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Melissa

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About Melissa

  • Birthday 11/22/1966
  1. What a great topic! I think LeClerq brought a glamour to ballet that was uniquely her own. I mean, what a package she had: gorgeous legs that went on forever, a swan-like neck, plus a wit and refinement that was her signature. Aside from the portraits and film clips of 'Western Symphony' and 'La Valse', I was blown away by a clip of her dancing 'Afternoon of a Faun' with Jacques d'Amboise. Just her presence was incredibly glamorous. Suzanne Farrell was very glamorous in 'Diamonds', as was Makarova in 'Manon'. Zizi Jeanmaire was pretty glam too. Melissa
  2. Like Ari, I would have loved to see Tanaquil LeClerq dance. Alas, I wasn't alive during her career. I was supposed to see my favorite ballerina, Natalia Makarova, perform Swan Lake in 1980, but she was injured and was replaced by Cynthia Gregory. Though Gregory was fabulous, I've never gotten over the heartbreak of seeing Makarova dance. Melissa
  3. I would love to grovel at the feet of Natalia Makarova thanking her for many years of sublime dancing. How lovely it would have been too to meet Dame Margot just to say how happy her dancing made me. Melissa
  4. This is a touch choice, like everyone says. Balanchine I think is the greatest choreographer of the 20th century. But, I don't think there would have been a Balanchine without Marius Petipa. Petipa's style and language was the foundation on which Mr. B developed his own style. So, for that reason, I choose Petipa.
  5. My vote goes to Prokofiev because his scores have the drama and rich melodism that is essential in a ballet score. 'R&J' is a masterpiece in which the music propels the story and captures the mood of the play perfectly. 'Cinderella', though a very different score, has the same dramatic effect and perfect fairytale mood essential to the story.
  6. My vote goes to Prokofiev because his scores have the drama and rich melodism that is essential in a ballet score. 'R&J' is a masterpiece in which the music propels the story and captures the mood of the play perfectly. 'Cinderella', though a very different score, has the same dramatic effect and perfect fairytale mood essential to the story.
  7. At NYCB's tribute to Tanaquil LeClerq last May, Wendy Whelan and members of the corps danced the Waltz of the Flowers. Just on it's own, I was struck by how appropriately Spring-like the Waltz was with Karinska's pink and lilac costumes. I completely forgot that it's part of a ballet about Christmas.
  8. Last Sunday I saw a matinee performance of The Crucible starring Liam Neeson. It's a powerful production that left me emotionally exhausted. The cast is excellent all-around, but Neeson is the stand-out performance. I wasn't surprised to see how imposing his stage presence is, but was surprised to see how easily a big guy like him moves around the stage. He's unusually graceful for someone who is 6'4". Tickets for The Crucible may be hard to come by, but I urge everyone who is within reasonable distance of NYC to see the show. It's money very well spent.
  9. Alexandra, I've heard about SF's Swan Lake in Canada, but didn't know she only danced one role. Was she Odile or Odette? She would have been marvelous in either or.
  10. I've always loved Farrell's inimitable stage presence: regal, aloof and very feminine. I'll never forget seeing her in Der Rosenkavalier -- she was just hauntingly beautiful. Her sang-froid used to annoy me when I was a kid, but I've grown to like and appreciate her style much more in the last 15 years. I saw SF's Sugar Plum Fairy in the mid '80's and she danced beautifully. And I was pleasantly surprised during the waltz-coda to see that she was smiling -- grinning, in fact .
  11. Does anyone know if a video of the Bolshoi's Ivan the Terrible is available? I think it was filmed in the '70's and starred a remarkable dancer in the title role . If I'm not mistaken Bessmertnova danced Anastasia. The performance has it's over the top moments, but without them it wouldn't be the Bolshoi .
  12. Ronnie, Alexandra mentioned in a thread yesterday about the video, 'An Evening with the Royal Ballet' which she said contained 'The last scene on the short version' of the ballet. Is this video available, Alexandra? I've seen that same scene, Ronnie, and Fonteyn is so captivating I'd like to get of copy myself.
  13. There is an excellent recording of the complete 'Swan Lake' with John Lanchbery conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. It includes a lovely performance of the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Tower Records can get it for you on back order and it's definitely worth the wait. Here is the link: http://www.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1086373 Melissa
  14. I've only had one live opera experience. It was 4 or 5 years ago at the Met in a production of 'Siegfried'. I was proud of the fact that I chose not to start off with a more accessible opera like 'Magic Flute' or 'Carmen', but with a mammoth part of the Ring cycle. It was, up to that point in my life, the finest theatrical experience I'd ever had. The Met orchestra sounded gorgeous, the cast sang well, except for the stiff, bellowing Brunnhilde, and the production was impressive.
  15. Thanks for the reminder about R&J, Juliet. How could I forget Prokofiev? R&J is a masterpiece and 'Cinderella', though not in the same league as R&J and the Tchaikovsky scores, is very beautiful.
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