ABT 7/13 & 7/14 Opulent Odettes and Dazzling Odiles

        Sometimes pathological optimism just bubbles up like it did this past week during ABT's performances of Swan Lake at the Met Opera House. At the moment it seems like the company has a few Odette/Odiles who are at the very height of their formidable artistic powers and who have suddenly helped ABT recover its reputation in this classic. We caught a couple of them, Skylar Brandt and Devon Teuscher, who are developing their individual interpretations at astonishing speed with the assistance of private coaches who, themselves, were memorable in the roles.

        In Skylar Brandt's Odette, we felt the emotional intensity of Irina Dvorovenko. In her Odile, we recognized the diabolical cunning with which Irina used to sashay around the stage. This year the artistry in Brandt's Odette rose to the level of her Odile. We could not decide which character we liked more or who we wanted to win in the end. Odile powered her seductive arrogance with showy balances and dominatrix-inspired whipping fouettes. She came at Prince Siegfried with a diagonal of step-over turns that made him dizzy with heat. This year, Brandt's Odette possessed a new eloquence through her lengthened front of neck and delicate clavicle. The lifted face beautifully conveyed her plight and sorrow as did her sensitive port de bras.

    Herman Cornejo as Siegfried, although technically unsteady at the start, delivered a powerfully danced and nuanced performance of his character who was so lost in love that he couldn't see straight. Cornejo surely senses the curtain slowly descending on his career and is driving hard for performances that are as memorable for their dramatic impact as his early performances have been memorable for their technical brilliance.

        Devon Teuscher, whose Odette and Odile are being developed by Isabelle Guerin, has already achieved such mastery and majesty that it is hard to imagine where she will take these characters in the future. Odette's melancholy ran so deeply at this performance and her river of tears unleashed such a torrent of despair that she might have headed for the cliff in Act II instead of waiting for Act IV. The beautiful length of back and stately shape of arabesques seemed exquisitely suited for Odette. Her character's vulnerability was steeled with an underlying strength that she didn't even know she had. It must be remarked that Devon's choice to spot the audience on her blistering chainé turns (instead of spotting the corner) sent the dramatic pulse beat soaring.  Those haunting eyes burned across the footlights. Such a great, great addition to a powerful interpretation. Also, Odile's fearsome fouettes shot straight to the side without first opening front - the effect was a faster rotation which made her seem more reckless and dominating. All of this awesome power was coupled with elegance of line and pristine positions of the feet.

        The initial Siegfried, Cory Stearns, managed his customary Act I which is to say that the basics got done but little else was accomplished. Apparently he injured his back early on which necessitated withdrawing at the end of Act II. Before doing so, however, he securely partnered Devon in a glorious White Swan PdD. 

        Aran Bell stepped in as Siegfried for Acts III and IV and made sure that it was an evening we would not forget. There may have been a slight unease in his face when he first sat down next to The Queen Mother. No doubt he was wondering if the audience was wondering what he was doing there. (We would later find out that some audience members didn't even know that a substitution had been made or that a different dancer wasn't actually supposed to dance in the last half of the show.) Bell found Siegfried's character fairly quickly without the benefits of dancing Acts I & II. He soared through the dances in The Great Hall with ease. At the conclusion of one variation, he ripped a pirouette that revolved past the music and stuck him on balance with his back to the audience. He then blasted through the Black Swan PdD on full power - not only delivering his own miraculous leaps and turns but also heaving Odile high in her arabesque fouettes and spinning her silly. His Act IV Siegfried was despondent and tormented as he lost Odette to the swampish von Rothbart and lost control of his own destiny. When Odette committed to ending von Rothbart's control with a leap to her death, Bell's chase after her and his dive off the cliff became the exclamation point of the evening. It was terrific theater in every way.

        On Thursday and Friday nights, respectively, Andrii Ishchuk and Jarod Curley danced the role of the Act III von Rothbart with convincing, conniving authority. These are two huge dancers who move with the graceful strength and speed of panthers. They gave terrific performances which brought electricity to the ballroom like we haven't seen since the days of Gomes and Malakhov. Both will undoubtedly transition into the role of Siegfried, but for now we are fortunate to have them on stage in this iconic role.

        The PdT, which in the days of Cornejo/Reyes/Cornejo was thrilling beyond words, was rather disappointing on Thursday and Friday nights. It seems that flying assemblés with sixes are beyond the ABT corps women, and consecutive sixes in place are troublesome as well. Doing "one and run" is no big challenge. Go to 8'15" here and look at what flying sixes and entrechat sixes should be at ABT.

        It was a thrilling two nights of Swan Lake. Nearly everyone deserves an H.H. Pump Bump Award, but we need to single out Devon Teuscher for her brilliant and heavenly detailed Odette & Odile with this Manolo Blahnik swan stiletto.

       

 

Comments

[Marta]

Hi Haglund,
It's great to see you back! Your reviews were missed a lot. I saw the Brandt/Cornejo SL and was quite impressed. I had never seen Brandt in a leading role. She was thrilling. I was happily surprised to see Cornejo performing very well, even at times wonderfully, despite the flubs in Act I. ERica Lall stood out as did Andrii Ishchuk, two dancers who I think should rise to soloist soon. I would like to have seen Shevchenko too and Aran Bell. Have to wait!

[Allie Kenney]

Unfortunately, I didn't see either of these performances and thank you for your review. That is really interesting about the private coaches. I knew Skylar worked with Irina, but didn't know about Devon.

I recall reading an interview with Skylar some years back, after she had been promoted from the corps to soloist, and she was asked what the best thing about the promotion was. I believe she answered something along the lines of "more coaching," I assume referring to more individual time with ABT people, though it looks like at some point she may have decided she needed more and sought out Irina/Maxim. When I read that interview it made me wonder how many people there might be in the corps who would benefit from some personal coaching and would be more likely to advance it they had it. I also recall reading an interview with Calvin Royal way back when I think he was still in the corps and had just rreceived an award that had a cash component, and he said he was going to use the money for private coaching.

I wonder if anyone at NYCB sees outside coaches or if NYCB would even permit it. I remember when Megan Fairchild interviewed Skylar on her TouTube show she asked about the Irina private coaching and am not sure she got an answer that was particularly enlightening.

[Pat]

Hi, Haglund,
I”m glad to hear you are improving; I love reading your insights. Devin was lovely and strong with her technique and with her acting. I can’t believe people were not aware of the change from Stearns to Bell. I guess they can’t tell the difference between a piece of wood and a stick of dynamite 😳

[Rachel Perez]

Am I mistaken in remembering that someone wanted Etudes to perhaps come back to ABT? Ask and ye shall receive.

https://www.abt.org/performances/fall-season/

[Haglund]

YES!!

[Rachel Perez]

I don't believe that ABT supplies the outside coaching, so I think often there is an issue of "means" in terms of being able to pay for the outside coaching.

The proof is in the pudding, nonetheless, and you can definitely see the evidence of those ABT dancers that choose to explore that.

I really enjoy videos that dancers like Skylar post on Instagram of her being coached by Irina and Max - it's wonderful to watch any professional, even at the height of their profession, learn and grow into roles.

[Haglund]

I believe you are correct, Rachel. The well-worn excuse that McKenzie used for years was "that's the way it's always been", i.e. dancers find a way to get outside coaching. This, of course, is a pathetic excuse for not hiring permanent world class coaches for the company.

[celia]

Private coaching is probably quite expensive, especially on a ballet dancer's salary. I remember Sarah Lane mentioning something about not being able to afford a lot of it and at one time, she was also being coached by Irina and Maxim. But I'm guessing she couldn't afford them long-term.

[Jose M]

The success of Isabelle Guerin’s coaching of Devin and Other Dances staging and coaching further confirms my hope that ABT would get her as a regular coach for the other ballerinas. It is Just not possible for Irina K To coach everyone at ABT. Just a thought.

[Haglund]

ITA, Jose. Imagine what she could do for La Bayadere.