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Bolshoi La Bayadere in Cinema January 2018
DanielBenton replied to Quinten's topic in Bolshoi Ballet
It will be very interesting to see how Smirnova "ages". As she discussed somewhere (DanceWorld interview?), [paraphrased] she has to rethink and adapt her various iconic roles (Tatiana, Aurora, Nikiya, Giselle, Swan Lake) as she gets older. I have not seen anyone else who commands the stage as she does, (along with Allegra Kent in her "modern" roles, e.g., Agon, Episodes, which are storyless music and dance). I'd love to see Smirnova in Anna Karenina and La Dame Aux Camellias. As her coach says in the Bolshoi "biopic" on YouTube, you can't help but be moved when you watch her. -
Blaithin joined the community
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Kowroski and Ramasar to perform with BalletNext - Feb 2019
Mashinka replied to millvillemurphs's topic in New York City Ballet
Kowroski fans may be interested to hear she will be appearing in London in a gala at the Coliseum on 7th April. The other US dancer on the bill is Marcelo Gomes. We rarely get to see American dancers in London, particularly from NYCB, my ticket is already booked. -
I think I know what you are referring to--you can correct me if I'm wrong--but "in common" seems to me a misleading way to express it. Martins was Whelan's artistic champion: whatever went on behind the scenes, he created ballets for her and promoted her career steadily, casting her across the repertory. She was, I should think, THE star ballerina of Peter Martins' NYCB insofar as NYCB has stars. At the end, when she was well over 40, he took her out of Sugar Plum Fairy (with all that implies) and she allowed herself to be filmed in a pretty raw emotional state seemingly blaming him for that and even, at one moment, seeming to blame him for the physical problems she had afterwards -- insisting she had never had a serious injury until after that conversation with him as if there might be some kind of mystical (or psychological) cause-and-effect. She may not have meant to make that connection and who knows if she feels now as she did during the transitional time in her career which was filmed. All of that, however dramatic, seems a far cry from being choked, physically shaken, and berated by Martins as Kelley Boal reports or indeed being married to someone who was choked, shaken, and berated. (Not that Kelley Boal's experience kept Peter Boal from staying at NYCB and having himself a very successful career at NYCB under Martins.) Unless Whelan were to report being physically attacked by Martins in that fashion I don't see much in common with Kelley Boal's experience, because...well...if one believes Whelan's account of what happened with the Sugar Plum Fairy role, then one might still reasonably come to the conclusion Martins was being a good director making tough decisions; if one believes Kelley Boal's account of what he did to her, then...not so much. I also prefer the decision on a new director be made sooner rather than later. But mostly, as I 've indicated above, I hope that whoever comes in has an active respect for and understanding of Balanchine's legacy. Or at least cares enough to put Balanchine's works in the hands of regisseurs who do--and to program them regularly (something one would be naive to take for granted). Other things matter...but not as much.
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Maybe not being an impresario, but Whelan is "curating" "Evening of Stars" for the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), with: Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets from San Francisco Ballet ("White Swan PDD") Adiarys Almeida and Taras Domitro ("Black Swan PDD," short excerpts by Cuban choreographers) Four dancers (unnamed in the article) from Pacific Northwest Ballet ("several duets") Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina (ballroom)
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I’ve now seen Olga Smirnova’s entire performance and I think that it’s outstanding. It’s no longer available at the Bolshoi site. I may be doubling back on myself, but for a couple years I’ve been writing that she could possibly be another Galina Ulanova or even an Anna Pavlova. This would be an ideal for me, because I’m very much into lyrical loveliness and dreaminess, perhaps above all else. But Olga Smirnova has chosen a more dramatic direction, for the moment anyway. She could, I’m certain, be a lyrical masterpiece, if she chose to be. She was, after all, a star student at the Vaganova school. But she also possesses a dramatic prowess that is remarkable. It’s compelling. It has depth and substance. Anna Pavlova and Galina Ulanova were of the 'Stars.' Olga Smirnova is more of the here and now, with the ability to carry that into the stars. It should be fascinating and beautiful to see what she chooses and what she accomplishes.
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Carol Channing 1921 - 2019
Helene replied to ABT Fan's topic in Other Performing & Fine Arts: Performances, Exhibits, Films, and Events
Oh, that was marvelous! Thank you for posting it @miliosr! -
I’m so happy to hear that Gonzalez and Maloney had successful debuts. I look forward to seeing them featured more in the upcoming Met season. Thank you to everyone who reported.
- Yesterday
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Carol Channing 1921 - 2019
miliosr replied to ABT Fan's topic in Other Performing & Fine Arts: Performances, Exhibits, Films, and Events
I tried posting this in my original post but it disappeared into the ether. Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Ann Miller and Della Reese together. And the Merm "sings" her signature song to Van Johnson! -
Thiago Soares has announced that the 2018-19 season will be his last as a full-time Principal. (He will be a guest Principal next season but doesn't specify what that will entail):
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Last night, I was dragged back to the Kennedy Center for a performance by the "Pan American Symphony Orchestra". This orchestra apparently consists of free-lance musicians organized by an Argentinian-born conductor to present Spanish/Latin American music to DC audiences . The quality of the musical performance wasn't in the same league as the major professional orchestras in the DC area, and their guest singer was good but nothing special (of course, I got to hear Renee Fleming sing on Friday, and not a whole lot of other singers are going to seem great in comparison). But they also had a flamenco dancer named Maria Juncal. I thought that her performance was close to the most intense dance performance that I've ever seen (she danced primarily to music by Manuel de Falla). Has anyone ever heard of her? This being only the third professional flamenco performance that I've attended, I know neither how to describe nor evaluate it.
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On his Instagram, Simkin says he's spending a few extra days in LA "on business" after finishing his ABT performances in Harlequinade. Then he has a shot at the LA Dance Project. (He uses that Instagram-story thing which I don't know how to link.) I haven't seen any announcement on that, but perhaps something to watch for. He seems to be busy, busy, but he's in his prime, so more power to him!
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Dorothy Chandler 18/19 Season
Josette replied to ksk04's topic in Multi- and Cross-Company Events, Festivals, Galas, & Dancer Groups/Solos
I have never seen Soares live, so am completely thrilled to see what will be his last performance with the Royal Ballet. It will be a special and emotional performance for the company. A FB friend who knows Soares quite well told me several months ago that Soares would indeed be dancing Rudolph in Los Angeles, but it was not from an "official" source. I saw Soares's FB post about his retirement just a few minutes ago. -
I know a lot of the Instagram commenters demanded a video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwPzfTymOVc&feature=youtu.be The interviewer was quite direct about his Instagram posts and the Putin tattoo (At one point even asks what a future girlfriend would think when she has to look at it during sex). Polunin comes out sounding rather loopy by talking about energies and other new age babble, but hey, at least we know he isn’t being held hostage by nefarious individuals.
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“Bolshoi” on Amazon Prime
Deflope replied to Deflope's topic in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews
There werent a lot of on stage scenes but the class and rehearsal scenes in the latter part of the film are very good. Isaeva is quite lovely, especially when rehearsing with Le Riche. I also forgot to mention Alexander Domogarov is in this film as a once promising dancer now drunk strip club manager/patron. I didn’t recognize him at all. I used to have a huge crush on him when he did Banditsky Peterburg -
Dorothy Chandler 18/19 Season
ksk04 replied to ksk04's topic in Multi- and Cross-Company Events, Festivals, Galas, & Dancer Groups/Solos
Soares danced with Cuthbertson as Mary Vetsera during the fall, so I would imagine that pairing stays barring injuries. I do hope there are three casts, as I have tickets to the Friday and Sunday shows and those would be the most likely to be repeated. -
A review of Matthew Bourne's Cinderella by Benjamin Tomchik for Broadway World.
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An interview with Alessandra Ferri.
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Photo gallery of various Windsors meeting and greeting denizens of the ballet.
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A preview of Ballet B.C.
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A review of the English National Ballet in "Manon" by Lynette Halewood for DanceTabs.
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The Zurich Ballet celebrates Jiří Kylián.
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Reviews of the English National Ballet in "Manon." The Daily Express Bachtrack The Financial Times Broadway World
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Jessica Lang's troupe goes on its last tour.
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Ballet Classics: The Sleeping Beauty Prologue Fairy Variations
Helene replied to Helene's topic in Ballet History and Music
Throughout Doug pointed out how there was a one-to-one relationship between the choreography and the music, and spoke briefly about how in one variation, that wasn't the case, but how the choreography and music trued up by the end. Also how the little ending to Violente seemed abrupt and had a little tag ending. It had to have been a sell-out, because there weren't many tickets left when I bought mine, and we were asked explicitly while in the waiting area not to leave any seats between us. I didn't do it justice. I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend. -
A review of the English National Ballet in "Manon" by Emma Byrne in The Evening Standard.
