puppytreats

Join the club. And Vishneva's 'Dialogues' haven't even made it to City Center yet. Buyer Beware. Any reviews of Vishneva? Is it worth going to NYC tomorrow?

An implication about a threat related to his visa arose in an article. According to articles published in Links, his original visa was specific to working for the Royal Ballet, just like H-1 visas in the US are sponsored by a company for a specific person for a specific job. Once he no longer worked for the Royal Ballet, his original visa was no longer valid, and since he resigned from the Royal Ballet, and they didn't cut him, they had nothing to do with his visa no longer being valid. Sadler's Wells was responsible for helping him get his latest visa, which is a general work visa and doesn't tie him to a job or organization. Articles have not discussed his family's sacrifice, but rather, his family's demand that he make sacrifices to support them. His family was separated, with his father working in England, to support his early training. Separating the family is usually considered a sacrifice. As miliosr quotes: "Polunin, 'was pushed into dance by his parents in the hope that it would bring the family a better life.'" I don't recall whether the article discussed the father moving to work due to his dance requirements or for the family's financial situation generally, and I did not mean to discount his family's sacrifices. I was focused on various articles I have read, which have always discussed the obligations of Polunin and the sacrifices asked of him.

Is that fair though? Polunin, for all his praises and gifts, was a very, very new principal. Has he earned the right to dictate his partners? IMO, no. Perhaps some of the more seasoned female principals at the RB didn't want to dance with him because he doesn't like rehearsing very much and only enjoys male solos? Getting a say in what and with whom you dance is a privilege you earn in a ballet company (and is a luxury of large ballet companies who can afford for their dancers to be picky). I agree that Cuthbertson is perhaps not all the RB is touting her to be (though I can only make this conjecture via video), but that she is a team player is apparent and sometimes being a team player is more important to the daily workings of a ballet company when it comes to scheduling and opportunity. IMO, it's completely self-centered to act as though the only people who can bring something to you and to the ballet overall and who are worthwhile to dance with are those who are the most brilliant (technically, dramatically, etc). Did he say anything critical about quality of dancer? Maybe they were just not getting along for other reasons. I fail to see how this is sexist, either, as I am reading in various places on the internet.

They use a screen now? I have not been to one in years, and of course, the sexes were separated, but not by physical barriers. I was thinking of "Fiddler on the Roof", which I saw close to 40 years ago...(ouch).

Articles have not discussed his family's sacrifice, but rather, his family's demand that he make sacrifices to support them.

An implication about a threat related to his visa arose in an article.

In some religious traditions, it prevents direct touching between the sexes.

I am currently being blown away by Semenyaka, as I am watching "Raymonda", and trying to disregard the poor filming. WOW. Why have I not read more about her?

Beautiful, musical, wonderful dancers - true professionals.

Also, dumb question, maybe, but why the silence over not eating? One assumes a very thin person, under pressure to maintain a certain physical appearance, does not consume much.... Was it a secret at the time that Mr. B limited his wife Tallchief's supper? Another interesting fact noted by Korbes - that NYCB wanted certain body types, in which dancers had "boy bodies", with slim hips, etc.

Why did Noe join MC?

I recently, finally read the portion of the book dealing with Carla Korbes. She very candidly spoke about her depression related to her weight and her job. This aspect has not really been addressed in many places. I wondered if she was a very open person, or if this openness related to cultural norms in her native country. She seems to be a very strong person. I read with interest her discussion about being kept out of performances by Martins due to her weight, and being cast whenever she lowered her weight. Has she received any notoriety in response to this, such as Mary Garrett (Mariafrancesca Garritano of La Scala) or Sophie Flack? Actually, Sophie's narrator in Bunheads seems to have had an almost identical experience in a white leotard ballet, although a ballet mistress instructed her to lose the weight to avoid being taken out of the ballet. She received Danilova's shoes and her bequest in the form of a scholarship. She must be very special to see in person.

Do you have casting?

This seems like wishful thinking or a writer's neat conclusion. It lacks logic or a basis in evidence. Indeed, how can a stranger, even a researcher, do anything but print his own theories, assumptions, opinions, and conclusions? How can a reader trust the result? Furthermore, why must outer and inner lives be "aligned"? Life is not so neat. Posted Today, 01:10 PM " This may be historical fiction, but it can only ever be seen as fiction, as a fantasy.

I enjoyed what seemed to be Willi Weekend - live tweets from the opening of "Giselle" by La Scala, blogs about the opening of "Giselle" from MCB, and Ovation channel's presentation of "Dancers". The confluence made me think it was a commentary on Valentine's Day. P.S. - Thank you to Mr. P.T., who puts up with it all. P.S.S. - Tweeting by the theatre is fabulous, contrary to the worries of this board!

Psyche

This is what I recall reading about ABT's union, and maybe it (subconsciously?) contributed to my question: http://www.nytimes.c...ance/15abt.html

Julie Kent

The ABT artist in question is not a guest artist. I was focused on union issues from reading about PNB in the Manes book. I remember reading something elsewhere about a union in NY. Would individual dancers negotiate their own contracts and rates?

Why would a principal dancer not be an employee and union member receiving a form W-2, then?

With all the backstabbing and politicking discussed in various sources, and since the book is not about the ABT, one wonders if someone else may have shown it to him. He did not say she shared it with him. Also, journalists can be ethical but misled. I would like to know his source.

The PNB book by Manes posits that Martins's compensation may include royalties from his choreography, not just his salary.

I can't imagine who would do that. I was not thinking that he made it up, although, I have no way of knowing; how would I? I was just wondering who would have shown him that. I would have liked him to annotate his note. If he did have private, confidential, internal information, how did he obtain it, why would anyone give it to him, and how could anyone know it was reliable? I was just startled to read that footnote.

The book names a NY ballerina, discloses her pay, and cites her form 1099 as a source, not a form 990 or other public document.

Ch. 18, n.10 - source of cited source?