nanushka

With everyone being "followed" on Facebook, Twitter, etc., it seems we think we "know" these dancers. Social Media has erased any illusion of privacy. There's scant mystery about any of them any more. Personally, I find being "followed" in any form is a bit creepy.

That sense of intimacy that performers in certain arts tend to inspire is nothing new, though. It's been happening for centuries.

Link please?

There's no link, because it was removed from YouTube. But when it was available, it was discussed and summarized previously on this forum.

Re: "Bella" -- the recent NYT article on her noted that she goes by this nickname, at least among those who know her. I think the calling of dancers by their first names (or other nicknames) is a rather natural outcome of the sometimes intense feelings of connection their performances (both strong and not so strong) create among audiences. It's certainly nothing new and nothing unique to this forum. Obviously that's not a truly personal intimacy, but I don't think any disrespect is intended, in general.

There's a hackneyed old theatrical trope/stereotype of an Ottoman harem eunuch portrayed as a bald, bare chested man who has lost all his body hair and is either muscled and carrying a sword or become fat due to castration. I don't know if this had any basis in reality, but the sight of a bald headed man in Turkish trousers in the Arabian dance signaled "eunuch" to me. Of course, they don't portray him as a fat man, but I don't think there'd be any other reason for the dancer in that role to wear a bald cap. Currently, the TV series Game of Thrones also features a eunuch character depicted as a bald, fat man who is involved in court intrigue.

Is the Arabian dancer identified as a eunuch in the program? I never interpreted it that way -- I always just thought of him as a man harried by too many wives.

Ah. I don't think the behavior of the women fits your theory, though. They strike me much more (in their gestures and stage action) as angry, jealous wives who ultimately bond together and rebel.

I’m not sure what you mean by the baffling Arabian dance, but are you aware that Hammoudi was playing a eunuch being chased by sexually frustrated harem girls?

Is the Arabian dancer identified as a eunuch in the program? I never interpreted it that way -- I always just thought of him as a man harried by too many wives.

What a shame that Part is not dancing Raymonda this fall. There are brief snippets on YouTube and the role seems to suit her perfectly. From the descriptions of what Seo was lacking, it sounds like someone like Part is just what's needed. As so often lately, a waste of true talent with a weaker dancer put on instead.

I was really hoping for a full-length Raymonda, given that they're doing divertissements this fall.

ABT has added some new dancers to the trainee roster. They have all come from the Studio Company: Lauren Bonfiglio, Scout Forsythe, Courtlyn Hanson, Emily Hayes, Connor Holloway, and Raphael Spyker. I've seen some video's of Scout Forsythe on Youtube and she is a lovely dancer.

What beautiful long arms and legs! Her proportions remind me of Veronika Part's, though I suspect she is rather shorter.

Welcome to the 21st century, ABT! Here's hoping they actually do something substantial with it and even perhaps begin to compile a decent record of their dancers' work for posterity.

How is speculating about ABT's motives for instituting the program any different than speculating that race or color may be one factor in the lack of black females in classical dance, especially when there is known history of bias?

It's all speculation...

I think you've hit the nail on the head, Tapfan, and made a point that everyone having this discussion would do well to keep in mind. There have been a lot of assumptions presented as truth from all sides.

By instituting Project Plie and making Misty the face of that project, ABT managed a cunning PR victory. There was no way they could ever tell her to stop saying or implying that there is racism at ABT. Essentially, they took her cirticisms regarding race issues at ABT and co-opted them to ABT's own advantage by creating Project Plie. They neutralized her assertions about racism at ABT. Excellent strategy..

I don't believe that those people on the PP advisory board would waste their time with something that's being done just for show. If it is being done just for show, a lot of people have been suckered into participating. Three or four more companies have become affiliated with the program since it's inception.

Tapfan, I think you need to reread abatt's comment more carefully. The suggestion there is not that the program is just for show, is not real and does not have real effects; the suggestion is regarding the motivations for instituting the program.

Not commenting on anything else here, but I don't think you have to assume C.

Rather consider the possibility that she was being very gracious, is indeed happy working where she is working, and does not want to alienate or insult anyone there. That doesn't mean that ideally she might not have preferred a position at ABT or NYCB if one had been offered (ok so its perhaps potentially a bit of a fib, but an understandable and justified one--the kind anyone would say to please an employer)

Absolutely, I think that's quite likely. One of the reasons why I added the postscript.

The other reason is that I'm completely aware that one of the challenges of making a case about institutional racism is that there isn't often clear proof. I don't want to come across as the sort who says, basically, "Yes, in the abstract it's there, but I won't believe it in any particular case unless I see hard evidence." Still, I think it's important to keep in mind the limitations of our own knowledge and arguments.

I really don't have a stake in this argument. Or rather, I see both sides (which shouldn't even necessarily be viewed as "sides"). On the one hand, I've never much liked Misty Copeland's dancing. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that racism -- institutional and personal, explicit and implicit -- hasn't had an impact on the lives and careers of many dancers of color, including Misty's. (It's possible to believe both that Misty has been held back by reactions to her race and that she's not right for the role of O/O at ABT.)

But that said, I'd simply point out that we're being asked to

(a) take the word of someone who's been denied a job on the reasons given for that denial, and

(b) join in the assumption that those reasons were in fact lies.

(And, furthermore, ( c ) assume that Graf herself was lying in the last part of her quoted statement.)

p.s. I'm not saying that I'm completely unwilling to do a, b and c -- just that we need to be aware of where our arguments are standing on shaky ground.

When Dance Theater of Harlem shut down, Alicia took class with ABT and submitted some of her reviews to both ABT and City Ballet in hopes that she could secure a job with a New York ballet company. ABT told her she was too tall and City Ballet said "Thanks, but no thanks."

Sources?

I think that many regular posters on BA are critical of Misty not because of her dancing, but because she has the courage to admit that institutional racism in ballet companies is still an issue.

I really don't see evidence of that (i.e. your claim, not hers), and in fact most people critical of Misty's dancing on here have mentioned that they do indeed think that institutional racism in ballet is a problem and would like to see more non-white dancers rise through the ranks.

It's one thing to say that those who disagree with you are wrong, but to make unsubstantiated claims that they're not even being honest about what they think or why doesn't really get us anywhere.

The Nutcracker mailing I received today from ABT indicates several times that this will be the "FINAL PERFORMANCES ever in New York City of Alexis Ratmansky's acclaimed The Nutcracker."

I am (1) sad to hear that they will (apparently) never do this version here again and (2) surprised at the degree of assurance with which they say this. (Obviously this is in part a marketing move, but it seems there must be something substantial behind it.)

I knew this was the end of the 5-year BAM run, and I supposed there were no concrete plans to bring it back to the area in coming years, but I didn't know they had decided against even the possibility of doing so at any point in the future.

Tapfan, not all criticism is vitriolic.

A very good (and important) point. I don't see much (if any) vitriol on this thread, and it's better to avoid straw men.

I hope Hammoudi is sufficiently healed by then to be able to tackle the tricky partnering challenges. When I saw Tamm several years ago as a replacement for Hallberg, he had some difficulties.

Unfortunately, with Hammoudi, I don't think it's just the injuries. He doesn't seem to have the technique to manage a principal role. Disappointing, as I had hopes that he could advance.

Also interesting that casting has been announced for Nutcracker but still not for the Fall season.

That's been standard in recent years. Fall season casting always comes extremely (and annoyingly) late.

By the way, I was shocked that the ushers let in a large-ish group of latecomers in to *prime orchestra seats* during applause from the transition between the ending of one song (movement?) and the beginning of another at the Met last month. I think they should have waited for a scene change, at least. The twinkling of flashlights and shuffling of feet and gowns was quite distracting, especially from above.

I've never experienced this at the Met; I've always found them to be very strict there, not letting anyone in until intermission (which makes sense, because they have the theater where you can watch a live stream). But at the Koch, they let people come in and stand around on the edges of the rings, making noise and moving around very disruptively. When the ushers aren't watching, these people then inevitably go in to their seats, again very disruptively. I really wish the Koch would reconsider their policy and keep things as strict as the Met.

Too bad it's Abrera with Hammoudi and Copeland with Tamm, rather than the reverse.

As much as I have loved Veronika in what I've seen from her-(Lilac, NIkiya, Chopiniana's Prelude)-she does not "get me" as Giselle...that on top of seeing some of her old technical struggling coming back, as with her Act I Pas Seul).

It's rare that we have video to rely on, rather than our faulty memories, and particularly with Veronika's performances. Could you be more specific and point to instances in the pas seul where you see "some of her old technical struggling coming back"?

This is not meant as a challenge. I genuinely want to know what you're referring to and want to learn to see better what's there, since I'm not a dancer myself.

So are you saying that you approve of dancers becoming self-promoting publicity machines (and actually publicity machines on a much, much greater scale than Copeland) as long as you approve of their dance skills?

I'm guessing what abatt is saying is that Guillem et al did not become famous because they were "self-promoting publicity machines" but rather because of their excellence as dancers. Even your own description suggests this:

"in London during the 1990s where it seemed Sylvie Guillem, Darcey Bussell and/or Viviana Durante were plastered on every street corner in the city between public transport, magazine covers, newsstands, posters, etc"

That doesn't sound like mere self-promotion, it sounds like fame.

Ditto.

The rest of the casting is finally out, poor Veronika has to dance opposite Ivanchenko's Albrecht! He shouldn't have any trouble with the lifts but Veronika will have to do all the acting for both of them!

Luckily she's gotten lots of practice in her years of Swan Lake with Cory Stearns...

I think a number of the dancers in the Russian companies have said they wear Gaynor Mindens, which last longer. I would think the longer a dancer wears a shoe, the dirtier the shoe will get. It's not such an issue for the Odettes and Auroras who wear Freeds, and up to three different pairs in a performance.

And yet, don't both Veronika Part and Gillian Murphy wear Gaynor Mindens? We never see coal-black feet on those two, that I can recall.