Pointe1432

Hi Sandik I happened to stumble upon this today. This video is actually done by the Wallace Foundation. Ballet Austin is the recipient of a Wallace Foundation research grant. Wallace conducted these interviews pretty early on in the process, it should be interesting to see where the study leads. "Building Audiences for Sustainability" Cheers! 🤓

Just one of many thoughts: A lot of dancers follow eachother on Twitter too. We like to see what others are up to and many of us know eachother or at least have mutual friends. And as far as tweeting during intermission, it's really no more of a distraction than chatting with a friend. Okay, so that was more like two thoughts.

Agreed!

It's about time! Congrats to Maria, Karel, and especially Lindsi who has been ready for quite some time!

Angelova is not new this season. She was on the roster last season, but perhaps not as featured? But no Bonnie Pickard!?

This thread has brought back so many memories from my early partnering classes! I remember my teachers always talking so much about trust between partners. One teacher always stressing to the boys that they must absolutely never let their partner fall to the ground and that if they drop a girl that their own body "better be between her and the floor!". In exchange we (the girls) were to trust our partners and that that they would catch us, lift us, turn us etc... We were to jump fully and hold our position, when appropriate, because in not doing so we could injure our male counterparts. As a female I love the trade off of myself leading, and then my partner leading. I may have to initiate the movement, such as a pique to arabesque, but then my partner has to do the promenade (while I maintain the shape). I've also always really enjoyed partnering in contemporary movement, which often requires more off balance work and more arm strength for the gals. My husband, who is also a dancer, and I have been lucky enough to dance together on several occasions. We've done cute fun things like Puss N' Boots and the White Cat to more dramatic roles like Hamlet and Ophelia. He is a dream to dance with as he has such a wonderful combination of instinct, strength, and experience. I don't know how our chemistry appears to the audience, but there truly isn't anything like being able to share some of these fleeting experiences or literally being swept off your feet by your husband.

As a dancer in a company who recently moved to a new theatre, I can say that this CAN play a role. The stage at our new theatre is, naturally, a sprung floor. I don't know the details in the difference between this floor and our previous one, but they are different. Our new one is must softer to land on when jumping but from day one has been noisier, especially when it comes to the ladies pointe shoes. The more noise sensitive floor coupled with the "perfect acoustics" of our new space, make it almost impossible for our shoes to be completely silent. Production week is always filled with the sound of pointe shoes being "banged out" on a cement floor, concrete wall, or anything else to help soften the underside by the toe to help make it quieter. It's a fine line and a tough balance to find. If the shoe gets too soft you find yourself putting things like Jet Glue on the inside to make them last just a little longer. But doing so, even on the inside of the shoe, will again make your shoes louder. I think it is a combination of all these things though. Some stages are louder than others, some shoes are louder than others, and some dancers are louder that others. But believe me, we hear it too! And none of us want to make a racket on stage!

According to 2007 public tax records Damian Woetzel was the highest paid NYCB dancer at $178,000 (and the only dancer in the "Top 5"), the year that PM's salary ONLY as AD was listed at $686,000. Whereas ABT's highest paid dancer in the same year was Julie Kent $174,528 (also in the "Top 5" were Paloma Herrera at $158,028 and Gillian Murphy at $156,273), and KevinM's salary was listed at $287,000. I don't know about the rest of company salaries, but I'd say the amount Martins is making is disproportionate to his dancers.

Would PM's salary really include substantial royalty compensation? I've only seen the 2007 tax returns because that is all that GuideStar had when I last looked... but in that year PM's salary was $686,000, royalties to the Balanchine trust were somewhere around $315,000. I can't imagine PM's royalty payments being anywhere in the ballpark of what would be owed the Balanchine Trust. In that same year KevinM earned $287.000. Even with considerable royalties, PM's number seems disproportional.

I would have a hard time hearing "We can't afford to keep you" from a man who earned $686,000 according to 2007 public non-profit records. And I agree that it was a horrific idea for the NY Times to ask for advice for these dancers.

I can't speak for NYCB's company class, as I have never taken one or watched one. But in my other experiences and discussions with dancers from various companies, company classes vary greatly and the tone and purpose is set by artistic administration. I've worked with companies where class was simply a warmup and nothing more. It rarely involved anything challenging (though you could modify combinations for more of a challenge ie adding beats etc...), and rarely were any corrections given out let alone personal ones. Then there are those like the few I took with Ms. Farrell where the whole class was a challenge both mental and physical. It was about pushing your limits and bounderies. Sometimes I was simply proud of myself for executing a mentally combination at all, but I am sure I looked wretched doing it! Then of course there are a few company classes that operate as though you are still constantly training your body. In classes like these I would regularly get personal corrections. Overall I think they all have their place. Lord knows there are times I would really like the help personal corrections can give you, but there are always those days where you just want to warmup and move on!

Thanks for posting that Helene! When I first read Sophie's interview I thought nothing of her not taking company class all the time. Of all companies that don't count company class as mandatory I would think nothing of a dancer in New York seeking out any number of the great classes there. It can be an entirely different situation in cities where those classes were not available and you felt like you needed something more, or simply different. It also crossed my mind that often times, spoken and unspoken, dancers in company class stand somewhat according to rank. In any company class I've taken, if a principal dancer wants to stand in front - they stand in front. Not because it's a power trip, but because ultimately more people are watching them for any little mistake. Though I won't lie, I've definitely seen it as a power trip too! And these were companies with a third the number of dancers NYCB has, I can only imagine navigating a class that size and after years of it needing to seek out something else. I for one applaud those who can function in that environment as well as those who recognize that they can't and find an alternative.

Unbelievable!!! I say that they have as much of a right to tell me to sit down during an ovation as they do to tell me to stand for one. I think if you have really been touched by a dancer's performance, especially if it has been for years and it is a retirement.... What a wonderful gift to give a dancer at their last curtain call!

I was hoping they would be smart enough to use LA Ballet! When my husband and I saw the preview last week we cringed for fear of what might come up. It's wonderful to be pleasantly surprised! I remember being pleasantly surprised also by Summer Glau as Giselle in an old episode of Angel. However, the ball got dropped somewhere in the editing room on that one when they left a far away shot in of her partner with a post-surgery cast on. I can't wait to get a better look at those House credits!

vagansmom, I know a number of dancers with nose piercings. It's interesting how that is the one piercing that I don't see removed for performances. Mostly they are so small that they can be dabbed with a tiny bit of makeup or I've known one dancer to put a tiny wax-like substane over it so that it wouldn't sparkle in the light. But with a nose piercing, even if it does shine alittle it simply looks like a tiny glisten of sweat. I think all other piercings I see removed and tattoos covered with either makeup or "Elastoplast". And most purposely have their tattoos where it is easier to cover them when need be. I'd have to agree with the general consensus that I wouldn't want to see a tattoo in any classical ballet, ever. But I think in most modern ones too, depending on the size and location of it. If it is a small ankle tattoo it probably wouldn't bother me. But a tattoo of the state you are from across your ribcage (I've seen this) would be distracting to me. I just know I would spend most of my time trying to figure out what it was than actually watching the piece unfold.

I can't wait to see some of our American dancers return from over the pond! I'd love to see Ashley Ellis dance again!

I would love to see Misty Copeland do Tchai Pas! It needs a little firecracker like her!

I wish Jodie no ill will, but I will not miss her. I would much rather see what someone like Lindsi Dec will give us in the next few years.

I'd say freezing such things as vacation pay and pensions is absolutely a better option than having to layoff dancers. As far as the unemployment benefits go. All the dancers I know depend on it. Even if they have teaching or guesting gigs during their off time, there are always a few weeks at least that you find yourself without work. Laws vary from state to state, but in Texas we tell the TWC (TX workforce commission) about our contractual "return to work" date. You are then required to look for work, even temporary work, in your field at a specified slightly reduced rate until you are within 8-10 weeks of that date. (I'm not sure of the exact number of weeks because I think it has changed). But as long as you do your work searches and report any earnings you do make from working, you are entitled to that unemployment money (somewhere just over 40% of your weekly salary). Because as others have already mentioned, our employers are required to pay into it. Even if it is a "temporary layoff", it is still a "layoff".

Congrats to Gina Patterson! I'd love to see this!

Rosalie O'Connor and clicking through her gallery on the ABT website over a decade ago is why I started picking up a camera in the rehearsal studio years later. A more recent favorite is also Angela Sterling who photographs PNB Personally I would love to see a dance photography exhibit and maybe one day participate in one myself. There's one more photographer I want to list, but his name currently escapes me.... -Pointe1432

I think another highlight is Stephen Mills joining in the fun by playing the role of the ghost, something he hasn't done since the premier in 2000. One of the concepts that really struck me when I first saw this in 2004 was Mr. Mills creation of "shadow" or "ghost" Hamlets. I thought it was a brilliant way to show a character's inner struggle and a way to visually represent Hamlet's soliloquys. And then to continue to use them in the scene with Ophelia as an intrument to show the duality of his character at that point. No wonder she was so traumatized! Concepts like that, coupled with how beatifully striking the scenes are really just nail the target on the head for me and are why it is my favorite ballet. -Pointe1432

Hello again! Thank you for posting! Like I said, I know I am of a biased opinion, but was curious what you had to say. (I'll PM you for further info!) But for anyone that wants to see more on this ballet, one of Ballet Austin's dancers blogs at thewinger.com and just posted lots of photos from this past weekend's production. ~Pointe1432

Jonelle, do you have any thoughts on this topic now that you have seen it? This is my favorite ballet, though I know I am of a slightly biased opinion. -Pointe1432

At least they were BA related and not for something else right? Like a Whataburger commercial before the ballet maybe?!?! Which performance did you see? -Pointe1432