Sleeping Beauty

[DeCoster]

Anyone notice the photo credits on the slideshow, linked above? Matthew Murphy, formerly of ABT, I presume. Makes sense he knows how to capture dancers so well.

[Barbara]

YES, Matt has grown to be an accomplished and I believe gifted photographer with a unique "eye".

[Ambonnay]

Raylene:

I don't know about the ABT apprentice process, but I assume ABT II is one of the sources of supply for apprentices. All three current apprentices (April Giangeruso, Meaghan Hinkis and Courtney Lavine) from the ABT website have ABT II experience. One of the apprentices from last year and now a full corps member Jose Sebastian is also from ABT II (formerly referred to as ABT's Studio Company). As are dancers like Michele Wiles, Eric Tamm and Cory Stearns. Not all ABT II participants make ABT, but I think ABT likes to consider people from ABT II.

Also, Nicola Curry, Leanne Underwood, Nicole Graniero, Christine Shevchenko, Thomas Forster, Roman Zhurbin, Hee Seo also all came out of ABT II, I think. Not bad.

And if you wondered how some dancers get into ABT II...

http://www.abt.org/contactus/enews/summerintensive.asp

(Hallberg and Mesmer discuss their participation in the ABT summer intensive program)

[Ambonnay]

Alistair M's annual "thought" piece is in today's NYTimes. Excepts follow:

"When it comes to purest classicism, however, our current exemplar is male: David Hallberg. In Ballet Theater's 'Sleeping Beauty' his line, his stance, his phrasing all epitomized the ideal. In Ashton's 'Dream' he found choreography that inflamed him, and the 'Orpheus' Blest [sic] Spirit solo that he danced in 'Kings of the Dance' ... was a revelation of Elysian grace.... with Mr. Hallberg we watch history in the making: male style is taken to new heights."

Even though Alistair M mentions both Hallberg and Osipova in his piece, one glaring omission in terms of the review of the NY dance year that has passed is that Alistair apparently may not have attended the Hallberg/Osipova Romeo & Juliet. Otherwise, he probably could have included that performance in 2010's notable developments described in this article.