California

Maybe I'm reading too much into the programming for the first week, but there's rich meaning in these choices. Serenade is Balanchine's first US ballet, of course. Glass Pieces premiered two weeks after Balanchine's death in 1983 -- when many were saying "ballet is dead," Robbins showed it still had a great future. And Peck is the latest generation with serious contributions and a bright future. Ratmansky that week is a wonderful reminder that ballet is most definitely not dead. And Opus 19 - a Robbins piece made for Baryshnikov, who has recently coached this. Every piece chock full of wonderful memories and history. Opening night also has special meaning. Serenade, of course. After the Rain has become a standard since it was made after 9/11 for commemorations of various kinds. And Symphony in C in its only performance of the season is just a joyous celebration of Balanchine's genius that never gets old. Wonderful choices.

I'm not surprised. I'm wondering if the Mariinsky will end up cancelling. Of course, so much can change in the coming months.

Colorado Ballet has just announced their admittance policies, consistently with the entire Denver Performing Arts Complex: https://coloradoballet.org/covidpolicy?_ga=2.92057821.673715495.1629835848-1891441774.1625956535 Denver has been doing really well with vaccination rates, but Colorado attracts a lot of summer tourists who have been bringing Delta with them, alas. This strikes me as very appropriate. It will be in effect for their Giselle performances in October. I'm hoping they let the dancers perform without masks! To protect audiences and the community from illness and to slow transmission of COVID-19, Colorado Ballet has joined the resident companies of the Denver Performing Arts Complex in implementing the following health and safety policies: All patrons 12+ must be fully vaccinated before attending performances. “Fully vaccinated” means two weeks after a person’s second dose in a two-dose series and two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. All audience members 2+ must wear masks unless enjoying refreshments in designated areas. Food and beverages will not be permitted inside the theater. Children under the age of 12 must instead provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within six hours of the performance start time. This policy goes into effect October 1 and is in place until further notice. Additional details on the vaccine verification and entry process are under development and will be communicated to our patrons in advance of your performance date. No exceptions to the above requirements will be made. Ticket holders who do not comply with this policy will not be admitted. We will offer full refunds and on account credits for patrons who are unable to adhere to these policies. Please contact Colorado Ballet Patron Services to discuss your ticketing options – (303) 837-8888 ext. 2, open Monday - Friday from 10am to 4pm. We're all in this together. We can't thank you enough for your support as we continue to ensure the healthy and safety of our dancers, staff and patrons.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts has just announced their policy: proof of vaccination + mask. Looks like this is becoming the standard. Works for me! Safety & Health Update | View in browser http://www.scfta.org/home/emails/wordfly/SCFTA-logo-175x60.png As Segerstrom Center for the Arts prepares to fully reopen our indoor venues and begin an exciting season of incredible performances, we want you to know that your safety is our top priority. With that in mind, we have updated our safety procedures and requirements to ensure the health of our ticket holders, artists, and staff. We want to provide the safest space to enjoy live entertainment once again, and with that comes the responsibility of limiting the spread of COVID-19 to the best of our abilities. Our new mandate will require all ticket holders of indoor performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts to show proof of full vaccination to attend. Masks are required for all ticket holders regardless of vaccination status. Guests who are under age 12, those that cannot provide proof of vaccination, or those who need a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entering the theatre. We are asking you to do your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19; here are some of the steps we’re taking to enhance our facility: Improving Air Quality: We exceed the CDC recommended filtration recommendations with our MERV-14 filters. Our state-of-the-art air handling systems are operating to full design capabilities in order to maximize the number of air exchanges per hour. Creating a Contact-Free Experience: All restrooms have touchless fixtures including touchless flush valves and faucets. All tickets are digital and scanned for safe and efficient entry. Enhancing Cleaning Procedures: We have implemented rigorous cleaning procedures that follow CDC guidelines for cleaning. We pay special attention to high traffic areas, frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, railings, elevator buttons, and restrooms, which are sanitized with increased frequency. We have also placed hand sanitizers throughout the campus including the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Seeking Expert Advice: Our health and safety protocols have been informed by Infectious Disease experts at the University of California, Irvine to ensure adherence to the principles for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention. We’ve partnered with the industrial hygiene firm TRC to review our protocols and campus cleaning service provider ABM, who are administering Enhanced Clean™ in all our buildings.  We will continue to review our policies on an ongoing basis to evolve with best practices around health and safety. We will also work to communicate with you every step of the way as we prepare to open, and to provide details about your in-theater experience in your pre-performance reminders. We are so grateful for the ability to keep the arts alive at the Center after the past 18 months deeply impacted the livelihood of this industry. It is our greatest hope that we can continue to welcome you back, provide joy, and once again see our patrons that we have missed so much. For more information on our updated policies, please visit the Know Before You Go page on our website. If you have any questions, our Guest Services team is available to help. Call us at (714) 556-2787 on Monday from 10 am–2 pm or Tuesday–Friday from 12–5 pm. The health and safety of our guests, team members and communities is a priority at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. That's why we've implemented these enhanced safety measures. Unsubscribe | Forward | View in browser To ensure our emails reach your inbox, please add boxoffice@SCFTA.org to your address book. Segerstrom Center for the Arts 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 SCFTA.org | Box Office (714) 556-2787 | Group Sales (714) 755-0236 CONTACT US | PRIVACY POLICY Segerstrom Center applauds the following for their support:

This is a very smart move. Kansas City Ballet (and their affiliated school/academy) is a very impressive regional company. They have collaborated with Colorado Ballet on some productions (e.g., the Wizard of Oz) and I know two of their artistic staff/faculty, who are sorely missed since they left Colorado Ballet a few years ago. https://kcballet.org/

ABT will bring the Ratmansky Nutcracker to Segerstrom Center December 10-19, according to a local newspaper. I'm not seeing announcements yet on the web sites of ABT or Segerstrom, but presumably those will appear later today. https://www.newportbeachindy.com/segerstrom-center-brings-three-acclaimed-dance-troupes-plus-the-nutcracker-to-oc-this-fall/

To see casting for individual performances, you can also go to Calendar and scroll over to October: https://www.abt.org/performances/master-calendar/ As per email they just sent: Donors at the Golden Patron level and above ($2,400/year or $200/month) receive VIP concierge services beginning August 30th, as well as Advance Access to tickets. ABT Members at the Affiliate level and above ($480/year or $40/month) receive Advance Access to tickets beginning on September 1st. Tickets go on sale to the general public at the Koch Box Office in person, online, and by phone on September 8th at 10:00 AM ET.

The National Endowment for the Humanities just announced grants of $28.4 million. Of special interest to the dance community: Chicago Dance History Project Outright: $10,000 [Preservation Assistance Grants] Project Director: Jenai Cutcher Project Title: Chicago Dance History Project Digital Preservation Project Description: Preservation assessment and preservation plan for the digital archives of the Chicago Dance History Project, a collection of over 20,000 digitized items including oral histories, photographs, ephemera, and audiovisual materials documenting the history of dance in Chicago. Highlights include interviews with dancers who worked with artists such as Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse, archival documents related to Sammy Dyer School of the Theater director Shirley Hall Bass, and photographs documenting the experimental dance scenes of the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Liesl Olson Outright: $60,000 [Public Scholars] Newberry Library Project Title: Eye to Eye: Friendship, Art, and Collaboration in Mid-Century America Project Description: Research and writing of a book about artistic collaboration between writers, dancers, artists, and art collectors in Chicago from the 1930s through the 1950s, including Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), Katherine Dunham (1909–2006), and Carlos Mérida (1891–1985). Newberry Library Outright: $198,332 [Institutes for College and University Teachers] Project Director: Liesl Olson; Susan Manning (co-project director) Project Title: Making Modernism: Literature, Dance, and Visual Culture in Chicago, 1893–1955 Project Description: A three-week, residential institute for 25 higher education faculty to study the modernist movement in Chicago. The complete list: https://www.neh.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/NEH grant awards and offers%2C August 2021.pdf

Robert Hill has resigned as executive director, effective immediately. The Bungalower newspaper includes in the story an Instagram posting by Sebastian Serra about a "toxic work environment": https://bungalower.com/2021/08/15/robert-hill-steps-away-from-orlando-ballet/ The company's announcement: https://orlandoballet.org/orlando-ballet-announces-leadership-changes/

Tickets for friends go on sale September 1 and, if the past is any guide, they'll announce casting in time for that. Of course, these are unusual times. Once it's announced, I'll post and I assume others will catch it, too.

I don't know if this has been announced yet, but PNB is offering the option of seeing the entire season on a digital subscription for $249. Those performances are shown after the in-person shows and will be available for a five-day window. This is very impressive and more ambitious that any other digital subscriptions I'm seeing for the coming year. (E.g. Boston Ballet has a four-performance digital season, but one of them is just a repeat of something on last year's digital subscription.) I am so looking forward to in-theater performances in the coming year by several companies, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy an all-season digital subscription, too, if available. (ABT, NYCB, SFB - are you paying attention?) https://www.pnb.org/season/subscriptions/renew/

Good news: the entire program is available this morning on the Vail YouTube channel. No indication how long it will be available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcyABGlHPXM

Vail just sent out this email announcing a live stream of tonight's final performances on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcyABGlHPXM CAN'T MAKE IT? TUNE INTO THE LIVESTREAM! Catch the energy and excitement of the Festival from the comfort of your home! For the first time ever, we'll be livestreaming tonight's performance. Tune in at 7:30pm MT. The stream is free and will be available for one week following the performance. Click the button below to set a reminder! YOUTUBE LIVESTREAM

DC area theaters just announced by e-mail that proof of vaccination and masks will be required through December 31, 2021. (Note that the Kennedy Center is not included on this list.) IMPORTANT: Vaccinations Required for all shows Dear ..., Theatres across the greater Washington, D.C. area have united to provide the highest level of public safety for their audiences, staff, and volunteers by requiring that their audiences provide proof of vaccination to attend all live public performances at their indoor venues. Shakespeare Theatre Company is partnering in this unprecedented effort with Arena Stage, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Constellation Theatre Company, GALA Hispanic Theatre, The Keegan Theatre, Mosaic Theater Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Synetic Theater, Theater J, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. These organizations are committed to the safety of all who work, perform, and visit our venues, and invite audiences to join in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Visit STC's Health and Safety page for more information. Theatre Washington, the area’s alliance of theatre organizations, theatre-makers, and theatre supporters, will serve as a hub of information for participating venues and their vaccination requirement policies. Attending a show Patrons must be able to show proof that they are fully vaccinated at the time of their entry into the theatres through December 2021. This end date is subject to change and will be re-reviewed by aligned venues in October. Masks will also be required for audience members inside the theatre, except while eating or drinking in designated locations. "Fully vaccinated" means that either 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines or that 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines. Entrance to any event at STC will require proof of vaccination, or, for those who are not vaccinated, proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of the performance start time. STC will accept ANY ONE of the following methods for proving vaccination, along with a photo ID: Physical vaccination card CLEAR app Health Pass Digital vaccination cards through your home Health Department (check with your state/county’s Health Department if not listed here): D.C. Residents Maryland Residents Virginia Residents Photo of vaccination card EXEMPTIONS: Patrons who need a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or due to a sincerely held religious belief, and children under the age of 12 must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours prior to entering the theatre. Proof will be accepted in the following forms: Physical negative test result Email from a test provider verifying negative test result App verifying negative test result For their own safety, children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre. If you have any questions or concerns about complying with these new rules, please contact the Box Office at 202.547.1122 or STCBox@ShakespeareTheatre.org. Get Vaccinated STC encourages all eligible patrons to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and currently available for everyone ages 12 and older. For more information about the vaccine or how to schedule a vaccine appointment, please visit one of the links below: D.C. Residents Maryland Residents Virginia Residents Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

I am VERY glad to see this. They don't say how out-of-towners prove vaccination -- CDC card?

I don't want to take this too far afield, but a recent PBS documentary on the 1937 Hindenburg disaster showed new footage recovered from a hand-cranked movie camera owned by an ordinary person. You had to stop and crank it up every few minutes. I have to wonder if there is some undiscovered dance footage from that era that might still surface some day. We can hope! A clip on that camera:

Looks to me like an inexperienced staffer who doesn't know much about ballet looked this up on Wikipedia and had no idea who Reisenger (or Petipa) was! Infamous fouettes, perhaps?

Actually, there is a different explanation: Colorado Ballet is doing Giselle October 10 - 17 in Denver. In their previous presentation in 2013, they rented the ABT sets and costumes. Taking down the set, trucking it across country and setting up in NYC presumably takes more than three days! https://tickets.coloradoballet.org/events My first thought yesterday with the ABT announcement: oh-oh -- can Colorado rent the Giselle production from Pacific Northwest? But these contracts must have been signed long ago. Still, this implies that ABT wasn't thinking as far ahead as Colorado! The Ellie Caulkins Opera House was gut-renovated in 2005 and is quite a nice contemporary theater. Stage is 54' deep and 65' wide. https://galachoruses.org/sites/default/files/TheEllieCaulkinsVenueTechGuide.pdf For comparison, the Koch stage: 54' deep and 56' wide: https://www.thekagency.com/venue/david-h-koch-theater/

In most places, they say the season is October 20-31, but under "Tickets" it says October 17 - 31. Is that a typo or might there be some Friends rehearsals the 17-19? https://www.abt.org/performances/fall-season/ Tickets go on sale September 8 - but it also says there will be advance ticket access benefits: Golden Patron level donors ($2,400 and above) – Access to prime location seats through our Patron Ticket Service beginning August 30 at 10:00 AM ET. Affiliate level donors ($480 and above) – Early access to tickets beginning September 1 at 10:00 AM ET, one week before they go on sale to the general public, September 8. https://support.abt.org/2021-donor-ticket-benefits?erid=9397717&trid=93878ccb-0be3-4078-93fc-52a2c06becf8

I sat down in front several years ago when Osipova did Don Q and was shocked at how dirty her shoes (and many others) looked. I was reminded of a constant complaint from the commentator Dick Button at figure skating competitions that the skate boots of the Russians were always so dirty. Puzzling. Do they not care? Can they not afford clean shoes/boots?

I heard about New York, but with a lot of visitors from New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere, I wonder how this will work.

Are they saying what counts as proof? The CDC cards we have are easily forged, as I understand. I am on a voluntary state-run database of vaccines that I can pull up on on my phone (with data submitted by my health care provider), but not all states have that.

Single seats went on sale today (Monday, July 19) for donors and subscribers. They are offering seat selection! Opening night (Sept 21) and the Kowroski Farewell October 17 are selling very fast. Hard to find good seats in any section. Single tickets for general public go on sale August 1. I'd suggest moving fast for those two performances.

He was asked for comment about one of the allegations: (In an email, Ramasar said “I flatly deny this allegation”. . .) So, yes, he knew. We don't know how long ago.

I would LOVE to see what they do with the Ratmansky, especially after seeing it in Milan a few years ago. But my wariness is not just COVID per se -- it's the quite outrageous hostility to common sense precautions (vaccines, masks) that I see from that Governor. Unless that changes very quickly (which seems unlikely), I will be skipping Miami for at least the coming year, if not longer. I'm planning trips to NYC, DC, and San Francisco and maybe Segerstrom in the next year. (No announcement of the Segerstrom ballet series yet, but a hint of the ABT Nutcracker, which I would love to see again as a way to see several new favorites -- Bell, Brandt, Shevchenko, Hurlin).