And I was right. It was a lovely evening--Cojocaru was a terrific Aurora and her Rose Adagio brought gasps and bravos from the crowd before it was even over. Her balances were sure, her youthful energy was palpable and her connection with all of the princes was terrific. In the vision sequence, she danced with such spectral beauty, that seeing her again in the wedding pas de deux was almost like seeing another dancer. She has wonderful layers to Aurora.
Stella Abrera was lovely as the Lilac Fairy, very delicate yet sure. Of the other fairies, I most enjoyed Melanie Hamrick, who I thought had exquisite arms and beautiful timing. I look forward to seeing her again. Isabella Boyston and Sascha Radetsky were terrific in the Bluebird pas de deux, though, again, I wish Sascha would fill the stage more when he dances. It's all fine, just not as great as it could be.
I actually saw this version of Sleeping Beauty right after it premiered in 2007--I went back and looked at my review and noticed a few complaints that seem to have been ironed out. The bed in the third act now has a better sight line, and the hideous pepto-bismol pink wimples are gone, though the mustard-colored dresses for the corps are still there. There must've been a sale on that color material, though why anyone would want it, I just don't know. I feel as if there may be more scenery on stage right, though, because it seemed like people were having problems with their spacing over there, as if there just wasn't enough room. It was especially distracting in the prologue, but got better as the evening progressed.
All in all, the ballet was lovely and I'm glad I saw it. I hope Cojocaru dances with ABT again next season--I would very much like to see her take on Giselle or Juliet. And I hope David Hallberg recuperates soon, not only for his own sake, but for mine. :)
I would be remiss if I didn't mention my seat neighbor, the one who kept me from enjoying the evening as much as I would've liked. Of course, I realize that's almost as much my fault as his; normally I can plow through distractions and focus, but last night, he was just driving me completely insane. Firstly, he was clearly a regular at ABT, because he knew everyone sitting around him and talked so authoritatively about the company members with his friends in front of him. Obviously, because he spends so much time at ABT, there isn't time for doing his laundry or even bathing. Blech. The aroma was not enchanting. Then, ever so helpfully, he conducted along with the orchestra, occasionally he would mime with the dancers, and he even took the trouble to wave his hand dismissively if a dancer wasn't exiting the stage fast enough. He also found time to laugh out loud during some moments, as if the dancing was too ridiculous to be believed. He was just so beyond irritating, I was ready to kill him.
The Wednesday night subscribers are a chummy bunch and all seem to know each other--during the intermission, a lady came down to talk to the people sitting on the other side of me. Here is a direct quote: "Oh, this evening is bittersweet. My husband died Sunday. But my granddaughter is coming in for the funeral, so I'm bringing her here Friday night." Um, even her ballet friends didn't really know how to respond to that.
And so another ABT season closes for me. I so love my ballet subscription and look forward to next summer. Actually, ABT just announced they'll be doing a fall season at City Center, so I may have to get a ticket or two for that. Waiting a year for my ballet fix gets harder and harder...
Oh, and the last photos? There was an enormous screen on the Koch Theater, where NYCB performs. When I entered the Met, I wondered what it was for. When I came out, it looked like they were testing some sort of film or something, but no one was really watching it. Could be interesting moving forward.
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