The Washington Ballet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The HOS clearly favors ideal ballet bodies. She says she cares about everyone but it’s obvious her only true concern is in nurturing students she feels will have a professional career in dance.

There are lots of sports where the right physique is necessary, don't fool yourself that this is unfair discrimination. More like realism, especially at the upper levels where great sacrifice is required of all students. Why waste their time?

I’m not fooling myself. I’m well aware of what physical attributes are needed to be successful in ballet. The problem is WSB is not an elite training institution (as it once was.) So given the school now serves almost anyone, and the training is not good enough to get people into top companies, why even bring up the weight factor at all. Most students at WSB are not going there to become professional dancers and therefore it shouldn’t be an issue. The only people really trying to dance are the PTP As, and they are all recruited from elsewhere. The kids who’ve come up through the school are no longer good enough to get in. They just get dumped into level 7 and PTP B and largely ignored.

This is definitely true and has been since Han's days there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The HOS clearly favors ideal ballet bodies. She says she cares about everyone but it’s obvious her only true concern is in nurturing students she feels will have a professional career in dance.

There are lots of sports where the right physique is necessary, don't fool yourself that this is unfair discrimination. More like realism, especially at the upper levels where great sacrifice is required of all students. Why waste their time?

I’m not fooling myself. I’m well aware of what physical attributes are needed to be successful in ballet. The problem is WSB is not an elite training institution (as it once was.) So given the school now serves almost anyone, and the training is not good enough to get people into top companies, why even bring up the weight factor at all. Most students at WSB are not going there to become professional dancers and therefore it shouldn’t be an issue. The only people really trying to dance are the PTP As, and they are all recruited from elsewhere. The kids who’ve come up through the school are no longer good enough to get in. They just get dumped into level 7 and PTP B and largely ignored.

This is definitely true and has been since Han's days there.

PPP, you write that the Level7 and PTP B dancers are mostly ignored. I’m wondering what you expect from theses classes — are their teachers substandard? I don’t know if I would expect Ms. Reyes to be involved in their training on a personal basis if there is no potential for a professional career. Do you think CityDance or MYB do a better job teaching these upper levels for serious dancers who most likely will not be going pro?

[Anonymous]

Not PP but I think if the students are paying and serious students, they should get professional instruction.

Educating the students educates there families. This builds the educated ballet audience Kent’s wants. If the students are treated poorly they will disengage from ballet and not become the dance educated adult ballet audience that buy season tickets.

Washington Ballet used to provide excellent training. The company was not exclusively made up of students from the school, but there were always a handful that received their training at the school.

Looking at current and recent trends MYB and City Dance both seem to be having more success in molding students to professional success.

Also, ballet is not made up solely of dancers! There are teachers, choreographers, designers etc.... Mary Day was never a professional dancer and created the school and company.

Marcia Dale Weary at CPYB is one of the most successful teachers in the country in terms of producing professionals. She was never a professional.

A technical and nuanced understanding of dance for all serious students at the school will be most beneficial in the end.

BTW I totally find Kent’s salary and free housing outrageous. I think she is taking the company in the wrong direction.

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks for your excellent insights. My DD is in one of the Upper Levels at TWSB with hopes of designing sets for productions as a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but I think if the students are paying and serious students, they should get professional instruction.

Educating the students educates there families. This builds the educated ballet audience Kent’s wants. If the students are treated poorly they will disengage from ballet and not become the dance educated adult ballet audience that buy season tickets.

Washington Ballet used to provide excellent training. The company was not exclusively made up of students from the school, but there were always a handful that received their training at the school.

Looking at current and recent trends MYB and City Dance both seem to be having more success in molding students to professional success.

Also, ballet is not made up solely of dancers! There are teachers, choreographers, designers etc.... Mary Day was never a professional dancer and created the school and company.

Marcia Dale Weary at CPYB is one of the most successful teachers in the country in terms of producing professionals. She was never a professional.

A technical and nuanced understanding of dance for all serious students at the school will be most beneficial in the end.

BTW I totally find Kent’s salary and free housing outrageous. I think she is taking the company in the wrong direction.

If you read the comments from the Post article, many feel Julie does not have an understanding of what DC audiences want, and frankly her comments on needing to “educate” people were very off-putting. She comes across as very arrogant.

And I agree that the HOS has a responsibility to ALL students- not just those she feels has what it takes to dance professionally.

[Anonymous]

This company is WAY off course. I saw their current program "Contemporary Masters" and it left much to be desired. It was a total snooze-fest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This company is WAY off course. I saw their current program "Contemporary Masters" and it left much to be desired. It was a total snooze-fest.

Genuine curiosity from someone who pretty much only sees Nutcracker performances. What could or should be done to generate more interest?

[Anonymous]

I saw the Contemporary Masters program and enjoyed it. The company, for the most part, looked energetic and danced well. I would rather see three well-danced short pieces than a full length snooze fest Sleeping Beauty (been there, done that)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This company is WAY off course. I saw their current program "Contemporary Masters" and it left much to be desired. It was a total snooze-fest.

Genuine curiosity from someone who pretty much only sees Nutcracker performances. What could or should be done to generate more interest?

Hire a Director who knows what they’re doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw the Contemporary Masters program and enjoyed it. The company, for the most part, looked energetic and danced well. I would rather see three well-danced short pieces than a full length snooze fest Sleeping Beauty (been there, done that)

Glad to hear the contemporary masters is good! I am going and prefer this variation to the full-length performances. Wishing the company well! I am not a dancer but as a person who appreciates the art of dance.

[Anonymous]

Are they redoing nutcracker?
I assume she’ll want to do her own thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they redoing nutcracker?
I assume she’ll want to do her own thing.

They don’t have enough money to stage a different production of Nutcracker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they redoing nutcracker?
I assume she’ll want to do her own thing.

They don’t have enough money to stage a different production of Nutcracker.

Not enough money? Didn't an earlier post say the woman in charge has a hefty salary and receives a housing allowance?

[Anonymous]

Certainly their money problems are traced back to Webre. She isn’t the problem.

[Anonymous]

Julie Kent has made the financial situation much worse. She receives a big salary and lives rent free but she has spent money the organization doesn’t have.