Emma

18 hours ago, jsmu said:

Not at all wonkish, Emma, but very good questions, and not easily answered.

Soloists keep *some*--not most--corps roles when they are promoted; the most salient example is 'Concerto Barocco,' which is considered a plum part even for corps members and in which the corps never leaves the stage, doing some of the steps the soloists do such as the hops on pointe. 'Square Dance' is another small-corps ballet which soloists are sometimes still in because it's very difficult. Small-corps ballets like 'Le Tombeau de Couperin' are very desired; in fact the original cast of 'Tombeau' was at least half soloists. Balanchine corps roles are nothing like other corps parts--they are far more demanding, often more exposed, and frequently in smaller numbers (four women and the principal man in 'Four Temperaments,' three women and the principal couple in the Intermezzo from 'Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet,' and so forth.) 'Agon' is a ballet so difficult to count, and so complex, that when Unity Phelan (one of the newly promoted soloists) was called to rehearsal for it as a second-year corps member she was dumbfounded, saying in an interview that she hadn't expected to get to dance in that ballet for at least ten years.

 

Soloists are never, except in emergencies (which happen constantly in ballet) left in corps parts in big ballets like 'Swan Lake' or 'Sleeping Beauty,' and usually give up most corps roles fairly soon; they probably will finish out this week or even the winter season, however. Some corps parts are quite difficult---those mentioned above, the parts in 'Fearful Symmetries,' "Year of the Rabbit,' etc--and not something you'd want to throw an inexperienced dancer into. On the other hand, nothing is a worse sign for career aspirations than still being 'in' 'Swan Lake' after one's contemporaries have been 'promoted' out of it, either in rank or in seniority.

 

'Theme' is also a ballet in which the demis are often soloists rather than corps members, as the parts are hard. In earlier times, particularly under Balanchine, principals jumped into the corps without a second thought if someone was missing or injured; Tallchief and Hayden in particular knew everything and did this whenever it was needed. At that time of course the company was much smaller and more close-knit... but even in the early Seventies, when the company made the sadly disastrous (because of horrendous camera shenanigans, kinky editing, etc) video recordings in Berlin, many corps members like Merrill Ashley who did mostly solo parts were in the corps of 'Valse-Fantaisie,' 'Barocco,' etc. Balanchine was sometimes said to think roles and/or a salary raise were more a reward than promotion to a higher rank, and there have always been glaring examples of corps and soloist dancers who in every way deserve principal ranking--including their dancing of principal roles. Lindy Mandrajieff, Renee Estopinal, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, DEBRA AUSTIN (!)  etc, etc., come to mind, and among soloists the brilliant Samantha Allen, Carol Sumner, Susan Hendl, Susan Pilarre...as Toni Bentley says, were everyone in NYCB to have her/his due, every dancer would be a soloist.

Thank you for this illuminating answer.  And thank you Canbelto too -- I should watch that series again.

I don't know if this was common knowledge but I just read this article from last November: http://deadline.com/2016/11/new-york-times-wall-street-journal-entertainment-coverage-staff-as-print-ads-vanish-1201850080/.  Situation at the Times' Arts section is worse than I thought.

I have a few wonkish questions that I hope someone won't mind answering!  

1)  Do the recently promoted soloists still dance their corps roles for the final week of this season or will they be replaced?  

2) I sometimes notice a soloist dance a role that I thought was for senior corps.  For example, the demis in T&V.  Are these actually soloist roles that senior corps typically dance?

Thanks!

It's really weird, I agree.  At the same time, I haven't seen an NYCB review in the New York Times in a long time.  I've seen a lot of puff pieces on the other hand.  While I appreciate learning about the character of Aurora, for example, I prefer ballet criticism.

9 minutes ago, chicagoballetomane said:

Does anyone know of Adrian D-W is injured?

I believe he is per his instagram.

I think Laracey does have the wow factor in certain roles.  I saw her at the Kennedy Center dance both Ash and the Infernal Machine the same night.  She was stunning in the Infernal Machine -- so much that I was shocked it was the same dancer in both roles.  She was a last minute sub for Isaacs in Ash but was scheduled for it later that week.

In other news, Megan Fairchild was a perfect Aurora and just thought I should share =).  She really projected her dancing.

She also danced Odette/Odile in POB's televised/streamable Swan Lake.  Links should be found on this forum.

There seems to be a depressing theme this year: Rachelle di Stasio was told she grew too tall for ABT's corps.   http://energetiksblog.com.au/blog/2016/10/17/energetiks-talks-with-rachelle-di-stasio

Congratulations!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/THE-ROYALEs-Khris-Davis-NYC-Ballets-Indiana-Woodward-Top-2017-Clive-Barnes-Awards-20170109

Week 6 casting up.  Phelan and Gerrity debuting Dewdrop, Macgill Marzipan.

full performance streaming available with Amandine Albisson and Mathieu Ganio: https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/magazine/swan-lake

Looks like Ashley Bouder per her instagram.  I agree with you about Claire!  I wonder why Lauren Lovette hasn't been cast as dewdrop yet.

16 minutes ago, Kaysta said:

Sorry to hear about the misbehaving audience members.  I almost lost it last week because I was sitting in the 3rd ring sides, and the guy in front of me (who was sleeping) was leaning on the railing and stuffing his coat in between his arms to use as a pillow.  Cut off half the stage, so I had to lean over the railing, which probably was annoying for the person behind me.  I should have said something, but I hate confrontation.   The guy was completely oblivious to the fact that he was blocking my view.

Oy so frustrating.  On the flip side, my mom was leaning forward to watch the orchestra before the curtain rose.  The man behind her yelled at her.

Surprisingly, NYCB tickets at the KC are always the least expensive of the ballet companies performing in the Opera House and generally cheaper than the Washington Ballet as well.  Imspear also linked to a great discount here and there's another 20% off evening performance Orchestra seats here.  Sorry to not be able to answer the key question about the Cincinnati Ballet!

Week 3 posted

Weird.  Well I downloaded it.  Is there a way I can upload it?

Thank you all!  I'm looking forward to this.

Casting has been announced on the Kennedy Center site.  The leads will be Kochetkova and Walsh, André and Ingham, and Chung and Quenedit.  I'm not very familiar with SFB dancers.  Any thoughts?

Allynne Noelle was so beautiful in Emeralds last year.  I hope can see her in Stars & Stripes this year.

Thank you Pherank!  I'd love to see Froustey.  I'm not sure if she performs this role but she was stunning in World Ballet Day's company class.

San Francisco ballet is bringing Cinderella to the Kennedy Center at the end of the month.  Does anyone know when casting will be released?

Is anyone else struggling with the feed?  It keeps cutting out and won't restart by itself.

Woodward replaces Pollack in Emeralds this week.

Were the last promotions over a year ago?  Any thoughts on who's next?  Woodward seems to be making a great case for herself, dancing in two new ballets and subbing in Divert.

Week 2 casting posted