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Rose Adagio balances


canbelto

The Rose Adagio balances  

87 members have voted

  1. 1. Is it necessary for Auroras to make the "crown" 5th position over their heads?

    • Yes - an Aurora who can't hold the balances shouldn't dance Aurora
      57
    • No - it's only 5 minutes out of a 2 hour ballet
      15
    • I don't care either way
      15


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Poll threads appear in "View New Content" at the latest datetime when someone either posts or votes. The last posted info only shows the last post. There is no mechanism for showing the last vote.

If the last post on a poll thread is not recent and the thread appears in "View New Content", it means someone has very recently voted.

Ahhh...mystery solved. Thanks, Helene.

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Because it keeps "popping up," and people make new comments, I got to see the thread for the first time, so thanks for the renewed questions, etc.

I looked at the YouTube clip of Fonteyn posted by Hans in 2008 in color (I have a DVD of the black and white TV version) and noticed at the bottom of the page that Keith Money (who posted it) responded to someone's remarks and said that he has films of the entire first act. Now, THAT is worth waiting for.

Wouldn't it be great to have a seminar and look at the many "Rose Adagio's" in sequence (with a good connection) and have open discussions!

Edited by ViolinConcerto
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Did anyone see the video posted today of Tamara Rojo's Rose Adagio? She, uhm, takes some liberties with the last set of balances toward the end. I have to say I don't like the effect at all. There is no serenity, no real sense of triumph (the swell of music has been totally disregard -- along with those last two princes!), especially as she almost falls out of the first balance.

Well, see for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMHOD11UxaI

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^ I'm actually not so bothered by her changing the choreography at the end -- the balance is impressive enough that I give her a pass.

What does bother me a lot is the lack of joy and ease through most of the adagio. The only time she really smiles is at the end, when she finishes that balance. The rest of the time she looks nervous, almost scared. You can see in her face that the steps are hard, and she's really working.

That's what I find so nice about the recording with Viviana Durante. She smiles the whole time, she's happy and serene and above it all. It all looks so easy.

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Oh I do feel bad for the poor fellow she left standing with his hand out!

It brings to mind a story Irina Baronova tells in her memoir, which I'm just now reading. Baronova, Danilova, and Toumanova were rehearsing Aurora's Wedding. "One day Boris Kochno was watching the rehearsal when Toumanova took her turn to rehearse. Instead of one, two, three pirouettes, she did two, three, four pirouettes. Not to be outdone, when my turn came I did the same." Kochno was very displeased. He asked, "What the hell do you think you're doing distorting Petipa's choreography? He wanted one, two, three pirouettes. He had his reasons - style and musicality. Respect the choreographer and pay attention to the style and period of the old classics. No circus, please.!"

Words to heed for many of the more acrobatically-inclined dancers. Not meaning to paint Rojo with that brush - I don't really know enough of her work to know if she often distorts choreography to the detriment of musicality and style.

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Ugh! I didn't like Rojo's Rose Adagio. I agree with the poster that says she looks nervous and scared. Actually, more than that she projects tiredness and not the majesty and joy of a princess celebrating her birthday and being wooed by four handsome men. She dances very matter of factly and like she wants to get over with it. Such a long balance is actually distasteful in something like this. My gold standard for Rose Adagios will always be Fonteyn, Kolpakova, Sizova and in modern times Durante and Cojocaru. Maybe I'm being too critical but when I watch a Rose Adagio I want to be wowed by the whole scene, and I don't mean only the decor and costumes. Even though Sleeping Beauty is not a ballet with as many dramatic demands as Giselle, Swan Lake or Romeo and Juliet, Aurora is a very expressive role. It's an opportunity to show the true grandeur and splendor of balletic movement because the choreography is so good and the music is marvelous. It's only my opinion but that's how I feel about the role of Aurora. Sorry for the long post but seeing something like this and reading everyone's very intelligent remarks makes one's mind work. :)

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I agree with the poster that says she looks nervous and scared.

You can actually see her take a big breath, with a heaving of the shoulders, as she begins her movement towards the first Rose. I read it as communicating: "Well, here goes. No way to escape this now."

(Perhaps she had been informed ahead of time that the cameraman intended to cut her body at certain key times, showing only feet and legs and leaving her without a face or torso. Ouch.) :wink:

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I agree with so many posters that didn't enjoy the Rojo performance.

For me the balance used her, she didn't use the balance. I'm a person who loves to see the balances and isn't happy unless the arms go up to fifth. That said, If you can balance like Rojo you should have options. She could have been super musical and gracious, but she chose to just balance. It would have been different if she had been able to smile and nod to the poor prince who had his hand out (that is asking for a bit much but you know what I mean). Much is lost if you don't in some way acknowledge each prince.

I'm a big fan of technique but the reason to have it is to be able to have more choices. Rojo didn't use it that way. This was more of a balancing act for its own sake.

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I was disturbed by how she lowered her attitude leg so much to achieve those long balances. Holding that leg up in attitude while balancing is one of the joys of the Rose Adagio, and one of the challenges. Rojo's lowered leg gives the impression that she went for the trick rather than beauty.

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Watched the video of Ms. Rojo before reading the comments. Agree she looks strained on stage, and I didn't care for her balances, or the finale, when she only went twice around on point. Very surprising as the Royal Ballet places a premium on excellent acting.

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You didn't miss a thing, abatt. If that were the only thing I'd ever seen Rojo do I'd never watch her again.

everything said above--strained, effortful, sloppy technique and lowered leg in the attitude balances

(more than one of which she fell out of), no warmth, no grace, no assurance.

The last balance was as if she were trying to do a circus trick to make up for the previous ones.

It's hard to believe she was that bad in something public. Aurora is NOT her role.

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rejected, but she came out of the balances so gracefully that you don't really notice unless you're looking for the missing final turn with Mr. Mauve.

Actually, I just realized that it is not Mauve who gets rejected twice, but only during the second set of balances. The first time is White who doesn't get her hand. Well...it is clear that the thing is aimed at showing a looooonger last unsupported balance by Valdes during the two sets. Still, they both stand there offering their hand just in case she has an off night and really needs some support. But...even being a strict showy sequence, it can't help but showing Aurora accepting the three first hands, as if saying to the last one "I don't need you, so leave me alone". This is more Valdes than Aurora, IMO..happy.png (or maybe a little rebellious princess..?)

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Oh what a pleasure to see her here. She is an excellent example of using technical control to present a specific character. I love how she rolls through her foot from pointe, rather than hopping down -- it gives such a calm and modest quality to her dancing that is so very appropriate for Aurora.

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