Gay hyperbole - reader forum - Letter to the Editor

After reading Joseph Carman's article on New York City Ballet's Christopher Wheeldon ["All the Right Moves," March 19], I find it a ridiculous exaggeration naming this young man "the greatest living choreographer in the field of classical ballet." Sadly, this unrestrained enthusiasm for Wheeldon is just another example of gay hyperbole, hyping one of our own based solely on sexual orientation rather than merit.

As a former member of the San Francisco Ballet, I wish to inform your readership that there are many choreographers working today who are equally talented as Wheeldon, if not more so. I nominate the Australian Ballet's Stanton Welch, Birmingham Royal Ballet's David Bintley, and National Ballet of Canada's James Kudelka for your consideration. How about San Francisco Ballet's Julia Adams, Ballet Rambert's Christopher Bruce, and Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson? It's a big world out there, and naming a 28-year-old as the absolute "best" is both immature and presumptuous. I know he's young and cute, but let's not gush.

John White, Wilmington, N. C.

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