Most underrated NYCB dancers?

[Leigh Witchel]

Just giving us something to argue about until the season starts again!

Who do you think are the most underrated dancers in the company? You may name more than one, and in any rank.

I think mine would be Pascale van Kipnis and Jason Fowler.

So who are yours?

[cargill]

Van Kipnis was the one that first came to my mind too. She is so lovely and pure. Ditto Korbes and Rutherford. I think any of them would have made lovely Lilac Fairies, for a start. I have always loved watching Elizabeth Walker dance, too, every since she was a student in Serenade.

[E Johnson]

Well, underrated by whom? NYCB management? Ballet Talkers? I'd agree that van Kipnis is underrated, if by that one means, doesn’t seem to get the roles she deserves, and thus one can infer she’s underrated by the company's management. But many posters here certainly think she's very good, so I don't think this board underrates her, and I think she's gotten some good critical notice lately, too. I'd say Evans appears to be underrated by NYCB management also, even though he's a Principal, because of the limited way he is cast.

After seeing Peter Boal at the Joyce, I'd say Sean Suozzi is underrated.

[Helene]

After seeing Peter Boal at the Joyce, I'd say Sean Suozzi is underrated.

In Merrill Ashley's memoir she said that Balanchine often paid attention to dancers when other choreographers showcased their gifts. (In her case it was a Jacques D'Amboise ballet.)

Perhaps this foray into Boal's world will get Suozzi more recognition.

[rkoretzky]

Cargill:

Did you see Elizabeth Walker's "Man I Love" at wall-to-wall? Utterly exquisite.

[liebs]

I've always felt both Van Kipnis and Arch Higgins were under used given their abilities.

IMO, how can management feel any interest in Suozzi when at NYCB he always looks like he wishes he were else where and seems to walk through the roles he does get. It was his level of committment, not his abilities, that astounded me at the Joyce.

[tempusfugit]

gosh, only a few hours and two people already beat me to saying

ELIZABETH WALKER

Wish I could have seen her "Man I Love". Why is this woman in the corps?

huge ditto on Korbes, who ought to be seen in all sorts of beautiful roles,

and Rutherford, although at least she was given Emeralds this season........

[oberon]

Under-utilized or under-rated?

Under-utilized: (meaning they simply don't dance often enough or aren't given roles they could/should be good at): Albert, Pascale, Carla K, Jennifer Tinsley...

Under-rated: (meaning they could do more/bigger roles): Amanda Edge (she virtually lit up the stage in SOIREE and gave very charming & enjoyable perfs. in TIN SOLDIER and HARLEQUINADE); Faye Arthurs, Craig Hall, Suozzi, Riggins, Mandradjieff, Keenan, Krohn, Jerome Johnson, Amanda Hankes (that superb Lilac Fairy), Adam Hendrickson (one of the company's most charismatic dancers)...I think Pauline Golbin is the most striking woman in the corps and would love to see her in something "bigger". Well, actually, there are so many...I feel like I'm leaving people out. After seeing Rachel R in EMERALDS, APOLLO, LA VALSE I think she is ready for "bigger & better"...what a lovely dancer. And yes, Elizabeth Walker too rarely gets to shine.

I do think that injuries have set some of these people back at times...Abi Stafford & Janie Taylor, both of whom missed the Winter repertory season, had both shone great development in strength & stage presence in the last year or so...who knows what they might have done had they been dancing this Winter...let's hope everyone from the injured list is back for the Spring.

[carbro]

No new names to add, but want to add emphasis to Higgins, Evans, and Korbes. And Evans.

[Dansuer85]

Of the few i've seen and know aren't used to their full abilities, Mandradjieff and Arthurs!

[tempusfugit]

yes. Mandradjieff. tremendous talent..........

Glenn Keenan, too. could we PLEASE see her in a principal part?

Evans of course.

Korbes would make a lovely Lilac, not to mention many other roles she would dazzle in.

[Reinhard]

Robert Tewsley of course!

[pville]

Ditto Evans, Higgins, Van Kipnis, Korbes

Of dancers past (or pushed away?) - Meunier, Ash, Ritter, Liang

Others that come to mind - carmena, fowler, abergel, and angle (but i think thats because of chronic injury)

Overutilized - ... borree, martins

Misutilized - kistler, kowroski, abi stafford

[jimmattimore]

Just giving us something to argue about until the season starts again!

Who do you think are the most underrated dancers in the company?  You may name more than one, and in any rank.

I think mine would be Pascale van Kipnis and Jason Fowler.

So who are yours?

leigh: Golbin, Van Kipnis.

JIM

[aspirant]

Craig Hall, Jerome Johnson.

[Lovebird]

I'd say Robert Tewsley is seriously under- utilized, given that he is a new principal male dancer, something which the company practically always needs. How many times has he danced since he joined? I think you can count them with your fingers. Besides isn't his type "needed" at this time at NYCB? A classical prince in every sense. I think he would have been better off if he had never left Stuttgart, or the Royal. As little he claims he would have danced at the Royal, it would still have been more than he's doing now.

[Leigh Witchel]

Alas, with Tewsley, it seems he's been off the active roster through injury much of his tenure here.

[Hal]

From the number of different dancers above, who would be left in the Corps? I have a much tougher question. Who would you replace to make room for any of these dancers? Considering there are only so many roles and positions for Principals and Soloists, for every one you would elevate, who would you retire or replace? :shrug: Makes being and AD much tougher now doesn't it?

But then again, I agree that Evans is way under used. And if I had to remove someone to make room for him (although he is already a principal) it would possibly be Martins, not that they are anything alike..... just body counting.