From the Houston Chronicle:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Tears flowed at the Wortham Theater Center during Tuesday rehearsals for Houston Ballet's Coppélia, but they weren't shed in laughter over the comic plot. <P>Before practice began, Ben Stevenson, the company's charismatic artistic director for 25 years, announced suddenly that he will resign when the current season ends in June.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P> <A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/835749" TARGET=_blank>More</A> <p>[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited February 28, 2001).]

Whoa... looks like he shocked the dancers, the staff <I>and</I> the board of directors! It is very clearly a personal decision.

A view from Boston:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>More ballet upheaval . . . but in Houston</B><P>Joel Brown, Boston Herald<P>The quote, from a principal dancer, is from yesterday's newspaper: ``It's very important that the artistic director has the support of the administrative side. I question whether he had the support he needed.''<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/hot03012001.htm" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

From what I understand, having talked to a few people close to Stevenson, is that he is prone to do dramatic things, including threatening to resign, to get what he wants. Ah, those misunderstood creative geniuses...<P>However, even my sources tell me that this time, it seems he's doing it for real.

'Politics of the Dance - a backstage struggle between Stevenson and a managing director splits the ballet,' by Tim Fleck. Stranger and stranger at Houston Ballet, as it looks ike some sort of compromise has been reached: <P> <A HREF="http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-03-08/insider.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-03-08/insider.html</A> <BR>

Interesting to note that both Ben Stevenson and Managing Director Cecil C. Conner make $180,000 a year...

From the Houston Chronicle:<P><BR><B>Vives relishes leadership opportunity at Houston Ballet</B> <BR> <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Probably no one was as surprised as Trinidad Vives when Houston Ballet artistic director Ben Stevenson named her acting artistic director for the 2001-2002 season during his abrupt and brief resignation attempt a few weeks ago. Within a few days, her title had changed to "co-artistic director" with Stevenson -- a post that could give her a longer tenure.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR><A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/dance/850750" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><P>

A most intriguing article that follows up on this topic from last winter:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-08-02/feature2.html/page1.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-08-02/feature2.html/page1.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Francis Timlin (edited September 07, 2001).]

And, Francis, here's a follow-up to that article you posted (warning: cringe advisory):<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>That'll Show Us<P>Richard Connelly, Houston Press<P>Whenever we hear someone going on about Houston being a World-Class City, the speaker always seems to mention Houston Ballet. It appears, though, that the ballet is more a podunk operation than it is ready for the big time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-09-27/hostage.html target=_blank>More</a> in the second half of the linked article.

From the Houston Chronicle:<P><B>Ballet to name Stevenson director emeritus</B><P><BR>By MOLLY GLENTZER<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Houston Ballet announced Friday that artistic director Ben Stevenson will assume the title of artistic director emeritus when his contract expires in June 2003. A search committee comprising mostly Houston Ballet Foundation board members has been named to find his successor.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/dance/1325026" TARGET=_blank><B>More...</B></A> <BR>

I'm losing track. Is anyone following this in detail?<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Ben Stevenson to Assist Fort Worth Dallas Ballet as an Artistic Advisor</B><P>FORT WORTH, Texas, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Kathy Galt, president of Houston Ballet Foundation, and Robert C. Grable, chairman of the board of directors of Fort Worth Dallas Ballet (FWDB) have announced that Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson, OBE, has accepted the role of consultant serving as the company's artistic advisor.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/001406.html target=_blank><B>More</B></a>, in the Fort Worth Dallas thread.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited April 19, 2002).]

An eternally fascinating saga. He is probably who they need there for the moment.

From the Houston Chronicle:<P><B>Stevenson leaving, Houston Ballet ponders its next step</B><BR>By MOLLY GLENTZER<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The last time Houston Ballet hired an artistic director, George Balanchine was still creating dances. Mikhail Baryshnikov was in his prime. <P>Janie Parker hadn't debuted here, and most of the company's current corps hadn't been born.<P>In 1975, Houston Ballet's 28 dancers rehearsed in a single studio above a clothing shop. They had been through three artistic leaders in six years.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/dance/1509063" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><BR>

I don't know if he's still there, but he was recently in Beijing choreographing a new version of "The Fountain of Bac..." (don't know how to spell the rest).

I dont have a dictionary in front of me.....<BR>what IS artistic director EMERITUS????