ABT Met Season 2023

[abatt]

I saw Bell & Teuscher last season in R&J.  I thought she was definitely miscast as Juliet. 

[matilda]

I'm confused about Shayer. Didn't he hint last year that he was leaving ABT? His Instagram said something like "guest artist" at one point. He was absent from the entire fall season after being originally cast in "Lifted." Anyway, he's clearly taking up different projects which is great, because I was not impressed by his dancing at all last spring. 

I liked Teuscher's Juliet last summer but I was admittedly more focused on her lovely dancing and romantic chemistry with Bell over her ability to convincingly portray a teen. 

Do we know if casting for this season (with the exception of Like Water for Chocolate) was decided by McKenzie or Jaffe? It certainly follows in the McKenzie pattern. 

[stuben]

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Zhong-Jing Fang:  We were all raving about Fang two decades ago.  She was given a shot in "Symphonic Variations" and was exquisite.  Then she was stalled in the corps going nowhere for over a decade.  Then time, injuries and promotions left open slots unfilled at the soloist level and Fang was one of the few with the goods to step in.  And she was as lovely as we all knew she would be who had been following her for years.  However, it was late.  She also took time off to have a baby.  As the Queen of the Dryads in "Don Quixote" she struggled with the Italian fouettés.  They waited too long - too busy keeping Stella Abrera back and pushing Hee Seo forward.  I wish Fang would get one Giselle before she is retired but that may be a ship that sailed as well.  Give her a year or two and then let her decide when to leave.

Betsy McBride:  Betsy was a principal dancer at Texas Ballet Theater until 2015, when she joined ABT in the corps.   She has a bright personality, some stage presence and solid technique.  Not sure if she is principal material but she is a very positive presence in the company.  Keep shining that light.

Katherine Williams:  A lovely dancer with not a lot of personality but a beautiful technique.  Rather reliable and capable.  Probably not principal material but I am always pleased to see her name in the program.

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Chloe Misseldine:  I see the star quality.  I am glad they moved FAST on her since, face it, new talent and blood is DESPERATELY needed.  I think Chloe came along at the right time.  She is the type and she has the support from ABT and her mother to make good on her promise quickly.

Once again, thank you for your time with such a detailed analysis 😊 It is indeed unfortunate with some of the career stalls some of the dancers dealt with, and agree about your thoughts on that. Misseldine has beautiful lines and technique, however, a friend of mine saw her in LWFC in CA and felt otherwise about her casting in the role of Rosaura, (based on her thoughts) she felt Misseldine was stiff in her acting and that she wasn't engaging with her fellow dancers, and instead kept smiling out at the audience!? - this is perhaps the competition world mindset at her young age coming out of the competition scene!? Again, this is all based on what I was told and not my own judgment, so I guess I will see when LWFC opens in NY.

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Blaine Hoven:  Blaine is 37 years-old now.  He joined the studio company in 2003 and then went into the corps in 2004.  He was promoted to soloist in 2016.  He has been really up and down the last several years.  He has had a few seasons (pre-pandemic) where he looked out of shape and uninterested.  He has also gotten back into shape and form in recent years.  Last season at the Met, he was a bit uneven with some sloppy landings but otherwise looked okay.  There is a shortage of experienced male soloist (and principal) dancers.  Blaine's experience and knowledge of the repertoire needs to count for something.  I would see how his body holds up for a season or two and then it will be time for retirement.

Gabe Stone-Shayer:  Gabe also has been up and down and last season looked down - uninterested, sloppy, weird dyed hair and just not all there.  He also seems to be exploring other avenues than classical ballet.  I suspect he feels/felt that he was stuck in a plateau by McKenzie who wasn't interested in developing or promoting him.  Took a long time to make it to soloist.  Of course that attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy:  they won't promote you or give you opportunities if you aren't delivering or seem like you are just doing the minimum to get by.  Gabe is at a crossroads and hopefully Susan Jaffe will find creative solutions and opportunities to get him more into the game and fully utilizing his great talent.

Joseph Gorak:  A sad case.  Joe, it breaks my heart but you may need to go.  You are a lovely solo dancer but you couldn't even lift the smallest ballerina in the company, Sarah Lane, in "Theme and Variations".  No upper body strength and your partnering has room for improvement.  He has been tried out in leads for years and just hasn't risen to the occasion - mainly due to partnering issues.  Gorak is 33 years-old and has been with the company since 2009, soloist since 2014.  If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now.  He was used much less than usual in the 2022 Met season.

Blaine is good but not a real favorite of mine, he has his good and bad days/shows. Sad about Gorak indeed, I loved his work from long ago and had high hopes once he got promoted but once again the lack the coaching left him hanging 😏 As for Gabe, I really thought he left the company! His social media seems to have him traveling and involved with his fashion etc. I don't recall seeing him last season much or at all in any significant role, he isn't cast in any of the Met Season so I wonder about his involvement still.

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Paulina Waski - seems to be shuttling between Boston Ballet and ABT.  She has been given solos.  Last season she seemed a bit tired and fragile.  Definitely a beauty ready to take flight.  Needs careful coaching and support.

Léa Fleytoux - another beauty I could see soaring in bigger roles.  She also sparkles onstage like Zimmi Coker.  More please.

Based on her bio on ABT's page, it looks like Waski is full-time and not shuttling between companies, and I assume the "tired and fragile" last season is due to what sounds like an insane schedule of her return to NY plus getting back right in the heart of Met season!? Based on this article it sounded quite grueling: https://pointemagazine.com/the-marathon-season-paulina-waski-on-completing-nearly-30-weeks-of-dancing-with-boston-ballet-and-abt/

Looking at her social media she is also training with Irina and Max like Skylar and a few others, here again, it is unfortunate that dancers have to find their own ways to get the proper coaching outside of the company to stay in the game!

Fleytoux and Coker both have promise and assume there is a need for smaller dancers to match the male partners.

Edited May 23, 2023 by stuben

[FauxPas]

I have said it before, but if I was looking to bring in coaches in to ABT - Max and Irina would be it.  Now Irina is busy with acting but Max certainly has the time to come in full time.

However, Max and Irina left ABT with a sour taste in their mouths about the company. 

I don't know what kind of relationship Max and Irina have with Susan Jaffe but their professional relationship with Kevin McKenzie was over.  I didn't get a sense Irina wanted to go back to work for him or ABT.

It would be wonderful for everyone if money could be found and the spirit of cooperation to bring Max and Irina in as official coaches with the company so no dancer had to pay to get the help and training they need.

Edited May 23, 2023 by FauxPas

[attitudebalance]

Many thanks FauxPas for such a well thought out state of the union!! If only ABT were reading here...

Yes it seems terrible that dancers have to pay out of their own pocket for coaching, especially when many ie. in the corps don't make much. It actually seems to create real inequality within ABT based on ability to pay - I can't help but think of Skylar Brandt's extensive coaching videos she posts on Instagram and how that sort of coaching would not be accessible for those with less means. It seems that coaching has a real impact on the dancer's performance and even career trajectory (stepping in for injured dancers already knowing the role, etc.) That reliance on outside coaching seems very unique to ABT and a real negative reflection of the company's resources

Also very curious as to why Bell and Hurlin aren't cast together more often - would be so easy to market as young, attractive, upcoming and a couple in real life!! They seem to share a lot of technical bravura too, would be a great fit for ballets like Swan Lake. Ratmansky seemed to like them together, casting for both Nutcracker and OLAR. Sometimes it seems Kevin made decisions on casting out of sheer stubbornness. Although Bell/Teuscher seem an established partnership and maybe she gets first pick as the more senior ballerina. Bell/Hurlin are my two favourite principals and the pairing I most want to see at ABT....

[volcanohunter]

7 minutes ago, attitudebalance said:

Also very curious as to why Bell and Hurlin aren't cast together more often - would be so easy to market as young, attractive, upcoming and a couple in real life!!

This sort of marketing seems to be a one-shot deal. I remember how after their promotion to principal, Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine and got a feature in People, but after that it ceased to be a marketing tool. In her reviews Anna Kisselgoff routinely mentioned that they were real-life spouses, but that was about it.

34 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

However, Max and Irina left ABT with a sour taste in their mouths about the company. 

I don't know what kind of relationship Max and Irina have with Susan Jaffe but their professional relationship with Kevin McKenzie was over.  I didn't get a sense Irina wanted to go back to work for him or ABT.

It would be wonderful for everyone if money could be found and the spirit of cooperation to bring Max and Irina in as official coaches with the company so no dancer had to pay to get the help and training they need.

Dvorovenko did attend the send-off for McKenzie.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1z23tLgrx/

Post-retirement they appeared in a few videos for ABT.

But yes, since so many ABT dancers are going to them for coaching on the side, it would only seem fair to hire them officially. Unless, of course, the extracurricular coaching is more lucrative than full-time positions at ABT would be.

[attitudebalance]

Yeah that's a good point...as freelancers they have control over who they work with and probably a much higher hourly rate than ABT could offer. Are there any other candidates fo coaching positions? I love the Royal Ballet's youtube which shows extensive coaching from retired dancers, many of whom worked personally with Ashton and Macmillan...

Also forgot to add - it seems inevitable (or at least extremely likely) at this point that Misseldine will be a principle and I could see Jarod Curley promoted as well to be her partner. They are both very very tall, Misseldine in particular and have been paired in the corps in Whipped Cream too. 

[Tapfan]

8 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

This sort of marketing seems to be a one-shot deal. I remember how after their promotion to principal, Dvorovenko and Beloserkovsky appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine and got a feature in People, but after that it ceased to be a marketing tool. In her reviews Anna Kisselgoff routinely mentioned that they were real-life spouses, but that was about it.

 

That can backfire if  you market the dancers as couples  then they break up. Look at all the couples at NYCB who were publicized by the company who are no longer together. 

[volcanohunter]

Yes, this video is awful to watch in retrospect. 

 

[MoMo]

7 hours ago, FauxPas said:

There is a lot of talent coming up in the ranks.  Soloist slots opened up because three or four years ago Kevin McKenzie promoted a bunch of long time soloists (few of them that young) to principal.  I think we can all agree that some of them should have remained soloists.  Then the pandemic hit and everyone's career was put on hold - for two years.  Not good if you are a new principal or soloist who waited over ten years and is now sitting on your tuchus watching the time go by and opportunities lost in what is a very short career.  Everyone has been negatively impacted by the sudden promotions out of nowhere with little experience or coaching behind them as well as the enforced hiatus.  Also the lack of decent coaching is a continuing, egregious problem at ABT and it impacts everyone at every level of the company.

Female Soloists:

Breanne Granlund:  Promoted last season.  What I saw of her I liked a lot.  She shows intelligence and sensitivity and could be another versatile all-rounder as competent in Petipa as Tharp, Tudor, et al.  Too soon to make any solid judgments but she got off to a good start, got herself noticed and I hope she keeps going in the same direction.

Chloe Misseldine:  I see the star quality.  I am glad they moved FAST on her since, face it, new talent and blood is DESPERATELY needed.  I think Chloe came along at the right time.  She is the type and she has the support from ABT and her mother to make good on her promise quickly.

SunMi Park:  She is definitely a bright light onstage and her technique is excellent.  Again she got promoted practically immediately after joining the corps.  I am glad to see some people move quickly up ranks rather than stall permanently in the corps - I think we can name many we wish had been promoted quicker and given opportunities who just faded away.  Or into other avenues like Gemma Bond.

Zhong-Jing Fang:  We were all raving about Fang two decades ago.  She was given a shot in "Symphonic Variations" and was exquisite.  Then she was stalled in the corps going nowhere for over a decade.  Then time, injuries and promotions left open slots unfilled at the soloist level and Fang was one of the few with the goods to step in.  And she was as lovely as we all knew she would be who had been following her for years.  However, it was late.  She also took time off to have a baby.  As the Queen of the Dryads in "Don Quixote" she struggled with the Italian fouettés.  They waited too long - too busy keeping Stella Abrera back and pushing Hee Seo forward.  I wish Fang would get one Giselle before she is retired but that may be a ship that sailed as well.  Give her a year or two and then let her decide when to leave.

Betsy McBride:  Betsy was a principal dancer at Texas Ballet Theater until 2015, when she joined ABT in the corps.   She has a bright personality, some stage presence and solid technique.  Not sure if she is principal material but she is a very positive presence in the company.  Keep shining that light.

Katherine Williams:  A lovely dancer with not a lot of personality but a beautiful technique.  Rather reliable and capable.  Probably not principal material but I am always pleased to see her name in the program.

Luciana Paris:  Over 40, also had a kid.  Hasn't been dancing on pointe much last few seasons.  Looked dreadful last season when she was put on in a classical ballerina role like like the Peasant PDD in "Giselle".  Promoted to soloist practically at the age most corps members retire.  Seems to be working at the JKO School according to other members of this board.  She does have a lot of temperament and personality onstage.  I think she is a tricky proposition right now as there may not be a lot of repertory for her.  Again I see retirement sooner than later.  Maybe she can segue into character roles like Berthe and just keep on that way in cameos.  Maybe this should be her last season and then go behind the scenes.

Male Soloists:

Blaine Hoven:  Blaine is 37 years-old now.  He joined the studio company in 2003 and then went into the corps in 2004.  He was promoted to soloist in 2016.  He has been really up and down the last several years.  He has had a few seasons (pre-pandemic) where he looked out of shape and uninterested.  He has also gotten back into shape and form in recent years.  Last season at the Met, he was a bit uneven with some sloppy landings but otherwise looked okay.  There is a shortage of experienced male soloist (and principal) dancers.  Blaine's experience and knowledge of the repertoire needs to count for something.  I would see how his body holds up for a season or two and then it will be time for retirement.

Gabe Stone-Shayer:  Gabe also has been up and down and last season looked down - uninterested, sloppy, weird dyed hair and just not all there.  He also seems to be exploring other avenues than classical ballet.  I suspect he feels/felt that he was stuck in a plateau by McKenzie who wasn't interested in developing or promoting him.  Took a long time to make it to soloist.  Of course that attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy:  they won't promote you or give you opportunities if you aren't delivering or seem like you are just doing the minimum to get by.  Gabe is at a crossroads and hopefully Susan Jaffe will find creative solutions and opportunities to get him more into the game and fully utilizing his great talent.

Joseph Gorak:  A sad case.  Joe, it breaks my heart but you may need to go.  You are a lovely solo dancer but you couldn't even lift the smallest ballerina in the company, Sarah Lane, in "Theme and Variations".  No upper body strength and your partnering has room for improvement.  He has been tried out in leads for years and just hasn't risen to the occasion - mainly due to partnering issues.  Gorak is 33 years-old and has been with the company since 2009, soloist since 2014.  If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now.  He was used much less than usual in the 2022 Met season.

Sung Woo Han:  What little I saw of him in Spring/Summer 2022, I was very impressed with.  I know nothing about him but I want to see more - which I cannot say about many other dancers at ABT.  Someone to watch and I am glad his promotion will create opportunities to see more of him.

Not a very strong group, several near retirement age or past it.  Then freshly promoted kids just out of the corps.  Of the females, only Chloe Misseldine shows star quality.

Corps Dancers:

We have been talking about a bunch of them.  We have our favorites.

Of the Men:  

Jarod Curley - versatile, dances big and strong, can do character roles and classical dancing in various styles.  Very much an MVP last season.  I think he is next in line to make soloist.

Luigi Crispino - beautiful line and physical grace.  A little androgynous in manner but beautiful to look at.  Gorgeous training.  Give him more.

Jonathan Klein - totally looked like a soloist on the rise as Mercutio last season at the Met.  Physically beautiful.  Definitely should be promoted almost immediately.  More please - much, much more.

Carlos Gonzalez and Tyler Maloney were already being given leads and major opportunities by Alexei Ratmansky.  Then both got severe injuries and have been out a long time.  Both seem to be recovered.  Both are also prime candidates for promotion, especially Gonzalez who is more of the premier danseur type physically.  Maloney is more demi-caractere.

Two dancers who had a shot a decade or more ago, left to go into real estate and came back in the corps:  Eric Tamm was being marked for bigger things at ABT.  He was dancing leads in Balanchine ballets.  Then started the real estate business with Ribagorda and left the business.  Recently came back.  Ribagorda came back earlier to stay close to his wife, Sarah Lane.  Both Ribagorda and Tamm had lots of stage charisma, good looks and classical dancing ability.  I think it is too late for both of them and it would have been better if they stayed in the company.  Tamm in particular was going places when he left.

Patrick Frenette - finally getting some soloist roles and looking wonderful in them.  Again - more please.  He is totally the danseur noble type and would be (has been?) adorable as Benvolio and eventually could be Romeo.  Keep the soloist parts coming ABT.

Jake Roxander and Cameron McCune both danced Neapolitan in the "Swan Lake" Act III divertissements last season.  Both looked great and very much potential soloists.  Roxander is very new, McCune more experienced and older.  Both very handsome and well-built.  McCune is heavily into fitness.  I think both have great potential.

Jose Sebastian is now veteran corps and has been given lots of solo parts including Purple Pimp Rothbart in SL.  He seems capable and ready for more.

Cy Doherty is very new, just out of the Studio Company.  Very tall and expressive onstage, he really impressed me in the mime role of Don Quixote in the full Don Q last season.  I honestly thought he was an old retired dancer or actor hired for the role - one of the best I've seen.  He looks very promising and should be given both soloist and mime roles like Prince Gremin in "Onegin" if that ever comes back.  Tybalt in R&J.  And I want to see more of his classical dancing.

Melvin Lawovi was striking in some contemporary works last season and then was just thrown away.  Wasn't given enough to do.  He should not be cast aside because he isn't conventional looking.  He has an interesting way of moving and great individuality but may be a tricky fit in a mainly classical ballet company.  We need to see more of him.  Use your minds and find stuff for him, ABT.

Elwince Magbitang is clearly being groomed to take over the demi-caractere bravura solos like the Bronze Idol in Bayadere (not like the complete ballet will show up any time soon).

Kento Sumitani also caught my eye with his strong technique.

The Women:

Zimmi Coker - we all love her and she is a bright light.  Let's hope she gets many more roles and a promotion.

Erica Lall - a real joy of dance comes through with her.

Paulina Waski - seems to be shuttling between Boston Ballet and ABT.  She has been given solos.  Last season she seemed a bit tired and fragile.  Definitely a beauty ready to take flight.  Needs careful coaching and support.

Léa Fleytoux - another beauty I could see soaring in bigger roles.  She also sparkles onstage like Zimmi Coker.  More please.

Fangqi Li caught my eye often last Spring.  She needs more stage time.  Let's see her develop.

Scout Forsythe - she seems to be doing great stuff as a freelancer outside of the company.  I have seen her in just a few bit parts.  There is more stuff on the internet on her YouTube and Instagram that suggest she has a lot of potential as a classical ballerina.  They need a tall ballerina with authority.  I say start grooming her for bigger things.  She has been mostly in the ensemble corps.

In the studio company new apprentice Elisabeth Beyer seems a very, very accomplished ballerina already but that is from seeing YouTube and Instagram clips online.  A candidate for a Chloe Misseldine overnight rise to stardom.  

Thank you for the time you took to write what are essentially “performance evaluations “, as they were called with my employer, before I retired. ( Not in the entertainment industry). I agree about Jarod Curley, Carlos González and Patrick Frenette. They performed well last season and I was disappointed they weren’t promoted. Patrick Frenette was wonderful as Hilarion, Benvolio and Pas de Trois in SL. He also received great notices in OLAR. He definitely has “princely” demeanor. I believe Zimmi is due for promotion as well. She has been cast as Gertrudis  in LWFC, which will be perfect for her. And Erica Lall, is a shining light in everything she does. You can’t take your eyes off her when she is onstage. I also agree about Joey Gorak and Gabe Stone Shayer. Time to move on. Thank you. 

[AB'sMom]

Is it always necessary for Juliet to be a shorter dancer? I find it interesting that taller dancers are often stuck in mom roles and shorter dancers are usually cast as younger people. I know plenty of short parents with tall teenagers. Why can’t the acting and dancing portray the characters without height coming into play? We have people playing Juliet who are clearly advanced in age, even from a distance, but a youthful-looking tall dancer isn’t cast nearly as often. Will Chloe Misseldine never get a Juliet because of her height?

[volcanohunter]

It's usually a question of partnering. MacMillan's choreography is highly acrobatic, and it's simply easier to execute when Juliet is smaller. Though Darcey Bussell, who is about 5'7", danced the role in her day.

An interesting case is Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream, because in the play Helena is explicitly tall, and Hermia is explicitly short. But because the choreography involves Demetrius and Lysander fighting over Helena and literally tossing her back and forth between them, Helena is always played by a short dancer, and Hermia, whose duets with Lysander are kind of gooey and lyrical, is usually the tall one.

[cobweb]

Thank you for these detailed critiques, @FauxPas! As someone who only attends ABT approx 5x/yr now (like so many others, that's down from close to 5x/WK back in the day), I agree with much of what you say. In the corps, Zimmi Coker, and to a lesser extent (that is, I've seen them on fewer occasions), Lea Fleytoux and Fangqi Li have caught my eye as having special qualities and potential. I have really loved Patrick Frenette in a few things, except for his exaggerated, tense facial expressions. And agree that it is sadly time for Gorak, Shayer, and Hoven to move towards retirement. That should open up a lot of spaces to move up some of the men. I saw Elwince Magbitang as Puck and was impressed with his technical facility but not much else, ie, little presence or artistry... but he has time for that. Anyway, I probably won't be around to see the summer season (again, back in the day I NEVER would have made travel plans to be away so long during the season) but I look forward to reports on here and seeing how things develop. Hoping for a real turnaround, it seems like there is talent there. Oh, and a big thumbs' up to bringing back Daniil Simkin!!! 

[cargill]

Faux Pas, thanks so much for the detailed write up.  I am so glad you mentioned Cy Doherty's Don Quixote.  I was simply amazed by it, and absolutely stunned to see that he was so young.  Here is what I wrote about him, and I'm happy that I wasn't the only one who noticed him!

it was surprising to see how the tall, lean Cy Doherty commanded attention in the opening scene, staring at the vision of Dulcinea with a befuddled but awestruck sincerity as his creaking, aged body reached for her in vain.  His Don never faded completely into the background once the dancing started; there was a hint of anger as he used his lance to protect himself and to attack that windmill and a stubborn determination to reach the dream Dulcinea, no matter what the Dryad Queen said.  His final exit, trembling with determination to keep seeking for the ideal the audience knows he will never find, had a hint of both comedy and tragedy.  It was even more surprising to discover that Doherty is an apprentice; the vivid character he created with so much sympathy and understanding seemed to come from a much older man.

[cobweb]

24 minutes ago, cargill said:

 I am so glad you mentioned Cy Doherty's Don Quixote.  I was simply amazed by it, and absolutely stunned to see that he was so young.  Here is what I wrote about him, and I'm happy that I wasn't the only one who noticed him!

Thanks too, cargill! I had no idea who this young man was, and now I look forward to seeing him!

[bingham]

7 hours ago, attitudebalance said:

Yeah that's a good point...as freelancers they have control over who they work with and probably a much higher hourly rate than ABT could offer. Are there any other candidates fo coaching positions? I love the Royal Ballet's youtube which shows extensive coaching from retired dancers, many of whom worked personally with Ashton and Macmillan...

Also forgot to add - it seems inevitable (or at least extremely likely) at this point that Misseldine will be a principle and I could see Jarod Curley promoted as well to be her partner. They are both very very tall, Misseldine in particular and have been paired in the corps in Whipped Cream too. 

Isabelle Guerin ,one of the great Etoiles of the Paris Opera Ballet during the Nureyev period lives in. NYC . She had given classes at ABT( according to Her and some ABT dancer’s Instagram account. If interested, she would be a marvelous coach in addition to Irina K.

[Josette]

Guerin, an absolutely gorgeous etoile, coached Teuscher for Giselle. 

[MarzipanShepherdess]

I could really see Isabella Boylston following a similar trajectory to Megan Fairchild at City Ballet. Both were promoted on the basis of sterling technique and work ethic but were often considered to be artistically limited. Then, Megan experienced a late-career artistic breakthrough. I used to avoid her performances and now I seek them out! It's been a real joy of the last few years of City Ballet-going for me to watch her evolution. Isabella seems deeply committed to ballet and to growing as an artist, I could see that happening for her too.

Echo everyone highlighting Fleytoux, Coker, Curley, and Klein as ones to watch in the corps. On the principal front, I really like Calvin. Does he have the most gorgeous classical technique? No. Is he a compelling presence on stage who really shines as an artist? In my eyes, yes. I would rather watch him than most of the current roster.

The problem for me at ABT today is that there aren't enough dancers in the company who can act, emote, and make interesting artistic choices in how they interpret their roles. When I watch them, I feel like I'm seeing someone execute the steps that, say, Giselle does. But I don't feel like I'm seeing Giselle. And I certainly don't have the thrill I used to have with Vishneva, of knowing that her interpretation of Giselle with ABT one season might shift into a different, equally glorious one the next. Given the core of ABT's rep, that's obviously a huge problem. 

I worry that ABT has entered a kind of death spiral, where lower ticket sales mean even more limited budgets for coaching, hiring inspiring/exciting guest artists, and less general investment in the artists' development, and then it becomes harder to attract top-tier talent to the company, and then ticket sales go down further, and so on. But as someone pointed out upthread, ABT has been in tough spots before where it looked like the company was fading, and then they came roaring back. Hopefully that happens again.

[Tapfan]

Has no one taken a look at the present  Studio Company?  They are drowning in talent. It's possibly the strongest group since Sasha took the reins. They all look to have principal potential. 

[Papagena]

3 hours ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:

Echo everyone highlighting Fleytoux, Coker, Curley, and Klein as ones to watch in the corps. On the principal front, I really like Calvin. Does he have the most gorgeous classical technique? No. Is he a compelling presence on stage who really shines as an artist? In my eyes, yes. I would rather watch him than most of the current roster.

 

I adore his work as well. The only role that hasn't suited him imo was Harlequin in Harlequinade (which I didn't like Hallberg in either). He has such a youthfulness and fresh presence on the stage that even in moments of wobblier technique, it's not a problem for me.  

What the company is also missing right now are more pairings with strong chemistry. Most of the lead duos seem kind of haphazard and if there is one thing that can lift a dusty old war horse ballet, it's chemistry between the two leads. Hearing great things about Park / Carmago and Bell / Hurlin (although management seems intent on pairing Bell with Teuscher all the time which never quite works for me). Any others I should be looking out for? I tend to purchase full-length ballet tickets based on either interesting debuts or well-paired leads. 

[MRR]

I agree that Misseldine is in the right place at the right time and it's good not to see her languish in the corps, but I can't help but think how much she would have benefitted in a 8-week MET season.  She'll be featured this summer in Like Water for Chocolate and presumably will dance Myrtha, but R&J and Swan Lake she'll be doing the same rep as last year and that alone is half the season.  

There's a host of supporting roles she could dance:  Lilac, Gamzatti, Season or Godmother Fairy (Cinderella), Olga (Onegin), Gulnare, Queen of the Dryads, on and on.  Le Corsaire is probably never going to come back but Jaffe mentioned wanting to "save" Bayadere. 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by MRR

[Becki Lee]

Maybe time to start a fall thread, but Skylar’s Instagram story has: 

 

“Already getting ready for Fall Season rep

Returning to my first Principal role l ever performed. Piano Concerto #1”

Edited June 1, 2023 by Becki Lee

[nanushka]

Probably too much to hope that they're doing the full trilogy (though that'd be great), but glad to hear they're doing at least that part of it again. I'd like to see Symphony #9 again sometime, too.

[nysusan]

So from prior postings in this thread it looks like Etudes, The Dream, Petit Morte and now Symphony #9 are likely for the fall season. That would be the core of a better fall season than we have seen in a long time. Kyle Abraham and Gemma Bond are doing new works for them for their Segerstrom performances 4//24, and they will have a new production of Ballet Imperial. Would be ice if that made it into their fall season too!.

[California]

2 hours ago, nysusan said:

So from prior postings in this thread it looks like Etudes, The Dream, Petit Morte and now Symphony #9 are likely for the fall season. 

At least on Skylar Brandt's Instagram story, she's rehearsing Piano Concerto #1, not Symphony #9, although I would much prefer the Symphony. Still, good to see Ratmansky on the program.