2022-2023 Kennedy Center - Ballet

[abatt]

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/season-announcement/ballet-dance/

Slim pickings, in my opinion.  I understand why the Mariinsky is not scheduled, but they will be missed. 

The only two offerings of moderate interest are Joffrey's Anna Karenina and Scottish Ballet's The Crucible.

ABT will bring R&J.  NYCB will bring two mixed bills.

The one American company I was hoping might appear was Miami City Ballet with the Ratmansky Swan Lake.  Alas, no such luck. 

 

 

[Drew]

I see the Scottish Ballet is described as bringing Arthur Miller's play The Crucible "to the ballet stage" with no mention of the choreographer--Helen Pickett--which somewhat bothers me as I can't help but think that it speaks to a lack of respect for and/or lack of interest in dance artists. I understand Miller's is the name that will sell tickets--of course it should be foregrounded--but would be it so terrible for ticket sales to say they are bringing Miller's play "to the ballet stage in the acclaimed adaptation by Helen Pickett?" or some such. Anyway, I rather liked Picket's work for Atlanta Ballet which included a full length adaptation of  Tennessee Williams' Camino Real. It included some spoken words and generally fell into the "dance theater" category, though, as I remember, with one very lovely lyrical and balletic pas de deux. I have to budget my ballet travels, but if I can swing it, then I'd be happy to see what she does with The Crucible.

(Like @abattI wish Ratmansky's Swan Lake with Miami City Ballet had been on offer.)

If Putin stays in power, and maybe even if he doesn't, then I fear it will be quite some time before we see the Mariinsky or the Bolshoi again--especially at Kennedy Center. Ballet is too closely allied with Russia's "soft power." But I hope that in the coming years Kennedy Center does more to bring in high profile companies from elsewhere overseas: The Royal Ballet (England) top choice for me by some measure. But there is a pretty substantial list of others that would tempt me as well.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Drew

[California]

5 minutes ago, Drew said:

But I hope that in the coming years Kennedy Center does more to bring in high profile companies from elsewhere overseas: The Royal Ballet (England) top choice for me by some measure. But there is a pretty substantial list of others that would tempt me as well.

So many international companies would be welcome -- especially those that are providing havens for Ukraine and Russian dancers who escaped the war. Dutch National, Vienna, Estonia, Berlin. I'm sure they need a subsidy -- perhaps the State Department could help?

[abatt]

I suspect that oligarch money was partially funding these annual Mariinsky visits to the Kennedy Center.  To the extent that people now view this as tainted money, even if Putin is out and the war ends tomorrow, there will continue to be issues regarding the massive funding required to present the company, and where that money will come from.