stuben

Artistry! Exactly what I was thinking! YAGP is looking more like America's Got Talent these days, I am sorry if this offends anyone but this competition circuit has become such a money-maker that I can't help but feel it is a bit of exploitation for young dancers. IMHO if someone loves to dance and wants to dance, perhaps they should be allowed to enjoy dancing vs the pressure of being a better turner or jumper than the next person, just to prove they love this art form. The problem too is that the audience, as I can see from the YAGP gala goes wild over a dancer who can do 62 fouettés vs a dancer who shows artistry over technique.

Completely agree, adding IMHO many have been promoted based on their excellence in technique, and some are indeed very good turners or jumpers, yet I feel perhaps they need more experience in the roles within the ABT rep. or just the classics overall! I recall a ballet master once told my niece who was at the summer intensive there that technique can be taught but mime and what is within can't. In addition, this season feels more like an American Ballet "Tragedy" and selfishly I wish there was a Rodeo or something fun for the entire family to enjoy! There are enough tragedies outside and would love to go into the theatre to see something without someone dying: LWFC, Swan Lake, R&J, WW I know most classics have this ending and I am guessing many won't agree with what I am saying here but one can dream of happiness vs sadness can't one?

With all the conversations about this, I can't help but think about the daily atrocities committed by Putin's regime towards the Ukranian people. Also, in light of all that has come out about Putin's disinformation campaign, these dancers are a part of that propaganda. The USA has sanctioned Russia and all Russian assets, so this is rightly a part of that sanction.

Curious how the season will sell, my selfish reasons I wish there would be some oldies but goodies like Coppélia or something fun! I don't know how many SL, R&J, and LWFC I can handle! Even Wheeldon's Alice In Wonderland with the colors and fun characters, seems more family-friendly IMHO.

Isn't her mother Yan Chen, who was with the company and now teaching at JKO? So I am it helps to have her mother there and most likely we can be sure she will be watched closely unlike most of the other dancers with similar unfortunate luck as mentioned during their potential strike.

Indeed disturbing and I would think this should be an embarrassment to the upper management and even the board! I also just saw this on Dance Edit (not sure if anyone subscribes to this) and in the same breath Dance Edit announced the $60M that SFB just received! Now why can't ABT have a generous board like the West Coast?! And if they do get significant funding then they should realize without dancers or stage managers there would be nobody on stage!

I wonder what is going to happen to the DC shows since it seems a strike is imminent based on these articles that AGMA has been posting, looks like word is spreading. I wish the dancers and stage managers good luck and management understands without them the stage will be empty! I did what the dancers have asked audiences to do, I called and told them I would not purchase any tickets to their shows until their management agreed to put the money where it is most needed - dancers and stage managers! I hope more of us here will do likewise - to support this effort. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/american-ballet-theatre-dancers-and-stage-managers-voted-to-strike https://dailyfreepress.com/2024/02/14/let-us-not-forget-what-we-live-for/

Thank you for this link, based on what this shows I do wonder if they now save some money by not having an executive director or if that now goes to Jaffe, since she is stepping in to be both. Also, has anyone looked at the website lately? It seems there is no CFO either, so does that mean it is a savings and where is that going? And, I do agree with some comments about the six figures (I would consider them to be high six) for upper management while dancers are trying to make ends meet. Plus, I think this sounds like something that has been building up since McKenzie's days, and I do wonder if he saw this coming and ran!? It is easier to let someone else take the heat. And, does the Expenses include the production of new work? It must be extremely costly to put up elaborate ballets like that of Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty, Whipped Cream, and even the recent Like Water for Chocolate with all the costumes and sets. I am just wondering if this was an ongoing financial issue, then someone should have looked into paying these artists and stage managers first before they spend more money on new work. I would not mind simpler sets or bringing back the works from the Golden Years of ABT, so they can use funding for salaries first. Just IMHO.

Well, I hope this will help resolve their contract issues (based on other thread discussions) for these dancers and musicians.

I apologize if you misunderstood my point, I support SAG and all unions and I am sure members in SAG were scrambling, as I too know a few members, actors, and writer friends, who did have that issue. We are all glad it ended with a positive agreement. I am not sure what the ballet dancers make and cannot assume they are all well off, except for perhaps a selected few. Plus a company like ABT doesn't seem to be working all 12 months, so I do wonder how this affects their lives with the cost of living being so high in NYC. Anyway, I am hoping the union can get what they need to live on. Pro-Union here 🙂

It is indeed different unlike SAG where they had the support from all actors nationwide, and it is unfortunate I think for dancers and musicians. It is unfortunate for the dancers who most likely don't have wages to meet the living standards, especially in a place like NYC. Per your funding support thought, perhaps they will come up with a "GoFundMe" for audiences & fans to chip in or something. I guess I just feel bad for performers (actors, dancers) who give us so much on stage yet they have to struggle to make a decent living wage, unlike other athletes like football, etc.

Since many are still questioning and there is no word so far, I decided to do a bit of social media sleuthing, I decided to be bold and just ask the question on the AGMA Instagram account and learned that .... interestingly enough .... they are "still in negotiations". Whatever this means and assuming no contracts yet. I do wonder then if the dancers have all been working without a contract since last year, and does this include the orchestra and stagehands? How does this work and is this legal? If so, this is unfortunate and I feel for those who need the financial help with living in NYC and surrounding areas, it can't be cheap!

Thank you for this video Drew and totally agree with On Pointe!! Guess ABT doesn’t care about best foot forward these days. This video of Marcelo made me miss those golden years even more 😔 when dancers can actually act vs just being acrobats. Good technique is great but I’ve always loved a dancer who can draw me into the performance with good theatrical ability, and why I miss Gomes, Part, Kent, Reyes, and never forget Hallberg! Something that’s lacking these days.

By no means I was trying to insult anyone. That’s putting words in my mouth and I’m sorry you’re misunderstanding my thoughts. It would be nice that these dancers would get enough weeks so they don’t need to go and find other means to live on and that’s all. I’m a supporter of these dancers and that’s all.

And is that their fault when many companies work more days? Someone up thread mentioned many have to do gigs etc to make ends meet.