Drew

People have complex, mixed, and even contradictory feelings about things that are important to them -- Stafford's feelings may be too. Speaking publicly about problems at work may be professionally unwise, but Stafford is, at any rate, changing professions. (I am agnostic about whether she faced mistreatment at the company.) Being a dancer is hard. I know other jobs are hard too and many of us are acculturated to put up with stuff, and much of it should be put up with because even having a job, especially a good job, a creative and well-paid one, is a gift (in our society anyway). I also know better than to think that every complaint against management is justified. Being a company director is hard too. Still, in the world of dance, I can't help but feel some human sympathy with those who break the 'thin pink line' now and then. (And putting Stafford's individual case aside, the ballet world can probably use more honesty about several issues.) As for the Times's role...the fact that the article has generated so much discussion here--even negative discussion--seems to confirm the editor's judgment. People are checking the article out and talking about it.

Congratulations to her! She brings a ton of experience to the job.... The article mentioned that she had not yet spoken with Ratmansky. I hope she does so soon -- and I hope he does sign on again.

As I contemplate when I may next return to ballet travel (pandemic is definitely still an issue for me) I also have been disconcerted by the programing. From a different perspective, as long as I am reluctant to travel for health reasons, I guess the programming has made me more philosophical. Maybe they need a new Robert Gottlieb type figure....or at least somebody who thinks more like a member of the ticket buying public. (I suppose it is possible a new generation’s tastes are different, but I find it interesting that multiple long-time ballet goers on this site are commenting on the issue,)

Thank you....

Thanks for the information. I had no idea and am sorry I missed it. I will try to find it online and will look out for the link...

I saw the stream--wonderful in every respect! Fantastic production...beautifully danced -- As anyone reading this probably knows, Rachel Beaujean's production of Raymonda rewrites the scenario just enough to dispense with some of the more potentially problematic white-crusader elements and (less talked about as far as I've read) also explicitly anoints Raymonda the future ruler of her feudal kingdom. Since the production makes these changes while still keeping much of the ballet intact and allowing one to wallow in its classical pleasures, I am hoping that it will be taken up by a major American Company. If someone made me the new director of ABT, then this would probably be one of the first productions I would try to obtain. (I have a longer list prepared in case I'm tapped for the job .) [Edited to add that just a few hours after I posted this, the job was given to Susan Jaffe. I hope she saw this livestream.] Any negatives? Jerome Kaplan's slightly autumnal color choices in Acts I and III were perhaps cued by the melancholy in the music, but I'm not sure how I feel about them. And I personally like to see Raymonda play the lyre in Act I--it's one of the ballet's most magical images and seems to be missing here. Also, and not really a criticism of this production, I can't help but miss some of the Sergeyev choreography that one sees in the Mariinsky Raymonda--especially in the first act Waltz ... Regarding the new scenario: maybe it doesn't fall into place without raising a question or two. Abdur-Rahman seems awfully philosophical about being knocked down by his lover's ex, and everyone except for Jean De Brienne and some of his immediate entourage is blasé about Raymonda's change of heart. But I was largely fine with the new scenario. I even think that the gorgeous music and choreography of the Act II pas d'action actually makes more sense if Raymonda and Abdur-Rahman are falling in love -- as they are in this production... That aspect of the new scenario worked very well for me. Anyway, an extremely enjoyable performance. I hope others had a chance to see it--though I realize that perhaps not everyone will have liked it as much as I did.

Quick postscript to my last post to say that there is another discussion of this under NYCB...

For those who saw Restless Creature, there is some irony in the role Whelan (inevitably) now finds herself playing. There is no way to adjudicate the ending of dancers' careers for fans reading about it--and maybe not even for those insiders who are watching it close up. There are too many variables. For myself, I have no idea what happened between Abby Stafford and her brother or what shape she was in for her final season as a dancer. I saw her dance some warm, lovely performances at various points earlier in her career -- one or two others that I criticized for sure and on this website. What is certain is that under the best of circumstances it is very hard to come to the end of one's ballet career. And I do believe that between the pandemic and the change in company leadership as she was approaching retirement Stafford was facing less than the best circumstances. (Adding a fraught family relationship to the mix can't have helped....) Wishing her huge success as a lawyer!

"...Cancellation of Russian culture in Europe, you say? In Russia, they themselves are cancelling culture."

I wonder if this means they are going to drop the Serebrennikov/Possokhovn Hero of our Time from future Repertory plans...even if it is (presumably) less controversial on its own account...

I am very late to this party, but still want to celebrate--Thank you @Terez "The Classical Girl"!

The Nijinska Les Noces!!!!

Congratulations to him! Perhaps I should also congratulate his long-suffering fans! (I wonder if some are thinking of Thibault on hearing this news.)

Well, this is waaaay back when...but Martins did. Although this was, I think, before "farewells" were as much of a regular item, Martins' farewell got a lot of attention, and I remember how hard it was to get a ticket...

Thanks for the detailed reports on this...

I just watched last night--wonderful indeed! I hope the program ends up available for purchase/rent or some such.

The article on Copeland is also being discussed on the Copeland thread under "Dancers"--starting the middle of page 22 of that thread and then into page 23....

Copeland didn't have as many major, principal role opportunities pre-injury as some of the other dancers mentioned above in @Helene's post--I can't get the quote function to work. Did Copeland, before her injury, dance any of the lead ballerina roles in the nineteenth-century repertory at ABT other than Gamzatti and perhaps Gulnare? (If those...I'm not 100 percent sure about my dates.) Peasant pas de deux--and I remember hers as delightful--is not the same thing. Ratmansky's Firebird was something of a breakthrough in terms of drawing attention and praise for Copeland in a major, even "star" part though, obviously not a nineteenth-century one. But she danced it just a couple of times before being out for . . . what was it? nearly a year? As a company director I do think that at the least Copeland would have the potential to be a very successful fundraiser and that is a big part of the job.

Thank you for filling out the story. There seems to be a lot we still don't know/can't know--and may never know or at least never understand.

Instagram's algorithm drew my attention to an account that describes itself (according to google translate) as follows: "We publish information about dancers, ballet dancers, teachers, and choreographers who ignore or support Russia's war in Ukraine." They have just three posts so far and in addition to calling out the current head of the opera house in Russian-occupied Donetsk, they call out Polunin and Ovcharenko. The latter danced in the performance of Spartacus that was the Bolshoi's fundraiser for the families of dead Russian soldiers and Ukrainian "refugees" in Russia. (They also criticize Ovcharenko's initial 'peace' post on the war--an image of friendship between Russia and Ukraine--as not, in fact, opposed to the Russian position at all.) I do NOT endorse this sort of 'calling out' of Russian or Ukrainian artists--well, maybe the guy in Donetsk if he really did line up his dancers in the Z formation as reported both here and elsewhere--but I also suppose the account is run by Ukrainians and I am not inclined to fault them for their rage either. (You can see the account is followed by a number of Ukrainian dancers whose names are now known to ballet fans the world over such as Potiomkin.) I post about the account here only because I think it's a sobering reminder that when this war ends it may not be all Kumbaya in the world of classical ballet. Too much that is too horrible has happened. Here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/zradaart.ua/

If a company genuinely has the the legal rights to a work, then I don't think that it's "thug-like" to perform it against the choreographer's wishes. The context of the war is what makes all of this so disturbing and, I infer, deeply upsetting for the choreographers. But choreographers sign agreements--and have been known to lose control of their works to companies. Rule of law still applies (even if it seems ridiculous in the present context). From the little I've read, it's a question mark whether the Bolshoi has the legal right to perform these works. They may. I feel for the choreographers, and have no sympathy for the Bolshoi which I know perfectly well doesn't care about "rule of law"--but that's not a reason for me not to do so. Now--if there were a gray area-- contracts were not finalized, nothing signed etc.--then it's potentially criminal behavior...and I think the choreographers should, if they have the resources, take legal action (there may be pro bono lawyers who are interested too). No matter the purely legal issues, I am sure it's awkward for the dancers especially if/as they still harbor hopes of working with some of these choreographers in the future. But if Russian--which is also to say, Soviet--Ballet history proves anything, it's that many gifted artists can work surprisingly effectively in an atmosphere of propaganda, lies, and intimidation....even as others around them are destroyed.

I see the Scottish Ballet is described as bringing Arthur Miller's play The Crucible "to the ballet stage" with no mention of the choreographer--Helen Pickett--which somewhat bothers me as I can't help but think that it speaks to a lack of respect for and/or lack of interest in dance artists. I understand Miller's is the name that will sell tickets--of course it should be foregrounded--but would be it so terrible for ticket sales to say they are bringing Miller's play "to the ballet stage in the acclaimed adaptation by Helen Pickett?" or some such. Anyway, I rather liked Picket's work for Atlanta Ballet which included a full length adaptation of Tennessee Williams' Camino Real. It included some spoken words and generally fell into the "dance theater" category, though, as I remember, with one very lovely lyrical and balletic pas de deux. I have to budget my ballet travels, but if I can swing it, then I'd be happy to see what she does with The Crucible. (Like @abattI wish Ratmansky's Swan Lake with Miami City Ballet had been on offer.) If Putin stays in power, and maybe even if he doesn't, then I fear it will be quite some time before we see the Mariinsky or the Bolshoi again--especially at Kennedy Center. Ballet is too closely allied with Russia's "soft power." But I hope that in the coming years Kennedy Center does more to bring in high profile companies from elsewhere overseas: The Royal Ballet (England) top choice for me by some measure. But there is a pretty substantial list of others that would tempt me as well.

Netrebko is burning bridges--that takes bravery whatever you think of her past or her statement. The fact that it appears to be a response to the pressures she is under if she wants to continue her career and that it appears to be a little less than perfectly candid about her entanglements with Putin doesn't change the fact that under these circumstances any statement takes bravery. Wasn't Gergiev her big champion at the beginning--well, will she ever be able to sing under his baton again? Shouldn't we imagine her career at the Mariinsky was profoundly important to her? Well, maybe that's over now. For good. No-one will compare this kind of bravery to the kind of physical bravery involved in saving babies from bombed buildings--or even the bravery of ordinary Russians deciding to leave Russia without her level of fame or dual citizenship--but I still find it reasonable to call her words brave. (Moreover as Macaulay pointed out, she did, as soon as the war started, express her distress and opposition to war--that was followed up by other posts I gather from reports that did try to thread the needle, but it's not as if she said nothing at the beginning of the war.) Ratmansky himself seemed a little less than perfectly candid on Instagram responding to some challenges on his record of working with state institutions in Russia under Putin's regime. Though he did admit that there were things he didn't understand [edited to add: more exactly he wrote things he wished he had understood better at the time]. I don't blame him--building the arts under a dictatorship doesn't promote perfect candor, perhaps even to oneself. The current war in Ukraine crosses a different kind of line for many (most) observers than even the annexation of Crimea did and that's fair enough...but I fear it's a mistake to go in search of some "pure" position in which no-one is implicated in anything problematic ever. (Heck, the CIA was heavily involved in promoting NYCB tours back in the day...around the same time they were involved in overthrowing and undermining democratically elected governments that weren't to the United States's liking and with appalling results. It's not a reason NOT to condemn Russia and its horrific war now, but it is yet another reason I am inclined to pause before demanding absolute purity of position from Russian artists today.)

Thank you for sharing...Lots of interesting programming and it is nice to see an evening in honor of Patrick Dupond. Two Macmillan full lengths and only one 19th-century full length is not the balance I would choose for a company that has the resources and talent to do justice to the 19th-century repertory--but I guess I'm not the typical Paris ballet-goer. Also a little surprised the Balanchine program only has the two works. Both are longer (I double checked the running times) but it's still not the heftiest of evenings.

The funny thing is I just realized a few minutes ago (looking at Instagram) that numerous Russian ballet dancers (prominent and slightly less prominent) in addition to the ones I named above are still posting--were posting today. Some of them are doing Instagram "stories" which don't have comments and only stay up a limited amount of time and disappear....others are posting regular photos etc.