Helene Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 I know that Chloe Misseldine's promotion to Principal Dancer on stage after Swan Lake is being discussed in the Swan Lake thread, but I want to have a running list, so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Congratulations to her! Link to comment
DPell Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 And per the earlier post on here, we know Eric Tamm, Alex Basmagy, Katie Williams, Lauren Post, Kiely Groenewegen, Erica Lall, Luciana Paris, and Blaine Hoven are all departing at the end of The Met season. Based off the press release, Susan did have plans to promote Chloe at the end of the Met season, so hopefully that means there are more promotions at the end of the season. https://www.abt.org/chloe-misseldine-promoted-to-principal-dancer-at-abt/ Link to comment
FauxPas Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 (edited) Just a question - has Katie Williams danced at all this season? I haven't seen her once and the Met website shows no upcoming roles for her: https://www.abt.org/people/katherine-williams/?type=performer Zhong-Jing Fang, coming off a serious injury, is scheduled to dance Mama Elena in "Like Water for Chocolate". Maybe they are harlots or Rosaline in "Romeo and Juliet"? Blaine Hoven has no upcoming roles on the schedule either. Maybe Paris or Benvolio? Meanwhile, this is four soloists gone: Hoven, Paris, Williams retiring and Misseldine promoted to principal. Lots of room for promotion. We are all rooting for Zimmi Coker also Léa Fleytoux. Patrick Frenette seems to be getting soloist parts but not knocking them out of the park consistently. If they had stayed, I would have promoted Jonathan Klein and Erica Lall. Kento Sumitani has shown talent in solo parts. Elisabeth Beyer and Madison Brown shone in the studio company - no solos for them. Why? Andrew Robare also needs to be tapped for soloist parts. Tyler Maloney was getting parts but seems to have had serious injuries and no longer gets solos. Jose Sebastian is a veteran corps dancers who does Purple Rothbart - yet he seems stalled otherwise. Joseph Markey is a useful element. Kanon Kimura has danced several solo pas and well. Takumi Miyake is now in the corps. He is a talent to be watched. I heard good things about Finian Carmeci and Alejandro Valero Outlaw in the studio company. Edited July 10 by FauxPas Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 1 hour ago, FauxPas said: Just a question - has Katie Williams danced at all this season? I haven't seen her once and the Met website shows no upcoming roles for her: https://www.abt.org/people/katherine-williams/?type=performer Zhong-Jing Fang, coming off a serious injury, is schduled to dance Mama Elena in "Like Water for Chocolate". Maybe they are harlots or Rosaline in "Romeo and Juliet"? Blaine Hoven has no upcoming roles on the schedule either. Maybe Paris or Benvolio? Meanwhile, this is four soloists gone: Hoven, Paris, Williams retiring and Misseldine promoted to principal. Lots of room for promotion. We are all rooting for Zimmi Coker also Léa Fleytoux. Patrick Frenette seems to be getting soloist parts but not knocking them out of the park consistently. If they had stayed, I would have promoted Jonathan Klein and Erica Lall. Kento Sumitani has shown talent in solo parts. Elisabeth Beyer and Madison Brown shone in the studio company - no solos for them. Why? Andrew Robare also needs to be tapped for soloist parts. Tyler Maloney was getting parts but seems to have had serious injuries and no longer gets solos. Jose Sebastian is a veteran corps dancers who does Purple Rothbart - yet he seems stalled otherwise. Joseph Markey is a useful element. Kanon Kimura has danced several solo pas and well. Takumi Miyake is now in the corps. He is a talent to be watched. I heard good things about Finian Carmeci and Alejandro Valero Outlaw in the studio company. IMO, Fang should also be retiring. She does mostly character parts now. Please finally promote Coker. In running for soloist, I'd add Li. I think Fleytoux should wait another year - she's done very little, but what she's done has been beautiful. If she was promoted, I'd be onboard though. I'm not impressed enough by Frenette. Dramatically, he can be wonderful, but technically he is not. I believe Maloney is still out with injury. I don't understand Sebastian continuing to get PVR. He's danced this role for years now and he makes no impression. Technically, not strong either. Agree with Robare, Markey, Miyake, Fleytoux, Beyer needing to be given solo roles. Link to comment
balletlover08 Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 47 minutes ago, FauxPas said: Just a question - has Katie Williams danced at all this season? I haven't seen her once and the Met website shows no upcoming roles for her: https://www.abt.org/people/katherine-williams/?type=performer Zhong-Jing Fang, coming off a serious injury, is schduled to dance Mama Elena in "Like Water for Chocolate". Maybe they are harlots or Rosaline in "Romeo and Juliet"? Blaine Hoven has no upcoming roles on the schedule either. Maybe Paris or Benvolio? Meanwhile, this is four soloists gone: Hoven, Paris, Williams retiring and Misseldine promoted to principal. Lots of room for promotion. We are all rooting for Zimmi Coker also Léa Fleytoux. Patrick Frenette seems to be getting soloist parts but not knocking them out of the park consistently. If they had stayed, I would have promoted Jonathan Klein and Erica Lall. Kento Sumitani has shown talent in solo parts. Elisabeth Beyer and Madison Brown shone in the studio company - no solos for them. Why? Andrew Robare also needs to be tapped for soloist parts. Tyler Maloney was getting parts but seems to have had serious injuries and no longer gets solos. Jose Sebastian is a veteran corps dancers who does Purple Rothbart - yet he seems stalled otherwise. Joseph Markey is a useful element. Kanon Kimura has danced several solo pas and well. Takumi Miyake is now in the corps. He is a talent to be watched. I heard good things about Finian Carmeci and Alejandro Valero Outlaw in the studio company. Katherine Williams was injured last season though she is healed now. Curious why she isn't dancing in much. Ziggy has been injured but also just debuted some new choreography at Kennedy Center the first week of the Met season. I would say Zimmi, Lea and Li FangQi based on casting for soloists. But there are room for more taller soloists (whispers Elisabeth Beyer should be casted in some Demi-soloist roles). Kanon Kimura is one too but also look for Katomi Miyada who is also excellent. I liked Sumitani in the PDT and Takumi Miyake was dynamic in the Neapolitan of the Swan Lake I saw. There are talent in the corps that should be given larger Demi-soloist roles and then hopefully promoted to soloist. Link to comment
Dale Posted July 5 Share Posted July 5 From the company: CHLOE MISSELDINE PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL DANCER AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE NEW YORK, NY (July 3, 2024) – Chloe Misseldine has been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. The promotion, effective immediately, was announced today by ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe on stage at the Metropolitan Opera House following the matinee performance of Swan Lake. The sold-out performance marked Misseldine’s New York debut as Odette/Odile. “I expected I would promote Chloe at the end of the Met season, but her performance this afternoon was exquisite and flawless, I felt no need to wait. The moment was right.,” said Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. Chloe Misseldine began her classical training at Orlando Ballet School. She attended ABT Summer Intensives in Orange County, California, and New York City as a National Training Scholar from 2016–2018. In 2016, she performed a traditional Chinese fan dance called Mo Li Hua in the CCTV New Year’s Gala known as the Beijing Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), broadcast to over 700 million viewers. At age 15, Misseldine earned second place in the 2017 Youth America Grand Prix New York City Finals and performed at the YAGP “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala. In 2018, she was named a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne and joined American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Misseldine became an apprentice with American Ballet Theatre in December 2019, joined the corps de ballet in September 2021, and was promoted to Soloist in September 2022. Her repertoire includes a Flower Girl in Don Quixote, Myrta in Giselle, Rosaura in Like Water for Chocolate, one of the Nutcracker’s Sisters and the Spanish dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Queen of Babylon in Of Love and Rage, Tatiana in Onegin, Rosaline and Lady Montague in Romeo and Juliet, Ice in The Seasons, Odette/Odile, the pas de trois, and a big swan in Swan Lake, a leading role in Ballet Imperial, and featured roles in Bernstein in a Bubble, La Follia Variations, Petite Mort, Songs of Bukovina, and Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. Link to comment
Dale Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 A release: ISAAC HERNÁNDEZ JOINS AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE TO DEBUT AS GUEST ARTIST AT DAVID H. KOCH THEATER, JOIN AS PRINCIPAL DANCER JANUARY 2025 NEW YORK, NY (Thursday, July 11, 2024) – Isaac Hernández will join American Ballet Theatre as a Guest Artist during the 2024 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater. After this introductory season, he will join the Company as a full time Principal Dancer in January 2025. Hernández’s engagement was announced today by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. Hernández will be American Ballet Theatre’s first Mexican Principal Dancer. A dancer of extraordinary talent and versatility, Hernández has garnered international acclaim for his technical prowess and stirring dramatic abilities. His career has been marked by numerous standout performances, most recently at San Francisco Ballet as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Prometheus in the world premiere performances of Mere Mortals, Prince Guillaume in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, and his dynamic interpretation of Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle at English National Ballet. He has received numerous accolades in his career, including the prestigious Prix de Benois de la Danse in 2018. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Hernández trained under his father, Hector Hernández, in the backyard of his house in Mexico before continuing his studies at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hernández participated in ABT Summer Intensives as a National Training Scholar from 2003-2007 before becoming a member of ABT II, now known as ABT Studio Company, dancing with them from 2007-2008. Jaffe expressed her enthusiasm for Hernández's upcoming return to American Ballet Theatre. "We are thrilled to welcome Isaac back to the ABT Family," said Jaffe. "He is a dancer of remarkable skill and artistic depth, and his ability to convey profound emotion through dance makes him a truly unique and compelling performer. We look forward to having him in the Company." “I am beyond happy and grateful for this upcoming step in my professional career as a ballet dancer. I take this new chapter in my life with joy and responsibility,” says Hernández. “American Ballet Theatre and New York City bring back so many wonderful memories of my beginnings as a dancer. I am very happy and looking forward to it.” ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. For more information, please visit www.abt.org. Link to comment
abatt Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Very excited. He will be a great addition to the company. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 I think this is great news. Some new and exciting blood is needed. I’ve never seen Hernandez dance but I’m aware of his reputation. How tall is he? Which principal ladies could he be paired with? I hope this means that a current male principal or two will be retiring next year or we have no hope in Roxander being promoted. The principal ranks are now extremely full. Link to comment
DPell Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 2 minutes ago, ABT Fan said: I think this is great news. Some new and exciting blood is needed. I’ve never seen Hernandez dance but I’m aware of his reputation. How tall is he? Which principal ladies could he be paired with? I hope this means that a current male principal or two will be retiring next year or we have no hope in Roxander being promoted. The principal ranks are now extremely full. Google says he’s 5’11. Link to comment
Helene Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 I haven't seen him dance since his first stint at San Francisco ballet, but he was a beautiful dancer with big, plush movement back then. Link to comment
Kamicos Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 This is the best news I’ve heard in a long long time. He’s in another league! Now if Jaffe can hire 3 or 4 more things will be looking up! https://mailchi.mp/abt/dont-miss-abts-special-events-and-exclusive-offers-790468?e=9c88419579 Link to comment
angelica Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Third surprise of the season: 1. Misseldine promoted to Principal; 2. Roxander leading Mandolin Dance; 3. Hernandez joining the company. Go, Susan! Link to comment
abatt Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 It was pretty clear back when the casting was announced in October 2023 that Jaffe was considering promoting Misseldine by the fact that she gave Misseldine two leading roles. No other soloist has been given such major opportunities by Jaffe. Link to comment
ECat Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 This is fantastic news about Isaac Hernandez! It is interesting to me that Hernandez is leaving SF Ballet after so short a time with his wife, Tamara Rojo, as the new artistic director. This article states that he chose not to renew his contract: https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/sf-ballet-isaac-hernandez-19503321.php Is this a common situation where couples in the ballet world often live far apart? I imagine so, as opportunities can be few and far between and the career is so short. Regardless, the ABT audiences will be in for an exciting treat! Link to comment
abatt Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Do we know if Hernandez and Rojo are presently a couple. Link to comment
Helene Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 Is there any official source that says they are no longer a couple? While it's not common, it certainly happens that couples, married or otherwise, live apart so that one can pursue a ballet career, education, a job, etc. apart from their spouse, whether temporarily -- part of a year to fulfill a contract -- or long-term. Ballet is no different from other professions in this regard. Long-distance relationships aren't that rare. Link to comment
MarzipanShepherdess Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 Also, ABT’s NY seasons really aren’t that long any more. Maybe 7 weeks a year total, spaced between spring and fall, and Hernandez probably wouldn’t be performing every one of those weeks. Yes there’s also rehearsal time, but it seems like Hernandez could conceivably continue to live in San Francisco most of the year while dancing with ABT. Link to comment
Helene Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 He's no longer listed on the SFB website: https://www.sfballet.org/the-company/artists/dancers/principals/ Link to comment
Becki Lee Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 Léa Fleytoux, Patrick Frenette and Fanggi Li have been promoted to the rank of Soloist. Link to comment
abatt Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 Just got an email from ABT re the following promotions Léa Fleytoux, Patrick Frenette and Fangqi Li have been promoted to the rank of Soloist. Link to comment
nysusan Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 I just received an email from ABT saying Frenette, Fleytoux and Fanqi Lee are promoted to soloist effective 9/1 lol. I guess we all posted at the same time! Link to comment
Dale Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 Official release on promotions: LÉA FLEYTOUX, PATRICK FRENETTE, AND FANGQI LI PROMOTED TO SOLOIST AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE NEW YORK, NY (Friday, July 19, 2024) – Léa Fleytoux, Patrick Frenette, and Fangqi Li have been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre. The promotions, effective September 1, 2024, were announced today by ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. Léa Fleytoux began studying ballet at the age of four with Nicole Chouret in her classes at the Ranelagh Theater in Paris. Fleytoux continued her training at the Conservatoire Municipal Camille Saint-Saens (2007-2010), École National Danse Marseille (2010-2013) and Conservetoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (2013-2016). She participated in summer programs at Biarritz Academy, Paris Opera Ballet School, and Alvin Ailey. Fleytoux began training at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2016 before joining ABT Studio Company in January 2017. She became an apprentice with the main Company in December 2018 and joined the corps de ballet in June 2019. Her repertoire includes the Grand Pas de Deux and Amour in Don Quixote, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Chencha in Like Water for Chocolate, one of the Nutcracker’s Sisters and the Chinese Dance in Alexei Ratmanky’s The Nutcracker, the pas de trois, a little swan, and the Hungarian Princess in Swan Lake, Young Clarissa in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and a featured role in Songs of Bukovina. She created a featured role in Collage & Creed. Patrick Frenette was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He began his early training at the Goh Ballet Academy under the instruction of Fiona Smith. In 2008, his family relocated to California to further his professional ballet training with former ABT dancer Chris Martin and former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Dmitri Kulev. He was a two-time recipient of the Senior Grand Prix award at the Youth America Grand Prix’s regional competitions and, in 2011, was also awarded the Mary Day Award for Outstanding Artistry. Frenette began studying full time at School of American Ballet in 2012 and was awarded The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship while there. He studied with Jock Soto and Suki Schorer, and also performed in New York Choreographic Institute workshops. Frenette joined ABT as an apprentice in 2013 and became a member of the corps de ballet in January 2014. His repertoire with the Company includes one of the Three Ivans in Aurora’s Wedding, Demetrius in The Dream, Cockerel and Notary’s Clerk in La Fille mal gardée, Hilarion and Wilfred in Giselle, the Butler, Majordomo, and Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Mithridates in Of Love and Rage, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, a Fairy Cavalier, the English Prince, and the Wolf in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, the Act II pas de deux, Benno, and the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, Evans and "Becomings” in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and featured roles in After You, Deuce Coupe, and Sinfonietta. He created featured roles in Bernstein in a Bubble, Collage & Creed, Dream within a Dream (deferred), Praedicere, and Songs of Bukovina. Fangqi Li, originally from Zhengzhou, China, studied ballet at the Secondary School of the Beijing Dance Academy and with The National Ballet of China. She won scholarships for six consecutive years (2010-2016) from her school and the government, and was regularly honored as a Merit Student. She participated in summer intensive programs at American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Heritage, and the Beijing IBCC. Li’s awards include first prize in Group C at Beijing Dance Academy’s 5th Annual International Ballet Competition for Dance Schools (2014), third prize at the Youth America Grand Prix Asian Regional Semi-Finals (2015), and second prize at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition (2016). In 2017, Li was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne. Li joined ABT Studio Company in September 2017, became an apprentice with the main Company in January 2018, and joined the corps de ballet in June 2018. Her repertoire includes Myrta and Moyna in Giselle, Rosaura in Like Water for Chocolate, the Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, The Swallow in The Seasons, the pas de trois, a big swan, and the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, Young Clarissa and "Becomings” in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and featured roles in Deuce Coupe, La Follia Variations, Petite Mort, and Sinfonietta. American Ballet Theatre’s Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 20, 2024. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org. ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®. For more information, please visit www.abt.org. Link to comment
Recommended Posts