Pique Arabesque Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Why in the world would Misty hold a press conference separate than the company? I'm sure that reporters were looking for her to comment but still. Can't she just give a comment or release a statement? In regards to Misty in Giselle, at this stage I would just hope that I don't end up with a ticket for that show! Do we know that it was a non-ABT press conference? Also, no one is making anyone buy tickets to Copeland performances at gunpoint. Geez. Link to comment
laurel Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I agree with much of this but I don't think Lane had a disastrous season. I saw her Theme and her 2nd attempt at Aurora and enjoyed them both (she was the only one who had to debut Aurora on the met stage). I heard good reports of Les Sylphides and Swan Lake Pas de Trois etc. Far from disaster IMO. Lane had a spectacular debut in the old version of Sleeping Beauty when she was in her early twenties. I was there and thought it wonderful. The Times critic brushed her off because in his opinion she smiled too much. If you go back and read the review you'll see how she was brushed off. It's clear to me that KM doesn't like her and is not interested in giving her opportunities. Lane is my favorite dancer and I’ve run to see every major performance she’s given in New York since 2007, including her four Auroras. I remember her NY debut in Sleeping Beauty very well, including the Cheshire Cat grin; if I recall, the critic referred to her great performance as “sweet.” Two years ago she gave an even better performance as Aurora, flying across the stage like a firecracker, with a Rose Adagio unmatched by anyone else. This time at least he called her “radiant.” And this was a year after her debut in Swan Lake with Corella in Barcelona. When she wasn’t promoted at that point it was obvious something was wrong with management. I’ve always looked to her for technical perfection. This has been the first season I’ve ever seen her fall off pointe, or have difficulty with any technical challenge presented by the choreography. Her concentration has been off, her dancing low key. I hope she can snap out of whatever it is that’s been holding her back, because I’d miss her terribly if she left for another company. Link to comment
choriamb Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Something else to consider about the flood tide of promotions and additions today: The retirements of Julie Kent, Paloma Herrera and Xiomara Reyes may have freed up a lot of $$$ to facilitate some of these (to us) overdue promotions. Last I checked, Kent and Herrera were two of the top earners in the company. We think of ABT being like the Yankees, and being able to go out into the free market to buy whichever performer they want. The reality is closer to a sports team operating under a salary cap. There's a limit to how much the company can take on at the top end. (I understand the counter-argument that, if the company didn't rely so heavily on guest stars, they would have more money for the in-house talent.) Simkin will definitely be the odd man out in the shorter principals ranks after today. With Cornejo, Gorak (soloist but doing principal roles) and Lendorf (already proven in principal roles), Simkin's underwhelming workload during the Met seasons will leave him last among equals. And, as I type this, Misty's promotion is a news story on the NBC Nightly News. I agree that the money freed up by the retirements of the three senior ballerinas was what probably made this possible. (I disagree that ABT is the Yankees: that would be NYCB! Simkin's situation isn't that bad...after all, now the four shorter men have the decidedly petite classical technicians Lane, Brandt, Trenary, and Kotchetkova, And Cornejo and Simkin have also been paired with the slightly taller Copeland and Boylston respectively (not to mention Paris). 4:7 is a great ratio...and part of the reason I think these promotions were so savvy. Also, I think Lendorf punches above his weight: wasn't Gillian Murphy slated to dance with him in Don Quixote a few years ago (before she was replaced by Reyes due to injury)? The tall side of the situation is odd. As depressing as it is to imagine Gomes and Hallberg's retirements, it makes the casting for that side of the story more explicable. If he's like most other male dancers, Gomes (for instance) is likely to retire before either Murphy or Part and, 1-2 years before then, will reach a point where he's unable to support them sufficiently...at a point where they'll be far more reliant on his help. From that perspective, it actually makes sense for Part to be working so much with Stearns (and Murphy with Whiteside/Hammoudi): they're grooming the men who will help them sustain their late careers. Still, even given the possibility (likelihood?) that one of the senior tall women will be out with a pregnancy at some point, that side of the team would be safer with one more tall man (even with Forster added to the mix). Link to comment
bingham Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Tall men as partners ? Gray Davis and Daniel Mantei are just waiting for the big break. Link to comment
mimsyb Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Tall men as partners ? Gray Davis and Daniel Mantei are just waiting for the big break. YES! To both. Link to comment
miliosr Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Why in the world would Misty hold a press conference separate than the company? Maybe because ABT's press operations suck? I've always looked to her for technical perfection. A pristine technique is always a pleasure to see but perhaps Lane's technical perfection has become a bit of a mire for her. (I disagree that ABT is the Yankees: that would be NYCB! ABT is the Yankees in terms of $$$ spent in the free market but the Mets in everything else. Gray Davis and Daniel Mantel are just waiting for the big break. I fear they may be Waiting for Godot. If the big break hasn't happened yet, I doubt that it will. At one point, Davis was partnering (no pun intended) Part in galas and outside Nutcrackers. But the company never picked up on that. Another person who has all but disappeared at this point is Grant Delong. He was doing Jardins and now is virtually invisible. Link to comment
Plisskin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Do we know that it was a non-ABT press conference? Also, no one is making anyone buy tickets to Copeland performances at gunpoint. Geez. The real question is why would Misty be at an ABT press conference when ABT doesn't even HAVE a company press conference? Lol. People on this very forum have bemoaned on how piss poor ABT's advertising and media operations is. It's not a shock that she would hold her own due to this reason. Link to comment
stuben Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Tall men as partners ? Gray Davis and Daniel Mantei are just waiting for the big break. Isn't Baca or Royal just as tall? I would think they would be wonderful tall partners, I have seen both and believe they have done more than Davis or Mantei? I might be that I missed shows they have been in. Link to comment
stuben Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 The real question is why would Misty be at an ABT press conference when ABT doesn't even HAVE a company press conference? Lol. People on this very forum have bemoaned on how piss poor ABT's advertising and media operations is. It's not a shock that she would hold her own due to this reason. She indeed has PR agent or agents to do all this, I totally agree Plisskin. She was on the news all last night and I saw her again this morning, she is everywhere. Stella accepted her promotion with grace and humility being the more deserving one. I understand all the hype and appreciate the reasons, however, I just feel this is a bit over the top for my taste. I just feel after seeing her dance that this was not a talent driven promotion, but now that it is done she will have to proof herself worthy. I guess there is a saying: Be careful what you wish for! Link to comment
Plisskin Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 She indeed has PR agent or agents to do all this, I totally agree Plisskin. She was on the news all last night and I saw her again this morning, she is everywhere. Stella accepted her promotion with grace and humility being the more deserving one. I understand all the hype and appreciate the reasons, however, I just feel this is a bit over the top for my taste. I just feel after seeing her dance that this was not a talent driven promotion, but now that it is done she will have to proof herself worthy. I guess there is a saying: Be careful what you wish for! I'm not on the Misty hate bandwagon so I don't think Stella is "more deserving". Neither do I think Misty needs to prove herself anymore than Boylston or Seo whom also have issues in their dancing. I'm visiting family right now who has no cable, but if I became annoyed with seeing a Misty news segment (which it wouldn't bother me one iota) I'd turn the channel, just like I do when I see programs I don't like such as Dancing With the Stars or The O Reilly Factor. Link to comment
stuben Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I'm not on the Misty hate bandwagon so I don't think Stella is "more deserving". Neither do I think Misty needs to prove herself anymore than Boylston or Seo whom also have issues in their dancing. I'm visiting family right now who has no cable, but if I became annoyed with seeing a Misty news segment (which it wouldn't bother me one iota) I'd turn the channel, just like I do when I see programs I don't like such as Dancing With the Stars or The O Reilly Factor. I guess I have been misunderstood Plisskin with my comment, and do apologize to anyone on BA who may think I am on the "hate" bandwagon, I have not even mentioned that word, merely observation with all the media hype. The word hate is not in my vocabulary and as far as I am concerned has done nothing good for this country or anywhere. I do however feel that equal time for equal promotions would be the gracious thing to do. Perhaps ABT marketing should learn from Copeland's PR agents as to how they can promote the entire company, it worked for her so there is something to learn from ... this may gain ticket sales too!? Link to comment
abatt Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Boylston can dance rings around both Copeland and Seo. Her main issue is lack of polish in her upper body/arms. Boylston is a formidable talent with rock solid technique almost all of the time. Stuben, nothing in your post was remotely hateful or evidence of being on a hate bandwagon. Link to comment
kfw Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Perhaps ABT marketing should learn from Copeland's PR agents as to how they can promote the entire company, it worked for her so there is something to learn from ... this may gain ticket sales too!? I imagine that if ABT held a press conference, 9 out of 10 questions from the press would have concerned Copeland and her promotion. And then come the the next round of promotions, what would they do then, hold another? I wonder how many news organizations would show up. Since they didn't hold their own conference, Copeland almost needed to hold one of her own to answer all the inquiries she'd inevitably get. Link to comment
stuben Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Boylston can dance rings around both Copeland and Seo. Her main issue is lack of polish in her upper body/arms. Boylston is a formidable talent with rock solid technique almost all of the time. Stuben, nothing in your post was remotely hateful or evidence of being on a hate bandwagon. Thank you for the understanding abatt and agree about Boylston as I did get to see her several times this season, the last was Swan Lake and she did exceptionally well. As mentioned, now Copeland will have to proof herself especially with more chances of coaching compared to the talent left behind in the corps who, IMO, can use more funding for coaching opportunities. Link to comment
its the mom Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Glad to see that someone recognized and emphasized Stella's promotion: http://thefilam.net/archives/18842 Link to comment
mussel Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 News coverage of the promotion from around the world: France http://www.lepoint.fr/culture/la-danseuse-noire-americaine-misty-copeland-entre-dans-l-histoire-30-06-2015-1941336_3.php Italy http://www.blitzquotidiano.it/foto-notizie/misty-copeland-prima-ballerina-afroamericana-2222219/ UK http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33330870 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/misty-copeland-just-became-the-first-black-female-principal-dancer-in-american-ballet-theaters-75year-history-10356175.html South Africa http://citizen.co.za/afp_feed_article/misty-copeland-celebrity-ballerina-breaks-race-ceiling/ Spain http://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20150630/54433123836/el-american-ballet-nombra-por-primera-vez-a-una-afroamericana-como-principal.html Australia http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stage/american-ballet-theatre-names-misty-copeland-first-black-principal-ballerina-20150701-gi210z.html Canada http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-misty-copeland-makes-history/article25210296/ http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/misty-copeland-named-first-black-female-principal-at-american-ballet-theatre-1.3133426 Quebec http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/artsetspectacles/general/archives/2015/06/20150630-184208.html Link to comment
nysusan Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 The Boston Globe is reporting that both Jeffrey Cirio and Whitney Jensen are leaving, though Jensen hasn't made public where she is heading. She would be a wonderful addition to ABT's roster - medium size, great technician, lovely presence on stage. Just sayin... https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-dance/2015/06/30/dancers-jeffrey-cirio-whitney-jensen-leaving-boston-ballet/zBIevCnXDg1TKc6j5MXI7I/story.html Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Maybe because ABT's press operations suck? A pristine technique is always a pleasure to see but perhaps Lane's technical perfection has become a bit of..... at this point . What technical perfection? I didn't see it in her Aurora. Not by a mile. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I never thought I'd say this, but this flood of promotions has renewed my faith in ABT. Maybe they listened to all of the criticism about not nurturing homegrown talent enough. Who knows. But, seeing a swath of promotions for dancers who have toiled away for many years at the same level is inspiring. Abrera was a soloist for 14 years! Paris was in the corps for 14 and Scott was in the corps for 11. Copeland a soloist for 8 and Forster in the corps for 8. I noticed several Twitter and Instagram comments from fellow dancers regarding Abrera with the hashtags #perserverance and #homegrown or #homegrowntalent. Yes, new blood every now and again (like Cirio, though I'm sure that must frustrate some of the corps men who were passed over) is good for the company. But, there's nothing like seeing someone work their way up, especially over many years. Speaking of Cirio, I've never seen him dance but I've read that he's an amazing dancer so I'll look forward to seeing him hopefully in the fall. I wonder if he'll go the way of Whiteside? One year as a soloist then get promoted. From where I sit now, bringing him in seems smart. They need another Cornejo, a short principal who's a virtuoso and a good partner to short ballerinas. Brandt and Trenary are small (though I'm not sure about the height differences bet Cirio and those 2 ladies) and I could see KM fast tracking them and giving them Juliet, Aurora and other lead roles for which they'll need a partner. Cornejo will have Kochekova and he's also frequently injured it seems. Simkin is small but too slight and not strong enough to partner for most lead roles. And since Cirio was a principal he's already performed a lot of these lead roles (like Whiteside). Anyway....did anyone else in NYC happen to see the awesome fireworks display last night over western Queens/Randall's Island? I caught it by chance and I thought it was a wonderful celebration for the homegrown promotions! Link to comment
spinning2night Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Wait. "Sub par performances"? Asked to do a role she's not ready for? Isn't that why a dancer is promoted in the first place? That they are totally ready to do any role asked and it is assumed said dancer will give a more than acceptable performance. I always thought that was the criteria. let's be real, the track record for the newer female principals at the moment isn't the greatest or cleanest... that being said, I'd just honestly like to see that ALL of these newly promoted dancers gets a chance to grow and develop into their new roles (and stage and in the company) first before they get pushed into doing more than they can handle -- I don't doubt Misty's talent, but I feel she lost a few good years of development due to past injuries and getting stuck in "pointless" soloist roles (cough the "old" SB...) Perhaps she's gotten more opportunities of late bc of PR, etc but I do want to see her genuinely succeed and not succumb to the pressures/attention that her promotion brings -- i'm just not convinced that she's 100% ready (especially when you compare her to the likes of Stella) Link to comment
spinning2night Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 random question -- how tall are Misty and Stella -- I'm under the impression that Misty is on the shorter side, and Stella's right in that "mid-height" category where she could be partnered by anyone -- is that right? Regular ABT goers, can you give a more concrete comparison to other dancers in the company? and who do you think they would most likely to be partnered with? ps -- thrilled that yesterday wasn't a dream! Link to comment
stuben Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 It is just overall quite interesting to me that very little is mentioned the fact that Stella is a Filipino/American and maybe someone can confirm on BA that she maybe the first as well to become principal at ABT? I am glad to have found this article to finally give her some credit in the media: http://thefilam.net/archives/18842 Link to comment
alexL Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Copeland isn't that taller than Lane actually. I've seen them dancing side by side many times and they are about the same height. Probably about 5'2"-3". Stella and Julie are about the same height (5'5") but I could be wrong. This is irrelevant to this discussion but when I saw Copeland, Brandt, Lane, and Aihara dancing cygnettes, they all looked about the same height. But when they were on point, Aihara became noticeably taller than everyone else, and Copeland became a tiny bit taller than Lane and Brandt. Link to comment
DeCoster Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Isn't Baca or Royal just as tall? I would think they would be wonderful tall partners, I have seen both and believe they have done more than Davis or Mantei? I might be that I missed shows they have been in. Royal is quite tall, yet lanky and perhaps not exceptionally strong (yet). I remember him partnered with Vishneva for a gala pas de deux and Abrera for Seven Sonatas, both lighter ballerinas. He and Abrera made a striking pair. I think Royal has tons of potential, but it is taking him time to control those super-long limbs. I saw his pas de trois the other day in Swan Lake, and although he gets great height his bottom leg kind of lags behind in the cabrioles. His arms can get a little wild too. But he has great stage presence and beautiful lines. I'm excited to watch him improve. Link to comment
Victura Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 It is just overall quite interesting to me that very little is mentioned the fact that Stella is a Filipino/American and maybe someone can confirm on BA that she maybe the first as well to become principal at ABT? I am glad to have found this article to finally give her some credit in the media: http://thefilam.net/archives/18842 Apparently Jeffrey Cirio is Flipino American too. Given ballet's diversity issue especially in NY (http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/junejuly-2014/behind-ballets-diversity-problem), perhaps ABT should publicize these promotions along with Misty's. Was anything noted when Hee Seo was promoted? I haven't followed ABT for very long, but was there another Asian ballerina principal before her? Link to comment
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