81 replies to this topic

[4mrdncr]

That leaves Marcelo, Angel, David Hallberg, Herman and Max to carry the company forward. Certainly, Roberto Bolle made a very nice impression on the ABT audience who took to him immediately. His is tall and a good partner and would take some of the pressure off of Marcelo.

The City Center season is always a better opportunity for corps dancers to do more and might prove a testing ground for new talent which will be needed desperately at ABT in five years.

And like Julio Bocca and Vladimir Malakhov before him, Angel Corella will now have his own company (and school) to attend to, and so will probably be less able to commit to a full season at ABT in the future. So yes, Mr. McKenzie et.al. need to consider the talent present in ABT's soloists and corps, (or imported from elsewhere) and the next generation of stars they want to promote.

[bingham]

I have always thought that Zhong Jing Fang would be the next one to be promoted but so far she has not been cast in a big soloist role( aside from her Symphonic Variation) . She always stands out even when in the corp de ballet.

[aurora]

I have always thought that Zhong Jing Fang would be the next one to be promoted but so far she has not been cast in a big soloist role( aside from her Symphonic Variation) . She always stands out even when in the corp de ballet.

I liked her a lot in her fairy variation in SB--I'd definitely enjoy seeing more of her.

How about guys? I'd certainly say Jared Matthews would be the next promotion there--he's doing both Benvolio and Von Rothbart this season (he did some Benvolio's last seaon too).

And what about Isaac Stappas? I remember a time when ABT (at least this is my memory of it!) used to promote some dancers due to their excellence in some of the character/heavy roles. He was a very good Tybalt, and has been featured in this sort of part for several seasons at least now. I see from the website his rep includes Hilarion (Giselle), Bottom (Midsummernight's dream), Death (Green Table), etc. He's Von Rothbart too, but only the green ugly one from what I remember, so that's not exactly the same thing ;)

[christine174]

And what about Isaac Stappas?

Yes, I was wondering whether he would be in line for a promotion too. I don't pay as much attention to the male corps as to the female, but he has stood out to me this season.
As to the women, I agree there's a shortage (or impending shortage) of major ballerina talent at the top, which I have trouble understanding how that happened, since there's so much talent at the bottom. Does anyone have any ideas as to how that happened?
As to the soloists, my guess is if they were going to promote Part, it would have been in conjunction with SB, and that didn't happen, leaving me wondering what her future with ABT is. Carmen Corella and Maria Riccetto, (from what I've seen anyway) have not gotten wide casting this season -- I don't know if that means they're still in development for promotion down the road, or stuck as perpetual soloists. Abrera has gotten heavy performance time this season, and while I like her in many respects, find her lacking in lyricism and emotional depth. She can do "cold and evil" so convincingly it can freeze your heart in fear, which is great in some roles, but I don't see her doing much else.
But in the corps, there are so many girls that look impressive! I don't understand why they don't just promote 2 or 3 or 4 of them already! Why do they promote so stintingly? Am I missing something?

[christine174]

That leaves Marcelo, Angel, David Hallberg, Herman and Max to carry the company forward

Not a bad prospect, really!! Let's see... Marcelo, Angel, David, HERMAN... all except perhaps one yet in their 20s... this is a problem?

[aurora]

That leaves Marcelo, Angel, David Hallberg, Herman and Max to carry the company forward

Not a bad prospect, really!! Let's see... Marcelo, Angel, David, HERMAN... all except perhaps one yet in their 20s... this is a problem?

heh, well no! they are all wonderful. But they still haven't found the right girl for Herman to partner, and he is just too short for the main leads with the female dancers they have. So that leaves 4 principals who are all great but that isn't just enough to support the entire company

This isn't to say I think ABT is in dire straits..just an observation.

[vipa]

That leaves Marcelo, Angel, David Hallberg, Herman and Max to carry the company forward

Not a bad prospect, really!! Let's see... Marcelo, Angel, David, HERMAN... all except perhaps one yet in their 20s... this is a problem?

heh, well no! they are all wonderful. But they still haven't found the right girl for Herman to partner, and he is just too short for the main leads with the female dancers they have. So that leaves 4 principals who are all great but that isn't just enough to support the entire company

This isn't to say I think ABT is in dire straits..just an observation.

Sarah Lane is the girl. They have given her opportunites but they are slow to promote

[drb]

City Center has now posted the Fall ABT programming. Certainly bargain pricing, far less than Wheeldon, Paul Taylor, Ailey, Vishneva, Mariinsky. Yet, even more, they offer substantial discounts for three or more performances. Very strange ('though welcome!).
https://www.nycityce...vent_code=ABT08

[Haglund's]

The brochures are in the City Center lobby. They have the same picture on the front as last year's -- Stiefel and Murphy in Clear (but with a light background instead of dark).

The blurb in the brochure about the Elo-Glass dance describes the music as a piano solo.

The brochure has all of the pictures we've seen before. They've inserted a beautiful Fabrizio Ferri photo of Michele Wiles in the center of the brochure, but she's in costume for, I believe, Sylvia. No relevance to the season, but nevertheless, a nice picture.

[richard53dog]

The brochures are in the City Center lobby. They have the same picture on the front as last year's -- Stiefel and Murphy in Clear (but with a light background instead of dark).

I got my season brochure in the mail this week and noticed 2 things. First, the two-weeks-replacing-three is slightly misleading. They are scheduling Sunday evening performances which mean 8 perfomances a week rather than seven.
For me this is all to the good, NYCB and NYCO used to do Sunday evenings and I miss them. So It's only a few less performances.

Looking at the principals I noticed no Malakhov or Ananiashvili, neither of which was a surprise but no Corella which was.
Maybe he's cutting back his schedule with ABT.

Anyway, I'm happy, I can get the ballets I want to see and avoid the Ben Millipied thing(zzzzzzzzzz)

[SanderO]

Nor diana vishneva...

[Haglund's]

Corella isn't going to be a City Center? A definite loss for everyone. I noted in today's online Moscow Times that Corella, Stiefel, Kobborg and Tsiskaridze are taking their Kings of Dance gig to the Bolshoi theater in October.

[vipa]

It is an exciting season. I can't wait to see the casting. I figure Murphy & Wiles as possible leads for Ballo (Lane if Cornejo does the male lead but he might be cast in gigue).

Kent and maybe Part for the Gelsey role in Leaves are Fading.

Pick any three men for Fancy Free -- How about, Gomes, Cornejo, Stiefel?

Many possibilities.

Does anyone know who is staging Bakers Dozen?

[richard53dog]

Corella isn't going to be a City Center? A definite loss for everyone. I noted in today's online Moscow Times that Corella, Stiefel, Kobborg and Tsiskaridze are taking their Kings of Dance gig to the Bolshoi theater in October.

Yeah but Stiefel is on the ABT City Center roster and Angel Corella is not. So go figure.

[4mrdncr]

Angel Corella will be very busy this fall organizing his new company, guesting with Wheeldon's Morphoses company in London, and then the Kings of Dance tour in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm, Novoborisk?)--according to the websites of all three companies. A loss to ABT at City Center, but not world audiences; it gives others at ABT a chance to shine too. And what I said about "Clear" last year still applies.