mola

Mr.Mola has Alina's photos on his house and admires JK work. However, he has a different perspective. Maybe because he loves ONB.

annamicro, I see you go on attacking me. No, I don't know perfectly as I am not as closed to some of the the sources as you do. But there is a link here on this forum with a press release signed by 51 ballet dancers (sorry not 52). 

As regards the official website - with no General Manager until May 20th - as per the new Minister declaration - I wonder who takes responsability for any official initiative.

Truth hurts. Sometimes is much better to admire an artist for his performance and not extend his artistry to his personality. I would say going public to this extend, JK has done too much harm to be welcomed to ONB. Trying to go even further using political intervention is absolutely outrageous. There are 52 ballet dancers from his department saying he is not wanted, what else to be said?

I really don't understand this. One day you resign and the next day you negotiate?

What a pressure on the Minister who first created the position and now wants to negotiate a resignation based on an international media scandal.

How would it feel if this was happening in UK and instead of JK was an anonymous or someone you don't necessary admire that much?

If he has not decided, why did he fax his letter? Just to create media pressure? I would call this blackmail.

Facts are : the Minister of Culture created a position just for JK, which first he accepted and then he turned it off.

He sent his resignation by fax - his resignation was accepted.

What's the use of the petition? JK has already decided for himself. Whatever is going on right now is called a media circus.

annamicro, I won''t go any further. I am not here to throw accusations or spread falsities. I don't take anyone's part and I don't have any personal interest as I don't work or collaborate with the Opera. And I don't want to ask you too "what is your interest in backing JK". I assume you are genuine and true in what you say, no matter how you want to make an interpretation of the details you get from your connections. So there is no need to be acide with me.

I just wanted to show another side and say that the truth is somewhere in between, as sometimes we are all inclined to see things as we like and discard all other points of view. Again, I am not saying I am right, just wanted to make my point across and unfortunately all the details you mention favour it.

Dear annamicro, I have been misinformed about the ballet masters and obviously there are details you know better. However, I may ask, why didn't they come for rehearsals? In my job, if my boss is fired, I don't go home in sign of solidarity, leaving projects undone and people disappointed. I either continue to work or decide to quit as well.

This is my point of view, everyone is welcome to share it or not, but I certainly do not appreciate the way you are treating me.

There were 2 performances this weekend and there were extensive rehearsals during the week with the 2 ballet masters (Karl Burnett, Bruce Sansom). Alina C. and a couple of other dancers decided to quit rehearsals - as per her tweet dated April 6th, 4 days prior her announced performance.

An update. Johan has organized for some of his dancers a protest in front of the Opera House. What happened was that  Alina Cojocaru declared she would never get on the ONB stage and together with her, another 30 dancers wanted to quit the institution.

Unfortunately I have news that it has been worst than imagined, which is a shame - the exact reason for I won't enter any detail.

I wonder how will Alina save the efforts of her last 2 years by taking such a drastic decision which mainly affects us, the public.

“For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” I rest my case. A bon entendeur, salut!

annamicro I trust you believe this. I also know that she will always be more than welcome in Romania if she decides to ever dance again. However , my feeling from reading her tweet was that she was imposing her point of view as she would dance only under the circumstances that JK is AD.

I believe that dancers go on stage for the public. I believe that dancers go beyond politics and don't fight fire with fire, they fight fire with dance.

Once again, Alina was here, she could have rehearsed as it was not her name involved in this circus - but she chose not to.

We, as Romanians, cannot loose Alina. She is a great artist and belongs to the world, I can only hope she will choose not to denigrate her country, but to follow her good heart and be a true artist.

Today the GM accepted JK'resignation letter (sent by fax).

This is a translation of the  press release.

Cojocaru activity for the Hospice of hope speaks of her love for her Country, but I dont think is really relevant here. :-)

I think what is on Gaynor Myndens website could be (as a start)

 

"Alina Cojocaru, international ballet star and Principal Dancer at England’s Royal Ballet* personifies the generous spirit of ballet. When asked by Gaynor Minden to endorse our pointe shoes she agreed on one condition: instead of accepting a fee, she asked that we supply pointe shoes to the dancers of the Opera Nationala din Bucuresti, the national ballet company in her native Romania.

In making her request, Cojocaru explained that she had just returned from Bucarest where life for the dancers, she said “is very hard.” Severe political and economic problems make buying pointe shoes and other necessities extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. The plight of her friends and colleagues moved Cojocaru to offer what would have been her entire compensation so that the Romanian dancers could get the shoes they needed."

 

https://dancer.com/gm-artists/artists/alina-cojocaru/

 

I would also ask to Mola if he/she has any idea about how a company that cannot afford shoes (I was talking with a dancer on Sunday about something else private and not relavant here and diring the conversation he said "we are given very few shoes, so I'm saving the good ones for the shows"), can afford the list of works of this year program. I asked Kobborg some time ago and I had the answer I had already given to myself: so which is your answer, Mola?

Just to make it clear, a FACT, that you love so much, is that a friend of mine in 2005 (I still have his budget, sent to me for double check) paid an Ashton pdd for a single show 250 pounds. 250 pounds for just a pdd 11 years ago, to make it simple in Romanian terms: 250 pounds are 1400 lei (1 thousand 4 hundreds). And the Royal Ballet was charging 150 pounds ( 840 lei) for each costume. ONB is dancing Ashton the Dream with Royal Ballet costumes (not the wigs, ok) and sets.

Have you any idea not of the aritistic value, but of the bare real market cost of the works (all masterpieces) that Kobborg managed to offer to Romanian audience and that now will be probably retired by the rights owner (Yuri Possokhov has already announced he is retiring the right to perform Classical Symphony)?

But maybe you agree with those who want to see Kobborg leaving because it has to be protected the "renomate choreographic Romanian tradition" and that's the point where the discussion ends.

Again, I know Alina has a big heart. She has done numerous acts of charity, showing everyone what a good person she is. I am not discussing the value that JK brought to ONB. I know he did well beyond his duties and expectations. I am just saying about he is doing right now - with the same fierce.

Mola! Alina Cojocaru has just announced on twitter that she will be joying the demonstration in support of Kobborg and ONB future planned tonight at the Opera

 

https://twitter.com/dancingalina/status/719851459936940032

 

You can ask her why she couldn't dance Manon...it could be interesting, because on Saturday night, when everybody was still smiling and she was still oping to dance the day after, even if not with the poor and innocent Vogel, is quite different from the one it has been published in ONB web-site.

 

A summary of the events and information about this afternoon demonstration also in this Romanian magazine.

 

http://adevarul.ro/cultura/arte/johan-kobborg-demisioneaza-astazi-nu-continua-sa-mi-compromit-munca-etica-morala-1_570ca24f5ab6550cb8e5b982/index.html

Alina went on strike for the whole week. She chose not to rehearse in support for her fiancee. She made it very clear on twitter saying, I quote "I will be performing ONLY under the management that made this ballet happen for our audience to enjoy, with KOBBORG as our leader". These are exactly her words, including the capital letters. Everyone may read the statement on her twitter or on JK's FB wall. I would say Mr. Conta, the GM was trying to protect her image when he decided to only mention the unavailabilty of F. Vogel.

There is absolutely no intention from me to deny either JK's qualities as an AD or AC' big heart. I went to all new performances and indeed JK did a brilliant job and managed to bring a fresh breath into the company.

Things went wrong from both sides (JK and management) and the truth is somewhere in the middle.

But what he is doing right now is pure media manipulation. If he is right, why then doesn't he take his case to the court. Let's make justice and write all the articles in the world if he is proved to be right. Why does he have to instigate Alina and the young dancers (who are very fond of him)?

You may indeed. I am in the audience, but thanks to facebook and tweeter, this case has become public. Including all the details which were meant to be unseen by the public eyes.I am not in favour of any of the 2 parts, just want you to know the facts.

I actually bought tickets to Manon to see AC dancing and got offended that she decided to quit rehearsals until JK gets his job back. I got the money back - but I realize she will never dance again at ONB, as she only did it for JK not for the audience!

I admire both as professionals , but I am afraid they both lost my respect for the way they acted.

Everything is quite clear now and this is how the situation has developed:

- JK was never given an AD contract. The position has never been approved, so he was responsible to bring new breath into ONB under the ballet department manager

- the ballet department manager was put off, so JK took over entirely

- the General Manager (who offered the job) got investigated for fraude

- an interim GM was appointed who realised JK was posted on ONB official site as AD - a position non-existent in ONB. At this point, things got wrong. Instead of discussing and finding a solution (or not) he decided to correct the information on the site so JK became just a corps de ballet on the site

- JK started posting on his wall that he was resigning and got messages of sympathy from all over the world

- Alina posted on twitter she wouldn',t dance unless JK gets his job back

- the Minister changed the interim GM and offered JK the AD position  - without a proper exam and the necessary qualifications

- JK was unhappy with the new GM and ceased negotiations

These are facts..

Truth is the whole situation was treated with lack of diplomacy and respect by ONB officials. In the same time, JK managed to manipulate the press and everyone else. I also find disrespectful for the audience to cease rehearsals just because your fiancee is no longer the Artistic Director.

Good to know. There is also a programme in Amsterdam.

Do you know which vocational schools in Europe (not U.K.) offer a B.A?

Thanks again everybody,mit is very useful to see things from different angles. I have another question. If she graduates school with a dancer diploma, in order to become a dance teacher, would she need a B.A. in dance teaching/ballet education or else?

Thanks a lot everyone, all options are takien into consideration at this moment. My daughter is in a vocational school in Switzerland and classic ballet and teaching is all she can think for now. She is aware that is a small world and dancing time may be short due so many reasons. That's why we're thinking of a way to combine dance with other studies, of course Art and Stage related.

Do you happen to know what studies did Tamara Rojo pursued? I know she mentioned that while dancing for ROH she did management studies and that she planned her career very carefully.

My daughter is 16 and she still has 1 1/2 year until graduation, but as you all know they begin auditioning in their last year. So now is the most appropriate moment to think of what to do next.

First option is of course to join a ballet company. (Our dream is NDT)However, thinking in the long run, she wants to pursue her academics as well.

Is there any university programme in UK or Europe specialized in dance/ballet that gets you to become not only a dancer/teacher/choreographer but also a manager in something like dance/stage production ?

What to do after graduating ballet school? Which are the options besides to audition in a ballet company?

Just to many to know them all...some websites are not translated in English. Staff doesn't speak English. How do you get to know them? And I don't mean Russian schools, some Belgium, Danish, German,etc

There are schools in Europe where you can ask for a private audition.