Well, it happened!! The gala event has come and gone, and I will let CarolinaM give you the details when she gets back on the site since she actually attended it (I haven't yet checked to see if she has openned a new thread with the info... so, OK, I am a little slow about this forum stuff!! :blush: ). She and I met the morning after for coffee, and for me there didn't seem to be a lot of really new information, but we DID happen to meet Ángel's father just outside the Angel Corella Dance Store next to the Teatro Real. When I inquired about whether Ángel would be missing the first Madrid auditions due to his dance schedule in Chicago, he affirmed that Ángel would be at ALL the auditions, even the Saturday morning one, and did not seem to be aware that there was a "schedule conflict" (nor is there any private jet!!)....perhaps he will change his performance schedule with ABT in Chicago????? As you can see, not all the details are yet clear, so keep watching for updates as things become more concrete!!
I was very disappointed that none of the major national newspapers carried anything about the gala or the project--a sad commentary on how much Spain (at least the Spanish press) is clueless when it comes to ballet and this, their own shining international star. Luckily, there were at least 3 or 4 smaller regional papers that had great articles online about the event and the project. As reported, the Angel Corella Foundation expects to work with an estimated 10million € ($13.3) budget, 6 for the new company and 3+ for the school. As for the school, set to start for the fall of 2008, the general reaction to the announced cost of attending it among ballet forum folks in Spain is one of dismay and shock: 35,000€ (something like $45,000) is the annual fee!
However, it was stated that no child with the right physical conditions would be left out because of the money... the family would pay according to their ability, and scholarships would cover the rest... so that this would not be a school solely for the wealthy/elite. What does a boarding school dedicated to the arts cost per annum in the US? Anybody know?
I guess that is about it for the moment-- hope this is useful for you all!