Jayne

Golding is Canadian and in the past RB only hired Commonwealth dancers, but then allowed stars such as Nureyev, Makarova, Kirkland, various Cubans, etc to take the stage. Strong male partners are always in demand, I think he will do well elsewhere.

I've seen many complimentary words about Zhong-Jing Fang. Possible soloist?

This is a sad end to things. Her linked interview indicates some long term sadness. And the "Not a team player" comment is interesting. I wonder what Kevin McKenzie's response would be? Too many prolonged injuries to justify her salary? Too little box office compared to other Russian imports? Too much negative energy when the AD brought in all those guests? Maybe she can find a place in Munich at Bavarian State Ballet with the other Mariinsky expats?

Perhaps competition allows her to earn much needed prize money?

The NYT is not fake news, nor is its Arts section fake news. Just because it is underfunded, or one does not agree with its critics does not make the paper fake news. Fake news is the proliferation of false webpages based out of eastern europe that wrote racy headlines with articles mixing recycled wire news facts with false facts. These websites imitates newspapers, but had zero editors, ethics boards, fact checkers, professional journalists, or source confirmation policies. They made many Macedonian teenagers and young adults six figure incomes through online ad sales. I don't always agree with many editorial policies at the Wall Street Journal, but WSJ is just as much a legitimate news organization as NYT, WaPo, or the Chicago Tribune. Rant over, back to dance writing.

Not all experiments succees, but you don't know until you try. Still, an AD's obligation is to cast the best performance on the stage.

Oseo is continuing the long tradition in the dance world of changing your name to help your career. There seem to be a handful of women who professionally use just their first and middle names. Others try to soften harsh surname spelling. Newsreaders and actors do it too. As long as Oseo is a great performer then the audience won't care. Unless he does the Prince Nelson symbol name change. That was a head scratcher.

Hee Seo's italian fouetté weakness as Queen of the Dryads was discussed a few years ago without bringing her race, birth country, trajectory of promotion, or schools (Universal Ballet and Kirov Academy in her case). At some point the performance on stage, at that place and time, is what we comment upon. Or at least, I think our contributors are commenting upon. It is up to the AD to remove a dancer from a role if his/her body is not up for it. Swan Lake is somewhat an exception because there are so many versions over 125+ years, so I am sanguine about substitutions for the fouettés.....but they must be spectacular steps. I expect beautiful execution con brio! Now, other masterworks, such as Balanchine's T&V are made to display specific technical brilliance. And frankly if you are not on Madame Alonso's technical level, you have no business being on the stage in that lead role.

Is she obliquely or directly accusing her AD of racism? Because Kevin McKenzie also had Carlos Acosta as a guest principal. Based on interviews McKenzie has given, getting tickets sold is a huge motivation for bringing in guest stars. The Russian immigres will buy tickets to see Diana Vishneva, etc. Thry already have international reputations and fans will pay top dollar. I think Misty saw that and decided she would have to raise her own profile to get the same box office bonanza. And raising that profile included telling her story in the "nutshell" version that invites clicks for news articles, magazine sales, tv ratings etc. It has worked. But she has injuries, so 32 reliable foettes are not possible. Well executed alternative steps would be better. IMHO. Had she joined a different company (Royal Danish as an example that does not have so much star importing) perhaps she would have been promoted sooner.

If ABT is going to bring guests, do they all have to be from foreign companies? Maybe ABT should not have a guest contract with Maria Kotchekova, but with SFB /Joffrey / PNB to bring in a dancer who is healthy and the best match for one of their own dancers? Imagine if Sarah Van Patten were guesting? Or Carla Korbes? Or Fabrice Calmels? The Queensland Ballet has been more successful bringing in guests but only if they suit a company principal as a partner.

Yes this was my reference: she doesn't look a day over 31.

All I can say is that Carla Fracci is the most youthful un-botoxed un-fillered 51 year old in all of Europe.

There is a female US hurdler named LoLo Jones who embraced social media and garnered media attention and corporate sponsorships. Fast forward to the London Games and she finished fourth....a great disappointment to the media that hyped her. The media has been critical of her ever since. I think the same could happen to Misty.

If you were an AD would you hire her? Personally I find the oversharing and neuroses on display to be massively distracting from the goal of suspending audience disbelief. I have my doubts that a North American or Western European AD would want to hire her, especially as she hasn't much recent experience in contemporary, neo-classical or Western European styles (Ashton, Macmillan, Bournonville, etc). Maybe Houston Ballet? But Stanton Welch has plenty of talented principals. And he would not allow independent vlogging.

From La Bay: https://goo.gl/images/ZSDCah

I thought they did the whole tamale back in the '80s. Though I was a child at the time, I thought Virginia Johnson gave an interview saying as much. But if I am wrong I stand corrected.

FWIW Dance Theatre of Harlem performed the Anne-Marie Holmes full length. Make of it what you will, but the dancers involved descend from the legacy of slavery and found a way yo present the ballet without making it awkward. If you really want yo go to the original text, read Lord Byron's poem. Personally I have more problems with the excruciatingly awful blackface in La Bayadere. But the music is so gorgeous! Can't Bolshoi turn those children into juvenile Macaques wearing adorable jeweled vests and hats?

Better yet, hire Max Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko

Home about an hour ago and I can still access the recording, not sure why others cannot. Beautiful evening!

Link to the details: https://m.facebook.com/PNBallet/photos/a.439537898951.224264.21358443951/10154923363493952/?type=3&source=48&ref=page_internal

Details now on facebook for the livestream at 6:30 pdt. https://m.facebook.com/PNBallet/photos/a.439537898951.224264.21358443951/10154923363493952/?type=3&source=48&ref=page_internal

Veronika deserves better than that

Perhaps a tall, strong American male principal on exchange to ABT would get Veronika Part more performances?

Sorry if I wasn't clear (posting whilst tired encourages poor grammar choices....just ask a certain occupant of a certain house painted white). Cory Stearns did do an exchange and Sarah guested in Spain. But I think exchanges are easier for visa approvals (looks less like foreigners stealing American jobs). I wouldn't mind some guest exchanges with American companies: would love to see some yearlong exchanges with RB, POB, NBoC, etc. But also with some big American city companies.

Kevin McKenzie has gone on record stating he wants guesting to be more equal -if ABT hosts a Mariinsky dancer, then there is a formal exchange with an American dancer getting coaching at the Mariinsky and a performance opportunity. So Corey Stearns went to RB, Sarah Lane went to Mariinsky, etc. It's a good remedy to give dancers more coaching and opportunities while making money at the box office with a Russian Prima. Perhaps exchanges are easier for visa purposes? Just my hypothesis.