A few good men

[oberon]

Jock Soto is about to retire, Robert Tewsley's name drops off the roster, now Peter Boal appears to be headed for Seattle in 2005. Yikes! Three of the most accomplished & charismatic dancers in one fell swoop. What dancers are coming along to fill the gaps that will be left by these departures?

With the exception of Antonio Carmena, the more virtuostic dancers in the corps are probably a bit short (Ulbricht, Hendrickson)...Joaquin de Luz certainly has the technique but he is also short (funny, after he left ABT they promoted Herman Cornejo who is not much taller than de Luz). Stephen Hanna's star is rising and he could become an impressive danseur noble...he is very interesting to watch. Ed Liang is a beautiful dancer & I've seen him pull off some impressive combinatons...everything seems so nicely placed when he dances. Jared Angle got off to a fine start and then was beset by injuries...hopefully he will return to top form. And he's tall.

Possibly NYCB will be looking outside for some new leading men. My secret wish is for David Hallberg to make a leap to NYCB...oops, now it's not a secret any more!

Are there any great Danes on the horizon?

[Leigh Witchel]

I like Carmena, but isn't he on the short side as well?

The saddest thing about this situation is that people have seen this coming for years. The company's mainstay gentlemen were getting older (add Woetzel to this list though hopefully he'll be around for a bit longer) and there was no one on the horizon being groomed to their repertory.

My guess about how they deal with the slack until new dancers appear on the scene runs like this - Millepied looks to gain the bulk of Woetzel's parts, Fayette will gain the bulk of Soto's, Marcovici will get many of the Boal parts (he already does Melancholic and Prodigal). Hanna will benefit most from Tewsley's departure, but Tewsley hadn't been there long enough to carve out a rep.

As a viewer, I'm going to feel it worst with Boal's departure, and then on the horizon, Woetzel's.

[oberon]

Carmena looks taller offstage than on. Boal is not really very tall. The tall guys like Neal & Askegard will be succeeded by Hanna, and, hopefully, Jared Angle. Millepied's injury set him back somewhat but friends in Japan tell me he was dancing quite excitingly there. I would like to see him bulk up his shoulders & chest a little, as Philip Neal eventually did. Fayette has partnering skills second only to Jock, in my estimation. Marcovici has the mystique that makes you watch him even if his dancing isn't on a spectacular level. Damian seems to be winding down somewhat and there is no clear heir to his roles...he & Benj. are really quite different, Ben being more of a high-flying type while Damian can pirouette endlessly and has a daring style that grips the audience no matter what ballet he's in.

[carbro]

Does this mean we'll be seeing more of Nilas??? :mondieu:

Perhaps it's time to raid the Royal Danish again.

I'm with you, Leigh, in anticipating the most anguish from Peter's premature departure. But as was said on another thread, sometimes a person just has to grab an opportunity when it arises.

[oberon]

Now, now carbro...Nilas is no Erik Bruhn butt he does have his assets. In the season just past I think Nilas danced far more often than he would have if everyone had been injury-free.

Danes? Cubans? How about Andrew Bowman, the guy who premiered HALLELUJAH JUNCTION? Tall, sexy, a bit wild...

[Alexandra]

Andrew Bowman is from Australia, I believe. He's not Danish.

[oberon]

Yes, I knew he was from Down Under but I think he is with Royal Danish...or was when he guested here.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

I like Carmena, but isn't he on the short side as well?

The saddest thing about this situation is that people have seen this coming for years.  The company's mainstay gentlemen were getting older (add Woetzel to this list though hopefully he'll be around for a bit longer) and there was no one on the horizon being groomed to their repertory. 

My guess about how they deal with the slack until new dancers appear on the scene runs like this - Millepied looks to gain the bulk of Woetzel's parts, Fayette will gain the bulk of Soto's, Marcovici will get many of the Boal parts (he already does Melancholic and Prodigal).  Hanna will benefit most from Tewsley's departure, but Tewsley hadn't been there long enough to carve out a rep.

As a viewer, I'm going to feel it worst with Boal's departure, and then on the horizon, Woetzel's.

As a viewer, I'm going to feel it worst with Boal's departure, and then on the horizon, Woetzel's.

Not to mention Nikolai Hübbe, for whom I see no real replacement either. Not that he's in the twilight of his career or anything, but he's definitely in the afternoon. His wonderful Apollo is about as different from Boal's as it is possible to be, and would be equally missed.

Hope Tewsley didn't elect to leave because Musagete is on the schedule for next season

[oberon]

Oh, Kathleen, that is so funny! But now they will have to find someone else to do MUSAGETE (unless Tewsley is invited back as a guest...) and I am thinking the most likely person would be Hubbe.

[purelyballet]

We are just talking about the men, but what about the women. I think a few of the great ones will be retiring soon and after seeing two of the NYCB performances in Orange County this past week, I am fearful we may have the same situation here. Maria K, Janie Taylor and Ashley Bouder are stand outs, Teresa Reichlein has promise, but outside of that I was not all that impressed. The corps overall seems very young and needs time to flourish (hopefully time will make a difference)!

[Helene]

Does this mean we'll be seeing more of Nilas??? 

I don't mean to be ageist, but if Peter Martins had him when he was 17, he'd be around 40-41 now, which usually isn't the time to pile on a lot of rep, unless you're Margot Fonteyn

[oberon]

Nilas looks like a kid still...I had a short chat with him earlier this year and I kept thinking: he doesn't just look boyish, he REALLY looks young!

On the women's side, we can't expect Darci & Kyra to dance much longer although both gave some very beautiful performances in recent months. Ansanelli seems to be really coming into her own (actually, she's already arrived!) and Janie Taylor strikes me as someone from whom we can expect alot. Both these girls came thru injuries (Alexandra's was especially severe) and now we can hope it will be smooth sailing. Somogyi continues to be absent...she was doing some brilliant stuff prior to her injury. Abi Stafford, so refreshing to watch, has been sidelined and will need to regain the momentum she was building when she was hurt. What has become of Jennifer Tinsley & Pascale van Kipnis? Rutherford, Bouder, Korbes, Carrie Lee Riggins, Reichlin, Ellen Bar, and Rebecca Krohn have been making their mark in featured roles...they each, in different ways, have potential star quality.

In the OCPAC thread, people noted that the corps was not up to snuff. It's a pretty new/young group...they are getting their feet wet, so to speak, and being thrown right into things. Big turnover lately. We can look to such lovely senior corps girls as Edge, Golbin, Walker, Hanson and Abergel to (hopefully) stay on and help inspire the newbies. And Glenn Keenan & Sarah Ricard, two of the most impressive up-and-comers, missed several weeks with injuries...so it's been something of a wild time: lots of new people, lots of injuries (more than I can ever recall over the years) and, ironically, a very busy schedule with the Balanchine 100th, the drama of the Saratoga crisis, Japan, California...and some of these people were dancing at Jacob's Pillow or other festivals in between, and some will go with Dances Concertantes to Europe later this month I believe. And then before you know it, it'll be NUTCRACKER time again. No rest for the wicked...these kids must be REALLY bad! :rolleyes:

[Juliet]

Don't forget the Choreographic Institute which runs for the next two weeks...which will be time for some more hard work for some of the dancers.

I hope they know how much they are appreciated!

[charlieloki]

it looks like there's trouble on the horizon for nycb

whenever mr. boal leaves, the company will have lost its artistic center

he is in a class of his own -- without him in pieces such as opus 19 and apollo, there really will be a dulling down of the choreography

technique is not the total name of the game

well-done steps by other dancers will go just so far without real artistic involvement

oh, well -- we all knew this was coming, and now it's here

marcovici -- problem with line, but much improved

millepied -- problem with proportions

fayette -- problem with artistic quality

martins -- problems

neal -- so very good generally

hanna -- a definite maybe

j. stafford -- very interesting

a very bright current light -- sofiane sylve

over the many decades i have been attending performances at nycb, i have come to the position where i now usually focus very intensely on the balanchine choreography and the music he uses -- this can be very rewarding -- and i find that i have missed a lot by focusing mainly, in the past, on the dancers

it is always amazing to see something in the choreography that you did not see in many past performances of a piece -- stravinsky violin concerto has been a particular revelation

sorry to ramble so, but i am somewhat distraught at the prospect of losing mr. boal to another company when nycb needs him so -- no one can replace stanley williams, but i'll bet mr. boal as a teacher would be close

[purelyballet]

charlieloki, I could not agree with you more. Mr. Boal will be missed greatly. And I also agree with you that technique only goes so far. Along with that you need the artistic aspects. In the most recent NYCB performances that I have attended, this seems to be missing. Many of the dancers almost seem bored on stage and are only getting through the steps, not DANCING them. Yes, this corps is young, but I do not go to NYCB to see a group of girls "getting their feet wet" I think their audience is used to seasoned professionals and younger dancers that are trained to get in there and "DANCE". Over the past few years, this seems to have changed. Turnover has a lot to do with it, but why not hire girls that look like the actually love dancing when they are on stage.

[E Johnson]

Possibly NYCB will be looking outside for some new leading men. My secret wish is for David Hallberg to make a leap to NYCB...oops, now it's not a secret any more!

Well, you could fill a lot of the Woetzel roles just by bringing Steifel back!

On another note, Evans is also in the "afternoon" of his career, and may have decided to focus his energies elsewhere, but I think that Soto's retirement may, goddess willing, be a boon for him. They're already cast in many of the same roles and if it means he moves into first cast for those and also picks up more of Soto's repertory (he did a great Bugaku many years ago when Soto was injured) I'd be happy. He'd certainly, in my opinion, be a more worthy successor than Fayette.

A potential up and comer I haven't seen mentioned is Adam Hendrickson -- is it because of his height? I'd like to see him try some of Boal's rep.

[GeorgeB fan]

Like purelyballet, I totally agree with you charlieloki about artistic development is more important then just knowing how to do the steps. This is what we will be losing when Soto retire and especially if Boal departs.

But in away this maybe a blessing in disguise. With the loss of these important dancers as well as Tewsley it may finally give some of the remaining male dancers the real opportunity to come up to the plate and stretch themselves in ballets they are not usually given the chance to perform in.

Fayette - a excellent partner who I always felt could be much more if given the opportunity. I truly believe he's much more stronger technically then given credit for.

Neal - another wonderful dancer who I believe is just thought of as a reliable partner and is too often given ballets that dosen't require him to stretch himself to much.

Evans - he may not wish to dance the "princely" roles but he know may have no other choice and beside it's time to see him in ballets like Apollo and Bugaku.

Liang - every ballet I've seen him in I've enjoyed. Strong technique who seem to have a real understanding of phrasing and musciality. I think he will benefit greatly with the departure of Boal, Soto and Tewsley. So will Hanna, Angle, and Arch Higgins a dancer no one else have mention yet.

I could go on. But the main thing I think such happen in order for NYCB to survive the departure of so many of their top male dancers is that the remaining male dancers such be given a great deal more guidance and nurturing in order for them to stretch their technique to bigger heights. I think that can only happen if more is demanded and expected from them artistically and technically. And of course the only person who can demand that is the Ballet Master in Chief. It is mainly all in Peter Martins hands to make sure NYCB survive this. The materials are already there, he just have to concentrate more fully on sculpturing them.

[Mel Johnson]

I don't see this issue as very serious. Remember, at one time, Edward Villella, Damian Woetzel, Peter Boal and yes, even Peter Martins at one time all had "Who?" so much attached to their names that it might as well have been a temporary part of them.

[oberon]

Adam Hendrickson is one of the most charismatic & accomplished dancers in the company. He might be a bit too short for some roles (still, if Joaquin de Luz can...)

Adam is one of those dancers that draws you to watch him, even if he is in the second row of a czardas. He has a slightly darkish quality that makes him more "interesting" than Tom Gold or Daniel Ulbricht (no offense to those guys, who are excellent in a more out-going way...)

As far as the dancers looking bored, I see it only very rarely. Sometimes I focus my opera glasses on one individual corps dancer and watch them for a long time...it might be Amanda Hankes or Craig Hall. I see concentration, dedication, and sometimes joy. What might be interpreted as a bored expression could be what is often referred to as "New York City Ballet face", a sort of detached and slightly arrogant look. My feeling is this may have developed from Balanchine's supposed admonishments to: "Just dance, dear. Do steps."