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Edith

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    enthusiast
  • City**
    Santa Fe
  • State (US only)**, Country (Outside US only)**
    New Mexico
  1. OK, thanks for clearing that up. Initially I thought it was a different step, but after reading that the Russians did the pas de chat differently, I thought perhaps it was a different kind of pas de chat - since I noticed that that step is frequently used in Russian choreography where the POB or Royal productions would use a pas de chat. Did wonder why they would give such different steps the same name, though! Yes, I can see the difference now, comparing the cygnets in Swan Lake.
  2. Aurora's entrance seems to have the same sequence of steps in all productions, but looks quite different (to me, anyway) in Russian productions because the Russians do a different style of pas de chat. The Russian-school pas de chat appears to bring the feet outward, away from each other, rather than in towards the knee of the opposing leg (sorry if I'm describing this badly!). You can see the difference here at the beginning of this video: I think the kind that the Paris and Royal Ballet dancers do is called a Cecchetti pas de chat. Someone more knowledgeable than myself might be able to help me out here.There is a book called Ballet 101 by Robert Greskovic that goes methodically through the choreography of the major classical ballets in some detail, although not quite the level of detail that Simon gave in his description. It also has an extensive glossary of ballet steps. I've found it helpful in trying to understand more of what I'm seeing. As a side note, I love Aurelie Dupont's Aurora, so I think you have good taste.
  3. Indeed! This is the same production that I saw a couple of months ago - the Russian National Ballet's "Swan Lake" - with much of Act II cut. Strange choice - if one had to cut something, I would not have thought that Odette's solo, or anything from Act II, would be the first choice. The quality of the dancing was also disappointing, emotionless and flat.
  4. I'm interested in this box set of DVDs, because in addition to the "Giselle" and "Nutcracker" (which are both available separately) it has the L. Lavrovsky version of "Romeo and Juliet" with Bessmertnova and M. Lavrovsky, which appears to be unavailable in any other way. However, I have seen a number of reviews around the internet saying that these DVDs have horrible sound/video quality and are even "unwatchable." My problem is I don't know whether "unwatchable" means "slightly fuzzy, with tinny sound" or "so bad I can't tell the difference between an arabesque and an attitude, and the music sounds like children screaming." Does anyone have this set? Exactly how bad is it? Are the dancers so blurry you can't make them out, or what? Also, if you have or have seen the "Giselle" in the set (which was released in 2004) and the same production that was released again on DVD in 2008, is there a significant different in the picture and/or sound quality in the two DVDs? Is it much better in the 2008 release? Is it worse, or comparable to the quality in these clips: Giselle 2 I would really appreciate any help, advice, information. I'm a college student with very limited spending money and I don't want to make a mistake on buying something I will truly be unable to watch.
  5. Edith

    greetings

    Hello. I guess I'll introduce myself and explain how I ended up here. I loved watching ballets on videotapes when I was a child (this was my mother's influence). Several months ago I rediscovered these old productions on tape (I am now in college, btw) and found myself deeply moved by them, as well as fascinated and excited. I started watching other ballets and clips of ballets on the internet and on film, and reading about ballet, trying to understand better what I was seeing. Recently I had an opportunity to attend my first live performance, from a touring company. It was very exciting at first just to see the dancers actually there, three-dimensional and everything, but the music was taped (very disappointing) and I was also extremely disappointed in the quality of the dancing. Obviously I would like to see more live performances, but there isn't much available where I am ... there is no company in my entire STATE that does classical ballets, other than the Nutcracker (not my favorite) and I wonder how good their Nutcracker would be if they never do other classical ballets. In the meantime, my family and friends think that I have gone off the deep end. I guess I am an anomaly, since Robert Greskovic says in "Ballet 101": "I doubt anyone becomes a ballet enthusiast by way of video exposure to the art form," but since video exposure is the only exposure I have had, besides one rather dreadful performance that would not have made me an enthusiast, I am an exception.
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