Spring 2020 New York Season

[Fleurfairy]

2 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

I would much rather see Trenary in SL (or as a sub) than Brandt. Trenary recently did Dying Swan for a side gig, or maybe it was ABT’s cruise gig, but she had clips on her Instagram that were extraordinary. 

Same. Sad to think Trenary may get passed over for big roles that truly suit her because of this huge social media push and a ton of money being spent by Brandt. I know that that is the name of the game these days, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

[eduardo]

1 hour ago, Leah said:

Am I imagining things or did Copeland say something recently about moving away from classical roles to contemporary rep? And for full lengths this spring she’s only scheduled to do Giselle and Swan Lake, right? I wouldn’t be surprised if she pulled out of both.

edit: forgot about R+J and Jane Eyre, although I don’t think either present the technical challenges that classical full lengths usually do.

Copeland and Cory Stearns have been announced as a guests for La fille mal gardée at Teatro Colón next July. I'm a bit surprised about that after the Sylphyde affair last season. Let's see what happens.

[California]

3 minutes ago, eduardo said:

Copeland and Cory Stearns have been announced as a guests for La fille mal gardée at Teatro Colón next July. I'm a bit surprised about that after the Sylphyde affair last season. Let's see what happens.

I give up - what was the "Syphyde affair"? 

[JuliaJ]

Trenary seems more favored by management than Brandt. She's been dancing Aurora for years and has two SB performances this summer, plus debuts as Juliet and Gamzatti. Brandt's only major role is her Aurora debut. I don't blame her for pushing for more opportunities, however she has to do it. We know that raw talent on its own does not get a dancer far at ABT. Based on the footage she posted, Brandt's Odette looks promising to me. I hope she gets to dance it soon enough. (I'm sure Trenary will eventually get her shot at Swan Lake as well.)

[ABT Fan]

10 minutes ago, California said:

I give up - what was the "Syphyde affair"? 

If I remember correctly, Copeland pulled out days before the show saying she didn’t have enough time to learn the choreography. Perhaps someone else can recall the specific details.

[eduardo]

Copeland and Herman Cornejo were announced as guest dancers for Lacotte's La Sylphide last year. He arrived to Buenos Aires several days in advance in order to work with the repetiteurs. She arrived to Buenos Aires four days before opening night. After she worked with Cornejo and the repetiteurs for a couple of days, her manager Gilda Sqare stated Misty was injured and therefore wouldn't dance. On the other hand, there was an article in a major local newspaper suggesting she hadn't learnt the part. There's some more details in the Dancers section of the forums (Misty Copeland, part deux, pages 17 and 18).

[California]

8 minutes ago, eduardo said:

Copeland and Herman Cornejo were announced as guest dancers for Lacotte's La Sylphide last year. He arrived to Buenos Aires several days in advance in order to work with the repetiteurs. She arrived to Buenos Aires four days before opening night. After she worked with Cornejo and the repetiteurs for a couple of days, her manager Gilda Sqare stated Misty was injured and therefore wouldn't dance. On the other hand, there was an article in a major local newspaper suggesting she hadn't learnt the part. There's some more details in the Dancers section of the forums (Misty Copeland, part deux, pages 17 and 18).

Interesting that Cory Stearns now seems to be the go-to partner for Copeland and Lane when Cornejo is not available, for whatever reason! I don't recall Stearns-Copeland paired at ABT in anything important. What am I forgetting?

[LadyBubbles]

1 hour ago, Fleurfairy said:

Same. Sad to think Trenary may get passed over for big roles that truly suit her because of this huge social media push and a ton of money being spent by Brandt. I know that that is the name of the game these days, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

Trenary doesn't have the Brandts' cash flow. Actually, I believe no one at ABT does. Except management maybe.

I thought about Trenary being favored. I, myself, said that in the past. I just realized that all those opportunities were Ratmansky ballets. SB, Whipped Cream, Harlequinade. Trenary got cast right off the bat for the last two while Brandt replaced Copeland. In everything not Ratmansky, they've had an even split up until now. Trenary got Juliet but Brandt got Medora a while ago. Juliet fits Trenary. Medora fits Brandt. Regarding Gamzatti, they both had a shot at it two years ago but they're only doing 4 shows (right?) this year. Don't get me wrong, I do believe management always intended to groom Trenary to principal and they still do. I just don't feel like she's that favored compared to Brandt as she is compared to Paris or even Katie Williams.

[California]

5 minutes ago, Leah said:

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with spending your own money to improve your abilities. Her family’s donations aside she’s not bribing management for roles, she’s spending to improve her own merit. Some people will always have more money and resources. It’s not like this is Russia, where the sponsorship system is far more skeezy.

We're also not like Russia with its comprehensive education and coaching, state subsidized, at the premiere schools in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Perm. Even for the professionals, or at least the principals, don't they each have a personal coach to work with them? 

[Helene]

23 minutes ago, LadyBubbles said:

Trenary doesn't have the Brandts' cash flow. Actually, I believe no one at ABT does. Except management maybe

Unless dancers post or speak officially about not having money, the only official news we have is that Brandt is spending money.

[California]

6 minutes ago, Leah said:

But just because there are less resources in the US doesn’t mean Brandt should not use resources at her disposal to improve herself as an artist. There will always be people with less. If Trenary can’t pay for her own coach that’s hardly Brandt’s problem. I think spending extra time outside of work on coaching is something to be admired, not frowned upon.

I agree. We are in a capitalist country after all. And we know some dancers receive various fellowships to buy more coaching. Trenary received a $50,000 Annenberg Fellowship a few years ago, so she had those resources: 

https://www.dancemagazine.com/what-cassandra-trenary-plans-to-do-with-her-50-000-annenberg-fellowshi-2365582302.html

[balletlover08]

Brandt of course has her roles that seem like natural fits for her! Like Medora, Aurora (i do believe she will be great at that role!) but there were others like Giselle that people didn't think were natural for her. Well, look at how well her debut went! At the end of the day we just don't know how great these dancers can be at certain roles if they don't try! And even better for McKenzie, Brandt is using her own resources to seek outside coaching to learn these new roles. I think if she waited around for ABT  she probably wouldn't have gotten Giselle, might not get SL in the future etc. Mckenzie in particular seems to me like an AD that needs to be shown some proof before he will cast you (unless you are Misty, Seo etc). 

Another thought I had is that nowadays, social media is a real thing that affects ballerinas! Look at Misty, yeah her dancing is not up to par with the other principles in classical roles & she shouldn't be getting O/O's at all but she's there because of propaganda and clever usage of it. Khoreva is a young promising dancer herself but I'm sure without her social media followers wouldn't have advanced nearly so fast up the ranks. Social Media is now a big factor in this society and soon I think it will start to impact which ballerinas are "famous" if it hasn't already. 

And finally, she's just investing in her future using her own resources and there is NOTHING wrong with that! 

[canbelto]

Ah, how short the memories are. In 1927 a young choreographer named George Balanchine had an exciting project but was saddled with casting ultimatums: he had to cast Serge Lifar as Apollo because Lifar was Diaghilev's lover and then also cast Alice Nikitina because she had a wealthy lover who donated a lot of money to Ballet Russes. 

Money and personal relationships used as a tool to getting roles is nothing new. I think Brandt and Trenary are both tremendously talented, so it's not as if one dancer's roles are not merited.

Edited March 4, 2020 by canbelto

[aurora]

51 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Ah, how short the memories are. In 1927 a young choreographer named George Balanchine had an exciting project but was saddled with casting ultimatums: he had to cast Serge Lifar as Apollo because Lifar was Diaghilev's lover and then also cast Alice Nikitina because she had a wealthy lover who donated a lot of money to Ballet Russes. 

Money and personal relationships used as a tool to getting roles is nothing new. I think Brandt and Trenary are both tremendously talented, so it's not as if one dancer's roles are not merited.

and there is literally no evidence that Brandt's family money has at all influenced casting, as in the Balanchine case and as some people (not you Canbelto) have insinuated.

[canbelto]

43 minutes ago, aurora said:

and there is literally no evidence that Brandt's family money has at all influenced casting, as in the Balanchine case and as some people (not you Canbelto) have insinuated.

Unfortunately I think Lane added fuel to that fire.

[vipa]

20 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Unfortunately I think Lane added fuel to that fire.

I really don't think Lane was referring to Brandt in her statement. I agree with aurora that there is no evidence that Brandt is getting favorable casting.

I don't know if Lane is still being coached by Irina and Max, but she was coached by them in Giselle and Swan Lake just before she became a principal. She was all over social media with it. Presumably she paid for the coaching. Lane is also on social media with videos of her fitness training, presumably she pays for that too.

If Copeland pulls out of SL and it goes to Brandt instead of Lane, it will feel like the end is truly near for Lane as far as ABT goes.

[nanushka]

20 minutes ago, vipa said:

I really don't think Lane was referring to Brandt in her statement

Whether she was or she wasn’t, it created the perception that she may have been, which was the fuel. She was vague or careless with her words in a post that was bound to cause a reaction and deserved more care. It didn’t make me think less of her as a dancer, but it definitely wasn’t a wise move.

[Lena C.]

34 minutes ago, vipa said:

If Copeland pulls out of SL and it goes to Brandt instead of Lane, it will feel like the end is truly near for Lane as far as ABT goes.

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking. Before, I thought that if Lane was being phased out/not paired with Cornejo, at least her value as an understudy would keep her important to ABT. Now she might not even have that; Copeland's understudy position. 

[nanushka]

13 minutes ago, Lena C. said:

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking. Before, I thought that if Lane was being phased out/not paired with Cornejo, at least her value as an understudy would keep her important to ABT. Now she might not even have that; Copeland's understudy position. 

I don't understand. Aren't Copeland's SLs with Cornejo? If so, that could very well be why Lane wouldn't understudy that. I thought we knew all along that was likely. How does this add any new information about the prospects for Lane's ABT career?

Edited March 5, 2020 by nanushka

[nanushka]

4 minutes ago, Leah said:

Well, if Copeland pulls out at the last minute (as is likely) and Lane is the only real alternative I doubt Cornejo would refuse point blank to dance with her. But if Brandt’s available then Lane is definitely out.

The cover isn’t always a dancer not already performing the role. Seo once stepped in for Murphy’s second half. There would likely be several alternatives, I think, if they prepared — which, if Lane is indeed no longer dancing with Cornejo as a general rule, they very likely would.

Edited March 5, 2020 by nanushka

[ABT Fan]

47 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I don't understand. Aren't Copeland's SLs with Cornejo? If so, that could very well be why Lane wouldn't understudy that. I thought we knew all along that was likely. How does this add any new information about the prospects for Lane's ABT career?

I think because some folks thought that Lane understudying was still a possibility, even a slight one, given that no other principal or soloist, besides Lane, was of the right size to dance with Cornejo who had also performed, or even rehearsed, SL before. Boylston is as well, and she’s doing Bayadere with him, but her subbing would depend on how many days there are between Cornejo’s show and her own regularly scheduled one for her to recover.

Now that Brandt is learning SL on her own, it may be that her subbing is the more likely scenario giving Lane even fewer performance opportunities than the measly few she currently has.

[nanushka]

1 minute ago, ABT Fan said:

I think because some folks thought that Lane understudying was still a possibility, even a slight one, given that no other principal or soloist, besides Lane, was of the right size to dance with Cornejo who had also performed, or even rehearsed, SL before. Boylston is as well, and she’s doing Bayadere with him, but her subbing would depend on how many days there are between Cornejo’s show and her own regularly scheduled one for her to recover.

Now that Brandt is learning SL on her own, it may be that her subbing is the more likely scenario giving Lane even fewer performance opportunities than the measly few she currently has.

Gotcha. I had assumed already they were already preparing another option. I realize that was just an assumption though.

[ABT Fan]

1 minute ago, nanushka said:

Gotcha. I had assumed already they were already preparing another option. I realize that was just an assumption though.

They could be, but given Cornejo’s size the options are severely limited. Copeland, Lane and Boylston are the only principals short enough to dance with him. Soloists Brandt and Trenary are of the right size obviously, and are the only soloists of the right size who could also handle SL, IMO. 

[nanushka]

10 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

They could be, but given Cornejo’s size the options are severely limited. Copeland, Lane and Boylston are the only principals short enough to dance with him. Soloists Brandt and Trenary are of the right size obviously, and are the only soloists of the right size who could also handle SL, IMO. 

Right. I was assuming one of those options was in the works.

And even if not, this situation just underscores Lane’s problematic position in the company, which is why it doesn’t change my perception of her long-term prospects.

[balletlover08]

Skylar just posted another video of her on instagram practicing Odette and she has now added Odette to the stories...she hashtagged #day3 so presumably she's been heavily practicing SL. She likely is the understudy for Copeland then.