Waelsung

And there is one thing that really buffles me in all of this. I understand that a lot of European stars are not too eager to come to NY anymore for just one or two performances or to participate in a Ratmansky so-called 'ballet' But just across the border we now have in Toronto one of the greatest ballerinas of today's world - a former Bolshoi prima Svetlana Lunkina, who would be excellent in all the warhorse parts like Giselle, O/O, Nikia, AND she's just done 'A Streetcar Named Desire' to a huge acclaim from its creator John Neumeier himself. Why can't the ABT bring her over to pair with Gomez or Hallberg, is absolutely beyond me. I'm 100% sure she would be just perfect with either of them. And one more question: any of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, follow Lunkina's carreer? What do y'all think of her? If there's enough members willing to discuss, maybe we should open a separate topic.

Due to my age and state of health, I am very particular about where I seat at ballet. The tickets that I usually buy are in $125-$150 range, but I wouldn't mind paying that to see somebody who imho was worth it. At, opera I can set in the Family Circly for $25-$30, and thus can experiment with singers I don't know or just want to get acquainted with. With ballet it's different. Once again, I wouldn't mind paying even $200 per ticket to see Semyonova, Obraztsova, Kondaurova, Tereshkina, Lobukhin, Shklyarov. Heck, these days I would even go to an Osipova or a Vasilyev performance, and I used to usually skip those. The funny thing is all of these artists used to come to the ABT, but no more. So, I don't think the ABT has changed its ways and has decided to give homegrown dancers more chances - in reality, they simply don't have a choice. All strictly IMHO and I do, of course, with all the upcoming ABT dancers all the luck in the world!

To be honest, I just don't care where they are guest stars or ingrown, as long as their dancing warrants what the ABT has been charging for good seats these days. I'm not a fan of Hee Seo and wouldn't pay a dime to see Boylston dance anything, not even modern repertoire. I'm not interested in Ferri's comeback (wonder if she'll be doing these until she's 100 years old), nor in Vishneva's retirements. This is why I, who used to subscribe to 2-3 series per season + acquire individual performances as the casting became clearer, am yet to buy a SINGLE ticket this season.

Yep, that would be me, no doubt. The only thing is I would be all for developing ungrown talent if I saw some, but, like I said earlier, except Shevchenko and - maybe - Lane, I just don't see any future wolrd-class stars in the making. Unfortunately, if the company goes the way the ABT seems to be going (no more guest stars to save money, but home-grown dancers available on the cheap, even if they're not ready and have no potential to ever be), it will very quickly turn into another provincial company. The local crowd will always be there to cheer the home team, but big-league attendees (and sponsors) will not be enthusiastic enough to keep the budget sane and the price of the seats even remotely affordable. Hate to burst everybody's bubble, but the ABT future DOES appear to be pretty grim.

I respectfully disagree. With the sole exception of Christine Shevchenko, I can't seem to find anybody worth of the ABT exorbitant prices. I would have gone to see Lane's Giselle, but it was scheduled for a matinee, and unfortunately, I still have to work:)

Hard to believe what the ABT has become. So sad.

Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

Which cast would you say is preferable?

Not nearly enough Ratmansky for my underdeveloped taste. Only 10 performances of Whipped Cream? Why not 20 while we're at it? Also very disappointed that both Shevchenko's DQ and Lane's Giselle are matinees. I am very happy for both of them, but very unhappy that I won't be able to see neither performance, as I unfortunately still have to work during the day.

You bet $150 000 + business class air fare + the stay in New York For just two performances? Cmmon

It looks like the ABT_Ardani rift is deepening.

Thanks a lot, Zobeide!

Thinking about seeing NYCB 'The Sleeping Beauty' for the first time. Does anybody know when they will announce the casting? Also, any advice/opinions about the production in general and THE cast to see would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance!

For me, Makarova always lacked true refinement. She was a phenomenal technician, of course, but (again, for me) never brought anything really new to the parts she danced. As an artist she was bordering on vulgar, was too obvious, too 'in-your-face' (just as Vishneva is today, which is why I've stopped going to her performances). Strictly IMHO, of course, and never meant to offend anybody.

Pretty much any leading ballerina from the Kirov, Bolshoi, POB, Royal, etc. would be better than the incessant parade of Boylston, Seo, Copland, etc. Maybe it's just me, I don't know, but financially the season was a disaster, and that's not an personal opinion, but a fact. And my feeling is that it will get much worse before it gets any better.

That's absolutely right: of all the ballerinas mentioned above I've always liked Makarova less than others. But by today's ABT standards she was a genius.

Who are 'we' exactly? I know plenty of people who are not appreciative of athletic ballet. For Balanchine style (of which I personally am not a fan) we already have City Ballet in NY and plenty of other regional companies that are athletic, open, modern, what have you. ABT used to be the only more or less European, traditional, classical ballet theater in the US. Now it's going to be just like everybody else. Sorry, but I fail to see the point.

Sounds great. Too bad they will be excelling in that elusive style of their own in an empty theater. Nobody to appreciate it except for a few dozens aficionados and close friends/family of the home-grown 'stars' And who exactly are they developing while their audience longs for really good dancers? Forgive my bluntness, but there's no Ulanova, no Guillem, no Maximova, no Fonteyn, not even Makarova in sight. ABT will end up raising another bunch of Boylstons and Seos that nobody wants to see, especially in Ratmansky productions. Probably the whole thing will be eventually relocated to LA where the culture-starved audiences will lap up anything for a couple of years, before the last trip to total oblivion in a storage dump somewhere in Nevada desert.

What's up with this 'in-grown home talent' obsession? Sounds so West Virginia to me:) But seriously, it's not only 'slow and painful' but can be fruitless, too. You all talk like the results are guaranteed, but they're not. See, the problem with developing home talent is that the key word here should be talent, not home, otherwise the results will be boring and amateurish, which is exactly what ABT looks these days. Throw in a pretentious choreograph who can't choreograph anything of any interest or value and you get the final product: rows and rows of empty seats, stacks and stacks of unsold tickets. As for replacing Swan Lake, I'm 99% sure Olga and all other Ratmansky fans will get their wish in 2018, which will be pretty much the end of ABT as we know it(((((((

Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/arts/dance/review-american-ballet-theater-season-metropolitan-opera-house.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&_r=0 Since I attended only one performance this season (Swan Lake with my beloved Veronika Part who unfortunately was underwhelming), I should not be allowed to comment, but I am going to say anyway (because this is not an opinion but fact) that financially the season was a disaster. With the exception of Misty's performances, Ferri's geriatric Juliet and a couple of Vishneva's outings, tickets for everything else were widely available across all the sections. The main reason? If you ask me, it's the abundance of hapless Ratmansky's ballets dominating the repertoire and the absence of true stars that could justify shelling out $125-$150 for a decent seat. Just my not so humble opinion, of course, but I personally am not going to pay a dime for a Ratmansky production ever again and am not willing to attend anything that doesn't have at least one real international superstar on stage.

So happy for Trennary. I would've definitely gone to see her Aurora if only I didn't have to work during the day. What a pity they gave her one matinee only(((((((

I concur - the second cast is to die for. Lunkina alone is well worth the price of admission

I agree with every word of your review. It's a relief to know I'm not crazy and other people disliked this performance, too.

Thank you, naomikage. I would prefer to see D/McK/L cast too, but who knows when they will be dancing. It's so unfair to keep the casting secret until the last minute

Does anybody have any news re: casting? What is the preferred cast in your opinion? Thanks in advance!