AB'sMom

It’s hard to pin down who he is talking about because no men were promoted two years ago. If you go back three, Royal was the only male dancer promoted. This seems most likely since it was two promotions back.

I was confused by that statement as well. I thought maybe he was talking about Calvin, with the implication being that the statement was directed at black male dancers in particular. The other dancer he speaks of was obviously still promoted, though, so regardless of whether it was an appropriate statement to make, it clearly didn’t keep the other dancer from being promoted.

I’m not sure when/if ABT will promote anyone this year, but Gabe Stone Shayer has called out (presumably) Kevin McKenzie on his Instagram today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBxy5iJgh8H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Les Misérables has rescheduled their US tour and is now due at Segerstrom in October. It seems awfully optimistic to me, but I would be so thrilled if everyone could safely get back to work this fall.

I don’t know. I can’t find anything else about it. I was hoping someone here might have an idea.

It looks like Julian McKay finally got back to the U.S. His Instagram profile says, “Former First Soloist with the Mikhailovsky Theatre.”

Patrick Frenette has posted on his Instagram, on more than one occasion since this crisis started, his frustrations trying to get through to New York’s unemployment office. I think the crisis fund is also meant to support not only the dancers, but also the pianists, stage managers, foreign dancers who aren’t eligible for unemployment, and others impacted by the unexpected layoff.

Segerstrom just extended their closing until April 30.

A lot of ballet schools and Pilates studios are using Zoom to teach classes. I think the Instagram classes serve a purpose as well—they were up quickly before many studios had their classes up and running and they also made dancers feel less alone. The situation is obviously not ideal, especially for people who tend to be perfectionists used to working many hours a day, nearly every day, but feeling a sense that they are all in this together has eased some very real anxieties.

It is helpful that most of them can apply for unemployment. Foreign dancers and young dancers who have only recently become employed are not eligible and are struggling right now. James Whiteside and Isabella Boylston are streaming ballet classes and including a link for voluntary donations to the Dancer’s Emergency Fund.

A lot of companies have canceled all classes and rehearsals. You can see dancers on Instagram doing barre work in their apartments. Unless they release prerecorded video, I don’t know that there would be much to see.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa has cancelled all performances through March 31 and the ABT Gillespie School has cancelled classes until April 13.

Teuscher was scheduled to dance and was in California. Hopefully she just wasn’t feeling well and that it isn’t anything serious.

I think so. It’s a lot of story to pack in. It didn’t feel long.

Hee Seo/Calvin Royal are dancing Saturday night. Shevchenko and Forster are dancing Sunday matinee.