People should start asking the box office for their money back.
Kevin McKenzie's GAS (guest artist syndrome) is now so severe that he has rented an Ardani porta-dancer from a regional ballet company instead of using ABT's own miraculous talent.
Ever since Daniil Simkin came to town, Maria Kochetkova of the San Francisco Ballet has been throwing herself at ABT and at the New York audience at every opportunity. Childlike – remember, Daddy McKenzie wants the women of ABT to be childlike – and with a Simkin-quality of mugging at the audience, she is now Herman Cornejo's Odette/Odile, because Alina Cojocaru has withdrawn from that performance.
Graduate of the Bolshoi school but passed over for hire by the company, hired and then let go by the Royal Ballet, hired by the ENB, she evolved into a competition and gala circuit dancer (where she seemed to connect with Simkin) before joining SFB which needed a small partner for one of its principals. ABT already has all the small principal-caliber women dancers that any company could need – if only they were allowed to dance.
Everyone is glad that Herman is finally getting the opportunity to dance Siegfried, if 10 years late, but Haglund's not spending his hard-earned money to see a porta-dancer's mid-career audition for ABT– not when there are authentic ABT adult women dancers who could fill the bill more beautifully.
Everyone was warned back in April that McKenzie was at the YAGP benefit looking for more freakin' imports instead of investing time, effort, and money in the company's own dancers. He really should take some time now and then to see what ABT's dancers are doing, as well.
And now McKenzie has got Bolle and Gomes carrying around Hee Seo in Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake in an effort to raise her profile and plump up her box office. Meanwhile, poor Veronika and Gillian suffer. Why isn't the effervescent Whiteside dancing with Hee Seo or with Julie Kent, for that matter?
People should be asking ABT for their money back.
hag- i totally agree with everything you've said above. just in case you didn't know, Alex Hammoudi injured his foot (a ligament) in rehearsal, which is why he has needed replacements.
Posted by: k | June 03, 2013 at 08:06 PM
Well put, Haglund.
Posted by: J | June 03, 2013 at 08:13 PM
Thanks for the update on Hammoudi. If there were more coaches at ABT who knew what they were doing, there would be fewer injuries.
Posted by: Haglund | June 03, 2013 at 08:16 PM
So...Tuesday's Corsaire now says Gomes and Whiteside with Matvienko out. And this is assuming Gillian is actually feeling well enough to perform.
Based on positioning of names it looks like Marcelo has been moved to Conrad and Whiteside is doing Ali? BUMMER. Hope Matvienko makes it back for Saturday evening. AND that someone comes to their senses and lets an ABT corps dancer do Ali if it comes to that. Do I really need to see Simkin, Vasiliev or Whiteside ham up such an iconic role? (And here's hoping Ivan isn't orange like last year for his performances.) I was so looking forward to Marcelo doing it. Too bad Herman is too short for the pdd with Gillian.
Posted by: rachelmarch | June 04, 2013 at 01:20 PM
However, in better news, Jared got Alex's parts in Sylvia. Just pray he stays healthy enough for his lead on Wednesday!
Posted by: rachelmarch | June 04, 2013 at 01:20 PM
Rachel, Joe Phillips did a very good job in his Ali debut in DC. I later saw a photo indicating that he had been in the ER on Friday morning with food poisoning or something similar but still made it on stage Saturday afternoon. That's gutsy, pardon the pun. I'd really like to see his Ali again when he's fully hydrated. It's not going to take too many performances to become world class.
Matvienko - a very stressful time for him. Returning to NYC without much rehearsal and possibly not many classes might not be such a good idea. At his DonQ, I saw a talented dancer who really needed to get back to dedicating himself to class. I would rather Murphy dance S.L. with him. She doesn't deserve the punishment and disrespect that the current S.L. casting suggests.
Jared will be exceptional in both roles in Sylvia, but McKenzie won't bother to watch.
Posted by: Haglund | June 04, 2013 at 02:05 PM
Maybe they'll let Cory do an extra Conrad saturday if it comes to that, so Marcelo can still do Ali. Cory has been looking so much stronger this season!
Posted by: rachelmarch | June 04, 2013 at 02:12 PM
they're over-working marcelo again, IMO. he already had a heavy schedule and they keep making him their work horse. I'm worried that one day it'll bite abt in the behind later.
Posted by: kitkat | June 04, 2013 at 02:21 PM
Stearns, maybe. Agree he's looking stronger, but I haven't seen him in a full length Petipa for a while. I thought that his Iago was a real breakthrough in terms of theatrical skill at City Center and KC.
Posted by: Haglund | June 04, 2013 at 02:23 PM
Hi kitkat. Agree that they're overworking Gomes. The season pretty much rests on his shoulders. Again.
Posted by: Haglund | June 04, 2013 at 02:26 PM
Haglund, see page 4. http://www.timeout.com/newyork/dance/alexandre-hammoudi-talks-about-his-career-at-american-ballet-theatre?pageNumber=4
Alex expresses his desire for more coaching/rehearsing.
Posted by: kitkat | June 04, 2013 at 03:36 PM
I agree that Jared WILL be exceptional in both roles and cannot wait to see him in all 3 shows!!
Posted by: Judy Golden | June 04, 2013 at 03:42 PM
kitkat, thanks for the link. What a fabulous interview with Hammoudi.
Posted by: Haglund | June 04, 2013 at 04:03 PM
Judy, isn't it nice when we don't have to get on a plane or a train and travel hundreds of miles just to see him perform?
Posted by: Haglund | June 04, 2013 at 06:00 PM
Haglund, thank you!!
Posted by: Kitten | June 04, 2013 at 07:48 PM
This is so true, Haglund. I cannot believe that yet another Ardani mediocrity replaces Cojocaru in Swan Lake, instead of Sarah Lane. This whole thing is getting ridiculous.
Posted by: Natalie | June 05, 2013 at 07:41 PM
Hi Natalie. It just keeps getting worse and worse.
Posted by: Haglund | June 05, 2013 at 09:31 PM
I used to enjoy your blog, but in recent postings, I think you've gone too far. I take issue with your use of the term "porta-dancer." I find it crass and somewhat offensive.
The faults you see in the casting decisions at ABT are faults of the Artistic Director, not of the dancers themselves. Kochetkova, (along with Osipova, Vasiliev, and Semionova) has devoted her life to an incredibly demanding art form. Your analysis of the direction in which she has danced (if you'll forgive the pun) is interesting and informative; but your comparison of her and her fellows to portable toilets detracts from the credibility of your postings, and is downright disrespectful to their years of hard work. Referring to them as "dancers," period, without linguistic embellishment, is no insult to Abrera, Lane, Matthews, etc. You may not like the way they move, you may not like that they take roles from established dancers at the company, you may think they're altogether sub par, but there is no need for this kind of language. I believe I speak for many of your readers when I say that I wish you would reconsider it in the future.
Posted by: Violet | June 22, 2013 at 01:51 PM
Hi Violet. No one doubts that these imports dedicate their lives to their art form, but they are wholly inferior in terms of skill and artistic integrity to the dancers whom they are replacing at ABT. Wholly inferior and in some cases disgracefully inferior. They are bald-faced opportunists who have no respect for the dancers at ABT (except Kochetkova who has been chasing Simkin for years) and just walk in and walk over whoever is in their way. If my metaphors get a little pointed, they are meant to be that way.
Posted by: Haglund | June 22, 2013 at 03:53 PM