abatt

https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195492/mike-faist-to-bring-cool-factor-to-steven-spielbergs-west-side-story-film-as-riff/ More casting news for this film. Brittany Pollack and Harrison Coll of NYCB are going to be part of the dance ensemble for the Jets. Jeanette Delgado is part of the ensemble for the Sharks. Perhaps others will recognize additional names of ballet dancers from the long casting lists contained in the above link.

The program for the opening night gala is now listed on the website. They will perform Ratmansky's Serenade after Plato's Symposium and Ratmansky's new work, The Seasons. No casting info is available.

https://nypost.com/2019/04/02/ballet-bandit-gets-72-hours-of-community-service-for-maine-spree/ Talicia Martins sentenced to 72 hours of community service.

I'm glad to see that the company is finally putting a warning on the program regarding lyrics used in the Runaway.

Where are the calendars for the new season? I don't see them on the company website.

Since they are doing two weeks of SL instead of only one, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some debuts in the lead roles.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Mariinsky casting. On a day when public sales begin for a variety of events at the KC, the KC website becomes overwhelmed and the computer program makes an assumption that anyone visiting the site is looking to buy tickets. I don't know what went on sale today. You can directly get into the casting page instead of going to the home page by clicking canbelto's link.

Forgot Charles Askegard, who came from ABT.

That ballet will never see the light of day at the Koch (or anywhere else) again. I remember Twesley partnering Whelan in Balanchine's Ballade, but they have never revived that ballet since. Tewsley left. Why have they never revived that ballet in something like 20 years?

There was also the short-lived tenure of Robert Tewsley. NYCB attempted to hire( Joel?) Carreno from Cuba, but ran into visa issues, if I recall.

My bad. Thanks.

I'm surprised that Harrison Coll is still in the corps. He's performed many leading roles with distinction.

Bolshoi hasn't been to the Kennedy Center in many years. That would be great, if true. Mariinsky did SL at KC a few years ago, so I doubt that Mariinsky will be doing that ballet again so soon. SB would be great. During the last run the Aurora's were Vishneva, Somova and Tereshkina. I recall there was a blizzard in DC that week, so I missed Somova's performance but saw the other casts.

Actually, I think dancers may go back to basics more often than we realize. I read Sara Mearns' instagram now and then, and she takes instruction from a teacher she met on tour in Denmark whenever this teacher is in New York. The video Mearns posted involved correction of some basic issues.

Yes, forgot about Indiana. She is cast all the time. I think her promotion to principal is just a matter of time.

I think there are certain soloists who are cast fairly regularly. Among the women it's Unity Phelan, Emily Gerrity and to a lesser extent Megan LeCrone . Lauren King finally got some important new roles this season.

This musical has been reworked and will be playing in Seattle shortly. Tiler Peck is still playing the lead, but it looks liike all other members of the original cast have moved on. I hope we get to see this in New York at some point, even for a limited Off Broadway run. http://www.playbill.com/article/see-the-cast-and-creative-team-of-marie-dancing-still-meet-the-press

Yes. Ditto with Robert Schumann's Davidbundertanze. I guess audiences are more into electronica music (Times are Racing) and hiphop lyrics (Runaway) than "old fashioned" masterpieces.

I would guess that the 2019-2020 season has already been fully mapped out, and that it will probably be announced shortly. At the earliest, any impact that Whelan might have on programming would not be until the following season.

Lovette also had some stumbles when I saw her on Tuesday of last week. Of the five casts, she was my least favorite. I don't think her technique is strong enough for Aurora. In most of the NYCB rep, Lovette performs well. However, in the role of Aurora, there is nowhere to hide. If you have weak technique, it will show.

More like a bad soap opera. As the Ballet Turns.

Yes, he definitely comes off as a weak leader. However, since they seem to be looking for a kinder and gentler leader to run the company - someone who is not "mean" to use Bouder's word- Stafford fits the bill. There are numerous comments on Bouder's instagram praising her, but nobody seems to care that she insulted Hyltin.

I question whether the Times initially "investigated" or alternatively whether Bouder contacted the NYTimes.

The Board of Directors is now hearing about Martins' alleged retaliation and his going backstage, all courtesy of the NYTimes. This is the same Board that is now deciding if Stafford will run the company permanently. I guess he was sending a direct message out to the public and the Board that he attempted to control the situation, but Martins did not comply. Stafford is being defensive regarding why he apparently had no control over the situation. Ironically, Martins has been the impetus for Stafford's administrative rise within the company. It was Martins who invited him to teach and take on numerous admin. duties while Martins still ran the company.

Stafford should have given a simple "no comment" to the NY Times. Class and integrity personified.