12 replies to this topic

[Pamela Moberg]

The European Broadcasting Union Ballet Competition (takes place every two years) will take place tomorrow evening in Warsaw Poland.
I hope to be able to post the results and comments tomorrow night.
Any European posters attending? If so, please comment! I have to make do with the TV broadcast.
I have no idea which countries will be represented, Sweden will participate, that I know.
But I do hope that this competition has not gone the same way as that other EBU
competion, the pop song one. Before it used to be strictly Europe, now it seems like half of the Middle East also take part. That is to say, countries well outside Europe.
Well, by tomorrow we will know.

[bart]

Pamela, when you report, can you please include some background on this competition, which is not one that is familiar to me and I suspect to others here in the US?

was intrigued by your comparison to the eurovision song competition, which many of us now about, at least by reputation.  Is the ballet comeptition organized in a similar manner?  What are the criteria for selecting choreography, etc.?  Thanks in advance.

[Marga]

Here is a link to a site with info on this year's competition (be sure to click on the links in the right sidebars for competitors' bios and pics, and more):

Eurovision Dance Competition

[bart]

That link led me to the European Broadcasting Union site, and the pages devoted to the competition, including rules:
Link to EBU Young Dancers Competition Site

Apparently the EBU includes Middle Eastern and African countries as well as European.  The competition takes place in the Teatr Wielcki in Warsaw, a beautiful opera completely reconstructed after WWII.

[Marga]

There is really a lot of information on that site. I've been enjoying reading the competitor's histories and seeing their pictures. They also have a "Where are they now?" section, which, although quite good, does not have current info on everyone who won prizes since the competition's inception 20 years ago. I noticed that they have "no info" on Rut Miro. Rut has a website -- looks like no one checked the internet, at least not thoroughly enough. That might explain this entry (made me chuckle), bold emphasis added by me:

2nd Eurovision Young Dancers, Schwetzingen, Switzerland, 31 May 1987

1st Prize – Rose Gad Poulsen (Denmark)
Soloist, Royal Danish Ballet, Denmark
Nikolaj Huebbe (Denmark)
No information available


It is indeed a glittering list of names, though.

[Marga]

bart, on Jun 23 2005, 10:06 PM, said:

That link led me to the European Broadcasting Union site, and the pages devoted to the competition, including rules:

I'm glad you posted that link, Bart. I forgot to. That's the site that led me to the link I posted!  

[Estelle]

The list of former dancers is impressive indeed. I remember seeing the competition in 1993, when the winner was Zenaida Yanowsky (it was the first time I heard about her- I didn't imagine that someday she'd become a RB principal !) Unfortunately, I don't even know if a French channel will show it.

Other dancers with "no information available" include:
-Raphaëlle Delaunay, who used to dance with POB, then with Pina Bausch's company in Wuppertal, and now works in France as an independent dancer and (modern) choreographer
-Jesus Pastor, now an ABT soloist
-Dawid Kupinski and Marcin Kupinski, now in the corps de ballet of the Royal Danish Ballet
-Jeroen Verbruggen dances with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo
-Golan Yosef dances with the Ramon Oller company (modern) in Spain
-Maartje Hermans dances with the Scapino Ballet in the Netherlands

It seems that now the competition has shifted more towards modern dance (with one ballet prize and one modern dance prize, instead of three ballet prizes)

[Jane Simpson]

The competition was won by Milou Nuyens from the Netherlands, with Poland second and Belgium third.  There's a short report at

http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/4726

[Pamela Moberg]

No innovation, but that was not expected either. The usual Paquitas, Don Quixotes and Esmeraldas and Grand Pas Classique. I would say that the contestants are a bit too young and immature for these kinds of solos and the result is wobbly.
Then, on the other hand, I think it was Estelle who remarked that the competition has veered away from classical to modern. Couldnt agree more.

Milou Nuyens (20) from The Netherlands won. She was very good. But I would have preferred to see her in something more classical.
The couple from the host nation, Elena Karpuhina (17) and Michail Wylot (19) who did a tango pas de deux, music by Cuadro Nuevo, won and deservedly so. While they danced I made some notes "very good" for a start and by the time they took their bows I had written "excellent". It was indeed. Not only were they technically good, one got the feeling that they were at home on the stage.
Both dancers were interesting and I would love to see them both doing solos and something from the classical repertoire. However, they are both young, but looked very accomplished and mature so if all goes well they should have a great future.
A Belgian girl came third,  Marjorie Lenain, she was very sharp and precise in her Esmeralda variation. Young kid, only 16.
Of course the Swedish contestant was of special interest to me. Danielle Rosengren (17) seemed a bit hesitant and nervous in the Swedish competition, but yesterday she had found her feet and seemed more assured. A very talented girl.

The jury was distinguished as usual, Irek Mukhamedov was president and then, as a special guest, came that diva, Maya Plissetskaya. She is just incredible, to look like that at 80 is remarkable. One must jump to the conclusion: ballet is good for you!  In all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, I wish I had been there myself.

[bart]

Thank you Pamela and others for your posts on this event.  The idea of national tv systems televising such a program is mind-boggling and mliraculous and to this American.  You are veryfortunate over there.

I was delighted to hear about the success of the Polish young woman and man.  A visit to Poland -- newly in the EU -- last fall made me quite excited about the country's future as full and free participant in Europe.  "Excellent" indeed.

[chrisk217]

Getting a chance to see once again Maya Plisetchkaya and Irek Muhamedov was the best thing about this broadcast. Maya looked so beautiful!!!! And Irek was very gracious. The dancers who won were the most deserving. Congratulations to all!

Bart you write:

Quote

The idea of national tv systems televising such a program is mind-boggling and mliraculous and to this American. You are veryfortunate over there

This is only partly true. Most probably it will be the only dance broadcast my country will get for 2 months or so, so it might as well have been something more worthwhile.

As for the actual broadcast, considering it's the "European Broadcasting Union" the video direction and editing should have been better. The director seemed somewhat clueless about what it is we are watching, or maybe was bored, so he tried to spice it up with strange shots that sometimes obscured the dancing, frequent cuts and (especially in the classical variations) angles that hid the technical aspects. What impresses me most is that this is not usually done in other types of competitions (gymnastics, skating etc) Why they think dance deserves such a treatment I cannot guess.

[Pamela Moberg]

I totally agree with chrisk217 that the camera technicians in Poland fancied themselves a bit with weird photography. Why I did not mention it, though it disturbed me too, was that I didnt want to gripe too much. After all, one gets a couple of crumbs thrown at one and then one gratefully laps them up.
I dont know where you live, but I have the same complaint. The Swedish Broadcasting Company NEVER shows any ballet, well, maybe there is a little snippet once a year. Somehow it feels like the whole subject of ballet is something tainted and by watching it one runs the risk of catching something awful. I have even phoned the TV company and complained whereupon they answered that a public service company must cater to everybody but of course minority interests will get less programs. Well, it seems I have a minority interest!
I think it was Marga who asked about past competitors and about Rose Gad. Well, that I actually saw on TV. Rose Gad was unfortunately injured but worked her way back slowly only to become a pensioner after a short time. Female dancers in Sweden get pension at 42 and men at 45 and it is the same in Denmark.
Anyway, I have just made up my mind - next competition I will attend in person!
Seeing the thing on TV is one thing but being there is quite another thing. I was actually thinking about going to Poland, it is not far from where I live, but the expense stopped me. I have experiences with former Eastern bloc countries, if one wants to stay and above all eat at the level one is accustomed to, it gets awfully expensive and I have no friends in Poland.
DD is soon going to Holland to study law and that is a country close to just about everything - Brussels - Paris - Germany. Off topic here, but I have a question for
European posters. DD asked me what performances one could see in Holland, or Brussels for that matter.
She is not interested in modern, only classical.

[Helene]

Pamela Moberg, on Jun 25 2005, 02:46 PM, said:

DD is soon going to Holland to study law and that is a country close to just about everything - Brussels - Paris - Germany. Off topic here, but I have a question for
European posters. DD asked me what performances one could see in Holland, or Brussels for that matter.
She is not interested in modern, only classical.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've opened up a new thread here to discuss what is upcoming in Holland and Belgium.