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ABT's Male Principal ProblemPoll


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Poll: Promote From Within or Go On a Spending Spree? (57 member(s) have cast votes)

To solve its looming shortage of male principals, should ABT:

  1. Promote from within to fill the ranks (33 votes [57.89%])

    Percentage of vote: 57.89%

  2. Go out into the free market and hire male principals from outside the company (24 votes [42.11%])

    Percentage of vote: 42.11%

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#91 angelica

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Posted 06 July 2011 - 12:56 PM

Quote

Was it Lane or Seo?
In R&J it was Seo. At the Guggenheim it was Lane who was coached. Seo danced the Prayer from Coppelia, but in a different context (and I think during a different program).

#92 puppytreats

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Posted 07 July 2011 - 06:44 AM

View Postangelica, on 06 July 2011 - 12:56 PM, said:

Quote

Was it Lane or Seo?
In R&J it was Seo. At the Guggenheim it was Lane who was coached. Seo danced the Prayer from Coppelia, but in a different context (and I think during a different program).
I only saw the one with Seo. Jose was in that one.  What was the topic on the program that included Lane?

#93 angelica

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Posted 09 July 2011 - 06:03 AM

View Postpuppytreats, on 07 July 2011 - 06:44 AM, said:

View Postangelica, on 06 July 2011 - 12:56 PM, said:

Quote

Was it Lane or Seo?
In R&J it was Seo. At the Guggenheim it was Lane who was coached. Seo danced the Prayer from Coppelia, but in a different context (and I think during a different program).
I only saw the one with Seo. Jose was in that one.  What was the topic on the program that included Lane?
It was the one about what dancers do when they retire from the stage. Susan Jaffe, amongst other things, coaches dancers at ABT. She gave an example of how she would coach Sarah Lane in the scene in which Swanilda is trying to get a response from the doll on the balcony.
Jose was in that program also. He danced a sequence of a modern piece that showed his intention of dancing in realms other than classical ballet.
I can't remember which program it was in which Seo danced the Prayer from Coppelia. Maybe one could find out by searching on Guggenheim Works and Process.

#94 angelica

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Posted 09 July 2011 - 06:12 AM

Quote

It was the one about what dancers do when they retire from the stage. Susan Jaffe, amongst other things, coaches dancers at ABT. She gave an example of how she would coach Sarah Lane in the scene in which Swanilda is trying to get a response from the doll on the balcony.
Jose was in that program also. He danced a sequence of a modern piece that showed his intention of dancing in realms other than classical ballet.
I can't remember which program it was in which Seo danced the Prayer from Coppelia. Maybe one could find out by searching on Guggenheim Works and Process.
Best I can tell, it was the same program, but I can't remember in what context Seo danced the Prayer. Perhaps someone else here knows.

#95 Barbara

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Posted 09 July 2011 - 08:00 AM

I have been unable to find this program archived on the Gugg. UStream. Looks to me like the last one available is the interview with N. Hubbe and the Royal Danish dancers. Has anyone else found it?

#96 angelica

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Posted 09 July 2011 - 03:40 PM

Didn't someone, somewhere, mention Irlan Silva of ABT II? I read through this entire thread but couldn't find his name. He first came to my attention via the film "Only When I Dance," a must-see documentary about two young dancers (he is one) from the slums of Rio de Janeiro who want to become dancers and whose parents sacrifice a great deal to try to make their dreams come true. The clips of Irlan in that film are magnificent. He's not tall tall, but he's not short short and he's a very fine dancer with a beautiful line as well as a magnetic stage presence. Why hasn't he been made an apprentice?

#97 tutu

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Posted 09 July 2011 - 11:16 PM

Younger than most of the suggestions already, but anybody know anything about Jose Sebastian? I noticed his lines in the Beauty corps last night—and I believe he's on the tall side. As for females, Meghan Hinkis always catches my eye for her artistic maturity (even where we see her now, in corps parts that aren't "showy"), and according to YouTube, at least, she's got technique for days. Christine Shevchenko and Melanie Hamrick also seem to possess a real presence.

In the next couple years, I'd vote for Hee Seo and would love to see Simone Messmer continue to develop. Sascha's a head-bangingly obvious choice among the men.

Anybody keeping an eye on tour casting? While I presume that KM has gotta fill up the Met, it can't be such an issue in certain of the domestic tours—and that has been where younger dancers have gotten shots earlier, right?

#98 mimsyb

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Posted 10 July 2011 - 04:40 AM

View Posttutu, on 09 July 2011 - 11:16 PM, said:

Younger than most of the suggestions already, but anybody know anything about Jose Sebastian? I noticed his lines in the Beauty corps last night—and I believe he's on the tall side. As for females, Meghan Hinkis always catches my eye for her artistic maturity (even where we see her now, in corps parts that aren't "showy"), and according to YouTube, at least, she's got technique for days. Christine Shevchenko and Melanie Hamrick also seem to possess a real presence.

In the next couple years, I'd vote for Hee Seo and would love to see Simone Messmer continue to develop. Sascha's a head-bangingly obvious choice among the men.

Anybody keeping an eye on tour casting? While I presume that KM has gotta fill up the Met, it can't be such an issue in certain of the domestic tours—and that has been where younger dancers have gotten shots earlier, right?

I agree about Jose.  A real possibility.  I've also been noticing Daniel Mantei a bit lately.  He's improved a lot even in this season.  And I like Roddie Doble too.  And Joseph Phillips.  Ribagorda always looks good, and Joseph Gorek is starting to catch the eye also.

#99 Roberto Dini

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 10:23 AM

View Postspinning2night, on 03 July 2011 - 08:43 PM, said:

View Postmimsyb, on 03 July 2011 - 03:47 PM, said:

  I would have added Isaac Stappas, as I think he is amazing, but I understand he is leaving after L. A.   A real loss for ABT.

why? where? and out of curiosity does this affect Kristi Boone's status with the company?

I agree Isaac Stappas' leaving is a great loss for ABT.  His dancing and his acting ability always make for engaging performances.

I would like to see more of him.

#100 dancemom101

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 10:54 AM

Why is Isaac Stappas retiring?

#101 ksk04

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 11:17 AM

Well...he's been in the corps for 11 yrs, that could be contributing to his decision to move on. It's a huge loss, imo, to ABT. He and Roman Zhurbin are among the finest character dancers in the company, and should both be soloists, even if they would never be cast the "leading" man--they have proven indispensable to ABT's story ballet rep. ABT already lost their go-to female character dancer, the always divine Maria Bystrova, earlier this year-another big shame.

I am hoping to catch a last glimpse of him in LA before he departs; does anyone know what/if he's be dancing in the Bright Stream?

#102 dancemom101

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 12:45 PM

Thanks. It is a huge loss. Disappointing.

#103 Eileen

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Posted 21 July 2011 - 05:41 PM

This is why I am an afficiondo of NYCB. They develop their dancers from within, they spot their stars in the corps and promote them until they are true star material. The corps is dancing every night, the soloists have many chances to shine in the repertoire. One can follow a dancer from apprenticeship to principal, watch their development. How can a soloist be promoted in ABT when the plum principal roles are mostly reserved for foreign guest artists? NYCB has a system, and it's a system od promotion from within. It has produced recently Wendi Whelan, Ashley Bouder, Sara Mearns,and many men who will no doubt take their places as principals.

#104 carbro

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Posted 21 July 2011 - 07:26 PM

View PostEileen, on 21 July 2011 - 05:41 PM, said:

NYCB has a system, and it's a system od promotion from within. It has produced recently Wendi Whelan, Ashley Bouder, Sara Mearns,and many men who will no doubt take their places as principals.
Not to mention Charles Askegard, Joaquin DeLuz, Sofiane Sylve, Ib Andersen, Ask La Cour, Nikolaj Hubbe, and oh, yes, Peter Martins!

On the other hand,  one could enjoy watching the developoment of ABT's home-grown  Herman Cornejo, Cory Stearns, Gillian Murphy, Marcelo Gomes, Julie Kent, Paloma Hererra, and others who are clearly moving up the ranks.

#105 vipa

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Posted 21 July 2011 - 08:03 PM

View Postcarbro, on 21 July 2011 - 07:26 PM, said:

View PostEileen, on 21 July 2011 - 05:41 PM, said:

NYCB has a system, and it's a system od promotion from within. It has produced recently Wendi Whelan, Ashley Bouder, Sara Mearns,and many men who will no doubt take their places as principals.
Not to mention Charles Askegard, Joaquin DeLuz, Sofiane Sylve, Ib Andersen, Ask La Cour, Nikolaj Hubbe, and oh, yes, Peter Martins!

On the other hand,  one could enjoy watching the developoment of ABT's home-grown  Herman Cornejo, Cory Stearns, Gillian Murphy, Marcelo Gomes, Julie Kent, Paloma Hererra, and others who are clearly moving up the ranks.

I agree to a point, however Murphy & Hererra had such technical prowess that they almost had to be promoted.  Wiles, in my opinions fell into that category but failed to develop artistically.  The same could be said of the male dancer side.

I think the big difference is that the rep of NYCB allows for a more natural development through difficult corps parts, to demi soloists, to solos to principal roles.



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