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ABT Fall 2023

California

By California
in American Ballet Theatre

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California

California

Posted
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Posted
12 hours ago, aurora said:

There are many favored brands. Freed is used by NYCB as their main shoe though--at least that used to be the case (and I think still is?)

"Nearly all NYCB dancers wear Freeds."  I don't remember the source, but Balanchine reportedly visited their workshop long ago and decided they were the best for his dancers.

https://dancespirit.com/the-secrets-of-new-york-city-ballets-pointe-shoe-room/

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California

California

Posted
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Posted

A few more thoughts on the Gala performances:

  • Sleeping Beauty (Teuscher-Forster): A reminder that they apparently haven't performed this in a long time, if ever. The three fish dives were painfully slow, two-handed, cautious. 
  • Romeo & Juliet (Trenary-Royal): It looked like he had serious trouble getting her into the lift where she's parallel to the floor behind his head and shoulders. 
  • Swan Lake (Shevchenko-Whiteside): They did White Swan PdD, flanked by corps members. A reminder that he is a very good partner. Good to see him back.
  • Leaves are Fading (Brandt-Ahn): I do wish they would revive this entire ballet. Memories of Gelsey, for whom it was made in 1977, especially with the slightly crooked arms at her side.
  • Danzon No. 2 (Boylston-Bell): He is a great partner for the flamboyant choreography and also did a few turns and jumps. Nothing too strenuous. Whitehead, the choreographer, took a bow and seemed quite happy about it.
  • Concerto (Seo and Stearns): Another great partner. She was lovely.
  • Don Quixote (Hurlin and Camargo): He threw in several revoltades 540. She knocked out the fouettes with ease.
  • Etudes (Murphy, Ahn, Cornejo): They did just the very end, so not much opportunity to show off. Too bad we didn't see Roxander at all this evening, but I suppose they needed something for two long-time stars to appear in.

On that medical emergency: I was surprised a theater of this size didn't have some sort of emergency procedure in place - wheelchair, stretcher, some way to get him to the lobby and get medical help. The man seemed to be lying on the floor for a very long time in the aisle in the orchestra, surrounded by friends/family. Then they helped him down the aisle and he collapsed again. I couldn't believe the announcer actually said "Is there a doctor in the house?" I assume it's expensive to keep medical staff on site, but with all the theaters at Lincoln Center, nothing?

 

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted (edited)

Only  a few words to add to what California posted above.  Completely agree that the SB excerpt was painfully slow, and the two handed cheat on the fish dives were disappointing.  Mr. Abatt and I were astonished at how much difficulty Royal had in lifting Trenary.  If you can't seamlessly lift teeny tiny Trenary, who can you lift?  In parts of the variation, Calvin's dancing was very slow and unimpressive.   While I love Leaves,  Ahn and Brandt had no chemistry.  He was also late in partnering her early in the excerpt, causing her to come down off pointe.  

Frankly, Concerto was such a bright spot because the performances were so strong, and the connection between Stearns and Seo was more genuine.  Most everything else at the gala came off as a bit stale. 

Nice to see Bell for the first and last time of the Fall season,  but Danzon is a very minor trifle. 

Hurlin is adding difficulty to her fouettes, by changing her arm position during every other fouette.  Carmago was impressive.  

Regarding the med emergency, I was shocked at how disorganized and long the response was.  A similar thing happened earlier this year at Carnegie Hall.  In the Carnegie incident, someone yelled for a doctor, the person received medical treatment within a very short time, and was removed by EMS within minutes.   Last night, precious time was lost needlessly. 

During the nearly half hour interruption of the performance from the med emergency, people obviously walked in and out of the theater to use the bathroom.  As a result, the overpowering smell of the dinner that was being prepared for the gala permeated the auditorium.  It smelled like onion for the entire show. 

 

Edited by abatt
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Rick

Rick

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, California said:

I couldn't believe the announcer actually said "Is there a doctor in the house?" I assume it's expensive to keep medical staff on site, but with all the theaters at Lincoln Center, nothing?

I think the Met Opera gives free tickets to certain doctors for this reason. I’m surprised that ABT doesn’t have a similar policy. 

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bingham

bingham

Posted
Posted

He’s one of the new apprentices and he is impressive. As for the “ medical emergency “, he was conscious and was seen talking to his family and was given bottled water. Just amazed they did not have a WC to take him out. It looked like they did not call EMS at all.

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ABT Fan

ABT Fan

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, bingham said:

He’s one of the new apprentices and he is impressive. As for the “ medical emergency “, he was conscious and was seen talking to his family and was given bottled water. Just amazed they did not have a WC to take him out. It looked like they did not call EMS at all.

Ah, thanks for the correction. Glad he’s an apprentice now. I’m sure we’ll see big things from him.

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Tapfan

Tapfan

Posted
Posted

Good to see that Takumi showed out last night. I find him to be every bit as talented as the much-discussed Jake. Truth be told, ALL the new ABT apprentices are super talented and look like future Principals. The Studio company is drowning in talent and is more fun to watch than the main company and has been for a few years. 

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bingham

bingham

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Tapfan said:

Good to see that Takumi showed out last night. I find him to be every bit as talented as the much-discussed Jake. Truth be told, ALL the new ABT apprentices are super talented and look like future Principals. The Studio company is drowning in talent and is more fun to watch than the main company and has been for a few years. 

It is and it looked like the SC members dance more in leading roles than members of the corps or even some soloists. There’s a clip in YT of Jake in Star and Stripes PDD. He’s amazing.

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FauxPas

FauxPas

Posted
Posted (edited)

Just a quick mention that the opening Lauren Lovette pièce d'occasion for the ABT school and studio company was charming and seemed to be modeled on "Etudes" showing the development of dancers from beginner child students learning the basics to more advanced levels as teenagers and young adults.  The music was excerpts from Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals".  Of course, "Etudes" finished the evening as the last piece, so it was a lovely bookend to the whole evening.

I must also mention that in the classical pas de deuxs from "Sleeping Beauty" and "Don Quixote" they only performed the opening entrée and pas de deux and then the coda, no solos.

Takumi Miyake was impressive.  Also Madison Brown, a young African-American ballerina, currently an apprentice, was prominently featured in both the Lovette piece and also was interviewed in a film that was shown before the gala.  Katie Kouric was honored at the gala for her support of the company as was Diana Phillips, president of the Schubert Foundation which has given unrestricted grants to the company since 1977.  Susan Jaffe is a good speaker and poised onstage and her introduction was just long enough.

Edited by FauxPas
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stuben

stuben

Posted
Posted
55 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Just a quick mention that the opening Lauren Lovette pièce d'occasion for the ABT school and studio company was charming and seemed to be modeled on "Etudes" showing the development of dancers from beginner child students learning the basics to more advanced levels as teenagers and young adults.  The music was the Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals" excerpts.  Of course, "Etudes" finished the evening as the last piece, so it was a lovely bookend to the whole evening.

I must also mention that in the classical pas de deuxs from "Sleeping Beauty" and "Don Quixote" they only performed the opening entrée and pas de deux and then the coda, no solos.

Takumi Miyake was impressive.  Also Madison Brown, a young African-American ballerina was prominently featured in both the Lovette piece and also was interviewed in a film that was shown before the gala.  Katie Kouric was honored at the gala for her support of the company as was Diana Phillips, president of the Schubert Foundation which has given unrestricted grants to the company since 1977.  Susan Jaffe is a good speaker and poised onstage and her introduction was just long enough.

My question about the grants - why are they not reflected towards the dancers’ benefits and income? With all this money flowing in with these celebs I would think they’re thinking of the dancers! IMHO, It’s unconscionable how this “National” company that’s supposed to represent this country act like this towards their dancers, as if they’re slaves to the very rich!

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MoMo

MoMo

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Rick said:

I think the Met Opera gives free tickets to certain doctors for this reason. I’m surprised that ABT doesn’t have a similar policy. 

I live in California and attend ABT performances at Segerstrom in Orange County. The theater has a medical room off the Orchestra section, which includes a wheelchair, resting table, medical supplies and a trained nurse on duty during performances. It is indeed disturbing that the Koch didn’t have that last night. 

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California

California

Posted
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Posted
2 hours ago, stuben said:

My question about the grants - why are they not reflected towards the dancers’ benefits and income? With all this money flowing in with these celebs I would think they’re thinking of the dancers! IMHO, It’s unconscionable how this “National” company that’s supposed to represent this country act like this towards their dancers, as if they’re slaves to the very rich!

We frequently see data that ticket sales only provide about 50% of a ballet company's revenue. The rest comes from donors, grants, etc. Those unrestricted grants are probably shoring up the operating budget.

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted (edited)

I never see Julia Koch at these events anymore.  I guess David Koch drove the donations to ABT, and she has ceased such donations after his death.

David Koch was a driving force behind Ratmansky's work with ABT, including the costly reconstructions that were presented during Ratmansky's tenure with ABT.  I have to wonder if the death of Koch, and the loss of funding from Koch, played a role in Ratmansky's decision to cross the plaza to NYCB.   As the saying goes, follow the money.

 

Edited by abatt
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Marta

Marta

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

I was just going to say the same. He’s in the studio company. There are lots of clips of him on his own IG plus on the Studio Company/ABT YouTube channel. Huge talent!

Takumi Miyake is impressive! Recently been watching him on YouTube and IG.

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted

Roxander  was once again incredible as Puck.

The person who did Bottom last night was very very good.  Don't have my program handy so I cannot identify him.  He had no trouble with the pointe work and was quite endearing.

Trenary was wonderful as Titania.

Boylston was improved over last week's debut, but I still  prefer NYCB in Ballet Imperial.  

 

 

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WLH

WLH

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, abatt said:

Roxander  was once again incredible as Puck.

The person who did Bottom last night was very very good.  Don't have my program handy so I cannot identify him.  He had no trouble with the pointe work and was quite endearing.

Trenary was wonderful as Titania.

Boylston was improved over last week's debut, but I still  prefer NYCB in Ballet Imperial.  

 

 

Was Bottom perhaps Melvin Lawovi? 

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Kathleen O'Connell

Kathleen O'Connell

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, California said:

Those unrestricted grants are probably shoring up the operating budget.

Yes. Unrestricted grants are extremely valuable precisely because the organization can use the funds to help cover the operating budget. It is not at all unusual for grantors and donors to place restrictions on what the funds they provide can be used for, which is fine so long as the organization in question actually needs or has the capacity to spend money on that particular thing. But if you've been given a grant to, say, commission a new work you can't use those funds to pay your stage hands for repertory performances even if that's a more pressing need than putting on a new ballet.

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