38 replies to this topic

[sandik]

atm711, on Mar 7 2005, 07:24 PM, said:

With all this talk about Balanchine and the crotch, what I found most disturbing was the clip from Ashton'sMonotones.  The female dancer, clad in a white long-sleeved, long legged leotard, with a white cap on her head, and white pointe shoes, raises her leg to 6 o'clock while being slowly turned by two men---I thought, How Grotesque!  she looked like a flag pole.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know the moment you refer to -- I don't really think of it as grotesque, but it's very disctintive, in part because Ashton's physicality is usually less manipulative.  I think the the Monotones are his most Nikolais-like works -- exploring the body almost without reference to ballet, and yet finding moments of pure classical technique

[Herman Stevens]

atm711, on Mar 7 2005, 07:24 PM, said:

-I thought, How Grotesque!  she looked like a flag pole.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that was J.A.'s point. Ninety degrees and a little tutu is arguably more sexy than the six o'oclock position.

I wouldn't call the Ashton clip "disturbing;" rather the reverse, kind of dated. But I haven't seen the entire piece.

The funny thing is, when you look at the next clip (forgot the names) and turn down the loud punk rock music, what you see is beautiful slow hushed gliding pdd. As J.A. suggests, people were strange in the eighties.

[Farrell Fan]

At the risk of identifying myself forever as a dirty old man, I must say that looking at a woman's crotch in ballet, particularly in Balanchine ballets, while not the first thing on my mind, is definitely not the last. I never look through opera glasses, however.  

[Leigh Witchel]

From an article for Dance View on Arthur Mitchell coaching Agon

Quote

Unlike many of the other people in the Interpreters Archive, Mitchell regards the people watching and reporting on the filming not just as observers, but as an audience.  He addresses us directly and more than once he works the crowd, giving one of the writers a very elementary lesson in partnering, showing her how to place her hand in his.  She is enthralled when he asks if she senses how this grip works.  “Yes!" She enthuses. "That means you’re in charge.”  Mitchell smiles.

I didn't identify the writer at the time, but since it seems to add to the context here, it was Acocella.

[ninjarina]

unfortunately i cannot politely type what i think of this stupid lecture .....

[kfw]

 sandik, on 01 March 2005 - 09:52 PM, said:

The Berkeley website has a webcast of this talk, which Rachel Howard mentions in her blog.

http://webcast.berke...ml?event_id=180

That link is expired but there is a working one here. Look for lecture # 4, Ballet and Sex.

[sandik]

Thanks so much for posting this -- I haven't thought about this lecture in quite some time, but will be glad to go back and re-view.