mimsyb

Wait. "Sub par performances"? Asked to do a role she's not ready for? Isn't that why a dancer is promoted in the first place? That they are totally ready to do any role asked and it is assumed said dancer will give a more than acceptable performance. I always thought that was the criteria.

I agree. He looked much improved this year. I hope he sticks around. He is a bit taller also and could work well as a soloist .

Wasn't James Whiteside also a Principal at Boston before he came to ABT and did just one year as a soloist before he was promoted to Principal? Could that happen for Cirio also?

There is no longer a Nutcracker season with ABT in NYC, but possibly they will dance on the Left Coast.

Noting his training, etc. perhaps the Royal was his intention all along. Sometimes dancers make a few pit stops before arriving at their ultimate desired place. And perhaps he was drawn more to the rep at the Royal.

Okay, so "Joey" it is. Even if I find it a bit disrespectful to use a diminutive with people we know (mostly) from this and other media. It would have been great fun to hear Beverly Sills referred to as "Bubbles" at a Board meeting of Lincoln Center. "Bubbles will now give her overview of this year's budget. Bubbles, the floor is yours!" LOL

I agree to a point. There are a few dancers out there (the three you mentioned, but there are others) whose artistry completely transcends any perceived flaws in their technique. For me, it's when that transcendency is missing that I start looking far too much at the individual steps or movement sequences and I become distracted by the inadequate technique or lack of musicality or the inability to find a through thread perhaps in the acting. When true artistry is there, it's there and all else is secondary. But that's me. Everyone may have a completely different standard.

A. Queen of England B. First African/American FEMALE U.S. President C. CEO of The Wall Street Journal D. Next AD at ABT E. Spokesperson and model for Under Armour (oh, wait!....)

OK, fair enough. I am neither his peer, nor have I ever met him. I only know how he's listed in the program. When I was an active performer I had nick names also, but was always listed in the program with my given name. It's merely a recognition of respect.

I too don't think he is under utilized, given that he just was made a soloist last year. While his technique is seemingly flawless and beautiful to watch, I think he is still a bit underwhelming when it comes to characterizations. He could use with some serious coaching in the acting department. The thought of his departure to NYCB is an intriguing one. It won't happen, but his style and technique would seem to fit better into the world of City Ballet. He would most certainly get more dance opportunities than he has currently at ABT. Also, I just want to say; why are we calling him "Joey" when he's clearly listed in the program as Joseph. The diminutive seems sort of infantile for a grown man. MO.

Well, we don't know absolutely that Golding would have made Principle in that time had he stayed. There are many reasons dancers choose to move on, some professional and some personal. It's possible Golding wanted to do different rep than what is offered at ABT. Or perhaps the coaching, etc. is better in a different company. Sometimes it's just wanting to live and work in say, London. And we shouldn't think ABT is so extraordinary a company that it deserves to have all the best male dancers. Or that even Veronika would go partner-less without Golding. Sometimes the best thing an AD can do for any individual dancer is to let them go to find their bliss. If the male dancer category was so top heavy at the time of Golding's decision to leave, it may have been with McKenzie's blessing for all we know. As a former male Principle himself, he as much as anyone would understand the need to dance and dance NOW! I hardly think the blame is on Kevin.

Thanks. I had thought perhaps Maryon Lane. If my aging brain remembers correctly, this was the year that when the Royal came to San Francisco I was a student at San Francisco Ballet and was chosen to be one of the few used for children's roles in various ballets. I got to do "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake" and also "Coppelia". Our "roles" or choreography was taught to us by Jill Gregory, who did everything while wearing quite tall high heels! I was impressed! My partner for "Coppelia" was Basil Thompson. I have always had a soft spot for the Royal over the years, I think partially because I had the opportunity to see so many of the great dancers of that era up close and on the stage. Just being there with them was an education in stage deportment and stage presence. Never to be forgotten! They also allowed us to watch them take class on stage, which was also very fun. Good times; good memories. Thanks for the video.

I think what I was referring to with the word "cheerleading" was so much of the inappropriate applause that happened at Misty's performance. Much could most likely be traced to inexperience or understanding of the work at hand, but also it reflects the way many react in today's world to just the fact that someone is on stage. People start screaming and applauding before anyone has done anything! One sees this a lot at YAGP performances also. And on SYTYCD. I'm fine with the press doing stories, etc. Also, self promotion if that's your thing. But to constantly interrupt a performance is annoying at worst and seems gratuitous at best. Real respect for what the artist is doing would be to engulf oneself in the whole performance and show appreciation at the appropriate times. White, black, polka dot. Every artist deserves that.

She was also wonderful in the Ratmansky Trilogy and IMO was the best of the Lilac Fairies in "SB" this year. I agree that she has range and a very winning way and presence on stage. I'm looking forward to more things being given to her.

Who is dancing Aurora? Is it Beryl Grey by any chance? Also, Blue Bird looks like Rowena Jackson. Anyone know? Very fun. I see the same low placement of the leg for pirouettes as we saw in ABT's "SB" this season. And of course the lower arabesques which were common then. Still wonderful.

I personally don't care if she did 32 fouettes or not. I just wish her alternative plan were actually pirouettes from FIFTH! Not messy thirds! And they should not have traveled. MAybe if one is not fully secure in the ultimate, one needs to practice Plan B also. I just felt it all was an after thought with the hope she could make it through. I remember Julie Kent's "SL" (a few years ago) when she did just 16 turns and finished with the most dazzling piques en menage I've ever seen! There was a fire in her belly that belied the fact she didn't do 32, but she made the alternative work to her advantage. It was Odile doing the piques, not a dancer who couldn't manage the last 16. Everyone cheered!

JKO is located in NYC, as is the company headquarters at 890 Broadway. Anyone can take the "courses" offered by JKO to learn the "style" and then return to one's own school and teach that "style". I have no ides how much (if any) follow up is offered to these teachers who learn this. It's a good selling tool I guess for a school in "anywhere USA" to say they have trained in the JKO style. One needn't have danced with ABT to learn it , however. I wonder how a teacher with little or no knowledge of classical training can master this. Again, it's the Brand.

So well put, Turandot, but I fear the cheer leading is here to stay. Somewhere on another thread someone commented on the changes happening in ballet based on all the competitions, etc. that are now out there. The art form has slowly evolved (downward, IMO), to something more like exhibitionism. The PR and hoopla have become the story and not the artistry. I somehow doubt that Misty can now go back into the studio and "learn" how it's done. That ship has sailed. As you say, what may have been a promise may now be nothing more than a shell and a compromise. If every time she steps on point (in any role) it becomes an applause moment, then I'm afraid she will fail to grow as an artist. As Macauley pointed out in his overly kind and careful review Misty is little more than potential waiting to be revealed.

The singers were Katherine Goeldner and Thomas Randle. I could find no program notes to translate the songs. Odd. (I love when Mark Morris nearly hands out the entire score whenever he dances to sung music!). Both were very fine to my ear. Also, the orchestra (NYCB) seemed to be in top form. At ABT the orchestra all usually leave as soon as the curtain comes down so when a ballerina acknowledges them there's no one there. Not so last night. Almost all stayed put and applauded both the performance and the conductor at the end. And they got to take their own bow when the lights came up on them. Nice touch. (OK, a few left probably to catch their ride home, but almost all stayed). Speaking of my ear (see above), I thought the corps sounded very quiet, especially in their running steps. Only when they did the little jetes across the floor was there a sound. I found all the women's feet to be particularly articulated and in some cases absolutely gorgeous! I can agree about Acosta, but as I haven't had much opportunity to see him in recent years, it was just nice to see him on stage. His partnering is so fine and his commitment to the work so intense, I can forgive a bit of a lapse in technique. His entrance jetes seemed quite high and fully developed. I didn't come expecting to see the MacMillan of either "Manon" or "R&J". I was pleasantly surprised to see this totally other side of him. Done in 1965, this work seems to be years ahead of it's time, choreographically. Some interesting shapes and movements, patterns and couplings. The company seems so at home dancing it. And what a complete contrast to "The Dream"! I say "Bravo" to all!

Such a breath of fresh air in tonight's "Dream". I barely know any of these dancers, as the company is never in NYC these days. But I loved Sara Lamb here as Titania and Steven McCrae also excelled as Oberon. Fairies were as light as baby's breath. James Hay, while not Cornejo (who owns this role IMO), acquitted himself well. It looked good on the State Theater stage also. Sometimes the details get lost when ABT performs it at the Met. Here it all fit. "Song of the Earth" was also splendid. I also happen to like the Mahler and found this to be a mind bending ballet. Nunez was quite special and now I can't wait to see her "Cinderella" at ABT next week. Acosta also fine. Probably the last time I'll see him live, so that was a tad sad for me. All in all an extraordinary night of ballet. After the disaster of Misty's "SL" in the afternoon, I went home a happy camper after all.

I felt today's matinee with Misty was one of the most flawed and disappointing performances I've seen all season. I'm not sure where to begin, except perhaps her lack of musicality would be one place. She never once sustained a through line musically, but rather moved from step to step so as to perhaps not mess up, but it looked mechanical and certainly un swan like. Her arms "flapped" rather like some ungainly bird. I even noticed poor James Whiteside having to duck his head a few times so as not to be hit ! She rarely held a balance, or if she did it seemed for applause effect.. Her technique just keeps coming unravelled when one wants most for it to be strong. Those feet! Those claw like fingers! Scary. I didn't find much to praise in her interpretation either. It lacked focus and depth, again as if she were going through the motions, but without something underneath it all. She and James had zero chemistry together. I usually like him and feel he's improved so much recently. But here he merely looked uncomfortable and wanted this to be over. There was never a connection between them, a longing, a trust, a love. She looked downright angry during most of the Black Swan. And about those fouettes, or lack thereof. OK. so she didn't make it through them, but her substitution of pirouettes from fifth were a disaster! At least hit a solid fifth position rather that a nasty third or open fourth. And this is not the traveling kind that Kitri does in her diagonal in "Don Q". Stay in one place! These were just sloppy. As to other aspects of the performance, the pas de trois was just OK. Someone needs to tell Calvin Royal his second leg in every cabriole or tour jete" flops" and makes the jumps look unfinished and sloppy. For the most part the corps was experiencing an off day, with lines all over the place and people simply not dancing together. Hammoudi was OK as Purple Rothbart, I guess. Who knew the lifting of the Italian Princess was meant to be such a huge laugh line! Really? And if anyone could make that fourth act choreography look truly hackneyed, well Misty did that today. I could go on, but I can't. Suffice to say the house was sold out, with people screaming and many applauding in all the wrong places. I fear this is the future of ABT. Lopatkina? Really?

We are! The audience.

I paid $80.00 in the Fall for Second Ring, first row center, which I consider to be an excellent viewing place for ballet. About the equivalent of Grand Tier at the Met in terms of distance from the stage, etc. Actually, it's probably closer. The State Theater is just a better venue when it comes to dance than the Met. Going Wednesday. Looking forward to just seeing the company after such a long time in between visits.

Anyone desiring to see an extraordinary and luxurious exhibit of new and old Chines fashion should head to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. Included are ancient silk robes along side newer clothes inspired by the old. There are fantastic headpieces and hair ornaments (one is of an entire village including prancing cranes made entirely of bamboo). Anyone who wondered at the out size of the headpieces worn at the recent showing of "Sleeping Beauty" at ABT should look at what's on display here! And there's one gold gown on the second floor (by a contemporary designer Gua Pei) that puts the Queen's gown in "SB" to shame!! There's plenty of Alexander McQueen here, as well as John Galliano and, of course, St. LAurent. But it's the juxtaposition of the old and new that really works. There's even a gown with a bodice made of shards from broken Chinese pottery! Also, many film clips, including one of Fred Astaire and Ann Miller in "Zeigfield Follies 1945" They are both made up to look Asian and the dance moves are a bit hokey, but it's fun to see. This entire exhibit is just wonderful. One of the best ever from the Met. It's there through Aug. 16th. SEE IT!!

Terribly sad news. A great artist who gave us much.