Olga

12 hours ago, On Pointe said:

I confess I haven't been following this story very closely,  but surely there must accusers more recent than Kelly Cass Boal to trigger a huge investigation and a leave of absence for Martins?   It is definitely unfair to state that dancers received better roles because they had sex with PM.  Maybe they were better dancers to begin with.  And Martins was a very handsome man - it's not like we're talking Harvey Weinstein here.  Lots of people wanted to have sex with him!  At any rate,  while I don't doubt it was cathartic for Kelly Cass Boal to speak her truth,  it does make it unlikely that Peter Boal will become the new AD at NYCB,  even though he would otherwise be a likely candidate.

This post has two of the most incisive points in this thread - (1) Martins was a handsome man, lots of people wanted to sleep with him, and (2) we won't be seeing Peter Boal as AD. 

There is no pattern really since it hasn't happened often enough.  In any event, almost the entire American ballet scene is populated by NYCB insiders, even if they are currently elsewhere.  I sincerely hope Martins has not so jeopardized his position as to need to leave. He has done a lot for the company. Things could have turned out much, much worse after Balanchine. The company is in very good shape. Sure, there are a few changes I would be happy with, but nothing is perfect. I am in the minority of posters on this particular thread, but let's show some respect and wait and see. This is like dividing the estate up before the body is cold. 

5 hours ago, mnacenani said:

Bessmertnova was Grigarovich's wife wasn't she ??

Yes

16 hours ago, angelica said:

IMHO, she was splendid as Odette and uncharacteristically seductive as Odile (i.e., she's a wonderful actress),

 

 

I was actually quite surprised how good her Odile was up until the fouette disaster - as you say, she was seductive. I attribute her inability to recover from the fouette flub - and possibly the flub itself- to inexperience and lack of confidence. And given how her career/growth/development at ABT has been handled by the powers that be, neither is surprising. IMHO ABT as a ballet company has a lot of issues. Nurturing dancers is one of them. 

Now THAT is it. Makes the pulse quicken and the heart race. Thank you for posting. 

Plisetskaya style!

41 minutes ago, sonatina1234 said:

I feel like you guys are being a bit harsh. those fouettes look fine to me, and better than the ones she did at another gig. less travelling and more centered.

Agree. They may not be knockouts but they are quite decent.

So if nobody knows the answer to my question directky above about the extent of Lincoln Center's subsidy, we can't know how much it will discourage future visits. The companies can still contract with the Koch directly or through an arts management company, etc. 

3 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

It also accomplishes nothing. Canbelto or anyone else for that matter can access anyone’s public Instagram account from a web browser if they wish. 

 

I imagine It does accomplish sending a message of displeasure, and desire not to be involved (whether through instagram or in the theater or wherever or however) with the person, and doesn't it also eliminate her ability to post on their pages as well as Fairchild getting an automatic feed of her postings. 

That is true, but the posting was done most aggressively by one of them, and not the other, and now some posts have been edited/deleted. That's all.

If the dancers are choosing not to broadcast details of their personal lives I would prefer to respect that, particularly where not to do so might be hurtful to others involved. To me, it crosses a line.

To what extent did Lincoln Center subsidize foreign ballet companies appearing as part of the festival?

I am looking forward to it also. Let's see what it's like before coming to a conclusion. Personally, I think it's a sweet idea for the centennial and if it turns out well, a nice addition to the rep. 

Oh Lord, this made me wince, for more than one reason (Counterpoint for Philip Johnson). 

12 hours ago, vipa said:

The thing is, IMO, the NYCB is not trying to do Petipa. ABT is trying to do Petipa in Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty, other companies are trying to do Petipa to one extent or another in various productions. NYCB is doing Peter Martin's Swan Lake in which he chooses to leave some "traditional" choreography in place, but makes no claim to be doing Petipa's Swan Lake. Some people hate the production, approach, and NYCB values being applied to SL, others have varying opinions. I have mixed feeling about the production, but measuring it against the Russian school and a Russian idea of Petipa doesn't work for me, since that is not a goal of the work. 

Yes. I view it more as Peter Martins' commentary on the traditional Swan Lake.  It seems influenced by both the Danish and the Balanchine schools, and that is intentional. This is in contrast to his La Sylphide which is very faithful to the classic version. IMO his commentary is a thoughtful one. If you go expecting the Mariinsky, or ABT, you will likely be at the very least taken aback. A friend who is an ABT fan saw it this season for the first time - he was shocked but concluded it worked for him.

34 minutes ago, vipa said:

After a shaky start (under the most challenges of circumstances) Martins built/maintained a first rate company. I didn't start out a fan but am now. Watching the Whelan doc diminished my respect for her not for him, but that's a discussion for another place.

Agree.

October 15 is the last day of Fall Season. Personally speaking, I would prefer to end on a broader and more uplifting

note than Robbie Fairchild's departure. So I can certainly see programming Duo in the third rather than the last slot. 

Kathleen - Sorry for the inversion. I knew that was how you phrased it, but slipped up in repeating it. More importantly, I was curious to understand your meaning since I found the word itself curious and susceptible to different interpretations and in the context, potentially loaded. You've made your point quite clear. 

21 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

Sterling Hyltin is Robert Fairchild's truest and best partner, and the thing that makes me saddest about his departure is the simple fact that she won't be dancing with him anymore.  I'm glad he'll share his final NYCB performance with her. 

What do you mean when you say he is her truest partner?

Yes, it is Sara Mearns.

Regarding some of the discussion upthread, I resolve some of the inconsistencies around Seigfried's falling for Odile by thinking of it more as a test of strength/power between the Prince

and Rothbart. This shows Siegfried as not powerful enough to overcome the spell, whatever the reason. Depending on the version, he is not powerful enough yet, or not powerful enough without Odette's spiritual force,

or never will be powerful enough.

21 hours ago, pherank said:

Here's the archived video from today, August 18, 2017 on YouTube:

[programming starts at about 2:00 minutes in]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l_rmYPwD70

 

Thanks for posting.

I pretty much agree with Buddy's view of the white swan duet. And also, the way his Swan Lake was danced in Balanchine's day was truly other worldly. Did more for me than many full length versions. But it is to some extent personal. And may possibly also be related to whether you grew up on Balanchine or the full length versions. There are some full length versions out there now  for which less of them would be an improvement. As for Balanchine's version, the change to black costumes is awful.

It sure did.But who else has his power to distill the essence? 

My favorite article from Ford Review was one called The Cult of Fragility. About two years ago. Very thoughtful.