Pointe run on

In the latest issue of Pointe Magazine, Gillian Murphy contributes a thoughtful and articulate piece on the attributes of a ballerina. She writes:

At American Ballet Theatre, I am continually struck by Stella Abrera's unwavering discipline, integrity and intelligence in both art and life. Her versatility as a dancer and actress is complemented by her graciousness onstage and to her colleagues.

It's too bad Kevin McKenzie hasn't picked up on that yet – or maybe he has. Here's what his article would probably say:

Stella and I had a conversation a long time ago and I told her how her career was going to go and she said fine and we're cool and she has no complaints whatsoever and everyone is happy and she loves me and it doesn't matter that she dances rings around the pathetic junk that I put on stage in her place and she has no objection to me eviscerating her repertoire and handing it over as food to the homely and inept because, well, you know, when someone has that much dedication, integrity, and professionalism and knows that she should be a principal dancer but would never stoop to squeak or grease up whoever needs to be greased, I can walk all over her and I can walk all over her and I can walk all over her and I can walk all – oops, sorry about that broken record – and it doesn't matter and while all of the soloists are enjoying their leading roles this year, I'll throw her a crumb as one of the Nutcracker sisters or maybe a fairy in Cinderella or a can-can girl and she won't miss dancing in the leading roles that I should have given her years ago like Giselle, Aurora, Odette, Nikiya, Titania, Medora, Theme and Variations, and of course Cinderella but, you know, I have to give Cinderella and Giselle to the aged flagging ballerina who is married to my ever faithful assistant because, well, let's see (thinking.....) – that's how things work at the Bolshoi. 

 

Comments

[angelica]

Haglund, If there were a national prize for ballet criticism this blog post would win it. It is so true and so sad. So many of us suffer at the hands of Kevin McKenzie, waiting, hoping, praying for Stella to get her Giselle and other principal roles, so far to no avail. Ms. Abrera's suffering I can only imagine.

And why isn't there a national prize for ballet criticism? Oh--maybe it's better that there isn't because a certain someone at The New York Times might win it because everyone thought his "one sugarplum too many" really cute and Christmasy and because his description of Veronika Part as "statuesque" was--wait-a-minute, that was damning by faint praise.

Thank you for writing this piece. I bestow upon you the totally useless award of first prize for ballet criticism.

[Haglund]

Thanks, Angelica.

[J]

LOVE YOUR EVER-DELIGHTFUL - AND THIS PARTICULAR POINTED - BLOG.

[Haglund]

Thanks, J.