JuliaJ

I've only been regularly attending ABT since 2017 but have been closely observing the company's decisions since then. Agree with the previously mentioned anecdotes. Among other problems the company has shown an especially poor understanding of audience in recent years, which is puzzling given that it has an executive director who is supposed to understand the business of performing arts, plus a whole marketing team that sends out surveys after every show. While I like Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty, even I, as a "ballet nerd," wish it had more mainstream-friendly elements. Desiré should have more than one solo! The wigs and costumes in Act 1 are truly an eyesore. The demi-pointe chainés, the long mime scenes, etc. Why would anyone think that letting Ratmansky recreate ballets EXACTLY how they were danced in the 19th century, when technique wasn't as developed as it is today, would be a good financial decision in the 2010s when public interest in the classical performing arts has noticeably declined, and people naturally expect to see whiz-bang tricks when they buy a ticket to a full-length ballet? I didn't even bother seeing Harlequinade because I read that there was too much mime. So with productions like that, the company is not only deterring occasional or new ballet goers, but some regular ballet goers as well. (And the box office last year and the year before certainly showed that). I think Ratmansky has made some truly brilliant work, but cutting-edge originality needs to be balanced with commercial appeal, especially when a company is in a precarious financial situation. Isn't it management's job to help guide that process if the choreographer himself lacks the "big picture" vision? This problem isn't unique to ABT, of course -- I didn't see Voices at NYCB (was supposed to see it this spring), but how could anyone think that a musical score like that would bring much of an audience? Based on reports on this site, it didn't. One of the many depressing factors of ABT's present situation is that "Of Love and Rage" sounds like it really hit the right mark and could be a hit in NYC, but now we don't get to see it for a long time. Other problems with ABT have been talked to death about here, but I'll summarize a few. For one, programming decisions outside of Ratmansky reconstructions have also been glaringly bad. Whipped Cream, though a decent and fairly popular ballet, sold hardly any tickets last year. Why did they think it was a good idea to program it three years in a row? For me, and I think a lot of people, it isn't a ballet that merits repeat viewings year after year. Some of the fall programs have been such wasted opportunities, on paper and in reality. The "Women's Movement," while well intentioned, has largely been a failure -- not a single good new ballet has come out of it. Jessica Lang is not a choreographer worth pushing. What's REALLY sad is that the 2020 Met season seemed totally designed for maximum box-office appeal to make up for past losses, and now it's been cancelled. And then there's the casting and the Copeland problem. Copeland draws a big crowd of people who are mostly just there to see her, but for others she really cheapens the ABT brand. Of course, the company has done nothing little to nothing to elevate some of its best talents, especially Sarah Lane. IMO Christine Shevchenko, who does get casted a lot, should be an international star on the level of Bolshoi, Mariinsky, and Royal Ballet ballerinas, but the company hasn't really promoted her. Despite its problems I do love attending ABT shows. I want the company to be around for years. I gave a generous donation to their relief fund and am letting them keep my Met subscription money until I use it for a future season. But if ABT does, in fact, go into "dissolution" after this pandemic, it's safe to say the company has been digging its own grave for awhile now.

In Kathryn Morgan's recent interview on Megan Fairchild's YouTube channel, she did explicitly say she was pulled out of Firebird because of her body

I would feel safe because I'm young and healthy, but a lot -- if not most -- of ballet goers are in the older, at-risk cohort. So even if companies reopen soonish, they will be losing a lot of patrons who are afraid to go out until a vaccine is developed. Classical performing-arts companies are not going to be making much money for awhile.

Very much enjoyed the POB Robbins program -- especially A Suite of Dances and Glass Pieces (particularly gorgeous dancing in the latter's pas de deux). A rare treat to see four staples of NYC rep on film. A couple of problematic things I noticed... Fancy Free was largely lacking in rhythmic, free-moving "jazz" style for the most part, although I agree that the first sailor was a standout. The 2nd woman, in the purple outfit, was way too delicate and balletic for this. In Afternoon of a Faun, shouldn't the ballerina have long, gorgeous hair?? This one danced well and had lovely extensions but she did not "look" the part, as her partner did. Lastly, the lead dancers in the first movement of Glass Pieces were smiling!!!!!!

Plus, there are plenty of NYC dance fans still around in July. Every time I've been to the Joyce in the mid/late summer it's been full. Smaller theater, but still telling. In some ways it's good that ABT's season will no longer overlap with NYCB's.

Would there even be space at the Koch (or anywhere) for an extended fall season? NYCB's season ends mid-October, then Paul Taylor has their season in November (following pattern from last year). It's so unfortunate that ABT doesn't have their own performance space, which would allow for more flexibility.

To add to the best-case scenario, maybe NYCB could push their spring season into June or even July. According to the Koch website, there are no shows happening there between June 1 and June 19, or after June 28.

Not ballet, but the performing-arts shutdowns have started in NYC... Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall are cancelling shows through March 31. We'll see what's next.

I read Lane's post as simply giving shoutouts to people who are less likely to receive shoutouts than the choreographer and the lead dancers -- the corps dancers and the people behind the scenes with whom she works closely. And she did hashtag "#alexeiratmansky" in the post. As to her lack of casting, Ratmansky also has used Boylston numerous times and did not cast her in this.... same with Trenary and probably others. Given that there are only three casts, there are only so many slots to go around. (Of course, I think Lane is significantly under-casted in the spring season, but I'm not reading too much into the situation with this particular ballet.)

Trenary seems more favored by management than Brandt. She's been dancing Aurora for years and has two SB performances this summer, plus debuts as Juliet and Gamzatti. Brandt's only major role is her Aurora debut. I don't blame her for pushing for more opportunities, however she has to do it. We know that raw talent on its own does not get a dancer far at ABT. Based on the footage she posted, Brandt's Odette looks promising to me. I hope she gets to dance it soon enough. (I'm sure Trenary will eventually get her shot at Swan Lake as well.)

I thought Peck and Gordon gave a moving, exhilarating performance last night. Peck has physical limitations as Odette, even without the injury... I didn't go into her performance expecting deep backbends and long extensions. I was just happy to see her back on stage! Her artistry was still impeccable ---- Odette's solo diagonal turn sequence across the stage was one of my favorite parts of the whole night. Peck also brought out more drama and vulnerability than I expected; seems like she was able to channel her recent personal turmoils effectively. What an amazing debut for Gordon. Every pirouette was seamless and he landed his double tours in perfect 5th. Characterization was also convincing and he's becoming a strong partner. This was my first time seeing this production in almost two decades. Act I is atrocious -- how did anyone give these costume and set designs a go-ahead? Maybe in the '90s they were somehow more appealing? I do like the lakeside backdrop though, and the choreography in the Act IV finale. Even with the ugly costumes though, at least the dancers weren't drowning in them like they do in the huge heavy dresses in ABT's production. And I like NYCB's nationality dances better than ABT's. Speaking of which, Unity Phelan looked phenomenal in the silly "Russian" / Arabian number. I look forward to seeing her as O/O one day. Oh, and Ulbricht! Really flawless dancing despite the ridiculous jester costume. He does things that look physically impossible, like turning his turns à la seconde at lightning speed before stopping with total control (he does this in Rodeo too).

In any case I hope we do get a Huxley/Woodward Tsch pas in the near future

NYCB's official Instagram just posted a photo in the latest story of a rehearsal schedule from today, and "TSCH PAS" with Woodward and Huxley is listed. Could they possibly be inserting Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux into Swan Lake, per the original score? Maybe in place of the Pas de Quatre? Can't imagine why else they would be rehearsing it since it isn't programmed either this season or in spring...

I have experienced some of the rudest audience behavior at Copeland's shows, from people who are surely only there to see her -- texting, bringing children who are too young to be there (including screaming babies!), talking, cheering like they're at a concert. This hasn't happened at any of the countless other ballet performances I've attended at ABT or NYCB, or at least it hasn't been as bad. I like Copeland's dancing in modern/contemporary ballet, and I'm sure she has introduced plenty of respectful, appreciative people to the art of ballet, but let's be honest -- her shows sell out because people are there to see a celebrity. I avoid them at all costs nowadays. Agree that her posts about Brandt were kind and gracious; she has 1.8 million Instagram followers so that's a lot of visibility for her less-famous colleague.

Um, if Waterbury is implying that she has nude photos saved of Maxwell, doesn't that make her a hypocrite? Surely Maxwell's photos were never intended for Waterbury's eyes. I had some sympathy for Waterbury in the beginning of this debacle because what her toxic egotistical male of an ex-boyfriend did to her, but now that the story has died down it seems like she just wants to keep the drama going for, yes, attention on social media. As someone said upthread, keeping Ramasar out of work does not benefit her whatsoever except to satisfy some vengeful piece of mind. I don't condone Ramasar's behavior but hasn't be already been held "accountable" by being suspended and then fired by NYCB, not to mention all of public shame? And I do think Maxwell is a victim -- of social-media mob harassment. It's nice to see all of the outpouring of support for her (and Ramasar) on Instagram from other company members.

FYI -- In addition to Of Love and Rage casting info being up now, Sarah Lane's R&J partner is now listed as Stearns, no longer Gorak... probably for the best.

Bests (there was a lot!): Manon with Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo The four excellent Auroras I saw... Ashley Bouder and Indiana Woodward at NYCB, Lane and Cassandra Trenary at ABT (and shoutouts to Anthony Huxley's and Cornejo's Desirés) Christine Shevchenko's Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, and also her Medora in Le Corsaire (ABT) Sterling Hyltin in Rubies, Sara Mearns in Diamonds (NYCB) Bouder and Harrison Ball in Stars and Stripes (NYCB) Everything about a Midsummer Night's Dream at NYCB (I saw the cast with Miriam Miller/Joseph Gordon/Harrison Ball) Ratmansky's the Seasons (ABT) Union Jack at NYCB Not ballet, but the Batsheva Dance Company put on a hell of a contemporary show at BAM in the spring The very unique Broadway revival of "Oklahoma!" Worsts: Twyla Tharp's "Gathering of Ghosts" The return of Jessica Lang's "Garden Blue" Maria Kochetkova's program at the Joyce

If Gorak could lift Copeland in R&J then he should be able to lift Lane, who's around the same size if not smaller. On another note, the "New Romantics" program today was not great. (I wasn't really expecting it to be, but hey, the tickets were on sale.) There were things to like about Whiteside's piece but it felt like something that belongs in, well, a dance festival. There was an amateurish, choppy quality to it, although there were some nice moments with Hurlin/Bell and Teuscher/Royal/Ahn. Garden Blue did not need to make a comeback, and it definitely does not need to make another comeback in the spring(!). It's pretty, kind of like a Joan Miro painting, but so, soooo boring as a moving piece of art. The color palette is distracting and the music is really unexciting as dance music. I actually liked Bond's piece despite its imperfections. It had the most energy, drama, and the dancers were really "on" ... it's the kind of fast-paced piece that looks great on Whiteside and Boylston. I think it could have been really great if maybe Bond had more time to fine-tune it and work with the choreographic equivalent of an "editor" to trim some of the excess. That said, it still made for a good closer after an otherwise lackluster program.

Don't weekend matinees tend to sell very well? They may not feel as "glamorous" to attend but I've never thought of them as less appealing. But if anything, Copeland should be getting all of the matinees because her fanbase consists of so many children. Given that Simkin's only show is a matinee, I wouldn't see it as a slight. The fact that Lane only gets three principal-roles shows (so far) is another story. Gorak looked not-great the past few times I've seen him but I don't think he's irredeemable. Romeo isn't as technically difficult as Theme and Variations. And upper-body strength is something that can be acquired in seven months. (Just trying to be optimistic here... I really want the show to be great!). Hoven was excellent as Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty this past spring; he should be taking one of those open Desiré spots. He jumps high, has very clean feet, and can partner and act... pretty much everything the role requires. I'm not surprised they're bringing back Tharp's "Gathering of Ghosts" to get their money's worth on the commission, but I don't know why anyone would want to see that again. Overall I'm also looking forward to the season though, especially to the Shevchenko/Forster Swan Lake, as well as the guest appearances in La Bayadere and Gisele. There seems to be more casting variety than the past two years. It's a season full of "blockbuster" events, which I'm sure the company needs for their bottom line right now.

I tried to watch last night's T&V without comparisons to NYCB and just judge it on its own terms and find different things to appreciate, but it was still pretty bad, even with lovely moments from Lane, the demisoloists, and the in-sync corps. (Also noticed Trenary -- I've always thought she could be good Balanchine material, by ABT standards at least). The casting for the T&V performances was announced months ago, so you'd think the company would have ample time to coach the dancers properly and/or come to the realization that Gorak should not be dancing this. I saw a less-than-fabulous performance of T&V with Gonzalo Garcia and Megan Fairchild in the spring, but even that show put last night's to shame. You really learn to appreciate what makes NYCB dancers exceptional in Balanchine choreography when seeing ABT attempt it. But, I imagine Teuscher is decent in T&V because she's excellent with fast footwork and difficult turns. And she has the benefit of a solid partner.

The partnering in T&V was uncomfortable to watch. I kept waiting for something awful to happen. Poor Lane... she is not a natural Balanchine dancer but she looked very good; she deserves a much better partner. Gorak looked so weak and low-impact. And then to watch Whiteside effortlessly lift Boylston way over his head with one hand in the Seasons, and also carry Coker and Brandt around the stage at the same time! I thought the Tharp piece was awful. Not much to add here. The dancers were strong (Hurlin stood out the most other than Cornejo) but what a mess of a dance. String quartets generally do not make great dance music; this was no exception. Costumes were unfortunately timely with Halloween. Despite its sometimes-bad color palette the Seasons was fantastic. Ratmansky brings out the best in these dancers and I wonder what he would have made for Cornejo if given the 20th-anniversary commission. (I generally like Tharp's work but this was just bad.)

I was blown away by yesterday's matinee. Phelan and Gerrity were particularly fantastic in Kammermusik no. 2, which looked ridiculously hard to dance due to the high speed and complicated timing of the piece. The two women also look alike in height, body type, and hair, so there was an interesting, mirror-like effect when they danced opposite one another. Their long limbs really brought out the jagged lines and inherent geometry in the choreography. Union Jack was such a crowd-pleasing spectacle, so it's unfortunate that it doesn't draw huge crowds, although I can see why it might be difficult to market a piece like this. I loved it. Mearns was fierce and on fire as always, and Reichlen was a perfect leader for the leggy WRENS number.

Beautiful Jewels tonight. Emeralds had some wobbles -- partnering as well as solo dancing -- but was strong overall. I found Gerrity (female soloist) more musical and compelling than King, who danced the lead, especially her pas de deux with Scordato. Gerrity seemed to have more moments of otherworldly "depth" than King. Applebaum looked great (long, elegant lines), as did Hoxha, despite a sloppy pirouette finish at the end of his solo. McKinnon and Hutsell were high-energy and in sync. Kikta and Hyltin were absolutely brilliant in Rubies, as everyone has described of their past performances this week. Veyette isn't the most elegant dancer at this point in his career but he danced with verve and had strong chemistry with Hyltin. He looked like he was having fun, and he made Hyltin look totally at ease in the complex partnering. Kikta has such clean technique (perfect pirouettes) and truly dominated the stage every time she was on it. I've always appreciated Hyltin's dancing but she's never WOWed me to the extent she did last night. Every movement she made looked inevitably paired to the music, especially her sharp turns. What to say of Diamonds? Mearns and Janzen were mesmerizing and flawless to my eyes. A perfect showcase for Mearns' big, brilliant dancing and stellar technique, and another reminder of why she's one of my favorite dancers. When he bent down to kiss her hand at the end of the pas de deux you could have cried.

And fees aside, I also find their programming choices for the fall truly shocking if they're trying to fill the house. Remember how terribly the season sold last fall???? The T&V/ New Tharp/ Ratmansky Seasons program sounds great... probably the only one I'll attend... but WHY bring back the poorly received Lang and Dorrance works and slap them onto the same program as the premiere by Gemma Bond, who is a very new choreographer and can't possibly have built up a huge following yet. Shouldn't she have the benefit of sharing a program with something well established and popular? (like what NYCB does for Lauren Lovette's work, for example). I don't understand the reasoning here. The fact that it's an "all-women program" isn't on its own a huge selling point, but maybe management is that tone-deaf? And while T&V and Apollo are great, people in NYC don't need flock en masse to ABT for Balanchine when we have NYCB performing year-round.

I saw the show too and found it mostly really lacking, but there were some enjoyable sections. The solo piece described in the Speaking in Dance post was one of the most interesting parts of the program IMO; it showed off Kochevkova's versatility and "avant-garde" side. As Seibert says in the NYT article she looked like a "broken marionette," but I don't see that as a negative... the angular, isolated movements were impressive! The two pas de deux she danced were lovely and brought out her classical technique. Sofiane Sylve ate up the stage in the Swan Lake excerpt, although I found the "updated" choreography somewhat boring and unmusical (hard to re-choreograph such an iconic ballet moment unless you're going to do something radically different with it). The "Rachel, Nevada" piece by Drew Jacoby was just ridiculous. The wacky costumes and trippy visuals were fun gimmicks but the choreography was amateurish. Jerome Bel's "Masha Machine" had the audience read text messages projected onto a screen for around 15 minutes... it went on forever and came off as kind of narcissistic on Kochetkova's part. In the texts she talks about how she's "sick of dealing with stupid people" in company life and "doesn't have the patience to teach" after she retires, but she says she wants to run a company??? I didn't get it. In the text conversation we had to watch grainy YouTube videos of some of her performances, including one where she's a kid dancing at the Bolshoi Ballet school, and in the texts she talks about how all of the parents of other kids hated her because she was so much better. The whole piece read as "look how brilliant and talented I am / I'm too good for this life though."