Comments on: In Ballet, Where are all the Asian swans? http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/ A blog for Asian Americans Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:44:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: KarenN http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-132572 KarenN Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:06:02 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-132572 I know this is an old thread, but something that sparked my attention, so I felt I needed to chime in.<br><br>As a former (Asian) professional ballet dancer (trained at SFB School, Boston Ballet and danced with Oregon Ballet Theater), I can attest to many amazing Asian dancer role models and friends who have risen to the top of the ballet community:<br><br>Romi Beppu is an incredible dancer, formerly Principal w/Boston Ballet, now Ballet West (roles such as Odette/Odile) <a href="http://www.balletwest.org/AboutUs/Artists/RomiBeppu" rel="nofollow">http://www.balletwest.org/AboutUs/Artists/RomiB...</a><br><br>PNB currently has a Principal with asian descent: <br><a href="http://www.pnb.org/Artists/Principals/KaoriNakamura.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.pnb.org/Artists/Principals/KaoriNaka...</a> - PNB<br><br>Nao Kusuzaki @ Houston Ballet: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7WpcPkAbAk" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7WpcPkAbAk</a><br><br>Another current Boston Ballet Principal: <a href="http://www.bostonballet.org/Company_Dancers/Dancers/Misa_Kuranaga.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.bostonballet.org/Company_Dancers/Dan...</a><br>SFB: <a href="http://www.sfballet.org/about/company/dancers/view.asp?id=12340265" rel="nofollow">http://www.sfballet.org/about/company/dancers/v...</a><br><br>Agreed; ABT and NYCB have never been culturally diverse, especially at the Principal/Soloist level. But the center of the dance world has shifted and no longer are ABT & NYCB the apex of the dance community... there is a growing number of smaller dance companies (fed with talent from all the aforementioned large-scale ballet companies) with amazing (and diverse) dancers and very creative work & repertoire. <br><br>Oregon Ballet Theater (Vanessa Thiessen (Filipino-American) dancing Juliet... breathtaking), Trey McIntyre Project, <a href="http://treymcintyre.com/TMP/WhoWeAre_Dancers.html" rel="nofollow">http://treymcintyre.com/TMP/WhoWeAre_Dancers.html</a>... not to mention Boston Ballet, PNB (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and Houston all offer diverse dance talent that matches (or exceeds that of the ABT-NYCB flavor). Not sure things will ever change at the ABT/NYCB institutions,.... but thank goodness for all the other companies that embrace and encourage diverse rosters!<br><br>I am very happy that you got to witness (and enjoy) the talent of Yuan Yuan Tan; I guess we have been fortunate in many places other than NYC to have inspriing Asian dancers to grace the stages in lead roles for quite a number of years now. I know this is an old thread, but something that sparked my attention, so I felt I needed to chime in.

As a former (Asian) professional ballet dancer (trained at SFB School, Boston Ballet and danced with Oregon Ballet Theater), I can attest to many amazing Asian dancer role models and friends who have risen to the top of the ballet community:

Romi Beppu is an incredible dancer, formerly Principal w/Boston Ballet, now Ballet West (roles such as Odette/Odile) http://www.balletwest.org/AboutUs/Artists/RomiB…

PNB currently has a Principal with asian descent:
http://www.pnb.org/Artists/Principals/KaoriNaka… – PNB

Nao Kusuzaki @ Houston Ballet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7WpcPkAbAk

Another current Boston Ballet Principal: http://www.bostonballet.org/Company_Dancers/Dan…
SFB: http://www.sfballet.org/about/company/dancers/v…

Agreed; ABT and NYCB have never been culturally diverse, especially at the Principal/Soloist level. But the center of the dance world has shifted and no longer are ABT & NYCB the apex of the dance community… there is a growing number of smaller dance companies (fed with talent from all the aforementioned large-scale ballet companies) with amazing (and diverse) dancers and very creative work & repertoire.

Oregon Ballet Theater (Vanessa Thiessen (Filipino-American) dancing Juliet… breathtaking), Trey McIntyre Project, http://treymcintyre.com/TMP/WhoWeAre_Dancers.html… not to mention Boston Ballet, PNB (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and Houston all offer diverse dance talent that matches (or exceeds that of the ABT-NYCB flavor). Not sure things will ever change at the ABT/NYCB institutions,…. but thank goodness for all the other companies that embrace and encourage diverse rosters!

I am very happy that you got to witness (and enjoy) the talent of Yuan Yuan Tan; I guess we have been fortunate in many places other than NYC to have inspriing Asian dancers to grace the stages in lead roles for quite a number of years now.

]]> By: Matty http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-129467 Matty Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:58:04 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-129467 While not strictly ballet I recently saw SF's Wicked at the Orpheum Theater and besides loving it to death; I cheered for Nessarose (Wicked Witch of the East) who is played by DeeDee Magno Hall. While she didn't dance much she did have a nice voice.<br><br><a href="http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload/42449/tn-500_link_1_4194.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload/42449/tn...</a> While not strictly ballet I recently saw SF's Wicked at the Orpheum Theater and besides loving it to death; I cheered for Nessarose (Wicked Witch of the East) who is played by DeeDee Magno Hall. While she didn't dance much she did have a nice voice.

http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload/42449/tn…

]]> By: bolshoiboy http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-129456 bolshoiboy Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:02:08 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-129456 i always thought there were SOOO many asian dancers... OMG! abt has like 30... asians are known with russians as perfect becuz of their natural thinness and quiet strength... miyako yoshida and tetsuya kamakawa and SOO many more... umm hee seo i think her name is is a rising corps dancer... who else? so many though... now nycb is pretty racist... i dont like it. there is NO excuse for nycb. i always thought there were SOOO many asian dancers… OMG! abt has like 30… asians are known with russians as perfect becuz of their natural thinness and quiet strength… miyako yoshida and tetsuya kamakawa and SOO many more… umm hee seo i think her name is is a rising corps dancer… who else? so many though… now nycb is pretty racist… i dont like it. there is NO excuse for nycb.

]]> By: bolshoiboy http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-129455 bolshoiboy Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:55:56 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-129455 becuz of her color becuz of her color

]]> By: bolshoiboy http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-129454 bolshoiboy Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:55:32 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-129454 aesha is gorgeous but i think she retired because she wasnt going anywhere in dance... aesha is gorgeous but i think she retired because she wasnt going anywhere in dance…

]]> By: blah http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-118235 blah Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:31:19 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-118235 pllease, NYCB and ABT are completely racist. the only reason that ABT promoted misty and yuriko is becuase of the NYTimes article about them being racist. but NYCB has no need to do anything about it because peter martins is completely racist and doesn't care. i firmly believe that if there was a tall blonde blue eyed girl who was pretty good, he would choose he over an amazing\l;y talented asian girl who had a great body and everything. that's just the way the ballet world is, especially at SAB/NYCB. so don't hope for much. my advice is that life goes on and you have to such get over it and not become bitter. enjoy life and dancing for as long as you can. pllease, NYCB and ABT are completely racist. the only reason that ABT promoted misty and yuriko is becuase of the NYTimes article about them being racist. but NYCB has no need to do anything about it because peter martins is completely racist and doesn’t care. i firmly believe that if there was a tall blonde blue eyed girl who was pretty good, he would choose he over an amazing\l;y talented asian girl who had a great body and everything. that’s just the way the ballet world is, especially at SAB/NYCB. so don’t hope for much. my advice is that life goes on and you have to such get over it and not become bitter. enjoy life and dancing for as long as you can.

]]> By: blah http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-137641 blah Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-137641 pllease, NYCB and ABT are completely racist. the only reason that ABT promoted misty and yuriko is becuase of the NYTimes article about them being racist. but NYCB has no need to do anything about it because peter martins is completely racist and doesn't care. i firmly believe that if there was a tall blonde blue eyed girl who was pretty good, he would choose he over an amazingl;y talented asian girl who had a great body and everything. that's just the way the ballet world is, especially at SAB/NYCB. so don't hope for much. my advice is that life goes on and you have to such get over it and not become bitter. enjoy life and dancing for as long as you can. pllease, NYCB and ABT are completely racist. the only reason that ABT promoted misty and yuriko is becuase of the NYTimes article about them being racist. but NYCB has no need to do anything about it because peter martins is completely racist and doesn’t care. i firmly believe that if there was a tall blonde blue eyed girl who was pretty good, he would choose he over an amazingl;y talented asian girl who had a great body and everything. that’s just the way the ballet world is, especially at SAB/NYCB. so don’t hope for much. my advice is that life goes on and you have to such get over it and not become bitter. enjoy life and dancing for as long as you can.

]]> By: Jen http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/comment-page-1/#comment-95746 Jen Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:21:27 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/04/in-ballet-where-are-all-the-asian-swans/#comment-95746 hey philip! nice to see you here :) i remember seeing william lin-yee in the background of abt productions as an abt student, as well as in nycb. definitely a person to watch, glad to see him on this coast. hey philip! nice to see you here :) i remember seeing william lin-yee in the background of abt productions as an abt student, as well as in nycb. definitely a person to watch, glad to see him on this coast.

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