159 replies to this topic

[Giannina]

I keep thinking of the movie "Legends of the Fall". You concentrate on the love triangles; great opportunities for pdds of love, partings, reunions, grief, etc. Not too many characters, however. The 3 brothers, the 2 women involved, maybe Mom and Dad. But no corps scenes unless you follow Christian on his journies. Still, those pdds. Of course Brad Pitt would play himself!!

Giannina

[Mel Johnson]

I'm going to keep my own counsel here. One of my favorite ideas for a ballet has already been mentioned, so I'm not tipping my hand a millimeter.

[dirac]

I'm going to keep my own counsel here. One of my favorite ideas for a ballet has already been mentioned, so I'm not tipping my hand a millimeter.

I ask other posters not to adhere to this policy. Keep suggestions coming, please.

Not too many characters, however.

And not a lot of pretty scenery, which was for me the major attraction of the movie, in all honesty. There is also the matter of Brad Pitt's demise a la the unfortunate Timothy Treadwell, which I suppose could be dealt with using a character dancer in a bear suit, not that many will be eager to don one after recent events at Atlanta Ballet......

[canbelto]

"Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

[Hans]

Dido & Aeneas (But with an original score, please. I don't want to listen to mutilated Purcell.)

[Cliff]

King Lear. A classic story and there ought to be more ballets from Shakespeare. Plus it has multiple female roles.

[bart]

Balanchine is quoted by Solomon Volkov as saying:

I'm not against story in ballet, it all depends on how it's done. Petipa took subjects that were easy to turn into dance. But what they sing in Carmen cannot be translated into dance. No one would understand anything.

As this thread shows there many interesting stories. But how many of them would actually pass what we might call the "Balanchine test." That is, something that would make direct and immediate sense in dance terms? Not relying on prior knowledge of the plot. And not requiring elaborate pre-performance explanation or program notes.

[Ray]

Balanchine is quoted by Solomon Volkov as saying:

I'm not against story in ballet, it all depends on how it's done. Petipa took subjects that were easy to turn into dance. But what they sing in Carmen cannot be translated into dance. No one would understand anything.

As this thread shows there many interesting stories. But how many of them would actually pass what we might call the "Balanchine test." That is, something that would make direct and immediate sense in dance terms? Not relying on prior knowledge of the plot. And not requiring elaborate pre-performance explanation or program notes.

Hardly any. So many of the narratives we've mentioned depend on/revel in language. That's why Shakespeare's hard enough for theater companies to perform.

[MJ]

I'm going to keep my own counsel here. One of my favorite ideas for a ballet has already been mentioned, so I'm not tipping my hand a millimeter.

A Ballet about bodily functions? that would be VERY um, ah, different.

Mike

[richard53dog]

As this thread shows there many interesting stories. But how many of them would actually pass what we might call the "Balanchine test." That is, something that would make direct and immediate sense in dance terms? Not relying on prior knowledge of the plot. And not requiring elaborate pre-performance explanation or program notes.

Balanchine (or maybe another choreographer ) said something to the effect that there are no "mother's inlaw in ballet

[Mel Johnson]

Closer to the exact quote is "It is very difficult in classical mime to express, for example, 'your mother-in-law'." (Balanchine/Mason, Stories of the Great Ballets (1954?)

[MJ]

Closer to the exact quote is "It is very difficult in classical mime to express, for example, 'your mother-in-law'." (Balanchine/Mason, Stories of the Great Ballets (1954?)

The Rule of thumb for the Mother of of a Groom is:

Show up, Shut up, and wear beige.

I guess you could include a mother in Law, but it would take 10-15 minutes of pantomime to explain to the audience who the Mother in law is. Lest we forget Cinderella involves a Step Mother, I did the pantomime with a painting of my dear departed wife.

[Premabalrina]

A Marie Antoinette ballet would be beautiful. Think elaborate costumes. I was entertaining this idea with my co-workers after seeing the Sophia Coppola movie.

[Mel Johnson]

I guess you could include a mother in Law, but it would take 10-15 minutes of pantomime to explain to the audience who the Mother in law is. Lest we forget Cinderella involves a Step Mother, I did the pantomime with a painting of my dear departed wife.

Now see, that's a very intelligent way to express "my late wife and my daughter's mother". It would be universally understandable, and not involve a whole lot of classical mime, which the audience (depending on culture) might not get. We keep forgetting the Father in the ballet, who, unlike in Disney, is still alive, but his second wife (the Stepmother) bullies him around, too!

[MJ]

A Marie Antoinette ballet would be beautiful. Think elaborate costumes. I was entertaining this idea with my co-workers after seeing the Sophia Coppola movie.

I was thinking Napoleon and Josephine would make a great Ballet.

I was looking at the AFI film list of the 100 greatest love stories (I won't link to it, but it is easily Gorgled Yay-hoo'd)

My Culling from The American Film Institute's 400 nominated list includes Chronologically:

Cleopatra (1912, 1963 )

Salome (1922)

King Kong (1933)

Show Boat (1936)

Gone With The Wind (1939)

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939)

Casablanca (1942)

Cabin In The Sky (1943)

The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (1947)

Samson And Delilah (1949)

The African Queen (1951)

An American in Paris (1951)

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Singin' In The Rain (1952)

Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Brigadoon (1954)

Oklahoma! (1955)

Carousel (1956)

South Pacific (1958)

Porgy And Bess (1959)

Some like it Hot (1959)

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)

Flower Drum Song (1961)

West Side Story (1961)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

The Sound Of Music (1965)

Funny Girl (1968)

Sweet Charity (1969)

The Great Gatsby (1974)

Robin And Marian (1976)

Somewhere In Time (1980)

An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

Splash (1984)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Working Girl (1988)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Ghost (1990)

Pretty Woman (1990)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Titanic (1997)

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Chocolat (2000)

Some of these movies have great scores, choreo, costumes, or stories that could translate into a ballet well.