“Fonteyn could not jump the way ABT’s Gillian Murphy did on Monday night…” My sister Gill (recently interviewed here) gets a pair of nice reviews today for her recent turn in ABT’s Sylvia. ‘Gillian Murphy, who danced the title role on Monday, was born to play Sylvia…even early in her career she had a gift for ornamenting bold, bravura dancing with filigree musical phrasing, and that gift serves her well.”
Tag: Gillian Murphy
Surfacing.
Hey all. So, as you may have noticed from the radio silence, it’s been hectic in these parts of late, what with trips out of town and around town, guests visiting, my sister Gill‘s ABT season at the Met, and many errands to run and a rather large work project to complete before I hit the road for a dissertation research trip later this week. That being said, the work wave seems to have crested, so hopefully normal update patterns should resume around here in very short order.
Pas de vingt-sept. / Yuri + 45.
A very happy belated birthday to my sister Gillian, who turned 27 yesterday. (We celebrated on Monday, but, as y’all might know, I haven’t posted here since then.) Update: Also, a very happy Yuri’s Night to you and yours — tonight is the 45th anniversary of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s first-ever trip into space, as well as the 25th anniversary of the first space shuttle mission. (By way of Blivet.)
Lake Effect.
As spotted in the new Money magazine (p. 100), my sister Gillian and her longtime boyfriend Ethan are featured in ABT‘s ad campaign for their upcoming Spring season at the Met — Tickets are on sale now.
Grace in Gotham.
“As quintessentially American as Ms. Part is Russian, Gillian Murphy joined ABT in 1996, instantly raising our national banner of strong, brisk, technical prowess.” By the way, my sister’s fall ABT season began on Wednesday, so if you’re in the New York area and looking to partake of some choice offerings of world-class ballet, head on down to City Center. The Fall Repertoire includes Afternoon of a Faun, Apollo, Dark Elegies, Gong, The Green Room, In the Upper Room, Kaleidoscope, Rodeo, and Les Sylphides.
Digital Swans.
A programming note: If you missed Gill‘s performance of Swan Lake last night, it’ll be rebroadcast a few times in the next few days (check your local listings) and is available for DVD pre-order.
Little Sisters Make Good.
Yep, the sisters are doing it for themselves. Gillian‘s earlier-touted performance of Swan Lake will be broadcast on PBS tomorrow (Monday) at 9pm. And, congrats are due also to Tessa, who graduated from Oscar Smith High over the weekend, and was recently profiled (as valedictorian) in The Virginian-Pilot. Y’all go, girls!
Sylvia on Pointe.
“Gillian Murphy, who danced Sylvia on Friday, looked as if she were born to dance this role. Her natural, bold attack and imposing presence make her the perfect Sylvia.” Gill’s star turn in ABT’s revival of Sylvia (which I caught at the Met on Friday) opens to stellar reviews. In addition, Gill is profiled in this month’s Pointe Magazine. (Unfortunately, the text is unavailable online, although the pics are here.)
The Swan Takes Flight.
Family plug: My sister Gill will be heading ABT’s production of Swan Lake (filmed at the Kennedy Center this past February) on PBS’s Great Performances Monday, June 20, at 9pm. I caught it tonight at a special viewing at Channel 13 headquarters for the dancers (and their NYC-residing brothers), and Gill & company look amazing. It’s well worth catching if you harbor even the slightest interest in ballet (and, for that matter, even if you don’t…c’mon now, Swan Lake is a classic.) 🙂
“A Princess Among Men.”
“I always saw the possibilities there. She has the most wonderful technique: strong jumps, beautiful turns, lovely line. There’s something very honest about Gillian, and she’s so smart. You can feed in the information and she processes it all for herself. She doesn’t look like someone trying to be anyone else.” The LA Times‘s Susan Reiter profiles my sister Gill for the Sunday edition, which I took the liberty of reposting at her official site. “Having had her eyes unwaveringly on the prize since she was 11, Murphy brings a healthy sense of perspective and clarity to what being a dancer means. ‘The first time I put pointe shoes on, I was certain. I’ve been on a mission, in terms of wanting to dance and to be the best dancer I can be. At a certain point in a dancer’s career, it becomes a mission to look out for the art form as well, to concern yourself with the present and future of ballet.'”
(Pointed out by The Late Adopter.)