At the Ballet: Don Quixote and Friends

One of my mantras in life is "More information is better than less information," so when American Ballet Theatre's spring appearance at the Kennedy Center was originally announced, with no mention of our favorite Daniil Simkin, I pretty much blew it off. The schedule gets overloaded this time of year anyway.

From 2011: Daniil Simkin at the Kennedy Center.

I'm amending my mantra: "More information, sooner, is better than less information." The moment that I learned the team of dancers participating in the D.C. tour ending this afternoon now included Daniil, I bought my ticket for the most convenient performance for me, the Saturday afternoon matinee. He was to dance the lead role of Basilio in Don Quixote! Yay!

The price and timing for tickets being what they were, I ignored the fact that Daniil would also be dancing in the mid-week mixed rep, a program that included Frederick Ashton's "The Dream." If I'd had the money and time, this would have brilliantly enhanced my 2014 collection of A Midsummer Night's Dream adaptations (including last month's Bristol Old Vic & Handspring Puppet version and next month's BSO concert at the Strathmore). Damn.

Daniil Simkin as "Puck." Photo by Gene Schiavone via Facebook.

At any rate, the DQ performed yesterday was nothing but delightful, and I benefited from a fortuitous audience enhancement. The couple sitting next to me had come down from New York especially to see this performance. They were huge ABT supporters and fans of Daniil Simkin in particular.

Since not everyone can be expected to know everything about their favorites, it's a gift when you can swap information. I shared the fact that Daniil had been posting some fabulous photos and videos on his site, demonstrating remarkable transplatform versatility. My neighbors shared with me some knowledge about Daniil's early training (which I already knew: basically home-schooled by his ballerina mother), which led them to observe that his partnering skills have long been wanting. The demanding DQ pas would be revealing (it's one of the pieces Leslie Browne and Mikhail Baryshnikov performed in The Turning Point).

Lack of early training in partnering is the least of Daniil's problems--he is not a burly Bluto of a man. He's Ariel, he's Puck. Can he lift his lady? Can he hold her steadily as she turns? Can he keep from dropping her on her head whenever she flies headfirst into his arms?

Yes, yes, and yes. And his lady, Isabella Boylston, even shot him a sweet smile of tender confidence during some of these difficult moves. (Yes, I brought my binoculars. Always.)

My knowledgeable friends next door were quietly commenting on much of the program in play; this was one of the very few times in my theater-going experience that I didn't object to neighbors chatting. In fact, I wished I could hear what they were saying. "Disappointing" caught my ear. Yikes! What was disappointing about what I just saw? Nothing! Nothing! Certainly not Daniil. At the intermission, they turned immediately to me to see my reaction, and of course I loved it. They said that Daniil was dancing fantastically, so--whew--he was not the source of that fleeting "disappointment."

Another comment I overheard was that so-and-so should be promoted out of the corps de ballet--she (or he) is too good. I was too shy to ask who. Really, eavesdroppers need to be careful about digging for dirt, even if it's good dirt.

One young dancer they did point out to me as a future superstar was the male half of the Gypsy Couple, Zhiyao Zhang. "He's just a teenager!" my neighbor enthused while the young man was dancing. He'd mentioned also that this Saturday matinee cast was far from being "the B team"; rather, it was the "young team." (ZZ is actually 20 or 21, according to his bio.)

In all, the dancing was beautiful, the sets and costumes were beautiful. I loved the curtain projection of a giant painted fan decorated with Spanish scenes of villages and bullfights.

So glad I went. I had ditched the stage door after the last time Daniil danced here (midweek evening performances are very taxing), but it was a lovely early evening by the time curtain came down yesterday. I joined the other bunheads (about two dozen of various ages) at the Opera House stage entrance, and all seemed to be waiting for Isabella and Misty Copeland (DQ's fiery street dancer). Both lovely ladies delighted the fans with photos and autographs.

Isabella Boylston

Misty Copeland

Now, I did see Daniil peek out the door, still in makeup, and happily inviting a young female friend backstage. There were a few VIP friends and family of dancers invited through the big door. But Daniil didn't come back out to greet the fans as he had done three years ago. There were only about six of us ladies left waiting when a stage door guardian informed us no one else would be coming out. (Looking at the time stamp on my 2011 photo, I see Daniil took at least an hour after curtain before emerging that time, so I was prepared for a wait.) It might have been a ruse to clear the corridor. Several ladies hung back a bit, but the guard stood at the door, seemingly keeping an eye on errant fan behavior.

Maybe that's what happens when you become a superstar. (It is also possible he was simply deferring to the ladies this time. Despite his thunderous ovations, he didn't take a soloist's bow at curtain. He presented his lady, who sweetly shared one of her beautiful roses with him.) I don't deny Daniil or anyone the privilege of managing his time or audience face-time. He did what he was supposed to do: Delight.

Love, hosaa
not really a bunhead

ETA, April 21 - Awwwww!

Post by Daniil Simkin.