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I just got to see The Music Man, and Haglund is right - it's extraordinary, and I think the most outstanding dancing on any stage in New York right now. It's a classic musical best known for its music but here the dancing is the star. Go ahead and take out a second mortgage if you need to - you'll feel you got your money's worth and for best seats, try to buy before the (expected rave) reviews come out after opening night on Feb 10th.
NYCB cancels 1st Winter week & muddles schedule
NYCB has announced that it has cancelled the first week of its Winter Season and withdrawn a number of large-scale ballets (full length Swan Lake, Diamonds). Yet, they're still proceeding with other large scale works such as DGV. This is a tremendous disappointment, especially considering toda...
Oh, hurray! It's wonderful to hear that, thanks for the news update, Georgiann.
observations 10/7
It's terrific news to hear that NYCB has promoted Unity Phelan and Roman Mejia to principal and soloist, respectively. Unity somehow made steady progress throughout the year and a half pause due to the pandemic and truly has come back to the stage dancing at a high principal level. Congratulati...
I'd add Indiana Woodward to your list - for me she is next woman in line for promotion to principal after Unity Phelan, whom most fans would agree was an expected principal announcement. Congratulations to Phelan and Mejia, well-deserved. It does seem odd to announce only two promotions. Maybe NYCB has so many promotions they need to make soon that they want to dribble them out? Keep people guessing, maximize attention?
observations 10/7
It's terrific news to hear that NYCB has promoted Unity Phelan and Roman Mejia to principal and soloist, respectively. Unity somehow made steady progress throughout the year and a half pause due to the pandemic and truly has come back to the stage dancing at a high principal level. Congratulati...
Jeanette's suggestion of Corella as AD, and Copeland as an assistant AD, I could see actually coming to pass! Corella would be a solid choice and is Latino and I suspect Copeland would be pleased at such a graceful exit to her performing career.
But my first thought is, does anyone think that with the management change ABT might now bring back Sarah Lane?
Finally, at last -- well, almost
So glad to hear that McKenzie has decided to make 2022 his final year. But will ABT survive it? If they can survive on hope, they will. We had to laugh at this from the NYT article: McKenzie’s decision to focus on homegrown dancers rather than international stars had been a courageous and impor...
I agree with other posters that it's a crying shame to lose Sarah Lane, the most complete ballerina left at ABT and my personal favorite, and especially in such an ignominious way. And, Blaine was robbed. Again. I love his dancing and have for years. And I do understand that it's frustrating to see the dancers who "play the media game" advance and thrive at the expense of those who don't.
I know many will disagree but I think managing a successful social media presence is now an important part of an American dancer's career. Fair or not, the dancers who do it well are reaping the benefits in their careers. Isabella Boylston now has over 400K instagram followers, Misty Copeland has 1.8 million. Those kind of followings bring name recognition and that translates into box office sales.
An AD of a company might find certain dancers difficult, but be willing to overlook that if they bring in the money. Some of the finest artists in history have been challenging to work with but the combination of their talent and their huge popularity means management will kowtow. But being the finest caliber of artist might not be enough if you alienate enough of the wrong people and don't have enough draw. That might not ever be known beyond the footlights but it is something that could have been part of the behind-the-scenes disappearances of some amazing ABT dancers.
observations 9/10
It's great to hear that New York City Ballet will be presenting another digital season beginning Tuesday, September 29 with previously recorded performances of Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux and “The Unanswered Question” from Ivesiana, as well as excerpts from Episodes, Liebeslieder Walzer, Symphony i...
It doesn't need to be anything as nefarious as Misty paying off Herman to dance with her. I imagine Misty has enough "pull" to request which dancers regularly partner her; Cornejo is the best and most experienced danseur they have since Marcelo's departure and any ballerina of the right height would want him. And he might want to be paired with her too. She's a celebrity, and the spotlight shines on him as well when he dances with her. And judging by social media, Misty seems to get on well and be friendly both with Herman and with Herman's new wife.
ABT@KC Giselle 2/16 – Brandt & Ahn
The impact of the ballet Giselle can be so powerful that it inspires forgiveness and thoughtfulness within the audience that lasts past the lowering of the curtain. So went the Sunday matinee performance at the Kennedy Center where aspects of ABT’s somewhat lusterless production of Giselle sudde...
I am sure you are right that a Misty house is largely give-outs. I suspect that they are ABT's most popular give-outs, though, because so much of the public has heard of the famous Misty.
If I were the Bill de Blasio of ballet (snort!) Misty gets subbed again due to a previously unmentioned minor injury that she soldiered through on her first SL, alongside the flu. But the injury got aggravated in rehearsal and so as not to disappoint her legions of fans, she will perform only the White Swan role to prevent the possibility of incurring serious injury.
Black Swan drama at the Met
Actually, Haglund recalls a matinee in Minneapolis in the 1980s when Barynshikov put Jolinda Menendez in as Odette and Yoko Ochino as Odile. That was one bizarre performance. But sometimes bizarre things happen on tour; but they shouldn't happen at The Met Opera House in ABT's Spring Seaso...
I'd bet that Misty's Black Swan is danced by another dancer tonight. My guess is that the Misty PR juggernaut has ended up putting McKenzie in a position where he can't win. Her fans demand SL, and if he allows her to dance it and she fumbles Black Swan again, it's an admission that she shouldn't be a principal at her level of technique. But if he doesn't give her two, there won't be enough tickets for all her fans and there will be an outcry. For sure ABT will get negative publicity and possibly charges of discrimination.
Subbing in dancers who can dance Black Swan is probably the most graceful solution he could come up with. Misty saves face, most of her fans aren't very knowledgeable about ballet and don't care that it's a different dancer for part of the show, and ABT saves itself from fan backlash. And Sarah Lane, as commenter pbf noted earlier, is once again doing tricky steps for someone who cannot do them.
Black Swan drama at the Met
Actually, Haglund recalls a matinee in Minneapolis in the 1980s when Barynshikov put Jolinda Menendez in as Odette and Yoko Ochino as Odile. That was one bizarre performance. But sometimes bizarre things happen on tour; but they shouldn't happen at The Met Opera House in ABT's Spring Seaso...
I'm still mad about this clip! Rose wrote, "She should have ignored this clip because now the fouettes are all anyone will be watching for." I agree. If she'd let it sink out of sight she'd be better off because now her fouettes will always be in the spotlight. My guess is that she saw her chance to reshape the narrative to Artistry trumps Technique. As principal at ABT she should have complete mastery of both! She knows by now she'll never be able to do them in the stress of the ballet performance. So this is her chance to head off all future criticisms of her technique and fouettes.
I have no doubt that a dear friend of hers will soon post a (hopefully unedited) clip of her doing 32 in the studio to "prove" she can do them. It's different by Act III, but her fans won't understand that studio doesn't equal performance. I hope that all the practice involved in creating this studio clip improves her spinning abilities.
observations 3-21
What a great spring so far, eh Everybody? Just got an email from Paul Taylor Dance Company which says they are having a Snow Special for tonight's performance which starts at 7PM. All remaining tickets are $10 for which you must use the code SNOW18 if you order online or call or stop by the box...
That link. That is shockingly bad. An embarrassment. The worst attempt at 32 fouettes I have ever seen. I take back any supportive words I have ever said about Misty's self-promotion being good for ballet, even if she's not principal material. This is a charade.
And FoF, that wasn't "polite applause" - that was near-silence from the audience, which I admit is politer than I'd have been.
observations 3-21
What a great spring so far, eh Everybody? Just got an email from Paul Taylor Dance Company which says they are having a Snow Special for tonight's performance which starts at 7PM. All remaining tickets are $10 for which you must use the code SNOW18 if you order online or call or stop by the box...
I have no doubt you are right about the give-away and deep-discount tickets, though it's played as giving disadvantaged populations a chance to gain exposure to ballet. But it is still true that if you asked your average non-ballet person on the street to name a current American ballerina, they probably could name one, Misty, and they couldn't have named anyone a few years earlier. That's overall good for ballet.
Those new ballet viewers generally can't tell if she simplifies the steps (yet) although I think almost anyone who buys a SL ticket knows to count to 32...
ABT as we know imports big star names to sell tickets at the expense of its own talent. Combine that with pushing the most "popular" American dancers into the best slots and you'll end up with some of the finest dancing the company has to offer at matinees! Some of my long-time favorites should be getting those Saturday-night audiences. They've earned it.
observations 3-14
There’s good stuff on Broadway this spring. We’re just getting around to a little raving about the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre that counts among its stars Amar Ramasar and Brittany Pollack of NYCB. Who knew that Amar could sing? Really...
Haglund et al, I understand your frustration about the pairings - but from a business perspective, not an artistic one, ABT's actions make some sense. Copeland, Boyleston, Whiteside and others have outsize personalities and are skilled in the arts of self-promotion. They have huge social media followings and frankly, they sell tickets. Pairing these folks with each other would - as you already know - run the risk of highlighting their technical or artistic weaknesses, which can be masked with a superb partner. And also "waste" their abilities as box-office draws. Tourists have heard of them and are more likely to buy seats for SL. Young dancers all over the country are huge fans of these media-savvy dancers, and other youngsters who aren't ballet fans have added them to their IG feeds. Their parents buy them tickets.
My take on Misty is that I've enjoyed her very much in certain roles, but she's not principal-level material. Yet she's brought huge numbers of young fans, especially outside traditional patterns, to awareness about the ballet. And maybe these quieter stronger partners in these pairings will get new fans and name recognition from their pairing, and thus more casting in great roles.
ABT's dancer-publicity operation is weak, so your Lanes and Abreras get little formal promotion and other dancers are doing it for themselves. Running a ballet company is business and until we get government funding for the arts - hah - they have to make the best of it. (Also, please don't respond to me citing NYCB because it destroys my whole argument... LOL)
observations 3-14
There’s good stuff on Broadway this spring. We’re just getting around to a little raving about the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre that counts among its stars Amar Ramasar and Brittany Pollack of NYCB. Who knew that Amar could sing? Really...
Haglund, the joy and love for the dancing of this review has made my day. The high from a magnificent night of dancing at the highest levels of artistry is one of the things that makes life worth the living for. I now live thousands of miles away and wanted to say thanks for your writing that makes me see the program in my mind's eye. (Also, if anyone has seen a clip of Tiler's dancing in Symphony in 3M online anywhere, please share. Please.)
NYCB Stravinsky/Balanchine 3/1 Stravinsky's Rite of Bombogenesis
In case anyone missed last night's NYCB performance – At the climax of the night-long fest, Tiler Peck could no longer contain herself while dancing in Symphony in Three Movements and launched a rocket of pique turns in a circle rotating opposite the swirling cloud of corps women in white. As e...
Farewell, Craig. I was a real fan. I hope he moves on to more opportunities. I can't help but agree that that ABT is losing top talent in its prime due to its own actions. But welcome back to Luis!
observations 8-4
We were surprised to see Craig Salstein’s bio disappear from the ABT website yesterday. We had heard (unconfirmed) that he was going to take a leave to be the Dance Captain for the Broadway revival of Carousel — “choreographed” by Justin Peck (i.e., Take Agnes De Mille’s choreography to the righ...
Here's hoping that Sarah knocks it out of the park! I bet she will. I'm hearing that last night's Odile only managed 19 fouettes. I'm sure Sarah will do better technically and to my preferences, artistically as well.
Justice unobstructed, finally
This. Will. Happen. Angel Corella & Sarah Lane photo by A. Bofill 2012 June 15th. Sarah Lane. Daniil Simkin. Swan Lake. Be there or be sorry.
@zoot Good point. There should be an award invented for Marcelo - "Finest Partner of Our Generation"- and at the gala event performance every ballerina he's pulled an outstanding performance out of should perform in Les Sylphides as a sylph to his Poet. Hundreds of them crowding the aisles, like at the cast-reunion perfomance of "One" when A Chorus Line set the record for longest Broadway run. I'd buy a ticket to that!
UIEX:
The ticker tape at the Unofficial Information Exchange went bonkers today just before closing at 4pm down on Wall Street. C'mon, ABT. Is our littlest Odette-in-Waiting going for a swim next week? Our wallets are open and ready....
I'm disappointed in the lack of new-opportunity casting too. For those who have seen Hee Seo's SL, I'm sure she is a lovely lyrical Odette but is she able to pull off a strong Odile? I enjoy her dancing but the few times I saw her in technically-demanding roles she wasn't at ease. Has she worked up to the level of mastery to create a strong Odile?
UIEX:
The ticker tape at the Unofficial Information Exchange went bonkers today just before closing at 4pm down on Wall Street. C'mon, ABT. Is our littlest Odette-in-Waiting going for a swim next week? Our wallets are open and ready....
I like Misty's dancing, always have. I at first thought that she was being good for ballet with all her publicity. Then she was promoted to principal, I thought before she was ready, but again good for promoting the art.
I've since changed my mind. I now think she is far too opportunist and with all her other projects going on, will not ever put in the focus to develop her technique to justify her position or acclaim. I read this NYT "puff piece" and was thoroughly dismayed - and that was before learning the author had her own personal reasons to push Misty. Feh.
observations 5/11
The irresistible Whipped Cream T-shirts with Mark Ryden designs are ready and waiting for you in the Met Opera Shop – pink version, black version. At $30 each, they are no more expensive than those offered at the premiere performances of ABT's new ballet in Costa Mesa. There is also a very cool...
Chiming in to support the comments posted. I haven't seen enough Peck to have an opinion, but feel Wheeldon and Ratmansky are extraordinarily talented and would prefer to see their works over almost anything by Martins. However, their ballets can't compare to a strong Balanchine on a mixed bill.
Agree also on churning out new works. Balanchine was so prolific that maybe today's choreographers feel he set the standard they should match, or maybe the economics of today's commissioned ballets mean too many works are being produced without enough time for development and refinement. I think a choreographer might be better remembered by a couple of masterworks of supreme effort than a dozens of lesser works (Peter Martins).
Here and Now festival – 4/25New York City Ballet used to be called The House of Balanchine
That’s how the company will be routinely described in the not too distant future if the company maintains its current path. What a disheartening, disappointing, disturbing first evening of the Here and Now festival, as it is being called by NYCB. As one of Haglund’s favorite readers “C” said t...
Is it just me, or has has Stella actually become more lovely over the last few years? I haven't seen her dance in a bit due to my being overseas, and she looks exquisitely light in this clip. Second question, would someone please tell me why Sarah Lane is not a principal yet? I admit I'm out of the loop these days, but it doesn't make sense even based only on internet clips of her current dancing.
Souvenirs de Paris
Our Stella Abrera balancing on the clam shell (and releasing her partner's hand exactly on the musical cue) in Sleeping Beauty Act II courtesy of a perfect set-up by our dashing Alex Hammoudi. We are eternally grateful to akouavi_ for this video: "Stella Abrera vole la vedette au prince Désiré ...
Couldn't agree more. Devon Teuscher has beautiful control and clarity. She is going to be an extraordinary swan queen.
observations 8-14
ABT soloist Devon Teuscher is dancing the Black Swan PdD (with the 32 fouettes) three times in three days with Marcelo Gomes' tour group in Manaus that includes Gillian Murphy, Stella Abrera, Hee Seo, Arron Scott, Alex Hammoudi, Joo Won Han, and Sterling Baca. A ballerina could do a lot worse th...
Simone Messmer has extraordinary quality of movement, fluidity and musicality. I thought for sure she would be made principal at ABT. I'm sorry they (and NYC) lost her, but happy she is dancing the leading roles I think she deserves.
Miami City Ballet opens tonight
Haglund is quivering with excitement at the prospect of our own Simone Messmer debuting in the lead of Balanchine's Serenade when Miami City Ballet opens at Lincoln Center tonight. It is such a relief that this artist, who is an important American ballerina to eyes that know the art, is finally ...
I'm actually sorry to hear that Millepied didn't rise to the occasion. I'd always thought personally that he was overhyped, especially as a choreographer, but with his appointment at POB I thought maybe I had misjudged him and he had more substance than everything I'd seen and heard so far.
Genna, I believe Lefevre autocorrected to Leftover in your post. :-)
Millepied is (French) toast
Benjamin Millepied has resigned, been removed, been relieved, been accommodated, whatever, from his position at the Paris Opera Ballet. All of the players will put the best face on this situation, but the reality is that his appointment was a threat to the POB's classicism from the git-go. Here'...
Having seen both ABT and NYCB on a brief visit to NY, I completely agree that NYCB is having a peak time in talent. There wasn't a single featured dancer who didn't sparkle. And let's say it again, they groom and coach their in-company talent. I have no interest in seeing yet another super-pliable Russian at ABT, lovely as they may be. There's only so many roles in a season and the many guest artists take opportunities away from the best talent ABT has to offer.
NYCB - 10/18 Finishing on cat's legs
[Please click on my face for full effect.] What a rip-roaring close to the fall season on Sunday afternoon! Major debuts and major corps triumphs demonstrated that this company has unparallelled depth in its ranks. We can’t wait for Nutcracker Season to start so we can see which new faces will...
I do know how publicity machines take on a life of their own - artists can lose control of their own story - but one of Misty's advantages as African American dancer is that she is not so dark-skinned she distracts visually onstage from white dancers. She is quite light. The darkening face make-up (that missed her neck) to make her appear more "black" is too much. She certainly has control over what makeup goes on her face. Misty needs to say no to that kind of stunt.
Face paint and reputation repair
We were all as excited as could be to hear that the two new ABT principals were going to appear jointly on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry Show to talk about their new positions and answer the question, "How should a dancer look?" Well, take a look at what happened. Number of video clips of dancin...
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