canbelto

Peter Martins isn't black, first of all. Second of all, this is not like the Central Park rape case where a bunch of black teenagers were rounded up and assumed to be guilty. Bill Cosby had a pattern AND reputation for inappropriate sexual relations with various young women. He WAS a powerful figure, as his show was a #1 sitcom and he was held up as a role model for men of color across the country, so much so that he was asked to give lucrative speeches about how the black community could "improve."

There's this lovely YT clip of her in Emeralds as a commemoration:

Have you ever seen how rape victims/accusers are treated? Have you ever seen every outfit they ever bought scrutinized, the way their sexual history is poured over with a fine tooth comb, the way they are shamed, ostracized, and (in some cultures) KILLED by their own families? If you haven't, then sorry for you. If you have, I can't believe you think women make these accusations so lightly and with such impunity. Just as an example, do you remember Robert Chambers? A troubled young man with a history of theft, violence, drug abuse, and sociopathic behavior? When he strangled a young lady (Jennifer Levin) to death SHE was the slut, SHE had a "sex diary" (actually a contact book, this was before cell phones), and he was the good Catholic boy. His claim of "death by rough sex" was refuted by forensic evidence that proved that they never even had sex that night. She was strangled almost immediately with her own clothes. I don't believe people lie about being sexually assaulted, when the stigma, shame and attitudes such as yours make the conditions so difficult.

It's been confirmed on several dancers Instagram.

Still so sure of Cosby's innocence? http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ben-vereen-defended-accused-serial-rapist-pal-cosby-article-1.3738694

The show must go on. What are you looking forward to? Personally the all-Balanchine programs of Divertimento/4T's/Chaconne, Baiser/Agon/Duo Concertant/Symph in 3 and Apollo/Mozartiana/Cortege will be wonderful. Also looking forward to Square Dance/Oltremare/Four Seasons and the new Peter Walker ballet. I'll pass on Romeo + Juliet. I wish Year of the Rabbit and Namouna were paired with more appealing ballets.

The production is easily searchable on yT. I'd give the link but I don't want it taken down.

Ok if John Clifford wants to be taken seriously as a contender to take over NYCB, I wonder if he doesn't see the horrible optics of posts like these. First conducting a sort of casting couch via Instagram. Then joking about sexual harassment.

How about Bart Cook and Maria Calegari? I know both did not leave the company on good terms but Maria Calegari staged Mozartiana for ABT and usually ABT and Balanchine are like oil and water but I thought she did an excellent job coaching the dancers.

Victims don't always act logically or "perfectly" especially when the perpetrator is a powerful, much admired man in the industry. The remarkable consistency of the stories against Cosby, the fact that there were complaints filed over many years by different women, and Cosby's radio silence on the matter make the stories very believable. If they were kept women, still tried to get work via Cosby, or did not come forward immediately, doesn't falsify their claims.

Jenifer Ringer is the dean of dance at Coburn School in LA. I think she cited her desire to move out to LA with her husband as a reason for her retirement.

I hate to have to point this out to you but "kept women" can be drugged and raped as well.

How about Kyra Nichols? She's currently on the faculty of Indiana University but she certainly would be a great link to Balanchine and Robbins.

Oh well I feel dumb. I just had to re-exchange back to May 19 for NYCB.

I feel like the best years of Peter Martins' tenure were when he gave up or curtailed his choreographic efforts. I think it probably freed up time to coach.

There's been some schedule reshuffling. The SuperGiselle with Ospiova/Hallberg is now May 18 instead of May 19. http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=5/1/2018

I've realized that Martins' NYCB is the only NYCB I've ever known. I saw the company through some very bad times, and some very good times. Some general memories here: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-post-martins-city-ballet.html

Alexa Maxwell also has something to say:

There could have been a number of reasons Bowers was paid off. I agree it had to have been more than "You're fat." But NYCB dancers are covered under medical insurance. One thing I wonder about is the fate of Darci Kistler who is still on the faculty of SAB. As well as Ask La Cour, Peter's stepson. If I were them I'd be polishing up those resumes ...

SAB and NYCB's statements are really very pro forma "thanks for your years of service now please leave asap" statements. I wouldn't read too much into them.

This is sort of OT but one of the more memorable moments in an otherwise ponderous documentary on the POB was a cadaverous looking corps girl telling an icy Brigitte Lefevre that she had lost weight, and Lefevre giving the girl a condescending smile of approval. Body image issues run rampant in the dance world and I agree that they should not be confused with charges of sexual assault, physical abuse, or (as in Martins' case) run-ins with the law (DUI, domestic violence arrest).

Tiler Peck weighs in ...

Lauren Lovette weighs in:

Also, Sterling Hyltin, Megan Fairchild, and Megan Johnson for going on the record with the NYTimes. They put out their views and might get pushback for it but they're speaking straightforwardly. One thought bubble: just from following their social medias it seems as if the current generation of NYCB dancers live a much less constrained life than in the past. Several of them have gotten college degrees while dancing, others have opened side businesses, and they are in much demand on Broadway and on the guest circuit. Abusers often like to isolate their victims. This particular cohort of NYCB dancers might have been less vulnerable to abuse because many of them are, as I said, so accomplished outside of ballet AND (judging by their social media) are extremely outspoken about social and political issues. It's a different world from the days when Suzanne Farrell asked Mr. B how she should vote in the presidential election.

More NYCB dancers on instagram: