aurora

So far as we know, what you describe above has no relationship (pun intended) to the situation between Finlay and Waterbury. Nor is that at all what you implied happened in your earlier post about "friends with benefits" where you said: A statement which does, btw, seem to acknowledge that there is a perceived distinction between an affair and a relationship.

Friends with benefits describes a situation quite different from what they were involved in. Friends with benefits do not openly date for a year and a half.

Historically does not mean common usage today.

As commonly used, affair implies something illicit. They dated for over a year. That is a relationship. I can't believe anyone would actually argue otherwise.

An affair? Neither of them were married. It is called a relationship.

I know people love to attribute ulterior motives to all these decisions, but I'd guess that yes, it was mere coincidence. Giving her principal roles on that tour, why of course I'm sure that was, to a degree, calculated to appeal to the audience. But I can't imagine it would make much (or any) of a difference to the audience size whether the Korean dancer playing the lead was a soloist or principal. Certainly not enough of a difference to off set the jump in salary they would have to pay her (and continue to pay her for years).

Devon looked excellent this season. Hee (who I had avoided for a while) was in some ways the most technically secure of the 3 Auroras I saw (Sarah Lane and Cassie Trenary the others). And was lovely and gracious throughout. Really a lovely Aurora. People see and appreciate different things! That said, I agree totally on Michele Wiles and Shevy. And I'd even grant that Devon seemed to have a bit of a rough season last year.

Which I think must be the case. These girls look definitely old enough to be on pointe: https://www.nycballet.com/ballets/m/mozartiana.aspx It is kind of interesting, considering Balanchine's insistence that women do classes entirely on pointe. Even in the intermediate levels at SAB (a million years ago) we were told to wear de-shanked pointe shoes for regular class instead of ballet slippers.

I imagine Ahn will get a debut or two as well (and be cast in Bayadere again).

So too is Kaho Ogawa, although she hasn't posted on her IG yet (or wasn't last night), the going away of both Kaho and Mai is noted on Betsy McBride's IG story.

I thought she was by far the worst of the Lilac fairies I saw (Shevchenko and Teusher being the others). I didn't see her previous performances this year in Lilac, so I thought it must have just been an off night, but if people who saw multiple ones are saying she was wonderful this evening, I guess they just saw something I didn't. Her solo was very insecure, and jerky, and she had a lot of trouble with the move seen in that instagram video.

Gemma Bond had a baby last spring, I believe. She's been doing some character stuff (including today) but I don't think she's been dancing since then.

Joowon Ahn and Aran Bell were promoted to soloist! Congratulations!!!

They were announced this day (the day before the end of the season) in 2017 so they could still be coming

In general I agree, and I do think of her as a dancer with technical weaknesses. That said, her rehearsal of Act II of Sleeping Beauty on Monday was very very strong. It might be less technically challenging than Act I, but it certainly has its difficulties, and she looked secure through all of them. She held the balance on the seashell device impressively long and with total confidence. It was one of the best executions of that trick that I've seen. Of course a rehearsal is not a performance and perhaps nerves result in a less clean performance when she's actually doing the ballet. Still I was very impressed! I have seen her as Juliet with Marcelo (2 years ago I think? Maybe 3) and she was fabulous.

Whiteside has now posted on IG about why he was replaced in Sleeping Beauty:

Brittany DeGrofft was gold.

I think 2 women were announced as changes (or maybe x replacing y, so only one change). The other announced change was that Alexei Agoutine (sp) replaced K. Roberts as Catalbutte.

Lane not Brandt

I think you somewhat underestimate the number of people who care about the arts.

While the fish dives have been typical in the west, I believe to this day the Russian companies do not do them. I don't think people call their versions a "snooze" or un-evolved for this. I personally like the fish dives, but in the context of this version omitting them seems the obvious choice.

Generally I agree with nanushka about this performance, with minor caveats/things to add. I'm rather more enthusiastic about it. Particularly on Bell who, I felt not only brought out the best in Teuscher, but also acted very well on his own--He made a much more believable character of Siegfried than just about anyone I've seen in a long while (I also had no problems with the tours to one knee--its show offy, but the entire PDD is about showing off). l'd also like to call attention to not only Teuscher's incredibly emotional performance, which I found very moving, but also to her phrasing, which I thought was excellent. She played with the music, drawing out some movements, dancing with almost syncopation at others. There were no little stops before end poses in pirouettes and other partnered bits as I saw in the (excellent) Shevchenko SL the other night. It was a very well thought out and executed performance. The way she caressed his hair in act IV as she forgave him was really moving. The only point on which I'd strongly disagree is on Devon's mime--which was strongly executed and clear. I loved Shevchenko's performance on Tuesday, but in act II when she said that if someone loves her and swears then she will be a swan no more---she glossed over the no more, it was not clear nor visible and lost its meaning. Teuscher's mime was more legible, elegant, and the emphasis with which she proclaimed death in Act IV was chilling.

Indeed! I mean he is around seemingly, and frequently attends ABT. We know he had serious injuries, but despite his long absence he is still listed on the roster. There just hasn't been any information about what is going on for a long time... I wonder if Calvin will get a shot at it--he is learning it at the moment (for Vail).

I wouldn't read too much into this yet. They might for now be leaving that option open to see how she feels a bit closer to the dates. Better to say nothing now than disappoint people later. Remember it does say "Principal Dancers for the 2019 Fall season include...etc.," not "principal dancers for the 2019 Fall season are"

Considering 2 companies in Europe staged it at virtually the same time, is there any reason to think only one company in North America would be able to? I recognize they weren't in the same country, but distances in Europe are nowhere near what they are in the US. Zurich to Milan is about a 4 hour drive. New York is obviously much further away than that from Miami.