aurora

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...as this thread demonstrates, an awful lot of people are inclined to accept her story without evidence it’s true. . .

You may not be speaking of me personally, but this was a bit below the belt at anyone whose opinion differs from yours.

You have no idea of my race and my experience.

[The racial insensitivity of this entire thread is really astounding.]

I happen to be white. I also happen to come from a multiracial family of dancers. And I've seen how non-white dancers were--and are--treated first hand.

Maybe I accept Misty's story "without evidence that it is true," but it is because I am not blind to how race acts in our country and in the dance world. I have seen it.

Lastly, returning to the "playing the race card" terminology. Before you use it again or engage in discussions of race in the US or insinuate those who disagree with you are being naive in accepting someone's story, perhaps you should read up on the issue a bit. I suggest this as a fine starting point for self-education:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/09/1222198/-The-Race-Card-White-Backlash-and-Why-Reverse-Racism-is-an-Oxymoronic-Irony

I really don't have a stake in this argument. Or rather, I see both sides (which shouldn't even necessarily be viewed as "sides"). On the one hand, I've never much liked Misty Copeland's dancing. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that racism -- institutional and personal, explicit and implicit -- hasn't had an impact on the lives and careers of many dancers of color, including Misty's. (It's possible to believe both that Misty has been held back by reactions to her race and that she's not right for the role of O/O at ABT.)

But that said, I'd simply point out that we're being asked to

(a) take the word of someone who's been denied a job on the reasons given for that denial, and

(b) join in the assumption that those reasons were in fact lies.

(And, furthermore, © assume that Graf herself was lying in the last part of her quoted statement.)

Not commenting on anything else here, but I don't think you have to assume C.

Rather consider the possibility that she was being very gracious, is indeed happy working where she is working, and does not want to alienate or insult anyone there. That doesn't mean that ideally she might not have preferred a position at ABT or NYCB if one had been offered (ok so its perhaps potentially a bit of a fib, but an understandable and justified one--the kind anyone would say to please an employer)

I don't want to be too hard on Copeland. She's young, and she lives in a culture that has encouraged her to do this. But in the end, I'm not sure it's honorable.

Copeland isn't so young anymore (30, I believe). She and her PR team knew exactly what they were doing in playing the race card, and it appears to have worked.

I would argue that the term "playing the race card" is incredibly belittling of the minority experience in America.

The fact is that if you are not white, and especially if you are not white in a field as white as ballet is in the united states, race is going to deeply impact your experience. And people are, consciously or not (if you really want to believe that no one is racist), going to see you differently because you are different than almost everyone else and you stick out in every corps, you look different from everyone else.

To call attention to that and say that your career has been impacted by it, HURT by it, is not "playing the race card."

I think that many regular posters on BA are critical of Misty not because of her dancing, but because she has the courage to admit that institutional racism in ballet companies is still an issue.

Letting her dancing do the talking would eventually have garnered her the widespread acclaim she deserves as a groundbreaking dancer.Or she could have written her book without crying "racism." Instead she tarred a whole ballet company (Who are the supposed racists who supposedly didn't want to see her rise? She is taken at her word that she encountered them, but fans are left to speculate who she's talking about, while the purported racists - everyone there is now under suspicion - can't even defend themselves).

I'm sure most minorities have found that simply letting their good work do the talking has eventually led to them getting the widespread acclaim they deserve.

That is why racism no longer exists / is totally eradicated in today's society!

Racism does exist in the ballet world. It has been a topic on this board certainly (the lack of certain minorities in ballet companies, especially at the upper levels) and for a dancer of color to discuss that in a book about her life does not seem to me to be "crying racism" but stating something that has been institutionalized fact. Racism can be subtle and not even "maliciously intended." The preconception that a black female dancer can't "look like a swan" or stands out too much in a group of willies. That doesn't mean it isn't racism.

Honorable? Is that the expectation of dancers and company directors? I think that is a can of worms one might not want to open but I don't see anything dishonorable about it.

about "The fake beard and moustache were a good touch, because without them he looks 16" about Shklyarov - they were real, at the stage door one could witness it. As well as Fateev, Makarova etc.

PS: and they were (including Polina) so humble and human in interaction with the fans

I am glad we had a chance to see 3 Vaganova graduates on the ABT stage last week. Instead of showering them with compliments, i'd just say that i took my friends to see them (presenting them with tickets ;-)) - i wanted my friends to have a double treat. and they got it.

I can't echo your comments about corpse in the shades or other scenes. I am just spoiled by Mariinsky's impecable corpse dancing.

corpse dancing? please tell me you are talking about the dancing of the corps de ballet. Not being snarky. Really confused (and slightly disturbed).

I attended today's matinee with Part/Whiteside and was deeply impressed by how they have both grown into the lead roles. They delivered the most technically secure performances I've ever seen them give at ABT. Neither is the ideal spitfire one imagines for Don Q, but both brought gorgeous technique and an innate sense of musicality. I know Whiteside has had his detractors, and I myself have considered him a raw talent in need of much refining. But what a difference a year has made. His spins and leaps were beautifully executed, and his control and cleanness in these elements brought to mind Gomes and Carreno. (Whiteside would whip off a crisp and fast spin only to deliciously slow it down at the end -- an effect Carreno always seemed to love.) Gone is the slight sloppiness one occasionally saw in Whiteside's spins or his transitions between elements.

Is Whiteside the partner for Part in her (sadly) post-Gomes era? I am now convinced that this may be the case. His support of her was near-perfect; the lifts, promenades, fish dives, and supported pirouettes were wonderful. The chemistry was not quite at Part/Gomes levels, but it was a much, much better than with Corey. It was clear that Part and Whiteside have a good rapport, and she seemed to have every confidence in him as a partner. Their pas de deux throughout the ballet were truly the highlights, though they danced beautifully on their own, as well.

It was a delight to see Part dancing against type -- and so brilliantly. However, I was reminded that so many elements of Kitri's choreography actually do align with Part's greatest strengths: soaring grand jetes, sky-high extensions (hers seem to have only gotten higher in the past couple years), gorgeous arabesques, and lovely balances. And then it came as a wonderful surprise to see her execute the many whiplash pirouettes, the fouettes, and the other tricky bits more flawlessly than I've ever seem from her. I've never seen her pull off each and every unsupported pirouette (which can be her Achilles' heel) with such confidence.

I feel very lucky to have seen such a perfectly cast Vision Scene. Stella was fantastic. What a pure joy to see her execute Italian fouettes. She makes them look so graceful and effortless. I believe it was Nicole Graniero as Amour. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) She was fantastic in the role -- not Tinker Bell saccharine, but just the right mixture of sprightly energy and technical precision. Gorgeous leaps and perfect multiple pirouettes. She's not a corps dancer I've followed in the past, but I was really blown away by her today.

In the Kennedy Center thread, it was mentioned that Zhiyao Zhang was an incredible lead Gypsy. His performance in that role today was among the best I've seen. I can't wait to see what else he will dance at ABT. Bronze Idol? Ali? He seems to have what it takes, at least based on today's small sample of his talents.

Christine Shevchencko was absolutely lovely as one of the Flower Girls.

I agree wholeheartedly with pretty much everything fondoffouettees wrote in the above review. I'd like to add a few things.

Firstly that although I am not really a Stella fan (she is very clean and reliable, but I find she lacks amplitude), she really was lovely yesterday. She had charisma as Mercedes and seemed if, not to sizzle as some do, to have some real spark, perhaps because it is one of the last opportunities she'll have to dance that role opposite Sasha, who if not the best Espada technically, was having a fantastic time with the role and doing it with real panache.

and there was real crystalline beauty to her vision scene, and as stated her Italian fouettes were lovely.

I'd like to second the partnership between Part and Whiteside. They seem to have fun together, she clearly trusts him. Even if she gets slightly off on a turn there is no sense of panic, she knows he will right her, and he does. There is a rapport that there has NEVER been with her and Cory. It is enjoyable to watch them together. They are believable as a couple.

As for her dancing, the marked improvement in her turning is worth noting. The speed and attack of her pique turns is at a new level and her fouettes, which used to slow in the later revolutions did not do so (or at least not to the same extent). There was no question as to whether she would finish them.

Not only was Shevchenko good as one of the flower girls, but so was Brandt, I thought. Moreover they were well matched (although not originally intended to be so). I'm not sure if they are paired in other performances, but you would never have thought the pairing was a last minute one.

I also thought that Graniero was exceptional as Amour. She was slightly behind the music in the beginning of her variation, but not in a way that indicated an error, rather she was synchopating the variation (I don't know how to put it otherwise). She was really exceptional. I've seen it many times and it was one of the best renditions I've seen.

Lastly, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REPLACE THOSE HORRIBLE COSTUMES FOR THE GYPSY MEN. They look like the are refugees from an 80s metal hair band. They are horrific. I feel sorry for those poor dancers every time I see this. They don't look like gypsies at all and honestly they could be replaced for almost no money at all. It is embarrassing...

Jackson is a guest not a principal

Anyone have an opinion on Ms. Part in the role of Kitri? I will get the chance to see her in three roles this spring, as part of my subscription series. Kitri in Don Q, Nikiya in La Bayadere, and O/O in Swan Lake. Haven't heard much about her Kitri.

Her Kitri was wonderful last season. The only problem, and it arises again this year, was and will be her partner, who is simply not up to her caliber.

Her Bayadere and her O/O are unsurpassed.

On the other hand I thought her partner last year was good (James Whiteside) and she seemed to have a good rapport with him, which I certainly can't say of Cory Stearns.

Anyone have an opinion on Ms. Part in the role of Kitri? I will get the chance to see her in three roles this spring, as part of my subscription series. Kitri in Don Q, Nikiya in La Bayadere, and O/O in Swan Lake. Haven't heard much about her Kitri.

It was a new role for her last year, so she's only done it once before in NY.

I saw it, and enjoyed it. I'll be going again this time.

She doesn't have the technical explosiveness of some dancers, but she had no issues with her technique in it, and she looked like she was having a lot of fun with it--it showed! No indications of nerves or hesitation.

The dream scene (the most "classical" and thus more what I associate with her) was unsurprisingly gorgeous.

I remember when the NY Giants were playing in the Super Boal, and I went to a performance of NYCB.

Best typo/freudian slip ever!

Macaulay has noted in numerous reviews that Sara Mearns does not have an ideal figure for dance - broad, high shoulders. However, he regards her as the greatest ballerina in the US.

This is true. And I think it shows he is not *absolutely* wedded to his physical ideal. But the fact is, he does feel the need to mention her physical "deficiencies" (and he clearly sees them as such) in nearly every review of her, no matter how much he praises her (which, indeed he does!). Clearly physique is not everything to him. But it is a lot.

I also would suggest that he is more wedded to a specific physical ideal with regards to male dancers than female ones.

That may be the funniest typo/mental image ever! I don't think Cory would make a good Odile...

(Who is his favorite Odette?)

Sara Mearns

I don't know. I can't do NYCBs very often. I find it pretty but boring. I love Ratmansky/ABT's. I saw 2 performances (Sunday eve with Part/Gomes and Weds with Kajiya and Matthews) and thought they were just as wonderful as Macaulay did in his NYTimes review.

The second performance (with a generally more junior cast) had some issues, but they were minor (cannon failed to fire, very junior couple given the 2nd doll solo in act I had a bit of a spill, one of the Spanish dancers had a small costume malfunction) but both were stellar performances and there were no problems in the pdd in either.

Slightly off topic but one of ABTs young african american dancers just received a very nice accolade:

http://nymag.com/news/articles/reasonstoloveny/2013/calvin-royal-iii/

The things that MANY Bolshoi dancers have described as "standard operating procedure" are not acceptable by 21st century standards.

You mean not acceptable by our standards. They are apparently acceptable by 21st century Russian standards. It's one thing for Womack to complain about improper sexual advances made to her. But it's not our place as outsiders to protest their system. It's only our place to support Russians who do.

I wasn't aware we were governed by the prime directive.

By this reasoning, it is not our place as outsiders to criticize such practices as female genital mutilation.

While I agree it is much more productive for such criticism to come from within a culture, that doesn't mean we have to say or feel that practices that we find morally objectionable are fine because we are outsiders.

Here's an ironic tidbit: the name of the town that Matthew Bourne grew up in is Hackney.

That would be a borough in London.

Aurora may be referring to that really awful landing Cory had in Sylphides, where he spent an inordinate amount of time trying to adjust the position of his foot to avoid falling over.

Thank you, abatt, but does that landing make the entire variation "complete hash"? My ballet teacher says that things go wrong all the time in ballet, and that dancers have to learn to "save" those moments. If we excoriate dancers for every fall, misstep, or poor landing, then we're in danger of creating an atmosphere of unforgiving criticism. Of course we want perfection, but perfection in ballet is elusive. I think we would do better to "savor" the good moments.

That was the main disaster of that variation. But that is a very "simple" (not to be confused with easy) variation meant to illustrate poetry. I saw little elegance or poetry in it. Rather, desperate clutching and grasping to not fall over, combined with mediocre lines and no musicality or poetry.

On the other hand I thought he was excellent in the moor's pavane on saturday.

I went to the Sunday matinee and also found Part's performance in Sylphides exquisite. The surprise for me was the ease with which Semionova and Stearns seemed to dance together, as if they were truly in tune with each other and enjoyed dancing together. They could make a nice partnership in the future, perhaps bringing out the best in each other and rising to the high expectations we have of both of them. Stearns has the most perfectly proportioned body for classical ballet, as well as a gorgeous line and a handsome face. I'm sorry I missed him in Month in the Country, given Drew's comments above.

He did seem to enjoy dancing with semionova and did quite well with her. I thought she was lovely. I assumed he, however was just happy not to be doing his solo, given the complete hash he made of it. It was perhaps the worst thing I've ever seen an ABT performer do, on any level.

Yuriko Kajiya's pliancy and liquidy movements are spectacular; time to make her a principal, please! The evening's greatest kudos, though, are reserved for Jared Matthews, who was featured in all three ballets of the night...The Jared Matthews Triple Header! His gorgeous and high entrechats in THE TEMPEST alone were worth the price of admission.

Natalia, I haven't yet seen this season, but I agree with you on both dancers. They have made major strides in the last few seasons. It would also be lovely if they are promoted together as they have been a couple for years.

Can't wait to see some performances this weekend, the great divergence of opinions on the works on offer is actually building my anticipation...

The thing I find most disturbing about ABT's treatment of Part is that they have refused to give her certan roles. I always thought that they didn't give her Juliet, Manon, Tatyana in Onegin and Giselle because of her height - maybe she is just too tall for all those lifts. However, they seem to have no problem giving those very same roles to Semionova, who is just as tall and Part. Frankly, David Hallberg's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head last season during some of the lifts involving Semionova in R&J. Semionova was a very bland and uninspiring Juliet and Tatyana. If you're going to make the guys lift tall girls in these roles, why not give Part a shot too. She's earned it. Not fair.

There are a couple of tall( over 6 ft ) and strong- looking members of the corp, Gray Davis and Thomas Forster,who could partner Veronika if given a chance. Thomas partnered her in S in C in LA last July.

I thought she looked quite good with Whiteside last year, and he seemed to have little difficulty partnering her.

I don't think it is fair to say that it is necessarily an aesthetic preference on the part of McKenzie for tall dancers, but rather (at least in part) a necessity.

If you look at the female principals, many of them are tall, they require tall partners. They also require strong partners. Cornejo certainly deserves his principal status, but he was for a long time hampered by his height (not "right" for all roles) and more importantly, by his poor partnering skills (which are still not a strong suit for him, but have recently improved).

I also think Tamm is tall.

I was impressed by James Whiteside last season and am very happy for him.

David!

I wouldn't actually. I am sure they would be beautiful but I think they would have the same icy coldness he does with semionova.

I find him much more interesting with Osipova. She brings out his emotions, and he's a good stylistic influence on her.

I actually like Semionova a great deal, but agree that Hallberg is not an ideal partner for her and wouldn't be for Smirnova either. I would be curious to see Smirnova pair with Ruslan Skvortsov: I loved his Siegfried in London and think that he could be the dancer to draw more emotion out of her.

I like Semionova too. They just don't seem to bring much out of each other emotionally when paired.

David!

I wouldn't actually. I am sure they would be beautiful but I think they would have the same icy coldness he does with semionova.

I find him much more interesting with Osipova. She brings out his emotions, and he's a good stylistic influence on her.

Thanks Helene!

As a heads up, a NYTimes obit is forthcoming.