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I really don't think Lane was referring to Brandt in her statement. I agree with aurora that there is no evidence that Brandt is getting favorable casting. I don't know if Lane is still being coached by Irina and Max, but she was coached by them in Giselle and Swan Lake just before she became a principal. She was all over social media with it. Presumably she paid for the coaching. Lane is also on social media with videos of her fitness training, presumably she pays for that too. If Copeland pulls out of SL and it goes to Brandt instead of Lane, it will feel like the end is truly near for Lane as far as ABT goes.

Thank you. I'm not familiar with Nathalia Arja as a dancer. I guess I'm left wondering if Morgan knows somehow, that if she was thinner she would have been cast. I am totally supportive of Morgan's message to young people. At the same time she must know there are a lot of reasons management chooses one dancer over another. Back in the day, when I was a dancer, I didn't get a role because I didn't fit into a costume. I've also heard - I just don't see you in the role. One thing to keep in mind is that casting is a zero sum game. If Morgan had been cast someone else would not have been, for one reason or another. I guess I'm just saying it's difficult to sort out, but the body image message is a great one, particularly to young dance students.

Does anyone know MCB well enough to answer two questions. 1. Who was cast in the role? 2. Are there other dancers who learned it but were not cast?

I don't disagree with Emily12 but I find fault with ABT casting in that Kevin M seems to believe that a few dancers such as Boylston (as one example) have no limits and can dance any role, and other dancers such as Lane, have severe limitations. I believe that Lane has transformed herself into a fine dramatic dancer but management has not expanded her rep. Boylston remains unchanged as an artist (as far as I can see) and is cast in everything.

I agree. Lane was coached by Max and Irina in both SL and Giselle and posted about it on IG. I don't think she's referring to Brandt. Brandt's put in plenty of hard work.

I agree, I think the point of the fouette mention was that in that initial rehearsal she was going to do 10 turns, ended up doing straight doubles and then stopped and said she thought it would be fine. I wouldn't be worried about the fouettes.

I quite agree. There are many things in a dance career (or any career), that an individual has no control over. Brandt took action. She spoke more frankly to Kevin M, paid for coaching, put in hours of hard work on her own time, and put the results out there. Good for her. On another note, I seem to remember that Sarah Lane got coaching from Irina and Max, before her ABT Giselle debut. The article mentioned that Boylston is now seeking their coaching. It seems that quite a number of ABT dancers are getting coached on their own time & dime.

Personally, I think it means that social media makes it easy to sign petitions for whatever cause one wants, and feel like a crusader for doing it. In any event no one gets fired from a union gig because of a petition.

She has been posting many clips and many of the with Cornejo. I particularly enjoyed her 2nd act Giselle clip. Her Giselle was one of the best I've seen.

I started studying ballet before I actually saw a ballet. Living in NYC I was lucky in that I could see (be taken to) NYCB, ABT and visiting companies. 5 ballets that I remember opening my eyes: Serenade Theme and Variations Apollo (The opening music had such an impact) Intermezzo (Feld ballet done by ABT. Wonder if anyone else remembers it. I don't know if I'd like it now, but back then it swept me away) Lilac Garden (Tudor. The moment of pause took my breath away)

I agree, and I really like these postings. Even though I've seen the ballet many, many times there are sections in which I'm so focused on the principal that I don't pay a lot of attention to the demi-soloists. This gave me a new appreciation for how much dancing they do, and how difficult it is.

Since this was an anniversary show not a retirement, such as with DeLuz , it's not surprising to me that a number of dancers wouldn't be there.

I've been following the NYCB season and see more clearly that the NYTimes doesn't review dance anymore. They review plays, art exhibits, music etc. but not dance. Instead there are articles about dancers. Is there a reason for this? My husband sings in a amateur (but well know) chorus which has been reviewed by a Times music critic several times recently. What's up with dance?

Agree with the Lane Cornejo distress. It is a paring that the AD should promote. It's pretty obvious that Lane has never been a favorite of the AD's, I'm still a bit surprised she ever got promoted. Now she's finally getting one Juliette. A role that she is incredibly suited for. Sorry all of you Trenary fans (I like her too). I think Trenary could have waited another year for the role and Lane could have been given two. As for Giselle, Lane is one of the best I've seen. To give her one (and a matinee) is wrong. The Giselle casting is not a ticket sale consideration - it's the AD's taste. Here's my thing about Lane. She is more a complete artist than most of the other female principals, and she has grown. Given half a chance, she could be one of the great dramatic ballerinas. IMO Hee and Boylston have their strengths, but haven't really grown since becoming principals. Copeland should be giving up some of the roles she was never suited for. I agree with others, that if Lane wants opportunities, for the 4 to 6 years she has left in her career, she should go elsewhere. He husband is in ABT, but as a corps member in his 30's, he doesn't have a lot more years there anyway. But, I certainly have no insights into how she feels about the whole thing. I just know that the ABT casting makes ticket buying a challenge for this ballet fan.

I just got back tonight. I'm going to use a word to describe T&V that I rarely use when describing a performance - bad. This from a long time Sarah Lane fan. As nanushka said - awful tempi and unnecessary stops and starts have a deadening effect and take the driving pulse out of the piece. Performance wise the trouble started in the opening theme when Lane somehow moved downstage so much that she was far from in line with Gorak. She tried to correct but couldn't, so the little bow they do to each other, before exiting, had no connection between them, because they weren't next to each other. The tone was set! Gorak approached the whole thing with determination. I give him credit for executing the pirouette/double tours sequence well, after reading it was a problem in the last performance. Still he danced everything as if he was getting through the steps. He didn't cover space, have breadth, musicality or elegance - just getting through. It was pretty much the same for Lane. To me it seemed a joyless performance - getting through the steps. It was OK until the solo after the adagio with the girls supporting her. The solo started OK but, in the diagonal, she did some weird catch steps to keep going. The biggest problem was the traveling across stage step with the pas de chat - pirouette. She didn't finish the turn front enough so had to face front with the pas de chat (sorry if I'm getting too much into specifics). It got worse each time until she stumbled slightly. The finishing turns into a big fourth had a stumble too. Then came the pas de deux. Don't these people have coaches? Lacking in musicality, shaping, dynamics - just step after step. At the very end, Gorak barely got Lane up into the shoulder sit. She was on the edge of his shoulder. I could go on and on about the missing moments that make this piece amazing. I'll just say there were a lot. A Gathering of Ghosts - I'm not sure why there were named characters. Cornejo looked great and I found myself wishing Tharp had just choreographed a solo for him. Not a memorable piece IMO. Seasons - I always find this delightful (if a bit too long). I missed Sarah Lane as Rose. She brings something special to it. Everyone looked good. I wish Boylston would do something about her port de bra. Brandt continues to impress and Trenery continues to have a delightful performance quality. All in all not a great night at the ballet!

Just got around to buying ABT tickets. There are plenty . OK facility fee, service fee and costume restoration fee? Be honest and charge more for the tickets.

I just wanted to add a comment about Bugaku. Allegra Kent had a movement quality that had some, what one could call, mannerisms, quirks, personality, etc It included the way she tended to tilt her head, moved, shaped her hands etc. It always seemed to me that Mr. B. incorporated the things that were in Allegra's natural movement quality, into Bugaku and exaggerated them. As for the ballet today. Frankly I was uncomfortable with it back in the day. It's hard for me to imagine a dancer today being comfortable doing it. I'd be curious to see the whole thing done in leotards without sets, to see if it works, but I don't think casting Asian dancers is the answer. I don't think Porgy and Bess is a comparable work of art, for a many reasons. I love Balanchine but I could stomach losing Bugaku, it's not great Balanchine. Porgy and Bess on the other hand, I believe is great music and even in the 1930's, when it was written, Gershwin insisted on black singers instead of singers in black face. As far as accurate depictions - we are talking opera.

I haven't seen The Runaway but enjoy and admire Peck's Pulchinella Variations. However, I don't thing the designer designs particularly enhance it. I believe it's a strong enough ballet to survive costumes that may be less than ideal.

Thanks for the review Cobweb. When I saw the Lovette piece, I didn't know what make of the costumes and even thought them silly. Then I saw an interview with Lovette in which she said that the costumes were something of a surprise to her, and sent her in a different direction choreographically. That reminded me that the fall season has the fashion designer tie-in. I believe it's a Sarah Jessica Parker innovation that keeps going, in which a fashion designer is assigned to a choreographer. The extent to which they work together seems to vary. If the fashion gimmick brings in a lot of interest, donor dollars and ticket sales that's fine. If it no longer serves that function it should be dropped, because it doesn't serve the ballets particularly well.

Thank you Cobweb. I just checked it out. she does look fabulous I believe she's been out since last April. If I remember correctly, she said in an interview that it was a herniated disc.

I just returned from tonights performance and had a lovely time. Opus 19/The Dreamer is not one of Robbin's best works IMO. It has a lot of the folk dance motifs he uses in other works. It's not a distinctive or memorable piece. It was done as a vehicle for Baryshnikov, but I can't imagine his performance made a whole lot of difference. Anyway, it's pleasant enough and tonight, Garcia's movement quality served him well and Hyltin was absolutely beautiful - musical, lovely, responsive. The Shaded Line, the new Lovette piece was interesting. It had the feel of a choreographer working things out - moving groups, creating drama & tension, partnering etc. The gender bending aspect was interesting, and clearly another part of Lovette's explorations. Frankly, I was confused by the costumes. Some seemed silly, so I wasn't sure what to do with that. For me the whole thing didn't quite hold together but it held my interest and left me thinking about it. I look forward to seeing more of Lovette's work. Lineage - Edward Liang's piece was quite enjoyable. He played to everyone's strength - Mejia's virtuosity, Kowroski's legginess, Bouder's strength and speed - etc. It was an enjoyable mix. I felt the Mearns/Jansen pas the most interesting. My only criticism of the piece was the abrupt and anti climactic ending. BTW Mearn and Bouder look incredibly athletic and fit - beautiful to behold! Symphony in C is always fun. Fairchild seems to be in her prime as a ballerina - radiant, secure, playing with the music. Gordon was great. He is so technically secure that a minor glitch is only - a minor glitch. I have never been a Reichlin fan. I root for her - there is a real earnestness to her dancing, but, except in Rubies, I have trouble liking her. Despite her tall legginess I never feel a regalness (is that a word) or amplitude. In tonight's performance she seemed tentative at times. Jared Angle (who looks out of shape) was a flawless partner. Not many man could partner her the way he did. Baily Jones was exuberant in third movement. Villarini-Velez danced well. His four pirouettes finishing up, seemed to surprise him! Erica Pereira (never a favorite of mine) looked great in fourth movement along with Scordato. Symphony in C always leaves me smiling! The show seemed fairly well attended but they didn't open the 4th ring.

I expected this to happen. I was surprised to see her in two ballets on a T&V show.

Stuff to work on, I'm sure she knows that, but on the right track. Nice to see.

I agree, and I say more power to her. She put in hours of hard work (not to mention coaching money) working on Giselle. If she proved to Kevin M. (and anyone looking for a guest Giselle) that she can do a role they might not have thought of her for, that's great. This was not some easy gimmick or publicity stunt. This was work she was willing to put in when the only guaranteed reward was artistic growth.

Cubanmiamiboy's comments made me realize how helpful it is to know a first timer's background. Opera lover? Watches dancing with the stars? Tastes in music? etc.