Works & Process Frederic Franklin

[Barbara]

A lovely evening last night despite the intrusion of a movie filming on a good portion of 5th Ave as well as inside the Guggenheim rotunda in NYC. Audience members were lined up outside the Employee Entrance on 89th St since the entire front entrance was blocked off. My daughter and I lined up early because altho we had tickets I was hoping for a standby ticket for my son. Mr. Franklin arrived shortly after we did and responded with a smiling hello to my surprised "Good evening!" The evening started with a discussion led by Wes Chapman of Mr. Franklin's amazing career with his biographer Leslie Norton interspersed with his own remembrances of dancing with Josephine Baker and later with the Markova Dolin company and then on to his legendary partnership with Danilova at Ballet Russes. Later Georgina Parkinson joined the panel and made a heartfelt statement about what a special human being Fred Franklin is and how we should all be honored and appreciative of just having him in our midst - I heartedly concur! He may be 93 1/2 years old but he is energetic, has the memory of an elephant (his words) and is a thoroughly delightful raconteur. The discussion was highlighted by film clips of Mr. Franklin's career and of him coaching and dancing. In his youth he had the ability to do incredibly fast multiple turns when no one else was doing such a thing, but he confided he could only do them when turning left! ABT II dancers performed the Czardas from Coppelia and students from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School performed the Friends dance also from Coppelia. Mr. Franklin went onstage to coach the young women in the Friends dance. Each correction was given with love and kindness and right before your eyes you could see the dancers improve. By the way, the young woman dancing Swanilda was a star in the making. I don't know her name because names were only listed in the program as a group. I'm going to be watching for her to join the main company in the years to come. Of course besides Mr. Franklin himself, the highlight of the evening were performances by Julie Kent and David Hallberg. Their personas are so large (he in particular) that they simply devoured the tiny Guggenheim stage. They did the Pas de deux from Gaite Parisienne in charming costumes by Christian Lacroix and a tiny excerpt from Mozartiana in practice clothes. Certainly has whet my appetite for ABT's Met season!

[Haglund's]

Just as Barbara said, it was a delightful evening.

The JKO student Swanilda was Skyler Brandt, who has appeared in most of the children's roles in the spring season's full length productions in recent years. She was always the smallest child with the most assured technique and stage presence. It looks like she might have done a bit of growing recently. She really is quite the confident performer, and did a splendid job last night with her solos.

The ABT II'ers were fairly cramped while trying to do Czardas, but managed to avoid any collisions. The lead couple was Isadora Loyola and Isaac Hernadez. I noticed today that Ms. Loyola is now an ABT apprentice.

The ABT II'er who I noticed immediately was, I believe, Joseph Gorak - usually house left. His performance polish was just extraordinary, and he danced with his partner as though it was the performance of his lifetime. I know he is still a baby and too young for the corps, but I can't help hoping that the time will pass quickly to when he will be on stage, and then we can all obsess impatiently about the glacial progress of his career.

Last night could have easily turned into "Late Night with Freddie Franklin" complete with a Top Ten list if Wes Chapman hadn't maintained moderator control. Mr. Franklin was pretty sparkley in the limelight, and as Wes said at one point - we're trying to keep the lawyers out of it. One of the film clips included Mr. Franklin dancing a solo in The Red Poppy. Phenomenal! When the lights came up after that clip, his face was beet red like he was embarrassed at how freakin' awesome he had been as a dancer.

Watching him coach the JKO kids was like watching the Energizer Bunny on some kind of extra juice. The corrections came so quickly and his explanations were wholly connected to the story and the why of it all. There was also a film clip of him coaching Julie Kent and Nicholai Hubbe in Mozartiana which was funny. He was talking so fast and excitedly, and Julie was confused and trying to ask questions, and he just talked faster.

As Barbara pointed out, Julie and David Hallberg performed tidbits from Gaite Parisienne and Mozartiana. A nice offering, but of course cramped on the small stage.

[carbro]

I attended the second evening, and what a love fest it was!

I have to say, with all due respect to all of the dancers, it was more fun watching FF responding to the performances he had helped prepare. His expressions of delight, concentration, all the time gently marking the choreography with his head and shoulders.

I protest, Haglunds, that Mr. Franklin is not the Energizer Bunny. No, sirree! The Energizer Bunny draw his (her?) inspiration from Frederic Franklin!

Just a few notes: Leslie Norton, who was also (briefly) a panelist here, has written a biography of Franklin. Neither she nor Wes Chapman cited a pub date. She was very nervous, she recalled, about meeting Franklin the first time, but was quickly put at ease. She turned on her tape recorder, and Franklin spoke for eight hours. All she had to do was change the tapes! No doubt the facts of Franklin's life will be easily accessible once the book is released, so this is just some of the remarks thrown around this evening.

Georgina Parkinson remembered when Kevin McKenzie wanted a new production of Coppelia. As he thought of possible people to stage it, he remembered that the Washington Ballet, the first company he danced with professionally, had what was considered the definitive version, staged by Freddie Franklin, so Franklin was the one he turned to to mount it for ABT.

"That changed life at ABT," Georgina said, citing the "joy, wisdom, fun, passion and inspiration" the by now blushing Freddy Franklin brought whereever he went. From then on, she said, the company was always looking for ways to include him in their productions. She called him the sun, "not the rays, but the actual sun."

Julie Kent came out at the end for just a few words. "What can you say, after 'The sun'?" she wondered, then, "How can you not fall in love with Freddy?"

I can't imagine.

Editing to add:

There's an old thread around here asking which dancers should be cloned. In the unlikely event that no one nominated Freddy Franklin, I will.

Edited January 15, 2008 by carbro

[nysusan]

It sounds like it was a great program, how could it have been anything else? I'm sorry I missed it!

[AG]

If cloning's asking too much, at the very least Mr. Franklin ought to be named a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. As many have mentioned elsewhere on this board (most recently in the thread below), Frederic Franklin truly merits this award for his priceless contributions to dance in America over many decades. Honestly, what more needs to happen to set this in motion?

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=26062

[Haglund's]

If cloning's asking too much, at the very least Mr. Franklin ought to be named a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. As many have mentioned elsewhere on this board (most recently in the thread below), Frederic Franklin truly merits this award for his priceless contributions to dance in America over many decades. Honestly, what more needs to happen to set this in motion?

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=26062

A superb idea! Since Caroline Kennedy is the Honorary ABT Chairman of the Board, one would think that there is a logical path for moving this idea along. Does anyone know how candidates are proposed?

[carbro]

Does he have US citizenship? I'm sure that's necessary.

How cool, though, if he could add a K-C Honor to his CBE.