angelica

Then it would be one step forward, two steps back: ABT would be back to importing guest artists and we'd be up in arms about ABT's need to promote its own dancers. I'm definitely one of Stella's most ardent admirers, but Stella is learning La Fille, Coq d'Or, and ABT's new version of Beauty this season. I'd love to see her as Odette/Odile and/or Juliet, but she would need more time than this to learn the roles and interpret them to her and our standards. Remember that she had already danced Giselle in several performances and been coached by the AD himself before she was given that lightening opportunity last year. We want to see Stella at her very best. Now Sarah, on the other hand, has danced Odette/Odile, and I think, though I'm not sure, that she has also danced Juliet. Once again, she's being passed over. And ITA with everyone who said that ABT should have understudies ready to take over at the slightest glitch. The corps should be understudying the soloists and the soloists should be understudying the principals. Between seasons, so they're ready when the season is upon us.

I often tell the caller that he/she shouldn't waste his/her time on the phone with me because I have no more money to contribute. That usually lights up a bulb in their brains.

Off the top of my head, I can think of three current male ABT principal slots that would have been better filled by corps men who were hired and promoted by other companies. Yes, I do mean finishing your career as a dancer. I know of one beautiful dancer who simply grew tired of spending 7 hours a day, after company class, rehearsing for performances. He said that they made you do the same things over and over again. Now he is teaching ballet and pursuing a new career. Tom Forster and Aaron Scott made the point in a Spotlight Seminar that as soloists they suddenly have so much more time to do other things--maybe cross-train, take other classes, recover, whatever. I believe that many of the decisions regarding dancers made in the last several years have been huge mistakes on the part of the AD, whose focus was too much on the present and not sufficiently on the future.

I wrote this on a different online site, so I'm quoting myself, but it seems completely relevant to this thread: It seems that the ABT corps de ballet is becoming a finishing school of sorts: it prepares you for soloist or principal status at other companies; or it finishes your career altogether.

I would love to see Ethan hired as a coach. Then maybe the company could do a better job of grooming its men for Principal status.

Thank you, Drew, it was driving me crazy, and I couldn't even find it on Google, although obviously I was too impatient to do a comprehensive search. And I hope you get to see Cory's Colas. I also want to see Stella in Fille, which means subjecting myself to my least favorite male dancer, but I'd do anything for Stella.

Interesting, Stuben, that you find Cory Stearns an expressive dancer. I "discovered" him, so to speak, when he was just beginning to dance prominent roles, as James in La Sylphide. What struck me most was his beautiful line as well as his adorable face--he was still just a boy. But since then audience members have complained that he needs to be more expressive on stage--that they found him a blank in ballets such as Swan Lake and Onegin. He was praised, however, for his performance as Iago in that one-act ballet based on Othello (I can't think of the name right now, darn it). My take, sitting in the front of the orchestra, was that he was, indeed, expressive, but at the same time self-effacing, not self-promoting or affected. And when he partnered Veronika Part in Swan Lake, I think he felt an enormous responsibility to her and the audience, which hampered his ability to act on stage. But in the studio rehearsal with Gillian this year, he seems to have come into his own. He's a man now, no longer a boy, and seems to have gained in confidence. He was sweet and funny in the role of Colas. His jumps and turns were perfect and heart-stopping. I think this is going to be The Year of Cory Stearns. I'm so glad you like him too!

ITA, Stuben. In addition to which, his upper body is stiff and unexpressive. I think the danseur to watch this season is Cory Stearns. I saw him in a studio rehearsal of La Fille Mal Gardee with Gillian Murphy, and he was simply gorgeous in every way, with an exquisite line and heart-stopping jumps and turns.

Glad I didn't buy that ticket for Part's SL. I think Whiteside is better able to partner Part than Hammoudi, but I simply don't enjoy watching him.

I'm right with you there, choriamb. When I read bingham's post (and before I read yours), I immediately remembered Stella's terrific performance as Mercedes in Don Q. I predict she'll be a wonderful Lise. This year.

I think those of us who have been rewarded by the promotion of Stella Abrera to Principal Dancer might do well to turn our attention to advocating for the promotion of Sarah Lane. This is an exquisite rendition, and thank you, laurel, for posting it.

Tom47, I'd be interested to know what the second grouping (not "Athletic Arts") would consist of. I don't think of ballet as an Athletic Art, except insofar as some dancers are exceptional turners (Corella) or jumpers (Cornejo), but rather an art that uses classical ballet placement and steps to convey something beyond the kinetic action itself. Even Balanchine, referring to his non-story ballets, said something to the effect of (and I paraphrase here) that when you put a woman and a man onstage, already there is a story. As an aside, I read in last Tuesday's science section of The New York Times that parrots are the only animals that sway in time to music.

Haha!

I learned the word "cygnet" from the ballet programs of my youth. Now I see that in its Swan Lake programs ABT is spelling the word as "cygnettes," which obviously is intended to mean little female swans but I cannot find "cygnette" in any dictionary.

Please, Mr. Abatt, do schlep out to Connecticut to see Stella so that you can tell us about the performance. I would love to go too, but am already committed for that day.

Wasn't there an article in The New York Times several years ago about three corps members of New York City Ballet who weren't having their contracts renewed? I believe the gist of the article was that management felt that they weren't going to progress within the company and it wanted to make room for newcomers. I would call that out-and-out firing, no?

Thanks, ABT Fan and Helene. That's good to know.

Does anyone know how to post the Instagram photo on BA for all to see?

The house was quite full both times I attended, except for the fourth ring, and the dancing on every level of the hierarchy was superb. With the programming and casting of the spring season, perhaps ABT is entering a new and better era, for dancers and audience alike.

Now that, Kaysta, is a very astute observation.

Thanks, Faux Pas, that's sweet. I know what you mean about Veronika's partner in Swan Lake. Right now there is no one at ABT (with the exception of Bolle) who can partner her well and also dance well. I understand that Whiteside is a great partner, but as a dancer, at least for me, he falls very short. Now there would be an opportunity for an international guest artist--to partner Veronika in Swan Lake. I just think that Whiteside is not Principal material--he dances very stiffly and makes the difficult parts look difficult, which is not the idea. I didn't expect that Stella would get a Swan Lake this season, but maybe next. As for Stella getting Giselle, my understanding is that she had danced Giselle in the Philippines, with Whiteside I believe, and then had the opportunity to dance it again in Australia, for which she was coached by ABT's Artistic Director. So when the opening came up, she was certainly a contender. Cory is so adorable and has a beautiful ballet line. If ABT would give him major acting lessons, they might have a real principal on their hands!

I totally agree, Faux Pas. I have been one of the complainers and was thrilled the see the casting for the spring season. Stella Abrera's promotion to Principal Dancer is a dream come true for me, and I'd been waiting with bated breath to see which ballets she'd be cast in. I'm glad that she's been given two Filles, two Golden Cockerels, in addition to Seven Sonatas and second lead in Corsaire, a role I believe she has danced before.The icing on the cake is her Sleeping Beauty with Gomes, which for me will be the highlight of the season, in addition to the Ferri/Cornejo R&J. I'm glad that Part has some evening performances, although I wish she had a better partner for her signature Swan Lake. In future seasons I would love to see Stella in R&J, at least two Giselles per season, Bayadere, maybe Swan Lake. After all she's been through, I believe that woman can do anything. The only "international guest artist" I will miss is Evgenia Obraztsova, whose Juliet last season with Cornejo was deeply moving and utterly divine.

The partnership of the inimitable Ferri and The Great Cornejo is in a class by itself, and isn't what I would call "guest artists." This evening will sell out the house, even at the higher price. I will help it along.

God willing, he will be the next Artistic Director of ABT. Sooner rather than later!

Cringe-inducing indeed, Drew. I am so tired of seeing those old videos which show our ballet legends as overweight, short-limbed, having poor technique with bent legs, and i find them difficult to watch. The almost unreadable English subtitles didn't help. I wasn't crazy about the repertoire that was presented, perhaps in part because of the small stage, and I thought they could have been more creative here. Also, I found the references to the legends of the past too selective: where was my beloved Maximova? Bessmertnova? Semenyaka? But Lopatkina could not have been more divine and gracious.