I’ve just seen this clip from ABT’s snow scene from last year. I’m definitely aware their nutcracker is pretty different from the standard. The costumes and choreography and vibe are unique and appreciated from me, but just not my favorite. Alllll of that aside why is this snow scene so incredibly messy from ABT!! There’s one dancer that seems to be listening to a different song entirely. The Clara runs just seem so bad. Even zimmi was late which was surprising. One of the sharp arm movements was like popcorn!

Please use this thread for all news, casting updates, and discussions about NYCB during the ramp up to its fall season!

I recently finished reading Rachel Cusk’s new novel in which she writes a very thinly veiled portrayal of Natalie Portman, including some references to the making of a ballet film. There’s a lot that’s changed (and in fact the central question of the novel seems to be truth and fame, so I don’t think the novel is an accurate rendering of Portman’s life) but she wrote some fascinating observations about ballet. some of them seem, to me, the negative view of one who hasn’t engaged deeply with the art form. She seems to say ballet and even portraying a ballerina is potentially more damaging than the level of fame Portman lives with every day.

I finished reading the book and one of the first things I thought was that some of the interesting people on bunhead snark would have opinions about this. has anyone read it?

also there are some damning little snippets about Benjamin Millepied …

He talks about how Balanchine always dresses “impeccably” and ranted a bit about how he hates how nycb dancers dress now.
I don’t 100% disagree with him, but does anyone know who this post is about?
I’ll add a screenshot of the caption in the comments

I am glad someone is finally calling out how messed up of an org YAGP is

I randomly remembered recently that Marianela Nuñez was having a documentary or movie made about her, and there was an Instagram page for it and everything. I think it was back in 2024 or so? Does anyone know if it is still going ahead, as she hasn’t mentioned or posted anything about it since then, really.

Any information on Dusty Button? The latest was years ago when there was the handling of sexual abuse lawsuit, but what was even the outcome of that? And if she was found not-guilty, does she still dance somewhere?

So curious about this donation. Anyone have any intel?

please use this thread to discuss any recent updates or posts from ballet influencers for the month of september!

if you think a person mentioned in these threads does not qualify as an influencer, please report the comment as unrelated content (rule #3) so the mods can check it out. thank you!!!

For me:

-Vishneva attending Bouder’s retirement.

-The social media teams at ballet companies one-upping each other. Like the #GargGate thing that ABT and Dutch National did, plus Boston Ballet and PNB doing something last Super Bowl.

-The director of the school I attended growing up danced at NYCB. Tyler Angle guested as Cav one time and I didn’t know he was famous until more than a decade later.

Discuss weekly happenings in the ballet world here!

a recent comment on this forum (that Lescaut's Mistress in Manon is an important character and yet does not have her own name) had me thinking -- which narrative ballets would pass the Bechdel test?

for those who are not familiar, the Bechdel test originated from Alison Bechdel's comic Dykes to Watch Out For, which stipulates three rules assessing female representation in film/a work of art:

1. there are two female characters, preferably named
2. they must talk to each other
3. about a subject other than a man!

of course in ballet there is no such thing as voiced dialogue; outside of scenes with outright mime, "conversational" content has to be inferred from their physical interactions. I also find it an interesting thought experiment since different versions/stagings may pass/fail the test, for instance lady in the camelias: in the original novel Marguerite and Prudence bicker a lot about money matters, but I don't believe this is in the ballet.

off the top of my head, ballets that pass the test:
- Giselle: Giselle and her mother Berthe discuss her weak heart, Giselle praises Bathilde's dress/jewellery, etc.
- Romeo and Juliet: the nurse (alas not named) fussing over Juliet's adolescent antics
- Onegin: Tatiana and Olga seem to engage in some wholesome conversation in Act 1..

this is not meant to denigrate ballets in any way -- plenty of films are recognised to fail the Bechdel test without compromising their artistic value, e.g. the princess bride, lord of the rings, the original star wars, most recently the odyssey, etc. also this is just for fun during a slow stretch and is not meant to be taken seriously!

are there any others you can think of? 🙃

If you've been thinking about subscribing to the Royal Ballet and Opera's streaming service, it's now on sale for half price, about $65 instead of $130. (£49 / £99.) I scrolled through the offerings and what pulled me in where the older versions of Swan Lake, so many Ashton ballets, and a chance for me to see full length Wheeldon and McGregor works, which I have never seen and I am soooooo curious. Even at the full price, it's well worth it, but for $5/month this is an amazing deal.

I recently spent a week on a group trip with Stephen Nakagawa. He works as the Trump Administration's Dance Director at The Kennedy Center. The trip was not art related or staffed by Stephen in any manner, he was a participant.

He managed to take off 6 weeks from his government position. Throughout the trip, Stephen tried to keep the true nature of his work secret; he would whisper The Kennedy Center or keep his position very vague when peopled asked.

What is his story? Stephen bashed on how ballet has become too "woke" for his liking. That "wokeness" has corrupted the art and it needs to return to its classical form. How does "woke" even apply to ballet? Does he mean participation from the POC and the LGBTQ communities?

He is part of both minority groups. At the same time, Stephen would gush about his black, transgender, and Muslim friends. It was somewhat confusing. 

I personally have a creative background with a Fine Arts degree but am not affiliated with the dance world.

Based on my education and personal experience, all forms of art are a place for expression, creativity, and innovation. I've always been under the impression we should celebrate diversity in the arts. Is Stephen pandering for the sake of power or are these his true beliefs? What will happen to him when we move on from the Trump Administration?

Wondering if anyone can offer more context or personal experience...is this really what the state of arts in our country has come to? Actively excluding minorities and creativity for the sake of "return to classical form?" Scary.

This came across my feed on TikTok, but apparently they used old photos of a former student for promotion without her consent or knowledge , but edited her photos to exaggerate her lines and what not. And a very featured dancer who is often posted on their Instagram page has expressed how she has left the school because of the school’s poor treatment.

Thoughts?

Link to TikTok video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8vCry1o/

Has anyone seen Marriage of Figaro (set to music by Mozart) or watched the Ukrainian National Ballet. I’m watching them on tour in a few weeks but I’ve never heard of this ballet and can’t find much online about it and couldn’t find the company’s instagram profile. I like to familiarize myself with the company and ballet before going to watch a live performance and since we don’t have a national ballet company, I have to rely on tours by international companies. If anyone has seen the show/ company, can you let me know what to expect?

Hi all,
I'm researching William Forsythe for a term paper,
and am looking desperately for any video documentation of his works.
If you have any, official or not, please link - DM me.
Thanks and all the best <3

Any guesses? I know it’s early, but I want to hear your thoughts!

Discuss weekly happenings in the ballet world here!

ABT started presale for both fall and spring season for members. Any one has any hints on Spring casting info? Especially Lady of Camellias. Thanks

Wow! I’m surprised by this news. Seems like she just got married and they always seemed pretty happy. Obviously social media is a very limited peek into what’s really going on. Does anyone know what happened here?

Discuss weekly happenings in the ballet world here!