Does anyone else feel that Chris Wheeldon's wording on the back of the Gala invitation seems to have an underlying negative message?

Here's what it says:

"My fear is that some people may be expecting too much from us in the beginning. Morphoses is something that needs to build and grow over time. My vision is something that may not be fulfilled for five or six years. At the beginning we will only be able to deliver part of what this is going to be. But, as I said earlier, dreams take time." (emphasis his)

He's asking people for $1,000 a head, minimum, and he's saying, "Well, it may not be so good...."

There are ways to indicate that potential is not yet fulfilled, but to generate positive feelings and excitement.

What do you think?

I see what you mean, but I think, given all the heralding of him as the "savior of ballet!!" his caution is understandable. I don't think what he says is overly negative, but rather recommending a realistic attitude instead of the overblown expectations that have arisen from his decision to start his own company.

Well yeah. But on a gala invitation?

My point exactly!!
(And there is no list of committee members, only a chairman. That's also unusual, as people often scan the list to see who is on it that they know.)

Speaking as the recipient of all too many grandiose and over-the-top invitations over the years , I think it's kind of refreshing. Think of it as the opposite of those "Mission Accomplished" signs we used to see. Who knows? -- modesty may become a new fashion in self-promotion. Good for Wheeldon.

It's not a "negative" message, as you put it. But it is certainly a departure from the usual hype we see on these occasions.

What I wonder is Wheeldon's goal? A week at City Center once a year with dancers on break from other companies, and a couple of similar weeks in London later in the year? Or a company of his own, employing dancers nearly full time -- a sort of Paul Taylor or Merce Cunningham model?

He's going to have to decide this.

Maybe this is a reaction to the somewhat mixed reviews from London. It's an interesting tactic. But if you live by the sword, you might die by the sword. The company didn't shy away from all those preview/promotion articles last month.

I got the impression he had.
That his aim was a company of his own--a touring company which would employ dancers on a "full-time" basis, and that it is this goal is part of what he's referring to when he says it will take 5-6 years to come to full fruition in the statement above.

from the sept 30th article in the times


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/arts/dan....html?ref=dance

Wheeldon may also be thinking about the less-than-glorious reception for his recent 'Elsinore' piece for the Bolshoi. Maybe he is tempering the heraldings with a dose of reality. Nobody is perfect. Even Balanchine and Petipa had creative Off-Days. Interesting to express this feeling in an gala invitation, nonetheless.

With bart, I find the humility a most appealing quality.

It's a double edged sword. You create a new "thing"... try to get lots of PR and attention and then invite all sorts of criticism which inevitably will follow.

I generally am attracted to more humility.. that is.. geniuses going about their work and being discovered by others... not their own PR.

Time will tell.

I think you're right. (And he was making some pretty big claims in those preview/promotion articles, too.)

Hmmm...humility, or cold feet? Either way, it's odd to see him pulling in his horns on a gala invitation, I agree.

Interesting question, ViolinConcerto -- thanks for raising the topic.

Didn't Balanchine himself observe that "You have to make the bad ballets to make the good ballets"? And of course, he also said "slower is faster"!

Both apply in this case, I think -- Wheeldon will need a fund of patience as well as money.

Humility is good. Nerves, on the other hand. . . I think he could have said the same thing but rephrased it to make it sound like the excitement of "Starting at the beginning of an exciting new venture. Sure, there will be some bumps on the road, but the destination is worth it. . ." etc. Don't get people frightened that they're pissing money down a hole.

“Don’t worry, it’s only money! And you’re loaded or you wouldn’t be here. So relax. Rome wasn’t built in a day....”

Also, don't forget that this statement has been vetted through at least one layer of Public Relations. Wheeldon may have said something fairly like this, but it's been "massaged".

An example might be George V of England, who had gone to the city of Bognor to recover from an ailment. The Mayor and Council of the city petitioned His Majesty to allow them to change the name of the place to "Bognor Regis" to commemorate the King's stay there. When presented with the paper one morning by his Private Secretary, George growled, "Oh, bugger Bognor!" The Private Secretary stylishly rendered this as, "His Majesty has been graciously pleased to accede to the humble and full-hearted petition of his well-beloved and trusty Mayor and Council of the City of Bognor Regis."

The sales engineer that I am, I'm constantly told to:

"sell the sizzle, not the steak"

The gala invite should have listed the celebrities attending, and the opportunity to see art at its infancy.

The AD can tell the audience that this is the beginning of a great company; expect some moments of brilliance, and please enjoy and appreciate the rough edges.

Another sales-y expression is:

"Ask/beg for forgiveness, but never ask for permission." Mr. Wheeldon is telling his customers they will not do their best.

I would have said:

"Expect moments of brilliance as we build a great dance company, with your generous assistance."

As a fund raiser, I absolutely agree. I am totally on Chris and Lourdes' side, mind you, but I was a bit nonplussed to see that statement on the invitation