Promotions and Roster changes

[FauxPas]

Usually at this time of year we get an announcement of roster changes.

Don't the new contracts start in the Fall?  Wouldn't any new contracts include a change in company status?

We know that Gabe Stone-Shayer and Joseph Gorak aren't coming back.  Connor Holloway is leaving for destinations unknown to us.

I haven't seen any reports from dancers' social media announcing that they are moving on.

The loss of two soloists leaves room for at least two promotions if not more.

I think Jarod Curley, Jonathan Klein and Zimmi Coker are definitely ready.

Carlos Gonzalez, despite somewhat mixed responses, seems to be in the running.

Erica Lall has her admirers.  Jake Roxander is definitely soloist material already but only just started with the company.  

For others its more urgent.

Obviously, any announcements must be backed up by an official announcement by the company or announcements on artists' public-facing social media.

Edited August 6, 2023 by FauxPas

[ABT Fan]

5 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Usually at this time of year we get an announcement of roster changes.

Don't the new contracts start in the Fall?  Wouldn't any new contracts include a change in company status?

We know that Gabe Stone-Shayer and Joseph Gorak aren't coming back.  Connor Holloway is leaving for destinations unknown to us.

I haven't seen any reports from dancers' social media announcing that they are moving on.

The loss of two soloists leaves room for at least two promotions if not more.

I think Jarod Curley, Jonathan Klein and Zimmi Coker are definitely ready.

Carlos Gonzalez, despite somewhat mixed responses, seems to be in the running.

Erica Lall has her admirers.  Jake Roxander is definitely soloist material already but only just started with the company.  

For others its more urgent.

Obviously, any announcements must be backed up by an official announcement by the company or announcements on artists' public-facing social media.

Yes, new contracts begin in September. Perhaps Jaffe is waiting till the start of the season (or immediately before) to make any public announcements. 

I think many of us are waiting with bated breathe. Can't be long now,

[MoMo]

6 hours ago, FauxPas said:

Usually at this time of year we get an announcement of roster changes.

Don't the new contracts start in the Fall?  Wouldn't any new contracts include a change in company status?

We know that Gabe Stone-Shayer and Joseph Gorak aren't coming back.  Connor Holloway is leaving for destinations unknown to us.

I haven't seen any reports from dancers' social media announcing that they are moving on.

The loss of two soloists leaves room for at least two promotions if not more.

I think Jarod Curley, Jonathan Klein and Zimmi Coker are definitely ready.

Carlos Gonzalez, despite somewhat mixed responses, seems to be in the running.

Erica Lall has her admirers.  Jake Roxander is definitely soloist material already but only just started with the company.  

For others its more urgent.

Obviously, any announcements must be backed up by an official announcement by the company or announcements on artists' public-facing social media.

I would also include Patrick Frenette. Very deserving. 

[MoMo]

35 minutes ago, MoMo said:

I would also include Patrick Frenette. Very deserving. 

Additionally, he is tall. handsome and “princely”. He will be able to partner the taller ballerinas. And he has the skills to handle the upcoming repertoire, including Etudes. ( All those difficult double tours and entrechats sixes)! 

[FauxPas]

Regarding Patrick Frenette - I agree wholeheartedly on the deserving, handsome and princely.  Tall - I don't think so.  He is just about medium height and rather on the shorter side.

Jonathan Klein is also medium height.

Same issue with jake Roxander and Tyler Maloney, who both are on the shorter side.

Historically, Keven McKenzie had a preference for promoting tall male dancers (who resembled him in his dancing days).

Examples:  David Hallberg, Cory Stearns, Marcelo Gomes, Alexandre Hammoudi, Aran Bell.  Thomas Forster is also tall but took a long time to promote.

Herman Cornejo, the reigning senior short virtuoso, was held back too long due to his height and perceived inappropriate look for danseur noble roles.

[California]

46 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Herman Cornejo, the reigning senior short virtuoso, was held back too long due to his height and perceived inappropriate look for danseur noble roles.

I just have to note the irony here. Both Cornejo and Baryshnikov -- by far the most famous and accomplished dancer ever at ABT -- are 5'6".

[MoMo]

1 hour ago, FauxPas said:

Regarding Patrick Frenette - I agree wholeheartedly on the deserving, handsome and princely.  Tall - I don't think so.  He is just about medium height and rather on the shorter side.

Jonathan Klein is also medium height.

Same issue with jake Roxander and Tyler Maloney, who both are on the shorter side.

Historically, Keven McKenzie had a preference for promoting tall male dancers (who resembled him in his dancing days).

Examples:  David Hallberg, Cory Stearns, Marcelo Gomes, Alexandre Hammoudi, Aran Bell.  Thomas Forster is also tall but took a long time to promote.

Herman Cornejo, the reigning senior short virtuoso, was held back too long due to his height and perceived inappropriate look for danseur noble roles.

Thank you for this. As for “tall”, I am 5’2, so Patrick, Jonathan, Tyler, et. all seem tall to me ( Lol). So I guess it’s all relative. It depends on what Susan is looking for to fill in the ranks. 

[ABT Fan]

4 hours ago, MoMo said:

Thank you for this. As for “tall”, I am 5’2, so Patrick, Jonathan, Tyler, et. all seem tall to me ( Lol). So I guess it’s all relative. It depends on what Susan is looking for to fill in the ranks. 

It isn’t just what Jaffe wants. They need men tall and strong enough to partner the tall women who are already principals - Teuscher is probably the tallest. Murphy, Shevchenko, Hurlin and even Seo (to a lesser degree) all need tall or tallish men - so five women. Also Misseldine, a current soloist. Klein, Frenette, Roxander, Maloney, would all be too short to partner them. Those four would do well with Brandt, maybe Trenary, definitely Coker. 

[MoMo]

32 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

It isn’t just what Jaffe wants. They need men tall and strong enough to partner the tall women who are already principals - Teuscher is probably the tallest. Murphy, Shevchenko, Hurlin and even Seo (to a lesser degree) all need tall or tallish men - so five women. Also Misseldine, a current soloist. Klein, Frenette, Roxander, Maloney, would all be too short to partner them. Those four would do well with Brandt, maybe Trenary, definitely Coker. 

Ok. I know that tall men are needed. I thought Frenette was taller. So which tall men does ABT have that are ready for promotion? 

[volcanohunter]

6 hours ago, California said:

Both Cornejo and Baryshnikov -- by far the most famous and accomplished dancer ever at ABT -- are 5'6".

Baryshnikov was the exception rather than the rule. After his defection he was indisputably the biggest thing in dance. But the prototype of the male ballet dancer of the future turned out not to be Baryshnikov, but Adam Lüders.

[ABT Fan]

36 minutes ago, MoMo said:

Ok. I know that tall men are needed. I thought Frenette was taller. So which tall men does ABT have that are ready for promotion? 

Jarod Curley

[theo]

35 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Jarod Curley

Exactly

[TheAccidentalBalletomane]

Forster I believe is the tallest of the male principals and Bell is quite tall.  I think Ahn is on the taller side as is Stearns and Royal.  Bell, Ahn, Royal and Forster are relatively young.  They hopefully match well with Hurlin, Shev. Devon T. and C. Messeldine (who I predict will be principal in a year or so).  The biggest  need probably is in one or more medium height to shorter males especially one or more that match well with Brandt and Trenary.  Herman's wonderful career is winding down and he has occasional injuries.  Brandt and Trenary will continue to be a huge part of ABT for the next 10 years.  Perhaps Klein and Roxander should be promoted if they have the technique and Gonzales, possibly? Patrick F. perhaps?  -- he is medium height.

[nanushka]

16 minutes ago, TheAccidentalBalletomane said:

Bell, Ahn, Royal and Forster are relatively young.

It depends what you mean by "relatively." Forster is 36 or 37.

[ABT Fan]

1 hour ago, nanushka said:

It depends what you mean by "relatively." Forster is 36 or 37.

Agree, I wouldn’t say Forster is young at that age. Royal is about 35 so not “young” either. They will still need more tall men and Brandt will need someone soon as well.

[matilda]

Even more reason to break Mackenzie-era convention and promote more short guys like Klein and Roxander. Brandt and Trenary need partners but so do petite up and comers like Park, Granlund, and Coker. 

Lots of the principal men are tall but, in my opinion, out of those tall men only Bell and Camargo are 1) still in their youthful primes and 2) the full package of technical, artistic, and acting ability. Curley needs promoted ASAP. 

[abatt]

I don't know how old Stearns is, but he seems to be injury prone at this stage of his career.  

[ABT Fan]

40 minutes ago, matilda said:

Even more reason to break Mackenzie-era convention and promote more short guys like Klein and Roxander. Brandt and Trenary need partners but so do petite up and comers like Park, Granlund, and Coker. 

Lots of the principal men are tall but, in my opinion, out of those tall men only Bell and Camargo are 1) still in their youthful primes and 2) the full package of technical, artistic, and acting ability. Curley needs promoted ASAP. 

Agree. Stearns is 37. There’s also Whiteside who is 38 and maybe not 100% yet after a traumatic injury. He’s tall and a very good partner, but his age and possible injury issues are something to keep in mind.

[matilda]

One big issue at ABT right now is that the company's primary rep is too demanding for many of the male principals, who are either declining due to age and/or injury, or they never had amazing technique or performance ability to begin with. There are not enough Albrechts, Siegfrieds, and Basilios who are on the same level as the company's Giselles, O/Os, and Kitris. So then as an audience member you have the problem of struggling to pick a cast where you actually want to see both leads (of course, sometimes the ballerina is the mediocre one).  

At NYCB, at least there are more ballets where older male principals only have to partner. ABT depends much more on the virtuoso Petipa/classical ballets and unfortunately they barely have the roster right now to pull off those ballets for a week each. 

[MoMo]

On 8/7/2023 at 7:41 AM, FauxPas said:

Regarding Patrick Frenette - I agree wholeheartedly on the deserving, handsome and princely.  Tall - I don't think so.  He is just about medium height and rather on the shorter side.

Jonathan Klein is also medium height.

Same issue with jake Roxander and Tyler Maloney, who both are on the shorter side.

Historically, Keven McKenzie had a preference for promoting tall male dancers (who resembled him in his dancing days).

Examples:  David Hallberg, Cory Stearns, Marcelo Gomes, Alexandre Hammoudi, Aran Bell.  Thomas Forster is also tall but took a long time to promote.

Herman Cornejo, the reigning senior short virtuoso, was held back too long due to his height and perceived inappropriate look for danseur noble roles.

I have to disagree about Patrick’s height. I am 5’2” and have stood next to him at the Stage Door. He is at least 5’11 or 6’. My late husband was 5’10 and Patrick is taller than him. 

[Marta]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:19 PM, matilda said:

One big issue at ABT right now is that the company's primary rep is too demanding for many of the male principals, who are either declining due to age and/or injury, or they never had amazing technique or performance ability to begin with. There are not enough Albrechts, Siegfrieds, and Basilios who are on the same level as the company's Giselles, O/Os, and Kitris. So then as an audience member you have the problem of struggling to pick a cast where you actually want to see both leads (of course, sometimes the ballerina is the mediocre one).  

At NYCB, at least there are more ballets where older male principals only have to partner. ABT depends much more on the virtuoso Petipa/classical ballets and unfortunately they barely have the roster right now to pull off those ballets for a week each. 

One of the hallmarks of the McKenzie era was the casting of great ballerinas with mediocre partners, e.g.. Veronika Part and Cory Stearns. I hardly ever was happy with both leading dancers in a Petipa ballet.  Calvin Royal is 35 and Stearns is 37.  Stearns has frequent injuries and personally, I don't find Royal's technique what it should be.  New blood needed!

[angelica]

Jake Roxander!

[abatt]

On 8/11/2023 at 10:59 PM, Marta said:

One of the hallmarks of the McKenzie era was the casting of great ballerinas with mediocre partners, e.g.. Veronika Part and Cory Stearns. I hardly ever was happy with both leading dancers in a Petipa ballet.  Calvin Royal is 35 and Stearns is 37.  Stearns has frequent injuries and personally, I don't find Royal's technique what it should be.  New blood needed!

There were many great male dancers under McKenzie's tenure - Corella, Carreno, Gomes, Hallberg and Bolle just to name a few.  Many felt that Part was too big to partner and they didn't want to get injured.   That's how Stearns, who was young, strong and not necessarily in a position to dictate who his partner would be, often got paired up with Part.  Gomes was always partnered with Vishneva because she had the authority and power to impose her demands on McKenzie.  Part never had that kind of power over McKenzie.

[ba11et0mane]

how tall was part?

[ABT Fan]

25 minutes ago, ba11et0mane said:

how tall was part?

I believe 5’8 with a broader physique.