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Ansanelli promoted to principal dancer


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NYCB confirmed to me Alexandra Ansanelli's promotion to principal dancer:

ALEXANDRA ANSANELLI PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL DANCER

New York City Ballet has announced that soloist Alexandra Ansanelli has been promoted to principal dancer.

Ms. Ansanelli was promoted by NYCB Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins on Friday, May 23, and gave her first performance as a principal dancer as Swanhilda in Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine’s Coppélia at the matinee the following afternoon. This performance also marked her debut in the role.

Born in Laurel Hollow, New York, Ms. Ansanelli began her ballet training at the age of 10 in Roslyn, New York with Danny Holstein. Ms. Ansanelli began taking courses at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 1990. In 1996 Ms. Ansanelli was invited to become an apprentice with NYCB, and she joined the corps de ballet that December. She was promoted to the rank of soloist in November 1998.

Since joining New York City Ballet, Ms. Ansanelli has appeared in a wide variety of works in the Company’s repertory, dancing principal roles in the ballets of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins. Ms. Ansanelli has originated roles in such ballets as Peter Martins’ Guide to Strange Places, River of Light and Walton Cello Concerto; Mauro Bigonzetti’s Vespro; and Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance), Morphoses and Polyphonia. In 1998 she was selected by Jerome Robbins to perform the lead role in the NYCB premiere of Les Noces. In 1997 Ms. Ansanelli received the Princess Grace Award for emerging artists from Prince Albert of Monaco.

New York City Ballet’s 2003 spring season continues through June 29 at the New York State Theater. For information on any NYCB performance, call 212-870-5570.

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Is it just me, or does it seem as though NYCB has considerably slowed-down their "rate," so to speak, of making promotions? I remember seasons where 4, 5, or more dancers were promoted. Often times, later in the year more promotions would be made, too. If I am correct, the last set of promotions before Ansanelli's (Rutherford, Millepied, Marcovici, Fayette) was last June, shortly after the Diamond Project 10th Anniversary appeared on PBS. That's almost an entire year that passed before they promoted a mere one dancer.

Do you think Martins is trying to accomplish something by doing this, or that it is just the way things "panned out?"

I personally don't feel this is the case because of a lack of talent in the company. I feel Janie Taylor is ripe for promotion to principle. In the corps, there's Ashley Bouder (I know she's been out for a while), Carla Korbes, Aesha Ash, Deanna McBrearty, and several others who are potentials.

I know the message board is strict in terms of rumor/speculation, and that is not the intent of my post. I just think it would be an interesting discussion topic.

Finally, although the wait was long and painful ;) , I congratulate Ansanelli on her promotion: she's a gorgeous dancer and it was well deserved.

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I think the company is young in certain aspects. The trend seems to be corps dancers take 4 or 5 years to make soloist (Rutherford waited 7) and then principal a couple of years after that.

It goes unsaid, they need to be ready/able for the promotion and there needs to be slots to fill.

And I think there's a little bit of luck that figures into play. Many dancers have said that is so & so wasn't out, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to dance those roles...

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Guest steppas1

Ditto all those kudos to Alexandra. Graceful dancer, shouldn't overdo and be hurt again .As to promotions for corps women,by my calculations, McBrearty has been a corps member since Spring

of '92! And what is it with Ms Bouder? Is she physically o.k? There was a past post I think regarding an Interplay, wondering about this too. Suggested Ms Bouder 'rushed the music and had an uneven go. Anyone know if she's completely recovered?

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Bouder was out for quite some time. I'm not completely sure what kind of injury she had & don't want to speculate too much. There were also some posts by discussion leaders on the board that she was ill, in addition to her injury. Regardless, I am thrilled she is back. She just returned towards the beginning of the season, and I think she was out all of the winter season.

I was quite concerned for some time, as she seemed to disappear after the PBS telecast of Mecurial Manoeuvres in which she took a pretty good spill, landing pretty hard on the stage after an incredibly wonderful jete. I was afraid she had given up dancing! I do not think her injury was a result of this, however, as she continued on in the ballet after the fall and was amazing.

Yes, some did comment on her debut in Interplay and if she was rushing through the steps or not. I can understand for her to be a little hesitant after such a long time off the stage. She seems to be coming back into her own, though, and I am sure with each performance will become more confident.

As for McBrearty, you are right, I believe. She is certainly a senior corps member! It's interesting, though, because the company often features her in its workout videos, ad campaigns, and ads for dancewear (Danskin, I think). I really enjoy her dancing and she is so physically beautiful.

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There are several senior corps members (Amanda Edge, Elizabeth Walker, Pauline Golbin) that haven't been promoted. Some dancers (and I'm not saying these are) are just not soloist material, and some are content being in the corps. As many have said here, sometimes they get promoted and are banished off into soloist exile and we hardly see them.

I'd defer to Dale on getting information about dancer's injuries.

( thank you for not speculating too much ballerina1023)

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