iczerman

Being a newbie to ballet..I've seen this subject come up many-a-time on youtube. I do acknoledge that in some variations that many ballerins kick up their legs higher...just because they can..not because its beautiful.

But in some cases I DO expect full 180 degree splits...the one instance that comes to mind is when Gillian Murphy does a full split after the first Black Swan PPD at the very end..developpe then full split...

I think 180 degree extensions are appropriate when they are excecuted effortessly..slowly and at the right moment...NOT nessesary at the beginning of the White Swan Variation...but maybe nessesary at the Don Quioxte third act PPD.

I need to get more opinions of those that are more experienced..maybe a short primer on what they look for in a ballerina perhaps?

Thanks!

Addendum to my previous post.

After reading ksko4's postings again..sleeping on it..and also considering that ksko4 was alot closer front and center...I was on Tier 1...

Ms. Riccetto's stumble and recovery were indeed imperceptible.....being a newbie I thought it was a serious omission...my buddy who is newbie er er than I did'nt notice anything until we

got to his house and I showed him what was supposed to happen.

My compliments to Ms. Riccetto....

Comments from a newbie's first live ballet performance.....Saturday 2:00 matinee...

I should have exchanged my seat for one closer....I could've seen Gillian's expressions better.

I blame any mistakes or gaffes of the dancers on the venue. While quite posh and nice...the stage was WOEFULLY MUCH MUCH TO SMALL!!!!! The dancers were running out of room. Hee Seo almost smacked Bathilde in the kisser when she was done with one of her variations. Gillian could not "let it fly"..she would have ended up in the orchestra pit.

Speaking of the orchestra...I felt they lacked drive and fire. From where I was sitting I could see Mr. Wilkins trying to get something going..but the energy just was'nt there.

I did like the way Bathilde faced down Giselle..almost willi-like in backing Giselle " in a corner"...you had to be there to know what I mean. And then leaving in a huff when Giselle started her mad scene.

The Corps of Willis was fine..it would have been great if they had more room.

I liked the ending at "sunrise"..the stage bathed with the first light of dawn....I also liked this effect with ABT's Swan Lake.

I think Gillian was the best dancer out there...but I am SOOOOOOOOOOO prejudiced...she is my first love when it comes to ballerinas ya' know....

I'm going to the Saturday matinee at 2:00. I want to see Gillian do Myrtha.

This will be my first live ballet! I'm going to be in tier 1.

My buddy is going to be right up front in the orchestra...maybe I could sneak down and join him. He decided to come with me at the last minute.

He's a newbie like myself...but thanks to YouTube ( BalletForYou...you're great!)...I know what's in store!

I hope Gillian gets to move around like Marianela in the Royal Ballet Version.....

I hope whoever plays Giselle's mother shoves Mr. Halberg halfway across the stage when Giselle collaspses...along with a

glare of conpempt and disgust..

I hope " The Death of Hilarion" part is not truncated....

Boy...I'm not ask'in for much ...huh.....

While on YouTube...be sure to subscribe to "BalletForYou" This contributor has something like....4 Giselle's...5 Sleeping Beauty's....5 Swan Lakes... And the AUTHORITATIVE version of La Syphide..Aurelie Dupont/ Mathieu Ganio. (IMHO)

Voila!

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=25452

Of course, this doesn't cover iczerman's category: "most essential."

My suggestion is that those who want to talk about their favorites go to the older thread. Iczerman, how about we reformat this topic to focus on ...

Essential= The ones that every dancer ABSOLUTELY MUST get right.

Okay!!!

...variations and Pas du Duex?

Essential= The ones that every dancer ABSOLUTELY MUST get right.

Maybe a list of the top 5 ballet essentials?

For me..I guess it's the "White Swan Variation' form act 2 of Swan Lake..

Every step ( or second for that matter) I go..."so and so does this step/move/extension better than so and so".

Come to think of it...which variation in the enire ballet repitoire would you feel will tell us what a dancer is capable of..male or female?

And you can bet that I'll be You-Tubing alot here....

But I have to give a shout to the You Tube contrubutor BalletForYou...this person has made available complete ballets of several company's...3 Swan lakes..4 Sleeping beauty's....etc.

Mine has to be Gillian Murphy. The first full length ballet I've seen was on Youtube with Gillian and Angel dancing ABT's Swan Lake.

I have since grown to respect others..Alina Cojocaru and Marianela Nunez for instance...but Gillian will always be my first love.

She's a very strong dancer and she's not a stickarina. I have very minor quibbles artistically ( in Swan Lake....her miming "tears" is a little overdone in my verynewtoballet opinion.)

I will always enjoy watching her.

Hello everybody,

Youtube proved to me one of the best sources for ballet videos. Infact, it's even one of my biggest influences why I fell in love with ballet again (after dancing for quite a long time, you almost forget how beautiful it is).

This time I discovered this great account: Balletforyou

On this account you will find lots of great ballets danced by the major companies (which were ripped from the dvd/vhs and making it a bit questionable if it's really legal). It is on youtube, so it's accessible to everybody and I thought I would share it . Fingers crossed that this stays forever on the world wide web and enjoy the videos (right now I'm currently watching Spartacus from Bolshoi and it's spectacular)!

Yes! I've been hanging around that account for the last 3 weeks. To see 4 different Aurora variations form differnt company's....

If you play around with that &fmt=22 thingy and the HD button....some of those videos look REALLY good!

...try to walk turned out....when no one is looking.

...when you start to move for any reason...you do the little knee dip thingy..( quatre-plie')

...when you point at something you move your arm in a full circle before you point.

Don't feel bad.

I am a X-ray technician and I take LOTS of x-rays of feet! And have been in one or two surgery's ( on others) to remove bunions. ( more like shaving the bone off......OUCH!)

I am new to ballet..but thanks to Youtube and the ABT ballet dictionary..I'm just starting to scratch the surface of the art.

I wish I'd known that you had a working knowledge of feet, the ballet lexicon and ballerinas including how they work their feet before making a total idiot of myself at length, defending someone who professed to be a total novice, including upbraiding and attacking other board members who I believed weren't helping by becomig too technical. Apologies everyone for any upset I caused. I'm an idiot.

I hope we have many more such topics. I thank you, icezerman .... wherever you are this morning.

I've been here...reading with interest the various postings! I've just heard the term" good feet" thrown around so much I was just wanting a little more info. My conclusion is that one can be born with a great arch and relativley short metatarsals...but it's how you use your feet that counts...

Gillian Murphy( my first love when it comes to Ballerinas) has really long feet..but she's very quick with them..for example her Bouree's.

Alina Cojocaru is going to need a podiatrist soon...she has a bunion forming on her right foot...( poor thing...I'm starting to like her too!)

I a newbie to ballet..thanks to Youtube.

I have read many comments saying that "so and so" does'nt have "good feet".

Who DOES have "good feet"?

What do I look for?

Why does so and so..have good feet?