Yes, it's your greatest fantasy! Okay, mine, anyway.

Now it's time to plan a season for *your name here* Ballet. Six different programs (any mix of full-length vs. mixed bills), complete with casts. One rule: currently active dancers only.

I have some plans of my own, but what are yours?

OK, I'll play:


BALLO DELLA REGINA Taylor, Carmena
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN Krohn, Millepied
Tchaikovsky PAS DE DEUX Bouder, Liang
4 TEMPERAMENTS Hanna, LaCour, Somogyi/Hubbe, Tinsley


APOLLO Albert Evans; Sylve, Kowroski, Reichlin (the TALL Muses!!)
SWAN LAKE Act II Ringer, Marcovici
Tchaikovsky SUITE #3 Nichols, Neal; Abi Stafford, Millepied; Bouder, Carmena;
Taylor, Woetzel


SERENADE van Kipnis, Hankes, Edge; Hanna, Marcovici
BUGAKU Whelan, Albert Evans
SYMPHONY IN C Abi Stafford, Millepied; Taylor, Hanna; Scheller, de Luz; Riggins,
Adam Hendrickson


BURLESKE Ringer, Nilas Martins; Rachel R, Millepied
LA VALSE Whelan, Marcovici, Seth
PRISM Maria K, Ask LaCour, Ulbricht


JEWELS
Emeralds: Kistler/Jared Angle; Kyra Nichols/Philip Neal; Abi S/Scheller/Adam
Hendrickson
Rubies: Taylor, Carmena, Tinsley
Diamonds: Sylve, Hanna


GISELLE (new production) Whelan, Woetzel, Maria K, Edge & Adam H (Peasant),
Golbin & Tinsley (Moyna & Zulma), Seth (Hilarion)

Whelan as Giselle?! Well, to each his own....

I choose the Kirov (of course). My first order of business would be to get Larissa Lezhnina to come back.

I don't know if all the following heights work, and keep in mind, I haven't seen everyone at the Kirov.

Program 1

"The Little Humpbacked Horse" (reconstructed by Doug, if possible)

Zhelonkina/Korsakov

Program 2

"Giselle" coached by Asylmuratova

Ayupova, Fadeyev, Lopatkina, Osmolkina/Sarafanov (Paysan PDD)

Program 3

"Le Pavilion d'Armide"

Lezhnina/Merkuriev or Fadeyev

"Petrouchka"

Sarafanov/Ayupova/Korsakov

Program 4

"Jewels"

Emeralds: Ayupova
Rubies: Vishneva
Diamonds: Pavlenko or Lopatkina

Program 5

"Gaité Parisienne" (is it evening-length or a one-act?)

Vishneva

Assuming GP is a one-act ballet, or even two, I'm going to add La Sylphide with Ayupova, alternating with Lezhnina, as well as Fadeyev and Merkuriev.

Program 6

"Raymonda"

Maya Dumchenko, Igor Zelensky

Oh...what a long list. I guess that's enough for one season.

Here are a few actual ballets from the upcoming Miami City Ballet season, with a partial wish-list for casting:

PRODIGAL SON. Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez. Michelle Murray or Jennifer Kronenberg as the Siren.

WESTERN SYMPHONY. Final Movement. Tricia Albertson and Jeremy Cox.

PUSH COMES TO SHOVE. Albertson, Cox, Bruce Thornton

DANCES AT A GATHERING. Edward Villella's solo mazurka -- Renato Pentado. The "wind waltz' pas de deux -- Mary Carmen Catoya and Mikhail Ilyin.

DONIZETTI VARIATIONS, SYMPHONY IN C and SERENADE. Jennifer Kronenberg or Katia Carranza in any of the solo parts.

QUICK-STEP: UNSPEAKABLE JAZZ MUST GO!" (Ellington et. al./ Villella) -- Kiki's suitor --Luis Serrano. Speakeasy couple -- Callie Manning and Didier Bramaz. Jeanette Delgado.

This is HARD! Fortunately Villella knows his dancers and casts quite well, thank you, so I won't be disappointed no matter what.

How about six via three programs, two companies?

Program 1.
"Schumann"
NYCB: Liang ("Luders"), Sylve (wife), Kowroski (muse)
ABT: Hallberg, Murphy, Part
After the Rain
NYCB: Soto (guest)/Whelan, Sylve, Reichlen, Liang, la Cour
ABT: Gomes/Fang, Wiles, Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Malakhov
Symphony in C
NYCB: Bouder/Ramasar, Kowroski/la Cour, Peck/Carmena, Scheller/Evans
ABT: Vishneva/Corella, Part/Acosta, Lane/Cornejo, Bystrova/Tidwell

Program 2.
Giselle
ABT: Fang/Hallberg, Gomes, Lane/Tidwell, Part, Bystrova/Copeland
NYCB: Bouder/Woetzle, Evans, Fairchild/Ramasar, Reichlen, Scheller/Hyltin

Program 3.
Ballo della Regina
NYCB: Bouder/Millepied
ABT: Vishneva/Corella
Pillar of Fire
NYCB: Sylve/J. Angle, T. Angle, Kistler, Peck
ABT: McKerrow (guest)/Gomes, Hallberg, Meunier, Fang
Mr. B's Swan Lake
NYCB: Kowroski/la Cour
ABT: Lane/Cornejo

Oh, I envisioned a complete mix-n-match. You choose the rep from scratch, organize it into programs, and cast with dancers who may have or may not have done the roles before. You can have, say, both Spartacus and Fancy Free.

For San Francisco:

After promoting Chidozie Nzerem, Amanda Schull, and Pauli Magierek out of the corps and hiring Alexandra Ansanelli as a principal, I would schedule the following ballets:

Program 1 is the company premiere of Makarova's full-length La Bayadere. (Kingdom of Shades is already in the rep.)
Cast: Lorena Feijoo as Nikiya, Boada as Solor, and Yuan Yuan Tan as Gamzatti. Alternate cast: Ansanelli as Nikiya, Gonzalo Garcia as Solor, Sarah Van Patten as Gamzatti.

Program 2 is a mixed bill with Dances at a Gathering, a world premiere by someone well-versed in ballet, and In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated.
Cast for D@G: Pink--Ansanelli, Mauve--Yuan Yuan Tan, Yellow--Kristin Long, Green--Muriel Maffre, Blue--Sarah Van Patten; Brown--Gonzalo Garcia, Green--Ruben Martin, Purple--Chidozie Nzerem, Brick--Hansuke Yamamoto, Blue--Jaime Garcia Castilla
Only saw a snippet of the Forsythe, so not sure how to cast it, and the world premiere is up to the choreographer

Program 3 is a revival of Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, with 4 wonderful alternating casts: LeBlanc and Garcia; Ansanelli and Blanc; Zahorian and Nedviguine; Feijoo and Boada.

Program 4 is all-Balanchine.
Square Dance: Tina LeBlanc, Gonzalo Garcia
Serenade: Tan, Frances Chung, Magierek, Stephen Legate, Nzerem
Stars and Stripes: Other than Ansanelli as Liberty Bell, I'm not sure how I'd cast it, but I'd like to see SFB do the full ballet (They did the finale a couple of years ago).

Program 5 is an all-Mark Morris bill: Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Maelstrom, and Sandpaper Ballet.

Program 6 is an international Jewels extravaganza somewhat like what the Mariinsky did a couple of years ago, with guest artists in the leads.
Emeralds: Ayupova, Kolb, Cojocaru, Kobborg.
Rubies: Ansanelli (who isn't really a guest artist because I got her to join SFB ), Woetzel, Kowroski.
Diamonds: Zakharova, Uvarov

Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Especially the rule about only six programs!

Whelan as Giselle? After seeing her in SONNAMBULA: yes.

But La Sonnambula doesn't require Romantic port de bras.

If we can mix and match, I'm importing Wiles, Bystrova, Hamrick, Uphoff, and Tidwell to the Kirov. Just thinking about Wiles as Odette surrounded by that perfect corps makes me dizzy.

Program 1:
Giselle
Ansanelli, T. Angle, Pastor, Bouder/Cornejo, Part, Fang/Arthurs

Program 2:
Who Cares?
Bocca, Kistler, Vishneva, Sylve
Dim Lustre
Kent, Woetzel
Black Swan Pas de Deux
Scheller, De Luz

Program 3:
Serenade
Ananiashvilli (Russian girl), Part, Zakharova, Gomes
Marguerite and Armand
Ferri, Bocca
Other Dances
Ringer, Woetzel

Program 4:
Gaite Parisienne
Ferri, Corella
Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote
Ananiashvilli, Carreno
After the Rain (pas de deux)
Whelan, Soto

Program 5:
Carousel
Ansanelli, Woetzel
Pas de Trois from Act 2, Le Corsaire
Vishneva, Carreno, Corella
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Kowroski, Hallberg

Program 6:
Romeo and Juliet
Ferri, Bocca, de Luz, Woetzel

Program 1-

The Seven Deadly Sins (Revival)- Janie Taylor
Duo Concertant- Megan Fairchild, Craig Hall
Momentum/Movements-Maria K., La Cour-Marcovici

Program 2-
Mr. B's Swan Lake- Rachel Rutherford,Jared Angle
Apollo- Albert Evans, Miranda Weese, Jennifer Tinsley, Ellen Bar
Allegro Brillante- Ashley Bouder, Benjamin Millepied

Program 3-
The Concert- Maria K. (Tanaquil LeClercq's part) Adam Hendrickson (I don't don't know what the name of the role is- he's the husband)
Tzigane-Sofiane Sylve, Charles Askegard
Chaconne- Jennie Somogyi, Benjamin Millepied

Program 4-
Emeralds-Miranda Weese, Jared Angle, Ashley Bouder, Amar Ramasar
Rubies- Abi Stafford, Antonio Carmena
Diamonds- Maria K, Philip Neal

Program 5-
Bourre Fantasque (Revival)- First Movement- Sofiane Sylve, Nikolaj Hubbe
Second Movement- Maria K., Albert Evans
Concerto Barocco- Janie Taylor, Henry Seth
Symphony Concertant (Revival)- Jennie Somogyi (Tallchief role)
Megan Fairchild (LeClercq role)
Stephen Hanna

Program 6-
Cotillion (Revival)- Ellen Bar
Lieblslieder Waltzer- Darci Kistler, Charles Askegard
Wendy Whelen, Nikolaj Hubbe
Ashley Bouder, Adam Hendrickson
Miranda Weese, Stephen Hanna
Divertimento No 15- Jennifer Ringer, Miranda Weese, Jennie Somogyi, Sofiane Sylve, Ashley Bouder, Stephen Hanna, Amar Ramasar, Craig Hall

Thank God you only asked for six programs because my because now my head hurts!

Now try coming up with two or three more casts for each program--the same dancers don't generally do their parts all week!

Oh, sorry. If it's any consolation, you have a subscriber here!

Some very smart and tasteful ADs here.

Would like to see an all-Balanchine program (or two) cast with the best possiible choices from companies that make Balanchine a priority.

Daners would come from NYCB, Miami, San Francisco, Pacific Northwest -- possibly someone from the Kirov and Ib Anderson's company in Phoenix. Any others?

This rep would tour the US and Europe annually as an INTERNATIONAL BALANCHINE FESTIVAL, performing in each city that provided a dancer. Now THAT would be a way to spread the beauty and power of the Balanchine repertoire.

Few of us have seen dancers from all these companies on anything like a regular basis, so I don't know whom I'd choose with the aexception of Miami. Can you name ONE OR TWO from each company to do, let's say, Four Temperaments or another Balanchine work of your choice?

The Royal Danish Ballet and the Paris Opéra Ballet.

Program 1- Balanchine's Valse Fantasie: Leads Michelle Wiles and Ethan Stiefel Corps de ballet- Faye Arthurs, Scheller, Hamrick and Melissa Thomas.

2- Balanchine's Tschaikovsky pas de duex: Tidwell and Sylve.

-Intermisson-

3-Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee: Lise: Julie Kent, Colas: David Hallberg the rest of the cast I'm not really sure. I don't know the ballet that well. The rooster would be played by Bragado-Young.

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Program 2- Giselle- Reyes, Albrecht- Boal, Peasent Pas- Lane and Scott, Myrtha- Stella Abrea, Monya-Zungre and Zulma- Scheller

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Program 3- 3 New works,

I will be one of the coreographers, Dancers in my piece are as follows: Michelle Wiles, David Hallberg, Julie Kent, Arron Scott, Faye Arthurs and Stephen Hanna.(Music TBA)

2nd peice is a pas de duex by Forsythe with dancers Copeland and Askegard. Music: Intro & Rondo Capriccio, Op.28 by Camille Saint-Saëns

3rd peice is by Val Caniparoli dancers Ethan Stiefel, Daniel Ulbricht, Herman Cornejo, Marcelo Gomes and David Hallberg. Each having solo and Ensemble work. Music: TBA
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Program 4- 3rd Act Sleeping Beauty(best part)- Aurora: Darcey Bussell, Prince:David Hallberg, Lilac Fairy: Yuan Yuan Tan, First Fairy: Faye Arthurs, Second Fairy: Sarah Lamb, Third Fairy: Stephanie Zungree, 4th Fairy: Megan Fairchild and 5th Fairy: Carmen Corella, Blue Bird Pas: Herman Cornejo and Sarah Lane and Caraboose: Georgina Parkinson. (I'm unsure of the Fairys names so those may not be the right order, but in my head each dancers is with the variation i want! ahaha)

- Intermisson-
Conceto Barocco- First Violin: Sofiane Sylve, Second Violin: Zenaida Yanowsky
Male Dancer: Nikolaj Hübbe

Black Swan Pas de Duex- Sylvie Guillem and Ethan Stiefel
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Program 5- Serenade- Waltz Girl: Xiomara Reyes, Waltz Boy: Stephen Hanna, Dark Elegie: Stella Abrea, Elegie Boy: Philip Neal, Russian Girl: Michelle Wiles, 4 Russian Girls: Sarah Lane, Scheller, Erica Cornejo and Maria Bystrova.

-Intermission-
Paquita- Lead Female: Julie Kent, Lead Male: Ethan Stiefel, First Variation: Sarah Lamb, Second Variation: Melissa Thomas, Third Variation: Monique Meunier, 4th Variation: Alina Cojocaru and Pas de Trois: Sascha Radetsky, Carmen Corella and Maria Ricetto
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Progarm 6- Tudor's Continuo- Darcey Bussell with Stephen Hanna. Alina Cojocaru with Herman Cornejo and Tamara Rojo with Angel Corella
-Pause-
Don Q Wedding Pas- Michelle Wiles and Johan Kobborg
-Intermisson-
Lamberana by Val Caniparoli. Lead female: Sofiane Sylve, Lead male: Ethan Stiefel, Second Lead female: Sarah Lane, Third Lead male: Daniel Ulbricht, Male Soloist: Jesus Pastors

I want to play so badly, and I have my 6 programs selected, but I don't know enough dancers to fill the casts. Sigh. I'm tempted to name the same dancers for every program but I guess that's cheating. Fun to read everyone else's choices. I must say we certainly are a smart group!

Giannina

Dansuer85, you've got a subscriber! Now, may I be your emerging choreographer? I've got an absolutely beautiful pas de deux in my mind to music from the movie "Amelie"...

Giannina, play anyway~!

This is fun . I want to do some more.

Programs is good. I'm sure plenty of posters will be happy to take charge of -- I mean, advise you on -- casting.

My above post has been updated with the all 6 programs. It's only the first cast, because I don't get paid to be AD so I don't have time to do multiple cast! I actually would have used some other dancers, but no one would really know who they are, so I went with dancers that I do like alot and rarely get to see. Some of the dancers I have not seen or seen much, but felt the need to use them! aha That was fun!

Giselle05, thanks so much!! I would love to consider you for next years season, please send a resume along with video of your works!

OK, here goes.

The name of the company is, "I Don't Know That Many Dancers"! I am therefore free to move dancers from company to company.

1. Mayerling: Rojo and Cope

2. Onegin: Tapper, Askegard, Cojocaru

3. Monotones II: 3 people who dance exactly the same
Fancy Free: Corella, Carreno, Gomes
A Month in the Country: Guillem, Cope, Putrov

4. Agon: Whelan and anyone she wants
Tour Temperaments:
I'm Old Fashioned: Kowroski, Woetzel

5. Ashton's Cinderella: Bussell, Cope

6. SwanLakeGiselleRomeo&JulietGreenTableRubies

Giannina

This is my dream too! (To be an AD)

I. Jewels

II. Giselle (Maina Gielguld's version)

III. The Nutcracker (hopefully my version)

IV. Dracula (Michael Pink's version)

V. Petite Mort, Sechs Tanz, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated

VI. Allegro Brillante; A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bruce Wells version)

(I hope I have a big budget!)

There are soooooo many dancers I would love to see, so I won't name any specifics.
Interesting topic, I used to always plan ficticious seasons when I would get bored with school work in high school. Ha Ha