Memo

Thanks for the update sounds like a great ballet to go out on, and everyone will have the pleasure of seeing him dance one more season.

Fernando was about 5'10". I never measured him, but he was a good hand taller than I.

I agree Mel I think they have underestimated his height.

I agree. I have had several teachers in my school who are Russian Trained and they are wonderful. The classes are strict and focused but they are extremely kind people, some of my best friends. I grew up in New Zealand and there were teachers there who were notorious for hitting their students. The Chinese and Japanese have also been accused of it. I think it was more the cultural climate of slapping kids that was socially acceptable 30 years ago and is not now.

I googled the film and it is shown at several film festivals still I would love to see it. If anyone knows how to get copy I would like to view it. I obviously am speculating I wonder if anyone on the board has studied at Kirov, Bolshoi or Perm school and can shed some light.

I also loved A dancers life. The Russian teacher in that film that shows the footage of Nureyev is really interesting. I find her voice actually calming and soothing. She is so strong in how she instructs I think that as I dancer I (when I was a dancer) would feel confident and secure in that class. Anyone here experience that teacher. The dancers seem so focused and assured in that class as they hold those positions and move there head so definitely to what she is asking for. It is quiet fascinating.

I was just reading a review and I'm thinking that the writer made a mistake, but the last sentences of this article say hohenstion celebrated his last performance with sfb. Is this true? I haven't heard/read ANYTHING like this before

Hohenstein, in the end, was showered with flowers. It was, apparently, his last performance with San Francisco Ballet.

Unfortunately this link is not working for me.

Thanks Gianna I wish I was there I LOVE Marianella Nunez. I have seen her live once and bits on video and youtube but she is really captivating. I hope to see her dance a full ballet one day. I will be in London in July for the RBS graduation performance but unfortunately there are no company performances when I am there.

do you want to share the link? I could not find anything current.

BUMP

Ok I have one does anyone know what Ashley Tuttle doing now. Is she dancing in Movin out?

I agree Mel. I think it is currently too early to know about promotions. But is a Director bound by X amount of corps contracts X amount of Soloists, and X amount of Principals? I would assume so. And after having a kid on the audition trail that is the impression I get. Unless there is private sponsorship for a particular dancer involved. If dancers are not leaving is the director bound to a specific amount of dancers or does he have some flexibility?

I saw Lorena Feijoo perform at a Gala in Orange County California last month. She danced with Jose Manuel Carreno, La Corsaire pas de deux. She was really beautiful to watch and I look forward to seeing her more in the upcoming season. I read that SFB is scheduled to perform in Orange County in the fall of 2008. I could not find any information as to what the program will be but I am hoping that some of the new works will be presented.

PS: Thanks Peggy for your good wishes. Hopefully you will be able to spot him before too long.

According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet.

Given the subject matter, you were probably lucky that it was limited to 30 minutes

On the other hand, one hears that everything in the 21st century seems to be happening so much faster. It took the Roman Empire quite a few hundred years to reach decay and fall. Possibly 30 minutes -- in today's culture -- is all we have time (or attention span) for.

Hey why not microwave it, 30 minutes is way too long.

Thanks so much for the reveiws I really enjoyed that.

My DS is joining SFB in July as an apprentice so I am interested to read all I can about it as I am not so familiar with the company.

I also loved the alternate titles. Very funny.

There also a very interesting series of Podcasts on their website about the festival that I really enjoyed listening to the insights of the choreographers about their pieces.

Wish I could get up there to see it but work does not allow it. There has been a lot of buz about this festival and I salute the company for introducing so many new works.

I think this topic is moving away from Danill Simkun and I for one look forward to seeing him dance. I don't think Keven McKenzie has slighted anyone by hiring him. It just pains me to see talented dancers sitting for years and not getting an opportunity to dance. That is however "the breaks" but there are human beings and artists on the other side of those breaks and time and time again I have seen ABT create an illusion of loyalty. With acceptance to their summer programs, National Training Scholarships and the ABT II. I see dancers will feel an obligation to them to continue with the veil of a promise of advancing through the ranks. The reality is that the director is going to hire the best dancers that they can find for their company. All dancers pre pro and professional must be mindful of this and get the best training they can get that best suits them, and then find the position with the company that respects their talent and gives them opportunities to dance, and if its not working......get out. The problem there is that the market is very tight this year and jobs are sparse.

I am thoroughly enjoying this thread. Lots of great opinions and thoughts. Thanks to all.

Well I guess there is more to be said from winning a competition than any of us care to admit. I always wonder why Kevin McKenzie let Joseph Gatti slip through his fingers. (we always had heard Mr McKenzie felt he was too short) But that is also the case with Mr Simkun. I think it comes down to a matter of personal taste. And of course the star power generated by the internet and the international ballet competitions these days is an interesting phenomenon.

I just think that it is a shame to fall into the trap of newer is better. Then again as a director when the dancer with that certain something and it is in your midst you cannot deny it and it is responsibility to your company and to your audience to present it. For someone like Kevin McKenzie who is in a position to have access to most all great dancers all over the world, if he says something that he really loves why not have it.

The bottom line will be once he has acquired the talent (which Mr McKenzie does very well) will he develop it, encourage it and keep it stimulated and on fire in this company. Sometimes I feel that many of the huge talents both male and female are languishing in the ranks and not getting the opportunities that their talent thirsts for.

A ballet company is a living breathing entity not a collection to be kept in a vault. Its important for every human to have a place and although not everyone is destined to be a principal dancer keeping it alive for them is what keeps a company interesting to watch.

Figurante do you think if they have joined the corps from a Principal or soloist contract at another company there are promises that may have been made as to there advancement?

I believe that Gorak is barely 18 years old. Who knows if he has even graduated from high school yet. More power to the ballet company that refuses to exploit its extraordinarily gifted children.

Well 2 years in studio company (now ABT II) is a long time when he could have been completing his training in a school setting if they did not want to "exploit" him. I believe he was already a corps member of Orlando Ballet at 16 when ABT II offered him a contract in April 2006. My guess is that he completed high school in 2007 but I could be wrong.

BTW: one fellow who rose from the ranks to the top: Marcelo "the Magnificent" Gomes. Earned his status from the bottom up. Carreno, Malakhov, Stiefel, Acosta etc. were all brought in as established stars from other companies. Bocca and Corella were major wunderkind competition winners who were teenagers. They already were on their way up in the ballet world and joined as soloist or principal. Gomes worked his way up from corps on talent and hard work alone against the greatest competition in the world. Ditto Hallberg.

Also David Halberg began in Studio Company, (oops I just saw that you mentioned him Faux Pas him) Maxim and Irina started in the corps before they were an overnight sensation and many of the soloists have worked their way up. Basically ABT has a corps loaded with soloists however and its a long wait. I have watched Jared Mathews under David Howards tutoring constantly over the last few years and marvel at his tenacity. It was nice to see him have the opportunity to step out in Swan Lake this season even if he was in my opinion sadly miscast as Von Rothbart. I hope he gets to do some roles that are more suited to his demeanour on stage. It must be tough. But NY is such a stimulating place to be around ballet they seem to survive it.

I dont mean to take anything away from Danill. He is a REALLY talented guy and I personally will enjoy seeing him dance. I think ABT is deep with talented dancers and I wonder how many will wait around. A dancers life is short having the opportunity to dance is important. If they dont feel like they are getting it they are going to need to move on.

Here is my list of people in the corps I would like to see more of at ABT

Isabella Boylston, Zhong Jing Fang, Thomas Forster (who stood out in the corps in Swan Lake), Blaine Hoven, Mat Murphy, Simone Messmer, Renata Pavam, Joseph Phillips, Jacquelyn Reyes, Sarawanee Tanatanit, Hee Soo.

It saddens me to know that so many talented males are sitting in the corp waiting for years for the opportunity to be promoted and an outsider takes the position. You have no idea, or maybe you do, of the hard work and extreme dedictaiton that some of these gentlemen give with the hopes of one day being promoted. I hope that McKenzie knows what he is doing because he might just lose some wonderful dancers over this.

I totally agree with you. Although I love Danill Simkun and think he is a very talented dancer, Mr McKenzie has dancers who have been sitting in the corps for years who are soloist material and it must become very difficult to stay motivated when ABT seems to be one of the companies that makes it most difficult to get a promotion. Also as far as Joseph Gorak is concerned, he has now been in ABT 2 (studio company) for 2 years is it not time for him to be moved up? I will be interested to see what happens this fall and if any of those boys in the 2nd company get moved up. Many of the girls moved this year in the fall as there seemed to be many openings suddenly in the female corps. There are many very talented dancers in the ABT corps It would be nice to see more of them in the rep.

Last week I was in NY and was viewing David Howards Class at Steps. Ms Kowroski was on the front of the barre as she so often is and she looked stunning as always.

GRAND PRIX (for very best dancer, male or female): Norbert Something-or-other from the John Crako School, Germany. Wonderful, expressive dancer who wowed the gala audience with Les Bourgeois (made famous by Daniel Simkin)

1st PRIZE, SR MALE: Vadim Mungatirov of Russia...but representing the Royal Ballet Academy, where he is studying. I know Vadim as the winner of the latest Vaganova Prix in St Petersburg, a couple of years ago. Gorgeous technique and long line in his Don Q pdd solo.

1st PRIZE, SR FEMALE: Rocio Aleman of Monterrey, Mexico - gorgeous classicist, with perfect figure and face to be a star, dancing Sleeping Beauty Act I solo. I happened to be sitting next to her dad when her name was called...the only reason that I know her name because it could barely be heard.

!st PRIZE, JR MEN: Esteban Hernandez (thanks for providing the surname above, folks)....lovely Acteon solo

Results are now up but Norbert Lukaszehski was the grand prix winner and is from the Cranko school

Vadim Muntagirov and Benjamin Ella are from the Royal Ballet School London which is not associated with the Royal Academy of Dance.

Shame the announcer did not wait for the applause to die down until he announced the next piece.

Can you specify which Clarke Brother danced the Basil. Was it Ross or Russell who danced with Ginger Smith.

If you re-read above, I stated that Ross was Basilio and that Russell and I shared Espada.

LOL!

thanks I believe it was the review that had the mistake and had us confused.

Thanks for clarifying.

I just read the responses to it on Ballet Talk for Dancers, I guess I have come to the dark side or maybe it is just my current mood.

And, as a dancer, why does he feel the need to write an essay about how he loved the girls and state that some of his colleagues are gay. That is not his business nor the publics business either. There are homosexual men and women in every working environment; because ballet may be stereotyped does not give justification for those men who are heterosexual dancers a need to defend themselves. If they really are trying to prove something, then why even bother saying anything about it at all? Maybe it is more a question about maturity / immaturity?

I just don't see the need for male dancers to continually feel as though they need to defend themselves or make sure to mention in newspaper / magazine articles stuff like "well, I loved the girls of course..." Who cares?!

Anyway, just thought I would tell you I agree, Memo! There is a lot more room for discussion on this surely; will check back later... thumbsup.gif

Amen to that.

It is nobody's business and sorry but there are tons of guys entering the field these days the competition and level of male dancers rivals the girls. I run a local ballet school and do not find the stereotypes hold true. There are many dads who bring their sons to dance class and sit and watch with the other dads there with their daughters. In fact guys who are openly leery of it are almost inclined to be ridiculed for it thinking that a dance class will make you gay, really when you say it out loud it is just a ludicrous statement.

I also agree that we don't need Sasha Radnesky to prounounce his "straightness" who cares. Is he reinforcing the stereotypes by feeling the need to to write articles on his macho ness

Maybe I am just tired or jaded by it. I have trained professional male dancers and have a dancing kid (almost adult) who is male. He knows who he and he respects the other members of his class as people and friends and does not identify them by their sexual orientation. Get over it already. ON with the dance.

Can you specify which Clarke Brother danced the Basil. Was it Ross or Russell who danced with Ginger Smith.

Sorry I had 3 people send it to me today and I had already read it 2 days ago. I find the topic rather "done to death". I know its still going on but its 2008 its time to get over such stupid stereotypes. I have plenty of boys in my school and NONE of them fit any particular stereotype. They are all different, all equally interesting, smart, sensitive, artistic, athletic the only thing that sets them apart from others is that they seem more evolved and interesting that the average kid. (maybe that is my bias). I just cannot believe that, this conversation still needs to be even needs to be brought up.

Lewis Seigel has done more to drive audiences away from Ballet in this town by being incredibly unforgiving to new projects and dance in LA.

He actually has been quite kind to LA Ballet thank goodness giving them a chance to get their footing although he was pretty harsh about this years nutcracker.

He is a big name and his opinion carries weight and in a city where ballet needs some support and struggles to survive he has not been a champion for it in my opinion.