91 replies to this topic

[kfw]

Paul, you might want to open Windows Media Player and uncheck the option to make it your default media player. Or if you can't find that option, another way to do it is to open Real Player, or whatever ever else you might have, and make it the default option. Real Player is my default and it allows me to watch embedded videos right there on the page. Good luck!

[Paul Parish]

I saw Anna micro's clip on Youtube. My Lord, despite ALL the things one could object to, the overall phrasing, and hte incredible lightness of her upper body, and something inherently romantic about her breathing make me love her anyway. No, she doesn't point hte foot she's jumping from, no there's something way wrong with the rhythm of her sauts de basque -- but the parts she HAS applied her imagination to are so important -- the pas de bourrees, and yes, Lord, that soussus, when she turns her head so slowly to look at him, those details matter enormously, and hte overall rhythm and breath-like quality of all the dancing are wonderful.

[ngitanjali]

Paul Parish, on Feb 27 2008, 08:16 PM, said:

I saw Anna micro's clip on Youtube. My Lord, despite ALL the things one could object to, the overall phrasing, and hte incredible lightness of her upper body, and something inherently romantic about her breathing make me love her anyway. No, she doesn't point hte foot she's jumping from, no there's something way wrong with the rhythm of her sauts de basque -- but the parts she HAS applied her imagination to are so important -- the pas de bourrees, and yes, Lord, that soussus, when she turns her head so slowly to look at him, those details matter enormously, and hte overall rhythm and breath-like quality of all the dancing are wonderful.

I think it wasn't perfect, like her Giselle wasn't perfect (perfect in the sense of Natalia Bessmertnova), but....there was something there which shows that she understood the nature of the choreography, it's history, it's meaning, and how to tailor her essence for the role.  It was Natalia's sylphide, not "mass produced Sylph that was churned out of a factory", which was nice to see

[chrisk217]

If you have problems with the videos you probably don't have the divx codec installed (needed to decompress the video's data. Even though the .avi extention of the file may seem familiar not all avis are created equal; avi is just a container format) The people who have no problem with the videos probably had the codec installed during an installation of something else video-related. For example installing some players installs (or replaces a prior installation of) a selection of codecs too.

To install the codec you have several options. A few easy ones: You could go to http://www.divx.com and click on Free Download. After downloading the file, double click to execute. You don't need to install the divx player if you don't wish to, just the codec will suffice.
There was talk in the past  (not sure when but more than a couple of years ago) that a version of the divx player had been associated with spy/ad-ware. This has supposedly stopped but one ought to be fully informed to make decisions on such matters.

Alternatively you could install ffdshow which takes care not only of divx but numerous other codecs, usual and unusual. ffdshow is free, open source software that can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net. No player in this case, ffdshow cooperates with windowns media players, winamp etc

For the technophobes and the overly cautious there's yet another alternative. Login to your youtube acccount (or create one if you don't have one). Click on upload to upload the offending video taking care to click Private in "Broadcast options" to set the access to private (so that only you can watch - I imagine you wont want to distribute material of which you don't hold the copyright) Wait for it to upload and then watch.

[Paul Parish]

THanks Chris--

working like a charm.

I just used divx frn the site.

[annamicro]

chrisk217, on Feb 27 2008, 11:23 PM, said:

If you have problems with the videos

Many people had difficoulties, I could just listen to the music... I tried a home made solution uploading the clips on NeroVisionExpress and it worked.
But I'll try your advices to resolve radically the problem. Thanks a lot!  

[Marc Haegeman]

This interview is indeed required reading.  The original Russian text in the form of a monologue was published on Osipova’s site (all well-versed enough in Russian can go there).

I don’t see much point in comparing Osipova’s debut as Giselle with the autumnal performance of Bessmertnova (great to hear, though, she is considered “perfectâ€� now   ), and moreover she is not a Bournonville dancer, she is a Russian-trained dancer performing Bournonville.  Yet what I found amazing about  her Giselle and Sylph is that for each ballet she appeared wholly transformed, a totally different creature, and one totally absorbed by the role. It might be called the "method-dancing" approach.

In Sylphide her plasticity had changed again, the mime was detailed and subtle (as for example Paul and Bart noticed in the first eye to eye meeting with James), the emotions were filtered (until her death scene where everything was let loose, apparently as a spontaneous reaction to her James). The performance was full of unforgettable moments, like every encounter with Vyacheslav Lopatin's James, or like in the 2nd act where she catches this (imaginary) butterfly and her whole body seemed to be shivering with the beating of its wings inside the palms of her hands. Combined with the sheer quality of her dancing, the jumps, the ballon, the flow and the effortlessness (which I guess most people now take for granted with Osipova, but it remains no less outstanding), all fine-tuned to the needs of the piece, as a theatre experience I found this pure magic, as a debut a fantastic achievement.

[Mashinka]

Quote

It was Natalia's sylphide, not "mass produced Sylph that was churned out of a factory", which was nice to see

You make a very good point there ngitanjali, too few dancers seem to think for themselves with regard to interpretation with most following some accepted template for a role.  It wasn't always like that.

[innopac]

chrisk217, on Feb 28 2008, 03:23 PM, said:

Alternatively you could install ffdshow which takes care not only of divx but numerous other codecs, usual and unusual. ffdshow is free, open source software that can be downloaded from http://sourceforge.net. No player in this case, ffdshow cooperates with windowns media players, winamp etc

Thanks for the advice chrisk217!  

I tried divx and it works but didn't like having to use an extra player so downloaded ffdshow and it is great.  The files now open easily with media player or real player.  During this exercise I also discovered that real player has a download button so you can download videos straight off of youtube.

[Drew]

Thanks for these tips--I used ffdshow as well.  And I love the clips I have seen.

[Legwarmer]

Could somebody explain her technical shortcomings in these clips to me?

I'm interested in "schooling" my eye better for such a thing, but since there's nobody who can really teach me, I am quite lost... please?

[drb]

Natalia Osipova's appearance at the April 21, 2008 YAGP Gala at City Center, where she is listed as dancing Flames of Paris with Ivan Vasiliev, is confirmed on her website:

Quote

April
...
New York, Youth America Grand Prix Gala 2008 - 21
Bolshoi Theatre, "Le Corsaire", Medora (debut, with Sergei Filin) - 30

Also noteworthy is that her debut (delayed from early January) as Medora is now scheduled for April 30.  This is confirmed on the Bolshoi's site (Russian Version).  Ivan Vasiliev is listed there in Pas d'Esclave.  Since, as may be read in Sergei Filin's thread under Dancers, according to the Moscow Times he retires at the end of April, having him as her Conrad is a singular honor.

[aurora]

drb, on Apr 14 2008, 08:39 AM, said:

Natalia Osipova's appearance at the April 21, 2008 YAGP Gala at City Center, where she is listed as dancing Flames of Paris with Ivan Vasiliev, is confirmed on her website:

Quote

April
...
New York, Youth America Grand Prix Gala 2008 - 21
Bolshoi Theatre, "Le Corsaire", Medora (debut, with Sergei Filin) - 30

Also noteworthy is that her debut (delayed from early January) as Medora is now scheduled for April 30.  This is confirmed on the Bolshoi's site (Russian Version).  Ivan Vasiliev is listed there in Pas d'Esclave.  Since, as may be read in Sergei Filin's thread under Dancers, according to the Moscow Times he retires at the end of April, having him as her Conrad is a singular honor.

Hooray! I can't wait to see her. I wish it was something else (I want to see her JUMP!!) but still it should be fabulous, and its a fantastic variation for him.

Anyone else going to be there? (YAGP gala, not Le Corsaire unfortunately)

[Solnishka79]

I will not be able to attend however two of my students are participating in the YAGP workshop and will attend the Gala. I have told them that they are to report all details of Natalia's performance to me..... and have been threatened with the punishment of a second year Vaganova class if they don't give me a perfect account! (They're 15 and 17, second year is soooooo slow.)

[Mashinka]

Aurora, if she dances Flames of Paris you are definately going to see her jump!