Drew

Thank you very much for these reports--what you describe of Osipova in Act II makes her form sound more 'classical' than the others at least in those particular poses; I think I understood you correctly (?). I find the overall impact of a performance, though influenced by the accumulation of technical/interpretive details that make it up, is (if it's any good) also always something more than the sum of those details, and it sounds as if that was the case with these performances as well. Wish I could have seen them--but your reporting makes them very vivid.

That's fantastic, but although San Francisco has a lot of outstanding performing arts, I don't think SFB's situation offers an exact comparison to ABT in New York City where it competes with...well, you name it in terms of theatrical and musical entertainment--but also tons of major and less major ballet and dance companies coming in and out of the city. As noted repeatedly in this conversation, it regularly has to compete head-to-head with NYCB in spring and even sometimes finds itself competing head to head with a major, high prestige touring company that has the marketing (and not just marketing) advantage of novelty/glamor--this year it will be the Royal Ballet performing the same week as ABT's Swan Lake. SFB has some of that kind of competition, but I am hard put to imagine it's the same. None of which is meant to belittle the company's extraordinary artistic leadership and popular success. I just would be wary of using it as a stick with which to beat ABT. (For myself, I would be ecstatic to have SFB as my home company.) Regarding current ticket sales and the suggestion that guest artists make no difference: I would have thought that final figures on who "sells" have to be determined much later in the game than practically a month before the season opens. Hardcore ballet fans often get their tickets way ahead of time...others, in my experience, not so much. In fact, when I lived in NY my own preference was to buy tickets the day before or day of performance. But if the company's policy is not paying off financially...then, at any rate, it will likely be modified.

Hard to know--he was quoted as talking about one particular case, not "in house principals" or even "guest artists" in general--which makes the claim seem somewhat more plausible. Perhaps "dynamic pricing" was also playing a role? (Once something starts selling well, prices go up generating still more revenue.)

Boylston has been cast with Simkin a number of times.

I've had similar thoughts: why not try to cast mixed bills at the Met more ambitiously--with very well known and less well-known dancers cast together including "guest stars"--to attract bigger audiences to those programs? And then, in turn, have more mixed bills which would also mean more opportunities for a range of dancers including those rising through the ranks to gain experience etc.? A certain amount of marketing would need to go into this as well presumably...Actually, it's not that ABT never does this, but one feels as if they could do it more... But I'm not confident that I know all the realities the company faces on the talent front or on the money front, so...(And, obviously, I've gotten a great deal from seeing serious international artists with ABT dancing in full length works, artists I would not otherwise have much opportunity to see--and I do spend money on their performances, though not exclusively on their performances.) I certainly would be happy if the company had a longer season at the Koch Theater in Fall. The one time in recent years that I've bought tickets for ABT when casting was entirely unknown to me was a recent Koch theater season when program after program was full of interest with a balance of well known and lesser known ballets (Balanchine, Ashton, Ratmansky, Tharp, Fokine, Limon, and Morris that season.) I thought that NYCB currently announces casts something like two weeks ahead of time, not just one week.

Thanks for heads up...Barring natural or other disaster I will be there (having bought tickets some time ago)--and I am very well satisfied with this solution. A couple of years ago Cojocaru didn't dance the most dazzling Nikiya I've seen, but one of the most beautiful and altogether the most spiritual ... Thrilled to be seeing Cornejo as well and more than intrigued to see how Copeland builds on her earlier performances of Gamzatti. But...uh...wishing Olga Smirnova a complete recovery from all injury and a successful return to the stage very soon.

Two Pigeons--plus "Ashton starters"--Fantastic! Edited to add: I'm intrigued by the revival of The Invitation too. Keith Money's photos (really photo essays) of Seymour and Gable in both of these ballets--Seymour especially--made a huge impression on me as a child.

Copeland performed the ABT production on tour in Australia. From Natalia's description, the Washington Ballet production sounds quite different--at least in some sections. So, I guess this could be called both her "American" debut as Odette-Odile and her debut in Kirk Peterson's production...but Mme Hermine is correct that it is not her first full-length Swan Lake.

Sounds like at least one of the "Ballet Alert folks" did make it to Napoli! Thank you for the report -- I would be very happy to have a chance to see this production.

I have tickets for this performance too. I saw Semionova in Bayadere a couple of years ago, when she first joined ABT. She is, as CTballetfan writes, extremely thin -- too much so for my taste, though otherwise, I think very lovely in appearance. In this role, I did not find her dancing as compellingly beautiful as that of other ballerinas -- I guess I found her a bit dry --but she was extremely impressive in her technical command; from that point of view one of the best I have seen in the role. And, since I have seen her dance more effectively in other roles, I am inclined to give her a chance and see if she has developed herself in this one. Kimin Kim has also gotten a lot of attention for his technical prowess as well as charisma and star-power. Between the two of them and Murphy (no technical slouch herself) I expect the performance to be, if nothing else, an impressive display of physical skill. Of course, I'm hoping for more (anticipate more from Murphy certainly) as I'm sure others are. That's harder to predict, but I'm plenty curious to see what these three manage to pull off. This is indeed an expensive habit...

I mentioned on another thread (re ABT): Asked about Smirnova's injury in an interview published on "Bachtrack.com" Filin says he hopes Smirnova will make her return to Bolshoi repertory in the new Possokhov Hero of Our Time--which is supposed to premier in July. Don't know what that means about her ABT appearances, but I can guess...

Re the "Smirnova/Chudin" Bayadere: Asked about Smirnova's injury in an interview published on "Bachtrack.com" Filin says he hopes Smirnova will make her return to Bolshoi repertory in the new Possokhov Hero of Our Time--which is supposed to premier in July. Perhaps he thinks of any appearance with ABT as warm up for the Bolshoi and perhaps he is simply being very cautious--like a maitre d' at a restaurant who tells you it's a 30 minute wait, so you will be just delighted when you get seated after 20 minutes--but likely not...I suppose ABT is working on this, and there are certain obvious things they could do, but anyway we'll see. (That's one weekend I can likely make it to NY, so I will probably be there whatever the cast, especially as I'm hoping to 'introduce' someone to Bayadere and eager to see several of the dancers scheduled. I figure at least one of them will show.)

How many people went to see Baryshnikov because he was a defector and later because of his movies--people with no interest in or knowledge of ballet? Prices? Misty Copeland does not control that, but emerging as a bona fide ballet star gives her the clout to become involved all the more effectively in other outreach activities of all kinds. No reason her regular performances should not be as pricey as other high profile performances are, though for obvious reasons this role is being given special attention. I have been living in the 'regions' for some time now. The idea that the best tickets for ballet performances by the main regional companies (often with live music) won't be all that expensive seems quaint to me. I also thought every penny I spent to see Maillot's Romeo and Juliet on its return run to Atlanta Ballet this year -- which cost more than early purchased tickets to the Royal in New York for equivalent seats -- was money well spent. It was a terrific performance, building on last year's already very fine one. Memorable in every way. Of course the super-sized off-the-books prices ($1,000 etc.) being mentioned for Copeland are a different matter. But I wouldn't pay those for ABT. (Not that I really could if I wanted to see more than a performance or two a year.) I am not advocating high prices, and they do make me pickier about purchasing tickets, but they are a reality, and performances anywhere can be well worth it.

Edited to say: Never mind--I came in mid-conversation and didn't realize discussion had morphed to Obraztsova...

The Royal may well choose not to invite Ratmansky for all kinds of reasons, but to equate him automatically with Sovietisms such as the jester seems odd to me. That is hardly what his productions of the classics are known for,,, In all discussions of how much people hate Dowell's production, I feel that far too little value is placed on his respect for the choreography...especially Act IV. I am desperately hoping that whoever stages this new production s/he shows the same kind of respect for Petipa/Ivanov.

I'm not convinced the company owes everybody farewells. (Of course if a retirement--or departure from the company--is announced, then fans can infer when the last performance will be. If it isn't announced, then the company is in no position to give a 'farewell' in any case.)

That's what surprised me. I assume he must have been pissed off--and (rightly or wrongly) thought he had reason to be so. But of course the statement should have expressed positives about Herrera --maybe a whiff of regret that we won't again be seeing her great Aurora, which he had so hoped for blah, blah, but so excited for the Giselle--and leave it at that. Responding to other thoughts posted above: As far as the guest artist business goes: Reyes is a regular, but she did not work her way up through the ranks -- from the very beginning she danced leading roles that (presumably) might have gone to someone else already in the company had she not entered ranks at the "top" so to speak. Like many others, I think more selective use of guest artists and more imaginative repertory would be nice to see. Come to think of it, a better ballet venue than the Met would be nice to see. And I have terrific memories of all three of this season's retiring ballerinas and am a huge fan of Gillian Murphy. But I can't pretend that Cojocaru, Osipova, and Vishneva haven't made my last decade's worth of ABT memories both a lot more exciting and a lot more moving than I think they would have been otherwise, even if the company had been busily promoting from within. On the full-length repertory front: I actually prefer Dame Aux Camelias to Romeo and Juliet, Manon, and Onegin. Way back when I wanted ABT to acquire it for Ferri. So if we owe that to Julie Kent--thank you Julie Kent.

Thank you--I hadn't seen this interview. I loved it!

I'm looking forward to seeing Lavine dance. I will add, though, that I've seen in many areas that people can often afford not to make "a big deal" out of certain issues (race, sexuality, gender, class, religion etc. etc.) that may impact their lives and careers precisely because other people have done so already and taken the flack for it. (Of course, temperament is involved too. But how boring if all dancers had the same temperament.)

SEVEN world premiers. FIVE choreographers announced. Not one a woman. Just sayin' -

Thank you. I enjoyed reading about this performance--and the lovely photos...

Very interesting and gifted person Polunin...but I wouldn't put money on anything he says about himself or his career. Within weeks--or was it days?--of announcing he was done with classical ballet, he turned up dancing big roles in Novosibirsk.

I'm very eager to see Taming of the Shrew and certainly willing to give their account of Lady of the Camelias a shot.

I would have thought Polunin a casting headache ABT doesn't need right now. (As in...unreliable.)