mussel

The worst: The conspicuous absence of America ballet companies from HD broadcasts, PBS, Blu-Ray/DVD publications. There are 2 Jewels on BR/DVD from Mariinsky & POB but none from the originating co. Who published an all-Robbins BR/DVD? Not NYCB, but POB. Who published Balanchine's Mid Summer Night Dream? La Scala, not NYCB. When was the last time NYCB published a DVD? The last DVD from ABT hit the market was Swan Lake 8-9 years ago. If European companies can put Balanchine and Robbins ballets on DVD, why can't American? European companies subject to the same copy rights and their union rules are not any less demanding. The one and only one HD broadcast from an American company I can remember was last year's Nutcracker from NYCB. And the most recent DVDs are SFB's Nut & Little Mermaid.

For many years ABT used to tour So. Ca. twice a year, one in LA and one at SCFTA. It's a shame that So. Ca. is such a big market and they can't bring ABT at least twice a year. Has ABT toured Ratmansky's Nutcracker in So. Ca. yet? And NYCB hasn't toured So. Ca. for quite some time. What ever happened to Kodak Theater as a performance venue? I remember ABT performed La Bayadere there during its inaugural season.

My understanding is that "American" was added to Ballet Theater as a condition for fundings of overseas tours. During the cold war, Soviet used Kirov and Bolshoi tours as part of its PR campaign, so the State Dept. countered the Soviet with NYCB and BT, while there's no ambiguity that NYCB was an American company it's less apparent with Ballet Theater, so "American" was added to make sure that overseas audience knew it's an American company.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is older than the National Ballet of Canada, having been founded in 1938 as opposed to the NBOC in 1951. So it was much more established in 1955 when it asked for and received a royal charter- one year BEFORE the Royal Ballet, it bears pointing out. As for the Australians, I think there are a lot more republicans in Australian than in NZ so "Royal" might not go over so well! RNZB did not become royal till 1984. Fascinating that RWB received its royal charter before RB did, and it's older than City Ballet. I can see that a royal charter could be a baggage. Several American institutions, i.e. Columbia, William & Mary, received their royal charter before the American Revolution but they don't publicise it. Several Hong Kong royal charter holders like Royal HK Police and Royal HK Jockey Club dropped the "royal" when HK reverted to China in 1997 and decided not to join the Commonwealth.

A movie with the same title starring Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, and Will Smith... will be released this fall, if it becomes a hit, it may give the ballet a publicity boost.

Great! ABT fall season at State Theater begins Oct 30, so I'll get ticket during the first week of the run.

Is this going to be RB's first DQ, ever? I don't recall RB ever performed DQ.

Didn't English National Ballet list Princess Di as their patron? As many consider the Kennedys as the unofficial American royalty, Jackie O was strong supporter of ABT and she's listed as Honorary Chairman and HC Emeritus after her passing. I think the biggest boost of royal patronage is the granting of royal charter, it's like the royal seal of approval. Royal Ballet sounds much more impressive than Vic-Wells Ballet. I am wondering why royal charter was granted to Royal Winnipeg Ballet, a regional company, but not to the much bigger and higher profile National Ballet of Canada, imaginge Royal Ballet of Canada. Similar situation with Royal New Zealand Ballet but not Royal Australian Ballet. And if Congress granted ABT the title America's National Ballet, would BOTUS sound more impressive than ABT? Nah, it sounds too much like botox.

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The Sat. matinee program is just too good to pass, even though I exchanged the ticket in anticipation of a major snow storm, I'll try to make it, there should be plenty of good seats.

What's going to happen on Sat. with a major snow blizzard 12" to 20" of snow forecasted in NYC? I exchanged my Sat. matinee ticket, I still have ticket for Sun. I hope I can make it.

I am relieved it's not Ratmansky in a selfish way, so we got to keep him stateside. I remember an article in which a NYCB member mentioned BM knew how to cultivate donor relationship and raised quite a bit of money for NYCB, I am wondering if this is one of the reasons he's hired. Lissner mentioned 9 candidates, who were the other eight? Hilaire, Legris, Le Riche, Ratmansky, Guillem, Vaziev, Martinez, Preljoçaj, Belarbi...? I am just curious how NY Times was the first media to break the news, well ahead of the French media. The news made it to Thur. NY Times print edition, assuming the printing press deadline is 11PM EST, so NYT found out the appointment well before 11PM EST.

As reported by NYT: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/irina-dvorovenko-principal-dancer-to-retire-from-american-ballet-theater/?ref=arts

Filin had asked for protection but Bolshoi refused: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/world.europe.bolshoi-theater-director-acid-attack.html?hp

Kev, thus far there are no concrete plans (of which I'm aware) for either company to tour the USA in 2013. The Bolshoi's big summer tour in '13 will be to London, at the ROH. As for the Mariinsky possibly going to NYC or other US stop in summer 2013, the only rumblings have been about the Ratmansky Cinderella going to NYC (yawn...the same threadbare-scaffolding production that was in DC recently and in 2005). My guess is that, should a Mariinsky Ballet appearance at the Lincoln Center Festival (or elsewhere in the US, in summer) come about, we will receive official word in the May 2013 timeframe...sometime after ABT-Met Season tickets have been sold and the ABT season well under way. Lincoln Center Festival is usually in the mid- to late-July timeframe. Also, don't forget that summer 2013 will be the grand opening of the huge new Mariinsky II opera house, behind the old Mariinsky, in StP. I believe that all facets of the Mariinsky troupe (opera, ballet & symphony) will remain in their home town, in full-force, for the full White Nights season, except for a handful of appearances in Paris (Sacre du Printemps) and Salzburg in late May. I heard the same thing directly from a company member that Mariinsky will tour NYC with Cinderella next year. But unlike engagements in other cities, MB always brings multiple programs to NYC, I hope it will be the same case for the upcoming tour if it comes to fruition. Lincoln Center Festival usually announces the schedule around early to mid March, then pre-sale starts a week later, and general sale another week after.

There are still plenty of TBAs to keep us speculating on casting. I'd be surprised if Vishneva isn't casted in A Month in the Country as she loves role debuts. Lane will probably be casted in Symphony in C 3rd or 4th movement, Part & Semionova the 2nd. Semionva/Gomes & Part/Bolle will probably repeat the City Center casting in one of the new Ratmansky pieces.

The State Theater had 2800 seats before the renovation and has 2600 seats after.

The new Corsaire premiered on 12/18/11 at Teatro Colón with Paloma Herrera & Guillaume Côté as the leads, however, Teatro Colón attributed the new production as ABT's. There are several video clips posted on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESTQp3z9amc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQIPot_I9pU

She is now officially listed on ABT site: http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=256 so as James Whiteside http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=300 Her only performance date listed is 10/26/12 Don Q in Barcelona for now. Hopefully she'll be casted for the City Center fall season.

Link to Macauley's 2013 Met season briefing.

The new production is still Anne Marie Holmes staging but with new sets & costumes. Here is a sneak peek:

According to Le Riche, State Theater's stage is as wide as Garnier's but not as deep.

What would be the impact on the art form? How many and what category - women, men, junior, senior, and women/men pdd ? Would there be a chorus category and the number of chorus? 16, 24, 32? Would established stars bother to enter the competition? What would be the judging criteria? What countries can rival Russia in medal count? I assume it would make ballet much more popular, tickets would be more difficult to get and more expensive. But there would be more performances, the ballet seasons longer.

The most recent example of a dancer danced 2 engagements at the same time in the same city that I can remember is Johan Kobborg who danced with ABT & the Royal Danish last year in NYC. I guess it all depends on whether there's a non-compete clause in the contract or whether a waiver can be obtained.

Revised prediction: Sylvia Swan Lake Sleeping Beauty Don Q Le Corsaire Onegin R&J New Ratmansky full length Drink to Me/A Month in the Country/Symphony in C I think the mixed rep and Onegin will have 4 performances each.