It appears that Alina Cojocaru of the Royal Ballet will dance Aurora in ABT's Saturday matinee Sleeping Beauty. Presumably* she will dance with Daniil Simkin, and ABT will make that its next "big press announcement" to try to spur ticket sales.
Maybe Haglund just needs a little more Percocet to calm down his seriously annoyed new hip. He is simultaneously pleased about the opportunity to see Alina Cojocaru but unhappy that ABT's own extraordinary soloist women are again being denied a rare opportunity to dance a principal role. Sarah Lane has proven herself far more worthy of a Sleeping Beauty principal role than the lackluster, reminds-McKenzie-of-McKenzie, duller-than-Sarah-Palin's-Tweets, sand-flavored, minor league soloist Cory Stearns. McKenzie sets up all these high fallutin' standards for the women and brushes the standards off to the side when it comes to Stearns. Our women soloists are going nowhere fast while McKenzie brings in guest artist after guest artist and continues to push Mr. Soggy Mash Potatoes down our throats at every opportunity.
McKenzie seems hell bent on making Stearns into his own 1980s image – which in 2010 just isn't good enough – not in light of what we have seen these past two decades. Why doesn't ABT bring in Carlos Acosta to dance with Michelle Wiles if it can't manage to pair her with an in-house principal? Their Black Swan PdD was pretty spectacular a few years back. Stearns and Wiles are Tweetie-sweeties so that apparently justifies giving Stearns a hog load of undeserved opportunities.
What's Twitter-speak for box office backlash?
There was a time when guest artists were used to help push weeknight performance sales. This year, McKenzie is using Osipova and Cojocoru for Saturday performances that always sell out no matter who dances. What's the point of that kind of scheduling?
Haglund is going to make his Percocet cocktail a double.
*Update Feb. 10:
Today JM Carreno was slotted on the website calendar to dance with Alina Cojocaru in the Saturday matinee Sleeping Beauty for the Met season. It's very nice to see that he is getting an additional performance. However, it seems that this would have been the perfect opportunity for McKenzie to employ the philosophy he talks about of matching up experienced dancers with the less experienced. Imagine the benefit that Sarah, Stella, Maria, or Kristi would receive from JM's experience. Frankly, it is just unacceptable that Sarah Lane does not have a Sleeping Beauty this year considering her gutsy history and unquestionable success with this role.
14 responses to “ABT continues to spend on female guest artists while ignoring development of the company’s own female soloists.”
“mr. soggy mash potatoes” is harsh. this is someone who has worked hard every day of his life and continues to do so; he is just starting out–give him a chance to find himself in these roles. be open enough to let him surprise you.
and pop one more percocet while you’re at it.
“mr. soggy mash potatoes” is harsh. this is someone who has worked hard every day of his life and continues to do so; he is just starting out–give him a chance to find himself in these roles. be open enough to let him surprise you.
and pop one more percocet while you’re at it.
You’re right, “Mr. Soggy Mash Potatoes” is harsh and sounds a lot like hospital food. Haglund’s internal editor apologizes for not being awake on the job. However, imagine what the soloist women would accomplish if they were given half the opportunities that seem to come to Mr. S.
You’re right, “Mr. Soggy Mash Potatoes” is harsh and sounds a lot like hospital food. Haglund’s internal editor apologizes for not being awake on the job. However, imagine what the soloist women would accomplish if they were given half the opportunities that seem to come to Mr. S.
i agree that the female soloists are being cheated out of opportunity in this circumstance. that is an opinion which i can understand and appreciate.
i agree that the female soloists are being cheated out of opportunity in this circumstance. that is an opinion which i can understand and appreciate.
I agree with your principle but….them’s the breaks. Ballet always has a dearth of men and a surfeit of women. Name me one great ballerina who ever got rich off ballet. I can name you two men who did. (Only two: but still.)
Add to that the fact that, dammit, ballet is still thought of in the US as “foreign” (even though every little girl goes through an “I want to be a ballerina” phase….), and you have what you have.
Balanchine worked hard to root ballet in America, but his chosen successor is a Dane. Go figure.
Remember what he said about Gelsey Kirkland? “Only problem, didn’t defect.”
I agree with your principle but….them’s the breaks. Ballet always has a dearth of men and a surfeit of women. Name me one great ballerina who ever got rich off ballet. I can name you two men who did. (Only two: but still.)
Add to that the fact that, dammit, ballet is still thought of in the US as “foreign” (even though every little girl goes through an “I want to be a ballerina” phase….), and you have what you have.
Balanchine worked hard to root ballet in America, but his chosen successor is a Dane. Go figure.
Remember what he said about Gelsey Kirkland? “Only problem, didn’t defect.”
Hi Diana and thanks for the reality check.
However, America’s National Ballet Company, funded mostly by the public’s generosity and which receives annual sums from the US government, should be a bit more sensitive about the extent and the circumstances under which it outsources job opportunities especially when it has under-utilized talent in its own ranks.
Hi Diana and thanks for the reality check.
However, America’s National Ballet Company, funded mostly by the public’s generosity and which receives annual sums from the US government, should be a bit more sensitive about the extent and the circumstances under which it outsources job opportunities especially when it has under-utilized talent in its own ranks.
Hiya HH,
Completely understand your frustration at female soloists not being given opportunity for development, seems a great shame! But there’s at least a very shiny silver lining: Alina’s Aurora – if you have not seen her yet – really is a vision to behold, a complete joy in this role.
We wrote in a recent post she was like “vintage Balenciaga”, which for us is the epitome of great style.
Hiya HH,
Completely understand your frustration at female soloists not being given opportunity for development, seems a great shame! But there’s at least a very shiny silver lining: Alina’s Aurora – if you have not seen her yet – really is a vision to behold, a complete joy in this role.
We wrote in a recent post she was like “vintage Balenciaga”, which for us is the epitome of great style.
Thanks, Bag Ladies.
Balenciaga? My, my, you have some VERY expensive tastes in bags. Haglund is, of course, a “shoe guy” and has his eyes on a pair of silver metallic leather patent trim pumps at the House of Balenciaga, which, while possibly unwearable, would certainly make a grand Pump Bump Award.
Thanks, Bag Ladies.
Balenciaga? My, my, you have some VERY expensive tastes in bags. Haglund is, of course, a “shoe guy” and has his eyes on a pair of silver metallic leather patent trim pumps at the House of Balenciaga, which, while possibly unwearable, would certainly make a grand Pump Bump Award.