Jon Stafford New AD

[Kathleen O'Connell]

41 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Whelan also had a monopoly on certain roles that is no longer the company's norm. For instance while she was in the company I don't think I ever saw anyone else do the main Agon pas de deux or Symphony in Three Movements. And new choreography would almost always be Wendy. 

In Dancing for Balanchine, Merrill Ashley recounts how she got to dance the lead in Square Dance—one of her dream roles—during a tour to DC because an injury had sidelined Kay Mazzo. Ashley hoped to be cast in the role when the company returned to NY for its spring season, but wasn't, and decided to appeal to Balanchine directly for another performance.

"Summoning up my courage, I approached Balanchine one afternoon and said, somewhat apologetically: 'Mr.B, I know you have lots of considerations when it comes to casting, but I would really love to do Square Dance again, if it is possible.' 'No dear,' he responded quickly. 'Is Kay's ballet."

It took another injury to Mazzo before Ashley got to perform the role again.  

[dirac]

vipa wrote:

Quote

Towards the end, I agreed with the Martins assessment that she no longer looked her best in some roles. I guess what I mean is that careers can be complicated. When it's time for Whelan to take an older dancer out of a role, I'm sure she will do it with compassion but she will have to do it.

And from what I could tell, Martins handled the situation with Whelan tactfully enough. News that a dancer doesn’t want to hear is going to hurt no matter how it is delivered, although of course some methods are better than others.

Kathleen O'Connell wrote:

Quote

 

It took another injury to Mazzo before Ashley got to perform the role again. 

 

Yes - and if I remember correctly, after that injury the two of them shared the ballet. So perhaps there was some other reason why Balanchine wouldn’t initially give Ashley any more performances (?)

As others may already have observed, Balanchine didn’t let “ownership” stop him if he really wanted to swap out another dancer for a different one. According to Violette Verdy, he once took her role in “Emeralds” away from her with the helpful explanation that Christine Redpath didn’t have enough to dance, and when Farrell returned to the company in the seventies he gave her, briefly, McBride’s “The Man I Love”  in “Who Cares?” to dance (!?!)  

[BalanchineFan]

On 3/3/2019 at 12:06 PM, cobweb said:

Well, until they have a roster of men with the stellar partnering skills of LaCour, J. Angle, and Veyette, I would be very sorry to lose those guys. As for Abi, I’ve been a fan, but after seeing her in Liebeslieder yesterday, I question whether she should be on the stage, so I’m glad she’s on her way to another career. I would love to see more of Georgina Pazcoguin. 

g Georgina returned from injury last fall to premiereThe Runaway. To some acclaim. I’d hate to see anyone forced out but change is bound to come. 

[sunshine67]

On 3/3/2019 at 2:26 PM, vipa said:

I had the pleasure of watching the NYCB career of Wehdy Whelan's start to finish. I remember a point at which she was cast in pretty much everything. but there came a time when I thought she was perhaps on a decline, then Wheeldon came along and there was a burst of creativity in her dancing that never went away. Towards the end, I agreed with the Martins assessment that she no longer looked her best in some roles. I guess what I mean is that careers can be complicated. When it's time for Whelan to take an older dancer out of a role, I'm sure she will do it with compassion but she will have to do it.

Well said.  And yes, I believe Whelan will be quite gracious transitioning LeCrone and other dancers.  Martins was slow to do this to his favorites (and LeCrone was one of his favorites) - as much as I love Darci, there were too many times she was 'mismatched' with a younger man and it was off-setting. 

 

On 3/7/2019 at 3:58 PM, BalanchineFan said:

g Georgina returned from injury last fall to premiereThe Runaway. To some acclaim. I’d hate to see anyone forced out but change is bound to come. 

I think Georgina is on-fire in her artistry right now.  She is so strong.  She is like half the company - capable of SO much more than she was given a chance to do.  And then add injuries/surgery.  I hope we thats changed and we see more of her in the Spring.

[vipa]

8 hours ago, sunshine67 said:

Well said.  And yes, I believe Whelan will be quite gracious transitioning LeCrone and other dancers.  Martins was slow to do this to his favorites (and LeCrone was one of his favorites) - as much as I love Darci, there were too many times she was 'mismatched' with a younger man and it was off-setting.

I wouldn't make assumptions about LeCrone or anyone one else under the new regime. Martins always liked LeCrone and seemed to be supportive through-out her numerous difficulties (collapsed lung and 3 ankle surgeries). There is something in her dancing that he admired from her days in the school, so I guess she could be called a favorite of his. However, I don't think "favorite" should carry a pejorative connotation. After all, we all have our favorites, Whelan and Stafford will have their's too. It really is a matter of taste. I don't expect to be 100% aligned with their casting or promotion decisions, as time goes on.