I find that I don't like what they like most of the time. Recently I bought the "Bringing Balanchine Back" DVD, a documentary about the New York City Ballet's Russian tour ten years ago. I knew there'd be trouble when it said the average age of NYCB dancers at the time was 21. A pretty, baby-faced dancer was featured who was scheduled to perform a major role but ended up failing so badly in rehearsal that she was replaced, then we had to watch her in another ballet as if we cared about her career, which we did not because she was a bore. For teachers it's interesting to follow the development of students still with baby fat around the edges, but for the audience, we don't care. Seemed like watching a ballet class, not a performance. The only dancers I enjoyed in the film were the veterans, the artists, who sometimes weren't even identified in performances. A sloppy documentary. A sloppy company. Looking at you, Peter Martins.
If I were an artistic director I'd choose personality and stage presence and beauty over who's a good little soldier in class.
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