kbarber

La Zakharova seems to have a stranglehold on the Bolshoi broadcasts...

I guess he didn't happen to say if Vasiliev would be dancing Spartacus for the live broadcast on Oct. 20?

and of course, Chan Hon Goh was a principal with National Ballet of Canada. Also, Momoko Hirata (Japan) has been a principal at BRB since last year.

Nao Sakuma (Japanese), Birmingham Royal Ballet

Pherank, I am just scratching my head over this! How utterly strange, that footage clip. Definitely not created for an American viewing audience. Could the music be any more bombastic? And as for "the only Asian female principal ballet dancer with a major international ballet company,", Miyako Yoshida (ex Royal Ballet) and Sue Jin Kang (Stuttgart Ballet) might have something to say about that!

I had the same problem (from Toronto) linking to the URL given on NYCB's facebook page, but when I try this one, it works" http://on.aol.com/show/cityballet-517887470/episodes However, it tells me to click "Subscribe" if I want to be alerted when the first episode is available and I can't find a "subscribe" button anywhere.

If you missed the live streaming last night of David Hallberg in conversation with Michael Kaiser at the Kennedy Center, you can now view it online over the Kennedy Center's website. Here's the link: http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=A81876

Yeah, they should start using ballerinas. Because THEY're not reed thin....

That would be Polyphonia.

Really, I don't think the dancers are "subservient to the whims of their owners [sic]". I don't think any of the sponsored dancers in the National Ballet of Canada think of the relationship that way. And I don't think the NBOC's non-sponsored dancers feel humiliated. Let's face it, if they don't like a hierarchical system where some people get more attention than others, they are not going to be happy as professional ballet dancers, sponsors or no sponsors.

The most recent National Ballet of Canada donors' newsletter has an article by First Soloist Robert Stephen about his "sponsor". "She furthered her connection to the company as a donor with the Dancers First programme. As she is my personal sponsor, I ask Senator Eaton what was so attractive about that opportunity. "When you raise money, Robert," she says, you always have to find a hook that will appeal to people. When I go to the ballet and you're dancing, it heightens my enjoyment because I have a small stake in the National Ballet: you." ... I thank Nicole and Thor Eaton for their tireless support over the past five years and am honoured to dance for them in the season to come". Sponsoring a particular dancer starts out at Canada's National Ballet School as well (which is a separate organization from the company). I expect the money in all cases (except when money is being raised for a particular production) just goes into the operating fund. But fundraisers will tell you that it is very difficult to get people to give money for the operating fund, because the operating fund is not sexy.

At the National Ballet of Canada they have a dancer-sponsoring program called "Dancers First" but it is not just for principals; any rank of dancer can be sponsored.

I have posted an updated list here: http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2013/08/updated-cineplex-ballet-broadcasts.html with casting, where I have been able to find it, and having removed the egregious errors from the Cineplex listings, to wit: they misspell Mariinsky ("Marinksy"), have a photo of Carlos Acosta in Apollo to illustrate Don Quixote, refer to "The "genius" [sic] of Tchaikovsky's incredible score and the "genius" [sic] of the choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov" (since when did they deserve quotation marks???) and have a "Swan Lake" trailer that has more footage and music from Sleeping Beauty than from Swan Lake. plus for "The Golden Age" they say "Boris and Rita's love is doused in poetic lyricism." Doused??? That means extinguished....Sheesh.

The "Former Bolshoi Ballerina... " link is to a short CBC item. The Maclean's article was from back in February. I think saying Lunkina has "joined" the NBOC is misleading, as my understanding is she will have a few guest appearances. Evan McKie hasn't "joined" the NBOC either; he's still a principal with the Stuttgart Ballet.

maybe it's a kind of cosmic tradeoff. Ivan Vasiliev is originally from Vladivostok and has ended up at ABT (among other places). The revenge of Vladivostok!

FOR RELEASE FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2013 NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOSÉ MANUEL CARREÑO ANNOUNCES BALLET SAN JOSE 2013-2014 SEASON COMPANY PREMIERES BY TWYLA THARP, PAUL TAYLOR, OHAD NAHARIN, VICENTE NEBRADA, JORGE AMARANTE, IGAL PERRY AND DWIGHT RHODEN RETURN OF POPULAR AND ACCLAIMED BALLETS BY JORMA ELO, GEORGE BALANCHINE AND ROLAND PETIT KAREN GABAY’S THE NUTCRACKER, DECEMBER 13-26 SPECIAL NOV. 16 BENEFIT GALA FEATURING BALLET SAN JOSE AND STARS OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET, NEW YORK CITY BALLET, BOSTON BALLET AND MORE San Jose, CA, August 23, 2013 – Ballet San Jose’s new Artistic Director, José Manuel Carreño, has announced details of the 2013-2014 season including Company premieres by choreographers including Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Ohad Naharin, Vicente Nebrada, Jorge Amarante, Igal Perry and Dwight Rhoden; two story ballets including Karen Gabay’s The Nutcracker and Roland Petit’s Carmen; plus the return of acclaimed and popular ballets by Jorma Elo and George Balanchine. A special benefit gala November 16 will kick off the season featuring members of Ballet San Jose and top guest stars from companies including American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet and others. All programs including The Nutcracker feature live music with Ballet San Jose Music Director George Daugherty conducting Symphony Silicon Valley and additional guest artists. The five-program, 24-performance 2013-2014 season—comprising the November 16 gala, The Nutcracker, and three mixed-repertory programs--runs November 16, 2013, through May 11, 2014, with all performances at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. A complete roster of dancers for the season will be announced in September. For more information, visit www.balletsj.org and follow Ballet San Jose on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BalletSJ, Twitter: http://twitter.com/balletsj, Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/115533886414740478353/115533886414740478353, YouTube: http://youtube.com/balletsj and Blog: http://balletsj.wordpress.com. “For my first season with Ballet San Jose I have created programs that feature choreographers whose works have excited and inspired me and audiences around the world,” says Carreño. “These ballets—from the sublime neoclassicism of Balanchine to heart-racing and athletic works of Twyla Tharp, Jorge Amarante, Vicente Nebrada and Igal Perry to the improvisations of Ohad Naharin—will dynamically demonstrate the range of technical and theatrical mastery of this tremendous Company.” Season Opens With Star-Studded Gala November 16 Featuring Guest Artists from American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet Members of Ballet San Jose and Ballet San Jose School will be joined on stage by a host of top dancers from leading American companies to welcome new Artistic Director José Manuel Carreño and support Ballet San Jose Saturday, November 16, 2013 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with cocktails, dinner and an auction, followed by an 8 p.m. performance featuring guest artists from American Ballet Theatre: Julie Kent, Marcelo Gomes, Misty Copeland and Gillian Murphy; from English National Ballet: Artistic Director and lead principal dancer Tamara Rojo; from New York City Ballet: Gonzalo Garcia, Joaquin De Luz, Daniel Ulbricht and Megan Fairchild; from Boston Ballet: Lorna Feijoo, Nelson Madrigal, Adiarys Almeida and Joseph Gatti; other artists and program to be announced. Tickets are available for the full evening beginning at $1,000 and for the performance only, priced $50-$250. Performance tickets will go on sale in September at www.balletsj.org .For information and an invitation contact kbertrand@balletsj.org . Ballet San Jose 2013-2014 Season José Manuel Carreño, Artistic Director Raymond Rodriguez, Associate Artistic Director George Daugherty, Music Director and Conductor Benefit Gala Saturday, November 16, 5 p.m.; performance at 8 p.m. San Jose Center for the Performing Arts An evening to benefit Ballet San Jose and honor and welcome new Artistic Director José Manuel Carreño, featuring dinner, an auction and performance by members of Ballet San Jose and Ballet San Jose School, and guest artists from American Ballet Theatre: Marcelo Gomes, Misty Copeland and Gillian Murphy; from English National Ballet: Artistic Director and lead principal dancer Tamara Rojo; from New York City Ballet: Gonzalo Garcia, Joaquin De Luz, Daniel Ulbricht and Megan Fairchild; from Boston Ballet: Lorna Feijoo, Nelson Madrigal, Adiarys Almeida and Joseph Gatti; other artists and program to be announced. The evening will conclude with a post-performance party with the artists. The Nutcracker December 13 – 26 All performances at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts with Symphony Silicon Valley and Ballet San Jose Music Director George Daugherty December 13 7 p.m. December 14 1:30 and *7 p.m. December 15 *1:30 p.m. December 20 *7 p.m. December 21 1:30 and 7 p.m. December 22 1:30 p.m. December 23 1:30 p.m. December 24 *1:30 p.m. December 26 1:30 p.m. *Special Family-Priced Performances Choreographer and former Ballet San Jose Principal Dancer Karen Gabay’s The Nutcracker is a delightful take on the holiday classic that preserves the best of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s traditional story about the Nutcracker Prince and the King of Mice amid glorious bravura dancing, good-enough-to-eat sets and costumes and Tchaikovsky’s lush and iconic score with a bit of a fresh and feminist touch to the story. Repertory Program 1: Neoclassical to Now Friday, February 14, at 8 pm Saturday, February 15, at 1:30 and 8 pm Sunday, February 1, at 1:30 pm San Jose Center for the Performing Arts Serenade (1949) Choreography: George Balanchine Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Music: Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 Glow-Stop (2006) Choreography: Jorma Elo Composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Philip Glass Music: Symphony No. 29 in C, 4th Movement and Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, 2nd Movement Minus 16 (1999) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Ohad Naharin Music: Various Artists From the first ballet George Balanchine created in America to last season’s runaway hit by Jorma Elo to inventive Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s engaging tour-de-force that sparkles with improvisation and literally brings audience members to their feet, this program has remarkable range and sophistication. Repertory Program 2: Popular Music, Transcendent Dancing Friday, March 21, at 8 pm Saturday, March 22, at 1:30 and 8 pm Sunday, March 23, at 1:30 pm San Jose Center for the Performing Arts Nuestros Valses (1976) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Vicente Nebrada Composers: Ramón Delgado Palacios and Teresa Carreño Musical Arrangements: Mark Richards Grapa Tango (2007) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Jorge Amarante Composers: Carlos Libedinsky and Sverre Indris Joner Infinity (2013) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Igal Perry Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven Music: “Hammerklavier” Sonata: Adagio Evermore (2013) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Dwight Rhoden Music: Nat King Cole Piazzolla Caldera (1997) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography: Paul Taylor Composer: Astor Piazzolla Music: Escualo This program explores the inspiration two centuries of popular music has had on modern and contemporary choreographers. Two strikingly different works by Paul Taylor and Jorge Amarante highlighting the incendiary passions and complexities of tango demonstrate the genre’s flexibility. Dwight Rhoden mines the richly nuanced songs of Nat King Cole, while Igal Perry plumbs the monumental lyricism of the adagio from one of Beethoven’s most enduringly popular piano sonatas (the “Hammerklavier”). The late Venezuelan dance-maker Vicente Nebrada’s Nuestros Valses (“Our Waltzes”) is a playfully sublime homage to the quintessential social dance. Repertory Program 3: Masterworks of Movement and Theatre Friday, May 9, at 8 pm Saturday, May 10, at 1:30 and 8 pm Sunday, May 11, at 1:30 pm San Jose Center for the Performing Arts Carmen (1949)REVIVAL Choreography: Roland Petit Composer: Georges Bizet In the Upper Room (1986) COMPANY PREMIERE Choreography:Twyla Tharp Composer: Philip Glass Two masterworks—a fiery story ballet and a celebration of pure movement--by two different master dance-makers of our era share a program of extreme contrasts and bravura dancing. Considered one of Twyla Tharp’s most accomplished and striking works, In the Upper Room features a commissioned score by Philip Glass that both propels and liberates the dancers in Tharp’s whirling, pulse-pounding choreography. Since its premiere in 1949, Carmen has remained one of inventive French choreographer Roland Petit’s most popular ballets for its keen character studies, theatrical staging and soaring dances.

or come to Toronto... only an hour away!

I have posted a bio and videos of Golding here: http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2013/08/who-is-matthew-golding.html

I think that is why Lunkina is a "Principal Guest Artist". It means she's not a regular member of the company, obliged to do Nutcrackers etc and everything else that is part of the rep, and not paid a full-time salary but presumably per guest performance. She will do some of the ballets (I suspect Swan Lake), just as Evan Mckie will do (while he still remains a full-time member of the Stuttgart Ballet). I don't know what makes the difference between a Principal Guest Artist and Matthew Golding who is listed as a Principal but with an asterisk annotated as "Guest Artist". No doubt something in their contracts. It's not that unusual to have someone back just for a specific role.

According to his facebook page today, he is now a member of the State Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theater. Vladivostok!!!

Let me know and we'll get together.

I suspect indeed that McKie will be Onegin and Lunkina Odette-Odile. I wouldn't be surprised if McKie did a Swan Lake or two as well. Are you coming to Toronto or seeing NBOC on tour?

The National Ballet of Canada announced exciting guest artists for its 2013-14 season today. For details: http://toursenlair.blogspot.ca/2013/08/matthew-golding-evan-mckie-and-svetlana.html It has not been announced which ballets the guest artists will appear in.

http://vimeo.com/72775077

Very helpful, Swanilda! I have linked to it from the "travel tips for ballet lovers" page on my blog.