33 replies to this topic

[Hans]

That is interesting--I've had the opposite experience!  Dancers who can fouetté for days, kick themselves in the head, &c, but they forget about the drama, or even personality.

[canbelto]

I've seen "Clavigo" on video and I too thought it wasn't "vulgar" at all. It's certainly mature, intense, and somewhat sinister in its themes, but at the same time I thought it was inventive, compelling, and great entertainment. I have only seen the video cast so I don't know if other dancers have been able to replicate the doe-eyed innocence of Clairemarie Osta, the sinister debauchery of Nicholas LeRiche, or the flamboyant sultriness of Marie Agnes Gillot.

[bart]

Another vote for Clavigo here.   Much preferable, in my book, to a couple of other full-length works that rely on juiced up plots and a showy central pas de deux, MacMillan's Manon being just one that comes to mind.

Re:  "vulgar."  On other threads, I've always had questions about the use of this term, and not only because it is so subjective.  It's an shorthand insult, not a descriptive or analytical term.  When I see it, I feel I've learned more about the writer than about the work he or she is evaluating.

Many substantial works of art have been called "vulgar," or "common," or "trashy," by someone, especially at times of transition in style and content.  I'm sure that a VERY long  book could be compiled consisting solely of wrong-headed accusations of vulgarity over the centuries.

[dirac]

Thanks for the reports on 'Clavigo,' everyone. I'll have to check it out on video.

Quote

That is interesting--I've had the opposite experience! Dancers who can fouetté for days, kick themselves in the head, &c, but they forget about the drama, or even personality.

Yes. Dancers who turn and turn and turn and grin and grin and grin.