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2015 Met Season (Wish Lists and Predictions)

bingham

By bingham
in American Ballet Theatre

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Waelsung

Waelsung

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Posted

Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

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bingham

bingham

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Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

If Ratmansky promises not to choreograph any more Tempest-like ballets.

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Drew

Drew

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Posted

Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

If Ratmansky promises not to choreograph any more Tempest-like ballets.

Not even every Ashton or every Balanchine was a masterpiece...And after PAMGG I don't think too many people were anticipating Symphony in Three Movements...For myself, I thought Tempest was far from perfect but had many beautiful and poetic qualities.

I don't know how interested Ratmansky is in ABT's early heritage (which I think should matter in any ABT director) and I don't have a clear opinion as to whether Mckenzie ought to be considered "done"--the company looked great at the Koch in the Fall and companies do seem to have ups and downs whatever the leadership, but I simply don't see them enough to be able to debate confidently. (And, of course, I'm only a fan, not a professional.) I didn't get to NY to see them this spring at all. I am thrilled Ratmansky is regularly creating ballets for ABT.

My wish list for the company next year definitely includes Fille Mal Gardee (Cojocaru as guest artist welcome by me alongside the company's regular principals and soloists) as well as the announced Sleeping Beauty to which I am greatly looking forward. More selfishly, I'm just hoping I am able to make it to NY multiple times to see the company.

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Amour

Amour

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Posted

Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

I don't think Ratmansky has any interest in being an AD (he's been there, done that). On the other hand, at Sacha's farewell, Ethan was schmoozing with everyone. If anyone else is going after the ABT AD job, I'll bet it's him. But I'm totally fine with that.

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Waelsung

Waelsung

Posted
Posted

Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

I don't think Ratmansky has any interest in being an AD (he's been there, done that). On the other hand, at Sacha's farewell, Ethan was schmoozing with everyone. If anyone else is going after the ABT AD job, I'll bet it's him. But I'm totally fine with that.

Anybody but Ratmansky is absolutely fine with me.

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Jayne

Jayne

Posted
Posted

What story ballets (or non-story music) would you like to see Ratmansky do (besides Sleeping Beauty)? Create your wishlist!

Here's mine:

  • "The Merry Wives of Windsor"
  • "Laurencia" (maybe Ratmansky could keep the interesting parts of Chabukiani's choreography and create the rest from scratch?)
  • "Daughter of the Pharoah"
  • "Raymonda"
  • "Spartacus" for the 21st century? (I think Yuri Possekhov created a ppd for Joffrey, but I think only a very large company could do such a masculine rebellion-based storyline. Maybe ABT should just invite Possekhov to create it?)
  • "Esther" - this always seemed like a great story that could be told through dance, it would have a fantastic opportunity for a 2nd female principal to play Queen Vashti

What about bringing over some productions that Ratmansky already choreographed? (as they did for "The Bright Stream")

  • "Don Q"for DNB (I know PNB will revive the Ratmansky DQ in 2015, it's a shame they couldn't split the cost of building their own set with ABT.)
  • "Humpback Horse" and/or "Ana Karenina" for Mariinsky (sets for Karenina seem to be technically difficult and expensive, though)
  • "Lost Illusions" and/or "Flames of Paris" for Bolshoi

For non-story music, I've always admired Camille Saint-Saens' Symphony No.3 for Organ. POB did a version a few years ago (it's on Youtube) but it doesn't do the music justice.

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angelica

angelica

Posted
Posted

Have to say that foremost on my wish list (before any particular ballets or artists) is a new Artistic Director. Kevin has been ABT's AD for more than 20 years. Time for a fresh vision!

I would definitely second that if it weren't for a huge chance that he might be replaced by Ratmansky.

I don't think Ratmansky has any interest in being an AD (he's been there, done that). On the other hand, at Sacha's farewell, Ethan was schmoozing with everyone. If anyone else is going after the ABT AD job, I'll bet it's him. But I'm totally fine with that.

I would like nothing more than to see Ethan at the artistic helm of ABT. I'd renew my membership in a heartbeat.

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California

California

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Posted

In all these Ratmansky discussions, it's interesting that nobody has mentioned his Nutcracker at BAM. I've only seen little clips from the old Works and Process program at the Guggenheim a few years ago, but it sounded like there were some nice segments for principals. He does seem to do well at refreshing full-length classics.

His reconstruction of the old Shostakovich Bolt for Bolshoi is enormously interesting from the perspective of dance/cultural history, but I'm glad it's available on DVD, as it would never play with American audiences. (It ridicules the Soviet approach to industry as Bright Stream makes fun of the communal farms.) The Soviet imagery in the Trilogy makes more sense when you look back at Bolt and Bright Stream, but I'm not sure Western audiences really understand much of it.

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Mazurka

Mazurka

Posted
Posted

Suite en Blanc

1. instead of competing on Ballanchine with NYCB

instead of Gaiete with those costumes that obscure the dance and which make even Marcello look unshapely (that is a feat)

2. showcase talent that has not been promoted this year esp classical dancers that have so many fans

3. showcase the corps

4. oh men doing that Mazurka, Gomez, Gorak, Cornejos, Simkin what a treat that would be

5. no need for expensive scenery/costumes


also no more Christian Lacroix costumes please....

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mussel

mussel

Posted
Posted

My crystal ball refused to work during the 2014 Met season but once the season ended, it finally comes thru, here's my prediction for the next Met season:

Swan Lake

New Sleeping Beauty

Ashton Cinderella

Bayadere

R&J

Othello

Les Sylphides, T&V

There's one more full length and some one-act ballets remaining to complete the list, I'll update the list when my crystal ball allows.

Ashton Cinderella is no surprise, new production usually returns the next year, plus ABT will be doing it in DC this coming March. Many of the ballets in 2015 Met and fall seasons are considered as part of ABT heritage. Sir Kenneth staged R&J for ABT during his tenure as associate director. ABT is the first western company to stage the full length Bayadere. Many consider ABT's Les Sylphides as the definitive version as the last version personally supervised by Fokine with a Britten arrangement commissioned by ABT. And Balanchine created T&V for ABT.

Also, the 10-year contract at the Met will expire at the end of the 2015 Met season. The contract usually renewed without much snafus in the past, and I hope the ongoing union negotiation at the Met doesn't complicate things for 2016 and beyond.

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California

California

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Posted

Is the Othello in the crystal ball the Lar Lubovitch Othello or the John Neumeier Othello (or something else)?

The version on the ABT web site is Lubovitch. It would be odd to spend a lot of money mounting a new version, when they seem to have done Lubovitch as recently as 2007 (at least) and it's quite good.

http://www.abt.org/education/archive/ballets/othello.html

There's a fabulous clip of Gomes and Ferri from that production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fTbFsZ6mm4

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abatt

abatt

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Posted

Could Giselle be the one remaining full length? It sells well if the cast is strong. An end of season Giselle week, with Osipova as a guest artist following the conclusion of the Royal's US Tour, would be a thrill.. I hope they present Othello the same week as the RB's visit. I have no problem missing all of the Othellos. Actually, I take that back. I would go to a Gomes Vishneva Othello.

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bingham

bingham

Posted
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Posted

Could Giselle be the one remaining full length? It sells well if the cast is strong. An end of season Giselle week, with Osipova as a guest artist following the conclusion of the Royal's US Tour, would be a thrill.. I hope they present Othello the same week as the RB's visit. I have no problem missing all of the Othellos. Actually, I take that back. I would go to a Gomes Vishneva Othello.

Gisele also appears in another "crystal ball"along with Mussel's list. Maybe, Othello will be Julie's farewell?

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California

California

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Posted

I have no problem missing all of the Othellos. Actually, I take that back. I would go to a Gomes Vishneva Othello.

Gomes just sent out this Instagram from the Lubovitch Othello: http://instagram.com/p/qUqiRjCuah/

He says "coming soon" -- as it's not on the fall NYC schedule, perhaps it will be performed in winter touring and/or the Met 2015 season. But now that Radetsky has retired...not sure what message he's sending with this. Maybe that's the only photo he had of himself.

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted

Attached is an AP article on Hallberg based on an interview he gave.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/07/17/arts/ap-us-dance-hallberg-bolshoi.html?ref=arts#

Most interesting is the following:

He also wants to dance again with Natalia Osipova, a former Bolshoi and ABT star who's now with London's Royal Ballet. Ballet fans went nuts over their "Romeo and Juliet" for ABT, a pairing that brought out the best in both. But she left the Bolshoi just as he was arriving.

"Next year, we're going to have more chances," he promises. "I can't tell you details yet, but we're desperate to dance together."

Here's hoping that he is referring to potential appearances with Osipova at ABT next season. We're desperate to see these two together again too!

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