California

Focusing only on the non-profit sector in the U.S., it's easy to find all kinds of examples of outrageous inequity. The Chronicle of Higher Education just published its survey of the compensation of presidents of the nation's private colleges and universities. 42 are paid more than $1 million/year (including base pay, benefits, etc.). The President of the U. of Chicago received more than $3.3 million, while the President of Harvard (interestingly, a woman...) is paid "only" $899K. But most shocking: the median pay for adjunct/part-time instructors in higher ed (including a lot of performing arts instructors, of course) is only $2987 per course for the entire semester; a few of those receive health benefits (mainly on campuses with unionized faculties), but most don't. Even if we can't do much about those we think are overpaid, we can support those we think are severely underpaid, whether in the arts or the economy generally. I'm glad that most performing artists are unionized and hope they can improve the compensation for everybody. I remain nervous about "Moves," the non-unionized spin-off from NYCB and hope that isn't setting a trend in the performing arts that will hurt everybody's bargaining power in the future.

The schedule for spring 2014 has just been posted for the Guggenheim Works & Process: http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/calendar-and-events/series/works-a-process Tickets go on sale for the general public on January 15 (and on January 2 for Friends). You can now pick out your own seat on-line when you purchase your ticket. Of special interest to ballet lovers: Pacific Northwest Ballet: Feb. 23-24 Wayne McGregor: Mar 12 Emery LeCrone: Mar 23-24 NYCB-Justin Peck: Apr 13-14

They're getting $60,000: American Dance Festival $60,000 Durham, NC To support the commissioning of works and performances during American Dance Festival. The project will feature the creation and presentation of new and reconstructed works by established and emerging artists such as John Jasperse Company, Shen Wei Dance, Pilobolus, Ballet Hispanico, Kate Weare Company, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Tere O'Connor, Adele Myers and Dancers, Carl Flink, Netta Yerushalmy, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. A mini-festival of Minnesota artists such as Chris Yon, Chris Schlichting, and Emily Johnson will be featured. International artists to be presented may include Lucy Guerin from Australia, Ultima Vez of Belgium, Emanuel Gat Dance from France, and Gregory Maqoma from South Africa.

Joffrey is using the grant money to present Wheeldon, but ABT is using theirs for the Ashton "Cinderella": Ballet Theatre Foundation (aka American Ballet Theatre) $70,000 New York, NY To support the restaging and performances of Sir Frederick Ashton's "Cinderella," set to Sergei Prokofiev's score. The evening-length, three-act ballet will be an American Ballet Theatre premiere, and will be set on the company by former Royal Ballet dancer Wendy Ellis Somes. Sir Frederick Ashton is widely credited for the innovative growth of ballet in modern-day England, and for nurturing a distinct British style.

Yesterday the National Endowment for the Arts announced 104 grants worth $2,640,000 in dance. Many are for commissions and touring in ballet: http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/Art-Works-grants-by-discipline-12-11-13.pdf

I was impressed that "Major Crimes" (TNT on Monday nights) had a Nutcracker subplot in the new episode 12/9. One of the detectives has two young step-grandsons taking ballet class and the detective wanted to invite the department head (Sharon Raydor) to go see their Nutcracker with him and tell him if his daughter was getting her money's worth in ballet classes. Raydor supposedly has a daughter (never shown on the series) who is a dancer with American Ballet Theatre, so "she's probably seen thousands of Nutcrackers," as one of the other detectives said. It was interesting that they named ABT. The show is set in LA and the entire production staff is also located there, so the writers could easily have seen ABT on its annual visits. But a knowledgeable writer would be aware of the fact that ABT has gone for many years without a Nutcracker, after the Baryshnikov version and before the new Ratmansky. It would have made more sense to have the daughter dance with San Francisco Ballet, which has had a continuous Nutcracker all these years, and also has what is probably the best school in California. I was impressed that nobody made cracks about boy dancers being sissies and instead seemed to take their classes seriously. Indeed, I'm glad the writers had the step-grandchildren be boys, to suggest that is perfectly normal nowadays (or should be). Did anybody else see this? I'm pretty sure this episode will be rebroadcast next Monday one hour before the new episode. (I'm also pretty sure they didn't use any Nutcracker music in the episode, which was also interesting.)

If you've been following Kobborg and Cojocaru on Twitter, he has been staging La Sylphide for them, and Cojocaru, with McRae, were guest artists for the opening. As this is her home country, look for her to make many guest appearances. This strikes me as a very good way to bolster cultural tourism to Bucharest.

Magritte exhibit at MoMA: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1322

Is there any hope the NYC engagement might still happen? Both NYC and Saratoga had been on the Bolshoi tour site for a time, then both disappeared. http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/#tour1

A very clever group of dancers from Colorado Ballet has been making "teaser" YouTube videos for the current season. Here's the new one, just posted, for Nutcracker: Here's the one they did for Giselle earlier this fall: (Can't wait to see what they come up with for Cinderella next February!)

Congratulations to Lester Tome for his NEH fellowship for 2014-15, announced today. Professor Tome received his PhD from Temple University's dance program and is now an assistant professor at Smith College. His project title: Cuban Ballet, Cosmopolitan Dancers, and Nationalist Gestures: A Study in Ballet and Globalization I hope we will be seeing some publications from this research in the coming years. http://www.smith.edu/dance/faculty_tome.php http://www.neh.gov/files/press-release/december2013statebystate.pdf

I would also highly recommend the book. I was thrilled when I heard that George Clooney had optioned it for a film. http://www.amazon.com/Monuments-Men-Thieves-Greatest-Treasure/dp/1599951495/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1385570683 (And, as always, if you buy it, be sure to go through the Amazon box on this site.)

In his review of her Juliet with Royal, Macaulay states definitively that Osipova will not be performing at all with ABT at the Met in 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/23/arts/dance/natalia-osipova-and-evgenia-obraztsova-dance-at-the-royal.html?_r=0 Cojocaru is already listed on the schedule, so the mystery remains: who will do all those TBAs?

I'm not familiar with the ABT contract, but with other union contracts I do know something about, a leave of absence stops the clock on accumulating seniority steps, retirement credits, etc. until you return to work.

The gala performance at YAGP is now available for instant download on Amazon for $9.99: http://www.amazon.com/Ballets-Greatest-Hits-Nigel-Lythgoe/dp/B00GHZFNAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1385066813&sr=1-1&keywords=ballet%27s+greatest+hits It appears this is the only way to obtain it, with no actual DVDs listed as available. But what a treat to see a recording of specialized interest available through download. (Don't forget to go through the Amazon box on this site if you are going to purchase it!)

Is it possible that Kent took leaves-of-absence for the birth of her two children? That would slow her down on the seniority track. Also, even with union contracts, pay hikes are sometimes possible for merit, whether within rank or at the time of promotion. (I'm not familiar with the ABT contract in particular, but know it's possible with other union contracts. I.e., it's a myth that raises are possible only through seniority for people with union contracts.) I was intrigued at the McKenzie remark in the NY Times story that the guest artists are paid at weekly rates no higher than the regular principals. In the U.S., we sometimes forget that our compensation package includes not only salary, but also health insurance and a retirement program. Those are listed separately on the 990 forms. It's possible that foreign visitors with health insurance and retirement benefits from their home company have the option of taking the value of those benefits in cash salary. I don't know how ABT handles this, but it's certainly possible.

It's interesting that Barak, as well as Neary and Christensen (co-directors of the LA Ballet) are all former NYCB dancers. I don't know if there will be any opportunities for performing or teaching there, but it seems at least a possibility. CORRECTION: My mistake - the first students at the USC Kaufman school will enter in fall 2015, not fall 2014. Other than hiring a dean (Jodie Gates), I don't see any recruitment announcements for faculty, but that might present more teaching opportunities, at least part-time.

LA does not have a history of great support for dance, but they might find opportunities there -- e.g., Los Angeles Ballet (http://losangelesballet.org/) and Melissa Barak's new venture (http://barakballet.org/). They might also find some teaching opportunities at the new USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, which admits its first students in fall 2014: http://kaufman.usc.edu/ And there are at least part-time teaching possibilities at the huge number of colleges and universities in greater LA.

Misty Copeland will be featured on the Today Show, NBC, Saturday, November 23, 2013. (I don't have a link. It just turned up when I was searching future "ballet" programs on my cable system.)

Communist doctrine did not dictate a "happy ending" but a resolution in this world. Communists were atheists who did not believe in a Christian afterlife where one could find happiness. Odette and Siegfried could not find happiness in an after life, but only during this life, if at all. Much of the challenge to Communism over the years came from the Christian religion in the Soviet Union and the nations of the Warsaw Pact who rejected atheism.

I was discussing this today with somebody who was affiliated with ABT in that era and doesn't think SJP was ever in the corps -- but might well have taken some classes at the ABT school on 61st street (the building they show in The Turning Point, long since torn down) and seen Baryshnikov in class or rehearsals that way. If I understand correctly, ABT was running open classes in that building, so even if a student were admitted to SAB (as some of the bios suggest SJP was), she might conceivably have dropped in on some ABT classes (or done so before or after her time at SAB).

The English-language page on the Bolshoi site that had listed a July 2014 tour visit to NY until very recently now shows nothing for New York: http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/#tour1 I suppose that might be because negotiations with Lincoln Center are still underway and somebody decided the announcement was premature. Or it might mean the NY visit is off entirely. Anybody know?

The big news in this interview is Whelan's plan to retire "after the fall 2014 season" at NYCB. (Has this already been announced elsewhere?) I wonder what they'll do for a retirement performance for her - hottest ticket in town, I would guess! http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/11/13/whelan-discusses-career-dance/

I agree with mimsby. If you go expecting classical ballet, you'll be disappointed, but as a theatrical event, it's great. The story actually made dramatic sense (which the original SB never does). The production is full of very clever and often very funny touches -- like the (spoiler alert!) 100-year-sleep in a tent with hatchmarks and the contemporary tourists with their camera phones. The historical period costumes and sets were marvelously detailed. Just great fun.

Martin Fredmann has resurfaced as Associate Artistic Director of the Columbia Classical Ballet in Columbia, South Carolina: http://www.columbiaclassicalballet.org/assocartisticdirector.htm