abatt

I'm looking forward to the upcoming visits by the Bolshoi (Giselle) and the Mariinsky (SL) to the Kennedy Center in 2014. I'm also looking forward to the Bolshoi's anticipated visit to New York during the summer of 2014. Let's hope that the Mariinsky brings at least a few "A List" principals for the engagement. Most immediately, I'm looking forward to Sara Mearns' Swan Lake tomorrow.

See Mearns if you go. Second choice is Reichlin. I like Bouder in many things, but Odette is not a great role for her.

Misty Copeland is not cast in any ballets during the Koch fall season.

It was last September around this time that ABT announced that Vasiliev was joining as a principal at ABT. So if I were making bets, I would bet that the announcement will relate to promotiion(s), not a change in management.

I think Hallberg became a more interesting dancer after he went to the Bolshoi. I think the level of training and coaching there elevated his skills in a numberr of ways. Interesting that he states that he believes Osipova has her own visioin of things. In my opinion, that's not always a good thing. I thought that Osipova took too many liberties with the choreography for Juliet sometimes, and turned it from drama to melodrama.

Although the Bolshoi visit to NY in the summer of 2014 seemed like a "done deal" from reading the Bolshoi press release, today's NYTimes, in it's annual Season Preview issue, suggests that negotiations are still underway regarding the engagment. The Times states, Lincoln Center is still discussing a Bolshoi season in New York. If that happens, the city may see two aspects of David Hallberg — dancing both with Ballet Theater and the Moscow troupe.

On a side note, the NY Philharmonic's performance of a Dancer's Dream, which featured Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar with the NY Phil, is going to be broadcast in cinemas this month. (The performances were in June 2013). At least it's an opportunity to see some NYCB dancers in the cinema.

Hilarious. Thanks.

I understand your point, KFW. However, if Brown wanted to broaden the audience, NYCB wouldn't be playing this game of controlling the supply of tickets. The way she has approached reaching financial goals has diminished the audience, rather than broadened it, in my opinion.

I think that Katherine Brown is a hypocrite. She was the architect of the NYCB policy of closing down the third and fourth rings, thereby eliminating large numbers of affordable seats. (Even when the fourth ring is open, the seat prices are so overpriced that they frequently don't sell, except for Nutcracker and SL.) The fact that she is now paying lip service to the idea of broadening the NYCB audience through live film is comical under the circumstances. If NYCB wants to broaden the audience, they should open up the higher rings for every show and price them reasonably. Then more people could afford to come see the show live and in person at the theater. Unlike the Bolshoi, which the article tells us is always sold out, NYCB is often less than half full, in part due to the pricing policies and ring closures used by NYCB.

Raymonda is a great ballet, which makes me wonder why ABT has not revived it for more than 10 years. I'm guessing that the politically incorrect aspects of the plot may be a factor in ABT's decision.

A Dancer's Dream, which featured Sara Mearns in performance w. the NY Philharmonic, will be carried in certain movie theaters in September. Here is a link where you can find out if it will play in your area. http://nyphil.org/dancers-dream.html In New York City it will be shown at Cinema 1,2,3 on the East Side on Sept 12 at 7PM.

I'm not sure, but thanks for posting that youtube video. Really fun commercial to watch. (I also recall seeing an old commercial on youtube with Angel Corella and Gwyneth Paltrow that aired in Spain that was fun. Totally off topic.)

Theme & Variations is a masterpiece. City Ballet does it often, but if you've never seen it you should consider it.

Acqua di Parma is a major sponsor of Bolle's performances. I recall seeing their ads all over the opera house a few years ago when I attended a Bolle performance at the Met. Acqua is also sponsoring Bolle's gig at City Center in September, Roberto Bolle & Friends.

Asking dancers to attend company galas and balls (without compensation) does not seem unreasonable. It's only a few times a year. It's no different than when companies hold Christmas parties or other events and expect their employees to attend (without any additional compensation) in order to make a good impression on invited clients. Also, I think dancers tend to make important connections that are potentially beneficial to them at such functions.

I know some people who still boycott Woody films because of the Previn affair. However, Sun Yi Previn and Woody have now been together for a long time and have a few kids together. In fact, I think they have been married a lot longer than most other Hollywood types.

There was an article in the NY Times a few days ago regarding the costumes in Blue Jasmine. Woody Allen gave the costume designer a budget of $35,000, which is peanuts for a film like this in which the characters are supposed to be very materialistic and wearing gorgeous, expensive accessories. I linked the article below. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/fashion/in-blue-jasmine-suzy-benzinger-turns-clothes-into-characters.html?pagewanted=all

In case the link doesn't work, the article title is How Much Is That Dancer in the Program?

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/arts/how-much-is-that-dancer-in-the-program.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm I've attached a 2004 NY Times article in which the pros and cons of dancer sponsorships was discussed. Interestingly, the article noted that SFB and NYCB were among the prominent institutions that had rejected dancer sponsorship. I guess Helgi has become more desperate for money in the intervening 9 years since this aritcle was initially published.

I have not seen Blue Jasmine yet, but based on the descriptions I've seen of the film it seems similar or loosely based on the Ruth & Bernie Madoff story, but with much better looking people playing their parts. One of my friends disliked it because Blanchett's character never "grew." However, I think that's the whole point - the wives of the rich and famous have lived vacuous lives for decades, filled with material consumption and parties but without any substance. After living this way for decades, it is too late for them to change once the financial rug is pulled out from under them. By the way I did see Blanchett in Streetcar at Brooklyn Academy of Music. It remains one of the highlights of my years of theatergoing, and it was a shame that it was never filmed or done on Broadway so that a wider audience could have seen it. Blanchett has said in interviews that she was not attempting to channel Blanche Dubois or her prior performance in Streetcar into her performance in Blue Jasmine.

Interesting. They have this at ABT, but at ABT every principal dancer has a sponsor, even if it's a corporation rather than an individual. I think it's much worse for morale if only a few dancers are listed as "sponsored" because it leaves the impression that those who do not have sponsors are somehow not as good.

So if a principal dancer, like Osipova, is removed from the roster as she was in early August is that confirmation that she has left the company? The "official" word I recall when she announced that she was joining the Royal was that she would continue her relationship with ABT, but perhaps appear with them less often. That doesn't jive with her removal from the roster, unless she is reverting to 'guest principal" status. Osipova is listed as doing some pdd w. Vasiliev during ABT's Feb/March 2014 tour to Japan. (All the Japan tour casting is now up on the ABT Performance Calendar.) So it seems that Osipova will still have a relationship with ABT in 2014, but the extent of that relationship seems unclear.

When was Hammoudi promoted? I

Holy cow. That's quite a move.