Jaffe, Susan

Subterms

    Latest story

    125 Shares119 Views

    A New Principal Takes Her Bow at American Ballet Theater

    by

    After a tremendous “Swan Lake” performance, Chloe Misseldine was promoted onstage at the Metropolitan Opera House. The audience went nuts.It was an extraordinary performance from Chloe Misseldine on Wednesday afternoon, the kind of debut that reminds us how rare it is for a dancer to have not only access to strength and delicacy, but also the ability to weave them together in real time.The moment Susan Jaffe, artistic director of American Ballet Theater, stepped onto the stage after the matinee of “Swan Lake” at the Metropolitan Opera House, it was apparent what was about to happen.“So, Chloe Misseldine doesn’t know this yet,” she said. “But as of this moment, she’s just been promoted to principal dancer.”A roar followed. This isn’t the usual way dancers are told about their promotions at Ballet Theater. Jaffe, in a statement, said that she expected she would name Misseldine a principal at the end of the season, but changed her mind after Misseldine’s New York debut in the dual role of Odette-Odile. “I felt no need to wait,” Jaffe said. “The moment was right.”More than that, the moment was necessary. Both the performance and surprise promotion gave a needed jolt to Ballet Theater’s summer season, a sleepy one so far that has included the company premiere of Wayne McGregor’s ponderous three-act “Woolf Works,” and more traditional repertoire: “Onegin” (with its melodrama and big lift energy) and “Swan Lake” (from 2000 and in need of an overhaul).In “Swan Lake,” Misseldine, dancing with an impressive Aran Bell as Prince Siegfried, showered the stage with glittering dancing, first as Odette — a princess who has been turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer, von Rothbart — and then as Odile, his deceptive daughter who tricks Siegfried at the ball.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    More stories

    • 113 Shares139 Views

      in Elections

      American Ballet Theater Names Dance Veteran as Executive Director

      by

      Barry Hughson, a leader at the National Ballet of Canada, will join the company as it tries to get beyond financial woes.American Ballet Theater, one of the largest dance companies in the United States, has faced a series of challenges in recent months. Relations with the dancers have been tense, finances have been strained and the organization has lacked a permanent executive director.On Thursday, Ballet Theater announced it was bringing in a dance veteran as it tries to move beyond its woes: Barry Hughson, executive director of the National Ballet of Canada, will join the company in that role in July. He succeeds Janet Rollé, who resigned suddenly last summer after 17 months on the job.Hughson, 56, a former dancer, said in an interview that he was undaunted by Ballet Theater’s troubles.“A.B.T. has been a company that I’ve loved since I was a 10-year-old ballet student watching Baryshnikov,” he said, referring to the star dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. “It’s such an important institution in American dance, and it’s a challenging time for the arts community right now.”Ballet Theater’s leaders said they chose Hughson, executive director at the National Ballet of Canada since 2014, because of his extensive experience in the field. He has held top positions at Boston Ballet and Atlanta Ballet, among other organizations. They said he also showed an eagerness to work with Susan Jaffe, Ballet Theater’s artistic director, who has served as interim executive director since Rollé’s departure.“I expect and I hope it’ll be a wonderful, cooperative leadership team,” Andrew F. Barth, chairman of Ballet Theater’s board, said in an interview. “We’re going to have the opportunity to examine how to bring our art, how to bring this beautiful cultural aspect, to more people in more ways that are financially sound.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More