9 replies to this topic

[Pamela Moberg]

I saw the traditional New Year Concert on TV today.
The ballet soloist was Jose Carreno - choreography by Eifman.
Fabulous guy! I have never seen him before - but this was really something!
Then, I suppose one must make allowances for that he danced in a newly restored palace and the flooring, beautiful as it was, was not suitable for ballet and it must have hampered him somewhat.
Anybody else saw that concert?

[Ann]

Pamela

I saw the concert on British TV this morning.  I thought Carreno's contribution was courageous, given his huge jumps on that vast, dangerously-shiny ballroom floor and given that this was a live transmission with no posibility of editing out errors.

I also thought that the Eifman choreography was strange.  Not bad, just..strange.  They wheel in this big, expensive star and then have the local ballerina do most of her dancing with corps men.  Carreno had, I think, two solos, but for most of the piece he had to look on sadly while the ballerina was being lifted by the corps men.  Nevertheless, I was intrigued by Eifman's  hit-and-miss choreography; some of it looked good and I'm sorry now that I missed his company in London last year.

And finally... happy New Year to all you BalletAlerters..

[sylphide]

I saw it too but must admit I enjoy any kind of classical ballet on TV... I loved the dancing and the music of course. One thing though: I could not help but feeling sorry for those ladies in pointe shoes. Being new to pointe shoe dancing myself, I still don't know how they managed to dance on that gorgeous but seemingly slippery floor!
Bravo to the dancers of the Vienna State Ballet!

[diane]

Having watched nearly all the New Year's concerts of the Wiener Philharmonic over many years, (my husband is Viennese and it is tradition) I thought the dancing in this one was among the best.

The choreography was not what one would usually have, but that is fine.

It was at least classical for the most part and largely musical.
(We are sort of starved for classical ballet here where I live, so anything is appreciated!)

I too wonder about the floors. Do they wash them with coca-cola or something similar before-hand?  

-d-

[Swiss_Chard]

The dancing seemed better than usual, having watched for years and years, but odd.  The filming was rather bad.  At the end, instead of showing Carreno, they filmed the ceiling instead.

[Andre Yew]

I thought the choreography was odd as well, with Carreno's semi-jazzy stuff contrasted against the formally classical dancing of everyone else, and the scenario seemed a bit strained.  Carreno was, as usual, technically wonderful, especially his turns.  Also, did he do a new trick with the scissoring cabrioles to the front, for his ending sequence?

I enjoyed more Eifman's other piece set to the Champagne Polka.

--Andre

[Funny Face]

Everyone seems to be echoing the thoughts I had while watching it with a non-dancer.  We both thought that Carreno, while gorgeous, looked plain out of place in that whole scene.  I have no idea what the intent was.  And, yes, worrying about that floor was too distracting for me.

[atm711]

Pamela, I'm pleased that you got to see Carreno--truly, a 'fabulous guy'.  Andre, thanks for giving a name to his 'scissoring cabrioles', that describes it well.

[carbro]

Swiss_Chard, on Jan 2 2004, 10:37 AM, said:

At the end, instead of showing Carreno, they filmed the ceiling instead.

Well, one version of a glimpse of heaven vs. another version.

Sorry to have missed, and hoping to catch rebroadcast one way or another.

[diane]

  
Oh, yes: filming the ceiling! I had almost forgotten!  

Well, when one knows that the main reason they even have these interludes is to show the various places one can go in Austria as a tourist...... I suppose they _had_ to show the ceiling.

I like carbro's response. ("Well, one version of a glimpse of heaven vs. another version. ")

As to the choreography not being terribly cohesive; could it be that the guest just got in the day before, and they had to put him in somehow?

-d-