Similar to a program held (to be held) in California, this program takes place at City Center in NYC from February 23 - 26, 2006:



For more information: http://www.nycitycenter.org/events/even ... code=KOD06

I have to admit, while the programming sounds fascinating, something about this set-up makes me feel uncomfortable.

It seems like very much an event that is trying to draw people to see the dancers, not the dance. And given the ticket prices - $35 for the last five rows of the rear mezzanine...orchestra tickets are $100....Grand Tier tickets are $150 - a very selecitve group of people at that.

Dance should be about the art-form - don't get me wrong - it's great to have ballet stars, but this certainly doesn't seem to be an event that's going to draw new people to the art-form or appeal to the younger generation, who need to be courted if companies are to survive in the future. It's going to either be die hard dance fans who can afford to shell out the $$$ or people who come for the prestige of the event, but probably won't regularly attend ballet in the future.

Plus, the program depends so heavily on these four dancers. I hate to see dancers hurt or injured, but unfortunately injury is all too common in the ballet world (two of these dancers have had major injuries in recent years), and all it would take is one injury or illness between now and February to prevent a dancer from performing or a dancer & choreographer from having time to work on a piece.

I hope it all works out, but honestly it's not a ticket I'd spend $100 on so far in advance. For that amount you can have four great nights of NYCB or see more than one night of ABT on tour.

Kate

Thats a very good point, Kate. But looking at todays exchange rate of $1.78, the top price is not so much more than we are currently shelling out at Covent Garden.

I must admit that a major new work by Christopher Wheeldon plus a new solo by Roland Petit has me licking my lips

Doing straight currency conversions can be a bit misleading. I usually work from the assumption that what I'd pay $1 for in the US, I'd pay £1 for in the UK. $35 dollar Gap jeans would cost £35 here, for instance. Not always perfect, but a good approximation. Are most seats in the Royal Opera House more than £100?

Most theatre seats - for ballet performances - in the US are not that expensive. The very best seats at the Met and at the NYS Theatre might approach $100, but that would be very expensive for just about any other ballet performance. And even the big companies often have discounts at various performances, plus discounted seats at most performances for students (which City Center does not have, as far as I'm aware).

And at least when you are going to see NYCB, ABT or the Royal Ballet, you have a whole company to watch. It might be disappointing if there's a casting change in one of the lead roles, but there's always other dancers to watch and maybe even an interesting subsitution. When the program is mostly solos, if a dancer's hurt, the whole piece has to go.

But perhaps mostly importantly, are ticket prices that high really necessary to cover the dancer, choreographic and theatre costs for these performances?

With such great dancers & choreographers, could they have gotten some kind of grant so the performance would be more accessible? Because, what's the point of doing these wonderful performances - which could offer choreography appealing to a wide variety of people and draw people to ballet - if ticket prices are beyond what most people can afford?

Because if it's just going to draw in the same crowd of NY elite, why not spend that money & effort on letting the choreographers work with one of the many talented small dance groups in NYC. Groups who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to work with expensive choreographers and would not cost nearly so much to hire for a few nights.

I guess I just worry that we're getting into a vicious cycle where promoters want to hire the big names for events like this, to draw in the crowds, but big names cost big money, so ticket prices must be high. And high ticket prices put more pressure on the promoters to come up with the goods, which puts more pressure on big name dancers to wedge even more into their schedules and risk injury.

And the vast majority of smaller companies and non big names dancers, sit by the sidelines and don't get the golden opportunities. And the vast majority of current and potential ballet fans who aren't going to shell out $100 to sit anywhere near the stage, don't get to see the ballet. No good for anyone...

Kate

The California show (February 16-19 at OCPAC) has tickets from $20 to $75. From some of their promotional literature, I got the feeling that this was also a fundraiser kind of event.

In spite of everything else, I'm very happy to see male ballet dancing promoted in some form.

--Andre

WOW!! Those prices are CRAZY! I speak from experience when I say the last 5 rows of the rear mezzanine at City Center are not good seats at all, especially for $35.00 a pop. I am sure the choreographic rights, theatre cost, and promotion of this event are very high but that amount of money to watch dancers do their thing is just CRAZY, or atleast in my opinion! That being said, I am sure they will sell most of the tickets, especially in a market like $$NYC$$.
Just for kicks lets under-estimate all of this cost and say for instance you take a date to one of these performances at the mimimum $35.00 tickets. If you live outside of NYC (which most people do) you have mass transpo and or parking at about $40.00(this is WAY under-estimated), dinner or something to eat before or after at about $60.00(again, WAY under-estimated), then the tickets of course at a minimum of $70.00 for two. Right there it is $170.00 for the evening at the cheapest and I am not talking about drinks which if I spent that kind of money to see a performance I would need . I don't know about anyone else in here but that is one third of my yearly automobile insurance. For me, I just could not rationalize spending that amount of money to watch a dance performance, regardless of who is performing or what repertoire is on the bill. Is it just me? Or does anyone else have a problem with paying that amount of money for tickets?

It looks like Diana Vishneva is dancing in Petit's piece for Kings of Dance in Orange County as well:

My guess is that this is a two-way street: "name" dancers will draw an audience. True, not a new audience, but they are sure to sell tickets to ballet fans who know of and have seen them. (Especially in NYC/LA areas)
Or, as someone pointed out, by those people who go because it is an "event" and they have dollars to spend, but aren't really ballet fans per se, and dont know what or who they're seeing. (ie go to "be seen")

By the same token, those "name" dancers may require higher "compensation" for their time, efforts, travels, etc. I have no idea what the cost of choreographic rights for something like "Jeune Homme" would be, but for only a few nights, and for a group of dancers (a company the size of the Kirov is not buying rights, just this group of "Kings") it can't be that extraordinary.

The question is do they break even, or profit, and where does the profit, if any go?

Hi,

I am a SF Bayarea resident and planning to fly Costa Mesa to see this performance.

Although OCPAC home page does not seem to update any of this topic yet, I've got this breaking news recently.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orang ... &cset=true

However, the NY City Center performance site posted the update as follows.

http://www.nycitycenter.org/events/even ... code=KOD06

It seems City Center performance switched the program from Petit to Flindt's "The lesson" with guest artist Alina Cojocaru.

Now I'm wondering if OCPAC still keeps "Jeune Homme" with Kusakari or draw it from program like NY...? Wondering if anybody in local (of southern california) has reliable update on OCPAC?

http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/3770.html

I'm now wondering who'll be "the pianist"....

Zenaida Yanowsky is dancing the pianist! A sharp-eyed member pointed me at this which lists the currently known casting:

http://www.ocpac.org/dynamic/eventfile/ ... le_263.pdf

--Andre

Hi!
Thank Andre for this information! Yes, it is a sharp eye. I've been checking the OCPAC site for press releases occasionally but never noticed to click this link myself.... How lucky I am to be able to see "the lesson" with the Royal trio! I agree, in spite of everything else, I'm very very happy to see the different programs danced by difference dancers in different companies, which is a rare occasion in the area I live (even though I still need to "fly" .

Appreciated the community (OC) and sponsers that made this happen.

Hi again. I found the following line from the PDF that Andre pointed out.



It is so neat to see the credit with the names I’m familiar with: The director and the company..... nice way of promo!

I saw the San Jose performance of “The Lesson” last season and was deeply impressed with the dancers, as well as I recall Mr. Nahat gave a talk that Ballet San Jose got the setting from Royal Danish Ballet (with the chest from Bournonville family). I thought it was “borrowed”, but it looks like now BSJ owns it? Anyway, it is thrilling to know some king of connection to my local charm BSJ with this big event.

Johan Kobborg's site agrees with the LA casting above, but gives this casting for The Lesson in New York:
The Student: Gudron Bojesen (Principal, Royal Danish Ballet)
The Teacher: Deidre Chapman (First Soloist, Royal Ballet, ex-SF Ballet)

http://www.kobborg.co.uk/diary/cal.html

Alina Cojocaru is scheduled to dance in London at the time of the New York engagement.

Holy cow! The casting changes are even crazier than your typical Russian company's.

--Andre