21 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Unfortunately, Almaty is very much a foreign land to many of us -- but that doesn't mean we're not interested!  The Fountain of Baksichiray is a beautiful legend, and it was lovely to see the photos.  (And you now know many words about ballet!!!)

[Marianna]

Thank you THANK YOU dearest Local Foreigner in Almaty (BTW - I know your real name   - Almaty IS bolshaya derevnya, you were right!

So, Leila was satisfied with the premier of a young ballerina doing Zarema's part. That is nice.

Let me ask YOU now - and the fact that it has only been your second or third ballet you've ever seen won't work here. How DID YOU feel during the most emotionally tense scenes?? Did YOU feel sorry when Vatzlav was killed? HUH??? Did you feel that heartache that Zarema felt when she discovered that her husband does not belong to her anymore?

Did you, finally, feel electrified when NurAli jumped on stage and did his wild (and may i add - extremely manly and sexy) part????? You do not mention Erjan Doskarayev - who's done Nurali's part (i hope he did that night?). That guy gives me goosebumps - whenever he's on stage and whatever he does on stage (yes, yes, yes, I confess - i am a total sucker for that guy, and my heart was broken when he got married     But EVEN MY MALE FRIENDS who'd accompany me to ballet when he dances - they all agree that he is REALLY TOTALLY GREAT. "He LIVES HIS LIFE ON STAGE" - they say - "HE DOESN'T JUST WORK ON STAGE" (there is a huge cosmic difference between those two states of dancer's mind - LIVING and WORKING on stage, and I am very unhappy when some dancers expose me to that latter   because i was lucky to have known better than that - by watching my teacher Aigul Jumagalieva to perform, every single second of every single part that she does. I am sure you'll notice her - she really stands out, a petite ballerina with a dancer's spirit large as a Sun    )

Coming back to one of my favorite dancers of Almaty State Ballet - Erjan Daskarayev - to give an idea to people who haven't seen that brilliant young man to perform - try to picture the dance of Golden Idol from La Bayadera - performed at utmost best brilliance possible. He shines and he makes you feel like he dances only for you. When he's doing Gester in the Swan Lake he manages to flirts with each and every woman and girl in the theater - he is so good in creating that chemistry with the audience (hmmm, i guess, i wouldn't like THAT IF i WERE married to him  

So, tell me Poss (hope you won't mind me calling you by your nickname, since your bro has spilled the secret   ) - what did YOU FEEL watching it. We - non-professionals in ballet will NEVER be able to watch and perceive ballet performances as THEY do. I will never learn to catch all those little intricate nuances in classical dance, which i have learnt to accept about myself and not to feel guilty about. I just go by how the performance (particular dancer) makes ME FEEL and try to pretend at times i know something about "ACADEMISM IN BALLET" - looking at their "lines", arms, legs, feet (actually - i can tell beautiful feet from so-so feet now and know it is not good when someone breaks the "line" of the arm, by bending the wrist too sharply - it should be a soft "round" arch, you see )

So, confess how that Fountain of Tears made YOU feel? Thank you again, and I am looking forward to hearing ALL ABOUT the Nutcracker - from someone who doesn't know MUCH about ballet (AND do not allow yourself fall under professionals' influences in your opinions - sometimes it is not a good thing for non-professionals like us   - sometimes THEY admire "beautiful lines" and i simply go  :sleeping: )

[Marianna]

Thank you THANK YOU dearest Local Foreigner in Almaty (BTW - I know your real name   - Almaty IS bolshaya derevnya, you were right!

So, Leila was satisfied with the premier of a young ballerina doing Zarema's part. That is nice.

Let me ask YOU now - and the fact that it has only been your second or third ballet you've ever seen won't work here. How DID YOU feel during the most emotionally tense scenes?? Did YOU feel sorry when Vatzlav was killed? HUH??? Did you feel that heartache that Zarema felt when she discovered that her husband does not belong to her anymore?

Did you, finally, feel electrified when NurAli jumped on stage and did his wild (and may i add - extremely manly and sexy) part????? You do not mention Erjan Doskarayev - who's done Nurali's part (i hope he did that night?). That guy gives me goosebumps - whenever he's on stage and whatever he does on stage (yes, yes, yes, I confess - i am a total sucker for that guy, and my heart was broken when he got married     But EVEN MY MALE FRIENDS who'd accompany me to ballet when he dances - they all agree that he is REALLY TOTALLY GREAT. "He LIVES HIS LIFE ON STAGE" - they say - "HE DOESN'T JUST WORK ON STAGE" (there is a huge cosmic difference between those two states of dancer's mind - LIVING and WORKING on stage, and I am very unhappy when some dancers expose me to that latter   because i was lucky to have known better than that - by watching my teacher Aigul Jumagalieva to perform, every single second of every single part that she does. I am sure you'll notice her - she really stands out, a petite ballerina with a dancer's spirit large as a Sun    )

Coming back to one of my favorite dancers of Almaty State Ballet - Erjan Daskarayev - to give an idea to people who haven't seen that brilliant young man to perform - try to picture the dance of Golden Idol from La Bayadera - performed at utmost best brilliance possible. He shines and he makes you feel like he dances only for you. When he's doing Gester in the Swan Lake he manages to flirts with each and every woman and girl in the theater - he is so good in creating that chemistry with the audience (hmmm, i guess, i wouldn't like THAT IF i WERE married to him  

So, tell me Poss (hope you won't mind me calling you by your nickname, since your bro has spilled the secret   ) - what did YOU FEEL watching it. We - non-professionals in ballet will NEVER be able to watch and perceive ballet performances as THEY do. I will never learn to catch all those little intricate nuances in classical dance, which i have learnt to accept about myself and not to feel guilty about. I just go by how the performance (particular dancer) makes ME FEEL and try to pretend at times i know something about "ACADEMISM IN BALLET" - looking at their "lines", arms, legs, feet (actually - i can tell beautiful feet from so-so feet now and know it is not good when someone breaks the "line" of the arm, by bending the wrist too sharply - it should be a soft "round" arch, you see )

So, confess how that Fountain of Tears made YOU feel? Thank you again, and I am looking forward to hearing ALL ABOUT the Nutcracker - from someone who doesn't know MUCH about ballet (AND do not allow yourself fall under professionals' influences in your opinions - sometimes it is not a good thing for non-professionals like us   - sometimes THEY admire "beautiful lines" and i simply go  :sleeping: )

[Marianna]

Thank you THANK YOU dearest Local Foreigner in Almaty (BTW - I know your real name   - Almaty IS bolshaya derevnya, you were right!

So, Leila was satisfied with the premier of a young ballerina doing Zarema's part. That is nice.

Let me ask YOU now - and the fact that it has only been your second or third ballet you've ever seen won't work here. How DID YOU feel during the most emotionally tense scenes?? Did YOU feel sorry when Vatzlav was killed? HUH??? Did you feel that heartache that Zarema felt when she discovered that her husband does not belong to her anymore?

Did you, finally, feel electrified when NurAli jumped on stage and did his wild (and may i add - extremely manly and sexy) part????? You do not mention Erjan Doskarayev - who's done Nurali's part (i hope he did that night?). That guy gives me goosebumps - whenever he's on stage and whatever he does on stage (yes, yes, yes, I confess - i am a total sucker for that guy, and my heart was broken when he got married     But EVEN MY MALE FRIENDS who'd accompany me to ballet when he dances - they all agree that he is REALLY TOTALLY GREAT. "He LIVES HIS LIFE ON STAGE" - they say - "HE DOESN'T JUST WORK ON STAGE" (there is a huge cosmic difference between those two states of dancer's mind - LIVING and WORKING on stage, and I am very unhappy when some dancers expose me to that latter   because i was lucky to have known better than that - by watching my teacher Aigul Jumagalieva to perform, every single second of every single part that she does. I am sure you'll notice her - she really stands out, a petite ballerina with a dancer's spirit large as a Sun    )

Coming back to one of my favorite dancers of Almaty State Ballet - Erjan Daskarayev - to give an idea to people who haven't seen that brilliant young man to perform - try to picture the dance of Golden Idol from La Bayadera - performed at utmost best brilliance possible. He shines and he makes you feel like he dances only for you. When he's doing Gester in the Swan Lake he manages to flirts with each and every woman and girl in the theater - he is so good in creating that chemistry with the audience (hmmm, i guess, i wouldn't like THAT IF i WERE married to him  

So, tell me Poss (hope you won't mind me calling you by your nickname, since your bro has spilled the secret   ) - what did YOU FEEL watching it. We - non-professionals in ballet will NEVER be able to watch and perceive ballet performances as THEY do. I will never learn to catch all those little intricate nuances in classical dance, which i have learnt to accept about myself and not to feel guilty about. I just go by how the performance (particular dancer) makes ME FEEL and try to pretend at times i know something about "ACADEMISM IN BALLET" - looking at their "lines", arms, legs, feet (actually - i can tell beautiful feet from so-so feet now and know it is not good when someone breaks the "line" of the arm, by bending the wrist too sharply - it should be a soft "round" arch, you see )

So, confess how that Fountain of Tears made YOU feel? Thank you again, and I am looking forward to hearing ALL ABOUT the Nutcracker - from someone who doesn't know MUCH about ballet (AND do not allow yourself fall under professionals' influences in your opinions - sometimes it is not a good thing for non-professionals like us   - sometimes THEY admire "beautiful lines" and i simply go  :sleeping: )

[Marianna]

Thank you THANK YOU dearest Local Foreigner in Almaty (BTW - I know your real name   - Almaty IS bolshaya derevnya, you were right!

So, Leila was satisfied with the premier of a young ballerina doing Zarema's part. That is nice.

Let me ask YOU now - and the fact that it has only been your second or third ballet you've ever seen won't work here. How DID YOU feel during the most emotionally tense scenes?? Did YOU feel sorry when Vatzlav was killed? HUH??? Did you feel that heartache that Zarema felt when she discovered that her husband does not belong to her anymore?

Did you, finally, feel electrified when NurAli jumped on stage and did his wild (and may i add - extremely manly and sexy) part????? You do not mention Erjan Doskarayev - who's done Nurali's part (i hope he did that night?). That guy gives me goosebumps - whenever he's on stage and whatever he does on stage (yes, yes, yes, I confess - i am a total sucker for that guy, and my heart was broken when he got married     But EVEN MY MALE FRIENDS who'd accompany me to ballet when he dances - they all agree that he is REALLY TOTALLY GREAT. "He LIVES HIS LIFE ON STAGE" - they say - "HE DOESN'T JUST WORK ON STAGE" (there is a huge cosmic difference between those two states of dancer's mind - LIVING and WORKING on stage, and I am very unhappy when some dancers expose me to that latter   because i was lucky to have known better than that - by watching my teacher Aigul Jumagalieva to perform, every single second of every single part that she does. I am sure you'll notice her - she really stands out, a petite ballerina with a dancer's spirit large as a Sun    )

Coming back to one of my favorite dancers of Almaty State Ballet - Erjan Daskarayev - to give an idea to people who haven't seen that brilliant young man to perform - try to picture the dance of Golden Idol from La Bayadera - performed at utmost best brilliance possible. He shines and he makes you feel like he dances only for you. When he's doing Gester in the Swan Lake he manages to flirts with each and every woman and girl in the theater - he is so good in creating that chemistry with the audience (hmmm, i guess, i wouldn't like THAT IF i WERE married to him  

So, tell me Poss (hope you won't mind me calling you by your nickname, since your bro has spilled the secret   ) - what did YOU FEEL watching it. We - non-professionals in ballet will NEVER be able to watch and perceive ballet performances as THEY do. I will never learn to catch all those little intricate nuances in classical dance, which i have learnt to accept about myself and not to feel guilty about. I just go by how the performance (particular dancer) makes ME FEEL and try to pretend at times i know something about "ACADEMISM IN BALLET" - looking at their "lines", arms, legs, feet (actually - i can tell beautiful feet from so-so feet now and know it is not good when someone breaks the "line" of the arm, by bending the wrist too sharply - it should be a soft "round" arch, you see )

So, confess how that Fountain of Tears made YOU feel? Thank you again, and I am looking forward to hearing ALL ABOUT the Nutcracker - from someone who doesn't know MUCH about ballet (AND do not allow yourself fall under professionals' influences in your opinions - sometimes it is not a good thing for non-professionals like us   - sometimes THEY admire "beautiful lines" and i simply go  :sleeping: )

[Marianna]

A local foreigner in Almaty, on Nov 14 2003, 05:24 AM, said:

The Waltz of flowers ? I know this will sound pretty stupid to most people on this message board, but this one I really enjoyed. Why, simply, because i DID recognize the music, and secondly, I even liked the music. I know it sounds silly, but for me the music makes half of the deal. 

Dear Local Foreigner in Almaty,

Trust me - your candid confession that you loved the Waltz of Flowers from the Nutcracker WILL NOT sound silly to NONE of the people on this board (and those who would think it's silly,  wouldn't even come near this board   ). I promise that everyone would nod agreeably  :yes:

Of COURSE, it is a beautiful music and the choreography, and costumes and atmosphere of a fairy-tale - for me it is the essense of ballet (see my QUOTE ), or one of its numerous purposes: to evoke the feelings of delight and amiration in the hearts of people watching the ballet, and definitely, enjoying the Tchaikovsky's genius.

So, congratulations, it seems like you successfully becoming one of us - people who are hopelessly addicted to ballet (when this first occurred to me - i suddenly felt my "addiction" to ballet and everything about it -  it honestly, felt SCARY at first, but then - I was lucky to have met and become friends with those few others alike, so things fell into right places, and my life has gotten its purpose and direction. Which is all about ballet   )

Please keep sending us your updates from the Almaty Ballet performances - you are doing excellent job!!  

THANK YOU, Poss!

Please say BIG HELLO to Lelia for me - i am missing her a lot!  She knows that i am one of her most admiring fans!

GOT AN IDEA HERE!! :jump: If you happen to have a good photo-camera, why don't you take some photos of Leila back stage - either between parts of the performance or right after it  - and post your photos on this site!! THat would be such joy!!    Let me know if you think you could do that (you have to post 30 posts to be able to start posting images on this site though).

A presto, Marianna  

[Marianna]

A local foreigner in Almaty, on Nov 14 2003, 05:24 AM, said:

The Waltz of flowers ? I know this will sound pretty stupid to most people on this message board, but this one I really enjoyed. Why, simply, because i DID recognize the music, and secondly, I even liked the music. I know it sounds silly, but for me the music makes half of the deal. 

Dear Local Foreigner in Almaty,

Trust me - your candid confession that you loved the Waltz of Flowers from the Nutcracker WILL NOT sound silly to NONE of the people on this board (and those who would think it's silly,  wouldn't even come near this board   ). I promise that everyone would nod agreeably  :yes:

Of COURSE, it is a beautiful music and the choreography, and costumes and atmosphere of a fairy-tale - for me it is the essense of ballet (see my QUOTE ), or one of its numerous purposes: to evoke the feelings of delight and amiration in the hearts of people watching the ballet, and definitely, enjoying the Tchaikovsky's genius.

So, congratulations, it seems like you successfully becoming one of us - people who are hopelessly addicted to ballet (when this first occurred to me - i suddenly felt my "addiction" to ballet and everything about it -  it honestly, felt SCARY at first, but then - I was lucky to have met and become friends with those few others alike, so things fell into right places, and my life has gotten its purpose and direction. Which is all about ballet   )

Please keep sending us your updates from the Almaty Ballet performances - you are doing excellent job!!  

THANK YOU, Poss!

Please say BIG HELLO to Lelia for me - i am missing her a lot!  She knows that i am one of her most admiring fans!

GOT AN IDEA HERE!! :jump: If you happen to have a good photo-camera, why don't you take some photos of Leila back stage - either between parts of the performance or right after it  - and post your photos on this site!! THat would be such joy!!    Let me know if you think you could do that (you have to post 30 posts to be able to start posting images on this site though).

A presto, Marianna