Kaiser at the Kennedy Center

[Natalia]

...... I was intrigued by Rockwell's suggestion of Michael Kaiser as a possible successor to Martins. .....

In the article [A Controversial Season for City Ballet and for Peter Martins], Rockwell describes Kaiser: "....currently runs the dance-rich Kennedy Center..". Huh? When, since ca 1980, has the Kennedy Center been 'dance rich'? Maybe 'opera rich' or 'cheesy musical-comedy rich' or 'symphony rich.' Sorry, but I don't consider two annual spurts of ballet (January into February, then the month of June) as being particularly 'rich.' I don't consider presenting a week of the Bolshoi's 'Don Q' -- 3rd time in five years, in the metro DC area, most recently one year ago at Wolf Trap -- as an intelligent or rich move.

Just because Farrell runs her pick-up operation here does not make the KC a dance-rich venue.

[Giselle05]

Not really related, but here's a very long, interesting article I came across by Michael Kaiser about his tenure as executive director of ABT. If it should go somewhere else, please feel free to move it. I think its an intriguing look at the backstage processes of a company of a magnitude like ABT.

http://www.artsmanager.org/lessons/abt.cfm

[Ginny Kanter]

My point, Helene, is that Kaiser, in his present role as head of the Kennedy Center, has not done much to raise the visibility of classical ballet in this particular venue. Perhaps he has tried but other 'popular' interests prevailed - DOMINGO, for example. We barely get more ballet than we did during the darkest of Dark Ages -- the 1990s -- when Paul Taylor was included in the so-called "Ballet Series." [No disrespect to Taylor but his troupe does not dance ballet.]

It's true that we barely get more ballet than during the Kennedy Center ballet Dark Ages. However, where Ballet West and the Houston Ballet once figured heavily in the subscription series, we are now seeing the Bolshoi and Kirov regularly, and the New York City Ballet has returned. No disrespect to either Ballet West or the Houston Ballet, but neither is a world-class company equal to the Bolshoi, Kirov, and NYCB. While I'll always want more ballet (more, more!!) and dream of a return to the golden years, I'm profoundly grateful to Michael Kaiser for improving the caliber of ballet in Washington.

[Natalia]

...we are now seeing the Bolshoi and Kirov regularly, and the New York City Ballet has returned. ....

Right on, Ginny. However, the programming of ballets is becoming less and less sophisticated/adventurous. I am particularly concerned about the marked regression in next year's season. The Bolshoi dances (duh) DON Q for the 100th time recently in the DC area, instead of Pharaoh's Daughter, Bright Stream, The Bolt, Massine Triple Bill, or, or... The Kirov in one solid week of Lavrovsky Romeo & Juliet (seen by the Bolshoi a couple of seasons back). NYCB in one solid week of (duh) Midsummer Night's Dream. Company-X (whoever) in one solid week of Nutcracker. ABT in one solid week of the Lubovich Othello -- OK, a bit different, but we've all read the reviews (& maybe seen the SFB video) and know what's in store. You get my drift.

If this "Kaiser-at-the KC" discussion deserves it's own thread, fine with me. We have lots more to say.

[Ginny Kanter]

However, the programming of ballets is becoming less and less sophisticated/adventurous. I am particularly concerned about the marked regression in next year's season. The Bolshoi dances (duh) DON Q for the 100th time recently in the DC area, instead of Pharaoh's Daughter, Bright Stream, The Bolt, Massine Triple Bill, or, or...

If this "Kaiser-at-the KC" discussion deserves it's own thread, fine with me. We have lots more to say. :blush:

Natalia, you're right about the programming, especially on weekends. (Given the distance we have to drive, we never get to see Tuesday-Thursday programming, which can be more interesting.) I'd give anything to see Bright Stream, for example. On the other hand, we've been spared more of The Merry Widow and (the nadir) Dracula during the Kaiser era.

"Kaiser-at-the-KC" would probably be an interesting theme in its own right, as you suggest.

[Helene]

"Kaiser-at-the-KC" would probably be an interesting theme in its own right, as you suggest.

I'm sorry it took me so long to split this into its own topic: I was trying to figure out a way to extract it from the "Rockwell on Martins" thread.

Just as an FYI, if you click a little red arrow next to a quote on most of the posts above this one, if the quoted post was originally on the Rockwell thread, you'll be navigated back to the Rockwell thread.

[Farrell Fan]

Michael Kaiser provided a venue for Suzanne Farrell to exercise her extraordinary teaching and coaching gifts. Time after time, her "pick-up company" has provided stunning confirmation of those gifts, which Peter Martins denied she had. Even such great dancers as Peter Boal have danced better for her company. If Kaiser had done nothing else during his Kennedy Center tenure, he should be honored for that, but in fact he has done much more. He has brought NYCB back to Washington, an accomplishment that seemed impossible a few years ago. Imagine that -- Farrell and Martins both at the Kennedy Center!

[kfw]

I agree with Farrell Fan. Of course Kaiser's ballet programming could be a lot more adventurous; I'm disappointed by "Don Quixote" too, and I won't bother with "Othello." But the Kirov is bringing Forsythe in June, and he did co-sponsor the revival of Balanchine's "Don Quixote," and for those of us who love Balanchine, for all its limitations the Farrell company isn't just a pick-up company, it's a treasure.

And I can't imagine that Kaiser chooses ballets to suit his own taste. From his position, intelligent programming has to consist first of all of what will sell.

[Leigh Witchel]

Slightly off-topic and with no disrespect meant to anyone, but I've seen Peter Boal dance for NYCB, for Farrell and for me. We've worked together, and I've rehearsed him personally. He did not particularly like to be intensively coached (he said as much to me); preferring to do any major interpretative work on his own. If he's looked better or worse in any of his performances the majority of that lies with him, not with any of us. To me, no matter who he has worked for, his best nights looked like his best nights elsewhere, and his off nights also looked like his off nights.

Back to Kaiser, he has a particular gift for negotiation and deal-brokering and it's a great thing he's helped Farrell and gotten NYCB back to DC. We haven't spoken in years, but he was, as kfw mentioned, conscious of the bottom line. When I asked him once if ABT would program a certain ballet, he explained that it wouldn't happen while he was there. Why? Because it never filled more than 49% of the seats - and he didn't like it ;)

[bart]

Thanks for those insights, Leigh.

I imagine that it is very difficult to balance the two imperatives -- concern for the bottom line and concern for the full range of aesthetic possibilities -- in a single person.

One of the culprits, in my opinion, is the need to fill extremely large theaters in multi-purpose "performance arts centers." Speaking as one who never got over the NYCB's move from City Center to Lincoln Center (despite improved stage facilities and sight lines), I very much miss the mid-size venues which permit a more adverturous repertory. Ideally, all great companies would have two houses in which to alternate the different reps and appeal to the varied tastes of their heterogeneous audience.

I think someone (Natalia?) referred to some of the problems with the Kennedy Center's theaters, but I've been unable to locate it in the Martins and Kaiser divided threads. Or perhaps it was a dream?

P.S. Thanks, Giselle05, for posting that article on Kaiser at the ABT. It was extremely interesting and a propos -- an incredible opportunity to observe the business side of a great ballet company. One quote that resonates for me:

: "One factor that makes tours so difficult to book is the presenter's difficulty selling tickets. Except in the rare instance when a company has achieved huge international prominence (e.g., Bolshoi or Kirov) or when individual dancers have created fame (e.g., Baryshnikov) dance is the hardest art form to sell."

[whitelight]

Back to Kaiser, he has a particular gift for negotiation and deal-brokering and it's a great thing he's helped Farrell and gotten NYCB back to DC. We haven't spoken in years, but he was, as kfw mentioned, conscious of the bottom line. When I asked him once if ABT would program a certain ballet, he explained that it wouldn't happen while he was there. Why? Because it never filled more than 49% of the seats - and he didn't like it ;)

I'm curious as to what the ballet is. And I also thank you for the Boal insights.

[Helene]

I wonder how much clout Kaiser has with the Bolshoi regarding repertory, since the Kennedy Center performances are part of a North American tour for the company. Would the sets for Bright Stream or The Bolt fit in NA theaters, and if they do, would transporting them here be a financial mess, if the demands for Swan Lake and Don Q to fill other cities' theaters would preclude programming these outside of DC? Neither Ratmansky work has the notoriety of the Romeo and Juliet the Bolshoi brought to NA a couple of years ago (and if I'm remembering correctly, the sets were fairly basic).

I myself am extremely envious of the season the Bolshoi is presenting in London.

[richard53dog]

I wonder how much clout Kaiser has with the Bolshoi regarding repertory, since the Kennedy Center performances are part of a North American tour for the company. Would the sets for Bright Stream or The Bolt fit in NA theaters, and if they do, would transporting them here be a financial mess, if the demands for Swan Lake and Don Q to fill other cities' theaters would preclude programming these outside of DC?

Helene,

Bright Stream would as the Bolshoi put it on at the Met and Costa Mesa on their North American tour last Summer. They also put on Pharaoh's Daughter in NY ONLY. That looks like a very hard piece to tour with.

Richard

[Hans]

I realize that what I'm about to say is more of a regional concern than a national one and that the KC has its eye on the nation rather than just DC, but I would like to see some concern for the Washington Ballet. It has an interesting (though neglected) choreographic history, and it is not Balanchine-based, which already sets it apart from a good many companies. A stronger connection with the Kennedy Center would give it more credibility in the eyes of the local dance aficionados, which could lead to longer seasons, and eventually we might have a good (or, dare I say, national-quality) ballet company that is unique to DC and not reliant upon an imported style and repertoire.

Of course, what is best for the local ballet community may not be best for the bottom line, but at the moment it feels as if there's a high-profile stadium in town in which the Mets and Yankees play, but not the Nationals.

[Natalia]

Bright Steam and The Bolt could easily fit into the KC. The sets are less complicated than those of Don Q. The only problem with The Bolt would be a couple of very tall (high) moving robbots but they could just bring the smaller robots that appear in the last scene.

I now see that the Bolshoi has added some performances of Ratmansky's brand-new 'Cinderella' to the KC engagement. Perhaps Kaiser reads our board? (wink)

[Dale]

So they've replaced Pique Dame with Yuri Possokhov's Cinderella? That's an improvement, I think (I read mixed reviews of the Cinderella).

There must be some sort of market research the KC uses to decide what rep. they want to bring in. I agree that the ABT programs have been very repetitive. A DC friend has complained to me that she's seen ABT in Romeo and Juliet at least twice in the last few years, yet would have loved to have seen Sylvia or Raymonda. Yet ABT is doing Sylvia in Orange County this week, so maybe promoters there asked for it and KC didn't. ??

Kaiser should be applauded for the deals with NYCB and the Kirov. Is it his fault that the Kirov has not really sent in what many consider to to be the company's better dancers?

[Natalia]

The deal with the Kirov began before Kaiser, when Vilar made his original pledge. I give Kaiser credit for chugging the 'deal' along despite the pulling-out (severe shrinkage) of the Vilar funding.

Perhaps one of the reasons why fewer top Kirov stars come to DC is because the Kirov funding has been curtailed and the truly 'big' productions -- large sets & costumes, such as Bayadere 1900 -- are too expensive. Don't forget -- the original run of 'Soviet' Bayaderes (also an expensive production to tour) was replaced by the more modest 'Giselles.' Had 'Bayadere' been coming here, we would undoubtedly had Lopatkina -- that is one of her signature ballets...and the version that she dances.

I also give Kaiser credit for fostering the Farrell deal but the work with Farrell began ca 1995/96 with her teaching the summer classses and the early versions of the troupe, well before Kaiser.

I *do* credit Kaiser 100% for getting the Royal Ballet this summer, with the new 'Sleeping Beauty,' fresh off its premiere in London.

[bart]

Dale, could it be that the folks in Orange County thought they are getting the Mark Morris version, which must have had lots of publicity in California?

I agree that the ABT programs have been very repetitive. A DC friend has complained to me that she's seen ABT in Romeo and Juliet at least twice in the last few years, yet would have loved to have seen Sylvia or Raymonda. Yet ABT is doing Sylvia in Orange County this week, so maybe promoters there asked for it and KC didn't. ??

R&J, like Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, are brand names (even in the US). I imagine that need very little extra marketing. Most people here don't know Raymonda or Sylvia. That's a challenge for the marketers and publicists. I do wish they'd try a little harder. (Maybe they should bring in the Trocks very funny and skillful parody of Raymonda pas de deux as an appetizer?)

Kirov, Bolshoi, and Royal are also ballet brand names around the country. Are ABT and NYCB in that kind of "name recognition" league among the general public nationally? (I mean in the sense that the name itself seems like a guarantee of memorable quality ballet and a "big event" worth the high ticket price.)

[Natalia]

Interestingly, yesterday's Washington Post 'Arts' section included a full-page add to publicize both the Kirov and Royal Ballet run. This is nearly a full month after tickets went on sale to the public. That tells me that sales must be down a bit, as they never paid for such full-page ads in the past, whenever sales were booming.

Also interesting - the ad has a photo of Maya Dumchenko as Giselle, wearing the Act II white tutu...even though, as we know, Dumchenko isn't on the tour. (Not that the average public knows Dumchenko...but we, in this forum, do!)

I remember the days, in the recent past, when Bolshoi or Kirov tickets for major ballets used to sell-out within one week; for example, the 1999 Bolshoi-Don Q run or the 2002 Kirov new-old 'Beauty.' The Bolshoi Don Q was in the dead of summer, too...so we can't blame the 'summer doldrums' for slow ticket sales.

Back to the main topic & the Bottom Line:

DC is not a 'ballet-friendly city.' Why are we even having this discussion? It's ridiculous -- the capital of the so-called 'greatest superpower in the history of humanity' can barely maintain a small/mid-size local professional ballet troupe...so how can we expect support for the grand ballet companies? Face it -- this is a WEIRD town, where money-making and politics mean more than the arts and other sensitive subjects. When I go to bed each night, I thank my lucky stars that I have one foot in RUSSIA. Sorry to put it so bluntly.

[bart]

DC is not a 'ballet-friendly city.' Why are we even having this discussion? It's ridiculous -- the capital of the so-called 'greatest superpower in the history of humanity' can barely maintain a small/mid-size local professional ballet troupe...so how can we expect support for the grand ballet companies?

From a ballet-lover's perspective -- or anyone interested in the creation of art as opposed to its importation -- this must indeed be very frustrating.

It's interesting that the District of Columbia was an artificial creation, a for a part-time Congress, a relatively weak President without a court, no aristocracy to speak of, without any industry except sporadic politics and government. Whatever elite existed was mostly part-time until fairly recently. And politics was its only raison d'etre.

Even business goes there primarily to influence the federal government. (Some capitalists have been great patrons of the arts. Have there been any lobbyists to fill such a role?)

The fairly early arrival of the railroad from New York and Philadelphia made it easy to import decorators and salespersons of art-by-the-yard. Ditto musicians, opera, theater people, travelling foreign stars, including ballet dancers. All for very shot seasons.

Given this long history, you might argue that the existence of any Kennedy Center at all -- not to mention the the great art museums and libraries, the Washington Opera (a resident company in only a limited way), Arena Stage, the Folger, and the National Symphony -- is something of a miracle.

Perhaps ballet needs the equivalent of Placido Domingo to get things going at the local company?

[Natalia]

[....you might argue that the existence of any Kennedy Center at all .... is something of a miracle.

It's due to the monetary and moral support of Pres. Kennedy & the Kennedy Family. Until 1970 the Washington National Opera and all visiting troupes performed at DAR Constitution Hall -- a cavernous, non-proscenium venue more suited to holding political conventions than serious performance art.

Arena Stage and the others are struggling to concoct creative methods to pull-in the non-traditional public. They can no longer rely on the ageing traditional 'WASP' grandmas and grandads...so Arena produces more and more revivals of 'Crowns' and other Afro-centric plays, for example. At least the legitimate theater like Arena can do that. Opera has - what? - 'Porgy & Bess.' Any equivalent ballets? Dance Theater of Harlem doesn't even exist, sadly.

[canbelto]

Until 1970 the Washington National Opera and all visiting troupes performed at DAR Constitution Hall -- a cavernous, non-proscenium venue more suited to holding political conventions than serious performance art.

Let's not forget the DAR Hall's very ugly racial history (like not letting Marian Anderson perform).

I think another issue is the public's stereotype (right or wrong) that those Russian troupes are only good for the classics like Swan Lake, etc. Alexander Ratmansky talked about it -- that whenever they tour, he's always asked to trot out Swan Lake or Don Quixote. During the Cold War, these tours had a level of fascination because the styles of dancing were so different, and because, as a rule, the U.S. companies *didn't* perform La Bayadere or Don Quixote. But now so many companies perform the same repertoire, that it is a little disheartening to see a tour of the Kirov that involved yet another series of Swan Lakes. Especially since the Kirov could perform, say, Jewels, and I dare say it would equal if not surpass a NYCB performance of Jewels. In other words, I think it's discouraging that in recent years Russian companies have tried so hard to "think outside the box" by broadening their repertoire, but these efforts haven't changed the perception of the Kirov or Bolshoi as Petipa, Petipa, and more Petipa.

[carbro]

Let's not forget the DAR Hall's very ugly racial history (like not letting Marian Anderson perform).

In 1968, I saw Smokey Robinson and the Miracles at DAR Constitution Hall, so without forgetting the DAR's bigoted stance in 1939, thirty years later, at least in some respects, it had mended its ways. I'm not sure the DAR still owns the building. Anyone know?

In 2003, my niece's graduation exercises were held in Constitution Hall. It is a TERRIBLE house for ballet, as all the side seats in the Mezzanine (or is it called the Balcony?), of which there are many, squarely face each other, not the stage. This results in many more than the usual portion of partial-view seats and a whole lot of achy necks and backs.

[Natalia]

I'm not sure the DAR still owns the building. Anyone know?

Yes, they do. It's in the big marble building that houses the DARs, with main office entrance on 17th street; the 'theater entrance' is in the back. Every April, these 'Daughters' (by now great-great-great-great-granddaughters of American blue-blood ca 1776) come into town and stage their annual conventions in the hall. Some come in costume with their hoop skirts and powdered wigs!

[carbro]

Thanks, Natalia!

I envision the Daughters in costume at the peak of Cherry Blossom season! Flowery in every sense!