Plisskin

I highly doubt that, seeing as how McKenzie regularly gets million of dollars in bonus money. Plus shelling out thousands of dollars for all of these guest artists isn't cheap either. Who more often than not, are big disappointments. There's more than enough money to employ a satisfactory amount of home-grown principal dancers. McKenzie, and probably the board, sees ABT as a place to see international (mainly Russian) star dancers, not a ballet company. He's said as much before a few years ago during a press conference when ABT was on tour in Japan. And they also have bad taste with the few dancers they have promoted to principal recently...

I didn't like Osipova in this at all. Odile, Odette...there is nothing positive I can say about her portrayal. I think her company hopping has taken it's toll on her dancing. And I also think she just doesn't succeed well in these classical types of roles. Maybe the Bolshoi was right when they didn't cast her in these types of parts. And they plan on putting this on DVD? Yikes. I also dislike this production. The dark backdrop, the costumes...just terrible. The only thing I enjoyed was the corp and the miming.

Oh okay I see. Nice to see she has a slightly better position. I was a bit confused on why she would leave one corp to join another instead of leaving for some sort of upgrade elsewhere. And wow, had no idea she was getting married to an Aussie. And that last bit is very true indeed.

I wonder why Nicola left ABT's corp to be a member of Australia's corp.

McKenzie more than likely went out of his way for Julie due to who she is married to. Otherwise she would have recieved the same treatment as all of ABT's other in-house dancers...

Whelp, guess it wasn't Paloma's decision after all. She basically had no choice. It was Sleeping Beauty or a matinee Giselle: “It wasn’t my choice to retire with ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ ” she says, in the lyrical rhythms of a light Argentine accent. “I don’t feel comfortable with it. . . . I wanted to do something that I’ve done a lot with ABT. “I’ve been here for 24 years and it’s been my life, and I really wanted to retire with something that meant something special to me,” she continues. “It was not very nice that I didn’t have a choice. It was like, ‘You have to retire in this production.’ ” Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/these-star-ballerinas-are-retiring--graceful-and-grateful-to-the-last-dance/2015/03/20/62f0ef6a-cf24-11e4-a2a7-9517a3a70506_story.html Also love, how Xiomara put ABT on blast for using all of those guest artists: “Julie, Paloma and I don’t perform as much as we should.” She faults ABT’s practice of bringing in guest artists to headline performances at the Met. “All the guests take a lot of performances from you. It’s hard to keep in shape when you’re only doing one performance now and then,” she says. “You get to a point where you say, ‘Let’s see what else is possible.’ I have been very faithful, and it was my dream company, but it’s time to move on.” Overrall, that Washington Post interview is pretty insightful. Especially the things Xiomara and Paloma said. Sounds like ABT is as dysfunctional as many already know it to be from past exit interviews, the hiring of a plethora of guest artists, questionable promotions, and the list goes on...

I have a question. Why do people love to bring up and give credit to Paris Opera for David's training when he only studied there for 1 year? Shouldn't Ballet Arizona School, and most specifically his teacher Kee Juan Han, receive most of the credit?

The TBA should go to one of ABT's many gifted male dancer's languishing in the corp. Forster would be an awesome choice. But since ABT is now primarily about the MET and foreign guest stars they'll probably bring in a Russian. I wouldn't be surprised if it is indeed Polunin.

Since Sleeping Beauty is for their 75th anniversary I'm really hoping they put this on DVD/ Bluray.

He will be replaced in some of his 13 scheduled performances by the Mariinsky principal Vladimir Shklyarov, in “Giselle,” and by Leonid Sarafanov, a principal dancer with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, in “La Bayadère” and “The Sleeping Beauty.” It will be Mr. Sarafanov’s debut with Ballet Theater. This would have been a GREAT time to give one of ABT's actual soloists or corp member's a chance. Lord knows ABT's actual principal male roster is in dire need. Ugh, this company.

Gorguous. Lilac Fairy. (I'm wondering how she is going to dance in this. Or maybe Lilac is a character dance role?) Prince Desire

Vishneva posted a photo of herself wearing the Rose Adagio costume. It looks much better with the bodice tightened up: https://instagram.com/p/zuebEPwW5L/?modal=true

Gillian posted a picture on Instagram of Isabella wearing one of Aurora's costume's during rehearsal: https://instagram.com/p/zqxLUiHVaz/?modal=true

It'd be nice if ABT would put this on Bluray... From the art designs and interviews alone I'd really love to see it. I wish they were like the Bolshoi or Royal and put out some Bluray releases or live web telecasts every once in a while since not everyone can fly to NY all of the time or California to see them...

Seems like Alexei is Gabe's champion at ABT, lol. He also gave him a principal part last year in his mixed-reviewed The Tempest. I heard he was really good in it too. If left up to McKenzie, Gabe probably would be only doing corp parts right now so I'm happy that he's being given this opportunity. I'm just not optimistic about this pairing. They just don't seem to match body wise. But hey, him and Misty might be really awesome together. We'll see.

Shayer with Copeland? That's kind of an odd match up no? She seems bigger than him.

Unlike Russia, ballet and opera in America is seen as for only elite, rich, white people. And it is perpetuated by many patrons who attend. That's why it's unsurprising that people would rather go to a pop concert or the movies. It's seen as for everybody verses the few. Americans aren't that exposed to the arts like ballet and opera from a young age either, whether in school or in general media. In Russia you see numerous ballet and opera programs on television every year. We're lucky to get a DVD release every decade. PBS used to be the lone network in the U.S. to show ballet in the 70's and 80's but they've since stopped. Shocking this is not.

I hope they try to develop her more than the Mariinsky failed to do. If she gains acclaim there I wonder if they'll ask for her back like they did with Shapran since they seem to not see talent until it thrives and gets popular elsewhere.

Ah I see. Thanks for the info.

As long as it's not classical, usually there is no fuss about Misty stealing roles from the goddesses of light Stella and Sarah, lol. And Salstein should just dip at this point for greener pastures. Does he even still dance at the company?

I came in this thread getting ready to ask this same question. Why is it that POB, Mariinsky, Bolshoi, etc whom dance a lot of full length ballet's are able to give chances and develop their dancers while, all of a sudden, ABT can't? And I agree with your assessment. Which brings me back to what I said previously is that, if things were managed correctly at ABT, they could have had their own theatre to perform more by now instead of constantly hopping all around the world every year and relying on the MET (and now their going to be doing Nutcracker in Cali...) That would fix this problem. Dare I even say that, instead of a school, maybe they should have first invested in a permanent place to dance instead?

Wow, I can't believe I forgot Gillian seeing as how, other than Part, she's going to be the only female principal that is good after these retirements. Agreed on a new AD. But by the time ABT gets one, I'm wondering how far into the ground McKenzie will have ran ABT in. Abatt, I've read Russian interviews where Osipova bashed ABT. And touche on the 2nd bit.

ABT is the McDonald's of the ballet world. If you're in NYC and need a quick ballet fix ABT is the way to go. However, if you want quality dancing from the entire company (and not just 1 or 2 of the principals), quality sets, etc. I'd say head on over to NYCB for a superior experience. It pains me to say that but that's what it is right now. This upcoming MET season is more of the same garbage. It is a travesty that McKenzie would rather hire non principal soloists like Kim than develop 1 of their own, like Gorak or Forster whom should be dancing those 2 Solor performances instead of Kim. And I like Kim as a dancer but this is just tiring at this point. And after all of the trash talking Osipova has done towards ABT the last thing I would think is that they would hire her again? I understand she fills the seats with a lot of Russians (money talks) but my god, do they not have any pride? (Which that's a whole other topic since if ABT didn't abandon their base and hired all of these guest artists and made their own global stars instead of importing them they wouldn't need to rely on fans of Russian ballet stars to fill seats...) ABT especially should be developing/ pushing some quality ballerina's because the ballerina state at ABT is even worse than the male's. Their is atleast Gomes and Cornejo on the male front. Once Kent, Herrera, and Reyes retire their really isn't anyone else and that should be scary for McKenzie and co. No one I know likes Boylston and Seo, the 2 ballerina's that McKenzie is pushing. And while Part is a lovely dancer, she's barely championed by her own director which is sad since she's the only quality principal ballerina they have right now. And if things were managed right at ABT it could have had it's own theatre by now...

I too, am all about the ballerina and none of the new Principals like Hee Seo or Boylston are worth seeing. The Corp de ballet is very ragged/ under-rehearsed, and the AD is all but said that he thinks his in-house dancer's are inferior. He might as well come out and say it at this point like Fatayev because it's obvious. I can go on with the problems at ABT... As an American I was once proud that we had our own classical ballet company that was 1 of the best in the world. Now, ABT just makes me sad for what it has become. It's living off of a past legacy that it just is not anymore.

The fact that people find boobs on female classical ballet dancers "distracting" is quite sad. It reminds me of Macualays tragic NYT's review of a NYCB dancer saying she had "one sugar plum too many".