Please read Bridesmaids which is Rachel March's review of the Wednesday matinee performance of La Bayadere. Here is one more blog which is a healthy resource on the accomplishments and star quality of Stella Abrera and many other homegrown ABT artists who are being denied opportunities and promotions.
The desperate state of affairs at ABT is turning into a textbook study of how to destroy a beloved cultural organization. In an effort to pump up ticket sales, it's management has continued to import ill-fitting guest artists instead of supporting and developing its own glorious talent. What ABT doesn't seem to understand is that the guest artists are only widely known to its core audience, a large part of which is rabidly angry over the corresponding shelving of the company's own artists. Bringing in guest artists who aren't really known much outside balletomane circles, and then alienating a chunk of the core audience so that it won't buy tickets doesn't appear to be a productive course to take – judging from the terrible turnout for this year's season.
Would anybody be at all surprised if The Met's officials decided to cut the number of weeks for ABT's future seasons to 5 or 6 or maybe even 4? Who would blame them?
18 responses to “Another voice”
It’s simply frustrating when you can see the talent is right there and there is no need to desperately look for artists elsewhere to fill the ranks. The core audience knows very well how talented the soloists are, they are not blind and cannot be blinded hopefully. It’s sad looking back to years ago when ABT’s own principals and soloists had many more performances per season than it’s the case now (and that being due to guest artists, not injuries).
It’s simply frustrating when you can see the talent is right there and there is no need to desperately look for artists elsewhere to fill the ranks. The core audience knows very well how talented the soloists are, they are not blind and cannot be blinded hopefully. It’s sad looking back to years ago when ABT’s own principals and soloists had many more performances per season than it’s the case now (and that being due to guest artists, not injuries).
All true, Kallima.
By comparison, this fall The Royal Ballet is presenting TWENTY, yes TWENTY performances of Swan Lake without using a guest artist.
All true, Kallima.
By comparison, this fall The Royal Ballet is presenting TWENTY, yes TWENTY performances of Swan Lake without using a guest artist.
Thanks Haglund!
Thanks Haglund!
My pleasure.
My pleasure.
Thank you for the link to Rachel March’s review.
Whatever happened to the STEL-LA chant that we were going to do at one of Stella’s stellar performances? If we wait too long, the entire roster of soloists and even corps members will all have names ending in -ova or -enko.
Thank you for the link to Rachel March’s review.
Whatever happened to the STEL-LA chant that we were going to do at one of Stella’s stellar performances? If we wait too long, the entire roster of soloists and even corps members will all have names ending in -ova or -enko.
Great recommendation on Rachel March’s review, thanks. The constant “importing” of foreign dancers is really getting to my nerves, seriously.
Great recommendation on Rachel March’s review, thanks. The constant “importing” of foreign dancers is really getting to my nerves, seriously.
True, Haglund, they show that such an approach is definitely possible. With ABT, it’s come to a point where you can’t even tell which performances are meant to be guest performances since they have such a high percentage. It has to be done in a way that does not limit the talent ‘at home’ and rather enriches both the guests as well as the company through inspiration, as was the case with Stella at RNZB apparently. Seems like all of this is not truly considered.
True, Haglund, they show that such an approach is definitely possible. With ABT, it’s come to a point where you can’t even tell which performances are meant to be guest performances since they have such a high percentage. It has to be done in a way that does not limit the talent ‘at home’ and rather enriches both the guests as well as the company through inspiration, as was the case with Stella at RNZB apparently. Seems like all of this is not truly considered.
I just read the news that ABT has signed Polina Semionova…
I just read the news that ABT has signed Polina Semionova…
Yes, sigh, such bad news for our own beloved senior soloists.
Yes, sigh, such bad news for our own beloved senior soloists.