Next Artistic Director for ABT

[miliosr]

Vote your conscience -- you only have one vote!

[meunier fan]

Wondered if I should be surprised that Ratmansky's name was NOT included - given (i) his now established commitment to ABT and (ii) the fact that he ran the Bolshoi ...

[ABT Fan]

I think it would have to very hard to run a company while regularly choreographing new work.

[ksk04]

Hard to choose for me, from ex-ABT alums. I'd say Bocca or Gardner/McKerrow (someone needs to save Tudor and bring pathos and excellent training back to ABT) top the list. Though, Bocca is doing great things with his company (as is Corella), so it's hard to say that they should leave and have those companies potentially fall apart being so new. Regardless, most of these people should be coaching regularly (especially Kirkland) if they are not part of the admin--this is the second biggest problem after the director issue.

Absolute no to Victor Barbee. He's a part of this mess right now, and while I have no evidence of whether he supports McKenzie's decisions he is certainly in the room about them and nothing seems to be changing.

[mussel]

My first choice Ratmansky is not listed. He'd be a shoo-in, the only thing is whether he wants the job. Another top choice of mine is Ananiashvili but with her own company and family being in Georgia it's long shot she'd take the job.

[Helene]

When he ran the Bolshoi, a company whose corps is bigger than ABT, Ratmansky managed to choreograph major works, and the politics and time wasted on them there make ABT seem like Romper Room. While he might not want the job -- or very well might -- I'm surprised he's not on a short list, let along the long one in this poll.

[mussel]

That's why I am not voting because of exclusion of Ratmansky.

[Golden Idol]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but when they celebrated KM's anniversary in 2012, he had just signed a new ten-year (yes, ten-year) renewal of his contract. Barring some financial catastrophe blamed on him, he's not going anywhere soon. And as far as considering Barbee as a new AD, that would mean we'd still be seeing Julie Kent dancing as a principal when she's...well, to put it diplomatically, as old as I am.

[ABT Fan]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but when they celebrated KM's anniversary in 2012, he had just signed a new ten-year (yes, ten-year) renewal of his contract. Barring some financial catastrophe blamed on him, he's not going anywhere soon.

oh, good heavens.....

[miliosr]

The poll function only allows for ten choices so I tried to strike a balance between obvious choices and unconventional ones. Feel free to "vote" for the person of your choice in the comments section if that person doesn't appear on the list.

[Drew]

When he ran the Bolshoi, a company whose corps is bigger than ABT, Ratmansky managed to choreograph major works, and the politics and time wasted on them there make ABT seem like Romper Room. [...]

(Though probably this image should be supplemented by .)

[nysusan]

I voted for Steifel, though Ratmansky would have been my first choice. I think Golden Idol is right, the board is highly unlikely to get rid of McKenzie, but we can still hope...

[Josette]

It would cost a lot of money to buy him out of his remaining contract. What was the board thinking?

[Helene]

We need to be prepared in case of stray meteors.

[atm711]

Any one who could get rid of those incessant "week-long" warhorses---the dullest programming ever! Oh! for the glory days of Ballet Theatre......GWTW!!

[fondoffouettes]

Any one who could get rid of those incessant "week-long" warhorses---the dullest programming ever! Oh! for the glory days of Ballet Theatre......GWTW!!

Was there a time when the Met season had more varied programming? It's times like these when I wish ABT had online performance archives.

I'd like to see ABT in more mixed rep., but I do think it's the warhorses that help to define ABT against its neighbor across the plaza. It doesn't want to go the way of City Opera, which filled no particular niche in its last few years.

I think Ratmansky would be the best hope for bringing interesting pieces to ABT while still respecting the classics. I fear Steifel could be McKenzie 2.0.

[soubrette_fan]

Given that he recruited Abrera for NZB's Sleeping Beauty, I am more inclined to think that Stiefel is one of the few who recognizes the value of ABT's homegrown soloists and corps dancers.

Very disappointing to hear about McKenzie's contract. The fact that he does not pair Sarah Lane with Daniil Simkin more often than say, Boyleston, is beyond me.

[nanushka]

Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but when they celebrated KM's anniversary in 2012, he had just signed a new ten-year (yes, ten-year) renewal of his contract. Barring some financial catastrophe blamed on him, he's not going anywhere soon. And as far as considering Barbee as a new AD, that would mean we'd still be seeing Julie Kent dancing as a principal when she's...well, to put it diplomatically, as old as I am.

Golden Idol, do you have a source regarding the 2012 10-year contract? I hadn't heard that before. Thanks!

[mussel]

I am not aware of any reports regarding KM contract renewal, but Ratmansky contract was renewed thru 2023: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/alexei-ratmansky-gives-abt-10-more-years/

[Plisskin]

I don't know about Stiefel. I like him and think he'd be great, but I'd be afraid he'd resign after a couple of years. My vote goes to Ratmansky or Jaffe.

[Helene]

The only press release from ABT about a contract extension was Ratmansky's 12-year extension in 2011:

http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news.asp

The ABT links to press releases going back to 2002.

There's only one instance in Links where the words "McKenzie" and "contract" appear in the same search result, and that was about Osipova.

[sandik]

I rummaged around in the NYT archives and also could not find any current information about McKenzie's contract with ABT. I did come across an interview with him a couple years ago, where he said a number of thoughtful things about ABT when he came in as AD in 1992.

[Waelsung]

Can I vote for myself?

[Helene]

"Write-in" ballots are always welcome on polls

[Amy Reusch]

Has Stiefel done well by the Royal New Zealand ballet? Are they in better shape artistically and with audience support? I rather enjoyed watching their reality series the short while it was [bootleg?] available on the web... but access ended about the time Stefel took over. .. Why has he left after only three years? I would like the next director of ABT to be someone who considers it likely to be his/her life's work, not a gig. It would be great if it were someone with charisma to energize the board and the press, as well as the company members... Someone with a deep love for the classics and yet a desire to give the company's artists the chance to have new choreography made on them... And the bring up talent through the school to full bloom as stars... not just as a background to imported stars... Sure bring the world's best to dance with the company but alongside not always in front of the home cultivated talent.