Kaysta

Not that it matters, but last year's promotions were announced on 6/30

Thanks! This is very helpful! I'm going to order tickets for the day and night performance on the 11th. I know it's the gala but it's the only time I can get up there Going to spend Saturday night in Saratoga and come back home sometime Sunday.

I'd prefer orchestra, cost would be no more than 90 dollars per ticket. Thanks for your help!

I'm thinking about making the trip up to Saratoga for a weekend. How is the seating at SPAC? Is there any seating areas to avoid?

I live next to the Rock School in Philly, and have been to their performances and had a chance to see a lot of their dancers. They have very high caliber students there and get fantastic training, so I'm not surprised Shevchenko has flourished. Other Rock alum at ABT include two apprentices who just moved up to the corps (Rachel Richardson and Jin Zhang).

I've never seen that done during the black swan coda, even at regional companies.I'm sure Copeland's performance was probably very good, and as I find joy in most performances, I'm sure I would have enjoyed her today in SL. While I favor Abrera's dancing of all the soloists, I still think Misty is talented and has hatched her publicity plan based off the current messed up atmosphere (rent a Russian, aka star strategy) at ABT. That being said, saying that Misty's performance is on par with Lopatkina (who is probably THE definitive O/O) is crazy, and only adds fuel to the Misty hater cause. Misty is a novice in performing O/O, and while she may have been lovely, she cannot possibly be on par with Lopatkina, who has been perfecting the role for many, many years. That is not a slight on Misty, there may not be another current ballerina who can match Lopatkina in this role. Making such grandiose statements only hurts Copeland's cause.

She fell out of her fouettés again?I like Copeland, but using her name in the same sentence as Lopatkina's is going a bit overboard, no?

Off topic, but I plan on making the trip to Toronto this fall to see Ratmansky's R&J.

I think Nicole Graniero may be departing as well, based off a public Instagram post.

Good point! I like Simkin's dancing. It's a shame there is the height issues, because I find him thrilling to watch.

The apprentices have been moved over to the corps. Changes are a-coming! Hoping the promotions will be announced soon!

FYI: Outside of Copeland, the second best selling Swan Lake is Boylston's Saturday matinee.

They will, any minute now. In 5...4...3...2...1...

Me too!

Copeland will be promoted, whether we like it or not. I'll honestly be shocked if she is not promoted. And while a lot of people (esp. those on this board) will be upset, Misty's fans (who do but tickets to see her) will drown them out. All I can say is that there better be a promotion for Stella as well. I am prepared for a Copeland promotion, but if Stella is passed over again, after her triumphant Giselle, I'll be angry. And I'd just like to add that if one can find nothing redeeming about the entire spring season, than why torture yourself and go? Yes, there have been some major disappointments this year, but there have also been some magical moments like Stella and Shyklarov's Giselle, or Gillian's Juliet that have happened during this wretched, horrible, catastrophic, demoralizing, terrible no-good spring season.

I completely (but respectfully) disagree. I think ABT should rely more on Ratmansky. Say what you want about Sleeping Beauty, but at least the company appeared unified and cohesive during the run. It was obvious that the Ratmansky's were very hands on with the coaching to all the dancers, and ABT actually looked like a united company that didn't have to rely on the Rent-a-Russian approach. Plus, he gives chances to corps members that KM clearly ignores (cough Lavine cough). If that is what happens when Ratmansky restages (or choreographs new pieces), I'm all for ABT becoming a one choreographer company. At this point, (with the debacle of the "star strategy" to fill the seats being made public), Ratmansky's presence is one of the few things that keeps this company artistically significant. Personally, I wish KM would retire and Ratmansky take over, although who knows if Ratmansky would even want the job.

That is the lift I thought was being discussed as well. I'm pretty sure Gillian did not put her hand down on Whiteside's shoulder during the Wednesday matinee, if that is the lift we are talking about.

I like MacMillan's choreography for R&j (or at least I love the balcony pas and the score, which makes up for the rest) but I do find some of the acting a bit cheesy and over the top. And I agree the act 1 sword fight is too long. The good thing about being a relatively new fan of ballet is that everything still brings me joy, even if it's not a groundbreaking performance. Yes, there are some performances I enjoy more than others (Gilian and Whiteside's last rose adagio and Stella's Giselle being the highlights of the Met season for me), but even less spectacular performances make me happy--esp. as I may be moving to the Midwest in the winter, and won't be able to see as much of ABT in the future. I don't want this spring season to end, despite some of the disappointments with casting. I think NYers may take this for granted. I love PA ballet, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable as even a "mediocre" night of ABT. And I think what I will get next year in the Midwest will really make me miss ABT, shady casting policies and all.

I agree with all of this. Do you think Seo wanted to go on last night, at the last minute, in an audience filled with people expecting Vishneva? This is not Hee's fault, this is KM's fault for stifling the soloists and corps. I also agree with Aurora that Hee's acting was good on Wednesday night, so I'm not sure if she reverted back to form last night, was so exhausted she just didn't have anything in the tank, or the audience had a case of bitter-too-much-Seo-and-loss-of-the-amazing-Russianitis.

Seo is not a great Juliet, but she's not a Misty Copeland either. I went in expecting mediocrity and was pleasantly surprised. She is a far better Juliet than Nikiya. She really danced with emotion and intensity as Juliet, and I felt she lacked that as Nikiya. I completely agree with abatt on KM's over-reliance on Seo being a problem. And, although I enjoyed Seo's performance much more than I expected, I would be disappointed with this switch if I had tickets tonight.

I will say this about Seo.. There were some ardent Osipova folks sitting next to me on Wednesday night who didn't get the memo that she was out. They were ANGRY at the beginning when they realized it was Seo performing. After the first act, they stated, about Seo: "She's stunning in this role, isn't she?" I really enjoyed Seo's performance, almost as much as Gillian's.

I third this! I'm sad I missed Obratzsova's performance. Too busy with work, so I couldn't make it to NYC. Hopefully they bring her back.

Wow, that is horrible. In the last set of balances, she never takes the last suitor's hand! Haha!

This is said far more eloquently than I ever could--thank you! I completely agree!

I agree, Seo was fantastic tonight. I can see why everyone says Juliet is her best role. And Marcelo seems to bring out the best in all of his partners.