ABT - Swan Lake

I love Swan Lake.  Seriously.  LOVE.  Last year, I had bought extra tickets to see Hallberg and Semionova, but David was injured and couldn't dance.  It was still a thrilling evening, since Marcelo Gomes stepped in and partnered Polina beautifully.  He is a wonder, you know.  But ever since last year (and since seeing this year's schedule), I have been dying to see David and Polina dance Swan Lake.  I kept knocking wood, all day yesterday, to throw out good vibes that there wouldn't be a nasty slip of white paper in my program. 

I got to the Met early, since I like to enter the house as soon as it opens (as you already know).  Bathroom, photos, blah blah blah.  After I had my ticket scanned, I went upstairs, wandered around, and noticed the doors to the house were still closed.  Oh no.  I was CERTAIN they were delaying opening the auditorium because they were stuffing programs with nasty little slips of white paper.  I tried deep breaths and going to my happy place.  I considered a glass of champagne.  Finally, they let us in.  I settled into my balcony seat, opened the program, and saw...a slip of paper.  With dread, I pulled it out of the program.  Thankfully, it only told me the names of the gals dancing the Cygnettes in Act II.  Big exhale.  THANK YOU, ballet gods. 

And wow, David and Polina were well worth the wait.  If last year's Swan Lake felt thrilling and electric to me, last night's felt gorgeously and deeply sublime.  I actually started crying during the first pas de deux between Polina and David - it was just perfect.  The sighing violin (thumbs up to the soloist), the beautiful dancing.  It was so beautiful, it made me cry.  Hooray!!!  It reminded me of that line in The Turning Point (wildly paraphrased by me): 'some nights it all comes together, the dancing, the costumes, the music.'  So true.

David and Polina complement each other so beautifully - they both have gorgeous lines, stunning extensions and dramatic physicality.  If they don't quite have the symbiotic chemistry that David and Natalia Osipova have, oh well.  They're still an amazing team. 

David plays Prince Siegfried much differently than Marcelo Gomes did, as he should.  Where Marcelo is a virile guy's guy, David seems more like a spoiled rich guy, seemingly going through life with disinterest, until he is shocked into living by Odette.  His relationships with other characters (his mother, Benno) seem remote and chilly before he meets Odette, then in Act III, he's more open and warm with them.  Love has truly changed him.  It's a very interesting piece of acting, and makes his despair after his betrayal of his love even more moving.  I found his waving to his mother very touching, when he was trying to express the reason for his lack of interest in marrying one of the princesses.  And if he was shocked by Odette, he was positively dazzled and bowled over by Odile!  The Black Swan pas de deux was amazing! 

Polina has such a beautiful back and soft arms.  Her softness as Odette is ethereal and lovely, and she really does look like a swan.  But when she's dancing as Odile, wow!  She suddenly is all seductive and sinewy, with come-hither smiles and mocking imitations of Odette.  It's amazing the physical difference.  Her balance is effortless - there are times when it seems as if she can stay en pointe all day.  Again, not in a show-offy way, but in a way that illuminates the choreography even more.  The shapes she makes with her body are just so lovely - can you tell I loved her?  :)

The rest of the cast was very good, though not quite at the level of David or Polina.  I liked Alexandre Hammoudi as the human Rothbart, though he could dance with a tad more oomph.  He's got the look, now he needs to sell it.  Stella Abrera, Maria Riccetto and Sascha Radetsky did the pas de trois and were quite good, though Sascha's partnering felt wonky.  There was one point where it seemed like he forgot he needed to partner one of the gals and she fell off pointe.  It was weird, he kinda ran back up to her, out of character.  I don't know.  Maybe it was intentional, but I don't remember seeing the choreography done like that before.  It didn't ruin anything, it just looked really odd.  The swans had lovely unison and the Two Swans, Simone Messmer and Melanie Hamrick, were terrific, as were the substitute Cygnettes.  The peasants in the first scene felt a little out of unison, but it could be the staging.  McKenzie has so many different things going on, sometimes it feels like people are doing the wrong choreography when they're not.  At least to me. 

It was a full and very enthusiastic house, with many cheers for David and Polina.  They had to take two mid-performance curtain calls after their first pas de deux (the one that made me cry), and the response at the end of the evening was rapturous.  They both seemed so grateful for all the love they were getting from the audience.  It was a beautiful evening all around and I'm so glad I finally got to see this pair in Swan Lake.  I hope to see them dance it again for many years to come.  Next week--the last ballet in my series.  I can hardly stand to think about it.  Ballet season is such a happy time and it's almost over...