aurora

They do The Dream wonderfully and Sylvia as well and have had great success with Cinderella the last two. Obviously some dancers are more comfortable than others, but Macaulay has consistently said ABT was superior to the RB in The Dream in recent years. So yes, ABT can dance Ashton well.

seconded! She was so warm and lovely. the shifts between crispness and melting softness were just gorgeous (sorry for my poor wording; bad night of sleep). She really seemed so happy to be here and to be so appreciative of her partner, the conductor. It was really lovely. I liked Salstein giving Whiteside his bouquet, nice touch. Whiteside was a good partner and much better overall than Hammoudi had been on Tuesday.

Good points! I should have said that formal auditions are not the general norm (though as you point out, do happen on occasion). But yes, your performance throughout is how you are being judged and thus are certainly a kind of constant audition! That is what I meant by mentioning company class, and of course, what you do on the stage!

https://instagram.com/p/4lHqYkRWtA/?taken-by=robbiefairchild Pretty sweet

No companies have people "audition" for the roles. They take company class every day. In any company issues of need (height, rep, etc.) are going to play a role. This is not particular to one. NYCB has an advantage in their rep in having more "featured" roles available to give people a shot in.

I don't think anything could impede Gorak except injury. He is too good.

I wanted that or Doctor Who!

The post you are quoting from me was made before your own. I'm not arguing!

Um. She doesn't have nearly as many of them (bobbles), so... Also that was the premiere, and nerves used to clearly be a major issue for her. She did it afterwards and did not have difficulties. I'm not going to go back and find a thread from 2007 (seriously??) but she was very controversial among board members at the time and you have posted pretty much universally negative assessments. I'm sure that was not the case at the time. I also know I saw her do one of the best Auroras I've ever seen. It remained in her rep until that production was dropped in favor of this one. And she has been given other technically challenging roles since: Le Corsaire and Don Q.

Can we let dancers fight their own battles if they choose? They do in fact seem to frequent each others' shows and if they want to be nasty, let them be. Do we have to do it for them? This is quite unpleasant. And if true makes NYCB look quite bad. Fortunately I won't take your word for it.

Veronika Part is probably my favorite principal, certainly she is my favorite in Swan Lake. Still ballet is subjective. It is art. My favorite artists are not everyone artists and that is as it should be. I don't think it is fair to criticize someone for "lack of vision" for not recognizing her as the "reigning Swan Queen" of the company. Nor do we know what he has or hasn't done with regards to finding her a suitable partner. He may think, even if we disagree, that Cory is a suitable partner. Veronika may think so as well. He did bring in a new guest with her this year, lest we forget.

I agree he can also strengthen his characterizations, but that will come (most likely). I do not think his style is more NYCB. He is very classical, with pure lines. I don't see him as a Balanchine dancer at all though with his technique I'm sure he could thrive there. He is being called Joey because that is what everyone calls him (see articles and interviews)--other dancers, ballet masters, and the AD. I assume it is what he goes by.

Oh I agree on that. I'm really not convinced Hammoudi is principal material. I think he has shown progression this season but still, not enough. To my eyes Gorak is the next potential star (though he still needs to work on his partnering!)

He's done a bunch of principal roles this season and was promoted to soloist just last year. I hardly think he is being underutilized. I also think it is a sure thing that he make principal, we just may have to wait another year.

Because these things happen. You might similarly ask the Royal how they let Xander Parrish get away after rotting in the corps for 5 years...

I think it is worth remembering that just as she was given one of her most notable roles to date -- Firebird -- she had a fairly catastrophic injury that almost ended her career. These sorts of things do put careers back, it is not surprising she is just taking on full evening leads in the last two (?) years.

The NYTimes review of that performance notes that they wandered but implies she finished them.

It was Paris, not Teuscher. I thought Teuscher was underpowered at some parts of the variation, but I am almost 100% sure she did the entrechat six at the matinee, as I remembered seeing it, and then it being a glaring absence in the evening performance.

That is not what was being asked. In fact several people discussed the performance, including those who were impressed. But again, that is not what was asked. The question about Anderson and Wilkinson has been answered I believe, but in case not, to my hearing there was no announcement.

I think the link may end up behind a pay-wall but if you search the article you should be able to read it. "Meanwhile, balletomanes debated her worthiness, with members of one online forum accusing the 32-year-old of having a too “womanly” figure for ballet and of “tacky” self-marketing — in other words, of being overly sexual and aggressive (that old story). But with two major debuts this month, the spotlight returned to her dancing." It is a very favorable assessment of both her Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake, although with notes on improvement

Oh look! Apollinaire Scherr has been reading us! http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d8c0d452-1b1a-11e5-8201-cbdb03d71480.html

I want to add that while my assessment was slightly less enthusiastic, it really was a very good performance (not sure my initial post made it clear I felt that way) and I can live with the partnership as well. Besides having the purple Rothbart Marcelo went a long way towards making up for not having him as Part's partner. I loved that in one of the curtain calls, when Marcelo was standing next to a corps swan, and the curtains were closing, he wrapped her up in his cloak. He's so fun as the baddies!

It wasn't a complete sell out as the afternoon was but it was a very very full house. Marcelo was amazing as Purple Rothbart and Veronika was very confident and on. Cory dances the part better than in years past but is still somewhat of an emotional blank in it. Part got 4 bouquets at the end of the evening.

Oh no! The ignorant masses!!!! They enjoyed themselves and didn't even know how to properly behave...

She is the one I saw crash and burn, so she's tried them at least once. It was not successful....