angelica Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 This is something of a sidebar to this thread, but I'm posting it here because it is relevant to the three posts above. I'm in agreement with stuben, Drew, and abatt. I recently read (and of course I regret not noting the source) that there is a 100% chance that a professional ballet dancer will be sidelined by injury at some point in his or her career. What I'm wondering is whether the likelihood of injury has increased, along with the trend towards slimmer dancers as well as more acrobatic-like steps. I don't remember injury as being so prominent a factor when I was a girl attending ballet performances. Perhaps it was and I wasn't aware of it. But it seems to me that the bar keeps being raised higher and higher for more elevation, more extension, more multiple turns, and so on. On the other hand, Theme & Variations had its premiere in 1947, and 32 fouettes go at least as far back as Petipa. Does anyone have a sense of whether dancers are facing more injuries in this day and age, or whether this is a hundred-year storm in the history of ABT? Link to comment
Helene Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 I wasn't quite a girl when Joseph Mazo wrote, "Dance Is a Contact Sport" and quoted a Spring season NYCB insert that had multiple substitutions in a given performance, with descriptions about who was injured at the time, and who was able to do this movement of a ballet, but not that, given the injury. Edward Villella described how towards the end of his career, he had to crawl to the bathroom in the morning, and he couldn't walk until after his daily massage. I don't think this is a new thing at all. "Nutcracker" runs for the corps -- and the students who go from (mostly) class to performing every or every other night -- and the ends of Spring seasons after many weeks in a row of performances often lead to cascading injuries. Link to comment
angelica Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I wasn't quite a girl when Joseph Mazo wrote, "Dance Is a Contact Sport" and quoted a Spring season NYCB insert that had multiple substitutions in a given performance, with descriptions about who was injured at the time, and who was able to do this movement of a ballet, but not that, given the injury. Edward Villella described how towards the end of his career, he had to crawl to the bathroom in the morning, and he couldn't walk until after his daily massage. I don't think this is a new thing at all. "Nutcracker" runs for the corps -- and the students who go from (mostly) class to performing every or every other night -- and the ends of Spring seasons after many weeks in a row of performances often lead to cascading injuries. Thank you, Helene. I was really curious about this. I guess I was shielded from this aspect of ballet when I was a child. Link to comment
Barbara Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To go back to Julie's curtain calls - can anyone identify the woman who came out wearing an orange flowered dress, with short blond hair. Julie seemed especially pleased to see her; she then took her place next to Makarova who grasped her hand. Thanks! Link to comment
stuben Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To go back to Julie's curtain calls - can anyone identify the woman who came out wearing an orange flowered dress, with short blond hair. Julie seemed especially pleased to see her; she then took her place next to Makarova who grasped her hand. Thanks! I believe it was Julie's mother as someone beside me was telling another, I can't be certain but I did hear quite a few people mentioning how nice it was for her mother to be there. Link to comment
stuben Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thank you, Helene. I was really curious about this. I guess I was shielded from this aspect of ballet when I was a child. I would just like to add that in the case of the ABT, I do believe someone in another post mentioning how their 8 week season is more of the 9 month schedule for some others. This may be also a reason for potential injuries, rehearsal times cut short and long hours from rehearsals to performances can also be a factor. Link to comment
Victura Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 To go back to Julie's curtain calls - can anyone identify the woman who came out wearing an orange flowered dress, with short blond hair. Julie seemed especially pleased to see her; she then took her place next to Makarova who grasped her hand. Thanks! I believe it was Julie's mother as someone beside me was telling another, I can't be certain but I did hear quite a few people mentioning how nice it was for her mother to be there. Yes, that was Julie's mother, Jennifer Cox. She was also at Julie's Giselle performance earlier this season. A bit more about her and the Music and Motion program she founded at the Maryland Youth Ballet for children with disabilities: http://www.marylandyouthballet.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/MM-Bethesda-Magazine.pdf Link to comment
Barbara Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thank you, Victura for confirming that it was Julie's mother. I had guessed that but when she wasn't standing near her husband and children I thought I was wrong. But then again she entered from the opposite curtain. Delightful article, I hadn't realized ballet was a family affair or that her mother was from New Zealand. Makarova seemed particularly moved during the many curtain calls; they must have been close. Link to comment
abatt Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Who was the man who came out just before Robert Hill? Link to comment
sz Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Who was the man who came out just before Robert Hill? deleted Link to comment
stuben Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Who was the man who came out just before Robert Hill? I believe it was José Manuel Carreño, the video posted by ABT Fan can confirm. Link to comment
stuben Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Found on Youtube as there are many others who posted this event: < Link to comment
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