Victoria Leigh

Hello Manda, welcome to Ballet Alert Online! This is not, unfortunately, a very unusual situation in a lot of schools. Your choices, in my opinion, would be to stay away from these people and focus on why you are there, which is to learn to dance, or, if that is not possible for you, change schools.

I remember reading that, and I also know many, many dancers have done far more than 38. The article doesn't even say if she was en pointe or not.

Does this not bring to mind one quite dreadful production of Nutcracker that some of us unfortunately saw last year? [ November 05, 2001: Message edited by: Victoria Leigh ]

kiki, have you checked out their web site? www.festivalballet.com

Wow, glebb! What a treat to read such wonderful things about dancers! Now I can't wait to see them when they come here in a couple of weeks

There are 28 states listed with towns of Aurora, and I found Siegfried Creek, MN, Siegfried Pyre, AZ, Mount Siegfried, AK. Best of all, Odette Drain, MI!

Sorry, lalou, but I do think that it is quite possible to show a great deal of expression and confidence in dances that are choreographed in a manner that is tasteful and age appropriate. Unfortunately, a great deal of the work being done in some schools, especially competition oriented schools, is neither tasteful nor age appropriate, not to mention that very little real technique is being taught.

I just read on AOL news that Herbert Ross died today. He was 74. I did not know him well, but worked with him during one rehearsal period during my ABT years. I was in his ballet "Capriccios", in a role which I really liked called the "burning girl". It was an episodic ballet, based on the paintings of Goya, and one of the main sections was danced by Johnny Kriza and Ruth Ann Koeson. It was a pas de deux with the female as a dead body. Very interesting work. For those of you too young to remember Mr. Ross, he was a well known Broadway and film director. You might know him as the director of "The Turning Point". He was married for many years to Nora Kaye, a famous dancer with ABT back in the 40's and 50's. She died in the late 80's and he later married Lee Radziwell, sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. They were later divorced.

Tendumom, I responded to this topic on the Ballet Moms and Dads board.

Adrienne was an apprentice with Washington Ballet for part of last season. She is no longer with the company, and I do not know where she is now.

ABT was in Kansas city because they had a performance there on Tuesday night, which they did. Then they had to bus to CA for the rest of their tour, which they all agreed to do. There was a statement by Kevin McKenzie about this, but not sure where it was published. It was in ABT's Enotes today. They performed in San Diego this past weekend, and open, I think tomorrow night, in Berkely.

I'm fine here, too, but the city is now in the process of shutting down. The schools are open but parents have been advised to go get their children and take them home, and most schools will close early. Our classes at WSB have been canceled for the day.

Lu, don't be upset! I think this is only a difference in terms of varying opinions on what constitutes technique. You feel that technique and "sensibility" are separate things, and I think some of us feel that they are essentially the same thing in that technique is such an integral part of great artistry that they are not separate things. While Fonteyn may not have had the highest legs, the most turns, or the biggest jumps, she had a clean and strong technique which provided the means for her beauty, elegance, and artistry to shine through. While some people feel that she did not have fire or passion, I think she most definitely did but in her own beautifully subtle way. She may not have been a spitfire Kitri, but she was an exquisite Juliet or Aurora, and a most eloquent Swan Queen! Todays competitive world, fired by all of the International Competitions and the media hype have made higher/bigger/more the keywords. We all love to see beautiful extensions, lots of turns and soaring jumps, but without the artistry it's just not what ballet is all about, IMO of course! You are certainly entitled to your opinions of Fonteyn, but so are those of us who saw her perform many years ago!

Thank you, Helena! That was eloquently stated and right on!

Lu, while Fonteyn did not have the world's most incredible feet, they were certainly very good feet in terms of ballet. I don't understand what you think was wrong with her feet?

Lu, you must try to keep in mind that the videos with Fonteyn and Nureyev were done rather late in Fonteyn's career. It would be a really good idea to watch some of her earlier performances. While she was never the kind of technician that we see today, she was indeed very beautiful, and, for those of us fortunate enough to have seen her in person, she was a very special artist.

Great site, Juliet, thank you!

I believe that www.voiceofdance.com also has ballet e-cards

I have not seen it in stores, Stephanie, but I have read the magazine. I think it is a very good one for young dancers!

Lex, is there no way to adjust your school or work schedule for that one weekday morning? If not, I'm afraid I have no ideas for you without knowing more about the whole situation and what is available for you, what your priorities are, and what is your position in terms of school/work? Is this a professional company, a civic company, a school company, or perhaps a partly professional company which uses students from the professional division in addition to a few salaried dancers? Are you a college student? Is there any way your work schedule can be cut back to accomodate this one morning? I'm just fishing here, as I tend to be one of those eternal optimists who thinks there is always a way!

I believe that would be "Chopiniana", ballet4life, also known here as "Les Sylphides". The music is by Chopin! The other pieces that you saw are selections from other ballets, most likely several of them just the pas de deux. Sounds like a very fine program!

The Bolshoi Ballet is one of the largest most important ballet companies in the world, dance4life! How lovely that you had the privilege of seeing this company perform! Can you tell us what ballet or ballets they did on the performance you saw? Was it one ballet with 3 or 4 acts, which is called a "full length" ballet, or was it several shorter ballets, which would be called a "mixed program"? Do you have your program so you can tell us what ballets and performers you saw in the principal roles?

I think it means Russian, justdance, and it was so popular because the Russian Ballet was considered the best and most popular.

As far as I know there is not a version of the FULL Paquita available, however, a portion of it, about 20 minutes I think, with Pas and variations, is on one of the Ballet Gala CD's (Richard Bonynge conducting). Try a search on Amazon and also Tower Records.

And Mary, I do believe that there really is only ONE American Ballet Theatre!!! Are you by any chance thinking of their different Summer Intensive programs, which they hold in 5 different places? They are all ABT programs, run by the same company, but held in 5 cities around the country. But there is only one ABT company! [ 08-19-2001: Message edited by: Victoria Leigh ]