Marta

1 hour ago, canbelto said:

Lots of people might have wanted to sleep with him, but that doesn't the people he coerced or threatened in a quid pro quo relationship wanted to sleep with him. (If that is indeed what happened -- right now the details of the case and allegations are not very clear.) I also don't see what his physical appearance has to do with anything. Ted Bundy was a good-looking guy. 

Agree completely, canbelto. I think we're wading into dangerous waters to focus on his physical appearance or how sexually attractive he may have been. If we were objectifying  a woman in this way, there would be loud protest.

53 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 did not think it was so odd either. On the surface it was civil and not accusatory; however, he didn't defend PM. 

4 hours ago, aurora said:

My impression is that this wasn't the case that triggered the investigation.

And I think you underestimate how easy people find it to report their bosses, who have been in control of them since they were literally children, to the police.

I agree completely with both statements.  Wasn't it the anonymous letter that spoke of sexual misconduct?

1 hour ago, laurel said:

Exactly my thought . . .

I love the idea of Farrell too!  Woetzel is already taken by Juilliard.  However, an anonymous letter does not seem to have much weight.  

 On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 7:55 AM, Drew said:

Mnacenani, Zaytseva's work was quite impressive and the interview was informative.  The Bolshoi is very well endowed to be able to mount such lavish productions.  I have seen Mariinsky's production of Corsaire around 2002 in N.Y. but I don't remember the Jardin Animé  scene.  I did watch Tereshkina & Yermakov on youtube dancing  the PdD and they were fabulous.  The thought of seeing both Zakharova and Krysanova dancing  within one 24 hour period truly elicits both awe and envy!

3 hours ago, Mashinka said:

 

I find it disturbing if dancers are reduced to their looks, to most it is actual dancing that matters and being 'gorgeous' is of a lot less consequence.

 

Last year saw I four Bolshoi Corsaires in London , the Medoras were Alexandrova, Nikulina, Stepanova and Krysanova.  The only one with issues was Stepanova and the best was without doubt Krysanova.  I don't see how any other dancer could even be considered for the broadcast - she's that far out in front.

 

Like the previous poster I'm not wild about Stepanova either and her fan following baffles me.

I agree completely that dancers should not be judged on their looks but rather on their dancing.  I thought Krysanova was phenomenal as Medora.  I recall also seeing her in a Bolshoi DQ a few years ago and she was wonderful as Kitri.  

Thanks for this image, volcanohunter.  The hairstyles in Bolshoi's version of Corsaire were very similar!  I enjoyed seeing Le Corsaire, especially Krysanova and Lopatin who were both wonderful. But I never want to see this ballet again!

Thanks to all for fascinating and informative comments especially those about Tereshkina, whom I've never seen except on youtube.

Thanks!  Ratmansky is right.  I'm  thinking  Conrad is probably not dancing topless or wearing a plumed headpiece.

While thinking about the Bolshoi's Le Corsaire in cinema coming in a few days, I've been wondering of Ratmansky's elimination of  Ali means we do not see the famous Le Corsaire PdD?  Or is it danced by the main characters?

I have no interest in Millepied's works either.  "Follow the money" may sound cynical but also seems like the truth.  I'm skipping the whole season.

On 9/20/2017 at 12:10 PM, ABT Fan said:

 

No, not him. I wonder if I'm really thinking of Edward Stierle from the Joffrey. Stierle was 23, a rising star, and the Joffrey was still based in NYC at the time (1991), so maybe that's why I was thinking it was a dancer with NYCB. I saw him dance and he was incredible.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/09/obituaries/edward-stierle-23-a-leading-dancer-with-joffrey-ballet.html?mcubz=3

 I can't know what you're thinking really, but after seeing your first post,  I recalled reading about a brilliant dancer who died young of AIDS.  I didn't remember his name until I saw your link.  I saw   Stierle  in NY and he was indeed an incredible dancer. 

23 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

A commenter in that post discusses seeing Teuscher and Lendorf rehearsing the R&J balcony scene at the City Center event, so that must be the role. I'd love to see her take on Nikiya this season, as well, though.

 

This is a total pipe dream, but I wonder if there's any possibility that Part is being engaged in this season in a limited manner, as originally planned. She posted this Bayadere image, with a very positive caption, a week ago.

 

As abatt has noted, contracts for the spring must have been finalized recently, what with Kotchetkova's departure and Simkin's recent news. Obviously, Part's post could be about some other news, or about nothing at all, but I'd give anything to see her as Nikiya again. 

As would I and many others.  It does not sound likely.  Would Part even want to go back  to ABT after being dumped?

On 9/11/2017 at 2:49 PM, theo said:

Respectfully, I think it's time to let the new principles and soloists shine.  Ferri  has had her time in the sun. It's  time to let others have their turn.   She  was a beautiful ballerina in her day,  and she has had many opportunities in her career to show this to the world.  She is still a beautiful and gifted artist and is not without opportunities to dance. She is still listed as a Guest Artist at the Royal Ballet.    I felt like  she stole  two performances last year from dancers  at ABT who deserved to have their chance.  Certainly Veronika would have done a beautiful job dancing  Tatiana in Onegin. 

 

Ferri left gracefully once, and now she should gracefully leave it at that.    

 

Sorry, just my humble opinion.....

I thought at one point in early spring Veronika had been listed for an Onegin.  I don't love that ballet, but would gladly see her in it ... or in anything.

5 hours ago, NinaFan said:

 

Yes, I agree that they must have added it for him.   I didn't even realize that it wasn't part of the original program until you mentioned it.  

The email below from NYCB confirms the addition.  Sorry I probably can't get to see it.

"In celebration of Robert's NYCB career, Peter Martins has added Duo Concertant to the All Balanchine program on the final two matinees of the fall, where Robert is scheduled to appear alongside Principal Dancer Sterling Hyltin. We anticipate high demand for these performances, and we encourage you to purchase tickets now if you would like to be in attendance. "

6 hours ago, annamk said:

I don't know whether I'm asking this question in the correct place ...... but I'll be in NY in October & am planning to see a couple of performances around 19th- 22nd. There currently seem to be plenty of tickets left so I don't know whether to buy now or wait in the hope of ticket offers nearer the time. Can anyone tell me if that is at all likely or whether it's better to buy now when there's a good choice of seats in the cheaper categories. I'm thinking not more expensive than 2nd ring so any advice on value in the 2nd ring upwards would be much appreciated. 

NYCB tickets are sold at discount on the day of performance at the Rubenstein Atrium  Atrium DiscounTix lincolncenter@lincolncenter.org.  I'm not aware of  discount ABT tix being sold  other than possibly TDF.  The second ring center seats in the State Theater [AKA K**h] are terrific, especially in the last row where there is no one behind you.  Center section third ring is quite good in the front, if they're selling third ring.

On 6/30/2017 at 8:12 AM, lmspear said:

Once upon a time, when the theater had it's original name, I saw Farrell and Martin's do Other Dances.  They were wonderful.  

I agree with others here who loved the originators and prefer to see dancers of similar body type do Other Dances.  Back in the day, I saw Baryshnikov/McBride do Other Dances and they were wonderful.  I can't imagine Seo in this role; she just doesn't seem to have the intensity. 

4 hours ago, Drew said:

 

I have seen the first one you mention though not the second--thank you.

 

Unfortunately the clip of excerpts is missing the solo I remember--where the movement seemed to flow through her body like a force of nature--it was as if she became a rippling stream. Sounds absurd, but that's what it looked like to me!

 

Just a side note about youtube and video: I live far from the centers of the ballet world and depend on youtube for much of my ballet watching these days--I have even formed some provisional opinions, likes and dislikes, based on youtube videos. But I find I enjoy watching video least with dancers I saw live, especially if I loved their dancing. I only occasionally watch Kirkland OR Makarova on video--Farrell also only now and then! Of course, I'm happy to have any and all records of their dancing, but even the best video always fall short of capturing what it was like to see them in the theater.

 

I'd also be surprised if Makarova and Kirkland didn't slightly vary their interpretations of Robbins' choreography from night to night.  I saw Kirkland dance Other Dances in D.C. twice within a week and they were not the exact same performance. As I mentioned above, the New York performance I saw her give was very different again (and not as stunning though rather poetic and introspective).

 

These are all things I try to remember when I'm forming opinions from video of dancers I've never seen live. Though at least the quality of the picture is a lot better for dancers who emerged in this century.

 

I agree that flat videos are a pale imitation of the visceral theater experience. Makarova, Farrell and Kirkland are my favorites. None of them have  a huge presence on youtube, although lately I'm seeing more of Makarova in the USSR. Unfortunately  I never saw Kirkland live.  I'm smiling at this: Though at least the quality of the picture is a lot better for dancers who emerged in this century.

On ‎7‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 1:09 AM, Drew said:

 

Sort of off topic but -- Kirkland was ravishing in Other Dances. I saw her give two performances in D.C. that were unbelievable--the second one in particular. I daresay the ballet was different that it was when Makarova danced it, but also genuinely extraordinary.  I remember the audience going into a kind of collective swoon when Kirkland began her first variation. 

 

When I saw Kirkland dance Other Dances in NY, probably a season or two later  (I can't remember exactly)--she was lovely, but not as effective as in those D.C. performances. In particular she barely seemed to project -- and I was sitting very close.

 

I can't know but suspect her various problems were catching up with her by the time of the NY performances. But those D.C. performances count among the most special ballet performances I've seen.

There's a clip on youtube of Kirkland and Baryshnikov in selections from Other Dances.  Although she's very different from Makarova she seems to be channeling Makarova in one of the solos.  Also recently posted on youtube  is also a fascinating comparison of  the ballerina's second variation that compares Makarova with Kirkland, Arbo and several others. 

11 minutes ago, Golden Idol said:

I am a little surprised that everyone is still discussing whether or not Veronika's capabilities had diminished. To me, that is not the point, and completely secondary to HOW she was treated. The way she was dismissed was inexcusable, unforgivable, and I don't care whether there may have been a lack of money in the budget to promote three dancers to principals, and those funds had to come from another principal's salary. Even if that was the case, her firing was handled horrifically. And the last-minute, second-rate send-off she was given on stage was shocking. Either a lot of the dancers don't like her personally or else they were too scared to show their affection or respect for her at her farewell. Weren't any of you there at Vishneva's farewell, a mere few weeks earlier? It was glorious. What they did for Veronika was the bum's rush. To repeat: the ABT administration must really dislike her to have treated her this way, with such public, thinly veneered disdain.

Thank you, Golden Idol. Very well said and I couldn't agree more. All the other points are really secondary. The bum's rush isn't elegant English but it's certainly eloquent. 

38 minutes ago, angelica said:

I would say that life has been very unfair to Part, from the time that her mentor at the Mariinsky died. During her time at ABT she was never fully recognized, except by a core admiring audience, for her sublime and unique talent. Not by the Artistic Director, not by the then Executive Director, not by the then Board, and certainly not by the then influential, although dangerously unknowledgeable, New York Times dance critic, who summed her up in one word, damning her with faint praise: statuesque.

I agree. It's well known that the nameless critic was incapable of appreciating Part.  That adjective "statuesque" has never sounded like a compliment to me.

53 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

I'm still trying to fully absorb and come to terms with what happened to Part. I really don't know how she held it together those final two weeks. As noted above, her relatively happy demeanor at Vishneva's farewell seems to suggest she wasn't aware at that point that her time with ABT was over. The idea of her unknowingly giving her final Swan Lake performance, only to be told a week later she was fired (following a love-fest farewell for a fellow Mariinksy dancer) seems too much for anyone to bear. Her patched-together farewell, complete with a NYT article stating she was fired, must have been humiliating for her. ABT could have hardly treated her departure more poorly than they did. Oh, not to mention that she was forced to give her farewell during a matinee, in a mixed program, rather than in one of the full-lengths she's most closely associated with. And then a few people gave her bouquets while others stood in the background wearing shorts and other street clothes. She was disrespected in so many ways. Not to mention that she now has no income for the next season. I guess ABT found a way to fire a dancer with two weeks notice and suffer no repercussions.  

Thanks to all who reviewed Part's final performance and for all your comments.  Watching the curtain calls on youtube was painful, and Part's embrace of Ratmansky, Kolpakova and Gomes seemed qualitatively different from her contact with KM. I don't know how she maintained her stoic and professional demeanor in receiving his "embrace".  I hope the true story of what happened will emerge.

I signed the petition and will pass it on to other dance lovers.  Not to be cynical, but I don't think the petition will have any influence.  The AD has already shown his lack of regard for Part in numerous ways.