RBS graduate to join NYCB

[Bruce Wall]

A RBS graduate (Class of 2018) - Eli Raphael Gruska - is to join NYCB commencing with the NYCB Fall (i.e., Autumn) Season which is to be officially unveiled on 17th September.  Congratulations to him.  (Mr. Gruska is a rarity at NYCB today in that he never attended SAB.)  Mr. Gruska has also danced with the ABT Studio Company and Ballet Met under Edwaard Liang - once himself a fine NYCB soloist - and now Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet.  

 

 

Edited September 2 by Bruce Wall

[art_enthusiast]

Interesting. I thought the rule was that you had to attend SAB to get in? Unless more experienced 

[Bruce Wall]

That I believe remains the case.  I think the fact that Mr. Gruska worked with Craig Hall (one of NYCB's Ballet Masters) and Edwaard Liang may have something to do with putting him on a NYCB fast track.  That said, this IS unusual although it is not without recent precedent.  The wonderful Chun Wai Chan and Jovani Furlan both joined under similar circumstances albeit at much higher ranks than the corps.  

 

 

Edited September 3 by Bruce Wall

[Jan McNulty]

Christopher Wheeldon?

[Bruce Wall]

5 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Christopher Wheeldon?

 

Jan, if memory serves, Mr. Wheeldon very briefly attended SAB in preparation and prior to his joining NYCB last Century as was then - with VERY few exceptions (e.g., Peter Martins, Ib Anderson, Baryshnikov spring to mind)  - mandatory.  

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3 by Bruce Wall

[Jan McNulty]

1 minute ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

Jan, if memory serves, Mr. Wheeldon very briefly attended SAB in preparation and prior to his joining NYCB last Century as was then - with VERY few exceptions (e.g., Peter Martins, Ib Anderson spring to mind)  - mandatory.  

 

 

 

Peter Schaufuss?

 

[bangorballetboy]

2 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

Jan, if memory serves, Mr. Wheeldon very briefly attended SAB in preparation and prior to his joining NYCB last Century as was then - with VERY few exceptions (e.g., Peter Martins, Ib Anderson spring to mind)  - mandatory.  

 

 

 

Wheeldon moved from The Royal Ballet to NYCB.  Why would he have gone back to school?

[Bruce Wall]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

 

Peter Schaufuss?

 

 

I'm unsure as to that one as it was before my time.  I remember at the time he was a principal with the National Ballet of Canada.  I was taking my PhD at the time and so enjoyed his performances.  

[Bruce Wall]

1 minute ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Wheeldon moved from The Royal Ballet to NYCB.  Why would he have gone back to school?

 

It was a practice to help in the transition to the Company.  It seemed to have been successful as the transitions seemed very successful.  I know Zelensky took part in this programme certainly before his entry.  The scale of the workload - especially then - for artists being thrown into the deep end could be I'd imagine quite overwhelming otherwise.  

 

[bangorballetboy]

45 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

It was a practice to help in the transition to the Company.  

 

 

It would be good to have some evidence of this as it's not mentioned in any bio of Wheeldon, nor is he listed anywhere that I can see as an alumnus of the school.

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

It would be good to have some evidence of this as it's not mentioned in any bio of Wheeldon, nor is he listed anywhere that I can see as an alumnus of the school.

 

Not surprised - as these people 'didn't graduate' per se as defined.  Not to worry.  This came about I think because Balanchine saw - as he often said - 'the school first'.  Historically it was that way - well before Ballet Society - and today - as they had been well before the end of his run - the NYCB rehearsal studios (i.e., those not in State Theater itself) are in the Rose Building above SAB.  Certainly - in the day - you'd often see him moving between both.
  

Edited September 3 by Bruce Wall