La Bayadere Royal Ballet DVD

[EvilNinjaX]

I didn't see this mentioned here. It released fairly recently and i just received the bluray. As with all the Opus Arte Blus, it's a 1080i disc which is disappointing but it does have DTS-HD which is nice. Picture and sound are very good. I've not really watched all of it yet, though i have scanned thru parts and checked out the extras. Has an interview with Tamara Rojo, a voice recording of Makarova explaining her choreographical intent, an interview with 2 corps members discussing the Shades Act, a rehearsal vid of Acosta + Rojo.

I used to think Rojo was a bit boring to watch on screen; she seemed more intent on being so technically perfect and so rock solid on her balances that her expressiveness was a bit flat. I've seen her live once performing Aurora (a few years back) and i thought she was a bit more accessible there. In this, however, i really did enjoy her emotiveness and the interplay w/Nunez is really good. I love how mean Nunez can appear (as also in Giselle).

Is Acosta getting a bit long in the tooth? He's still amazing, no question, but just not quite the same explosiveness, it seems. That's of little concern as it's still fun to watch him dance.

I always look for Yuhui Choe b/c i just find her so wonderful to watch and just so charming. a question for those who know Bayadere: In that first Shade variation, she does that section of piques arabesque to the bent leg and then straightens the leg; is that traditionally the way it is choreographed? It just struck me as a bit odd. Also, it seems she's smiling in that variation. Is that right? I would have thought a non-expressive face.

The entrance and beginning of the Shades Act was pretty beautiful. Stunning even. But later in parts, the corps looks a bit ragged, sometimes painfully so, made worse when you see the moments when they are really beautiful. I kinda hate to say that b/c the extras segment with the interview with the corps dancers really reinforces that these dancers work hard and love it and are passionate about it. I was really touched watching that segment.

-goro-

[EvilNinjaX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqSx6ZEPS9c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UORP01vTW8

[EvilNinjaX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgL6AqgDauw

[volcanohunter]

This DVD should hit the North American market in March. I'm still undecided about buying it. I saw this performance at the movies and had reservations about it and the way it was filmed. http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/29406-royal-ballet-la-bayadere-in-canadian-cinemas-may-2/

If I were to buy it, it would be because of Nuñez. Otherwise the performance didn't really grab me.

[richard53dog]

[if I were to buy it, it would be because of Nuñez. Otherwise the performance didn't really grab me.

My thought too. I had a less than thrilled reaction to a couple of other DVDs that have already been released with the Rojo/Acosta pairing so I'm a bit wary of this.

[4mrdncr]

Sorry, didn't have much time to view all the clips, so only watched the pdd for two obvious reasons...I wanted to compare camera/directing technique, and the Acosta/Rojo pairing to my own footage of Corella Ballet (specifically Angel & Paloma (guest artist) in performance, and Angel and Kazuko Omori in rehearsal.) I must say IMHO, that mine compares favorably (dare I say better?) in many respects, but what astounded me in the Acosta/Rojo clip was that develope promenade turn...In every version I've ever seen, the ballerina rests her elbow on the danseur so that he can turn her, but in this clip there was complete separation between Rojo and Acosta--so how did he turn her? Simply by her overhead hand (had to be stronger than a "finger turn"). That got me to pay attention. I've seen Acosta and Nunez live, but never Rojo. Her balances were also stunning, and escpecially the fondue into develope arabesque--beautiful control. But otherwise, I much prefer AC in this, both for technique and emotive ability.

Also thanks to Evilninja and Mme. Hermine for posting the other YT links so that we can see the progression from earlier times until now. VERY VERY informative.

PS. the trailer to my film has excerpted clips of AC, PH, HC, and Kazuko Omori in the "La Bayadere" pdd in it.

[EvilNinjaX]

Sorry, didn't have much time to view all the clips, so only watched the pdd for two obvious reasons...I wanted to compare camera/directing technique, and the Acosta/Rojo pairing to my own footage of Corella Ballet (specifically Angel & Paloma (guest artist) in performance, and Angel and Kazuko Omori in rehearsal.) I must say IMHO, that mine compares favorably (dare I say better?) in many respects, but what astounded me in the Acosta/Rojo clip was that develope promenade turn...In every version I've ever seen, the ballerina rests her elbow on the danseur so that he can turn her, but in this clip there was complete separation between Rojo and Acosta--so how did he turn her? Simply by her overhead hand (had to be stronger than a "finger turn"). That got me to pay attention. I've seen Acosta and Nunez live, but never Rojo. Her balances were also stunning, and escpecially the fondue into develope arabesque--beautiful control. But otherwise, I much prefer AC in this, both for technique and emotive ability.

Also thanks to Evilninja and Mme. Hermine for posting the other YT links so that we can see the progression from earlier times until now. VERY VERY informative.

PS. the trailer to my film has excerpted clips of AC, PH, HC, and Kazuko Omori in the "La Bayadere" pdd in it.

So when are you going to post YOUR vids?

btw, your name is it short for "Former Dancer" or "For Mister Dancer" ?

-goro-

[Andre Yew]

Holy crazy balance! Thanks for uploading that.

--Andre

[innopac]

Thanks for posting these. I hope you can leave them up a little longer.

Do you know who the gentleman is in the rehearsal segments with Rojo and Acosta?

It was so interesting to hear the interview with the two dancers talking about the Kingdom of the Shades.

[4mrdncr]

So when are you going to post YOUR vids?

btw, This might be why Tamara Rojo is so strong and stable on pointe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y_GmvqMcI4

btw, your name is it short for "Former Dancer" or "For Mister Dancer" ?

-goro-

FYI: I haven't posted my "La Bayadere" footage because the it is still "raw". I still need to raise lots of $ so I can do a rough-cut and continue editing the doc. Case in point: It cost me almost $8K to edit just the 4-min. trailer. (That is ONLY editing, not travel time, not equipment rental, not rights to music/choreography/dancers etc.etc.etc.)

Wow! That video of Tamara Rojo on the slantboard and rockerboard was VERY inspiring. When I was trying to strengthen my ankles, I tried similar stuff on a Bosu Ball on the floor(both right-side-up, and upside down) and thought I was doing good, but it was NOTHING like that! I wonder if it also helps dancers practice for perfs on a raked stage?

To me, 4mrdncr means "Former Dancer" since that's what I am. But I guess it could mean other things too. I also hoped it didnt' mean anything bad in a foreign language.

Thanks again for posting the videos

[EvilNinjaX]

So when are you going to post YOUR vids?

btw, This might be why Tamara Rojo is so strong and stable on pointe:

btw, your name is it short for "Former Dancer" or "For Mister Dancer" ?

-goro-

FYI: I haven't posted my "La Bayadere" footage because the it is still "raw". I still need to raise lots of $ so I can do a rough-cut and continue editing the doc. Case in point: It cost me almost $8K to edit just the 4-min. trailer. (That is ONLY editing, not travel time, not equipment rental, not rights to music/choreography/dancers etc.etc.etc.)

Wow! That video of Tamara Rojo on the slantboard and rockerboard was VERY inspiring. When I was trying to strengthen my ankles, I tried similar stuff on a Bosu Ball on the floor(both right-side-up, and upside down) and thought I was doing good, but it was NOTHING like that! I wonder if it also helps dancers practice for perfs on a raked stage?

To me, 4mrdncr means "Former Dancer" since that's what I am. But I guess it could mean other things too. I also hoped it didnt' mean anything bad in a foreign language.

Thanks again for posting the videos

Here's a clip for you, 4rmr. It's an example of how to badly edit a ballet sequence. This really bothered me so much. Often close up of a person standing there and ignoring all the dancing going on every on the stage. And the strange editing that gives no indication of relationships of objects/people on stage so that it's not clear what s/he is looking at/reacting to. ugh. So frustrating!

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

-goro-

[4mrdncr]

I see what you mean re the editing and reaction shots to...what?! But when I viewed it, the music was also about 1 full minute (that's a lot in video terms) ahead of the picture. Not sure why, since not sure how it was uploaded. But that also made it more difficult to watch. The one thing I did wonder, was if they were forced to shoot thru the stage scrim for that act (and Act2) as I was, because CBCL didn't understand how visible that is in HD, and how it affects the clarity of the picture. But so far, I think my footage at least shows who is reacting to whom in Act3. Thanks for the video link "goro"; informative as always.

[EvilNinjaX]

I see what you mean re the editing and reaction shots to...what?! But when I viewed it, the music was also about 1 full minute (that's a lot in video terms) ahead of the picture. Not sure why, since not sure how it was uploaded. But that also made it more difficult to watch. The one thing I did wonder, was if they were forced to shoot thru the stage scrim for that act (and Act2) as I was, because CBCL didn't understand how visible that is in HD, and how it affects the clarity of the picture. But so far, I think my footage at least shows who is reacting to whom in Act3. Thanks for the video link "goro"; informative as always.

Yeah, i just realized. My encoder got confuzzled going from avc to mpeg; i expected better from Adobe.

It's also bothersome to me to have these torso to head super closeups and even (really) at times to have those shots that frame just the dancer and little else, even when it's just a solo. It's cool because you can see detail, but yet you lose the feeling of movement thru space. Now if some were like that and there was this feeling of space and staging, it works. in this, not so much. It reminds me (somewhat) of the action staging of a Michael Bay movie. It's not as rapid cutting, but it has that same sense of Where are these things in relation to each other?

just a few thoughts.

and i look forward to seeing your efforts sometime. It sounds wonderful and I'm definitely an Angel Corella fan! In fact, the more i watch this Bayadere, the more disappointed I am in Carlos Acosta. Good, yes. But not great.

-goro-

[volcanohunter]

The North American release date is February 22, and Amazon is taking orders.