Principals
Irina Dvorovenko - retired in June, still gorgeous and a wonderful actress. Here's hoping she keeps popping up on the New York stage.
Natalia Osipova - not sure what the official story is here, but I for one thank the Royal Ballet for spiriting her across the pond. It's probably too much to hope for that she won't be guesting next season and real opportunities will finally go to Stella, Sarah and Yuriko, but I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway.
Soloists
Simone Messmer - we knew it was coming, but it doesn't make her understandable move to San Francisco any less sad for New York audiences. I suspect she will be especially missed during the fall repertory season.
Corps
Roddy Doble - don't have any official word on this but a while back I'd heard he was off to the Boston Ballet for better growth opportunities.
Mikhail Ilyin
Vitali Krauchenka
Renata Pavam
Anyone know anything about these departures? Vitali in particular I thought was dancing quite well this Met season....
Agree about Vitali. His non-corps opportunities were limited but his performances were memorable - especially his Father in Prodigal Son.
ReplyDeleteRenata has a budding career as a photographer.
Good for Roddy. So under-used at ABT. Glad to hear that he's going to Boston.
As for Osipova – Londoners have been forwarned.
Wasn't Mikhail Ilyin receiving more opportunities like Birbanto (and others)?? Wonder if all of these moves were voluntary...
ReplyDeleteIf ABT doesn't miss Roddy Doble, I will. Not many men in the corps who are that tall, so he was a good utility dancer for, say, the Rajah in Bayadere, any sort of authority figure, the "Coffee" variation in Nutcracker...
ReplyDeleteIf Vitali is gone, Barbee is going to have to coach someone else to take over Swamp Thing von Rothbart; his protege Roman can't do all the perfs (or can he?).
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ReplyDeleteI agree - losing two of ABT's better character dancers for the father/villain roles is going to make for some interesting things next season. Roman and Alexei can't do EVERY performance...nor should they have to.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet another departure - Joseph Phillips has left ABT for State Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theater. While I've heard good things about his guest principal performances at smaller companies, his work in ABT's corps often looked sleepy to me. I think this is a good move for him and another male loss for ABT. I hope McKenzie has a lot of female-heavy rep up his sleeve at the rate they're going.
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