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[dirac]

A review of New York City Ballet by Robert Johnson in The Star-Ledger.

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Yet everything is not beautiful at City Ballet. The understandable temptation to present "Swan Lake" during a Tchaikovsky festival should be resisted if the company can't do better than Maria Kowroski's galumphing Swan Queen, a travesty that recalls Barbra Streisand's "Funny Girl" routine more than it does Natalia Makarova. Kowroski is uncoordinated and basically unsuited for dancing, a fact  that long, straight legs can't change. Gentle Ashley Laracey, in the Pas de Neuf, reminds horrified onlookers what "Swan Lake" should be. It wouldn't hurt to give the corps another rehearsal, too.

[dirac]

Sergei Filin's  latest operation reportedly goes well.

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Russia's main ophthalmologist took part in the operation, an innovative procedure that involved the application of embryonic cells, the report said.

The ballet director is currently in stable condition, and doctors say the results of his treatment so far are encouraging.

Related.

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An acclaimed former Bolshoi dancer, Filin said that the acid attack had actually been less painful than the time he forced himself to dance Swan Lake on a broken leg because he didn't want to disappoint his mother, who was sitting in the front row.

[dirac]

Q&A with Sarah Van Patten.

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Q: Always have aches and pains?
A: Yes. What is being asked of our bodies does not come naturally.
Q: Why do dancers always seem taller on the stage than they are?
A: Interesting point. Some dancers have the ability to take up space. Their presence is larger than themselves.