Drew

It's a harsh if, unfortunately, in many ways quite defendable view of ABT but I think the word "never" does not reflect the company's long history. Kfw mentions the Baryshnikov era--one could look a lot earlier. ABT has seen many important premiers and has had some substantive productions of Petipa classics (Blair's Swan Lake in the past, but also Makarova's Bayadere today). Moreover Ratmansky's role at ABT means that in one respect it is still a home for ballet as an artistic enterprise whatever one thinks of the balance of programming. (Which does seem to be in something of a rut.)

Sounds like you will have a wonderful time. Chopiniana with the "Kirov" has been one of my great ballet-going experiences. I bet the company still dances it gorgeously. The historic theater is ... well ... the most enchanting theater in the world. I don't know that I will get to see it again (certainly not before the renovation), but I am happy picturing you there Birdsall. My summer ballet going, the ballet-gods and universe willing, will in fact be restricted to the Bolshoi!

Mckenzie is to be credited with bringing Ratmansky to ABT -- in an interview he himself (rightly in my opinion) once pointed to this as his most important accomplishment as AD. I give him kudos for acquiring the Ashton Cinderella this season too. From those listed in the poll, Kirkland would be an interesting choice. I think the problems with the Sleeping Beauty she helped to stage for the company don't help her cause, nor does her tumultuous history. But her school company has been doing interesting things and garnered a lot of praise. Anyway, I voted for her somewhat sentimentally because she has always been one of my ballet divinities. But really I don't know if she is the best among those listed and, also, I think I would like to see Ratmansky succeed Mckenzie. And...though this upcoming season is peculiar when it comes to casting -- and I share some people's weariness with the company's programming (at least aspects of it) -- I don't know that it's time to stick a fork in Mckenzie just yet.

(Though probably this image should be supplemented by .)

Well, with the Bolshoi even if they announce, I'm not sure I would believe anything until the performances actually start. But yes, it would be nice to know something.

Very enjoyable reading about the Ashton festival. Wish I could have been there!

Thanks for writing on this performance & company.

I saw her early in her career with the (then) Kirov. I loved her. In my eyes, she was a real exemplar of everything great and enchanting about the Kirov/Mariinsky tradition. I especially remember a beautiful Aurora in Washington D.C. Very sorry not to have experienced the later stages of her career. Wishing her joy always!

I infer that this is from the closing gala of the festival--and, I think, very beautiful: Part and Matthews in Ratmansky's Seven Sonatas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_a1gq3nmvw&feature=youtu.be

I wish I were...and am very much looking forward to reading reports..

Had a ticket complication and the Koch theater call center was very helpful (I was not the easiest customer). So, since I write on this website sometimes to complain about the complications of getting tickets from out of town for Lincoln Center, I thought it was incumbant on me to write in and say, they also often do a great job...

I was also surprised--not that the Mikhailovsky couldn't do New York without "name" stars like Osipova and Vasiliev, since that pretty much seems a given--but that they didn't try to reserve some featured roles for either Perren or Borchenko. I found Borchenko a quality dancer the one time I saw her when the company was on tour in London (she was dancing Odette-Odile). I only saw Perren in Spring Waters and didn't find it a terribly exciting performance but London critics raved about her Giselle... However, Borchenko dances Myrtha, so perhaps she will so so in New York and/or perhaps Perren or she will dance in the mixed bill program.

Thank you for posting. I'm looking forward to reading about this work at SFB.

I am planning a NY Trip for this and just bought my tickets over the phone. (The number I used was the same California posted above). The person with whom I spoke was very helpful and told me about the multi-performance discount which I had not even known about... Despite my long-standing wish to see Osipova's Kitri I could not bring myself to buy tickets for the Don Q's. Fortunately, whoever dances Flames of Paris, it's a production I want to see--love the publicity for it saying "Stalin's favorite ballet." Anyway I opted for Flames plus the Osipova-Sarafanov Giselle. I also have never seen Sarafanov except for bits on video...but it was still a hard choice. I enjoyed the Mikhailovsky a lot when I saw them in London some years ago, but wasn't absolutely wowed except perhaps by the quality of the character dancing and a few individuals. I quite liked Bondareva for sure!

Very much agree with this assessment. Actually I thought he was really compelling in Spartacus, but also very good in Bayadere -- and just a treat to watch as Orion in Ashton's Sylvia, too, though that's not a "star" role. I feel he could be a major presence in future with the right decisions (from him) and right guidance and opportunities (from others). Plus the usual luck that seems to have to be in play for everyone who has a great career... I think he will continue to get opportunities, but it would be a shame if ABT couldn't quite figure out what to do with him. (Thinking off the beaten track of his current ABT rep, I think he might be quite entertaining as Lescaut in Manon.)

That was fast! Thank you for posting.

To my knowledge, Mearns, Kowroski, and Reichlen all dance Diamonds. This winter Savanah Lowery alternated the tall girl in Rubies with Reichlen. When I saw Jewels during the winter season, Abi Stafford danced the second role in Emeralds; I don't know who danced the role in the other cast. Reviews of the winter season probably say something about it as well as other recent casting in the ballet. (I saw Peck in the first ballerina role in Emeralds and Bouder in Rubies. Bouder also does Emeralds and, I believe, Hyltin Rubies...) I don't think you can count on any one particular dancer, but you can almost certainly count on at least some of the leads being absolutely first rate and maybe all...

She was an excellent Swanilda--also, I think, early in her career she danced a wonderful Butterfly in Midsummer Night's Dream.

I wish Stiefel well. It's perhaps a shame he couldn't remain to build on his accomplishments with New Zealand Ballet, but his reasons aren't surprising. I agree w. Vipa that NYCB is doing rather well right now. In any case it is probably not going to choose as Martins' successor an NYCB dancer who left the company very early in his career and has no special relationship to the Balanchine repertory or any other NYCB repertory. I think they will look to someone with a longer history with the company. (And I think that is what they should do...) But I don't doubt Stiefel has a great contribution to make wherever his career takes him.

Bolshoi advance cast announcements are so unreliable that, even if we had the information at this early date, I wouldn't feel terribly confident about what dancers I was really going to see...I am buying tickets for a slew of performances and just hoping. For what it's worth: when I saw them just a few years ago the standard of their soloists/demi-soloists was so high that I would say, if they have maintained that standard through recent crises, then we should be in for some treats whatever the lead casting is like. (Others have seen them much more recently of course and can weigh in...) Still, we all want to see the best leads!

Thanks for the reference! I guess if the music was originally a dance for corps and dwarves it was always a kind of "jester" piece...though I'm afraid I usually don't like the jester. Still, I do seem to have gotten used to it. Unfortunately I have never seen Stowell's version of the ballet.

Thank you from me as well Alexandra...

Not just the Russians -- Kent Stowell's version for Pacific Northwest Ballet has a featured role for the jester. Cannot off the top of my head remember what music he's got, though. Martins uses one as well--and, oddly enough, it's the only Jester I have ever found effective in really being part of the larger ballet's canvas.

I am very saddened to read of Carbro's death--I say Carbro I guess because I never met her but only knew her from her warm and intelligent presence on this forum. She once sent me a lovely message about a discussion we had been having publically on the perennial topic of ABT versus NYCB -- it was thoughtful and generous. (I still have it saved with my response.) I always vaguely hoped to meet her one day in New York, and regret that I never did so. My best thoughts to her family and friends.

And, also as in original announcement, no Obraztsova -- it may not be altogether her repertory, but she does dance Don Q. and is one of their very top ballerinas. Recently mentioned in NYTimes as too little seen in New York. I am very much looking forward to seeing several of the others...