nanushka

Also, not all "firings" are the same, despite the common terminology. Copley was essentially brought in as an independent contractor to do a single job on a very short-term basis. He failed to adhere to the standards of the workplace (which are basically the standards of any law-abiding workplace), and so he was dismissed. It's not as if he lost a full-time position over this.

I don't think it is a good idea to hyperbolize and caricature others' differing views on a matter such as this. Personally, in my own views, I am very far from sexually puritanical; I certainly do not believe in blind adherence to conventional sexual morality. And yet I believe there should be a difference between how one acts in one's personal life, in private spaces, and how one acts as a professional, in the workplace. I understand that not all workplaces feel the same, and that those working in the arts are often used to a "freer environment." But a workplace is a workplace; legal and economic realities dictate that it is a zone in which inequities of power are inherent, and one of the functions of workplace standards against sexual harassment is to ensure that people in positions of power don't get to personally define what is acceptable and therefore what everyone around them has to put up with. Because as Catherine MacKinnon wrote in Sexual Harassment of Working Women, "Economic power is to sexual harassment as physical force is to rape." Economic power—taken broadly to include all forms of institutional and professional power—is the instrument through which such abuses have their force. Frankly, it baffles me that for a director, in the workplace, to say to a subordinate, "I'm thinking of you in my bed with your clothes off," would be considered a form of expression deserving of protection. As for the lack of clarity in what was said, I have seen no credible reports to the contrary, only hearsay and gossip from supporters of Copley who were not present. I may not have seen other credible journalistic reports or first-hand accounts that are out there, though, and if there are any I would certainly be eager to read them. But the only one that has been cited here tells us that that's what he said and, furthermore, that he himself did not dispute that report. And as for the alleged victim's response, we know next to nothing of this person, of his past, of his beliefs, of his identity. If what has been reported actually occurred, he is a victim of sexual harassment, plain and simple. Given that, and assuming that his responses did not exceed his legal rights, I personally feel it is unwise and inadvisable to question them, to speculate about them, or to criticize them. And the victim-blaming that has in some cases been expressed seems to me improper. All that being said, I don't believe the Met handled this in the best possible way; I don't necessarily believe that firing Copley was the best response; I likely would have behaved quite differently if I had been the one to whom that remark was spoken. But I also don't believe that any of that means that an actual injustice was done here. Anyone who is of sound enough mental capacity to do the serious work of directing an opera production at one of the world's leading houses should certainly be expected to know that saying what I've quoted above to a subordinate colleague in the workplace is simply unacceptable, and should certainly be expected to know that such behavior would not be tolerated. (To clarify, I am using the term "subordinate colleague" in a broad sense—a colleague lower in status and relatively lacking in various forms of power.)

Stella got a lot of love on Instagram from many ABT dancers before her debut this afternoon. There's clearly a very deep, genuine affection for her. No surprise.

I third that.

I'm excited to hear any reports that come in from Stella's Juliet on Saturday!

I definitely get that, but I also think there's a lot in the choreography itself that fit the title. (And I might advocate a return to the tutus and tiaras, even.) There was an article in Ballet Review Winter 2016-17 that discussed this (the choreography, I mean, not the title change — as I recall): "Crystallization: Balanchine's Imperial Ballet" by Don Daniels. Some of his ideas seemed to me a bit unconvincing, but there were others that I found interesting.

While we're at it, let's go back to some of the original titles, like Ballet Imperial. So much more fitting and less clunky. (I kind of insist on using the name anyway, in defiance. Like a friend of mine who refuses to stop calling it "the State Theater.")

Yes, the original ending is so much more evocative and meaningful. And the iconic image was still there, but subtler, as Robert Garis describes in Following Balanchine (great book): "in the apotheosis a sunburst figure passes before your eyes like a cloud formation (rather than what it has become in the current version, a brilliant Apollo-logo to ring down the curtain)."

I do think I would like to see LeCrone in it more than Lowery. The latter has a body type that I just personally don't find inherently appealing for a dancer, and to my eye lacks in her dancing the qualities that could make her appealing to me despite that. I just find myself sighing resignedly every time I see her on a cast list for something I'll be seeing. Very much a matter of personal taste, I admit. Thanks for the video!

Stamper's book has been on my mental list for awhile; thanks for the reminder, sandik. And thanks for the Simpson rec as well, kbarber. Both sound good to me.

Oh wow! So jealous! That sounds like an amazing pairing. I hadn't thought of anyone in particular for the MWM. I only know the piece from videos and am not as familiar with the full company as I am with ABT, as I only started seeing NYCB regularly a few years ago (when I caught the Balanchine bug really bad).

Hmm not a particular fan of Savannah L or Megan LeC, that’s too bad. I like that PDT. Wound love to see Maria K or Unity P in the PDD.

Thanks canbelto. Who dances the woman in the MWM trio?

I've never seen Agon live and don't remember the last time it was done. Any guesses as to whom we might see in it later this season?

Wish they'd do another season like that!

If it's what was telecast, I believe that was only starting from the PDD through the end. (It's on YT with Kistler and Zelensky.) Most of the works that were done for that particular program were excerpted, around 10 min. each. But they may well have done the complete T&V in other performances that season, if that's what you mean.

Indeed, it's heartening how positive in general the reports have been of performances so far this season. I've seen them only once, on Saturday evening, and the company looked in quite good shape and spirits, to my eyes. And on social media the dancers seem to be in good spirits as well.

Completely hear you, but I'm sure they were dealing with a lot of other stuff over the last month (didn't PM only finally resign on NYD?), and reprogramming a season (albeit a week long one only) was perhaps just not viable for them amidst all that. Unfortunately.

Could not agree more! It may not be as good for audience building or other programming considerations (I'm not sure), but personally, selfishly, I would much rather have the new, untested material segregated off in separate programs, or at the very least placed last so I can leave early if I don't feel like taking the chance. I'd much rather see things I'm pretty sure I'm going to like, let some others on here who are more motivated go see the new stuff and report back on what's worth catching, then see some of those pieces when they likely return in another season or two. I would almost certainly boost my NYCB attendance by at least 50% yearly if I could see more of the pieces I really want to see without having to sit through the pieces I don't. When it comes to paying for, taking time out of my schedule for, and traveling to performances, I am unashamedly conservative in that way.

$80K?! And the company's lucky soloists are going to get 0% in the first year of their new contract, 0% in the second year, and 1% in the third year. That's even grosser than the cockroaches.

Does the company actually make the arrangements for accommodations and pay for them directly, or do the dancers get a per diem and make their own arrangements? The story from Lane with the SL image seems to suggest the former, but I thought I once heard that it was the latter. (I could well be misremembering, though.)

Thanks so much for the links, naomikage! I look forward to reading more.

The memoir is in Japanese? I just did a quick google search (in English) and couldn't find anything, unfortunately, not even any news articles about it. Your summary definitely makes me curious to know more, though.

Oh wow I had no idea it was down to just one week there! That's terrible, how long has that been the case? I've never made it to a performance up there, and now it sounds even less likely.

I saw them in NYC at the Joyce on Christmas Eve 2016. They did two programs, listed here. I saw the first; particularly enjoyed the Pas de Six from Napoli, which I believe was a relatively new work for them at the time (NYC premiere). Some very nice dancing in Bournonville style. Here's a review by Alastair Macaulay in the Times. As noted there, the program also included "Dying Swan" and a Cunningham spoof. Will try to remember to check my program when home, if I still have it, for info on staging. Update: Must have thrown it out, unfortunately!