California

Just announced: Announcing Julie Kent's Farewell Season Legendary Artistic Director's Tenure to Conclude at the end of 2022–2023 Season After seven seasons, Artistic Director Julie Kent will conclude her tenure at the end of the 2022–2023 season. Ms. Kent has accepted a new leadership role as Co-Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, effective July 2023. "Our dancers are reaching new artistic peaks, our School and Community programs continue to grow in all corners of the city, and our company is authentically, intentionally building an organizational culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. I feel tremendous gratitude to my Washington Ballet family, and hopeful for all that lies ahead.” - Julie Kent Throughout her decorated career, Julie Kent has showcased her dedication not only to the mastery of ballet, creativity, and expression but also to propelling ballet forward into the 21st century and redefining the image of the American Ballerina. Ms. Kent joined The Washington Ballet in July 2016, becoming only its third Artistic Director in the company’s 46-year history. She has introduced important classical and contemporary masterworks into TWB’s repertoire including 26 world premieres by 17 unique choreographers in addition to her and Associate Artistic Director Victor Barbee’s own critically acclaimed stagings of The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Swan Lake. “Julie’s leadership of The Washington Ballet has been nothing short of transformational. As Julie takes this next professional step, we offer our deepest thanks and full support. Together, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that our company is as strong as it has ever been.” - Jean-Marie Fernandez, TWB Board Chair Ms. Kent and her partner, TWB Associate Artistic Director Victor Barbee, will remain in their active leadership roles in Washington, D.C., through the remainder of TWB’s 2022–2023 season. Performances will include the upcoming production of The Nutcracker, an all-Balanchine program, a revival of Kent & Barbee's own critically acclaimed staging of The Sleeping Beauty at the Kennedy Center, and family performances at Capital One Hall, Tyson’s Corner, VA. "It is precisely because of how far we have all come in the last seven years, that I know this is the right moment for me, and for the Company, to look towards the future." - Julie Kent Brava, Julie Kent!

The World Ballet Series performed Swan Lake in Denver October 2 at the University of Denver in a theater with no orchestra pit. The ads made no mention of live music nor did they name any dancers. I didn't bother. I don't recognize a single name of the dancers on the World Ballet web site. If this provides some paid compensation to dancers who would otherwise be unemployed, well, okay. But I hope this isn't the only experience of live performance that these audiences have. They seem to travel to a lot of smaller cities without regular access to live performance. https://www.denver-theater.com/theaters/gates-concert-hall/world-ballet-series-swan-lake.php

I wish I could see this! I hope this is a good omen for the Met season in June-July. I'd love to see him again in NYC.

Indeed! For those who didn't see the Bolshoi stream in 2020, Smirnova was Giselle in that. Oh my -- what a treat that would be! And she apparently has friends in the Netherlands, which has provided refuge to the Ukrainian dancers.

Shevchenko has trained and worked in the US since she was young, so presumably she is either a US Citizen or has a green card. But visas will be needed for the others to come to the US to work. Presumably the Kennedy Center and State Department are expediting those. And the Ukrainian government has to give permission for the men to leave Ukraine, which I assume they will do. That's what I mean by a lot of contingencies. Frankly, I'll be happy with anybody they present. And for anybody who missed the Bolshoi theater stream of Ratmansky's reconstruction in January 2020, this is essentially what they are presenting. Ratmansky was in London for the entire 5-day run there and I would be shocked if he's not at the Kennedy Center engagement. It also seems likely that ambassadors from the many countries that have taken in Ukrainian refugees and provided arms will be in attendance. Should be a major event, not to be missed, for all kinds of reasons. http://christineshevchenko.com/

My memory is that Cojocaru and Katja Khaniukova were in early announcements, and Shevchenko announced in the few weeks beforehand. They are juggling so many contingencies, I'm not counting on early announcements for specific performances.

In London, Vladyslava Kovalenko was Myrtha at almost all performances and Moyna at the others. Christine Shevchenko was scheduled for two Myrthas, but I did not see her. Daria Manoilo was Zulma at every performance. Several people rotated through Peasant. Ratmansky said in interviews that the company was smaller than one might have hoped for Giselle, but it seemed they were all so glad to be performing that they triumphed. I would guess that many who have found work elsewhere would jump at the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center at what seems likely to be an historic engagement.

I saw Elizaveta Gogidze (from National Opera of Ukraine) as Giselle at the Saturday matinee. I actually found her interpretation and technique very strong and would love to see her again! Katja Khaniukova (trained in Kyiv and now with ENB) was scheduled for two performances (Tuesday the 13th and Thursday the 15th) but was unable to perform (no explanation given). She was replaced by Shevchenko. The three Albrechts: Stanislav Olshanskyi and Alexis Tutunnique were both with the National Opera of Ukraine. Alexander Trusch was trained as a child in Ukraine and then Hamburg; now with Hamburg Ballet. EDITED TO ADD: According to today's Washington Post, Shevchenko is the only principal announced to date for the Kennedy Center engagement. https://www.washingtonpost.com/theater-dance/2022/10/13/ukraine-ballet-dancers-kennedy-center/

Aran Bell is shown rehearsing Sinfonietta in this Instagram clip. That's a relief! Still mystified that he's not cast in The Dream or Seasons. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjwVenqghk_/

Looking at ABT's touring schedule, they do Giselle in North Carolina in March, so that should work: https://www.abt.org/wp-content/themes/abt/uploads/OnPoint_Fall2022/#page=10

Wow! I'll be there -- it's on my calendar. I saw this three times in London last month and am very happy to enthusiastically recommend it to everybody. I hope they can borrow better sets and costumes. And I'm guessing they'll have some guest artists, like Christine Shevchenko. But this is must-see for sure.

Camargo is still listed for Oberon on Sat evening 10/29 on the ABT site. Did that change? https://www.abt.org/performances/master-calendar/?start=2022-10-20

Ratmansky just posted 7 minutes of clips from Wartime Elegy on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alexei.ratmansky

I just wish they'd pick something we hadn't seen in a while and can't easily see elsewhere, like Manon or Onegin. I believe Jaffe said she loves Manon so perhaps next year?

My mistake -- didn't see that scrolling down. Thanks for the correction.

Giselle was at KenCen right before the shutdown. As they normally do only one full-length there each year, R&J would be a better bet for that audience. I also hope it's not on that short Met season next year. I remember Abrera saying later: dance every performance as if it's your last. In her case, it was. https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/ballet/2019-2020/american-ballet-theatre-giselle-68720/

Not entirely clear from this Instagram that OLAR will be programmed next Met season, but I would assume something by Ratmansky would be included. They do have a big investment in OLAR, which makes it seem likely.

The new issue of On Pointe says the 2023 Met season will be June 22 - July 22: 4 weeks + 3 days! See lower right-hand corner of p. 11: https://www.abt.org/wp-content/themes/abt/uploads/OnPoint_Fall2022/#page=10 The Met Opera season ends on Saturday, June 10, so one puzzle is what's happening in those twelve days between Met and ABT. They will be touring Giselle in the spring, so that would be a reasonable guess, along with the already announced Like Water For Chocolate.

A very unusual program for Saturday, November 11 was just announced by Segerstrom. Note that it is in the Concert Hall instead of Segerstrom Hall where the ballet usually performs. I don't recognize most of the dancer names and wonder how many are refugees from Russia and Ukraine. https://www.scfta.org/events/2022/reunited-in-dance Featuring dancers - Xander Parish (UK, former principal dancer at the Mariinsky) Jacopo Tissi (Italy, formerly with the Bolshoi) Svetlana Bednenko (Ukraine, formerly with the Mikhailovsky) Christine Shevchenko (Ukraine, currently with ABT) Andrea Laššáková (Slovak Republic, formerly with the Mikhailovsky) Adrian Blake Mitchell (U.S., formerly with the Mikhailovsky) Boris Zhurilov (Russia, formerly with Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre) Ilya Jivoyi (Russia, formerly with the Mariinsky) Lizi Avsajanishvili (Georgia, formerly with the Mariinsky) David Motta Soares (Brazil, formerly with the Bolshoi) Jasmine Sophie Henry (Australia, formerly with the Mariinsky) Vsevolod Maevsky (Ukraine, formerly with the Mariinsky) Anastasia Demidova (Russia, formerly with the Mariinsky) Katia Raj (U.S., formerly with the Saint Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre) Veronika Selivanova (U.S., formerly with the Mariinsky) Alexis Tutunnique (Ukraine, formerly with National Opera of Ukraine and currently with The United Ukrainian Ballet) Joy Womack (U.S., formerly with Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre) Maxim Zenin (Russia, formerly with the Mariinsky) Laura Fernandez (Switzerland and Ukraine, formerly with Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre).

I would add the Trilogy, especially Symphony No. 9, which stands alone. His reconstructions of Giselle and Swan Lake are both extraordinary and I wish we could see both in NYC or Kennedy Center. I saw the reconstruction of Giselle in the Bolshoi theater stream in January 2020 and the United Ukraine Ballet in London last month. If they could get funding, I think it's a safe bet the Ukrainian production would be a huge hit here.

I've watched the Ratmansky several times. Chock full of innovative movement and wide-ranging emotion. Much more impact because we know the "backstory" from the nightly news. It should play well, though, years in the future. Here's one very trivial pet peeve: as with the Spanish dialogue in the new West Side Story, they don't translate the voice-over in another language. Captions, please? Is this all supposed to remind us that we can't really understand these cultures, hard as we try? PS: Wonderful opener with Allegro Brillante. That just never grows old.

I went to today's matinee of Dracula. I saw this production several years ago and had forgotten how impressive it is. Complex sets, special effects galore, gorgeous costumes, lots of opportunities for lots of dancers. It's more a theatrical work with dancing than a ballet (although with most of the women on pointe) and that might be why it sold out all 9 performances by opening night Friday. There has been a little advertising on local TV and lots of ads on social media. But they stopped selling discounted tickets on Goldstar several years ago, they don't have a rush for students/seniors, and Denver doesn't have a TKTS option. The only real discount is 25% off additional tickets for subscribers. There is virtually no published dance criticism any more in Denver and there hasn't been for years. I suspect this has a lot of excellent word-of-mouth from the showings in previous years. And it's perfect for regional companies, as we've discussed. Chris Moulton was a powerful Dracula. I'll be shocked if he's not promoted to principal next year after Yosvani Ramos' retirement. Chris was an impressive Romeo last year and carried the day with Julie Adams' Cluedo pre-pandemic. Just for comparison, the Denver Center for Performing Arts dropped their mandates for masks and vaccination proof, although I did see a fair number of masks in the audience. Very thorough security, though -- more than at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, strangely.

As of this morning, all 9 performances are sold out, including the extra they added for Sunday night, 10/16! That should help their post-COVID fiscal recovery. According to a quick Google check, Atlanta, Orlando, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, and Kansas City all perform this. I agree with you that regional companies need pop programs like this (along with Nutcracker) to support programs serious balletomanes most appreciate. For me, that will be the mixed bill in April: Prodigal Son, Sinfonietta, Bruch Violin Concerto -- and they cut back to seven performances for that.

They are still using the on-line program and they even include casting now: https://issuu.com/pubhouse/docs/cb_fall_wrap_dracula_22_issuu I'm going Sunday afternoon. I saw this production when they did it a few years ago. It's not a favorite of mine, but it sells very well here and they added a performance Sunday evening 10/16.

Very interesting! Here's a different link that goes directly to the recording: https://pnballet.podbean.com/e/alexei-ratmansky-pnb-s-conversation-series/