Helene

For the Met and Carnegie Hall, it starts on October 24. From the Met Opera's email:

Admin note: please don't speculate on illness or injury until it's official news, which includes dancers' social media.

Indeed it is: she appears in a piece choreographed by Stacey Caddell (~39'50" is where the intro starts) in an 2015 interview at City Center Studio 5, where her grandfather and uncle were interviewed by Wendy Whelan:

Frances Chung is having another baby, a girl: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjqovgYgbrV/ Her Instagram post says 23 weeks, which puts 40 weeks at the beginning of February. Great video clips, too! Congratulations to Chung, her husband, and their soon-to-be-a-big-brother son .

Wow, what an opportunity for East Coast folks! If you go, please let us know what you think. Thank you, @AG!

From the 92Y, for those who can attend in person on October 27 at 7:30pm, there will be a free-but-ticket-required Cebration of Life: Yuriko Kikuchi, known as a dancer, choreographer and performing artist under the single name Yuriko, will be celebrated for the trailblazing path she created over her 102 years of life. As a natural dancer from birth, Yuriko began performing at the age of ten but gained wide recognition and prominence as the first Asian American dancer in a major company during her years with Martha Graham between 1944 to 1967. Yuriko headlined her first solo choreographic concert on the Kaufmann Concert Hall stage at the 92nd Street Y in 1946 where her company later returned to perform almost every year between 1964 and 1971. In originating the role of Eliza in Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The King and I she once again broke barriers not only as a performer on stage and in a major motion picture, but as director for a long-running revival of the musical. A program of historic footage, spoken tributes and performances from artists including members of the Martha Graham Dance Company will celebrate this iconic artist. https://www.92ny.org/event/yuriko-a-celebration-of-life?mcSID=835209

I saw Stephanie Dabney as Giselle, one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. May she rest in peace.

For those who didn't see the opening night cast and/or the stream, Alexei Ratmansky posted the men's dance to his Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjmhR_CgZYy/ From left to right facing the stage at entrance: Luther DeMyer (3rd solo), Lucien Postlewaite (2nd solo), and Kuu Saguraki (1st solo). Joining them later: James Kirby Rogers (pirouette/tours solo).

I think Ratmansky did a fantastic job with his Don Quichotte, especially fleshing out the part of Don Q. I also adored his Little Humpbacked Horse, although that might look like not-quite-a-narrative to people who aren't familiar with the tale, because it's a lot of short-hand for audience for whom it isn't as familiar as their childhood stuffed toy. I wanted to love The Golden Cockerel, but it was created for Danish Royal Ballet, and in it was the last role created for the great Thomas Lund, and the sensibility and mime style is so antithetical to Bournonville characterization and mime, that the contrast is too discordant for me, even if it played in the new, modern theater.

I'm really glad DeMyer has been featured in this rep. He's eye-catching in a subtle way, even when he's in the back of the corps because he's so tall.

What a lovely work by Ratmansky! What always strikes about his work is how they look like they are about a specific group of people in a place. Even when a cast changes, it looks like the work was about that new group of people. It's not just their solos, big and small: it's the way they interract with each other and especially how, after a breakout, they reintegrate with the group. I was really happy to see that three corps members were chosen for the opening cast: Kuu Sakuragi, Luther DeMyer, and Madison Ryan Abeo. Sakuragi is a virtuoso, and Ratmansky gave him a meaty part in the Men's folk trio, but not so much to outshine the other two men. Luther DeMyer has a kind of goofy part in the trio: not quite lumbering, but almost, and he was fantastically understated in his physical characterization. (He later got to chew the scenery -- in a good way -- with James Kirby Rogers, Kyle Davis, and Elle Macy in the In Taberna movement of Carmina Burana.) If anyone wasn't paying attention to how fine Madison Abeo has been since she joined the company, Ratmansky gave her a breakout solo with a jumps-a-flying entrance that put her on the map. I've really missed the Balanchine ballets that give meaty roles to corps members, so the revival of Allegro Brillante was such a treat. I'd seen all of them live pre-pandemic except Connor Horton, who joined the corps in 2021 after a pandemic year as an apprentice. Over the last two years I haven't seen multiple in-person performances to be able to get to know the newcomers' dancing, but Allegro Brillante was a great way to be introduced to a terrific young dancer. I was especially happy to see Ryan Cardea and Christian Poppe, two of the senior male corps members, get the opportunity to shine, too. Edited to add: The lead was a fantastic role for Angelica Generosa. Lesley Rausch was ravishing in Cours d'Amors with Lucien Postlewaite. It was very moving to see the promotion speeches for Jonathan Batista, James Kirby Rogers, Cecilia Iliesiu, and Kiyon Ross And now off to get my last peek until the video turns into a pumpkin at midnight.

Yes, it does, and long has been. Fan social media account sources, originally cited, do not. Gramiliano can source its articles as it pleases.

I've removed all of the discussion that started from unofficial news via a fan post on sociall media. If there is official news by an official source, ie, a ballet professional, the dicussion can be resurrected, and not by the original poster.

Wow, what a great surprise and delight to see, @Fraildove!

But her character in the movie didn't, which would have made an interesting contrast, although I'm not sure whether she was supposed to be close in age to Deedee and Emma, or if she was supposed to be ten years younger. Sibley had no children with Michael Somes, and it wasn't until 1976, when she was ~37 and married to her second husband, that she had her daughter (and a son four years later). The Turning Point was released in 1977; she may have been a relatively new mom when the movie was still in production. And she was the exception, and she still is the exception. Demographically speaking, two years before the pandemic hit, one in five women had a child in their early 20's, nearly half by 25-29, 2/3 by their mid-30's, and 80% between ages 35-39. Ballet dancers don't come close to those stats while they are dancing. Although yay for the dancers who took the opportunity during shut-downs to start their families. But a fun fact: Tom Skerritt, who played Wayne, portrayed Don Quixote when PNB first performed the Ratmansky version.

Balanchine and many other directors clung to that notion for a long time. I always wondered if Balanchine would have dropped von Aroldingen like a rock if they hadn't been friends when she became pregnant, and, even then, she was afraid to tell him: he figured it out, even though she wasn't showing in the fourth or fifth month of her pregnancy, which, in itself, sounds pretty crazy. . If it's different now, it was a reality for women in the era in which the movie was set. Edited to add: And while I'm sure it's better now for some, I'm not convinced that every dancer who can give birth is able to make that choice, when so much about a career relies upon the will of an Artistic Director. I think dancers at PNB are lucky, because it's not just higher-ranked ballerinas in the company who have had children and have continued to dance.

I love The Turning Point. I just wish that Ross had kept the fight scene in close-up, instead of commenting on it -- making it silly -- by shooting it from afar. It comes from a place, and that place is lost by that choice.

For full season and all-digital subscribers and those who've purchased a digital ticket to this program, I just received this email from PNB: We can't wait to share the first rep of PNB's 50th Anniversary Season, CARMINA BURANA, with you this week. CARMINA BURANA will stream from October 6-10, 2022. On October 6, you'll get an email like this one which will direct you to an exclusive, password-protected website with all your streamable content. Click the button below to check your device.

And Ratmansky posted this photo with the dancers: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci5jpjSJZN0/ (From left to right: Kuu Sakuragi, Madison Rayn Abeo, Angelica Generosa, Elizabeth Murphy, new Principal Dancers James Kirby Rogers and Cecilia Illiesiu, Luther DeMyer, and Lucien Postlewaite.)

PNB just posted this video of the curtain call; it was taken from the front: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci5mildAk80/

DANCER BIOS: Jonathan Batista (he/him) is from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He trained on scholarship at the English National Ballet and attended summer courses at Miami City Ballet and The Royal Ballet School on scholarship. He joined the National Ballet of Canada as an apprentice in 2012 before joining Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2013. In 2016, he joined Cincinnati Ballet as a soloist and in 2017, Oklahoma City Ballet as a principal. Jonathan joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a soloist in 2021. Jonathan has danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (Cavalier, Candy Cane); Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces; Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven; Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Tybalt); Crystal Pite’s Plot Point; Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake (Prince Sigfried); Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling and Waiting at the Station; and Robyn Mineko Williams’s Before I Was. While at Boston Ballet, Jonathan performed featured roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds (Pas de Trois), Harold Lander’s Études (Mazurka), and Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère (Golden Idol). At Oklahoma City Ballet, he danced leading and featured roles in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments (Phlegmatic); August Bournonville’s La Sylphide (James); Robert Joffrey’s Pas des Déesses; Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort; Robert Mills’ Romeo & Juliet (Mercutio), Swan Lake (Siegfried), The Firebird (Prince Ivan), The Nutcracker (Cavalier), The Little Mermaid, and The Means To Fly; Helen Pickett's Petals (Jonah); Caetano Soto’s Adam; and Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland). Jonathan was a Gold Medalist at the 2008 Grand Prix Brazil, a 2010 Prix de Laussane Finalist, and a Silver Medalist at the World Ballet Competition in 2013. Cecilia Iliesiu (she/her) is from New York, New York. She studied at the School of American Ballet, and with Francois Perron and Deborah Wingert at Studio Maestro. She attended summer courses at Boston Ballet School, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Chautauqua Institute, San Francisco Ballet School, and William Forsythe’s ART of workshop under Kathryn Bennetts. Cecilia joined Carolina Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2009 and was promoted to soloist in 2014. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2015, and was promoted to soloist in 2020. Cecilia has danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s Agon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena, Hippolyta), George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (Sugar Plum Fairy, Hot Chocolate, Coffee, Dewdrop), and Rubies; Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces and Silent Ghost; David Dawson’s Empire Noir; Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven and Red Angels; William Forsythe’s New Suite and One Flat Thing; Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty (Fairy of Wit); Alonzo King’s The Personal Element; Jessica Lang’s Ghost Variations; José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane; Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Cendrillon and Roméo et Juliette (Lady Capulet, Rosaline); Benjamin Millepied’s 3 Movements and Appassionata; Matthew Neenan’s Bacchus; Crystal Pite’s Emergence; Jerome Robbins’ The Concert; Price Suddarth’s Signature; Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana, Cinderella (Stepmother, Autumn, Winter), and Swan Lake (Persian, Solo Swan, Spanish Dance); Twyla Tharp’s Afternoon Ball and Waiting at the Station (Golden Girl); and Christopher Wheeldon’s Tide Harmonic. She originated leading roles in Donald Byrd’s Love and Loss and Untitled, Jessica Lang’s Her Door to the Sky, Nia-Amina Minor’s And yet here we are, Amanda Morgan’s This Space Left Intentionally Blank, Eva Stone’s F O I L, and Price Suddarth’s The Intermission Project. At Carolina Ballet, Cecilia danced leading and featured roles in George Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, The Four Temperaments, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Rubies; Marius Petipa’s Giselle; Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free; Christopher Stowell’s Rite of Spring; and Robert Weiss’ Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. She also originated numerous roles in ballets by Zalman Raffael and Robert Weiss. In 2018, Cecilia choreographed A Meditation for NEXT STEP. In 2022, she was featured in Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, and traveled to Nigeria to perform and lead a five-day teaching workshop. Cecilia holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies from Fordham University. Her degree was funded in part by Second Stage, PNB’s career transition program for dancers. James Kirby Rogers (he/him) is from San Francisco, California. He trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he was a YAGP finalist in 2014. He attended summer courses at San Francisco Ballet and Houston Ballet. James joined Houston Ballet II in 2015 and Kansas City Ballet in 2016. He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a soloist in 2021. James has danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s Diamonds and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (Cavalier, Herr Drosselmeier); Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven; Alonzo King’s The Personal Element; Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Tybalt); Crystal Pite’s Plot Point; and Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried). While at Houston Ballet II, James performed leading and featured roles in John Neumeier’s Yondering, Ben Stevenson’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Stanton Welch’s The Long and Winding Road. At Kansas City Ballet, Mr. Rogers danced leading roles in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias; Devon Carney’s Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and The Sleeping Beauty; William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated; Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort; and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room. Audrey Malek (she/her) is from Gilmanton, New Hampshire. She trained at Washington School of Ballet on full scholarship and attended summer courses at Dance Theater of Harlem, Ellison Ballet, ABT, and Washington School of Ballet. Audrey was a member of Washington Ballet Studio Company before joining Pacific Northwest Ballet as a corps de ballet member in 2021. While at Washington Ballet, she danced leading and original roles in Julie Kent and Victor Barbee’s Giselle (Myrtha); Jessica Lang’s Beethoven Serenade; and Mthuthuzeli November’s Where Do We Go Now. Luca Anaya (he/him) is from Manhattan, New York. He studied at The School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He also attended summer courses at PNB School, Miami City Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, and Manhattan Youth Ballet. Dylan Calahan (he/him) is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He studied at Michigan Ballet Academy, privately with Laura Berman, The School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He also attended summer courses at PNB School and The School of American Ballet on scholarship. Rosalyn Hutsell (she/her) is from Houston, Texas. She studied at Allegro West Academy of Dance, Vitacca Dance Project, School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She also attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet; Boston Ballet School, Charlotte Ballet, Arts Umbrella, and PNB School on scholarship. Larry Lancaster (he/him) is from Baltimore, MD. He studied at Peabody Dance Conservatory, Baltimore School for The Arts, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He also attended summer courses at PNB School, The School of American Ballet, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, all on scholarship. Destiny Wimpye (she/her) is from Atlanta, Georgia. She studied at the Colburn Dance Academy and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, both on full scholarship, and attended summer courses at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, School of American Ballet, PNB School, and Chautauqua Dance Program.

And the press release just came through: PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal Announces Three Promotions at CARMINA BURANA Opening Night. September 23, 2022 – Seattle, WA – “It gives me great pleasure to be able to promote three dancers in our company this evening.” Following the curtain-raiser performance of George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante on opening night of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 50th Anniversary season, PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal announced to the audience that soloists James Kirby Rogers, Jonathan Batista, and Cecilia Iliesiu have been promoted to Principal dancers. Each promoted dancer is currently featured in CARMINA BURANA, running through October 2. (Streaming digitally October 6 – 10.) For casting information, visit PNB.org/season/carmina-burana. “Just one year ago, James Kirby Rogers performed with PNB for the very first time,” said Mr. Boal, after bringing him out in front of the curtain. “After his memorable debut in Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven opposite Christopher D’Ariano, there was a significant buzz in the lobby as everyone wondered who the new hire was. Over the course of the past season, James has approached each role with remarkable curiosity and commitment. His Tybalt in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliet, bristling with emotion and physicality, offered a primer in acting, while his Siegfried in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake cemented a tender partnership with Lesley Rausch as Odette/Odile. His technique is fearless, his generosity to those around him runs deep, and his commitment to perfection has him in the studio long after the rehearsal day is done. Please join me in congratulating James on his promotion to Principal dancer.” Mr. Boal then brought Jonathan Batista to the stage. “Jonathan Batista, originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was informed of the merits of Pacific Northwest Ballet by former Principal dancer, Karel Cruz. Jonathan joined us as a soloist only one year ago. His exuberance for contemporary and classical dance is evidenced every time he steps on stage. His joy of movement and commitment to character has audiences cheering and online fans fawning. At home in the works of Alejandro Cerrudo, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, and George Balanchine, Jonathan holds a passion for the new, and a desire to explore the unknown. His wonderfully matched partnership with Angelica Generosa offers both bond and bravura. Beyond the stage, Jonathan is devoted to funding and inspiring young dancers in his native Brazil and worldwide. Let us applaud Jonathan on his well-deserved promotion to Principal dancer.” Finally, Mr. Boal spoke about Ms. Iliesiu. “I had the pleasure of teaching CC when she was just eleven years old at the School of American Ballet. She was an open-minded and eager student. Much to my surprise, she auditioned for PNB many years later when she was a soloist with Carolina Ballet. She has never lost her quest to learn and grow as a dancer, performer, and person, and it is her unwavering work ethic and unquenchable curiosity that has allowed her to blossom as an individual. CC is capable of technical feats and athletic prowess, but it is the tenderness she brings to works like Donald Byrd’s Love and Loss, opposite Dylan Wald, and the sweetness of her Sugar Plum Fairy opposite Cavalier, Dammiel Cruz-Garrido, that reveal a level of humanity defining of this artist. Devoted to compassion and empowerment as a mentor, advocate, coach, and teacher, CC is a role model to many and an inspiration to all. Join me in celebrating Cecilia Iliesiu’s promotion to Principal.” Prior to opening night, PNB has also hired Audrey Malek to join the corps de ballet, and five apprentices from the ranks of the PNB School’s Professional Division – Luca Anaya, Dylan Calahan, Rosalyn Hutsell, Larry Lancaster, and Destiny Wimpye. PNB congratulates all of our newly promoted and hired dancers!

Tonight, opening night of the 2022-23 season, three dancers were promoted to Principal Dancer: James Kirby Rogers , Cecilia Iliesiu and Jonathan Batista . Congratulations to them all! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci36WqErs32/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci36k3_r2W9/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci36irUr7YW/

From Peter Boal's email to subscribers? donors? [A list I'm on], here is the current schedule for all of the post-performance Q&A dancers: Post Show: Friday September 23: Lesley Rausch Saturday, September 24 Matinee: Jonathan Batista Saturday, September 24 Evening: Angelica Generosa Thursday, September 29: Kuu Sakuragi Friday, September 30: Melisa Guilliams Saturday, October 1: Noah Martzall Sunday, October 2: Cecilia Iliesiu

Casting is up for both weeks: https://www.pnb.org/season/carmina-burana/ There have been a couple of shifts in opening weekend since the first week was added last week. In addition, the post-performance talk guests have been announced for the first week. Here's a link to a downloadable Excel file: Carmina Burana Prog 1 2022_09_21.xlsx