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I have to ask this question, naive as it may seem, especially after having danced ballet for absolutely ages. I was having a discussion with a friend who is a musician, and we were talking about the French language and I ended up talking about how ballet is expressed in French terms. So I rattled off the following: barre, adage, allegro, petit allegro, grand allegro as examples of what I do in class. At which point my friend, rightly pointed out that allegro is Italian. I am now confused as to why? I know adage is French and that petit and grand are French, but allegro is Italian, isn't it? The French for allegro is allègre, but we definitely don't use that term. Could somebody please explain? as I couldn't. Thanks Jeanette

Well, I am from the UK, born in London, cor blimey gov'nor. I am half Hungarian...so I have Hungarian blood in me, and I spent two years living in San Francisco. So any other Hungarians whole, half or quarter out there? in Balletalertdom? :grinning:

I think it's because of Ballet Alert that...I have managed to keep in touch with all my ballet pals on both sides of the world. There is always ballet alert on any computer that has an internet connection, and its like a favourite security blanket. I think it's because of Ballet Alert that...I realise how much I love ballet. I think it's because of Ballet Alert that...I am in a continuing quest to find adult ballet classes no matter where in the world I am. I think it's because of Ballet Alert that...I have such lovely friends such as LolaDoggy, Beckster, Mr Robin and Skippy (but i knew her before). I think it's because of Ballet Alert that...I know I am not alone in my ambition as an adult ballet dancer to try and do better and to become the best I can, despite not having that 'ideal ballet body..'

Stave is the name for the five parallel (as Grace says '5-line music " ) , equally-spaced, horizontal lines. Also called a staff. Not sure what it is in French.... Jeanette

Hi Susanne I have moved your post to the Discovering Ballet board as it is more suited to that forum:D I do agree with you, with regards to differences in dancers bodies, and yes probably none of those dancers would make it in the more prominent ballet corps of today, which I guess is a great loss, but times do change. Exactly when did the dancers body become so different, with my limited knowledge my answer would be Balanchine. I am sure if I did more research I would find it wasn't, hopefully someone on here can point the right way I know he chose dancers specifically for a certain look that he personally liked to see in a woman, and that made his visions come to life.

Oh and get hold of books on choreographers and by choreographers. Their biographys and autobiographys. Its great to actually get near enough inside their head, I found it gave me such a boost Try second hand bookshops and libraries.

Get a group of good ballet dancing friends together and choreograph a dance for them. It only has to start off small, a couple of minutes at first, then a few more dances. Try and video them when they are ready to perform, and try and get them to be performed at the end of class perhaps? but working hard during ballet class and aspiring to be the best dancer you can be, really absorbing what your teacher says and watching others in class, the way they dance, how they dance, picking up little things like that as well as learning how your teacher teaches and choreographs, the best and worst of it, will all help you. But the most important thing, I think, is having a core group of very good dancers to work with, even just two. You need them to be good enough to understand what you want and to give you that beautiful extension to second, or to be able to do very fast steps when motivated! and to just watch them improvise.

If you could ask any question to any ballet dancer/choreographer/ballet composer living or dead what would it be? I would for sure ask Balanchine " Did you really train your cat to peform jetés and tours en l'air?" Jeanette

There has been a Madame Butterfly? How did that one turn out? I would have thought Don Quioxte would have made a great opera or operetta at least. And yes, Ari, why can't the score of an opera be adapted for use in ballet and vice versa. Classical music is adapted to an extent when it is used for a ballet, do people complain about that. Ok its not as drastically changed as taking out the vocals and replacing them with instruments. I guess its similar to someone taking a great classic novel and adapting that for screenplay. In some cases it has worked and in others it hasn't. La Boheme seems a great tragic ballet waiting to be choreographed though. Yep, I would do that and The Magic Flute in my virtual ballet world

oh good grief, there I am reminding people who post threads to read past messages, and then I go and post one without reading them! slap slap. Feel free to move/delete this

I love ballet, and I love the great classics such as Swan Lake and Giselle and The Sleeping Beauty, and the big N (too early to mention that one yet!), but I sometimes long for a new, fairytale/theatrical/magnificent ballet to appear. Then I was listening to The Magic Flute and I read the story as I listened and I thought 'wow, now that would make a great ballet'..why has no one turned this story into a ballet? Or have they? and if not why aren't operas turned into ballets and vice versa, they all contain great story lines. Afterall, books are turned into films and vice versa, why is there no crossing over with regards to opera and ballet, when most Opera houses have ballet companies associated with them? Probably an extremely naive question, but had to know why not? Jeanette

here here Watermill. But we also have to accept everyone is entitled to their opinion, and its up to the individual to seek more knowledge in order to see whether they want to change that opinion or not. Experience plays a great part in this. If you liken the great art of ballet to the great art of music, have you ever heard of anyone even attempting to describe music as a sport? I haven't, (which doesn't mean that it hasn't been?). Ballet dancers use their bodies as instruments, musicians use themselves (opera singers) or their fingers/toes whatever as an extension of theirselves. Have you ever done barre work and not thought of your body as an instrument being finely tuned? and fine arts, is that a sport? here artists again use their bodies as an extension of themselves in order to portray a particular emotion at that time. Gymnastics is a sport, as I watch the floor exercises, I can feel nothing about the individual, his/her emotions. Yes they perform great athletic feats,but I do not shed tears. Some of the great ballet dancers are capable of emoting tears. I cannot say that of any sport (cheerleading/ice skating/cricket/rugby) I have ever watched.

Xiomarais her name Medora , and from what little I have seen of her, I think she is so sweet and beautiful when she dances. I think she comes from Cuba?? But who said she was annoying? what as a dancer? if so in what role? or as a person? Jeanette

Cell phone jamming systems have been tried http://asia.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/asia/03/...a.cellphonejam/ but its illegal in the US to use a jamming device. Mobile phone etiquette is the answer...but obviously only the conscientious actually make an effort in this area. Hands up who doesn't own a cell phone? I don't..and I'm able to live my life effectively.

Again, I would say no, because it is subjective. You have a panel of judges marking you on how your dance felt to them. Do they take marks off for each time you wobble?, or don't turnout properly? these things you cannot measure empirically. If your dance inpsired them then you will win, if it didn't then you won't. How can you define inspiration?

SOmehow or other this question comes up at least once a month, normmally with complete strangers, whilst waiting for trains and buses. Strange... but I say No, it isn't a sport, as someone told me once.. A sport is an athletic activity in which a person or team competes against other people concrete rules to attain an objectively measurable result in excess of what their opponent(s) can do. Anything that fits that definition is a sport. Boxing: the contestant who lands more punches or knocks the other unconscious wins. Soccer: the team that kicks the ball into the net more often wins. Hammer toss: the person who throws a giant piece of iron farthest wins. These things are not open to debate, opinion or mood. Figure skating and ballroom dancing: whoever doesn't fall down and is most aesthetically pleasing wins. " Likewise with ballet, its so subjective. So no ballet isn't a sport. Yes its athletic and difficult and so many more things, but not a sport.

Wow Jeannie, that site has a wealth of fantastic ballet dvds and videos...thank you....

The wonderful pianist in my intermediate ballet class plays some wild and delightful tunes on her piano. Recently we had Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. It was quite a touching piece actually and the very long adagio we did to it didn't feel so long with that music playing. But then that pianist is amazing. Our other pianist one night during barre started playing 'I just called to say I love you'..I couldn't stop smirking..I think that was a bit too far...it was quite surreal...to be honest I'm not sure if anyone else really noticed....

Yes my bad :confused: So I need to find the video with Kolpakova in it as Aurora;) ..The reason I was watching it wwas because I am learning the lilac Fairy..so I had Lilac Fairy on the brain,and then I got obsessed with trying to find a video with Kolpakova in and somehow the two ended up together..sorry for the confusion. I thought she was too big a star to dance The Lilac Fairy. Thanks I will go and hunt it down and buy it before I loose it. Jeanette x p.s. I don't suppose you know where I can get hold of the tape you listed above as that is the exact one that I had a recording of.

I am desperately looking for a video of The Sleeping bEauty with Irina Kolpakova as the Lilac Fairy. It was aired at one time (ages ago) on PBS. My friend recorded it , lent me the video, and then I forgot and promptly recorded over it..so now I have to try and find a replacement. Does anyone know where I can get hold of the recording or a video? PLease help..... Jeanette x

oh, fractured French hey? Ok, how about Cabriole - The new 2003 car by Ford Pas marché-what you do through the stores at christmas time.

Oh boy my brain hurt thinking about this..but theres this one.. My pointe shoes need to be serioulsy re-vamped..groan oh and now I'm on a rôle.... I brought salt and pepper to the SFB box office as i wanted to buy a season ticket....oh that one really hurt to write it out.... I'll go now before the tomatoes start flying....

This is a difficult one! Although..shame shame it t'was I who said the coup de pied.you gotta laugh though. But I can't think of any deliberately....:confused:

I love Massenet's Thais-meditation (arr Madden) (originally I had written Faure Pavane..but I got confused for some reason). That would be so beautiful danced by a tall, willowy ballerina.

I just read this lovely article in http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/9948...8/at-ghee.shtml written by FRANKIE GHEE it will make you laugh.. He talks about how tough times are for high culture and yet at the same time, crowds are flocking to see professional wrestling matches. So he suggests some things.... Published December 2 - 8, 1999 "To Get Wrestling Fans to cross over to ballet, promoters should: -Start calling ballerinas "The Women of Ballet." -Include more grunting and yelling. -Encourage food and beverage consumption during performances. -Create ongoing feuds between dancers. -Have an excitable announcer explain what's happening on stage. -Schedule performances alongside monster truck rallies. -Stage huge televised events such as the Ballet Smackdown. -Get dancers to change their names to things like "The Pinkinator" and "Bulge Bronson." -Include more body slams. To Get Ballet Fans to watch more wrestling, promoters should: -Include more technical terms like pirouette and leap. -Frequently change storylines and background scenery. -Give each bout a more literary title, such as Swan Blood Lake or Petruska's Bloody Nose. -Print up expensive programs that explain the characters' motivations. - Let the orchestra sit in the good seats. -Get performers to wear tighter outfits and matching shoes with no arch support. - Use more group synchronized choreography. ":D