ABT Fan

Apparently, Abrera has also been replaced as Lead Maiden in Firebird on the 22nd by Cate Hurlin, according to Hurlin's IG post. No change on casting sites yet. But, this doesn't bode well for Abrera's Giselle next week since her Myrta was also subbed out. 

No sign of Lendorf rehearsing either. 

Isadora Loyola posted an IG story about a half hour ago showing Craig Salstein on the floor with her stretching and talking about how today is their last day at ABT's studios before they move into the Met. Salstein is still listed as a company  teacher so he may have been warming up before teaching, or could have just been taking class with them before his matinee in Carousel. But, I wonder if he's taking a break from Carousel to return for some performances at the Met. He's not back on the dancer's roster, but when Nicole Graniero comes back for the Met season she doesn't go back on the roster either. I loved Salstein's Hilarion so much last year that I'd be thrilled if I got to see him again.

9 hours ago, pherank said:

I really don't know how Corps dancers in New York and San Francisco survive, except to share a large apartment between 4 or 5 people. This kind of situation is virtually impossible to maintain in a major city:

'The small rep company is now in its third year, and no one gets paid, but Neugebauer loves being an artistic director. In the future she would like to pay the dancers and take a salary herself, but her first priority is operating within PDX's budget. "We only rehearse Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 2:30 pm, so the dancers can have part-time jobs."'

A part-time job does not pay a living wage in SF or NYC, probably not in Boston or LA either.

I wondered if she really meant “side job” instead of “part-time “ for the reasons you say. If they rehearse till 2:30 everyday, that makes working as a waiter, bartender, etc doable as most restaurants want the evening staff on by 4pm. They could work full-time then. But, rehearsing in the middle of the day makes many other jobs unavailable unless they have have their own businesses or teach.

12 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

At least Murphy would seem to be the obvious choice to fill in for Abrera, since she's already dancing with Stearns on Saturday and her one Myrtha is at the beginning of the week. But if Copeland is swapped in, it's a no-go for me.

Hopefully, no sub will be needed, but I doubt they'd have Murphy fill in since she is so injury-prone and is already doing one Myrta and one Giselle already. I can't imagine they'd want to have her do 3 principal roles in one week, and the first week of the season, and risk her getting injured and then needing to recast her roles (which is already a risk; remember last year?). Stearns is really tall so I doubt Copeland would sub; same w/ Lane, although Lane/Stearns did Nutcracker last December when Lane subbed in for Seo. I think Boylston would be likely, since she's only doing one Giselle, though it's the day before. But, McKenzie rarely does what I think makes sense. 😉

3 minutes ago, abatt said:

Regarding the poor ticket sales mentioned in a prior post, I noticed that Giselle performances for Monday, Wed matinee, Wed evening, Thursday and Sat matinee  were available on TDF this morning. I believe that the very same dates were also selling on TDF a few weeks ago and that allotment sold out, so this is the second ticket dump on TDF for Giselle.

And, perhaps why they had a Mother's Day sale for Giselle, which I think was a first.

1 minute ago, Helene said:

Where did Whiteside post his response?

On his Instagram, as a story, not a regular post.

6 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

They’re still showing Osipova & Hallberg dancing on the 18th - their joint birthdays. Fingers crossed!

Their joint birthdays?! Wow. Maybe instead of sipping wine in Act I, they can have cake!

Abrera is no longer scheduled for Myrta; Teuscher replaces her on the 15th. The change is not on ABT's site yet, but it's on Met Opera's site and on Teuscher's Instagram. Abrera is still scheduled to do Giselle two days later on the 17th, so if she's injured, hopefully she'll be well enough for Giselle.

https://www.metopera.org/Season/2018-abt/Giselle/

Well, that would have been a sight to see!

Though, he could have been rushing off to ABT's studios to an early costume fitting. Or to a PT session. Or to get a much-needed cup of coffee.

9 hours ago, sandik said:

Nevada Ballet Theater will be doing work by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino!

I missed that! I find it particularly sad that Arpino's work is virtually never seen anymore, it seems.

Similarly, I'm wondering what United Ballet Theatre's long-term prospects will be. Joseph Gatti founded the company last year, but I still don't see any performances listed on their website (maybe they just haven't updated it yet). According to their website, they've hired Rasta Thomas (after his ill-fated ANB directorship) and Matthew Golding as guest artists. Gatti's Instagram mentions other new dancers and currently they have Marcelo Gomes choreographing a new piece for them, but for what? And, this is the only rep that's mentioned. Their Exec. Director has extremely limited experience in running any type of company, according to his bio on their website. He founded his own arts non-profit 2 years ago, but I'm unclear as to what that co. did or how successful they were. He has a BFA in dance but no business or arts management degree. Gatti has no experience running a company either. He does have a lot of high-profile dancer friends who may be of help in terms of raising the company's profile with guesting, etc. Maybe they'll be very successful. But, I'd be weary about joining this company or giving them any money.

I was able to view it:

http://www.abt.org/people/agnes-de-mille/?type=archive

Good for Whiteside. 

6 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

Company members have been posting a ton of rehearsal videos and pics on Instagram, and I haven’t seen Hallberg in a single one....perhaps he’s been testing out his physical capabilities in private. 

Agree. I'm shocked that he and Osipova are still on the schedule but there's still plenty of time for changes. I also wondered if he was still testing things out to make sure his injury was fully healed. 

11 minutes ago, nanushka said:

The caption for the photo on this NYT article reads as follows:

As was brought to my attention, the other dancers pictured are all principals or soloists.

Yet are clearly not worthy of mentioning by name when Copeland is in the picture.

58 minutes ago, Fleurfairy said:

I wish they would bring back Demille's Fall River Legend. I'd love to see some of the newer principals get a stab at that (no pun intended). 

Agree. Or any de Mille really.

Can't wait to see In the Upper Room!

This is the first time the Kennedy Center has taken such action.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/07/arts/cosby-kennedy-center.html

I don't think I've ever sat in silence because I was so overcome with a performance.

I do agree with the article that there is a standing ovation phenomenon going on. It's rare for me to be at a ballet performance these days where it doesn't happen; though last Saturday's NYCB matinee did not give one. Maybe these goes hand-in-hand with the extreme emotion that seems to permeate social media. I get that it's hard to convey happiness/joy/etc in writing, but the pervasive "I'm literally crying right now!!!!" comments on Instagram are a bit much to me. So, maybe the standing ovations are the in-person equivalent: "I loved that performance more than life!!!!!!!!!". 

However, I can attest that more than once I felt that I had no choice but to stand during applause because the people in front of me were doing so, and if I wanted to see the bows and not the backs of the people in the row in front me, I had to stand, thus unintentionally giving a standing ovation. So, perhaps that's how some of these standing ovations happen?

Gillian Murphy has posted some terrific photos of the costumes for Harlequinade. I especially love hers for Pierrette and the matching shoes! (Isabella Boylston has also posted photos on her Instagram of Columbine.) Forster looks perfect.

I have an old ABT souvenir book at home that I'll check later, but I believe it stated that Herrera did Kitri at 16 w/ Julio Bocca. She was still in the corps.

1 hour ago, Vs1 said:

Didn't the same kind of casting occur  with tiler peck  at 19

and didn't bolle get principal at such a young age with Romeo

and Miriam Miller with midsummer 

so the age is not really a shock

but it does get some people to talk about it

54 minutes ago, nanushka said:

None of those was at ABT, where dancers do not typically get full-length title roles on the Met stage just over a year after moving from apprentice to corps.

Not to say it's never happened (I don't know either way), but in the context of this particular company it's certainly quite unusual.

I don't think we've seen such a young dancer be cast like this at ABT in a generation, since the likes of Paloma Herrera and Angel Correra. Julie Kent did her first O/O I think around 22, but she was already a soloist. Similar situation with Gillian Murphy, and she's the only current principal who was given leading roles and a promotion to principal in her early 20's.

Edited to add: Just remembered that Hee Seo was given Juliet and Gamzatti while still in the corps. But, she wasn't a first year or two corps dancer and her situation was also unusual.

Corps dancers get lead roles all the time at NYCB, though their repertoire is vastly different . Not the same w/ ABT. So, that's why this is a big deal.

A "technical incident"? What could that be?

AfteRite casting is finally posted on the site.