Killer choreography and complimentary choreographers:

[kfw]

Laugh or cry, take your pick. Here are three of the most egregious examples of flowery and just plain incompetent writing in NYCB's 2009 Spring Season brochure:

Captivated by the moody and mysterious world of Ravel's La Valse, a young woman waltzes through Balanchine's surging choreography with tragic results.

Peregolesi's Stabat Mater pulls at one's innermost heartstrings . .

Together, Balanchine and Robbins created a ballet repertory unparalleled the world over. This series offers two programs that highlight their complimentary (sic) styles.

And then there's this:

With the exception of our 3 full-length productions (next pages), all of this season's ballets are introduced as part of 10 exciting Season Premiere Programs, which will each be performed with at least one additional performance during the spring season.

Never mind that most of those ballets were introduced to the public years ago, is there any way to know for sure what that last clause even means without studying the schedule?

I know there are people in the company who can recognize how bad this stuff is.

[papeetepatrick]

Laugh or cry, take your pick.

Oh, laugh in the case of 'La Valse', that's one of the most deliciously grotesque things I've ever read--I mean it's virtually a novel. I picture the young woman, not wise enough to choose the right boite (but I also see her as having a choice of many, but being naive and too innnocent), falling through something either like what Alice went through or Keir Dullea in 2001 a Space Odyssey. "Waltzes through...with tragic results" is to die for. So much for getting captivated and giving in to temptation; the wages of sin is always death!

Agree about that last clause, it's totally inane, almost like a Litte Moron joke.

[bart]

kfw, you have a great editorial eye.

I see it as a kind of personal voyage for the ballerina. Maybe the young girl has to "waltz through" Balanchine's choreography in order to reach her own "innermost" (as opposed to outermost?) heartstrings, located somewhere in Peter Martins choreography.

Are "complements" to the copywriter in order?

[kfw]

Maybe the young girl has to "waltz through" Balanchine's choreography in order to reach her own "innermost" (as opposed to the outermost?) heartstrings in the Pergolesi piece. Are "complements" to the copywriter in order?

Stop the torture -- I'll answer however you like!

[4mrdncr]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had problems with the nomenclature, syntax, and blindness (or nonexistance of?) an editor. Luckily, whenever my faith in grammatical usage is broken, BT restores it.

[bart]

Is there any chance that this may be connected to cost-cutting? Possibly a change in public relations people?

When our local daily paper "downsized," "excising" many of its higher-paid and more experienced staff, the quality of writing took an instant plunge. Apparently journalism schools have changed quite a bit here in the U.S in recent years. Alternatively, people with real verbal skills may no longer be choosing to attend them.

[Hans]

These remind me of the horribly off-putting cards Baltimore Opera used to send. They said things like, "Where there's a smokin' Druid priestess, there's fire" (advertising Norma). I've received many other cringe-inducing ads from them over the years. It makes these organisations seem rather desperate.

[bart]

Could marking like that be just one teeny part of the reason that they are now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy?

[Alexandra]

Thank you for this, kfw! These are fine specimens of the genre, indeed

Re Baltimore Opera, a few years ago they had a WONDERFUL bumpersticker that said, "Opera. It's not as bad as you think!" (To which I came up with the obvious ballet rejoinder: "Ballet! It's not as bad as opera!" and I was very disappointed that not a company in the world picked up on that. )

And also a few years ago, a company which shall remain nameless (but it wasn't NYCB) once had an enticing double bill called "Murder and Mayhem." now, the two ballets were "Chaconne" and "Slaughter," and I was never sure which was which!

[bart]

Now if they had said "Opera -- it's MORE SMOKIN' B-A-A-A-D than you think," they might have been on to something.

[Hans]

Balto Opera changed its slogan to something like, "Opera: It's better than you think it has to be." I understand, but...

[papeetepatrick]

Balto Opera changed its slogan to something like, "Opera: It's better than you think it has to be." I understand, but...

I like this quite a lot, the problem is that it's so sophisticated that it is useless as P.R., (unless it's interpreted very loosely, as I mention below) because with the Druid, they'd been aiming low, which is where they presumably still needed to aim. If they'd said 'It's better than you think it really could ever be', that may have been more what they meant. But 'better than you think it has to be', means it's even better than what I'd think it would be at a high standard (or it could mean that, but most likely means some version of 'It's better than you think it is.') Therefore, their version means I think it has to be at least as good as a great Met performance, but surely it will pleasant surprise me in its supernal manifestations...whereas, another version of what they really surely meant is 'It's better than you thought it could be', given that the ones they're targeting haven't spent time meditating on the high standards that opera must surely routinely live up to. Of course, it's the 'has to be' that can be taken either way, and they obviously weren't targeting opera-lovers: they could have used 'must' and it would have worked for their purposes, as 'It's better than you think it must be', but 'It's better than you think' would have covered all of what they needed without going into ambiguity which they themselves were totally unaware of, most likely. To go ahead and 'do this to death', I could finally also add that to write it with their poor construction, it needs to read 'It's better than how horrible you think it has to be.'

[Leigh Witchel]

From the other spectrum of dance, I felt I had to share this press release:

Sasa Asentic’s interests are in re-thinking/experiencing the performer’s state of “I am…” through de-sedimentation and understanding of actual reality, current situations in transitional society, and the performing arts scene and through his artistic/social/political (re)actions. He is an author, co-author, and multi-disciplinary performer as well as a self-taught performer. Asentic studied Agriculture and Pedagogy at University in Novi Sad, Serbia and has led an artistic program for mentally disabled people since 1999.

You just can't make stuff like this up.

[Helene]

From the music world, I remember going to see a world premiere by composer George Walker, who has written some tough 20th century scores. I loved the piece, but when I read the program notes, there were three or four paragraphs of dense, technical musical explanation that went right over my head, but I remember his closing line: "I would like to thank my mother."

[kfw]

Sasa Asentic’s interests are in re-thinking/experiencing the performer’s state of “I am…” through de-sedimentation and understanding of actual reality, current situations in transitional society, and the performing arts scene and through his artistic/social/political (re)actions. He is an author, co-author, and multi-disciplinary performer as well as a self-taught performer. Asentic studied Agriculture and Pedagogy at University in Novi Sad, Serbia and has led an artistic program for mentally disabled people since 1999.

Pedagogy, really? Doesn't that involve clear communication? Love that "de-sedimentation."

[bart]

"kfw, "desedimentation" I take to be something like "peeling the onion." Stripping away all unnecessary or inauthentic qualities. But then ... who knows?

First I thought that this might be a parody. There is certainly much in the paragraph to make one laugh.

Then, I Googled Mr. Asentic's name. Here's a link containing a brief video of his work:

http://www.dancetheaterworkshop.org/asentic

If you stick it out to the end you'll get to see him do a couple of ballet bits: (1) a tiny set of bourrees and (2) a brief cambre backward, almost like Odette.

[printscess]

It's like my husband always says: he loves going to the opera, he just can't stand the singing. He loves going to the ballet, he just can't stand the dancing. (and I married him anyway).

[cubanmiamiboy]

Sasa Asentic’s interests are in re-thinking/experiencing the performer’s state of “I am…” through de-sedimentation and understanding of actual reality, current situations in transitional society, and the performing arts scene and through his artistic/social/political (re)actions. He is an author, co-author, and multi-disciplinary performer as well as a self-taught performer. Asentic studied Agriculture and Pedagogy at University in Novi Sad, Serbia and has led an artistic program for mentally disabled people since 1999.

Well, after all the re-thinking, de-desedimentation and multi-whatever , I am the one feeling mentally disabled now...

[kfw]

"kfw, "desedimentation" I take to be something like "peeling the onion." Stripping away all unnecessary or inauthentic qualities. But then ... who knows?

Thanks, Bart. I pictured an excavation operation, "reality" having been covered in sand I guess. Same general idea, of course.

First I thought that this might be a parody. There is certainly much in the paragraph to make one laugh.

Then, I Googled Mr. Asentic's name. Here's a link containing a brief video of his work:

http://www.dancetheaterworkshop.org/asentic

If you stick it out to the end you'll get to see him do a couple of ballet bits: (1) a tiny set of bourrees and (2) a brief cambre backward, almost like Odette.

You're a brave man. I guess he de-sedimentized all that neo-classical and PoMo stuff back to classical ballet.

[Leigh Witchel]

I was hoping de-sedimentation was something like Botox, but I fear it's more like colonic irrigation.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I was hoping de-sedimentation was something like Botox, but I fear it's more like colonic irrigation.

[bart]

I guess he de-sedimentized all that neo-classical and PoMo stuff back to classical ballet.

By George, I think you've GOT it, kfw. The layers are stripped away, one by one, until we reach ... Swan Lake ! "Next stop ... Baroque Dance." Or even

http://www.bencourtney.com/ebooks/dance/images/012_l.jpg

[Ray]

Here in Philly, we've given up on expecting much from the PR at PA Ballet. From the website description of their 45th-season opener (which began with Ballo's "pageant of pastels and precision" and "virtuoso variations and ballerina bravura"), here's their execrable description of 9 Sinatra Songs :

"The evening is capped off with Twyla Tharp’s comedic tale of a male soloist’s struggle to navigate a world that demands structure. One of the dance arena’s most widely recognized 'cross-over' ballets, Push Comes to Shove is a cornerstone piece in the Tharp canon that pushes through barriers of ballet and shoves modern dance to center stage in her signature style."

Help. Me. Rhonda.

Those poor male soloists, struggling with structure in the dance arena, good thing someone's telling their tales. And kudos to the writer for pushing that "cornerstone piece" through the boundaries of 'Push,' shoving 'Shove' out of the envelope (or is that the box?).

[kfw]

Here in Philly, we've given up on expecting much from the PR at PA Ballet. From the website description of their 45th-season opener (which began with Ballo's "pageant of pastels and precision" and "virtuoso variations and ballerina bravura"), here's their execrable description of 9 Sinatra Songs :

"The evening is capped off with Twyla Tharp’s comedic tale of a male soloist’s struggle to navigate a world that demands structure. One of the dance arena’s most widely recognized 'cross-over' ballets, Push Comes to Shove is a cornerstone piece in the Tharp canon that pushes through barriers of ballet and shoves modern dance to center stage in her signature style."

Ray, I don't know if that's funnier than it is sad or sadder than it is funny.

Over on the Femme Fatales thread there is this bit from The Independent about how these dangerous creatures

displayed but a flickering interest in men for money, power and meaningless sex

.

Some day we're going to have to de-sedimentize back to grammar, syntax, and the dictionary meaning of words.

[carbro]

Sasa Asentic's interests are in re-thinking/experiencing the performer's state of "I am…" through de-sedimentation and understanding of actual reality, current situations in transitional society, and the performing arts scene and through his artistic/social/polit[blahblahblah].

That "de-sedimintation" business must have come from his agricultural training. Talk about interdisciplinary!

You just can't make stuff like this up.

No, I can't, and you probably can't, but somebody did.