Treefrog

This is a sweet, sweet film.

I thought so; thanks for clarifying.

I guess until the company issues official word, it remains in the realm of speculation. Unfortunately, this is not something this company does well. Most times the dancers just slip off into the mists of time; one performance they are there, the next they are not. Such a shame! But ... it's interesting that my daughters and I developed this idea just from the dancing! That surely says something about the expressiveness of Shives (and Wilkins).

Has Shives' retirement been announced, then? Agree with you about Aagard's Clara.

We caught the final performance of this year's run this afternoon. I hadn't planned on going, but my older daughter bought a $20 student rush ticket, so I was able to use one of the pair we had already. (The rush ticket was on the aisle, third row. My younger daughter claimed that one so she could study the technique up close -- and was thrilled when one of the dancers, Michael Smith, sat next to her for Act II.) This was my first chance to see Aaron Rogers in a substantial role (Fritz, Snow Prince). He was utterly charming! This is a role that is deeply associated with the beloved Calvin Kitten, so there are big shoes to fill. Rogers was up to the job. He was a suitably bratty Fritz, with vivid acting and light, bouncy steps. His Snow Prince was crisp and charismatic, with an especially impressive suite of pas de chats. (I hesitate to call these "quick" only because the tempo of the music was especially plodding today; I'm not sure whether this was due to the substitute conductor we had, or perhaps a change that new AD Ashley Wheater has instituted.) Speaking of Wheater ... I assume the credit goes to him for creating a more manly male corps. The Joffrey/Arpino choreography has always seemed especially effeminate to me, e.g. the males in Waltz of the Flowers. (The pink and mauve jackets and tights don't help.) This year the steps didn't change (much), but the quality of the dancing was noticeably stronger and more masculine. Yea! All three of us independently had the impression that we were perhaps seeing the last Nuts performance of the remarkable partnership between Willy Shives as the Cavalier to Maia Wilkins' Sugarplum. The impression was reinforced when Wheater presented Shives with a magnum of champagne at the bows. This pair has a terrific synergy, and IF our thought is correct they will be missed. We were happy to be able to see Erica Lynette Edwards dance the Spanish variation. She also is a crowd favorite, and deservedly so. Lots of energy and flair.

Are you saying that you saw it, and had that reaction? Or that you have that general reaction to Matthew Bourne, and decided not to watch? It certainly was different ...

Last night Matthew Bourne fired the opening salvo in Ovation TV's Battle of the Nutcrackers. Tonight the Bolshoi returns fire, with the Balanchine/Martins version and Mark Morris's Hard Nut slated for future entry into the skirmish. After multiple airings this month of all contenders, the favorite (based on votes at OvationTV.com) will be aired Christmas eve. Did anyone see Bourne's Nutcracker last night?

Back to ER and Giselle for a moment. It was particularly gratifying that the producers chose a ballet that was actually being performed in Chicago, by the Joffrey, around the time of the episode. Now back to the NYT crossword puzzle. I didn't get to start it until last night (been a busy week here), so I'm glad I didn't see this thread until this morning. I, too, was delighted -- and mildly astounded -- at the answer to that clue.

What day do they have ballet class? (I assume you don't discriminate, and that both cats and dog are enrolled?)

Yes, thanks, that's it!

Just at the moment (11:28 Central time, Tuesday 11/13) Ovation is airing a dance performance. Unfortunately, the program guide shows the current program as the movie "Small Wonders". What am I watching? I like it very much. Clues: modern dance, music is Bach or similar, dancers -- both men and women -- are wearing shiny but muted gold or green tee shirts and shorts (or shorty unitards), lighting is dark, overhead looks sort of like organ pipes.

Very well done indeed! I believe a friend attended this same performance. She complained about the tempo of the music, although I cannot now remember if it was because the hapless Gergiev raced through the score inappropriately, or because he took it at the intended tempo, which has always been criticized as excrutiatingly slow. There's no pleasing everyone, is there?

Agreed that the presentation is too general and somewhat abrasive, and could have been softened. But the thoughts may have nuggets of truth in them. In my personal experience, having a baby does change your concept of love. No other relationship that I have experienced begins with such a powerful, raw, biological, primal, intense surge -- one that, as a biologist, I believe is chemically mediated (most probably by oxytocin, but possibly by swift changes in other hormones related to reproduction). This is not to say that other forms of love are not valid, intense, etc. But this one IS different from day one. Since their babies are still young, these women may be influenced by the flush of that first surge. I can say that NEVER have I wanted another baby -- in an intense, physical way -- so much as when my children were newborns. Perhaps this type of feeling is leading them to pity women who have never experienced the rush that they have experienced. I think you might find lots of women out there whose feelings about the relative importance of children and careers changed once they had children. Before you have children, or if you don't have children, it really is impossible to imagine what it feels like. Of course, some people do chose not to have children, and others are not able to. It's easy to conjecture, however, that dancers allow the choice to be taken away from them, and put themselves at risk of being unable to have children. I think this might be the cautionary tale in their story. Women in other professions might find it difficult or unfilfilling to return to their careers full force, but for dancers the biology of being pregnant and delivering a baby fundamentally puts their instruments, and their careers, at risk. Wouldn't you think the pressures to delay or forgo motherhood are different, and larger, than for other women? I'm struck by the fact that both these women are relatively old to be having babies -- in fact, old enough that getting pregnant and carrying a healthy baby to term are statistically dicey propositions. [Edited by Estelle to remove a sentence added by mistake in the wrong post- sorry !]

My daughter is working on an assignment at college that I thought some of you might have fun with. The gist of it is: Write a review for a piece that you have not seen, and that in fact has never been performed. Snippets cut from your full review are welcome, but do give us the name of the piece and something of its flavor.

The casting is from the program insert, which only covered last weekend. I'm sorry, Jack. Wouldn't it be great if they would put the casting up on the website? I wonder if they will tell you, if you call. Which cast would you most like to see? Paul, I agree, this is a wonderful ballet. I loved it the first time I saw it, and the second too. I hope the Joffrey keeps it in their repertoire and that I get to see it again (but not this weekend -- for those of you who remember Dolphingirl, I'm off to watch her dance in her college modern company's show )

Here's the actual lineup (Friday, Saturday matinee, Saturday evening, Sunday matinee): Rocas: Giselle, Giselle's friend/Wili X 3 Villanueva: Albrecht, Village Man, off, Village Man Wilkins: off, Giselle, off, Giselle Shives: off, Albrecht, off, Albrecht Jaiani: off, off, Giselle, off Suluashvili: Village Man, off, Albrecht, off The current system isn't quite all star/no star. Some dancers are more starlike than others (e.g. Shives, Wilkins, Kitten), and some never seem to make it out of the corps, and a large group are first among equals: you can count on seeing them in the secondary roles, or even starring occasionally, but they also appear in the corps a lot. I can't think of anyone who never appears in corps or lesser roles. I kind of have the impression that even the star dancers like a chance to perform but not have to carry the show.

vagansmom, you now have the answer to your question. I was mistaken about how many casts. There are only three (unless they are saving someone for next weekend, but that seems unlikely).

I've always wondered what Arpino's motivation is. Is he trying to stir up the crowd? Convey appreciation to his dancers? I can tell you hands down that, as an audience member, I would prefer the strong silent type. I've always regarded the very vocal cheerleading as inappropriate. The company is performing for the audience -- the ones who are paying to see them -- and the audience deserves the chance and space to make up their own minds and convey their own responses. Interestingly, the active artistic staff sits far away from Mr. Arpino's box. There are about four seats reserved for their use midway back, center, with easy access for late seating or quick exits. Today they wee occupied by Cameron Basden, Calvin Kitten, and a gentleman who I thought might be Ashley Wheater (hard to tell from the back). Not a peep issues from those seats. Great question, Farrell Fan. By "who would you rather have as boss?", where you specifically asking from the dancers' perspective?

At first I was going to say that, on the contrary, it was exciting. But then ... I thought, no, you were right to pick up on my tone. At least in the first act, it was more secure than exciting. And yes, a different cast might be more exciting. As much as I love Wilkins and Shives, especially together, I did feel a touch of the "ho-hum, here they are again." One of the reasons I appreciated Gluckman's pas was that it really WAS exciting. I did love the forest scene, though. And all in all this is a definite keeper of a production. Some random ruminations: -- the romantic-style hair looked downright out of place on this company. Can't quite place why; they just didn't quite look the part. -- I still can't figure out why Giselle wants to save Albrecht, who has proven he is a cad. I guess it's often the lot of the Other Woman to believe that He Truly Loves Me, even though the man in question has demonstrated his penchant for straying. (I know, I know: it probably has something to do with period concepts of ideal romantic love . . .) Should we admire or pity her? -- Giselle's opening dance with the wilis had a frenetic quality to it, as though a continuation of (or transition from) her mad scene. It contrasts with the wilis more fluid movements. Is this deliberate? What popped into my head is that Giselle is somehow different from the other wilis, which is why she wants to save Albrecht instead of killing him. But maybe it's just a transition from life to death. Or maybe I'm imagining the whole thing. -- it was fun to see Charthel Arthur as Giselle's mother -

What's that line the Arpino character says in The Company? Something like, "Is that pretty? You know how I hate pretty." Watching today's performance of Giselle, I kept flashing on that line and thinking that if Mr. A were already dead, he'd be rolling over in his grave. What we saw was definitely pretty. But it turns out he DOES like pretty, judging from the "Brava!"s issuing from his usual box. This was definitely not the standard Joffrey fare -- but I'm predicting it will become so in the future. The house was packed for the Sunday matinee. The crowd was enthusiastic in its response and applause. This is only the second Giselle I've ever seen -- the other one being ABT a couple of years ago -- so I've little to compare this performance to. As a story ballet, it suits the company very well in some ways. It is a short, tight story with a relatively small cast. What's unexpected and unusual is the traditionalism. People are used to edginess from the Joffrey, and this is sweet, straightforward, gentle, and a touch bland -- but, on the whole, gorgeous. Major, major kudos go to the wilis. The corps work was extraordinarily balanced and uniform -- quite wonderful, I thought, for a company that presents so few opportunities for large corps to work together. The timing was spot on, the angles just so, the movements consistent. Well done. The mime was also very effective, very readable. Again, this is something not frequently encountered in the company's usual repertoire. I imagine that the coaching by Frederick Franklin had a lot to do with the success of the acting. Not surprisingly, Maia Wilkins and Willy Shives were given a turn as Giselle and Albrecht. (There are at least four rotating casts.) This partnership has been together for a good long while, and they have the whole adoring, madly-in-love thing down pretty well. They are such a pleasing couple that one easily overlooks the major drawback to this casting: each is old enough to be Giselle's parent. It worked, however, with Wilkins' dancing looking especially strong. John Gluckman was truly wonderful in the peasant pas de deux. Valerie Robin was a secure and commanding Myrtha. Has anyone else gone? What did you think?

I note that "kids" go up to age 17. (Yea!) I know many a teen who would thrill to seeing ABT, even from the nosebleed seats. And many a parent who would thrill at the price.

Dissecting Drama and Dance: The Science of Performance Saturday, October 13 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Chicago Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theater 77 East Randolph Street Chicago Free and open to the public. Bring the whole family! Reservations are required and can be made online, by e-mail, or by calling 312.422.5580. When registering, please provide your name, contact information, the names of all your guests, and how you first learned of this event. In theater and dance, performers use their voices and bodies to express ideas. But science has a role in performance as well. What can physiology tell us about how our bodies move? What insights do neurology and psychology have into the practice of memorizing lines and acting? Join us we experience the science of drama and dance. Performers: Global Girls Dramagirls at Redmoon Theater Speakers: Dr. Sian Beilock, Assistant Professor of Psychology, the University of Chicago Patricia Vater, LMT, BSN, Instructor in Anatomy and Physiology at the Chicago School of Massage Therapy This event is funded in part by The Boeing Company and is presented in partnership with Project Exploration, Chicago Cultural Center, Global Girls, Inc., and Dramagirls at Redmoon Theater. Background: The Illinois Humanities Council joins the Mayor's Office of Special Events, Chicago Public Schools, and a large group of science-friendly organizations to present... Chicago Science in the City This second-annual city-wide celebration is an exciting two-week festival that allows Chicagoans of all ages to explore and experience various fields of science. It features science discussions, films, exhibits, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and workshops. The Illinois Humanities Council, in partnership with Project Exploration, Marwen, Dramagirls at Redmoon Theater, Global Girls, and the Chicago Cultural Center, will present two programs for adults and families related to the intersection of science and culture.

Thanks for the heads up, Jack Reed. I have never seen Merce, and would like to. Would you recommend one program over the other? 10/12: CRWDSPCR, Crises, eyeSpace 10/13: MinEvent, Fabrications, eyeSpace

Exactly. To me, the thought of pairing something with Giselle seems like those restaurants that feel compelled to enlarge their servings so that customers feel they get their money's worth. Give me fresh ingredients, well conceived and prepared, presented attractively, in moderate amounts, and I will leave happy. This goes for ballet as well as food.

I never saw the company in its former glory, but I think it has been forced to change and keep up with the times. Frankly, a lot of the old "new" stuff doesn't play so well these days. What was refreshing and startling then, isn't so much now. Personally ... I will be happy to see less Joffrey and Arpino choreography. Heresy, I know, but there it is. What I hope is that they don't lose all historical pieces that they have kept alive. However, to some extent they have to perform what the public wants and is willing to pay for. Remember, this company was on the verge of collapse and has literally been brought back from the brink. In the process, they lost most of their "folksiness" (the "we're wrapping the season with a party; come join us at XXXX restaurant after the show" announcements in the program have been replaced with "we're holding a $350/ticket gala at the Lamborghini dealer; bring your checkbooks"). I think it will be extremely interesting to see how the company continues to balance its legacy with its need for support. Knowing nothing about Mr. Wheater, I wish him well and look forward to his direction. As for Giselle: I suspect it is the sort of smaller, shorter full-length ballet that the company puts on with such charm. (Along the same lines, I wish they'd revive La Fille Mal Gardée, but given that it is not well known and is not likely to draw an audience here in the provinces, I suspect it is a vain hope.) I say good for them for trying something new! The orginal plan was to have ex-Ballet Master Mark Goldweber stage it. I am thrilled that Frederick Franklin was brought in to coach (along with ... Virginia Johnson? ex-DTH). Sir Frederick, by the way, was totally charming at a subscriber event a couple of weeks ago. I want to be able to hop off daises at age 93!