NYCB retirements?

[Diana L]

Has anyone heard or can anyone confirm that Margaret Tracey and Peter Boal are retiring from New York City Ballet?

Thanks.

[Leigh Witchel]

I just came from rehearsing with Peter Boal, so I can confirm he isn't retiring. He was contemplating it last year, but I believe decided against it. We have not spoken about it directly recently, but I believe it is not in his present plans.

I'm a less reliable source for this, but I think it's been announced that Margaret Tracey would retire at the end of winter season.

[Alla]

Very glad to hear the news about Boal.

[sneds]

Hi!

Margaret Tracey will be retiring after the NYCB 2001-02 winter season. I'm glad to hear that Peter Boal will continue to dance, but worry that the NYCB male principal group is aging and that there are currently few possibilities for promotion to principal.

Kate

[rkoretzky]

MArgaret Tracey's last performance with NYCB will be on February 9, 2002. She will dance Zakouski. Reportedly she wishes to have more time with her family--and perhaps more children???

With that thought of dancers having babies, I am concerned that we will not see Kyra Nichols dance again. Anyone know anything?

[Leigh Witchel]

Originally posted by sneds:

I'm glad to hear that Peter Boal will continue to dance, but worry that the NYCB male principal group is aging and that there are currently few possibilities for promotion to principal.

I'm obviously very biased about this, but I think the company ought to hold on to Peter as long as they can. I don't see a replacement for him coming up in the ranks; can anyone name a potential heir to his repertory that's on his level?

[Mel Johnson]

It still bugs me that Christopher Wheeldon retired from dancing while he still had so much to offer. But dancing's loss may still be dancing's gain in the medium of choreography. Hope springs eternal! ;)

[Alla]

Leigh, what about Jared Angle? He has a long way to go, but I can see him doing a gorgeous job with, say, the solo in "Square Dance." Of the young men moving up in the soloist ranks, he seems to have the purest technique.

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: Alla ]

[Leigh Witchel]

I think Jared's really promising too. If I were King, though, I'd cast him slightly differently than Peter - more Prince than Poet. The lead in Divert No. 15, Diamonds or the main cavaliers in Emeralds as opposed to the pas de trois. I think a good place to try him out would be La Source.

[Alla]

Leigh, I like that idea a lot. Angle has a sort of brooding quality onstage -- he'd seem to be a natural "poet" -- but "La Source" would be a perfect testing ground. He's already a terrific partner, and I'd love to see him grow to be a (much needed) prince at NYCB.

Any other "poet" types come to mind?

[Leigh Witchel]

The "poet that got away" was Jeff Edwards. I thought his leaving the company in the 90's was a major loss. I don't see that sort of stillness in any of the present men, nor (more importantly) do I see it in the post-Balanchine repertory. But. . .Peter Boal is teaching in the school. We may see something like that come up in a few years.

P.S. Upon reflection (and this is also bias, I'm working with him) one I'd name with that possibility with the right coaching is Ryan Kelly. I see Jason Fowler as very promising, but also more prince than poet. I'd really like to see more of what Craig Hall can do as well.

[ 08-30-2001: Message edited by: Leigh Witchel ]

[Michael]

Margaret Tracey's imminent retirement IMO does much to explain the meteoric rise of Carla Korbes this spring and summer. (Also Janie Taylor).

Korbes is "Classique" (semicharacter classique) in emploi, like Tracey. Above all Carla's "non-idiosyncracy" (in contrast with Whelan, Somogyi, Meunier, even Ringer, and with Maria K [who is another physical type entirely]) -- makes her well suited to fill the void which Margaret Tracey's departure will leave among NYCB's women principals. That is not to say that she will take over Margaret's roles. Only that her very regular, classical beauty, style and training, and the comparative restraint of her style, will be of huge value in providing a stable center to what is otherwise an extremely diverse typology of leading women dancers. Once Margaret retires, only Miranda Weese (among the younger women) will be left occupying the middle range and Carla will provide more balance there.

[ 09-03-2001: Message edited by: Michael1 ]

[Diana L]

I like Carla Korbes, but with Martins you never know, he loves a dancer for a season or two and then you're not sure what to make of it (or they get injured). Speaking of is Ansanelli back?

"restraint of style" sorry, what does that mean? I may be misinterpreting, but I always Margaret Tracey had a nice daredevilness about her. I'll never forget seeing her do Tarantella and just going for it all.

And tying up all loose tangents of mine.

Peter Hansen was a prince I adored, did he retire?

[Michael]

Alexandra Ansanellis is back and dancing beautifully (Chris Wheeldon made wonderful roles on her in Polyphonia and the Spring Gala Ballet too [forget the name]), but she has been used very sparingly (wisely, I think) in light of her having missed one and one half seasons with a foot injury that may never even have been diagnosed. She's very young and very, very, very talented.

As for "restraint of style," I was speaking of Korbes rather than Tracey. Actually, though, I think Carla may attack more than Margaret. It's just my observation, fully subjective, but I've seldom found Margaret to be too aggressive in her attack and seldom seen her lose herself too much in the passion of the balletic moment. I've considered her rather cool, in fact.

But there are many exceptions even recently -- a glowingly warm Sugarplum Fairy in the first Saturday Matinee Nutcracker last fall, partnered by Peter Boal, with Zachary Yermolenko as the Boy Prince. Also a couple of absolutely wonderful performances (I don't think I'll ever forget them) in the Divertimento from Baiser de la Fee last winter. And every perfomance of Zakouski with Nikolai Hubbe and Ben Millepied last year was fabulous. I will miss her very much. As in all things, you "do not miss your water until your well runs dry."