Round 1, Session 5, June 18

For Session Five we enjoyed one junior and two senior pas de deux. Perhaps I should say one senior pas de deux, for the Black Swan pas de deux was painful, an almost parody of every pose and finish in Odile’s portrait. There were three junior and five senior solos, quite an emphasis on Paquita among the juniors, a couple of Bluebirds, Giselle, Act I, and then a sprinkling of the expected male variations.

Courtney Clarkson, 16, U.S.A., danced the Coppelia Wedding Pas de Deux with non-competing partner Christopher Rendall-Jackson, with a very fetching accuracy. The entire quality was a nosegay bouquet of non-cloying sentiment, Clarkson’s head on Kendall-Jackson’s shoulder just before the pas de deux began. Lively and correct, my notes read “double and single fouettes the best so far for the juniors.”

Erin Ginn, 18, U.S.A., also danced the Coppelia Wedding Pas de Deux variation. My notes read something about “Kirov arms and a bit studiedly coy interpretation.” Ginn, almost excessively slender, chose a Paquita variation for her second and fell in the fouette turns.

Meghan Van Winkle, 15, U.S.A., in a Paquita variation, dances with a natural hyper-extended knee. I noted some nice grands jetes, but a slight uncertainly in a middle transition and in her finish. Choosing the Vaganova Diana and Acteon variation for her second variation, Van Winkle fell to the left at least twice. She seemed to share a short red tunic with a prominent crescent moon tiara with another contestant. I would like to see tunics either a bit longer or a trifle fuller.

Melissa Hough, 17, U.S.A., is one of several Kirov Academy, Washington, D.C. students. She danced a particularly picky, spiky variation from Paquita, which reveals mainly accuracy and detail in technique. Her hands seemed mannered to me, but well inflected, and not helped by those frilly white, gathered forearm attachments which are supposed to help frame the face and assist the torso. The entire costume seemed fussy to me. What did come across were an excellent placement and beautifully placed neck and shoulders. A tad off in the initial part of her finish, I could see why Dan Thomas said she’s “cheesy and in Velveta.” I remarked to him, “But Velveta is processed!” The second Paquita variation, with a number of grands jetes, was marked by brilliant and beautiful phrasing.

Dawn Kelly, 23, U.S.A., dances with Cincinnati Ballet and appeared in the Bluebird variation. She’s a wee blonde one, and basically quite fleet. Her Odile variation from Swan Lake was the Grigorovich version, and she unfortunately lost her balance at the end.

Victoria Lane Green, 19, Canada, currently with Boston Ballet, reminds me of an afternoon tea with plenty of Devonshire cream. There is a civilized deliberation about her, but her Act I, Giselle variation did not provide any particular frame of reference. She conveyed a strong sense of period, but fell from an initial attitude en tournant. Choosing Bluebird for her second variation to display a contrast between a flow and the particular, I found her correct but heavy.

Chiaki Yasukawa, 21, Japan, Southern Ballet Theatre, selected the same variation as Green. She hinted at a frame of reference, hopped on her attitude turns, but otherwise was both gentle and clear. Her Esmeralda variation was accurate and inviting.

Eddy Tovar, 19, Cuba, dances with Southern Ballet Theatre, is the sole Cuban entrant this year after several amazing delegations from that island. Possessed with an engaging smile and forthright manner, he is small, squarely built and would be labeled demi-charactere in the traditional Russian categorizing of dancers. Both his variations, Swan Lake, Act III and Don Quixote, Act IV, were adapted by Fernando Bujones. Coping with a cement floor under the wooden surface, like all the other contestants, he turns nicely but lacked control in his finish and is Don Q the finishes were sloppy.

Christian Laverde Konig, 24, Columbia, dances with the Maximum Dance Company in Miami. A likeable stage personality, Konig’s first variation was from Don Q, clear and clean, with a couple of hops. In his Act II, Giselle variation, he fell to the left during the variation and took his final fall of exhaustion to the left.

Jennifer Lauren, 20, U.S.A., dances with Alabama Ballet as a principal. Her Act III Swan Lake variation with Kfir Danieli lacked chemistry between the two and was studded with emotive gestures which seemed acquired for the appropriate moment rather than motivated by characterization. A very small dancer, I found myself wondering how Preobrajenska and Kesschinska projected with similar sized bodies. Her fouettes leaned surprisingly to the right and I found myself checking off all manner of sarcastic, cheeky comments in my head.

The second joy of this session was The Flower Festival of Genzano with Elizabeth Hansen, 19, U.S.A., and Daisuke Takeuchi, 20, Japan, dancing with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. While Hansen was accurate, Takeuchi, save for one or two hops, was clear and engaging, an excellent exemplar of the Bournonville ballon, and a wonderful, attentive partner.