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Fraildove

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Everything posted by Fraildove

  1. There are major stars out there… a few off the top of my head are Jacobo Tissi, Marianella Nunez, Friedman Vogel is still dancing gorgeously at 43, Kimin Kim, Antonio Cashalino is up and coming very quickly, Elise Badenes, Maia Makhateli, Yana Salenko, Olga Smirnov, Vadim Muntegirov etc. Even having a few guests each season could help energize ticket sales for all performances.
  2. I think most of the Soviet ere ballerinas did them. Plisetskaya’s were also notable. Makarova was the first that I thought of.
  3. I have not seen anything posted yet, so thought I would give a heads up: YAGP has their 25th anniversary kickoff gala Tuesday, April 11 at Alice Tully Hall in NYC. Dancers performing include: Constantine Allen (Dutch National Ballet) ** Evelina Godunova (Berlin State Ballet) – NY DEBUT* Anne Jung (International Guest Artist)* Michaela Mabinty DePrince (Boston Ballet) ** Jun Masuda (Tulsa Ballet) ** Roman Mejia (New York City Ballet)* Tiler Peck (New York City Ballet)* Christine Shevchenko (American Ballet Theatre) ** Jacopo Tissi (La Scala Ballet) – NY DEBUT* Shale Wagman (Bavarian State Ballet) * – NY DEBUT Also, previous winners as well as this year’s winners, including last year’s Youth Grand Prix Winner and Helsinki Silver medalist Alexei Orohovsky (John Cranko Schule) and this years Prix de Lausanne winner and YAGP Grand Prix Winner Fabrizzio Illoa Cornejo (Basel Ballet, Switzerland, for next year, Royal Ballet School) will also be dancing. Wanted to let anyone in the NYC area know as it has not been well publicized. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.lincolncenter.org/venue/alice-tully-hall/stars-of-today-meet-the-stars-of-tomorrow YAGP will be returning to NYC for next year’s finals.
  4. Buddy, would you mind giving your impressions of Joy Womack’s performance? I have heard from friends in Russia when she was first at the Bolshoi and then later at the Kremlin (an at the Moscow IBC 5 years ago 🫣) about their thoughts, but have not heard recently how she is doing. She is definitely a controversial figure but I think age has done wonders for her as far as what she says and what she keeps to herself. I’m curious how she is performing now.
  5. Irina Sapozhnikova was principal ballerina at the Mariinsky- Primorsky theatre in Vladivostok. She gives beautiful performances on the more technical side but is solid in everything she does. Her black swan is better than white, but she is always dependable to give a great performance. Her and her husband, also former principal at Primorsky, are now on the remainder of the tour. Tickets are expensive but for places that normally don’t get ballet, it’s a solid performance. The Corpse de ballet was much much better than I was expecting. The 3rd act was not good, from all perspectives, but the incredibly busy backdrop and overly fussy costumes sent it over the edge. The black swan pas almost made up for it. The 4th act is abbreviated, which is a shame as I feel that Irina is her best as Odette in the 4th act, and it’s a happy ending.
  6. I thought you all might like to see an update on Alexei Orohovsky. He is now 15, training at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart. Here he is in the Helsinki International ballet Competition where he won the silver medal and jury encouragement prize as the youngest dancer in the competition.
  7. Henry Danton, aged 102 passed away on Feb 9, 2022. His career began in 1939 and he was still teaching classes up until his death. He was a true legend and his death is truly an end of an era. May he Rest In Peace. http://www.moorefuneralservices.com/obituaries/Henry-Danton?obId=23989185 https://www.alastairmacaulay.com/all-essays/313m0rdes4fsw3nug3p410qakhbeg1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Danton (Wikipedia gets his date of death incorrect. He died Feb 9, not Feb 10).
  8. Hi Gianna’s daughter. I remember reading so many of your mom’s comments here at Ballet Talk. She is definitely missed! I direct a small, pre-professional Ballet school and we have a library for our dancers containing both books, old copies of Dancemagazines and video and DVD’s that they are allowed to check out. After you give items away, if you have anything left over that you can’t find a home for, I know our young dancers would love to have access to some new/old material. I hope that you are able to give your items to your mother’s contacts, but if you can’t get rid of everything I would be happy to pay any shipping costs. If you would rather stay local, I’m sure many other Ballet schools also offer the same. Best of luck, and I wish you well in your journey to find out more information on the wonderful art that is ballet!
  9. There is another dancer that recently left the Trocks, Alberto Pretto. On his Facebook and Instagram he went into more detail about the outside expectations that are required of the dancers. Alby as well as some of the other dancers wanted to dress more feminine, leave their hair pretty long, and dress in soft chiffon skirts and more feminine dance attire for classes while on tour. This was forbidden by management for the very reasons outlined above: they want their dancers to be identified as all male, and that includes the image they portray wile on tour. He mentions that he felt it was done more selectively and the same rules didn’t apply to everyone. If anyone is interested, you can go back and watch his videos from around Oct/Nov of 2019 (my dates me be off slightly) to hear more about what management enforced. Alby is now transitioning to female and also talks about the difficulty he has had on that journey and how he misses performing onstage and the relationships with the cast of Trocks. I remember in Chase Johnsey’s videos when he quit he says much the same thing. Alby cites that as the number one reason that he left. If I can find the video, I will post the link. I believe he is listed as Albie Pretti on Facebook. He makes and sells custom leotards, skirts, and tshirts on his Facebook and Instagram site AlbyPretty. He is a friend and I wish him and Chase well.
  10. From my understanding of most AGMA contracts, regardless of rank, a company never has the obligation of renewing a contract. Case in point, Veronika Part. Or Dvorovenko and Herrera. If there is a male soloist that they want to promote to Principal and they need an open contract, they have the right to not renew. And I hope that no one will take this the wrong way but Ramasar is the same age that I am, 38. That is nearing the retirement age for most dancers anyway. So if there is a young, up and coming soloist that they want to promote I think that they could arguably say so with the mention of the WSS contract as another consideration. I’ve never been on the other side of it where AGMA recommends a company to renew, but if it was recommended, would the company be beholden to the recommendation? companies don’t usually update their rosters unless it’s a promotion or at the end/beginning of the season. If Ramasar’s contract isn’t renewed, but he is still under his current contract then he would still be listed as principal dancer. I have no idea if his contract has been or will be renewed. Just offering a different perspective. 😊
  11. Hi Veya, definitely check out Ballet Talk For Dancers. In the meantime, yes you can perform the same variation at multiple regionals. Most people do. Best of luck!
  12. Awkward in the extreme!!! And I will report back!
  13. No, traditionally the fish dives are not done in Sleeping Beauty in the Major Russian Companies, and even in the US they are usually not done if it is being staged by Russian dancers. i will say that the position in the photo of the newly discovered notes is not ‘pretty’ but it looks like it will be incredibly hard to execute from a technical standpoint, especially if the follow the pirouettes. The fish dives require timing but are not all that difficult, especially from the ballerina’s perspective as the just use force and gravity. This new pose will require quite a bit of ab and back strength from the female in order to keep from rolling out of the position, a major balance point adjustment, and quite a bit of force exerted on the standing foot. I don’t envy any of the dancers that will have to make that adjustment. Granted this is going by the photo and drawings, so it will be interested to see how it plays out. I’m tempted to play around with that in the studio next week after I finish teaching. Hopefully my husband will agree to experiment with it as well! 😂 Please report back on how it visually appears as I, sadly, am too far away to actually attend any of the performances.
  14. Reviving an old topic. Wanted to let everyone know that Henry Danton celebrated his 100th birthday on March 30. He is still teaching almost daily, still travels on his own, and is as sharp and witty as ever. He is an amazing man to know and am grateful for the time I’ve been ablet to spend with him, talking and learning about both ballet and life in general. Such an inspiration!
  15. Like I said, I totally disagree on the delivery and cannot stand the man’s ego. As to your comment of griping, Firedancer, I agree, you should not grip. But I’m taking it to mean engage, and yes the butt has to very much be engaged at all times. My husband als was a principal dancer in the old Soviet system at a MAJOR company and went through the 5 year pedagogy program, not GITIS, but a sister program. He also teaches the full engagement of the muscle and it in no way means gripping. Maybe I missed it but I never heard him call the position she is standing in as 1st. When I went back and watched a few of his other videos, the excessive where she is standing in second and working not to shift her weight was indeed called 2nd. I’ve had a single teacher try something similar with me many years ago and the excersise really made me feel my hip flexors and hamstrings. I have no idea if he intends her to actually dance like that, hopefully not because it isn’t really possible, but can understand when done in isolation to find certain muscles. Like I said, it is very unorthodox. And I said from the beginning that I don’t agree with how he is training the hyper extension. I have very hyper extended knees and it took me a long time to understand how to straighten them without locking. And standing in 1st with heels together was not what taught me to straighten my knees. On the contrary. And I’m referring to when I started at age 9. It was a teacher who really got into how to work with hyperextension and a phisio that allowed me to finally control the hyperextending. Yes i donstand at the barre with my heels in 1st, and expect my dancers to as well, but not at the expense of them relaxing their knees thinking that they are straight. He is very unorthodox and leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but some of what he is saying is correct, even if he is saying it badly. And yes, it’s ok to have a different opinion. There are many ways to teach a dancer. I have several of my own students working in professional companies so something we are doing works 😊 I sincerely hope this works for Misty. I hope that she is able to pick apart what he says and make it work for herself. I wish her the best!
  16. One of the greatest teachers that I ever studied with never danced. She went through the 5 year pedagogy training at GITIS in Moscow, same as this guy. And she recognized thing in my body that no other teacher or coach ever picked up on and I was the better for it. I cannot stand this man, the way he talks and his very high opinion of himself. But much of what he is correcting Misty on is absolutely accurate from my perspective (former professional and now teacher and coach). It is very different than what is taught here in the US, I don’t agree with all of it, but a good deal is right on target. He is literally retraining her understanding of how to utilize her turnout and her back. In every performance video of Copeland that is what is so weak. It takes a huge amount of courage on her part to really relearn what is so fundamental, disregarding the hyperextending issue. And by the way, she is standing in a true Vaganova 2nd position, with the heals placed only as wide as her hips, not 1st. I don’t agree with having her sit in her knees to that degree, but I would be guessing that he is trying to get her to understand how to actually straighten her legs, as opposed to locking back or relaxing. Once she figures that out she will not need to sit back that much. It is unorthodox in the extreme, but so far what she has been doing isn’t working. I’ve gained a lot more respect for her in trying to retrain a fundamental element of her dancing so late in her career, even if I dislike the messenger. What he is saying isn’t the ‘secret’ of ballet, and for goodness sakes he isn’t the only person who knows what her is doing. There are many teachers that have studied true pedagogy, many with a long history of producing phenomenal dancers. Yes, he actually did teach at the Bolshoi, yes he actually did graduate from GITIS, and yes there are things that he is teaching that are accurate and correct. Doesn’t mean I agree with how he presents it. I’m curious to see how it all plays out. I hope for her sake the gamble pays off and she doesn’t get so discouraged that she gives up on the retraining of fundamentals. But for her sake I hope it works for her!
  17. So here is my 2 cents about Rose Adagio. I have performed it many more times than I care to admit, knowing that regardless of how well prepared you are it really can be hit or miss. It comes immediately after your entrance, so not much time to shake the surge of adrenaline which can make you a bit jittery and can affect balance in a big way. Standing there looking at 4 different men, all of whom partner slightly differently, praying that everything will work, that your muscles will get under your control sooner rather than later, that your partners will be able to sense your balance pointe right from the start, that if they don’t praying that you will be able to adjust in a fraction of a second, Times 10000 other things that it is easy to get in one’s head. Now as a coach i refer to it as the ballerina’s obstacle course! No matter how many times i danced it, by the end my right big toe and my right calf muscle was spent and then you snap back and realize that you literally just began! But you are so relieved in that moment during bows that, at least for me, the hardest part was finished. It takes a tremendously skilled artist to not let any of that register in the upper body or face because it does require an extreme amount of concentration. I am sure many of you know this but when a dancer works in the studio, when you take a balance your eyes will usually fixate on a single spot that doesn’t move. Trying to balance with your eyes closed is hilarious. Seriously, try. On stage, everything moves and most dancers will fixate on one spot on their partner, on a piece of scenery, and unfortunately I’ve seen a few on the floor in order to try and recreate the studio experience. So when you are trying to hold balance and your ‘spot’ suddenly moves away it can seriously throw you. As you Cojocaru, her balances are superhuman. Every single dancer has experienced finding that sweet spot in a balance when you are so secure you can stay for days. As a dancer, it is second nature to indulge your own curiosity and stay just to see how long you really can hold it. And in your head you know you probably shouldn’t, that you should make sure that your movement is within the music and not play with tricks, especially in this supremely classical piece, but sometimes you just get carried away and can’t help yourself. And when that happens it will set your whole heart on fire, and when the audience gets behind it I ant even describe that feeling. Even when you know it’s inappropriate sometimes you just go with it. And you will always remember it. Is it too much, yes, uncalled for, yes, rewarding, you’ve no idea! I was never in the league of Cojocaru or any of these artists I’m sure, but there is a sense of joy every single dancer shares no matter if they are just beginning or at the end of their journey. Sometimes you have to indulge 😊
  18. Was Vishneva taken as a slolost?
  19. I’m curiou about how Polunin performed the role of Rudolph (in Pretty sure he did) If I’m not mistaken in my assumption, did anyone see him in it and what were your thoughts? It seems like he would have been the perfect type to take on the role, maybe a little too much so.
  20. Here is a wonderful book that gives you the definition, and if I’m not mistaken also explains what school the name is from (Vaganova, French, Danish etc). Gail Grant Book And here is one that explains more in depth on the Vaganova method, written by Vaganova herself. This book explains the exercise and has many diagrams to help show the reader what is being discussed. Vaganova Book hope these can help. And never dismiss the idea of going and taking some ballet classes! Also, if you aren’t comfortable taking a class, if you explain to the school director that you are a musician and are wanting to learn more about ballet, they might very well allow you to observe classes. I would.
  21. Those are attitude devant pirouette en dehors with fouetté.
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