Josette

Oh dear, I was warned but I watched The Boylston video. She does plod her way through.

I have been a Tom Forster fan since the first time I saw him enter the stage in the vision scene of the prior Sleeping Beauty in his first season with ABT. I so wish I had seen him as Paris and Espada this season and have loved reading all the raves about him in this forum. If he gets a principal role in a full-length ballet, I will make the trip to NY.

Great news! Congratulations to Sasha!

I am thrilled about Ratmansky's Swan Lake being set on a U.S. company!

I have been a big fan of Jeffrey Cirio since I first saw him. He is a beautiful dancer and wonderfully musical - a joy to watch. His social media postings last fall showed he was very happy working with ENB, so this decision is not a surprise. My immediate dilemma is whether I buy a ticket to his Los Angeles La Bayadere performance to see him when I would have to watch two female leads that I have no interest in seeing. I wish him a flourishing career with ENB as others of ENB's principal dancers are enjoying.

I am happy for Ed Liang that The Infinite Ocean got chosen and not surprised about the works by Peck, Pita, and Ochoa not being encored. The Wheeldon, Dawson, and Marston choices were solidly constructed and beautifully danced and were a given. I did love the Rhoden, Welch, and McIntyre ballets most of all, with honorable mentions for the performances we got from Van Patten, Birkkjaer, and Froustey in Marston's Snowblind.

Three new promotions from corps de ballet to soloist were announced today. Congratulations to Elizabeth (Lizzy) Powell, Wona Park, and Henry Sidford!

Thanks for providing the casting. This is an easy decision for me.

Aaron Robison danced with SFB for 2016 (mostly Nutcracker) - 2017 (January through May). Onegin was at the end of the 2016 spring season at the opera house and Aaron had not yet joined.

And he was superb.

Thanks, Dirac. All this is about is my wishing that I had seen Astaire on stage, as various of my relatives and their colleagues did in London and New York, including Adele. I don't know why I can't have my thoughts based on what I have been told from first-hand spectators in and out of theatrical business and what I have read, without being chastised! But more power to you! I will respectfully no longer participate.

I have read that too and I don't take it seriously! Astaire also would say that Adele was younger than he. I have no concept of "most raw talent" or what might have been had she not married. I have also read from his contemporaries that he was a major, esteemed star on his own and not at all secondary when working with Adele in London and New York. Who can say whether Adele had his musicality or could compose as he did or play the piano as well as he (see "I Don't Dance, Don't Ask Me" from Roberta) or choreograph or had his work ethic? Keine Ahnung! All I know is what I see Astaire do. Love him!

Well, that's quite true, pherank, about Adele! I was watching "I'm Old Fashioned" from You Were Never Lovelier, when I realized Astaire was at the untouchable top of my list of dancers. I think I would prefer to see him dance solo. Actually, I would be happy just to have seen him walk across the stage.

atm711 - I'd love to hear your thoughts on Maria Tallchief!

Dores Andre danced a perfectly beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker in December. Her carriage and port de bras were very ballerina-like, her dancing musical and precise. I was more than pleasantly surprised, as I can't recall that I have seen her in a tutu since she was promoted to soloist.

Great photos! Thank you, cubanmiamiboy! (I love Stravinsky, by the way.)

I have only seen The Cage in the taped version shown on TV some time ago with Heather Watts and Bart Cook, and found it compelling and brilliantly executed. Loved the music. I also am looking forward to seeing it on stage as danced by SFB in March.

atm711 - Thanks so much for your insightful description of Marie-Jeanne.

Fred Astaire

Maria Tallchief most of all but followed closely by Alicia Markova, who I am certain would have become my idolized favorite.

I saw Kirkland dance an exquisite, uniquely waiflike Giselle with Baryshnikov and, several years later and before she went to the Royal Ballet, a pathetically executed solo in The River by Alvin Ailey (maybe she was just miscast), and in Tudor's The Leaves are Fading, where she was not dancing well at all in a role in which she should have been breathtaking. After reading her first book, I figured these two disappointing performances were during her period of addiction. [As to a different acclaimed ballerina, I saw too many performances by Alessandra Ferri where she was ill-at-ease on-stage and attempting choreography beyond her technical capability. Dancers can have off-nights, presumably, but I saw too many of Ferri's. Fortunately I saw one of her last Juliets before her first retirement (second retirement pending) and could easily understand why she was so loved.]

Congratulations to Jim Sofranko and all the best to him in this exciting new work!

Valentine Colasante was named étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet after a performance of Don Quixote on January 5, 2018! Congratulations to this dynamic ballerina on her promotion!

You don't need to have litigation for a liability issue to arise: should SAB be on notice, i.e., have knowledge of a teacher's or director's having or suggesting sexual relations with a minor student or some form of inappropriate behavior, a liability issue for SAB could arise; a lawsuit is not required to put SAB on notice. [I am not stating here that Martins was doing anything inappropriate as I have no first-hand information on that matter.]

Thank you, Helene - I just saw your Christmas greetings as well. Love the pointe-shoe wreath! Wishing you and all Balletalerters all the best in this new year.