ABT – Swan Lake 6/18

Back in the summer of 2015, Haglund advocated for the pairing of Devon Teuscher and Cory Stearns in Swan Lake: 

Stearns' problem isn't just his projection, but also the the small facial features that are close together that make it hard to see what he's doing in that area...My solution is to begin pairing him up with the lovely, cool, small-featured Devon Teuscher, who hasn't had the best spring season at the Met this year (her first as a soloist) but clearly has some awesome technical chops at her disposal...I'm confident in their pairing….I think that those two dancers are possibly an ideal match physically, although I haven't a clue whether they could create chemistry.

After three years, we can finally say bull’s-eye. And that last part about chemistry? Bull’s-eye, again.

ABT’s week of Swan Lakes opened with its strongest pairing of the entire run — and truthfully, its only really good pairing. Devon Teuscher and Cory Stearns as Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried carried the evening with exquisite Pas de Deux in Acts II and IV and a smoldering connection in Act III. On balance, it was a truly worthwhile and entertaining performance of the type that we used to see five, six, or seven times per week during ABT’s Swan Lake runs years ago.

 

The Prelude in this staging, in which Odette as a young girl encounters Von Rothbart who then captures her to add to his bevy of swan maidens, has never been particularly useful or necessary except for the fact that audiences, notably New York audiences, don’t like to sit through long preambles of orchestration before the curtain goes up on the action. It doesn’t bother Russian attendees at the Met’s ballet performances, because they use the time to unwrap their sandwiches. 

 

The introduction of both faces of Von Rothbart (ugly monster and handsome human devil) and the kidnapping of Odette with her transformation into a swan technically clarify a couple of points in the story that one would understand if one read the synopsis — which may not happen much these days. The Prelude is performed under vague lighting which makes it hardly visible to half of the audience. But it is brief and not particularly harmful to the rest of the production.

 

In Act I, Cory Stearns took Prince Siegfried’s boredom with his unfocused life to an extreme. Arabesques did not approach 90 degrees. Jumps were neither high nor effortless and looked lifeless. Turns showed an absence of initiative. Adagio was unsteady. On the other hand, his best friend Benno as danced by Blaine Hoven carried the viewer’s interest of this act almost by himself. Blaine has been dancing at a very high principal level for a few years. He has no weakness in his technique. He is as handsome on stage as anyone could want. His theater skills have evolved to the point where they are more than just good. He and soloist Tom Forster are years past the time when they should have been dancing Siegfried, Albrecht, and other major classical roles. And yet, McKenzie would rather cast wet-behind-the-ears corpsmen or overuse the least likable Whiteside as an alternative. The issue and the cause of it loom so largely that they shroud the entire season: Why haven’t Blaine Hoven and Tom Forster been cast in principal Petipa roles?

 

The Pas de Trois as danced by Hoven, Catherine Hurlin, and Katherine Williams was delightful. Hoven’s partnering was exceptional in terms of technique, artistry, and creating rapport with his partners; his variation included the split tour jetes and powerful turning that were missing from Stearns’ dancing. Katherine Williams has developed dynamics at such a pace this season that she has become one of the most exciting dancers to watch. Instead of letting the music pull her along last night, she was baiting it to go faster. Catherine Hurlin’s variations were solidly danced, crisp, and pretty, but she has yet to develop that little extra something that creates a keen interest on the part of the viewer. The basics are beautifully in place, though.

 

Act I was enhanced by the gorgeous dancing of Kaho Ogawa and Courtney Lavine as Aristocrats along with Betsy McBride, Jonathan Klein, Aran Bell, and Patrick Frenette as Peasants. Klein danced enthusiastically and strongly. So why has he been removed from both performances of Whipped Cream after his highly successful debut in Washington, DC? Aaron Scott, who is not as technically gifted as Klein and not as compelling to watch, now has both performances?  What is going on here? What crime did the audience commit to deserve this treatment?

 

Last night Scott and Gabe Shayer danced the Neapolitan without much polish. Their very short legs didn’t always get straightened to arabesque. Pirouettes were minimal and not impressive in form or speed. We’ve seen worse, but we’ve also seen much better. The material in Neapolitan shouldn’t be overly challenging for a soloist or one who aspires to be a soloist.

 

Suddenly at the outset of Act II, Stearns came to life. Rather, he suddenly became interested in life. The stunning Odette alighted before him and he immediately set about to settle her quivering wings with convincing emotion and authority along with impeccable partnering. It is a rare Odette who has so much to say and a story so big to tell that it seems she might not have enough music with which to tell it. Her torso bent deeply to convey her profound sadness and misery. Her eyes revealed sorrow and desperation, and when they met Siegfried’s eyes, they reflected uncertainty about trusting him but also pleaded for his help. The interpretation was at once natural, spontaneous, and gloriously musical with every accent seemingly the most perfect choice for each phrase of music. The absolute stillness of her arabesques mimicked those of a frightened bird balancing on a branch. Odette’s variation included some of the prettiest, most perfectly controlled brushes to grande battement/rond de jambe that we have ever seen. 

 

The Swans were fine. Swan #2 had a different arabesque saute that didn’t always come down on the music the way the others’ did during the initial entrance phrase. The Two Swans, Alexandra Basmagy and April Giangeruso, were a mixed bag. April did not have nearly the spacious jump that Alexandra did, and their whole sequence looked rather effortful. The Cygnettes (Cassandra Trenary, Betsy McBride, Nicole Graniero, and Skylar Brandt) were near perfection. But To Tell The Truth, we were a little miffed that Cassandra Trenary’s husband didn’t show up in Act I for the Birthday Party. But we understand if he was tuckered out from his uproarious appearance on ABC's To Tell The Truth the night before which will be available for viewing next Monday at this link for free; if you have cable, you might be able to watch it now.

 

Gray Davis was the To Tell The Truth mystery hero who saved the guy on the subway tracks. The two fakers on the panel included an over-tanned actor type who didn’t know anything about New York. He referred to Union Square as Union Park. When quizzed about 5th position, he totally bombed. The other faker was a woman who had been a former gymnast; she was dressed in a tank top with her hair in a bun. Gray sat there slouched with a bored expression on his face. When asked what his favorite ballet was, he paused and said Swan Lake. Then he was asked what his second favorite ballet was. Gray paused even longer before saying Nutcracker. Then he was asked what his third favorite ballet was. Gray really paused a long time like he was having trouble coming up with a title and finally said Romeo and Juliet. By then all of the judges were convinced that Gray was NOT the hero simply because he said the all-too-obvious Swan Lake and Nutcracker as his favorite ballets and had to take so much time to come up with his answers. Everybody voted that the hero was the woman. So after Gray stood up to great applause, he went to the center of the studio and did three entrechat six and a triple pirouette to the knee in order to prove to the judges that he was the hero ballet dancer. It was a very funny segment which followed another funny segment about some guy who won a contest for breaking toilet seats against his head. Sometimes we just have to digress...

 

Back to Swan Lake and on to The Great Hall and Act III.

 

The four Princesses included Paulina Waski who was a little mushy in Hungarian. She has her vocal fans and local supporters who admire her physical beauty, but her technical ability is really underwhelming. Courtney Lavine was engaging and precise as the Spanish Princess — another dancer who has much more to offer and has Ratmansky’s respect but seems invisible to McKenzie. Lauren Post as the Italian Princess danced sweetly and lightly, but made a very small impression. April Giangeruso as the Polish Princess sported excessive extensions with a horrible shape of the foot. It may be the shape of the shoe rather than the foot that is offending; but it is indeed quite awful and not something that should be on a professional stage. Her over-sized extensions call attention to it. When her leg flies up, the overall image is un-balletic. She may as well have a tennis shoe on her foot.

 

Zhong-Jing Fang and Alexei Agoudine led a spirited Czardas. Isadora Loyola, Duncan Lyle, Alexandra Basmagy, and Jose Sebastian danced well while seeming like an odd quartet in the Spanish section. Lyle, who normally possesses good theatrical sense on stage, threw his head back like Miss Piggy throwing her curls. 

 

Calvin Royal III’s Von Rothbart was handsome and attractively evil but his technique did not hold up under the spotlight. That balance from 5th position releve to arabesque only comes with never-ending daily practice. Nor were the jumps stirring in their beauty and height. Nor were the turns of soloist quality.

 

Roman Zhurbin’s ugly monster Von Rothbart hit its mark as it usually does. He died clutching our sympathy in his fists.

 

Devon’s Odile was a potent portrayal of power poisoned by parent. Everyone in the audience was rooting for the beautiful evilrina as she toyed with Siegfried and lured him into her trap. Her variation began with a series of triple pirouettes into a single en dehors attitude turn that stopped on a dime while Odile glared straight out at the audience. She hissed. She spit. And when it was all over, Siegfried was left helpless by the power of Odile's 15 lightning fast double fouettes followed by 17 even faster singles that proved just how beautiful and recklessly seductive she was. Those doubles traveled forward, but they were never – even for a moment – out of control. Praises to this Odile for the pluck and audacity in those fast doubles. Let them be a signature for a long time to come.

 

Siegfried’s variation had more verve and umph than his dancing in Act I, but it wasn’t stellar. We may have to go back on Thursday night to see if we can get more out of him. He’s too young to be falling from his peak yet. In fact, he should still be ascending. Maybe this partnership will be the booster rocket he needs.

 

So there you have it. Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, evil wings with encrusted diamonds, is bestowed upon Devon Teuscher for her spectacular performances of both Odette and Odile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jennifer]

Thanks for your review. I am more and more excited about Devon Teuscher. I have not found a ballerina so interesting and exciting to watch for a number of years. I wish I could make it to NY this Thursday.

If she can light a spark in Cory Stearns (or any other partner) so much the better.

[Marta]

Hi Haglund,

Thank you for this detailed review. Sorry I couldn't make it to see Teuscher in a lead role. She sounds special. Not sorry I didn't see Stearns. He was Siegfried to Part's O/O a few years ago and I found him dull, technically weak and just phoning it in. I'd be very curious to see the dancer who could light a spark in Stearns. I agree with you on Blaine Hoven who should be already a principal. Will he ever get there?

[Just Another Dancer]

Oh Haglund, thank you for a lovely SL review. I wish I could fly to NYC to witness Teuscher Odette Odile, I love it when a ballerina understands her characters, also has solid technique to back her artistry. I saw Stearn with Yuan Yuan Tan in Eugene Onegin, Stearn was physically beautiful: tall, thin, long beautiful line when he was not too lazy to use it. Yet in term of his dancing maturity, he was such a bore when I saw him. I guess he is not getting any better..such a shame because he could be so good...- JAD

[LLF]

Your review makes me wish I'd gone to see this performance, instead of sitting out this week because of the ho-hum dull casting. There's so much latent talent in this company, and it's all going for naught due to an AD with poor judgment! I still haven't forgiven him for his non-teaming of Blaine Hoven and Veronika Part in Swan Lake. With the imminent departure of yet another talented principal (Jeffrey Cirio), now, more than ever, we need both Hoven and Forster to move up in rank. Audiences want to see Swan Lake with some of these wonderful dancers, not run away from it due to mediocrity!

[Haglund]

Hi, LLF. The same cast dances Thursday night.

While Cirio is a nice dancer, I don't think his departure is going to put ABT in much worse of a position than it is now and it certainly isn't a reason to go out and hire principals or soloists to come into the company. The looming question is why McKenzie isn't advancing the talents of Hoven, Forster, Gorak, Klein, Ribagorda, McCune, Frenette, and on the women's side, Ogawa and McBride who both obviously have complete technique and theatrical skills. Courtney Lavine is another one. While I'm not sure how strong her virtuosity elements are, I think her dancing is extraordinarily beautiful.

McKenzie's problem is McKenzie -- not a lack of talent at ABT, that's for sure.

[rachel]

I agree with you about Courney Lavine - though I think she has been injured a lot the past year which may play a part. She's captivating on stage no matter what she is doing. IMO despite not loving Firebird she would be exceptional in that role. I think this year she's doing Big Swans? Someone if so please report back!

[Eulalia Johnson]

Just a quick note on today's matinee. David La Marche conducted a thrilling Swan Lake--absolutely first class. Whiteside was a strong Siegfried from whom Shevchenko elicited involvement and emotion. Some of the lifts were thrilling. From his first appearance, Bell revealed himself to be a dancer-actor who can brilliantly individuate roles. Although perhaps lacking a mature gravitas in the Black Act that he will grow into, he took command of the stage in masterful style and demands your focus. His Rothbart already demonstrates how effortless it is for him to seduce women into his thrall. And, speaking of masterful, Shevchenko as O/O knocked my socks off: This is world class prima ballerina blazing artistry. She is a born tragedienne not afraid of extremes but never, ever vulgar; even as a villainess, she radiates aristocracy. One rarely hears silence as one heard it during the leads' several pas de deux. The house was vociferous in its acclaim when it came time to give thanks. Quite an afternoon...

[Haglund]

Thanks for the report, Eulalia. It sounds like it was an absolutely thrilling performance.

[Anna]

I went to today's matinee and I second everything Eulalia wrote above. It was a wonderful performance that elicited long standing ovation. Shevchenko was outstanding. Her Odette was fragile and proud and regal all at once. Her Odile was coquettish and seductive and full of fire. I've seen so many SLs but this was a masterclass. Whiteside was a good partner and exhibited more emotion than I have seen from him in a long time. I believed his ennui in Act I and I believed his love and infatuation and eventual sacrifice.
Gray Davis can play evil Rothbart in his sleep, but Bell surprised me. He actually took command of the stage in Act III. Catherine Hurlin and Katherine Williams were beautiful Big Swans. The corps turned in solid performance. McBride and Zhurbin had a memorable turn as Czardas. My only issue was with Gianderuso in Pas de Trois. There is just something weird about her technique, especially the way her torso angles during grand jetes. It displays a lot of forced effort and I am just not used to that. Courtney Lavine as always was a standout. She really should be a soloist.
It was definitely quite an afternoon. I can't wait for next Tuesday's Don Q.

[Haglund]

Thanks for the report, Anna.

I really believe that Shevchenko is going to be an extraordinary "full service" ballerina in the vein of Dvorovenko and Ananiashvili -- one who can dance every type of role brilliantly. I'm imagining her Giselle and Sylphide and her Tatiana.

[Anna]

Yes, Haglund, I completely agree. Her Tatiana would be something to behold. Or Manon...

[Eulalia Johnson]

Anna & Haglund, yes, Shevchenko's Tatiana, please, ABT, please, please, please...

[U. N. Owen]

Very glad to hear such good things about this partnership! Going to see this tonight myself and looking forward to it. Fyi, Teuscher and Stearns are real life partners as well, which I imagine has something to do with it.

[Olivia]

Went to see Devon and Cory on Thursday, thanks for your review which led me to see this charming pair! What was really adorable was how Cory lit up whenever Devon was on stage, he clearly loved sharing the stage with her. It was like a different person... I’m not sure how much of it was acting or pure chemistry, but it sure worked for Siegfried’s characterization!

[Melponeme_k]

I saw Murphy's Swan Lake last night. It was absolutely fantastic. She was so in control of all aspects of the characterization and extremely comfortable with the technical demands. She powered through the fouettes adding in triples and doubles. It is rare to see a ballerina that strong.

Whiteside wasn't that bad. It think Murphy pulled a lot of responses from him and he wasn't so stone faced. His dancing in the beginning was a bit messy but he pulled together by the Black Swan section.

I'm glad I was able to see Murphy still at the top of her form.