Our pick this week is Oberon’s Grove account of Ashley Bouder‘s revelatory performance in Donizetti Variations, followed by equally powerful dancing from four other NYCB principals in Stravinsky Violin Concerto:
The audience were clearly bedazzled by Ashley’s prodigious pirouettes, flashing jumps and the fiorature of her footwork, calling the ballerina and her dashing cavalier Andrew Veyette before the curtain three times at the end.
The music is so ‘operatic’ that one half expects the dancers to start singing. As cabaletta follows cavatina with bel canto inevitability Balanchine calls on the dancers for one flourish after another. Ashley and Andrew rose to every challenge, and the attractive ensemble were so much a part of the success. Georgina Pazcoguin in a featured passage and Faye Arthurs with her sweeping extension stood out among the girls; and there was also the handsome trio of Daniel Applebaum, Vincent Paradiso and Allen Peiffer.
We wish we had been there!
Head over to Oberon’s Grove to read the full post complete with gorgeous pictures. Oberon has also posted a beautiful photo of Darci Kistler by Annie Leibovitz as a reminder of her upcoming farewell performance.
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