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  2. American Ballet Theatre Curtain Calls

David Hallberg

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Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012
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Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012

ABTAmericanBalletTheatrephotosKent Beckernot my day job photographyAmerican Ballet TheatrePolina SemionovaDavid HallbergLa Bayadere

  • Irina Dvorovenko and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, June 18, 2009
  • David Hallberg, La Sylphide, June 18, 2009 <br><br> David Halberg was born in Rapid City, South Dakota and started dance at the age of 10 with his formal training starting at age 13 at the Arizona Ballet School in Phoenix. He continued his studies at the Paris Opera Ballet School. He attended ABT’s summer intensive in 1999 and 2000 and joined ABT’s studio company in 2000. He joined ABT in 2000 and was promoted to Soloist in 2004 and Principal Dancer in 2005. Halberg made <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/arts/dance/american-to-join-the-bolshoi-ballet.html">front page news</a> in 2011 by becoming the first American to join the Bolshoi Ballet exactly 50 years after Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West. Fortunately, he still dances the spring season for ABT. <br><br> Here are my favorite YouTube clips of David from Giselle: <br><br> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePnOyaE7-3I">In the first,</a> he performs 24 entrechat six which is six crossings of the legs. It is remarkable that he is able to maintain his form and crisp beats in this difficult and very exhausting sequence. He partners with Natalia Osipova and there is commentary on the clip, but in Russian. <br><br> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdxR1j_LkdA">The second</a> is his solo in Giselle . These clips reveal his great technique, line, feet, placement, and extension. He has it all.
  • Nina Ananiashvili and David Hallberg, La Sylphide, June 18, 2009
  • Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg, Sleeping Beauty, June 19, 2010<br /> <br /> Natalia Osipova was born in Moscow and trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. She joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 2004. She made her first ABT appearance as a guest artist in 2009. She left the Bolshoi in 2012 to join Mikhailovsiky Ballet of St. Petersburg.
  • Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg, Sleeping Beauty, June 19, 2010<br /> <br /> Natalia Osipova was born in Moscow and trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. She joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 2004. She made her first ABT appearance as a guest artist in 2009. She left the Bolshoi in 2012 to join Mikhailovsiky Ballet of St. Petersburg.
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012
  • David Hallberg, Shostakovich Trilogy, June 1, 2013<br /> <br /> Alexei Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy is an exciting, complex, multifaceted work with never a dull moment. Trilogy premiered on Friday, May 31, 2013. I saw the premier and the Saturday evening performance, which had the same cast. There is a lot going on in the three pieces and it would be difficult to take in all of the action with just one viewing. I look forward to seeing it in future seasons as even two viewings is not enough to absorb all of the nuances in this fast-paced ballet. Ratmansky’s stage is a busy one, with dancers constantly darting in and out of the action, with changing groups and combinations of dancers. <br /> <br /> The work consists of three seemingly unrelated pieces; if they are related, I missed the linkage. The first is Symphony #9, which premiered at City Center in October 2012. The scenery by George Tsypin consists of drawings of World War I-type airplanes, blimps, and people, some carrying red flags. The two performances I saw featured Polina Semionova and Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, and Simone Messmer and Craig Salstein. Polina and Marcelo are a great pair and perfectly matched-I saw them in Symphony in C earlier in the 2013 season. She is becoming one of my favorites at ABT. There are several lighter moments in their dancing with playful movements, demonstrating a sense of humor from Ratmansky. Herman is incredible; in one notable section he performs multiple entrechat six (six beats), each very clean with clear leg separation on the first two leg crossings (four beats), with an exaggerated separation on the last crossing. Very nice. He continues the beats while jumping to stage right and off the stage. Craig Salstein is very expressive and adds a slightly comedic touch. <br /> <br /> The second piece is Chamber Symphony and features David Hallberg-dressed in a jacket with no shirt-as a lost, tormented soul, desperately searching for something. He moves frenetically around the stage sometimes brushing his hair out of his eyes as he tries to connect with Isabella Boyston, Paloma Herrera, and Julie Kent. The program provides no guidance on the story. I talked to someone after the performance; he said that at a rehearsal, Hallberg’s character was disclosed as Shostakovich and the three women represent his three wives. I checked Wikipedia and Shostakovich was married three times. The first marriage had difficulties and ended in divorce. The third marriage was to a much younger woman, "her only defect is that she is 27 years old. In all other respects she is splendid: clever, cheerful, straightforward and very likeable.” I addition, he survived Stalin’s Great Terror while many of his friends and relatives were imprisoned or killed. There are three male dancers dancing in harsh tones, possibly representing threats to Shostakovich from NKVD Soviet Police.<br /> <br /> I found the piece interesting, but wanted more background-who are these women and why is Hallberg’s character so frantic and lost? What is he searching for? Not knowing much about Shostakovich, I was a bit lost without any context. Background information in the program such as the detail provided in the rehearsal would have been helpful. <br /> <br /> The third piece, Piano Concerto #1, is my favorite and features two couples: Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev, and Diana Vishneva and Cory Stearns. The dancers' bodies are clearly on display as the males wore unitards (costumes by Keso Deeker) with the females wearing red leotards. Cory and Ivan had greased, slicked-back hair (I didn’t recognize Cory on Friday with that look). The scenery consisted of red objects hung in suspension. Some of the objects reminded me of the Soviet hammer and sickle. <br /> <br /> Plenty of non-stop action in this one with the four main dancers appearing in various combinations. Diana and Natalia danced well together and complement each other given their similar physiques. I particularly liked a spectacular double assemble diagonal from Ivan and Cory that drew much applause. Natalia had a grande jete diagonal section in which she seemed to fly. <br /> <br /> I loved the Trilogy and want to see it again in future seasons. I generally have a desire to see multiple casts, but was not disappointed to see the same cast in two consecutive nights given the high level of dancing. I couldn’t see many empty seats on either night and the audience seemed to enjoy the performance. I guess that’s why ABT wisely hired Ratmansky in the first place.
  • Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg, Romeo and Juliet, June 14, 2013 <br><br> I thoroughly enjoyed ABT’s Romeo and Juliet on Friday, June 14 with Natalia Osipova as Juliet, David Hallberg as Romeo, Jared Matthews as Mercutio, Joseph Gorak as Benvolio, and Patrick Ogle as Tybalt. I haven’t seen Osipova in a dramatic role before and was impressed by her portrayal of the evolution of Juliet; in Act 1 Scene 2 she is a young, playful, immature little girl who gasps in amazement when the nurse points out her developing physique. Fast forward to Act III Scene 1. This is a particularly heavy scene as she refuses to marry Paris (Sascha Radetsky). She does a bourrée quickly away from him, much to the displeasure of her parents that threaten to disown her. In Osipova, there are traces of Giselle’s mad scene as the tension mounts as she rejects Paris and faces the severe consequences. <br><br> Hallberg portrays a playful, rebellious young man thoroughly transformed by his love of Juliet. He was in tune with MacMillan’s vision of Romeo as a young man swept off his feet by love, dancing in dizzy exultation. As usual, his dancing was solid and always in character, showcasing his long line and perfectly arched feet. Although a dramatic ballet, it has a number of technical elements that maintain my interest such as Hallberg’s nice double sauté de basque diagonal repeated effortlessly four times. The balcony scene pas de deux was intense and dramatic as the young lovers celebrate their union with reckless abandon. Osipova is criticized for her excessive expressiveness (mugging it up); I did not detect this trait and thought her portrayal of Juliet was always in character. <br><br> I was particularly impressed with Jared Matthews as Mercutio and Joseph Gorak as Benvolio. After seeing Gorak in Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes earlier this season, I asked the woman next to me “Who is that guy?” He has nice extension and turns and I ended up watching him more than the others in the Pas de trois. I liked Matthews as Mercutio more than his Conrad in Le Corsaire. His assemble combination, split jump over Hallberg’s head in the party scene, and turns with an indifferent wobble of the head were particularly notable Friday night. His dying Mercutio was performed well; it must be difficult to dance proficiently while portraying a dying person running out of breath and energy. <br><br> It was a packed Met Opera house Friday night without any empty seats in the orchestra. The dancers received multiple enthusiastic curtain calls. <br><br> Kenneth MacMillan’s version of Romeo and Juliet was first performed by The Royal Ballet in 1965 and entered ABT's repertory in 1985. According to a website by <a href="http://www.kennethmacmillan.com/ballets/all-works/1960-1966/romeo-and-juliet.html">MacMillian’s estate,</a> MacMillan had wanted to create his own Romeo and Juliet after seeing John Cranko’s version for the Stuttgart Ballet. Lynn Seymour performed the role of Juliet in 1964 and MacMillan choreographed the balcony scene for her and Christopher Gable to perform on Canadian television. The Royal Ballet wanted a new three-act ballet to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare; The Royal Ballet artistic director Frederick Ashton contracted MacMillan to complete the ballet in less than five months to include on its 1965 American tour. This was MacMillan’s first three-act ballet. <br><br> MacMillan first choreographed the key pas de deux in each act, which was the starting point which the rest of the ballet would be built. MacMillan, Seymour, and Gable worked on the characters in the ballet. MacMillan and Seymour created a headstrong, passionate Juliet who makes many of the key decisions such as the secret marriage, taking Friar Lawrence’s potion, and joining Romeo in death. Gable’s Romeo was a young man swept off his feet by love, dancing in dizzy exultation according to the website. <br><br> The website says that MacMillan avoided virtuoso steps because he thought they were too conventionally balletic. Only Juliet and her girlfriends are on point and their choreography is contrasted with character dances and crowd scenes. “MacMillan broke the ballet conventions of the time by having the dancing evolve from naturalistic action. Unlike Cranko’s production, there are no picturesque poses for applause at the end of set pieces. Unlike the Bolshoi production, there are no spotlit entrances for the leading characters: Romeo is discovered in semi-darkness at the start of the ballet as Rosaline’s anonymous suitor; Juliet’s arrival at the ball in her honour goes unnoticed at first.” I note this last point because I can’t remember Osipova’s entrance Friday evening. <br><br> At the end of the ballet, there is no reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets in the manner that Shakespeare ended his tragedy. <br><br> Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev starred in the premier, which had 43 curtain calls. The safety curtain was brought down to persuade the audience to leave. Fonteyn and Nureyev performed in the premier because they were a bigger draw than Seymour and Gable. The ballet received rave reviews. The pair went on to perform in the U.S. tour and film of the ballet. It is interesting to note that the late former ABT ballet mistress Georgina Parkinson was in the original cast. <br><br> Romeo and Juliet is the signature work of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire. During his lifetime, MacMillan staged the ballet for The Royal Swedish Ballet in 1971, ABT in 1985, and Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1992.
  • Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg, Romeo and Juliet, June 14, 2013 <br><br> I thoroughly enjoyed ABT’s Romeo and Juliet on Friday, June 14 with Natalia Osipova as Juliet, David Hallberg as Romeo, Jared Matthews as Mercutio, Joseph Gorak as Benvolio, and Patrick Ogle as Tybalt. I haven’t seen Osipova in a dramatic role before and was impressed by her portrayal of the evolution of Juliet; in Act 1 Scene 2 she is a young, playful, immature little girl who gasps in amazement when the nurse points out her developing physique. Fast forward to Act III Scene 1. This is a particularly heavy scene as she refuses to marry Paris (Sascha Radetsky). She does a bourrée quickly away from him, much to the displeasure of her parents that threaten to disown her. In Osipova, there are traces of Giselle’s mad scene as the tension mounts as she rejects Paris and faces the severe consequences. <br><br> Hallberg portrays a playful, rebellious young man thoroughly transformed by his love of Juliet. He was in tune with MacMillan’s vision of Romeo as a young man swept off his feet by love, dancing in dizzy exultation. As usual, his dancing was solid and always in character, showcasing his long line and perfectly arched feet. Although a dramatic ballet, it has a number of technical elements that maintain my interest such as Hallberg’s nice double sauté de basque diagonal repeated effortlessly four times. The balcony scene pas de deux was intense and dramatic as the young lovers celebrate their union with reckless abandon. Osipova is criticized for her excessive expressiveness (mugging it up); I did not detect this trait and thought her portrayal of Juliet was always in character. <br><br> I was particularly impressed with Jared Matthews as Mercutio and Joseph Gorak as Benvolio. After seeing Gorak in Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes earlier this season, I asked the woman next to me “Who is that guy?” He has nice extension and turns and I ended up watching him more than the others in the Pas de trois. I liked Matthews as Mercutio more than his Conrad in Le Corsaire. His assemble combination, split jump over Hallberg’s head in the party scene, and turns with an indifferent wobble of the head were particularly notable Friday night. His dying Mercutio was performed well; it must be difficult to dance proficiently while portraying a dying person running out of breath and energy. <br><br> It was a packed Met Opera house Friday night without any empty seats in the orchestra. The dancers received multiple enthusiastic curtain calls. <br><br> Kenneth MacMillan’s version of Romeo and Juliet was first performed by The Royal Ballet in 1965 and entered ABT's repertory in 1985. According to a website by <a href="http://www.kennethmacmillan.com/ballets/all-works/1960-1966/romeo-and-juliet.html">MacMillian’s estate,</a> MacMillan had wanted to create his own Romeo and Juliet after seeing John Cranko’s version for the Stuttgart Ballet. Lynn Seymour performed the role of Juliet in 1964 and MacMillan choreographed the balcony scene for her and Christopher Gable to perform on Canadian television. The Royal Ballet wanted a new three-act ballet to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare; The Royal Ballet artistic director Frederick Ashton contracted MacMillan to complete the ballet in less than five months to include on its 1965 American tour. This was MacMillan’s first three-act ballet. <br><br> MacMillan first choreographed the key pas de deux in each act, which was the starting point which the rest of the ballet would be built. MacMillan, Seymour, and Gable worked on the characters in the ballet. MacMillan and Seymour created a headstrong, passionate Juliet who makes many of the key decisions such as the secret marriage, taking Friar Lawrence’s potion, and joining Romeo in death. Gable’s Romeo was a young man swept off his feet by love, dancing in dizzy exultation according to the website. <br><br> The website says that MacMillan avoided virtuoso steps because he thought they were too conventionally balletic. Only Juliet and her girlfriends are on point and their choreography is contrasted with character dances and crowd scenes. “MacMillan broke the ballet conventions of the time by having the dancing evolve from naturalistic action. Unlike Cranko’s production, there are no picturesque poses for applause at the end of set pieces. Unlike the Bolshoi production, there are no spotlit entrances for the leading characters: Romeo is discovered in semi-darkness at the start of the ballet as Rosaline’s anonymous suitor; Juliet’s arrival at the ball in her honour goes unnoticed at first.” I note this last point because I can’t remember Osipova’s entrance Friday evening. <br><br> At the end of the ballet, there is no reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets in the manner that Shakespeare ended his tragedy. Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev starred in the premier, which had 43 curtain calls. The safety curtain was brought down to persuade the audience to leave. Fonteyn and Nureyev performed in the premier because they were a bigger draw than Seymour and Gable. The ballet received rave reviews. The pair went on to perform in the U.S. tour and film of the ballet. It is interesting to note that the late former ABT ballet mistress Georgina Parkinson was in the original cast. <br><br> Romeo and Juliet is the signature work of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire. During his lifetime, MacMillan staged the ballet for The Royal Swedish Ballet in 1971, ABT in 1985, and Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1992.
  • David Hallberg, Cinderella, June 12, 2014
  • David Hallberg, Cinderella, June 12, 2014
  • Gillian Murphy and David Hallberg, Cinderella, June 12, 2014
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, Giselle, June 17, 2014
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, Giselle, June 17, 2014
  • David Hallberg, Giselle, June 17, 2014
  • David Hallberg, Giselle, June 17, 2014
  • Alina Cojocaru and David Hallberg, Giselle, June 21, 2014
  • Alina Cojocaru and David Hallberg, Giselle, June 21, 2014
  • Alina Cojocaru and David Hallberg, Giselle, June 21, 2014
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