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Next Artistic Director for ABT

miliosr

By miliosr
in American Ballet Theatre

Next Artistic Director for ABT  

69 members have voted

  1. 1. Who Should Be the Next Artistic Director of ABT?

    • Ardani Management
      1
    • Ballet Alert Message Board Posters Collective
      0
    • Mikhail Baryshnikov
      2
    • Julio Bocca
      6
    • John Gardner and Amanda McKerrow
      4
    • Susan Jaffe
      3
    • Gelsey Kirkland
      2
    • Alexei Ratmansky
      17
    • Ethan Steifel
      26
    • Other - Please Specify
      8

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Jayne

Jayne

Posted
Posted

Angel is still, so far, unproven. Damian, while showing much expertise and smarts with his Festival has no history with ABT. I think he would be a better fit at NYCB should MArtins ever retire. I would give a nod to Helgi Thomasson. While he is sort of Balanchine oriented, he has a good sensibility about both the classics and the newer modern choreographers. He's done a wonderful job at SFB. He's also very involved with the school at SFB, which I think is key. (as is Martins at SAB). JKO seems not to have that same connection and it's current teaching standards are not all that wonderful. And getting Helgi away from SFO would be near impossible. Why would he want to be in this Lion's Den when he can be in the City By The Bay?

To be fair, McKenzie had less AD experience than Angel Corella when he took over ABT. Helgi Tomasson is already in his 70's and ABT will need someone a little younger (age discrimination? Yes, but I'm being realistic). Mr Tomasson also has no history with ABT.

If Angel Corella is successful at Pennsylvania Ballet, then I think he will be a contender at ABT. He tried very hard to create a company in Spain, without government support that is normal in Europe. He also did not have the tax deductible donation option that we take for granted in the US. The nosedive in the Spanish economy did him no favors and was beyond his control. So far he has shown excellent taste in dance choices for PAB, and for the sake of that company, I wish him boundless success.

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Amy Reusch

Amy Reusch

Posted
Posted

Well, if Corella took over ABT, based on what he's done at Pennsylvania Ballet, he would immediately fire all the ballet masters and mistresses. I think there are some pretty good ballet masters and mistresses at ABT right now. I'm not so sure they should all go.

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mimsyb

mimsyb

Posted
Posted

I think Ratmansky should be it. He obviously has the respect of the dancers and the dance world in general. He's shown a willingness to foster dancers from within the company. He's just the right man for the job.

Yes, I would agree in some respect to Alexi. He does, after all, have not only the dancer's regard, he also has the complete confidence and backing of David Koch, who by his own admission is" the money bags in this company". I would hate , however, if Ad-ing meant that Ratmansky would no longer do the amount of choreography he now does. Especially at NYCB, where he still does some of his best stuff. Running a company(with all it's inherent headaches) tends to diminish one's creative juices.

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Drew

Drew

Posted
Posted

Kirkland has gotten a lot of praise for her productions with her academy/company...However I assume the lack of success of her earlier collaboration on Sleeping Beauty with ABT would be seen as a decided negative. The dancing, which she 'coached,' did win praise from critics...

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miliosr

miliosr

Posted
  • Author
Posted
He's also very involved with the school at SFB, which I think is key. (as is Martins at SAB).

Tomasson may be very involved at the SFB school but the impact has been negligible at the top. Looking at the bios of the current SFB principal dancers, not a single one lists the SFB school. If anything, Tomasson is managing the principal ranks along the lines of ABT rather than NYCB. If there's a "house style" at SFB, Tomasson is achieving it in company class.

And, he'll be 73 this year!

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Cygnet

Cygnet

Posted
Posted

Ardani Management? Seriously???

I'm ITA Mme. Hermine. My guess is that this was a tongue in cheek suggestion (possibly because some of ABT's box office leaders are their clients).

That said, I think Ratmansky should be ABT's next A.D.

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sandik

sandik

Posted
Posted

The 'Ardani Management' choice is meant to be a joke.

If you go back to my original post, I mentioned that I was being a wiseguy with certain choices. smile.png

I think the second listing (Ballet Alert Collective) made that pretty clear!

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miliosr

miliosr

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I think the second listing (Ballet Alert Collective) made that pretty clear!

Hahaha.

I ran out of poll options. If I could have added options 11 and 12, I would have added the 'Stella Abrera Fan Club' and Jennifer Homans!

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fondoffouettes

fondoffouettes

Posted
Posted

Would it be fun to have Nina as a next AD?

Well, it has certainly sounded like ABT ballerinas are craving an additional female coach. Georgina Parkinson's death left a huge void, and Jaffe's tenure was so short. Kolpakova is in her early 80s. A female AD like Nina would perhaps be a welcome addition for some of the female dancers in the company.

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meunier fan

meunier fan

Posted
Posted

To rock the boat a bit ... Suzanne Farrell??? Doubt she would be interested ... but it would be fascinating sparring with the brilliant organisation across the plaza ... smile.png I would throw in Martine van Hamel ... but isn't she Canadian born? ... and I suppose the association with McKenzie would be a tad too close but she was always an oh, so wonderfully gutsy artiste ... and had to always fight her side with Lucia Chase. On the North American side ... maybe someone could approach Tamara Rojo (born in Montreal)... She can give as good as she gets ... Karen Kain is a genuis ... but surely she will stay - as ever - loyal to the Canadian cause that made her ... and quite right too ... Is Lynn Seymour still mentis compos? .... She ran the National Ballet of Greece .... and just look at the state of that nation now smile.png ... There are oh, so, SO many talented women ...

But no ... best to stick with the ever changing shoals of the BA Collective methinks smile.png

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mimsyb

mimsyb

Posted
Posted

Any new Artistic Director would have to be in concord with the ABT Board, the "man holding the $$ strings" (David Koch), and of course be of esthetic agreement with Ratmansky. And be able to do business with Rachael Moore. It's not just about who gets promoted to Principle and who gets what shows, etc. All these factors alone can narrow the list considerably. We here at BA may not always understand the thinking behind one person's decisions, etc. but so many factors are involved in the 'day to day' running of a company. It can't be an easy job.....for anyone.

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Drew

Drew

Posted
Posted

[...] We here at BA may not always understand the thinking behind one person's decisions, etc. but so many factors are involved in the 'day to day' running of a company. It can't be an easy job.....for anyone.

Decidedly...

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