Passat66

So strange and dramatic to fire a beloved Balanchine trained teacher. I also think it's strange for Stafford to take over the job and not let Aesha Ash step in.

I have many questions about Suzy Pilarre. How do you let go of a woman that age? How many teachers are left that were actually taught by Balanchine? And why would Jonathan Stafford take over running the school - isn't that how they got into trouble before? One man with too much power.

I agree - Taela is such a great performer and a lovely dancer. She seemed to really be enjoying herself in Napoli.

How long does it typically take for apprentices to be announced ? It will be fun to watch them move up through the ranks of the company. Is this what following NBA draft feels like?

I do think that they are the only apprentices and it does seem odd. Natalie Galassi and Dakota Blake are beautiful dancers.

I saw both shows on Saturday. Saturday night's show was electric, maybe because the audience was full of NYCB dancers. La Source was amazing, Brahms was great but Napoli was the most fun. I agree that the Saturday afternoon performance of Napoli was better.