ABT Met Season 2024

[abatt]

Agree completely with the above post about Trenary.  She showed promise as a soloist but has not improved.   In fact, she has declined in technique.  Sadly, many of ABT's principals are not up to the task of being great in classical ballets due to spotty technique.  This is part of the reason for the downward spiral of the company.  McKenzie promoted lots of people in his final years to principal.  His stated reason in the NY Times was that he wanted to give them hope (during the pandemic).  But now it's post pandemic and we are seeing that many don't have the skills technically to carry the classics on their shoulders.  The audience sees this and knows this.  Maybe by stuffing the rep with less demanding works like the Wheeldon LWFC the deficiencies are less obvious. 

 

 

[California]

2 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

 

Thank you so much California and cobweb. I'd prefer to do a cab each way. I assume it's easy enough to find a cab at the train station, but my biggest concern is getting a cab back to the station. Do they have a organized queue at the theater at the end of the performance? 

Last time we went to KC we stayed overnight (to maximize performances of course) and left for home directly from the matinee and there was a problem with little to no cabs showing up in the KC queue. There might have been something going on in DC that day as there weren't even any cabs by the Watergate where we've found them before.  Anyway, we took the metro which requires one change and just made our train.  I'm hoping it's easier in Philly.

 

I've been to Philadelphia and the Academy/Doubletree many times in recent years (conferences and ballets). To your questions:

(1)  30th street station: always a long line of taxis waiting. No problem getting one. They all take credit cards. 

(2) Academy of Music/Doubletree: I don't actually remember seeing taxis after a performance and there's no official queue. But Uber drivers hover all around Center City as there are so many hotels. I'd suggest calling one from inside the Academy/Doubletree after the performance. On a recent trip, I got one at 6 am at the Doubletree for the trip back to the airport and many were in the neighborhood. 

(3) Suburban station: don't be tempted to continue over to Suburban Station by City Hall if you're coming in by train or plane. I made that mistake once - no cabs stop during the day. I ended up wheeling a suitcase over to Broad Street. Ugh!

(4) Ground from the airport: I didn't mention this before, but the city has a great Regional Rail Service from the airport to 30th Street Station. Buy the ticket with a credit card ($6.75) before you board. Clearly marked outside the baggage claim area.

[NinaFan]

14 minutes ago, California said:

I've been to Philadelphia and the Academy/Doubletree many times in recent years (conferences and ballets). To your questions:

(1)  30th street station: always a long line of taxis waiting. No problem getting one. They all take credit cards. 

(2) Academy of Music/Doubletree: I don't actually remember seeing taxis after a performance and there's no official queue. But Uber drivers hover all around Center City as there are so many hotels. I'd suggest calling one from inside the Academy/Doubletree after the performance. On a recent trip, I got one at 6 am at the Doubletree for the trip back to the airport and many were in the neighborhood. 

(3) Suburban station: don't be tempted to continue over to Suburban Station by City Hall if you're coming in by train or plane. I made that mistake once - no cabs stop during the day. I ended up wheeling a suitcase over to Broad Street. Ugh!

(4) Ground from the airport: I didn't mention this before, but the city has a great Regional Rail Service from the airport to 30th Street Station. Buy the ticket with a credit card ($6.75) before you board. Clearly marked outside the baggage claim area.

That's great information and I thank you so much for taking the time to provide it. I really appreciate it. Can't wait to see the Philadelphia Ballet!

[matilda]

43 minutes ago, abatt said:

Agree completely with the above post about Trenary.  She showed promise as a soloist but has not improved.   In fact, she has declined in technique.  Sadly, many of ABT's principals are not up to the task of being great in classical ballets due to spotty technique.  This is part of the reason for the downward spiral of the company.  McKenzie promoted lots of people in his final years to principal.  His stated reason in the NY Times was that he wanted to give them hope (during the pandemic).  But now it's post pandemic and we are seeing that many don't have the skills technically to carry the classics on their shoulders.  The audience sees this and knows this.  Maybe by stuffing the rep with less demanding works like the Wheeldon LWFC the deficiencies are less obvious. 

Agree, although that's much more the case among the men. Subpar technique/artistry plus age-related decline are glaring problems among the principal guys at the moment. Bell and Camargo being notable exceptions. 

Other than Trenary, who has other strengths, and Copeland, who is essentially retired, the female principals are technically strong and have no problem with classical choreography. (Murphy is at the end of her career but used to be a powerhouse, so I don't really count her.) Brandt, Hurlin, and Teuscher are the only female principals I currently consider all-around great and exciting artists though. 

Thankfully there are some promising soloists in Curley, Roxander, Misseldine, and Park. Looking across the plaza at NYCB, there really is no comparison when it comes to talent at all ranks and quantity/quality of repertory though.

Edited April 25 by matilda

[abatt]

28 minutes ago, matilda said:

 Looking across the plaza at NYCB, there really is no comparison when it comes to talent at all ranks and quantity/quality of repertory though.

This - exactly.  

I don't want to see any additional weeks added to ABT given the works they are presenting and the people they have on the roster. 

 

I would love to see some added weeks at NYCB., but that's not likely. 

Edited April 25 by abatt

[FauxPas]

Tamara Rojo made a trenchant comment about how there will always be people who are offended by this or by that, and if we limit art to what doesn't offend anyone we'll have bad art and lose a lot of great art.

The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère is a central, historic part of ABT's repertoire.  I shudder at the thought of it being banned from our stages especially since the Russian companies can no longer tour here.

That means there will be generations of audiences who will be denied the opportunity to see it live in New York City.

I previously made a suggestion that ABT put together a Petipa evening.  They could do the Kingdom of the Shades, the Hunting of the Larks from "Harlequinade" and then pas de deux and solos from "Sleeping Beauty" (the Ratmansky production was to be revived with many role debuts in 2020 but was canceled with the rest of that season).  Maybe parts of "Paquita" or the whole "Paquita Grand Pas".  That would be a great evening.   Petipa's "The Cavalry Halt" still exists and can be staged for ABT- I think Gelsey Kirkland's company did it.

[California]

1 hour ago, FauxPas said:

The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère is a central, historic part of ABT's repertoire.  I shudder at the thought of it being banned from our stages especially since the Russian companies can no longer tour here.

That means there will be generations of audiences who will be denied the opportunity to see it live in New York City.

People might remember that La  Bayadere was scheduled for 2020 by ABT, but was a victim of COVID cancellations. So much has changed since then. Olga Smirnova and Kimmin Kim were going to be brought in as guests. I think the cultural objections to the ballet hadn't yet surfaced.  I'd be happy to see Kingdom of the Shades as a stand-alone now.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/how-natalia-makarova-changed-the-ballet-world-with-this-landmark-production/2020/05/26/f708f3ba-9a07-11ea-89fd-28fb313d1886_story.html

Hurlin and Bell were going to debut in Bayadere. Brief rehearsal clips in "Debut Deferred" on the ABT site:

https://www.abt.org/event_dates/debut-deferred-5-20-20/

Edited April 25 by California

[volcanohunter]

There were objections to La Bayadère by 2020, though perhaps they were not felt as strongly in the United States as in the UK, where the Hindu population is proportionally larger. The main difference seems to be that McKenzie did not recognize a problem, but Jaffe does.

https://inews.co.uk/culture/arts/hindus-apology-royal-opera-house-la-bayadere-racism-cultural-appropriation-223861 

[volcanohunter]

Pointe magazine published an article on the problems with La Bayadère in 2020.

https://pointemagazine.com/la-bayadere-orientalist-stereotypes/

[Papagena]

5 hours ago, FauxPas said:

The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère is a central, historic part of ABT's repertoire.  I shudder at the thought of it being banned from our stages especially since the Russian companies can no longer tour here.

 

So just do the Kingdom of the Shades section. I don't think that's completely off the table as an isolated 1-act. Jaffe may have been talking about the entire ballet - the offensive acts are 1 and 3. Most of us go to LB to see this at primarily anyway. 

Edited April 26 by Papagena

[California]

20 minutes ago, Papagena said:

So just do the Kingdom of the Shades section. I don't think that's completely off the table as an isolated 1-act. Jaffe may have been talking about the entire ballet - the offensive acts are 1 and 3. I personally don't mourn the death of those other 2 acts on the nyc stage. 

I'd be happy with Kingdom of the Shades. Interestingly, on the ABT site, they list Makarova's full-length Bayadere, which premiered in 1980. No mention of Act II alone. I'm sure I saw that at ABT in the 70s. And note that the opening scene of Turning Point (filmed in fall 1976) is the Shades entrance. 

https://www.abt.org/ballet/la-bayadere/

According to this Post review, Makarova staged Kingdom of the Shades for ABT  in 1974. That explains why they could include it in Turning Point. But I wonder if Makarova would agree to that. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/12/20/spectacular-skimpy-la-bayadere/40f0ca8e-638e-49fa-9854-35645ad963cb/

[stuben]

22 hours ago, abatt said:

Agree completely with the above post about Trenary.  She showed promise as a soloist but has not improved.   In fact, she has declined in technique.  Sadly, many of ABT's principals are not up to the task of being great in classical ballets due to spotty technique.  This is part of the reason for the downward spiral of the company.  McKenzie promoted lots of people in his final years to principal.  His stated reason in the NY Times was that he wanted to give them hope (during the pandemic).  But now it's post pandemic and we are seeing that many don't have the skills technically to carry the classics on their shoulders.  The audience sees this and knows this.  Maybe by stuffing the rep with less demanding works like the Wheeldon LWFC the deficiencies are less obvious. 

 

 

Completely agree, adding IMHO many have been promoted based on their excellence in technique, and some are indeed very good turners or jumpers,  yet I feel perhaps they need more experience in the roles within the ABT rep. or just the classics overall! I recall a ballet master once told my niece who was at the summer intensive there that technique can be taught but mime and what is within can't.

In addition, this season feels more like an American Ballet "Tragedy" and selfishly I wish there was a Rodeo or something fun for the entire family to enjoy! There are enough tragedies outside and would love to go into the theatre to see something without someone dying: LWFC, Swan Lake, R&J, WW I know most classics have this ending and I am guessing many won't agree with what I am saying here but one can dream of happiness vs sadness can't one?

[Papagena]

2 hours ago, stuben said:

In addition, this season feels more like an American Ballet "Tragedy" and selfishly I wish there was a Rodeo or something fun for the entire family to enjoy! There are enough tragedies outside and would love to go into the theatre to see something without someone dying: LWFC, Swan Lake, R&J, WW I know most classics have this ending and I am guessing many won't agree with what I am saying here but one can dream of happiness vs sadness can't one?

Agreed. Even though full length ABT comedy ballets sell abysmally, one acts like Rodeo paired with some other ABT midcentury classics would get an immediate purchase from me. Or another women choreographers program - Helen Pickett did a one-act version of The Crucible, another American-themed piece choreographed by a women for example. 

idk it's easy for me or us to put together spec programs but I'm sure there is some weird blockage in terms of budget / rights / the board. 

But bottom line is yes, a sense of excitement or delight is really missing here. I realllllly really wish they dipped into their wonderful heritage pieces more and mixed them with modern choreographers so that in one night, you get more range.  



 

Edited April 26 by Papagena

[its the mom]

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

[bingham]

13 minutes ago, its the mom said:

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

Yes! The Shades scene can be done at the Koch with minimal scenery for the Fall season.

[California]

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

It appears there is inconsistent Act numbering for Bayadere. Boston is calling Kingdom of the Shades Act 3.

Makarova calls it Act 2. https://www.abt.org/ballet/la-bayadere/ Makarova's Act III at the Temple is omitted from some versions at other companies. 

Boston does have some explanation on their web site for why they are only doing that one act: https://www.bostonballet.org/performances/carmen/

I could watch it all day. Some might remember David Gordon's take on Act II. He loved the repetition. He found it fascinating that he loved it and so did classical dance lovers. There was a PBS show about 1980 on Postmoderns that included some of this. 

[Papagena]

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

What a great pairing! This is exactly what ABT needs to get better at - shot program curation. This isn't a Jaffe problem as much as it's just been an ABT problem for a long time. 

SFB just did a Carmen pairing too with the new Frida Kahlo Dos Mujeres ballet. Received very good reviews and is something I'd absolutely buy tickets for. I wasn't able to see it but most reports mention how it feels fresh, relevant, and layered while still using traditionally-inspired ballet choreography. LWFC looks a bit old fashioned by comparison. 

Totally agree about the YAGP effect. A young dancer filming themselves doing 32 spectacular fouttees with extra flair or octuple pirouettes doesn't get me excited at all, because it doesn't necessarily translate to a magnetic dancer who can carry a ballet on her shoulders. 

Edited April 26 by Papagena

[volcanohunter]

8 minutes ago, California said:

It appears there is inconsistent Act numbering for Bayadere. Boston is calling Kingdom of the Shades Act 3.

Makarova compressed the first two acts into one. She also eliminated a number of dances. Years ago I watched a television interview with Nina Ananiashvili and remember her describing Makarova's production as "compact."

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

Yes. 

[jackie987]

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Quick comment - Boston opened last night with Act 3 of La Bayadere and then a one-act Carmen. It was a sold out crowd and people responded well.  While I miss the whole story leading up to the third act, it was gorgeous. The program did not give any story details and I wondered about those in the audience not familiar with the ballet. But the did not seem to mind. There is no reason this could not be performed at ABT. The only major difference was that Solor (Cirio) did not wear a turban. 
 

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

I agree with the point re artistry and the YAGP effect. However, while many are complaining about Trenary's lack of classical technique, I would argue that she has the best artistry and port de bras in the company. The issue more so seems that it's harder to find a dancer with the complete package. 

[its the mom]

12 minutes ago, jackie987 said:

I agree with the point re artistry and the YAGP effect. However, while many are complaining about Trenary's lack of classical technique, I would argue that she has the best artistry and port de bras in the company. The issue more so seems that it's harder to find a dancer with the complete package. 

I agree - perhaps she just hasn’t had enough coaching, but she can certainly tell a story, unlike some of the others. 

[stuben]

1 hour ago, its the mom said:

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

 

16 minutes ago, Papagena said:

Totally agree about the YAGP effect. A young dancer filming themselves doing 32 spectacular fouttees with extra flair or octuple pirouettes doesn't get me excited at all, because it doesn't necessarily translate to a magnetic dancer who can carry a ballet on her shoulders. 

Artistry! Exactly what I was thinking! YAGP is looking more like America's Got Talent these days, I am sorry if this offends anyone but this competition circuit has become such a money-maker that I can't help but feel it is a bit of exploitation for young dancers. IMHO if someone loves to dance and wants to dance, perhaps they should be allowed to enjoy dancing vs the pressure of being a better turner or jumper than the next person, just to prove they love this art form. The problem too is that the audience, as I can see from the YAGP gala goes wild over a dancer who can do 62 fouettés vs a dancer who shows artistry over technique.

[volcanohunter]

To a large extent this has been the case for a long time. One of my earliest frustrations as a ballet-goer was the "wrong" (i.e., showy) variations being interrupted with applause. But YAGP exaggerated the tendency and normalized whooping and hollering at the ballet, giving it the tenor of a sporting event.

[vipa]

2 hours ago, its the mom said:

Re: artistry - this is a problem in the ballet world across the board, imho. YAGP has not helped in this regard. Bigger, better, more seems to be what is valued. 

Artistry and musicality has to be a priority in a student's life, for those aspects of dance to develop. When I watch competition performances I get board, because everyone is so heavily coached. These competitions lead to scholarships and opportunities. ABT's Studio company, for example, has a number of competition winners. At the same time, Susan Jaffe seems to be moving the company towards contemporary narrative works that require acting and maturity. This seems to be something of a mismatch unless dancers in the studio company are pushed to develop artistry, musicality and imagination in their post competition days.

[Josette]

1 hour ago, Papagena said:

What a great pairing! This is exactly what ABT needs to get better at - shot program curation. This isn't a Jaffe problem as much as it's just been an ABT problem for a long time. 

SFB just did a Carmen pairing too with the new Frida Kahlo Dos Mujeres ballet. Received very good reviews and is something I'd absolutely buy tickets for. I wasn't able to see it but most reports mention how it feels fresh, relevant, and layered while still using traditionally-inspired ballet choreography. LWFC looks a bit old fashioned by comparison. 

Totally agree about the YAGP effect. A young dancer filming themselves doing 32 spectacular fouttees with extra flair or octuple pirouettes doesn't get me excited at all, because it doesn't necessarily translate to a magnetic dancer who can carry a ballet on her shoulders. 

The recent SFB Carmen did not receive across-the-board "very good reviews." It was panned by some.   I sat through it twice. It was choreographically uneven and boring, and had a trite plot with a ridiculous ending.  You can read Balletalert comments under the subject, San Francisco Ballet (including mine). The set and Carmen's red dress were very good; Joseph Walsh stole the show;  the dancers did their best with what they were given, but it was a washout, especially when compared with Ochoa's Broken Wings, which is an exceptional, brilliant work.   

[Papagena]

3 hours ago, Josette said:

The recent SFB Carmen did not receive across-the-board "very good reviews." It was panned by some.   I sat through it twice. It was choreographically uneven and boring, and had a trite plot with a ridiculous ending.  You can read Balletalert comments under the subject, San Francisco Ballet (including mine). The set and Carmen's red dress were very good; Joseph Walsh stole the show;  the dancers did their best with what they were given, but it was a washout, especially when compared with Ochoa's Broken Wings, which is an exceptional, brilliant work.   

Oh apologies, I meant  Broken Wings - Carmen reviews sort of floated in the back end for me since most people were gushing about Broken Wings. 

Edited April 26 by Papagena