Front-page news in this morning's Washington Post.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com" TARGET=_blank>http://www.washingtonpost.com</A> <P>Scroll down to additional titles in blue for the direct link to this story.<P>[Stuart adds: Here is the direct link to the Post article.]<P> <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3283-2000Jul18.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3283-2000Jul18.html</A> <P><BR>Kaiser received the unanimous votes of the Board of Directors. Approval by Congress is but a formality. He will be presented to Congressmen & Senators tonight, at a big dinner. Set to begin his new position February 1, 2001...several months before the announced departure from the Royal Opera House? <P>- Jeannie (a.k.a. Aurora)<P><p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited July 19, 2000).]

Many thanks for alerting us to this exciting news, Aurora. I am very pleased for Washington and Kaiser, but I do wish that we could have had at least another couple of years to continue the much needed transformation of the ROH. However, he leaves the house in much better shape than when he arrived and I think that most arts fans in the UK are very grateful to him for that.

Apart from his financial and financial sytems transformation, he gained the confidence of the dancers in a way that none of his predecessors had done, simply by being interested in what they were doing. In addition he listened to the counsel of those who wanted to open up the ROH and the RB to modern dance and this has produced some excellent work in the Linbury theatre and the Clore Studio.

Here is the link to our earlier discussions about his leaving the ROH.

http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000073
And here is the NY Times spin on the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/library/arts/071900kaiser-kennedy.html

If you have not done so already, you will need to register (free) with the NY Times site first. The NY Times seems to have lengthened the availability period for their articles. Pleaselet us know if you find that this link is dead.

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 17:44: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

And here are a few more stories on the same subject:<P>Reuters<BR> <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000719/re/arts_kennedy_dc_1.html" TARGET=_blank>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000719/re/arts_kennedy_dc_1.html</A> <P>Associated Press<BR> <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000719/pl/kennedy_center_2.html" TARGET=_blank>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000719/pl/kennedy_center_2.html</A> <P>SonicNet<BR> <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/so/20000718/en/michael_kaiser_to_head_kennedy_center_1.html" TARGET=_blank>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/so/20000718/en/michael_<BR>kaiser_to_head_kennedy_center_1.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited February 28, 2001).]

Thanks Aurora for this fascinating news - and fancy his term actually starting THERE before the ROH one supposedly finishes..have to go and read a bit more, now!.....Thanks!

Grace, the ROH Press announcement talked about Kaiser leaving <u> at the latest</u> by June 2001. From memory, he opted not to have an ROH contract.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 19, 2000).]

Michael Kaiser gets to work -- on an ambitious scheme -- at the Kennedy Center:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Kennedy Center Chief Spells Out His Dreams</B><BR> <BR>Jacqueline Trescott, Washington Post<P>The new president of the Kennedy Center said yesterday that he favors building a plaza over the freeway east of the complex and framing it with two new buildings, one of them a Cooperstown-like hall of fame for the performing arts.<P>Michael Kaiser, who took over at the center earlier this year, said at a luncheon meeting of Washington Post editors and reporters that he intends to be more involved in the creation of art, as opposed to using the building as a "road house" for traveling productions.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59504-2001Feb26.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

And another report:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Kennedy Center May Expand</B><P>WASHINGTON (AP) - Michael M. Kaiser, the new head of the Kennedy Center, said it needs a museum of the performing arts.<P>``It wouldn't be a 'hall of fame,''' he said in an interview. ``It would include all the performing arts - popular music, ballet, theater, jazz, all of them.''<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010227/us/brf_kennedy_center_2.html" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

I'm happy Mr Kaiser loves ballet:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>'Best ballet season in the world'</B><P>Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY<P>WASHINGTON -- The Kennedy Center's 2001-2002 ballet season is new president Michael Kaiser's idea of a fireworks blast. The Kirov Ballet begins a 10-year series of weeklong appearances, the Bolshoi returns for a second year and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba visits for the first time in decades.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010302/3107923s.htm" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

For more on Michael Kaiser's plan for the Kennedy Center, go to this thread in Dance Miscellany:

<a href=http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000440 target=_blank>Kennedy Center's 'Best Ballet Season in the World'</a>.

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 17:45: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Michael Kaiser shows his savvy and he might just be able to pull it off:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Selling Big Dreams on the Potomac</B><P>ELAINE SCIOLINO, NY Times<P>...<P>"We are always making things bigger to the press than they are," Mr. Kaiser says. "That's our job. And this is a big one." Later, he says, "There's a P. T. Barnum element to what we do."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/01/arts/01SCIO.html?searchpv=nytToday" TARGET=_blank><B>More</B></A>

<B>KenCen picks 12 for new arts program</B><BR> <BR>By Christian Toto in THE WASHINGTON TIMES <P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The Kennedy Center announced yesterday the first 12 recipients of its new Vilar Fellowship for Arts Management program, aimed at preparing tomorrow's arts leaders for an unforgiving economy. The 2001-2002 Vilar fellows come from Europe, Asia and North America. They include Alexandria resident Dan Hagerty, producer of WETA's "Around Town" program. The group, selected from 150 applications received from 34 countries, will spend a year studying strategic planning, marketing, fund raising and accounting, as well as attending seminars covering the arts and law, among other topics.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.washtimes.com/entertainment/20010712-5341340.htm" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>The big news for Royal Ballet fans is the inclusion of Bruce Sansom, until recently Principal in the Company. He has been working on learning about management for some time now, firstly with the ROH Artists' Development Initiative, where he helped to administrate as well as perform and more recenly with San Francisco Ballet.<P>The brains behind this scheme is Michael Kaiser, backed by Alberto Vilar. Just think, if we'd managed to keep Kaiser in the UK, this terrific programme might have been taking place at the Royal Opera House. On second thoughts, it's probably better not to think about it! <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 13, 2001).]

Stuart, does this mean that Sansom will be back to the RB next season full-time? Or is he going to continue this fellowship at the SFB? (Sorry, I wasn't really sure...)

No Terry, he'll be at the Kennedy Centre on this Arts Management programme. Bruce has left the Royal Ballet.

And his engagement at SFB was only for one year.

Oops:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Kennedy Center Told to Remove Asbestos From Opera House<P>Avram Goldstein, Washington Post<P>City health officials have ordered the Kennedy Center to remove asbestos from ceilings near exclusive seating areas in the Opera House, including the presidential box.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58553-2001Jul26.html target=_blank>More</a>