duffster

Thank you Buddy for your thoughts. Anthony Dowell always comes to my mind as being especially sensitive and poetic.

I recently watched The Picture of Dorian Gray with Hurd Hatfield and Angela Lansbury- I love the oldies. Remembering the first time I saw this film, at that certain part , which I won't reveal to anyone who has not seen it yet. I was really frightened!

Villella danced as a guest artist Prodigal Son with the National Ballet of Washington. I remember watching the dress rehearsal at Kennedy Center. I was in another ballet on the program so I had the good fortune to see him. (Freddie Franklin-our beloved director) took the rehearsal. I always was impressed with Freddie - his total knowledge of the production. Villella was powerful, totally believable and in the last scene tremendously moving. I had tears in my eyes. Even watching a short video clip, it is not the same as seeing it live. I also watched him from the wings- unforgettable.

I performed the Glinka pas de trois with Marina Eglevsky and Fernando Bujones at the Brooklyn Academy of Music many years ago . We were dancing with the small Eglevsky company shortly after the Harkness folded. As I recall it had an entree, then a slow adagio with all three dancers, two variations for everyone, then the coda which finished with twelve brise vole, traveling on a diagonal downstage to finish. Quite tough to dance but very exciting and joyful. Andre(Eglevsky) rehearsed us and I can still remember how excited he was coaching Fernando, who was absolutely brilliant. It was a gift to perform this, and everytime I hear the music, it makes me smile.

I knew Stuart Hodes briefly when I was a trainee at the Harkness Ballet School of the Arts. Mr. Hodes to us was a coordinator for our various lecture demonstrations that we performed at the high schools in NYC. He would drive us there and the experience was absolutely terrifying! He would fearlessly take us through the traffic - speeding, very quick turns etc. We were all happy when we arrived safely. Maybe the fact that he was a bomber pilot in WW2 had something to do with it. He was always positive and encouraging to us. I remember fondly greeting him when we had returned from a very long european tour with the Harkness after we had been accepted into the company. We were like his children. I am so glad to have known him.

Please take care of yourself- I'm recovering from covid myself, even after getting the vac and the boosters. It took me a couple of weeks to feel better.

Lupe taught us company class, almost daily when I was with the Pennsylvania Ballet(now the Philadelphia Ballet). She demonstrated everything- with such clarity and control, especially when showing the adagio combinations. We all loved her. She had a great sense of humor- for her birthday one year a male stripper was hired to surprise her in the studio. It was hilarious!

Thank you, Buddy for posting these videos. Kosharova, starting with her entrance, shows a charming confidence and has alot of strength in her lower body without showing any strain in her arms and shoulders. What I enjoy about these dancers is their beautiful epaulement, and attention to detail in their footwork and overall their lack of nervousness in their approach. All very gifted but each having their own individuality.

I agree Buddy, she is very gifted- I can't believe that she is still a student. Here she is performing a very difficult variation with an absolute sense of calm. Her port des bras are beautiful and she is interesting to watch even while doing the simple steps. She must also have amazing teachers who have developed her gifts so far. I'm sure that she will have a successful career ahead of her.

I found that Fraser's view of Marie Antoinette is very sympathetic towards her- dispelling the many myths about her- how the "let them eat cake" was completely out of character , how she developed from an inadequate fourteen-year-old bride to a very different mature woman, years later. I always thought that she was quite frivolous and silly- maybe I was influenced by the film with Kirsten Dunst

I've been reading Marie Antoinette- the journey by Antonia Fraser. I was fortunate to visit Versailles on a free day when I was with the Harkness Ballet. I am fascinated by that era- the book has been a good history lesson as well.

In a gala performance with the National Ballet of Washington we had Ben Stevenson as Taglioni. I remember at the end of the variation he jumped into the orchestra pit and after a few seconds came out eating a banana. I can still remember it. I myself have danced in this beautiful ballet (Grisi) and found it enjoyable and fortunate to have had the opportunity to do so.

I Knew Robin well as a former colleague at Pennsylvania Ballet- (Philadelphia Ballet ). She was an excellent dramatic and versatile dancer. One of Benjamin Harkarvys favorites, She was outstanding in Lilac Garden,Carmina Burana, and very funny in Peter Anastos Yes Virginia another piano ballet. She would give us her Christmas cards with her talented illustrations- not realizing that it would lead to her new career. I am looking forward to getting the book too.

An enjoyable read- I especially enjoyed on how to interpret NYC 's rehearsal and casting schedule- and the politics that come in to play.

I just don't understand the name change- locals will be calling it Philly Ballet

How delightful to watch this rehearsal. Thank you Buddy for posting. I enjoyed the couples absolute ease in approaching the demanding sections- with no strain, gorgeous lines. (Vaganova). How fortunate to be coached by the elegant and calm Kekisheva. I remember having an old program, from theKirov, now Marinsky, when they came to tour in the US, and she was pictured in a photo of The White Cat (in the Sleeping Beauty) -Gorgeous legs , beautiful jump and an absolutely charming face. Strange today how I still remember it. It was my first ever ballet performance that my mother took me to see. I held on to that souvenir program until it was in shreds.

I had the great opportunity to work with Barbara in the early days of Pennsylvania Ballet. She was my very first director, who would cast me in the wonderful Balanchine works- Barocco,Donizetti, Pas de Dix and Scotch Symphony as an apprentice{going to high school during the day}. Her classes were very detailed and stamina building. When we were on tour, she was always with us- almost as a family member. She forgave me years later for leaving the company to dance with two other companies and invited me to come back home to the Pennsylvania Ballet. It was the happiest time for me in my career. Thank you Barbara and may you rest in peace...

I enjoyed watching the various segments of the classes and auditions also the expressions on the young angels faces when they were in the rehearsal the ballerinas. It is wonderful to see a school that truly cares about each student- developing them to be their best so that they all will find a good job. I was impressed with Dena Abergel and Arch Higgins -their commitment and skill in teaching the young ones . I found it interesting that the school would offer to help you find an apartment, also with taxes etc. I my day you were completely on your own. I found tears rolling down my face when the first dancer found out that she was made an apprentice- having lived through it myself. I loved Kay Mazzo telling two newly promoted apprentices " Now you can call your parents"

This made my day!

Even better to have a teacher, (the wonderful David Howard) constantly telling me, over and over to stop snapping back on my knees in class. He would demonstrate how to pull up without gripping- he was hyperextended as well. He would make sure that you were always on your legs, not on your heels, at the barre - this helped in the center when you were doing any kind of turns. I stopped watching the first video as it made my knees hurt. I hope that Misty will improve with her new coach (Conrad)- but I just don't understand what he is trying to do.

I love Sir Peter Wright's version for the Royal Ballet- my favorite scene is the transformation when the tree grows- gave me chills when I first saw it.

What I do to get the English subtitles- on the you tube screen press the cc(closed captions) then press settings, then press subtitles, then autotranslate, then scroll down to English and they should come up for you on the screen. Sometimes the translations of the words are not always correct, but you still will be able to get an idea of what they are discussing. There might be an easier way to do this , but it has always worked for me.

This is very upsetting- I feel bad for the dancers. I was a member of the National Ballet when it folded. I was fortunate to be hired by another company about two months before it closed. I saw the writing on the wall- we would run to the bank(as soon as paychecks were given out) hoping that they would not bounce from lack of funds. A gala was given by Liza Minelli to raise funds (at Kennedy Center) but it was not enough. As a dancer you had to (if you were lucky to be snatched up by another company) start all over again. I would suggest auditioning to the Washington company members now. Having lived through the nightmare of a good company folding, I certainly hope that it will not happen again.

When I was a young ballet student my mother took me to see NYCB. Mr. Mitchell was performing in AGON. He possessed an outstanding clarity and brilliance in his movements that I believe that only great dancers have. (It is something that cannot be taught) I'm thinking of Alonso, Maximova. Vasiliev,Dowell etc. You have to experience them live. You leave the theatre with a much lighter heart. I was very fortunate to see him. RIP and thank you Mr. Mitchell.

During layoffs, my cat Sabrina would watch me do a barre at home- with the most astonishing look of disapproval on her face. As though to say - you are not turning out enough or your port de bras is incorrect. I'll never forget it.