abatt Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 From the NY Times http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/a-promotion-at-american-ballet-theater/?ref=arts Link to comment
Dale Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 ISABELLA BOYLSTON PROMOTED TO SOLOIST WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE Isabella Boylston has been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The promotion is effective immediately. Born in Sun Valley, Idaho, Isabella Boylston began dancing at the age of three. While training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet, she won the gold medal at the 2001 Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. In 2002, she trained at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida on a full scholarship. Boylston joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in 2005. She was named an apprentice to the main Company in May 2006 and joined ABT’s corps de ballet in March 2007. Her repertory with the Company includes the Ballerina in The Bright Stream, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a flower girl in Don Quixote, the second girl in Fancy Free, the peasant pas de deux and Moyna in Giselle, a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Florine and the Fairy of Fervor in The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois and the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the lead in Theme and Variations and roles in Ballo della Regina, Birthday Offering, Brief Fling, Désir, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once and From Here On Out. She created leading roles in Lauri Stallings’ Citizen, Alexei Ratmansky’s Dumbarton and Christopher Wheeldon’s Thirteen Diversions. Boylston won the 2009 Princess Grace Award and was nominated for the 2010 Prix Benois de la Danse. American Ballet Theatre’s Spring 2011 season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through Saturday, July 9. For additional information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. Link to comment
Jayne Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Congratulations to Ms. Boylston, despite off stage drama related to a former dancer-choreographer-boyfriend, she focused on the dancing and is being rewarded. Link to comment
Tapfan Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? Link to comment
LiLing Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Wonderful news, congratulations to Ms Boylston! She is one of my favorites. Link to comment
vipa Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? I don't remember that ever happening. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The females from within the ranks promoted to principal in recent memory from soloist to principal are - Murphy (who has flourished), Wiles (who has not flourished) and Part (don't know). Murphy and Wiles had outstanding technique which made them usable in principal roles, Part had a certain presence. ABT has always been an importer of talent unlike NYCB. A topic which Mr. A. M. broached in the Times. Perhaps that would be a useful topic. Link to comment
Batsuchan Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Congratulations to Isabella! For some reason, I thought she already had been promoted! Link to comment
spinning2night Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Congratulations to Ms. Boylston, despite off stage drama related to a former dancer-choreographer-boyfriend, she focused on the dancing and is being rewarded. she's definitely proved herself over this past year. Now it will be interesting to see how she develops. I've always thought Boylston had the technique and presence to be more than a corps dancer, and it's nice to see that she's been recognized for that! I wonder how this will translate for possible soloist --> principal promotions in the long run...do more established principals get leap-frogged (think Stearns' rapid accent) or is this MacKenzie's way of hinting at other possible promotions? I can't wait to hear/see how this promotions affects everyone, who continues to progress and impress and who stagnates. Promotions have been a hot topic this season and it'll be fun to see if there are anymore down the line this season...especially with the male dancers... Link to comment
Marga Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 FINALLY!!!!!! Many of you already know how I feel about this! Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Fantastic news for Isabella! Link to comment
Balanchinomane Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 That's wonderful news- she's a lovely dancer. Link to comment
Helene Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 to Ms. Boylston on her promotion! Link to comment
richard53dog Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I'll add to all the congrats here, wishing her the best of luck with her promotion and I'm really looking forward to her continued development as a dancer. Link to comment
Amour Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? I think that may have happened under Baryshnikov (Susan Jaffee?) but never under Kevin. IMO his slowness to promote dancers to principal (especially women) is terrible & may prompt some worthy dancers to leave ABT. What's the point of being promoted to principal when you're past your prime? At NYCB principals are generally around 20 yrs.old. At ABT it's more like 30 yrs old. The quick promotion of Boylston is a step in the right direction. Hope Simkin named principal soon! Link to comment
spinning2night Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? I think that may have happened under Baryshnikov (Susan Jaffee?) but never under Kevin. IMO his slowness to promote dancers to principal (especially women) is terrible & may prompt some worthy dancers to leave ABT. What's the point of being promoted to principal when you're past your prime? At NYCB principals are generally around 20 yrs.old. At ABT it's more like 30 yrs old. The quick promotion of Boylston is a step in the right direction. Hope Simkin named principal soon! Based on my observations on Kevin's tendencies and the casting over the past coupe of years, it's not that Kevin is entirely slow and reluctant to promote dancers but rather that he insists on staying with the cookie cutter definitions of "principal" and "soloist." He only promotes dancers to principal if they will be able to carry a somewhat complete principal repertoire, with some exceptions. Furthermore, he also doesn't give lower ranking dancers (especially men) an opportunity to expand their repertoire with the company even if they have danced said roles as guests elsewhere. Cornejo is the last dancer that I can think of who wasn't forced into the mold of "principal," he was promoted based on his dance ability and the quality of work he produced rather than what the company needed. Stearns promotion was fast tracked from not having major roles to several in a season only to have him become principal within the year. You make a great point however, about how dancers closer to 30 won't have as many good years so Kevin should focus on younger dancers who have potential. It disheartening to think that most of the current soloists probably won't get to be a principal even though many could have easily been just because they are approaching the "later years," even if they are a ways off. I think M Wiles raise a red flag for Kevin though. It was too much too fast and she hasn't produced what many expected. I hope that the much more frequent promotions we've seen in the last 2 or so years means that steps are being taken to prepare more dancers for the possibility of additional promotions or expanded repertoire just for the sake of having more casting varieties. Link to comment
bingham Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? I think that may have happened under Baryshnikov (Susan Jaffee?) but never under Kevin. IMO his slowness to promote dancers to principal (especially women) is terrible & may prompt some worthy dancers to leave ABT. What's the point of being promoted to principal when you're past your prime? At NYCB principals are generally around 20 yrs.old. At ABT it's more like 30 yrs old. The quick promotion of Boylston is a step in the right direction. Hope Simkin named principal soon! I don't recall of anyone who was promoted to principal from the corps de ballet at ABT.Susan J. was a soloist for a season or two before being promoted to principal dancer. Link to comment
4mrdncr Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Has anyone ever gone from Corps De Ballet straight to Principal? I think that may have happened under Baryshnikov (Susan Jaffee?) but never under Kevin. IMO his slowness to promote dancers to principal (especially women) is terrible & may prompt some worthy dancers to leave ABT. What's the point of being promoted to principal when you're past your prime? At NYCB principals are generally around 20 yrs.old. At ABT it's more like 30 yrs old. The quick promotion of Boylston is a step in the right direction. Hope Simkin named principal soon! I don't recall of anyone who was promoted to principal from the corps de ballet at ABT.Susan J. was a soloist for a season or two before being promoted to principal dancer. Ditto Angel Corella, who went from the back of the corps in Spain, to ABT soloist (Apr.'95), to ABT principal (Aug.'96) by age 20. A very fast ascent, (and under McKenzie). But to get back to the original topic... I am VERY happy for Ms. Boylston, professionally & personally, and look forward to watching her achieve even greater success in the future. Link to comment
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