18 replies to this topic

[Estelle]

I think that Vilno is the same as Vilnius (in Yiddish, for example, Vilnius is called "Vilne" - "the Jerusalem of Lithuania"...)

I agree about "Les Noces". I've only seen it in the "Paris Dances Diaghilev" (with Elisabeth Platel, Kader Belarbi, Jean-Yves Lormeau and
Francoise Legree), and wish to see it on stage someday. The Ballet du Nord in Roubaix
(France) will dance it within a few weeks, in a Stravinsky program also including
Maryse Delente's (their director) version of "The Rite of Spring".
The Paris Opera Ballet also restaged Nijinska's "Les Biches" and
"Le Train Bleu" a few seasons ago. I haven't seen "Les Biches", unfortunately it was staged only
one season, but their "Train Bleu" (blue train) was filmed in a "Picasso and dance" program (Picasso had made the stage curtain). It's a much lighter
ballet than "Les Noces", pleasant to see (with a lovely Nicolas Le Riche as "le beau gosse" in the video), but not as great as "Les Noces".

[dirac]

For those interested in Nijinskiana, Joan Acocella has written an interesting article on Nijinsky's career and diary in the current issue of The New York Review of Books.  I would also recommend Lincoln Kirstein's book Nijinsky Dancing, not easy to find but well worth a search.  I don't think there is any other dancer whose quality comes across so forcefully from photographs.

[Mel Johnson]

Regarding Vilno/Wilno - that's the Polish version of Vilnius.  The Russian is Vilna.  Remember, the Nijinsky family was Polish.

[Katharyn]

did anyone else read the Drina series by Jean Estoril?  Its a fictional account of a young girl (Audrina Adamo, better known as Drina Adams) making her way through as a student and then as a professional.  It's all highly unlikely but I think its a sweet series anyway and I used to read it constantly when I was younger...
Just thought it deserved a mention since its written with love for dance.