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August 4, 2005
Latest Dance Articles
Two in the Summer 2005 issue of Ballet Review - available only in print.
Giselle and Stravinsky Violin Concerto at the National Ballet of Canada
Tall with long lines, [Guillaume] Côté looks, partners, dances, and acts like a prince, yet he is still young enough to be believable as an innocent Albrecht who does not understand the damage he is causing. He's already fulfilled much of his promise but there is still more potential and he keeps growing in authority.
Because he's older, Aleksandar Antonijevic has to take a slightly more duplicitous approach, but he handles it artfully. The difference can be seen in Act I when Hilarion sounds the horn to call the noble hunting party and Albrecht hears the fateful response. Côté realizes that he's trapped; Antonijevic instead swings into action thinking of a way out. He had a very fine moment when he had almost managed to convince [Greta] Hodgkinson that all could be explained and then Bathilde appeared. When Giselle confronted him and he looked away, it was as much in sad apology as regretful anger, as if he still believed even then that he could have pulled the whole charade off and not hurt anyone.
La Fille mal Gardée at Pennsylvania Ballet
The company offered two pairs of leading couples, of which Julie Diana and James Ady were most satisfying. Diana comes from San Francisco Ballet and is a fortunate addition to Philadelphia's roster. As Lise, she was a mix of charm, mischief, and delicacy. Her footwork and bourrées were especially fine, particularly a series swift battements serrés as Ady set her down from a lift that conveyed exactly the fluttering ecstasy Ashton intended at that moment. Her performance of the mime sequence Ashton preserved from Karsavina’s recollections was also delightful. Naughty, but not cruel, she was a Lise one could both love and laugh with.
Posted by Leigh Witchel at August 4, 2005 2:40 PM
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