Peter Martins

[Alexandra]

There's no artistic director here who's been the subject of more discussion than Mr. Martins. I'd like to get the sense of the board on his direction. Often posts are from a few deeply committed or partisan voices, but anonymous polls can give a better sense of what the general perception is.

This poll will be up for two weeks. (But you can only vote once.) Only registered members can vote in polls.

[Ari]

Hmmmm . . . how about: "Good. He's in an impossible position, and while he's handled his responsibilities unevenly, who else is there?"

[Alexandra]

Now, now, Ari. The last time you voted, was there an option for: "Gosh, I wish Joe had Bob's tax policies or Bob had Joe's brains." The fun, or torture, of polls is that you can only pick from the options offered

[Farrell Fan]

I would have voted for "Adequate" except for the "Who else is there?" I think many of us know very well who else there is! So I went down a notch in my vote.

[Alexandra]

Ari and FF are right. For our next director poll, I'll just do Superb, Good, Adequate, Not so good and Awful and let you fill in your own blanks

[Alexandra]

Just bumping this up for those who may have missed it last week.

I set this poll to expire in 14 days -- which means this coming Sunday night. You can only vote once

[Hal]

I think Mr B wanted a choreographer to administer the company and that is why he left it in PM's hands. I gather that Robbins didn't want the job. I think he was wprried that if just a dancer ran the show it would turn into a museum which is exactly what he didn't want to happen. On those grounds I give PM very high marks for keeping the company exciting even after 20 years. My major fault with him is not finding a place for Suzanne Farrell to be with the company in some capacity. So I put him in the second category. But I also can't think of anyone who would have been chosen 20 years ago who would have kept the company as exciting as it is today where it showcases the Balanchine and Robbins repertoire and creates exciting new ballets as well.

[Alexandra]

[bump] Another one I forgot to move a few days ago.

[Calliope]

it's not letting me vote, is the poll expired?

[Alexandra]

Yes, this is an old poll, that had an expiration date. (If you look at the very top, it says "poll closed.")

I bumped this up for reading, not for voting -- sorry! And I also wanted these both in the 2002 Archive, when I move this thread down there.

[carbro]

Hey! No Fair! I didn't even have a computer when you closed this poll!

Anyway, I think Peter Martins has sunk City Ballet to a level poor Mr. B could never have imagined. The values exhibited by the company during Balanchine's lifetime, such as spontenaiety, musicality, stylishness, are in diminishing supply. Most ballets look as if they are being performed by rote. There are still artists in the company who know that ballets are more than mere steps, but it seems as if much effort goes into discouraging that kind of performing.

His prediction that "They will be doing my steps, but not my ballets" was sadly prescient. I guess Balanchine had seen what the Maryinsky had done to Petipa in his time there.

Oh, for the days of a corps of 24 different girls doing 24 different things at 24 different times!