A Royal Ballet Star, Late Of NYCB, On Leaving Dance At 28

“To anyone who has seen [Alexandra] Ansanelli dance, it’s hard to imagine her as a civilian. Some dancers seem like regular people who just happen to have found themselves onstage. Others, like Ms. Ansanelli, appear to belong to a more rarefied universe. … [I]f she were to play a fictional ballerina, it would be a Vicki Baum-like character, ready to sacrifice everything for her art. But perhaps that’s exactly why Ms. Ansanelli is leaving ballet.”

Tony Voters Made Some Very Odd Calls

“After the Tony nominees were announced yesterday, I put a single question to 15 of the 806 voters, theater professionals all: Did you see ‘Soul of Shaolin’? It played 24 performances in January and February at the Marquis Theater. Now the cast of 33 Chinese kung-fu monks are competing with Liza Minnelli, Will Ferrell and ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ for the Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.”