cavycapers Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42540483 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 (edited) The NYT reports that J. Peck (as opposed to T Peck - no relation); W. Whelan and B. Millepied are in the running for the succession of the NYCB Ballet Master in Chief role. I would be surprised if A. Ratmansky, P. Boal and D. Woetzel are not also in the mix. All, of course, have close associations with NYCB - even though only one is current. I would imagine that Ratmansky may well not be available given the stealth of his ABT role (and surely he will be a key contender to succeed there when K. MacKenzie steps down) plus the fact I'm told he already has a decade's worth of commitments for new productions with world ballet companies in the pipeline. That said the magnificent Peter Boal and truly awesome Damien Woetzel - surely one of if not THE finest balletic dancer of his generation - would be prime candidates. Both were long standing and much respected NYCB principals and appeared throughout the world on major stages and both have run or (in Boal's case is currently running) major dance outfits. In Woetzel's case he, of course, created a notable one after his retirement as a dancer and is currently Chairman of Lincoln Centre, the umbrella organisation which oversees all constituents including NYCB. It will be fascinating to see where the cards ultimately turn. Certainly all of those mentioned would be close, the one with the other. (I wonder too if someone like Jean-Pierre Frohlich might not be a dark horse.) Edited January 2, 2018 by Bruce Wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Just a correction: Damian Woetzel is president of the Juilliard School, the music and contemporary dance school at Lincoln Center, not of the entire Lincoln Center. As for the three names mentioned by NYT, I think that is speculation rather than some inside knowledge of who is "in the running". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Much thanks, Katherine, for your clarification of Mr. Woetzel's current role in the Lincoln Centre hierarchy. I quote the exact reference I referred to from the NYT. I'm sorry I didn't in my original statement. I was - as ever now - given job pressure - in a rush. This is the reason I post so very rarely today. In any event, it follows: - Mr. Peck is considered a candidate to succeed Mr. Martins, as is Ms. Whelan and the French choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Is Christopher Wheeldon likely to be considered a potential candidate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 13 minutes ago, bridiem said: Is Christopher Wheeldon likely to be considered a potential candidate? His name hasn't been mentioned in any speculations I have seen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I am so happy on behalf of all those NYC female ballet dancers who were mentally abused, belittled and scared for life by their AD Peter Martins that many years of his (sick) abuse of power has been made public. One report mentioned he even abused his own wife! That his behaviour was seemingly allowed to go on for years by the NYC Management is truly shocking. Since the Harvey Weinstein scandal many women finally stood up against those males-in-power who abused their position. The career of an actress, a model, a female ballet dancer, ...,depends entirely on the casting director/artistic director (very often male!) and therefore dare not to speak out when they are physically and/or mentally abused. Since the majority of choreographers are male and therefore in a position of "power" I also wonder what female dancers have to put up with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Pigeons Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I have to say that given what we know about Balanchine's controlling instincts I am slightly relieved that no one has suggested that his ballets should no longer be performed. I would suspect that the reason Peter Martins was allowed to get away with his behaviour for so long was that far too many of the NYCB set up were all too accustomed to an AD who rather abuses his power. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 2 hours ago, Nina G. said: One report mentioned he even abused his own wife! Surely that's hardly news - didn't it come out in court, years ago? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 And the first DUI charge is old news. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 3 hours ago, Nina G. said: Since the majority of choreographers are male and therefore in a position of "power" I also wonder what female dancers have to put up with? It's often struck me, whether accurately or not, that it appears that a large proportion of male choreographers are gay (not so sure about artistic directors), so I doubt that females would be the only targets. In fact, if stories I used to hear back last century are true, I very much doubt that you could guarantee that being a dancer of any given combination of gender (identity) and sexual orientation would necessarily leave you free from the prospect of abuse. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 7 hours ago, Bruce Wall said: Much thanks, Katherine, for your clarification of Mr. Woetzel's current role in the Lincoln Centre hierarchy. I quote the exact reference I referred to from the NYT. I'm sorry I didn't in my original statement. I was - as ever now - given job pressure - in a rush. This is the reason I post so very rarely today. In any event, it follows: - Mr. Peck is considered a candidate to succeed Mr. Martins, as is Ms. Whelan and the French choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Yes, I saw that before I made my comment. A passive "is considered" is not very convincing. Considered by whom? Lots of people on the balletalert chatsite have been mooting these names but they don't have any inside info either. Maybe the Times did their research by looking at balletalert. I'm not saying these people AREN'T in the running, but it's highly unlikely they're the only three. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 NYCB is my "home" company and I can't emphasize how much this news has distressed me. I feel horrible for the dancers, I feel horrible for the victims. I wrote a blog entry about some of the highs and lows and what this company means to me: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-post-martins-city-ballet.html 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assoluta Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 17 hours ago, toursenlair said: Maybe the Times did their research by looking at balletalert. Whether intended or not but this sounds to me as a nugget of wisdom. The number of "ballet critics" quadrupled in the era of internet but the total amount of interesting things they are capable to say about ballet seems to have proportionally decreased. Many dance related articles read today as if they were generic pieces assembled from scraps everybody can find by googling. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 12 hours ago, Ivy Lin said: NYCB is my "home" company and I can't emphasize how much this news has distressed me. I feel horrible for the dancers, I feel horrible for the victims. I wrote a blog entry about some of the highs and lows and what this company means to me: http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-post-martins-city-ballet.html So enjoyed reading this Ivy Lin. I'm feel totally ignorant about the dancers and company these days. I was a fan way back when and was a huge Merrill Ashley fan..... You mentioned the current females. What male principles do you admire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 The current males are a more motley crew. Joaquin de Luz is retiring, and Andrew Veyette and Jared Angle will probably retire in a few years as both are getting up there in age. Russell Janzen has a great partnership with Teresa Reichlen but isn't much of a virtuoso. Tyler Angle same thing: great partner, not so great virtuoso. Adrian Danchig Waring was the total package but a devastating injury seems to have slowed him down. Anthony Huxley and Daniel Ulbricht are great small dynamos. Amar Ramasar is also great but hes also leaving for a year to do Broadway. I like the newest principal (Zachary Catazaro) a lot. But in terms of promise i think the soloist Joseph Gordon has the most promise of all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Some Letters to the Editor of the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/opinion/martins-new-york-city-ballet-harassment.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toursenlair Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 5 hours ago, Ivy Lin said: The current males are a more motley crew. Joaquin de Luz is retiring, and Andrew Veyette and Jared Angle will probably retire in a few years as both are getting up there in age. Russell Janzen has a great partnership with Teresa Reichlen but isn't much of a virtuoso. Tyler Angle same thing: great partner, not so great virtuoso. Adrian Danchig Waring was the total package but a devastating injury seems to have slowed him down. Anthony Huxley and Daniel Ulbricht are great small dynamos. Amar Ramasar is also great but hes also leaving for a year to do Broadway. I like the newest principal (Zachary Catazaro) a lot. But in terms of promise i think the soloist Joseph Gordon has the most promise of all. Joseph Gordon is definitely one to watch! What about Chase Finlay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mauriceC Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Ivy Lin,I was also very pleased to read your blog regarding Mr Martins and NYCB. A truly sad end to a great career. I have loved this company since I first saw them at ROH in 1964....Raymonda Variations/Tschaikovsky pas de deux/Agon/Western Symphony....what a programme!!! I have seen actual performances very little but when I came home from their last Paris season.I told my wife that if I never saw any more ballet then that would be a great note to end on. We can only hope that whoever takes on the role will maintain the Balanchine and Robbins heritage. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Lin Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Chase Finlay is a beautiful dancer but also has been beset my a number of injuries the past couple years and is thus still getting his sea legs back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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