24 replies to this topic

[miliosr]

The December 2011 edition of ABT's Pointe of View E-newsletter states that David Hallberg will appear on the Colbert Report on 12/07/11.

[MakarovaFan]

Thanks very much for the heads up, miliosr!

[Natalia]

Watched last night. Hallberg came on during the last 10 minutes of the half-hour program (so near midnight). He was charming & fielded Colbert's silly questions with aplomb. The piece de resistance came after the last advertisement break, when Hallberg & lovely Hee Seo began dancing the Nutcracker pdd coda...and were soon joined by Colbert, now wearing black tights along with his usual dark-suit jacket and striped tie. Colbert hilariously tried to 'mirror' Hallberg's moves, as he stood a bit behind. At the final moment, Colbert jumped in front of Hallberg to catch Hee Seo in the final-pose fish dive. The ballerina survived but her face spoke volumes. I'm sure that it will be on YouTube soon.

[California]

It looks like YouTube rejected the clip, due to copyright violations. However, you can see the entire episode on Colbert's own site:
http://www.colbertna...-david-hallberg

Hallberg starts at 14:38. Last night I heard a local newscaster report that Colbert had studied ballet while a student at Northwestern. I thought it was actually a nice intro for audiences that had never seen ballet.

[stinger784]

I am glad Colbert turned it serious for a few moments because David is such an awesome guy. I had the pleasure of dancing with David during my time in Ballet Arizona and you could not meet a more humble guy. I think the pas de trois they did together was tasteful and not over the top. It made me laugh and anytime Hallberg is performing, it is always a high point in dance.

[abatt]

• Watching the clip from the Colbert report made my morning. So will Hallberg now have "groupies" showing up at hs ABT performances?  I wonder why Hee Seo was removed from all of the upcoming Nutcracker performances at BAM.

[Natalia]

I cannot speak for the Nutcracker performances but Hee Seo is scheduled ot dance Nikiya in Bayadere at the Kennedy Center in early February.

I'm so happy that Hee was selected to dance this Colbert gig, even if we got her on TV for just a minute or so.

[bingham]

Maybe, she is preparing for La Bayadere. i hope she is being coached by Irina K and/or Natalia M.

[aurora]

Here are links to the two relevant clips:

Interview: http://www.colbertna.../david-hallberg
Performance: http://www.colbertna...let-performance

[ViolinConcerto]

...and they are on the Times website, in "Arts Beat."  Great.  Though I've read little about Colbert, (and haven't seen the show other than on You Tube), I got the impression that underneath all the silliness is a person seriously interested in the arts!

[diane]

so cool! Thanks!

-d-

[spinning2night]

ViolinConcerto, on 08 December 2011 - 07:00 PM, said:

...and they are on the Times website, in "Arts Beat."  Great.  Though I've read little about Colbert, (and haven't seen the show other than on You Tube), I got the impression that underneath all the silliness is a person seriously interested in the arts!

Definitely true. Colbert attended Northwestern where he was a theatre major, where the theatre program is intense and very comprehensive in getting the students involved in all aspects of the arts.
Colbert definitely has a love of the arts and much more. otherwise, he would NOT be able to have the success that he has as a satirist. People definitely don't give him enough credit.

[Balanchinomane]

He had a lead role in Sondheim's Company with the NY Philharmonic
last spring and was quite good as a song and dance man.
He feels he's privileged in his job to meet artists and is in awe
of talented people. He has a great respect for the performing
arts and his humorous interviews are good exposure to the public.

Stephen Colbert: On His Role In Stephen Sondheim's 'Company' : NPR

[cubanmiamiboy]

Edited: double post.

[cubanmiamiboy]

California, on 08 December 2011 - 05:57 AM, said:

It looks like YouTube rejected the clip, due to copyright violations. However, you can see the entire episode on Colbert's own site:
http://www.colbertna...-david-hallberg

Hallberg starts at 14:38. Last night I heard a local newscaster report that Colbert had studied ballet while a student at Northwestern. I thought it was actually a nice intro for audiences that had never seen ballet.

The interview was just tasteless.  Whenever Hallberg would try to get into some thoughtful comment Colbert then would start again with all that cheap comedy act. Every time I see this phenomenon-(the fact that the laughable dose seems to be mandatory for any act to be successful)-I  remember a friend, a teacher of 40 plus years , who always tells me that she can't take the new school guidelines for which professors are ordered to make classes "fun".  As she says, school was never meant to be  fun, but to learn, many times the hard way.  I think it would have been more interesting would Colbert have allowed a little more seriousness into the interview, which was short to start with, let along all the time wasted with the clown thing.  And then , just as photocopying Letterman in his interview with Part, there is the necessary mocking gestures of ballet jumps and poses.  The "humping" remark was plainly vulgar.  Finally, when one thinks some bit of a ballet performance will be broadcast so people who has never seen it can have the opportunity to enjoy some seconds of such beautiful art, the omnipresent clownish act needs to make its necessary inclusion.  How sad.  Now  understand why Alonso always refused to make such pseudo-appearances on TV, unless there were "real" ones...

Or maybe it is just me, who was never fond of clowns, but as the saying states, to each his/her own...