abatt

Misty may have wanted to make a return, but may also realize that she just doesn't have the level of stamina or minimal technique anymore because of the years she has spent on other non-ballet projects. Misty interviewed Twyla Tharp for a PBS show this summer, and Twyla asked Misty when she will be returning to the stage. Misty smiled sheepishly and said she was working on it. At this point, maybe the most Misty could handle would be something in character shoes, like a Paul Taylor work or that Twyla ballet where Misty wore character shoes (Beach Boys music, I think). While she knows that her career at ABT has meant a lot to her followers, she must also be well aware of her limitations.

Given the shortened number of weeks of the schedule, and the fact that they are frequently not performing 8 times per week anymore, these dancers have fewer and fewer opportunities for growth and development. Everyone in the company raised a big fuss about how McKenzie was relying too much on outside talent, so now we only see the home team. But the home team doesn't generally sell the number and volume of tickets as the starry guests, so we now see a severely reduced schedule. I know that this may be partly because of the pandemic, but I tend to think it has a lot more to do with principal roster. The home team dancers got what they wanted, but it was a double edged sword. Be careful what you wish for.

Hee is, I believe, the only current ABT principal who previously did Tatiana. I recall her doing it with David Hallberg, and I thought she was terrific.

So it's looking like Brandt will never get a Juliet debut, and Trenary will never get a Swan Lake debut. Also agree that the time for Misty make a return is passing, so they should just take her off the roster. Too many years off the stage already.

Bell would also be a good Lensky. He seems too young and good natured to play Onegin.

Thanks. Chloe is getting some great leads - Tatiana in Onegin and lead in SL. No Misty. No Jake Roxander for any lead role as far as I can see. That's unfortunate.

The only reason I could imagine for doing R&J a third consecutive year is that it is the only ballet that Misty can still perform. I'm not sure how many more years she can delay a farewell, and R&J may be the vehicle for her departure. We shall see.

I would much rather see Giselle again at the Met in the Summer Season 2024 than Romeo & Juliet, for the third consecutive year. This will be the first summer season planned entirely by Jaffe, but it seems to be business as usual, only worse. I don't think McKenzie ever did R&J in three consecutive Met seasons.

Murphy and Copeland are the only principals not participating. Not surprising.

I guess I'm skeptical of claims that dancers employed at ABT are living hand to mouth and earning poverty level wages. I'm similarly skeptical of such claims by other groups, such as the musicians at City Ballet.

Sorry. Just wanted to highlight that there are many people who are working multiple minimum wage jobs and not offered health insurance or any benefits. Did not intend an offense to you.

Professional athletes get paid huge amounts in sports in which the teams have contracts to televise the games. Ballet is a niche art, so the salaries of ballet dancers will never be competitive with those of athletes in sports like football, hockey, basketball and so on.

It is their choice to work for ABT. NYCB works many more weeks per year, which is part of the reason their compensation is higher than what the ABT union could negotiate for ABT's dancers. Paul Taylor dance company, when it didn't have enough work, would intentionally lay off their workers so that they could collect unemployment during the off season. Unfortunately, if the dancer chooses to perform with a company that has far less than 52 weeks of employment, they may need to find supplementary income from gigs, teaching (a la Bouder at Steps) or other means. To say that they don't earn a living wage is an insult to all of those workers who are killing themselves in multiple minimum wage jobs to earn a living.

Given that they only work for a fraction of the year, is it really fair to say that they are working for less than a living wage?

Tours always have sponsors. ABT doesn't pay from its own funds to go on tour.

ABT used to do Feld's Variations on a Theme of America. In college I had a poster for the Eliot Feld Ballet in my room of Baryshnikov in this ballet. This was about a decade before I ever attended a ballet (no money).

At Ballet Theater, a Thrilling Puck and a Moment to Take Stock - The New York Times (nytimes.com) More praise for Jake Roxander. Someone above suggested that it would be exciting to see him again as Mercutio. While that is true, I would much rather see him debut in a lead role. If you have someone with tremendous talent, use him. Don't stick him into a minor role. By shortening the season, and by repeatedly bringing back the same works season after season at the Met, dancers are deprived of valuable performance opportunities. As an example, Roxander would be great as Colas, or as Franz. At this point he may not be ready for Albrecht, Siegfried or Romeo. But will we ever see Fille Mal Gardee or Coppeilia, given that the season is drastically reduced. I'm not so sure. Hopefully we will get a Don Q revival and see him in the lead. Not sure what Jaffe's thoughts are on preferring seniority over talent for casting lead roles.

Definitely Dark Elegies.

Thanks for the assistance, but it is not afterrite. That was Wayne McGregor. I hated that ballet. Just recalled. It was Tudor's Dark Elegies. A masterpiece. Will we ever see that one again? If they were happy to blow money on a singer, why did they spend it on an instantly forgettable trifle by Gemma Bond. The money would have been much better spent to revive Dark Elegies.

There was a ballet ABT did at City Center that required an opera singer and was about the death of children and a grieving community. Anyone recall what the title was? It was very moving.

There won't be any opportunities for debut Juliets if Misty comes back and uses it as her retirement ballet.

Oh no. What a complete lack of imagination.

ABT knew all along that Ratmansky was interested in reconstruction of old ballets, and David Koch was happy to fund that pursuit. Notably, the Swan Lake reconstruction was not funded by ABT and has never been presented at ABT. Why not? Is it because McKenzie wants to keep getting choreography royalties for his version of SL at ABT in perpetuity?

Misseldine did not have the fixed smile when she did Myrta, from what I recall. As reported previously at the Guggenheim talk Jaffe indicated that Misseldine is prepping the lead in SL. Now that should be interesting.

Based on what I saw at NYCB this fall, both Mearns and Tiler Peck did the turns on demi-pointe in that opening solo. That's the choreography. So if Shevchenko did any of those on pointe, she did not do what is choreographed. Boylston had a lot of trouble with those turns. I think maybe one went right. The others were botched and unsteady. Just one of the many issues with ABT's performance of Ballet Imperial.