ABT 2022: Of Love and Rage

[maps]

Met 2641=3977-standing room, partial view, circle+balcony. Est over1800  sold for Sat 6/25/22 matinee Other capacities:

• Koch=total 2550 -5th -4rth =1828.  Remove 3rd=1522.  ABT sells full at the Koch-how were sales on Giselle 2021?  
• BAM's cap is 2100
• Kennedy Center sells full house: Opera House=2198, Eisenhower=1164[small pit for 35]. 
• Australia=2079. Ratmansky Harlequinade- near sell out for 6/25/22 matinee. 
• https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/cart/choose-your-own-seat?perf_no=68113&prodseasonid=68063&layer=Stalls&perf_no=68113&facility_no=6&session_key=75b628c5f22511ecb824005056a2cc1200000000000000000000000000000000&source_code=582

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by maps
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[Royal Blue]

Being far away from the stage on both Monday and Tuesday evenings, it is admittedly necessary for me to also view Of Love and Rage from close-up. Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell, to be sure, are already quite accomplished as dancers —but still too young! In contrast, the maturity, experience and artistry of Christine Shevchenko (especially) and Thomas Forster are more in line with the subject and themes of Ratmansky's ballet.

Inside the program is a note from ABT regarding the subject matter of the ballet.

"Our storytellers, the choreographers, and dancers seek to transport audience members to other worlds and spark conversations about humanity in all its facets” reads its second sentence.

And later: "While the great classics we present may be of another period, we hope that they serve as a relevant reflection of life and humanity, however ugly or beautiful."

Basically, the sentiments expressed in these statements are sensible. History, to be sure, is a treacherous and confusing subject. Ignoring it, distorting it or attempting to erase it from our collective memory, however, —whether in the year 2022 or 802,701— would be foolhardy, dangerous, dishonest and futile. Clearly, humanity has little choice but to navigate its way through a perpetual vortex of double binds.

 

[Drew]

8 hours ago, abatt said:

Yes, when the roster had Vishneva, Gomes, Ferri, Bocca, Carreno, Corella, Ananiashvilli and so on, the house was almost always well sold.  All of those dancers were full time ABT principals, not guest artists.  None were celebrities outside of the insular world of ballet, but the ballet audience understood the quality of the work of these artists and showed up in droves to see them. So maybe poor sales are attributable to the general lack of high level dancers at the company, and not the rep itself.  There are some wonderful dancers now at ABT, but many are untested in major lead roles. [...]

I agree that the box-office issue at ABT likely reflects the public's response to dancers more than to repertory. Generally, I've been thinking a lot about this discussion. Box office matters but the tail should not be allowed to wag the dog and I think it's to Mckenzie's credit that, say, he kept Ashton in the repertory when Fille and Sylvia are often reported as doing very poor box office at the Met. I can't bring myself to believe that the solution is "drop Ashton" -- or even to dance Sylvia or Fille only at the State Theater where, at the present time, ABT does not perform that much.

As for Ratmansky's ballets simply dropping out of repertory--Harlequinade is about to be done at National Ballet of Australia (and streamed--I'm getting a ticket); his Seven Sonatas is performed by other companies (I saw it at Atlanta Ballet and they are bringing it back a 2nd time) as is the Shostakovitch trilogy (San Francisco and they are bringing it back). National Ballet of Canada has done the Shostakovitch Piano Concerto no 1 on its own. Perhaps others know of other examples. 

Many of his works were also brought back by ABT more than one season. That said, some of those were only brought back one time and two seasons for a new work is not meaningful. Still, I think it's very likely we will be seeing Serenade After Plato's Symposium and Whipped Cream in the future. His Sleeping Beauty as well. As a collaboration with a well-known contemporary artist, Whipped Cream also drew some new, younger audience members with interests in contemporary art.

There is also the question of big donors: they like prestige and they like press coverage. Some probably like being involved in new creative endeavors.   And there is also the bigger question of ballet as an art form ...But let's say someone thinks Ratmansky is over-rated and that 'if he isn't going to sell tickets, then we don't need his mediocre new ballets and overly precious historically-informed productions.'  (That's obviously not my position.) So, what ballet choreographer is not going to have the same or weaker box office other than Wheeldon? Or maybe McGregor? I'm not advocating either, just noting that they might draw audiences. It's not like Justin Peck is going to leave NYCB in a huff . . .

But the bigger point remains that new choreographers (we can all think of some including several who would speak to new and more diverse audiences) AND even revivals of works popular in the past or imports of works successful elsewhere are not alone going to solve box-office problems in this day and age and I don't think that task should be put on them either.

No new work at the Met at all? As long as the Met is such a big part of ABT's annual calendar, I think showing no new work there and/or keeping the rep completely predictable is its own recipe for problems -- including possibly with donors and audiences. The Met season "brands" the company. And as @nanushka has written, the ABT audience at the Met is not completely monolithic. (I'll add that even conservative audiences can get bored, and in the absence of exciting, known-quantity dancers, even balletomanes may not return to see multiple casts.)

New works and new productions will not always succeed--or they may be wonderful (Ashton) and still not draw in Met-sized crowds. But some variety in repertory should be part of a great ballet company's life--we're not talking NYCB levels since ABT is a different animal -- and for now, at least, the Met is at the center of ABT's performing life. I'm hoping that soon real "stars" will emerge as well...that is,"must see" dancers. Or be invited for Met appearances. (Several of the "full time principals" mentioned by @abattmostly danced with ABT at the Met and not on tour.)

If I had Jeff Bezos levels of wealth, then I would build ABT a  theater in Manhattan seating about 2,200 with heavily banked seats throughout, a full studio complex for rehearsals, and more bathroom stalls for the ladies than any other theater in the world. Because I'm just a fan, I would promise never to bully the company leadership in artistic matters and...well...I'd try really, really, really hard to keep my promise .

Edited June 22, 2022 by Drew

[nanushka]

Lots of very good thoughts there, @Drew.

Now that the Met season has been reduced to five weeks, and pushed further into July, I really hope ABT finds an additional NYC venue — or one or two additional periods each year when they can use other venues they've previously used, to expand their local offerings in intelligent ways.

I also really, really hope that under new leadership there will be greater recognition that their marketing team simply must seriously step up their game (or, perhaps better, be booted and replaced). It's been exasperating for far too long, seeing their third-rate efforts. With all of the challenges they currently face, a good number of which are beyond their control, this is one area where they could be doing so much better, and think (hope) it could make a difference.

[JuliaJ]

Skylar Brandt and Isabella Boylston are both very skilled at marketing themselves on social media. That seems to be the best path to fame these days, for better or worse. Both of them seem to draw relatively large crowds to their shows, although in the case of last week's Don Quixote run I'm sure their male partners (Cornejo and Simkin respectively) had a lot to do with that. In any case, I'm happy Skylar is getting her "moment," it's certainly deserved. I feel like Christine Shevchenko should be a lot better-known by now. 

 

[California]

23 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I really hope ABT finds an additional NYC venue — or one or two additional periods each year when they can use other venues they've previously used, to expand their local offerings in intelligent ways.

I'm looking at the summer schedule at Koch. Is it really dark most of the summer?  https://www.davidhkochtheater.com/

Why couldn't they take it over in June as soon as NYCB is done? It's the perfect theater for dance. Are there other opera-house-style theaters in Manhattan that would work?

We have no idea how far into the future ABT has a commitment at the Met, of course.

 

[volcanohunter]

2 hours ago, Drew said:

As for Ratmansky's ballets simply dropping out of repertory--Harlequinade is about to be done at National Ballet of Australia (and streamed--I'm getting a ticket); his Seven Sonatas is performed by other companies (I saw it at Atlanta Ballet and they are bringing it back a 2nd time) as is the Shostakovitch trilogy (San Francisco and they are bringing it back). National Ballet of Canada has done the Shostakovitch Piano Concerto no 1 on its own. Perhaps others know of other examples. 

I certainly didn't mean to suggest the possibility of Ratmansky's works disappearing entirely, but rather that they may be a tough sell for ABT's Met season. (Although ABT couldn't make a go of his Nutcracker at BAM either.)

For context, it's worth remembering that at the Bolshoi nearly all of his ballets ran on the new stage, which has a seating capacity of about 800, and that these runs typically consisted of 3-4 performances, not 8. Even the main stage, where his Giselle was presented, has a seating capacity of about 2,000.

[mille-feuille]

5 hours ago, nysusan said:

Did anyone see the Shevchenko/Forster cast?

I saw the Shevchenko and Forster cast Tuesday night. 

Echoing some others on here, I thought there was far too much story. There was never time to fully soak in the emotional tenor of a plot development—as soon as one plot twist occurred, the next one was right on its heels. I did feel a hint of emotion when Callirhoe and Chaereas were reunited, which I attributed to Forster's innate likability and Shevchenko's dramatic skill.

I found it tiresome that every man falls in love with Callirhoe immediately—it comes off a bit like a fanfiction. But it led me to wonder, is Chaereas' love for Callirhoe different from the mindless, love-at-first-sight of Dionysius, Mithridates, and the King of Babylon? I suppose Chaereas goes to the greatest lengths for her, but we're never shown why he is motivated to do that; how their love (ostensibly...) grew during their short time together.

Shevchenko danced beautifully, as always—her movement was silky and refined. Forster was very elegant; his jumps were high with gorgeous pointed feet. In fact, he projected such gallantry that it was difficult to believe that he would be so violent toward Callirhoe in Act 1 to make her collapse into a coma. I noticed no difficulty in the torch lifts—in fact, I thought he made them look easy and was very impressed. Chloe Misseldine was striking as the haughty, jealous Queen of Babylon (unfortunately her long sleeves got caught in her tiara twice).  Jarod Curley was menacing and masculine as Mithridates; I'd like to see more of him.

I found the solo and pas de deux choreography forgettable, but I enjoyed the choreography for the corps and the "Greek vase" shapes they made. Mithridates' retinue reminded me of the "manly" section of Glass Pieces; this was probably the most memorable section of the ballet for me.

I probably will not see this again. Looking forward to Swan Lake next week!

[volcanohunter]

4 hours ago, California said:

Why couldn't they take it over in June as soon as NYCB is done? It's the perfect theater for dance. 

I really wish they would. I always assumed the attachment to the Met was the prestige factor. Does that really matter now that the company is no longer trying to attract jet-setting guest artists and is focused on dancers who came up through the ranks? Is there something contemptible about the House that Balanchine Built?

Edited June 23, 2022 by volcanohunter

[California]

10 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

Although ABT couldn't make a go of his Nutcracker at BAM either.

I never saw Ratmansky's Nutcracker until it moved to Segerstrom. As I remember discussions here from long ago, one big problem was competition with the gold standard Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. If a family wants to go to one very expensive Nutcracker each year, then Balanchine wins.  I saw it at Segerstrom on long weekends in 2015 and 2021 and remember this selling very well. The main competition is all the little ballet school productions around southern California, but nothing comes close to the stature of ABT's. (PS. I love the bees -- and a lot more.)

Edited June 23, 2022 by California

[California]

6 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I really wish they would. I always assumed the attachment to the Met was the prestige factor. Does that really matter now that the company is no longer trying to attract jet-setting guest artists and is focused on dancers who came up through the ranks? Is there something contemptible about the House that Balanchine Built?

For the now-defunct summer dance festival at Lincoln Center, companies like Paris and the Bolshoi performed at the Koch/State Theatre. Should be good enough for ABT!

[volcanohunter]

6 hours ago, California said:

For the now-defunct summer dance festival at Lincoln Center, companies like Paris and the Bolshoi performed at the Koch/State Theatre. Should be good enough for ABT!

Exactly. I'm sure that on tour ABT has performed in theaters without a rear stage area and a lower proscenium, so it should be possible to move all its productions in there.

6 hours ago, California said:

If a family wants to go to one very expensive Nutcracker each year, then Balanchine wins. 

I guess so. No doubt the thinking was that an area as populous as metropolitan New York could sustain at least two Nutcrackers. And I know from experience that the trek from suburban New Jersey to BAM is a slog, so I would have thought people on the other side of the East River might have preferred not to travel into Manhattan. But those old NEA surveys did show that the average ballet-goer attends something like 1.4 or 1.6 performances annually, presumably a Nutcracker, so the known quantity wins over experimentation with something that may turn out to be slightly less than the gold standard, if it's going to be your sole ballet outing of the year.

[Papagena]

14 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I really wish they would. I always assumed the attachment to the Met was the prestige factor. Does that really matter now that the company is no longer trying to attract jet-setting guest artists and is focused on dancers who came up through the ranks? Is there something contemptible about the House that Balanchine Built?

Agreed, so many ballets would be better served here! 

However, for better or worse, The Met is a pretty significant pillar of ABT’s brand. The other pillars being  ‘war horse’ productions and superstar dancers that can carry these heavy ballets. The Met is, essentially, ‘theirs' as a ballet company. This isn’t all they are, of course (and does disservice to their history), but those brand pillars are the most known to casual ballet goers and new audience members. 

I think the problem is that their marketing team does not view ABT as a brand or understand what kind of brand they want it to be - and leadership is leaning into their brand of the past 30 years. Mushy branding and advertising can tank anything from beverages to ballets. NYCB has a very clear brand. 

So even if their current brand isn’t working and times have changed, ABT needs to figure out who they were, who they are, and what they want to represent within the ballet world that sets them apart from others. The choice to stay or leave The Met comes after, as does reconsidering guest artists, touring, and the types of programs they put together. 

Jaffe and team have such a challenge ahead and I have no good suggestions!

[nysusan]

I saw L&R last night and have mixed feelings about it. I read  the synopsis (and the page in the program that discussed the "challenging subject matter") and had no trouble following the action.

 

Callirhoe's treatment didn't bother me either - this is based on a novel from ancient Greece where enslavement and subjugation of women was the norm. Perhaps we could have hoped that Ratmansky had chosen a different vehicle but this is what interested him and that's what you get.

 

I found it entertaining for the most part, though I did start to zone out a bit towards the end of the first act. I loved that there was so much dancing, and so many roles providing opportunities to see dancers who are not always spotlighted.

 

Biggest takeaway of the evening - who is Jarod Curley and why haven't I seen him before? He was great and I'm hoping to see a lot more of him in the future.

 

Biggest disappointment? Seeing Joey Gorak in the very minor role of one of the 3 suitors. It was an opportunity for the other 2 suitors, corpsmen Frenette & Tamm but a big step down for a soloist like Gorak.
 

In another small role I really liked Katherine Williams as the Queen of Sheba - she is definitely ready to take on more & bigger roles.

 

I liked Camargo as Dionysius - who I agree is the most sympathetic character in the whole story - but not sure how much I liked him. I need to see more of him to decide.

 

There was some great choreography for Chareas and my attention was riveted on Bell pretty much whenever he was on stage. I found Hurlin less compelling, perhaps due to the nature of her choreography.

 

And I agree with other posters who pointed out that you never really care about the characters - which is a major problem with this ballet!

[abatt]

1 hour ago, Papagena said:

Agreed, so many ballets would be better served here! 

I think the problem is that their marketing team does not view ABT as a brand or understand what kind of brand they want it to be - and leadership is leaning into their brand of the past 30 years. Mushy branding and advertising can tank anything from beverages to ballets. NYCB has a very clear brand. 
 

Based on the ads I've seen on TV and in the subway for ABT over the last few months, ABT is very much branding itself as presenter of full length classics.  The ads I've seen feature Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.   ABT has been and will always continue to be primarily a presenter of  full length classics.  That is what their audience wants and has come to expect.

  ABT has the advantage of having essentially a monopoly in NYC in presenting the classics.  Although NYCB sometime does a full length classic, their dancers don't specialize in this material.  Also, NYCB has the dubious distinction of having the ugliest R&J and SL productions and costumes.

Edited June 23, 2022 by abatt

[DPell]

1 hour ago, nysusan said:

I saw L&R last night and have mixed feelings about it. I read  the synopsis (and the page in the program that discussed the "challenging subject matter") and had no trouble following the action.

 

Callirhoe's treatment didn't bother me either - this is based on a novel from ancient Greece where enslavement and subjugation of women was the norm. Perhaps we could have hoped that Ratmansky had chosen a different vehicle but this is what interested him and that's what you get.

 

I found it entertaining for the most part, though I did start to zone out a bit towards the end of the first act. I loved that there was so much dancing, and so many roles providing opportunities to see dancers who are not always spotlighted.

 

Biggest takeaway of the evening - who is Jarod Curley and why haven't I seen him before? He was great and I'm hoping to see a lot more of him in the future.

 

Biggest disappointment? Seeing Joey Gorak in the very minor role of one of the 3 suitors. It was an opportunity for the other 2 suitors, corpsmen Frenette & Tamm but a big step down for a soloist like Gorak.
 

In another small role I really liked Katherine Williams as the Queen of Sheba - she is definitely ready to take on more & bigger roles.

 

I liked Camargo as Dionysius - who I agree is the most sympathetic character in the whole story - but not sure how much I liked him. I need to see more of him to decide.

 

There was some great choreography for Chareas and my attention was riveted on Bell pretty much whenever he was on stage. I found Hurlin less compelling, perhaps due to the nature of her choreography.

 

And I agree with other posters who pointed out that you never really care about the characters - which is a major problem with this ballet!

I’m seeing the same cast on Saturday. Regarding Curley, I think he’s a relatively new corps member. He’s doing Ballroom Rothbart next week a few times, which I am looking forward too. 

[California]

42 minutes ago, abatt said:

ABT has been and will always continue to be primarily a presenter of  full length classics.  That is what their audience wants and has come to expect.

It's true that ABT is known for full-length classics, but in the seventies and eighties it also programmed amazing mixed bills that we can't even dream of today. Yes, they had star power, too, but can you imagine seeing this offered today?

https://www.amazon.com/American-Ballet-Theatre-Met-Mixed/dp/B00008AORF/ref=sr_1_1?: from the mid-80s:  Les Sylphides, PdDs from Sylvia and Paquita, MacMillan's Triad

https://www.amazon.com/ABT-Francisco-American-Ballet-Theatre/dp/B0007TFID8/ref=sr_1_7?: from the 80s again: Airs, Jardin Aux Lilas, The Black Swan, Romeo and Juliet PdD,  Great Galloping Gottschalk

The Live from Lincoln Center in spring 1978 that they finally released during the COVID lockdown: Les Sylphides, Don Q PdD, T&V, Firebird

Those mixed bills were not at all unusual in that era: one or two PdD, and a couple of excellent one-acts. 

[Helene]

I remember seeing photos of dancers in costumes for The Moor's Pavane and Pillar of Fire in one of the ABT program books from the early '70's.  ABT performed a number of the older Tudor ballets, like Dim Lustre and Dark Elegies, and he created The Leaves are Fading in the mid-'70's.  ABT performed over a dozen Tharp works, deMille's Rodeo, Three Virgins and a Devil, and Fall River Legend, works by Nijinska, and among those with legs outside of ABT, Fancy Free, Le Spectre de la Rose, Le Jeune Homme et La Mort,  Miss Julie, Les Rendezvous and Les Patineurs, Gaite Parisienne, Grand Pas Classique, Paquita, Birthday Offering, etc. etc.

If Baryshnikov's US debut in "Giselle" didn't replace an ABT triple bill, there was a triple bill earlier that day.  ABT used to be a rep company.

[nanushka]

I so wish it were a company with an identity like that now.

[miliosr]

20 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

I always assumed the attachment to the Met was the prestige factor. Does that really matter now that the company is no longer trying to attract jet-setting guest artists and is focused on dancers who came up through the ranks? Is there something contemptible about the House that Balanchine Built?

5 hours ago, Papagena said:

However, for better or worse, The Met is a pretty significant pillar of ABT’s brand. The other pillars being ‘war horse’ productions and superstar dancers that can carry these heavy ballets. The Met is, essentially, ‘theirs' as a ballet company. This isn’t all they are, of course (and does disservice to their history), but those brand pillars are the most known to casual ballet goers and new audience members.

I don't think it's possible to overstate the importance of the Met's prestige (as overrated as that prestige may be) to ABT's identity. For better or worse, the Met occupies an outsized place in ABT's self-image.

As for the Theater Formerly Known as State (TFKaS), ABT may be wary of being perceived as the "junior" resident company there - always living in the margins between New York City Ballet seasons. By that way of thinking, better #1 at the Met than #2 at the TFKaS.

Edited June 24, 2022 by miliosr

[nanushka]

1 hour ago, miliosr said:

As for the Theater Formerly Known as State (TFKaS), ABT be wary of being perceived as the "junior" resident company there - always living in the margins between New York City Ballet seasons. By that way of thinking, better #1 at the Met than #2 at the TFKaS.

Enh, I don't see that as a real concern. There's enough of a difference between a junior resident company and one that just uses the house at certain times of year, while also using other venues (in NYC and/or elsewhere, as they do).

They're "America's ballet company," after all. 😏

Edited June 24, 2022 by nanushka

[Helene]

I wouldn't underestimate the difference to big donors.  The Met is a much more snazzy venue.

[nanushka]

53 minutes ago, Helene said:

I wouldn't underestimate the difference to big donors.  The Met is a much more snazzy venue.

Oh yes, I agree about the Met part (for donors, but also for other reasons), just not that — considering potential venues other than the Met — the Koch would be particularly problematic.

I love seeing ABT at the Met (except when they misprogram for the space). I’m ok putting up with its imperfections as a venue for dance. I enjoy the overall experience.

Edited June 24, 2022 by nanushka

[volcanohunter]

1 hour ago, miliosr said:

As for the Theater Formerly Known as State (TFKaS), ABT be wary of being perceived as the "junior" resident company there - always living in the margins between New York City Ballet seasons. By that way of thinking, better #1 at the Met than #2 at the TFKaS.

ABT isn't really #1 at the Met. It's at the mercy of the Metropolitan Opera, and when the opera decides to shut down for most of February and extend its season into June, ABT has no choice but to change its schedule accordingly. 

[miliosr]

1 minute ago, volcanohunter said:

ABT isn't really #1 at the Met. It's at the mercy of the Metropolitan Opera, and when the opera decides to shut down for most of February and extend its season into June, ABT has no choice but to change its schedule accordingly. 

#1 ballet company at the Met - not #1 overall.