California

I'm not sure about this. If fear of works being staged without permission were the explanation, then the Trust would not have given permission to release so much work on DVD. Not just the Dance in America series from the late 70s (when Balanchine was alive) but more recent releases, such as Jewels by POB, Midsummer Night's Dream by PNB, and The Nutcracker. And the Trust would not have posted the tapes of coaching sessions, which they did recently. (I don't know how VAI was able to release so much from the 50s, other than permission back then to Canadian Broadcasting which outweighed any efforts the Trust might want to make to restrict distribution.) It still seems to me like an old-fashioned bias that, if people can't see things on YouTube/DVDs, they will be more likely to buy tickets to live performances. And as we've discussed before on this site, it would be great if most people really had that option, but they don't, either due to geography or economics or both. For YouTube postings of DVDs, I can understand that they'd prefer you buy the DVD (or get your local library to buy it).

Sounds like the Pennsylvania dancers have a much better contract than the ABT dancers in 1980 -- a full year to impress the AD and look for other work, compared with a few months.

While most welcomed the arrival of Baryshnikov as AD, that transition was not without its bumps either. Peterson was just one dancer not welcome. Kirkland was quickly removed, too, although she returned later.

I believe Baryshnikov moved switftly to terminate Peterson when he took over in 1980 as artistic director. I was trying to find a report specifically on that episode, but could only find hazy references to Peterson's early career as a principal at ABT: http://www.abt.org/education/archive/choreographers/peterson_k.html

The mixed bill on Sunday afternoon was spectacular - anybody who claims ballet died with Balanchine needs to see this. Estancia: I saw this in spring 2010 at that big festival, most notable for Call Me Ben (which seems to have launched Robert Fairchild's Broadway career and then disappeared from the rep). I remember thinking this was one of the few pieces I'd like to see again - sort of a South American Rodeo. Tiler Peck makes anything sparkle and the PdDs with Tyler Angle were the highlight; the bits with the horses were cute. Interesting history with the Ginastera score that Kirstein commissioned, but Balanchine never used for whatever reason. Pictures at an Exhibition: I hadn't seen this before and I'm glad I had the chance. More evidence of Ratmansky's genius and exploration of his Russian heritage. And such a treat to hear the glorious piano score live on stage. I gather there was criticism of the ever-changing set and costumes, but they seemed appropriate for that music and at least the costumes didn't interfere with the movement. Everywhere we go: I hadn't seen this one before either. I've now seen three of Peck's works (Rodeo, this one, and Year of the Rabbit this spring at PNB) and I think I now need to see everything he has done and will do. His genius in moving large groups around in surprising and interesting ways is unmatched. Four new ones next year? Will he burn out or will we start seeing the same thing again and again? Who knows, but his work is so exciting to see, I suspect he'll be impressive for a long time to come.

A belated posting on the weekend performances: Symphony in 3 Movements: I saw both performances, Friday night and Saturday matinee. This is one of my favorite Balanchine ballets which is not available in any complete recording (except at the NYPL dance library). I'm intrigued with the history of this piece, starting with Stravinsky's view in the mid 40s that this reflected his sadness over the devastation to Europe during WWII as he was living in southern California. Balanchine clearly picked up on that, with the images of the front, airplanes, helicopters, etc., making this an unusual programmatic work compared to his other leotard ballets. And that music! Just glorious! Stand-outs: Sterling Hyltin and Daniel Ulbricht: both were so invested in the energy and shapes of this work. Confident, in command, they made the sometimes idiosyncratic choreography their own. Their partners, Taylor Stanley and Ana Sophia Scheller, were close seconds. Biggest disappointment: Megan LeCrone. I know she has a lot of fans on this board, but...I was near the front on Friday night and her pasted-on grin was appalling. Her variations alone were limp and uncommitted. In this ballet, as with many others, Balanchine interwove non-ballet moves with classical steps and positions -- jogging, arm pumping, odd shapes, etc. LeCrone almost seemed embarrassed to be doing them. Saturday afternoon, the grin was dialed back, but the movements were just as limp and uncommitted. She needs to OWN that choreography and I just didn't see it. Joseph Gordon had the thankless task of partnering her, but couldn't compensate for her flaccid performance, to my mind. Sorry! Moves: Interesting to me that this work was created in 1959 for Robbins' own company, but not premiered at NYCB until May 2, 1984, almost exactly one year after Balanchine's death. There must be a story there. I wonder if Balanchine didn't care for it, as it rejects his "see the music" theme. Or perhaps Martins and Robbins felt the need to show new choreography that NYC audience hadn't seen after Balanchine's death. I've seen this several times over the years. I'm intrigued with hints of moves he used in other works - the ensemble of men with arms to the side, palms up, reminded me of sections of Glass Pieces, which he made in 1983, e.g. The dancers seem to enjoy doing it, but I'm about done with it. Bournonville Divertissements: I'm glad they revived this last year, as it was Stanley Williams' lovely tribute to his heritage, an important piece of dance history. But after seeing several performances, I think I'm done with this one, too.

I don't disagree with all the expressions of regret for the turmoil in the lives of dancers. I just want to point out the importance of their union contract in giving them a year to impress the new director and also to look for other work. Without that contract, it could have been much worse...in an era of dramatically declining union membership, it's important to remember the good unions do.

I saw the Friday-Sunday performances, but haven't had time to post. For now, just a few observations on the Tchai Pas: Friday with Peck and Veyette: the big problem was the fact that Peck accounted for about 90% of the energy on that stage. I don't see NYCB enough to know what's normal, but he seemed glum throughout, with a palpable sense of relief when each section was completed. He also seems to hunch his shoulders to pull himself up in jumps. But she is such a joy in this -- confident, alive, sparkling. I love the little extras she throws in, like the rippling arm during the final fouettes, starting high and brought low. Saturday with Isaac and Finlay: I don't disagree with anything said about their cautiousness - to be expected in a debut (and his return, apparently, from a long absence due to injury). The most telling moments for me were the two fishdives at the end - super-cautious, almost afraid of them. The orchestra seemed to be using the same tempo they used on Friday night with Peck - but isn't this the company that says the dancers follow the music, not the reverse that you see elsewhere, where dancers set the tempo?

Did they abandon Balanchine's birthday weekend? That used to be 3-4 different performances of several Balanchine ballets. This year that weekend looks like the same program Friday and Saturday and other choreographers on Sunday. It was snowed out in 2016, but I had hoped it would come back. They usually added nice extras, like a panel discussion between the matinee and evening.

I have a choose-your-own subscription with 6 performances this year. I can't see anything for next year. Are others in the same situation?

I am stunned that for a program called West, with three American choreographers, the illustration is the twin towers. Is that how they have thought of us all along, or is this a reflection of the recent terrorist activity in that region? None of the three ballets seems to have any connection at all to 9/11 or other terrorism. https://operaballet.be/en/programme/2016-2017/west

The NY Times just posted this story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/arts/dance/romanian-ballet-companyloses-its-leading-lights.html?smid=tw-share The writer just sent it out on Twittter.

I couldn't agree more. The chances of being caught in gun crossfire in the US or being killed by a drunk driver on the way to the airport are ever-present. We have to go on living, or the terrorists really have won. Stay alert and enjoy your travels!

A day later and these schedules have not appeared anywhere on the site that I can find. Did any people here on their press list get the actual schedule?

I can't find the actual schedules on the NYCB web site. If anybody receive the press release with the attachment of actual schedule (mentioned in the release, but not provided), could you post that?

I've been thinking about a few classics that were moved to appeal to a particular audience. San Francisco Ballet set their Nutcracker in the historic city of San Francisco and they have impressive on-line materials each year to whet appetites. Dance Theatre of Harlem set their Giselle in Creole Louisiana. Both of those were very smart moves, I think, and perhaps that's what Lopez had in mind. Nureyev set his Cinderella in Hollywood in the 30s - not sure if that was a good idea.

The program for the SAB Workshop performances for 2016 have been announced: http://www.sab.org/news_events/workshop_performances/program_information.php LES GENTILHOMMES Music by Georg Friedrich Händel Choreography by Peter Martins THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS Music by Paul Hindemith Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust DANSES CONCERTANTES Music by Igor Stravinsky Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Performances are Saturday, June 4 at 2 and 8 pm, with a benefit June 7. Tickets go on sale in mid-April for $60.

I saw all three performances (Friday and Saturday) of the Director's Choice program. I don't see this company regularly and don't follow individual dancers, but the choreography was intriguing and led me to decide this would be a worthwhile visit. This company treats their audience very well - with pre- and post- discussions with company directors, choreographers, and dancers. I wish others would follow their lead. I was mainly interested in seeing Doug Fullington's reconstruction from the Stepanov notation of the first three acts of Le Corsaire for the PNB School. I really hope he reconstructs the entire ballet for the regular company. I would love to see his analysis of how this original version differs from the various adaptations that we see at places like ABT. I'm always interested in seeing how different companies and countries get young kids interested in ballet, and this was a superb choice. Lots of little audience members were wearing their pirate costumes and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. A special treat: the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra in the pit provided live music - and were very professional. A pirate with a booming voice provided narration for much of it, which I'm sure helped the very young kids appreciate their first ballet. As for the company's program, I was mostly interested in seeing Justin Peck's Year of the Rabbit, which I had not seen before. I saw his Rodeo last spring (sorry - I hate those gimmicky accent marks) and was so impressed that I decided I needed to start catching up on his other work. His use of the ensemble to create moving sculptures and shapes is truly astonishing and fresh, never gimmicky. I often found myself watching those and forgetting about a principal solo going on at the same time. Easy to understand why he is in such demand. Alejandro Cerrudo's Little mortal jump was mesmerizing. After several very clever and funny sections (I won't spoil the surprise elements), to a wide-ranging collage of music, the final PdD is astonishingly engaging and intricate. The whole thing is more interesting with each viewing and I'd recommend it. Rush was choreographed by Paul Gibson, a PNB ballet master, originally in 2002 and reworked for this season. The music was Martinu's Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Tympani. Although this expressed the composer's despair over the encroaching Nazism in his homeland of Czechoslovakia, Gibson apparently knew nothing about that history when he choreographed this piece. I kept hearing and seeing glimmers of Symphony in 3 Movements, Stravinsky's expression of despair at the devastation in Europe at the end of WWII - not in the sense of simplistic copying, but in the similarities of programmatic music despairing of the same cataclysmic events. Gibson's use of arms straight up and straight to the side recalled the final moments of Symphony for me. Has anybody ever put together a program of music and ballets that grew out of the influence of WWII? I'm thinking, e.g., of Tudor's Echoing of Trumpets, also to Martinu, about the massacre of the Czech town of Lidice. English National Ballet put together an amazing commemoration of WWI a couple of years ago with Lest We Forget - WWII has also inspired music and dance worth seeing.

Seat selection came on promptly at 12 noon EDT and everything is working fine today. No freezing up, no locked out site. Thank you Met Box Office and ABT!

PA Ballet gives subscribers 15% off all additional tickets, along with the perk of free exchanges, special events, and a few other things: http://www.paballet.org/1617season NYCB's Create-your-own series, with at least six performances over the entire year (spring-winter-fall), has a nice exchange privilege with no fee. And it's late enough in the year that you can pick your own seats, as traditional subscribers already have theirs: http://www.nycballet.com/Season-Tickets/Subscribe.aspx PNB offers 15-20-25% discounts on additional single tickets, plus a lot of other things: https://www.pnb.org/season/subscriptions/subscriber-resources/#subscriber-benefits San Francisco offers 25% discounts on additional single tickets and the opportunity to purchase them before the general public: https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/subscribe etc., etc....what have these companies figured out that ABT hasn't?

I've been reading this thread on subscriptions with great interest -- and bewilderment! Anybody who has read Michael Kaiser's books or who just looks around the country at the treatment of subscribers elsewhere can see how misguided ABT's approach is. PNB, San Francisco, NYCB, Pennsylvania, Colorado, etc., etc., etc. - subscribers get all sorts of really nice perks for this day and age. Keeping the same seats from year-to-year is pretty far down on the list. Rather, discounts on tickets for the subscriptions and additional tickets. Early buying opportunities for additional tickets. Exchange privileges. Receptions. Events. Nice incentives for many of us, even if it means buying tickets for a program I'd otherwise skip. At least according to Kaiser, subscriptions just a few decades ago accounted for over 50% of an audience and brought in important cash flow early on before the season. But that has been in steep decline for a long time. You almost wonder if ABT is trying to depress their subscription base in hopes of leaving more seats for dynamic pricing down the road! I tried a trio subscription with ABT a few years ago and realized it was essentially worthless, so I'm back to single ticket purchases on-line, which work fine in a house that big.

I'm looking at the Met ABT subscriber page. http://www.metopera.org/Season/Tickets/ABT-Subscription/ What does this mean? Exclusive subscriber benefits, including Priority Seating, Advance Access to Individual Tickets and FREE Ticket Exchange Privileges.You all got "priority seating" (because you have tickets, even though you didn't get to pick your seat). But what do they mean by "advance access to individual tickets" and "FREE ticket exchange privileges." It sounds like they let you exchange subscriber tickets one-for-one, but denied you additional individual tickets. False advertising? Perhaps the Met box office isn't communicating with the ABT staff in charge of this?

And for the ABT Kennedy Center engagements in the late 70s, early 80s, shows would routinely sell out before casting had been announced! People were so desperate to see Baryshnikov, they bought just on the hope he would be performing. And ABT visited KenCen twice a year, for 2-3 weeks in the fall and again in the spring. I doubt we will see those days again, not in our lifetimes.

Now that Rachel Moore is safely in LA, I guess we can no longer blame her for ABT's bizarre subscription and ticketing policies. Should we blame the Met Opera House? What is the real incentive for subscribers?

I had the sense that Barbee never had the artistic stature to be seriously considered as the next ABT AD - not with people like Stiefel and Ratmansky around. And she hasn't had the opportunity to develop administrative experience while she's been dancing. So they should make a perfect team at Washington Ballet, combining their strengths. Perhaps someday they'll be in a position to come back to ABT or perhaps they will be happy enough at WB to stay there and build the company. Her predecessor stayed for 17 years!