AB'sMom

Meanwhile the Met has announced that they will remain closed through the entire 2020-2021 season.

It definitely seems like dancers at ABT and NYCB are still spread out all over. Some are working on projects, some aren’t. Megan Fairchild is posting from France and says she intends to stay until November.

Such happy news!

I am concerned for the schools attached to companies. Most seem to be offering classes virtually for the fall, in accordance with health ordinances. Unfortunately many other ballet studios are ignoring the rules and holding in person classes. My daughter’s studio is not only losing money while they are closed, but losing students as well. I’m not sure if the same situation is playing out everywhere, but knowing the competitive nature of many ballet students (and their parents), I imagine that it is.

An 18-year-old quarterback for Georgia State has been diagnosed with a heart condition as a result of Covid-19. He credits the team procedures and testing for doctors discovering his condition. Were he not a college football player he may have never known and assumed he was healthy. A German study has found heart abnormalities in patients months after they recover—in patients who were feeling healthy and had assumed they had fully recovered. So no, Covid is not Ebola, but it is a virus with still unknown lasting effects in many people.

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.