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2018 Met Season


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14 hours ago, nanushka said:

Another that comes to mind:

There are likely more people who are able to attend evenings but not able to attend Wednesday matinees than there are people who are able to attend Wednesday matinees but not able to attend evenings. (The former are not more deserving, just more numerous, I'd guess. And there are some people who are able to attend both.) Dancers have followings (many who post on here are among them), which both the dancers and the company have an interest (for various reasons) in cultivating and satisfying. Casting a dancer in the Wednesday matinee slot makes it somewhat more difficult to do either.

I think Wed matinee is the most dreaded spot on the roster.  Did you ever see Vishneva or Roberto Bolle in a Wed matinee?  I don't think so. 

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12 minutes ago, abatt said:

From what I've observed, Swan Lake sells out every year regardless of who is dancing, so they really did not need to give Misty two Swan Lakes in order to sell tickets. Swan Lake sells itself. 

True, but I think there's a reasonable logic (not the only one, but a reasonable one) that it still makes good business sense.

Copeland's taking on the role of O/O has been for many a socio-cultural touchstone, and continuing to give her multiple performances of the role may also be about continuing to cultivate and enlarge her audience, which can then be relied on to turn out for other things — even when she's cast in the "secondary lead" (e.g. Gamzatti). ABT likely knows that audience still has potential for further growth. Even though those other performances are already likely to sell out as well, there'd be no reason, in their eyes, to stop building the fan base, and thus the demand — because, in their eyes, only good could come of that.

 

Edited by nanushka
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13 minutes ago, abatt said:

I think Wed matinee is the most dreaded spot on the roster.  Did you ever see Vishneva or Roberto Bolle in a Wed matinee?  I don't think so. 

"Dreaded" may be a bit hyperbolic. But it's true that Murphy getting a Wednesday matinee for Whipped Cream is not really comparable. And all the other Wednesday matinee assignments are either paired with second performances in other slots or are for first-year principals, in some cases in NYC role debuts (e.g. Shevchenko in Swan Lake).

Edited by nanushka
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52 minutes ago, nanushka said:

But it's true that Murphy getting a Wednesday matinee for Whipped Cream is not really comparable. And all the other Wednesday matinee assignments are either paired with second performances in other slots or are for first-year principals, in some cases in NYC role debuts (e.g. Shevchenko in Swan Lake).

Precisely.

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I've also gotten the sense from dancers on Instagram -- mostly NYCB dancers -- that they simply aren't crazy about dancing matinees from a physical standpoint (is it harder for them to get fully warmed up in time for a 2:00 p.m. curtain? tired if they had danced the night before?). Does anyone know if that's the case?

 

Edited by fondoffouettes
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16 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

I've also gotten the sense from dancers on Instagram -- mostly NYCB dancers -- that they simply aren't crazy about dancing matinees from a physical standpoint (is it harder for them to get fully warmed up in time for a 2:00 p.m. curtain? tired if they had danced the night before?). Does anyone know if that's the case?

 

No, actually, it is easier to get warmed up.  Company class occurs right before the matinee (2:00 show usually indicates an 11:30 or 12:00 warm-up for an hour or so.)  Since most companies do not have another warm-up for the evening performance, dancers warm themselves up for those shows.   I think it is hard to do a matinee when you have danced the night before and that may be the reason you see dancers complaining.  

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1 hour ago, its the mom said:

No, actually, it is easier to get warmed up.  Company class occurs right before the matinee (2:00 show usually indicates an 11:30 or 12:00 warm-up for an hour or so.)  Since most companies do not have another warm-up for the evening performance, dancers warm themselves up for those shows.   I think it is hard to do a matinee when you have danced the night before and that may be the reason you see dancers complaining.  

Ah, I see. I may also be confusing it with opera singers -- I think, in general, they prefer to sing later in the day (though I'm not entirely sure). 

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2 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

I've also gotten the sense from dancers on Instagram -- mostly NYCB dancers -- that they simply aren't crazy about dancing matinees from a physical standpoint (is it harder for them to get fully warmed up in time for a 2:00 p.m. curtain? tired if they had danced the night before?). Does anyone know if that's the case?

 

Do dancers really complain about their performance schedules on Instagram?  I hope not. "Complain" wasn't your word, but that seems to me implied...and while it may not be a slap in the face to matinee audiences when someone on this site expresses unhappiness that a dancer they admire is appearing at a matinee,  I would take it as a slap in the face if a dancer publicly indicated "they simply [weren't] crazy about dancing" a matinee--or any other day for that matter--for which I had a ticket. Fine to talk about it in private--among friends sure; I sometimes complain about my work schedule in private. But when you have audience members coming to see you on a particular day/time, I think publicly expressing any sort of negativity about performing that day/time is unprofessional.

I appreciate that social media deliberately upsets the line between public and private interactions which perhaps is proving confusing for both dancers and fans. And I take it for granted that dancing two performances in a single day is harder than dancing one. I also take it for granted that neither matinee nor evening audiences are supposed to be short-changed as a result.

Edited by Drew
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17 minutes ago, Drew said:

 

Do dancers really complain about their performance schedules on Instagram?  I hope not. "Complain" wasn't your word, but that seems to me implied...and while it may not be a slap in the face to matinee audiences when someone on this site expresses unhappiness that a dancer they admire is appearing at a matinee,  I would take it as a slap in the face if a dancer publicly indicated "they simply [weren't] crazy about dancing" a matinee--or any other day for that matter--for which I had a ticket. Fine to talk about it in private--among friends sure; I sometimes complain about my work schedule in private. But when you have audience members coming to see you on a particular day/time, I think publicly expressing any sort of negativity about performing that day/time is unprofessional.

I appreciate that social media deliberately upsets the line between public and private interactions which perhaps is proving confusing for both dancers and fans. And I take it for granted that dancing two performances in a single day is harder than one. I also take it for granted that neither matinee nor evening audiences are supposed to be short-changed as a result.

I've read comments like "I'm not a matinee kind of girl"  stated in the context of a positive experience, so I wouldn't characterize the comments that I personally have read as complaints.

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1 hour ago, Drew said:

 

Do dancers really complain about their performance schedules on Instagram?  I hope not. "Complain" wasn't your word, but that seems to me implied...and while it may not be a slap in the face to matinee audiences when someone on this site expresses unhappiness that a dancer they admire is appearing at a matinee,  I would take it as a slap in the face if a dancer publicly indicated "they simply [weren't] crazy about dancing" a matinee--or any other day for that matter--for which I had a ticket. Fine to talk about it in private--among friends sure; I sometimes complain about my work schedule in private. But when you have audience members coming to see you on a particular day/time, I think publicly expressing any sort of negativity about performing that day/time is unprofessional.

I appreciate that social media deliberately upsets the line between public and private interactions which perhaps is proving confusing for both dancers and fans. And I take it for granted that dancing two performances in a single day is harder than dancing one. I also take it for granted that neither matinee nor evening audiences are supposed to be short-changed as a result.

I actually don't mind it when dancers talk openly about what's hard (or even just annoying) about their jobs. As far as I'm concerned, it's ok if dancers don't like matinees and say so, whether it's because of a physical challenge (e.g., being out of gas from last night's performance), a schedule challenge (e.g., not enough time between class and curtain to prepare physically or mentally for performance), or problems with the house (e.g., the theater is half empty or the audience is sitting on their hands). If anything, it makes me appreciate a good performance even more. What would tick me off would be a comment along the lines of "eh, I only gave 75% today because matinees, who cares amirite?" 

We've all had to give 100% in situations when we'd have preferred not to, because that's what grown ups and professionals do. I expect the same of the dancers, and frankly, they almost always deliver.

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Dancers vary a lot in how much they express their struggles (and other personal matters) on social media, but I don't recall much that I'd label complaining. From those who do express feelings that could be labeled as negative, it's more along the lines of "Oof, today's going to be a tough one" or "Time to power through" — those sorts of things. I've never noticed such comments to be more numerous in the lead-up to matinees, but if so then its the mom's explanation seems likely. (NYCB dancers, even principals, not infrequently have to perform back-to-back, evening followed by matinee — even, as recently with the final two performances of the Stravinsky-Balanchine program, in the same roles.)

Edited by nanushka
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1 hour ago, vipa said:

I've read comments like "I'm not a matinee kind of girl"  stated in the context of a positive experience, so I wouldn't characterize the comments that I personally have read as complaints.

This is the sort of thing I meant; they haven't been things I would categorize as complaining. It would be something like "the struggle is real" posted with a large cup of coffee, with a reference to having to do an 11:00 a.m. children's show. Or a dancer simply implying that he/she is running on fumes after having performed the night before. That sort of thing.

Also -- I'll never forget the videos of the NYCB dancers responding ecstatically when they got a snow day a couple years ago on either a Saturday or Sunday, with both the matinee and evening performance canceled. Everyone loves a break from the grind, whether you're an artist or not!

Edited by fondoffouettes
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33 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

Also -- I'll never forget the videos of the NYCB dancers responding ecstatically when they got a snow day a couple years ago on either a Saturday or Sunday, with both the matinee and evening performance canceled. Everyone loves a break from the grind, whether you're an artist or not!

Yes I remember when the performances were cancelled.   I think it was a Saturday Balanchine birthday celebration that day, and the stage demo had to be rescheduled.  No subways were even running.....

Edited by NinaFan
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Opera singers talk about this all the time, but they don't give up the opportunity to sing the broadcast matinees and/or Live in HD matinees.  It's a different experience for them, and quite legitimate to describe.  It doesn't mean they are ungrateful.

Javier Camarena had to withdraw from the "Semiramide" premiere, and I heard him on Sirius before last Saturday's live in HD, in which he sounded amazing.  I was thinking about how he had to come out all guns blazing in the opera, and how, with a 1pm start EST, and a 1:15pm or so entrance, his schedule must have been:

4am:  wakeup

4:05am-7am: stand in hot shower

7am-10am: drink tea with lemon, garlic, turmeric, and cayenne and do vocal exercises

10am-11:00am:  make-up and wig; drink garlic soup via Camelbak

11:30am-1:15pm: costume and drink more tea and warm up.

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On 3/13/2018 at 9:30 AM, cobweb said:

... and they are the two dancers I LEAST want to see. The programming is so unimaginative, and the casting is so dominated by dancers I'm trying to avoid, and filled out with others who are just ho-hum, that I'm not sure I'll be seeing a single performance this season. I'd like to see the new principals, but trying to find interesting performances is a challenge. Sad!

Boylston & Copeland are also on my least desirable list.  I would love to see Lane in either Bayadere or DQ but these  dates will be difficult for me to attend. I saw Lane & Simkin last year in Giselle and loved them.  Almmost every  possibility gets crossed off my  list because one or both of the lead dancers are duds.  I may skip the whole Met season.

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30 minutes ago, Marta said:

  Almmost every  possibility gets crossed off my  list because one or both of the lead dancers are duds.  I may skip the whole Met season.

The duds do seem particularly unsegregated this season, don’t they?

Edited by nanushka
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On 3/13/2018 at 8:12 PM, angelica said:

I'll be a charter member, just as I was a charter member in the past of the Veronika Part Fan Club and the Stella Abrera Fan Club. What would these often overlooked dancers have done without us?

Count me in for Lane. I was also besotted early on -- about 2006- - by Part!

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It’s not that there are no good dancers. I would LOVE to see the following: Cornejo, Simkin, Lendorf, Cirio, Abrera, Lane, Teuscher, Schevchenko, Trenary, Brandt, and I’m probably forgetting others. But certain other dancers are so grating that I can’t bear it. On close scrutiny of the schedule I have identified a few performances that may be dud-free. Will wait and see how the casting holds up. 

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21 minutes ago, Marta said:

Boylston & Copeland are also on my least desirable list.  I would love to see Lane in either Bayadere or DQ but these  dates will be difficult for me to attend. I saw Lane & Simkin last year in Giselle and loved them.  Almmost every  possibility gets crossed off my  list because one or both of the lead dancers are duds.  I may skip the whole Met season.

I'm in total agreement with you and nanushka about the matter of casting. Thankfully, I'm able to see Lane in Giselle, Bayadere, Harlequinade, and DQ, as well as Abrera in Giselle and R&J (for the latter two performances I'll be watching with one eye closed.) And I'm hoping to see Osipova and Hallberg in Giselle if that partnership will happen. I'm really not enthusiastic to see anything else. Brandt and Ternary could have had leading role debuts this season if they didn't double up on our least favorite dancers.

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4 hours ago, NinaFan said:

Yes I remember when the performances were cancelled.   I think it was a Saturday Balanchine birthday celebration that day, and the stage demo had to be rescheduled.  No subways were even running.....

Yes I remember all too well the cancelled performance on Balanchine's birthday.  I had come  down from Boston and was terribly disappointed.  We were very happy when NYCB gave us a refund and we were able to see a performance that spring.

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hey everyone. Newbie here. Got single tickets for the May18 osipova giselle, but not sure where I'm sitting yet. I'm worried I might be getting seats for all the way in the back, and wondering if I should just get the ones on the side orchestra. When can we exchange the tickets? Would subscriber be able to buy single ticket during exchange week? and would I be able to exchange ticket if I don't live in New York during that week?

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I  hate to say it, but based on past incidents, David Hallberg's injuries never are minor.  I certainly took his representation on social media that he had a minor injury with a big dose of skepticism. I'd be utterly thrilled if Shkylarov danced Giselle with Osipova at the Met.  But again, knowing the players involved, I'm not holding my breath.   Waiting for the May 17 announcement of withdrawal and replacement by ABT dancers X and Y.

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