ABT 7/11 Swan Lake shocker

        It’s not easy to shock ole Haglund in Swan Lake. But Tuesday night’s ABT performance stirred up the lake's tranquility when Hee Seo sculled through an Act III Odile that actually crested above her Act II Odette. Her Prince Siegfried, Aran Bell, who is a dozen or so years her junior, gave a startlingly brilliant performance from his authoritative entry at the top of the staircase in Act I to his dramatic death dive off the cliff at the end of Act IV. Did having a fresh young pup for a partner perk up Hee to be a little more lively? Actually the fresh young pup also happens to be the franchise quarterback. And this Aran was so much more watchable than that other scraggly-faced Aaron that the Post’s sports columnists can’t stop gushing over. He danced with a boldness, freshness, and confident classicism that rarely went awry. His leg and arm lines were as clear as - ahem - a bell, and his aerial positions were pristine. He committed to the mime and made it no less meaningful than his allegro.

        Hee’s Odette began Act II with timid reserve. Her entrance wasn't the perfection that she’d planned but she steadied her center to bring forward a nicely shaped pique arabesque. There was a sense that while her legs, arms, and torso were ready to dance, she had not warmed up emotionally for Odette. Her positions were pretty; the transitions were smooth; the shapes of the supported pirouettes were beautiful. While Hee may not possess the long arms we associate with Odette, she used them elegantly and spared us any excessive flapping. Everything was lovely, but there was a remoteness that prevented the viewer from connecting with her.

 

        Hee's remoteness evaporated in Act III when Odile arrived in shimmering black on the arm of Joo Won Ahn’s seductively wicked von Rothbart. Maybe she indulged in a can or two of Red Bull at intermission because here we suddenly had a character alive with impulse and motive and full of scamp. Odile found such joy in toying with Siegfried and conspiring with von Rothbart. Ahn had full control of his evil character but unfortunately didn’t have full control of the Hungarian Princess, Anabel Katsnelson, on a lift that went glaringly wrong. It definitely spooked the young corps dancer who displayed a panicky expression as she quickly walked out of the calamity. At least Ahn didn’t drop her on her back and then trip over her like he did to Veronika Park early in his career. Ahn danced a commanding solo in full character brimming with confidence and with sharp legs that sliced through the grand allegro. Like the best von Rothbarts, he gave up a bit of tidiness for theatrical effect. (Recall Hallberg’s sensational debut as von Rothbart with his splayed fingers and throw-away grand jetes entournents.) 

 

        The Black Swan PdD did not disappoint. Bell’s gyroscope-like ability to keep his center was remarkable. He has continued to add layers of color and detail to his Siegfried who on this night was a satisfyingly complex character, not a poster-Siegfried. We should cherish his 90° arabesque and pray that he takes care of it over the next decade. The grand jetes, coupe jetes, and pirouettes were simply breathtaking in their scope.

 

        Hee’s Odile variation didn’t include a bunch of bells & whistles — just basics, which for the most part were cleanly and confidently danced. Her variation began with a double en dehors pirouette and single en dehors turn in attitude. She fought for the finishes which is something that she hasn’t necessarily been known for doing over the past decade. Her turns a la second and renverses in attitude were lovely and clear. Those fouettes were a happy surprise. Fast singles that traveled forward, and as she came downstage her expression of wicked determination came into focus. She got close enough to 30-32 to get a pass, and finished with authority.

 

        Hee was far more emotionally invested in her Act IV Odette than she had been in Act II. She was quite the captivating portrayal of distress and commitment that even overcame the shortcomings of the staging. Bell, too, was deeply invested even though he had to deliver all those big lifts after an entire night of taxing dancing.

 

        Carlos Gonzales defined his Benno with accomplished, authoritative mime and supercharged pirouettes that included unusually high retiré positions. Obviously so talented, Gonzales has also been prone to injury, and the effect shone in the areas of stability and grand allegro. We’d love to see him continue to progress in soloist roles but have also observed that Patrick Frenette needs more of a show of confidence by management. His pristine lines and noble bearing were unmistakable within a large group of corpsmen. He has obviously been putting in the work to polish his dancing, and we need to see that highlighted in a leading principal role sooner than later.

 

        The PdT in Act I was danced by Gonzales, Zimmi Coker and Breanne Granlund. It was okay, but nothing great. Zimmi was accurate and full of energy whereas Breanne displayed poorly shaped feet, missed beats on the cabrioles and struggled with the speed. She was replaced in the PdT in Act IV by Léa Fleytoux, a sparkling jewel of a ballerina.

 

        Luigi Crispino and Tyler Malone held their own in the Neapolitan dance, but only Crispino delivered the showmanship that the dance demands. The Two Swans, Chloe Misseline and Sunmi Park, jumped impressively. The Cygnettes (Fleytoux, Hannah Marshall, Rachel Richardson, Kotomi Yamada) were accurate, but were also distracting in their physical differences, like they were assembled from other quartets and thrown together for this performance.

 

        The best that can be said about the swan Corps de Ballet is that they moved together in military fashion but without the flowing beauty that one always hopes to see. The dancers were of such different sizes and shapes that it sometimes prevented the viewer from looking at the corps as a single body instead of a bunch of individual dancers. ABT needs to standardize the makeup of this corps. Some swans were as bland as if they were in a tech rehearsal whereas others were overdone with Kitri-like eyebrows and excessively black rimmed lids. At least everyone could wear the same color of lipstick, couldn’t they?

 

        We’re going to catch a couple of more Swan Lakes this week including Devon Teuscher’s on Friday night. Hopefully her Siegfried will show some life. By the way, we did manage to see Devon’s Giselle and were thrilled with her classic interpretation and the beauty of her port de bras. She showed the most elegant back and neck lines in her arabesques. Her conveyance of Giselle’s ethereal spirit was stunning in its beauty. Her Albrecht was Aran Bell, a perfect match, and together they transported the audience into their magical realm and provided the aesthetic pleasure that we all actually pay to see.

 

        The H.H. Pump Bump Award is bestowed upon Aran Bell who has been a sight to behold from every angle of every role performed thus far this season.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Rachel Perez]

Glad to see you back Haglund! I caught the double header of what was supposed to be Murphy and then Hurlin yesterday, but turned out to be Boylston and then Hurlin when Gillian had to pull out due to injury.

Cate Hurlin made another great debut in Swan Lake. In the Act II PDD she reminded me of my more timid cats who occasionally gives into the ecstasy of a good belly rub/ear scratch only to have a moment of instant clarity that's some sense check. You could see that with Hurlin's Odette - she was giving herself fully into the romance, but had moments where she had this momentary "wait what am I doing?" Her Odile was authoritative, teasing and a bit malevolent. She tripped up in her initial en dehors attitude turns into the arabesque, and her fouettes traveled a bit too much to let her keep control, but I thought she was otherwise splendid. LaMarche did some odd things with the tempo of the music during the fouetttes that I don't think helped - like trying to keep her initial very quick turns on the music - not sure.

James Whiteside was a great partner - it's nice to see him back on the stage, and I suspect his solo work will only get back to its usual form as his knee fully heals.

The PDT of Misseldine, Park and Han was great.

Roxander is standing out for me this season both in the peasant pas in Giselle and as one of the Neapolitan brothers last night - he dances very cleanly and confidently.

[Haglund]

Good to hear about Hurlin's performance, Rachel.

Roxander is an obvious new talent, but we have watched so many obviously talented men burn through the PdT, Peasant Pas, Neapolitan, etc. only to languish for years in stalled careers. His new face is a welcomed sight, though, that's for sure.

[Eulalia Johnson]

Given Bell's sterling Albrecht in the July 4 "Giselle," I'm sorry not to see his Siegfried this season but I no longer have the Sitzfleisch for a double-header this coming Saturday. I saw two other Albrechts last week but Bell's was in a class of his own. Although disappointed Wednesday afternoon not to see Murphy as Odette/Odile, Boylston was aflame and Forster made a noble, manly Prince. The lifts in the first White act were stunning. That Boylston danced such demanding choreography twice within 36 hours at such a level of technical mastery is amazing. Brava, diva! ¶

I was sitting in the front of the Dress Circle to the left hand side of the house and regret to say that my enjoyment of the Black act was compromised by some barbarians in the DC boxes who decided to film much of the Black act on their telephones. Upon leaving the theatre, I spoke to the house manager to say that the ushers must be much more alert to put a stop to such prohibited behavior. It's not for the public to have to police a performance and if one is at a distance, what can one do? This is New York, not the Amazon, and we do not, thank goodness, equip ourselves with dart guns. The stage is a sacred space and to distract from it as these selfish people did is nothing less than an act of profanity.

[Arneita McKinney]

Great review and commentary on Swan Lake. My friend is a dancer in the corps de ballet. Breanne Granlund was injured, which explains her struggles with the PdT choreography in Act 1. She was just trying to get through it, but is normally a lovely and consistent performer.

[Rachel Perez]

Echo your sentiment, Eulalia, about Isabella rising to the occasion of pulling that role off with aplomb twice in 36 hours. Even one performance is no easy feat!

[Haglund]

Arneita, thank you for the update on Breanne Granlund. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

[Eulalia Johnson]

Rachel, are you seeing another SL before the run ends? I'm sure you lament with me how short the ABT season is this year. How I wish the ballet and opera could alternate as is done at Covent Garden.

[Eulalia Johnson]

Rachel, please share your impressions of any other SL you take in. Are you going to Romeo? We may have to give the last week of the season a miss since we are adopting new kitties. Always appreciate your comments.

[Rachel Perez]

Eulalia, sadly, I am not able to go to another Swan Lake, as I am headed out of town this weekend. I am terribly sad at the length of this ABT season, and while I enjoyed LWFC, I really wish they had done another ballet instead of two weeks of it. If we get back into town at time, I might try and go see the Saturday evening performance.

I don't currently have any R&J tickets. I may try to get over there to see Devon/Aran - I've long admired Bell and saw his Romeo debut a few years ago, and I haven't had the pleasure of seeing Devon in anything this season. I'd love to go to the Hurlin debut Wednesday afternoon, but I fear for my job "playing hooky" three Wednesday afternoons in a row :)

[Angelica Smith]

Thanks to your review, Haglund, I'm going to see the Bell/Seo performance tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for pointing me in that direction.

[Haglund]

Angelica, tonight you could have seen Bell step in at intermission for Stearns and knock it out of the park while making the gorgeous Teuscher look like a million dollar ballerina.

[Angelica Smith]

I hope Bell is able to dance this afternoon after stepping in for Cory last night. Do we know what happened to Cory?

[Jeannette]

Hurrah, Aaron Bell!!! I’m sorry that he’s no longer dancing primarily with Hurlin. Are they still a couple? Looked so nice together.

[Haglund]

I don't know what was wrong with Cory. He didn't exactly dance badly but seemed quite winded after the first few steps of Act I. He made it through Act II in his usual fashion. There was no hint that anything was wrong.

The intermission was very long and then an announcement was made before the start of Act III. The PA system was so underpowered that not many people heard the announcement.

Speaking with an occasional balletgoer while waiting for the bus, he was not even aware that a substitution had been made or that a different guy wasn't supposed to dance Act III & IV.

Bell and Teuscher look fantastic together. Devon's glorious dancing has risen to true étoile level thanks to Isabelle Guerin's fine efforts.

[Eulalia Johnson]

Saturday night’s “Swan Lake” was an exciting performance. The current that surged through conductor La Marche appeared to electrify the orchestra and dancers. The corps was more uniform than on Wednesday afternoon. Substitutions were plentiful. Han stepped in for Hoven as Benno and performed with panache. Klein spelled Magbitang as a Neapolitan with Roxander; the two men were thrilling and Klein’s subtle acting as his character observed Rothbart harvest Siegfried and the queen demonstrated his ability to communicate whether dancing or just being. For heaven’s sake, ABT, make this fellow a soloist already! Royal was elegant, fluent, noble—an absolute pleasure to watch and truly princely in his support of Shevchenko’s O/O, both sublime and different from each other body and soul. Every atom in her was eloquent. One could write pages appreciating her accomplishment but let one example suffice for praise of her technical skill. She nailed her fouettés while seemingly nailed to the floor: No traveling and bravura for days. For us, a moving and lasting impression!

[Haglund]

Eulalia,

Good to hear about Klein. Such a talented and interesting dancer -- not tall, but possesses an unusual elegance and noble bearing. He can throw a look with his eyes that speaks dramatic volumes. I view him as a natural Albrecht. I recall that Ratmansky matched up Klein with Skylar Brandt in Whipped Cream and it turned out to be magical.

[Jose m]

Re Klein, he can be a future Romeo if given a chance….

[Haglund]

So true, Jose. Good to hear from you.

[Jose M]

So glad you’re back on your feet. Being active, in a sensible way, is the best way to recover from new surgery. Pretty soon you’ll be back on your toes.

[Haglund]

Thanks, Jose. It's been kind of a long slog, but worth it.

[Jon Michael]

Never commented before, but saw that you were incapacitated. Just letting you know that some of us missed your more regular posts. Looking forward to your further discussion on this past weeks S/L. Get well!

[Haglund]

Thanks much, Jon Michael. Doing okay. Two knee replacements over three months seemed like a good idea at the time, lol.

[Jose M]

Both knees ? Amazing..

[Derval Kenny]

Happy to once again read your excellent reviews.
Best of luck with all the rehab!

[Phyllis Malmuth]

I MISSED you Haglund! I couldn't get to NY this spring and have missed not being able to enjoy the ballet thru you. Welcome back! Continue to heal and be well.

[Haglund]

Thank you, Phyllis. So looking forward to the fall seasons.