16 replies to this topic

[pherank]

Tara, on 25 October 2012 - 01:31 PM, said:

pherank, on 18 October 2012 - 10:00 PM, said:

The only part of these videos that really bugged me was right at the beginning - his 'Pete Townshend windmill' motion: it was rather bland, and didn't correspond to, or emphasize particularly well, the dynamics of the score (and this IS wonderful music after all). Fortunately, things generally improved from there. I have minor quibbles with things here and there, but again, not bad, judging from the videos. That's my two cents.

Yea, it didn't do anything for me either but my real quibble was the timing of the triple penchée at the 6 min. mark. The whole thing was way, way off. It does get much better from there on out but that was certianly a disappointment.

Welcome, Tara. There is definitely a lack of musicality at times, which tends to make balletomanes crazy, and in the segment you mention there's definitely a lack of awareness for what the other dancer's are doing. Looks like three soloists (the Muses) each thinking only about her own interpretation (and counts), but lacking the unity that Corps dancers must demonstrate. And that obviously has its drawbacks when dancing as a group to live music.  ;)

[cubanmiamiboy]

Helene, on 09 October 2012 - 08:01 AM, said:

Danilova might have been the dancer Balanchine might have had in mind when he choreographed Terpsichore, but Alice Nikitina premiered it (and Balanchine got rid of her as soon as he could).  Balanchine also said, in response to criticism when he cut the opening, that (contemporary) people would have laughed had they seen the original.

Terpsichore casting trends toward taller dancers with Somova's physical proportions -- although the last time I checked, Somova wasn't guesting in the role with the Bolshoi, so maybe the proper analogy would be Alexandrova -- probably due to trend of casting tall Apollos, but Balanchine and his stagers have cast shorter dancers when they felt the dancer would do justice to the role and the Apollo was the right size.

All the dancers, Apollos and Muses, of the MCB production are short, and they still did a nice job.