Amelia Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 From the Royal Ballet season 2015-2016 topic: Bruce Wall, on 14 Apr 2015 - 10:46 PM, said: ... McRae will now be dancing/guesting with Osipova next month in Giselle at ABT. annamk Posted Today, 07:12 AM ... In my dream Sergei Polunin will be her partner. Your and my dream, dear annamk, came true for me last weekend. On 10 and 11 April I saw two performances of “Giselle” with Osipova & Polunin. It was unmissable for me. I started watching these two since I first saw them as pupils at their respective schools. He amazed me then with his lines, technique and all-round artistry, and she, at that time, with her precocious virtuosity and childish charm. I couldn’t guess at that time what this cute athletic girl will grow into later. After seeing her first Giselle in Moscow (with Merkuriev as Albert) I realised that she was growing into a remarkable dramatic actress. Although it was a debut for them as a duet their physical interaction was perfect and no less stronger was their emotional togetherness. Sergei is quite thin now, which suited very well the character he chose to portray. He appeared on stage not as a radiant youth besotted with a lovely village girl. Neither was he a self-assured womaniser nor a carefree young man hoping to have a good time. He looked rather as a disillusioned young man in search of something that can revive the sap of youth in him. And who could be a better catalyst for feeling joy than Osipova’s brightly shining Giselle, all thrilling of anticipation! And what a variation she danced for him! She was smitten with him from the first sight but for Albrecht it was different - throughout the first act we were watching how the great love was gradually growing in his heart. They both were subtly showing us the stages of love: inquiring looks, timid touches, their eyes were searching for each other, then coming closer together, his growing urgency, her innate modesty and enjoyment at the same time... There were so many new nuances in their performance. I don’t remember if before Sergei acted one particular scene in the way as his did it now. When Hilarion burst from stage left and started declaring his love for Giselle, Albrecht-Polunin courteously stood aside as if allowing those two friends to sort out the situation; and only when he saw how Giselle tenderly touched her heart - I am now in love, - he darted forward to pull Hilarion away from her. Perhaps all Giselles and Albrechts do approximately the same but the way HOW Osipova and Polunin did this - it was breath-taking. The ‘madness’ scene was scant of movements and full of her pain and his despair. The second act was a masterpiece both technically and artistically. Giselle was not a complete Wilis at first but slowly was melting into this new form of her existence. Albrecht’s entry was the saddest I have ever seen in this ballet. By the way, Sergei’s new long hair were not beautifully sprayed but were flowing freely as on Nijinsky’s famous photograph: https://www.flickr.com/photos/artimages/3674005502/ Their prolonged soaring jumps and soft landings, elegant and precise pirouettes, his despairing entrechat-six, her soubresaut and whirlwind of her spinning... This tragedy of Giselle and Albrecht was a great achievement of both dancers. The whole La Scala ballet company rose to this occasion. An unforgettable performance for me. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 A peek in time for those not fortunate enough to find themselves in Milan for the above performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lLWy0r851M 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Sounds wonderful. Lucky Milan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I saw the two la Scala shows and agree with most of Amelia comments. I didn't like at first Sergei haircut, but I had the Nijinsky vision too and I think it worked for the role. I'd like to see him less thin, though: having not seen him dancing that way, I’d' could even have thought he wasn't well. His second acts were superb, but I think he was little too restrained in the first, not on stage with all his usual charisma. Great performances anyway: I loved them and would love to see him again (in La Scala possibly) soon. Osipova was a firework and had some wonderful moments (I adored her mad scene...I'm not usually touched by it but I was this time: it was really intense and dramatic but not overplayed), her solo in the first act was a masterpiece (I’m not sure if Amelia is aware she was jumping on her seat at this point …well Osipova deserved that enthusiasm!!!), and the moment when she is “awakened” by Myrtha was a real explosion of energy, as she only can do. I’d have just preferred to see more softness in the pdd, especially in the adagio: her dancing was a little bit too “solid” especially in the port de bras (on Thursday night Maria Eichwald was wonderful on this side: truly evanescent port de bras!). The crowd at stage door was huge (Bolle size…) but I had the impression that many were there just out of curiosity and excited desire to see Polunin: they were more hysterical than warm, very keen on shooting dozens of photos and asking for selfies. Sergei was shyly gentle and courteous as always, not exactly the tattooed bad boy and crazy rebel some were eager to see I suppose. I know I’m putting my finger in the open wounds of some friends, but I have to say that Sergei tonight is dancing Albrecht opposite Zakharova in Teatro San Carlo, Naples, as a late substitute for Skvortsov. Hard to call this show unmissable, but Polunin and the wonderful Neapolitan theatre could have been worth a trip. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted April 18, 2015 Author Share Posted April 18, 2015 Here is the beginning of Act 1: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Amelia and Anna, thank you so much for your wonderful, evocative reviews. Between those and all the video clips I've seen, I am inwardly screaming at myself for not having gone to Milan!! I so wish I could have been there. However, since Kevin O'Hare was in the audience, maybe he is getting some ideas.....in my dreams!! One thing I really miss from this production is the mother's mime scene; it gives the ballet a sense of foreboding and explains to everyone both onstage and in the audience what Giselle is risking if she doesn't listen to her mum. Also, the mum's disdain for Albrecht and the bad influence he is having on her frail daughter doesn't seem to come through much either. However, with Osipova and Polunin delivering such performances, I can pretty much forgive anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Oh my goodness, this is divine- thanks so much. Polunin is very beautiful here- (so much for running a tattoo parlour in Neasden..I ask you!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 And tonight Polunin will be Albrecht in Zakharova's Giselle, which he was announced then cancelled Looks like it supposed to be danced together ;-) http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cultura/musica/2015/04/17/danza-polunin-con-la-zakharova-a-napoli_10fe03dc-b1c7-4926-8b7a-baa379e66502.html TOMORROW NIGHT Sergei to replace an injured Ruslan Skvortsov as Albrecht in Giselle with Svetlana Zakharova at Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy. April 18th at 7pm/ it's the message from last night Ruslan Scvorcov got injured and Sergey steps in! Lucky people in Italy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Thank you Amelia & Anna. I knew I should have gone: on Friday morning a great ticket appeared on La Scala website, and amazingly I also found a cheap flight (much cheaper than a few weeks earlier) but I would have had to have left the house in 30 minutes & I didn't have enough spontaneity to drop everything and run ! Since then I've been kicking myself Next time no hesitation. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM12 Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 This looks wonderful. How i'd loved to have been there! I doubt it would ever happen but here's hoping for Osipova and Polunin in Giselle together at the ROH next season.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Lovely reviews - thank you, Amelia and annamicro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 What is the website for La Scala ballet casting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I wonder why Kevin O'Hare was there. Could he be thinking of inviting Polunin back as a guest? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamicro Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 What is the website for La Scala ballet casting? http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/opera-ballet/2014-2015/giselle.html you have to eneter in each production and then click on the date Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I wonder why Kevin O'Hare was there. Could he be thinking of inviting Polunin back as a guest? I was in Italy at roughly the same time, maybe he was doing the same as me and taking an Easter break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I wonder why Kevin O'Hare was there. Could he be thinking of inviting Polunin back as a guest? That is what I am fantasising! Maybe it's the ballet equivalent of Roy Hodgson checking out various good footballers at different matches around the country before deciding to invite them onto the England team.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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