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ABT 2017 promotions prediction/wish list


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ABT usually announces promotions towards the end of the spring season, so announcement is just a few weeks away.  I think Lane will be promoted.  Shevchenko and Teuscher are definitely principal material, I think they will be promoted eventually. And I really hope Royal will be promoted this time.

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Royal's promotion is way overdue! There has not been a single show where my eye has not been drawn to him-- not just because of his height, but also his incredible elegance, line, stage presence, and sparkling, crisp dancing-- even if he's just in the corps carrying a basket, you just want to look at him! And Ratmansky seems to like him, so here's hoping.

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I am hoping Sarah Lane will be promoted as she just performed 3 acclaimed Giselles and originated the role of Princess Praline in Whipped Cream and got wonderful reviews for that as well. But I've learned never to assume anything as far as promotions at ABT go. Other than Lane, I can't think of any soloists that took on new principal roles except Teuscher and Shevchenko as you mentioned. But I don't think they'll be promoted this year.

 

Any of the soloist men really stand out? I thought Craig Salstein was a really good Hilarion.

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I also think (perhaps more wishing and hoping than really believing...) that Lane will be promoted. How can McKenzie ignore her now after her Giselle triumph?

 

I agree that Teuscher and Shevchenko are principal material, but I think it'll happen next season for them. Only Vishneva is leaving this year, so in my mind that opens one spot, though I have no idea how many "spots" there are if that's even a set number anyway.

 

Royal better be promoted this year. He's everything that morningside wrote above and he's been cast in more and more principal roles. I also think that maybe Hurlin will be promoted this year too. She, like Royal, always captures my eye and she's been getting more and more soloist roles since last year.

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I think Gabe Stone Shayer deserves a promotion to soloist.  I also think Lane should be promoted to principal.  Shevchenko and Teuscher still have not been tested enough in lead roles.  Sadly, there is not one male soloist who is ready to be principal.

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Royal is a no-brainer, considering Plato's Symposium, After You (the Mark Morris piece), Espada in Don Q, and Purple Von Roth in Swan Lake.  He dances more featured roles than Arron Scott, and maybe a couple other soloists.

 

I too think this is Lane's year, particularly with her debuts in Giselle and Whipped Cream, in addition to the need for short lady principals due to the shorter men in principal slots (not to mention Gorak, who I think will make it there some day).

 

Salstein is already a soloist (a fine one, I agree), but I highly doubt he'll ever make principal.  Hurlin is certainly an attention grabber (and I think a great partner for Royal), but she needs a season to develop and take on new roles.  My pick for new female soloist would be Zhong-Jing Fang.

 

The biggest question mark for me is Alexandre Hammoudi.  At this point he has danced principal roles in Giselle (though maybe not since '14), Swan Lake, Sylvia, R & J, Ashton's Cinderella, Bright Stream, Othello, the Nutcracker, and probably some others I've forgotten.  I personally am a fan (never saw his Albrecht admittedly), but I know that others on here have been disappointed.  What will it take for him to reach the next level?

 

 

Edited by DeCoster
typo
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Also, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a new male soloist added from an outside company (a la Whiteside and Cirio who has been a principal at another company). Although the female soloist roster is bursting with talent and potential for principal status, the same cannot be said for the men. Gorak has stalled for some reason. Hammoudi gets principal roles, but he delivers lackluster performances. I'd be shocked if he's promoted. Zhurbin (especially) and Salstein are terrific actors and fine dancers but not lead dancer material. The others are good soloists but not Albrecht or Siegfried material. (Possibly Royal, but let's get him to soloist first!) They need the next generation of male principals and I don't see any current possibilities so I think some new hires may be coming.

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I agree that this could be Lane's year, if the season continues to go so well for her. I think it also depends partly on what they decide to do with/about Kotchetkova. She dances so few performances it hardly seems worth having her.  A Kotchetkova departure would open things up for Lane. Shevchenko and Teuscher are possibilities for the future. If one gets promoted this year I'd put my money on Teuscher if her SL delivers.  Zhong-Jing Fang would be a great promotion to soloist. She's been in the corps for over 13 years and continues to be a delight to watch. Calvin Royal seems a likely promotion. 

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Although I don't like Kochetkova very much, I don't see any possibility of her leaving the company.  She generally dances a fair number of shows each year, and she has also appeared w. the company at the Koch for the fall season.  Additionally, ABT now has a large number of shortish principal men (Cornejo, Simkin, Cirio), and they continue to need short tiny women like Kochetkova.

Edited by abatt
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2 minutes ago, abatt said:

Although I don't like Kochetkova very much, I don't see any possibility of her leaving the company.  She generally dances a fair number of shows each year, and she has also appeared w. the company at the Koch for the fall season.  Additionally, ABT now has a large number of shortish principal men (Cornejo, Simkin, Cirio), and they continue to need short tiny women like Kochetkova.

 

 

Do they, though?  Both Lane and Copeland have danced with Simkin, Cirio, and Cornejo.   And Boylston has danced with Cirio and Simkin several times now.  And then we have Trenary and Brandt waiting in the wings.  (Trenary dances with Cornejo twice this season: in Whipped Cream and the wedding pas from Sleeping Beauty.  Excited to see a partnership develop there.)  I do wonder if Cornejo has a preference for partnering Kochetkova.  I can't imagine she sells tickets.

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I don't see the value Kochetkova adds and she hardly dances at the Met.

 

Regarding the short principal men needing partners (Cornejo, Simkin, Cirio), they already have them.

 

Cornejo dances regularly with Lane, Copeland and Trenary, all in principal roles.

 

Simkin with Lane, Boylston, Copeland.

 

Cirio with Boylston, Copeland, Brandt (and he's danced with Trenary during outside guest appearances).

 

Brandt has demonstrated her capability to take on more and more senior roles, as she showed by filing in for Copeland in Whipped Cream. I imagine she would be tapped to sub in Corsaire if one of the above women had to drop out.

 

If for some reason Kochetkova has to cancel her SL with Simkin, I suspect Boylston will fill in for her as she's done that role with him before (assuming she's recovered from her own injury; and her own SL is scheduled 3 days before Kochetkova's so enough time to recover).

 

Edited to Add: I see DeCoster and I were writing basically the same thing at the same time!

Edited by ABT Fan
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Agree with Lane to principal and Royal and Shayer to soloist (prefer Royal over Shayer, but like them both).

 

Also agree that there are more exciting and promising women coming up through the ranks then men right now.  I love Teuscher, Brandt and Trenary and I can't wait to see them take on more roles.

 

It is a shame that ABT let Baca get away.  He could have been a future ABT principal.

Edited by Kaysta
can't spell!
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Boylston is too tall for Simkin; it's hardly ideal. While I also do not find her especially enthralling, I do think that Kochetkova is generally reliable as a performer in a way that Copeland, Lane, etc are not: she's got that Russian-style technical clarity and precision that can seem quite exciting. You know she's going to finish those 32 fouettes, with embellishment. There's no question. She's also extreeeeemely tiny, which makes her a better fit proportionally, especially with Daniil who is so slight. And I do think she has a large Russian following-- a crowd that has been markedly lesser in the Met audience this season with the lack of Russian guest artists and the departures of Semionova and soon, Vishneva. 

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I think Sarah will be promoted eventually. I just hope that it's this year. Stella also got her promotion after her Giselle so let's hope that Sarah's is coming. 

 

I know others are not fond of Kochetkova but I think she is a reliable partner for most male dancers. Like Boylston, she is technically sound and strong enough to support herself. Plus she has the stage experience as a principal dancer that many female dancers don't have. Look at the number of galas and tours she does in a year! I bet she can handle any emmergency partner switcheroo. I can't say that she is one of my favorite dancers but I still enjoy her performances in certain roles. 

 

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37 minutes ago, alexL said:

 

I know others are not fond of Kochetkova but I think she is a reliable partner for most male dancers.

 

Just the fact that several posters now have said something along these lines is telling, though, isn't it? "A reliable partner." That's damning with faint praise for a principal ballerina, I'd say.

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2 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

Just the fact that several posters now have said something along these lines is telling, though, isn't it? "A reliable partner." That's damning with faint praise for a principal ballerina, I'd say.

I would agree but I don't mean disrespect to Kochetkova. For me she is a "gets the job done" kind of dancer - reliable technique, easy to partner (it seems), nice presentation. I just don't find her distinctive as an artist. I always thought it a mistake to hire her as a principal instead of giving the home team more performances. She was scheduled for very few shows at the Met, so it's hard to say what her future with ABT will be. I do think her presence has impact on the opportunities offered the shorter women. 

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5 minutes ago, vipa said:

 I do think her presence has impact on the opportunities offered the shorter women. 

 

That's really what it comes down to, though, isn't it? How much more interesting would it be to see Trenary, Lane, Brandt, etc getting shots and second shots at all those roles?

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I think Lane, Brandt, and Trenary have the best chances of being promoted because they have a strong advocate in Alexei Ratmansky. All three have been picked by Ratmansky for his productions and all three have delivered. And next year the reconstruction of Harlequinade will give the shorter women more opportunities as that's a role for shorter ballerinas.

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15 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

That's really what it comes down to, though, isn't it? How much more interesting would it be to see Trenary, Lane, Brandt, etc getting shots and second shots at all those roles?

 

Just like last night for Lane!

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21 minutes ago, canbelto said:

I think Lane, Brandt, and Trenary have the best chances of being promoted because they have a strong advocate in Alexei Ratmansky. All three have been picked by Ratmansky for his productions and all three have delivered. And next year the reconstruction of Harlequinade will give the shorter women more opportunities as that's a role for shorter ballerinas.

Truthfully I'd be shocked, and even disappointed, if Brandt or Trenary became a principal so soon after becoming a soloist. Personally I have a slight preference for Brandt, but as much as both have demonstrated potential, neither IMO have shown that she has what it takes to be a principal now. Maybe in a couple of years.

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