Jayne

Sounds like they took a page out of the Infosys HR manual on hiring. I do like the 5 year contracts for teachers, so I'll give Mr. Tsiskaridze positive credit for that. I hope he's happy to stay at the Vagonova Academy for a while, maybe he will mellow a bit. I think his only chance at the Mariinsky would be if Gergiev gives up his position. I doubt two big personalities would work at the Mariinsky, which is why Yuri Fateyev has kept his position.

I am reviving this thread because Ismene Brown translated an article on Nov.20 regarding the permanent position of Rector at the Vaganova Academy: http://www.ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2014/11/20_Vaganova_Academy_rewrites_criteria_to_suit_Tsiskaridze_alone.html

From the OC Register Article: I've wondered about this, JKO is pushing its curriculum for "associated" schools such as Ballet San Jose, but there is no "proof" in the pudding yet??? Seems like it would have been simpler to invest in an existing school in Orange County, give them the Segerson scholarship opportunities and performance opportunities for the family oriented story ballets. Hmmmmmm.....time will tell. Ballet people can be snarky and there are small business interest to protect as well.

I just can't get too excited about the race issue. For me, this is similar to Russians in NYC turning out to see a Russian dancer guest at ABT. Certainly it's been noted that Georgians living in the US flocked to Nina Ananiashvili's preformances. Opera singers often get fans for similar reasons. Marian Anderson led the way for the incomparable Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman and others. Many African Americans bought tickets just to see them. And they were certainly marketed as African American performers. In winter sports, the black American athletes are certainly notable for breaking into sports that are not notable for non-whites: speed skating, artistic skating, bobsleigh, hockey, etc. It's tribalism and it can be ugly (politics) or appropriately fun (sports). In this case, I think it doesn't take away audience from Washington Ballet. Rather, it will add 2 extra nights of ticket sales to populations who don't normally come to the ballet, but will come to see someone from their "tribe" (Misty Copeland). That tribe can't go see Lauren Anderson perform right now, but they can come see Misty perform. She's already given one performance in Australia that received decent reviews. I think all female soloists at ABT should have the "chops" to perform O/O. Soloists are understudies for the principals, so they should be able to nail O/O. Certainly that is expected of the top companies: POB, Bolshoi, Mariinsky, RB, RDB, etc.

Ashton Fan has a good idea about using the younger soloists and corps members in Ashton works. For the plot-less ballets, it seems like they would be less expensive to tour (set expenses would be less). Many companies have a junior "second" company just for this purpose. Wouldn't it be great if RB sent a group of 20 to various towns in the UK to show these works?

If you're going to bring your story ballets to New York City, the standards and expectations are very high. NYers have seen the best of the best, and expect the best (especially at NY prices).

I saw it Saturday afternoon (Nov 08), but I was harried after a family emergency, so not in the frame of mind to pay attention to details. I'm hoping to get tix tomorrow to the upcoming weekend, and then I'll a post a review.

Oh I remember PBS broadcasting Pippin, way back in the day. Ben Vereen was one of a kind. I understand from watching the Tony Awards that the new Leading Player is female. I can see why it made sense not to have a comparison to Ben Vereen. The Leading Player must be an amazing dancer (without actually doing much in the opening scene), charismatic, an able singer, and a stage animal. In my mind's eye, I think Usher could do a wonderful job with it. And I think with the right coaching, he could easily master the Fosse style (hands and all).

Regarding Galliano, Vanity Fair published an article that examined his abuse / addiction to certain chemical concoctions. Here is the curtailed version: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/06/john-galliano-interview-exclusive

so basically you're asking us 2 things: (1) ballets that a relatively new ballet fan would enjoy, and (2) desert island ballets (or at least recordings of them). Those are two different things. Also, I would love love love if PNB would do the Morris "Sylvia". I know 2016 has R+J by Malliot on the slate, and probably another round of Giselle to get more use out of the new sets. But the Morris Sylvia would be cake. And more David Dawson would be frosting! (religiously crossing myself.....From my typepad to Peter Boal's ears!)

My mom loved it, I found that I could just not find anything enjoyable in the choreography. The silly attempts at "oriental" arms were just as painfully awful as Grigorovich's attempts at Southeast Asian traditional folk dancing in "La Bayadere". I had heard "Legend of Love" was the best of Grigorovich's choreography, but I wasn't impressed. The dram-ballet story is inscrutible if you don't have the 2 page (in tiny type!) flyer to read, or the ever-elegant Katerina Novikova to explain everything to you. I adore her and wish she was my friend in real life, even if she has to sugar coat choreographic soured cabbage to make us think it is pierogi. The dancers deserved so much better than this. At least the orchestra played their hearts out. Is the Lacotte Daughter of the Pharoah worthwhile? I'm debating if I want to waste $16 or go see an Oscar potential movie instead.

well, that's unsettling. I have no objection to their final choice, but what if Ratmansky had applied?

If they changed the costumes to some sort of wild animal instead, I could live with that. I do hope that PNB ends up alternating productions from year to year. Maybe if the Ratmansky version doesn't take off in LA, then PNB could rotate all 3: Balanchine with Falconer Sets Stowell with Sendak sets Ratmansky with ???? sets

I haven't seen it, but I understand the Ballet West version (originally choreographed for SFB by Christensen) is completely charming. I've attended the PNB version for years, and will probably buy a cheap seat to see the final run this year. I'll miss it, but the costume colors are starting to deteriorate in the first act, and the second act Whirling Dervishes are misappropriated to blackface. I wish they would just replace the costumes with true Dervish white coats.

I saw that she taught at Grand Rapids Ballet 2014 Summer program. Perhaps she is taking this year to audition and will sign for the following season with a new company.

wow, some exceptional costuming!

Call me a heretic, but I am not a fan of Phillip Roth. Is it shocking that his fellow writers and editors are snarky? Is water wet? The Pulitzer list of winners and nominees has a much better pool to choose from if a North American is to win.

According to this link, she spent the summer instructing at Grand Rapids Ballet: http://www.grballet.com/keenan-kampa/ Also, apparently she's appearing in a fictional movie: http://www.pointemagazine.com/blogs/keenan-kampa/keenan-kampa-star-high-strung

This is true when it comes to favorite flavors, yet some ice creams do really have more fat content than others. Was I off topic? Well, perhaps I wasn't as specific as I meant to be. La Stepanova may be the best thing since ice cream was invented, but some may disagree. After all, my mother adores coconut in her ice cream, which sounds like eating sour cardboard to me. But I still respect her love of icecream. Anyway, I think this concept of rabid fans is not new, but rabid fans on social media is very new and no one knows exactly how to manage it well, or how it could end badly. It would be a shame if an emerging artist gets better known for the bad actions of her rabid fanbase than for the artistry and suspension of disbelief when we see her portraying a character on stage.

art is like ice cream, we all have our own favorite flavors.

She was slated for Emeralds last night, but the program as typed last night replaced her, hopefully she's dancing Diamonds tomorrow night!

Ahem, IMHO, they should have skipped the boring Wheeldon and Cerruto pieces and instead brought the new Tharp "At the Station" and NBoC / Pyte "Emergence". Maybe the sets were too expensive to ship back and forth. But the Wheeldon and Cerruto pieces are middling - at best. Still, go for the Peck premier.

Bring in Fabrice Calmels to dance with Veronika Part and Polina Semionova!

Cranko did Taming as well

Rome. By All Means, Rome. I will cherish my visit here, in memory, for as long as I live.