Home to the Conversations on Dance Podcast
(128) Rebecca & Michael: NYCB Directorship Announcement
Posted by Rebecca King on 03.01.2019
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
Rebecca and Michael record an emergency podcast to discuss and react to the big news this week in the ballet world: the announcement of the appointment of Jonathan Stafford as artistic director and Wendy Whelan as associate artistic director of New York City Ballet. Our sound quality isn’t our best, and for that we apologize, but we had to drop everything and get on the phone to chat about the news ASAP! Thanks for your understanding.
Check out our social media channels on Monday March 4th, 2019 for a special giveaway from our sponsor Yumiko!
1 Comment
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- New York City Ballet Directorship Announcement: Conversations on Dance - […] post (128) Rebecca & Michael: NYCB Directorship Announcement appeared first on […]
I enjoyed this podcast and found your thoughtful comments added new insights to all the recent discussions about NYCB.
I especially appreciated your comments on Peter Martins’s role in encouraging new choreographers and young dancers. And whatever one thinks about his own choreography, I was grateful for his introducing me to some new music. Just as I grew to like Stravinsky from some of Balanchine’s works, I grew to like (or at least appreciate) people like John Adams from some of the Martins’s works.
As far as the discussion (here and elsewhere) about why Wendy Whelan doesn’t have an equal title, I don’t know, but at the end of the day someone has to have a final say. I have heard the original “co-equal” partnership between Martins and Robbins was rough at times so maybe they were trying to avoid that. Also, don’t know how much educational credentials come into play in a case like this, but I believe Stafford has at least one (BA) and maybe two degrees, at least one in something like management or organizational management. I have no idea what Wendy Whelan’s background is in that regard. In any event, it was gratifying to read in the Times that each had, indepedently of the other, expressed interest in working with the other.
I agree it would be nice if they could revive an old Balanchine (or Robbins) work now and then. Once, when Suzanne Farrell had her small company at the Joyce, they did one of those and I enjoyed seeing that. Maybe they could get her to come do that from time to time.