Sascha Radetsky

[MeGaNDaNcEr198521]

I have not personally seen Sascha dance, except for "Center Stage". But I think that he could be the next big name for ABT. I think that with Ethan Steifel having problems with his knee's, Sascha could be the next person in line to step up and be a Principal.

It also doesn't hurt that he is a cutie pie either.

[carbro]

I know most of us hope that Steifel overcomes his latest difficulties and returns to the stage after a complete recuperation. But ABT has many very promising young men in its soloist and corps levels. Sascha's a lovely dancer, but he is not necessarily the "obvious" next principal.

[MeGaNDaNcEr198521]

I know most of us hope that Steifel overcomes his latest difficulties and returns to the stage after a complete recuperation. But ABT has many very promising young men in its soloist and corps levels. Sascha's a lovely dancer, but he is not necessarily the "obvious" next principal.

Who do you think would take the place of Steifel if he retired or if his knee injury was too bad?

[FauxPas]

Who do you think would take the place of Steifel if he retired or if his knee injury was too bad?

I think that all first rank dancers are unique and one can't really take the place of another.

However, I agree with Megan that Sascha is really fulfilling a lot of his promise recently. His assumption of a wide variety of roles in the City Center season just passed showed him really mastering diverse styles of choreography. In the "Romeo and Juliet" at the Met last Spring with Diana Vishneva he danced in trios beside Angel Corella and Herman Cornejo and really held his own. That is pretty strong competition onstage. There are those who thought Sascha's Petrouchka debut was the performance of the season last Spring.

However, I haven't seen Sascha as a "Prince" or lead in one of the great classical ballets but I imagine he would do fine. He has some dramatic background in films that would help him in story ballets. Though he does have a very contemporary stage persona with a kind of lacksadaisical, cynical quality to it. Maybe Basilio in "Don Quixote" and Franz in "Coppelia" would be good starting places. I don't know about Albrecht in "Giselle" or "Prince Siegfried" however...

If you remember there is a scene in "Center Stage" where Sascha and Ethan as "Charlie" and "Cooper" have a little dance competition in the studio. (They are buddies offstage and offscreen) Ethan/Cooper blows Sascha/Charlie out of the water with some virtuoso chainés of pirouettes and leaps. Sascha/Charlie says "Okay, I give up" - well, today Ethan would perhaps not be able to recreate that level of technique and Sascha might be able to match it.

Let's hope that Ethan and Sascha maybe share the stage as principals dancing their best since they are friends and I am sure neither would want one to replace or hinder the other. :rolleyes:

[Helene]

If you remember there is a scene in "Center Stage" where Sascha and Ethan as "Charlie" and "Cooper" have a little dance competition in the studio. (They are buddies offstage and offscreen) Ethan/Cooper blows Sascha/Charlie out of the water with some virtuoso chainés of pirouettes and leaps. Sascha/Charlie says "Okay, I give up" - well, today Ethan would perhaps not be able to recreate that level of technique and Sascha might be able to match it.

There was a short outtake from the movie on the DVD version showing Radetsky (as Charlie) in class doing some amazing things with lovely, clean technique.

[MeGaNDaNcEr198521]

If you remember there is a scene in "Center Stage" where Sascha and Ethan as "Charlie" and "Cooper" have a little dance competition in the studio. (They are buddies offstage and offscreen) Ethan/Cooper blows Sascha/Charlie out of the water with some virtuoso chainés of pirouettes and leaps. Sascha/Charlie says "Okay, I give up" - well, today Ethan would perhaps not be able to recreate that level of technique and Sascha might be able to match it.

I do know the part that you are talking about, but when they actually perform Sascha ends up doing the combination that Ethan showed him up with earlier in the movie. Not trying to be picky or anything. I agree that "Giselle" or "Prince Siegfried" would require someone more experience than Sascha. Although I don't think he is too far away from getting those types of roles.

[Klavier]

Robert Gottlieb may not be everybody's favorite critic, but he wrote a comment recently on Sascha Radetsky that I thought hit the mark:

The hero of the occasion was the hard-working, selfless Sascha Radetsky, dancing full-out at every instant and holding things together without showing off. Sometimes I wish he knew how to show off: The one thing he lacks is the belief that he can be a star—everything about him is modest, even his haircut.

http://www.observer.com/20061030/20061030_...ttliebdance.asp

Please don't get me (or Gottlieb, despite that gratuitous final quip) wrong. Every time I've seen Sascha - and just about every time I go to ABT he's been used, whether in Petrouchka, Rodeo, Fancy Free, Dark Elegies, Giselle, Swan Lake, or you name it - he's been a totally appealing, deeply satisfying dancer. But given all the depth of ABT's principal male contingent, with or without Stiefel, I can't say that Radetsky commands the charisma and star power of men like Corella, Gomes, Carreno, Cornejo, Bocca (now departed), or Hallberg. After all, since MeGaNDaNcEr198521 mentions Stiefel's absence, it's also true that Bocca is now gone and ABT did not feel a need to promote someone else to principal in his place. I don't get the impression the company has any kind of quota system where there must be n number of principals, soloists, and corps members. One might say if anything there is more need for soloists, as ABT's website lists 19 principals, 8 soloists, and 56 in the corps. What I'd really think is more deserved, and soon, are promotions to soloist for some of ABT's most promising corpspeople, including Misty Copeland, Craig Salstein, Isaac Stappas, Kristi Boone, and Grant DeLong (where was he this past season?)

As for Sascha, I think of him now as the ideal soloist, altogether excellent in supporting roles and lead roles in the shorter ballets. But somehow I doubt he's yet ready for Romeo, Siegfried, or the similar full-length roles that are ABT's bread and butter during the Met spring season.

[Memo]

But given all the depth of ABT's principal male contingent, with or without Stiefel, I can't say that Radetsky commands the charisma and star power of men like Corella, Gomes, Carreno, Cornejo, Bocca (now departed), or Hallberg.

First of all Center stage was several years ago now, he has grown alot since them. Secondly most of the dancers you mentioned above (except maybe Hallberg) are a fair bit older than Sasha. Hopefully he will mature into a soulful dancer because he certainly has the skill.

I think that another young dancer to watch out for in the future is Jared Matthews. Though still in the corps he always stands out. I think he is a thinking dancer with alot of potential.

[Klavier]

But given all the depth of ABT's principal male contingent, with or without Stiefel, I can't say that Radetsky commands the charisma and star power of men like Corella, Gomes, Carreno, Cornejo, Bocca (now departed), or Hallberg.

First of all Center stage was several years ago now, he has grown alot since them. Secondly most of the dancers you mentioned above (except maybe Hallberg) are a fair bit older than Sasha. Hopefully he will mature into a soulful dancer because he certainly has the skill.

I think that another young dancer to watch out for in the future is Jared Matthews. Though still in the corps he always stands out. I think he is a thinking dancer with alot of potential.

Jared is terrific too. The issue raised by the original poster, however, was whether Sascha is ready at this point to move up to principal.

[Haglund's]

Most everyone has observed Radetsky grow by leaps and bounds these past few seasons (agreeing with everyone who points to his Petrouchka as a season highlight!), and count me as someone who looks for his performances and hopes that he will be given the growing opportunities that he needs. That said, he doesn’t yet have a principal level of command in his classical turns on stage. He tosses off turns in contemporary choreography with ease, but when it comes to the spotlighted classical preparation with multiple pirouette, he seems to choke a bit and doesn't deliver the spectaclar ABT level that the audience expects. And while all the added weight training that he seems to be doing is helping him in many ways, it is also bulking up his shoulders and back and making his neck look even shorter than it looked before - read as ‘less princely’. Obviously at ABT, if one cannot be sufficiently princely, one will not be a principal. So, there are things to work on that advancement to the next level would not necessarily help. If Radetsky were to address some of these things, he might be apt to spill more charisma and confidence over into the audience - which is what we want to see - and that might lead to more principal roles in the classical rep. If I were king . . . .

[Helene]

Wasn't Robert Hill made a Principal based on his work in contemporary roles?

[carbro]

Robert Hill was made a principal in an era when the requirements for that level could be a bit more broadly defined, when the Met season was still at least half mixed bills. So, for that matter, was Michael Owen, just a few years older (I believe), whose rep was even less classically oriented than Robert's.

[beck_hen]

Wasn't Keith Roberts also a contemporary specialist? I missed it, but Robert Hill's partnership with Julie Kent was supposed to be special? Who do you think are Radetsky's best partners? That can be clarifying in who gets ahead. For example, Sarah Lane is a huge talent, but being the only person short enough to dance with Herman Cornejo doesn't hurt. Sascha would have an easier time if he were a little taller.

[Amy'sMom]

Who do you think are Radetsky's best partners?

I've only seen Sascha dance live twice. Once was this past summer at the Met in Romeo and Juliet, and the other was in 2004, when he made a guest appearance with Stella Abrera at my daughter's youth ballet company's debut. He and Stella danced together in and excerpt from Le Corsaire and in Jabula. I thought they looked great, especially in Jabula. Do they partner together often at ABT?

[4mrdncr]

I saw Sascha dance live several times this past month at City Center and during the Met season as Benvolio, Tybalt, and I think Hilarion.

Personally, in "Center Stage" my favorite Radetsky performance was the "Tchaikovsky Pdd" variation included in the dvd's 'deleted scenes'. The technique was beautiful, precise, and more correctly Balanchine than some more famous current and former ABT principal's.

He was very good in "Fancy Free" at City Center--that acting background helped: loved the saucy action, ever raised eyebrows, and moony smile. And while I think Craig Salstein was a better tapper, Sascha did acquit himself fine in "Rodeo" too.

I hope ABT management gives him further opportunities to perform and grow in the more full-length dramatic parts because the potential is definately there both in technique and acting abilities.

One generic observation re: What makes a "Prince"...Okay, height is a factor in choice of partner (though Bujones and Gregory somehow managed), but why does everyone expect Siegfried, Albrecht, et.al. to be tall and/or blonde & blue-eyed? Must we typecast like the Russians?! I do NOT care what they look like, I CARE how they dance! If someone has the individual virtuosic technique, partnering and acting ability, and charisma/command of a stage it shouldn't matter whether they are 5'6" or 6'6". My mother saw the Kirov's "Swan Lake" in Boston last weekend (I was supposed to accompany, but was prevented by family emergency) and as usual her comment (though probably partially do to choreography too) was that Siegfried was "tepid" and the Jester "spectacular". And we all know how they typecast those roles. Ditto NYCB.