Drew

I'm with you on time and art -- why not indeed? But though both Gregory and Godunov were great and exciting dancers, and I can easily believe their partnership has and had admirers, I don't think that everyone saw their partnership qua partnership quite that way. (Personally I very much enjoyed Gregory with Michel Denard though I only saw them together once, in a contemporary pas de deux, and he did not become an ABT regular so that partnership didn't develop.) I wondered if I was misremembering how ballet-goers around me responded to the Gregory-Godunov partnership--I do remember my own reactions to the Bayadere and later a Giselle--and I poked around a bit to see how it was written about: a Kisselgoff review of their Swan Lake in the NYTimes praises both dancers very highly but also states that "no true emotional rapport between the principals could be sensed." I also found a link to Alan Kriegsman's discussion of their first appearance together in Corsaire. It's clear he didn't think they yet had time to gel; he also refers to "stormy rehearsals" -- though that doesn't necessarily mean a partnership won't work on stage. The real issue may be that they simply didn't dance together that much presumably in part because Baryshnikov fired him -- and he also pursued a career in Hollywood. (From other things you have posted, I'd guess that you probably know the details of his career better than I.) Link to the Kisselgoff article: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/28/arts/ballet-cynthia-gregory-s-swan.html Links to the Kriegsman piece: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/28/arts/ballet-cynthia-gregory-s-swan.html The LA Times had a later piece in the 1990s on Gregory's travails finding the right partner; its headline is, rather tellingly, "going it alone." That piece now seems to be behind a paywall, but it refers to Godunov's time at ABT being all too brief for a fully fledged partnership to develop: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-24-ca-3142-story.html (Side note: I think lack of time together also kept Osipova-Hallberg from being anything like the partnership it could have been.) I will add that Gregory emerged as a star at a time when many leading dancers were known for "partnerships" where the whole was considered greater than the sum of its parts--and the on-stage chemistry between the dancers could be absolutely remarkable; and those partners danced with one another very consistently across a great deal of repertory: Fracci-Bruhn, Haydee-Cragun, Makarova-Nagy, Sibly-Dowell--eventually Makarova-Dowell and, of course, Fonteyn-Nureyev, and--for a time--Kirkland-Baryshnikov; even at NYCB one might talk about Mcbride and Villella or Farrell and Martins as "partnerships." But for a very long time now I would say that companies mostly seem to mix it up more--so that even their best known dancers are dancing with multiple partners. (There are exceptions, but on the whole...) I wonder if Gregory's lack of one special partner would be remarked upon now the way it was during her career. I also think, from what she said in interviews, that Gregory was hoping for a partnership of the Fracci-Bruhn or Kirkland-Baryshnikov kind with Godunov and most of us were hoping for that too. I remember distinctly feeling disappointment that it didn't happen that way. But she had a fabulous career. His story is a sadder one.

Wayne McGregor has been granted a knighthood. It's always good to see ballet & dance honored: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8OqE_2o9Hs/

Goodness, I never thought to see this thread revived. Unfortunately I don't know about videos of Gregory with Godunov beyond what a VERY casual search reveals (which is that same Corsaire bit you mention and some rehearsal footage). I'll draw attention, too, to the date of that post you are quoting -- it's from over 20 years ago. I do still remember that when I saw them in that early Bayadere (probably the first or second time they were dancing the engagement scene together), they did not look well-matched and did not seem to dance together effectively, but if I were writing my description now, I would probably express myself a little more carefully. (My memory is that the closest Gregory came to developing a real partnership over time was with Bujones.) Rereading the title of this thread I will say, of a certainty, she deserves to be on any list of top American Ballerinas!

You are right--I just looked it up and according to Wikipedia he joined in 2022. (For me, that belongs to the Covid black hole--I remember things as if they were "before" and "after.")

Not addressing the big picture here...but on World Ballet Day I thought Sierra Armstrong drew the eye as did a few other corps members not mentioned --I had trouble figuring out who everyone was, but I think Kotomi Yamada was one of them. I don't mean I looked at these dancers and thought "future principal;" I'm not a ballet professional and it was just a class where I caught glimpses from odd angles, but I certainly wondered about their potential in featured roles. (And, last year, Courtney Lavine was genuinely fabulous in the contemporary role of Nacha in Like Water for Chocolate.) Also, if people are doubtful the corps has a depth of talent (I'm agnostic on this point because I haven't seen them enough to say)--then I find myself wondering if it is possible that there is a chicken-egg issue with the dancers when they are put forward in featured roles. The dancers don't get as many opportunities to dance--not even as many opportunities to wave a flower--and perhaps in their off weeks are scrambling for gigs or other work that doesn't even involve performing. Some can afford outside coaching but others cannot. All of this is less than ideal for their development, and when they finally get a chance at a featured role, they may only get one or two shots at it etc. I'm just thinking out loud, so who knows, but maybe there is more talent to be developed there than is obvious to an outside observer--if only the company can find a way to dance more and get dancers the support they need. I agree with what @ABT Fan said about giving Jaffe a chance in any case. On the dancer front, she brought Camargo on board which is a decided plus [ @abatt corrected me below -- he joined in 2022, so Mckenzie was still Director]. I could wish he were younger and had more prime years ahead of him, but for now he seems to me a huge asset. (A ballet fan has to love his name too.) It was also mentioned that we have some version of this conversation every year. I'd add maybe even more than once a year. What strikes me as someone who reads all the reviews on this site is that the reviews of ABT's performances are often more happy sounding than the pre-review discussions. And that seems a good sign for the future. As long as Jaffe and her team can find donors and performance opportunities.

I hope to see her--she looks very beautiful in the rehearsal footage she has posted.

I remember seeing the Stravinsky program--the designs were all by David Hockney. (For the French program too--but I never saw it.) Anyway, as long as ABT is bound to what is problematic about dancing at the Met, I always thought it would be great if there could be some artistic benefit to the relationship. But...unless a zillionaire donor has the same idea, then it's just fan-fiction on my part. Perhaps I should clarify that I enjoy the Met. With the right productions and right dancers. it can be an exciting theater for ballet. Despite the many problems....But the problems are real.

A few random thoughts: I think Woolf Works has the potential to be an "event" but it needs promotion. It probably doesn't help that the aesthetic it embodies is unlikely to be to the taste of some of the most prominent critics and dance writers in New York. Ratmansky, Wheeldon, and McGregor have used dramaturges and/or librettists for narrative ballets. For examples: Nicholas Wright is credited with the scenario for Alice; Mark Lamos is listed as dramaturge for the Tempest. McGregor's Woolf Works lists Uzma Hamsed as dramaturge, etc. One of my fantasies is collaboration between ABT and the Met: say, a revival of the Ashton Rossignol which was done by the Met with Makarova and Dowell or a program with Macmillan's Fauré Requiem. I know the Met has its own ballet company--perhaps some of their dancers could be involved or they could just take a back seat for one or two special projects. Back on planet earth, however, I know this is extremely unlikely to happen. I agree that ABT could and should turn more to its history--but judiciously. I'm doubtful that much of the older repertory would generate a lot of interest from new, general audiences. And though many balletomanes would happily visit some of these older ballets more than once I'm also doubtful that even hard core ballet fans would be racing to the theater to catch every cast of Rodeo and the River--or even Lilac Garden. And a reminder of what it takes to fill the Met: If ABT were to sell just under 2000 seats--a full house at NYCB when the 4th-ring is closed--then slightly less than half of the Metropolitan opera house would remain empty. LWFC's 65% attendance sounds better when one thinks of it that way....

I thought that too--and from the Javier Hernández interview with Jaffe: "Ballet Theater suffered a major setback in 2022, when a significant source of revenue — the summer season at the Met — was curtailed after the opera house extended its own performances into June. That decision forced the company to reduce its season at the Met to five weeks from eight. (The company also performs a brief fall season at the David H. Koch Theater.)"

It's a very tricky issue artistically and even ethically for Jaffe to negotiate. But I will say this regarding Cornejo: he is one of the few bona fide greats in the company ranks --past his prime or not, a great dancer is a rare phenomena. When I saw Erik Bruhn he was over 40--he still had a huge impact on me. His performances were some of the greatest classical dancing I will ever see. I imagine Cornejo still sells tickets too. So, until I see or read repeatedly that he's falling apart at the seams, I will always be happy to see him cast. (I saw him last year in LWFC--he was beautiful and his presence filled the Met.) Still, I think everyone agrees that the company needs to find ways to give big opportunities to the younger men who show ability. If the company is planning to revive Manon for next season, then Lescaut seems like a good role for Roxander. I'm glad Jaffe is looking into touring opportunities. (I would love to see the company more than one week a year at Kennedy Center.) One anecdote re promotion/influencers/advertising. I have friends, a couple who like ballet, but are not balletomanes. They probably go a few times a year. One is a Woolf scholar and they knew about the Royal dancing McGregor's Woolf Works and own a DVD of the Royal's performance. I contacted them a few weeks ago about going to see it live with ABT and they had no idea ABT was dancing it. They have tickets now, but one sees the problem....

Thank you! Very helpful--I'm not used to the paperless program and had been looking in the wrong place for what I wanted to know.

I did not see Corti's debut but did see her second performance (Sat afternoon)--I thought she looked fun and fresh and I would be happy to see more of her in other roles. I was looking out for Gabriel having read about him in discussions here. He seemed very good--I can't say I have a lot to say about the particular performance though. The one dancer in the Emeralds pas de trois who made quite an impression on me over the weekend was in a different cast: Mary Thomas MacKinnon who seemed to bring something extra to her upper body throughout her short variation. (And did she dance in Diamonds in the ensemble? As follow up to that question: please let me vehemently protest the lack of the complete casting information that allows one to answer this kind of question confidently on one's own. The "Digital" casting gives principals and major solo roles but no coryphee roles and certain no list of all the dancers in the different ensembles. [Edited to add: @Fernie M gave me the correct link below--I had been looking at "casting" not the actual digital program.] I think it's a little premature to comment on Olivia Mackinnon in Emeralds. In some ways, I consider the Verdy role the hardest one in the ballet --and I also have very distinctive memories of Verdy. I do think Olivia MacKinnon looks to be a lovely dancer. Not debuting anything but new to me was Emma Von Enck and I thoroughly enjoyed her terrific performance in Rubies. Sounds silly to say so, but she all but had me jumping out of my seat. To back up a little: altogether I caught all three casts of Jewels in D.C. (always the second performance for the week's debuts). I'll add to the chorus regarding Nadon's Diamonds. She was beautiful in the role--and of course still has room to grow which will surely be a joy to watch for those lucky enough to see it. Walker danced well in the male lead; I enjoyed seeing him here. And Saturday night Nadon was just spectacular as the tall girl in Rubies. In fact, before my trip I had thought Nadon would be all I would want to write about on returning home from D.C. Just seeing those two distinctive Nadon performances side by side was an event--and the excitement she generates every second she is on stage is palpable. I join everyone else in saying -- each, in our own way -- WOW! Still when the last performance I attended was over, it turned out that the dancer I most wanted to write about was Sara Mearns. On Saturday night I thought Mearns showed the kind of sweep and depth in the Diamonds pas de deux that only comes with experience--even, I'm tempted to say, mastery. Perhaps because my NYCB going is spaced out my reactions to dancers are shaped differently than people who see them multiple times a season. I have seen Mearns dance Diamonds just once before--some years ago (seven? eight?). At that time, the whole performance was marked by power and risk taking; it expressed or generated a kind of rapture. I guess one might have thought that performance over the top, but I loved it. Last night was, in some respects, an entirely different performance--as if all that power and rapture were still there but had been internalized, concentrated, and then sublimated into something less palpable. ("Spiritualized" was the first word I tried out.) More concretely, I will mention what seemed to me the extraordinary strength of her supported arabesques penchées aimed straight at the sky: the power wasn't in 'your face' the way it had been--and it radiated from her entire body. For my taste, this is the kind of dancing that shows the profound connection to a role that comes with years of dancing it. (For that reason, it reminded me of a Cojocaru Aurora I saw in 2018.) It's a different kind of pleasure than one gets from seeing debuts and dancers just stretching their wings or even dancers at their most whiz bang kick ass fun (Von Enck!). I will allow that In the allegro, she is not as fast as she was--at least as I remember that earlier performance--nor as daringly off axis--but she was grand, a full-fledged ballerina...and altogether gave a performance that contained worlds. Anyway, I thought the whole company looked great in D.C. though no sooner had I defended their corps dancing to an acquaintance who had found them sloppy than I noticed that the corps did seem to get a little sloppy in Diamonds Saturday night including someone mis-timing their entrance during the canon-like structures towards the end of the ballet. I don't see a lot of world class ballet and I think this makes me quite forgiving on some matters, but also less forgiving when it comes to sloppiness and silly mistakes because what I see is all I'm likely to see for some time. (I can't count on seeing Jewels for another 7 or 8 years.) But other than that, no complaints and lots of gratitude.

Not a fan of annual Midsummer Night's Dream. I enjoy the ballet a lot, and if, as I infer, it's a consistent money-earner, then I understand the companty performing it annually. But as much as I enjoy the ballet, I prefer as much variety from NYCB as I can get. And for simply seeing a range of dancers, and taking the company's temperature, I would much prefer Jewels as a regularly returning ballet.

It seems like you are putting together quite a data-base for yourself that you are sharing here--I know the question of choreographer is tricky when we are looking at modern productions, but if you develop this here or elsewhere just for yourself or for some other project, it would be great to add the names of the original choreographers alongside the dates of the premiers. (Obviously the videos will mostly be from later productions.) I think the importance of the choreographer to the art can hardly be overstated.

To an outsider it seems as if the job would be Bolle's for the asking. He's a La Scala product in a way Abbagnato is not and, although he hasn't run a company as she has, he has been running his own touring group for quite some time. (Of course I don't know what I don't know. Perhaps others know more?) Given Legris's experience with big opera houses in Paris and Vienna, as well as dancing throughout the world, he had seemed a good choice for La Scala -- I say this even though my own tastes don't always line up with his programming. (As indeed I wouldn't expect them to line up with anyone programming at La Scala.) I gather from English press reports that the current Italian government wants Italians for leading cultural positions in Italy.