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Kirov "Jewels" in Washington


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Guest Mega-Fan

According to Anna Kisselgoff, the Kirov Ballet omitted a pas de deux from their recent performances of Balanchine's "Jewels" at the Kennedy Center. Does anyone know which pas de deux was omitted? I consider myself very familiar with this ballet, and to my viewing and recollection all the pas de deux were there. Any enlightenment will be appreciated, as I am now convinced my mind is going to heck!

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Hi, Mega-Fan. Welcome to Ballet Alert!

The omitted section was a section Balanchine added to "Emeralds" a few years after the premiere -- an adagio section at the end, a Sarabande, not a pas de deux, but for the four women and three men.

Reportedly the Kirov wanted to stage the original version of the ballet, so it's not that they omitted it for these performances. It's just not in the version they perform.

That's my understanding, anyway. If anyone wants to elaborate, please feel free smile.gif

[ February 24, 2002: Message edited by: alexandra ]

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Guest Mega-Fan

Thank you for your reply, Alexandra, as well as the warm welcome. I am not refering to the "Sarabande" ending to "Emeralds" being eliminated, as the Kirov has never performed this in their version. I am referring to the elimination of a "pas de deux" which Ms. Kisselgoff claims was also not present in the Kirov version performed recently in Washington. Yet I still do not recall not seeing *all* of the Emeralds pas de deux that I am accustomed to seeing. What am I missing, and did I miss?

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the TIMES misspoke, in my view, here; the only portion missing from the kirov's 'jewels' was the pas de sept. the pas de deux was in place and given as usual. the confusion likely arose from reading the 'choreography by balanchine' catalogue which mentions the '76 addition to 'emeralds' of a pas de deux and a pas de sept, leading to the assumption that if the kirov decided against the pas de sept it also decided against the pas de deux, which it did not.

another confusion in that review came from suggesting that balanchine commissioned the new (post-harvey) decor for the ballet, when in fact the new decor was presented after balanchine's death. robin wagner, the newer designer, took his suggestions for what to do from lincoln kirstein and ronald bates, to the best of my knowledge he had no advice from balanchine on what he ended up providing for new decor.

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Guest Mega-Fan

Thanks, rg. Odd that a professional reviewer would not know, or be able to recall, whether or not a particular duet (pas de deux) was performed at a particular performance. I remember seeing all the duets/pas de deux that I expected to see and I'm not even a professional.

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I seem to recall that the 1976 expansion of Emeralds did include a new pas de deux for Verdy (in addition to the one that was already there). Supposedly this was done as a sort of consolation prize for her being left out of Union Jack.

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