Posted by Miki Orihara
On May 14th, Monday was the Opening Gala for American Ballet Theater for this season.
Started at 6:30 PM, it is a bit early for the performance but think about the Gala Party after tha , I understand. They want to drink, eat and dance. but it is still Monday…
Curtain opens!!!
Started with the white, illusion of La Bayadère Act II excerpts.
The Sleeping Beauty excerpts:Lilac Fairy Variation by Michele Wiles, Rose Adagio by Veronika Part and 4 men, Aurora Variation by Diana Vishneva, Grand Pas de Deux by Irina Dvorovenko and Mixim Beloserkovsky
Lady’s Choice by Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsy accompanied by Lang Lang
Piece d’OccasionLang Lang
Romeo & Juliet Balcony Pas de Duex by Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo
Othello Act III Pas de Duex by Alessandra Ferri and Marcelo Gomes
Swan Lake Act III(Black Swan) Pas de Duex by Nina Ananiashvili and Angel Corella
Manon Act I Pas de Duex by Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreño
La Bayadère Act I excerpts, temple Pas de Duex by Paloma Herrera and David Hallberg, Gamzatti Pas d’action Variation and Coda by Gillian Murphy, and Solor Pas D’Action Variation by Ethan Stiefel
This is the curtain call in the end.
I really enjoyed the whole evening. Lang Lang played beautifully. His fingers are like a snake on the keys. Cornejo is now mature, dancing beautifully. Gomes’s Othello was nice with mascular presence. “Black Swan” Pas de Duex was exciting. I was sorry about Stiefel’s knee, I hear he has some problems but did not show. And Murphy’s strong technique showed ‘you can trust your technique and forget about technique’ that she nailed all of it.
I attended this year’s Yourth America Grand Prix’s Gala in which I felt all the eyes are on how much you can show (how much you can jump, turn, get your leg up… and so on except for a few dances.) And to see this ABT gala, it was mature and no nervousness or worry. I think I will go next year’s gala too.
You got a good shot of Marcelo — right smack in the middle in tux; he was the first one out during final curtain call; he walked up to Ethan and patted him on the shoulder (E’s in middle in costume) — a gesture ever so slightly corny IMO but the audience ate it right up! And the incomparable Alessandra is in front in all black … June 23, I am gonna cry all night long… I forgot to say how great Lang Lang was — I think some people were there just for him. Your description is of him is beautiful! 
