23 replies to this topic

[California]

A new listing just appeared for the Koch theatre: Stars of the 21st Century on 10/18/12:

http://www.davidhkoc...reinfo21st.html

Does anybody know anything about this group? Several familar names among the dancers, but no information yet about repertory or prices.

Too bad this will be competing with one evening of the ABT fall rep season at City Center (including the world premiere of the new Ratmansky)!

[abatt]

The roster of "stars" looks a little slim.  I can tell you from past experience that the price certainly will not be slim.  They have not done one of these galas in some years.  (In fact, the YAGP galas seem to have the greatest array of stars in recent years.)  It's your typical gala fare of pdd and some solos.  Let's hope that we don't get Radio and Juliet again from Matvienko. They use recorded music only at the gala.

[Helene]

I don't think a roster with Graf, Smirnova, Zakharova, Merkuriev, Richardson, Shirinkina, Shklyarov, Matvienko, and Malakhov is slim, and the others I either have seen and liked, like Lamb and Underwood, or don't know.  However, not knowing/having seen dancers is no reason to think I wouldn't like or love them.

I tend not to like gala rep so much, but there are names on there I wouldn't miss if I were in NYC.

[puppytreats]

Does Malakhov still dance?

[Natalia]

abatt, on 16 July 2012 - 09:52 AM, said:

.... Let's hope that we don't get Radio and Juliet again from Matvienko. ....

ROTFL! I also predict 'Les Bourgeois' by Daniil Simkin, whether or not he's on the roster at present. Even if he's dancing in one of the ballets at City Center that night, he can hop in a cab and dance his 3-minute solo in an instant.

Olga Smirnova -- if she truly shows up -- alone would be worth the price of admission.

[abatt]

Yes, Natalia, I thought the EXACT same thing about Simkin!  However, I don't think any of the ABT dancers under contract for the ABT City Center engagement during Oct 16-20  will be permitted to  perform at the gala.  So I think we are at least safe from seeing Les Bourgeois.  However, nothing would prevent Dvorovenko/Max B. from showing up and doing Splendid Isolation for the millionth time, as they are not appearing at City Center.  These galas are a big, easy pay day for the dancers.

[puppytreats]

abatt,
So does that mean we don't get to see Roberto and Svetlana in Ashton's M&A or SL or Bayadere or Giselle or ...?

[YID]

Interesting to find Shklyarov & Shirinkina on the announced roaster - Mariinsky will be in DC at that time (will they hop on a train to come to NYC?) - just wondering. I was not impressed by Shirinkina (in prima roles) in Saint Petersburg this April

[abatt]

Puppytreats, if you are taliking about Roberto Bolle, no I don't think he would be allowed to participate in this gala. He is under contract for the (simultaneous) ABT City Center season.

[Natalia]

Abbat, Max & Irina have another chestnut for galas: "Junk pdd"!

YID, Shirinkina doesn't dance Cinderella, although maybe she is being prepped to debut the role on tour in Scotland and/or DC? Schklyarov has danced the Prince in Cinderella but it's been a while. If they are programmed for a Cinderella in DC, then they can be programmed for any day but the 18th. NYC is just 4 hrs away, mas o menos.

[abatt]

I've also seen the Irina and Max do the Junk pdd (at the last Stars fo the 21st Centruy gala several years ago, I think.)   It looked NOTHING like the way Ethan Steifel and Susan Jaffe did it.  They were fantastic.  I've also seen Gomes do this role, and he was fantastic.  Max was all wrong for the Junk pdd.

[Helene]

What is the Junk pdd?

[California]

Helene, on 16 July 2012 - 05:56 PM, said:

What is the Junk pdd?

Are people referring to the Tharp piece?

Quote

The Junk pas de deux, excerpted from the ballet Known by Heart, embodies the essence of Twyla Tharp’s style–seriously crafted and irreverently delivered. In this duet, Tharp twists the formal structure of the classical pas de deux (adagio, two solos and a coda) into a postmodern match-up between partners that runs alternately witty, sly, comic and sexy. Tharp set the piece to the music of Donald Knaack, an American composer and percussionist who makes music on 100% recycled materials (hence the whimsical bang-on-a-can antics). Typically, Tharp combines classical ballet vocabulary with pedestrian movements–slides, kicks, squiggles, lunges, flexed feet and slithers.

http://www.nantucket.../program-notes/

[abatt]

Merkuriev's name has been removed from the Koch's website regarding this event.

[mussel]

abatt, on 16 July 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

Yes, Natalia, I thought the EXACT same thing about Simkin!  However, I don't think any of the ABT dancers under contract for the ABT City Center engagement during Oct 16-20  will be permitted to  perform at the gala.  So I think we are at least safe from seeing Les Bourgeois.  However, nothing would prevent Dvorovenko/Max B. from showing up and doing Splendid Isolation for the millionth time, as they are not appearing at City Center.  These galas are a big, easy pay day for the dancers.

The most recent example of a dancer danced 2 engagements at the same time in the same city that I can remember is Johan Kobborg who danced with ABT & the Royal Danish last year in NYC.  I guess it all depends on whether there's a non-compete clause in the contract or whether a waiver can be obtained.