Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes:ABT’s “Beauty” with Alina Cojocaru

ABT’s “Beauty” with Alina Cojocaru

ABT’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty with choreography by Petipa, and additional choreography Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey’s Krikland and Michael Chernov, is looking good this season. It has been tweaked – the Fairy Carabosse’s confrontation with Prince Desiree takes less stage time, and the focus is more squarely on the title characters of the story. The costumes are beautiful, particularly those of the courtiers – in cream colored satin and plumes, and those of Aurora, youthful in pink, then innocent in white, and ready for what her future holds in a turquoise and white tutu at the end. The company seems more comfortable now in the ballet than at its inception. But the center of the ballet is really Sleeping Beauty herself and any technical virtuosity that may otherwise be present on stage.

With the beautiful ballerina Alina Cojocaru dancing the title role at the June 19th matinee performance, that virtuosity was evident. Cojocaru has a sweet smile and a delicate demeanor, but she dances with the kind of energy and “attack” that proves that feminine and strong can go together. Her jumps and dances with a sharpness and technical exactness that is rarely seen. She is a little powerhouse, petite at about 5’, but with movements so big, with a lovely, feminine energy that she fills the stage. This kind of technical facility is rarely seen, and the sold-out house applauded over and over for each of her high 6 o clock extensions and her long balances in arabesque and attitude.

While she dances everything with ease, it was the finesse of her dancing, her artistic expression, the sharpness of her passé into pique turns, indeed all of her pirouettes have a sharpness, the completeness of her technique and her performance, that held the attention. Her grand jete is a delight to behold; she is so light, sailing forward through the air as if on the wind. Cojocaru’s technique is a classic textbook example of how it should be done.

Add to this her expressiveness, the constant joy seen in her smiles, the emotion in her eyes, and it makes for such a complete performance on so many levels that the audience is satiated, inspired, and enthralled all at once from seeing her dance.

There were some notable dancers to watch in between Aurora’s variations and pas de deux with Jose Manuel Carreno. Simone Messmer, recently promoted to soloist, looked especially strong and sure in her pirouettes and jumps, exhibiting a new confidence and presence. Stella Abrera was a revelation, looking stronger and more beautiful than I have ever seen her; she seems to be channeling Julie Kent with the new delicate expressiveness of her arms, her back is straighter, her placement more secure, there is a new surety; she seems to have come into her own fully as a dancer. I felt I was watching a principal, so clear was her technique and so sophisticated was her performance.

Maria Riccetto did exceptionally well in the Bluebird pas de deux; she too, has grown as a dancer and is looking better than ever. And the fairy tale characters from the wedding celebration in Act III – from the Cat and Puss-in-Boots, to Cinderella and Prince Charming, to the Fairies – of Joy, Sincerity, etc., charmed everyone, especially the children in the audience, with their dancing.

But what stands out the most is the greatness of Cojocaru’s dancing. Of her Rose Adagio, one can only say, “Wow!” This word applies only to the greatest dancers, who have absolute focus and concentration, yet seem totally relaxed and enjoying the moment, with a technique that is so secure it makes everything they do look easy. Her Rosa Adagio was so light and feminine, her footwork so precise and clear, her positions so solid, secure and beautiful, that she took this familiar variation that every female dancer learns and made it of it a jewel. This variation alone was worth the entire performance. Let us hope that Cojocaru returns to guest with ABT again soon to grace us with her extraordinary dancing, perhaps in a ballet that will showcase her exceptional talents even more.