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Details Magazine article


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Has anyone else seen the latest issue of Details Magazine. It includes an incredibly offensive article on the "Straight Men" of New York City Ballet. With the language used by some of the dancers, and the way it portrays the girls in the Company, I can't believe this is something NYC Ballet is proud of.

Balanch

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Just curious... what does the Details article discuss (I do not subscribe)? You mention about the sexual orientation of company men: does the article actually say "These are the heterosexual men of New York City Ballet?" That would seem rather odd in an article and inappropriately blunt. I searched for the magazine on the web, however, they do not offer any specifics unless you are a subscriber.

I'm curious to see the "details" of the Details piece... :(

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with absolutely no respect...

The magazine tends to have cover stories with titles like

"have you had sex with Colin Farrell?"

It doesn't even have the ability to boast "but I read it for the articles"

The magazine goes more for shock value than anything else.

I haven't seen the article and I have no desire to go waste my money either.

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The first page of the article shows Carla Korbes in penche, partnered by Seth Orza, with her crotch a foot away from the camera. A quote in the upper-left corner of the picture says,"I might wear a dance belt, but I can still slap an ass and pinch some titties." This wonderful quote is later attributed to Henry Seth. When he's later discussing the girls of the Company, he adds,"We get to indulge. We've got the pick of the litter and no one knows it." Later in the story, Charles Askegard starts to relay a story about visiting a strip club, but is hushed by wife Candace Bushnell. Seth Orza ends the story by answering the question of what it's like to bed a girl who can lift her leg to her head..."Let's just say there are a lot more positions."

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Oh my goodness... that is incredibly offensive. I cannot believe, as you previously said, that NYCB would allow this or see it as "positive press." What a poor reflection of the dancers. It's really ashame- I thoroughly enjoy Orza's dancing, however, when I watch him perform now, I think that the inappropriate comment will to come back to mind and overshadow his technique.

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A good, and ethical, journalist takes account of his subject’s canniness with the press. Technically, anything than comes out of a subject’s mouth is suitable for quoting, but a wise and kind journalist will cut a lot more slack for the little old lady down the block than he would or should for Donald Rumsfeld or Jesse Jackson.

In a dance context, I doubt that Henry Seth is as used to being interviewed as someone like Nikolaj Hubbe (or, frankly, Charles Askegaard). He might not be aware of exactly how to handle a grasping, flattering reporter, or how much damage can be done by a few quotes taken out of context. Ben Millepied refused to talk to the press for awhile after getting burned repeatedly. At any rate, I would venture a guess that Seth is not a very happy man right now.

As far as Details, my understanding is that it’s not an economically healthy magazine, and desperately needs to do whatever it can to distinguish itself from the other “laddish” men’s magazines on the market (FHM, M, Loaded, as well as what’s left of Playboy). This is what they did.

I haven’t read the piece, but it sounds awful – and that’s a shame, because there probably is room for a good piece on “straight” male dancers (although a lot seem to swing both ways). The New York Times Magazine ran a piece on white guys in the NBA a few years back, and it was very well done, along the lines of “how does it feel when the majority becomes a minority”?

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While I don't think NYCB has any say in what is printed, they really should have thought twice about making the dancers available to such a notorious magazine.

It's along the same lines as the designer who hated tutus.

Bad press, is press, but it's bad taste (I think this qualifies under the bad taste thread!)

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When considering this silly article, I also think we should account for men’s well-documented tendency to exaggerate when telling other men how much action they are getting.

At any rate, a girlfriend of mine once ran into a very handsome NYCB soloist in a singles’ club – his main complaint being he couldn’t meet any women.

I also wonder how many beers that reporter bought Seth and Orza before he got those quotes. I somehow doubt the “pinching titties” interview was conducted on a velvet bench at the State Theater, which is where I used to do interviews with the dancers.

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In sports, most of the leagues have first-year player classes on how to deal with the press, avoid loose women and handle their finances. On the men's tennis tour, they have something they call "ATP University" where the first-year players go to the tour's European headquarters in Monte Carlo (yeah, I know) at the end of the year and go through all this stuff with the media. They go over body language, understanding the role of the media (deadlines, a and b stories, look ahead stories, profiles) and what you can and don't have to say to the press. Many of the leagues do the same thing (NBA, WTA, NFL).

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Yuck.

Exposure (media exposure that is...) is great, but there are better ways to get one's name in print.

I would hope that Seth, especially, gets some prompt and educational feedback about his quote-talk about TOTALLY inappropriate and offensive.

Frankly, I'm not so offended by Orza's quote, (no bad language, and well, yet, it's probably true) but it makes me suspicious because it sounds very familiar-another article, book or movie maybe?

One has to wonder if this is a case of a journalist "creating" or creatively re-phrasing a quote. It's certainly been done in much more respectible media than Details.

A question for those with more media knowledge...while the company probably can't control the interviews done by members of the company, can the dancers be held accountable for using the NYCB name. In other words, can a dancer say "I am "X" and this what I have to say", but have to deal with repercussions if they say represent themsevles as members of the company- "I am x, a NYCB dancer and this is what i have to say".

Also, I haven't seen the articles, but doesn't the company/Balanchine Trust have control over any photos including choreography. The picture mentioned sounds a lot like one of the company press photos (or at least a section of one blown up), and I can't imagine the company or the any of the company photographers allowing the photo to be used (unless the were totally unaware of the content of the article).

In general, I agree with other posters that the dancers probably lacked press experience, and that it would be a great idea to have a "class" for the new dancers (or/and at SAB). The national skating organization, USFSA, does workshops for all the members of the national teams (those who will be skating in international comps) about the media and how to handle interviews etc. It doesn't prevent all bad press experiences, but it does help.

Kate

Kate

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I went to the library to read the article, I was forking over $4 for such *^*%^

The men of the company, Orza and Seth even Askegard and Fayette, don't portray the company in very positive light.

They even had a quote from Nicol Hilnka (on how you weren't supposed to date in the company)

Given the age of Seth and Orza, it's basically guys boasting to other guys.

There is a paragraph about how ballet is sport and quotes Lynn Swann on how dance can be found in every sport.

The article basically offends anyone with any morales and half a brain and certainly does not view ballet as anything artistic.

I fault the company for allowing the interviews to be done.

What's next, Playboy with "former NYCB corps girls"?

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Sneds, I think if there's an interview and the company is displeased with the results it will be brought to the dancer's attention -- but what might upset one director might not upset another. As for the photograph, it's customary when one does an article to call and say something like, "We'd like to interview four of your male dancers, one principal, one soloist, couple of corps. And please provide photographs." Of course, I don't know what happened here -- and sometimes a writer might ask the dancer, "Do you have any photos?"

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I thought Details was aimed at a gay audience?

Anything that allows ballet to show its macho side is great with me. Compared with other magazines, both for men and women, Details is mild.

A new artist is the toast of the town in NYC at the Guggenheim, and his art focuses on phalluses (sp?) and Vaseline. No criticism there.

A few candid words should be treated as such, I hope his career is not at risk!

I would never touch a partner inappropriately in studio or performance, but a poke in the ribs is OK.

MJ

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Details is like the Cosmopolitan for men.

There's not much in the article to substantiate that ballet is macho, it's more an expose on these men needing to prove they're not gay.

I don't think there's a ballet term in there, nor a mention of the current or upcoming season either.

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I haven't yet read the article, but you mentioned that James Fayette was another who wasn't portrayed in an especially positive light. I wonder what is wife, Jenifer Ringer, thinks? Fayette doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would make inappropriate comments. Also, last year, Pointe Magazine did an article on Miranda Weese and her routine in the company. In it, she states that she dates Henry Seth. I wonder what she thought when reading his comment on pinching "titties," etc?

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I think all Fayette was quoted as saying is that he slams his shoulder against the wall when it goes out. (I think that was Fayette). And the photos must have been shot for the article -- Orza wears a wristwatch.

The article is juvenile, and its author makes a several dubious claims -- men in the company make less money than women? Balanchine is even said to have been an ardent fan of something I've never ever read of him having any interest in. For those who haven't seen Details, I'll spare you the image, because the writer must be (ab)using the word as a metaphor for love-less sex. But perhaps someone can correct me on that.

Kay, I once heard a male dancer complain that he was having trouble talking to women in his ballet company. I think the guy's a principal now -- I'll bet that helped! If the women in NYCB company have any self-respect, Seth and Orza may need a lot of help now too.

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