32 replies to this topic

[Haglund's]

Britney the Ballet aka "Meltdown" will be performed by the Rambert Dance Company tonight!  Not kidding.  Here's the link to Reuter's.

[carbro]

Haglund's, I see you posted this in the "Heads Up!" forum.  I guess that's because we don't have one named "Duck!" (Maybe we should.   )

Well, it will be interesting to read people's reactions.  Anyone planning to see it?

Editing to add:
There's nothing specific about it on Rambert's website -- just an announcement that Feb. 1 is an evening of new choreography.

I've never understood the fascination with Britney Spears as either a performer or personality, but the treatment of her obvious suffering as a freak show is revolting.  I hope the ballet is at least more humane than the media coverage.

Edited by carbro, 01 February 2008 - 12:33 PM.

[papeetepatrick]

carbro, on Feb 1 2008, 03:13 PM, said:

Well, it will be interesting to read people's reactions.  Anyone planning to see it?

No, but I hope it comes to ABT.

[dirac]

carbro, on Feb 1 2008, 08:13 PM, said:

I hope the ballet is at least more humane than the media coverage.

I don't think it matters how 'humane' 'Meltdown' is. The timing of it can only make this an attention-getting stunt.  Very embarrassing and how unfortunate that the company doing it bears the name of Marie Rambert.

[Natalia]

dirac, on Feb 1 2008, 04:32 PM, said:

carbro, on Feb 1 2008, 08:13 PM, said:

I hope the ballet is at least more humane than the media coverage.

.....The timing of it can only make this an attention-getting stunt.  ....

Wasn't Britney once again taken by ambulance to a hospital's psych ward last night? I can't believe that a company as  'serious' as the Rambert would be doing something as sad and tasteless as this.

[Ray]

Natalia, on Feb 1 2008, 04:45 PM, said:

dirac, on Feb 1 2008, 04:32 PM, said:

carbro, on Feb 1 2008, 08:13 PM, said:

I hope the ballet is at least more humane than the media coverage.

.....The timing of it can only make this an attention-getting stunt.  ....

Wasn't Britney once again taken by ambulance to a hospital's psych ward last night? I can't believe that a company as  'serious' as the Rambert would be doing something as sad and tasteless as this.

Long before her current troubles, Philadelphia modern dance company Headlong Dance Theater performed Britney's Inferno, a 2002 dance that was more about audiences and the culture of celebrity than her particular problems (from their website:  "an evening-length piece about the rise and fall of a star in a pop-cultural hell").  It was fun, smart, and prescient instead of prurient.  (I know, it's not ballet but I thought an interesting point of reference.)

[papeetepatrick]

carbro, on Feb 1 2008, 03:13 PM, said:

the treatment of her obvious suffering as a freak show is revolting.  I hope the ballet is at least more humane than the media coverage.

Definitely revolting, but the ballet, by merely doing it, is worse than the media coverage, because that is what they do.  Turning this into a ballet is an insult to everybody--not just to Ballet, to a troubled girl, to all art everywhere--but to everybody in the world, at least who will read of it.

[Mel Johnson]

A good deal, all rights reserved, of Spears' early performing history is owned by the House of the Mouse.  It will be interesting to see how that develops.  Any input on how the show went?

[cubanmiamiboy]

Some input:

About the ballet:
"It portrays Spears as she fends off the paparazzi, shaves off her hair and is carried off on a stretcher"

From the choreographer  Hubert Essakow:
"(This is) a modern day tragedy". And later on about watching Britney's footage of one of her nervous breakdown as "inspiration" : "We were horrified at how explicit it was"

From the dancer playing Spears, Gemma Nixon:
"I was a bit embarrassed. It is sort of grotesque this persona"  

And again Essakow:
"This is a homage to Britney."

(A "homage"...?!?!?!. Wow, he really has some nerve to state that...) Overall this whole thing is just sad...Shame on Ballet Rambert. They are the grotesque ones...

http://news.bbc.co.u...ent/7218522.stm

[bart]

Let us not forget that there are a couple of real positives in all this:

(1)  One will not actually have to listen to Spears singing during the performance.

(2)  "It could have been about Jerry Springer, the subject of the composer's last opera.

[cubanmiamiboy]

bart, on Feb 13 2008, 11:22 PM, said:

Let us not forget that there are a couple of real positives in all this:

(1)  One will not actually have to listen to Spears singing during the performance.

(2)  "It could have been about Jerry Springer, the subject of the composer's last opera.

...and next, why not, about Jenna Jameson...?

[papeetepatrick]

bart, on Feb 13 2008, 10:22 PM, said:

Let us not forget that there are a couple of real positives in all this:

(1)  One will not actually have to listen to Spears singing during the performance.

(2)  "It could have been about Jerry Springer, the subject of the composer's last opera.

I'd let this just pass, but Spears does have a real, if minor, talent.  From a purely vocal standpoint, she sings better than Madonna ever did--on a CD from 2003 I recently listened to just to inform myself, although she is not truly great like Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks (hardly anybody in pop is right now.)  So no way would hearing her sing be on the level of this repulsive 'ballet' (what a ridiculous misuse of the work, and in this case, one does not even have to see it to know, the only indisputable case of this I am sure of:   Ms. Croce didn't think she needed to see 'Still/Here', I know I don't need to wait to see 'Britney the Ballet' before passing judgment); and Cristian's quotes are appreciated, as these two, Essikow and Nixon,seem want to add a disclaimer to their complete and total indulgence in a shameful project--almost as if they were forced to do it against their will, hence this deep 'homage'.   I wonder if they ever heard of career suicide.  They definitely have earned a few lean years and a few dark theaters.

[Andrew73]

Quote

"It could have been about Jerry Springer, the subject of the composer's last opera.

Springer, like him or hate him, was well able to make the decision that the opera would do him no harm, and may even help his reputation (it did). And I suspect he was at least consulted, if not deeply involved.

Spears is deeply disturbed, and this is a very nasty thing to do. And not just for her; mocking mental illness should have stayed in the 19th century.

Shame on the Rambert Dance Company - and anyone who buys a ticket. I see it came to London's South Bank last week.

"Essakow said he believes Spears's story is a 'modern-day tragedy' but called his work an "homage" to her." - that's not so. It's a homage to exploitation.

It's one thing to do this to historical figures, where (hopefully) the facts are known, and behaviour can be seen in context. It's inexcusable when the story is still unravelling, and this could actually influence events. I suppose we can but hope that Spears has been unaware of the whole thing.

[Mel Johnson]

Worse, it could have been about Maury Povich.  Can't you see, in dance medium,

"Tyrone, you are NOT the father." (TYRONE looks angry)

"But, Maria, you are not the MOTHER, either! (TYRONE and MARIA look poleaxed)

"WHAAAA?  What was all that for nine months, with the big belly and all?"

"Really bad gas."

"Well, then, who's this kid?"

"Darned if we know."

or

"LaTanya, LeRoy is the father, but he's been sleeping with your brother!"

There are worse things than Britney.

[Mme. Hermine]

sometimes i think maury is the father.