abatt

Happy to see that they are bringing Namouna back for the Spring 2023 season. 

I see they are doing Scotch Symphony in the fall.  Hopefully they will give Mira Nadon the lead, since her performance in the SAB workshop was a unanimous rave from every critic who reviewed it.  Bouder used to do this role, but I think it's now time for a  new  leading  lady.

McKenzie wasn't a great dancer, but for whatever reason he got the AD job. So being a great dancer isn't a requirement. 

The AD has to be at the studio all the time, and also travel to every tour location for the entire tour period.  Why would someone with a new baby at home, who has numerous other lucrative, less time consuming  opportunities, even consider doing this?

I wouldn't assume that Copeland would even be interested in the job.  She can earn a lot more by continuing to do endorsements, judge reality dance competitions on TV and so on.

Ratmansky is the obvious choice here, but he probably is not interested.  He is a creative person, and he wants to use his time to continue to create ballets.  Maybe now that he is breaking ties with Russia, he might be available to create more works on NYCB.

I suspect that oligarch money was partially funding these annual Mariinsky visits to the Kennedy Center.  To the extent that people now view this as tainted money, even if Putin is out and the war ends tomorrow, there will continue to be issues regarding the massive funding required to present the company, and where that money will come from.  

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/season-announcement/ballet-dance/

Slim pickings, in my opinion.  I understand why the Mariinsky is not scheduled, but they will be missed. 

The only two offerings of moderate interest are Joffrey's Anna Karenina and Scottish Ballet's The Crucible.

ABT will bring R&J.  NYCB will bring two mixed bills.

The one American company I was hoping might appear was Miami City Ballet with the Ratmansky Swan Lake.  Alas, no such luck. 

Thanks for all of the reports on the Don Qs. 

These reports made me excited and hopeful in some respects by the success of certain dancers who are new to their roles, but also disheartened  that McKenzie is continuing to  put people out there in lead roles who cannot perform the choreography.  There is no place to hide in a difficult classical ballet, and the shortcomings of those who don't have the technique become very obvious, very quickly.

The reason Alec Baldwin has never been arrested is because the shooting was accidental, and he had no intent of firing a loaded gun, and he had no knowledge that there were real bullets in the gun.  Nor was he responsible for knowing what types of bullets were in the gun.  That was the job of others.

The reason police were ready to arrest Will Smith was because he committed intentional battery.  The only thing that stopped him from being arrested was that Rock did not want to press charges.

So you see the intent behind the action makes a tremendous difference under the law. 

You cannot seriously compare Alec Baldwin's ACCIDENTAL shooting on a movie set with Will Smith's INTENTIONAL CONDUCT of belting Chris Rock in the face.

Netrebko's family still lives in Russia, so her words may have consequences for them. 

Netrebko is now experiencing a backlash in Russia because of her press release earlier this week.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/arts/music/anna-netrebko-putin-ukraine-backlash.html

Nobody should be waiting at the stage door in the age of Covid, and no performer should have to face the prospect of having to get close to audience members to give selfies or autographs. 

Thanks for the reports.  Can't wait to see Simkin in NYC.  ABT needs him. 

On 5/31/2018 at 7:08 PM, canbelto said:

Well I will miss Likolani Brown who was always so beautiful with that shock of black hair. But I wish her well in her new endeavors. And honestly after Restless Creatures I'm glad so many dancers have a plan B, C, and D. Watching Wendy tearfully anticipating the end of her dancing career was so hard.

Likolani is training to be a surgeon at NYU.  She also has two young children.  Congratulations to her.  She is an inspiration.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/23/former-nycb-ballerina-becomes-surgeon/

I thought the most insightful comment in the above article was the description of CODA as a  "nice, little, pedestrian heart-tugger."

I agree that Chris Rock was correct in refusing to press criminal charges, but Will Smith still needs to be punished for this in some way.  I saw that Smith just issued an formal apology to Chris Rock but this is too little too late.  The time for apology was up on that stage, but he decided to apologize only to the Academy and the nominees, not to Rock. Instead of apologizing, he tried to justify the assault. 

I sure don't want to see Will Smith up on that stage again next year presenting the Best Actress trophy, which is the tradition. 

SAG also just came out with a statement condemning Smith's conduct.  I don't know if it's legal to suspend his SAG membership for a period of time, but making it impossible for him to work in film for a year by stripping him of his SAG membership might be in order.

I liked CODA, but it was a very predictable feel good movie.  The Power of the Dog was full of complex, nuanced characters, and a more viable candidate for Best Picture than CODA.

So what will be done to Will Smith for assaulting Chris Rock on live television?  I don't think his award should be taken away, but I think he should be suspended  from the Academy for at least a year, maybe two years.

16 hours ago, vipa said:

I wish Lovette the best in the position. I've only seen a couple of her pieces and wasn't favorably impressed, but this situation offers her the opportunity to choreograph consistently, and using the same dancers so I'm eager to see what comes of it. I thought he article interesting in the way it mentioned the historic ballet/modern divide, but  didn't mention the Paul Taylor solo in Episodes that Balanchine choreographed, or the fact that in Peter Martins, Barber Violin Concerto, two lead roles were originated by Paul Taylor dancers.

 

Additionally, various ballet companies have acquired the rights to  and regularly perform some of Taylor's work, and ABT even commissioned a Taylor work (forgot the name of the work) which is now part of the Taylor rep. 

47 minutes ago, Golden Idol said:

.And thank you for the info on Camargo, whom I'd love to see if he weren't partnering Boylston.

Ditto😂

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/16/arts/dance/olga-smirnova-bolshoi-ballet-ukraine-war.html

Smirnova's departure, as well as the departure of other Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers is reported by the NY Times.

If Smirnova has any extra time on her hands, I would  love to see her at ABT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/arts/music/juilliard-damian-woetzel-bruce-kovner.html

Damian Woetzel was asked by a powerful donor and board member to resign his position at Julliard.  With support from some very prominent figures at Julliard, he has refused to resign and will continue in his position.  Fascinating article.

An usher at NYCB mentioned that they undergo Covid tests 3 times per week.  I assume it's the same for the dancers.

Also, I would not assume that SAB doesn't have funding to conduct testing.  Schools of all types, as well as arts organizations, received funding from the government to deal with the effects of Covid.

Netrebko will not appear at the Met Opera this season or next season:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/arts/music/anna-netrebko-met-opera-ukraine.html

Any guesses as to casting? 

31 minutes ago, California said:

I know nothing about her in particular, but after 10 years in the corps I have to wonder how people might respond if told: sorry, no promotion to soloist for you this year or probably ever. (I have no idea if she was told this, just wondering...)

Or perhaps people see the handwriting on the wall and start making alternative plans on their own. What makes this more complicated is the end of McKenzie's tenure as AD. I haven't seen any hint anywhere of likely successors, but once that person is named, I would guess many will rethink their own futures. 

I thought that she was probably on the short list for promotion to soloist, since McKenzie gave her Myrta in the fall season.  However, given McKenzie's imminent departure, there is uncertainty going forward about who will be promoted under a new artistic director.

30 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

Today the Bolshoi suspended sales for the premiere of Ratmansky's The Art of the Fugue, which is scheduled for the end of March. An announcement about the fate of the ballet hasn't yet been made, about whether Ratmansky is abandoning the project, and whether this is in response to the events of today. He is open about his pro-Ukrainian views.

A performance of The Bright Stream went ahead as scheduled today.

 

Current events have caused Valery Gergiev to cancel his performances at Carnegie Hall this weekend with the Vienna Phil.  Denis Matsuev has also cancelled his appearance with the Vienna for tomorrow evening.  Now they are scrambling to find a replacement to play Rach Piano Concerto 2 tomorrow night.  Both Gergiev and Matsuev are Putin supporters.