Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

FITTB85

Member
  • Posts

    34
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by FITTB85

  1. On 9/30/2022 at 2:33 PM, Kathleen O'Connell said:

    I'm a millennial at least twice over and I have quite the appetite for Abraham. Pop-and-lock moves date back to at least the 70s Funk era—aka, Boomer Salad Days. 😉

    Hahaha, yes I know break dancing is by no means new. I meant more, I’m the “Center Stage” generation. All I’ve wanted for the last 22 years is to see GOOD choreography and GOOD technique performed to popular music (not the crap you see in competition dance). So far I feel like Abraham is the only choreographer who has delivered on this.

    I really want to see good ballet technique performing choreography that brings the music to life. I want Balanchine musicality enhancing the music.

  2. 27 minutes ago, Dancingdemon said:

    Would someone give their thoughts on the gala last night? 

    Symphony in 😄

    Megan Fairchild was in for Bouder and Unity Phelan was in for Mearns. Fairchild was partnered by ex husband Andy Veyette, I believe this may have been only the second time they’ve danced together since the divorce, they were professional and looked happy.

    Holy crap is Unity Phelan talented! She just has “it” there was something about her that made her shine just a little brighter than the other 3 leads (Fairchild, Hod and Gerrity). Hod looked wonderful as well, I feel like long/tall girls are sometimes criticized for a bad port de bras but she was lovely.

    Reisen, I thought the costumes were good; the colors, silhouettes and texture work onstage. Often the fashion collaborations fail because the fabric or color doesn’t translate onstage. I thought the choreography was quite derivative, a lot of combinations you’ve seen a million times before but it was fine.

     

    Peck, I always say Justin Peck is best with an ensemble piece, creating unique formations etc. This was just basic solo, the only thing that made it unique to was that it was a man. The costume was inexcusable, I don’t know what happened, maybe a breakdown in communication.

    Abraham, I agree with the Times that it was a bit long but only a little, maybe remove 1 or 2 of the last few sections.

    I am a millennial and therefore I’m the target audience for Abraham but I LOVED this. Incorporating pop-and-lock movement with ballet is all I’ve ever wanted. The nod to swan lake was messy, I don’t know if the music was too fast or the dancers not up to snuff but it wasn’t great. Opening section with Fahoury was wonderful, Grant and Walker were great together, Emily Kikta looked incredible in her unitard, she has amazing lines. The print on the costumes wasn’t good because you couldn’t see what it was but the silhouettes were fun in a nod to 18th century French court dress. 

  3. 6 minutes ago, FayBallet said:

    And that also wasn't the line. The sentence was actually, "With her model good looks and feisty personality, Waterbury was a perfect #metoo change agent." 

    Taking the word "change" from the sentence makes it take on a completely different meaning.

    Referring to her looks is unnecessary, it diminishes Waterbury to outward appearance. Describing a “feisty personality” is infantilizing and dismissive, as if to say “How spunky, making such a commotion!” Why do t you just say “that model should be seen and not heard.” 

  4. 29 minutes ago, On Pointe said:

    I think we are reacting as if Merson's assertions are true.  But as the saying goes,  if it ain't broke,  don't  fix it.  While there have been unequal relationships between dancers and students in the past,  there isn't  any evidence presented that it is either rampant or much of a problem.  It would be difficult to craft a policy forbidding,  for example,  an eighteen year old NYCB dancer from dating an eighteen year old SAB student.  They could even be legally married in New York.

    I know SAB is not a typical boarding school but I would expect the administration to be, at the very least, cautious about students fraternizing with company members; especially after  the 2005 Milton Academy sex scandal (18yo senior boys w/ underclassman girl) and the more recent rape case at St. Paul’s.  At a typical coed boarding school, dating between 18+ seniors or postgraduates and underclassmen is a constant cause of concern for faculty and administration. 

  5. 12 minutes ago, balletforme said:

    If this is true,  reticent or not,  the opinions of those who do not want them around won out over those of their friends.  Did Catazaro  and  Ramasar  make other dancers feel uncomfortable,  threatened,  abused,  or didn't  they?  

    The NYCB community doesn’t just consist of the dancers and employees at the company.  Its community also includes audience members and donors, and their opinions count too.  The PR fallout from this has been horrific - with articles everywhere, even in international papers.  

     

    So, this was my point earlier about PR. . . there is such a PR machine at NYCB.  The focus is very short term, worrying about "How do we look? How do we look? How do we look? What will people think? What will people think? What will people think?"  That NO ONE is asking, "Who are we? How did we get here? What do we need to fix? How can we fix it?"  They do not seem to be CHANGING the culture. . .only attempting to change the perception of the culture. 

    It's ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION. It was with Martins. The purpose of the investigation was to test the boundaries of legal liability and improve PR.

    The focus now is about PERCEPTION.  Both, the notion that the company fires someone after originally suspending them and that they don't know how to judge when someone has broken their own policies. I abhor what these men participated in.  But NYCB is not acting wisely with this kind of decision making. Certainly appears to be an organization in complete chaos. 

    Agree with this 100%!  Thank you for articulating these thoughts so well. 

  6. On 8/29/2018 at 8:48 AM, FPF said:

    A few days ago, I was reading  the thread from the beginning of the year when Martins resigned. The NY Times was quoted as suggesting that Millepied, Whelan, and Justin Peck were considered frontrunners. After seeing Whelan this weekend, I rewatched Restless Creature. One thing that struck me was when one of the other dancers mentioned that Wendy knew and was friendly to absolutely everyone (not just artistic staff0 and had really changed the culture so that the dancers were more kind and helpful to each other. In my opinion, she could be a great choice for the humane leader they are seeking. With the recent suspensions/departure, this quality may be even more important.

    After reading this thread it appears to two best candidates for the AD position are Woetzel and Lopez.  Lopez has a daughter who is currently a senior in high school so I imagine she would not be prepared to move to NYC until Fall 2019.  Following recent events and Tiler Peck's comments to the NYT about dancers "carrying the company, not necessarily the interim team" it feels there is a sudden urgency to fill the position.  I think the best solution would be to create a short-term agreement with Wendy Whelan (2-5 years) allowing more time for Woetzel and Lopez to complete their commitments elsewhere.  I too have always gotten the impression that there is a company-wide sense of respect and deference toward Wendy.  I've also never gotten the impression from interviews or her activities since retirement that Wendy aspires to be tied down to a bureaucratic position like Artistic Director.  A short-term agreement would perhaps give a sense of calm to the company; someone is "officially in charge" but this isn't the plan for the next 30 years. 

  7. 53 minutes ago, On Pointe said:

    Of course Ms. Waterbury wants money.  She's asking for actual and punitive damages.  Merson wants money too.  If she prevails,  he will get about 40% of whatever she is awarded.  I don't  fault either one of them for wanting money,  but I'm not buying the notion that her real aim is to expose misogynist attitudes in the ballet world.   There are multiple ways she could have done that without suing.  She could have filed criminal charges first,  but she has likely been advised that the case against NYCB is unlikely to be upheld.  She might even lose a case against Finlay and Ramasar,  or the DA might decline to press charges,  and then where would she be?  She's doing the smart thing by suing civilly.  I just don't believe she has a case against the company.

    I spent many years as part of the governing council of a performer's union,  where one of my tasks was adjudicating disputes between performers and producers as well as performer against performer.  I learned that there are truly three sides to every story,  and it's unwise to take any claim at face value without a thorough investigation.  I may sound a bit harsh,  but it's nothing compared to what NYCB's lawyers will have to say if this case goes to trial.

    I agree Waterbury wants money and it's realistic for her to anticipate a financial settlement from Finlay.  I also think her lawyer has advised her that it was much more of a gamble to seek financial restitution from NYCB.  I think she chose to continue in filing the suit because of the exposure it would bring despite the likelihood that the suit against NYCB will be dismissed. 

  8. I don’t think getting money out of NYCB is her objective. I think her objective is to expose the misogynistic behavior of some of its company members who violated her.  She could have pressed criminal charges against Finlay, gone to court, settled financially w/ Finlay only. That doesn’t give her the feeling of justice against the 8 other people who were complicit in the crimes against her.  By filing a lawsuit against NYCB she is publicly exposing the vile actions of several people involved.  As public figures who are representatives of their employer (The face of company so-to-speak) Finlay, Ramasar, Catazaro’s actions are a reflection of the company.  Going after only Finlay (who she has a clear case against) only punishes 1/8 of the involved parties. Going after NYCB she can name more of the parties and exact punishment against them. No, she’s not getting money from Catazaro or Ramasar but they are being punished. 

    I don’t think NYCB should be policing its employees, but as reflections of the company through their social media presence I think they have a responsibility to intervene if someone presents behavior that will become a liability. Multiple DUI arrests for example (Peter Martins). 

  9. 4 minutes ago, Rick said:

    I can't help wondering what Ashley Bouder will say about this eventually. She's the much admired, and vocal, feminist among the female principals, as profiled in the
    New York Times.

     

    Ashley is also Amar's closest friend, he was her "maid of honor" at both her weddings...

    From a close reading of the complaint and reviewing the support Amar/Lexi have been receiving from company members on Instagram I think there's more to the story.  I think there were more men involved who were not named in the complaint for various reasons; because Amar and Zach are being punished for something others may have been involved in I get the feeling Amar specifically is being treated as the guy taking the fall for some others.  

  10. Wow! This is so much worse than I thought it was.  

    As many of you have stated you do not follow the dancers closely on social media.  I am a millennial and therefore I follow extremely closely. Since spring 2017 I have been waiting for someone to comment on the Finlay/Waterbury relationship, the age difference and proximity to SAB had been a red flag from the beginning.  I never expected the final outcome to be this bad.  

  11. A few questions for the avid fans. 

    1. Did anyone attend the Inside NYCB: Jerome Robbins event on Monday? I have a family friend who is a donor but not well-versed in NYCB culture, she invites me to these things so I can fill in the knowledge gaps, it’s a great set up!  I wonder if anyone had input on viewing the excerpt from The Cage in the “conversation with” setting. I really didn’t like seeing that work w/ other people on stage. To me The Cage should be entirely contained from the outside/human world. 

    2. I also attended the working rehearsal of Les Noces today. I didn’t know anything about that work before I arrived. Does anyone have any personal thoughts/opinions on that ballet?  The style of the choreography as it relates to the story etc. 

  12. I was at the Friday friends rehearsal of Neverwhere and Decalogue.  Millepied was there giving notes.  I thought I heard him saying something along the lines of “great, just add the costumes, give it some sparkle and good to go.”  Maybe they are creating new costumes for the piece.  Recreating those costumes for new dancers and maintaining/storing them would be challenging and expensive. 

  13. 20 hours ago, minervaave said:

    I just saw Romeo and Juliet tonight, and I have to say that apart from Tiler Peck, I thought it was really weak.  It wasn’t so much the dancing and choreography even, as the acting and awkward, jarring staging during what was supposed to be intensely emotional moments.  There were a couple of moments in the duel scene and at Juliet’s death where I was tempted to laugh, and not because I was meant to.  But because the reactions seemed so off, either too nonchalant or too exaggerated, not genuine horror and despair.  And Zachary Catazaro didn’t make much of an impression as Romeo.  HIs characterization seemed generic and perfunctory.  He was better in the scenes with Juliet than the scenes with his companions and the duel, but I really didn’t see him falling in love with Juliet the way I saw how much she loved him in every gesture.   It made me wonder whether NYCB dancers don’t get much acting training since so much of their repertoire doesn’t require this level of acting.  Anyone know whether this is the case?  This is supposed to be an intense, moving ballet, but for me, at least, the emotional component was largely lacking.  (And don’t get me started on the sets and costumes - did they hire an eight grader to make those sets?)

    I saw R&J last night (Thursday) and I did find some parts lacking. I know in story Ballets the parents are just there to guide the narrative/give the female lead someone to react to but I wish Lord and Lady Capulette had more to work with.  I think the fact that their choreography is “point, take Juliette aside, point, take Paris aside, repeat” doesn’t create a very engageing performance.

    What stood out most for me was how young/inexperienced the cast looked during village scenes with Daniel Ulbricht; he has a wonderful stage presence and his experience and confidence really stuck out in those scenes with the younger corpes.  I was very impressed with Alec Knight, he appears to be really growing as a dancer.  

    I don’t know if Zachary Catazaro will ever be an extremely emotive actor, I think he’ll always be more subdued.  Who has Tiler typically performed with in this role?  Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to a new partnership.  I will say I have spent the past few days in the Virtue/Moire ice danceing wormhole, which will taint your idea of how infatuated love should look on stage.

    I thought the worst part of the ballet was ‘Juliette’s friends’.  I think it was a combination of bad choreography and where I was sitting in the orchestra but both their dances looked very sloppy to me.  Does anyone else have thoughts on those brief scenes?

     

  14. Kathleen, you are right about avoiding discussing consent etc if you are not qualified.  I assumed that with her appointment as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance in Houston Kathryn Morgan would have been given some type of training for advising students in difficult situations.  I think that's a general theme in this thread, who do you turn to if you are in a bad situation? and has that person been given the tools to advise you?  It looks like in Kelly Boal's day there was no one to turn to, and now if there is someone he/she doesn't have the tools to handle the situation. 

  15. 1 hour ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

    Keep in mind that Morgan's comments are being made in the context of a flood tide of harassment charges against any number of prominent arts, media, and political figures, not just Martins. Many of those charges include rape, attempted rape, and extremely coercive behavior. She may have been trying to draw a distinction between what men like Weinstein and Lauer have been accused of an the kind of behavior Martins was rumored to have engaged in. 

    And yes, Watts had a beautiful jump.

    At this point I have so many issues with Kathryn Morgan’s video it goes beyond the language.  My initial point was the need for media training; I keep reflecting on the Kobe Bryant rape case.  Not a single athlete (Laker or otherwise) made an unsolicited statement about the case, before, during or after the trial.  If you don’t have evidence to contribute to the investigation you stay out of it, it’s not about you.  In KM’s case, viewers are asking her questions and she has a right to respond, however she can do so using better, less triggering language ex “I did not witness coercive or abusive relationships between Peter Martins and company members.”

    The further issue is bringing up relationships she did hear about and then discussing them in further detail in the comments.  That is introducing gossip and rumor, which as someone mentioned earlier is forbidden on balletalert.  As a role model, and educator shouldn’t KM be setting a better example?  If an SAB student went around saying “I heard about Peter Martins having an affair with a principal dancer.”  That student would immediately be reprimanded for spreading slanderous, unsubstantiated rumor. 

    Kathryn Morgan is profiting by commenting on the investigation (youtube is a business, the video is monetized).  She could make her statement answering the viewers questions, and then take time open a discussion about consent, victim’s rights and how to protect oneself in an unprofessional or unsafe environment.  All of this could be done without gossiping about her former colleagues. 

  16. This is my takeaway from all the NYCB issues over the last month… Ballet dancers need media training.  First Robbie Fairchild doesn’t know how Instagram works and now Kathryn Morgan is throwing around dangerous, incriminating language.

    I am SHOCKED Kathryn said the word rape.  Granted she said “I do not believe PM raped anyone.”  But honestly, no one has said that word yet, until her video all statements have been about “sexual abuse”.  These dancers need some actual PR training to know that you keep silent or you give a form statement, ex: “I have only ever had professional and supportive interactions with PM.  I applaud the women who have the strength to publicly discuss their experiences, I hope this comes to a quick and justifiable conclusion, congratulations and good luck to interim team.”  

  17. 1 hour ago, California said:

    NYCB just announced its interim leadership team:

    "The group overseeing the artistic management of City Ballet will be led by Jonathan Stafford, a ballet master and former principal dancer with the company. Joining him will be Justin Peck, City Ballet’s resident choreographer and soloist, along with Craig Hall and Rebecca Krohn, both ballet masters."

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/arts/dance/team-to-lead-city-ballet-during-martins-sexual-harassment-probe.html

    Now I can finally ask the question, how does this affect Brittany Pollack/Jonathan Stafford marriage?  

  18. 30 minutes ago, pherank said:

    I didn't find it odd - Clifford often leaves comments on his YouTube channel, and will answer other people's questions. And anyone can have an opinion. His comment about the Martins situation was unusually measured for John Clifford, imo.

    I found it odd that Clifford chose to make what felt like a 'formal statement' about the situation in the comments section of an article, especially when it was unsolicited.  If he feels the need to share words of support to those 4 specific colleagues, he could have called/e-mailed them directly.  As far as we've seen so far literally no one in the ballet world has made any kind of public statement about the situation, that's why it felt kind of "look at me, look at me!"

×
×
  • Create New...