PeggyTulle

Jahna Frantziskonis is trying out acting. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4E0C_BZIa/?utm_medium=copy_link

So curious about this...

Former ASFB dancers have founded Dance Aspen. https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/dance-aspen-seeks-to-fill-void-for-asfb-performers-larger-community/article_a5ee8ec4-e2bb-11eb-824e-eb5a4ce7df18.html#ath

👏👏👏

Interesting hire. She has no previous connection to NBOC, right? Only that she was born in Canada? And here I thought Chris Stowell would get the nod...

I have read the rules. I was looking for examples because the rules are vague and I've asked in the past with zero response (the same general word is used as a verb and noun in the same sentence). This situation seems unique, but also very relevant. So here's my opinion: I think inclusivity is great and should be welcomed, especially in ballet in 2021. My opinion is that Edwards and PNB should be given grace and time, as a genderfluid dancer in ballet is something out of the norm but definitely past its due. My opinion is that stating it's a mockery does a huge disservice to Edwards' beautiful dancing, their sexuality, and audiences everywhere. My opinion is that feeling uncomfortable with change or non-cisgender male bodies is OK and leaning into this should be encouraged. These are my opinions.

Why is lack of gender inclusiveness here not allowed to be discussed? It's a central part of the issue and it seems the preferenceis to dance around it. Also, why was my post edited without any note about it?

I have asked this before with no response. What does this mean? I have looked through the guidelines and such but can't find examples. Googling leads me nowhere, too.

From what I've seen on Instagram, Edwards is a very fine dancer who seems poised and technically able to perform traditionally male and female roles (along with non-gender-specific ones). And they are black. If Boal and PNB have hired them, they've been given respect and an opportunity to prove oneself. Give them time to be casted and perform.

Congrats to Ashton!!! So happy for them!

Just a sidenote: The SFBallet_2021 Instagram handle has current and former SFB dancers as followers. There are also former staff who have posted in the comments along with others in the local dance community. I consider this a legit group (unknown size, but legit).

Requesting anonymity seems like a safety measure and probably a good one. It's pretty standard with unions and issues that disproportionately affect BIPOC and/or minority staff. It's not clear to me what happened in the past with Kelly and leadership, but the company does not seem to embrace or amplify black and indigenous voices. This isn't solely an SFB issue, though. It's reflective of ballet as a whole. Would be meaningful if SFB took the lead here and made some serious changes: focused on internal practices, hiring, retainment, and choreographers. Should things like this wait on the backburner for a new AD? Seems tone deaf to me.

Whoa!

Huh. I always thought Pennsylvania Ballet had name recognition. Surprised with the change...

Koto Ishihara has been promoted to principal at National Ballet of Canada! https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbcDrtrvqF/?utm_medium=copy_link

Wonderful interview and long overdue. I'm curious who she didn't want to dance with anymore...

Kimberly Olivier confirmed on IG yesterday that she decided not to sign her contract for the coming year. She doesn't know what she'll be doing yet, but she wants to grow. https://instagram.com/stories/mulattaballerina/2578834737128836142?utm_medium=share_sheet https://www.instagram.com/p/CPJ--OYAWgo/?utm_medium=copy_link Kimberly also posted a story of Jahna's final bow. https://instagram.com/stories/mulattaballerina/2578854125945112185?utm_medium=share_sheet

And Joan Boada! Edited to add: I think Boada may have left Madrid? Not clear on that yet. https://conservatoryballet.org/faculty/

Miranda has been posting for awhile about dancing with Compañia Nacional de Danza. And official (translated) bio: https://cndanza.mcu.es/en/team/miranda-silveira/

I read it similarly, too.

Many nurses that I know both here on the West Coast and East Coast went from nursing school directly to hospital settings. Perhaps it's different depending on where you're located?

Your observation gets at the gut of how I was feeling. All of these in-support-of comments scare me so much.

Reading through a bunch of IG tributes and such to Scarlett, I'm stunned by the "cancel culture" and "he was a great person" comments. While there were no criminal charges or illegal acts with students (not sure if the final decision was all students or just those under 18), it seems pretty clear that he did some things that weren't ethical or moral and that companies decided he was too much of a legal liability to work with again. Diving into the things on IG, I'm especially struck by how there's a lot of blame being put on the dance companies for Scarlett's choices. He behavior was all their fault, it was all a part of the culture, if you don't change the culture, he can't be expected to change, even if these allegations are true, he's too great of an artist to ignore his talents and his choreography should still be gracing our stages... For anyone in the dance community who may need to come forward with allegations, I think they're going to be thinking twice in light of all of this. The dance community does not seem to take alleged assault or consent very seriously. There are also some concerning comments from those in the "know" in the dance world about Scarlett's past transgressions. For instance on Ratmansky's post, Ezra Hurwitz replied to someone, saying: ezrahurwitz @alexe84 i dont have sufficient energy to educate you in the greater context of a centuries old culture that produces and profits off creative young choreograpgic minds and asks them to produce unprecedented and evocative work via intimate and physical connections with fellow artists and peers, all while isolating them from their contemporaries. using salacious buzz words like "rape culture" illustrates that you 1) dont know the details of liam's circumstances and 2) lack any perspective on the complex issues the ballet world faces and the casualties on every side that will continue to fall as the dance world struggles to survive in the 21rst century. ezrahurwitz @alexe84 when ur a 25 year old phenom celebrated for ur emotionally visceral creativity and sent around the world to live in hotel rooms alone for months at a time, and asked to create uninhibited physical poetry with artists your own age - and raised, defined by and reinforced in every way by an insular yet increasingly toxic world - u tell mr how ur meant to survive when that world banishes u for consensual relationships they profited from

Such wonderful news!

A few other thoughts. WanTing may not be tall, but she sure dances tall. I kept thinking she was the tallest one on the stage. She commands presence and boy does she move swiftly and every so cleanly. She looks to be dancing in the softest pillows, not rock-hard pointe shoes. Bravo to her. I really liked Sasha in "Diamonds", which didn't surprise me. She seems to do diva (ballet-wise) quite well. Full of passion and she just exudes confidence. I also really enjoyed Natasha Sheehan in the corps. She shone quite brightly throughout. One side note: seeing the archived recordings reminds me of how diverse the corps used to be, especially for the women. The corps roster for next year has, if I'm mistaken, no dancers that identify as Black. Am I right?