"Attention: Clean-up in the Culture section"

Here's hoping that the NYT's maintenance staff has sufficient cleaning solvents to restore Alastair Macaulay's chair seat after today's orgasmic eruption over David Hallberg. Oh Lord:

Ballet — large parts of which are still old-fashioned and riddled with class distinctions — still has plenty of room for dancers who play princes, kings, immortal spirits and divine powers. What’s extraordinary is that Mr. Hallberg — born in Rapid City, S.D., and who began his dance studies in Phoenix — is the first American dancer in history who seems tailor-made for these, as much by temperament as by physique. Duke Albrecht (“Giselle”), Prince Siegfried (“Swan Lake”), Prince Désiré or Florimund (“The Sleeping Beauty”): Where other dancers have to impose themselves on these roles, he seems to have them by birthright.

It seems that American history is now a specialty of Alastair's, and he has decided that it starts and stops with what he has witnessed.

Let's see – where to start –

How about Royes Fernandez who was born in New Orleans? Gayle Young - born in Kentucky? Fernando Bujones - born in Miami? Or Patrick Bissell, Clark Tippet, Jeremy Collins to name a few sterling American-born ABT danseurs from the 1950s into the 1980s who were born to dance princey roles but who Alastair has most likely only seen on video, if at all.

Even though Haglund was still in short pants when he saw Royes Fernandez and Gayle Young perform Prince Siegfried and his memories of them may be more memories of childhood excitement rather than critical notes, the historical photos and accounts bear out that during ABT's first 40 years, the company had several exceptionally fine American-born danseurs who were tailor-made for princey roles.

As wonderful as David Hallberg is as a dancer, and as historically important as the NYT wants to make him, he is definitely not the first American in history who was tailor-made to dance the big princey roles. He may well be the most important American dancer who Alastair Macaulay ever chooses to write about, but that's another story in itself.

Now, it's time to tidy up and hurry ourselves to the Bolshoi's Swan Lake before Olga Smirnova and Semyon Chudin start the party without us.

 

Comments

[angelica]

So true, Haglund. Everything that Macaulay writes is self-referential. Didn't ballet begin the first time he went to the ballet?

[J]

Thank you, Haglund, for remembering all those other fine American danseurs nobles, and the list could also include Bruce Marks, who was an excellent Siegfried.

[Jennifer]

"thick-cream cantilena phrasing"???!" NYTimes 7/18/14

What does that even mean? Hope you are having a great evening at the Met tonight. Looking forward to your report.

[Matthew Rusk]

Macaulay sure loves to hear himself talk, doesn't he?

[Haglund]

Now, Jennifer....think! You know what Macaulay is thinking about when he starts talking about the "flow of thick-cream cantilena phrasing" - and he ain't talking about salad dressing.

[Haglund]

Thanks J for the reminder about Bruce Marks. Hope he is still thriving these days.

[Haglund]

Hi Matthew. That piece in the NYT was "Macaulay uncorked." Note that this latest gem didn't allow reader comments.

[KCB]

TMI, TMI. Well, unlike his often-panting Times colleague Tony Tommasini, Macaulay did not use the word "strapping" even once in the piece. Or did he? Truth be told, I couldn't bear to finish this latest eruption of frustrated lust from one of the Times's three Weird Sisters. (The third? Ben Brantley, of course.) All too often, after reading one of these guys, I'm moved to shout at my laptop, "Hey, fella! Put it back in your pants, OK?"

[Haglund]

True KCB, Macaulay did not use the word "strapping" once nor did he reference "warm bodies" which he reserves for writing about children.

[Leon Van Dyke]

Please don't forget Scott Douglas at ABT in the Fifties and Sixties. Although Macauley was speaking "American dancers," the one, the only one to whose image all may aspire was the Great Dane, Erik Bruhn

[Haglund]

Thanks, Leon. In a 1956 review, the NYT's critic John Martin made a point to compare Scott Douglas to Erik Bruhn: "they are both in superb command of their bodies -- easy, meticulously accurate, stylish, brilliant."

[Lisa]

Let's not forget the Christensen brothers.

[Haglund]

Yes, indeed, Lisa. Unfortunately, I never got to see them dance.