dancersteven

Varna is infamously umwilling to post any up to date results on their website, so we hope that someone in the know will post here as soon as anything is official? Thanks all Steven

I guess with a name like Yvonne Borree "Ye Van (to) Bouree", there are only so many career options open. . . :-) Like she hasn't heard that joke since she was 12. . .

Probably not much scurrying about, if it ain't in place by now, you likely can't fix it in in the next 5 minutes. . . In under rehearsed pieces, there might be some trying of "that one thing" that never quite worked right in rehearsal. Ask stinger784 how much rehearsal I get!! I will add some checking of the costumes and some kissing of your partner and wishing of "Good luck" (in many forms :blush: ) to your list, but you have it mostly right. Less throwing up than you might think. The general mood is usually optimistic and energized, but likely less stressed out than many people think. At least we all want to act confident and assured, if only because we want our partners to think we are confident and assured. If I had to venture a theory, I would say that the did not like any observers backstage during the Kingdom of the Shades scene partially because of backstage space. That many girls in tutu's take up an awful lot of ground, even at the Kennedy Center. . .

For Nutcracker at the Four Seasons anything that could be described as business or business casual will stand you in good stead. There will be so many people (I hope!), many of whom do not come to the ballet, or to any theatre any other time of the year, that there will be all kinds of dress, and almost anything you choose to wear will be fine. Congratulations on your first trip to the ballet, maybe the National Ballet of Canada will make a believer (addict ) out of you!

I ahve to echo Malakhov, I recently got to see "Wild Men of ABT" on DVD, and we watched some of the dancing frame by frame (I know, cruel, I couldn't stand watching myself that way!), but Vladimir was never in an incorrect position. . . S.

Hmmm, that has promise. . . I have heard that he back story is something like the princess is trapped in a high tower (very Rapunzel), or maybe a walled garden (very Secret Garden), and she befriends the blue bird, who teaches her to fly away from her captivity. Is that the plot that you had in mind, or does anyone have any different ideas? I am not sure that this is anything other than what some dancer made up in an effort to make his divertissement make sense, or is there a real fairy tale out there about the bluebird? There might not be enough here for a full 3 act, but it could certainly make a nice one act. Good luck with this! S.

I would have to say that usually the dancers are trying to get into the US to work, and not the other way around, at least that was the case for me and many people I know. In the case of the most talented young dancers (Matt Golding, for example), they dream of dancing with ABT or NYCB as well as NBoC or RWB. For those of us of lesser talent and ability, a US work visa gives access to the many smaller and medium sized companies that exist in the US, of which there are few in Canada. I do know that the RWB has had trouble finding and keeping principal level men recently, but I do not think that any of the new boys come from an American background. Anyway, IMHO, I think that most of the dancers in Canadian companies are either Canadian or from other (less financially affluent) countries. Besides, dancers get paid little enough as it is, imagine getting paid in Monopoly money!

Karen Kain did it the right way, slowly easing out of roles she felt she was unable to do at 100%, and then toured a custom made farewell show, "The Actress", to say goodbye to all of her fans across Canada, and allow them the chance to do the same. Was, is, and will continue to be a class act.

Thanks everybody! The outreach was earlier this week, and I think everyone had fun. They enjoyed the movement sections more than me talking (of course), but evveryone was happy at the end, so my goals were reached! S. Not doing what you love to do is neither good sense nor common sense. -Daniel Nagrin

There are often ballet catagories on Jeopardy, unfortunately you rarely need to know anything about ballet to know the answer. Often they relate to the story that inspired the ballet, or some other non-balletic information. The question about Nureyev and Fonteyn was the exception to that rule though! S. Not doing what you love is neither good sense nor common sense. - Daniel Nagrin

I have a good example of getting it, but not liking it, unfortunately, it is from modern dance, but I hope that it contributes to the discussion anyway ;-). I saw Paul Taylor's company on tour in April, the bill was Mercuric Tididngs (1982), Dante Variations (2004), and Promethean Fire (2002). The first and last pieces, I enjoyed very much, and feel like I "got", there not being much in the way of "plot", but conveying emotion and energy. This is contrasted with Dante Variations, which I also got, buyt did not like at all. Dante's Variations was rather conspiculously about people in puragtory; lots of thrashing, anguished movement, moving lots, but not seeming to get anywhere. There were dancers with their hands or legs tied, a piece of toilet paper that would NOT come off of his shoe, ect. It definitely meant to convey frustration, and well, I found that very FRUSTRATING. I feel like I understood what the choreographers were trying to convey, I just wouldn't sit through it again!

I knew about Patrick Swayze, but didn't think of adding him to the list that is a very good idea. All of the rest of your responses are very helpful as well, thanks I knew I could count on all of you! S.

I tried that Mel, it is a good idea, and I got a few, but mostly it was anorexia articles! The Army football team mention is a good one, nothing is much more masculine than a soldier. Thanks. . . S. Not doing what you love is neither good sense nor common sense. - Daniel Nagrin

OK, folks, I need your help. I am doing a month long school outreach program and I need to have a list of male, professional athletes who have studied ballet. I know, I know, but the classroom teachers seem to think that is the only way to catch the interest of the boys. Of course, what is really going to interest them is my enthusiastic approach and passion for the art form, but I have to give the teachers what they want too. So I would really appreciate it if you could mention any athletes or teams you have heard of that use ballet as part of their training. Thanks a lot! PS If you have links, or if we have had this topic before on this board, let me know! Thanks again. S.

I have to go with the gap between technical ability and artistry. Is it growing? What needs to be done about it?