Who's your company's MVP for 2005?

[bart]

Reading some older threads, I came across one that got a number of great responses:

Who's your company's 2005 MVP? Who, in your estimation, deserves some Ballet Talk recognition for making it a good (or at least better-than-it-might-have- been) year?

[BalletNut]

SFB: Tina LeBlanc, whose warmth and musicality enlivened every ballet she danced this season--and she danced quite a few!

[Helene]

PNB: Jonathan Poretta. Too many honorable mentions...

Edited to add, I realized I limited this to dancers, but since it's not, this will have to be a three-way tie: Jonathan Poretta, Paul Gibson for choreographing the best new ballet I've seen in years, and the people who chose Peter Boal to succeed Francia Russell and Kent Stowell.

Ballet Arizona: Paola Hartley and Natalia Magniacaballi will have to share [adding] with Ib Andersen, for a masterful Romeo and Juliet.

[bart]

Ballet Florida: Founder and Artistic Director Marie Hale -- a year of great hires (dancers and a new executive director; new imaginative programming, even with dances already in rep -- and creating something of a renaissance in the company's 20th Anniversary season.

Miami City Ballet: hard to say -- so many wonderful people. I'd go with soloist Jeremy Cox, a can-do dancer in so many types of roles who even took on Prodigal Son and did a very creditable job.

Also: everyone who arranged it so that Yanis Pikieris and David Palmer returned to MCB and were put in charge of a new Contemporary Dance Series, premiering this winter. A chamber company allowing the company's dancers to do a greater variety of contemporary work in smaller venues -- what a great idea.

[bart]

Is that all? This topic has produced lots of interesting responses in previous years. So I thought I'd bring it back for a second chance.

[carbro]

ABT: Marcelo Gomes was recovering from injury during the City Center season, so perhaps. So effectively with one hand tied behind his back, he gets my vote for the second year running.

At NYCB, Ashley Bouder singlehandedly generates enough electricity to light up the stage several nights a week.

[nysusan]

In Marcelo's absence I will nominate David Hallberg at ABT. Also Stella Abrera, who seemed to be cast in everything at City Center.

At NYCB - Rachel Rutherford really seemed to grow into her roles last year, but Tess Reichlin still gets my vote. Among the men all eyes were on Jock Soto and Peter Boal last season, and deservedly so. They will be missed. But thank goodness we still have Damian Woetzel, Albert Evans and Philip Neal.