293 replies to this topic

[abatt]

I don't know anything about Kent's motivation, but I know that often there are increased pension benefits the longer you are with an organization.  I assume that once she retires, she will continue with ABT as a coach or teacher.

[Helene]

Great pyrotechnics in "Sylvia" are about as appropriate as they are in"Les Sylphides," though.  Osipova should be following Cornejo's lead in this one.

[abatt]

I wonder why Osipova has chosen not to do Sleeping Beauty again w. ABT.  During the last revival, she cited "passport issues" that prevented her from entering the US.   She is not doing SB at ABT for this upcoming run either. Since ABT taught her the role and gave her her first Aurora, you would think she would perform the role again at ABT.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Helene, on 08 January 2013 - 01:35 PM, said:

Great pyrotechnics in "Sylvia" are about as appropriate as they are in"Les Sylphides," though.

...if you don't have a great jump, don't even try it.

[Drew]

abatt, on 08 January 2013 - 01:41 PM, said:

I wonder why Osipova has chosen not to do Sleeping Beauty again w. ABT.  During the last revival, she cited "passport issues" that prevented her from entering the US.   She is not doing SB at ABT for this upcoming run either. Since ABT taught her the role and gave her her first Aurora, you would think she would perform the role again at ABT.

I was disappointed to see Osipova would not be dancing Aurora this coming season. It may be a scheduling issue, but I also don't think that it's simply up to her in any case.  I am thrilled she is dancing Sylvia as I think that it could be a very good role for her...Scheduling won't permit me to see much ABT this spring--I had wanted to come up for the Ratmansky and/or the Osipova Don Q and/or Month in the Country--none of them seem to be possible. But Sylvia was another top choice and I'm looking forward to it. Think Vasiliev could be very good as Orion too.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Drew, on 08 January 2013 - 01:53 PM, said:

Think Vasiliev could be very good as Orion too.

Oh yes...

[cubanmiamiboy]

cubanmiamiboy, on 08 January 2013 - 01:46 PM, said:

Helene, on 08 January 2013 - 01:35 PM, said:

Great pyrotechnics in "Sylvia" are about as appropriate as they are in"Les Sylphides," though.

...if you don't have a great jump, don't even try it.

BTW, If I could ever see Osipova's "Flames.." jetes in this, I could then die in peace...

[abatt]

Cubanmiamiboy, did you see Osipova's La Sylphide with ABT a few years ago at the Met.  I think it was the first year that she appeared with ABT.  Her partner was Hallberg (after Cornejo withdrew due to injuries).  It was astonishing.

[cubanmiamiboy]

abatt, on 08 January 2013 - 02:29 PM, said:

Cubanmiamiboy, did you see Osipova's La Sylphide with ABT a few years ago at the Met.  I think it was the first year that she appeared with ABT.  Her partner was Hallberg (after Cornejo withdrew due to injuries).  It was astonishing.

Unfortunately no...but I've seen clips of her Sylphide...I think with the Bolshoi...? Wonderful indeed.

[Helene]

I wouldn't call the ballerina's jumps in "Les Sylphides" pyrotechnics, though, and Osipova would be superb in them.  By pyrotechnics, I mean something closer to this, which, like pushing each other to greater technical feats, would be almost as inappropriate for Sylvia and Aminta as they'd be in the second act of "Swan Lake":



In a Maxim Beloserkovsky thread, Drew wrote:

Quote

Beloserkosky's Aminta in Ashton's Sylvia was my favorite of the three I saw at ABT a few years back--the most fluid and, to my eyes, having the right unemphatic pastoral quality. When I think of him, that's the performance I call to mind.

I think ABT got the casting right on this one.

[carbro]

California, on 07 January 2013 - 06:45 AM, said:

At first, it looked like her R&J on the previous Saturday night, June 15, might be her retirement performance, as she had nothing else on the schedule that season. Would they do a retirement at a Saturday matinee of Swan Lake? Seems odd, but perhaps that's still a possibility.

I expect that when Kent decides to retire, it will be noted on the subscription brochure that ABT publishes in the fall prior.  Barring the unforeseen, this is not her last season.

abatt, on 07 January 2013 - 07:25 PM, said:

The Sylvia casting on the ABT site used to list all three leads Sylvia, Amita and Orion). Now they are only listing 2.  Vasiliev is Orion, but they are just not listing the casting for that character on their website right now.

When ABT lists casting for Giselle, it only lists Giselle and Albrecht in the earliest versions.  They add Myrtha and Hilarion later, a few weeks before season starts.

abatt, on 08 January 2013 - 01:41 PM, said:

I wonder why Osipova has chosen not to do Sleeping Beauty again w. ABT.  

Perhaps it wasn't her decision.  ABT has to keep some performances available for its younger, up-and-comers. If they don't get opportunities to perform a range of roles, they'll never develop.

[California]

carbro, on 10 January 2013 - 07:42 PM, said:

I expect that when Kent decides to retire, it will be noted on the subscription brochure that ABT publishes in the fall prior.  Barring the unforeseen, this is not her last season.

I'm looking at subscription brochures for the 2012 Met season. The only "special event" listed was the McKenzie anniversary celebration. No hint of the Stiefel or Corella retirements.

The Stiefel retirement was announced in a news release on 1/23/2012 and Corella on 4/4/2012, but I don't recalll if there were earlier announcements on the schedule.

http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news.asp

I can't think of other senior principals at ABT (or NYCB?) who might be retirement candidates next spring.

[aurora]

California, on 11 January 2013 - 05:35 AM, said:

carbro, on 10 January 2013 - 07:42 PM, said:

I expect that when Kent decides to retire, it will be noted on the subscription brochure that ABT publishes in the fall prior.  Barring the unforeseen, this is not her last season.

I'm looking at subscription brochures for the 2012 Met season. The only "special event" listed was the McKenzie anniversary celebration. No hint of the Stiefel or Corella retirements. I don't recall when those were annnounced.

I checked on here.
The official announcements were posted April 4th for Corella and January 23rd for Stiefel. A wide disparity clearly, but in any case neither had been announced yet at this point last year. I would imagine in her case it would be sooner rather than later if she did decide to retire, but it probably would not have been announced yet.

[Kristen]

I was mesmerized by Julie Kent's short performance as Juliet at the Kennedy Center Honors.  As she danced, I texted my sister, who is only a casual ballet watcher , "Julie Kent still a GORGEOUS Juliet at 43".  Her response was "43 ???????"  I'd say Julie can easily dance another year or two - a retirement at a Swan Lake matinee would be odd, but who knows?  Ananiashvili's departure from ABT at 46 might have been a year or two premature - she blew me away at her ABT retirement performance.  Love to see them into the later years of their careers,as long as they don't stay too long at the party (Nureyev comes to mind).  Must be a wrenching decision.

[babclyde]

As to Julie Kent, fliers in Japan with her photo says that ABT will come to Japan with Manon and Ratmansky's Nutcracker in February 2014. And when she came to Tokyo (for Simkin's gala) last November, I witnessed she herself answered to her fans that she will come and perform Manon in that coming Japan tour. So I think she has the will to perform with ABT at least until February 2014.