100 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

cubanmiamiboy, on Sep 4 2007, 02:42 AM, said:

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso   organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival.  The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine.  I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes .  Here they go:

Mme.Alonso: "Tribute to  Balanchine".

     "In 'Theme and Variations' Igor [Youskevitch] and i developed a hard and passionate work.  We both were achieving our own particular concept  of the PDD, with an essentially expressive feeling, like a dialogue, very warm and personal and way far from the usual form established by Balanchine. That's why we couldn't avoid , on the execution of the new choreography, to interpret it in our own way, as much as what the enormous technical demand would allow to.  To give a sense of dancing to a melody, to express a sensibility, to follow a theme, to achieve a humanization, or in other words, to make a duo between a man and a woman.  As it was expected, Balanchine noticed, but for some reason, he didn't criticized us; he stared at what we did, silent, but he respected it.  He only told us:
G.B-'Is not exactly what i'm asking , but i like it..."

Mme. Alonso.

[cubanmiamiboy]

cubanmiamiboy, on Sep 4 2007, 02:42 AM, said:

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso  organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival. The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine. I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes . Here they go:

Mme.Alicia Alonso: "Tribute to Balanchine"

"I didn't have a chance to see Balanchine towards the end of his life, but i often received his messages. I  remember,for example ,in 1976, when i was dancing at the Matropolitan Opera House as a guest artist of the American Ballet Theatre, doing "Carmen".  Back there, i was receiving some physical therapy by an ex ballet dancer friend of mine, Bill Weslow.  Balanchine also was having some treatments with Billy, so he [B] gave him this message to me :
GB-'Please, tell Alicia that many years have passed but so far nobody has ever danced  "Theme and Variations" the way she did'.  I appreciate a lot, coming from the master, that judgment and that he still remembered me. "

Mme Alonso   "

[innopac]

From Irina: ballet, life and love. Viking 2005

Irina Baronova writing about a memory from the tour to Havana where they performed at the Pro-Arte Musical.

"One day Mr Yavorsky asked Jerry and me to come and watch a young girl in his class whom he considered very, very talented.  Tania and Lichine came as well, as they were always interested in seeing new talent.  The young student was just fourteen, beautiful to look at, already quite strong technically, and possessed that elusive special quality that a person is born with--either you have it or you do not.  That young girl had it all.  Her name was Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad dei Cobre Martinez Hoyo".  page 206

[cubanmiamiboy]

innopac, on Dec 1 2007, 09:45 PM, said:

The young student was just fourteen, beautiful to look at, already quite strong technically, and possessed that elusive special quality that a person is born with--either you have it or you do not.  That young girl had it all.  Her name was Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad dei Cobre Martinez Hoyo".

aka my beloved Mme. Alicia Alonso  
Thank you, Innopac!

[bart]

Try fitting Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martinez Hoyo and Igor Youskevitch on the same marquee.     (Does anyone know Youskevitch's patronymic, so that he could demand additional space?)

[innopac]

cubanmiamiboy, on Dec 2 2007, 01:46 PM, said:

aka my beloved Mme. Alicia Alonso  

Here also is a beautiful photograph of Alicia Alonso taken around 1945
Alicia Alonso

[atm711]

innopac, on Dec 1 2007, 10:51 PM, said:

Here also is a beautiful photograph of Alicia Alonso taken around 1945
Alicia Alonso

Alas!  I had that same photograph autographed to me by Alonso --if my memory serves, it said---un carinoso saludo---  Unfortunately, about 20 years ago (during a move) I sold part of my old memorabilia to the Ballet Shop in NYC.  

[tempusfugit]

Silvy, Alonso was remarkable in every way, not least as a virtuoso. There was also (some time ago) a video on YouTube of Alonso dancing Black Swan on a checkerboard (black and white, probably) floor; as the squares are vividly delineated, it is possible to see EXACTLY how little the ballerina travels in her fouettes. Quite stunning, and may still be up.

[richard53dog]

tempusfugit, on Dec 2 2007, 05:39 PM, said:

Silvy, Alonso was remarkable in every way, not least as a virtuoso. There was also (some time ago) a video on YouTube of Alonso dancing Black Swan on a checkerboard (black and white, probably) floor; as the squares are vividly delineated, it is possible to see EXACTLY how little the ballerina travels in her fouettes. Quite stunning, and may still be up.

This clip is material from a fimed documentary. The piece with the fouettes is from an odd but complete Black Swan pdd. In her varation she executes 2 two pirouettes, each with 5 revolution. There are also extended portions of a Pas de Quatre, Giselle  and Carmen.

There are also extended interviews .

I dodn't know if the program has been released on DVD. My copy (which I can't seem to locate) was on VHS.

[rg]

this VAI release includes much of what was on the video cassette originally marketed as ALICIA:

http://www.vaimusic....liciaAlonso.htm

[carbro]

tempusfugit, on Dec 2 2007, 12:39 PM, said:

Silvy, Alonso was remarkable in every way, not least as a virtuoso. There was also (some time ago) a video on YouTube of Alonso dancing Black Swan on a checkerboard (black and white, probably) floor; as the squares are vividly delineated, it is possible to see EXACTLY how little the ballerina travels in her fouettes. Quite stunning, and may still be up.

Not only on a checkerboard floor, but against backdrop of columns.  

Alonso, to me, illustrates how it is possible to incorporate the "tricks" to artistic purpose.

[cubanmiamiboy]

carbro, on Dec 2 2007, 04:23 PM, said:

quote]Not only on a checkerboard floor, but against backdrop of columns.  

Not only the checkerboard floor and  the columns backdrop...but all this at 46 and blind!  

[Hans]

I don't know, I just watched the Alonso clips to refresh my memory, and I have to say I prefer Beriosova.  The way Alonso slowed down the music to accommodate her pirouettes in her variation (the changes in the choreography could have been due to a lack of space) as well as her long preparation time for them signifies what was apparently more important to her.  Maybe one really needed to see her live for her magnetism to come across.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Hans, on Dec 2 2007, 10:35 PM, said:

Maybe one really needed to see her live for her magnetism to come across.

Amen. That's totally right.

[ViolinConcerto]

To Cristian and other fans of Ms. Alonso, I got a link today that may be of interest -- it is possibly up on the "Links" thread, but I thought I'd pass it on directly.

http://www.cubaheadl...ears_later.html

I hope to read and collect all of Cristian's translations of Ms. Alonso's remarks about Mr. B. soon -- but am now in the midst of some very intense personal (good) preparations, etc.  Thank you for those in advance!