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Touring with only half the company?


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I kept meaning to bring this up when the Kirov was in NY.

I have to admit, when I looked at the brochure they were selling and then the roster for the performances, I thought the brochure must have been old, half the company was missing!

Only to find out that not all of the dancers were brought on tour.

So my question is two part.

What companies do this? And for those that have seen both the whole company and half the company touring, does it change the dynamic at all? Is it a "good" representation to do this practice?

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The POB usually does that; for example, recently one part of the company toured to Brazil with two programs ("Giselle" and "Jewels") while the rest performed "Le Concours" in Paris. But actually it's not so different from the usual situation in Paris: often the company is cut in two parts performing or rehearsing two different programs (for example recently "Don Quixote" and a Stravinsky mixed bill), and only some soloists or principals doing both programs.

I don't know how it looks during the tours, but given the large size of the company, I think that it would not be possible for the whole company to tour at the same time... But the problem now might be the small number of principals: for example all four female principals toured to Brazil, and only one of them (Pujol) came back for some performances in "Le Concours".

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Guest aes301

I do believe that in the United States at least union issues make this practice complicated for many companies....if possible at all.

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NYCB also did it when it went out to California and Texas in 1998. I thought it did make a difference in the perception of the company. A few of the reviewers were bemoning the loss of great dancers such as Kyra Nichols, when in fact, she was with the other half of the company. They also didn't always see dancers doing the same roles they do at home.

I'm sure companies take just the amount of dancers they'll need for the three or four ballets they'll be doing to cut costs down, and double where possible, as well.

In the case of the Kirov, with all the touring they do, I'm glad there is a company at home for the local fans to see. But it is always strange or interesting to see which dancers are "in" enough to tour and who stays home. For instance, we have not seen Makhalina in NY with the Kirov since 1995 (she was with a small touring group who performed at the NJPAC, Brooklyn and the Bronx in the late nineties). She's supposedly grown as a dancer, but we didn't get to see her Swan Lake or La Bayadere.

And the company was again short of men during the visit (the same thing happened in 1999). Yet, in the souvenir guide, there are lots of top men listed. Yevgeny Ivanchenko was initially on the cast lists, yet never arrived, forcing Danila Korsuntsev to do all the Swan Lakes and Diamonds.

I think Gottlieb is right, you have to see a company at home to really see them.

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Hi!

NYCB only brought half the company to the Edinborough Festival in 2001. The whole company went in 2000, but it was just too difficult to find appropriate housing for such a large group, so in 2001 only the dancers needed for the repertory went on tour. The remaining dancers remained in NYC and rehearsed for the Asian tour.

I believe that NYCB split into two groups in 1998 so that the company could perform in two locations.

Kate

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