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I don't think Stafford's comments are a sign of weakness,  but rather a sign of strength. He's no fool and I don't think he'd have been that outspoken unless he had the Board at his back. My guess is they're going to hire him and he knows it.

I'll say again I think it's a shame that this sort of thing is what interests the NYT and its readers.

Yup - that's Damien Woetzel in that photograph. And young. She's making a point of how long she's done Aurora. She's certainly not "old" now and has lost none of her technique, one just questions the wisdom of saying that about Sterling Hyltin. Neither nice nor attractive. If Indiana Woodward was anywhere near as good as posters here say it's a shame that there's no review of her performance and instead this snarky backstage article. The distance from the Post to the Times narrows... 

It seems we all missed something, but there has been no announcement from the MCB.

I also saw the live stream and I'm afraid I have to agree - the dancers did well considering what they were up against, but those tempi took all the charm and singing beauty out of that amazing score. It became dry and tick-tock. I don't understand what those conductors are trying to prove. That that's how Tchaikovsky wanted it? Seriously doubt that. 

Do the principal male ranks at NYCB need bolstering? I'm not reading many complaints.

As to Porte et Soupir, she's the door, he's the sigh and it's nothing like Agon or The Cage. It's not like anything else. Go see it, you won't be sorry DC Export.

Oh gosh. That is so creepy... and so sad. This guy is not well. 

Thank you canbelto. I hadn't seen that and I think it's a very positive thing.

11 hours ago, vipa said:

I've said this before, but I wish NYCB didn't make us choose between all Balanchine and newer works. I've seen some of Peck, like some but not others, and would like to see more Forsythe but a program of all new works doesn't appeal to me. I've done that in the past and ended up not remembering which piece was which. Does NYCB really see an audience divide between old and new? 

I think it's been proven that mixed repertory programs with tags or names sell better. It gives people something to identify with. It's why most companies have adopted block programming. Even before block programming, the NYCB had All-Balanchine, or All-Balanchine/Stravinsky, or Balanchine Black-and-White programs. Do you miss repertory programs vipa? You'd find ballets presented with different other ballets on each program. Many thought it was stimulating, and often showed ballets to better advantage. But it didn't sell as well as block programs, and it's gone. 

cheryl44tn - I think it might be a good idea if you contacted the Balanchine Trust, explained what items your daughter had and ask their advice of how important they might be and where they should go.

Ellen Sorrin, George Balanchine Trust, 20 Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023

They also intimate that having a "star" dancer as director is preferable. Possibly for fund-raising but not for much else I wouldn't think. Not necessarily. If you make a worldwide list you'd find that more directors weren't "stars". It would seem, anyway, that the NYCB has their fundraising pretty much intact. I should think Jon Stafford's track record in the past year speaks for itself.  Quality of performances, programming, rep, premieres, promotions, hiring, and weathering what has to be one of the worst public relations nightmares ever visited on a ballet company. I think he's the right person for the job. 

For me what's coming is very exciting: Gordon, Ball, Coll, Chamblee, Sanz, Mejia - lots of very unusual men and quite different from each other. Who am I forgetting? Seems to be a lot of them. 

I will admit it's upsetting that Danchig-Waring isn't doing Apollo.

2 hours ago, DC Export said:

 

I found the end-note a little troubling. City Ballet in jeopardy of losing a major talent because of the lack of clarity on the artistic vision? Could be author commentary.... but what if it isn't?

I didn't read it that way at all. I thought it was more a comment on ballet in general than anything specific about the NYCB. I feel a change in that direction might be a good move for him. 

1 hour ago, Mashinka said:

I understand the UK gutter press has picked up on his antics, I'll be interested to see how the more responsible areas of the media here treat the story.

The NYT has an article by Roslyn Sulcas.

I googled David LaChapelle because he was behind what has been Polunin's biggest success and I be interested to know what he thought of all this. Wikipedia said he was gay! One wonders how he feels about Polunin's posts.

I got a promotional email from ABT yesterday which featured last year's Harlequinade trailer by Ezra Hurwitz. To me the City Ballet Sleeping Beauty trailer is a howl. Delightfully short, Aaron Sanz is wonderful, but when Maria Kowroski gets out of that Lincoln Navigator like a supermodel arriving for a runway show, it made me laugh out loud.  Her brush-off of the make-up person and then her response to the question were both perfectly done. I think she's hilarious. And there's the heart of the story - right there - what it's all about - in a couple of minutes. I think it's terrific.

7 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

If prior experience leading an arts organization doesn't matter, why not just keep Jonathan Stafford and his team in place? A year on, this team does in fact have some experience and from the outside, at least, seem to be doing a fine job. 

Well put Ms. O'Connell - but I'll give you two reasons why the Board will resist that: Jon Stafford was a principal dancer but not a "star", and if they hired him it would look as if they hadn't "done" anything. The best choice is already in place? Yes, he is. Unfortunately he's a he, so that box doesn't get checked either. But what you said about his dancing is telling. A calm, unruffled guy you can trust. No craziness, no agendas, no huge ego. 

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that being a "star" dancer, a choreographer, a stager, a coach, or a teacher are all completely separate gifts, rarely combined. Who is good at coaching is rarely the person who could do it themselves when dancing. Same with teaching. And certainly with being an artistic director. That job requires the mental capacities of an over-view, looking at the long range - not something required of a dancer very frequently.  

Well Drew, you're right - I seem to have the wrong word. I wasn't talking about online stuff. That's easy to ignore. I meant print trolls. Like Sarah Kaufmann. Gia Kourlas. Those dance writers who essentially don't much like ballet. Ms. Kaufmann has been negative about the NYCB for years and years. I remember some article eons ago where she claimed Balanchine had ruined ballet in America. Vividly I recall her recent comment that anyone who bought a ticket to the NYCB had to check their conscience at the door. Her implication being the company was a repugnant hot bed of sexual harassment. Nice huh? That's A LOT of presumption piled on top of telling people not to go. Is that the place of a professional dance critic? 

I'd be surprised if Maria Kowroski were interested in a job like that. Farrell is 73, Kent 81 - it wouldn't seem realistic that either of them would be interested in a job with that kind of stress, guaranteed built-in trolling, and endless hours. (Is trolling the right word? I meant to refer to those people who carp and complain that nothing's good enough.)

I read it as Clifford was mentioning Kent and Farrell as former dancers who should be around coaching. I didn't think he meant as AD.

Yikes!

I can't help it, I'm in cubanmiamiboy's camp. I may be PIC (politically incorrect) but to me generic is generic. The Chinese dance in anybody's version is not about the choreography. 

You're probably right.

You think we're going too far with this stuff? Coolie hats DID used to exist. Why's it so awful now? Some people are concerned we're going to bland out everything in a desperate effort not to offend. I don't get what's so offensive about a coolie hat. Or a mustache. Or pointing fingers for that matter. Why is that insulting? I don't quite get it. 

I don't find it gimmicky - on the contrary I find it charming and magical - and completely suitable as it fits in with Drosselmeier being a magician and doing magic tricks in Act I. One assumes the scarf was thrown over a floor side much like the one used at the NYCB. 

That's so interesting. That Balanchine remembered that theatrical trick and when he had the resources he put it in. What other ballets have stage tricks like that? Of course there's Bournonville's La Sylphide with the Sylph flying across the stage at the end. In some productions there's a bit with a bird in the tree isn't there? The Sylph flies up or it comes down or something. Also isn't Giselle coming from and going back to a trap door grave an old element in some productions? Swan Lake's ending - often incorporates a theatrical trick.