ABT Fan

They’re basically doing that already to Jake Roxander. He’s doing the 2nd male lead in Etudes and one of the leads in Piano Concerto on Oct 20 (and, debuts for both). Who knows if he’s also doing Petit Mort on the same night, but even if he’s not, those 2 leads will be more than enough! A big test for him no doubt.

👍🏻😊

Is there a code to use?

Same here! It’s just more gala-like to me as opposed to what they’ve done the past several years.

It's worth pointing out that the pas from Sleeping Beauty is staged by Jaffe and Kolpakova - so not Ratmansky's version.

Here's the Gala casting (this is more like the galas of the "olden" days, with big pas from the full lengths): ABT Studio Company and the ABT JKO School in a pièce d'occasion Devon Teuscher and Thomas Forster in The Sleeping Beauty Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal III in Romeo and Juliet Christine Shevchenko and James Whiteside in Swan Lake Skylar Brandt and Joo Won Ahn in The Leaves Are Fading Isabella Boylston and Aran Bell in Danzón No. 2 Hee Seo and Cory Stearns in Concerto Catherine Hurlin and Daniel Camargo in Don Quixote Gillian Murphy, Joo Won Ahn, and Herman Cornejo in Études

Personally, I don’t think that would be of benefit and I don’t see the company adding another rank anyway. In terms of just Coker and Klein, they’ve been in the corps for 6 and 10 years respectively, and have danced many soloist and a few principal roles beautifully. After all of that, a promotion to second soloist would be almost insulting. They should be *soloists*. But, again I don’t see the company creating any additional ranks.

I just hope that promotions are announced sometime this year. If Jaffe promotes no one all season, as Barbara noted that would be very bad for morale. In that situation, I wouldn't be surprised (nor would I blame) if Coker, Curley, Klein and perhaps a few others take their talent elsewhere.

Whiteside was promoted to principal in October of that year, and I think Jeffrey Cirio was as well. So they must have a way to make that happen.

At this point it seems like Jaffe will wait till at least the Fall performances are over. Someone had commented on another thread about this last week I think - basically saying she may want more time with the dancers and to see who really has principal potential and won’t just be a career soloist if they’re moved up to soloist. If that’s the case then I totally agree (even though I’m impatiently waiting…). Of course, no one has a crystal ball and a soloist could fail to reach the potential that we all saw/hoped they had. But for the sake of their future, the soloist clog created by McKenzie needs to be revamped.

I’d certainly rather she wait then continue this trend of McKenzie’s which is why we have the problem we have now. *It doesn’t look like my quote of nanushka’s came through above. I was responding to their last sentence, about clogging up the soloist rank.

So, as of this morning Gorak, Shayer and Holloway are no longer on the roster and 6 apprentices have been added. No promotions. Is it possible Jaffe promoted no one? Wouldn’t all roster changes have happened at once? How odd.

I’m betting (hoping) the announcement comes out tomorrow. September 1 is the start of the new season. Whoever was promoted would already know, they’d have had to sign a new contract already which begins tomorrow, so I guess they’re sworn to secrecy till the announcement. Whatever the case, the suspense is killing me.

ABT has done that, but it's not common. When Bell was still in the corps and barely 19, he was given Romeo opposite Teuscher. That was his first principal role. The NY Times even wrote an article about it: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/arts/dance/aran-bell-romeo-and-juliet-american-ballet-theatre.html I remember when Hee Seo was also still in the corps she was given Juliet and Gamzatti (I saw the later).

I couldn't agree more (same with Teuscher historically getting two performances of most everything).

Do you remember the rehearsal footage of him last year stepping in for Oberon with Trenary? He was either an understudy or just filling in for that rehearsal, but I was struck by him then.

I agree with most of this - it's a bit shocking to realize how many of the principals could retire in 5 years, as you put it. Shevchenko wasn't held back for over a decade - she joined the company in 2007 and made it to principal in 2017. The same amount it took for Teuscher, Brandt, Trenary and some others to make it to principal. But, Forster was indeed held back far too long. I think Park has potential to get to principal, given some of her recent casting. Misseldine is a given. McBride, Granlund, Williams, Han, I'd say no (with the others in need of retirement). I'm all in favor of this: But new dancers need roles and I think putting one performance with promising soloists or corps dancers would be a boon. Chloe Misseldine in Swan Lake. Jonathan Klein and Zimmi Coker in "Coppelia" or "Don Quixote". Patrick Frenette as Albrecht in "Giselle". I could go on. **I'd add: Curley with Misseldine in SL. Roxander and Coker or Katsnelson in Coppelia. Or, Frenette with Coker in Giselle. Fleytoux in Cinderella. Le Spectre de la Rose with Magbitang. La Fille with Klein, Maloney, Roxander, or Gonzalez and Coker, Fleytoux, Katnelson, Lall. Yes, I could go on as well. Edited to add: I think Jaffe is focusing on finding the next generation of talent, but she has a huge uphill battle and very little time (i.e. "old" or older principals, many soloists who are stagnant/can't dance principal or challenging soloist roles....). The fact that Roxander has been given so many principal roles for the Fall, and laying off casting Stearns much is telling. She has her work cut out for her.

I agree. I noticed that Stearns has not been cast much - not as Oberon this year (Bell gets his debut, yay!, and last year Stearns was replaced by Camargo) nor in any of the tutu ballets. I think that's a good decision. I think the website's issues are because they are actively updating it right now. Each time I refresh it, something else has changed/been added. Now Bond's ballet is on the schedule with casting. Still not a good excuse, but I think it's more than just heavy traffic. I find it odd that casting was announced, but still no promotions.

She’s doing about as much as the rest of the principals. Titania, debut as Natalia, and as mentioned above most likely Petit Mort. However, Hee Seo only has Piano Concerto. I was hoping Curley would get Olga’s Fiancé. It’s worth noting that besides Misseldine and Park, no other soloists are in lead casting (except Williams in Bond’s pas).

Casting has been announced: https://www.abt.org/casting-announced-for-american-ballet-theatres-2023-fall-season-at-david-h-koch-theater/ Some big debuts for Roxander including Puck (can we expect a promotion to soloist soon?). Cornejo is not cast in this role. No word on promotions yet.

I was going to say the exact same thing. Whiteside/Boylston are close friends and that chemistry translates to their stage partnership, which does not work in a romantic story. I saw them together in Giselle in 2021 and it was like watching a brother and sister play games in the first act - a little cringy actually. So by “too comfortable “ I think management may have meant this. In a modern ballet, or one without a romantic backstory, they work well together, but there were no such ballets in this past Met season.

The Accused in Fall River is one of Murphy’s best roles.

This would be 2022 and 2023’s Met season all over again. Please, ballet gods, no.

Isn’t it September 1, when the new season starts?

I keep checking their website for a promotions announcement.....it must be coming any day now. The suspense! Separately, there were questions on this site about who is running their social media with Conor Holloway having departed. Their roster now says corps dancers Cy Doherty and Erica All: https://www.abt.org/the-company/staff/