ABT online gala

[Rock]

For display purposes during a pandemic is not a good reason. To have a record of your own work, how it looked, how it was done, is a  good reason. 

[pherank]

1 hour ago, Rock said:

For display purposes during a pandemic is not a good reason. To have a record of your own work, how it looked, how it was done, is a  good reason. 

I was thinking of our forum discussions about ballet truly entering the digital age and using online video offerings as an important additional revenue stream and marketing tool. But that requires planning, budget, first-rate videography, etc. And a lot of companies are not really ready for that - especially given the fact that most aren't making any money right now from performances (or free videos). But a seismic change may be taking place.

[Kaysta]

I’m deeply disappointed in ABT.  They used to be my favorite ballet company.  Now, I’d much rather spend my donation dollars at NYCB.  They are doing severe damage to their company by not having a digital presence.  I hope they recover but I’m not sure how much time and money I’ll be spending there when this is over.

[ECat]

6 hours ago, Kaysta said:

I’m deeply disappointed in ABT.  They used to be my favorite ballet company.  Now, I’d much rather spend my donation dollars at NYCB.  They are doing severe damage to their company by not having a digital presence.  I hope they recover but I’m not sure how much time and money I’ll be spending there when this is over.

Sadly, I agree with you.  They used to be my absolute favorite company filled with my favorite dancers.  It has been a number of years since I have seen them as I feel that their quality has gone down.  Hopefully that can recover from this.  They'll need to try something different than what they're currently doing as it doesn't seem to be working.

 

 

[Drew]

ABT's cancelled season actually looked to me to be one of their more interesting in recent years--with a number of promising-looking debuts and at least one important premier.  I don't know what the answer is to the "digital" issue...that is, I don't know how much the problem is ABT's leadership--people here have persuaded me that some large portion of it must be--and how much is problems that go back to their seemingly constant financial precarity, their (non) relation to Lincoln Center etc.

[nanushka]

10 minutes ago, Drew said:

ABT's cancelled season actually looked to me to be one of their more interesting in recent years--with a number of promising-looking debuts and at least one important premier.

I agree! The cancellation of this season hit me especially hard because it was a season I was really looking forward to, to a degree that I haven't with ABT for a number of years. All of Tom Forster's debuts, the numerous other exciting debuts, the strong reviews of Of Love and Rage, the overall large number of good casts — all of that made me very excited (and promised to be very expensive for me!).

Edited May 16, 2020 by nanushka

[BalanchineFan]

On 5/16/2020 at 4:32 PM, Drew said:

ABT's cancelled season actually looked to me to be one of their more interesting in recent years--with a number of promising-looking debuts and at least one important premier.  I don't know what the answer is to the "digital" issue...that is, I don't know how much the problem is ABT's leadership--people here have persuaded me that some large portion of it must be--and how much is problems that go back to their seemingly constant financial precarity, their (non) relation to Lincoln Center etc.

While I think ABT's management is behind the times in terms of online presence, one of the issues ABT may be dealing with is the size and configuration of the Metropolitan Opera House. NYCB puts cameras in the back of the first ring. At the Met the cameras would be in the Parterre Boxes, which are the most expensive seats in the house, and a full crosstown block away from the stage. Maybe it just doesn't work visually. I find it difficult to watch dance in that house. I suppose they could have filmed the mixed bill performances when they cross the plaza to the NYCB theater, but it doesn't seem like they have.

I was surprised they didn't have toasts from more of the past generations of ABT stars. 

[Kathleen O'Connell]

19 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

While I think ABT's management is behind the times in terms of online presence, one of the issues ABT may be dealing with is the size and configuration of the Metropolitan Opera House. NYCB puts cameras in the back of the first ring. At the Met the cameras would be in the Parterre Boxes, which are the most expensive seats in the house, and a full crosstown block away from the stage.

I assume the Metropolitan Opera uses a more elaborate camera set up for its HD broadcasts and that it's beyond the financial reach of ABT to do the same.

19 minutes ago, BalanchineFan said:

I find it difficult to watch dance in that house.

Agreed. It's dreadful for dance. Too big with bad sight lines and a stage that magnifies pin-drops, much less pointe shoes. 

[Marta]

BalanchineFan said:  I was surprised they didn't have toasts from more of the past generations of ABT stars. 

Either they weren't invited to toast, or they were and declined.

[nanushka]

On 5/18/2020 at 5:45 PM, BalanchineFan said:

While I think ABT's management is behind the times in terms of online presence, one of the issues ABT may be dealing with is the size and configuration of the Metropolitan Opera House. NYCB puts cameras in the back of the first ring. At the Met the cameras would be in the Parterre Boxes, which are the most expensive seats in the house, and a full crosstown block away from the stage. Maybe it just doesn't work visually.

I’m not sure that’s a sufficient excuse. I’m not a videographer, but a single lens placed on the front of parterre level and skillfully deployed could capture quite a lot (and wouldn’t necessarily impact sales of those seats), I think, as tonight’s NYCB stream of Diamonds suggests. Granted, the Koch is smaller than the Met, but with modern cameras I think much could be accomplished.

And ABT also performs a lot at the Segerstrom, where presumably the recently (but distortedly) aired Of Love and Rage footage was shot.