35 replies to this topic

[printscess]

A topic from a newcomer in Everything Else Ballet, asked what is the first variation taught, which led me to think, what are your favorite variations, male or female and why? Can be classical or contemporary. (has this topic been on the board before?)

[cubanmiamiboy]

printscess, on Sep 24 2007, 09:14 PM, said:

A topic from a newcomer in Everything Else Ballet, asked what is the first variation taught, which led me to think, what are your favorite variations, male or female and why? Can be classical or contemporary. (has this topic been on the board before?)

Yummy thread!...
Male Variation: "Diane& Acteon".  When properly danced, Acteon's variations gets a unique level of artistry.  It's also very stamina-driven, and it brings back some of my best memories of the Bolshoi-influenced men of National Ballet of Cuba.  
Female Variation: "Don. Quijote".  As a latin, I get specially  attracted by the spanish flavor of Kitri's dance with her cute fan.

[Helene]

I'm not sure it's technically a variation, but it's certainly a solo:  the male solo George Balanchine created for Bart Cook in Square Dance in 1976. Runners up are any of the male variations in Chaconne or Mozartiana, and any part of Oberon's "Scherzo" from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I'll have to think more about women's variations.

[printscess]

Helene, on Sep 24 2007, 10:24 PM, said:

I'm not sure it's technically a variation, but it's certainly a solo:  the male solo George Balanchine created for Bart Cook in Square Dance in 1976. Runners up are any of the male variations in Chaconne or Mozartiana, and any part of Oberon's "Scherzo" from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I'll have to think more about women's variations.

I love the male variation from Square Dance. I don't remember Bart Cook but I love Peter Boal...who did it for his last performance with NYCB. Boy did I cry like a baby. Stars and Stripes, although not one of my favorite ballets has a fabulous male variation - very high enegry.

[Klavier]

Does the Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty count technically as a variation? Paloma Herrera had me in goosebumps last season at ABT.

Otherwise, my favorites include the Goldberg Variations of Bach, the Diabelli Variations of Beethoven, the variation movement from the 12th Quartet of Beethoven - oops, we're supposed to be discussing ballet here. The disconcerting thing for me as a musical person is that the word "variation" in music has a specific meaning that may or may not accord with its meaning in dance. I'd be interested in exploring that.

[papeetepatrick]

Klavier, on Sep 24 2007, 11:54 PM, said:

the Goldberg Variations of Bach... we're supposed to be discussing ballet here. The disconcerting thing for me as a musical person is that the word "variation" in music has a specific meaning that may or may not accord with its meaning in dance. I'd be interested in exploring that.

In this case, we turn out to be discussing both, and the Goldberg Variations is sublime.  I don't remember seeing it on NYCB programs for some years, though, and I only saw it once.  Someone here will be sure to know, though.

[Klavier]

papeetepatrick, on Sep 24 2007, 11:56 PM, said:

Klavier, on Sep 24 2007, 11:54 PM, said:

the Goldberg Variations of Bach... we're supposed to be discussing ballet here. The disconcerting thing for me as a musical person is that the word "variation" in music has a specific meaning that may or may not accord with its meaning in dance. I'd be interested in exploring that.

In this case, we turn out to be discussing both, and the Goldberg Variations is sublime.  I don't remember seeing it on NYCB programs for some years, though, and I only saw it once.  Someone here will be sure to know, though.

I saw the Goldbergs - the Bach/Robbins, that is - two years ago at NYCB, and I believe it is slated for return in one of the upcoming seasons.

[Charming_Lise]

I love the Diana and Aceteon variations and the variations from Don Quioxte.

I saw Angel Corella and Paloma do the variations and they were fantastic.
Angel's tours were brilliant.

[87Sigfried87]

I have to make a distinction between variations that I like to dance and variations that I like to look at...let me see....What I like dancing is the fine elegant prince variations as Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Nutcracker.....even Apollon Musagète,as my style (they tell me so...)is quite elegant and graceful when I dance,and I love dramatic or sad roles and variations,as I can be more interpretative.

What I like watching are instead the "braggers variations",let me name them so,as Diana and Acteon,Don Quixote,Le Corsaire,Bayadère,flames of Paris,Les Bourgeois that are pure masculine technique and are more "circus"(of course the nicknames are ironical!).

Let me say that I love more male than female ones even if I recognize that female roles have peculiarities and a depth that I don't find in male ones,which I find sometimes superficial and just a nice frame of women.That's bad for us:(

About female variations I love the white Swan (also the PDD!),Kitri(all of her ones),Sylphide,Esmeralda,grand pas classique.Then I like Carmen and Giselle not for a piece but for the role itself.

[papeetepatrick]

dancerboy87, on Sep 25 2007, 10:10 AM, said:

I have to make a distinction between variations that I like to dance and variations that I like to look at...let me see....What I like dancing is the fine elegant prince variations as Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Nutcracker.....even Apollon Musagète,as my style (they tell me so...)is quite elegant and graceful when I dance,and I love dramatic or sad roles and variations,as I can be more interpretative.

What I like watching are instead the "braggers variations",let me name them so,as Diana and Acteon,Don Quixote,Le Corsaire,Bayadère,flames of Paris,Les Bourgeois that are pure masculine technique and are more "circus"(of course the nicknames are ironical!).

Let me say that I love more male than female ones even if I recognize that female roles have peculiarities and a depth that I don't find in male ones,which I find sometimes superficial and just a nice frame of women.That's bad for us:(

About female variations I love the white Swan (also the PDD!),Kitri(all of her ones),Sylphide,Esmeralda,grand pas classique.Then I like Carmen and Giselle not for a piece but for the role itself.

dancerboy--that's the COOLEST OF THE COOL! Bravo!

[canbelto]

I love the "pot above the head" variation in La Bayadere.

[chrisk217]

Nothing against the spectacular competition type variations - I love them. But I've seen them so many times that sometimes when they come up I think "oh dear - not again!", especially if the cast is not that good. I prefer variations where the technical demands are balanced with the demands in musicality, flow and style.

Sleeping Beauty: Miettes qui tombent, Violante, Aurora's entrance (sergeyev version), Aurora's variation after the rose adagio, Aurora's 2nd act variation but with the original music (as done in the vikharev version), Diamond fairy, the prince's variation and most of all the 3rd act Aurora variation

Paquita: the Pavillion D'armide variation. I've seen two versions of this - one from the Mariinsky slow, simplified but incredibly elegant and poignant. Another in a documentary as taught by Danilova. That one had more batterie and was way faster (and Danilova stopped the orchestra to make them hurry up more ) I also like Paquita's own variation (the Mariinsky version).

Swan Lake: Odile, the Bolshoi version

Raymonda: La claque, Henriette 1rst act variation (? or Clemence's, never sure which is which, in any case the one that comes first in the Kirov production), a 3rd act variation by either Henriette (or Clemence ?), Raymonda with the veil and the 3rd act male variation in the Grigorovich production

Don Q: Queen of the Dryads, Amour

Corsaire: Gulnare variation in Jardin animee, 2nd odalisque, 1rst odalisque

Giselle: village pdd female  (Bolshoi version), Albrecht's variation

Ballo de la Regina: the 2nd solo (the one with pirouttes ending in arabesque)

Theme and variations: the female solo danced just before the pdd

La fileuse and la siciliene from Emeralds

Agon: the female solo in the second pd3 while the two men stand by

Stars & stripes: female var from the pdd

The female variation from Ashton's Les Rendezvous

Autumn variation from Ashton's Cinderella

Sylvia: male and female variations, both Balanchine and Ashton, prefer the Ashton one best though

Suite en blanc: la cigarette

Napoli's pas de six: the 3rd man's and the 2nd and 3rd women's

La vivandiere pd6: female variation

the 2nd act sylphide variation from Lacotte's sylphide and the 2nd river variation from his Fille du Pharaon

the solo Violette Verdy used to do in dance in dances at a gathering

ok, i should seriously stop now............  

[87Sigfried87]

papeetepatrick, on Sep 25 2007, 04:59 PM, said:

dancerboy--that's the COOLEST OF THE COOL! Bravo!

Thanks:) I'd add only the Bayadère female variation at the wedding before her death and the golden Idol one.And from sleeping beauty the cats  and the bluebird ones.

[Hans]

Klavier, on Sep 24 2007, 11:54 PM, said:

Does the Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty count technically as a variation? Paloma Herrera had me in goosebumps last season at ABT.

Otherwise, my favorites include the Goldberg Variations of Bach, the Diabelli Variations of Beethoven, the variation movement from the 12th Quartet of Beethoven - oops, we're supposed to be discussing ballet here. The disconcerting thing for me as a musical person is that the word "variation" in music has a specific meaning that may or may not accord with its meaning in dance. I'd be interested in exploring that.

There is a discussion of what defines a ballet variation here if anyone is interested.

I like Raymonda's Act III variation quite a bit.

[dirac]

What a great topic, printscess. Thanks for starting it.

Quote

La fileuse and la siciliene from Emeralds

Now that I think about it, I love all the variations in Emeralds.

Suzanne Farrell’s variation in Act III of Don Quixote is amazing.