Nadezhda

I'm sorry to be replying to this thread so late. I was away for vacation. Oh, it's absolutely true - love conquers all. It's striving to achieve that feeling of blissful happines in one's life that makes ballet so enchanting. There is almost always a happy ending. Well, happy in some way. (ie. Even though Giselle cannot be united with Albert in flesh, she still gets the chance to convey the message about love to him and that is, in my opinion the whole point of this particular ballet.) Were there no happy ending, I cannot imagine why one would still go to see a ballet more than once. ;) A bit of exaggeration there, but really - the wish things always turned out as well as they do in ballet (again, speaking of the classics) makes me want to go and see a story I already know by heart once more.

Oh, ronny, thank you for your remarks. I'm glad that I managed to put it down in an understandable way. I thank you for asking such a wonderful question, since I had to think a lot before actually replying (if I wanted the post to make any sense). What strikes me as amusingly-amazing here is, that classical ballets are always about love, betrayal and hate. But these three have contributed to some of the most amazing plots in existence. Moreover, the plots are almost always so strikingly simillar - have you never thought that La Bayadere's Nikiya is a bird of the same feather as Giselle? They both die for their love, none of them wants to confess their love at first, they're both courted by men of higher rank, they become spirits, shades, a personification of feminine grace and forgiveness... But despite the plots being so simillar, they always, always, always move me - reach for the part deep inside me, make me empathyze. And I think (no logic or sense here) that this empathy for a creature (Giselle, Nikiya, ...) being awakened in you is exactly what makes me want to see more ballet. For once I feel I undestand what this world is all about - it's love, betrayal and hate/trust. I know the plots were written at least 200 years ago, but they strike me as so contemporary and still alive, that it is almost not comprehensible. I have a feeling, the world's not changed at all in 200 years. Sure, we have computers, internet, fancy cars and McDonalds behind every corner, but what makes people cringe, cry and empathyze hasn't changed. It's love, betrayal and hate. It's the plot of a classical ballet.

Simply, I give myself the pleasure of entertaining all my senses and spoil my imagination. I love the classical plots (I mostly watch classics) and the entanglements around love and heart matters. I also try to compare the qualities of different dancers in different roles. I guess it's completly irrational otherwise - I cannot explain why I love it.

Allegro, I think the guy you're talking about is Solor, the soldier of some kind (I think his rank is higher than only a soldier, but am not sure). He is the leading male dancer in La Bayadere.

Also in Romeo and Juliet I like the moment in the very beginning of the lover's pas de dux, when they are standing at a distance, looking at each other. In most performances I've seen both of the lovers make these lovely deep breaths as to create the atmosphere. I cannot really describe it, but it makes the moment, prepares you for the pas de deux, the story.

Thank you Tatsu! I was searcnihg a bit on the internet, but didn't find the link you provided. I haven't seen Ledovskaya in Don Quihote, but I'd love to.

Has anyone heard about this dancer? She's been trained in Moscow and now dances with Lithuanian National Ballet. I've seen her in Romeo and Juliet and thought she was lovely. Very emotional. Does anybody know if there is a photo gallery or does anyone have a picture of her? Thank you for your input.

Thank you Svenia for your input. I think I'm not going to purchase the video/DVD as well, since I have some ballet class music at home and I exercise to that music in my own tempo. The exercises are made quite clear in the book, so I don't think there's any real need for me to be given more instructions (however - they can't hurt!) . But the 30 minute bonus material sounds very interesting! I'd love to see those dancers in rehearsal, class etc.

Thank you Paul for writing exactly how I feel about dance. The first few paragraphs are so very true for me. I dance, simply, because it is my natural way of moving. I dance because this is a very powerful way to convey all the feeling and emotions inside me. I dance, because that is when I feel complete despite the many technical flaws I make.

So, if I wanted to have the music from Paquita, where should I look for it? Under M for Minkus or under D for Deldevez? Or is the music they use nowadays a mixture of both? I've been looking for a CD with the music from Paquita for a long time, but perhaps I was looking at the wrong place. Don't tell me to ask the sales person: they don't know anything about classical music, not to speak of ballet music! :eek:

I noticed that some of the exercises you described here are not in the book. I own the book, but not the video or DVD. So, is the video/DVD workout a bit different? In which sections? Can anyone who has both: the book and the video compare them and tell me is it worth buying the video on top of what I already have? Thank you in advance.

I have a copy of Paris Opera Ballet's La Bayadere and I love it. (I own the version where Isabelle Guerin dances Nikiya and Elizabeth Platel dances Gamzatti.) It's one of the Petipa ballets and somehow, despite the obvious difference in stroy, I find it remarkably similar to Swan Lake. Especially the Shades Act (in some producitions this is Act II, but on the video it is Act III.) seems to me so much like the Swan corps variations - the same white tutus, difficult combinations for the female corps... Maybe it's just me. Anyway - ronny, I personally think you might give La Bayadere a try. Let us know what you've got and how you liked it!

In my opinion mime should be taught in variations class. Maybe it isn't so very interesting as all those tricks (triple and quadrouple pirouettes, fouettes...) but it certainly helps train a better dancer. Maybe I can now understand why so very few dancers can move us emotionally. For example: there are only a few dancers who could dance Giselle convincingly in both acts. And not because they were technically uncapable. I am fortunate enough to be very curious and to be reading lots of books about ballet and I'm learning little by little what all those gestures mean. And it is not at all surprizing that I can usually guess what they mean and then only check them with the book. I think it's high time the prejudice ballet mime is boring vanished. I am also fortunate enough to have a very thoughtful teacher who (even though I take little classes) tries her best to educate us in good dancers. She would sometimes even discuss issues in ballet like the mime, ballet aesthetics and other. Quite unlike most of teachers, I think. If I become a coreographer I will bring back the mime.

After reading Mr. Johnson's reply in the "Ballet" section, in a thread about the faries and mortals I noticed it was said that in most performanced the mime sections are cut out. I'm wondering why this happens. I think mime in ballet is a way to help the message to get through to the observer. It is a most natural way to convey your thoughts and feelings, though somewhat stylised. (In my opinion this stilization is the cause why people say they cannot understand mime.) If it is natural then it can be concluded that people could understand it. So, why are they cutting it out? Is it found uninteresting? In my opinion this is an aesthetic issue. Ballet mime has always been a special part of ballet aesthetic, so isn't ballet loosing something when this vital part of communication between the dancers and the dancers and public is cut out? Please, share your opinion on that.

I have obviously never seen NYCB except on TV. But I do own their book of exercises and I cannot say that any of the dancers in it look unnaturally thin. In addition to what Ms. Leigh has said I would like to mention that education of young people in the area of eating disorders is better than it was. Despite the (still) too obvious craze for a very thin body, people are aware that eating disorders exist. More is said about this topic, educational films are made etc. I think that because of the education people are exposed to from the early years on (In my school we first talked about eating disorders when I was 13 years old.) it is easier to recognize the ones that have eating disorders and they are sent to see their doctor sooner so that something can still be done. I can only thank god it is so.

Thank you both for replies. (It is good to be back! I'm glad I have more time now so hopefully I will be able to visit the forum more!) I remember having seen a bit of what might be what Ms. Tomalonis described: Rothbart coaching Odile in a production of Royal Ballet on one of the Makarova's Ballerina shows. (Makarova was dancing the role herself.)

Firstly I apologise if this was posted in an improper place. The question I am about to ask isn't fit to any of other forums, but this one is (presently?) meant for a discussion of Raymonda. Moderators, please, feel free to move this post to where it is most suited. And my question goes as follows. After having seen Swan Lake last night, I noticed that Odile danced a tiny bit of the variation Odette and Siegfried danced in Act 2. So I was wondering - IF these characters were real people, how could Odile have known what Odette and Siegfried had said to each other? :confused: Maybe it sounds like a stupid question, but if I remember correctly such "riddles" have been discusssed here before, so maybe it's not wrong to ask another such question. Are there any references to this in literature? Is there any mentioning of this in the original myths that the plot is made of? What is your opinion of this? Any replies are welcome.

Thanks Victoria! I will do what you suggested! I was thinking mostly of Romantic era, too. But 20th century ballet is so very interesting, too. But I am unfortunate not to know much about the later. Well, if anyone has any suggestions, please, post them. I am hoping to get many advices and to then choose from them. (A little egoistic, I know :rolleyes: ) Thanks again!

I will be doing a ballet history project next year. I was wondering, which are a few interesting fields in ballet history to do a reasearch project on. I don't know much about it :rolleyes: (I am willing to learn ) and would greatly appreciate all the suggestions provided by all of you. I hope this is the right forum to post my question. Feel free to move it, if that means I am to receive more attention. ;) Keep your suggestions comming! Thanks in advance!

I am annoyed by more or less everything that was mentioned here and also by audience who claps when the artists just only ENTER the stage. OK, I agree, from a star of "international" caliber you are expecting a good performance, but still - can't they just wait for the end? An example of this which really made me cry with anger was on the ABT Dance in America video. Julio Bocca and Alessandra Ferri dancer the Balcony scene pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet and this pdd begins with very silent music when Juliet enters the balcony. And during that silent, lovely, spiritual music the audience dared to clap and they ruined all of the atmosphere the music created. Not only that this happened once, the audience loudly clapped when Romeo entered. I hate it when this happends. How can you clap to somebody when they have not yet danced one step? Besides it ruines the whole atmosphere. [ 06-03-2001: Message edited by: Nadezhda ]

Thank you Snow Flake! You really provided a lot of info. Thanks again. N. ------------------ You can't lie when you dance. It's so direct. You do what is in you. You can't dance out of the side of your mouth. -Shirley MacLaine, in James Spada, Shirley and Warren (1985)

I was watching the Makrova's Ballerina series and in her fourth (the last) part Makarova brought up the conversation about the young very talented dancers. One of them was a Brasilian girl, named Cecilia Kerche and I was wondering if anyone knows, where she is now. I found her quite lovely and a promising dancer indeed, so I would like to know very much, how she went on. Thanks in advance! ------------------ You can't lie when you dance. It's so direct. You do what is in you. You can't dance out of the side of your mouth. -Shirley MacLaine, in James Spada, Shirley and Warren (1985)

This is nmot really in the context, but could someone please explain, what did Ms. Kirkland do to hurt her feet. From BalletDanzer's description it does not really make sense to me. And Nikiya, I couldn't agree more with you! I think 70's/80's were the time, when majority of dancers turned to characterization of their roles rather than techical perfection (which doesn't mean, they were in general less technically perfect ). N. ------------------ You think you could do anything and you can't. There are always limits, even for very gifted people. It's very hard to accept but there is always an invisible ceiling above you and you should be very careful not to go above it. You should jump into the water but not without knowing how strong the current is. -Mikhail Baryshnikov

Yes, victoria, that is what I meant by a real artist. It does not matter wether you have a perfect body or not. (OK, it is true, that you'd be critisized, because today's standards are ver, very high.) But personally, I think that it is more important what you can do with your body, not just what you have -- what you do. I am going again into this paradox -- today's demands for a classical dancer and my opinion. Nadezhda

Victoria, Nydancer specificaly mentioned the name of ANNA Pavlova -- I believe it was in the "Dancing statistics" on the Buddy Board. I also thought she might have thought of Nadezhda Pavlova, because of the same surname. But I guess she meant that she saw pictures of Pavlova not that she saw her dance or saw her on film. Did you see Dying Swan on film? What did you think of it? I hope I was able to make this clear, Nadezhda ------------------ "The Dancer believes that his art has something to say which cannot be expressed in words or in any other way than by dancing... there are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words. There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself. This is the dancer's justification for being, and his reason for searching further for deeper aspects of his art." ~Doris Humphrey, 1937