Hogmel

Seems like there’s been quite a few departure at the NboC this past year. 

On 7/10/2021 at 6:32 PM, miliosr said:

Houston Ballet for sure. It's lavishly funded but it has no national profile. I'm hard pressed to even describe its repertory. Perhaps they'll just coast along until Connor Walsh is ready to take over?

I would put the Joffrey Ballet in second place. During his lifetime, the late Robert Joffrey worked ceaselessly to give the company an unique repertory. How wonderful would it be if the Joffrey was still the repository for all those Massine revivals? Instead, it's like a mild San Francisco Ballet.

Los Angeles Ballet would be my third place. What is the point of this company? It slogs along with no discernible purpose and not much funding. (Don't know if you could replace the artistic directors as they and the company may be one and the same.)

Connor Walsh or maybe Jared Matthews? Right now, he is the assistant AD of the Estonian national ballet … i always felt he could come back to Houston eventually…

It almost seems like the smaller or regional companies are doing better with maybe less in regards to keeping interest alive and putting together interesting online content ... 🤔

I was wondering of all of the american companies, large or small, which ones are ready for a change of artistic direction? And for what reasons? 
 

i personally think Houston Ballet might be ripe for a change. Its a good company that just seems to fly under the radar a lot. It seems they stage a whole lot of Stanton Welch’s creation which might not be all that great... 

i am really curious to hear what you have to say ?  

I wonder how much longer are companies going to be able to pay their dancers? Government loans and donations will only take you so far ... and the fall of 2021 is still a long way to go.

With so many companies cancelling their seasons im curious to know just how you think this will affect the tissue of some companies: do you think some companies might end up changed forever and if many dancers might end up seeking employment elsewhere? 

Being canadian i guess the NBoC should be my home team. I never had the chance to see them live. What are some of you more knowledgeable balletomanes opinion on the company right now? I feel like this company fails to generate much excitement from me... and i dont really know why. 
 

What about you?
 

Are there dancers that you feel are particularly to watch in the future?  I used to like Elena Lobsanoba but she left, sadly... 

I guess what i might be really asking is: how good do you feel the company is right now? Im very interested in your opinions! 

Oh nice ! Thank you 🙏 

Thank you both for your thoughtful answers . Greatly appreciate it! 

Hello! I am discovering ballet, i have never danced, never taken a single class in my life... i am mostly able to watch ballet through videos since i don’t have easy access to live performances by a top-tier company. I am educating myself through documentaries and articles found online about Balanchine and his legacy. I realized that i enjoy his works more when they are not danced by the nycb! I know i might be stating a terrible heresy but i really feel that way! Maybe im just exposing my ignorance regarding how balanchine should be danced? 

However, Ive watched some older videos of nycb on John Clifford YouTube channel. Some with Allegra Kent, or Suzanne Farrell, or Darci Kistler ... and i feel like those are very enjoyable. But somehow, for reasons that i cant properly articulate: the current crop of nycb dancers does nothing for me... there always seems to be something that takes me out of it: facial expressions, distracting body proportions ... i feel terrible for thinking that way because i know they are all beautiful  dancers.

Maybe some of you could help to shed some light as to why it is that way? What changed in the past 10,20 or even 30 years in the way nycb dances its Balanchine repertoire? 

Also, while dancers from other companies around the world can dance Balanchine reasonably well,  i can’t imagine any of the current nycb principals dancing anywhere else... is it because of their technique? I don’t know and i wish i could better explain why i feel this way! Maybe some of you could lol? 

Thank you for all your well informed answers ! Anybody has an idea why the Balanchine version is so rarely staged? 

Hello!

completely new to this so if my topic is not in the right place please feel free to tell me or move it! I have a completely newfound appreciation of the Balanchine repertory . I have been dying to see what Balanchine’s take on Swan Lake might have looked like! To the best of your knowledge is there a recording of his swan lake? 

Thank you Drew and Helene! I certainly enjoy reading what others have to say about ballet . Often it helps me pinpoint exactly why i like this but hate that. 

hi! I am a couch ballet fan, i know basically nothing about ballet but for some reason i find it fascinating and beautiful. Because i am not fluent in ballet vocabulary i am often unable to explain why i like some things and dislike others. But when i like something, i reeeeally like it !