ABT Fan

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/

This video was posted on YouTube 4 years, not recently - not even re-posted recently. I'm thinking that this just showed up in California's feed. YouTube does that. So, I don't see any correlation between this snippet and what may or may not be performed next year or when Copeland may retire.

I believe 5’8 with a broader physique.

Agree. Stearns is 37. There’s also Whiteside who is 38 and maybe not 100% yet after a traumatic injury. He’s tall and a very good partner, but his age and possible injury issues are something to keep in mind.

Agree, I wouldn’t say Forster is young at that age. Royal is about 35 so not “young” either. They will still need more tall men and Brandt will need someone soon as well.

Jarod Curley

It isn’t just what Jaffe wants. They need men tall and strong enough to partner the tall women who are already principals - Teuscher is probably the tallest. Murphy, Shevchenko, Hurlin and even Seo (to a lesser degree) all need tall or tallish men - so five women. Also Misseldine, a current soloist. Klein, Frenette, Roxander, Maloney, would all be too short to partner them. Those four would do well with Brandt, maybe Trenary, definitely Coker.

Yes, new contracts begin in September. Perhaps Jaffe is waiting till the start of the season (or immediately before) to make any public announcements. I think many of us are waiting with bated breathe. Can't be long now,

Thank you, vipa, for all of your reports. I’m living vicariously through you this week! I’d love to go to Vail someday, but having asthma I’m not sure I could handle it. I really love hearing about all of the “new” partnerships that these dancers get to explore. Phelan and Royal have danced together at Vail several seasons now and they really seem to be a wonderful pair.

He said in his op-ed and on IG that he boarded a plane to Paris on his own accord when he decided he wanted nothing to do with the Lifted piece.

It’s funny that Shayer never mentioned in either his Op-ed piece or on his IG posts that he walked out on his contract and the season. And, frankly contract or not, no employer would NOT fire an employee who just walked off the job for months on end.

Cornejo has posted another R&J tribute on his IG. He says “until we meet again R&J”. Carlos Lopez, a repertoire director, wrote in the comments “you mean until next year”. That would make it what 3 or 4 years in a row?? https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvPh_1pgy6U/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

A recent article in Dance Teacher where Lane talks about her new job and goals for the school. No mention of her husband staying with ABT or not. https://dance-teacher.com/former-abt-principal-sarah-lane-on-becoming-the-new-school-director-at-ballet-rhode-island/

Magbitang danced in the corps (peasants, villagers) in 3 performances that I saw for Giselle, SL and R&J. Unfortunately, yet understandably, his size is going to hold him back quite a bit. I remember last year when he made his debut as the lead gypsy in DQ with Cornejo and I was surprised to see that he was smaller than Cornejo - not just in height but his frame as well. That is going to really limit who he can partner. Doing the lead gypsy and Puck were natural roles for him, and he didn't have to partner anyone (very limited partnering as the gypsy). Even Coker, who is quite small, would probably be too large for him. So, I wasn't surprised to not see him cast in peasant pas or peasant pas de trois. Did he do Neapolitan in any SL that anyone saw? I think Roxander is a star in the making. If he was promoted now, he would deserve it.

Same! If Roxander is promoted, I just hope it’s in conjunction with Curley (at a minimum) and Klein.

I'm surprised Paris and Hoven aren't also leaving. Like others have said, they barely dance and in nothing memorable. Curley and Klein deserve to be promoted; they should have been last year. They also need to make room for Coker, even if there isn't a "spot" open for the women.

Someone mentioned on one of the ABT threads about Teuscher getting outside coaching from Isabelle Guerin, for SL I think. I noticed in last night’s program that she’s now listed as a company teacher. I think that’s new or has she been a teacher for awhile? I have also seen Paloma Herrera in the audience several times including last night. I’d love to see her come on for coaching. It would be marvelous, and is needed, if Marcelo Gomes could return to coach the men on partnering and such. Maybe someday enough time will have passed for him to be able to do that, especially with McKenzie gone.

They did the second view of the bodies last night with Cornejo/Trenary. But, I don’t remember it being done last year with any of the casts I saw. Perhaps folks who went to other shows this year can say whether or not last night was the only night they did this. It actually surprised me because I haven’t seen it done in quite awhile. Maybe Cornejo asked for it. I have a feeling that was his last Romeo.

It’s interesting to read what others thought of the same performance. I have a completely opposite viewpoint of Cornejo and Trenary. The word I kept thinking of was actually “abandon”, especially in regards to Cornejo. I haven’t seen him dance like that in a long time. Was it because it was the last performance of the season and he had nothing to lose? He did post on IG a few times how excited he was that the house was virtually sold out. Was this his last Romeo so he went for broke? Whatever it was, it was marvelous. Trenary was incredible. I agree that her Juliet at the beginning needs more nuance and development, but at the end these two were passionately in love, devastated, heartbreaking. Roxander indeed rocked the house. I had high expectations and he didn’t disappoint. Pirouettes with countless revolutions and immense control, amazing height on his jumps, swagger up the wazoo. He’ll make an incredible Romeo someday. In the fall, he would be amazing as Puck. Ahn in general was fine as Tybalt but his death scene made no impact. It occurred to me that as a newish principal he’s routinely given little to do. Han was very good as Benvolio.

I just saw the story on their IG. Yep, he’s leaving. I have to say that despite him not living up to the potential many of us hoped he had, his Bronze Idol was the best I’ve ever seen. Simply gorgeous.

Nothing. Jaffe may have a different promotion cadence in mind than McKenzie did.

Did anyone attend last night? I’m maybe a bit too excited for tonight’s performance - I don’t want to jinx it. Fear all week of Cornejo having to cancel again like last year, and anticipation over Roxander’s Mercutio. Praying to the ballet gods with fervor and please, oh please let Zhurbin be cast as Tybalt!

I think a lot of male dancers realize how essential it is to lift and cross train. I remember Sascha Radetsky got heavily into lifting weights when he was still dancing. Gomes used to post lots of videos on IG of him lifting. Whiteside is another one and way before he was injured: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTnUYyhFNnr/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Curley is another: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmg-UAJBPLk/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Not all guys, of course and I’m not sure about Royal.

Murphy and Bell are a very mismatched pair.