observations 3/4

Ethan Stiefel has made the decision not to renew his AD contract at the Royal New Zealand Ballet and will return to the U.S. on September 1st. Thanks to Kallima for providing us with the tip that she found on the RNZB website. Haglund first reported last January that Stiefel had not yet signed a new contract and was engaged in discussions with the RNZB Board.

Stiefel said that while the experience of his three years at the RNZB had been rewarding, it had proved difficult on a personal level to be so far away from family and friends and had made it difficult to explore other professional projects without taking too much time away from his responsibilities at RNZB.

The RNZB board is actively searching for a new AD and hopes to confirm an appointment by September 1st. The company also expressed its appreciation in having had Gillian Murphy as a principal guest artist and hopes to continue an association with her in the coming years.

While it is very true that, like everyone else, an artist's life is his own, Stiefel would not have had the career that he did without the New York audience's support in every major dance venue in the city. We really need his help now and need him to step up and save ABT from its downward spiral from ghastly and clumsy artistic management over the past several years.

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When ABT visits Australia next August, the company's first performance of Swan Lake will be transmitted live to cinemas all over Queensland.

 

Comments

[jose]

Maybe, something is cooking over at ABT? About time.

[Haglund]

From your lips to God's ears . . .

[K]

I'm glad Australia gets to see that but I seethe with jealousy. Hopefully it's Part/Gomes (not holding my breath...) and a trusty bootlegger uploads it all to youtube for the rest of us poor souls.

Interested to hear more about Stiefel, though I hope he doesn't land at LA Dance Project which seems to be snatching up all the recent NYCB retirees (who are wasting their time, imo, if ballet is a real focus for them).

[Tiffany]

I would love to see Ethan become the AD of ABT but at this point McKenzie, like Anna Wintour of Vogue, will likely be there for atleast another decade before he is replaced with someone else. Unlike the dancers, ABT's board seem very satisfied with what he is doing with the company. I wouldn't mind seeing him become a ballet master. Lord knows that company needs it.

[Haglund]

Hi, Tiffany.

ABT's 75th Anniversary (next year) would be a logical "out with the old, in with the new" AD opportunity except for the fact that the anniversary would then be focused on McKenzie, which it should not be.

If Stiefel became a ballet master, it would enable McKenzie to hold on longer because Stiefel would be helping to cover up his ineptitude. We need a change at the top.

[Al]

Sorry OT (please delete if necessary) but POB will tour Montreal, Canada for 4 days starting on Oct 16 with Lacotte Paquita(!).

[Haglund]

Thanks, Al! That is pretty exciting news. When I read that yesterday, my first thought was that POB might then dip over the U.S. border for a few days at the Koch Theater during the end of October. My second thought was to check transportation to Montreal. POB dancing Paquita is totally worth the trip.