Alexandra Posted October 9, 2003 Share Posted October 9, 2003 CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD WEEK OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S FALL SEASON AT CITY CENTER Amanda McKerrow to Make ABT Debut as Hagar in Pillar of Fire on Wednesday, November 5 Pas de Deux from Flames of Paris to be Performed on November 8 and 9 Matinees Casting for the third week of American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season at City Center, October 22 through November 9, was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Highlighting the third week of performances will be the ABT debut of Amanda McKerrow as Hagar in Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire and the debut of Gennadi Saveliev as The Friend on Wednesday, November 5. On the same evening, Michele Wiles, Carlos Molina, Yuriko Kajiya and Jesus Pastor will perform the roles of the Couple in White and the Couple in Yellow in Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels for the first time, and a new cast will debut in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations. The pas de deux from Flames of Paris, after the original by Vasily Vainonen, will be performed by Gillian Murphy and Gennadi Saveliev at the matinees on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9. The pas de deux was first performed by ABT in 1972 with choreography by David and Anna-Marie Holmes after the original. The complete four-act ballet received its World Premiere by the Leningrad-Kirov Ballet in Leningrad in 1932. American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season at City Center continues through November 9. The season is sponsored by Movado Watch Company, a leading benefactor. ABT’s 2003 City Center season is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Tickets priced from $30 to $80 can be purchased by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212 or at the City Center box office. City Center is located on West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. Complete casting follows: THIRD WEEK Tue., Nov. 4, 7:30 P.M. INNOVATIVE WORKS WITHOUT WORDS – S. Brown, Saveliev, Herrera, Corella, Murphy, Molina, Reyes*, Stiefel workwithinwork – Company WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON – Company Wed., Nov. 5, 7:30 P.M. MASTER WORKS DIVERSION OF ANGELS – Wiles*, Molina*, Tuttle, Stappas, Kajiya*, Pastor* SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS – Kang*, Abrera*, Fang*, Hallberg*, Gomes*, Torres* PILLAR OF FIRE – McKerrow+, Saveliev*, Corella RAYMONDA (Grand Pas Classique) – Dvorovenko*, Beloserkovsky* Thurs., Nov. 6, 8 P.M. CONTEMPORARY WORKS PETITE MORT – Company SECHS TÄNZE – Company DORIAN – Beloserkovsky, Dvorovenko, Saveliev Fri., Nov. 7, 8 P.M. MASTER WORKS DIVERSION OF ANGELS – Wiles, Molina, Tuttle, Stappas, Kajiya, Pastor SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS – Kang, Abrera, Fang, Hallberg, Gomes, Torres PILLAR OF FIRE – McKerrow, Saveliev, Corella RAYMONDA (Grand Pas Classique) – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky Sat. Mat., Nov. 8, 2 P.M. FAMILY FRIENDLY THEME AND VARIATIONS – Tuttle, Corella LE GRAND PAS DE DEUX – Reyes, H. Cornejo THREE VIRGINS AND A DEVIL – Butler, Riccetto, Dmochowski, Salstein, Lopez FLAMES OF PARIS Pas de Deux– Murphy*, Saveliev* FANCY FREE – Salstein**, Lopez, Gomes, Herrera, Kent, Snow Sat. Eve., Nov. 8, 8 P.M. CONTEMPORARY WORKS PETITE MORT - Company SECHS TÄNZE - Company DORIAN -Hallberg, Kent, Gomes Sun. Mat., Nov. 9, 2 P.M. FAMILY FRIENDLY THEME AND VARIATIONS – Wiles, Hallberg LE GRAND PAS DE DEUX – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky THREE VIRGINS AND A DEVIL – Waddell, Schulte, Fischbach, Molina, Bragado-Young FLAMES OF PARIS Pas de Deux – Murphy, Saveliev FANCY FREE – Salstein, Lopez, Gomes, Herrera, Kent, Thomas Sun. Eve., Nov. 9, 7:30 P.M. INNOVATIVE WORKS WITHOUT WORDS – Abrera, Torres, Tuttle, Tidwell, Murphy, Molina, Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky workwithinwork – Company WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON - Company *Editors please note: first time in a role: Tue. Eve., Nov. 4 – Reyes in Without Words Wed. Eve., Nov. 5 – Wiles, Molina (Couple in White), Kajiya, Pastor (Couple in Yellow) in Diversion of Angels; Kang, Abrera, Fang, Hallberg, Gomes, Torres in Symphonic Variations; Saveliev (The Friend) in Pillar of Fire; Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky in Raymonda (Grand Pas Classique) Sat. Mat., Nov. 8 – Murphy, Saveliev in Flames of Paris **Editors please note: first time in a role in New York: Sat. Mat., Nov. 8 – Salstein in Fancy Free +Editors please note: first time in a role with ABT: Wed. Eve., Nov. 5 – McKerrow in Pillar of Fire Link to comment
sandik Posted October 11, 2003 Share Posted October 11, 2003 Three Virgins and a Devil? How I wish Seattle were closer to NYC. I hope anyone writing here who gets a chance to see it will post back for those of us geographically challenged... Link to comment
BattleRoyale Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 That's all very well, but where are Meunier and Part? Link to comment
Alexandra Posted October 13, 2003 Author Share Posted October 13, 2003 Dale! Dale!!! You and Ballet Royale must obviously join together on this!!! (BR, Dale has been the board's most vocal Meunier and Part fan and I'm sure she will welcome an ally) Link to comment
Dale Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 I've almost given up. It seemed, towards the end of last spring season, that there was a bit of a breakthrough and the company was using them more, especially in Don Q., in which both made successful appearances as Mercedes and Part also did a beautiful Dryad Queen. Both were singled out in reviews and by observers. But now nothing. I'm hoping they'll pop up in soloist roles in the Raymonda or possibly in the pieces with casts listed as "company." I really believe in these dancers, I'd hoped ABT did too. Link to comment
BattleRoyale Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 What I love about Meunier and Part is that they are such individual artists. They break out of that National Ballet of anywhere mould. Both have a lush womanly sexuality that informs every part of their dancing, and is the antithesis of that awful technique for technique's sake that characterises ABT of today. Link to comment
carbro Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 I absolutely agree, Royale. I am also puzzled, because your description of Part and Meunier also applies to van Hamel, the usual dance partner and the life partner of AD McKenzie. Link to comment
BattleRoyale Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Indeed, Carbro. However, one could conjecture that if ADs sought to pass on and mantain the qualities that made their eras as dancers so special and dramatic, perhaps ballet wouldn't be the homogenised, gymnastic mush it is today. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted October 13, 2003 Author Share Posted October 13, 2003 Unfortunately, in many instances, the AD is the dancer to whom you want to say: "Stop! No, no. Don't pass it on. Some secrets need to be taken to the grave " Link to comment
BattleRoyale Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Unfortunately, in many instances, the AD is the dancer to whom you want to say: "Stop! No, no. Don't pass it on. Some secrets need to be taken to the grave " Ooooooh, meoooow, Ms Tomalanis. But sadly so true. However, it just struck me on reading your post how many legends of dance go on to be truly dreadful ADs. Almost as if they were spiting the ADs who had pushed and sometimes bullied them into becoming the dancers they were, by eradicating everything the great AD did for his company. eg Martins, Baryshnikov, Vasiliev, Sergeyev the list goes on and on. What do you think? Could company sabotage be a perverse form of revenge? Link to comment
Alexandra Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 I think it's because dancers aren't trained to be directors and choreographers. I was actually thinking of the generation or two after the ones you mentioned -- any male who is a principal dancer in a company of any size will turn up, sooner or later, as an artistic director, promising faithfully to turn ballet upside down, etc. etc. Often they can't go beyond their own experiences as dancers -- "I wanted a lot of roles I didn't get, so I'll give my dancers the roles they want." Not to mention questionable taste in choreographers -- "He's a great guy and I loved that ballet he did for me." But I sincerely meant that there are some dancers, who, when I read that they are determined to give back to the art form -- and I'm sure they mean it in utter sincereity -- I shudder, because it means yet another generation of jesters-turned-Princes, or dancer with arms frozen in second, or whatever particular idiosyncracy the "donor" had. Back to Park and Meunier, though, I don't know what's behind the lack of casting, but I think it's safe to say that a company doesn't acquire two dancers for the fun of not using them. There could be injury or illness involved, or other factors that we don't know about, and that it could well be harmful to speculate on. Link to comment
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