Victoria Leigh

Bravo, vrs!!! I have always disliked the term pre-professional, and you are absolutely right! My question about the lower age limit, having never been to one of these competitions, is based on concern that very young dancers are doing variations on pointe from the classical repertoire. I don't know if this is the case, but if it is, I don't think I want to see it. Seeing 11, 12, or even 13 year olds doing variations that were created for professional ballerinas and soloists is not my idea of a good time.

Thanks, vrs. We do not cancel any classes either. However, sometimes the students who are competing miss their classes in order to rehearse. Not all the time, but any time taken from classes is not good, IMO

Excellent post and explanation, vrs! Thank you. I agree that the age categories should be changed, at least as far as considering a 15 year old a "senior". Do you know what the lowest age is for the Juniors? BW, our school has also benefitted from sending students to this particular competition, and so far I don't think that it has hurt anyone, although that remains to be seen a bit further on. We had 3 last year and there are three this year, two of them repeats and one new one. All senior category this year, but the 15 year old was a junior competitor last year. It was their own decision to compete. One of them is also on the list for Jackson, a 16 year old. I am yet to be convinced that all this preparation and emphasis on competing, working on the same variations for a long period of time, sometimes missing classes for rehearsals and coaching sessions, is the way to go. But, that remains to be seen too, and I will try to stay openminded about it. I think the things that create my reservations about these competitions are the politics and judging aspects, the fact that artistry is not something that can be judged like a sport and these things place ballet in the position of being treated like a sport, and the fact that some very young dancers become "stars" way too soon. And then there is the $$$ factor. The fact that they have to allow non-winners to attend the finals in NY in order to pay the bills, the costs to the entrants themselves as well as the school or teacher, and the way that acceptances to the NY finals vary from being in a regional to just sending a video or even automatic acceptance if you are from a certain school. Somehow this just does not seem quite right to me.

Ah, both very good reasons to stay with Discovering Ballet. Had not thought of either one of those things, Estelle and Leigh! Good points.

Hmmm, more good ideas Now there will have to be decisions! I like both Ballet 101 and Discovering Ballet, but the 3 B's is also interesting. How about "Ballet 101/Discovering Ballet"?

Cool! I like that too, Viviane

BW, that is one of the questions I had thought of too, about the winners of this particular competition getting summer scholarships. Certainly they are the ones who would get summer scholarship offers anyway! If the scholarships were for the following year, or even half a year of tuition, it would seem to be more valuable. But of course the idea of winning in NYC comes into play here too. Why they bring so many people to NY I don't know. It has to do with points won in the regional competitions.

I'm glad to hear there was a positive outcome, but your story really proves the point, doesn't it? We have a student now who came in a bit less than three years ago from that kind of school. She was 12 or almost 13, I think. Very strong, with a good body for ballet. But she had never heard of turn out! Really. This is still somewhat of a problem for her, however, because she was diligent, intelligent, musical, and extremely hard working with a GREAT attitude, her progress has been exceptional. She has been accepted to Houston Level 8 this year, after doing Level 7 last year. Unfortunately, not all who have spent a number of years in the competition schools can make this kind of progress, especially if they are there into their teens.

Just curious about the title of Wheeldon's ballet. "Corybantic Ecstasies" is a most unusual title and I wonder if there are any program notes that explain this? Or is this something I should know and recognize and do not? Does it come from the music?

I don't see hyperextension in that photo, just extreme distortion and misalignment of the entire torso and pelvis. Agree that it is not a classically attractive photo at all, however, as Mel said, in motion in the right context, I suppose it might be effective, if one likes Forsythe and that kind of work. As to injury, I would think there would be much less danger in that kind of extension, because it is done by tilting the pelvis so far, than in forcing rotation and maintaining correct alignment. Not advocating tilting the pelvis here, but just saying it is probably safer if one MUST get one's leg to that extreme position.

Yes, Jude, just call when you are in town.

While the Washington Ballet does have an interesting array of types, they are all classically trained, and there is not in any way anything funky in their Nutcracker. Their production of Nutcracker is purely classical and traditional. The production is Mary Day's Nutcracker, and it uses the dancers from the school as well as the company. The company dancers who dance the principal roles are beautiful classical dancers. Some of the other ballets they do are more funky and modern, but not all. Their repertoire includes Balanchine and Tudor, and several other choreographers as well as Septime's ballets. His works are actually a rather small portion of the total repertoire. Just thought I should clear that up! I'm not sure what you are referring to in terms of rolling around on the floor in their underwear, but NO, this is certainly not what the school of the Washington Ballet is training it's dancers for. [ March 16, 2002, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: Victoria Leigh ]

Thanks, Colleen That was very well stated indeed! I like your description of lyrical, and it is absolutely right on.

The frightening thing about this kind of competition is that it fosters that kind of school. Eleven "numbers" for the competition! How much technique is being learned by these students who are doing all these "numbers" all the time? They learn to perform, and to "sell", and maybe some of them will have enough natural ability to wind up in Vegas or even MTV videos. Fine, if that is their goal. BUT, the problem comes when they think they have ballet training. They think they are "advanced" dancers, and then they audition for a pre-professioal program in ballet and find out they are teenage beginners. I had two video tapes come in this week, audition videos for our Summer Intensive. They were 15 and 16 year old girls who have danced almost all their lives, and they sent a video of themselves doing what they think is ballet. Neither of them had ever heard of turnout, placement, port de bras, or articulation of the feet. Seriously, I am not exaggerating here. It took only seconds to see that they were total beginners in ballet, and there was no way I watched either video long enough to suffer through seeing them in pointe shoes. They did not know how to relevé on demi pointe. Very sad. They are probably both "stars" in their home schools, which are definitely competition schools according to the resumés that came with the videos. [ March 16, 2002, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: Victoria Leigh ]

Call me at the school, or come by and see us when you are in town I can give you the information on the performances. They are not publice performances, as it is part of the summer workshop. But you could attend as a guest. The phone number for the school is 202-362-3606. Ask for me, and you will get my voice mail if I'm not in the office at the time. (I'm rarely in my office, always in the classroom ) Leave me a number where I can call you back. [ March 10, 2002, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: Victoria Leigh ]

Not sure we are talking about the same thing here, jude. We do our Spring Concert at Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University in downtown DC, but the Summer Intensive Workshop performance is held at the school of The Washington Ballet. The Spring Concert is in May, the Workshop is at the end of the summer course, which is late July this year. Last year it was early August.

Sorry, jude, not much going on here during the middle of summer. At least not in ballet. You can come and see the School of the Washington Ballet's end of the Summer Intensive Workshop Performance if you like That will be on July 25 and 26, at the studios.

Power. Because they can. Why do most dancers who move into management, whether it's as AD's or other administrative positions, suddenly totally forget what it is like to be a dancer? I don't see this as much in ballet masters, but in many AD's and most certainly those who move into company administrative areas. Perhaps because they lived through the years of being a dancer with little to no power at all? But even so, the WAY that power is often used brings many questions. The past does not justify a lack of humanity in dealing with human lives. Dealing with dancers is just not at all the same as dealing with individuals in major corporations. (Not that a lack of humanity is justified there, either, but dancers are artists and, I think, far more vulnerable as individuals than those in the "civilian" world.) A new director is certainly entitled to a creative vision, and to make some changes in terms of realizing that vision. However, I feel that these need to be done over time, and after giving the dancers and other artists of the present regime an opportunity to work with the new vision. Changes can be made without charging in and sweeping out the place and starting over, assuming that there is a solid and well functioning company in place. Time and patience are always at a premium in the lives of AD's, and even those with caring and compassion do succumb to these pressures, it seems. Their jobs are huge, and the demands on their time unbelievable. But making the time to do what they want to do in a way that does not destroy others should also be a top priority.

Leigh, first let me say that I'm sorry you are ill, and hope that you are recovering quickly! As to the retiré, I really don't know much about it's actual development, but I remember that many years ago a lower position was used in supported work, assumingly to protect the partner That seemed to change over the years and the partners just learned to adjust to the higher position and keep their distance! When I first began learning pas de deux I was taught to lower the leg a bit from the regular position of pirouettes, but by the time I was actually performing that had already changed. So, in my professional lifetime, the retiré position has been the same, except that now I am seeing some people actually place the foot ABOVE the knee, which I find quite unattractive! It breaks the line, and no one can do it well without sickling the foot. Makes no sense, because they are still being taught to do it at the barre in the right place, and then they come to the center and do pirouettes with it at a higher place. What is that all about? I find this happens particularly with the male dancers who are Russian trained. Have no clue as to the theory behind it, but I do know that it does not work!

I attended the Wednesday night performance of this program. While I enjoyed the performance as a whole, especially Dim Lustre, which was brought to life most beautifully by Julie Kent and Maxim Belotserkovsky, I really found Gong very silly and basically boring. The colors were fun, and there were a few interesting moments, but I had trouble getting past the music and the stiff, angular movements. Herman Cornejo was excellent in this ballet, also Gomes. The dancers were fine, just did not like the ballet. Dim Lustre is one of the Tudor works which I do not know well, and have seen only once before I think. It is dated, but I still found it very beautiful, and, as Ari said, so well structured, musical and mature. It was wonderfully danced last night. My problem with the Bizet was the four principal women. The men were very fine, but I'm afraid I just don't care for any of the ballerinas. Murphy danced the first movement very well technically, but she has no personality or performance style at all, and a very unattractive look on her face. Dvorovenko has never been a favorite of mine, and Reyes and Anna Liceica did absolutely nothing for me last night. I don't get it with their rise to principal roles, especially Liceica, whose port de bras was truly awful last night. Reyes' arabesque is too far to the side and she flags her foot into a most unattractive line. Some work on her neck and shoulders would be helpful too. There are, I think, several other dancers in this company who are more suited to move into classical principal roles if they are going to cast people other than the major principals like Kent, Jaffe, Herrera, etc. Wish I could have seen Wiles in this one. I enjoyed Reyes in Peasant Pas last year, and thought she was well suited to that. Have not seen Liceica in this kind of role before.

I saw her when I was very young, but I thought, at that time, that she was awesome! She was elegant, gorgeous, beautiful legs and feet, and the perfect Lilac Fairy.

Sonora, what a lovely review! You made me really want to see this ballet, and it is really so nice to hear of a new work that comes so highly recommended! Bravo to Andersen and the company!

Ed, that was just wonderful! If I win the lottery I think I will just join you in your venture I am curious, though, perhaps in view of a thread we have going on the Moms and Dads board about feminism, why your opera director is female and your ballet director male?

I thought Sasha was awesome tonight! She is very special. Just pure talent. Michelle is still wonderful and such a joy to watch. Huges is very fine, too, but I don't think she is quite there yet. She did very well tonight though. Irina has come a long way, but she does not have the fluidity and the artistry of Kwan. It will come down to the long program there. If Kwan is clean, she should win it. If not....well, it's up for grabs. Sasha is right there and could do it. Less pressure on one of her age, like with Tara Lipinski. I don't think Irina can compete with Michelle in the long program, if both skate clean.

I was very disappointed in the overall quality and in the choreography of the programs last night. While there were some fine moments, I felt way too much of the content in the programs was spastic and lacking flow and connectivity. I liked the Canadians best, and felt that they would have medaled were it not for that most unfortunte last moment. Also thought the American couple should have placed much higher. Bring back Torvill and Dean!!!