It is astonishing to see the new poster at Lincoln Center for the Youth American Grand Prix which identifies Ivan Vasiliev as an actual member of American Ballet Theatre. ABT is being tight-lipped on the matter of whether it has imported yet another inferior Eastern European outsider to its permanent principal ranks instead of granting internal promotions to its own deserving dancers.
Is ABT trying to avoid further angering its core audience by simply failing to disclose publicly one more instance of foolishly poaching other artistic managements' dancers instead of developing its own talent and giving its own dancers the career-building opportunities which they DESERVE?
On a separate note, the Ardani website continues to offer detailed casting information about ABT's Met season that ABT itself will not disclose. Ardani says that Semionova is going to be in the cast of Apollo for the Wednesday matinee in which Marcelo Gomes dances the title role. Doesn't ABT have enough spectacular dancers to field four freakin' performances of Apollo? Who is losing the opportunity to dance in Apollo this year? Messmer? Underwood? Abrera? Riccetto? Shevchenko? Hamrick? Schulte? Part? Dvorovenko? Really – ABT doesn't have enough talented dancers to field four freakin' performances of Apollo? What is this artistic management doing with its time besides perusing the Ardani Take Out Menu?
ABT is acting more and more like a Koch subsidiary everyday in its failure to communicate openly and honestly with the public, its ticketbuyers, and its donors. It really is past time to kick this management to the curb.
unbelievable.
not particularly surprising but natalia & ivan dancing at the opening gala it seems, tho ABT has not listed casting for that either.
Posted by: robin | February 07, 2012 at 05:08 PM
A rather sad situation.
Posted by: Haglund | February 07, 2012 at 06:58 PM
Veronika had better be keeping Terpsichore in her rep...her removal as Myrtha in the MET season is very worrying.
Posted by: Kay | February 07, 2012 at 09:31 PM
I don't get that at all - that is, not casting VP as Myrtha. And don't get me started on how they've knocked back Abrera's schedule to one of this and one of that with too many matinees - and not a single leading principal role.
Posted by: Haglund | February 07, 2012 at 09:50 PM
Bravo Haglund! Maybe Kock will become absorbed in messing with the Met Museum's plaza (see today's Times) and leave ballet alone for a while.
Posted by: BCBNYC | February 08, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Nice to read: "But the plaza will not be named after him."
Koch is torn between wanting to hate and destroy liberals, and wanting to be loved himself. Like that other coke, he can make us euphoric with his philanthropy while destroying us from the inside out.
His gifts, which are badly needed and truly appreciated, are given with his intent to influence art more than to support it.
Posted by: Haglund | February 08, 2012 at 11:14 AM