fondoffouettes

There are more photos from the same series posted on her account, detailing every bone, tendon and vein. I know she had an unusual body type, but these photos seem to celebrate skinniness at any cost (at least that’s what an impressionable young dancer could make of them).

What sort of message is Whelan trying to convey with this post? I’ll admit I found the image shocking, though I don’t believe anyone, fat or skinny, deserves to be shamed for how they look. What is a young dancer to make of an image like this?

Seriously -- the Balanchine moment seems unremarkable enough (though I can't picture it right now), and Martins decision to turn a slap into an arrested slap doesn't seem like an echo worth mentioning. Of course the article mostly skirts the issue of the artistic merit of Martins' works. I agree they shouldn't be removed from the repertory because of his past behavior; they should removed because most of them are dreadful.

I never thought they'd dump the Martins full-lengths immediately -- like the article says, they are money-makers -- but frankly, City Ballet's interim directors aren't really in a position of authority to predict which of his works will remain in the repertoire long-term, unless one or more of them expects to remain in power permanently. A new AD could easily sweep aside all or most of Martins' plotless works, even if they are already programmed for next season. Maybe over the next decade or so, at least one or two of the Martins full-lengths can be replaced with a new production.

I feel conflicted about the Koch Theater. The refurbishments have made it the most comfortable theater in the city, at least among the ones I frequent. It’s definitely enhanced my enjoyment of going to NYCB. I’m so happy ABT does their fall season there rather than City Center, with its hard seats and awful legroom. I wish the money had come from another source, but I am glad it came from somewhere. Just as a side note — was it the Koch money that was supposed to help the acoustics of that theater for when NYCO was in residence? I ask because I feel like I can always hear the NYCB orchestra so well, even in orchestra balance, which is not the case at the Met.

LOL -- AT&T logo ending is a great way to describe it. I hadn't seen Apollo in some years, until this season, and the ending felt so anticlimactic to me. The glowing sun looked sort of funky, and seems too obvious.

When I recently saw Lowery in 4 Ts, filling in for Mearns, I enjoyed her more than I have before, but her dancing still had a cumbersome quality. She's like an Amazon without fire or beauty. I agree with others that LeCrone excels in leotard ballets, but I don't love her dancing (though it's hard for me to pin down exactly why). Her face is very offputting, at least for me.

It's pretty frustrating that the company feels such an obligation to perform only Balanchine's final iterations of his ballets. Suite No. 3 is pleasant enough, but it pales in comparison to the brilliance of Theme and Variations on its own. I'm not saying the full suite should never be performed, but I don't think it needs to accompany T&V every time it's performed. Would it kill the company to, once in a blue moon, perform Square Dance with a caller, or to perform the original version of Apollo with the birthing scene? The company seems to have a very narrow-minded view of what it means to preserve the legacy of Balanchine. It's time for NYCB to stop think about pleasing "Mr. B" and to treat Balanchine like any other genius-artist. The company has every right to pick and choose how it presents Balanchine's works.

I think you are right, and there is the old Van Hamel/Bissell video of it, as well. I know it's a lesser work, but I think it's fun and definitely worthy of a revival. It could be a great vehicle for Ashley Bouder or Tiler Peck, among others.

This is what he says in that story: "Oh, look at that. That's like f*ing Dexter. Like, you've got a plastic sheet [up?] right there. Like this smell, I'm like, I wonder what has gone on in here."

It looks like rates are only around $125 a night, which for a hotel in an urban area is pretty inexpensive (at least compared to major coastal cities). I'm sure ABT would have gotten a group discount for a block of rooms, too. The reviews online are mixed but not terrible. A lot of them point to a lack of cleanliness and a run-down quality, though. But yeah, it's pretty close to the Opera House. I wonder where they put up the dancers the last time they were in Detroit. I have to imagine it was someplace different, as I recall no posts about their hotel experience last time... Edited to add: Well, it looks like at least Stella Abrera stayed at the Hilton last time:

Okay — I’ll defer to Helene or any other moderator on this one. I’d like to respect whatever the policy is. I guess part of me feels that anything anyone posts on the internet essentially becomes a permanent statement, whether it’s taken down or not. There’s no true ephemera in this age. But I also want to be respectful of the dancers. (I screenshotted the images last night and hadn’t checked back since then.) Moderators — please just delete this post if it goes into “discussing the discussion” territory. It’s truly not my intention, but LadyBubbles brings up an interesting point.

Apparently the Holiday Inn where they’ve put up the ABT staff and dancers leaves a lot to be desired...

I completely agree. Even in a less-than-perfect performance, I was so impressed and moved by Four Ts. And nothing felt more like "balm for the soul" than the Andante section of Divertimento ... Does NYCB ever present Theme and Variations as a standalone piece? I appreciate Suite No. 3 as a sort of foil to the brilliant grandeur of T&V, but I feel T&V is more effective when presented on its own. It's a perfect ballet that needs no prelude. If they wanted to give Tchai Pas a rest (as wonderful as it is), how about Sylvia Pas de Deux? It's similar in length and filled with razzle-dazzle moments, if not as gasp-inducing as Tchai Pas. Does NYCB ever perform the work? Is there some problem with securing rights?

Maria was truly heaven on earth in Chaconne. Her arabesque...those extensions. She exuded such serenity and seemed to execute the steps with such ease. She looked so calm, as if the technical demands didn't faze her at all. I very much enjoyed D-W, who gave a taut performance and seemed an excellent partner. The part where he and Mearns had issues looked lovely tonight; I loved how Maria swung so far to the side, though I barely noticed that her leg was bent. Something looked funky to me in the move that occurs in this video from 3:03 to 3:07, but it was hard to judge from the angle I viewed it. Maria seemed perfectly comfortable with all the pirouettes, though maybe just a tad tentative in one or two. 4 Ts was great, though I agree I wasn't crazy about Suozzi (was he overdoing things a bit?). I thought Sanguinic suited Lowery much better than Choleric, and she looked better in this than in any other role I've seen her. Lecrone was fine in Choleric. Olivia Boisson had a nasty fall -- the type where it seemed like she fell forward and almost face-planted. She then had that other error following soon after. She seemed pretty uncomfortable, but I hope it was just frazzled nerves and not an injury. She was beautiful in the opening PDD. Woodward was gorgeous in Divertimento. There were two really dicey moments in the Andante pdd with Finlay, but they managed to somewhat save the moments. Finlay looked leaden in his jumps, and yes, it seemed that he was dancing on tired legs. He also seems so focused on getting through things that it left him without much stage presence. Bouder was in her element, dancing at lightning speed...just a blip in one of her turns.

So is the Martins R&J not totally dreadful? I've only watched the videos Kathryn Morgan has posted of herself in it, and the choreography seemed somewhat repetitive and unimaginative. (BTW -- I'm not a huge fan of the MacMillan R&J overall, but it has it sublime moments.) I don't think I can sit through the Martins Swan Lake again, no matter who is cast in it. Sleeping Beauty is less offensive, but perhaps more disappointing because of all the cuts and odd pacing. Canbelto, I think you once called it a "drive-through Sleeping Beauty," which is such an apt description. I can't wait for the day when NYCB's full-lengths by Martins are replaced. Many of ABT's full-lengths have their own flaws, so I'm eager to see new alternatives at NYCB, ideally ones that allow the dancers to truly become the characters.

I didn't think Bell was too tall either, but then I was surprised to see how tall he looks in this recent pic on Instagram. He looks at least as tall if not taller than Stearns, who has partnered some of the tallest women in the company. And he's standing next to April Giangeruso, who I believe is on the tall side. (I know height can be tricky to determine based on photos, though.)

I hear ya, its the mom. When I think about the youngest corps members earning somewhere around $1,000 a week, with weeks of work lost to layoffs, I can only imagine it's a struggle to make it in NYC. It brings to mind that scene, I believe from The Company, with corps dancers crashing on the floor of some seedy apartment. This is part of the reason why ballet -- and the arts in general -- suffer from a diversity problem in terms of both artistic and management staff. It's easier to take the risk of a career in the arts if you are from a privileged background, and if you are from a privileged background, at least in the U.S., you're more likely to be white. It's not just institutional racism that keeps ballet stages predominantly white. Part of what bothered me about the Copeland narratives from a couple years ago is that most of them didn't delve into the full complexity of why ballet lacks diversity. It's not all about artistic directors or audiences being bogged down in white European tradition and not wanting to see "black swans" on stage. I realize, of course, that there are plenty of dancers from humble backgrounds -- of all races -- that take the risk of pursuing a dance career despite the financial uncertainties. I should mention, though, that I've seen lots of positive comments on ABT's Facebook about the degree of diversity in the company, and not just in relation to Misty Copeland.

I'm glad the lowest-paid corps members are getting the highest increases in their salaries, but even those percentages are somewhat similar to cost-of-living raises. Some of the other increases seem so minimal: "The company’s better-paid soloists will not get raises in the first two years, and will get a 1 percent raise in the third year of the contract." A 1 percent raise, really? In three years, some of those "better-paid soloists" may already be retired. And the contributions to retirement plans only increase from 3.75% to 4.00% (in the third year of the contract). How will a quarter of a percentage point help these dancers set themselves up for retirement? I'm relieved things have been settled, and a strike averted, but I'm sad the dancers didn't get more.

Okay -- to be honest, I kind of regret commenting on his social media persona (though I meant it half in jest); I don't think it necessarily says anything about his character. I've found that he documents himself...his face, his anatomy...a lot -- even by dancer standards -- but I'll just leave it at that. He's obviously a beautiful person and I've always enjoyed him at ABT.

I completely agree, abatt. I've been wondering if organizations like NYCB are hoping and waiting for these stories to fade from public consciousness; as everyone keeps saying, the news cycle feels more accelerated than ever. (I keep thinking, how much longer is it going to take for the Met to change Levine's status from suspended to terminated?) At both NYCB and the Met, I think there are issues of who knew what and when, whether the board and management were complicit, etc. By staying silent, it seems like they are doing so for self-preservation. For the reasons you've stated above, I believe NYCB should be completely transparent. As curious as I am about the circumstances surrounding Gomes' resignation, I don't see ABT saying anything further on the matter (unless some new allegations or details come to light). If his actions in any way impacted his colleagues at ABT, then I'd feel differently. In terms of the succession issue, I wonder who would be the best at restoring some of the original details and nuances of Balanchine's works. I hear again and again from people who saw NYCB "back in the day" that details are missing and works aren't danced properly. I'd really like to see these works as Balanchine intended (and not just on video!). Why were these details lost during Martins' tenure? Was it just inevitable with the passage of time? Was he not engaging the right coaches (e.g., Farrell and John Clifford)? Or was it just not a priority for Martins? I realize ballet is a living art form -- and I wouldn't want NYCB to turn into a museum -- but I really hope they hire someone with a keen eye for staging Balanchine works or someone who is willing to engage the best coaches.

So, based on his social media presence, I kind of feel like Bolle has turned into a Dorian Gray figure who is deeply in love with himself. Many ballet dancers do quite a bit of navel-gazing, but Bolle takes it to a whole other level. It's kind of creepy. I mean, the number of videos he posts of his bulbous calf muscles flexing... I gather that he's been a rather gracious partner, but I wonder if this self-loving persona has been evident onstage at all? I haven't seen him in a few years now...

And yet he continues to be cast in high-octane roles that show his current shortcomings (Theme and Variations from a couple seasons ago comes to mind). I could have sworn he was only marking in an Allegro Brillante last season. Yet, he continues to be a solid partner, and NYCB seems to be somewhat accepting of male dancers that are good partners but lackluster in solo dancing. (I've sometimes felt this way about the Angle brothers, though I enjoy them much more than Veyette in his current state.) Veyette should bow out gracefully, while he still somewhat can.

I can see how the one in Chaconne would be particularly treacherous, though. It almost seems more like a promenade than a supported pirouette to me. She's leaning to the side, her supporting leg is bent, and her partner doesn't even grip her -- she just links her arm with his and has to depend on gravity to keep her in the right place. I can only imagine how easy it would be for the women to get off her leg in that situation. I love the bent-leg turns in Apollo that you mention, and they were executed beautifully by the three Muses in yesterday's matinee performance. They seem potentially less treacherous in that the man is gripping both of their hands the entire time and they are centered, not leaning to the side. They still look incredibly tricky, though!

This makes me very nervous to see Kowroski in Chaconne, which certainly seems as technically demanding as Mozartiana, if not more so.