Farrell Fan

I feel your pain, carbro. Yes, the Balanchine Celebration at NYCB was in the Spring season of 1993. Given this timing, it seems probable that Farrell's class did not come off because by then she'd been fired by her erstwhile partner, the Ballet Master in Chief, Peter Martins. Sorry to bring this disgraceful mattter into this otherwise glorious subject.

Thank you for that absolutely marvelous description, Victoria Page!

Thanks for the Farrell quotations, Bart. Just want to point out that they're not from letters but from Suzanne's diary, which she named for Diana Adams.

Suzanne Farrell Elusive Muse -- priceless.

I saw it too and I still have a vivid memory of Balanchine and Robbins doing a beggars' dance together, wearing raggedy clothes and sneakers. rg has done his usual superlative job of recollecting some of the other things that happened.

Some of my favorite writing about life in NYCB was by corps dancers and soloists. I'm thinking of Robert Maiorano's "World's Apart;" Toni Bentley's "Winter Season," Christopher d'Amboise's "Leap Year." Zippora Karz's "The Sugarless Plum" is from a somewhat later era, but it belongs in that entertaining and distinguished company. And it has the added drama of Karz's account of her frustrating day to day, hour by hour struggle against diabetes. The book provides memorable portraits of backstage life and Zippora's relationships with dancers, doctors, boyfriends, her sister Romy, and Peter Martins, who, it must be noted, comes off rather well in these pages. So does Suzanne Farrell, whom Zippora idolized. My only complaint is that, like those aforementioned earlier memoirs, this book has no index. It does, however, have a list of resources for people with diabetes. I'm glad Helene recommended it, and I do too.

Thanks for the recommendation, Helene. I just ordered The Sugarless Plum (wonderful title, IMO) from Amazon.

It's good to hear about the Berkeley performances, however belatedly, but this Farrell Fan is never satisfied. What about the October 21 performance at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara?

vagansmom, your brief description of The Leopard is perfect; it's one of my favorite books. In addition to his short stories, you might also want to try the novels of Giovanni Verga, notably I Malavoglia and Maestro Don Gesualdo -- lots of Sicilian realism. And if you're still in the Italian mode, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) by Alessando Manzoni is a great old-fashoned novel.

Enjoy your War & Peace project.

I like this clip very much. I saw Farrell and Mofid in a live, mesmerizing performance, but oddly enough, if I saw her and Martins, I have no recollection of it. Farrell did dance considerable Robbins, however. Most improbable was The Cage, and most beautiful, In G Major, with Martins. Also Dances at a Gathering, In The Night, and Goldberg Variations.

The wonders of internet research reveal that Afshin Mofid is now in Boise, Idaho, where he is a doctor of chiropractic.

A wonderful piece, and the responses it has elicited from papeetepatrick and dirac are quite wonderful too.

The "blurb in English" isn't quite English either.

I stopped reading the NY Times Magazine years ago because most of the articles in it annoyed me, but this one is wonderful. Maybe I should check it out more often.

You are not alone, Richard53dog, I can't stand Zeffirelli's overstuffed productions either.

I agree with Forsythe that Balanchine invented the modern ballerina. To pinpoint it still further, her initials are S.F.

Thanks for your report, chiapuris. It was thrilling to read. I look forward to the next one.

The McCarter Theatre is a nice old fashioned building,which besides being home to the Princeton University Triangle Club, was a popular pre-Broadway tryout theater in the thirties. Now it is an arts center for music. dance, and theater. An attractive, comfortable place.

Thanks, ATM711. I was there too and loved it, but that is not necessarily news, so I was reluctant to post till somebody broke the ice. I had not seen anyone other than NYCB ever dance the complete Agon. This was a revelation;it looked very different. I very much enjoyed the bluesy Clarinade and Elisabeth Holowchuk's performance in it. (Full Disclosure: I was the guest of her parents.) I too love Berlioz's music for Romeo and Juliet. I've only seen video of the complete Bejart ballet, but the pas de deux is ravishingly beautiful. It makes me sad that I never saw Farrell dance with that company. Sara Ivan and Momchil Mladenov were very good yesterday.

I saw Suzanne briefly at intermission. I saw her dear poodle, Charlie, at somewhat greater length. The Holowchuks drove him home too.

Sallie Wilson was a great dramatic ballerina and a Tudor specialist. She also made news once by pouring a scotch-on-the-rocks on Clive Barnes's head. It's sad to think they're both gone now.

Thank you, Cristian. Nice to see those glimpses of Danilova's legendary legs.

Deepest condolences. The dance world is truly diminished by his passing.

Ever since this subject came up, I've been alert to see if anyone would admit to not liking Suzanne Farrell. Both cargill and sandik have now pleaded guilty with an explanation: "I understand now what I missed." and "everyone else I knew adored her. I was being contrary." You are forgiven, my chilldren. Go and sin no more.

On one of my subscriptions way back then, I used to sit next to a man who, upon arrival, would check his program and if she was dancing, would boozily let me know,

"Karin von Arolding-ding-ding-ding." I guess she rang his chimes.

Thanks for the photo of Bardot at 72, leonid. I don't think she looks decrepit at all, but still beautiful.

It would have been better to see a photo of Bardot as she looks today.