Michael Popkin

MICHELE WILES IN LA BAYADERE

La Bayadere
American Ballet Theater
The Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York
June 24, 2008

By Michael Popkin
copyright 2008 Michael Popkin

ABT is rather thin on the ground ballerina-wise right now, but a saving grace appeared Tuesday night in the person of Michele Wiles, who showed a facility, polish and command dancing the role of Gamzatti in the second Bayadere of the season I'd never associated with her before. It was better dancing than I've seen from any ballerina in this role at ABT over the years - at a level even with what you can see in the video of Elisabeth Platel in the role at the Paris Opera.  And indeed it was as fine dancing as I've seen from any woman in this company in a principal role in several years, no matter what the ballet, equalled only by several of Diana Vishneva's performances over that period.  On this particular night Wiles was a more fluent and finished dancer than Gillian Murphy (who danced Nikiya) and a better actress too; though Murphy did look sexy with a bare midriff and had the big extension audiences love today.  She was also a better match with David Hallberg (their Solor).  She and Hallberg have been paired together for years.

A NEW THARP BALLET at ABT and NOTES FROM THE ROBBINS' CELEBRATION

Rabbit and Rogue
American Ballet Theater
The Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York
June 4, 2008

All American Fare (Interplay, Ives Songs and I'm Old Fashioned)
Definitive Chopin (Dances at a Gathering, Other Dances and The Concert)
New York City Ballet
New York State Theater
New York, New York
June 1 and 4, 2008

By Michael Popkin
copyright 2008 Michael Popkin

Towards the end of ABT's new Rabbit and Rogue last week, my mind, shocked and awed by nearly forty minutes of non-stop sensory overload, tried to make sense of it all:  the smoky black theatrical space punctuated by descending and horizontal cones of spot light; the music, a pulsing wall of sound louder than that in any movie theater (is it possible for live music to sound more recorded?); the masses of dancers emerging from and vanishing into a gloomy upstage area, all dressed (and often undressed) in a variety of sexy Norma Kamali costumes; Sascha Radetsky and Marcelo Gomes performing nearly a Three Stooges routine in the midst of it all; Sarah Lane in a silver bikini (not bad); Jose Manuel Carreno, stripped to the waist and dressed below in a cross between silver harem and capri pants, performing classical lifts and promenades with Maria Riccetto.