Farrell Fan

Great photo, rg, thanks!

The only thing that was missing was a tactless question about Suzanne Farrell.

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Lesley Stahl once conducted an interview of Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins at the NY State Theater for the NYCB Guild after both had retired from dancing, but before the ultimate breakdown of relations. The place was packed and I remember my excitement. But by the end of the interview it had given way to disappointment. Although I remember Peter being somewhat more forthcoming, Suzanne did not seem happy to be there. As far as I was concerned, the breakdown was complete.

Thanks for the unimpeachable source, Balanchinomane!

The announcer on the Romeo + Juliet telecast called her Sterling HillTEEN, Can that be correct?

You've made your case brilliantly, Kathleen. I think the best way for audiences to become "dance literate" is by seeing a lot of dance and also reading critics like Macaulay. He has invigorated the NYTimes ballet coverage tremendously. But I completely agree with you that his review of the gala was peculiar in the extreme. Actually, I expected complaints from BTers, but not along the lines you took. His remark at the end that "Ballet Theater has fewer true ballerinas than its repertory requires. On Monday, however, there was no doubting that Ms. Ananiashvili and Ms. Vishneva were among those few" seems likely to provoke ire from both fans and ballletomanes alike. A compere saying such a thing would be booed off the stage.

dirac, you are the best!

Balanchine was the kind of genius who comes along once a century, so that's how I voted. By the way, does "baited breath" have to do with fishing? I believe the term is "bated breath."

PAMTGG is pronounced pamtuhguhguh. I wish I could remember where I learned this but I've forgotten. I did see the ballet though, and have mostly forgotten that.

Thanks, Arizona Native and SandyMcKean! Although I have abjured being a balletomane, I can still recognize some traits: 1) You refer to dancers not by their first names but by their nicknames. 2) You know what Veronika Part thinks of Arvo Part. 3) You can pronounce PAMTGG. 4) You know all the ushers in the third and fourth rings. 5) You have vowed never to call it "The David H. Koch Theater." This is fun.

I agree, too. The standing O was appropriate in this case. The woman who didn't think so was clueless and boorish.

The Washington Times photo is especially better of Suzanne; thanks Jack.

I voted no because I am a reformed balletomane. For many years now I have been strictly a Farrell follower.

There was a ballet by John Taras, Piege de Lumiere, which was performed regularly in the early years of the NYCB residency at the New York State Theater. It was set in a forest in which a band of convicts builds a big bonfire that lures scores of butterflies to their extinction. Before it entered the NYCB rep, it was performed in Paris, by the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. The original cast was headed by Maria Tallchief and Arthur Mitchell. Those roles were subsequently taken by Patricia MacBride and Paul Mejia.

Thanks for this excellent report, Jack. The word "genius" is too easily tossed around in our society, but I think it is certainly merited by Suzanne Farrell.

Farrell's dancing was unprecedented and remains unparalleled, so that it's hard to speak or write of it except metaphorically, as Macaulay does and Balanchine did, (Thanks for the whale quote, dirac.) I'm afraid I can't offer much enlightenment and extend my apologies in advance for saying this: you had to have been there.

One reason I like reading Alistair Macaulay's reviews is that he often unexpectedly takes me back to the golden age at New York City Ballet, with sentences like, "In this ballet Ms. Farrell was queen of infinite space, opening up whole galaxies with one thunderbolt after another." That's from today's review of San Francisco Ballet's "Diamonds."

Jennifer Dunning also wrote a book on the School of American Ballet.

Sorry to hear this. I wish her well, and as the title of one of my favorite novels had it, "A Long and Happy Life."

This is great! Thanks.

I have two NYCB subscriptions and have received the tickets to both, as of yesterday.

Thanks for the explanation of "tentpole character," dirac. When I was a schoolboy I used to come home and listen to the radio soaps "Stella Dallas," "Lorenzo Jones and his wife Belle," and "Mary Noble, Backstage Wife." After a while, I began to appreciate the comedy of Bob and Ray and their spoof, "Mary Backstage, Noble Wife."

I've never heard the expression "tentpole character." What does it mean?

Portfolio is the Vanity Fair of business publications.

Is this a compliment or an insult?

To paraphrase a certain football coach: Suzanne Farrell is never off-topic; she is the only topic. Thanks again, rg.

The sage looks well-prepared for the snow flurries which greeted New Yorkers this morning. Thanks, rg.