mpaley

Macaulay is a serious critic who writes very well and has a fine analytical ability. He sometimes (by no means always) goes off the tracks when writing about performances or ballets he doesn't like. He has some strong (or weak) prejudices, as when he said he wasn't going to review Polina Semionova because he didn't understands what she was doing (thereby putting himself into a class one one).

Osipova is the greatest Giselle I've ever seen, or hope to see, especially in Act II, in which she seems to enter an alternate reality and take you with her. I've seen her in screenings by the Bolshoi and the Royal Ballet, and live onstage with ABT at the Met. Of these productions, I think the greatest was the Bolshoi's (with David Hallberg). It had a terrible of conviction about it, a true tragic sense. When Giselle disappeared at the end, she did so very slowly, in the same direction as the other wilis (toward the lake), facing Albrecht while doing two corkscrew-like turns. The RB production, which I also have on blu-ray, is remarkable, among other things, for its excellent use of mime, and, in connection with this, for making Giselle's mother a real part. ABT's was less thought-out except by the principal dancers, Osipova and Stephen McRae. This was the performance in which she fell near the end and got up and heroically continued. McRae was spendld throughout. How lucky you Royal Balletgoers are to be able to get on the Underground and see these dancers (I live in California and get to London once a year, sometimes at the right time, sometimes not.)

Osipova iis no longer listed in the Bolshoi London cast. There is talk that she remains injured, or has been injured again. Does anyone have the facts about this?

Does anyone know why she and Polunin cancelled at Dubai?

Polunin and Osipova were scheduled to appear in Dubai just a few days ago. They did not, and according to the management this was because of an injury to Osipova. Is this true?

Does anyone know when (or whether) the Royal Ballet intends to release this dvd, announced some time ago?

I was present at the May 28 performance. McRae was superb, both as a strong, reliable partner and as a soloist. The audience recognized this borth during and after. As for Osipova, her second act, up to her fall near the end, was both brilliant and profound. It's frustrating not to be able to find ou how she's doing.