19 replies to this topic

[drb]

NYCB's 2008 Winter Season brochure updates the roster of dancers.  I compared the list of Corps Dancers with last season's last performance Playbill.  Congratulations to the newly added dancers:
Anthony Huxley
Meagan Mann
Justin Peck
David Prottas
Tabitha Rinko-Gay
Briana Shepherd
Sarah Williams
Some of these were announced in BT as long ago as June, 2007.  Significantly, each of them danced in the Corps on that season finale Jewels, even though none were yet on the official dancers list.

Three dancers no longer appear.  They are
Ashlee Knapp.  I can still see the heavenly vision of 14-year old Ms. Knapp's entrance, perched on James Fayette's shoulder, in Chief Peter Martins's Harmonielehre, back in 2000.  There were subsequently gaps of what seemed years, when she was not seen on the State Theater's stage.  I wish her greater fortune in the next stage of her career.
William Lin-Yee.  This is quite incomprehensible.  This tall young dancer has had high visibility, especially as a superb partner.  There have been times when I've completely missed the lead couple in a PdD because Mr. Lin-Yee and partner Kaitlyn Gilliland have simply been outdancing them in the Corps.  
Carrie Lee Riggins.  One of the most beloved Corps members in some years, injuries have limited the number of her performances recently.  Thank you for years of magic and beauty.

[Farrell Fan]

Thanks for this compilation, drb, and for your always apt remarks.

[ViolinConcerto]

It pains me to hear that Carrie Lee has left...  she has a winning smile, a lively presence and real charm.  She also does wonderful footwork -- if you remember, when Martins' premiered "Jazz," (to me, an otherwise forgettable work, embarrassingly trite and ignorant in it's treatment of race) it opened with Carrie Lee alone, center stage, doing a series of intricate steps to a complicated rhythmic sequence.  Doing it very, very well!  

Several of us were wondering recently if she would return....

[AmandaNYC]

ViolinConcerto, on Oct 28 2007, 05:43 AM, said:

It pains me to hear that Carrie Lee has left...  she has a winning smile, a lively presence and real charm.  She also does wonderful footwork -- if you remember, when Martins' premiered "Jazz," (to me, an otherwise forgettable work, embarrassingly trite and ignorant in it's treatment of race) it opened with Carrie Lee alone, center stage, doing a series of intricate steps to a complicated rhythmic sequence.  Doing it very, very well!  

Several of us were wondering recently if she would return....

Carrie may have taken over that part, but she didn't join the company until 3-4 years after the ballet premiered.

I will miss her too, but there was an influx of talented short girls over the last few years that led to fewer and fewer roles for her.  And, then she was out at least for the spring season, if not longer.  If she was injured, I hope she recovers and finds another place to dance.

[printscess]

AmandaNYC, on Oct 29 2007, 06:02 PM, said:

ViolinConcerto, on Oct 28 2007, 05:43 AM, said:

It pains me to hear that Carrie Lee has left...  she has a winning smile, a lively presence and real charm.  She also does wonderful footwork -- if you remember, when Martins' premiered "Jazz," (to me, an otherwise forgettable work, embarrassingly trite and ignorant in it's treatment of race) it opened with Carrie Lee alone, center stage, doing a series of intricate steps to a complicated rhythmic sequence.  Doing it very, very well!  

Several of us were wondering recently if she would return....

Carrie may have taken over that part, but she didn't join the company until 3-4 years after the ballet premiered.

I will miss her too, but there was an influx of talented short girls over the last few years that led to fewer and fewer roles for her.  And, then she was out at least for the spring season, if not longer.  If she was injured, I hope she recovers and finds another place to dance.

I find it odd that there has been an influx of short girls into the company. This past June, it seemed like all the boys he took in were over 6' tall.

[drb]

By the way, the net increase of four puts the Corps at 55, and with 26 Principals and 19 Soloists, that equates to 100 full-time dancers.  I'm sure that is a recent high.  Unfortunately, I don't keep ancient programs, but can't remember the company ever being this large.  Not sure where on BT to pose this question, but in the past, HAS ANY AMERiCAN BALLET COMPANY EVER REACHED 100 FULL-TIME DANCERS?  As far as I know San Francisco Ballet and ABT are the other two largest.

One more NYCB roster change: Jennifer Tinsley has been happily removed from the Soloist list.  Her repacement: Jennifer Tinsley-Williams.

[ViolinConcerto]

drb, on Oct 29 2007, 08:50 PM, said:

By the way, the net increase of four puts the Corps at 55, and with 26 Principals and 19 Soloists, that equates to 100 full-time dancers.  I'm sure that is a recent high.  Unfortunately, I don't keep ancient programs, but can't remember the company ever being this large.  Not sure where on BT to pose this question, but in the past, HAS ANY AMERiCAN BALLET COMPANY EVER REACHED 100 FULL-TIME DANCERS?  As far as I know San Francisco Ballet and ABT are the other two largest.

One more NYCB roster change: Jennifer Tinsley has been happily removed from the Soloist list.  Her repacement: Jennifer Tinsley-Williams.

In the mid '80s there were 108 on NYCB's roster, but a number of corps who left weren't replaced in what may have been a radical budget cutting move (after the excesses of the 1988 American Music Festival?).

Quote

AmandaNYC:

Carrie may have taken over that part, but she didn't join the company until 3-4 years after the ballet premiered.

I will miss her too, but there was an influx of talented short girls over the last few years that led to fewer and fewer roles for her. And, then she was out at least for the spring season, if not longer. If she was injured, I hope she recovers and finds another place to dance.

Aha, very true --  I checked out the repertory Index.  I believe she has been injured for several seasons - maybe come back briefly once or twice, but not much else.

And apropros news of the Jennifer Tinsley-Williams sort, I saw Elizabeth Walker at City Center during intermission, and she looks as if she may be due fairly soon!  AND on a sadder note, when I just checked the NYCB roster to see if that would jar memories of some of the other men who were let go in the later-mid-80's, I saw that Elizabeth Irwin had died.  Wasn't she  very young?  I recall her in the Company at about the time that Peter Boal, Michael Byars and Afshin Mofid joined.

[carbro]

I am saddened to learn of Elizabeth Irwin's death.  To the best of my recollections, she was with NYCB in the mid-to-late '80s.

[zerbinetta]

This is very sad news. She had one of the most charming faces I've ever seen. A very sweet girl, too.

I believe she married Afshin and moved with him to .. North Carolina School of the Arts maybe?

[ViolinConcerto]

I just googled her, and the only references are to the 1982 SAB workshop, a mention of her in a review of (I think) "Eight Easy Pieces," and the NYCB roster, which is where I saw that little graphic indication which they call "in memorium."  

Whew.  Sad.

[bingham]

drb, on Oct 30 2007, 01:50 AM, said:

By the way, the net increase of four puts the Corps at 55, and with 26 Principals and 19 Soloists, that equates to 100 full-time dancers.  I'm sure that is a recent high.  Unfortunately, I don't keep ancient programs, but can't remember the company ever being this large.  Not sure where on BT to pose this question, but in the past, HAS ANY AMERiCAN BALLET COMPANY EVER REACHED 100 FULL-TIME DANCERS?  As far as I know San Francisco Ballet and ABT are the other two largest.

One more NYCB roster change: Jennifer Tinsley has been happily removed from the Soloist list.  Her repacement: Jennifer Tinsley-Williams.

         Aside from the State-run Russian,French and Italian companies,it seems NYCB has  the most dancers in its roster than any other company.Royal ballet has less than a hundred(i think).

[drb]

Another "new" name added to the Corps, Sarah Rose.  It is no coincidence that "Sarah Williams" was simultaneously removed from the list.  Ms. Rose is indeed the Ms. Williams who so impressed at the 2006 SAB performances.

[harpergroup]

drb, on Nov 3 2007, 11:25 AM, said:

Another "new" name added to the Corps, Sarah Rose.  It is no coincidence that "Sarah Williams" was simultaneously removed from the list.  Ms. Rose is indeed the Ms. Williams who so impressed at the 2006 SAB performances.

Just checked the NYCB website, and they've modified that listing.  She is now listed as Sarah-Rose Williams.

[drb]

Unhappily the number of dancers listed on City Ballet's site is down to 99, with the retirement of that beautiful blogger Kristin Sloan.  From an interview placed on site November 20, 2007 for the November 26th issue of the New York Observer:*    

Quote

...The bloggerina then dropped a bombshell: After multiple comeback attempts from three hip surgeries in less than two years ("I had this crunching noise,"� she shuddered, recalling that time), she has decided to retire from the corps, and has accepted the job of director of new media for the Ballet, which started last week. "I feel I can be more valuable to them in this position," Ms. Sloan said.

* http://www.observer....2007/bloggerina

[Kathleen O'Connell]

drb, on Nov 22 2007, 02:08 AM, said:

Unhappily the number of dancers listed on City Ballet's site is down to 99, with the retirement of that beautiful blogger Kristin Sloan.  From an interview placed on site November 20, 2007 for the November 26th issue of the New York Observer:*    

Quote

...The bloggerina then dropped a bombshell: After multiple comeback attempts from three hip surgeries in less than two years ("I had this crunching noise,"� she shuddered, recalling that time), she has decided to retire from the corps, and has accepted the job of director of new media for the Ballet, which started last week. "I feel I can be more valuable to them in this position," Ms. Sloan said.

* http://www.observer....2007/bloggerina

   Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that Kristin Sloan won't be coming back!  I missed her.  The last time I saw her was in Songs of the Auvergne a couple of seasons ago -- her dancing was lovely and luminous and I very much hoped to see more of her.     But I am very glad that NYCB had the smarts to give her a media gig.  IMO, her R+J webisodes were more engaging than the actual ballet. They need her.