19 replies to this topic

[Helene]

An excerpt from new reconstruction of "La Sylphide" by Alexei Ratmansky, posted by Johan Kobborg to YouTube (from his Twitter announcement), with Alina Cojocaru, Johann Kobborg, and Ivan Vasiliev:

[Alexandra]

I have to say I wish I hadn't seen that.

[Helene]

I just added a subtitle of warning. Sorry!

[Birdsall]

Are they just horsing around during rehearsals or what is going on with this? LOL

[California]

All three performers were at the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo last month. A special "treat" on the last night was having everybody perform in drag:

For the Special Gala that ends the festival, all the dancers will perform in drag . . .

http://www.japantime...20120803r1.html

[Alexandra]

Oh, good! I feel much better now

[bart]

The word "sophomoric" seems coined for performances like this. Makes me yearn for the genuinely funny and rather loving artistry of the Trocks.

[Jayne]

I would love to see a "Nutty" Nutcracker with complete gender reversals at PNB - male corps doing snowflakes and the flower waltz, and the women playing the various male solos.

[Helene]

I think that's Mark Morris' "The Hard Nut"

[bart]

Hard Nut definitely has gender reversal.. But it's not about gender reversal, as the Kobberg-Cojocaru improvisation is. Once you adjust to Morris's casting, Hard Nut really is a plausible and quite moving Nutcracker.

The highlight for me is "Dance of the Snowflakes," with men and women in identical white tutus leaping back and forth across the stage while projecting bomb-bursts of snow into the air. Whenever I hear the music of this section, even while watching the Russian or Balanchine versions, part of me thinks of Morris and the way his rapidly developing snow storm captures the feeling of Tchaikovsky's score.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I almost watched the link, all excited by the title, but then read the posts in advance, and glad I did it. I'll live the beautiful Sylph where it has been so far, so thank you but no thank you.

[Kerry1968]

More gender-bending from the 2009 World Ballet Festival.

[Birdsall]

These videos look like the performances would be more fun for the performers than audience members! I guess it has some fascination appeal for audience members. It is interesting that Osipova can look masculine. But overall as an audience member I would much rather see her in a female role.

[bart]

These videos look like the performances would be more fun for the performers than audience members!

I agree entirely. I guess that's one of the things that separates comedic art from horse play.

[naomikage]

I was there for this "Funny Gala" at the World Ballet Festival.

Other attractions were, Onegin with Marcelo Gomes and Marijn Rademaker as Tatiana, Maria Eichwald as Onegin, Raymonda 3rd act variation by Andrei Merkuriev (he was fabulous on pointe), Nikiya 2nd act death scene solo by Marcelo Gomes which was very beautiful and at the same time funny, Manon 2nd act solo by Vladimir Malakhov, Bayadere Manu dance by Joshua Hoffalt, Mathieu Ganio and Friedemann Vogel, Kitri 1st act variation by Ivan Vasiliev.

It was so difficult to get tickets for this gala because of this but everything was well prepared and was hilarious.