22 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Here's a simple poll.  This season, are you a subscriber to a ballet series?

If you'd like, you can also post to tell us which ones.

[BW]

I usually subscribe to a series in the Winter season to NYCB and to a series within ABT's Spring season at the Met. It's pretty expensive but I count it as part what makes life worth living... Plus, we really don't do much else!

[E Johnson]

I have two nycb subscriptions for each season, and liberally exchange for different performances.

[Alexandra]

Hi, E!  Always good to see you

Yours is a good solution for frequent flyers, I think.  I have several friends in DC who have two subscriptions to the Kennedy Center series.  They usually offer triple bills during the week and a full-length on the weekend, so if one subscribes to, say, Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon, one is fairly sure to see every ballet program.

Your "liberal ticket exchange" is something I wonder if people new to ballet would think about. But it is usually possible to exchange tickets, so if you're afraid of being locked in to every single Wednesday night, it's good to know there's always Thursday.    (Or if Yourday turned out to have several programs you weren't interested in, those tickets can be exchanged for ones on Otherday.)

[justafan]

I also subscribe to NYCB each season and use the ticket exchange policy. My subscription is for Thursday nights, but I haven't gone to a Thursday night performance in a year and a half! I no longer work in the city, and its much easier for me to go to weekend performances. But I love my subscription seats and haven't wanted to give them up. Every season I figure, oh, I'll probably go on Thursdays once or twice, but haven't been doing so.

[linsusanr]

I'm a subscriber to the San Francisco Ballet.  I feel so fortunate to be in close proximity to such a wonderful company.  I've been on the fabulous student discount for a few seasons, but next season I'll have to pony up extra money.  It will be worth it.  I just wish I could see NYCB concurrently, what a great thing that would be!  I'm trying to see when I can go visit New York and see some performances.

[casloan]

We always subscribe to the Joffrey in Chicago.  Otherwise, we see the occasional single performance of another group here or when we travel.

We are subscribers to several other series (opera, theatre, music) but not, alas, more dance (if we lived in Manhattan, it would be a different story).

[casloan]

We always subscribe to the Joffrey in Chicago.  Otherwise, we see the occasional single performance of another group here or when we travel.

We are subscribers to several other series (opera, theatre, music) but not, alas, more dance (if we lived in Manhattan, it would be a different story).

[Alexandra]

Thank you all who have voted so far.  I'm also ver happy -- really, truly, personally happy -- that several people who don't often post have responded to this thread.  So thank you, justafan, Sammie and CASloan.  I hope we'll hear more from you.  I'd love to read what you're seeing.

(Thanks to EJohnson, BW and linsusanr, too )

I'd also be curious, those who do not subscribe, why?  (Nothing to subscribe to, don't like what's on the subscription, too much money, lots of other reasons?)

[Estelle]

Quote

Originally posted by at

I'd also be curious, those who do not subscribe, why?  (Nothing to subscribe to, don't like what's on the subscription, too much money, lots of other reasons?)

I don't subscribe to any because the POB subscriptions aren't very convenient: most subscriptions include both ballets and operas, and the ballet only ones only include a number of ballets of the season (say, 3 to 5) with limited choices (and it generally includes works I don't care for). The exchance possibilities are limited, and in general I don't know in advance at which moment I'll be free (by the way, most subscriptions aren't for a fixed day of the week).
Besides, the prices aren't especially interesting
(for most subscriptions, it's the same price as what one would pay for seats taken separately).
However, I admit that there have been some improvements in the subscription modes, for example they have added some special formulas with three ballets on saturday matinees (which might be convenient for people living far from Paris), and
more possible choices; also for the dance subscriptions now one has the possibility to choose the ballets first and the dates some time later (which might be convenient to see a particular cast).

The only period when I've had a ballet subscription was when i lived in Grenoble: my parents and I had a subscription for one or two years at the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, they had a convenient subscription with five ballets on sunday matinees (which was one of the only possible dates for us, as the trip was a bit long).

[Farrell Fan]

I'm very lucky to live in Manhattan and be able to get to Lincoln Center easily by bus or taxi. As a result I have three subscriptions to NYCB and one to ABT, and I've had them for many years. My late wife and I had a Joffrey subscription too, but they deserted us. Although I applaud the option of exchanging subscription tickets for other performances, I don't do it. I do sometimes buy single tickets to additional performances. If I don't see a ballet several times over many seasons, I don't consider that I've really seen it. Other than rent, ballet tickets are my greatest expense.

[jbtlse]

I don't--although I always wistfully pour over the NYCB schedule--I live too far away to realistically commit to a series!  

Sometimes I am fortunate enough to get free tickets--or I buy half price tickets--or my daughter gets student rush tickets--somehow we  see every ballet our hometown company does. We just do not have to fluidity of funds to invest in a subscription!  We try to see most dance that comes to town--but usually again through half price day of purchases or if I'm really organized through a local organization that offers discounted advance purchase tickets.

[bobsey]

Living 100 miles from NYC makes it a little hard to make it into Manhattan too often, but I've managed two subs to NYCB and one to ABT in the past year. Better for me is a week in Saratoga in July for the NYCB season and go to everything.

[casloan]

Thanks for reminding us about Saratoga, bobsey
.  
My husband and I had the distinction on more than one occasion of being the members who travelled the furthest (that is, from Chicago) to join the NYCB Guild's getaway weekends to Saratoga (when they used to offer this annual outing).  It was a wonderful way to see several performances in a sylvan setting.  We loved the charm of the town, too.

We haven't been there in years.  What's it like today (both SPAC and Saratoga Springs itself)?

[bobsey]

Saratoga is about as ever - nice town - and lots to do in the area: Grandma Moses country and Green Mts to the east; Lake George and the Adirondacks to the north. And SPAC is a wonderful venue for ballet. But your question should really be answered by rkoretsky, who lives there and is happy to see ballet alert people. She's at SPAC almost every day.