DC Export Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 NYT did a Speaking in Dance before Spring Workshop featuring Mira Nadon in Scotch Symphony. I am interested to see more! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/arts/dance/spellbinding-luminosity-ballet-students-in-balanchines-scotch-symphony.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fspeakingindance&action=click&contentCollection=dance®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=15&pgtype=collection&_r=0 Link to comment
abatt Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 I wish they would bring Scotch Symphony back into the NYCB rep. They haven't performed it for many, many years. Link to comment
CharlieH Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Mira Nadon favors Audrey Hepburn, as somebody pointed out when reviewing the SAB performance of Scotch Symph last June. Looking forward to seeing all three dancers on the stage. Link to comment
yukionna4869 Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Roman Mejia has also received his corps contract, per the NYCB website. Was there a change to how apprentices become corps members? I thought that once you hit nine performances you automatically get promoted to corps de ballet. I checked my playbills and there were a few other apprentices who had nine shows under their belt. Maybe the Swan Lake courtiers/villagers don’t count? Link to comment
canbelto Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 2 hours ago, yukionna4869 said: Roman Mejia has also received his corps contract, per the NYCB website. Was there a change to how apprentices become corps members? I thought that once you hit nine performances you automatically get promoted to corps de ballet. I checked my playbills and there were a few other apprentices who had nine shows under their belt. Maybe the Swan Lake courtiers/villagers don’t count? Typically apprentices are offered a one-season contract. At the end of that season they are either let go or accepted into the corps. I think an exception was made for Mejia. Here's a video about apprentices: Link to comment
Emma Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, yukionna4869 said: Roman Mejia has also received his corps contract, per the NYCB website. Was there a change to how apprentices become corps members? I thought that once you hit nine performances you automatically get promoted to corps de ballet. I checked my playbills and there were a few other apprentices who had nine shows under their belt. Maybe the Swan Lake courtiers/villagers don’t count? I've always wondered-- does the nine shows refer to actual performances performed or the number of roles performed across the rep, regardless of the number of performances? It just seems like they would all get corps contracts so quickly if the former, but I never attended frequently enough during a single season to confirm. Edited November 11, 2017 by Emma Link to comment
Helene Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Since a dancer could end up doing four different roles in Nutcracker easily -- parent, snowflake, flower, Spanish corps -- I'm guessing that Nutcracker counts as one, unless maybe the dancer also did a "named" role? Link to comment
vipa Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 43 minutes ago, Helene said: Since a dancer could end up doing four different roles in Nutcracker easily -- parent, snowflake, flower, Spanish corps -- I'm guessing that Nutcracker counts as one, unless maybe the dancer also did a "named" role? I believe it's 9 different ballets. Not # of roles or performances. Link to comment
Emma Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) Thanks for the clarification! I miswrote when I said roles -- I forgot how many roles a dancer can play in a single ballet! Edited November 11, 2017 by Emma Link to comment
yukionna4869 Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 On 11/11/2017 at 12:18 PM, canbelto said: Typically apprentices are offered a one-season contract. At the end of that season they are either let go or accepted into the corps. I think an exception was made for Mejia. Maybe this SAB's website on apprentices also needs to be updated. It says apprentices can dance in up to eight ballets. It used to be that the ninth ballet apprentices performed would make them corps members automatically. I have 10 playbills from the fall season where both Roman Mejia and Gilbert Bolden are listed. They were also both in the new Reisen ballet that I didn't see. I re-listened to Unity Phelan's episode of Conversations on Dance. She said during her apprenticeship, she wasn't cast in a ninth ballet because it would automatically grant her a corps contract. But she also said that the apprentice contract has changed. I just don't know what the changes are. Perhaps they just raised the threshold of how many ballets an apprentices can dance. Link to comment
yukionna4869 Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 On 11/11/2017 at 2:59 PM, vipa said: I believe it's 9 different ballets. Not # of roles or performances. Does that mean if an apprentice does six performances of Swan Lake, that counts as one? Link to comment
vipa Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 1 hour ago, yukionna4869 said: Does that mean if an apprentice does six performances of Swan Lake, that counts as one? I believe that's the case. Otherwise every woman who is an apprentice during Nutcrackers, would get a contract at the end of a couple of weeks of doing Waltz of the Flowers. Link to comment
wonderwall Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 (edited) Is it being in nine ballets in a whole year (ie, 2017-18 annual season) or per season (Fall 2017, Winter 2018, etc.). On some podcast (probably Conversations on Dance), I think a couple NYCB dancers have spoken reflected their experiences of getting their corp contract, and I may be mistaken, but I got the impression it is that number per season. Then once the next season starts, you are back at zero. That would make sense as to why Nutcracker never counts--it is one ballet for an entire "season." Edit: It was in Unity Phelan's interview (around 10:40 in)--she mentions she was kept out of the walking part in Glass Pieces (so I think it is any part no matter the size? Which makes sense as it is likely a union-based rule) since it would have been her ninth ballet. The hosts ask her about it, and she adds more clarity that makes it sounds like it is per season (like being in nine ballets during Winter 2018 season equals corps contract, but if you only have eight or less, you start back at zero during Spring still being apprentice). Maybe I am mistaken, though. However, this may be may be a moot point as she mentions that apprentices now have signed contracts, so the whole ballet quota may no longer be a thing! Edited November 13, 2017 by wonderwall Link to comment
cobweb Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Back to Scotch Symphony - I saw it for the first time in the SAB workshop and wish the company would bring it back. Also look forward to getting to know the new apprentices. I thought Nadon was wonderful in the Workshop. Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 I'm not surprised they gave Roman Mejia a contract. He was fabulous in the sab workshop in Martins' Hallelujah Junction... jumps, beats, real pirotechnics. I'd never enjoyed the ballet before. He also danced a lot this Fall. Link to comment
wonderwall Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Not sure if this is new (apologize if it is old news), but in a recent story (will disappear after 24 hours) on Olivia MacKinnon's public Instagram, she and her sister, Mary Thomas, were in the Nutcracker (Olivia as Marzipan and Mary Thomas in Spanish)--so it looks like she is also an apprentice. So, another sister duo! Link to comment
BalanchineFan Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 I was wondering why Olivia is now listed in casting as O. MacKinnon! That explains it. Link to comment
meliodori Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 (edited) It seems Mira Nadon may be dancing in Romeo and Juliet this winter: https://www.instagram.com/p/BdixFIDlF1z/?hl=en&taken-at=4700715 Edited January 4, 2018 by meliodori Link to comment
DC Export Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) I haven't seen the production, but it looks like the past Juliet ball costume is shorter? Edited January 5, 2018 by DC Export Link to comment
canbelto Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 The production is easily searchable on yT. I'd give the link but I don't want it taken down. Link to comment
DC Export Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Good intell. Thanks Canbelto! Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 13 hours ago, DC Export said: I haven't seen the production, but it looks like the past Juliet ball costume is shorter? According to this Draper's Instagram, they're making new ball dresses this year: Link to comment
AmandaNYC Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 17 hours ago, DC Export said: I haven't seen the production, but it looks like the past Juliet ball costume is shorter? Juliet wears a short dress (as shown), while the other female ball attendees wear floor-length gowns. Link to comment
Helene Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 I learned from this article posted in Links that there are seven NYCB dancers earning their degrees -- and to them all! -- and three will be leaving NYCB at the end of this season: Quote Three dancers are retiring from the company at the end of this season, with their final Lincoln Center performances on Sunday, the last day of the season. All are college graduates. Mr. Dieck, 30, has a job waiting: He will begin as an investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse. The other two, Likolani Brown and Savannah Lowery, both 33, will pursue medical degrees. Best of health and happiness to Dieck, Brown, and Lowery -- I still have chills remembering her stellar Hippolyta during a random visit to NYC -- and luck and success in their new pursuits. Link to comment
Recommended Posts