Winter 2009 casting January 13-18

[Dale]

Casting is up for the 2nd week of repertory. There seems to be guest artists for Serenade - I think it's meant to be SAB graduates, in honor of the school's celebration.

http://www.nycballet.com/casting/wk8.html?...er1_TSMenuID=30

[vipa]

Casting is up for the 2nd week of repertory. There seems to be guest artists for Serenade - I think it's meant to be SAB graduates, in honor of the school's celebration.

http://www.nycballet.com/casting/wk8.html?...er1_TSMenuID=30

Is Delgado who is listed as a guest Anette Delgado from Cuba? Also is Herrera - Paloma? It seems like a lot of guests. I hear that Bouder is out of her boot. Hopefully she'll be back soon.

[cinnamonswirl]

Paloma Herrera graduated from SAB, so that would make sense.

Who is Diana?

[carbro]

Who is Diana?

The only ballerina surnamed Diana who comes to mind is Pennsylvania's (formerly San Francisco's) Julie Diana, so I assume it is she. Maybe someone else knows better.

Edited to add: Her bio on the PaB website confirms that she is an SAB alumna.

[nysusan]

Casting is up for the 2nd week of repertory. There seems to be guest artists for Serenade - I think it's meant to be SAB graduates, in honor of the school's celebration.

http://www.nycballet.com/casting/wk8.html?...er1_TSMenuID=30

Is Delgado who is listed as a guest Anette Delgado from Cuba? Also is Herrera - Paloma? It seems like a lot of guests. I hear that Bouder is out of her boot. Hopefully she'll be back soon.

I don't think the high number of guests has any correlation to NYCB injuries - I agree with Dale, I think they are bringing in (non NYCB) SAB graduates as part of the tribute to SAB.

Did Annette Delgado go to SAB? I’d be surprised if she did, but I'll bet someone on this board knows (maybe cubanmiamiboy - Cristian???). I thought it would be either Jeanette or Patricia Delgado from MCB, but SAB isn't listed in their bios.

I'm going with Carbro on Julie Diana (Penn Ballet) and guessing Missy Kuranaga (Boston Ballet) along with the mystery Ms. Delgado in Serenade and Lucian Postlewaite (PNB), Paloma Hererra (ABT), Damian Smith (SFB) and Amy Watson (RDB) in 4Ts.

Any guesses on Delgado (Serenade Dark Angel) & Severin-Hansen (Tarantella)?

[Leigh Witchel]

Misa Kuranaga from Boston Ballet, and either Patricia or Jeanette Delgado (my guess would be Patricia) from Miami.

[bart]

Any guesses on Delgado (Serenade Dark Angel) ...

You are right, Leigh. Patricia Delgado danced the dark angel at MCB in 2006 and 2008. She was a soloist at the time and is a principal now.

Jeanette, raised to principal a year after her sister, danced the Russian girl part last fall (Feb. 2008).

I have a note on one of my cast lists that Patricia was "wonderful" in 2008. And right next to that I have a "wonderful" for Jeanette as well.

(By the way, if you visualize these two parts, you'll get a good idea of the differences between the two sister-dancers.)

The Miami company school has a curriculum heavily influenced by SAB. It's marvellous that dancers from schools like that are being invited. It's not just Balanchine choreography that has moved around the world. In the case of Miami and a number of other major companies, it's Balanchine training as well.

Also, don't forget, MCB is performing at City Center January 21-25. They are not bringing Serenade, but 5 of the 6 ballets they're bringing are Balanchine. So you all can see even more of the two Delgados if you just walk a half mile or so down Broadway.

[harpergroup]

Severin-Hansen is probably Margaret Severin-Hansen, currently a principal dancer with Ricky Weiss's Carolina Ballet. She has danced Tarantella with that company, I believe.

[leibling]

It is definately Patricia Delgado from Miami City Ballet!

[cubanmiamiboy]

Did Annette Delgado go to SAB? I’d be surprised if she did, but I'll bet someone on this board knows (maybe cubanmiamiboy - Cristian?)

Well, Leibling already clarified the Delgado "mistery", but here's my chance to talk about my "other" fav Delgado, Annette. No, Susan, she's a 100% product of Alonso's schooling in Havana. (Ooh...I too got excited at the possibility of a little exhchange, but nope...no yet )

[Dale]

Here's the release regarding the guest artists:

New York City Ballet Announces Guest Artists To Perform As Part Of Tribute To The School Of American Ballet's 75th Anniversery

New York City Ballet announced today that eight guest artists will join the Company on Wednesday, January 14, for a special one-time-only performance celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the School of American Ballet. The guest artists, all alumni of SAB, will perform principal roles alongside members of NYCB in Serenade, The Four Temperaments, and Tarantella. The final ballet on the all-Balanchine program, Vienna Waltzes, will be performed entirely by NYCB’s dancers.

As the official academy of New York City Ballet, SAB has historically recruited and trained almost all of the Company’s dancers. Ninety-five of the 101 current company members trained at SAB, and since NYCB’s inception in 1948, 90 percent of its members have come from the School.

The Company’s celebration of the School’s milestone birthday will recognize not only SAB’s special significance to NYCB but also the School’s longstanding success in training dancers for other companies around the U.S. and abroad. Celebrating their SAB heritage alongside NYCB’s dancers will be representatives from eight of the companies where multiple SAB alumni currently perform. The guest artists are Patricia Delgado (Miami City Ballet, Principal); Julie Diana (Pennsylvania Ballet, Principal), Paloma Herrera (American Ballet Theater, Principal); Misa Kuranaga (Boston Ballet, Soloist); Lucien Postlewaite (Pacific Northwest Ballet, Principal); Margaret Severin-Hansen (Carolina Ballet, Principal); Damian Smith (San Francisco Ballet, Principal); and Amy Watson (Royal Danish Ballet, Principal).

The School of American Ballet was founded in January 1934 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein as the crucial first step in their quest to create an American ballet company. Students at the Manhattan-based school were exposed to the highest standards of classical training, facilitating the development of dancers capable of performing Balanchine’s challenging and innovative choreography. Fourteen years after SAB’s creation, New York City Ballet was established with a roster of notable SAB-trained dancers including Tanaquil LeClercq, Marie-Jeanne, Maria Tallchief, and Francisco Moncion. Over the past 75 years, the School has enrolled some 17,000 students, with over 2,000 having become professional dancers at New York City Ballet and countless other companies around the U.S. and abroad. Today, SAB-trained dancers appear on the rosters of over 65 U.S. and one dozen international companies. Peter Martins is the artistic director and chairman of faculty of the School.

Patricia Delgado began studying at the Miami City Ballet School at age 12. In 1997 and 1998 she attended the Summer Course at the School of American Ballet. She joined the Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 2000, and was named a principal dancer in 2007.

Julie Diana, a New Jersey native, studied at the School of American Ballet for four years, beginning at age 12, and danced featured roles in the 1993 SAB Workshop Performance. In 1993 she joined San Francisco Ballet, where she was named a principal dancer in 2000. In 2004, Ms. Diana joined the Pennsylvania Ballet as a principal dancer.

Paloma Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, where she began studying ballet at age 7. Ms. Herrera enrolled at the School of American Ballet for the 1990-91 winter term and danced the leading role in Raymonda Variations at the 1991 SAB Workshop Performance. Ms. Herrera joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in June of 1991 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1995.

Misa Kuranaga was born in Japan, where she began her ballet training. She won gold medals at several international ballet competitions before entering the summer program of the School of American Ballet in 2002, after which she was invited to attend the 2002-2003 winter term. In 2003 she joined the Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet, and was promoted to soloist in 2007.

Lucien Postlewaite, a California native, attended three summer sessions at the School of American Ballet before enrolling as a full-time student in 2000. After further training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, he joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2003 as an apprentice and was promoted to principal dancer in 2008.

Margaret Severin-Hansen, a native of Huntington, Long Island, spent five years training at the School of American Ballet, beginning at age 13. In 1998 she became a founding member of the Carolina Ballet where she quickly rose through the ranks and is now a principal dancer.

Damian Smith was born in New South Wales, Australia. He began his ballet training in Sydney, before enrolling at the School of American Ballet as a full-time student in 1990. After first dancing with Ballet du Nord, Mr. Smith joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1996, and was named a principal dancer in 2001.

Amy Watson, a California native, attended the School of American Ballet summer course in 1996 and began four years of full-time training at SAB that fall. Ms. Watson performed with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet before joining the Royal Danish Ballet in 2000. She was named a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet in 2007.

New York City Ballet’s 2009 winter repertory season opens on Tuesday, January 6, and continues through Sunday, March 1. For information on any New York City Ballet performance call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.

[AmandaNYC]

Belated YAY to Somogyi coming back, even if it's just for Chiaroscuro for far. How I have missed her these last few years.

-amanda