observations 10/7

It's terrific news to hear that NYCB has promoted Unity Phelan and Roman Mejia to principal and soloist, respectively. Unity somehow made steady progress throughout the year and a half pause due to the pandemic and truly has come back to the stage dancing at a high principal level.

Congratulations to both! However, management's cheeseparing with regard to promotions is really hard to understand considering the number of announced retirements and the number of should-be-announced retirements. Is there some type of filibuster going on with regard to Harrison Ball, Emily Gerrity, Sebastian Villarini-Velez, Kikta, LaFreniere, Clark, Von Enck Jr., Nadon, Riccardo, Hod, Maxwell, and Fahoury? NYCB needs to replace more than just a couple of bricks in the upper floors of the House of Balanchine.

Edited to add:

Let's add our congratulations to Indiana Woodward as well who has been promoted to principal!

Comments

[elfantgirl]

I'd add Indiana Woodward to your list - for me she is next woman in line for promotion to principal after Unity Phelan, whom most fans would agree was an expected principal announcement. Congratulations to Phelan and Mejia, well-deserved. It does seem odd to announce only two promotions. Maybe NYCB has so many promotions they need to make soon that they want to dribble them out? Keep people guessing, maximize attention?

[Haglund]

Yep, you're right!!!!

[Georgiann]

Yet an article in the New York Times online tonight that does include Indiana Woodward as being promoted to Principal! There must have been a delay in announcing her promotion. Perhaps elfantgirl is on to something!

[elfantgirl]

Oh, hurray! It's wonderful to hear that, thanks for the news update, Georgiann.

[George Thomson]

The one that puzzles me is Megan Lecrone…
She was amazing opening night, she does so many principle roles already. Something odd there…

[Haglund]

ITA that Megan was truly lovely on opening night. But as Bruce Springsteen once remarked about how a singer in a group takes the lead, "That walk to the front of the stage is complicated."

It's not about having a fabulous performance on a given night. It's about having them seven times per week over a corps career regardless of the importance of the role and then demonstrating increasing excellence in soloist & principal roles along with a whole mixed bag of elements we as audience members never observe.

Excellence seems to have factored a great deal into the AD's recent promotion decisions for which we should be extremely grateful.

[Eva Andrea]

I am saddened to hear about Lauren King's retirement.

[Haglund]

As am I. Terribly.

[Fay]

"Excellence seems to have factored a great deal into the AD's recent promotion decisions for which we should be extremely grateful."

Yes! And I hope we can get that at ABT under new leadership.

[Haglund]

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏