Comments on: Bidding Farewell

by: tonya

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:19:14 +0000

Thanks, SanderO! It’s good to know that she will be in NY at least part of the time (I was afraid she’s return to Italy and we’d never see her againl…) I’ve just seen her talk in that video ABT has out (forgot the name — Virtue and Viruosity or sometime like that) and yeah, she’s very Italian!

Alex, I didn’t count the curtain calls, but there were many! Someone told me it went on for 35 minutes … which I didn’t count either, so I’m glad someone did! When I left I saw the curtain opening again — I stayed for a long time and got lots and lots of pictures (many of them blurry because I was getting pushed and shoved about and I was hysterical so my camera hand wasn’t very still!) , but I had to get out of there before I got too upset. I’m really glad Roberto performed with her because I just kept telling myself as I left, “Roberto’s really great, I can’t wait to see him again, Roberto, Roberto, Roberto…” If she’d have danced with Jose or someone I’ve seen her dance with many times it would have just been an ending with no ‘new beginning’ and I would have been completely hysterical … still such a sad sad night…

Also they had the lobby walls of the Center Parterre lined with blown-up photos of her taken by her husband. It was so cool. I tried to get a picture but it didn’t come out so well since it was dark.

by: SanderO

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:01:41 +0000

The Ferri talk was an interview by the editrix of Dance Magazine followed by audience questions. It was my first experience hearing dancer speak about her craft so I have little reference. However, Alessandra is a very sincere, warm, intelligent and engaging person, very Italian too, in her speech and mannerisms. She spoke about her Shakespeare roles and mentioned the dance she did with Sting (on YouTube) at her husband’s suggestion. I sat very close… no need for opera glasses to read her facial expressions… and she uses her hands to speak… much the way Italians and dancers do! She’s happy to be finishing this phase of her career and did not have any plans except to relax and raise her duaghters and see ballet and she will be in NYC to raise her girls.

Ferri is a treasure. We’ll see her again.

by: miki

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:03:06 +0000

It was such a beautiful evening. Seems like all the dance world atttend that performance. I saw so many dance people in the audience. I can only see if from the audience point of view but your pictures captured what all of us wanted to see.
Thank you for sharing them.

PS: were you at the Cederlake performance on Friday night?

by: Alex Wong

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:03:41 +0000

Darn David, I wish I was there to see that, too bad I had to go back to work, lol. How many curtain calls did she get? I bet it was forever, haha

by: thewinger.com » Photos just don’t do her justice

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:21:40 +0000

[…] After seeing David’s beautiful photos of Alessandra Ferri’s farewell performance, I thought maybe I should post a few of our (NYC Ballet’s) “hometown” hero. I was busy videotaping the evening’s performance, so I’ve included a few screenshots from some of my footage. […]

by: M

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:07:57 +0000

We have some nearly identical ones. Oh yes, that’s my head popping up in the last one….would make sense

by: Laurel S.

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:15:38 +0000

Thank you for the wonderful photos- I can only imagine how powerful the emotions were up there! What a glorious dancer, her performances will always inspire me and I know many others.

by: tonya

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:41:04 +0000

Thanks for the backstage photos. You and Marcelo didn’t pick her up and carry her all over stage? I like how you were first out to give her a hug Great performance (it goes w/o saying), but sad, although I have to say, Roberto lessened the sadness for me (which I think was part of her intention… she knew her fans were going to be hysterical, so she’s like, let me give them something else to think about )

SanderO, I’m so jealous, I SO wanted to go to that, but I was giving a reading. How was it?

by: SanderO

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:24:09 +0000

I attended her lecture a week ago Moday at the Met and in person, Alessandra is a truly lovely, humble and intelligent person not to mention a world class ballerina. What a career! She’s a real example. Great photos David… thanks for the special view from the wings.

by: Philip

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:10:53 +0000

Thank you for the beautiful backstage images…