Coronavirus (COVID-19) Affects the Ballet World

[volcanohunter]

Because London has been moved back into Tier 3 restrictions, the Royal Opera House is canceling performances on December 16-24.

In Saint Petersburg, the Mikhailovsky Theater is "voluntarily" canceling performances from December 20 to 31, in order to ease strain on medical services, given that active infections in the city have surpassed 70,000. There is a subtext here, though, because last week a performance of Cinderella starring Natalia Osipova played to a packed house, in contravention of limits on audience size, and a substantial trail of social media evidence was left behind. Initially, the theater cancelled performances on December 30th and 31st, before adopting a broader shutdown a day later.

[pherank]

PBS News Hour just ran a program about ballet and the pandemic: Nutcracker 2020

[video with transcript]
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/with-nutcracker-cancellations-dance-companies-get-creative

[The Traveling Ballerina]

14 hours ago, pherank said:

PBS News Hour just ran a program about ballet and the pandemic: Nutcracker 2020

[video with transcript]
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/with-nutcracker-cancellations-dance-companies-get-creative

Anyone else bothered that Balanchine's version for NYCB is given credit for the beginnings of The Nutcracker tradition in America? I feel that credit should go to William Christensen for his 1944 production for San Francisco Ballet.

[Helene]

Balanchine's was shown on TV (in February) and is frequently cited as being why The Nutcracker became well-known.

[pherank]

11 minutes ago, The Traveling Ballerina said:

Anyone else bothered that Balanchine's version for NYCB is given credit for the beginnings of The Nutcracker tradition in America? I feel that credit should go to William Christensen for his 1944 production for San Francisco Ballet.

 

6 minutes ago, Helene said:

Balanchine's was shown on TV (in February) and is frequently cited as being why The Nutcracker became well-known.

For me, the annoying part is that the media never takes the extra 10 seconds to set the record straight and give a more complete picture. It's always about reinforcing the Balanchine legend, which is just lazy, and ultimately ignorant. Ballet becomes MORE interesting when the vast web of relationships and influences is revealed. I guess that's too much information for American media.

Coincidentally, yesterday I caught Ballet West performing the 2nd act of Christensen's Nutcracker on BYU TV (I hadn't noticed that channel before).

[volcanohunter]

The first performance or production of a work isn't necessarily the most influential.

[pherank]

San Francisco is imposing a 10-Day Travel Quarantine Order until at least January 4. So even with vaccine distribution beginning, things aren't looking up yet. Both the Central California and Southern California zones now stand at 0% ICU bed availability. Be safe!

[California]

Sounds like the Vail Dance Festival expects to be back July 30 in-person.

In 2021, we are looking forward to an in-person Vail Dance Festival beginning on July 30th with Calvin Royal III as our Artist-In-Residence and BalletX as our Company-In-Residence, and many of the extraordinary dancers, musicians, and artists who call the Vail Dance Festival their summer home! We are planning for a lively Festival of performances, free events for the community, and education activities including Celebrate the Beat for local Children.* As we look to our return to the stage, there's never been a more important time to support the Vail Dance Festival. There are so many ways to show your support this holiday season. Click the button below to learn more.

LEARN MORE *As possible while following local, county, and state COVID-19 protocols

[Helene]

I'm not sure enough people will be vaccinated by April, even with at least three vaccines actively used -- assuming EUA for the Johnson & Johnson in January -- for herd immunity to take by then, but it is an outdoor venue.  I wonder how many people drive vs. fly, which might be the biggest risk by then.

 

[California]

1 hour ago, Helene said:

I'm not sure enough people will be vaccinated by April, even with at least three vaccines actively used -- assuming EUA for the Johnson & Johnson in January -- for herd immunity to take by then, but it is an outdoor venue.  I wonder how many people drive vs. fly, which might be the biggest risk by then.

 

I have to think every summer festival director is going through the same calculations -- Santa Fe Opera, Saratoga, Jacob's Pillow. Can they survive two cancelled summers?

[YouOverThere]

On 12/22/2020 at 3:18 PM, Helene said:

I'm not sure enough people will be vaccinated by April, even with at least three vaccines actively used -- assuming EUA for the Johnson & Johnson in January -- for herd immunity to take by then, but it is an outdoor venue.  I wonder how many people drive vs. fly, which might be the biggest risk by then.

 

The vaccination program in the US is off to a rather inauspicious start. The supposed goal was to give the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 20 million people by the end of December, but the current rate is only 110,000 per day. I'm giving up hope that the Washington Ballet will be able to put on Swan Lake in May.

Edited December 24, 2020 by YouOverThere

[canbelto]

Apparently the hopes are the Moderna vaccine will be much more quickly distributed as it has less stringent temperature requirements. Fingers crossed.

[pherank]

4 minutes ago, canbelto said:

Apparently the hopes are the Moderna vaccine will be much more quickly distributed as it has less stringent temperature requirements. Fingers crossed.

Yes, Pfizer's vaccine storage requirements are really demanding (-70 °C (-94 °F)). The Moderna version is going to be easier to distribute, by far. Apparently cheese and yogurt manufacturers have been really upset about Pfizer needing to buy up all the available dry ice - that would put a lot of cheese making businesses in jeopardy.

[YouOverThere]

17 minutes ago, pherank said:

Apparently cheese and yogurt manufacturers have been really upset about Pfizer needing to buy up all the available dry ice - that would put a lot of cheese making businesses in jeopardy.

Ugh! I can't imagine living without any Venezuelan beaver cheese.

[YouOverThere]

Based on what Dr. Fauci said in an interview with fivethirtyeight.com this week, I wouldn't be surprised if the next ballet that most of us attend will feature dancing rodents.

Edited December 24, 2020 by YouOverThere

[pherank]

Here's an idea: free performance to go with the vaccination...

An Organ Recital, With a Coronavirus Shot

Salisbury Cathedral is joining Britain’s vaccination drive, and its organists are providing a musical accompaniment. They’re even taking requests.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/25/arts/music/vaccine-cathedral-organ-music.html

[The Traveling Ballerina]

Hi Everyone,

I have just published a story titled The Professional Ballet Community Adapts in a Pandemic World: Artistic Leadership, Dancers, and Educators Share Their Thoughts About the Past, Present, and Future in which 35 professionals of the ballet world respond to the following questions:

1. How have the events of the past year influenced how directors, teachers, choreographers, and dancers approach their jobs?

2. Although we all wish we had an eight ball, we know the future is unforeseeable. That being said, relative to the ballet industry, what predictions can we make for 2021?

It's a long read, but one broken up in chapters so you can take it little by little  I hope you enjoy hearing the voices of all of these wonderful people that make the ballet world so beautiful!

Cherilyn.

[pherank]

8 minutes ago, The Traveling Ballerina said:

Hi Everyone,

I have just published a story titled The Professional Ballet Community Adapts in a Pandemic World: Artistic Leadership, Dancers, and Educators Share Their Thoughts About the Past, Present, and Future in which 35 professionals of the ballet world respond to the following questions:

1. How have the events of the past year influenced how directors, teachers, choreographers, and dancers approach their jobs?

2. Although we all wish we had an eight ball, we know the future is unforeseeable. That being said, relative to the ballet industry, what predictions can we make for 2021?

It's a long read, but one broken up in chapters so you can take it little by little  I hope you enjoy hearing the voices of all of these wonderful people that make the ballet world so beautiful!

Cherilyn.

Congratulations, Cherilyn. Looks like you could easily add more responses as time goes on.

[The Traveling Ballerina]

16 minutes ago, pherank said:

Congratulations, Cherilyn. Looks like you could easily add more responses as time goes on.

Thank you!

[YouOverThere]

I haven't seen a statement from the Washington Ballet, but given that the Kennedy Center has announced that it has cancelled all performances through the summer it's a pretty safe assumption that the WB's presentation of Swan Lake is not going to take place. The WB still has its season-ending program of new works listed on its website but the venue and exact dates are listed as "TBA".

Edited March 5, 2021 by YouOverThere

[pherank]

From the NYT - the Pam Tanowitz quarantine diary is fun reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/arts/dance/pam-tanowitz-quarantine-diary.html

At 9 a.m., I open my door to two police, two border force guys and a hotel guard. I say, “Wow, I need five guards to check out?” And they laugh and say, “We heard you were trouble.”

 

[Helene]

This article in Harper's Bazaar is about different dancers' reflections on the impact of COVID-19 during Black Lives Matter protests and talk about the lack of diversity in dance, but, being Harper's Bazaar, the visuals are all about fashion.  I wished they hadn't gone with the blurry shots, but you can see the clothes more clearly and the dancers in motion in the video:

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a36962917/dancer-portfolio-august-2021/?utm_source=The+Dance+Edit&utm_campaign=7d30d4e8e7-TheDanceEdit20201119_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71d672be74-7d30d4e8e7-69902614

They feature:

• Stella Abrera, Kaatsbaan
• Tatiana Desardouin, Passion Fruit Dance Company
• Vinson Fraley, Jr., Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
• Tiler Peck, New York City Ballet
• Calvin Royal III, American Ballet Theatre
• Lloyd Knight and Xin Ying, Martha Graham Dance Company
• Misty Copeland, American Ballet Theatre
• Melissa Verdecia, Ballet Hispánico
• Savion Glover
• Courtney Celeste Spears, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

[pherank]

29 minutes ago, Helene said:

This article in Harper's Bazaar is about different dancers' reflections on the impact of COVID-19 during Black Lives Matter protests and talk about the lack of diversity in dance, but, being Harper's Bazaar, the visuals are all about fashion.  I wished they hadn't gone with the blurry shots, but you can see the clothes more clearly and the dancers in motion in the video:

Blurry is the new black?

[Helene]

As Australia emerges from winter and grapples with Covid-19, Australian Ballet has postponed its upcoming season in Melbourne until 2022.  (The headline says cancelled, but the subhead and article talk about the postponement.)

https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/the-australian-ballet-cancels-its-remaining-melbourne-season/?utm_source=The+Dance+Edit&utm_campaign=270e22fa4a-TheDanceEdit20201119_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71d672be74-270e22fa4a-69902614

(Thanks to Dance Edit for the heads up.)

Alexei Ratmansky posted about this a few days ago to Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CShV0fyp5vM/

The photos in the post are wonderful.

[pherank]

2 hours ago, Helene said:

As Australia emerges from winter and grapples with Covid-19, Australian Ballet has postponed its upcoming season in Melbourne until 2022.  (The headline says cancelled, but the subhead and article talk about the postponement.)

When did their season actually begin? I think they may well regret taking a hard stance and not at least allowing for reduced audiences with social distancing measures in the theatre.