glebb

Susan Freedman was stunning. I remember her elegant and fresh beauty especially in the ensemble of 'Serenade'. Gorgeous everything about her, attacking pique turns.

Marjorie Spohn, another fair, beautiful, perfect Balanchine type body.

Could it be Victoria Hall, liebs? Was she not part of that foursome in 'Mozartiana'.

Those women had a sophistication that I miss.

Verdy was my first Giselle, so of course she holds a special place in my heart.

Makarova, as Manhattnik said, owns the role. Though I loved Kirkland (who was amazing), and Tcherkassky (so pretty), I long to see someone today who can move me in a similar, or new way.

Me too Carbro! I couldn't agree with you more about Renee Estopinal. Do you know anything of what she is up to now?

That makes a lot of sense, Brioche.

I was just guessing.

Peters still looks a lot like the leotard and tights drawings to me.

Oh cargill, I can only imagine Lynn Seymour as the Girl in Green. I'm sure she was divine. Her Natalia Petrovna was perfection. I had the great fortune to watch her teach "Five Brahms Waltz in the Manner of Isadora Duncan".

Paul Parish, I can't tell you that much about Delia Peters, but she was perfection as the wife in "The Concert". Edward Gorey must have based his illustrations of dancers on her.

I recall Violette Verdy and Delia Peters in Green, I remember a woman very busy, slightly older than the men she is chatting up, and quite charming in appearance. At least that is the image that lingers on my mind.

Thanks for the thoughts, all.

Any stories about "Parade"?

Amazing Andrei!!!

I'll never forget my trip to The Hermitage. My tour guide (Kira Ezikova) made it so interesting, I could have stayed inside the museum for days.

"Russian Ark" provides a fortunate opportunity for people to visit (view) the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. Rehearsals must have gone on for months to choreograph the action of a gargantuan cast, filmed in one camera shot.

There is a palace near Tsarskoe Selo, called Pavlovsk, that displays a sixty piece toilet set of Sevres, which was a gift from Marie Antoinette to Maria Feodoravna, wife of Catherine the Great's son Paul.

Pavlovsk was also the place where Glinka in 1839 was inspired to write his "Waltz Fantasie", also known as the "Pavlovsk Waltz".

I hope Alexander Sokurov's next film is about Pavlovsk.

Thanks atm711.

Petrouchka crowd scenes are fun.

I know that Massine added his own touches to the Joffrey production at one point, and then they were taken out because they were not original.

I was at a party in 1977, in San Francisco. Massine was sitting, speaking with Robert Joffrey and Agnes DeMille. I didn't dare go near them, but I did watch.

I do love the snippet from "Boutique Fantastique" in "The Red Shoes.

The last couple of minutes of "Appalachian Spring" are heaven.

Go see the Graham company!

His ballets are not seen a lot, but I always seem to like them. "Les Presages", Beau Danube", and "Parade" are the most familiar to me.

I found him unusual and interesting in "The Red Shoes".

Did anyone at BA ever meet him?

Any stories, anyone?

Gerald Arpino often speaks of the other Pat McBride.

She's real!

On the video "Kirov Ballet: Classic Ballet Night", is the ballet "The Canteen Keeper (La Vivandiere)", danced by Alla Sizova and Boris Blankov. It looks very much (but not exactly) like the "Pas de Six from La Vivandiere" which I learned from Anne Hutchinson Guest in 1975.

At that time (1975) I was under the impression that the "Pas de Six from La Vivandiere" had been lost and that Saint-Leon's notes had been recently discovered and translated by Guest into Labanotation, and also by Pierre Lacotte into which system I do not know.

Is the Kirov version taught by Lacotte? If not, when did the Kirov Ballet start dancing "La Vivandiere"? Before 1975?

Does anyone know what year Sizova retired? I think she may have stopped dancing because of an injury.

According to the notes in the jewel case of my Decca Original Cast recording (CD) of the 1954 production of "On Your Toes", the revival opened at the 46th St. Theatre on October 11, 1954. Vera Zorina and Bobby Van starred. (A very young sounding) Elaine Stritch caused a sensation with her rendition of "You Took Advantage of Me".

I saw Makarova, George De La Pena, Lara Teeter and Dina Merrill (Kitty Carlisle Hart also did Dina's role) in the 1983 revival which was a great success and ran two hundred more performances than the original 1936 production. Starr Danias, a cast member, took the lead in matinees while Makarova starred. After Makarova (who was hurt while performing at The Kennedy Center) left the broadway production, she was replaced by Galina Panova and Valentina Kozlova. I know that Starr Danias did not perform the lead while Panova starred.

My CD notes state that Balanchine's choreography for "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" and the "Princess Zenobia Ballet" was re-created by Donald Saddler for the 1983 production.

I think this is the same Donald Saddler whom I saw in the recent production of "Follies" on Broadway. He portrayed half of a famous ballroom dancing couple. They danced while their young ghosts, on stage at the same time danced (sometimes right through chairs), in a brilliant production (IMO) of "Follies".

Oh, you lucky people who can attend.

I watched Kyra Nichols a lot in the 1980s and she was not only beautiful and extremely talented, but she was one of those rare dancers who was in complete touch with the essence of the music.

Lucky indeed.

Thanks Mme. Hermine, I liked them a lot.

I had the pleasure of working with the beautiful Tatiana Terekova and her husband Sergei Berezhnoi in Boston a little over a year ago.

I'm pretty sure they are no longer with Boston Ballet.

Does anyone know where they are now?

So good to see you posting from Moscow Jeannie!

C Novi Godom!

Give my regards to Kransniya Ploshad and stay tiplo!

In the late seventies and through the eighties, except for a period of six weeks (after a six month lay off) in which he taught company class every day, and while he was choreographing his ballet "Postcards", Robert Joffrey was not in the studio.

His presence was felt. He was in the building. He went on tour and was at all performances. He watched run throughs and sat in on rehearsals when people such as Michael Somes, Brian Shaw, Lynn Seymour, Georgette Tsinguirides, Glen Tetley, Vicky Simon, Sara Leland were teaching ballets. He held artistic meetings with dancers, and even presided over company meetings.

But on the whole, he left the day to day work, the rehearsals, to his staff. His staff was comprised of former Joffrey dancers whom he trusted to carry out his vision implicitly. Meanwhile he was free to travel when necessary to teach at festivals, so he could see the talent of America and Europe. He travelled the globe to see choreography, to meet with other Artistic Directors and designers etc.

The Joffrey Ballet was extremely successfull during this period. The majority of its Ashton, Cranko and Kylian ballets came into the rep with glowing reviews. Early works by Forsythe, Tharp, Dean and Morris were created on the company too.

Mr. Joffrey was there to back up the staff whom he trusted artistically and ethically. This was a system that worked.

'Songs of the Auvernge' is by Peter Martins.

Opps, after scrolling up, I see that you are indeed Sonja!

Next time I forget my password maybe I'll take the name Blanche!

I want to see Stuttgart Ballet perform Crankos 'Swan Lake'.

Is Japser your name, or did you create a Ballet Alert name after a certain character in a wonderful, early Cranko ballet?

I saw the Stuttgart Ballet perform 'Onegin' with Marcia Haydee, and saw a rep program that same MET season (1976-77). I also saw Stuttgart in 'Onegin' in Saint Louis (about three years ago.) The company looked wonderful.

I am lucky to have seen Haydee and Cragun with Joffrey in 'Taming of the Shrew' and 'Romeo and Juliet'.

I've never seen the Cranko 'Swan Lake'. I know it has been danced at Kennedy Center because a friend of mine told me she supered as a nun in Act I.

I hope they bring Crankos 'Swan Lake' it to the U.S. again, soon.

Vila, I have only seen 'Red Giselle' and 'Russian Hamlet'.

The first drew me in instantly and I stayed enthralled the whole evening. I would see 'Red Giselle' again.

As for 'Russian Hamlet', I was again drawn in only to become bored after the first ten minutes. Except for my fascination with the velvet Romanov Eagle chair, the boredom never ceased, and I couldn't wait for the ballet to end.