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Yes, well, from a purely business standpoint, the more experienced person, the one with at least some track record as a manager/administrator is Stafford (interesting that he has a B.A. in Organizational Leadership - he must have been planning for the future). Whelan's experience is limited to 2 years as Artistic Associate at New York's City Center "developing new projects" (I don't think she was overseeing staff though). So to a board and trustees, she very much needs to prove herself in this new job. Being bright and/or personable doesn't guarantee on the job success in anything. If Whelan does excel in her new position, then it's possible there could be a renegotiation of duties and titles. This whole arrangement may be something of a trial balloon. I don't think it guarantees that NYCB will always use a team arrangement at the top.

Your instincts are correct: Diaghilev gave Balanchivadze the stage name Balanchine because it was easier for Europeans to pronounce, and sounded French too. That's showbiz! 😉 It's kind of too bad that you saw Agon before you got a chance to see The Four Temperaments, since The 4 T's is much more accessible and fun (both musically and choreographically). Agon is much more of a challenge - it helps to read up on what Stravinsky and Balanchine were attempting to do. The odd body manipulations going on in Agon are reputed to have been inspired by Balanchine's therapy sessions with his wife Tanaquil Le Clercq who was paralyzed with polio. That kind of insider information can be very enlightening. SFB never posts casting until a week before the opening, so you won't have much time to decide. You may know that SFB's Little Mermaid production is available on DVD/bluray (with Yuan Yuan Tan) so there's that option. And The Nutcracker is available too - with a young Elizabeth "Lizzy" Powell as Clara (Powell is now with the company and has been promoted to soloist). Program 5 will have the latest from Yuri Possokhov, who is a very talented man, but there's no telling what he will come up with. The range of his subject matter is jaw dropping and he's constantly experimenting. He recently created Nureyev for the Bolshoi and Anna Karenina for the Joffrey Ballet and Australian Ballet (a co-production). Both were successful full-length ballets. This new one will be a short piece. Program 6 sounds like it will be your thing. Rodeo is one of Justin Peck's most popular ballets - it seems to have an enduring quality. We'll have forum threads in the SFB section about these programs so I encourage you to add your voice to the comments.

Did she say that it was the Aurora role, or was that obvious somehow? I can see WanTing Zhao as Aurora. I wonder if Lizzy Powell has all the necessary techniques down for this part? She might be able to pull it off. Thinking about Kozlov being injured…it's apparently common for injuries to occur to dancers who are going though big changes (such as a move to another part of the world, dancing a new repertory). Stressful times. Sofiane Sylve talked about this very thing in her Q&A at Ballet West (at 6:00 - audio levels are low so you have to turn it way up) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bexEmbPoDw4

Walsh often gets assigned in debuts. Could he appear again with Wona Park? I can see him with Sasha too.

I would have thought that there would be a number of debuts this year. Seniority-wise, Andre and Stahl should be given a chance. But Froustey and De Sola may both be dancing three performances each. (Too much in my opinion - I don't know how Sasha is feeling at this point, but Froustey shouldn't be made to dance continuously). So that leaves three other opportunities? Toi toi toi.

Oops - looks like Mathilde will dance the student matinee too (assuming there's only one): https://www.instagram.com/p/Bue6qdulH2m/ lapetitefrench_ I’ll dance Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty on Sunday 10th of March at 2pm and on Friday 15th of March at 8pm. I’m lucky to get to dance with two great partners: @ivitorluiz on the 10th and @luke_ingham on the 15th ! I’ll also dance for the “students matinee” on the 13th at 11am.

I'm not sure the school's management is being changed much - Stafford will still be the top person, so he gets final say on most matters. But at NYCB there will be 3 people with significant input about the existing repertoire and how it is handled, and creation of new works. New Works may be the most contentious area.

Hilary Hahn posted this tribute to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BucWxPLDyH-/ Previn happened to be the conductor for her debut at Carnegie Hall years ago. Of course the number of musicians and composers who crossed paths with Previn is a huge one.

Enjoy! I think we're all wondering about Gorodiskii and Ladislav Kozlov, both. Neither has appeared much. I think I saw Kozlov leaving the theater with one of the other young dancers after Program 2 or 3 - he was watching the company, but not participating. I expect Kozlov will make a soloist appearance in Sleeping Beauty. Natasha Sheehan has mentioned that she has been rehearsing for Sleeping Beauty, but she hasn't let on what roles. I wouldn't be surprised if she again dances Aurora at the student matinee.

Hi Terez, Trying to remember something more about Appassionata… Choreographically-speaking, Appassionata starts slow and gradually builds in intensity and difficulty along with the music. A neo-classical work, which I'm sure Millepied thought would fit the company well. I think Tomasson's The Fifth Season is better put together, personally. The dancers sometimes appeared silhouetted against the cyclorama and dividing screens, but since I was seated on the side (orchestra ring) I probably wasn't getting the benefit of the arrangement. That silhouetting always reminds me of Glass Pieces, but then the same type of silhouetting is used in part of Lander's Etudes. It's not specific to Robbins. Jewel tone costumes that I neither loved nor hated - the finale section of the ballet features some sort of pajama outfit that has been described in one of the professional reviews. Kind of sexy, kind of silly. You can see from these pictures (Madison Keesler is shown as one of the leads that night - good for her): https://www.instagram.com/p/BuPqJPrAAHy/ Millepied should be given some credit for creating to Beethoven's music, which has often been considered unsuitable for ballet (it isn't dance music). The ballet choreography works more than it doesn't. It would be interesting to contrast Millepied's choreographic approach with Justin Peck's, as they both come out of the Balanchine/Robbins tradition but lean heavily towards contemporary stylings and techniques in most of their work. I haven't seen enough live of either choreographer to make that study yet.

The essential problem in these job descriptions is that there appears to be a lot of overlap of responsibilities. Stafford, Whelan and Peck may well get along personality-wise, but there's going to be times when a final artistic choice/decision has to be made, and the three will not be in agreement. So Stafford gets the deciding vote?

Interesting. Thanks for posting, Drew. Given that Gluck is one of the BT trustees, the fact that she doesn't really know how the finances are being arranged is troubling. Some transparency would be a good thing, but I'm not sure that trusts are subject to many of the same rules as a non-profit corporation, etc. I haven't seen any statement that the BT is a Charitable Trust.

It's official. Kind of funny that close friends Chung and SVP are pregnant at the same time. But that may make the experience easier for Chung, as it's her first time.

Good catch, PeggyTulle, but we are left wondering now what the distinction is between an "assistant" and an "assistant to". I'm guessing that an "assistant to" is being told to deal only with the A.D. and not to presume any say over other staff. I love your Office reference (though I prefer the UK version of The Office). This reminds me of my corporate days when employees stuck at a particular pay level (no raise again!) would argue for a particular title (which they thought would eventually help them on to better and higher paid positions). An Admin could potentially become an Executive Admin (same duties, same pay). Exciting!

Welcome Leee. It's too bad you didn't see Don Quixote this season at SFB. Rachel Howard: 'We balletomanes don’t drink Champagne out of our favorite stars’ pointe shoes anymore, and maybe that’s a shame. If ever a performance warranted such tribute, it came at the last evening of San Francisco Ballet’s “Don Quixote,” with Mathilde Froustey and Angelo Greco. In nearly 20 years of watching this company, Saturday ranked as one of its greatest nights, the kind that makes instant converts of newcomers and re-inspires diehards—the kind dancers and their fans alike live for.' https://www.fjordreview.com/don-quixote-san-francisco-ballet/ Part of the fun in learning about ballet is learning about the intertwined history of the various ballets/choreographers, companies and performers. It's all very much an 'oral history' - the art form is literally handed down from person to person by demonstration and verbal descriptions, and that still remains the most effective way for dancers to 'get the choreography and techniques into their bodies'. Given your list of likes, but to get some historical perspective, I would recommend that you try to see as many Sergei Diaghilev Ballet Russes ballets that exist, like: The Firebird (Fokine) Petrushka (Fokine) Schéhérazade (Fokine) L'après-midi d'un Faune (Nijinksy) Le Spectre de la Rose (Nijinksy) Le Sacre du Printemps (Nijinksy, you've seen this one) Les Biches and Les Noces (Bronislava Nijinska - Nijinsky's sister) Le Chant du Rossignol (Balanchine, in revival at Pacific Northwest Ballet) Apollo (Balanchine, note that companies don't always perform the same version of this ballet) Balanchine was/is hugely influential as a choreographer in the ballet world, so to fit your tastes, I would say you must at least see (live!): The Four Temperaments Agon Stravinsky Violin Concerto Symphony in Three Movements And you can't be a card-carrying member of the American ballet audience without having seen Balanchine's Serenade performed by one of the big companies (who can really pull off the dancing and the orchestral score). This season at SFB, there are two mixed repertory programs coming that are entirely contemporary ballets (Programs 5 and 6). Followed by Neumeier's The Little Mermaid story ballet which is one INTENSE ballet. Go when Yuan Yuan Tan is dancing the lead if possible - it is one of her signature roles, and she is at the end of her career. The last program is one of the most admired contemporary ballets in years: Alexei Ratmansky's Shostokovich Trilogy. There's nothing like seeing ballet live with a great orchestra.

Sorry if this has been announced elsewhere in the forum... Legendary Movie Musical Choreographer and Director Stanley Donen Has Died https://www.dancemagazine.com/stanley-donen-2629981607.html "Donen is best known for co-directing Singin' in the Rain (1953) with Gene Kelly, propelling the classic MGM movie musical to international fame. On the Town (1949), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Funny Face (1957) are just a few of the titles that allowed him to bring his love for dance to the big screen." Rest in peace, Stanley. Yours is a great body of work.

Dance Magazine has posted a good piece about Maria Kochetkova, and how she's re-approached how a dancer can operate in the ballet world: Why Maria Kochetkova Has Said Goodbye to Company Life https://www.dancemagazine.com/maria-kochetkova-2629505394.html 'For the moment, Kochetkova is a one-woman show, managing all of her bookings, staying on top of calls and emails, negotiating contracts and maintaining her body. And performing. "It is a lot of work, and not just physical," she says. Without an artistic director or staff to manage her time, she is realizing that she has to be careful with how many shows she agrees to do.'

The latest Dance Magazine article about Masha: Why Maria Kochetkova Has Said Goodbye to Company Life https://www.dancemagazine.com/maria-kochetkova-2629505394.html "Now that I am responsible for my own career, I have more shows and more work. I am even busier than when I was dancing for SFB and ABT at the same time."

Hear! hear! What I find kind of curious is that the Associate A.D. position seems to be a new thing. Have there been "Assistant" A.D.s at NYCB? "Associate" implies a step up, but I wonder how Whelan's duties will differ from an assistant's. SFB has been using two Assistant A.D.s for some time. There's just so much to be done. The Assistants invariably go off to lead their own companies somewhere in the ballet world... EDIT: Peck's new position is something I wonder about too. His greatest value to the company has been as resident choreographer, so how does becoming Artistic Advisor aid the company? I presume he's given greater power to do something, but what exactly?

So it's Stafford And Whelan, the not surprising big surprise: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-jonathan-stafford-wendy-whelan.html

Did anyone attend, or plans to attend, any of these events? It would be great to hear about them... Ballet Chat (after performance) https://www.sfballet.org/season/events/Ballet-Chat Feb. 23, 2019 Ballet, Kinesthetic Empathy, and Music Analysis in The Sleeping Beauty "Dr. Maeve Sterbenz discusses the relationship between music and dance in the well-known "Rose Adagio" from Tchaikovsky and Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty. Research on dance and cognition has shown that the experience of watching dance is not just visual; it engages audiences on an embodied, kinesthetic level. These responses can have surprising effects on music perception as well. The "Rose Adagio" is especially intriguing in this regard, in part because it features long balances en pointe that are notoriously difficult to perform. It is the audience's kinesthetic empathy with the performer that lends drama to these drawn-out moments of stillness, and, in turn, encourages a vivid and nuanced experience of the music. The piece enables multiple empathetic alignments with the dancer, resulting in a rich and complex relationship between dance and music." Saturday, March 2, 2019, 9:00 am She Persisted San Francisco Ballet Breakfast Celebrating Women’s History Month FEATURING CHELSEA CLINTON, YUAN YUAN TAN, AND ALEXANDRA BOIGER In Support Of Girls' Scholarships and Financial Aid Programs At San Francisco Ballet School https://www.sfballet.org/season/events/2019-she-persisted Ballet Book Club (multiple meetings) Don Quixote | Sat, Feb 2 at 5 pm Snowblind/Ethan Frome | Sat, Feb 16 at 5 pm The Sleeping Beauty | Sat, Mar 16 at 5 pm The Little Mermaid | Sat, Apr 20 at 5 pm

This is one Balanchine ballet I've only seen on video, so it would be great to hear the response of those audience members familiar with the work. The Breakdown Balanchine’s Dark Waltzes: Can Love Suffice? 'We break down a waltz from the first half of “Liebeslieder Walzer,” an intimate and mysterious dance about the complications of the human heart.' https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/arts/dance/balanchine-liebeslieder-walzer.html

Thank you. 😉 I needed a laugh.

Le Chant du Rossignol - now that's a coup. Who reconstructed this ballet?

Her POB training gave her the necessary skills, but debuts are often a little nervous and shaky looking. I think she did well overall, but she had a game face on and I prefer it when she is looking naturally joyful. I heard good things about a later Froustey/Etudes performance, so I'm sure she will relax into the role. Etudes is an exhausting ballet for the leads, and it demands pure classical technical abilities - there's no no way to hide any issues. That's why it helps to have a ringer like Sylve - her classical ballet dancing is always so weirdly unaffected by all the issues of the mere mortals. 😉 Time for a dinner/snack break! At least at the WMOH one can go down to the bottom level and purchase some food and drink and sit out the middle ballet. I don't want to give the impression that Snowblind shouldn't be seen, I just don't care enough for all the angsty throes of anguish/sadness/disbelief that this type of ballet presents to see it repeatedly. EDIT: Something that hangs over these programs, that is worth mentioning - a number of the dancers have been doing "double duty" (dancing twice in an evening) and it's more than a little worrying since a number of SFB dancers have chronic issues (I won't name names) that can easily be brought back. Too many rehearsals and performances and something bad is going to happen. With SVP, Chung, Scheller and Strongin all out for various reasons, it's been tough on the remaining female principals/soloists. And yet, certain dancers have been underused, so I'm wondering if they are either nursing their own minor injuries, or they are simply being saved for Sleeping Beauty. I guess we will find out soon...