nanushka

The Times feature practically writes itself.

Thanks, @eduardo. It looks like the links work directly from what you posted above.

Yeah, I enjoyed it the one time I saw it — but I'll take Peck and Mejia in Allegro, and an overall more exciting program!

I just noticed that Tombeau de Couperin has been changed to Allegro Brillante. Great news! (Might have been changed quite awhile ago, not sure.)

Copeland has reviewed Toni Bentley's new book on Serenade for the Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/books/review/serenade-a-balanchine-story-toni-bentley.html

It was such a weird article. "Difficult questions, yet an easy answer." "It's easy to imagine that the top job at ABT is Copeland's, if she wants it." All so easy! Does Kaufman understand the serious considerations that must go into assigning such a role — much less answering those "difficult questions"?

Not every river with some burned bridges is a Rubicon. As is often the case, I think Macaulay is being excitable and putting his rhetorical style over clear-headed substance. I certainly didn't mean to suggest that I "demand purity of position from Russian artists." I just don't think "bravas!" are in order, in this case.

Is he serious?

A business name change comes with a loss. Maybe not a net loss given the circumstances. But it’s not an “easy fix.” It’s unfortunate. And calling one thing unfortunate does not mean one is implying that war, death and destruction are not immeasurably more so.

It's not 100% clear to me, from the wording of the article, that all direct reports were surveyed: That said, I wouldn't expect Woetzel to necessarily have many more than 18 direct reports, so it's possible that's what was meant. In any case, I wouldn't describe this as "cherrypicking," even if it could be argued that a more representative cross-section of faculty at all levels might have been surveyed. It does seem that Woetzel had a good point in arguing that the review should not have been led by Kovner. But I'd also expect that department heads and direct reports would have a pretty good idea of how effectively Woetzel is performing in his role. It's quite possible that Woetzel's DEI initiatives have been distasteful to Kovner et al. and that he has some serious problems as an administrator.

Everything changed in 2020.

It sounds like the method of the performance evaluation was unconventional but the feedback was pretty strikingly negative. From the article:

Ratmansky too has left his current gig at the Bolshoi, according to the Times.

Thanks for these updates, @dirac. I'm especially glad to see Gergiev finally facing consequences for his support.

What have been Peter Walker’s biggest roles? His promotion was more of a surprise to me, though perhaps not undeserved.

The Times has an article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-promotes-three-men-to-principal-dancers.html

Intermissions have been running about 20 min, and it looks like there are two for that program.

It was Reichlen's request, per the recent article in the NYTimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/arts/dance/teresa-reichlen-retiring-from-new-york-city-ballet.html I loved reading that part of the article.

That's quite possibly true, though I think the world saw (pre-scandal) that Valieva was not just one of the pack of strong Russian skaters. Sometimes, with a remarkable enough talent, which skater can become the point. I imagine she was recognized as one they wanted to push as far as she could possibly go. I could certainly be wrong about threats, it's just a possibility that seems quite plausible to me. You're certainly right, though, that even without that there'd have been plenty of other pressures.

Those are incentives — or their absence. I'm thinking genuine threats. I would not be at all surprised. (And if so, then moral censure of her as an individual becomes even more difficult.)

Yes, I think this gets it quite right.

Quite possibly — though if she did, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that she was made to feel she didn't have a choice. I can easily imagine quite convincing threats made against herself, her loved ones, etc. Tutberidze and her skaters are part of a much larger, corrupt system.

If there’s ever a time to retire the (IMO) outmoded phrase “ladies’ figure skating,” this Olympics must be it.

A mess, indeed. It's like a scene from Spinning Out or something.

Only if you buy into the logic that her age should be considered as a factor in whether she be allowed to complete after having tested positive for a banned substance — which doesn't seem at all logical to me. I don't understand what the one has to do with the other. Her age should impact who is held responsible, not whether she skates in competition. Her presence on the ice, after a positive test, renders the whole competition a bizarre exercise in overlooking the obviously relevant. It calls into question the significance of the entire event. I don't think it should matter whether she is 18 or 15, or whether the substance got into her by force, in ignorance, or with her willing consent. Once it's there, she should be out. Yes, it may be sad that she as a (possibly innocent) minor should have to pay that price for the mistakes of her elders — but the competition makes no sense if she skates, IMO.