To say that the revival of William Forsythe’s “Impressing the Czar” is the main event of the dance performances offered by Lincoln Center Festival 2008 is to damn the production with faint praise. The sad truth is that it’s the only one. And at 20 years old, the work, performed Thursday by the Royal Ballet of Flanders at the Rose Theater, doesn’t entirely reveal itself to be timeless. “Impressing the Czar” smells like teen spirit: it’s neither earth-shattering nor horrid, but it is a bit like being caught in a time warp. You can’t help but feel that grunge is just around the corner.

The Flanders dancers are superbly schooled. Aki Saito is the standout, both in her attack and her ability to surrender. She is vitally expressive amid the neo-classical rigors of "In the Middle." This company's youthful joy in dancing undercuts "Czar's" jaded cynicism. As a whole, however, "Czar" strains far too hard to impress.

What is Forsythe trying to tell us? In Act I, that past eras of art are rich in treasures but that we're poor custodians of them, treating them as if they were interchangeable parts of the present moment? In Act III, that the culture, in which everything is for sale, has gone to hell in a hand basket? Your guess is as good as mine, probably better; I have little patience for highbrow shenanigans.

"I raised money so I could create ballets. I don't envy Karen because she has to use the money for other things," says Kudelka, referring to National Ballet artistic director Karen Kain. "Karen is more attractive than I am, which makes her a formidable fundraiser. The company has been able to realize a lot of new money through an artistic director who is respected and loved, and forgiven more easily than I could ever be, and they are managing to carry on quite successfully on these new terms."

Kudelka also worried about the necessary evil of raising ticket prices. He agrees with the thinking of most American ballet companies that the most expensive ticket should equal the price of a Broadway show. "I don't think that I, or anyone else, can make a ballet that should cost $200 to see," he says. (Currently, ticket prices range from $45 to $200). "Ballet in my Canada should be affordable and accessible. The company was founded by three society ladies, and today it's right back where it started, as ballet for the elite. The Four Seasons Centre is a symbol of the power of money."

The Paris Opera Ballet had planned to bring about 150 people from France next June to present Rudolf Nureyev's final ballet, La Bayadere, at the State Theatre, the only stage in Australia big enough to hold it.

The tour's producers, former Australian Ballet general manager Ian McRae, and former director of the Melbourne and Sydney arts festivals Leo Schofield, were seeking 10% of the cost needed for the company to make its first Melbourne visit — $500,000 of a $5 million budget.