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The Balanchine Celebration at Kennedy Center would have made a great Dance in America series.

I would like to see all of the old Dance in Americas repeated and then I would like to see New York City Ballet's 'Sleeping Beauty' which I have managed to miss, and Royal Ballet's 'Ondine' which I have been curious about for a long time.

Did OBT open last night? Did anyone go?

For me there is nothing vague about Saland. The memory of her in Emeralds, those arms and the presentation of the foot, the gorgeous neck and face are seared in my brain.

Calliope, did you ever see Stephanie Saland in the Verdy role? She was mesmerizing! It's interesting to read about how well the Russians are doing 'Jewels". I did not like the Russian dancers in 'Mozartiana' a few years ago at the Balanchine Celebration. Their technique was excellent, but they didn't look right. They lacked the American chic I had grown so accustomed to in that ballet. You New Yorkers are so lucky to be able to see these fantastic performances.

I know that Rubies is probably the masterpiece in the series, and that it stands alone, but I adore Emeralds. Always have.

I'm watching it right now. What a wonderful video dessert!

I remember feeling blissfully secure sitting in the Bolshoi Theatre. I had a sense that the music would be good, the curtain would go out on time, and of course the dancing would be impeccable. The theatre reeked of tradition, of people doing their job for years which was a different feeling than I had felt in the USA. I know dancers are simply better today. That is what happens with time. Bodies change, technique improves. It's funny to look at the bodies of Hollywood's sex symbols of the 50s as compared to today's bodies. Did any of you Ballet Alert posters see Kirkland and Baryshnikov in the Baryshnikov production of 'DonQ' for ABT back in the 80s? Did you consider it dull? It seemed quite exciting at that time, to me. Some of the reviews I have read of this recent Kirov production have been so ecstatic that it seems like the dancers came from Mars. It's so hard to imagine this current production and crop of dancers. I've several times wanted to get on a plane and come back to NYC.

Gauthier lived in a time when Ballerinas were considered almost other worldly. People wanted to believe they could really float above the ground. I not too long ago posted about the vast difference of Fanny Cerrito's image from lithograph to photograh. I think I remember reading in Karsavina's 'Theatre Street', that she would refrain from eating and even drinking water for several days before a performance. Senators drinking champagne out of a famous ballerina's pointe shoes? I can hardly see that happening today. Today our ballerinas are real people. Yes, they are not quite like the person next to you on the bus, but still they are earthly beings. Krya, my tour guide in Saint Petersburg was very beautiful and told me that she had seriously studied ballet in her youth. Because of her high marks in school, she was advised to learn several languages and become a translator/tour guide. I was glad she did. Her tour was so interesting, I didn't want to leave The Hermitage!

Thanks all. The video is in the mail and for under $20.

Oh sorry you didn't find it exciting Kiki. I actually enjoyed the film a lot when I saw it in it's orginal theatrical run. Since that time I have learned a lot more about Diaghilev and Ballet Russses, so I would very much like to see it again. Also Janet Suzman is a favorite of mine!

I was searching at Amazon, but could not find the movie 'Nijinsky' with George De La Pena as Vaslav Nijinsky. Does anyone know if it is available on DVD?

I know ABT, Joffrey and Oakland Ballet have all done lots of Massine Ballets. But I don't know if any of those companies has done 'La Boutique Fantasque'. I loved the little snippet of it in 'The Red Shoes'. Has anyone seen this ballet?

Loved Erik Bruhn's 32 entrachat six in 'Giselle'. They can be viewed if you find a video copy of the ABT film starring Carla Fracci. The mime in 'La Sylphide' is charming. What the Lilac Fairy does in 'Sleeping Beauty" is dreamy. Ananiashvili's 2nd Act Swan mime was wonderful. Do you think Freddy Franklin helped Kevin McKenzie with that? Everything old is new again! Charlie Chaplin's movies, recently released on DVD are mesmerizing (and often heart breaking). Though I'm not quite sure if he was a mime, they are stories without words. He was quite a dancer and one can tell he was fond of ballet.

I saw Melissa Hayden dance only at the end of her career, but she must have been pretty wonderful in her early years. Wasn't 'The Combat' created for her? I met Ms Hayden several times and even took class from her when she had a studio near Columbus Circle. She was very nice and helpful. I'll never forget when she came to City Center as a guest teacher for the company I was with. She had blue jeans on and her legs looked so skinny. Well, she took off the blue jeans and underneath she had on tights and a long skirt. It was so cute that her legs looked so skinny in the jeans and she even had a long teaching skirt stuffed in them.

Sorry for that mistake. I was backstage and could not hear the announcements. It explains why I thought Belotserkovsky was so versatile (and he very well may be versatile). He seemed so light in 'Le Corsaire' and so full of fire as Von Rothbart. The screaming child could be heard on and backstage and we were wondering if maybe they were in the middle of a row and were hoping that the child would stop before they made so many in the row stand up. The wings were quite full for this perf.

Very exciting from backstage! Gillian Murphy is quite different from all I've read. She was very expressive today (and in Corsaire earlier in the season). Her Black Swan was electricity! In the coda she did triples every fourth fouette, and before the hops up stage on diagonal, she put her hands on the Prince's face. Very seductive. Jose Manuel Carreno was clean, gracious and every inch a Prince of dance. Act I pas de trois was danced by Anna Liceica, Stella Abrera and David Hallberg. Ethan Brown and Maxim Belotserkovosky shared Von Rothbart. Zack Brown's costumes are in beautiful shape and the sets are much more massive than you imagine when you watch from the audience.

Swan Lake - Monday night, July 1 was an exciting evening with great dancing. Too bad the choreographic additions are so bad. I would have kept the old beautiful dances and cut out the new things that McKenzie has added. ABT's David Blair production was so good. The company danced beautifully. What a difference from the gala I saw a year ago! Ananiashvili and Bocca are huge stars that sold out the house to the last seat. (I saw summer students outside the theatre that got some of the last tickets). Nina's page bows were so pretty and endearing. The NYC audiences adore her and would have stayed forever to keep seeing her bow. Bocca's variations were clean and musical. What gorgeous turns! But the whole company danced on a high level, despite a few glitches. (At one point in the last scene the swans had a moment that reminded me of Jerome Robbins 'Mistake Waltz'). With the huge rep the company has performed this past season, they have to be applauded for doing such a brilliant job!

From my seat in row V, McKerrow looked like a very young Ulanova, in Act I.

I saw Amanda McKerrow and Ethan Stiefel today (June 29) and they were gorgeous. The last time I saw 'Giselle' at ABT it was performed by Makarova and Dowell! McKerrow is not the powerhouse that so many of the ABT ballerinas are these days, but she is so pretty and so pure. I had a lot of admiration for her artistry. Stiefel was a powerhouse today. The couple took many page bows.

In addition to the thrill of sitting next to and chatting with Peter Martins, I enjoyed a performance of Martha Clarke's VIENNA: LUSTHAUS (revisited), last night at New York Theatre Workshop on 4th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. The program notes say: VIENNA; LUSTHAUSE (revisited), like a dream, explores the unconscious world of Vienna at the beginning of the twentieth century -- in music and movement and texts -- fragments of a lost, shattered world, taken from the paintings of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, from casebooks of Sigmund Freud, frm the dreams of his patients, from letters and journals and diaries: the unconscious world from which our tormented, waking world springs eternally. I found this one hour and ten minute performance visually stunning. Not always light and pretty, it was still like a beautiful dream The programs lists: Concept and Direction Martha Clarke Music Richard Peaslee Text Charles L. Mee Scenic and Costume Design Robert Israel Lighting Design Paul Gallo Music Direction Jill Jaffe Production Stage Management Jennifer Rae Moore Assistant Stage Management Greg Tito Cast: Vivienne Benesch, Erica Berg, Elzbieta Czyzewska, George De La Pena, Philip Gardner, Richmond Hoxie, Mark Nelson, Jimena Paz, Andrew Robinson, Paola Styron, Julia Wilkins Musicians: Jill Jaffe - violin, Daniel Barrett - cello, Steven Silverstein - woodwinds, Stewart Schuele - french horn, Nina Kellman - harp The program notes that VIENNA: LUSTHAUS was first performed in 1986. Have any Ballet Alert posters seen the original or recent production of this piece?

I saw Ringer's 'Theme and Variations' premiere and thought she did well. I imagine the best dancer would be nervous every time, performing that ballet. I fell in love with Jenifer Ringer when I saw her on tv in Wheeldon's ballet for the Diamond Project retrospective. I was a bit let down in 'Theme and Variations' not because of her technique (leg wise), but because her port de bras did not seem gracious or feminine. I'm sure this will improve with time. It was great to see 'Firebird' again!

ABT looked great tonight too! (June 18) My favorite performance was given by Gillian Murphy, but all members of the cast were a delight. Maxim Belotserkovsky, Marcello Gomes, Jose Manuel Carreno, Michelle Wiles, Xiomara Reyes, Stella Abrera (pretty), Anna Liceica and the ensemble (yes! the ensemble!), were great! Is it just 'Le Corsaire', or is the company looking good in everything? I'll try to see 'Giselle' for sure!

I loved Ansanelli in it. Great looking dancer!!!!

Thanks at! I'm even more interested now. All of my dance books are locked up at work (except my Kschessinska bio which I keep at home), so I can't look it up. Can you tell me what 'Figure In The Carpet' is about? Anything about it would be appreciated.