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"The House of the Good Shepherd has been serving survivors of domestic violence since 1980. This continues the vital mission of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd who since 1859, have been carrying on the ministry of hope and healing in Chicago for women, girls and families wounded by life", reads the program for today's 95th Annual Brunch fundraiser which honored Gerald Arpino, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. For The House of the Good Shepherd, the Joffrey's Pierre Lockett performed one of Gerald Arpino's works, and in the verbal auction, two sets of four Nutcracker tickets in Mr. Arpino's box at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre raised seventeen thousand dollars. At this fundraiser I met Sister Mary Grace Swift, who wrote the first biography in English of Charles-Louis Didelot. Mary Grace Swift, born in Oklahoma, entered the Ursuline Order in 1947 and was educated at Creighton University and Notre Dame University in history and Russian studies. Her first book 'The Art of the Dance in the U. S. S. R.' was published in 1968. In 1973 her manuscript on Didelot was awarded the first de la Torre Bueno Prize for the best unpublished book-length manuscript in the field of dance. In 1974 'A Loftier Flight, The Life and Accomplishments of Charles-Louis Didelot, Balletmaster' was published by Wesleyan University Press and Pitman Publishing. From the jacket of the book: "Charles-Louis Didelot was one of the greatest figures in ballet in the period preceding the Romantic. He was a balletmaster in the fullest sense of the word: an exacting teacher-director, whose many contributions included dancing en pointe and mime; a highly imaginative choreographer, who often collaborated with his composers and even instructed the orchestra; an innovative scenographer, whose insistence on authenticity and realism in costuming and staging revolutionized the production of ballet. Above all, he was a perfectionist; and in Revolutionary Paris, in Regency London and in Imperial Petersburg Didelot singlemindedly pursued his career, ignoring royal imperatives and fighting court intrigues and theatrical politics to realize as fully as possible his larger vision of the dance." From browsing the book I know it will go on my list of must reads. The little I have perused is engaging and accessible. Sister Mary Grace Swift told me that the book can be found at Ebay and Amazon. Though she leaves for Ireland tomorrow, I hope to have my own copy for her to sign the next time we meet.

Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company is presenting 'Hard Times', by Charles Dickens. This production is adapted and directed by Heidi Stillman who some of you New Yorkers might recognize from the cast of 'Metamorphoses' which was first produced by Lookingglass Theatre Company, before moving to Broadway. The cast of eleven perform mulitiple roles with ease. Most are Actors Equity and members of The Goodman Theatre or Steppenwolf. Because of the circus element the cast not only impresses with it's vocal and dramatic skills, but with it's gymnastic abilities as well. Set in Coketown, Northern England in the 1850s, this 2 hour and 35 minute play (with one intermission) is mesmerizing, boasting inventive sets and costumes, lighting and music. Performances are given at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 North Dearborn, Chicago through November.

Does anyone know if the variation danced by Evdokimova in Act II of the ENB version, after she catches the butterfly and just before her sisters enter this particular area of the forest, is Bournonville? If not, who choreographed it?

That is very interesting because upon viewing my video of 'Mozartiana', a friend suggested that Suzanne Farrell was improvising. I argued that she was not (having seen her perform that role live many times). But maybe her spontaneity promoted my friends observation.

I was just watching an old homemade video. It's really a potpourri of ballets I used to love, (and was able to get my hands on, to tape in the early days of VCRs). It's horrible quality, but still a treasure. I watched Natalia Makarova and Fernado Bujones in 'Don Quiote Pas de Deux'. She was still as perfect as ever. Time had not diminished the power and perfection of one of the greatest ballerinas of all time. Next was Balanchine's 'Tzigane'. At first it was hard to watch Suzanne Farrell (right after the classically perfect Makarova). Then I found myself getting drawn back into her charisma. I was fortunate to see Peter Martins and Suzanne Farrell many times live, not only in 'Tzigane', but other ballets in the rep at NYCB. Their chemistry and glamour wowed audiences and we felt lucky to watch them perform. She looked like a model from the sixties and wouldn't Austin Powers have loved her. I got the sense of a dancer who was acting not with her face but with her body. He was in his glorious Apollo (looks) days. It was not Farrell's technique that I liked. It was not always perfect. Shoulders would be up and some times she would not hit the most beautiful lines, but her dance-acting was interesting. Then I wondered how one would define the style of Balanchine's 'Tzigane'. It was ballet, but there were definitely odd positions for promenades and character steps throughout. I think it expresses Ravel's music very well, but would one call 'Tzigane' (just) ballet?

Thank you Alexandra! I look forward to reading them.

It was a very long time ago and I was very new to ballet, so NBW's version has always been my favorite. It seemed closer to my video of Royal Danish Ballet than my video of English National Ballet's version. What are these notebooks? Bournonville's notations?

Does anyone know anything about the National Ballet of Washington 'La Sylphide'? Who staged it? Who designed it? Where are the sets and costumes now? I loved Frederic Franklin as Madge.

Matthew Bourne, all male "La Sylphide"? PLEASE NO! I wont even go there!!!!! Toni Lander, Violette Verdy, Gelsey Kirkland, Marianna Tcherkasky and my Goddess Natalia Makarova were all beautiful Sylphs. For me Eva Evdokimova seemed to walk right out of the lithograph. She had gorgeous 'Romantic Era' line, ballon and just the right playful quality of the Sylph. Most of all she seemed to really float (while tossing off amazingly hard technical feats), IMHO. It would be wonderful if Alexandra would point out what their strong and weak points might have been. I hope to have a better understanding of Bournonville after reading her new book.

And there is the Harkness Theatre that was just across the street from Lincoln Center. I believe it is now called One Harkness Plaza? Finis Jung had a wonderful studio on the 2nd floor at 77th and the east side of Broadway.

And there is the Harkness Theatre that was just across the street from Lincoln Center. I believe it is now called One Harkness Plaza? Finis Jung had a wonderful studio on the 2nd floor at 77th and the east side of Broadway.

Sorry that I have no help to offer, but I am pretty sure "Taming of The Shrew" was broadcast in the US around 1973-74. From that telecast I mostly remember the pas de deux on the horse. I also remember being shocked that Birgit Kiel (Bianca) was not a blonde when I stood behind her at the barre during Stuttgart Ballet's 1976 visit to The MET.

While reading a thread about Bournonville, I started wondering where his masterpiece "La Sylphide" is being performed these days, and who are the great Sylphs of today?

I was going to start the Kronstam book after I read Nijinska's "Early Memoirs", but after reading your last post Alexandra, I've changed my mind and will order your book right away! I wish I had it in my hands now!

You are correct about Larrisa Ponoromenko. Too bad more ballet lovers don't get a chance to see her.

Wow! I like that Mel!

My good friends Victoria and Mel guided me towards Ballet Alert/Ballet Talk, and I am addicted. So much information at my finger tips.

My good friends Victoria and Mel guided me towards Ballet Alert/Ballet Talk, and I am addicted. So much information at my finger tips.

That standing foot must really hurt!

Too bad about Robert Conn. His connections to Stuttgart might have brought in some of the smaller Cranko works that are gems.

Kyra Nichols cute? I left NYC at the end of the eighties so I missed a lot of her later performances as a principle. In her early years as a soloist and principle she was nothing but strong, pure in port de bras, and soulful. She had a clean and thrilling technique - many pirouettes and often giving us balances.

For sure about McBride, Villella, and Neary. No question about that. I was just mentioning Leland, Clifford, Frankfurt and (the younger) Neary, to possibly revive more memories.

I remember Sarah Leland and John Clifford as the pas couple. Would it have been Colleen Neary or Wilhelmina Frankfurt as the tall girl?

The Harvard Theatre Collection is a must see if any of you are in the Boston area. The people working there were very kind to show me many sections of these notation scores and then for dessert they brought out a character shoe of Marie Taglioni.