r/bunheadsnark

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

I have recently watched a few of videos of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet performing Balanchine ballets and I am just fascinated. The dancing is so pure and you really get a sense of what the Balanchine style is meant to be. As an extreme Balanchine fan, I sometimes have trouble enjoying today’s NYCB dancers performances. Their port de bras isn’t as delicate, their fingers get kind of cup shaped or sometimes even flex backwards instead of doing a gorgeous Balanchine hand with 5 long rounded fingers, and they attack everything too harshly when it is not called for. Suzanne’s company dancers had flair and style without being obnoxious. They also dance so joyously, which I cannot properly describe. Anyways, it’s so lovely to see the dancers coached by Suzanne who understood Balanchine’s style so well, and who in her own right helped develop it. I so wish she would have been able to direct NYCB (If she even would have wanted to, I don’t know much about her as a person.) Does anybody share this experience?

Discuss weekly happenings in the ballet world here!

After the trauma of last year when after I did the predictions too early, I deliberately held onto the Swan Lake casting predictions as late as possible, even after I felt pretty confident, in case something happens. And thank god I did, the addition of the second Manon run did impact my thought process a bit. I ended up not changing my predictions, but I rewrote bits of my analysis below.

Once again, this is what I predict the casting will be, not what I'll do if I'm in charge of casting. 

This run has 32 shows. I’m guessing 12 pairs, assuming no one will double up. In no particular order:

• Marianela Nuñez / Vadim Muntagirov
• Natalia Osipova / *Patricio Revé
• Francesca Hayward / Cesar Corrales
• Akane Takada / Steven McRae
• Yasmine Nagdhi / Matthew Ball
• Fumi Kaneko / William Bracewell
• Mayara Magri / Reece Clarke
• Anna Rose O’Sullivan / Marcelino Sambé
• Mariko Sasaki / *Calvin Richardson
• Claire Calvert / Nicol Edmonds
• *Melissa Hamilton / Ryoichi Hirano
• *Marianna Tsembenhoi / Joseph Sissens

Lauren Cuthbertson said somewhere that she's done with O/O but later said never say never, but based on her rep in the last two seasons I think it's extremely unlikely. Sarah Lamb turns 46 this year and she's not dancing Nutcracker, so I don’t think she’s dancing O/O either. McRae wasn't cast in the 2024 run because he tore his ACL, but he danced in the 2022 run. Same as what I've said in previous predictions, if he thinks he can dance it, he'll be cast, whether he actually makes it on stage is a different question. Hirano will be 43, he isn't dancing Manon in the autumn but he is dancing Nutcracker and I don't know whether that's a sign, but I'm still expecting him to dance Siegfried. Calvert/Edmonds were given a single show in 2022. In 2024 they were supposed to dance two shows, but Calvert was injured and Edmonds was replaced as well. Neither of them will likely be promoted, so while I’m still predicting them, I won't be surprised if one or both of them are taken out of Swan Lake to make room for others.

I can see one or two O/O debuts. The last name I put on the predictions is Hamilton. She wasn’t cast in Giselle which doesn’t inspire confidence, but she danced the role during her stint in Dresden and covered the role at RB (which doesn’t mean much tbh). So IMO her chances are very slim. I decided to predict her anyway because I still think after Tsembenhoi she’s the next most likely candidate, and I feel like this is her last chance of getting cast in a classical role. It’s the other debut spot where having more Manon shows is impacting how I’m predicting. Before the announcement, I was convinced that the other debut slot would go to Tsembenhoi since she wasn’t cast in Manon or SPF, and after her successful Giselle debut, O/O could be the follow-up. Now I think she’ll debut either O/O or Manon but not both, and I decided to predict her here anyway because she is still the most obvious choice. There are a few other names that I also think may debut in either one of the ballets: Leticia Dias, Sae Maeda and Annette Buvoli. Viola Pantuso and Ella Newton Severgnini are dancing SPF, which I think will be their moment of the season, so I don’t think it’ll be them.

This will be Revé’s company debut but he’s danced the role elsewhere. Richardson isn’t cast in anything in the autumn, and all we know is that someone on BCF said “there is a reason,” So I'm just assuming he'll be back by then. With eleven male principals and another first soloist who danced the role, there’s no room for other Siegfried debuts but if anything happens (cough cough), I think Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød and Leo Dixon are the most likely candidates, though Luca Acri is a potential dark horse. Similar to the women, I think they may be given their opportunity in either Swan Lake or Manon, but there are fewer opportunities for the men.

When the season was announced I thought we were more likely to get a guest artist in Swan Lake than Manon, but we are indeed getting a guest artist in Manon, so IDK. All I’ll say is, if we are indeed getting a guest artist, I can't imagine it'll be someone who has never danced with any of the RB principals before. And purely based on gut instinct, I think we're more likely to get a woman than a man.

As I said in the Manon predictions, it’s harder to guess pairings this season, but I'm more confident here. I went with Nuñez/Muntagirov because they’re not paired together in the autumn Manon run and Nutcracker and I think if they don’t dance at least one full-length together this season, people will riot (I don’t think they’ll be paired together in the summer Manon run, they’ve never danced a MacMillan full-length together). The rest just fell into place. Went with Magri/Clarke because RB is trying to make this partnership happen with Nutcracker and Manon.

Cinema relay: RB’s preference for the cinema relay cast is principals only, with at least one run under their belt, and if possible, no repeats. Nuñez, Muntagirov, Bracewell, Nagdhi and Ball were filmed in this production. Osipova was filmed in the previous production. Takada was filmed for Japanese television. After this process of elimination, it leaves Hayward/Corrales, Magri/Clarke and O’Sullivan/Sambé, and within these three pairs I think Magri/Clarke is most likely. However, on the web page for Swan Lake, there are two photos of Kaneko. And at this point we should know publicity photos don’t mean much, and both of her frequent partners, Bracewell and Muntagirov (hey do you know he’s also her platonic friend?), were already filmed. However, RB does occasionally film a dancer in the same role more than once (or in the case of McRae's Mad Hatter, four times), so Fumi stans can still dream.

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Thank you for reading and putting up with me. I'll have a post for the Heritage Classics triple and summer Manon run at some point.

I feel like I just watched a performance that's been tiktokified. It seemed to have little respect for the audience's attention span or ability to appreciate ballet.

Acts were short (I knew they'd be short but, they were really short), with unnecessary curtain calls, awkward staging. Maria Khoreva did not perform, which I knew beforehand as she was unable to perform in Sydney and was saddened about, however I was still really looking forward to this performance and seeing all of those renowned dancers on stage. I saved up for this, I bought a program for the first time, I have been looking forward to this performance. all. year.

The performance seemed to have no intellectual respect for the audience or their ability to appreciate fine art forms.

The last 40min involved a skit...? I could not believe my eyes. Asinine, cheap humour based on pas de deux positions? I'm sorry, what? I can HEAR the babushkas rolling in their graves.

I may be a Vaganova purist but I too appreciate artistic innovation, expression, challenges and fluidity. I love contemporary blends and fusions of ballet. But none of that comedic skit was enjoyable, none of it was ballet.

Did they perform this internationally? The humour was basically a funny face, or a choreographed stage mishap. There was no depth or substance to any of the humour. If you're going to do something different, please do it well. Is that the bare minimum now?

Was this not meant to be a showcase of the best of the best?

One of the male dancers looked like he was on the verge of injury, every time he slammed down from a jump or a leap without control. I sat in third row stalls and could hear his bones hitting the stage floor. Some of the dancers lacked ballon, some looked like they weren't stable en pointe, some male partners weren't supportive enough of their female partners. I was genuinely worried for how some of these dancers with big names and reputations have even made it to the stage? I have seen students dance better than this...

Nonetheless, the audience applauded immensely whenever male dancers did trick jumps or female dancers did fouettés. (I get it, they're cool, complex movements that demand technical excellence to execute, but 5-7 times in a row??? Did they not have any other choreo to work with?) And of course, they erupted into endless laughter when the skit began.

Since when did ballet turn into stand up comedy? I love both dearly but this was not the right time or place. And not for those obscene ticket prices. Even stand up comedy has intellectual respect for it's audience. I don't think it's a crime to have standards for ballet, and ballet performances that are supposedly as renowned as BIG markets itself to be.

I loved Sofya Khoreva, but she was only there for Dying Swan and then the very last part of the performance.

I feel like I've been robbed of 2hrs of my life that I won't get back. I feel like this performance lacked the essence of ballet, was missing substance and cohesion, and was a compilation of watered down simple and digestible choreography for an uneducated non-dancer audience. I feel like this is deeply related to the overall degradation of modern day society.

I appreciated the athleticism of some of the dancers, as it made for good study, but I fear I cannot in good faith say there was anything redeemable about this show.

Maddie Brown--Corps de Ballet Dancer with ABT--is dancing in Misty Copeland's Ballet Festival at The Joyce Theater through tomorrow. She will be hosting an AMA today, Saturday, August 15 from 4-5PM ET. Join us online!

The line-up for 2026 Fall for Dance has been has been announced. Any thoughts on the best programs of the five offered?

PROGRAM 1 │SEP 22 & 23 at 7:30PM

A.I.M BY KYLE ABRAHAM
US
In the act of undoing
Choreography Jermaine Spivey
NY Premiere
SKYLAR BRANDT & ARAN BELL
US
L'Air D'Esprit
Choreography Gerald Arpino
MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY
US
Cortege
Choreography Baye & Asa

PROGRAM 2 │SEP 24 & 25 at 7:30PM

PHILADANCO! THE PHILADELPHIA DANCE COMPANY
US
HEIRBORNE (my mama ain't never touched the sky, but she gave me wings)
Choreography Juel D. Lane
NY Premiere
ROBBIE FAIRCHILD’S PLAYERS
US
Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Choreography Robbie Fairchild
New York City Center Co-commission with
Guild Hall
World Premiere
BOSTON BALLET
US
Vertical Road (Reimagined) 2023
Choreography Akram Khan
NY Premiere

PROGRAM 3 │SEP 26 at 7:30PM & 27 at 2PM

JUAN TOMÁS DE LA MOLÍA
Spain
Bulería de la Molía
Choreography Juan Tomás de la Molía
LIOR TAVORI DANCE COMPANY
Israel
Crust
Choreography Lior Tavori
US Premiere
THE ROYAL BALLET
UK
Paganini - The First Virtuoso 
Choreography Loughlan Prior
US Premiere

PROGRAM 4 │SEP 30 & OCT 1 at 7:30PM

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
US
Faun
Choreography Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
FRIEDEMANN VOGEL
Germany
ECHO:SOG
Choreography Friedemann Vogel & Thomas Lempertz
World Premiere
GAUTHIER DANCE // DANCE COMPANY THEATERHAUS STUTTGART
Germany
Any way the wind blows
Choreography Hofesh Shechter
US Premiere

PROGRAM 5 │ OCT 2 & 3 at 7:30PM

PONY CAM
Australia
kinda like that
Choreography Pony Cam
New York City Center Commission
World Premiere
MIAMI CITY BALLET
US
Roses from the South: Three Waltzes for Toby
Choreography Alexei Ratmansky
NY Premiere
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET
Australia
Seven Days
Choreography Stephanie Lake
US Premiere

During Skylar’s recent performance of La Bayadere, there were a number of backstage photos posted where she’s in a midriff-baring costume. Except it’s not midriff-baring, she has a very obvious layer of wrinkly and loose beige fabric underneath the costume covering her torso. So I thought, ok, she doesn’t like showing her belly, so she wears an underlayer. It seemed odd to me that it didn’t fit better, but whatever.

But then, I saw a video posted from that performance where she does not appear to be wearing any sort of under layer, especially not such an ill-fitting one. And there are other photos with midriff-baring costumes, workout gear and bikinis.

So can anyone help my understand this costume? I’m not familiar with the ballet outside the general storyline. Is it a quick change hiding another costume underneath?

I am a huge fan of American Ballet Theatre, loving both the dancers and the company productions as a whole.

My current favorites of their principal lineup are Catherine Hurlin and Jake Roxander, newly promoted principal.

I was wondering what the general consensus of who ABT’s biggest star is right now, if there is even one. Obviously you have those with a big social media following, such as Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside. However, I feel like the pair of them, as well as some others like Herman Cornejo, could be nearing their retirement, but maybe I am wrong.

In the last year, I have seen 3 different performances of Swan Lake for ABT’s Met Season. Last year I was there for their summer intensive and had the opportunity to see Isabella Boylston’s opening night of O/O and then the following day (I know, I am crazy for going to back-to-back shows, but I just love the ballet that much!) saw Skylar Brandt perform the lead. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, of course, and had very different portrayals.

This year I was at summer intensive again and had the opportunity to see Catherine Hurlin’s closing night performance of O/O and OH MY WORD! She is just outstanding. Really took my breath away and captured the role so perfectly.

Anyways, thoughts?? Please share!

Discuss weekly happenings in the ballet world here!

Ballet has gotten so technical, very polished, and the taller, skinnier dancers are highly picked nowadays to the point that certain dancers wouldn’t make it in the present day.

My picks on who wouldn’t be popular nowadays (based on height, type, etc)

ABT-I’m going to get flack for it, but if Misty joined the company nowadays as an apprentice, she would have tough competition.

Bolshoi-Nina Ananiashvili, Plisetskaya, Bessmertova.

NYCB-Kathryn Morgan. She even admitted that she doesn’t meet today’s technical standard.

Royals-Fonteyn.

Hello ABT members! I've never had a membership and am considering getting one for the first time. I'm going to call the membership office to ask some questions but in the meantime, was wondering from people who have done this, how do dress rehearsals and class observations work? Are you given a choice, or do they just assign you certain dates/times? (I'm thinking of work conflicts, and how much leeway you get). If a choice, how much choice? Are there ever opportunities to go on weekends or just week days? I'd love any and all advice about how it works and if it's worth it! good experiences, bad experiences, etc... thank you!!

Hi , I am looking for journalists that specialises in Ballet : writes critics but also , deep analysis kind of paper or books …
Do you know any ?
If yes , which one made an impression on you and why ?
PS: actual journalists not influencer advices.

hi y’all!! i used to watch this production of Cinderella on youtube back when i was around 11-13 and even had it downloaded to my computer but now i can’t find it anywhere on youtube!! its been years of me looking so i figured i might as well ask on here!! it was set in a dance studio but it was a live performance on stage so the set looked like a ballet studio. everyone wore typical warm up bar outfits, i remember the step sisters being men in drag and on pointe and the music was prokiev (however u spell it) it’s literally driving me nuts that i can’t find it! plz help if u have any ideas :)