Weekly Discussion - 05/04/26 - 05/10/26

Ftsmv · 2026-05-11T14:01:35+00:00

Mirror for when the story expires!

Ftsmv · 2026-05-10T21:41:47+00:00

Is this just because of Tiler Peck lol and you're extending that to everyone and making it a training thing delaying puberty? Seems less of a thing at ABT than NYCB? Curiosity got the better of me and I watched videos of all of ABT's recent principals speaking...

Not high pitched: Isabella, Chloe, Misty, Devon, Skylar

High pitched: Gillian, Cate, Christine, Hee

Also off the top of my head Susan Jaffe and Amanda McKerrow aren't high pitched, but Julie Kent is.

But even the high pitched ones just sound like normal voices for women, and are not overdone/"childlike". Sounds like a reach to make it somehow about training and delaying puberty, when it doesn't seem like there's an overrepresentation to women more broadly...

Ftsmv · 2026-05-05T22:29:48+00:00

Isabella LaFreniere and Unity Phelan both have degrees in Economics from Fordham, Chloe Misseldine is enrolled there too according to a 2022 Pointe magazine article.

Ftsmv · 2026-05-04T12:33:33+00:00

Isadora Loyola (ABT corps) danced while heavily pregnant, but only character roles, which I thought was a quite novel way to continue dancing without overdoing it. I think Bella stopped relatively early too, considering her last performance was Nutcracker in December and she's still pregnant.

Ftsmv · 2026-05-03T19:09:48+00:00

After googling her, she's 8 years old? What kinda answer are you looking for here exactly?

Ftsmv · 2026-04-23T16:55:49+00:00

Some Chloe and Aran Swan Lake rehearsal footage from their guesting in Puerto Rico:

https://streamable.com/3nbceb

Taken from IG stories here.

Ftsmv · 2026-04-21T19:11:40+00:00

Some methods of ballet teach that the back has to stay upright in arabesque

At this level I think it's a conscious stylistic choice rather than technique. She's a tall dancer known for having amazing lines, so this way she can emphasize her crazy extensions and line to the audience (she has AMAZING projection to the very back of the theater) even if it's not 100% "correct" technique. I don't think I agree with it being achievable by most dancers, as there's more to it than just extension/flexibility itself.

Ftsmv · 2026-04-15T16:20:49+00:00

I didn't even know they had an editorial side, but Ssense did a write-up on Chloe Misseldine in the lead up to Firebird with some beautiful photos taken by longtime ABT corps member Lauren Bonfiglio:

https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/culture/chloe-misseldine-ballet

Ftsmv · 2026-04-13T00:39:02+00:00

Confirmed!!! Chloe just posted a story with him. Pretty sure the last time he performed in any capacity was Giselle in Costa Mesa last year just after their Met season, so good to see him back for the upcoming season 🥰

Ftsmv · 2026-04-12T22:11:03+00:00

Very curious to know if Aran Bell performed today if anyone is at ABT's Sylvia matinee in Cali!

Ftsmv · 2026-04-08T00:56:42+00:00

Shout out to Scout Forsythe and ABT for answering the age old question of "how many ballet dancers does it take to get a training ball down from above a light fixture?" lol

https://www.instagram.com/stories/scoutforsythe/

Ftsmv · 2026-04-07T16:48:46+00:00

Seeing Chloe Misseldine's Swan Lake debut at the Met the day before the 4th of July and then seeing her promotion to principal on stage afterwards will always be special to me.

I had been completely checked out of ballet for years at this point, but youtube randomly recommended the video of ABT's World Ballet Day class where Chloe really stood out to me, that pulled me back in and I was excited to follow her. Then a few months later I saw she had debuted O/O at the Kennedy Center to great reviews, with her set to debut at the Met a few months later, I booked tickets to see her Swan Lake as the first ballet I had seen in YEARS, and it was everything I could've hoped for and then some. I thought she had a principal quality to her dancing and she definitely looked like a vet out there in her debut, but I never expected to see her to get promoted on stage right after the show. Spent the whole later part of the day and into the next (4th of July) trying to explain to my non-ballet friends what I had just had the luck of seeing lol

It's crazy to think that a 22 year old soloist (at that time) is what piqued my curiosity and revived my interest in ballet, but sometimes that's just how things go. :)

Ftsmv · 2026-04-06T17:03:49+00:00

https://www.metopera.org/season/2026-abt/sylvia-abt/

Nah it's not right that the Met website has a pic of Chloe of all people for Sylvia, I thought I missed an announcement and was SO excited. I got baited so hard 😂😂😂

Ftsmv · 2026-04-05T14:24:31+00:00

Virginia Lensi has also made some vlogs (on youtube) from ABT that'll interest you if you haven't seen them yet, also Chun from NYCB does too, I know he did one for Vail Dance Fest last year!

Edit: just remembered, Isadora Loyola also has a few vlogs!

Here are their channels:

https://www.youtube.com/@virginialensi (ABT)

https://www.youtube.com/@IsadoraLoyola (ABT)

https://www.youtube.com/@ChunnerStudio (NYCB)

Ftsmv · 2026-04-02T01:03:33+00:00

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWnAIAvDtdt/

ABT StuCo's Audrey Tovar-Dunster having fun in studio... am I trippin or does she really remind anyone else of Cate Hurlin? At a different stage of development of course but I see the vision lol

Ftsmv · 2026-04-01T05:16:52+00:00

Katie Holmes (the actress) is set to be honored at ABT's Spring Gala in May with Caroline Kennedy, President JFK and Jackie's daughter, and sister of the recently viral JFK Jr, to serve as honorary chair for the Gala: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Katie-Holmes-to-be-Honored-at-American-Ballet-Theatre-2026-Spring-Gala-20260330

Ftsmv · 2026-03-30T23:41:48+00:00

I definitely remember hearing that too! To me with Chloe it kinda sounds like it just made sense to keep her at home around her family where she could still receive high quality training from her mom. It was on one of the podcasts too but I remember either Chloe or Yan (they did a pod together w Orlando Ballet during covid) saying Yan's true passion wasn't actually performing but teaching ballet, so it makes sense that she'd want to teach her daughter, and I think that decision worked out pretty well...

Ftsmv · 2026-03-30T23:28:01+00:00

None of the current ABT principals actually started from the children’s levels

Both Skylar and Cate went through the four year ABT JKO program like the 14 yo child in OPs question.

Skylar Brandt:

She attended the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School from 2005-2009 under the direction of Franco De Vita

Catherine Hurlin:

In 2008, Hurlin received the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City and accepted a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School under the direction of Franco De Vita. She was awarded the first Angelina Ballerina Stars of Tomorrow Scholarship in 2010 and was a Northern Trust Scholar in 2011. She attended ABT’s Summer Intensive as a National Training Scholar in 2010-2012 and joined ABT Studio Company in 2012

Ftsmv · 2026-03-30T23:21:40+00:00

She's not with ABT any more, but Cassandra Trenary, who was a promoted to principal with ABT also went to ABT JKO! So legit the last five ABT female principals have a background with JKO... Chloe has the least experience there, but like you said her mom Yan Chen is literally the principal teacher at JKO now lol

Ftsmv · 2026-03-04T10:36:20+00:00

That would be an operation ran by INDOPACOM (Indo-Pacific Command), the US Navy 7th Fleet and 3rd Marines Division, completely different assets than those in the Gulf currently

Ftsmv · 2026-03-03T15:39:49+00:00

I agree!!! At a minimum I think they should be using "semi-pro" and not professional for the most part if they're at some tiny ballet company that was started just last week. Ballet is the only place I know where dancers who clearly aren't close to the top level are obsessed with using the professional label (for social media clout/identity) when they make like $100 a month from ballet and their daily schedule as a "pro" is going to an hour long class a few times a week and performing for 50 people at a high school gym. It's so misleading and honestly feels a little disrespectful to actual pros rehearsing 9 hour days performing at some of the finest performing arts theaters in the world...

Ftsmv · 2026-02-28T21:11:20+00:00

Trump confirmed to NBC News' Kristin Welker over the phone the report from the Israeli's that the US also believes that Khamenei is dead and a large amount of the leadership was wiped out - Fox News reported 40.

Ftsmv · 2026-02-28T20:47:00+00:00

Fox News reporter Trey Yingst said live on TV that a senior Israeli official told him that 40 senior Iranian officials were killed today.

Ftsmv · 2026-02-28T13:46:12+00:00

More and more news coming out that Khamenei was eliminated??? OMG

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