2016-2017 season announced

[Lidewij]

https://operaballet.be/en/programme/2016-2017?type=ballet&page=1

There is more to say about the programming than this, but for now I just can't get over the fact they're going to do Grigorovich's Spartacus.

[Barbara]

I wonder if Drew Jacoby is going to continue dancing with this company. I think of her as more of a freelance dancer but maybe she's found a home with the Royal Ballet.

[California]

I am stunned that for a program called West, with three American choreographers, the illustration is the twin towers. Is that how they have thought of us all along, or is this a reflection of the recent terrorist activity in that region? None of the three ballets seems to have any connection at all to 9/11 or other terrorism.

https://operaballet.be/en/programme/2016-2017/west

[miliosr]

Spartacus will be the weird micro-trend of 2016-17 -- the Bayerisches Staatsballett is performing it next season as well. Did someone conduct a focus group of European audiences and determine that there was pent-up demand for Spartacus?

The Twin Towers illustration is in the worst possible taste.

For his first season (2015-16), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui split the difference between classical and contemporary. But, based on the announced repertory, it looks he's given up on maintaining the pretense. It's a modern/postmodern/contemporary company now.

[volcanohunter]

I guess once they're done with the Forsythe, fifth positions will no longer be required.

[Dreamer]

Spartacus, wow. I wish our artistic directors could be that daring. Western Europe is still too long of a trip from the West Coast. But I would fly anywhere if the flight is no longer than 5 hours.

[Fosca]

For his first season (2015-16), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui split the difference between classical and contemporary. But, based on the announced repertory, it looks he's given up on maintaining the pretense. It's a modern/postmodern/contemporary company now.

Could you tell me how they are supposed to dance Spartacus without a strong - very strong! - classical technique?!

[miliosr]

Could you tell me how they are supposed to dance Spartacus without a strong - very strong! - classical technique?!

That's a question best posed to Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He obviously thinks he can program an aggressively contemporary season, which is less dependent on a strong classical technique, but then present a piece that does require such technique. That's a difficult chasm to bridge especially if your most classically-minded dancers, looking at all the non-classical pieces programmed for 2016-17, decamp to greener classical pastures. We'll see, I guess.

[Dreamer]

I wonder if Drew Jacoby is going to continue dancing with this company. I think of her as more of a freelance dancer but maybe she's found a home with the Royal Ballet.

I didn't know Drew Jacoby had left NDT. I don't think she was cast very often there. Or did she simply miss dancing on pointe?

[lsu]

I saw Spartacus. Phenomenal! Standing ovation for all 8 performanaces and the 91 year old choreographer, Yuri, gave the company permission to do the production again in 2018. Drew Jacoby did not dance in this production.