ABT's management continues to stab its own dancers in the backs by trying to steer group sales to performances of imported guest artists. Take a look at this email solicitation.
Why would any group consider buying tickets to a performance that doesn’t feature the imported guest artists promoted in this solicitation? This is who you should pay to see is the message of this ad. The best dancers always come from some place else is the message of this ad.
ABT DOESN'T WANT people to think that the company is anything other than a bunch of nameless corps and soloists who back up what ever whoring guest artists that ABT can drag in off the street. That’s exactly how the Met Opera works. Does anyone care or even know who the choristers or short-phrase soloists at the Met Opera are? No. They are completely nameless and faceless and remain that way for their entire careers. And that’s just the way the Met Opera's management likes it.
So what stupid fools are trying to steer ABT into an artistic model based on the Met Opera? Well… Joe Volpe’s wife sits on ABT’s board and used to dance with the Met Opera Ballet. Can’t you hear it at the board meetings? “My Joe says to tell you that the opera artistic model is the only way ABT can survive. My Joe says to tell you he ran an organization 10 times bigger than ABT. My Joe says to tell you that ABT would be better off if it were folded into the Met Opera.”
Here’s the problem with the ballet-run-like-an-opera theory: the opera audience and the ballet audience are different animals; always have been; always will be. There has never been a significant sized crossover audience. The two audiences invest in different aspects of their arts and attend performances for different reasons. Ballet audiences identify and follow the careers of dancers for decades, sometimes from start to finish. It’s an investment they make willingly and joyfully. It is an investment for which they expect returns in the way of more featured roles and promotions. It is the artistic journey that the ballet audience is interested in, not seeing Vasiliev's hammy thighs split open in a mediocre gymnast's jump.
Opera audiences don’t give a rat’s ass who a chorister is or what he sounds like, because they can never hear that person’s individual voice whereas the balletomane's eyes focus on every corps dancer and demi-soloist. Why? Because the quality of the dancing of every individual in the corps matters to the ballet performance infinitely more than any individual chorister's voice matters in an opera. It’s that simple.
But put all that aside and just focus on how well the ballet-run-like-an-opera theory has been working for ABT these past several years. Piss poor, hasn’t it? It has failed to bring in new audiences and has alienated the existing core audience, and yet this ABT Board keeps doing things the same stupid way hoping for a different result.
The only thing that’s going to get a different, better result is a better artistic director – one who knows how to coach, who can assemble a permanent, sufficient coaching staff who are experts in classicism, and one who can build from the inside out – not someone who believes he only needs to import the classical work product of more competent artistic directors.
ABT needs a director who can tell his lifelong friend and the company’s aging, crumbling ballerina that she is less fit to take on the new role of Cinderella than deserving senior soloists and is on the borderline of not being fit to dance anything that doesn't furnish her with some man who will carry her through the whole performance. ABT needs a director who can tell the assistant director’s wife that she needs to make this year her last and that the company has more useful ways to spend her ridiculous $170,000 compensation package. If the aging prima is hell-bent on grabbing a new role away from someone, why doesn’t she dance Myrtha to Stella Abrera’s long overdue Giselle? That would be the sign of a true generous spirit and would require no alterations in the spring schedule.
ABT not only imports countless inferior guest artists, but it tries to sanitize some of it by calling them exchange artists. Now into its second year, the exchange artist program has become a one-way program of importing without corresponding exports. Who the hell at ABT is going anywhere in exchange for this Amy Watson? Who at ABT is going anywhere in exchange for this Kevin Jackson? A "Let's try to buy an international career for Sue Heck initiative" is not an exchange program. And how did last year’s ordinary exchange artist get instantly “promoted” to principal guest artist this year? An "exchange artist" can get himself promoted to "principal guest artist" following one ordinary, unspectacular performance last year, but ABT's own dancer can't get a promotion after 17 years of outstanding work. Where the hell is the sense in it all?
And why does ABT need a no-name, completely average, unspectacular dancer from Ukraine to come in and take performances away from the company's own superb dancers? Why is McKenzie feeding Makarova bullshit about ABT's dancers – specifically, Abrera, Kajiya, Matthews, Lane, Radetsky, Tamm, Ribagorda, Forster, Underwood, Bond, Gorak, Paris and others – not being good enough to dance the leading principal roles in her La Bayadere? He should be championing them, not dismissing them.
Do the dilettantes on ABT’s Board who allow this to go on have any gray matter between their ears? Apparently the only one with a brain quit last year, completely fed up with the board’s over indulgent attitude toward Rachel Moore and Kevin McKenzie. When is this board going to hold the artistic director accountable for ABT’s artistic failure and the waste of the company's own talent? When is this board of rich do-nothings going to take any responsibility for ABT's sad decline?
48 responses to “Ballet is not opera”
Ballet isn’t opera. In opera, the most difficult vocal job is that of the chorus, and there is not a tradition of going from chorus to comprimario to principal singer. The Met opera has a world-class orchestra and chorus. The “stars” can be problematic, in part because contracts are signed several years in advance. In a real ballet company, the corps would be the testing ground for future soloists and principals. But I don’t know of any opera company that works that way. As we agree, ballet isn’t opera. Cheers!
Ballet isn’t opera. In opera, the most difficult vocal job is that of the chorus, and there is not a tradition of going from chorus to comprimario to principal singer. The Met opera has a world-class orchestra and chorus. The “stars” can be problematic, in part because contracts are signed several years in advance. In a real ballet company, the corps would be the testing ground for future soloists and principals. But I don’t know of any opera company that works that way. As we agree, ballet isn’t opera. Cheers!
Thanks, Sinyet.
Thanks, Sinyet.
The guest situation has truly reached unprecedented heights this year. Of the 62 performances this spring, I count 29 that include either a guest artist, “exchange artist,” or part-time principal (Bolle, Vishneva, Hallberg, Vasiliev).
I am not opposed to the idea of guest stars, and featuring a few guest performers each season allows NY audiences to experience artists they may otherwise never see. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to see Vishneva, for example. However, it’s now strangling out opportunities for artistic growth within the corps and soloist ranks.
The most egregious examples of guest star casting, in my opinion, are the three Bayaderes featuring guests in both principal roles. In these instances, ABT’s dancers are truly just the backdrop for Mariinsky, Bolshoi, etc. dancers. In instances in which only one guest star is cast in a ballet, at least an ABT principal can potentially benefit from the opportunity to dance with a novel partner who may push him/her to new artistic heights.
The guest situation has truly reached unprecedented heights this year. Of the 62 performances this spring, I count 29 that include either a guest artist, “exchange artist,” or part-time principal (Bolle, Vishneva, Hallberg, Vasiliev).
I am not opposed to the idea of guest stars, and featuring a few guest performers each season allows NY audiences to experience artists they may otherwise never see. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to see Vishneva, for example. However, it’s now strangling out opportunities for artistic growth within the corps and soloist ranks.
The most egregious examples of guest star casting, in my opinion, are the three Bayaderes featuring guests in both principal roles. In these instances, ABT’s dancers are truly just the backdrop for Mariinsky, Bolshoi, etc. dancers. In instances in which only one guest star is cast in a ballet, at least an ABT principal can potentially benefit from the opportunity to dance with a novel partner who may push him/her to new artistic heights.
Sorry, it’s actually two Bayaderes.
Sorry, it’s actually two Bayaderes.
True, FoF.
If ABT had come clean and announced it intentions 6 or so years ago to change its artistic model so as to use mostly guest artists, many more of its dancers would have left to pursue careers in companies that offer more ethical and nurturing workplaces. For example, we might have seen Abrera’s Giselle in Canada or San Francisco. We might have seen Sara Lane’s Swan Lake in Boston. We might have seen Jared and Yuriko become one of the most sought after international partnerships on the planet. But ABT’s total dishonesty in dealing with the company’s dancers and with its public supporters has cost all of us a great deal.
True, FoF.
If ABT had come clean and announced it intentions 6 or so years ago to change its artistic model so as to use mostly guest artists, many more of its dancers would have left to pursue careers in companies that offer more ethical and nurturing workplaces. For example, we might have seen Abrera’s Giselle in Canada or San Francisco. We might have seen Sara Lane’s Swan Lake in Boston. We might have seen Jared and Yuriko become one of the most sought after international partnerships on the planet. But ABT’s total dishonesty in dealing with the company’s dancers and with its public supporters has cost all of us a great deal.
Is Olga Smirnova really only a soloist? I know she’s gotten rave reviews and is probably wonderful, but it seems strange to bring in a guest soloist to dance a principal role. That tells your own dancers that even soloists from other countries are better than your own principals.
Is Olga Smirnova really only a soloist? I know she’s gotten rave reviews and is probably wonderful, but it seems strange to bring in a guest soloist to dance a principal role. That tells your own dancers that even soloists from other countries are better than your own principals.
True, Kate, that’s the message that ABT is sending to its own dancers. Smirnova is a leading soloist, not a principal – so beautiful but with a few embarrassing deficiencies such as that hideous developpe position while in promenade. But ABT and the media will gloss over that, because as we all know, an “It girl” can do no wrong until the next “It girl” comes along.
True, Kate, that’s the message that ABT is sending to its own dancers. Smirnova is a leading soloist, not a principal – so beautiful but with a few embarrassing deficiencies such as that hideous developpe position while in promenade. But ABT and the media will gloss over that, because as we all know, an “It girl” can do no wrong until the next “It girl” comes along.
The other thing that occurs to me is that Cory Stearns’ injury seems to have exposed a decided lack of depth in the ABT ranks, if they need to bring guest artists in to replace him. Looking at ABT’s current roster of principals, the core group is Gillian Murphy, Veronika Part, and Hee Seo on the ladies’ side. On the men’s side, it is Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns, and James Whiteside. I’ve pared it down to these names because Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes, and Diana Vishneva are all in the waning years of their careers, presumably, and Roberto Bolle, David Hallberg, Polina Semionova, and Ivan Vasiliev are more like guests.
So when it comes down to it, ABT only has three workhorse principal women, and five principal men. Of those men, two (Cornejo and Simkin) are limited by height with regard to who they can partner. Two of the three principal women (Murphy and Part) are taller. All of a sudden it makes a lot more sense as to why Cory Stearns’ injury caused such problems. This seems to suggest that ABT needs to promote a taller man and a shorter woman to principal pronto, just to be able to maintain the necessary depth in its principal group. I don’t know how tall Jared Matthews is, but he did partner Veronika. I’m relatively new to ballet watching, so this may be off-base, but it’s just what leaps out at me.
The other thing that occurs to me is that Cory Stearns’ injury seems to have exposed a decided lack of depth in the ABT ranks, if they need to bring guest artists in to replace him. Looking at ABT’s current roster of principals, the core group is Gillian Murphy, Veronika Part, and Hee Seo on the ladies’ side. On the men’s side, it is Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns, and James Whiteside. I’ve pared it down to these names because Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes, and Diana Vishneva are all in the waning years of their careers, presumably, and Roberto Bolle, David Hallberg, Polina Semionova, and Ivan Vasiliev are more like guests.
So when it comes down to it, ABT only has three workhorse principal women, and five principal men. Of those men, two (Cornejo and Simkin) are limited by height with regard to who they can partner. Two of the three principal women (Murphy and Part) are taller. All of a sudden it makes a lot more sense as to why Cory Stearns’ injury caused such problems. This seems to suggest that ABT needs to promote a taller man and a shorter woman to principal pronto, just to be able to maintain the necessary depth in its principal group. I don’t know how tall Jared Matthews is, but he did partner Veronika. I’m relatively new to ballet watching, so this may be off-base, but it’s just what leaps out at me.
Hi, Kate.
There’s really no lack of depth in the company. It is only McKenzie’s lack of confidence and minor investment in the talent that is throughout the ranks. The depth is there in spades; it’s just not allowed to perform.
McKenzie could easily, and should, make six or seven promotions to principal and an equal number or greater to soloist. It doesn’t cost him to do that when the dancers are already getting paid for performing principal and soloist roles.
Hi, Kate.
There’s really no lack of depth in the company. It is only McKenzie’s lack of confidence and minor investment in the talent that is throughout the ranks. The depth is there in spades; it’s just not allowed to perform.
McKenzie could easily, and should, make six or seven promotions to principal and an equal number or greater to soloist. It doesn’t cost him to do that when the dancers are already getting paid for performing principal and soloist roles.
I completely agree with you. I don’t think there’s a lack of depth in the company, but I think there is a lack in the principal ranks. More promotions would address that and fewer guest artists would help grow junior dancers by giving them chances to dance major roles. Those Bayaderes that Smirnova and Tereshkina are dancing could have gone to some of the soloists, to give them a chance to prove themselves.
I completely agree with you. I don’t think there’s a lack of depth in the company, but I think there is a lack in the principal ranks. More promotions would address that and fewer guest artists would help grow junior dancers by giving them chances to dance major roles. Those Bayaderes that Smirnova and Tereshkina are dancing could have gone to some of the soloists, to give them a chance to prove themselves.
Very, very true.
Very, very true.
There is no lack of depth but more like lack of experience which ABT management equate with depth. But how are homegrown dancers to get experience dancing lead roles if they are denied opportunities by management in the first place? By limiting these dancers’ growth and opportunities, management can then turn around and bemoan lack of depth or other excuses to bring in foreign guests. I feel sorry for whoever Shklyarov gets to partner at ABT because his partnering skills live and on yt videos have been topics of discussion among balletomanes circles, it is that bad. Smirnova was a breath of fresh air a couple of seasons ago but now has doubled down on diva mannerisms like bent wrist, downcast eyes, and protruding neck plus don’t get me started about her piss-poor turnout. Lendorf I actually saw once as James in La Sylphide, good feet like most Danes but he did not make big impression, so I was surprised to see him as guest star.
Unfortunately I think ABT soloists are unlikely to throw any fits to bring public attention to this weird way of running a major company. Dance jobs are hard to come by today, and it’s not like they are under lifetime tenures as public servants as the dancers are at Paris Opera Ballet.
ABT pushes hard for people to buy tickets to guest artists’ shows because it can justify demand for these imports. If they were smart they would know Russians living in NY will buy up tickets to these shows without advertisement, just as they have done for years. Though now business is slow so of course subscribers are nudged to select these shows because how embarrassing would it be for them to be less than full after all the efforts to get these imports.
There is no lack of depth but more like lack of experience which ABT management equate with depth. But how are homegrown dancers to get experience dancing lead roles if they are denied opportunities by management in the first place? By limiting these dancers’ growth and opportunities, management can then turn around and bemoan lack of depth or other excuses to bring in foreign guests. I feel sorry for whoever Shklyarov gets to partner at ABT because his partnering skills live and on yt videos have been topics of discussion among balletomanes circles, it is that bad. Smirnova was a breath of fresh air a couple of seasons ago but now has doubled down on diva mannerisms like bent wrist, downcast eyes, and protruding neck plus don’t get me started about her piss-poor turnout. Lendorf I actually saw once as James in La Sylphide, good feet like most Danes but he did not make big impression, so I was surprised to see him as guest star.
Unfortunately I think ABT soloists are unlikely to throw any fits to bring public attention to this weird way of running a major company. Dance jobs are hard to come by today, and it’s not like they are under lifetime tenures as public servants as the dancers are at Paris Opera Ballet.
ABT pushes hard for people to buy tickets to guest artists’ shows because it can justify demand for these imports. If they were smart they would know Russians living in NY will buy up tickets to these shows without advertisement, just as they have done for years. Though now business is slow so of course subscribers are nudged to select these shows because how embarrassing would it be for them to be less than full after all the efforts to get these imports.
Hi Genna.
The ticket sales for the first week alone are disastrous. For the two performances on Wednesday, they’ve set aside two big chunks of seats in the family circle, presumably free or low cost tickets for their screamers, but overall it’s some of the worst performance sales for the first week I can remember. Sorry, but ABT deserves every empty seat. They are so far off track with their “import artists or bust” mentality that everyone should just let them bust. I’m skipping all of the Don Qs.
Hi Genna.
The ticket sales for the first week alone are disastrous. For the two performances on Wednesday, they’ve set aside two big chunks of seats in the family circle, presumably free or low cost tickets for their screamers, but overall it’s some of the worst performance sales for the first week I can remember. Sorry, but ABT deserves every empty seat. They are so far off track with their “import artists or bust” mentality that everyone should just let them bust. I’m skipping all of the Don Qs.
I was very saddened to see those unimpressive “Guest” and “Exchange Artists” on the schedule like Adams, Nedak, Lendorf, etc. I’ve always hated how in American ballet, foreign dancers were considered superior to American dancers. And ABT is sadly upholding this tradition. No offense to those dancers, but I truly hope the sales to those shows are poor. Their are ABT dancers in the corp de ballet better than them, who will be waving a rose or posing in the background while they dance their mediocre performance this MET season. I am tired of it.
As always Haglund, thank you for saying what many of us are thinking about ABT, but isn’t being said other than when dancers leave (Messmer, Dvorovenko) and give scathing interviews about the company in the press.
I was very saddened to see those unimpressive “Guest” and “Exchange Artists” on the schedule like Adams, Nedak, Lendorf, etc. I’ve always hated how in American ballet, foreign dancers were considered superior to American dancers. And ABT is sadly upholding this tradition. No offense to those dancers, but I truly hope the sales to those shows are poor. Their are ABT dancers in the corp de ballet better than them, who will be waving a rose or posing in the background while they dance their mediocre performance this MET season. I am tired of it.
As always Haglund, thank you for saying what many of us are thinking about ABT, but isn’t being said other than when dancers leave (Messmer, Dvorovenko) and give scathing interviews about the company in the press.
True, Tiffany. ABT’s management looks very desperate right now as it searches for anybody anywhere who it can put on stage instead of its own talent.
True, Tiffany. ABT’s management looks very desperate right now as it searches for anybody anywhere who it can put on stage instead of its own talent.
I love you Haglund.
That’s all I have to say except to add this to your litany of questions:
Why aren’t YOU reviewing ballet for the freakin’ paper of record.
Did I tell you I love you? Please don’t be embarrassed. I mean this in the purest most intellectual way.
I love you Haglund.
That’s all I have to say except to add this to your litany of questions:
Why aren’t YOU reviewing ballet for the freakin’ paper of record.
Did I tell you I love you? Please don’t be embarrassed. I mean this in the purest most intellectual way.
Thank you, Diana.
Thank you, Diana.
“Ballet isn’t opera. In opera, the most difficult vocal job is that of the chorus, and there is not a tradition of going from chorus to comprimario to principal singer. ”
Exactly. I wouldn’t run a comparison with opera. In opera many of the choristers while wonderful singers simply don’t have what it takes to be heard without a microphone alone in a 4000 seat theater. Your voice may be beautiful but just not large enough to be heard or you may not have the artistry to act with the voice. Stage freight may play a part too for some people. Others may even prefer a 6-digit salary + benefits that Met choristers get vs constant travel and pay-for-performance-no-benefits work of the soloists. Some people have talent for comprimario roles, but not to sustain lead roles, and in other cases they may also be young singers trying to develop experience and build careers. The singers for the roles are chosen from those who have already made their names internationally and who won competitions. This is true about all major opera theaters, not just the Met. Common style or look isn’t really important in opera, meaningless actually, even an opera chorus in most operas is more like a crowd.
The ballet is very different. I do agree with what you say about ballet, but I think opera comparisons don’t make sense which is one of the reasons the attempts of ABT management to simulate the met are ridiculous.
“Ballet isn’t opera. In opera, the most difficult vocal job is that of the chorus, and there is not a tradition of going from chorus to comprimario to principal singer. ”
Exactly. I wouldn’t run a comparison with opera. In opera many of the choristers while wonderful singers simply don’t have what it takes to be heard without a microphone alone in a 4000 seat theater. Your voice may be beautiful but just not large enough to be heard or you may not have the artistry to act with the voice. Stage freight may play a part too for some people. Others may even prefer a 6-digit salary + benefits that Met choristers get vs constant travel and pay-for-performance-no-benefits work of the soloists. Some people have talent for comprimario roles, but not to sustain lead roles, and in other cases they may also be young singers trying to develop experience and build careers. The singers for the roles are chosen from those who have already made their names internationally and who won competitions. This is true about all major opera theaters, not just the Met. Common style or look isn’t really important in opera, meaningless actually, even an opera chorus in most operas is more like a crowd.
The ballet is very different. I do agree with what you say about ballet, but I think opera comparisons don’t make sense which is one of the reasons the attempts of ABT management to simulate the met are ridiculous.
Thanks, Kitty.
Thanks, Kitty.
Hi Haglund,
I’ve also often wondered why you aren’t a dance critic, given your extensive knowledge and superior experience on multiple levels of dance. I assume it’s because you wouldn’t want to dance to “their” tune. As a passionate fan of both ballet and opera, I agree completely with Kitty’s distinction between the two forms. Thank you Haglund for continuing to inform and stimulate us dance lovers.
Hi Haglund,
I’ve also often wondered why you aren’t a dance critic, given your extensive knowledge and superior experience on multiple levels of dance. I assume it’s because you wouldn’t want to dance to “their” tune. As a passionate fan of both ballet and opera, I agree completely with Kitty’s distinction between the two forms. Thank you Haglund for continuing to inform and stimulate us dance lovers.
Just read from Pointe Mag tweet that Jared and Yuriko will leave ABT at the end of the season and join Houston Ballet as 1st soloist.
Just read from Pointe Mag tweet that Jared and Yuriko will leave ABT at the end of the season and join Houston Ballet as 1st soloist.
Thanks for the heads-up, Jose. This one really hurts but I’m proud of them for not taking the crap from McKenzie any more.
Thanks for the heads-up, Jose. This one really hurts but I’m proud of them for not taking the crap from McKenzie any more.
If I could flood McKenzie’s office with copies of this post, I would.
Thank you for writing this piece.
If I could flood McKenzie’s office with copies of this post, I would.
Thank you for writing this piece.
Thank you, Nicole.
McKenzie is completely insulated from all complaints, all unsupportive letters, emails, and phone calls. He thinks he’s doing a grand job.
Thank you, Nicole.
McKenzie is completely insulated from all complaints, all unsupportive letters, emails, and phone calls. He thinks he’s doing a grand job.