angelica

I totally agree about Matthews. His Lensky was magnificent as was his Mercutio. My eye is drawn to Gorak also.

I'm glad that so many people on this forum like Whiteside because they will make up for the tickets I won't be buying when he is dancing. You all may be right, and I am being too quick in my judgment. But just for the record, Veronika had the "line" when she graduated from the Vaganova School. What took time for her to develop was stronger technique and greater self-confidence. Perhaps being in the midst of Hallberg and Stearns, both of whom have an exquisite "line," will help to refine Whiteside in that regard. I hope that is the case.

Well, perhaps I'm living in my own little corner of my own little world, but I go to the ballet to see beautiful classical lines. For me that's the starting point, upon which speed in a Balanchine work or drama in a Macmillan work are built. Petipa ballets are all about line. So although I may appreciate that a certain dancer has X and Y virtues (e.g., versatility, partnering ability), if the pure classical line is missing, my aesthetic appreciation is diminished.

Yes, and yes, Colleen. But I find him extremely unrefined, compared, for example, with the likes of the triumvirate of Hallberg, Matthews, and Gorak. Do go yourself and see what you think.

This is an excellent move on the part of ABT. Maybe Mr. Roberts can help those talented male corps members grow into soloists and ultimately principals, so that ABT no longer has to import foreign guest artists but can promote from within.

Skylar Brandt.

I totally agree. And now I'm going to point out, before someone "calls" me on it, that we are off topic for this particular thread. I'm complicit in that as well, I realize, by prolonging it.

I concur with Abatt, Arron Scott is my favorite Mercutio. Looking forward to your thoughts! I thought Arron Scott was wonderful in A Month in the Country. And I agree that Joseph Gorak has principal potential. But we need another tall guy. If it isn't to be Whiteside, and I just don't think it is, then who would it be? That's where I come up with Eric Tamm as a possibility.

And they're all American. Maybe it's time to close the other thread on ABT's men's crisis? You make a good point, Jayne, however I have grave reservations about the hiring of James Whiteside. We need one more tall guy, but someone who is more classical, has more elegance, and is more nuanced as an actor than Whiteside. Is there anyone in the corps who could grow into that person? Eric Tamm, perhaps? Then I'd be happy to stop using the phrase "ABT's male principal problem."

Abatt, I'm glad it wasn't just me. I agree with everything you say about last night's performance. I would add that Hallberg's "line" is the most exquisite I've ever seen in a male dancer over the course of many decades of attending the ballet. His acting, too, was exceptionally nuanced, and much more intense than Semionova's. It was a privilege to see Hallberg, the embodiment of perfection, in this role. Semionova ran quickly, flailed her arms when she was distraught, bourreed backwards with tiny steps, did gorgeous arabesques, but did not convey the same degree of drama that was displayed by Hallberg. I also thought that Jared Matthews was wonderful as Mercutio. What a threesome: Hallberg, Matthews, and Gorak! Could one ask for anything more? Well, yes, a ballerina who could match Hallberg's drama. Perhaps it's a question of maturity. Hallberg is at the top of his game. Let's say that Semionova is still in "adolescence" when it comes to drama, and needs to grow more, so that her acting shows, as someone else on this forum (or somewhere else) mentioned, more of an "inner life."

I think that for ABT the Wednesday matinees are an opportunity either to (1) try out an upcoming soloist in a principal role (when they actually promoted from within) or (2) have a principal dancer perform a role for the first time (e.g., this season, Veronika Part in Don Quixote, Hee Seo in Swan Lake, and Veronika Part in Sylvia).

Arron Scott was excellent in A Month in the Country.

I agree with this. A "campaign" is too risky. You never know what the "unintended consequences" would be.

Exactly, volcanohunter, I have no idea whether my email ever reached its intended destination. Twitter might be a good idea, especially if such a campaign "goes viral," as they say. I don't have a Twitter account and am also a Twitter ignoramus, so if anyone else thinks this might be a good idea, please post instructions on this forum of how to proceed. Thank you. The only thing we don't want is for ABT to consider it spam.

First, thank you, Helene, for making this a new thread. I don't have any good ideas. When the new Director of Membership, Grey Johnson, came on board last year, I spoke to him at a performance of Nutcracker at BAM, asking why Stella Abrera had not been promoted to Principal Dancer. He said he was so new that he didn't know anything about the situation and would ask around and get back to me. When he got back to me he said that the Membership side and the Artistic side of the Company are completely separate, and the only thing he could say was that Kevin McKenzie has the final say on matters such as this. I then sent an email to Kevin McKenzie, expressing my devotion to the Company and asking that Stella be promoted, giving a litany of reasons for my request. I had been told by the Membership Department to send it via them, asking them to please pass it on. I don't know if McKenzie ever got it. Maybe it's possible to email KMcKenzie@abt.org. and perhaps I ought to have tried to do that.

Absolutely, Dale, Jared was wonderful flipping that cape! The cape makes the role. I remember a ballet some years ago in which Jared flashed a whip onstage, maybe even jumping over and under it, and am wondering whether I'm misremembering. Does anyone else remember that? Here I go again, getting off topic. But I promise, this is the only post I'll make about this. Back to Don Q!

I agree, Natalia. We must continue to advocate for Stella. I believe Marie-Agnes Gillot became an etoile in her mid/late thirties also.

You may be right, abatt, but the larger picture (e.g., Aurora) shows that Stella has the stamina to keep up with the demands of principal status. And she has not had any recurrence of her injury since she returned to the stage. On the plus side, we are getting a lot of practice spelling the word "principal."

This is either outdated paternalism on the part of ABT ("it's for her own good") or else they're afraid their workers compensation bill will go up. Many ABT dancers have been injured, some short-term but multiple (Cornejo), some longer-term (Seo, Hallberg), and same at NYCB (Jenny Somogyi comes immediately to mind.) After dancing 10 Auroras in 30 days in Royal Ballet of New Zealand's Sleeping Beauty, it is apparent that Abrera has the ability to sustain herself in full-length ballets. (On a completely different topic, I'll be out of town just long enough to miss ALL the performances of the new Ratmansky ballet(s), so I'm looking to my fellow Alerters to keep me informed. Thanks in advance, everyone.)

Well, that's just crazy. All dancers get injured. It comes with the territory. ABT has seen it's share of injured personal. To deny promotion based on that criteria is nuts. There maybe is some other reason? One has only to look at how she's dancing so far this season to understand she is most definitely of principle caliber. I totally agree, mimsyb. And didn't Veronika Part wait a long time for her promotion to Principal. Does anyone know how old she was when she was given Principal Dancer status?

Off-topic for this thread...but where are you finding these hints of programming for spring 2014? Manon seems a safe guess, as they are doing it in Japan in February (as posted by the Japanese theater). If Giselle, I wonder if they'll let Gillian do it, after her success in New Zealand in their new production (and as it appears they are not bringing it to the US next year). It's just a guess, because for many years they've been presenting Giselle every other year. Isn't it an audience favorite? I've just been taking it for granted.

I don't know how to do this either, Colleen, but I'm hoping that Stella gets to dance the title role when ABT presents Giselle next spring. I've tried asking people in the membership office (the closest I've been able to get to the administrative side) and been told that it's Keviin McKenzie himself who makes all the artistic decisions. Admittedly, Stella was cast as Giselle in a Wednesday matinee performance a few years ago but got injured and had to withdraw. A cruel twist of fate. But she's back at the top of her game now, and her time has come.

You are so right about Stella, Colleen. It seems that many on this board feel the same way. How can we convince the board at ABT? Or the Artistic Director?

I saw Veronika Part's debut as Kitri in this afternoon's Don Q, and I thought she was absolutely wonderful, with her luxurious line, gorgeous legs and feet in high extensions, 180-degree grand jetes, and a long line of double pique turns. It was reassuring to see this eloquent dancer, who is a master in adagio, execute the bravura choreography--not to win applause, but in service to the ballet--a performance well worth waiting for! She put her heart and soul into every movement, a truly committed artist. As for her Basilio, James Whiteside, although he can execute 6 turns in pirouettes and smack double cabrioles in the air, and although everyone else on this board seemed to like him in other ballets, I was troubled that he didn't seem to know that it's his responsibility to keep his partner on her leg in supported pirouettes. Surely he could have spun her around many more times if he'd paid attention to that. From Row A Orchestra it looked as if she managed the turns in spite of him. Moreover, in my view, he doesn't have the carriage of a finely trained dancer. His upper body was very stiff, his shoulders often raised, and his head didn't do much more than sit upon his neck. He seemed to be playing to the crowd, lacking the etiquette of presenting his ballerina, interested only in his own performance and the impression it would make on the audience. Veronika deserves better.