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2014 Met Season


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News flash: Mariinsky's Shklyarov is now listed as Semionova's partner for the May 26 Bayadere on the ABT calendar

I'm now doing a very accurate imitation of Margaret Hamilton after she was doused with water in "The Wizard of Oz." So jealous.....

Also Tereshkina, Shklyarov, and Boylston a few days later (May 29)...

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Well, I'm thrilled that Matthews and Tamm are going to get some more stage time in principal parts. I had thought Tamm was in line for a soloist promotion, but he's seemed to stagnate in the past year or so. Maybe this will help push him forward.

I wonder why Hammoudi was removed from the gala casting and replaced with Matthews?

However, I agree with what everyone else has said so far - it's embarrassing that ABT can't get one of their own to fill in for T&V. And, embarrassing that when one of their principals (Stearns) becomes injured, KM has to bring in several guest stars to cover his roles.

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Yeah, the Hammoudi issue is very puzzling. Is he still in recovery mode? His chances of being a rising star seem to be fading.

I think McKenzie and Martins are probably friends, albeit competitors. I've seen McKenzie at NYCB performances, and I've seen Martins at numerous ABT performances. (I sat next to Martins and Kistler at an ABT performance a few years ago.) I doubt McKenzie's request involved any high level donor maneuvers.

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Wasn't Stearns scheduled with Semiomova for T&V? They've shifted that assignment to Whiteside, leaving Veyette with Gillian Murphy. After seeing numerous stellar performances of T&V at NYCB, and a lackluster ABT version last fall, I didn't plan on attending, but I can't resist the novelty of seeing Veyette at ABT. Can't wait!

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"Can you help me out here?" between AD's isn't that uncommon. PNB's Seth Orza flew to San Francisco Ballet to dance the Ludlow partner in "Emeralds" when they had a crunch, through Tomasson's and Boal's agreement. While it might have been recommended and brokered by someone who knows both companies, ultimately, there would have to have been a conversation between McKenzie and Martins.

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I do think Murphy and Veyette will be an awesome pairing!

If Stearns is out the entire Met season (has that been confirmed yet?), I think Matthews in SL with Part could be interesting. On a different thread here someone posted a link of those two dancing a segment from Ratmansky's (I can't remember the name of the piece). They were surprising lovely together (I never envisioned them as a couple before). I believe SL would be a debut for him (he does ballroom von Rothbart), but that's two months away - plenty of time to teach it to him, in my opinion. And, I think Matthews may be turning into another Gomes - a go-to filler-in-er. Not a bad thing if it gets him promoted.

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"Can you help me out here?" between AD's isn't that uncommon. PNB's Seth Orza flew to San Francisco Ballet to dance the Ludlow partner in "Emeralds," when they had a crunch, and Tomasson and Boal agreed to it. While it might have been recommended and brokered by someone who knows both companies, ultimately, there would have to have been a conversation between McKenzie and Martins.

All true Helene, but what makes this special is that NYCB is performing at the same time as ABT - both in Lincoln Center. Don't most ABT guest artists agree not to perform within a certain time or distance of their ABT shows? Of course that would be impossible in this case. I'm still amazed ABT couldn't go with someone in the company.

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[Admin beanie back on]

Please no speculation or statements about injuries and reasons for casting changes where there isn't official news from the mainstream press, curtain announcement, the dancer's own website/blog, dancer's Facebook "like" page or Twitter, slip in program, etc.

[Admin beanie back off]

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More casting announced:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

Metropolitan Opera House – Spring 2014

THIRD WEEK

Mon. Eve., May 26, 7:30 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Semionova, Shklyarov**++, Seo

Tues. Eve., May 27, 7:30 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Murphy, Nedak*++, Boylston

Wed. Mat., May 28, 2 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE - Herrera, Whiteside, Copeland

Wed. Eve., May 28, 7:30 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE - Smirnova*++, Muntagirov*, Seo

Thurs. Eve., May 29, 7:30 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Tereshkina*++, Shklyarov**, Boylston

Fri. Eve., May 30, 7:30 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Copeland+++, Cornejo

Sat. Mat., May 31, 2 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Lane+++, Simkin

Sat. Eve., May 31, 8 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Murphy, Matthews

FOURTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 2, 7:30 P.M. MANON – Kent, Bolle, Abrera, Simkin+++

Tues. Eve., June 3, 7:30 P.M. MANON – Vishneva, Gomes, Copeland+++, Cornejo

Wed. Mat., June 4, 2 P.M. MANON – Reyes, Jackson**++, Boylston,+ Radetsky

Wed. Eve., June 4, 7:30 P.M. MANON – Semionova+++, Stearns+++, Part+++, Whiteside+++

Thurs. Eve., June 5, 7:30 P.M. MANON – Kent, Bolle, Abrera, Simkin

Fri. Eve., June 6, 7:30 P.M. MANON – Reyes, Jackson**, Boylston, Radetsky

Sat. Mat., June 7, 2 P.M. MANON – Vishneva, Gomes, Copeland, Cornejo

Sat. Eve., June 7, 8 P.M. MANON– Semionova, Stearns, Part, Whiteside

*Guest Artist

**Exchange Artist

+Editors please note first time in a role

Wed. Mat., June 4 – Boylston (Lescaut’s Mistress) in Manon

++Editors please note first time in a role with ABT

Mon., May 26 – Shklyarov (Solor) in La Bayadère

Tues., May 27 – Nedak (Solor) in La Bayadère

Wed. Eve., May 28 – Smirnova (Nikiya) in La Bayadère

Thurs., May 29 – Tereshkina (Nikiya) in La Bayadère

Wed. Mat., June 4 – Jackson (Des Grieux) in Manon

+++Editors please note first time in a role in New York

Fri., May 30 – Copeland (Swanilda) in Coppélia

Sat. Mat., May 31 – Lane (Swanilda) in Coppélia

Mon., June 2 – Simkin (Lescaut) in Manon

Tues., June 3 – Copeland (Lescaut’s Mistress) in Manon

Wed. Eve., June 4 – Semionova (Manon), Stearns (Des Grieux), Part (Lescaut’s Mistress) and

Whiteside (Lescaut) in Manon

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Release about the third and fourth weeks of casting:

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD AND FOURTH WEEKS OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S 2014 SPRING SEASON

AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Misty Copeland and Herman Cornejo to Lead Season’s First

Performance of Coppélia, Friday Evening, May 30

Denys Nedak to Debut as Guest Artist

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2014 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The third week will feature five performances of La Bayadère, May 26-29. Vladimir Shklyarov, an Exchange Artist for the 2014 Metropolitan Opera House season, will dance the role of Solor with ABT for the first time on Monday evening, May 26 opposite Polina Semionova as Nikiya and Hee Seo as Gamzatti. Guest Artist Denys Nedak, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Ukraine, will debut with ABT on Tuesday evening, May 27 in the role of Solor opposite Gillian Murphy as Nikiya and Isabella Boylston as Gamzatti. Guest Artist Olga Smirnova, a leading soloist with Bolshoi Ballet will debut with ABT as Nikiya on Wednesday evening, May 28 opposite Guest Artist Vladimir Muntagirov as Solor and Hee Seo as Gamzatti. Guest Artist, Viktoria Tereshkina, a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, will debut with ABT in the role of Nikiya on Thursday evening, May 29 opposite Vladimir Shklyarov as Solor and Isabella Boylston as Gamzatti. La Bayadère is generously sponsored by an endowed gift from Drs. Philip and Marjorie Gerdine. La Bayadère is presented in loving memory of Mrs. Caroline Newhouse. A generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation has made this production possible. Major funding for this production has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Misty Copeland will dance the role of Swanilda in Coppélia for the first time in New York on Friday evening, May 30 opposite Herman Cornejo as Franz. Sarah Lane will make her New York debut as Swanilda on Saturday matinee, May 31 opposite Daniil Simkin as Franz. Original funding for Coppélia was provided by The Lucia Chase Foundation and The Green Fund, Inc.

The first of eight performances of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon begin Monday, June 2 and features Julie Kent in the title role, Roberto Bolle as Des Grieux, Stella Abrera as Lescaut’s Mistress and Daniil Simkin as Lescaut. Kevin Jackson, a principal artist with Australian Ballet, will debut with ABT as Des Grieux at the matinee on Wednesday, June 4 opposite Xiomara Reyes as Manon. Misty Copeland will make her New York debut as Lescaut’s Mistress on Tuesday, June 3 and Isabella Boylston will dance this role for the first time at the matinee on Wednesday, June 4. The evening performance on Wednesday, June 4 will feature New York debuts by Polina Semionova as Manon, Cory Stearns as Des Grieux, Veronika Part as Lescaut’s Mistress and James Whiteside as Lescaut. Principal Dancer Diana Vishneva will celebrate her 10th Anniversary with ABT at the matinee performance on Saturday, June 7 dancing the role of Manon opposite Marcelo Gomes as Des Grieux. Staged for ABT by Julie Lincoln and Yuri Uchiumi, with designs by Peter Farmer and lighting by Christina Giannelli, the ballet is set to music by Jules Massenet, orchestrated and arranged by Martin Yates. Manon was given its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on March 7, 1974, danced by Antoinette Sibley as Manon and Anthony Dowell as Des Grieux. Manon was given its United States premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on May 7, 1974, danced by the same cast. The Company Premiere of the full-length Manon, with sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas R. Skelton, was given on May 28, 1993 at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, danced by Alessandra Ferri as Manon, Julio Bocca as Des Grieux and Gil Boggs as Lescaut. Manon was last performed by ABT in New York in 2007. The ballet received its Revival Premiere on February 23, 2014 at Biwako Hall in Shiga, Japan. Manon is generously supported through an endowed gift from Ruth and Harold Newman.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. 
Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. 
ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2014 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

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I keep confusing Lescaut's Mistress with the Manon Lescaut figure in Neumeier's "La Dame aux Camellias" which was also danced by Veronika Part.

What strikes me as odd here is that once again, ABT has one or two injured male principals and they are scrambling around trying to grab premier danseurs from all over the world to fill in. This happened in 2011 when Maxim Beloserkovsky and Ethan Stiefel were injured or unable to dance at the beginning of the season. Then Herman Cornejo got injured. Malakhov and Bocca were no longer dancing with ABT. Carreno was set to retire at the end of that season. He had to reappear after his retirement gala to sub for an injured Hallberg in one of the last "Swan Lake" shows of the season. Suddenly, ABT was scrambling to get Ivan Vasiliev, Johan Kobborg and Guillaume Coté drafted in. Since then Stiefel, Carreno, Beloserkovsky, Corella and Gennadi Saveliev have retired. Talented corps dancers like Joseph Phillips got frustrated and left and Sascha Radetsky will leave at the end of this season.

Currently there is this shortage of male talent in the principal ranks. Ivan Vasiliev with his limited repertory is only dancing a handful of Don Q's. David Hallberg is functioning more like a guest artist than a resident principal. Simkin and Cornejo are limited by their height as to who they can partner. Meanwhile Vadim Muntagirov and Denis Matvienko are regular guests now. Matvienko's injury along with the usually dependable Corey Stearns being out for the first month or so has really precipitated a crisis. Matvienko is not a company dancer but a guest artist yet his injury has the management scrambling - a ballet company should not be dependent on guest artists. Clearly with Stiefel and Carreno retired they need two tall or medium tall star male principals to take their place. Whiteside was fast tracked from soloist to principal and is doing all he can - but clearly ABT needs another male principal. Among the soloists the markedly improved Jared Matthews could be called on to do more. Hammoudi has yet to show that he can carry a soloist's load let alone a principal's.

Eric Tamm, Gorak and Thomas Forster should be groomed to take over lead roles. With Radetsky's and Kristi Boone's departure and Isabella Boylston's almost inevitable future promotion to principal, there is room for new faces in the soloist ranks. These three guys are due for a promotion.

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I keep confusing Lescaut's Mistress with the Manon Lescaut figure in Neumeier's "La Dame aux Camellias" which was also danced by Veronika Part.

What strikes me as odd here is that once again, ABT has one or two injured male principals and they are scrambling around trying to grab premier danseurs from all over the world to fill in. This happened in 2011 when Maxim Beloserkovsky and Ethan Stiefel were injured or unable to dance at the beginning of the season. Then Herman Cornejo got injured. Malakhov and Bocca were no longer dancing with ABT. Carreno was set to retire at the end of that season. He had to reappear after his retirement gala to sub for an injured Hallberg in one of the last "Swan Lake" shows of the season. Suddenly, ABT was scrambling to get Ivan Vasiliev, Johan Kobborg and Guillaume Coté drafted in. Since then Stiefel, Carreno, Beloserkovsky, Corella and other male principals have retired. Talented corps dancers like Joseph Phillips got frustrated and left and Sascha Radetsky will leave at the end of this season.

Suddenly there is this shortage of male talent in the principal ranks. Ivan Vasiliev with his limited repertory is only dancing a handful of Don Q's. David Hallberg is functioning more like a guest artist than a resident principal. Simkin and Cornejo are limited by their height as to who they can partner. Meanwhile Vadim Muntagirov and Denis Matvienko are regular guests now. Matvienko's injury along with the usually dependable Corey Stearns being out for the first month or so has really precipitated a crisis. Matvienko is not a company dancer but a guest artist yet his injury has the management scrambling - a ballet company should not be dependent on guest artists. Clearly with Stiefel and Carreno retired they need two tall or medium tall star male principals to take their place. Whiteside was fast tracked from soloist to principal and is doing all he can - but clearly ABT needs another male principal. Among the soloists the markedly improved Jared Matthews could be called on to do more. Hammoudi has yet to show that he can carry a soloist's load let alone a principal's.

Eric Tamm, Gorak and Thomas Forster should be groomed to take over lead roles. With Radetsky's and Kristi Boone's departure and Isabella Boylston's almost inevitable future promotion to principal, there is room for new faces in the soloist ranks. These three guys are due for a promotion.

Of the 62 performances this spring, I count 29 that include either a guest artist, "exchange artist," or part-time principal (Bolle, Vishneva, Hallberg, Vasiliev). I think this speaks volumes about the state of ABT's full-time company. I agree with you that the male principal situation is particularly fragile right now.

I take particular issue with performances featuring guest artists in both principal roles (e.g. those two Bayaderes). I feel as if ABT's full-time company is treated simply as the backdrop for these "star" performances. I don't see how this can benefit anyone within the company. In instances in which only one guest star is cast in a ballet, at least an ABT principal can potentially benefit from the opportunity to dance with a novel partner who may push him/her to new artistic heights.

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I keep confusing Lescaut's Mistress with the Manon Lescaut figure in Neumeier's "La Dame aux Camellias" which was also danced by Veronika Part.

What strikes me as odd here is that once again, ABT has one or two injured male principals and they are scrambling around trying to grab premier danseurs from all over the world to fill in. This happened in 2011 when Maxim Beloserkovsky and Ethan Stiefel were injured or unable to dance at the beginning of the season. Then Herman Cornejo got injured. Malakhov and Bocca were no longer dancing with ABT. Carreno was set to retire at the end of that season. He had to reappear after his retirement gala to sub for an injured Hallberg in one of the last "Swan Lake" shows of the season. Suddenly, ABT was scrambling to get Ivan Vasiliev, Johan Kobborg and Guillaume Coté drafted in. Since then Stiefel, Carreno, Beloserkovsky, Corella and other male principals have retired. Talented corps dancers like Joseph Phillips got frustrated and left and Sascha Radetsky will leave at the end of this season.

Suddenly there is this shortage of male talent in the principal ranks. Ivan Vasiliev with his limited repertory is only dancing a handful of Don Q's. David Hallberg is functioning more like a guest artist than a resident principal. Simkin and Cornejo are limited by their height as to who they can partner. Meanwhile Vadim Muntagirov and Denis Matvienko are regular guests now. Matvienko's injury along with the usually dependable Corey Stearns being out for the first month or so has really precipitated a crisis. Matvienko is not a company dancer but a guest artist yet his injury has the management scrambling - a ballet company should not be dependent on guest artists. Clearly with Stiefel and Carreno retired they need two tall or medium tall star male principals to take their place. Whiteside was fast tracked from soloist to principal and is doing all he can - but clearly ABT needs another male principal. Among the soloists the markedly improved Jared Matthews could be called on to do more. Hammoudi has yet to show that he can carry a soloist's load let alone a principal's.

Eric Tamm, Gorak and Thomas Forster should be groomed to take over lead roles. With Radetsky's and Kristi Boone's departure and Isabella Boylston's almost inevitable future promotion to principal, there is room for new faces in the soloist ranks. These three guys are due for a promotion.

I thoroughly agree these 3( along with Gray Davis and Calvin Royal) should have been given more chances to prepare them for principal roles. I worry that they will get tired of waiting and leave the company. Look at M Golding(now principal at RB )and former Studio Co Members(Isaac Hernandez (DNB) , Sae Eun Park(POB) and Yannick Stephant(POB). ABT-KM better do something soon.

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I agree with everyone about developing male talent at ABT. I believe a big problem is the rep and the diminished length of tours (back in the day the company used to tour a lt.) On the first point, with so much rep being full lengths the soloists end up doing peasant pas de deux, Swan Lake pas de trois, Sleeping Beauty pas de trois etc, over and over. Occasionally they are thrown a lead role. This is not a way to develope talent. On the second point, if the tours were longer and there were just more shows KM might take a chance and give more soloists, principal role opportunities while on the road.

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I just pray that Gorak, Shayer, Royal, Tamm aren't passed over for promotions and are basically forced to leave for better opportunities. Though Gorak and Tamm should be promoted now, the other two can wait a year. They're all big promising talents. And Hammoudi isn't showing he can fulfill his soloist duties without injuries so he may not develop into the dancer ABT clearly needs.

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I am always divided about guest/exchange/part-time artists. It is great to have wonderful international dancers come to your city. Then you don't have to wait for Bolshoi or Mariinsky-Kirov tours or schlep down to D.C. or Russia, Paris, London, Milan etc. to check them out. For example, the prospect of seeing Olga Smirnova in "La Bayadere" is enticing and yes, Shklyarov is another inviting prospect..

Inviting international guest stars does create variety and novelty which this season, as originally announced, sorely lacked. However, then there is the case of neglected soloists like Stella Abrera who might be a wonderful Nikiya in "Bayadere" or Sarah Lane who could be a charming Kitri and has danced Giselle for other companies. I already mentioned Tamm, Gorak, Matthews and Forster. Are Kevin Jackson and Denys Nedak (who may be quite fabulous dancers) really such box office attractions that their appearance will draw audiences? Wouldn't it have been better to give Matthews, Tamm or Forster a Solor? Also perhaps Gorak as Des Grieux provided they all got adequate coaching and rehearsal?

But I think the big take away from this is that ABT can no longer cast a week long run of "La Bayadere" or "Don Quixote" or even "Manon" from the resident full-time company. When Julie Kent or Paloma Herrera retire or if Veronika Part notices she is getting only matinees, unimportant new roles like Lescaut's Mistress and decides to go to the Mik or English National Ballet, ABT will be seriously hit in the female principal ranks.

So we are back to the original question of "poach from without" or "promote from within"? I say a bit of both but the promoting from within doesn't seem to be working very well lately. Also, the coaching and artist development are seriously lacking at ABT which also impacts the growth of young dancers.

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I am always divided about guest/exchange/part-time artists. It is great to have wonderful international dancers come to your city. Then you don't have to wait for Bolshoi or Mariinsky-Kirov tours or schlep down to D.C. or Russia, Paris, London, Milan etc. to check them out. For example, the prospect of seeing Olga Smirnova in "La Bayadere" is enticing and yes Shklyarov is another inviting prospect..

Inviting international guest stars does create variety and novelty which this season, as originally announced, sorely lacked. However, then there is the case of neglected soloists like Stella Abrera who might be a wonderful Nikiya in "Bayadere" or Sarah Lane who could be a charming Kitri and has danced Giselle for other companies. I already mentioned Tamm, Gorak, Matthews and Forster. Are Kevin Jackson and Denys Nedak (who may be quite fabulous dancers) really such box office attractions that their appearance will draw audiences? Wouldn't it have been better to give Matthews, Tamm or Forster a Solor? Also perhaps Gorak as Des Grieux provided they all got adequate coaching and rehearsal?

But I think the big take away from this is that ABT can no longer cast a week long run of "La Bayadere" or "Don Quixote" or even "Manon" from the resident full-time company. When Julie Kent or Paloma Herrera retire or if Veronika Part notices she is getting only matinees, unimportant new roles like Lescaut's Mistress and decides to go to the Mik or English National Ballet, ABT will a serious hit in the female principal ranks.

So we are back to the original question of "poach from without" or "promote from within"? I say a bit of both but the promoting from within doesn't seem to be working very well lately. Also, the coaching and artist development is seriously lacking at ABT which also impacts the growth of young dancers.

All such interesting points Faux Pas, and well said. One of the things troubling to me is that ABT has reached the point that, IMO, their guests are not international stars that will sell tickets. Don't get me wrong, I think Maria Kochetkova is a fine dancer but she's not a recognizable name that will increase ticket sales. Andrew Veyette (who I'm a fan of) being imported to to T&V is another case in point. Bringing in real stars for the sake of box office is one thing, bringing in guests for real or perceived lacks in the company is another.

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I wouldn't be surprised if this is Vasiliev's last season at ABT as a principal. Does he have some pressing engagements during the rest of the season that only allow him to appear w. ABT for the first week of the season in Don Q? There is no reason he couldn't have done the Bayadere w. Murphy. (He is doing a pas with Murphy from Bayadere on opening night). He and Osipova turned out to be very unreliable.

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I wouldn't be surprised if this is Vasiliev's last season at ABT as a principal. Does he have some pressing engagements during the rest of the season that only allow him to appear w. ABT for the first week of the season in Don Q? There is no reason he couldn't have done the Bayadere w. Murphy. (He is doing a pas with Murphy from Bayadere on opening night). He and Osipova turned out to be very unreliable.

Since when does rarely performing with the company mean you're taken off the principals roster, though?

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