abatt

Of course the work that the stagehands do is important and they should earn a good living. However, the perception is that the salaries are excessive. The fact that generations of the same families decide to go into the same unions is telling. That only happens when the gravy is very, very good.

Recently I was at a performance of Alvin Ailey where the tattoos on one of the dancers were so large that it was distracting.

New York Magazine has listed Calvin Royal III as one of the reasons to Love New York. http://nymag.com/news/articles/reasonstoloveny/2013/calvinroyaliii/

For me, the only couple at ABT I'm interested in seeing again in Nutcracker are Hallberg and Murphy. They were so brilliant, and all the other casts I've seen were unremarkable in comparison. Obviously, Hallberg will not be returning to do this role at ABT, so for the time being I have sworn off the ABT Nut.

Virtually all of the white charcters in the film are portrayed as evil or indifferent, at best. Brad Pitt is one of the very few white people portrayed as humane and good. Under the circumstances, I'm not sure that the "white savior" argument of this author makes much sense. I thought the big "speech" delievered by Pitt was too florid and grandiose. They could have had him voice his sentiments about the evils of slavery with more believable dialogue. By the way, Pitt was offered the role of Epps, but turned it down because he did not want his kids to see him playing such an evil character.

For those of you who are still interested in seeing Cheri but not for the price tag of $75, I received a discount code from the theater.. SPECIAL OFFER: Use Code Cheri55 for $55 tickets (reg. $75) for performances beginning December 26

I saw this film last night. It was haunting. The beating scenes were difficult to watch. Ejiofor's acting was great. His part depended at least as much on facial expressions and body language as spoken dialogue.

Blizzard? There was a few inches of snow, at most, depending on where in the area you live.

While it's true that there are still very few black ballet dancers in major companies in the U.S., I'm not sure that the same can be said of dance companies in general (example, modern dance). Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Complexions and Bill T. Jones' Company, are examples. On the other hand, I can only think of one black dancer in the Paul Taylor company (Michelle Fleet) and none in Martha Graham.

The Ratmansky trilogy definitely evokes divided opinions. Some, like me, thought it was brilliant. Others absolutely hate it. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground.

Her name is Olivia Boisson

It's time for end-of-year best and worst lists. On the "best" list, thanks to ABT I finally got to see Osipova and Vasliev together in the their signature roles in Don Q. I had seen them previously on film in these roles when their performance was broadcast from the Bolshoi a few years ago, but seeing it live was another experience entirely. Their technical abilities are astonishing. Also on the best list was Herman Cornejo's long awaited debut in Swan Lake. He pulled out all the stops and made it a very memorable performance. His technical brilliance was a marvel. (I thought he overshadowed Kochetkova.) Also on my best list is the Ratmansky trilogy. I hope we can see all three works together again at ABT. Speaking of Ratmansky, I was delighted by NYCB's revival of Namouna and I can't wait to see it again in the Spring. Another high point was Sara Mearns' performances of Swan Lake at NYCB. The Alvin Ailey Dance Company is looking fresher than ever since Robert Battle took over the helm from Judith Jamison. He has shaken up the rep by acquiring the rights to important works like Taylor's Arden Court and McGregor's Chroma. Even though the Ailey dancers don't perform these works as well as the PTDC or the RB (respectively), Battle deserves a lot of credit for bringing these works into the company. It was wonderful to see the SFB in NYC again. I wish they would visit us more often.

I saw Cheri last night. Although the choreography was repetitive and often felt derivative, I thought it was a cohesive and interesting dance drama. Ferri still moves those gorgeous limbs exquisitely, although as noted above there is no pointe work in this production. I have never fully accepted Cornejo as a "romantic" lead, and have always found his acting somewhat wooden. Last night convinced me that he has more acting ability than I have ever given him credit for, but perhaps the gigantic Met is too large a venue for his acting to register to the audience. He was much more impressive in this intimate space. Amy Irving provided important narration. The piano accompanyment was lovely. (Our programs had an insert with a complete list of the piano works that were played.) I felt it was certainly worth an hour of my time, and at $25 it was a major bargain.

Interesting. Thanks for posting. ABT got $70,000 to stage Ashton's Cinderella, and NYCB got $80,000 to present the new Liam Scarlett and Justin Peck ballets in 2014.

This movie has made it on to a lot of Top 10 year end lists of critics, and is anticipated to be a big contender at the Oscars.

Haven't seen the film yet, but it is based on Solomon Northrup's memoir Twelve Years a Slave. I assume that some of the characters in the film are based on Northrup's written account of what happened to him.

Evan Lysacek says he will not attempt to compete for a spot on the Sochi team due to injury. This comment of his struck me during his interview on Today: The jumps and the physicality of the sport are incredible, and I think people don't know that,'' Lysacek said. "They think it looks like ballet, but really it is among the most difficult and physical sports in the world. http://www.today.com/sochi/exclusive-evan-lysacek-reveals-he-wont-compete-sochi-2D11717316 Does Lysacek think that ballet does not have incredible physical demands? It struck me as an inane comment. He appears to have no clue regarding the physical demands imposed upon top tier ballet dancers.

Forgot to add that the Met Museum has an annual Christmas Tree exhibition which is wonderful. (Link below provides description.) Note that you can pay whatever you want to get into the Met Museum at all times. Admission is based on a "suggested contribution." http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/christmas-tree

Rockettes sounds like fun. Another option is Alvin Ailey Dance Company, which will be at New York City Center during that period. Or a Broadway show? Have fun!

As someone pointed out earlier in this thread, if the Manhattan engagement is cancelled, then the Saratoga performances would not go forward. (It makes no sense economically for the Bolshoi to go to Saratoga only.) Lincoln Center Festival usually doesn't announce its summer lineup until March.

Smart marketing tool. SPAC might as well get people's money as early as possible, given the demand. The Bolshoi ticket prices at SPAC are CHEAP compared to what I anticipate will be charged for the NYC engagement, assuming it actually goes forward.

The difference is that anyone who gets drafted for one of those top teams you mentioned, even if they are on the lowest rung, gets paid pretty well. Womack wasn't even earning a living wage.

I don't think the critics of Somova are complaining about issues of musicality. They are complaining that her hyper extensions distort her classical line and seem more appropriate to gynastics than to ballet. She was not the originator of hyperextension, but she is certainly a good example of it.

Essentially, she was an independent contractor. Why would she agree to such a contract rather than the same type of contract other corps memebers receive? Wasn't anybody advising her? Was she so desperate to become a affiliated with the Bolshoi that all financial and monetary considerations were thrown to the winds?

Not a good sign that they moved the US release date from awards season (Dec 2013) into Feb 2014. Jan/Feb is usually known in the industry as the time when studios dump bad movies into theaters. However, I find it hard to believe that a movie starring Clooney and Blanchett could be bad, so I'll wait and see how the reviews are.