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The circus is in town!


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I love that video. These two dancers have personality and are creatures of the stage. They know what they do well and do exactly that. They don't try to be something they are not. They are literally showing off their strengths. I am astonished that some ballet lovers frown upon this type of behavior. In the opera world all the greats showed off their personal strengths, but now they are taught to not show off and opera has suffered and gone downhill as a result. Showing off in opera is not very common anymore and as a result it is boring. I don't even bother to go anymore, and I was a fanatic for 20 years!!! I think there are only a handful of singers I would even cross the street to see.

By the way, what is Vasiliev doing at about 6:35minutes? He is spinning in the air and I think beating his legs at the same time. Is that an entrechat while spinning in the air? Is there a term for what he is doing?

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By the way, it sounds like the audience has lots of young people (probably young dancers) cheering like crazy. I sat next to two very young girls (who I suspect were young dancers) when I saw the Bayadere with Vasiliev. They screamed and applauded like in this video, and it made the performance even more fun for me. I think we get stuck into the concept of acting elegant and being elegant, etc., when in reality this is supposed to be FUN! We are supposed to be having fun while we watch dancers. As we get older I think we forget this as absurd as it is. We are supposed to be having FUN!!!!! LOL

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While I do enjoy watching dancers who present their skills and what they are able to do, I don't have much fun watching those who show off. It is very similar in case of musicians - I do enjoy a virtuoso violin/cello/guitar/... solo, the musician almost becoming one with their instrument. However, it is a different story if the person is in an attitude of showing off. Very often, these musicians in such situations don't seem to become one wiht their instrument but it is more like the instrument truly is nothing more than an instrument, and the person is standing besides the instrument. So I do not equal all virtuoso dancing/instrument solos with showing off. I do like the first and do not like the latter personally.

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It's funny I don't like violin showoffs, which tend to be syrupy, but I don't mind the piano showing off - like Sviatoslav Richter in his crazy Beethoven Bagatelles or Schumann short pieces. And if you don't go mad and all out in Don Q, when do you do so?

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For me that's what galas performances are for. Who will get thru a night's series of PDD's if this kind of stuff is missing...? Not me...I've been thru too many boring ones where at one point I've started wondering what in hell am I doing there whatsoever. And even in a complete performance of DQ, I really don't expect too much of anything but a thrilling last act's PDD and maybe some good Espadas and toreadores-(trick-inflicted,showy moments as well...). Now, the real problem is, of course, when you have seen as much possible of the highest, thrilling technical level in a specified performer as Basilio or Quiteria. Then what...? You don't have too much of a Mad Scene to make up for it there....

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Looking at the clip of Osipova and Vasiliev, I would agree that it is spectacular but I wouldn't like to see that degree of showmanship in an overall performance. My preference has tended to be towards restrained virtuosity. This couple is much more to my taste:

I have had the privilege of seeing them perform this pdd live, but I have never seen Ospiova and Vasiliev live. Perhaps my opinion would be different if I had.

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I've seen Ms Delgado dance both Giselle and Kitri and thought she was awesome in both. Very contrasting styles but both wonderful. I saw her and Carenno guesting with RDB in Copenhagen. It was interesting seeing them against the backdrop of the RDB style. One of the most exhilerating nights at the ballet!

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