ABT Met Season 2024

[Helene]

Corella wasn't the face of then-Pennyslvania Ballet, though, when he took it over.  Ballet is a small world, but ABT has been the center of Jaffe's world for much of her adult life.

[its the mom]

On 6/10/2024 at 3:59 PM, matilda said:

Yep. I know Jaffe inherited a roster of lacking or past-their-prime principals, but do Stearns, Royal, Whiteside, Forster, and (sorry) Cornejo all need Siegfried and Romeo just because they are principals? (Last year it was Siegfried, Romeo, and Albrecht). I don't see why Roxander and Curley couldn't get a shot at one or the other this year. 

Again, with a shortened season and fewer ballets, the principals SHOULD get to dance the principal roles in these ballets. If you look at some of the other major companies, SF, Boston, PNB, Houston, Royal, ENB, etc., dancers have the opportunity to dance the principal roles several times in a run. For the American companies, that's usually two to three full-length ballets, a Nutcracker, and two to three other mixed programs. That's so much more opportunity and dancing. While it may be prestigious to be a member of ABT, it may not hold the same draw any longer for dancers. 

[FauxPas]

Just a note that the Fall season at the Theater Formerly Known as State last Autumn sold VERY WELL.  They had to open up the Fourth Ring for several shows.  However that 21st Century Modern Program with "On the Dnipro" sold less well and was discounted.  So it does depend on the programming.

Also, these were all mixed programs which sell poorly at the Met.  Mixed programs use more dancers in leading roles in a performance than full-lengths.  More opportunities to test out younger dancers.  I think it is a GREAT idea to move part of the summer season over to the State Theater.   Repertory that doesn't work at the Met can work at the Theater Across the Plaza.  "Giselle" and "Whipped Cream" looked great there.

More weeks at the Formerly Known as State is a must.

As I said, Jaffe was a ballet mistress at ABT starting in 2010 until 2012 when she left to be the dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

So she knew most of these principals and soloists when they were kids starting up at ABT and worked with them.  So they are her babies too, not just McKenzie's.  They were promoted to principal in 2019-2020 and couldn't dance in their new positions until 2022 when ABT returned to performing.  So they have had just two years as actual dancing principals.  Most of their roles are new to them.  I agree that a few are lacking but I can see why Jaffe is reluctant to kick them out barely after they have made it to the top after many years stuck in the lower ranks.

Edited June 12 by FauxPas

[abatt]

Above in this thread people noted that the reduction of the number of weeks relates to the fact that the opera extended its season into June.  That is true, but it doesn't explain why ABT didn't book this week (the opera ended on Saturday, June 8), or why almost every Monday during the five week season of ABT is dark (except for SL week).  It's lack of ticket sales.

 

 

[Olga]

8 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Just a note that the Fall season at the Theater Formerly Known as State last Autumn sold VERY WELL.  They had to open up the Fourth Ring for several shows.  However that 21st Century Modern Program with "On the Dnipro" sold less well and was discounted.  So it does depend on the programming.

Also, these were all mixed programs which sell poorly at the Met.  Mixed programs use more dancers in leading roles in a performance than full-lengths.  More opportunities to test out younger dancers.  I think it is a GREAT idea to move part of the summer season over to the State Theater.   Repertory that doesn't work at the Met can work at the Theater Across the Plaza.  "Giselle" and "Whipped Cream" looked great there.

More weeks at the Formerly Known as State is a must.

“More weeks at the Formerly Known as State is a must.”  Yes and Yes.

It’s  so clear I have to wonder why it isn’t happening. Maybe it will soon.

 

[cobweb]

Just now, Olga said:

“More weeks at the Formerly Known as State is a must.”  Yes and Yes.

It’s  so clear I have to wonder why it isn’t happening. Maybe it will soon.

It does seem like a great idea, but since it's not happening that leaves me to think there may be some other reasons we're overlooking. Curious if anyone has thoughts about why this might NOT be a good idea, or why it's not happening.  

[FauxPas]

The Theater Across the Plaza does have NYCB and their three big seasons which keeps it occupied most of the year and they used to have regular off-season rentals.  I think ABT needs to work out a deal with NYCB, since New York City Opera is gone from the building (and really is no longer a full-time performing entity), there are open weeks there.  A multi-year contract deal needs to be worked out for one or two residencies there.  One in the Fall and one in the Summer. 

I'd suggest two three weeks seasons with both manageable full-lengths and several mixed programs.  Most modern works would look better there.  Throw in two or three weeks at City Center and then use the five weeks at the Met for the big moneymaker blockbusters (Swan Lake et al.).  By the way, I was told that ABT does not have to sell out the Metropolitan Opera House to break even.

Edited June 12 by FauxPas

[matilda]

^The above situation might require ABT to start selling its own tickets though, right? I imagine it would be complicated and confusing to have multiple venues throughout the year and each requiring a separate box office. 

[FauxPas]

BTW: regarding the "Le Rossignol" and other ballet/opera pieces.  The Metropolitan Opera Ballet was disbanded by Peter Gelb several years ago - the Met no longer employs dancers on a full-year contract but as freelance hires depending on the demands of the repertory.  Combining vocalists and dancers and having to hire in opera soloists might be awkward for ABT whereas it is easy for the Met to hire in dancers since they have a world-class orchestra, singers and chorus right there at their disposal. 

I really love Kenneth MacMillan's "The Song of the Earth" which is set to Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" but ABT probably doesn't have the first rate in-house orchestra and rehearsal time to get that one up to speed.  I would love it if they did it.  The ABT pick up orchestra has been sounding better than it did in the past but still...  Memories of the out of tune violins and blatting horns persist - for some reason more evident in the early part of the season. 

I have purchased ABT tickets at the Formerly Known as State box office in the past for the Fall seasons.  They get to sell through their box office.

Edited June 12 by FauxPas

[abatt]

I loved Rossignol at the opera.  It was part of an excellent Stravinsky bill.  I suspect it will never be revived by Gelb.  I recall that Damian Woetzel was the guest artist, and maybe Amanda McKerrow as the female lead.  I think Julie Kent was scheduled but had to withdraw due to pregnancy.  

I also wonder if we will ever see La Giaconda again at the opera, with stellar choreography by Wheeldon.  I recall seeing Corella and Murphy in this.  Oh the good old days...

[FauxPas]

9 minutes ago, abatt said:

I loved Rossignol at the opera.  It was part of an excellent Stravinsky bill.  I suspect it will never be revived by Gelb.  I recall that Damian Woetzel was the guest artist, and maybe Amanda McKerrow as the female lead.  I think Julie Kent was scheduled but had to withdraw due to pregnancy.  

I also wonder if we will ever see La Giaconda again at the opera, with stellar choreography by Wheeldon.  I recall seeing Corella and Murphy in this.  Oh the good old days...

There was indeed a revival of the Stravinsky Triple Bill in the 2003-2004 season.  From the archives I see that Julie Kent did dance it in the Fall and Amanda McKerrow took it over in the Winter, both with Damian Woetzel.

"La Gioconda" Danza delle Ore did indeed have Angel Corella but with Letizia Giuliani in 2006 and 2008, the late Danny Tidwell subbed for one show.  A later cast in 2008 included David Hallberg and Gillian Murphy.

Gelb discarded that Beni Montresor designed production several years back and I'm not sure if a new one is on the books.  When it was announced that Anna Netrebko was adding Gioconda to her repertoire, it was thought that a new Met production was inevitable.  But she is now persona non grata and banished.  Also, Sondra Radvanovsky has been rumored to headline a new "Gioconda" but she isn't getting any younger and that is a killer prima donna role.

Edited June 12 by FauxPas

[MarzipanShepherdess]

On 6/10/2024 at 11:29 PM, vipa said:

It's interesting that Jaffe seems to be thinking of narrative ballets as full lengths. ABT has a history of  1 act narrative ballets, with several in one performance. Examples, Billy the Kid, Rodeo, Lilac Garden, Green Table, Pillar of Fire, The River (not a strict narrative but dramatic),  Romeo and uliet (Tudor's), Dark Elegies, Les Patineurs, Petroushka etc. I'm not suggest that all of these be revived, I'm sure some don't hold up well.  My point is that a varied program might be more interesting than a new full length, while retaining the story telling element that seems to be part of the ABT identity.

I think this would be a great direction for ABT to move in.  It could enable them to take more risks with programming, and might be well-aligned with today's shorter attention spans.  

Agree with all the calls for ABT to find smaller theaters to perform in outside of their Met season, but I do wonder how successful a late summer season at the State Theater before City Ballet's fall season starts could really be. I think there's a reason most ballet and opera companies in New York and Europe don't perform in August: a significant portion of the prime ticket-buying audience is out of town. I don't imagine in NYC in August that's balanced out by tourists coming in because our weather is so awful then. 

[cobweb]

18 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Added: I also think the corps doesn’t have a deep bench in terms of promotable talent. And, that’s a huge problem. I only see Coker, Fleytoux, Frenette, Crispino, Beyer, Li, Miyake (who needs to be promoted into the main co asap) and maybe one/two others who have potential to move up. Coker for sure.

Interesting, and troubling, analysis. I don't have enough current knowledge of ABT, but in the few recent performances I've seen, these are the corps members who stood out to me. I wonder why the roster of talent isn't deeper -- is that a general decline in interest in ballet training, or does it affect ABT in particular? 

[abatt]

47 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Interesting, and troubling, analysis. I don't have enough current knowledge of ABT, but in the few recent performances I've seen, these are the corps members who stood out to me. I wonder why the roster of talent isn't deeper -- is that a general decline in interest in ballet training, or does it affect ABT in particular? 

If they are only hiring corps from their own school, they have a real problem.  Their school is not a pipeline for the best dancers. They have a few good people, but not enough to comprise a company. The really talented dancers are going to more prestigious programs, like SAB, San Fran Ballet and so on.  Many of the dancers at NYCB in the corps and soloist levels would be soloists or principals at ABT.  That's how deep the NYCB talent pool is.   I'm not sure ABT's school is ever going to be as prestigious as the others, so as long as they keep on with their rules about not hiring outsiders, they will have a continuing problem. 

 

In the thread people have commented that the same people get the same roles every year.  Why hasn't Brandt performed Juliet?    Murphy needs to step aside already.  Casting is a zero sum game.

 

[volcanohunter]

9 minutes ago, abatt said:

Many of the dancers at NYCB in the corps and soloist levels would be soloists or principals at ABT.  That's how deep the NYCB talent pool is.

People have said that the dancers in NYCB's corps could be principals elsewhere for at least 50 years. Somehow the rest of American ballet has muddled on nevertheless. 

[FauxPas]

For a long time, corps dancers at ABT were recruited from ballet competitions.  However through the aughts until the end of McKenzie's term so many dancers stalled at ABT.  Good dancers from elsewhere would come in and flounder.  

I mean everyone was crazy about Zhong-Jing Fang and ABT did promote her to soloist - when she was nearly forty.

There were dancers who stayed on forever blocking the pipeline until one year McKenzie retired so many principals all at once - Part, Kent (on her own volition), McKerrow, Xiomara Reyes, Paloma Herrera, etc.  Angel and Ethan retired in the same season.  Gone all within a few seasons of each other.  Dancers would come in and get bored and leave like Semionova and Jeffrey Cirio.  Osipova left to join the Royal Ballet and showed no interest in returning except for one Giselle guesting turn that wasn't her best.  Lovely Alina Cojocaru came as a guest but was beset with injuries and canceled many gigs - she improved later at ENB given time to recover from her many injuries.  

I wonder if talented young dancers from good schools and competition winners felt that ABT was the place where promising careers went to die slowly on the vine.   Too entrenched with long term principals dancing the same roles year after year with little opportunity for training and advancement.   They'd go elsewhere.  So many sad stories and struggling careers - Sarah Lane, Veronika Part, etc.

Edited June 12 by FauxPas

[Kathleen O'Connell]

4 hours ago, cobweb said:

It does seem like a great idea, but since it's not happening that leaves me to think there may be some other reasons we're overlooking.

Per ABT's 12/31/21 audited financial statements (the most recent ones I can find), its agreement to use the Metropolitan Opera House runs through August 31, 2025. I don't know if it would be possible for them to terminate the arrangement early, but it could be they're simply locked in to the Met until 2025.

Here's the full text from the accountants' report, which also covers their agreement with the Koch:

"The Foundation entered into an agreement with the MET that provides for up to eight weeks of performances through August 31, 2020 and five weeks of performances through August 31, 2025, whereby, the Foundation reimburses the MET for facilities, personnel, services and operations provided by the MET. Per the agreement, the Foundation pays an annual license fee to the MET of approximately $496,000 through August 31, 2020 and $310,000 from September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2025. Due to the current pandemic and resulting inability to perform the 2020 and 2021 MET Seasons, it was mutually agreed that the 2020 and 2021 license fees would be waived.

Additionally, the Foundation entered into an agreement with the David H. Koch Theater for the right to use the facilities for performances. The term of the agreement is from October 16, 2017 through October 29, 2023 and provides up to two weeks of performances from 2017 through 2020 and up to four weeks of performances from 2021 through 2023, whereby, the Foundation reimburses the Koch Theater for facilities, personnel, services and operations provided by the Koch Theater. The Foundation also pays an annual license fee to the Koch Theater of approximately $185,000 through November 1, 2020 and up to $400,000 through October 29, 2023 (if the Foundation performs for four weeks in any given year). The Foundation was not able to perform its Fall Season at the Koch Theater in 2020 due to the pandemic, and therefore did not incur the 2020 annual license fee of approximately $185,000. The Foundation negotiated the license fee for 2021 and paid $165,400 for its two-week performance in the Fall of 2021."

Note that "the Foundation" is Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc., the non-profit that houses the dance company and the school.

[ABT Fan]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

Interesting, and troubling, analysis. I don't have enough current knowledge of ABT, but in the few recent performances I've seen, these are the corps members who stood out to me. I wonder why the roster of talent isn't deeper -- is that a general decline in interest in ballet training, or does it affect ABT in particular? 

If you look at the corps bios, many of them have been in the company for several years. The ones who stand out are newer/younger dancers. I think the problem is multifaceted. As FauxPas said above, so many dancers weren’t developed under McKenzie. To steal a line from Center Stage, how can a dancer improve and grow if they “stand in the back waving a flower back and forth” for years and years? Another issue is just lack of talent, for some. I’ve seen a few corps members over the past few years given opportunities and fail, one or two quite miserably. Maybe they didn’t get enough coaching. But, some just do not have the goods beyond corps work. The newer crop coming up now is in a different league.

1 hour ago, abatt said:

If they are only hiring corps from their own school, they have a real problem.  Their school is not a pipeline for the best dancers. They have a few good people, but not enough to comprise a company. The really talented dancers are going to more prestigious programs, like SAB, San Fran Ballet and so on.  Many of the dancers at NYCB in the corps and soloist levels would be soloists or principals at ABT.  That's how deep the NYCB talent pool is.   I'm not sure ABT's school is ever going to be as prestigious as the others, so as long as they keep on with their rules about not hiring outsiders, they will have a continuing problem. 

 

In the thread people have commented that the same people get the same roles every year.  Why hasn't Brandt performed Juliet?    Murphy needs to step aside already.  Casting is a zero sum game.

 

I think the school is improving, given the recent up and coming dancers. I doubt any school will ever compete with SAB, which has been around what 90 years? 

You answered your own question: Murphy is in the way. She has been for a few years now. No one is getting 2 Juliets so until Murphy retires, Brandt will wait. I think Hurlin got Juliet before her partly because of partner issues. Cornejo dances with Trenary in this ballet. I think Royal (who’s paired with Hurlin) and Brandt would be a total mismatch. Sure, other shuffling could have been made but Brandt is so tiny, I don’t think pairing her with a very tall guy would work, especially when that guy is needed for a taller woman (taller than Brandt). I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandt has rehearsed/learned Juliet in the event Trenary couldn’t perform. Roxander and Brandt recently did the Don Q pas for Dance Against Cancer, and they did Piano Concerto No 1 together last fall. I think they could become quite the power couple (though I personally favor Roxander much more than her). She’ll need a new partner eventually. Cornejo is hanging on but not for long. 

Edited June 12 by ABT Fan

[Kathleen O'Connell]

4 hours ago, matilda said:

The above situation might require ABT to start selling its own tickets though, right? I imagine it would be complicated and confusing to have multiple venues throughout the year and each requiring a separate box office.

That's a problem that's far easier to solve than trying to work around the constraints of an uncongenial performance venue. 

Regular blocks of three to four weeks in both the fall and the summer at the Koch augmented with a couple of weeks of Swan Lake and [fill in your butts-in-seats crowd pleaser here] at the Met should be easy enough for the audience to keep track of.

Edited June 12 by Kathleen O'Connell

[matilda]

I will give it to the ABT corps that, as a corps, they look great year after year -- especially the women in Swan Lake, Giselle, etc. But yeah, when you're stuck watching a subpar pas de trois, peasant pas, flower girls, etc. the shortage of stellar individual talent is, um, apparent. There are a few senior corps members who mysteriously keep getting big roles and never deliver on them. And at least three of McKenzie's pre-retirement promotions (including principal) made no sense. 

I will definitely keep showing up for Brandt, Hurlin, Misseldine, Park, Camargo, Bell, and Roxander though. 

[abatt]

47 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

People have said that the dancers in NYCB's corps could be principals elsewhere for at least 50 years. Somehow the rest of American ballet has muddled on nevertheless. 

Yes. that's the point.  ABT is barely muddling along, while NYCB is thriving.  Jaffe is complaining about the stark drop in subscriptions, and the dancers are complaining about limited performance opportunities. Look at the pipeline of who is available for them to hire out of their own program, and that explains a lot.

[abatt]

Give Brandt and Roxander R&J.  I would be there in a heartbeat.

[ABT Fan]

9 minutes ago, matilda said:

I will give it to the ABT corps that, as a corps, they look great year after year -- especially the women in Swan Lake, Giselle, etc. But yeah, when you're stuck watching a subpar pas de trois, peasant pas, flower girls, etc. the shortage of stellar individual talent is, um, apparent. There are a few senior corps members who mysteriously keep getting big roles and never deliver on them. And at least three of McKenzie's pre-retirement promotions (including principal) made no sense. 

I will definitely keep showing up for Brandt, Hurlin, Misseldine, Park, Camargo, Bell, and Roxander though. 

Agree with everything you say here!

[Drew]

Not addressing the big picture here...but on World Ballet Day I thought Sierra Armstrong drew the eye as did a few other corps members not mentioned --I had trouble figuring out who everyone was, but I think Kotomi Yamada was one of them. I don't mean I looked at these dancers and thought "future principal;" I'm not a ballet professional and it was just a class where I caught glimpses from odd angles, but I certainly wondered about their potential in featured roles. (And, last year, Courtney Lavine was genuinely fabulous in the contemporary role of Nacha in Like Water for Chocolate.) 

Also, if people are doubtful the corps has a depth of talent (I'm agnostic on this point because I haven't seen them enough to say)--then I find myself wondering if it is possible that there is a chicken-egg issue with the dancers when they are put forward in featured roles. The dancers don't get as many opportunities to dance--not even as many opportunities to wave a flower--and perhaps in their off weeks are scrambling for gigs or other work that doesn't even involve performing. Some can afford outside coaching but others cannot. All of this is less than ideal for their development, and when they finally get a chance at a featured role, they may only get one or two shots at it etc.  I'm just thinking out loud, so who knows, but maybe there is more talent to be developed there than is obvious to an outside observer--if only the company can find a way to dance more and get dancers the support they need.

I agree with what @ABT Fan said about giving Jaffe a chance in any case.  On the dancer front, she brought Camargo on board which is a decided plus [ @abatt corrected me below -- he joined in 2022, so Mckenzie was still Director]. I could wish he were younger and had more prime years ahead of him, but for now he seems to me a huge asset. (A ballet fan has to love his name too.) It was also mentioned that we have some version of this conversation every year. I'd add maybe even more than once a year. What strikes me as someone who reads all the reviews on this site is that the reviews of ABT's performances are often more happy sounding than the pre-review discussions.  And that seems a good sign for the future. As long as Jaffe and her team can find donors and performance opportunities.

Edited June 12 by Drew
Trying to be less prolix.

[matilda]

Totally true about the lack of performance opportunities. Especially compared to NYCB, where not only does the corps have interesting choreography to dance many, many days of the year, but there are so many opportunities to shine between demi-soloist roles and featured roles, even for those who never get promoted. 

Once and while a contemporary piece comes along at ABT where corps dancers can let loose. I'm thinking of Single Eye in particular, which wasn't a masterpiece but had a lot of featured "moments" for the whole cast. They looked great. Same with certain Ratmansky works, like the probably-never-to-be-revived Of Love and Rage. Unsurprisingly, the issues with individual talent tend to be most evident in Petipa featured roles. 

Overall, I think the corps does its job well. The bigger problem is that around 50% of the principals and soloists are unexciting at best and hard to watch at worst.