Ballet class. (reader forum).As devotees of classical and modern dance, my life partner and I have followed American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre, one of the foremost international dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded in 1937 as the Mordkin Ballet and reorganized as the Ballet Theatre in 1940 under the direction of Lucia Chase and Rich Pleasant. for 50 years and have noted (during their recent New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of seasons) how their roster is steadily enriched with Latino dancers: Julio Bocca Julio Bocca (b. March 6 1967) is one of the most important ballet dancers of the latter part of the 20th century, and probably the most important Argentine dancer of all time. , Jose Manuel Carreno, Paloma Herrera Paloma Herrera (born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 21, 1975), is a principal ballet dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. Ms. Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began studying ballet there at the age of seven with teacher Olga Ferri. , Angel Corella Ángel Corella (born 1975) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Raised in Madrid, Spain, he trained with Karemia Moreno and Víctor Ullate and began winning dance awards at a young age, including the First Prize in the National Ballet Competition of Spain and three . But over the past couple of years we've been most impressed by the performances of their latest such star, Marcelo Gomes. What a delight to find him coming out on your February 4 cover ["Tough Guys Do Dance"]! The photos inside are stunning, and your interview shows him to be a young artist as well-put-together intellectually as he is physically. Being gay doesn't make him dance better (he's already tops), but what a delightful bonus to learn he's out and proud--a welcome addition to our roster! Alfred Lees, New York, N.Y. What a nice surprise to see the absolutely fabulous Absolutely Fabulous is a British sitcom written by and starring Jennifer Saunders and co-starring Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1992 to 2005, and is popularly referred to as Ab Fab. Marcelo Gomes on your cover! Not only is Gomes very handsome, he's also talented and has a lot of new ideas that reflect the way real Brazilians live. This carioca (someone born in Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, city, Brazil Rio de Janeiro (rē`ō də zhänā`rō, Port. rē`  thĭ zhənĕē`r ) guy really represents the
best we have in Brazil.
Best of luck to you, Marcelo. Your star is just beginning to shine. Sudane dos Santos, Bridgeport, Conn. The revelation that a prominent person is gay is no longer, in and of itself, necessarily powerful, moving, or important. This is evident in the rather bland cover story on ABT ABT About ABT Abteilung (German: Department) ABT Abbott Laboratories (stock symbol) ABT American Ballet Theatre ABT Associação Brasileira de Telemarketing ABT Abort ABT Availability Based Tariff danseur Marcelo Gomes. Of course, it is empowering to gay people that we have the ability to rise to the top of a profession and also be open about ourselves. But does being gay make someone more interesting or make their achievement more spectacular? Gomes is 23 years old, grew up in a supportive environment, and never had a problem with his sexuality. He is discreet about his personal life and modest about his appeal as a sex symbol. In short, his being gay is incidental, which I think should be the point. As an out performer myself, I cringed when Gomes was questioned about his attraction to women in regard to his ability to play straight roles like Romeo. Such questions are inherently homophobic and imply that it is a stretch for a gay performer to play straight. Attitudes like this make it difficult for a performer to simply be open about his sexuality and play the widest variety of roles in whatever his medium may be. A performer's job is to embody whatever the role requires, period. As long as we continue to make it such a big deal that someone is gay and honest about it, we reduce their identity to a sexual preference. James Beaman, New York, N.Y. Wow! Who would have thought--a gay ballet dancer? I've got a hot lead on a couple of homosexual hairdressers in San Francisco if you need it. Steve Stirling, San Francisco, Calif. A quick correction: Gomes studied intensely for three years at the Harid Conservatory, a professional training school for dancers in Boca Raton, Fla. It was Harid that coached him and sponsored his participation in the 1996 Prix de Lausanne The Prix de Lausanne is arguably the world's most famous international competition for young dancers and has launched the careers of some of the best known ballet dancers in the past 30 years. international competition, where he won the Hope Prize. Subsequently, he was invited to study at the Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opéra Ballet is the official ballet company of the Opéra national de Paris, otherwise known as the Palais Garnier, though known more popularly simply as the Paris Opéra. School for a year before joining American Ballet Theatre. Gordon Wright, director Harid Conservatory, Boca Raton, Fla. I realize that you probably have more gay men reading your magazine, but please be considerate of the lesbian subscribers when choosing cover photos. The picture of Marcelo Gomes on your February 4 cover leaves little to the imagination, and I found it distasteful. Heidi Becker, Chambersburg, Pa. |
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