ABT 2016 - Swan Lake

Gosh, I can't believe I'm almost at the end of my ballet season! After last night, I only have one to go!  Sad face.  But at least the last ballets are two of my favorites - Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.  I just love the combination of beautiful dancing and Tchaikovsky music.  I'm looking forward to seeing the new production of Sleeping Beauty again, I only saw one performance last year, so I'm happy to be able to see it again so soon.  But last night, the war horse of all story ballets:  Swan Lake.  For the first time all season, the house was packed.  I got stuck at work a little late, so by the time I arrived at the Met, the lobby was hugely crowded and there was a huge line at the ladies room.  Oh well. it all worked out, even though I felt a little rushed and breathless most of the night.  I wish the breathlessness had been because the ballet was a sublime, transformative experience, but, alas, I had to settle for a gorgeously danced piece with not a lot underneath.

Maybe I expect too much.  After seeing an incredible performance a few years ago, now I'm spoiled and greedy and want that experience all the time.  And I know that those kinds of nights only happen once in a very great while.  But after having one, I just want more. Which I guess makes me more picky and critical of things, and I really shouldn't be. After all, as we all know, everything is beautiful at the ballet.

Except my seat neighbors.  And my seat, actually.  There was gum under my seat.  Can you believe it?  Gum??  I was shocked. Thankfully, I saw it before I sat down and could take it off.  I can't believe the staff didn't clean a little better, but still.  There was the couple a few rows behind me who, when the usher came over and asked to look at their tickets because someone else seemed to have those seats, refused to move. The usher said "Those aren't your seats."  The yutz said "But this is where I want to sit."  Um, hello?!?!  I want to sit tenth row center, but I don't go plant myself there!  Really.  Some people.  And there was the guy who laughed at the end of the first act.  Cracked up. Really loudly.  It was so disrespectful.  I mean, ok, something can always strike someone funny, but if you laugh loud enough that someone on the other side of the balcony can hear you?  You're too loud.  Yutz.

photo credit: Rosalie O'Connor

Sigh.  Finding my zen place.  Getting back to the ballet.  I was excited to see last night's cast - I've never seen Gillian Murphy dance Odette/Odile before and I knew she would absolutely slay in the Black Swan pas de deux in the second act, but I was interested to see how she would handle the much softer, more lyrical choreography in the first act. So...she was lovely, don't get me wrong, and it definitely was the softest I've ever seen her (I often describe watching her as watching a diamond, beautiful and brilliant but hard) and her technique is always off the charts, but I didn't see her really embrace the white swan's character - the sadness and the timeless love - and I didn't ever see her connect with her Siegfried, the divine Marcelo Gomes. They had chemistry, sure, because I think Marcelo could have chemistry with a potted plant, but I never saw her be affected by him.  I just guess acting/characterization is not her strong suit, but golly her dancing is grand.

The Black Swan pas de deux was electrifying.  At the end is a famous sequence of 32 fouette tours (there's a very interesting article in the New York Times about this, if you're interested), which conquer many ballerinas, and Gillian was thrilling.  She even added double and triple pirouettes, maybe even a quadruple?  And different arm placements made the degree of difficulty even harder.  It was fast and free and ever so exciting.  The crowd went insane for them - even Marcelo, still in character as Siegfried, was thrilled by her dancing and thrilled that he found his love.  His acting is always just exquisite, as is his dancing.  I also saw Cory Stearns play Purple Rothbart for the first time.  I liked him in the role.  He was decadent and sardonic, but very sexy.  He knew everyone in the room was staring and he used it.  His solo in the ballroom could use a little more pizazz, but I think he'll get there.  Maybe he's more suited to villains than heroes because he puts more focus on his acting.  Whatever it is, I'll take it.

photo credit; Gene Schiavone

As for the other dancers, Marcelo Gomes = perfection in every way, no need to bring that up again.  I also again adored Joseph Gorak as Benno, he makes a wonderful best friend, though I thought I saw a new dimension in his friendship with Siegfried, a rivalry for one of the aristocratic ladies, and that was what sent Siegfried to the woods.  I thought it was a really nice interpretation and I don't remember seeing it done quite that way before. Gorak did a terrific pas de trois with the sparkling Skylar Brandt and the exquisite Sarah Lane. That may be the best version of that threesome I've ever seen, I loved them.  The swans were terrific and also got a big round of applause.  The cygnettes were great and the two swan soloists, Devon Teuscher and Melanie Hamrick, were first rate.  In fact, it was really an all-star evening with most of my very favorite dancers in a role or two. Craig Salstein and Arron Scott were great in the Neapolitan duet and, of course, my ABT MVP, Roman Zhurbin, was a sinister and overwhelming Lizard Rothbart. How he acts so wonderfully in a big lizard suit is a miracle to me.

So it was a nice evening, an exciting evening at times, but not a transcendent one.  Oh well.  Off to the next.  And thinking about the next is always exciting.  :)