Russell Janzen promoted to soloist

[Dale]

The release:

RUSSELL JANZEN PROMOTED TO SOLOIST AT NEW YORK CITY BALLET

New York City Ballet announced today that Russell Janzen has been promoted to Soloist, effective immediately. Peter Martins, NYCB’s Ballet Master in Chief, made the promotion on Friday, October 17 following a performance of George Balanchine’s Chaconne, during which Janzen performed the leading male role alongside NYCB Principal Dancer Sara Mearns. Janzen made his debut in the role, which Balanchine created for Martins in 1976, at the matinee performance on Saturday, October 11.

During NYCB’s 2014 fall season, Janzen has also made debuts in leading roles in George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 and Peter Martins’ Morgen. In recent seasons Janzen has also performed leading roles in Balanchine’s Robert Schumann's “Davidsbündlertänze,” A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania’s Cavalier, Theseus), “Diamonds” from Jewels, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Cavalier); and Martins’ Barber Violin Concerto.

Janzen was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and began his dance training at the age of six at The Rock School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Janzen attended summer sessions at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in 2004 and 2005, and enrolled as a full-time student at SAB in the winter of 2005. In October 2007, Janzen became an apprentice with NYCB, and in June 2008, he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet.

Since joining NYCB, Janzen has performed featured roles in Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Orpheus, and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue; Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces; Martins’ The Waltz Project; and Christopher Wheeldon’s Les Carillons. He has also originated corps roles in works by Martins, Benjamin Millepied and Justin Peck. Janzen received SAB’s Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise in 2007.

[Helene]

NYCB just posted a link to his "Screen Test" to Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nycballet/posts/10154744754230529

[abatt]

This was well deserved. I hope Ashly Isaacs gets a promotion soon too.

[Amour]

I don't think this will ever happen but I wish Devin Alberda would be promoted. I have always loved his dancing but on Saturday, his dancing in La Somnabula really stood out for its cleanness and elegance. He has nice lines, beautiful epaulement, great beats, long legs. I don't think Peter likes him, though, so I'm afraid he might be in the corps forever.

[cobweb]

Well deserved for Russell Janzen. I was surprised, however, by no promotion (yet?) for Ashly Isaacs. It is hard to imagine any member of the corps de ballet looking more impressive, in several major debuts, then she has over the past year.

[Barbara]

I feel especially proud of Russell's promotion since he taught (along with Savannah Lowery) the Adult Movement class I recently attended. Bravo!

[Razor]

He's nominated for the Clive Barnes Foundation. Other nominees are: Christoper Bloom (Ballet Hispanico), Russell Janzen and Harrison Ball (NYCB), and Devon Teuscher (ABT).

[abatt]

As interesting as the dance nominees are, I thought the theater nominations were equally interesting. Alex Sharp in the Curious Incident of the Dog . .. on Broadway is making his Broadway debut. He recently graduated from Julliard. He was excellent, and I hope he wins this award. I also anticipate seeing his name among the Tony nominations for best actor in the Spring. (off topic, I know.)

[Quiggin]

I liked this ending answer from Roslyn Sulcas's interview with Janzen:

You’ve been spotted reading Elena Ferrante, and you had a food blog for a while. So you have a life outside dance?

Those are my hobbies: I read and I eat. I don’t read everything, but I eat everything, and I like cooking. I’ve always written a lot, too. I am in a writing program at the New School now. But I don’t know that I’d want to go from one temperamental profession to another.

[Razor]

https://epicuire.wordpress.com/

wish he'd continue blogging, but looks like ballet-principal-bound is his priority now.

[Amour]

I liked this ending answer from Roslyn Sulcas's interview with Janzen:

Youve been spotted reading Elena Ferrante, and you had a food blog for a while. So you have a life outside dance?

Those are my hobbies: I read and I eat. I dont read everything, but I eat everything, and I like cooking. Ive always written a lot, too. I am in a writing program at the New School now. But I dont know that Id want to go from one temperamental profession to another.

I was impressed because Ferrante is a somewhat obscure Italian novelist, some of whose books have been translated into English.

[vipa]

I was impressed because Ferrante is a somewhat obscure Italian novelist, some of whose books have been translated into English.

She didn't say what book - but Ferrante's series that begins with My Brilliant Friend is available, and I think, fairly well known in the US. The first 3 books in the series are wonderful, the 4th is supposed to be available in Sept. 2015.

[Amour]

She didn't say what book - but Ferrante's series that begins with My Brilliant Friend is available, and I think, fairly well known in the US. The first 3 books in the series are wonderful, the 4th is supposed to be available in Sept. 2015.

I've read The Days of Abandonement and Troubling Love. Days was especially brilliant.

[abatt]

The NY Times reports that Russell Janzen has won the Clive Barnes Award in the dance category. (Alex Sharp has won for acting.)