ABT Fan

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. 

1 hour ago, Natalia said:

I'm still waiting for some sort of magical "Misty Effect" to usher-in the sort of regular live telecasts of complete ABT ballets that we used to see 30 years ago on PBS. I'm not talking about regurgitations of documentaries on Misty. I mean big, full, glamorous live ballets - 2.5 to 3 hour span, including live backstage intermissions. Anything on the schedule from PBS' "Live from Lincoln Center" featuring our superstar ballerina?  Or am I waiting for Godot?

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.

1 hour ago, Drew said:

I know ABT wants to cast her as much as possible. Or, rather, I infer as much. But debuts as Kitri and Giselle seem more than enough to keep a ballerina busy.

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:

12 hours ago, naomikage said:

Unfortunately this is geo-blocked and not available overseas.

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

4 hours ago, California said:

Pleased to see ABT's Bayadere in 2018. Presumably will also be at the Met that spring.

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). 

55 minutes ago, nanushka said:

Given how sleek and up-to-date ABT's website is I imagine that pulling this off was quite a challenge.  

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

I just noticed this on ABT's site in the "Inside ABT" section:

4/20/17: HACKED BY [NEO] / TURKHACKTEAM. All seats $25.

Türk Hack Team Hacked by [NEO]

Hacking de bir Sanattır , Saygı duy ! [Google translate: Windows 10'a Hackers Show Even Respect!"]

There's a large emblem underneath this writing; check out the link below.

I stared at this for a few minutes wondering what I was missing (their website is not very modern). But, this does appear to be a hacking job. I don't see anything else awry on the website but I've only looked at a page or two.

If this was really posted on 4/20, then ABT must be having a hard removing it.

Thoughts?

http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=570

I didn't realize she was on The Americans (or any other show currently on TV). What a difficult life she had in Ukraine.

I don't find her comments about the ballet world surprising at all. She's given several interviews (one was a video made for ABT of all things and a few in print) where she and her husband criticized ABT for bringing in so many guest artists when they were still there. (We had some lengthy discussions on this board about the same issue.) They basically felt that it took away critical stage time from the current principals and that the home team was not getting the coaching and development it needed to bring enough people up through the ranks. Even though she and her husband gave many memorable performances, she probably feels there could have been more if more attention was paid to the full-time dancers. So, I get that she felt unimportant.

On 4/23/2017 at 5:58 PM, ABT Fan said:

 

I saw this on the street Sunday and I think it's perfect for this discussion. It has a point. (Thanks Helene for uploading it.)

 

The Met Museum just announced that for the first time it will have a choreographer, (woman!) Andrea Miller, be its artist in residence next season.

I'm not familiar with Ms. Miller so I must check this out.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/arts/dance/dance-off-the-wall-coming-next-season-to-the-met-museum.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fdance&action=click&contentCollection=dance&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

32 minutes ago, dirac said:

Commentary by Courtney Escoyne for Dance Magazine, which includes comments by Luke Jennings on Twitter.

 

 

 

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea Dance Magazine, Twitter, etc were all ablaze with this topic. I thought Ratmansky's comment on Facebook (thank you California for copying/pasting) was directed at our discussion here. I'm not on Facebook so I can't view his thread.

Dance Magazine and Jennings make many valid points. I don't see how they can be disputed, but apparently they are with gusto.

Now I can't wait to read the other comments and Macaulay's retort. I may need a stiff drink first.

4 minutes ago, Helene said:

If his answer wasn't directly to that question, but to a followup question or comment, ie not in exact context, then it would be a just complaint.

Then Ratmansky should direct his frustration to the NY Times and not to those critiquing his comments. If Ratmansky wanted to have a "proper conversation" about this topic and didn't have the time to respond thoughtfully since he was in the middle of rehearsals, then he shouldn't have responded. He knew that anything he said could be printed.

On 4/22/2017 at 7:30 PM, dirac said:

Maybe Birdsall is right and the ladies are going to have to start a little rock throwing to get the point across.

 

I saw this on the street today and I think it's perfect for this discussion:

cubanmiamiboy:

I dug up an old ABT program from 6/22/05 and that performance attributed the staging to Kirk Peterson with the help of Maria Youskevitch. Peterson joined the company in '74 the same year as Misha; Youskevitch left the company that same year so Peterson may have been influenced by Misha's experience with the role, if he had any prior to defecting.

ABT's first performance of Le Spectre was on 10/31/41 with Fokine himself having taught the roles to Annabelle Lyon and Ian Gibson. Igor Youskevitch (who joined the company in '46, five years after Fokine died, and who was Maria's father) was one of the earliest interpreters of the Rose alongside Alicia Alonso as the Girl. Lyon and Andre Eglevsky staged the company's premier at the Met in '72, according ABT's website, but Eglevsky is given credit as the sole original stager at the top of the credits for some reason. 

There is no credit given to Misha either in the program or on their website. Given the info above, the current staging holds a nearly direct link to the original choreography.

Are the roles of Jigger and Louise singing and acting parts or only dancing?

Broadway fever has certainly infected NYCB. What a wealth of talent and versatility that company possesses.

On a side note, Scott Rudin, who is producing Carousel, will also produce a biopic on Sinatra according to IMDb.com. No word on casting. And, also a new version of A Christmas Carol. Hate to be a scrooge, but as much as I love the story do we really need another remake?

Yes, I'm full of puns today. It's Friday.