Neryssa

I really liked her 2006 book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life.

I didn't know either until I accidentally stumbled across the title on Amazon. Amanda VaillI is not publicizing it very much on her Twitter account or elsewhere although there are scheduled readings in October. I read in I Remember Balanchine that Robbins was working on his memoirs because he did not give an interview for that wonderful book. Apparently, he never finished them. I hope it will be like Christine Conrad's Jerome Robbins: That Broadway Man, That Ballet Man where readers see photos of Robbins' diary entries, paintings, photographs, and collages, etc. And maybe there will be more information about his relationship with Tanaquil Le Clercq, Balanchine, and others.

I hope this hasn't been posted elsewhere. I am looking forward to the new book about Jerome Robbins: Jerome Robbins, by Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir by Jerome Robbins and Amanda Vaill. It will be published on October 1, 2019. N.

I reread the Times obituary last night. I initially missed the part: "In 1951, Ms. Lousada left City Ballet and married the producer Carmen Capablo. She expressed regret about her early retirement from ballet all her life, telling an interviewer in 2012 that she didn’t like to think back on the City Ballet years because “I ratted my chances.” Balanchine, she said, had believed in her and had been 'totally disappointed' when she left." What a shame.

Thank you for posting the NYTimes obituary. I do not see very many photos of her on the Internet. In fact, I don't see many photos of her in NYC Ballet history books either. When did she quit dancing for the New York City Ballet? 1950? I love the photo of her as the "Botticelli Girl" in the Guardian obituary.

Here is her obituary in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jan/23/patricia-lousada-obituary

The George Balanchine Foundation noted on its Facebook page that Patricia McBride Lousada died recently. According to their page: "We at the George Balanchine Foundation are saddened to learn of the death of Pat McBride Lousada who received her early trainig [sic] at the School of American Ballet and danced for Balanchine with Ballet Society in THE TRIUMPH OF BACCHUS AND ARIADNE and ÉLÉGIE, and in the first New York City Ballet performance of SERENADE in 1948 at New York City Center. She left the company in the early 1950's and later moved to England where she was married to Sir Anthony Lousada." https://www.facebook.com/The-George-Balanchine-Foundation-284470914818/ I haven't seen any obituaries yet. Neryssa

Thank you, Dirac, I will reply on the alternate thread soon.

Although I am very grateful for this fine documentary, I have a few criticisms of it and your point is one of them. Maybe I should discuss this on another thread but I hope Holly Brubach's biography of Le Clercq is more detailed - and factual. I have my doubts.

I would love to know more about Le Clercq's teaching too. I've never read anything about it. I've only heard snippets about her teaching in the documentary (Afternoon of a Faun) but Arthur Mitchell and Pat McBride Lousada did not elaborate - I wonder if there is anything at his archive at Columbia University: https://exhibitions.library.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/mitchell/arthur-mitchell-artist

Mitchell would have had so much to write about - The path to becoming a dancer as an African American male during the New York City Ballet's incredible history from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. He danced with Diana Adams, Tanaquil Le Clercq, Allegra Kent, Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, and Suzanne Farrell, etc. He probably could have written an entire chapter on Agon. The final chapters could have addressed the Dance Theatre of Harlem and its' prominent dancers, teachers, and struggles all in the context of the civil rights era and why the government should have subsidized such an important company. A major opportunity was missed here by not publishing a book (someone else could have written it, e.g., "as told to." It is a major loss. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/07/talking-with-dance-theatre-of-harlems-legendary-dancer-arthur-mitchell.html

It certainly would have - I'm sure Mitchell was approached at one point (just assuming). I wonder why male dancers from that 1950s/1960s City Ballet generation are less likely to publish their memoirs? Not just because Balanchine preferred to choreograph for women? I have found this generation of dancers to be more reticent about discussing their careers and personal lives - which is a bit refreshing but unfortunate for the archives.

I always hoped that Arthur Mitchell would publish an autobiography. I wonder why he did not. Neryssa

I so anticipated the publication of Wilde's memoir. I was a little bit disappointed but I don't think it merits a two-star review on Amazon, maybe three - or three-and-a-quarter stars. The book's prose and Lobenthal's quotes by Wilde are oddly truncated, it is as if both Wilde and Lobenthal suddenly got cold feet. The book was advertised as a memoir by Wilde and "the rise of the New York City Ballet." Although I would have liked a history of NYC Ballet during the 1950s, I think this was the problem with the book. There is not enough commentary by Wilde (her comments or quotes should have been clarified or fleshed out) and the history is minimal. Apart from Wilde's comments about the Tanaquil Le Clercq/Balanchine relationship/marriage, there is no new information. I am still grateful to have it.

I hope this has not been posted before. The price has decreased from $35.00 to $27.99 on Amazon.com - N. Description from VAI Music: http://www.vaimusic.com/DVD-B/4581.html LEGENDS OF BALLET: Stars of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet A thrilling collection of performances by stars of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, including Jacques d’Amboise, Allegra Kent, Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez, Violette Verdy, André Eglevsky, Melissa Hayden, as well as international dancers Alicia Alonso and Mia Slavenska. Highlights include New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s innovative ballet Square Dance, featuring the cast of the 1957 premiere, which included a square dance caller; the rarely performed Pas de Quatre with an all-star cast; the “Rose Adagio Scene” from Sleeping Beauty (choreographed by Eglevsky); scenes from Giselle and Sylvia, and more. Color performances from the Bell Telephone Hour, 1960-1965. Color, 68 minutes, 4:3, NTSC (Playable all regions) Square Dance (Balanchine) 13:25 Patricia Wilde, Nicholas Magallanes, New York City Ballet Corps de Ballet, with Elisha Keeler, caller and librettist Concerto for Art Lovers (Nelson) 7:43 [i think one can see Suzanne Farrell dancing in the corps). Jacques d‘Amboise, Gene Nelson, Allegra Kent, Taina Elg Scenes from Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saddler) 9:46 Violette Verdy and Jacques d’Amboise Pas de Quatre (Dolin) 10:41 Alicia Alonso, Melissa Hayden, Nora Kaye, Mia Slavenska The Sleeping Beauty: Aurora's Act I Variation, “Jewels” Variation, and Rose Adagio (Eglevsky) 9:25 Melissa Hayden, André Eglevsky, Francisco Moncion, Conrad Ludlow, Michael Lland Giselle: Act II Pas de Deux & Finale (Eglevsky) 7:38 Giselle: Act II Pas de Deux & Finale (Eglevsky) 7:38 Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez Sylvia: Pas de Deux (Balanchine) 8:26 Allegra Kent, Jacques d’Amboise