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Why hasn't PBS picked up on Coppellia


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Just kind of curious... why hasn't PBS aired this fascinating ballet Coppellia? (maybe they have and I am just not aware of it)

I ask this because I notice that they do the Nutcracker regularly, in fact I seem to remember 2 different performances this year. Another reason I ask is becuse the storyliine for Coppellia is a lot more interesting than the Nuts and would be a lot more engaging to kids of all ages as well as adults. I know you all may cringe at the thougt of formatting Coppellia for a one hour program, but I feel that this could be done rather nicely since the primary storyline is contained in Act 2 so just adding some of the more delightful parts of one and three would fill it out rather nicely for one hour.

So what do you think? Is this just another crazy idea or do you think it could be a hit?

Its just that I am kind of new to this ballet thing, and I see a number of things that are monumental treasures that the general public knows nothing about. I'd like to see more of it out there for everyone to enjoy.

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There was a Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of NYCB's Coppelia eons ago.

There's very little dance at all on PBS, as you've probably noticed :) Not as popular as cooking shows and rock and roll, not to mention the 700,000th rerun of the Antiques Roadshow and "As Time Goes By" in my neck of the woods.

Write write write

Agitate agitate agitate :)

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This is one of those "Don't get me started" threads.

Coppelia would be an excellent choice for PBS. So would any of a number of ballets, operas, plays and other works. Unfortunately, PBS is too busy scheduling things like Antiques Roadshow to have the time for them.

What is annoying is that PBS has become very market driven but still has the arrogance to approach individuals for contributions. PBS now has underwriters as opposed to the sponsors of the commercial networks but they serve the same function.

There was a time when PBS might as well have meant "Primarily British Shows". Even that was better than what exists now.

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Ed, Tom Wolfe once suggested that PBS must stand for "Petroleum's British Subsidiary" since all the accents were English and everything seemed to be sponsored by Mobil or Exxon. (At least back then the British shows were good British shows. I can also recall a time when my local channel had access to the Janus film collection, and there were these wonderful movie marathons of foreign movies; I saw all of Alec Guinness' Ealing comedies and most of Ingmar Bergman that way.) I really don't think we should be blaming the programmers too much. I think it's embarrassing that they have to troll for dollars as they do, but it's not their fault. Include a complaint with your next check (they have ways of tracking the complainers who contribute and those who don't).

Mel, what did Balanchine do to make such a pest of himself?

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It was a "Live at Lincoln Center" presentation, if I recall correctly, and was shot by the best - Emile Ardolino. Balanchine saw what came out and tried to get the rebroadcasts yanked from the schedule, but they were already contracted for. It took longtime dance proponents with PBS like Jac Venza to calm people down and allow the stations to broadcast their published schedule. If I further recall correctly, I don't believe I've seen a rebroadcast of that event on PBS since that season, which was a while ago.:)

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One reason PBS stations are using not to show ballet or other arts programs is the cost. They could work with other stations, such as the CBC and BBC to share the expenditure for the productions. Or at least purchase the American broadcast rights, which would most likely be less money than producing a show of its own. I'm hoping that the Christmas broadcast of the (London) Royal's production of the Nutcracker (although I didn't like it) will be a sign of things to come. The BBC broadcasted a Coppelia and put it out on DVD, and last Christmas showed a newly taped Don Q from the fall season. Two other ballets are expected to be broadcast on the BBC, so maybe they will eventually make it to our shores.

I would love to know how things are going for Dance in America -- whether the show got its funding cut or whether the producers still like ballet. DIA used to show not only a lot of ABT and NYCB, but also Pennsylviania Ballet, SFB and DTH. PNB had both Midsummer Night's Dream (which was later shown on Bravo) and a Kent Stowell ballet shown on a Washington state area PBS. And I would think Miami City Ballet (with its excellent reviews and cross-cultural appeal) should make it to the airwaves.

Considering the drought, we possibly should consider outselves lucky that we (at least in some areas of the country) will get NYCB's Diamond Project on Live at Lincoln Center and the ABT men's dancer feature sometime later in the year.

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