SPAC restores NYCB

[rkoretzky]

Well we've won the battle, but there is still a war to fight. I am proud, proud, proud of my small city and what we have accomplished here. I am also grateful to everyone from this board and from the dance world at large who supported us in fighting the good fight. We're not finished yet.

I don't believe that we will ultimately prevail unless we continue with our hard work. The bottom line is that the SPAC board and management are still looking at hard numbers. They want a season attendance of 70,000 to 75,000. I am no mathematician, but I figure that averages out to between 3,300 and 3,500 per performance, based on a 21 performance schedule. Considering that the State Theater has a seating capacity of 2,600, we are expected to sell out the home theater AND THEN SOME (almost half as much again) for every performance for three weeks, with an area population of about 1 million, as opposed to the --what-- 10 million in the NY metropolitan area? A tall order.

Assemblymember Tedisco summed it up nicely in expressing disappointment that SPAC has only committed to one more season. Saratoga cannot go through this every year; NYCB will not--they will find another summer home and it will not be difficult. So we still have a long road ahead. Ultimately, a change in SPAC administration and board would be all to the good--how can that change be effected however? Troubling too--that only 9 board members showed up for the meeting, another 7 participated by phone--Peter recused himself, which still leaves 6 board members who did not involve themselves with this process? Where were they? Who are they?

Bottom line: I'm proud, happy, and still very concerned.

[Farrell Fan]

Congratulations and thanks to you, rkoretzky, and to all the other Saratogians who fought so hard for this victory. As you indicate, it's a qualified victory at best, but it does show that people up there care deeply about NYCB -- and that's something to celebrate.

[Manhattnik]

I am hoping that with its incorporation as a legitimate nonprofit organization, "Save the Ballet" can act as a persistant gadfly to the do-nothing SPAC board. At least SPAC board meetings will be open to the public from now on -- I'm sure there will be "Save the Ballet" representatives at each, taking careful count of who can't be bothered to attend.

I'm glad the SPAC board dug into its own pockets for $300,000, but where's the fundraising plan? Where's the vision? Where's the endowment just for the ballet? There are so many things a responsible arts organization could be doing, and SPAC isn't. The board is just letting others take the lead.

The fact that the board has set well-nigh impossible conditions for the continuation of the ballet at SPAC shows where their heads are really at. I'd like to ask the board what THEY plan to do to assure such attendance; I'm sure the board's only answer will be that it's Saratogians fault if they don't come out in record numbers, and not the boards'.

Actually, I know where this board's heads are at, but I shouldn't say in this forum.

[Farrell Fan]

BA member bobsey alerted me to the following quote from an advertising supplement in the April 18 New York Times Magazine.

"Like Tanglewood in the Berskshires and Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, Saratoga fills its summer calendar with cultural events. On June 26 and 27, Saratoga's acclaimed Performing Arts Center will host its annual Jazz Festival, followed by Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in August."

Apparently Chesbrough and SPAC had already consigned NYCB to oblivion.

[rkoretzky]

That little piece in Sunday's NYT magazine has caused quite a stir here. And even though I would love to place the blame right at SPAC's feet, I'm not sure this was their doing. I have heard that the information came from the Chamber of Commerce, and that they are saying they mentioned NYCB, but that the writer (who is not a member of the Times' staff--the disclaimer at the bottom of the ad clearly states that the Times' travel writing staff had nothing to do with this piece) left that information out. The piece is not signed, so how to check on that?

It is certainly very odd that NYCB was left out, in this year when there has been so much controversy and press about them. In fact, the Times has ignored this story, except for the one article when SPAC first announced. That is odd too.

People have very short memories. Now that NYCB is restored for '05, I fear that people will lose interest and that our effort will lose momentum. This board seems to have lost interest, too--after so many posts in February there are few comments now. We can really use your support here and I don't mean financial, although Save the Ballet is now incorporated and able to take donations and all would be appreciated. Please don't forget about us.