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[dirac]

Two articles on a new exhibition of art from Mikhail Baryshnikov's personal collection.

Business Week

“The Art I’ve Lived With” comprises some 100 works from Baryshnikov’s four decades of collecting. Never shown in public before, the paintings begin around the turn of the 20th century and include the Russian Avant-Garde, Soviet non-conformists and contemporary art. Many are theatrical, humorous -- and personal.

RT

“I never spent hundreds of thousands dollars on the pieces, because I never had that kind of money,” Baryshnikov told Bloomberg during an interview at the ABA Gallery which is hosting his exhibition. “A good Bakst or Cocteau would be a couple of thousands of dollars. But something like a little working sketch of Benois you could buy for a couple of hundred dollars. Now it’s 20 times more,” he explained.

[dirac]

Houston Ballet holds a farewell gala for Amy Fote.

The three-act Jubilee included Fote in a pas de deux from Marie, as well as excerpts from Manon and Merry Widow. Throughout the evening, Fote proved over and over that she didn't need big, dramatic movements or showy tricks to captivate her audience; her dancing is about more than endless pirouettes or gravity defying leaps. She embodies her characters, revealing them through the subtle nuances of her performance.

[dirac]

Wichita Falls Ballet Theatre presents its Nutcracker.

Artistic directors and choreographers Patricia Thornton and Gari Boehm should be proud of their production — proud of the magical sets and costumes and all those brilliant performances.

The only downside is that the first act is much too short, clocking in at just 25 minutes. As I do every year, I long for the full production of the ballet rather than the shorter suite version, which would require a bigger budget (and more donations), so consider supporting the nonprofit arts group if you can.

[dirac]

A preview of the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker by Kerry Reid in Michigan Avenue magazine.

Conway also notes that 16 percent of the Joffrey’s annual operating budget goes to the Nutcracker, but that the show more than pays for itself. However, those costs can be hefty, including everything from salaries for 45 to 50 dancers and for the musicians in the Chicago Sinfonietta to costs associated with the large children’s company. The kids themselves aren’t paid, but Conway points out that their transportation is subsidized and the Joffrey pays for backstage chaperones for more than 100 children.

One of the challenges the Joffrey faces is turning the Nutcracker audiences into repeat patrons. “We do go after, in a very concerted way, anyone who buys tickets to the Nutcracker,” says Conway. “But it does have a low conversion rate.” He notes that other story ballets such as Cinderella are more likely to appeal to families who see the Nutcracker than other contemporary work.

[dirac]

A review of the Australian Ballet in 'Swan Lake' by Jill Sykes in The Age.

Knowing the preparation, hard work and skill that go into staging a full-length ballet, and admiring the quality of dancing on Sydney's opening night, it saddens me to report that the Australian Ballet's new Swan Lake is disappointing as a piece of theatre.

[dirac]

Michael Kaiser is bullish on the arts community in Miami.

When one lists the ten largest arts organizations in the ten largest cities in the United States, one notices that Miami is not home to the biggest arts organizations in the nation. Only one, the Adrienne Arsht Center, has an annual budget larger than $30 million. But one should not read too much into these statistics. Miami's arts organizations seem to be on the move, energized by the growth of the city and the diversity of the population.

[dirac]

A preview of Matthew Bourne's "Sleeping Beauty" by Sarah Crompton in The Telegraph.

Most famously of all, he changed the sex of the swans in Swan Lake and set his lost and lonely prince among them, letting him find love with a fierce feathered creature as he fled his responsibilities at court. These transformations of the balletic repertoire spring not from irreverence but from deep love for the originals, and a desire to give the stories, and particularly the music, another, different life.

[dirac]

Q&A with Amy Fote.

Me: How did you become involved with Houston Ballet? Was it a transfer?

Amy: Yes, actually. I was dancing with Milwaukee Ballet at the time. During one of the seasons I was there, the Royal New Zealand Ballet needed a guest artist to perform the lead in Stanton Welch’s MADAME BUTTERFLY. So, in heading over to New Zealand I met the Ballet Master for Houston Ballet, whose name is Steven Woodgate. When our time was coming to an end he just said something to me like, “I hope I see you again.” That stuck with me. He was very sincere. Upon returning back to Milwaukee I realized, “you know what, I think I would love to spread my wings and try something else.” So, I ventured down to Houston. I auditioned, and I was offered a First Soloist position. I was promoted the following year to Principal. It was one of the best decisions I had ever made. I was hesitant because I was a Principal at Milwaukee [Ballet], but I honesty have not looked back and have danced so many beautiful works since I have been here. I have grown so much, not only as an artist but technically. I think it just happens as the years go by that you realize what your fortes are. I love the fact that I chose to come to Houston.

[dirac]

Goldstar announces the nominees for its sixth annual National Nutcracker Award.

This season— the 120th anniversary of the Moscow premier— more than 40 Nutcrackers will compete to win the ‘Nutty Award’ and the title of “best loved Nutcracker” in the nation. The list of nominees encompasses a wide variety of shows taking place across the US.

[dirac]

A report on the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony by Julie Miller for Vanity Fair. Video.

In other clear “bests,” Dustin Hoffman appeared to have the best balcony seat among this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees. He was placed beside Michelle Obama. And the best (and most unlikely) couple to take an iPhone self-portrait during the weekend’s Kennedy Center events: Meryl Streep and Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, Robert De Niro took the unofficial prize for best curmudgeonly Robert De Niro–style tribute speech, whom he introduced Dustin Hoffman as “a pain in the ass.”

[dirac]

An interview with Mats Ek.

He originally went into theater because his mother campaigned arduously to make all of her children dancers, he said. "It was a pain," he said. "We were all put into ballet school and tried to move away as much as possible." But, in the early 1970s, the theater was mounting a production of "West Side Story," and watching and joining the dancers of the chorus when they warmed up inspired Ek to switch arts. "It was a revelation," he recalled.

He joined his mother's troupe, the Cullberg Ballet, a case of "pure nepotism," he says now. "She opened the door, and I joined the company and that became my school."