Treefrog

I don't think it's so very sinister, at least as far as the two websites are concerned. They ARE related -- one (GirlsBoneHealth.com) states clearly that it is for MD's, nurses and clinical personnel to find out more about the study, and the other (MyBoneHealth.com) is for girls and their parents. I don't have a huge problem with recruiting participants this way, from the standpoint of the study's validity. It's actually a pretty effective way of recruiting large numbers of patients, and it COULD have the additional virtue of alerting some girls -- and their parents -- to a potential problem. As Major Mel points out, though, a girl/family should not enter into this study without the guidance of the family physician. He/she can help evaluate the qualifications of the investigators, the design of the study, and the potential good or harm to be reaped from receiving -- or not receiving -- the medication being studied. ALL clinical trials of medications are sponsored by the manufacturer. In order to get FDA approval, the manufacturer has to demonstrate the treatment's safety and effectiveness. They are only allowed to do so after initial studies, usually in animals, suggest both safety and the promise of effectiveness.

We (me, Dolphingirl, hubby, the younger dancing daughter, and four friends courtesy of Joffrey's "free ticket with every subscription" offer) went to the closing performance of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago's "Taming of the Shrew" this afternoon. What a gem of a ballet! It's my new nomination for Really Accessible Ballet -- one to take the kids to, as well as every friend who ever swore that they "just don't get" ballet. The story is easy to follow, due to a wonderfully integrated mixture of ballet and pantomime (Kate employs a grand battement, for example, to deftly deter unwanted attention). The theme is horribly un-politically correct, of course -- Petruchio subdues Kate rather than winning her, and how she can display affection toward him after all that outright abuse is beyond me -- but as it's an old, old story we'll forgive it. Maia Wilkins was stunningly Right On as Kate. A combination of persuasive body language, mime, and incredibly crisp dancing convinced even those of us at the back of the theater that this was no demure mouse. Angry, dismissive, combative -- Wilkins conveyed her character through a series of abrupt, yet precise and very powerful, moves. I really can't say enough good things about her performance. Davis Robertson was commanding and powerful as the caddish Petruchio -- and also amusing as the drunk, denuded and debauched Petruchio. Did I mention that this ballet is simply a hoot? I can't remember ever laughing so much at the ballet. Choreographer John Cranko inserts tons of unexpected plays on classical movements, which simply induce guffaws and giggles. (Can anyone enlighten me as to whether the men's rock-concert thrusts are in the original choreography or updated? I thought they looked more modern than the 1969 premiere suggests.) The cast deftly carries off the comic aspects of the production. Every ballet must have its tender moments, and those were supplied by the lovely, lyrical pas de deux between Lucentiuo (Samuel Pergande) and Bianca (Suzanne Lopez). When the Joffrey dances this spectacularly, I don't care what other Famous Companies don't stop in Chicago. But I do wish that more of you could have the opportunity to enjoy this truly delightful company, and particularly this truly delightful ballet.

I'm happy to report that a Google search on "Paris Opera" or "Opera Paris" or "Paris ballet" or "Ballet Paris" brings up the official site well before these other ones. In three out of four cases, the official site is the first one cited.

Thank you guys so much! After laughing so heartily, I lost all of today's crotchety-ness.

Maybe Light Rain will do, but I think the prediction is for heavy storms and strong winds! (Although it is a lovely piece -- and I'm jealous that I didn't think of it.) Perhaps "Caught"?

"Ballet -- we're not what you think we are" "Ballet -- Tights! Music! Action!"

Yes, unless the temperature drops a whole lot, and then they can preview the snow scene from Nutcracker ...

I don't have much scuttlebutt, but the Chicago Tribune reports that people are invited to don their rain gear and attend an outdoor performance/film shoot Saturday evening. How do they know it will rain? They will make it rain! and blow! I don't know what the plot is, but it apparently involves typical yucky Chicago weather. I'd love to go, even though the high for the day will be 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and the evening promises to be much cooler. Hm, what a great evening: sitting for three hours in a cold, wet blow and watching ballet. Unfortunately, I am taking the kids to Riverdance. My husband, who does not have a Riverdance ticket, says maybe he'll go watch the Joffrey in "Puddledance". Here's the link to the Trib's story:

Same for me, BW. After that first experience, I think I went once in about 1981, and then not again until 1998. On that occasion, the Joffrey kindly "paid" the Nutcracker kids with some free tickets to the fall performance. I remember thinking, "What have I been missing all these years?!". Now I subscribe to the Joffrey, I look for ballet performances when I travel ... and yes, it's due to my kids' interest. Here's an anecdote for you: My dad was doing a crossword puzzle and got stuck on some ballet term, which I supplied. He said, "Well, I would have gotten it if I'd had a daughter who loves ballet." He was referring to my kids, of course. Replied I, "You DO have a daughter who loves ballet ...

Leigh, thanks for pointing me -- gently -- to that recent discussion. I'm embarrassed to have asked the same question so soon after it was answered. That thread lived and died while I was on vacation, and I guess I never caught up. Wonder what else I missed?

Does anyone know who the dancer is in the book "A Very Young Dancer"? And what became of her after the book? Did she ever achieve other dancing fame? or a career? My kids are curious. So am I.

Swan Lake in 1973, under the stars in the Cour Carrée of the Louvre. I was 16, biking through France with other teens. We happened upon the performance one night, and watched from the fence until we got shooed away. Several of us returned the next night for the full performance. It was breathtaking. Magical. Rudolf Nureyev and Natalia Makarova. What I remember best was the corps of swans just .... undulating their way across the stage.

I have to agree with Vagansmom -- it's the tone of the language that is so captivating. Maybe the book reads differently for those of us who have been fortunate enough to travel in Ireland. And, I agree with you about "'Tis". I always wondered why I didn't like it so much, and you've provided a nice analysis, about the voice not working for an adult. Are you all able to keep up with reading now that the summer is over? I envy anyone who can. I'm back to correcting papers at night ...

All of the Joffrey's evening performances begin at 7:30, weekdays and weekends alike. I like this. The kids can manage a 7:30 curtain and still get to bed reasonably on time. Me too. I'm a confirmed East Coaster at heart, but one of the things I like about the Midwest is the shifted entertainment schedule. All the good TV shows are on at 9 pm, and the news is over by 10:30.

My husband -- who's also a Ballet Dad -- just finished researching and writing up a report for PBS about their children's programming. I sent this thread to him, because he knows public broadcasting really well, and has put a lot of time into thinking about how it could better serve its audience. Here are his comments:

My husband -- who's also a Ballet Dad -- just finished researching and writing up a report for PBS about their children's programming. I sent this thread to him, because he knows public broadcasting really well, and has put a lot of time into thinking about how it could better serve its audience. Here are his comments:

G, I think we can also agree that everyone came out ahead in terms of venue. Neither Arie Crown nor Rosemont -- sterile, modern facilities -- can match the feel of the 1890's Auditorium Theatre, particularly for the Nutcracker.

G, your note can be interpreted to suggest that one reason the Joffrey moved here (to Chicago) is because the Ruth Page Foundation was discontinuing its Nutcracker. While it is possible that the Joffrey had several years' advance warning of this event, my recollection is that the company moved here at least two years before the city's traditional production ended its run. I'm pretty sure that the reason the Joffrey presented its Nut out in Rosemont -- a suburb near O'Hare airport, 25 miles from the city center -- is because the Ruth Page version was still being presented at Arie Crown, which is very close to downtown. The Joffrey moved to the Auditorium the same year the other production was discontinued. I also recollect that they did far fewer performances while at Rosemont -- more like 10. Their first year at the Auditorium they presented the ballet 22 or 23 times, and eventually increased to about 30. (This latter information is based on my daughters' performance schedule in the children's cast.) But this is all nitpicking. I hope we can agree that the Joffrey production is far, far superior to the Ruth Page version. The latter always struck me as lackluster, possibly due to the fact that it was a pick-up company. Now, as to BW -- I certainly hope you do get to see the Joffrey perform sometime! I have an extra ticket to "The Taming of the Shrew" in October, if you are really eager ...

Well, technically they were 23 euro. But the euro is trading just about evenly against the dollar. Yes, it would be easy to feed one's habit there! The choreographer was Pedro Consuegra, "inspirado en el cuento homónimo de Charles Perrault," according to the program notes. Roughly translated, I think that means "inspired by the story of the same name by Charles Perrault", but I bet one of our Spanish speakers can give a more fluid interpretation. The notes also say that Consuegra, a Cuban, presented his first version of this ballet in 1988, and that he revised it substantially for the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, enriching the technical and dramatic aspects. This version premiered in Havana in March 1996.

You can read my review of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's production of "Cinderella" on the Recent Performances board. This one used the Johann Strauss score.

A big "thanks" to whomever suggested "The Lovely Bones". I took it off on vacation and just loved it. Who would have thought that such a grisly topic could be handled so gently, so lovingly, so unexpectedly? Following "Bones", I launched off into "Seabiscuit". Good, but not nearly as captivating as "Bones". What a great resource you all are!

Through pure serendipity, we caught the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's performance of"Cinderella" in Madrid last Sunday night. It was a pretty cool way to close out our vacation. Much of what has already been written on this board about this company held true here. The production values were pretty awful. Between the scratchy soundtrack and the painted backdrops, it felt rather like a school recital. And I really didn't like the costumes! They were a very strange mish-mash of styles. The women at the prince's ball wore hideous dark green flapper-style dresses with gold sashes -- very ungraceful. Cinderella changed from a longish French maid's dress to a white flapper-style dress for the ball. It just didn't look like a ball! In contrast, the stepsisters and prince were in appropriately fairy-tale-like garb. Laura Hormigón was wonderful in the title role. Tall and willowy, her dancing stood out even beyond the deliberate choreographic contrasts with the stepsisters (played here by women -- only the stepmother was played by a male). She really was different from everyone else on stage. She used amazing turnout and danced with a fluidity that was different from the more angular movements of the other dancers. I really enjoyed watching her. Oscar Torrado made a very manly prince. I awaited eagerly his solo. Alas, it was disappointing. He had trouble finding his center and repeatedly fell out of his pirouettes. I suspect that the stage was just too small. In general, the dancers looked cramped and constrained, as though they just didn't trust themselves to really jump or extend. This was especially true of the men. I'm sure their balance was thrown off. Applause was lukewarm from the audience in the first act, more enthusiastic in the second. We got a kick out of watching Alicia Alonso out of the corner of our eyes -- she was seated just behind us as the curtain rose. Alas, we could not interpret her impressions. I will say that the price of the ticket -- $23 for orchestra seats -- was an unexpected pleasure!

My daughter and I have been reading memoirs of kids/teens around the time of the Holocaust. Two about a Hungarian Jewish girl who spends time in various concentrations camps (book 1) and then rebuilds her life (book 2). Of course, their titles and the author's name don't spring to mind. Another book by a woman who was a resistance fighter in Poland in her late teens. Her ingenuity and quick thinking really captivated me. And finally, "German Boy", about a 10-year-old German boy whose family flees the advancing Russian army. I was least sympathetic to the last one. For one thing, the amount of detail provided far exceeds what I believe a 10-year-old would take in, much less recall 50 years later. Second, although I wouldn't wish this kid's life on anyone -- and he was just a kid -- I have more trouble casting him in the role of victim. Third, when he finally gets around to protesting, at the end of the book, that he was just sick and horrified when he found out what the war was all about, it just feels like too little -- or maybe too much -- too late. What I really want to get back to is "The Far Side of the World", MY next read in O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. Estelle, I have to disagree with you, I really liked "Desolation Island".

I'm glad to see my "tacky meter" isn't seriously awry. I figured it was an outreach attempt. If it works, that's great. As long as they don't alienate their traditional base. Their brochure notwithstanding, I'm very grateful to have this terrific company in town. I know they are not awash in funding, so if they can attract new audiences (and money), all the better.

I just got my mailing for the upcoming Joffrey Ballet of Chicago season. I was taken aback by the tone of some of the copy -- excerpts are posted below -- and I wondered if anyone else felt it was, well, cheap. How do other companies portray themselves? Excerpts: --"Iambic Pentameter? No way! In the spirit of the popular musical comedy, "Kiss Me, Kate," this is both a fiendishly virtuosic ballet in the classical, storytelling tradition, and a raucous, rollicking, refreshingly uproarious comedy. Think, "Lucy and Ricky Ricardo meet Laurel and Hardy" -- in tights!" --"The single most-requested work of the hundreds that comprise The Joffrey's distinguished repertoire, Light Rain is quintessential Arpino: Inventive, youthful, passionate ... and hot, hot, hot!"