Here's the program and casting for the Guggenheim Works & Process program that ABT will present on April 21 & 22 at 7:30pm. It is titled "What makes an ABT dancer?" The promo includes this pretentious line, "American Ballet Theatre was founded on the principle that its dancers must be as versatile as the repertory is diverse." That would probably amuse Lucia Chase. How come there's nothing in her biography about the founding of her company around a fancy defined aesthetic principle like that? Answer: Because it was all made up by Kevin McKenzie and Co. as a way to try to differentiate ABT from all other companies.
Maybe we'll hear how those other companies like NYCB, Mariinsky, and Paris Opera Ballet were NOT founded on the principle that dancers must be as versatile as the repertory is diverse.
The first program on Sunday evening will be livestreamed at this link at 7:30pm:
http://www.ustream.tv/worksandprocess
PANEL
John Meehan, Moderator
ABT Artistic Staff
PROGRAM (excerpts will be performed)
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes
Choreography by Mark Morris
Staged by Tina Fehlandt
Music by Virgil Thomson
Costumes by Santo Loquasto
Danced by Isabella Boylston, Thomas Forster, Joseph Gorak, Arron Scott
The Leaves are Fading (Second Pas de Deux)
Choreography by Antony Tudor
Staged by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner
Music by Antonin Dvorâk
Costumes by Patricia Zipprodt
Danced by Stella Abrera and Sascha Radetsky
Swan Lake (Act II Excerpt)
Choreography by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Costumes by Zack Brown
Danced by Hee Seo and Alexandre Hammoudi
ABT Curriculum Demonstration
Raymond Lukens with the ABT Studio Company
Flower Festival in Genzano (Excerpt)
Choreography by August Bournonville
Music by Edvard Helsted
Costumes by Santo Loquasto
Danced by Joseph Gorak
Don Quixote (Solo from Act I)
Choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky
Music by Ludwig Minkus
Costumes by Santo Loquasto
Danced by Isabella Boylston
A Month in the Country (Excerpt)
Choreography by Frederick Ashton
Staged by Anthony Dowell and Grant Coyle
Music by Frederic Chopin
Arranged by John Lanchberry
Danced by Arron Scott
The Moor’s Pavane (Excerpts)
Choreography by José Limon
Music by Henry Purcell
Arrangement by Simon Sadoff
(From “Abdelazer,” “The Gordion Knot Untied,” and
the pavane from “Pavane and Chaconne for Strings”)
Direction and Reconstruction by Clay Taliaferro
Costumes by Pauline Lawrence
The Moor Alexandre Hammoudi
His Friend Sascha Radetsky
His Friend’s Wife Stella Abrera
The Moor’s Wife Hee Seo
Les Carnaval de Animaux (Excerpts)
Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky
Staged by Tatiana Ratmansky
Music by Camille Saint-Saëns
ABT Studio Company
Why doesn't ABT get brave and have a question and answer session at these events?
18 responses to “ABT – Casting for Works & Process 4/21 & 4/22”
They want to devote 2 sessions to question of What Makes an ABT Dancer? The answer to that question is easily answerable in one word: Ardani.
I would prefer Kevin put on that stage all of his current acquisitions from Ardani, and have him and said artists answer questions as to why they are deserving of their positions.
They want to devote 2 sessions to question of What Makes an ABT Dancer? The answer to that question is easily answerable in one word: Ardani.
I would prefer Kevin put on that stage all of his current acquisitions from Ardani, and have him and said artists answer questions as to why they are deserving of their positions.
True, Genna.
Is ABT going to tell us how fabulous Osipova and Vishneva are in De Mille and Mark Morris works? Or how great Vasiliev is in Tudor and Taylor? Or Semionova in Tharp, Limon, and Lubovitch? Oh, wait, they’ve never danced that ABT rep. Maybe the W&P won’t be about that type of ABT dancer; maybe it will be about the other type of ABT dancer: the one who is faithful and forgiving to a fault; the one who lets the director walk all over them and give their opportunities and principal recognition to imports of lesser quality.
Somebody needs to look at the obvious “contract for cooperation” between McKenzie and Ardani to see just how McKenzie is being “lubed” in return for replacing ABT artists with Ardani imports. Anyone who thinks that only happens in Russia, should think again.
True, Genna.
Is ABT going to tell us how fabulous Osipova and Vishneva are in De Mille and Mark Morris works? Or how great Vasiliev is in Tudor and Taylor? Or Semionova in Tharp, Limon, and Lubovitch? Oh, wait, they’ve never danced that ABT rep. Maybe the W&P won’t be about that type of ABT dancer; maybe it will be about the other type of ABT dancer: the one who is faithful and forgiving to a fault; the one who lets the director walk all over them and give their opportunities and principal recognition to imports of lesser quality.
Somebody needs to look at the obvious “contract for cooperation” between McKenzie and Ardani to see just how McKenzie is being “lubed” in return for replacing ABT artists with Ardani imports. Anyone who thinks that only happens in Russia, should think again.
Now I really wished I’d bought a ticket!
Now I really wished I’d bought a ticket!
Abrera, Radetsky, Scott- some of the dancers who are the artistic soul of the company. As Gorak gains confidence, I hope he maintains his integrity. He seems to be absorbing the best from the truly greats in the company. And those legs!
Abrera, Radetsky, Scott- some of the dancers who are the artistic soul of the company. As Gorak gains confidence, I hope he maintains his integrity. He seems to be absorbing the best from the truly greats in the company. And those legs!
Gorak is the last protege of Bujones. Hope he holds onto that lineage and integrity.
Gorak is the last protege of Bujones. Hope he holds onto that lineage and integrity.
Don’t care much of the Q&A, I actually want to see this program considering the are using the company artists instead of the “imported” ones. You can see Stella and Sascha dance twice in one evening, don’t see that too often (or at all)!
Don’t care much of the Q&A, I actually want to see this program considering the are using the company artists instead of the “imported” ones. You can see Stella and Sascha dance twice in one evening, don’t see that too often (or at all)!
True, LBJ, we don’t see them much. They looked wonderful together in Le Corsaire. We’re being robbed by not getting their Giselle. Robbed.
True, LBJ, we don’t see them much. They looked wonderful together in Le Corsaire. We’re being robbed by not getting their Giselle. Robbed.
Hi Haglund-
What’s your experience with/ have you heard anything about trying to get standby tickets for the event? I’m so interested in seeing this program – it looks better than the met gala, honestly- and just dropped the ball on the day that tickets went on sale!
on a random side note, i’ve been checking your site multiple times a day! i can’t get enough of your posts/comments and comments of your readers!
Hi Haglund-
What’s your experience with/ have you heard anything about trying to get standby tickets for the event? I’m so interested in seeing this program – it looks better than the met gala, honestly- and just dropped the ball on the day that tickets went on sale!
on a random side note, i’ve been checking your site multiple times a day! i can’t get enough of your posts/comments and comments of your readers!
Thanks much.
IMO, waiting in line for standby tickets isn’t worth the time or effort. There will be so few of them available, although you might get to stand. The W&P livestreams have been getting better with fewer transmission problems, and they are available to watch again and again usually by the next day. Be sure you’re on the W&P mailing list so you get early notification of future programs. Only the Sunday program is being livestreamed.
Thanks much.
IMO, waiting in line for standby tickets isn’t worth the time or effort. There will be so few of them available, although you might get to stand. The W&P livestreams have been getting better with fewer transmission problems, and they are available to watch again and again usually by the next day. Be sure you’re on the W&P mailing list so you get early notification of future programs. Only the Sunday program is being livestreamed.