ABT Fan

Agree. Especially since they charge more for Copeland's performances.

HAHA! Good one.

Also, I just noticed that on their new front page where they list upcoming performances, the performance start times are all screwy. Today's is (was) at 3:30pm and same for tomorrow. Saturday's matinee is at 10am. (It's like they uploaded a test page.) I don't think a regular ballet/theatre goer would believe that's right, but hope no one thinks the time was actually changed or at least calls the box office to confirm. Or else they'll spend a long time at Bar Boulud waiting for the curtain to rise!

The website says Shevchenko, Lendorf, Seo, Whiteside. Sorry to hear Murphy isn't well. Hope she recovers quickly. But, I'm glad Shevchenko gets another performance. I imagine they passed over Copeland/Cirio because they have two shows already scheduled.

And, the headshots are too large - you can see their pores! (Except for Lendorf's which is much smaller than the rest, and that looks strange.) They should have worked out the kinks before uploading this. It's looks unprofessional.

Wow. That wasn't up this morning. Looks very "NYCB". If you go to a different section on this site (the "1998" section - haha) and then click on "Home" again, it takes you to the old front page. At least they're making progress!

I saw Shevchenko in Piano Concerto #1 and she was outstanding. She danced like a seasoned soloist (still in the corps at the time), very confident and commanding with stellar technique. I'm so happy to hear the reports of her Kitri debut (along w/ Teuscher and the others). I didn't doubt she'd be great, but it's wonderful to hear just how amazing she was. ABT has a handful of female soloists who are rising stars.

I imagine they'd use students from their JKO school and maybe some apprentices as opposed to full-fledged company members.

Italian fouettés are definitely more difficult than regular fouettés. Regular ones are a continuous turn which is why I found them easier. Italian ones force you to stop and change direction, which is harder to coordinate without them looking laborious. Edited: I see some of us disagree here, which is fine of course. But, based on my own experience I'd much rather do regular fouettés. However, I agree with those that say that a principal at ABT must be able to do both (and really well), otherwise have them do something else if they're going to continue to be cast in that part.

NYC-ARTS has put out this 9 minute spotlight on Whipped Cream featuring some nice dance clips I hadn't seen before and interviews with Ratmansky, Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin. Simkin's comment about how Ratmansky has given opportunities to overlooked dancers since he started working with the company was striking. Can't help but think he was referring to Lane (and others of course), his partner and the only other dancer interviewed. Though I was taken aback at his earlier comments regarding female choreographers, I agree that Ratmansky has absolutely invested in several corps and soloist dancers who seemed fairly neglected otherwise, and whose bigger and bigger roles in non-Ratmansky pieces I think can be attributed to the growth and visibility they've achieved performing in his dances. (Think Lane and Royal to name just two, both of whom I'm hoping for promotions after the Met season.) http://watch.thirteen.org/video/3000817171/

David Hallberg has started posting to his Instagram account again under a slightly different handle. He picked it up about a week ago with a message to his fans and readers and is laying out his very difficult rehabilitation that started 2 1/2 years ago. I look forward to seeing his regular posts now and learning about his road to recovery. I'm so glad he's returned, and according to him, better than before.

$125-500 for center orchestra?! I realize (and am impressed by) the list of dancers who will be performing but this is Idaho not NYC. I thought at these prices maybe it's a fundraiser of some sort but it doesn't seem to be. Am I missing something?

Wow! Never saw this coming. Woetzel has done amazing things at Vail. I can't imagine he'd be able to stay on as director. Congrats to him!

I didn't realize the Cranko trust was so difficult. What a shame.

What ABT should be filming before anything else (and showing on PBS) is the farewell performance of Vishneva with Gomes in Onegin on June 23. Shame on them if they don't (they can't control PBS but they can film it themselves). That partnership is a master class in acting, partnering skills and complete trust. It needs to be preserved.

I agree with all of these points. I get it, she's a major draw and sells tickets. And, I'm sure she wants to dance as much as possible as any dancer would. But, her schedule this Met season is grueling. She's cast in 7 out of the season's 8 full length ballets in either the lead or secondary lead and performing in each at least twice: 2 as Kitri, 2 Giselle's, 2 Golden Cockerel's, 2 Le Corsaire's, 2 SL's, 3 Whipped Cream's (the second run only). Most of the other female principals get only performance. She's also cast a plenty during the Tchaikovsky Spectacular the last week of the season. I wonder if she pulled out of the first run of Whipped Cream in May on her own to lighten her load a little?

Wow. That updated casting list is mind-boggling. Nice to see Craig Hall returning to save the day. He must have kept dancing in his retirement.

On ABT's instagram this morning, the #MeetABTMonday feature is on Gemma Bond. And, for the Fun Fact, it states: "Gemma is an emerging CHOREOGRAPHER!" Emerging? It goes on to state that Bond has been choreographing for at least 9 years, the same year she joined ABT. To be fair to ABT, maybe they say "emerging" since Bond is not nationally known as a choreographer. Still, it seems condescending. A few people have commented beneath it asking for her work to be shown at ABT. If I was on Instagram, I'd agree.

You can see a brief snippet on Devon Teuscher's instagram here, mostly of her dancing, but it doesn't show the lounge:

Can you watch it on YouTube?

Wow! What a transformation of that space. (Now they just need another donor for an updated and sophisticated website.) And, wonderful clips too! Especially of Hallberg/Murphy and Teuscher as Odile.

Peck just released a new short film featuring Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside from ABT. Who knew ballet dancers could vacuum? ? https://www.nowness.com/series/just-dance/early-sunday-morning-yoonha-park-isabella-boylston

Oh I hope you're right! As long as it doesn't mean a return to lots of guest stars.

A gorgeous clip of Abrera and Gomes rehearsing Giselle for a gorgeous Sunday morning. This is one of my favorite parts of the ballet. When done right the ballerina looks like she's floating back and forth on a breeze. Hallberg and Osipova did this especially well (and the rest of the ballet too).

I was wondering why anyone would want to hack a ballet company's website but I think you just answered it!