ABT Fan
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Posts posted by ABT Fan
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The only aspect of R&J that I’m looking forward to this year is seeing Roxander as Mercutio again (don’t miss it if you haven’t seen it) - hoping he’s cast with leads I’m not avoiding- and fingers crossed a Curley debut as Tybalt.
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2 hours ago, DPell said:
When does casting for Mercutio and Rothbart usually go up?
Quite late. Closer to the start of the season. I really wish they released that type of casting much sooner.
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I’d love reports from anyone who gets to see this!
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The rest of the casting is now up for CA:
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12 hours ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:
Shocked and saddened to see Klein stop dancing. Am I misunderstanding the timing, or did he resign right after being passed over in the March promotions?
He and his wife developed a skin care co many months ago, see their IGs. They didn’t perform last fall at all so I assume they took a leave to focus on it. I think their retirements just coincided with the contract renewals.
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1 hour ago, DPell said:
I’m sure we’ll get Roxander as Benno and Mercutio at the very least. Lensky casting still has to be posted. As for Curley, he’s bound to do Ballroom Rothbart, and hopefully John Brown again in Water for Chocolate. I’m crossing my fingers for Curley to be cast as Tybalt. For those who have seen Onegin before, how big a role is Gremin?
I’m also crossing my fingers for Curley as Tybalt. And, Lensky.
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Curley is now engaged to corps dancer, Lea Fleytoux:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TLgWjAGRL/?igsh=MW1jcnl2Yms4bTliMg==
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Trenary has on her IG stories today that she’s also performing Olga in Onegin.
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So Misseldine and Roxander are performing at the gala! Misseldine is maybe doing one of the SL pas, but I’m betting Roxander will get Lensky and perform one of those pas at the gala.
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3 hours ago, miliosr said:
I can't picture Jarod Curley or Jake Roxander leaving now when the great prize is in sight. Herman Cornejo is over 40 and is winding down in terms of active repertory. Roxander will fill that slot. Thomas Forster, Cory Stearns and James Whiteside are all nearing 40 and the latter two have been plagued by injuries. Curley will fill one of those slots.
I'm more inclined to think that a long-serving corps member like Patrick Frenette (who was passed over in the most recent round of promotions) might consider moving on while he's still in his late-20s.
I agree with all of this too!
I’m hoping that Jaffe and the new ED are hustling to get more performances sorted out, whether in NYC and/or on tour. Hopefully both.
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25 minutes ago, FauxPas said:
Just a note that looking at the corps roster - Jonathan Klein is no longer a member of ABT. He is off the roster. A real loss.
So is his wife, Emily Hayes. I’m not surprised since they both started a skin care company a few months ago. Still a loss - I really thought he was a strong contender for soloist but he hasn’t danced with them much lately, most likely due to starting their own business.
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18 hours ago, abatt said:
I think Misty is de facto retired even if they still keep her photo up on the website.
Jaffe is allowing too many older dancers to hang around who have little or no value to the company anymore. I'm referring here to Hoven, Fang and Paris.
Jaffe's tenure so far has been a big disappointment. The programming has far too much repetition.
Chloe is the only soloist who is being given major opportunities. Park is obviously talented, but is still getting the same old roles.
16 hours ago, balletlover08 said:I agree on Misty. I think Gillian is still retiring semi soon but she's still dancing well. She does seem to spend a lot of time understandably with Ethan at ARB so I'm wondering if she might retire soon to join him there full time.
Paris is retiring after this season (I believe) and I think Fang is on her way out also. Unsure about Hoven but I do think he's dancing less.
I think Sunmi is getting new roles (perhaps Kitri soon) and she's been casted as the lead in Nutcracker and LWFC but those are probably lesser debuts than Chloe's O/O. I think if there are principal promotions after this met season it's likely only Chloe, if there are none then I could see the next principal promotions being both of them provided they both keep being cast in principal/leading roles.
I agree that too many older dancers are being allowed to hang on, however, they were already being allowed to hang on when McKenzie was still AD. He should have graciously let a few of them go before he retired (and that was only a little over a year ago). Jaffe let Shayer go. We don't know the circumstances that led to Gorak leaving last year nor Katie Williams retiring this year. How would everyone react if she pulled a "Corrella" and did a slash and burn all at once? The balletomanes and the press would have a field day. And, the company's morale would take a huge hit - I bet a bunch of dancers would leave. But, now that we're basically on year two of Jaffe's reign there needs to be more retirements - Hoven, Paris, Fang. That will also free up much needed space to promote Coker and maybe Frenette.
I disagree about Murphy still dancing well - I've seen enough over the past year. Jaffe may be treading lightly there due to Murphy's stardom/tenure, but it's past time. Same with Copeland (just remove her name already). I also think Stearns needs to retire. He's always injured and when he is it takes him out for a long time. Now that Curley is a soloist they better be prepping him for Siegfried and Romeo as an understudy (if not his own show). We can't have Camargo doing 3 or 4 Romeos like last year.
Regarding Park, she has not been getting the same old roles. She debuted Natalia in On the Dnipro last Fall and debuted Clara in Nutcracker in December. Of course, not on par with Misseldine's O/O, but what is? Again, with Murphy still on the roster that limits opportunities for others. Park could have debuted Juliet this year (or Brandt) but perhaps she will get an Olga in Onegin. I hope they wait another year before promoting Misseldine to principal. It'll no doubt happen (and, I believe it should) but she needs more time in more roles.
Jaffe's programming last Fall was different - bringing back Etudes, Ballet Imperial, Petit Mort was a big deal. Some other repeats, but they don't have enough rehearsal time to do 7-8 new works. We all discussed here on a different thread the reasons why we may have too many repeats at the Met this year (licensing, etc) but whatever the reason I definitely agree that there's not enough variety. I hope Met 2025 will be vastly different.
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21 minutes ago, cobweb said:
Thank you for that tip about checking the casting sheet, @wallis! I am excited to be going tonight. OT, my partner and I are spending an arts-filled weekend in Philadelphia, and last night saw The Lehman Trilogy at the Arden Theatre. (We missed this when it was in NY.) What an inspired work of art the play is! We greatly enjoyed the production and the performance… highly recommend!
I’d love to hear your thoughts after. I personally love arts-filled weekends in Philly, and anywhere actually! I assume you’re also hitting some of their great museums. And, there are so many awesome restaurants. Philly is one of my favorite places.
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Amazing news!! Yes, let’s cast these guys in some new and big roles.
I think Coker is more than ready. I feel so bad that she was overlooked again, but there may not room right now.
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Hallelujah!!!! Congratulations to all three!
Have to admit, my heart aches for Zimmi Coker, overlooked yet again, but there may not be room for another female soloist as there are quite a few.
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25 minutes ago, Helene said:
Spanish classical dance has overlap with ballet, but is not a ballet derivative.
Precisely. You explained it better than I.
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20 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:
Apart from Eterna Iberia, which "balletic" pieces did the company perform? I am familiar with Eritaña, which includes lots of batterie, and this is native to Spanish dance, not an interpolation from ballet. (I realize it's a flamenco festival, but the artistic mandate of the National Ballet of Spain is broader than that.)
It was only that one and it only included certain ballet steps, it wasn’t a classical ballet per se. I do not mind that classical ballet is not their specialty as I wasn’t expecting that, and I thought the use of cabrioles especially added to the flair of the rest of the choreography.
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I went to today's matinee performance featuring the National Ballet of Spain. Has anyone else gone? The Flamenco Festival has been a yearly program at CC for many years and I've always wanted to go. I'm so happy I finally went!
Their first piece, Eterna Iberia, showed off the dancer's ballet training and the choreography featured lots of brises, cabrioles, extrechats, and pirouettes combined with traditional flamenco. The first half of the program used all taped music, which was fine. The second half of the program absolutely brought the house down with on-stage singers and musicians (guitar and percussion) and incredible dancing. I was sitting up in the mezzanine which was inadvertently perfect - there were many intricate and ever-changing choreographic formations when large groups of dancers were on stage and I don't think I could have appreciated it nearly as much had I been sitting down in the orchestra.
I have to specifically mention Jose Manuel Benitez, who performed a spell-binding solo. At times pausing and dancing in complete silence, I could barely breathe. His dramatic stage presence, control, charisma, and technique was extraordinary. The entire company was in fact incredible - extremely well rehearsed and the footwork and percussion was absolutely on fire. In the middle of it all, I remembered a thread on here a month or two ago where a few of us were commenting on some male ballet dancer's exaggerated flair and mannerisms in their DQ solos. They should study these dancers.
The last performance of the Nat'l Ballet of Spain is tomorrow the 10th. If anyone is thinking of going I can't recommend it enough. The next two weeks will feature different artists.
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36 minutes ago, cobweb said:
Thank you very much @wallis and @theo. That was very helpful. I got tickets on the aisle in the rear parquet. Looking forward to it! It's great to hear their Giselle was a success. I have not seen Nayara Lopes, but the one time I saw the company before, I too was favorably impressed with the corps de ballet. This was several years ago (2018 maybe?), when I went in for a day trip and caught two the matinee and evening performances of Swan Lake. I recall being very favorably impressed with the impeccable swans!!
I saw their SL back then as well (2018) and was extremely impressed with the swans! I pulled out my program and in my notes I wrote that they were my favorite part of the performance. Impeccably rehearsed and very much in sync with tight formations.
Good choice on your seat. I sat in the front parquet and even though I'm tall I remember there being no raked seating up there so even for me I had to bob my head at times to see around people in front of me.
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New 3 year agreement signed!! I hope the dancers and stage managers are happy with it. And, maybe there will be promotions soon?
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4JL1LyRfmL/?igsh=MWs0eng5YmE5OXgyOQ==
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Posting an update on Whiteside’s injury here as it may affect the Met season.
He says in the video below that he has a cyst on his ACL and that he doesn’t need surgery. Not sure when he’ll be back dancing. More details in the video.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3-pOT4OgkM/?igsh=MTN5Y2FycTIzeDM1eQ==
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Whiteside is now out with another knee injury (not the knee he injured a few years ago). I hope it’s not serious and he recovers in time for the Met season. But, they really need to get Curley rehearsing Siegfried etc as a possible replacement (he deserves to be cast in any case).
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3xopOqOu6z/?igsh=c3ZlM3NuMW1nOGVj
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2 hours ago, NinaFan said:
Thanks to everyone for their reviews. Looking forward to Misseldine's Odette/Odile with Aran Bell at the MET!
Same!! I appreciate everyone's reports on Misseldine. So happy to hear how wonderful she was and really wish I could have been there.
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Whiteside is replaced tonight by Ahn. Cornejo posted an IG story tribute to him so it must be injury or illness.
ABT Met Season 2024
in American Ballet Theatre
Posted
Geez, I forgot about that. The time for a Copeland retirement has come and gone.
I wish they’d bench Giselle for a few more years. It’s one of my favorites, but they’ve performed it a lot the past several years. We need other ballets.
I don’t think we should crucify Jaffe yet. I think some are having selective memories- she programmed an excellent Fall season last year that many here commended her on. We’ve also talked at length about the costs of putting on ballets and limited licensing fees, so she probably had no choice but to bring back LWFC this year, which many are unhappy about. I also think she’s trying to walk a fine line between programming the classics that we all want vs modern day sensitivity issues. ABT doing Corsaire and Bayadere in NYC has far bigger implications (good and bad) than Philly Ballet (a regional company) in PA. We don’t know, she may be trying to figure those out. I’m willing to give her another year. I’m also disappointed in Crime and Punishment, but we don’t know what else will be programmed. Give me Don Q or bring back Paquita, Raymonda. Program another great Fall season - I’d be up for Etudes again, add some Tudor, one of the Ratmansky pieces, etc. But if next year it’s C&P plus SL, Giselle, R&J - I’ll be done!
It’s a very quick cab ride!