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  2. American Ballet Theatre Curtain Calls

Polina Semionova

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Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
7 / 29

Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013

Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!"

A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the ABT website for more detail.

ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in UNIQLO AIRism underwear advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a video advertisement featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on Twitter.

Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms.

Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause.

I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing.

Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.

PolinaSemionovaSylvia

  • Polina Semionova, Swan Lake, July 2, 2011 <br><br> Polina Semionova was born in Moscow and studied at the Bolshoi Ballet School. She graduated in 2002 and was invited to join the Berlin State Opera Ballet as a Principal Dancer at the age of 17. In her first season, she danced leading roles in The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and Onegin. She has appeared as a guest artist with the English National Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Maryinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and the Stuttgart Ballet. She stars as Odette-Odile in the Zurich Ballet production of Swan Lake, which was recently filmed and released on DVD. <br><br> Semionova's awards include a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2001, First Prize at the Vaganova-Prix Ballet Competition in St. Petersburg and the Junior Prize at the Nagoya International Ballet Competition in 2002, Daphne Prize (2004), German Critics Choice Award (2005), Dancer of the Year (2007) and Prize of Heinz Spoerli. <br><br> She made her debut with ABT in 2011 and joined as a Principal Dancer in 2012. <br><br> Here is a beautiful and inspiring <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaO7bS5Ky6M">YouTube video</a> of her performing to instrument music. <br><br> Semionova, along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html">UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements; I have seen ads recently in New York City subway trains. Here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg ">AIRism ad</a> featuring Polina.
  • Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns, Theme and Variations, November 7, 2013<br /> <br /> The ABT mixed rep bill Thursday was nicely diversified with a Balanchine classic (Theme and Variations), an Ashton story ballet (A Month in the Country), and a new Ratmansky work (Piano Concerto #1).<br /> <br /> Ashton’s “A Month in the Country,” had its ABT debut in May 2013 at the Met. According to John Gruen’s “The World’s Great Ballets,” Ashton retired as director and chief choreographer of The Royal Ballet in 1970 and withdrew from public view. However, in 1975, he announced that he would choreograph a ballet inspired by Ivan Turgenev’s play by the same name with music by Chopin. The work debuted in 1976 with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell as leads. The work "...is another example of Ashton's ability to convey a complex dramatic narrative through seamless choreography, without sacrificing any of the original's insightful characterizations, wit, and passion," according to Gruen.<br /> <br /> The curtain opens revealing the spectacular interior of the Yslaev’s summer home in the 1850s. The scene reveals a carefree day of leisure in the wealthy Yslaev household as the family is engaged in mundane household activities. Yslaev’s wife Natalia Petrovna (Julie Kent) reclines on a sofa with her admirer Rakitin (Grant DeLong) seated on a nearby bench; Kolia (Daniil Simkin), a young son of Yslaev and Natalia, works on his homework while Yslaev (Victor Barbee) sits on a chair reading a newspaper. Vera (Gemma Bond), the Yslaevs’ adolescent ward, plays the piano. Yslaev doesn’t seem bothered by the presence of a fawning admirer of his wife.<br /> <br /> Tiring of her piano practice, Gemma dances an impetuous, spunky solo filled with youthful energy. Gemma is from England and danced at The Royal Ballet until moving to ABT in 2008. Daniil follows with a spectacular solo while playing with a ball, filled with energetic pirouettes with very wide arms followed by a massive double tour that fills a lot of space with his wide arm carriage. Daniil was very good in playing this immature youth.<br /> <br /> Beliaev (Guillaume Côté, guest artist from the National Ballet of Canada), Kolia’s tutor, enters during his solo. Vera quickly takes notice of this handsome man as Natalia affectionately greets him. Beliaev is a debonair cad and all of the women fall for him: Katia a maid (Stella Abrera), Natalia, and Vera. First up is Vera, who dances a tender pas de deux with him as Natalia walks in and discovers them. Upset, Natalia slaps Vera, and then regrets her aggressive action. As Natalia and Vera leave, Katia discovers Beliaev and the two dance together. Katia has clearly fallen for him. However, Beliaev loves Natalia.<br /> <br /> Later in the work, Natalia and Beliaev are alone and embrace. Vera enters and catches them in their romantic pose (apparently the Yslaev’s don’t have locks on their doors) and attempts to extract revenge by calling everyone into the room. Rakitin tells the two lovers that they have caused enough trouble and should leave. Beliaev departs and then comes back to say goodbye. Natalia is sad; recognizing her agony, he decides not to create more anguish and quietly walks away, unnoticed by her. The work ends with Natalia kissing a rose that was pinned to Beliaev’s jacket as the curtain falls.<br /> <br /> Gemma Bond demonstrated her dramatic versatility, ranging from a sweet young girl to a star-crossed lover, to a bitter, spurned women seeking revenge. As Beliaev, Côté has the looks and gravitas to pull of this role of super cad. He had several slow pensive introspective solos filed with plush assembles, arabesques, and pique turns that were well done. Julie Kent excels at these dramatic roles and demonstrated her attraction for Beliaev, rage at Vera, and ultimate loss through her dancing.<br /> <br /> Piano Concerto #1 is my favorite of the three pieces in Shostakovich Trilogy by Alexi Ratmansky that premiered in May 2013. The leads Thursday were Gillian Murphy/Calvin Royal III and Skylar Brandt/Gabe Stone Shayer. Another example of young dancers getting a chance to perform lead roles as all are members of the Corps except for Gillian.<br /> <br /> The dancers' bodies are clearly on display as the males wear unitards (costumes by Keso Deeker) with the women wearing red leotards. The scenery consists of red objects hung in suspension against a blue backdrop, reminiscent of the hammer and sickle and other Soviet imagery.<br /> <br /> There is plenty of non-stop action in this athletic, high-energy piece with the four main dancers appearing in various combinations. Gillian and Skylar danced well together; I was very impressed with Skylar and her rapid, powerful turns. She is small in stature, similar to Principal Dancer Xiomara Reyes. Skylar had a grande jete diagonal section in which she seemed to fly, similar to Natalia Osipova, who performed the role in the spring season. I look forward to seeing more of Skyler, the recipient of a 2013 Princess Grace Award. Gillian was, as usual, very solid.<br /> <br /> Ratmansky gives the men a workout and Royal and Shayer were up to the task. Royal is tall and lean, and covers a lot of ground with ease while Shayer’s more compact build facilitates his rapid, aggressive turns. I particularly liked their nice double assemble diagonal. However, both need to work on landings, as several were sloppy with large hops after landing.<br /> <br /> Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns opened the show with Theme and Variations. I saw them in this role last week and thought that Cory was more energetic in this performance. Polina’s solos were outstanding, demonstrating great control in this difficult up-tempo piece, similar to last week. However, I thought their partnering section was better last week as they were not as in synch Thursday.
  • Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns, Theme and Variations, November 7, 2013<br /> <br /> The ABT mixed rep bill Thursday was nicely diversified with a Balanchine classic (Theme and Variations), an Ashton story ballet (A Month in the Country), and a new Ratmansky work (Piano Concerto #1).<br /> <br /> Ashton’s “A Month in the Country,” had its ABT debut in May 2013 at the Met. According to John Gruen’s “The World’s Great Ballets,” Ashton retired as director and chief choreographer of The Royal Ballet in 1970 and withdrew from public view. However, in 1975, he announced that he would choreograph a ballet inspired by Ivan Turgenev’s play by the same name with music by Chopin. The work debuted in 1976 with Lynn Seymour and Anthony Dowell as leads. The work "...is another example of Ashton's ability to convey a complex dramatic narrative through seamless choreography, without sacrificing any of the original's insightful characterizations, wit, and passion," according to Gruen.<br /> <br /> The curtain opens revealing the spectacular interior of the Yslaev’s summer home in the 1850s. The scene reveals a carefree day of leisure in the wealthy Yslaev household as the family is engaged in mundane household activities. Yslaev’s wife Natalia Petrovna (Julie Kent) reclines on a sofa with her admirer Rakitin (Grant DeLong) seated on a nearby bench; Kolia (Daniil Simkin), a young son of Yslaev and Natalia, works on his homework while Yslaev (Victor Barbee) sits on a chair reading a newspaper. Vera (Gemma Bond), the Yslaevs’ adolescent ward, plays the piano. Yslaev doesn’t seem bothered by the presence of a fawning admirer of his wife.<br /> <br /> Tiring of her piano practice, Gemma dances an impetuous, spunky solo filled with youthful energy. Gemma is from England and danced at The Royal Ballet until moving to ABT in 2008. Daniil follows with a spectacular solo while playing with a ball, filled with energetic pirouettes with very wide arms followed by a massive double tour that fills a lot of space with his wide arm carriage. Daniil was very good in playing this immature youth.<br /> <br /> Beliaev (Guillaume Côté, guest artist from the National Ballet of Canada), Kolia’s tutor, enters during his solo. Vera quickly takes notice of this handsome man as Natalia affectionately greets him. Beliaev is a debonair cad and all of the women fall for him: Katia a maid (Stella Abrera), Natalia, and Vera. First up is Vera, who dances a tender pas de deux with him as Natalia walks in and discovers them. Upset, Natalia slaps Vera, and then regrets her aggressive action. As Natalia and Vera leave, Katia discovers Beliaev and the two dance together. Katia has clearly fallen for him. However, Beliaev loves Natalia.<br /> <br /> Later in the work, Natalia and Beliaev are alone and embrace. Vera enters and catches them in their romantic pose (apparently the Yslaev’s don’t have locks on their doors) and attempts to extract revenge by calling everyone into the room. Rakitin tells the two lovers that they have caused enough trouble and should leave. Beliaev departs and then comes back to say goodbye. Natalia is sad; recognizing her agony, he decides not to create more anguish and quietly walks away, unnoticed by her. The work ends with Natalia kissing a rose that was pinned to Beliaev’s jacket as the curtain falls.<br /> <br /> Gemma Bond demonstrated her dramatic versatility, ranging from a sweet young girl to a star-crossed lover, to a bitter, spurned women seeking revenge. As Beliaev, Côté has the looks and gravitas to pull of this role of super cad. He had several slow pensive introspective solos filed with plush assembles, arabesques, and pique turns that were well done. Julie Kent excels at these dramatic roles and demonstrated her attraction for Beliaev, rage at Vera, and ultimate loss through her dancing.<br /> <br /> Piano Concerto #1 is my favorite of the three pieces in Shostakovich Trilogy by Alexi Ratmansky that premiered in May 2013. The leads Thursday were Gillian Murphy/Calvin Royal III and Skylar Brandt/Gabe Stone Shayer. Another example of young dancers getting a chance to perform lead roles as all are members of the Corps except for Gillian.<br /> <br /> The dancers' bodies are clearly on display as the males wear unitards (costumes by Keso Deeker) with the women wearing red leotards. The scenery consists of red objects hung in suspension against a blue backdrop, reminiscent of the hammer and sickle and other Soviet imagery.<br /> <br /> There is plenty of non-stop action in this athletic, high-energy piece with the four main dancers appearing in various combinations. Gillian and Skylar danced well together; I was very impressed with Skylar and her rapid, powerful turns. She is small in stature, similar to Principal Dancer Xiomara Reyes. Skylar had a grande jete diagonal section in which she seemed to fly, similar to Natalia Osipova, who performed the role in the spring season. I look forward to seeing more of Skyler, the recipient of a 2013 Princess Grace Award. Gillian was, as usual, very solid.<br /> <br /> Ratmansky gives the men a workout and Royal and Shayer were up to the task. Royal is tall and lean, and covers a lot of ground with ease while Shayer’s more compact build facilitates his rapid, aggressive turns. I particularly liked their nice double assemble diagonal. However, both need to work on landings, as several were sloppy with large hops after landing.<br /> <br /> Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns opened the show with Theme and Variations. I saw them in this role last week and thought that Cory was more energetic in this performance. Polina’s solos were outstanding, demonstrating great control in this difficult up-tempo piece, similar to last week. However, I thought their partnering section was better last week as they were not as in synch Thursday.
  • Polina Semionova, Cory Stearns, Theme and Variations, November 2, 2013 <br><br> Theme and Variations is one of my favorites, having seen this Balanchine classic many times. The work, which Ballet Theatre premiered in 1947, was intended to honor the period when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tchaikovsky’s music. <br><br> ABT performed this work Saturday evening with Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns as leads. Polina was outstanding, completely in control and at ease throughout this difficult piece. Tricky segments include a multiple fouetté turn section with alternating arms into a pas de chat jump, a rapid beat section, and double pirouettes from first position into a pas de chat, all requiring rapid fire execution to keep up with the music. Polina pulled off all of these segments with grace and style, one of the best performances that I have seen from her. Her phrasing with her arms was on the mark with the beautiful Tchaikovsky score. <br><br> Cory was fine although not outstanding in his tough solo variations. The challenging section that male dancers dread consists of a diagonal of rond de jamb leaps followed by sissonne jumps and, just when the dancer is running out of gas, a treacherous eight tour/pirouette section. I heard that James Whiteside and Daniil Simkin struggled this season with the tour/pirouette section; Cory safely navigated this section, although traveled some distance during the turns. His rond de jamb section was not exciting or noteworthy, <br><br> The two danced well together in the pas de deux; Polina completed several long balances as she alternated arms with Cory in support before going into a penchée. <br><br> Speaking of Theme, I ran across a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgCareuuxK4">YouTube clip</a> of Baryshnikov and Kirkland from 1978 on PBS. Baryshnikov’s solo at 7:55 is spectacular with his high rond de jamb leaps with alternating arms and perfectly controlled tours. <br><br> Stanton Welch’s Clear (2001) featured Sascha Radetsky, Thomas Forster, Daniel Mantei, and six other male dancers all dressed in tan colored pants and no shirt. Paloma Herrera was the sole female dancer. Although some have have criticized the work as sub-standard, I like the piece, which showcases bravura and adagio male dancing set to a beautiful Bach score. <br><br> Sascha was very good as he showed off his washboard abs and numerous tattoos. The piece features a fouetté section in which the dancer changes his spot from the front, to the side, back, side and front again. He executed this quite well along with turns in other sections. Forster and Mantei are members of the Corps and are featured in several leading roles this fall season. They were paired in a duet to slow music, requiring substantial control. David Hallberg excelled in this role which showed off his substantial extension in a développé section. I enjoyed their adagio section Saturday and I look forward to seeing more of their dancing. Craig Salstein had a nice turn/pirouette section similar to Theme and Variations. Joaquin de Luz, now at New York City Ballet, was my favorite in that role, as he would pull of multiple double tours. <br><br> Paloma Herrera worked well with Sascha and the piece ended with the two in a shrinking spotlight. <br><br> Romeo and Juliet is a successful ballet because the plot is simple, allowing someone unfamiliar with the work to follow the storyline of the ballet. In contrast, I knew The Tempest would be a challenge after I read the synopsis three times and still had problems following the plot and the relationship between the 11 main characters in the ballet. The complexity and short period of time (about 40 minutes) to tell the complex story are the main problems with the ballet. Characters such as Ferdinand (Joseph Gorak) just walk in unannounced, their characters completely undeveloped. In one section, a group of women walk in dressed in blue with strange headdresses. I couldn't figure out their function, nor could my smarter half (my wife). In another part, very tall thin things (trees, ornaments?) were rolled on stage. I had no idea of their purpose. The costumes reminded me of a Greenwich Village Halloween parade. <br><br> Although I didn’t like the work, I did enjoy the dancing. Marcelo Gomes as Prospero, complemented the lovely Sarah Lane (Miranda, his daughter). Gorak showed his great extension and range as Miranda’s future husband. Herman Cornejo was the grotesque Caliban, an inhabitant of the island, impressive in his beast dance. Daniil Simkin showed his technical prowess, featuring his fine double saute de basques. This is a traveling step in which the dancer turns twice in the air with one foot drawn up to the knee of the other leg. He also showed off his trademark pirouettes to a double tour off one leg. <br><br> See Alistair Macaulay of The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-opens-its-fall-season.html?ref=alastairmacaulay&amp;_r=0">Alaistair Macaulay of The New York Times,</a> <a href="http://haglundsheel.typepad.com/haglunds_heel/2013/10/abt-opening-night-1030.html">Haglund's Heel,</a> and <a href="http://dancetabs.com/2013/11/american-ballet-theatre-opening-night-gala-tempest-premiere-and-others-new-york/">Marina Harss of DanceTabs</a> for more commentary on The Tempest.
  • Polina Semionova and James Whiteside, Gong, November 1, 2013 <br><br> I enjoy the contrasts between the ABT fall and spring seasons. The spring season presents full-length classical ballets featuring a limited number of leading dancers providing the bulk of the dancing and dramatic action. By contrast, the fall season showcases a wider range of dancers and repertory. This diversity was on display Friday when ABT performed Les Sylphides, a Michel Fokine work from 1909 set in the Romantic era, and modern works Bach Partita and Gong by Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, respectively. <br><br> Les Sylphides has no plot and consists of sylphs dancing in the moonlight with a man in white tights, with music that reminds me of Giselle. (Sylphs are mythological creatures in the Western tradition. The term originates in the work of Paracelsus, a Renaissance era physician and founder of the field of toxicology. He described sylphs as invisible beings of the air, which were his elementals of air, according to Wikipedia.) <br><br> The single male in the work is Thomas Forster a member of the Corps getting a shot at a principal role. He was attentive in his partnering of Isabella Boylston, Sarah Lane, and Hee Seo. However, at times during his solo, his upper body was tense, resulting in a slumped over upper body. Sarah Lane was my favorite in this work; the carriage of arms and upper body are key in this ballet and she pulled it off well with light, flowing, airy movements coupled with nice controlled arabesque turns. <br><br> Tharp created Bach Partita for ABT in 1983 and was last performed in 1985. The original cast consisted of Cynthia Gregory, Martine van Hamel, Magali Messac (alternating with Cynthia Harvey), Fernando Bujones, Clark Tippet and Robert La Fosse. <a href="http://dancetabs.com/2013/10/bringing-twyla-tharps-bach-partita-back/" rel="nofollow">Marina Harss of DanceTabs</a> explains another challenge of simply re-creating the steps: <br><br> “There were two tapes of Partita. One, a recording of a rehearsal, was made before the ballet was complete, on a day when several dancers were unavailable. The other was a performance tape taken from the back of the cavernous Metropolitan Opera House. The tiny dancers were barely visible because of the brightness of the stage lights. In a painstaking process that lasted over a year, Jones went back and forth between the two, writing down every step in her own shorthand. The notes fill two binders. At a recent rehearsal, she flipped through the pages to confirm detail (“there, the heel is on the floor, not off”), and logistics (“hold her waist for the promenade”). Certain dancers, like the corps member Luciana Paris, seemed to pick up the nuances immediately, becoming the go-to person for everyone else. “Did we do it like this or like this?” someone would ask, and she would quickly sketch out the passage, while counting. Jones welcomed her input. In rehearsal she is unflappable, firm but kind.” <br><br> ABT performed the revival premier Friday. The piece is set to Bach’s Partita in D minor, “…a thirty-minute virtuoso showpiece for solo violin. It is considered one of the greatest works ever written for the instrument,” according to Harsse. 25-year old Charles Yang was at the helm, standing on a raised platform, facing a monitor so he could see what the dancers were doing. I didn’t see him looking at music sheets. Did he commit the entire 30-minute piece to memory? <br><br> The leads were Polina Semionova/James Whiteside, Gillian Murphy/Marcelo Gomes, and Stella Abrera/Calvin Royal III. The piece is indeed complicated, with the leads performing in short bursts to be replaced by other leads and cast members. Sometimes the leads would perform together, on their own, and with other cast members. Other cast members included Misty Copeland, Joseph Gorak, Luciana Paris, and Craig Salstein. <br><br> Gillian Murphy stood out, making full use of per prodigious turning skills. With Marcelo, her finger turns and supported turns seemed to last forever with the music her only limitation. Polina and Whiteside made a good pair. At one point, I thought that Polina grazed Whiteside’s head with a long-reaching arabesque as he supported her. This may be an occupational hazard dancing with the limber and long-legged Polina. She is one of my favorites with her great line and expressiveness. I’ve only seen Whiteside once, as Ali the Slave in Le Corsair. He does have very quick, rapid turns and an aggressive style, although I am not completely sold on his dancing due to his unique mannerisms. Stella excelled at the rapid footwork and worked well with Calvin. They had an intricate and unique partnering section that drew a few gasps from the audience. Like Forster in Les Sylphides, Calvin is a Corps member and it is nice to see younger members getting top billing. His dancing was technically solid but not exciting, a trait that he will likely develop with seasoning. <br><br> The bows were emotional as Twyla and Jones made appearances on stage and exchanged hugs, along with the dancers and violinist Yang. I enjoyed this piece and, given all the work that went into the revival, it would be a shame to wait another 28 years to see it again. <br><br> Mark Morris’s Gong, created for ABT in 2001, closed out the evening. This was the second Friday evening in two weeks that I’ve seen a Morris work-two weeks ago San Francisco Ballet performed Beaux. Gong, like Beaux, features brightly colored, humorous costumes by Isaac Mizrahi. <br><br> With my sweeping view of the stage from the second balcony, my brain tried to keep track of all of the combinations of dancers as they hurriedly entered and exited the stage, seeming to go somewhere. It seemed chaotic, but in an organized way, if that makes any sense. After several segments of loud, discordant music, the lights dimmed and a couple danced in silence to a dark stage lit by three side lights. I couldn’t make out the dancers, but it was a unique touch. In another section, a front light highlighted the dancers’ large shadows at the rear of the stage, a play on Indonesian shadow puppetry. Several sources suggest that Gong is influenced by Indonesian culture. Marcelo and Misty Copeland stood out in another darkly lit silent pas de deux which featured difficult multiple lifts from arabesque. Herman Cornejo made an appearance, with seven jazz-style pirouettes. <br><br> Gillian, Marcelo, Misty, Stella, and Whiteside earned their pay Friday as they were featured in both Bach Partita and Gong, both difficult and tiring works. <br><br> Gong was entertaining with comical costumes, varied dance patterns and themes, ranging from fast paced action set to loud music to slow pas de deux in silence to dim lighting. I look forward to seeing it again next Saturday evening, as this is a work that rewards multiple viewings.
  • Polina Semionova and Marcelo Gomes, Symphony in C, May 23, 2013 <br><br> Polina Semionova was born in Moscow and studied at the Bolshoi Ballet School. She graduated in 2002 and was invited to join the Berlin State Opera Ballet as a Principal Dancer at the age of 17. In her first season, she danced leading roles in The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and Onegin. She has appeared as a guest artist with the English National Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Maryinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and the Stuttgart Ballet. She stars as Odette-Odile in the Zurich Ballet production of Swan Lake, which was recently filmed and released on DVD. <br><br> Semionova's awards include a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2001, First Prize at the Vaganova-Prix Ballet Competition in St. Petersburg and the Junior Prize at the Nagoya International Ballet Competition in 2002, Daphne Prize (2004), German Critics Choice Award (2005), Dancer of the Year (2007) and Prize of Heinz Spoerli. <br><br> She made her debut with ABT in 2011 and joined as a Principal Dancer in 2012. <br><br> Here is a beautiful and inspiring <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaO7bS5Ky6M">YouTube video</a> of her performing to instrument music. <br><br> Semionova, along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html">UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements; I have seen ads recently in New York City subway trains. Here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg ">AIRism ad</a> featuring Polina.
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with a feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with a feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle, Sylvia, June 28, 2013 <br><br> Frederick Ashton of The Royal Ballet created the ballet in 1952 as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and was performed until 1965. Léo Delibes' score is beautiful, a masterpiece of 19th-century ballet music. Tchaikovsky was so impressed with it that he once observed: "Had I known Sylvia existed, I would not have dared compose Swan Lake!" <br><br> A problem arose when The Royal Ballet and ABT agreed to co-produce the revival of Sylvia: the choreography was never notated and the only record was a poorly lit black and white film. Christopher Newton, ballet master under Ashton who danced Sylvia during the 1950s kept handwritten notes of the choreography and reconstructed the some of the steps from memory. In addition, costume designs were found in The Royal Ballet’s archives in a mislabeled box along with paintings and photographic records of the original sets. The World Premier of the revival of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet in 2004 while ABT debuted its version in 2005. See the <a href="http://www.abt.org/sylvia/">ABT website</a> for more detail. <br><br> ABT’s star power was on full display in Friday night’s Sylvia with Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle leading the cast. Semionova along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html"> UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements that appear in New York City subway trains (here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg "> video advertisement</a> featuring Polina). Roberto is one of ballet’s biggest stars. He has a huge international following as evidenced by his over 100,000 followers on <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoBolle">Twitter</a>. <br><br> Polina was Sylvia, a very demanding role both dramatically and technically. She is onstage almost throughout the performance with several very tiring solos. Sylvia is difficult dramatically as she must run the gamut of roles: she is a powerful leader of an Amazonian tribe; a woman who morns the loss of Aminta after she shoots him with an arrow; a seductress of Orion in an effort to gain her freedom; and finally a woman who falls in lover with Aminta. Polina danced well, except for a diagonal jumping and pirouette section in Act I that seemed a bit off the music. Her solos were beautiful, taking full advantage of her long flowing arms. <br><br> Bolle was the Aminta the shepherd, who is in love with Sylvia. Roberto was strong and steady throughout, his solos were rock solid without waiver. Technically, he had a nice saute de basque section and had a very nice triple pirouette which finished in releve, pausing a few seconds for effect. His partnering skills are remarkable, showering attention on his beloved Sylvia. Polina and Roberto connected well, particularly when he removes Sylvia’s veil, revealing his true love as he is overcome with emotion. Polina and Roberto make a nice pair, dancing in unison with a feeling. Several jumping fish dives were done well and drew applause. <br><br> I also noted the corps dancing in Act I of the woodland creatures, an Amazonian tribe dancing in celebration of their hunt. This is a dance of female empowerment with tribe members dancing with bows and arrows: “Don’t mess with us! We rule the forest!” The dancers were in synch in the fouetté section; not an easy task given they are performing the step with a bow in one hand. Also, the lighting in the first set is beautiful, simulating a blue moonlit night that provides illumination for the dancing. <br><br> Jared Matthews is Orion, the evil hunter. I have seen Jared perform several times this year and this performance continues his hot streak as he is having a very good season. His two pas de deux with Polina were appropriately awkward and tense as Sylvia is trying to escape.
  • Polina Semionova and Marcelo Gomes, 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.
  • Polina Semionova, Swan Lake, July 2, 2011 <br><br> Polina Semionova was born in Moscow and studied at the Bolshoi Ballet School. She graduated in 2002 and was invited to join the Berlin State Opera Ballet as a Principal Dancer at the age of 17. In her first season, she danced leading roles in The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and Onegin. She has appeared as a guest artist with the English National Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Maryinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and the Stuttgart Ballet. She stars as Odette-Odile in the Zurich Ballet production of Swan Lake, which was recently filmed and released on DVD. <br><br> Semionova's awards include a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2001, First Prize at the Vaganova-Prix Ballet Competition in St. Petersburg and the Junior Prize at the Nagoya International Ballet Competition in 2002, Daphne Prize (2004), German Critics Choice Award (2005), Dancer of the Year (2007) and Prize of Heinz Spoerli. <br><br> She made her debut with ABT in 2011 and joined as a Principal Dancer in 2012. <br><br> Here is a beautiful and inspiring <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaO7bS5Ky6M">YouTube video</a> of her performing to instrument music. <br><br> Semionova, along with tennis star Novak Djokovic appear in <a href="http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/group/news/1303191700.html">UNIQLO AIRism underwear</a> advertisements; I have seen ads recently in New York City subway trains. Here is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wb1RpfUZg ">AIRism ad</a> featuring Polina.
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012
  • Polina Semionova and David Hallberg, La Bayadere, May 26, 2012
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013<br /> <br /> Polina meets her fans after the performance at Lincoln Center<br /> <br /> I had extra time after the Friday performance and stopped by the door where the dancers exit in the underground parking lot at Lincoln Center. I heard that some fans linger for an opportunity to see their favorite dancers and wanted to see what it was all about. <br /> <br /> There were about 30-50 people milling about Friday evening. Polina came out about 20 minutes after the performance to a large ovation. She was very gracious and patient, posing with her fans and signing numerous autographs.<br /> <br /> Roberto came out about 10 minutes later and was particularly considerate and cordial. Some wanted an autograph, photo, or a brief chat-essentially an additional connection with him after a great performance. After satisfying all of the demands of his fans, he waved goodbye and slowly walked away into the Manhattan evening.
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013<br /> <br /> Polina meets her fans after the performance at Lincoln Center<br /> <br /> I had extra time after the Friday performance and stopped by the door where the dancers exit in the underground parking lot at Lincoln Center. I heard that some fans linger for an opportunity to see their favorite dancers and wanted to see what it was all about. <br /> <br /> There were about 30-50 people milling about Friday evening. Polina came out about 20 minutes after the performance to a large ovation. She was very gracious and patient, posing with her fans and signing numerous autographs.<br /> <br /> Roberto came out about 10 minutes later and was particularly considerate and cordial. Some wanted an autograph, photo, or a brief chat-essentially an additional connection with him after a great performance. After satisfying all of the demands of his fans, he waved goodbye and slowly walked away into the Manhattan evening.
  • Polina Semionova, Sylvia, June 28, 2013<br /> <br /> Polina poses with an excited young fan<br /> <br /> I had extra time after the Friday performance and stopped by the door where the dancers exit in the underground parking lot at Lincoln Center. I heard that some fans linger for an opportunity to see their favorite dancers and wanted to see what it was all about. <br /> <br /> There were about 30-50 people milling about Friday evening. Polina came out about 20 minutes after the performance to a large ovation. She was very gracious and patient, posing with her fans and signing numerous autographs.<br /> <br /> Roberto came out about 10 minutes later and was particularly considerate and cordial. Some wanted an autograph, photo, or a brief chat-essentially an additional connection with him after a great performance. After satisfying all of the demands of his fans, he waved goodbye and slowly walked away into the Manhattan evening.
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