ABT Scraps Fall Season – just this year, people.

The Wall Street Journal reports this evening that ABT will not present a fall repertory season in New York this year as it concentrates on putting together resources for the new Nutcracker at BAM.  Okay, that's a big disappointment, but understandable.  At least there won't be a conflict with the Yankees playoff games and World Series Championship #28 this year.

Maybe we will see more of the ABT dancers during Fall for Dance as well as around town doing individual and interesting gigs.  And this could open up some big international guesting opportunities for the dancers.  We really need to do a little more showing off of some of our key players on the world's stages - like Covent Garden, the Mariinsky Theater, and La Scala.

The company reiterated its intention and commitment to having three New York seasons every year going forward beginning in 2011:  a fall season, Nutcracker season, and the Met. season  And they've not ruled out any particular venue for the fall seasons.  

Comments

[ge]

This is the latest casualty of the Nutcracker, injuries to dancers will ensue.

I travel to NY for at least a week of the fall season. A point of pride in supporting ABT is that the company was not a nutcracker whore, even if the dancers had to sell themselves during the season. I hate this decision. A waste of fine dancers, demeaning to the whole art form.

The irony is that I liked Ratmansky's Nut that he did for the Mariinsky a few years ago. Black patent leather snowflakes with cotton balls on their tutus.

[Haglund's Heel]

Hi, ge!

Haglund shares your concern about the injuries that will ensue as a result of the dancers being off for so long. Hopefully, this Nutcracker will not be a new production that the company tries to throw together rehearsal-wise over 2 or 3 weeks.

We can only hope that the financial rewards of the new Nutcracker will enable a longer and more satisfying fall repertory season going forward in 2011. However, the loss of the fall season for this year is truly a disappointment.