FauxPas

I went to the Tuesday night "Harlequinade" - the orchestra section was not empty but certainly was about a little over half full. The cast was mostly new. Corps dancer Carlos Gonzalez made his New York debut as Harlequin. I would describe him as very promising. His technique is good and clean with well-defined jumps and turns. Some of the character jumps - the splits, the one where the legs make a diamond shape, etc. - have been danced better by others. Where he is weaker than say Simkin, Cirio or last year Gabe Stone Shayer (who was really wonderful before he got injured) is that he doesn't project quite enough personality onstage. His dancing is more inclined towards the classical than bravura character and he doesn't project as much characterization as other more experienced senior dancers. Last year I think I liked Simkin and Shayer best as Harlequin. Gonzalez I wouldn't mind seeing as Gold in the Jewels pas de quatre or the Bluebird in "Sleeping Beauty" or the Peasant Pas de Deux in "Giselle" or Benno in "Swan Lake". Sarah Lane's Columbine looked like she stepped from a turn of the (last) century photograph and danced like a feather floating in the breeze. She was really lovely and more confident than she was in her first performance last year. Beautiful revolving turns where the legs seemed to float and dainty little hops on pointe. Lots of charm - more girlish and modest than the other Columbines. Calvin Royal III did well as Pierrot but the part really lacks any dancing - the best one actually is Hammoudi who gets the hangdog sad clown affect down perfectly and acts well. Devon Teuscher danced very well as Pierrette with beautifully arched feet and sharp footwork. I thought certain sections looked better rehearsed - Ratmansky had time to clean a few things up. The children looked better drilled in Act II and the corps work had better ensemble than what Canbelto described on Monday night. The audience didn't seemed that pumped but they were appreciative. At the end, the gold curtain closed and the lights immediately went up and everyone immediately went home.

I was there last night and agree with all of the above: "Leaves are Fading" and "Valse Triste" (the beginning and the end of the program) were the highlights. I was glad to see both Hallberg and Osipova in seeming good health and good physical form. "In Absentia" could have been danced by a well-trained Broadway dancer. Neither Hallberg or Osipova stretched their classical technique with this program - the choreography was either modern or lyrical ballet. Both dancers have expressivity and physical grace that they have acquired with artistic maturity - even if I found the modern pieces repetitive or overwrought, Osipova was doing something genuine and creative within them. Also, Osipova had great rapport with her three male partners: Hallberg, Jonathan Goddard and Jason Kittelberger. I didn't pay a lot for my ticket and I found the evening worthwhile to check in on two favorite performers who haven't had an easy time of it in the last six or seven years with various injuries and personal crises. Also, their career paths have taken them away from each other and ABT and Bolshoi where we saw them more regularly.

For those wondering about Gabe Stone Shayer’s prolonged absence and his participation in the 2019 Met season, some good news:

Well when Martins started leading NYCB in the mid-1980’s wasn’t he sharing the power with Jerome Robbins? It was a co-director position and then Robbins bowed out (I guess to concentrate on his choreography?). So Martins became the absolute power solely in charge of the company. Stafford seems to be solely on the administrative leadership side of things in the current set up. Though he has been planning seasons and repertory, Wendy will be the creative and artistic planner from here on. Both seem more congenial and less autocratic than Martins and Justin Peck will handle the choreography. So Stafford is likely to be less controversial than Martins was since he is mainly an administrator.

I think age may be a factor. Martins was a former Balanchine dancer who was in his mid-70's. They want a young team who can share power who can go on for decades. Stafford is 38 years old, Whelan is 51. Peck is young, in his thirties. As for dancers who worked with Balanchine, Darci Kistler might be the youngest and she is 54 years old.

I just came back from the opening night. It seems that Kowroski is only dancing a short pas de deux by Mauro Bigonzetti "Bachground" with Amar Ramasar (both are only doing this short less than 8 minute piece in the program). Also Kowroski is only dancing on Thursday and Friday. Tonight Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday Amar is partnering Michele Wiles. A note on the program: Michele Wiles has been a visiting professor of dance at University of Utah. Except for the three veterans Kowroski, Wiles and Ramasar, the rest of the Ballet Next company is currently made up of undergraduate ballet students from the University of Utah - all female. There are four pieces on the program which has less than an hour of dancing though with intermissions, scene changes, etc. it is over an hour and twenty minutes or so. Two pieces are choreographed by Michele Wiles. The other two pieces are by Bigonzetti who has worked with Ballet Next for several years now. The second and third pieces are choreographed by Bigonzetti to the music of Vivaldi and J.S. Bach. In my unprofessional but frank opinion, Ms. Wiles is a mediocre choreographer at best. Her vocabulary is basically a series of poses with repetitive classical steps in between. Wiles is experimenting with some fussy ideas about epaulement and elaborate arm and hand gestures probably taken from Indian or Asian dance styles. It looks "pretty" and "cute" and not in a good way. The whole program evokes a small regional college dance department recital which is what it is in fact. None of the dancers displayed virtuoso technique and only a few could finish their combinations cleanly. No one majorly screwed up but they looked like well-drilled students doing their best, not professional dancers. Among the daisies and dandelions there was one long-stemmed rose who could do well in a professional ballet company - her name is Danielle Dreis. http://www.balletnext.com/danielle-dreis Unfortunately, Michele Wiles no longer is the lean, svelte technically strong ballerina we remember from ABT in the late nineties and aughts. Wiles had her first baby, a girl, in February 2017. https://www.pointemagazine.com/michele-wiles-ballet-next-2541884028.html This is definitely a post pregnancy body and that of a middle-aged woman. Wiles' body has thickened in the middle and dancing beside Danielle Dreis and all the young girls in the first ballet made for an unflattering contrast. All the stretching and the bending in the Bigonzetti pas de deux put a cruel spotlight on her paunch and lack of fluid flexibility. (I also have a paunch and am thick waisted and have not had a baby! However, I am not dancing classical ballet in a black leotard onstage before a paying audience.) . Wiles danced the undemanding choreography with passable technique but a loss of plasticity and grace. Try to see Kowroski on Thursday and Friday as she is the same age or older than Wiles is but has perfect lines and is in excellent physical shape. Amar looked good shirtless and he still has technique but his role consists mainly of partnering the ballerina. There was no negative reaction to Amar's presence onstage despite all the negative #metoo publicity he has recently gotten - the audience welcomed him. Amar did a good job with Wiles but due to her physical shape it looked like hard work and heavy lifting for both of them. The first piece was a world premiere with choreography by Wiles to the music of Haydn entitled "Birds of a Feather". This one had the Asian looking hand gestures and some twee posturing for the ballerinas with off center classical steps in between. It was forgettable and not all the ballerinas finished pirouettes cleanly and not every dancer was in sync. The second piece "La Follia" with choreography by Bigonzetti to a Vivaldi quartet was a pas de deux for two ballerinas in black leotards - Danielle Dreis and Juliana Godlewski. Dreis had markedly better technique and cleaner lines than Godlewski - your eye stayed on her throughout. But they were not well matched and again their phrasing and movements did not sync. The third piece was "Bachground" which was a pas de deux between a man and a woman and it was professional but derivative. It was like a hundred other pas de deuxs you have seen before with the man manipulating the woman's body and twisting her into various positions to the music of Bach. I didn't stay for the last piece which was danced by the Utah college girls instead using the intermission break to take French leave. That was a 2018 work choreographed by Wiles called "Hey Wait" to a jazz score by Tom Harrell. Again, if you want to see Amar he is only dancing in one short piece with uninteresting choreography where he mainly partners. If you want to see Maria Kowroski go on Thursday and Friday. If you want to see Michele Wiles, stick with your memories of her at ABT fifteen or twenty years ago.

Just to clarify for some who are devastated by this news - the Patty McBride who was born in 1942, created "Rubies" for Balanchine is still alive. Look here to clarify:

Polunin has gotten another tattoo.... Talk amongst yourselves. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqkh4megNyU/

Misty Copeland was originally supposed to dance Columbine last Spring but was replaced late in the game by Skylar Brandt who sparkled in the part. From what I can see Misty is now dancing Pierette and that is a very different role - not much demanding pointe work or hops and lots of sass and mischievous charm. Misty is excellent in soubrette parts and can handle the choreography in this secondary role - frankly I wouldn't cancel or switch your tickets. The part is not so large that she will wreck the evening and I suspect Misty will be funny and adorable and dance more than adequately as Pierette - it is right up her alley.

Jared Longhitano at the 2013 NYCB Spring Gala. http://guestofaguest.com/directory/jared-longhitano/167237

There are a handful of people still alive who worked with Tudor on "Romeo and Juliet". Last time it was revived it was with Makarova and Bujones in 1976. Supposedly the big expense is recreating the legendarily beautiful Renaissance costumes and scenery by Eugene Berman. This is an excerpt from a Joan Acoccella New Yorker piece on Tudor: "One’s first thought on looking at this duet is: Why can’t A.B.T. revive the whole ballet? When I put that question to Kevin McKenzie, the company’s artistic director, he answered that he would love to. Not long after he took over the company, in 1992, he said, he hired someone to research the possibility of remounting the ballet. The report he got was that, while most of the choreography was recoverable (there is a lot of early film, and also notation, of the ballet), the cost of re-creating Berman’s opulent sets and costumes would be prohibitive—well over two million dollars today." https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/11/17/tudor-reign Frankly, a lot of money has been wasted by ABT on things like "The Pied Piper" and other monstrosities (though some of these were shared or borrowed from other companies), that I cannot fathom why something like the Doris Duke Foundation or whatever can't come up with some money for a new production of the Tudor R&J - supposedly the cost would be in the millions. The ballet is just on the cusp on being lost though there is a Antony Tudor Trust that should have preserved it - but if it isn't performed then how can it survive?

This is a fairly general statement. Again, Lovette doesn't attack anyone personally or mention specific people or incidents but makes a general statement about women achieving more respect and opportunities by supporting one another and raising each other up. Talks about it without really talking about it. Compare with Bouder's statement.

So I can see that Finlay, Ramasar and Catazaro were already named due to their public suspension and resignations that were announced by NYCB. However, why then did Waterbury and her lawyer Merson name Craig Hall and did not specify that this wasn't the former NYCB dancer who is now part of the transition team? The caption in her summons and complaint states that the suit is against Chase Finlay and New York City Ballet, Inc. (which would include both the company and the school). There are no other defendants named though others participated in the crimes against her. Usually in these cases, after more discovery and hearings the complaint can be amended to add or remove defendants (or plaintiffs) and correct corporate names, etc.

I am trying to absorb all this and THERE IS A LOT OF IT. However, I do think that Waterbury with her lawsuit might be looking for a financial settlement but she also may be looking for a change in the culture - same as Ashley Bouder is. A change in the environment and in the perception of women in ballet onstage and off. Waterbury is a student at Columbia, so she has some intelligence (whether that intelligence guides her personal life choices at her young age cannot be guaranteed). Another thing, I don't religiously follow the social media of dancers on Instagram. I didn't know that Finlay and Lovette were no longer a couple or engaged - it seems that until a year ago they were. I also must mention that the timeline for the beginning of Finlay's relationship with Waterbury and the end of his engagement to Lovette is hazy and unclear. Kind of fuzzy as to dates like Waterbury's real age. As I don't know anything about that, I can't say anything or put forth an opinion with any authority - but Finlay's treatment of Lovette is a big question mark. BTW: I deeply admired Isabella Boylston's total silence during and after Benjamin Milliepied's very public tabloid fodder relationship and eventual marriage to Natalie Portman. Boylston didn't say anything to the press though they were saying a lot about her. Lovette's quiet way of saying something on her social media without saying anything about any other individual is classy and smart. Also, one likely person who might really want to sweep this under the rug and is in a good position to do so with his financial assets is the unnamed donor in the complaint. Clearly Waterbury and her lawyer know his name and his actions are just as bad as Finlay's, Ramasar's, Catazaro's, that particular Craig Hall at issue, etc. But his name isn't in the complaint whereas a lot of other stuff including hearsay incidents that Waterbury was told about or are "common knowledge" in the company are in there.

Indeed the complaint is confusing in that it attributes the same degrading statement to two different individuals. Another problem is that we don't know how big the texting chain was or who got what text or pornographic video or photo. Did every person on the chain get every photo/video? We know that Finlay and Ramasar provided lewd private intimate images and videos but we don't know of all the others who did. Catazaro may be less culpable than Ramasar or the ringleader Finlay in that regard. The questions about Alexa Maxwell's possible involvement are also due to the fragmentary reporting - she may have been or may eventually be equally surprised and horrified as Alexandra Waterbury was to discover that Finlay was offering up his girlfriend to Ramasar and was assuming that Maxwell would participate. Also that Amar didn't scoff at the idea - which leads to the assumption that she may been complicit and down with the whole thing. Maxwell may also be one of the victims here since it is quite possible that nude photos of her were circulated to third parties without her consent or knowledge. Waterbury at considerable personal mortification, risk and exposure came forward with this humiliating saga and named herself but the other victims are rightly being treated like rape victims and being kept anonymous and nameless. One problem in looking at text chains can be figuring out who wrote what and to whom and when. Probably, Waterbury has screen captures only and those can be hard to decipher.

I think that this incident falls under "Stephanie's Law" which is summarized below: A09695 Summary: BILL NO A09695 SAME AS SAME AS S03079-A SPONSOR Palmesano COSPNSR MLTSPNSR Add S52-a, Civ Rts L Establishes a private right of action for owners and tenants of residential premises against person video taping recreational activities in the backyard of such premises. Go to top A09695 Actions: BILL NO A09695 05/16/2014 referred to judiciary Go to top A09695 Memo: NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f) BILL NUMBER: A9695 SPONSOR: Palmesano TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the civil rights law, in relation to establishing private right of action for unwarranted video imaging of residential premises PURPOSE: The purpose of this legislation is to establish a right of action for damages from the unauthorized invasion of privacy by video surveillance of an individual's recreational activities which occur in their own backyard. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section one adds a new section to create the right to sue for damages for the unauthorized video imaging of a residential premises. A person is guilty of this action if he or she intentionally uses or installs, or Permits to be, used, or installed, a video imaging system that allows the unwarranted video imaging of an adjoining residential property owner's backyard premise without the property owner's written consent. "Backyard is defined as the portion of the parcel on which the residen- tial parcel is located which extends beyond the rear footprint of the residential dwelling to the rear and side boundary lines of such parcel. Section two provides the date that the act shall take effect. JUSTIFICATION: In 2003, Stephanie's Law was signed into law. This bill seeks to close a gap in that law. Stephanie's Law was named after Stephanie Fuller, a woman who discovered that she was being secretly videotaped in her bedroom by her landlord. This law sought to expand protections of privacy to include incidents where voyeurs used new types of technology. Stephanie discovered that she was being videotaped by her landlord when her boyfriend noticed strange wires coming out of the smoke alarm in her bedroom. Because her landlord used a video camera that was not filming Stephanie through her window, he could not be charged with violating New York's "Peeping Tom" laws. Under Stephanie's Law, unlawful Surveillance is now a Class E felony, punishable by up to four years imprisonment for first time offenders, and up to seven years for repeat offenders (N.Y. Crim. Pen. L. § 250.5). Several other states have also enacted their own versions of Stephanie's Law, including: Washington, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, California, and Illinois. All of these anti-voyeurism laws focus their protection of privacy on the physical location where the incident occurred rather than on the individual privacy invasion committed. Currently, New York contains no restrictions to control videotaping which monitors a neighbor's back yard. Penal Law Sections 250.40 et seq. only establishes criminal penalties for unlawful video surveillance when the videotaping occurs in a setting with a "reasonable expectation of privacy" (i.e. a bathroom or changing room), or if a perpetrator had to trespass on property to videotape or install a camera. In at least one instance, a family has been subject to undue stress and concern for their young children's safety when they were subject to constant camera surveillance while swimming or sunbathing in their own backyard by an adjoining neighbor who is a registered sex offender. However, because New York State law provides no protection from unwar- ranted and potentially dangerous video observation and recording, there is little that can be done to prevent this unnerving intrusion. This legislation would help to ensure that the rights of adjoining landowners are subordinate to the rights of individuals who wish to enjoy backyard recreational activities with a certain expectation of privacy. Owners who do not care about their neighbor's video imaging can author- ize such observation via written consent. No right of privacy is afforded when the imaging is done by a law enforcement officer in the course of their official duties. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2013 Passed Senate FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None. EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to acts occurring on or after such date.

Somehow you missed this on pages 12 and 13 of the complaint (regarding Ramasar)? "On May 21, 2018, Another NYC Ballet Inc. principal Amar Ramasar texted Mr. Finlay, “I love you! Text me those photos/videos!!”;) Mr. FInlay then provided one ‘live’ (i.e. a short-second video burst) and one regular photograph of plaintiff engaged in a sexual act. Mr. FInlay then asked Mr. Ramasar for an explicit photograph back and the latter complied, sending a photo depicting a female Ballet member bare-chested. The two continued to exchange several sexual and naked photographs of female Ballet members on that day and at one point, Mr. Finlay noted how he had “Already seen the one, I know you have more”…. Clearly, women are treated as objects by New York City Ballet Inc. There are text messages between Mr. Finlay and Ballet Principal, Mr. Ramasar, during which Mr. FInlay acknowledges that these women who were unknowingly and unlawfully photographed ‘might be a little pissed” because they were “taking to the level of showing each other pictures of other women.” Mr. Finlay then offered to share Ms. Waterbury with Mr. Ramsar and Alexa Maxwell - Ballet corps member..."

What I find telling is that the donor/board member(?) is not explicitly named nor are the other female victims other than Lexi Maxwell (who may have been complicit). Like Trump, the wealthy and powerful are shielded from the repercussions of their abuses. I don’t think the wealthy donor was “suspended” in any way. Erica Pereira must be wondering about the state of her marriage if that is the Craig Hall cited in the complaint.

Ramasar has never exactly been a boy scout. Lest we forget: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ballet-dancer-pleads-guilty-cocaine-charges-article-1.237922

The Craig Hall on the interim team is married to a man since 2012 per his public facing Facebook profile. Meanwhile I gleaned this from the NY Times article: "She has not gone to the police with her allegations, but is still considering the option, Mr. Merson [Waterbury's attorney] said." This could get worse, much worse.

BTW: Alexandra Waterbury is a sophomore at Columbia and is also a Wilhelmina model. She is 5'9" which is tall for a ballerina. https://www.instagram.com/alexandra_waterbury/?hl=en I was not aware that Lauren Lovette had broken her engagement with Chase Finlay - according to the complaint Waterbury and Finlay had been dating for a year. Also Lexi Maxwell and Lovette might be wondering if nude photos are circulating of them. Maxwell is cited in the complaint in that Ramasar was offering up Maxwell to Chase Finlay both in photos and in person. Wonder how long that relationship will last if it isn't over already...

mom2, I work for an agency that works in legal matters so I have access to ECF or the electronic court filing system in New York Supreme Court. That is where I got it. This is a public website that will get you the Summons and Complaint after you enter the matching code: http://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/iscroll/index.jsp

The complaint in the case is available online. The case number is New York Supreme Index #158220/2018. It seems that Finlay has had problems with alcohol and drugs according to Waterbury in her complaint. He has appeared at rehearsals intoxicated. It seems that Finlay was requesting and receiving illicit nude photos and videos of female dancers either nude and/or having sex and sharing them with Catazaro and Ramasar. According to Waterbury a photo of an NYCB soloist was taken of her changing while she was not looking at the camera without her consent - it seems that this was sent to Finlay but came from someone else. Ramasar seemed to be very enthusiastic and involved in this sending a topless photo of another NYCB dancer to Finlay. I am kind of shocked because Catazaro seems like a nice and hardworking guy in his social media (I know... I know...). Waterbury specifically quotes statements by Ramasar and others which suggests that she has copies of the texts and communications saved and can offer them as evidence. Finlay's immediate resignation is also telling.

This message posted one day ago on instagram states that Elina lost her brother ten months ago. So this has been a rough year and/or perhaps she felt the need to move on in her life. Her biggest role was the White Cat in the Ratmansky "Sleeping Beauty" in which she was superb.

I could see Forster as Siegfried in "Swan Lake" and as Lescaut in MacMillan's "Manon" but I think Des Grieux is a good possibility too given his Royal Ballet School training.