted with Nina Ananiashvili, especially her Odile in the way she threw an evil glance over her shoulder while walking away or in the way she teased Siegfried with her eyes. At bows, it was tempting to start bellowing “Deeeevon Assoluuuuuta!”— if you will recall Nina’s fan who did that for her at nearly every performance.
Of course, and we all know this – Devon’s performance was as much Marcelo Gomes’ as it was her own. The two had great chemistry, especially as Siegfried and Odile and clearly enjoyed the give and take of the Act III drama (she gave him a load of BS, and he took it lock, stock & barrel).
Marcelo has returned to his youth - at least today it seemed so. That 37-year-old arabesque was looking mighty 90 degrees-y. His battements even went beyond that. Do you remember that sweltering summer of 2011 when Marcelo owned the town with his magnificent performances as Siegfried, Armand, Albrecht, Prince Charming, and literally stole the limelight from Derek Jeter and his 3,000th hit? Well, that is how well he danced today. Devon could not have had a more perfect partner who selflessly did everything he possibly could to ensure that she gave her best performance. His effort started long before today, however. Last year he invited Devon to join a small group of dancers who performed in his home town in Brazil. Among them, Gillian Murphy and Stella Abrera. Marcelo assigned Devon the Black Swan PdD to perform several nights in a row opposite a talented ABT corpsman. It was in this low spotlighted environment that Devon was able to put her Odile on the stage for the first time. She probably never thought that it would excite people the way it did when video clips of her time in Brazil surfaced. But we suspect that was Marcelo's plan all along.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that New York will get the Devon/Marcelo pairing in Swan Lake this spring at the Met. Devon will dance very well opposite Alex Hammoudi instead, but Alex will have to work nonstop from now until June to come even close to Marcelo’s theatrical performance. Let’s hope he does, and let’s hope that someone knocks some sense into Kevin McKenzie’s head about the Met scheduling which rewards the underpowered, over-ballyhooed celebrina two performances of every ballet when she shouldn’t even have one. She was humiliated this week by her own lack of skill which was further highlighted by Devon’s remarkable performances, and the celebrina ultimately cancelled her second performance after claiming an injury. Ego bruises are serious injuries, too, we guess.
We’d like to be able to see this Devon/Marcelo matchup on the Met stage, and there should now be an opening created for it — just like there should be Kitri openings created for Cassandra Trenary and Skylar Brandt, and above all, a Giselle opening created for Abrera and Hallberg. This business of feeding double performances to the celebrina who can’t do the job is nonsense. Stupid nonsense.
Debuting at this Sunday performance as the purple-clad, handsome von Rothbart who escorted Odile around the ballroom was Calvin Royal, III. He got an excellent start on the role. His long legs made strong impressions with the grand sissonnes during his variation. He couldn’t do much with the balance in which the working leg raises to arabesque, but he covered it fairly well. In recent years, we have missed seeing the von Rothbarts throw the torso contractions the way Vladimir Malakhov did as he made his final pass around the crowd in the ballroom. That was exciting. We could also use a reminder of what Hallberg did with this role. That would be nice to see this spring at the Met. He was insane as von Rothbart - eyes bulging, fingers ready to kill, hair seemingly electrified. Loved it.
A few notes on other performances:
Tom Forster was ferocious as the swamp creature. Excellent job. Blaine Hoven as Benno has truly become Siegfried in Waiting. We don’t want to see him as Benno ever again; it is way past time for his Siegfried to be revealed. His two partners in the Pas de Trois, Zhong-Jing Fang and Stephanie Williams were a stylistic mismatch. Zhong-Jing’s hyper-accenting has mellowed quite a bit; she was quite lovely in her variation. Stephanie has always been a bit too mellow in her dancing and was so today. More dynamic is needed along with better entrechats. Today’s beats were generally not good throughout the corps. The Cygnettes (Rachel Richardson, Betsy McBride, Nicole Graniero, and Gemma Bond) nailed their two-minute dance. The Two Big Swans modified their jumps so that they were only at about 90-110 degree angles. The swan corps was well-drilled but without poetry. There are un-swan-y physiques in the corps that should be culled.
What in the world is McKenzie waiting for as far as advancing Marshall Whiteley into more meaningful roles? Given his size and capabilities, he should be doing much more. Yes, there can be improvements in his arms which today sometimes looked a little martial arts-like when they finished, but he is a fine dancer - much better than the vast majority of the corps men. Speaking of the corps men (and some corps women, too), what is this business of placing the hands like a tent overhead when doing pirouettes instead of using a classical fifth position? Where is this coming from? It looks dreadful. Also, this habit of bringing the sides of the wrists together to touch while the palms face downward when moving the arms from second position to first is awful. We even saw it in a preparation for a pirouette. Why are dancers suddenly touching themselves with their port de bras? Does it feel good? Is it stimulating? Well, it looks terrible.
In closing, of course the H.H. Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Devon Teuscher. She gave a truly incredible performance today, and we were very happy to see her and Marcelo dance so well together.
Devon's performances this week were a revelation. I was privileged to see both of them.
In addition to her fabulous technique, phrasing and musicality which you described so well, I wanted to share an anecdote from Act III that highlighted her acting choices. There is a moment in the pas de deux when Siegfried bends to kiss Odile's hand and she snatches it away. This exchange usually bothers me as most Odiles play it as a nasty gesture and Siegfried reacts with surprise and hurt. With Devon and Marcelo it was a seductive exchange. For this cast, Odile slowly, teasingly withdraws her hand with a sultry gaze while Siegfried watches mesmerized. You could almost see Marcelo's Siegfried thinking "Wow, so this is the sexy game you are playing. I am SO in!"
It seemed that Marcelo must have spent some time coaching Calvin Royal as the purple Von Rothbart as his acting and sexiness in this role surpassed my expectations.
Such a stunning performance.
Posted by: Jennifer | January 30, 2017 at 07:19 AM
Hi, Jennifer. So happy that you were able to see both of Devon's performances. And yes, that moment you described in the Black Swan PdD was brilliantly played. I was absolutely thrilled with what she came up with in the way of characterizations for both Odette and Odile.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 11:09 AM
Having just read Sarah Kaufman's follow up Swan Lake summary review in the WP https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_danc/a-show-of-virtuosos-swan-lake-shimmers-with-strong-women/2017/01/29/e17c35e8-e664-11e6-acf5-4589ba203144_story.html?utm_term=.7ec93e6955f6 , I must say how amazed I am at the media's continual, unabated effort to make excuses for Misty Copeland's flawed technical performances.
This is the 21st century. There absolutely is shame in not being able to accomplish the basic technical requirements of a role while simultaneously publicly complaining about how the role and others have been denied to you because of racism. There absolutely is shame every time a ballerina fails to meet the choreographic goal. Kauffman now wants to change the height and distance of the goal posts for Copeland to make her look better. What a load of crap. She needs to buck up and practice on the left and the right until she can do the steps -- just like every other dancer does. Less time spent media-ing herself and more time practicing is what she needs. She's made a career and tremendous wealth out of celebrating her over-muscled legs. What good are they if they can't pump a few releves?
McKenzie has over-gifted Copeland with opportunities and she has continually failed to rise to the challenges while preventing other, much better dancers from performing in the roles. Now he has gifted her two Swan Lakes at the Met this spring where she will again fail technically, two Don Quixotes where she will fail both in the fouettes and and hops on the pointe, and two Giselles where she will fail in the hops on pointe.
Kaufman's continual effort to redefine Copeland's failure as some kind of success is for the birds, but not for Swan Lake.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 12:11 PM
Kaufman states: "With all the experience available in that company, surely heads can come together to aid Copeland . . ." Aid Copeland because she's too busy flashing the public instead of putting in the hard work . . . ? How about just having the talented, hardworking, CAPABLE dancers to the worked instead - Unaided. Also dismayed that whenever googling images of ballet past and present, we now have Misty flashing her parts among the likes of Gelsey, Cynthia Gregory, Sara Lamb, Tiler Peck, etc. Alternative facts indeed!
Posted by: Karen | January 30, 2017 at 01:04 PM
Agree, Karen.
Kaufman claims "many ballerinas have successfully substituted another step to produce the same effect of speed, control and brilliance." Not true. Not many great ones, that is.
Her example of Maya Plisetskaya is ridiculous. Even the suggestion that Copeland's situation somehow is similar is simply ignorant. Who really thinks that ABT should model its political structure after the Soviets? That is what we are talking about - political maneuvering in the art form where fundamental standards and skill requirements are set aside for select individuals who the political powers favor.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 01:22 PM
You are so right Haglund, that there is shame in not being able to execute the steps. The blame lies squarely with Copeland. To give her two performances of Swan Lake, Giselle and Don Quixote is insane. It is amazing how many excuses are made for her. Give those roles to a real ballerina, Sara Lane.
Posted by: SM | January 30, 2017 at 02:12 PM
I agree, SM. Sarah Lane has waited far too long for her hard-earned chances.
Kaufman is clearly attempting to advance "alternative facts" or fake facts in making the claim that "many ballerinas have successfully substituted another step to produce the same effect of speed, control and brilliance." That simply isn't true. It is nothing short of a failure, a humiliation, a departure from standards and a grand disappointment to the audience when a ballerina can't do the steps and substitutes something easier.
Haglund's most favorite ABT ballerina has never danced Swan Lake and may never. While I don't know for certain, I suspect that it's because her body will not longer withstand what is required for preparation and performance, and she has enough integrity not to make a bunch of compromises just so that she can place herself under the spotlight on the stage in this iconic role.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 02:48 PM
I read that WP article as well and I'm aghast that a critic is so ready to make these apologetic excuses on behalf of a professional dancer, let alone a principal in one of the country's foremost companies. It's saddening as well that Google searches show her referred to as a "headliner" for tours such as these, when there are many other dancers who deserve the same, if not more recognition. I just don't understand how someone is cast if they can't do the steps properly, point blank. I would be ashamed to take a role away from a colleague who could actually step up to its demands.
I recall Sara Mearns posting on Instagram about practicing fouettes during a Peter Martins Swan Lake run, "no tricks, no fancy stuff, just clean 32", and I so respect and prefer a dancer who knows the importance of continued hard work and practice and mastering the basics. It's a joke to have someone at principal level who cannot achieve this.
Posted by: NS | January 30, 2017 at 03:03 PM
Along with the whole audience, I was thrilled by the production on Thursday night with the incomparable Teucher and Gomes. Jennifer's remarks above and yours, Haglund, are spot on.
Posted by: Sharon | January 30, 2017 at 03:47 PM
Thanks for the review, Haglund. Very insightful and educational as always, particularly for someone like me with limited knowledge of the technical aspects of ballet. I was able to see both Devon and Veronika this weekend and loved seeing how they both approached the role. Who is your "most favorite ABT ballerina" that you mention above? Stella?
Posted by: CM | January 30, 2017 at 04:08 PM
Hi, Sharon. So glad to hear that you were there on Thursday along with your confirmation of the audience's reaction. The Sunday audience, also thrilled, gave Devon and Marcelo an en mass enthusiastic standing ovation. This was an ovation for their actual dancing, not for some perceived celebrity status.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 10:21 PM
It's not as though Plisetskaya was incapable of performing 32 fouettes, either: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmsokIChU-0&t=3m39s
Posted by: Matthew Rusk | January 30, 2017 at 10:23 PM
Thank you for the link, Matthew. Maya may have opted to switch to piques when she was close to 50, but as you pointed out, she was mighty capable of doing the fouettes during her career. That clip is awesome. I don't remember a whole lot from 1959 but it must have been a pretty good year if Maya was banging out fouettes like that while Toni Lander was knocking down Etudes around the world.
You allude to the precise reason that Kaufman's citation of Maya as an excuse for letting Copeland off the hook is bunk. Copeland has never been able to do the fouettes or hops on pointe. And it was in Etudes where ABT's early willingness to dumb down the choreography for her (as a corps dancer) was first noticed by the audience.
Posted by: Haglund | January 30, 2017 at 10:44 PM
Great review, thank you Haglund! Your commentary is truly chicken soup for the balletomane, especially those of us who could not make it to the performance.
Posted by: Nicole | January 31, 2017 at 12:40 AM
Teuscher was truly breathtaking. I hope to see her get more opportunities, as she is the future ballerina of ABT.
Regarding Kaufman's critique of Copeland, I agree with you but I also think Kaufman is in a very difficult position. Misty has a large loud claque, and I'm not a professional critic but have been told I'm a racist when I have pointed out Misty's technical shortcomings (and I'm of no importance to anyone). Anytime anyone speaks negatively about Misty, you have to worry about the racism labeled being thrown at you. Unfortunately, that puts writers like Ms. Kaufman in a difficult predicament, given that the WP does not need the headache of their arts critic being called out by Misty's followers. To be honest, I'm happy that she even brought up the fact that Copeland has technical shortcomings. Normally it's glossed over due to her "celebrity."
Posted by: Kristen | January 31, 2017 at 09:59 AM
Great review as always, Haglund. Like Nicole I could not make it to DC either. Thank you for the link to the WP article. What a lot of rubbish! Seldom does one read excuses for a dancer from a dance writer. I plan to see Part in Swan this June. Too bad Whiteside instead of Gomes or Hallberg is her partner. I skipped SL last year for that reason. If Veronika Part at ABT is truly endangered, will have to be content with less than ideal partnerships.
Posted by: Marta | January 31, 2017 at 10:07 AM
Kristen, so happy to hear from another one who made it to Devon & Marcelo's Swan Lake. I agree that Devon is the future of ABT but she's also a throwback to its glamour days of Cynthia Gregory and Toni Lander. Also Schevchenko is making great strides in her artistry – technique has never been a problem – and will someday (hopefully) land on stage as Odette/Odile.
Nicole, we're honored with your "chicken soup" label. That's actually one of our goals at H.H. -- to bring the flavor of the performance in writing to those who couldn't be there.
Marta, you missed a good one, but try to make it to Devon's S.L. this spring in addition to Veronika's.
Posted by: Haglund | January 31, 2017 at 10:24 AM
Looks like I'll have to take a day off from work to see Devon at the Met!
Posted by: yukionna | January 31, 2017 at 03:00 PM
Hi Haglund,
What an amazing performance this was!! I, too, made the trip from NYC to DC on Sunday. I had to get up before dawn, but it was well worth the hassle. People have been praising Devon for the past few years, but she never really stood out for me... until now. I also think that Devon was extremely fortunate to dance with Marcelo Gomes. He's the perfect partner, in my opinion. Calvin Royal III was impressive, too, and I'm sure he'll continue to grow into the role of von Rothbart.
This was one of these performances I'll never forget. I am so, so glad I made the trip. It's a shame that NYC audiences won't have a chance to see this magical pairing.
Posted by: B | January 31, 2017 at 09:46 PM
On Sunday, I left home at 7:00 am, caught a flight and arrived in D.C. to see the performance, hopped on another flight and arrived back home just before midnight. It was well worth every bit of effort.
I had high expectations from that very short Manaus video last August, but the reality surpassed my wildest imagination. Your review said it all! I hoped to see a very promising debut, but what I saw was a fully developed Odette and Odile. This was no doubt the alignment of natural talent, very hard work, and some good coaching. I was in the front row a bit to the right so could see facial expressions quite well. At the end of the black swan coda, Devon flashed a brilliant, triumphant smile at Marcelo, which he returned. This was of course in character, but they seemed to me also to be saying to one another “we just put on one hell of a show!”
Posted by: Patricia | January 31, 2017 at 09:58 PM
Oh my gosh, "B", you came to Devon's Swan Lake from NYC, too! Fabulous!
And Patricia flew up from Atlanta for it and sat in the front row! Patricia, recipient of the first and only HH Pump Bump Winged Commuter Award can get to anywhere from the Atlanta airport for any performance - even if it means suffering through overnight stays in a less than gleaming terminal.
Yep, we all saw a special show -- that's for sure.
Posted by: Haglund | January 31, 2017 at 10:33 PM