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  2. American Ballet Theatre Curtain Calls

Stella Abrera

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Stella Abrera, Giselle, June 21, 2014
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Stella Abrera, Giselle, June 21, 2014

StellaAbreraGiselle14a

From 2014 Met Season

  • Stella Abrera, Sleeping Beauty, July 6, 2013<br /> <br /> Veronika Part was spectacular as Aurora in ABT’s final Met performance of 2013 of Sleeping Beauty. From the moment she appeared on the balcony and descended the stairs to join her 16th birthday party, Veronika took command of the stage with energy, confidence, and style with precise technique and grace, taking full advantage of her long, pure, elegant line and nice turnout and extension. I have not seen Aurora performed this well in a long time. <br /> <br /> Veronika performed the difficult Rosa Adagio nicely with great control and confidence. Some dancers perform this adagio well but with a nervous look of an impending root canal; from my vantage point she did not display any anxiety before or during the adagio. During her balances, she raised her arms to fifth en haut (arms above her head) with a pause before placing her hand down to her next prince. Some dancers do not raise their arms to fifth position, but quickly and anxiously grab the hand of the next partner in desperation. Not Veronika as there were no rough edges Saturday evening. After the adagio in the forest scene, she performed a nice solo with ronde de jambe to a jete diagonal that was uniquely done. Also notable during the pas de deux solo was the way she moved her hands in sync to the beautiful music. <br /> <br /> Marcelo Gomes perfectly complemented Veronika as Prince Desire. He also has a nice long line and great extension. He is a perfect prince as he showered attention to his new love, beaming in admiration. He partnered her effortlessly throughout and his solos were also graceful with nice deep plies ending in a tight fifth position on his tours and jumps. He makes dancing look very easy, a sign of a great dancer. <br /> <br /> Stella Abrera was also very good as the Lilac Fairy. She was particularly convincing in Act II when she convinces Prince Desire to stay in the mysterious forest by granting him a vision of Aurora’s beauty. With the Lilac Fairy’s help, the prince defeats the evil Carabosse (Martine Van Hamel) and awakens Aurora with a kiss and the spell is broken. The three dancers do a remarkable job describing the story with expressive gestures and mime.<br /> <br /> I was happy to see Misty Copeland as Princess Florine in the Bluebird pas de deux with Blaine Hoven, I haven’t seen Misty dance much this year; she was light, energetic, and airy as a bird. Blaine did a fine brise vole beat diagonal that epitomizes the Bluebird solo, capped off by double tours with arms in fifth en haut (arms raised above his head). <br /> <br /> Sad to see the ABT season end. I hope you enjoyed my curtain call photographs and commentary. I make the photos available through a Creative Commons copyright. You may use the photos for non-commercial purposes such as blog posts, Facebook posts, tweets, etc as long as you provide attribution to my website. Wouldn’t a photo of Roberto, Marcelo, or Veronika make a nice desktop background photo on your computer? You can’t beat the price (free). I will now focus on houses of worship and landscapes in the short term; longer term, maybe a dance/photography blog. I will keep you posted on Twitter. Thanks for tuning in. Kent
  • Stella Abrera and Calvin Royal III, 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.
  • Stella Abrera and Victor Barbee, A Month in the Country<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.
  • Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky, Don Quixote, May 15, 2014 <br><br> I’m always excited at the beginning of every ABT season, anticipating the great performances that lie ahead. While New York City Ballet presents important choreography from Balanchine and Robbins with dancers as somewhat interchangeable parts, ABT’s Spring Met season is a celebration of individual technical achievement set to ballets that sometimes do not meet the approval of critics (see New York Times reviews from dance critics <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/08/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-presents-sleeping-beauty.html?_r=0">Alastair Macaulay</a> and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-performs-don-quixote.html">Gia Kourlas</a>). ABT’s repertory is fodder for critics complaining of mind numbing “warhorse” ballets fulfilling lowbrow consumer tastes. However, few people care. ABT audiences are not searching for subtle choreographic interpretation or the meaning of life. They’re looking to see bravura dancing at its finest, with the story a backdrop for the dancing. <br><br> Full throttle bravura dancing was on display Thursday evening with Herman Cornejo and Maria Kochetkova as leads. Herman is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime talent, a master of his craft at the peak of his powers. The ballet showed off his turning skills as he regularly ripped off 6-7 turns, many with one hand on his hip and some ending in a double tour to the knee. In the second act, he had a nice diagonal consisting of four consecutive double saut de basques. He played an energetic but at times subdued Basilio. <br><br> His partner was San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer Maria Kochetkova. They make a nice pair as he is 5’6 and she stands at 5 feet tall and light as a feather. Her small frame came in handy in the one-handed lifts, where he held her over his head for over five seconds. She had an impressive diagonal of turns in first position, alternating single and double pirouettes. I’ve seen Maria dance several times; once with Herman and the other with San Francisco Ballet. I wasn’t overly impressed as she appeared tense and stiff. However, tonight, she was relaxed and full of vigor. <br><br> I really enjoyed her solos in the pas de deux, particularly the fouetté section where she alternated between single and double fouettés as many women do these days. But at the end she added a unique twist, quarter turns in which she would spot to the side, back, other side, and front again, winding it up with a nice double (maybe triple) to the knee. <br><br> Herman seemed subdued in his Act III solos, which was a bit of a letdown after great dancing in the first two acts. He did not include his signature monster double cabrioles to the front, opting for a double assemble-type step. Also, straightforward barrel turn jumps at the end of his second solo. His turn section was fine, turns in second with four turns, winding it up with a triple pirouette to a double tour. <br><br> Stella Abrera and husband Sascha Radetsky were very effective as Mercedes and Espada. Their expressiveness makes these roles work. During his solo, he turned his head to flirt with a village girl, primped his hair, and flashed a grin to the audience. Stella exuded confidence, even when her matador strayed. Stella had double duty as she also beautifully danced the Queen of the Dryads role in the second act. <br><br> Others that stood out were Craig Salstein as the dolt Gamache and Gabe Stone Shayer as the lead Gypsy. Craig added nuances to the role that I have never seen before, providing a new perspective. Gabe handled the tricky parts of the gypsy solo well, with nice pirouettes and three consecutive double tours.
  • Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky, Coppélia, July 3, 2014
  • Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky, Coppélia, July 3, 2014
  • Stella Abrera, Giselle, June 21, 2014
  • Stella Abrera, Giselle, June 21, 2014
  • Stell Abrera, Thirteen Diversions, October 18, 2014
  • Stella Abrera and Craig Salstein, Sleeping Beauty, May 29, 2015
  • Stella Abrera, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera and Vladimir Shklyarov, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera and Vladimir Shklyarov, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera and Vladimir Shklyarov, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera and Vladimir Shklyarov, Giselle, May 23, 2015
  • Stella Abrera, 20th Anniversary ABT Performance, Sleeping Beauty, June 30, 2016
  • Stella Abrera 20th Anniversary ABT Performance and Marcelo Gomes, Sleeping Beauty, June 30, 2016
  • Stella Abrera 20th Anniversary ABT Performance and Sascha Radetsky, Sleeping Beauty, June 30, 2016
  • Stella Abrera 20th Anniversary ABT Performance and Julie Kent, Victor Barbee, Sleeping Beauty, June 30, 2016
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