On Pointe

I concede that that info ups the ante, if true. That detail from the complaint comes from Waterbury. But according to Maxwell, there was only one photo, which she knew Ramasar was taking. Maxwell is twenty-five, not fifteen, mature enough to realize that in this digital age, it's likely that more than one person might see the photo, given the fact that it's estimated that 70%+ of cell phone owners share images of an intimate nature. It would be different if Ramasar took the photos surreptitiously. At any rate Maxwell is the only party who might have been violated, but she's not making a complaint. That fact seems to bother Waterbury the most. She expects women who, unlike herself, actually did make it into NYCBallet, to blow up their own spot and end their relationships, too. All because she was done wrong by Chase Finlay. It's a bit rich that she's complaining about her conversation being recorded when she is the one who went through Finlay's texts and revealed conversations that had nothing to do with her.

That doesn't change the fact that mere toplessness (if there is such a word) is not sexually explicit, especially since being topless in NYC, even in public, is legally permissible. There are topless women on the beaches and walking around Times Square (at least in the summertime!).

According to the article, Alexa Maxwell did not insinuate anything about Alexandra Waterbury. She stated what Ms. Waterbury said to her, and Waterbury concurs that she discussed the possible monetary gain from successfully suing NYCB. Surely Waterbury was aware that without an actual member of NYCB suing the company, there would be no basis for a lawsuit, even a suit that would likely fail because it is well-established in law that an employer can not be held liable for the non-work related activities of its employees. Bottom line, Amar Ramasar did not do anything to Waterbury, and neither did NYCB, SAB, Zachary Catazaro or Jared Longhitano. I find it particularly disturbing that Ramasar has become the villain in this debacle while the uber-Waspy Chase Finlay, who is the true perpetrator, is barely mentioned. Even the UK publication The Guardian has run an article with exaggerations and falsehoods from Waterbury, including that she and several other dancers were "assaulted". It seems like blatant racism to me. (I believe that Ramasar shared a topless photo of Maxwell. "Topless" is not "sexually explicit", especially given the countless artistic depictions of women with exposed breasts, even by well-regarded dance companies. If someone knows otherwise please inform me.)

Considering that this Swan Lake featurette was shot some time ago, I wonder if Sara Mearns and especially Ashley Bouder would be so comp!imentary to Peter Martins' production today? I have never seen it, but it looks pretty good in the video, even though the costumes are problematic. Years ago, I was told that American costume designers consider green a bad luck color on stage. Evidently Per Kirkeby doesn't share that superstition. (I'm a fan of the brilliant young actress Florence Pugh, who is so good in Greta Gerwig's Little Women. To me, Pugh and Sara Mearns look amazingly alike. Maybe it's just me.)

In Broadway or jazz dance, that step is closest to a "hitch kick", although my ballet teacher called it "jeté passé".

If what the kids wear is not makeup, what is it? I can see that they're wearing dark tights and gloves, but what about their faces? Yes, some characters have darkened skin in Bayadere. But not Nikiya, Gamzatti, Solor or the Shades.

This is Robert Downey Jr in the very funny comedy Tropic Thunder: http://www.strangecultureblog.com/2008/11/how-badly-do-they-want-to-nominate.html The photo on the right is Downey without makeup, the photo on the left is him playing a white actor who is made up to look like a black man. As you can see, the makeup is very realistic. This is NOT blackface. Compare that to the photo of the Russian girls. I liked Tropic Thunder, I got a big laugh out of Downey's Australian method actor who tried to be black even when he wasn't acting. The political climate has changed a bit and although Tropic Thunder is an obvious farce, it might be difficult to get it made today. It is possible to make up performers so that they realistically look like an actual person of another race and not a racist caricature, but you better have a damn good reason for doing so. Angelina Jolie played Marianne Pearl in A Mighty Heart because Pearl, who is of mixed black ancestry asked her to. Here they are side by side: https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/05/31/6-real-life-black-characters-that-hollywood-cast-as-white-people-instead/ It's hard to do this kind of makeup in ballet because of the sweat factor and because so much of the body is exposed. But if the Russians see no need to darken the lead ballerinas in Bayadere, the world wouldn't end if they got rid of the blackface "golliwogs".

I took a look at Misty Copeland 's Twitter to try to understand the outrage her comments seemed to have engendered, as I felt that the statement she made directly was quite innocuous. It was an eye-opening experience, not because of what Misty posted, but because of the racist invective sent her way by the girls' defenders, especially from Russians. I now believe that the "little girls" were fully aware of the racist connotations of their costuming, and that they found it amusing. In my opinion, they should have realized that you're safest when you keep your bigotry under wraps, among like-minded individuals. But they were old enough to know that Instagram goes out to the world, and blowback was forseeable and expected. The singer Camila Cabello's racist posts have seriously damaged her career, because while anti-black racism is common among Cuban-Americans, she was considered old enough to know better than to go public. She was around the same age as the Russian girls at the time. If Misty should apologize, the Russians should apologize as well. But we all know they won't because all they regret is the threats they're getting. Any sympathy I had for them is limited.

Just to clarify, to black Americans like me, whose ancestors have been in this country since decades before the American Revolution, anyone whose family arrived here in the last thirty years or so is considered a recent immigrant. As she was adopted at age four by a white family, I don't necessarily consider Michaela DePrince an immigrant at all. (I have read her book, and her account of her early life is harrowing. She still appears to suffer from PTSD.) Precious Adams was discriminated against at the Bolshoi school, although her teachers seemed to be dedicated to her success. They refused to cast her in vital end-of-term school performances, even though white Americans were cast. She seems to be doing well at ENB, where her decision to stop performing in pink tights went over better than it probably would have at ABT or NYCB.

I'm curious - what did Michaela DePrince say about racism? Her life story is so unique I'm not sure that anything she has to say applies to anyone but herself. (African Americans generally dislike being conflated with recent African immigrants. It has become something of a hot button issue.) I'd heard about it, but that photo made me sick to my stomach. You seem to be implying that Misty Copeland is the one acting with malign intent, and that she intentionally wanted to make those girls' lives hell. I believe that a principal dancer has more important things to do.

I don't believe that blackface and yellow face are equivalent, but I recognize that others disagree. But she did. Misty said, "this is the WORLD I live in". She did not say anything about the girls. I believe that a reasonable person would infer that she was making a comment about the institution of classical ballet, not two young girls whose identity is completely obscured. Do people set themselves up as spokespersons, or do leaders emerge? When he was alive it was Arthur Mitchell. Could be that, considering the endless vitriol hurled at Misty, other black dancers are reluctant to put themselves out more in the public eye.

"However, imagine receiving a message from a famous dancer wanting to talk to you about your photo... I can only imagine they would have been thrilled!" When did Misty Copeland send such a message? The choreography is not a point of contention. Are you equating performing steps with the image of a white person daubed in sooty makeup as a representation of a black person? The Bolshoi could present Bayadere without blackface and without changing a step. Interesting that although the ballet is set in India, none of the principals ever perform in even slightly darker makeup. Misty Copeland is allowed to have an emotional response to an image without being responsible for the reaction of the various nutjobs who attack with the slightest provocation. I don't believe that the over-the-top harassment was entirely forseeable. Misty has said far harsher things about ballet institutions. She's also not required to be the perfect spokesperson for racial issues. Doesn't Instagram bear responsibility for images it allows on its platform? If the Russians just couldn't imagine that the photo was offensive, somebody at Instagram should have known better and taken it down with a warning.

The old USSR used to emphasize the history of slavery, Jim Crow and the civil rights struggle in the US, including demeaning images of black people, because it made America look bad. Perhaps the curriculum has changed over the years, but Russia is not some clueless backwater where people are totally unaware of what goes on elsewhere. In Europe, the Netherlands specifically, there is an ongoing debate about the tradition of blacking up to portray Black Peter at Christmas time. Europeans know these depictions are controversial at the least, Russians included. https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/netherlands-blackface-christmas-tradition.htm It's useless to speculate about the intent of the girls in the photo. But it's a safe bet that Misty Copeland doesn't spend her days combing through Instagram images of Russian ballet students looking for someone to harass.

Does anyone know how the Instagram post came to Misty Copeland's attention? (Maybe someone thought it would be "fun" to send it to her to see how she would react.) Any number of people could have seen the photo and the Instagram handles without Misty. And a lot of people love to threaten and intimidate on the internet, no encouragement necessary. ETA If you post a photo that is very offensive to a large chunk of the world's population, you shouldn't be surprised that a lot of people don't like it. If you still think that all of this is Misty Copeland's fault, and everything would have been acceptable if she hadn't done anything, nothing I post here will have any meaning to you, but I am interested in knowing what you believe her punishment for being offended shouod be.

While the dancers are young, I wouldn't describe them as "little girls". Of all the costumes in a massive ballet like La Bayadere, I have to wonder why they chose to showcase these. You can't even see who they are, which is kind of the point. They are depicting things, not people who think and feel and love. Of course they didn't find the costumes offensive. (Note to Russian costumers - black people don't have black palms.). They are "traditional", and it's not like it was their ox being gored. I can even imagine the incredulous response they would get from management if they protested having to participate in this racial degradation. Because that's what it is - degradation. People should be free to express ideas and opinions that are abhorrent to others. But freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from the consequences of their actions. I'm sorry the girls got their feelings hurt. Now imagine what a young black ballet student feels when one of the world's great ballet companies puts that image out into the world. I'm glad that Misty Copeland said something.

"And this is the reality of the ballet world." Am I missing something? This is, as far as I know, Misty Copeland's only remark. Where is the " violence"? If the other side can't hear her, it's because they don't want to acknowledge the truth of her statement, which is actually very mild. The Russians are not claiming ignorance about the significance of blackface in the US. They are saying in effect, "This is the way we've always done it and the way we will continue to do it in our production , American sensibilities be damned". All the verbal violence is on their side. They could use a few courses in public relations. Buying tickets to the ballet, like posting offensive photos online, is an optional activity.

If the presentation of offensive racist caricatures is "out of their control" when a foreign company performs on their stage, the theater could add a warning and a disclaimer when tickets are sold, and in the program itself. That's in their control. It's common for theaters to advise ticket holders when there will be smoke, flashing lights or gunshots in a production, as these can trigger strong negative physical and mental responses in some people. The sight of white children in blackface, comp!ete with white eye circles and red lips, definitely would trigger most black Americans! If anyone wonders how and why, I recommend the Spike Lee film, Bamboozled, especially the last few minutes. It's a darkly humorous look at the use of black caricatures and as a p!us, tap phenom Savion Glover is the star.

Not long ago, one often heard about the "ugly American". (Not that they're all gone now.). This described an American bashing his way through foreign cultures with no regard for the customs and sensibilities of people in other countries. This was a phrase of derision. Americans now are constantly admonished to be respectful of the history and mores of others. It works both ways. They can do what they want at home. But if Russians want to play in the US and rake in American dollars, they need to be respectful of our culture and our mores. Blackface is extremely offensive in American society. Certainly I find that photo of the two young dancers absolutely repulsive. It's possible to wear dark makeup that looks somewhat natural, but those kids don't even look human. If you insist on presenting this image in the US, you might get tears, you might get walkouts, or you might get punched in the throat. It's unfortunate that the young dancers got bullied, but that's on the bullies, not Misty Copeland. Posting the most innocuous material on social media can unleash an unhinged response from troubled individuals. Those girls are old enough to have been warned about a possible reaction. (Maybe I missed it, but where did Misty reveal their names?). For some years there have been racist incidents in Russia and the former USSR, mostly against African students, and there is a thriving skinhead movement, so the Russians can't claim that they had no idea of the offensive nature of blackface. They know and they don't care. Fine. So keep Bayadere at home when they travel. (By the way, the Bolshoi had black female dancers before ABT and NYCB, most notably Marjorie Scott, whose father was an American tap dancer. At any rate, they have seen black people before, and they know that the depictions in the photo are crude caricatures.)

Someone in Russia suffered a breakdown because someone in the US didn't like a photo on her Instagram? Russian ballet teachers are pretty tough on their students. How ever did she make it that far? This strikes me as villainizing Misty Copeland beyond all reason.

But how do they keep the water from seeping under the stage? Mist is one thing, rain is another. How do they collect the water and dry the stage for the next show? I was in a classic show where there was a heavy mist effect in the opening. It looked spectacular, but the chemicals used to create it didn't feel safe to be breathing in at all. After a while they cut down on the mist and achieved a similar look with lighting. Directors can be very cavalier about the risks to the performers when they get heavily invested in their vision for a show. Most of the WSS cast is made up of youngsters making their Broadway debuts. They might be reticent about insisting that their safety be prioritized, and probably aren't aware that they can and should make a complaint to Actors Equity.

Broadway fans are starting to call WSS "Spider Man", after the infamous doomed musical that took out actor after actor with serious injuries during its lengthy previews. At some performances Tony, Maria, Riff and Anita have all been played by understudies. According to viewers, the onstage rain lasts for about forty minutes! At some point in the near future, I expect that Actors Equity will have to demand that the producers take the health and safety of the performers more seriously and cut back on the use of water in the show. (I really would like to know how it works, from a stage management point of view.)

My old ballet teacher used to have us sprinkle water on the wooden studio floors at the start of class, because of tradition and because she disliked the use of rosin. But there is simulated rainfall in WSS. There is a considerable amount of water on the stage, and people who have seen the show have warned that audience members in the first few rows are bound to get wet. The choreography calls for sliding in the water. I hope the dancers are getting hazard pay!

West Side Story is racking up the casualties, which was predictable given the use of water on the stage surface, and possibly because the dancers are inexperienced in performing eight times a week. In some recent performances, there have been more than six understudies on stage (who seem to be excellent according to audience members). Isaac Powell who plays Tony has sustained a knee injury that has him on crutches and out of the show for now. Ben Cook, who played Riff, was injured so badly during the rumble that he has been replaced by Dharon E. Jones, which frankly makes little sense to me. In his conception of WSS, Van Hove has integrated the Jets. Dharon Jones is black. The idea that there would be a mixed street gang betrays a profound ignorance of American racial dynamics. Van Hove has said that he wanted to make a statement about Americans being anti-immigrant. But in the original concept of the show, the Jets were made up of white kids of recent immigrant origin. There's even a line about Tony - real name Anton - being Polish. (Isaac Powell is a biracial African American but probably reads white from the stage. Ironically, Puerto Ricans are American citizens at birth and not immigrants at all.) As a black American myself, I find the notion that black kids would unite with white kids against Puerto Ricans, who are of mixed black, white and native ancestry, not credible in the least. Street gangs weren't integrated in the 1950s and they aren't integrated now. (Not to mention the fact that most Americans are not anti-immigrant.) Perhaps someone who has seen the show can comment on how that works out visually.

The cast may want to hide, but they are contractually obligated to promote the film. I doubt this will hurt Hayward as most of her reviews have been quite good. Fairchild is largely unrecognizable.

Lol - you should see the bad reviews! Here are the stars promoting Cats on the Tonight Show. Francesca Hayward is amazingly confident singing alongside Taylor Swift, Jason DeRulo, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden and Jennifer Hudson, which would be daunting for singers with years of experience: