34 replies to this topic

[Ari]

There are some ballets that never seem to go away.  Whenever you look at the repertory a company is performing, at least one of them is being given.  A company comes to town that you've never seen before, and you're eagerly looking forward to seeing whatever it is that makes the company unique, but what you see in the brochures is . . . you fill in the blank.

If you were World Commissioner of Ballet and had the power to ban all performances of any ballet with the titles listed above, by any choreographer, for a period of, say, five years, which would it be?

(Of course, we all acknowledge the importance of a continuous performance tradition.  But this is spleen talking in this thread. )

[Leigh Witchel]

Dracula!

[Alexandra]

There's room for spleen in ballet too, Ari. Great topic!  Can we only vote for one?

Seriously, I think there are ballets that need a rest, and when we see them again we'll be ever so grateful.  Both for the rest, and to see them again.  I have a long hit list, but I'll take the 5th.

[Juliet]

I agree with Leigh:  Dracula.

(And I've even designed one; but I still hate it.)

[Leigh Witchel]

I obviously think Jewels has great merit, but rather than banning it, I might suggest that it be rationed, at least before the final ballet looks more like a bad Cubic Zirconium cocktail ring available at the QVC boutique to benefit the National Ballet of Anywhere.

I'd like The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude more if I saw it a bit less, too.

[Alexandra]

That's a good point.

There is the "Flavor of the Month" problem. Every season, there seem to be four or five companies doing a ballet that has been out of rep for awhile, as though some giant, underground bazaar is havng a sale.  This year it's "Rodeo" and "Slaughter" in the regions and "Jewels" in the majors.  And the regional companies are beginning to acquire "Jewels" too -- it's becoming the new status raiser, I think, the way "Swan Lake" was in the 1960s and "Sleeping B" was in the 1970s or '80s.  

One year at the Kennedy Center, we had seven -- count 'em -- seven companies doing "Swan Lake."  One of them did it seven times.

[Old Fashioned]

Swan Lake.  I've never been particularly fond of this one, mainly because of the score, but now it seems like every choreographer has to have their own version, which makes me dislike it even more.  I like Petipa, thank you.

[Hans]

Tough time choosing between Romeo and Juliet vs. Serenade, but MacMillan finally won.

[Giannina]

Le Corsaire.

[Roma]

Dracula gets my vote, though Manon and Onegin are not far behind.

[cargill]

I was going to say Swan Lake, but actually I would love more than anything to see a real one--it's just that there aren't any left anymore.  So if there had been a category for ersatz Swans I would have voted that way.  Instead I voted for Nutcracker, not that there is any chance it will go away soon.

[Alexandra]

Wait until Nutcracker is replaced by Christmas Dracula on Ice!  Then you'll be sorry

[dancermom2]

Swan Lake!  Too many sad swans!

[Estelle]

I voted for "Romeo and Juliet", because I've never been especially a fan of that ballet (and of its music). But in fact the choice for ballet isn't that large in France, as there are fewer and fewer companies, so it's hard to have too much of any ballet... And please, if some people want to get rid of "Serenade" for a while, please send it here (as far as I know, it last was danced in Paris in 1997)!

[colwill]

I voted for Swan Lake, not that I don't love it but because every Company that comes to the UK features it. I have missed out on some of the touring companies in the past six or seven months because of the endless repition of Swan Lake. However I must also say that it is a box office hit, everone and his dog goes wild for Swan Lake. having said that I am booked for two performances by the Kirov as my next ballet .