What an incredible failure on the part of the entire ABT artistic management team that it chooses to add yet another guest artist to its spring season.
When is the Board of Directors going to stop accepting McKenzie's excuses and step in and clean house? When?!
Once "America's National Ballet Company," ABT now just peddles imports under an American brand name while seeking U.S. patron and government handouts. No "Made in America" signs in its place of business. It has clearly adopted the Republican-supported corporate business model that is running this country into the ground. How shameful. How disappointing.
Amen!
Though I wonder how much they ran themselves into the wall with this...Osipova could have rejected ABTs replacement offerings and demanded Vasiliev. It's crap whatever the reason.
Inviting guest artists like this really hurts those dancers who are covering parts to be ready when someone gets injured. It's hard to throw a soloist on in a debut with a guest that has been built up like Osipova or Cojocaru. That means overextending the male principals (or in this case bringing in the female dancer's boyfriend) when it should be the soloist guys catching a break when someone goes down to the season (see: Salstein in Shadowplay). I am not wishing injuries on anyone, this is just how it goes in a ballet company. Really disappointing.
Posted by: K | May 24, 2011 at 04:26 PM
I believe Ivan Vasiliev is the greatest dancer of his generation and should be dancing at ABT, so I'm exited. Maybe this leads the way to him and Osipova joining the company on a more regular basis which would be great.
Posted by: dave | May 24, 2011 at 04:36 PM
Hi K. I would hope that the dancers' union would be examining the situation as well if only to formally communicate the dancers' collective sentiments about management's artistic path.
I just noted that ABT very quickly got a press release up on its website and its scrolling news ticker, but not a peep about Corella's Giselle on June 1 that was just added. Maybe they don't want anyone to know about it.
Posted by: Haglund | May 24, 2011 at 05:31 PM
Hi Dave. Thanks for posting. If you truly like the way ABT is hiring guest stars instead of promoting its own dancers, you should send them a nice check. It'll make up for the one that I'm not sending this year.
Posted by: Haglund | May 24, 2011 at 05:34 PM
FYI, johan kobborg is filling in for maxim beloserkovsky, in addition to ivan vasiliev filling in for herman cornejo. i agree, soloists should be made to step up to principals. ABT has a treasure trove of male soloists waiting to be developed. btw, i hope herman cornejo's injury isn't anything too serious! any news on that?
Posted by: michael | May 26, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Oh, no!!!
McKenzie had no qualms about forcing a certain dancer's mediocre performances down our throats when he wanted to promote his favorite boy as fast as possible while the far more talented men in the soloist and corps ranks didn't get a second look. Now they're being pushed aside AGAIN for less-than-the-best guest artists.
Was looking forward to the Irina/Max Giselle. Now I will be skipping it. For sure.
Posted by: Haglund | May 26, 2011 at 01:00 PM