Helene

Despite having been singled in the NYT during the 1996 PNB tour to City Center during her first year in the Corps, I believe the only appearances she's made since in NYC with PNB have been as the Nurse in "Romeo et Juliette" and Tharp's "Opus 111" at the Joyce in January 2010. Imler was terrific in "Memory Glow," but the Cerrudo doesn't really need her, Peck didn't choose her, at least for the first cast, and if she was second cast for the Wheeldon, it wasn't in the Korbes role, because that was Maria Chapman, who performed it second weekend, and it's unlikely it was the Foster role. Korbes and Grant were replaced in Emeralds last night (Thursday) on the website, but was still scheduled for tonight's performance as of yesterday.

A short blurb in the "Houston Chronicle" announces that David Gockley will retire from his position of general director of San Francisco Opera. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Former-HGO-leader-Gockley-will-retire-in-2016-5799803.php That's major news, as he stabilized the company after the city's love-hate relationship with Pamela Rosenberg, a shame in itself.

You are reading it correctly: seven performances in five days, including five performances within 48 hours. Plus, no extra dancers on tour, the upcoming mixed reps and "Nutcracker," and rehearsals for "Don Q" coming up, which, like "Nutcracker" uses every breathing body. Korbes is scheduled for a heavy Spring in her last season, with Kitri, in the middle, and Odette/Odile on her plate. The risk matrix for this project must be very long. Korbes will concentrate on the new Peck; Elizabeth Murphy replaces her in the Wheeldon, "Tide Mercuric," the work in which she suffered a devastating knee injury. (It's a shame Maria Chapman isn't back, because she was fantastic in that role, which has the central PDD.) In the Wheeldon, Margaret Mullin replaces Rachel Foster, who is on maternity leave, too, and James Moore is splitting the partnering with Price Suddarth, so that he is not in every performance of every work. I hope he gets a humane "Nutcracker" schedule, because next month he'll have the Peck, the Duato, and the Ochoa, at the least. In the Cerrudo, "Memory Glow," Angelica Generosa replaces Foster in what is closest to the central role in the work. Charles McCall moves from male corps to take Andrew Bartee's role, and Eric Hippolito, alternating with Renko, and Price Suddarth join the small male "corps." There are three young, extremely talented, short ballerinas in the ranks now: newly minted Soloist Leta Biasucci, who won't be in NYC, and corps members Angelica Generosa and Jahna Frantziskonis, who will. They are godsends to the shorter male Principals and Soloists, who don't have to be shunted into modern and jester roles. Keep an eye out for both, and for the taller Leah Merchant, who's equally at home in contemporary and neoclassical work. I'm also glad to see Sarah Ricard Orza on the list; shehad to miss "Jewels."

Argggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh.

Jonathan Porretta, Leta Biasucci, and Laura Tisserand in the end of "Rubies": An excerpt from the "Rubies" coaching session with Edward Villlella (Porretta and Biasucci): Violette Verdy coaching her solo in "Emeralds" to Margaret Mullin (orange skirt), Carla Korbes (grey/black skirt), and Elizabeth Murphy (blue skirt):

I'm sure she would be welcomed with open arms by the Mikhailovsky audience, and she'd be home.

Casting updates: First weekend, Charles McCall replaced Karel Cruz in the Moncion role in "Emeralds." Eric Hipolito, Jr. replaced Kyle Davis in the Saturday evening performance of the "Emeralds" Pas de trois, moving up his debut. Second weekend, Margaret Mullin's and Steven Loch's debuts in the Verdy/Ludlow roles in "Emeralds" moves to Thursday, 2 October, replacing Carla Korbes and Joshua Grant. Batkhurel Bold replaces Karel Cruz in "Diamonds" on Thursday, 2 October and Sunday, 5 October, partnering Laura Tisserand. Charles McCall replaces Karel Cruz in "Emeralds" (Moncion role) on Saturday, 4 October. Bold partners both Korbes and Tisserand in "Diamonds," and McCall partners both Dec and Tisserand in "Emeralds." Edited to add: In the original and current schedules William Lin-Yee partners both Elizabeth Murphy and Leah Merchant in the Verdy/Ludlow couple in "Jewels." and all three have made or are making their role debuts this season. Here's the updated spreadsheet; you shouldn't have to be logged in to download it: PNB Jewels Sep-Oct 2014 Update 1.xls

I don't know, but the ABT female Principal roster is going to be lighter by three, with Herrera, Kent, and Reyes leaving ABT this season.

One of the reasons I love to watch figure skating via TV Teka is that I can't understand much beyond "maladets" "ochi" "harasho" and the names of skaters, coaches, etc. Almost all commentary becomes annoying, aside from PJ Kwong when she's doing solo commentary, and I've been assured there are exceptions in Scandinavia. Filin sounded like a proud grandfather, so I was glad to miss the gushing. As David Sedaris said about the downside of learning French was that it shattered his allusion that the French sat around discussing philosophy and great issues intelligently, when he found that most conversation was as ordinary as in the English-speaking world.

As long as any grant to the company follows all laws and company policy, there's no requirement for full disclosure of terms and more than is legally required. It is legitimate for benefactors to sponsor specific productions, performers, and uses on a "take it or leave it" basis.

Watching Bolshoi class last night, they had running commentary from Filing, and the occasional English summary.

The Bolshoi is more like NYCB: all of the dancers promoted and championed don't always come from the school -- for example, Ivan Vasiliev came from the Belorussian Ballet School -- and now that the Kremlin doesn't demand that Stalin's favorite dancers be transferred from the Mariinsky, the Bolshoi has done a great job of being a hospitable place for great dancers who've become less enamored with Mariinsky management, like Obraztsova, Zakharova, Merkuriev, Lobukhin, and, due to Filin, they imported Hallberg. They also snatched up star Vaganova graduate Zhiganshina, who performed plum roles with the Mariinsky as a student. The Bolshoi has two great advantages over ABT: a school that is centuries old and its standing as one of the greatest ballet companies in the world. Why would they go outside their training or their cousin school's training at the Vaganova Academy and why would they need other dancers? Even if they get dancers from schools in Perm or Belorussia, the training is often very similar and taught by Vaganova- and Moscow-trained teachers, and it's a coup if they manage to capture a Mariinsky dancer. The closest ABT has come to training dancers is through ABT II. The last three dancers they've promoted from the ranks and all but two soloists have come through ABT II, but that still isn't a substitute for dedicated basic training from an early age or stylistic consistency. People flock to see the Bolshoi dancers. ABT at least thinks it has to hire guest artists to fill the theaters. The Bolshoi would be crazy if they didn't promote from within. If only ABT could get to a similar point.

When I got to my computer this morning, there were 440 unread tweets, and most of them were about World Ballet Day.

Even though video captures just a piece of what is going on in the production, it's such a treat! Thank you for posting, KEA

New York Theatre Ballet is holding a fundraising event at their new home at St. Mark's Church on October 4 at 4pm. Here are the details: Ballet School NY has teamed up with NYC based jewelry company, chloe+isabel, for an exclusive shopping event on October 4th to benefit the LIFT Community Service Program! Chloe+Isabel will donate 25% of the total sales from this event to the LIFT program, enabling BSNY & NYTB to continue providing scholarships to talented at-risk and underserved children. There are two ways you can shop and support LIFT! 1-- Join us at BSNY's new home at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on October 4th at 4pm for an exclusive shopping event! Enjoy sweet treats, drinks, and raffles for free jewelry while you shop the chloe+isabel collection. Space will be limited, so please make sure to RSVP by emailing baublebabe80@gmail.com. The first 20 people to RSVP will automatically be entered into the raffles! 2-- Shop the online boutique from October 4th-11th using this unique link: www.chloeandisabel.com/boutique/christinehamilton/9170ba To learn more about chloe+isabel, visit www.chloeandisabel.com. The LIFT Community Service Program is dedicated to providing scholarships to talented at-risk and underserved children at Ballet School NY, as well as programs that champion dance for the greater good. To read more about this innovative program, please visit our website.

There's a mention of Kajiya in this new review of Houston Ballet: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/39326-from-houston-to-the-world/

We were sent a notice to our "Contact Us" email, and it was definitely something to share.

Congratulations to Ms.Stepanova

Here's the notice we were sent; it will *not* be live-streamed or archived: Center for the Arts Boyer College of Music and Dance Dance Studies Colloquium Affiliated Event Center for the Humanities Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series presents Mark Franko: The Fascist Legs of Serge Lifar: French Ballet During the Occupation Thursday, October 2nd, 12:30-1:45pm* CHAT Lounge, Gladfelter Hall, 10th fl., Temple University *Note different day and time from Dance Studies Colloquium schedule (see below for upcoming speakers). Also note that this event will not be live-streamed. About The Fascist Legs of Serge Lifar: French Ballet During the Occupation: This talk explores the career of Serge Lifar at the Paris Opera during the German occupation (1940-1944). Lifar is a major twentieth-century exponent of ballet modernism known as neoclassicism. The choreography of Lifar is currently being rehabilitated in performances in France and the United States, but the question of Lifar's collaboration with the Nazis has never been adequately confronted. In this talk I share the findings of extensive archival research in France, Germany, and Switzerland on Lifar's activities during the occupation. The aim is to demonstrate Lifar's political commitments and political ambitions in the world of ballet where such commitments and ambitions are frequently masked by aestheticism. About Mark Franko: Mark Franko is Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Dance at the Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University. Recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Scholarly Research in Dance from the Congress on Research in Dance, Franko edits Dance Research Journal (Cambridge University Press) and the Oxford Studies in Dance Theory book series. His latest book is Martha Graham in Love and War. The Life in the Work (Oxford University Press, 2012). http://www.temple.edu/boyer/about/people/markfranko.asp All are welcome, and we invite you to join in the conversation. The rest of the schedule is posted in this thread: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/39321-dance-studies-colloquia-2014-15-temple-u-philadelphia/

Here is a lit of the Boyer College of Music and Dance Dance Studies Colloquia for 2014-15; they are scheduled to be live-streamed and archived: ​ Fall 2014 Schedule October 7th Jens Giersdorf Marymount Manhattan College, New York City Modernism Revisited http://www.mmm.edu/live/profiles/372-jens-richard-giersdorf October 21st Alessandra Nicifero Dance Writer and Translator, New York City Questioning/Choreographing: The Use of Interviews in Bill T. Joness and Rachid Ouramdanes Performances November 11th Vida Midgelow Middlesex University, London, UK Dance Improvisation and the Academy: Liquid Knowing, Language and Pedagogy http://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-directory/midgelow-vida December 2nd Katherine Profeta Queens College, City University of New York Dance Dramaturgy and the Question of Research http://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/Degrees/DAH/DramaTheatreDance/Pages/FacultyProfeta.aspx

Here is the press release: Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal Announces Two Promotions at “Jewels” Opening Night. Seattle, WA – Before the curtain rose on Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season-opening performance of George Balanchine’s Jewels, PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal made a special announcement to the audience. “It gives me great pleasure to announce two well-deserved promotions.” To hearty rounds of applause, Mr. Boal informed the audience that soloist Jerome Tisserand has been promoted to principal dancer, and Leta Biasucci has moved from the corps de ballet to the rank of soloist. “Jerome Tisserand has performed almost every male principal role in our vast repertoire, from Franz to Romeo to Siegfried and tomorrow he adds a Diamond to his impressive collection,” said Mr. Boal. “He is every bit the Prince with an equal command of the contemporary. Last spring, dancing opposite Kaori Nakamura on opening night of Giselle, he gave us a portrayal of Albrecht that was not only technically thrilling but also dramatically nuanced and on that night, he became an unofficial principal dancer. Tonight let’s make it official. Please join me in congratulating PNB’s newest principal, Jerome Tisserand.” Mr. Tisserand is from Lyon, France. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, with Pascale Courdioux in Lyon, and at the School of American Ballet. He joined Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 2006. Mr. Tisserand joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007 and was promoted to soloist in 2012. Mr. Tisserand won second prize at the 2003 Dance Festival of Artists in Nyon, Switzerland, and first prize in the 2004 Prix Carpeaux in Valenciennes, France. Stated Mr. Boal in his announcement: “Leta Biasucci has been turning heads since her arrival in our company three years ago. In her first year with the Company, she stepped easily into the role of the up-and-comer in Christopher Wheeldon’s Variations Sèrieuses, and knocked our socks off in her debut as the insouciant Swanilda in Coppélia. She offers a potent combination of technique, musicality, and presence that seems to defy her pint-sized proportions. With a stunning debut as Aurora last February, I knew we had a ballerina in the making or perhaps just a ballerina in need of a promotion. Seen tonight as the lead in Rubies, please join me in congratulating Leta Biasucci on her well-deserved promotion to soloist.” Ms. Biasucci is from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She studied under Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and became a trainee at San Francisco Ballet School in 2006. She joined Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2008. Ms. Biasucci joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2011. Prior to the opening night announcements, Mr. Boal also hired Dylan Wald to join the Company as an apprentice. Mr. Wald is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied at Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute, where he became an apprentice in 2012, and at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He attended summer courses at PNB School, the School of American Ballet, The Juilliard School, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. While a student at PNB School, Mr. Wald performed corps de ballet roles in Company performances of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Boal’s Giselle, Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty, Crystal Pite’s Emergence, and Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker. He performed a leading role in Kyle Davis’ Sylvia for PNB School’s Annual School Performance, and a leading role in Bruce Wells’ Pinocchio. He also originated roles in ballets by Angelica Generosa and Jahna Frantziskonis, Price Suddarth, and Ezra Thomson for PNB’s annual NEXT STEP choreographers’ showcase. PNB congratulates our newly promoted and hired dancers!

In the "Jewels" program there are photos of Maria Chapman with her and husband Brendan Kennedy and their daughter, Eleanor Cavendish Kennedy, who was born on 9 July, and Kylee Kitchens and husband Steven Ruane's son, Simon David Ruane, who was born on 28 August. Congratulations to both families!

Peter Boal announced before tonight's performance that Leta Biasucci has been promoted to Soloist and Jerome Tisserand to Principal. Giving a short speech about each, Boal presented them with very impressive bouquets. The best part was hearing the whoops from behind the curtains. Congratulations to Ms. Biasucci and Mr. Tisserand ,

I saw Defoort's and Goerger's "Germinal" last night, also with Ondine Cloez and Araud Boulogne at On the Boards (Seattle). There are three more performances, tonight and tomorrow at 8pm and Sunday at 5pm. I'm not quite sure what "Germinal" is, aside from delightful. What I did see was a fascinating window into the way people think in and out of the box, even when there aren't obvious constraints. Besides, how many delightful theater pieces will anyone see where an actor takes a pick-ax to the stage? The trailer linked from this page suggests that it's more musical throughout than it actually is, but a lot of the spoken dialogue (with subtitles) is not as excerptable: http://www.ontheboards.org/performances/germinal This page has a time-lapse video of how the stage was constructed: http://www.ontheboards.org/blog/germinal-otb-builds-set-germinal-crew If you have a chance to see it -- an email from On the Boards said OtB is the last stop on the American tour -- go.

There are several ways to "remove" pages: one is to delete it, another is to change the url to an archived location that won't be found, another is to put something in the page's code to instruct search engines to bypass it, and a somewhat common one is to delete the reference link. Often, especially for bios, companies will remove the link from the referring pages, in this case a category page like "Soloist," while maintaining the actual bio page that a search engine can still find. If the bio page is still hosted publically, search engines will find it. I'm also not entirely sure under what circumstances google and individual computers access cached pages that have been changed or are no longer available.