Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×
Support Ballet Alert! Year Round through the Amazon Affiliates Program by Clicking Here to Order from Amazon.com

Promotions

bingham

By bingham
in American Ballet Theatre

Recommended Posts

nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, annaewgn said:

They're more alike than they seem. And while it's not the only reason why the ABT Principal roster, it's a general ballet fact. Lots of different ballets over a long period of time means more dancers are required to perform them. For example, funding and financial reasons aside, it's why Mariinsky has 200+ dancers. They dance a different ballet practically every single day, or every three-four days, six days a week. You can't have the same seventy dancers doing all that dancing. It's a simple matter of supply and demand.

 NYCB has 18 ballets going in the upcoming Fall Season, over a time span of about a month. ABT would struggle to do that with their 15 Principals (including Bolle, Hallberg, Simkin, and Murphy) and 13 Soloists, compared to NYCB's 21 Principals and 20 Soloists. 

I agree it's not pointless to make such comparisons, but there are some additional factors involved that complicate those comparisons. For example:

  • In an NYCB ballet, a principal may appear in only a single movement (e.g. Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet), or in a couple of movements (e.g. Symphony in C), and yet be considered to have danced a principal role. There aren't that many ABT ballets like that.
  • NYCB principals often individually dance much more frequently than ABT principals, even when making the closest possible comparisons — e.g. comparing ABT's fall season (of shorter works in repertory) to one of NYCB's "standard" three seasons (fall, winter, spring). During those seasons, one of the busier NYCB principals will fairly regularly dance in back-to-back performances, sometimes even twice in one day (matinee and evening), sometimes even in two different ballets on one program. Furthermore, the busier (and uninjured) principals often sustain this over the course of 4-6 weeks, rather than just 2 weeks.

Obviously, those two factors are connected, and there are other differences. But in comparing the two companies' structures, repertoires, etc., it's definitely more complicated than just counting ballets and counting principals. (And I don't mean to suggest that was being implied — I'm just laying out some of the additional factors.)

Link to comment
bingham

bingham

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 6/19/2019 at 8:59 PM, AB'sMom said:

ABT hasn’t yet posted anything about where the Studio Company dancers are going, but according to the Ballet West website Grace Anne Pierce is joining the corps de ballet. 

All of this year’s apprentices were promoted to the Corp de Ballet according to the ABT website. Maybe, the promotions, if any, will follow soon. This week?

Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, aurora said:

Joowon Ahn and Aran Bell were promoted to soloist! Congratulations!!!

Very much deserved by both!

I will not be at all surprised if Bell dances mostly principal roles next Met season and is promoted again a year from now.

Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, Barbara said:

No promotions to principal?

The only one that seemed possible (though a long shot) to me was Bell, since he’s so obviously favored by administration and male principals are in short supply. I would be delighted by Forster, but the casting this season didn’t make that seem feasible; ditto Hoven.

They seem fully stocked with female principals at present, especially in comparison with the men.

Edited by nanushka
Link to comment
Barbara

Barbara

Posted
Posted

Yes, I was hoping for both Tom and Blaine to be promoted. Can I hope at least that they continue to get more full length role opportunities? For heavens sake, Tom should be given a shot at Siegfried, Albrecht, Romeo, Solor etc etc. 

Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Barbara said:

For heavens sake, Tom should be given a shot at Siegfried, Albrecht, Romeo, Solor etc etc. 

Based on past casting trends, I would be surprised if he got more than one of those next year, though more than one would be a delightful surprise.

(Alas, I fear it's also quite possible he won't get any of those.)

Link to comment
nanushka

nanushka

Posted
Posted
Just now, Leah said:

I’m surprised Brooklyn Mack didn’t join the company. I assumed that his Corsaire was an audition.

That may still happen. New hires don't necessarily get announced at the same time as promotions within the company, I don't think.

Link to comment
abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, nanushka said:

 

They seem fully stocked with female principals at present, especially in comparison with the men.

Yes, that's why I'm getting a bad feeling that Stella may become a forced retirement in a year or two, just like Part.

Edited by abatt
Link to comment
Barbara

Barbara

Posted
Posted (edited)

But I think Stella is in a much more secure position than Part was. Much more in the fabric of the company and with Sascha’s position with the Studio Company, I don’t think Kevin would force a retirement. Not that I agree with the treatment of Part. It was unforgivable for her career to end like that. 

Edited by Barbara
Link to comment
bingham

bingham

Posted
  • Author
Posted
14 minutes ago, abatt said:

Yes, that's why I'm getting a bad feeling that Stella may become a forced retirement in a year or two, just like Part.

Stella seems to be preparing for her eventual retirement with teaching at Kaatsbaan?and at ABT. Would love for her to join ABT staff.

Link to comment
Dale

Dale

Posted
Posted

Official announcement:

 

JOO WON AHN AND ARAN BELL
PROMOTED TO SOLOIST WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
ABT WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS OF THE CORPS DE BALLET AND APPRENTICES FOR THE 2019–2020 SEASON
Joo Won Ahn and Aran Bell have been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre. The promotions, announced today by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, become effective September 1, 2019.
Joo Won Ahn, originally from Wonju, Korea, began his formal training in 2006 at Y.J. Ballet People Academy and Sunhwa Arts School. In 2012, he continued his studies at Korea National University of Arts in Seoul. Ahn was invited to join ABT Studio Company in 2013 after winning the Gold Medal at Youth America Grand Prix in New York City. He joined ABT as an apprentice in January 2014 and the corps de ballet in June 2014. Ahn’s repertoire with the Company includes Solor in La Bayadère, a Cavalier in Cinderella, Ali and Lankendem in Le Corsaire, the Russian Dance and Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Winter in Ratmansky’s The Seasons, Bluebird, a Fairy Cavalier and Italian Prince in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Neapolitan Dance in Swan Lake, leading roles in AFTERITE, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Garden Blue, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium and Thirteen Diversions and featured roles in AfterEffect, Bach Partita and In the Upper Room. He created roles in Mark Morris’s After You and Ratmansky’s Songs of Bukovina.
Aran Bell was born in Bethesda, Maryland and began studying ballet at age four at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and with Denys Ganio in Rome, Italy. He continued his training with Fabrice Herrault in New York City and Magaly Suarez in Florida. He spent several summers at The Royal Ballet School in London and at American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive in New York City. Bell’s awards include the Hope Award at Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City in 2009 and 2010 and the Premio Capri Danza International Award in 2014. He was featured in the 2011 film First Position: A Ballet Documentary. Bell joined ABT Studio Company in September 2014. He became an apprentice with ABT in May 2016 and a member of the corps de ballet in March 2017. His repertoire includes Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Lankendem in Le Corsaire, Harlequin’s Friend in Harlequinade, St. John in Jane Eyre, Prince Désiré in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegried and von Rothbart in Swan Lake, leading roles in Garden Blue and Thirteen Diversions and featured roles in AfterEffect, Deuce Coupe, In the Upper Room and Songs of Bukovina. He created a leading role in AFTERITE and the role of Winter in Ratmansky’s The Seasons.
(more)
PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCED 2019 – Page 2
American Ballet Theatre apprentices Jacob Clerico, Jarod Curley, Michael de la Nuez, Léa Fleytoux, Abbey Marrison and Ingrid Thoms have been named members of ABT’s corps de ballet for the 2019–2020 season. ABT Studio Company dancers Leah Baylin, Kanon Kimura, Melvin Lawovi, Joseph Markey, Duncan McIlwaine and Chloe Misseldine will become apprentices with the Company.
Jacob Clerico was born in Natick, Massachusetts and began his training at Holliston’s Dancing Arts Center. He continued studying at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School in 2015 and joined ABT Studio Company in September 2017. Clerico became an apprentice with the main Company in 2018.
Jarod Curley, from Bethesda, Maryland, studied at the Frederick School of Classical Ballet. He later trained at the John Cranko School and joined ABT Studio Company in September 2016. He joined the main Company as an apprentice in 2018.
Michael de la Nuez was born in Lexington, Kentucky and trained at De La Dance Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined ABT Studio Company in February 2018 and became an apprentice in December 2018.
Léa Fleytoux grew up in Paris, France and trained at the Conservatory National Superior of Music and Dance of Paris before joining the ABT JKO School in 2016. She became a member of ABT Studio Company in January 2017 and an apprentice with the main Company in 2018.
Abbey Marrison was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada and studied at the Karpov Ballet Academy. She joined the ABT JKO School in September 2016 and joined ABT Studio Company the following year. Marrison became an apprentice with the main Company in 2018.
Ingrid Thoms began her training at the Kintz Mejia Academy of Ballet in her hometown of McLean, Virginia. She continued her training at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida until joining the ABT JKO School in 2016. She became a member of ABT Studio Company in September 2017 and an apprentice the following year.
American Ballet Theatre welcomes the following ABT Studio Company alumni as apprentices in Fall of 2019:
Leah Baylin, from Boulder, Colorado, trained at the ABT JKO School and joined ABT Studio Company in January 2018.
Kanon Kimura was born in Tokyo, Japan and received training at the San Francisco Ballet School. She joined ABT Studio Company in September 2018.
Melvin Lawovi studied at VM Ballet School in his hometown of Toulouse, France. He became a member of ABT Studio Company in January 2018.
(more)

PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCED 2019 – Page 3
Joseph Markey, from Jacksonville, Florida, trained at Orlando Ballet School under ABT’s National Training Curriculum. He joined ABT Studio Company in September 2018.
Duncan McIlwaine was born in Worcester, Vermont. He studied at the ABT JKO School since age 13 and became a member of ABT Studio Company in January 2018.
Chloe Misseldine, from Orlando, Florida, trained at Orlando Ballet School under ABT’s National Training Curriculum. She joined ABT Studio Company in March 2018.
American Ballet Theatre’s Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 6, 2019. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org.

Link to comment
NinaFan

NinaFan

Posted
Posted (edited)

So happy for Bell and Ahn.  I was secretly hoping that Bell would be promoted directly to principal.  Soloist is a time to prove yourself worthy of principal roles, and he has already more than done that.  With that in mind, perhaps he'll just have to wait six months for principal?  Anyway...just thinking out loud.

Edited by NinaFan
Link to comment
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...