fondu65

I’d like to mention something that so far has not been commented upon, the tradition of older dancers passing on their experience and knowledge to younger ones. The Fokine Masterworks performance and afternoon rehearsal on Friday (2/4) gave those audiences an opportunity to see that tradition being practiced as the role of the Charlatan in Petrouchka was danced by Frederic Franklin and Mr. Franklin staged Polovtsian Dances. Perhaps it is that Mr. Franklin is so well known to Washington audiences that he is taken for granted. His distinguished career in ballet spans more than 60 years (he was dancing Swan Lake, Coppélia and Giselle with Danilova at Covent Garden in 1949) and his contribution to ballet in the form of continuity alone has been enormous. I don’t usually care for mixed bills but Fokine Masterworks was a pleasure to see. My wife and I thought the dancing was beautiful and the costumes and sets lovely. But for me one of the highlights was to see Mr. Franklin perform, he was a nimble, frightening, and totally convincing Charlatan, and to have a rare opportunity to watch him coach the dancers for Polovtsian. The opportunity was one I was very glad not to have missed.

I had been looking forward to seeing the Bolshoi's Nutcracker all year. I saw the Friday evening performance and am glad that I did. Even so, it was a disappointment. This version differed so much from the version that I am used to seeing that it was a bit confusing. I agree with previous posters that it was under lit, the costumes were drab, and adult women as little boys were a distraction. There was nothing in the dancing that really sparked my enthusiasm. I was particularly disappointed in the switch from Arabian (one of my favorites) to Indian. And to me the costumes for the Russian, French and Spanish dances all seemed too similar. On the plus side, for the most part the women's pointe shoes were quiet… a considerable accomplishment when compared to the noise they made when the Bolshoi danced La Bayadère at KC in June. The 1st tier was full and the audience seemed appreciative although there were no wild demonstrations of enthusiasm. Actually the audience was very good as there is usually a rush to depart before the dancers have taken their final bows. This time everyone waited until the company had been thanked. Perhaps this was due to the earlier start time of 7:30 or the fact that the weather was miserable, or both.

You might want to look into the link between the ballet Spartacus and Karl Marx. From Google: Karl Marx on Taxation: "Civil servants and priests, soldiers and ballet-dancers, schoolmasters and police constables, Greek museums and Gothic steeples, civil list and services list-the common seed within which all these fabulous beings slumber in embryo is taxation." http://www.spicyquotes.com/html/Karl_Marx_...x_Taxation.html 24. Khachaturian: Ballet Music: The Soviet composer Khachaturian, of Armenian extraction, won particular fame for his ballet scores. Gayane was first staged in 1942 and subsequent productions have introduced variants into the basic story. Set on a collective farm in Armenia, it deals, in outline, with the drama of the peasant girl of the title, her cruel treatment and later rescue by a gallant leader of a Red Army group. The wedding of hero and heroine provides a scene for varied regional dances, including the well-known Kurdish Sabre Dance. The ballet Spartacus takes as its hero the leader of the slave rebellion against Rome in the first century B.C. It may be recalled that Karl Marx regarded Spartacus as the first great proletarian hero, who had, after all, nothing to lose but his chains. There is a lyrical celebration of the love of the hero and his beloved Phrygia and various characteristic dances, introduced in part as entertainment for the Roman general Crassus, who, historically, later met his death in Armenia. The Naxos issue of ballet music by Khachaturian also includes incidental music for Lermontov's play Masquerade, with its series of dances. http://www.naxos.com/edu/ext_124.htm 'Grigorovich could only benefit from the fact that when he and Khachaturian were creating the ballet, the figure of Spartacus was serving as a kind of double agent in the former U.S.S.R. On the one hand, the Communist leaders endorsed him as the ultimate worker-hero (Karl Marx called him "the true representative of the proletarian of antiquity").' http://www.city-pulse.org/020116/theater/

There is a nice, but short, article with a photograph of the new POB étoile, Laëtitia Pujol, on page 234 of the October U. S. edition of Vogue.

I am currently reading Toni Bentley's "Sisters of Salome", the lives of four women, briefly told: Maude Allen, Mata Hari, Ida Rubinstein and Colette who danced the role of Salome and were part of the 'Salomania' craze at the turn of the 20th century. Bentley tells their stories well and it is a fascination read. Next on my list is the life of Karen Kain; Movement Never Lies: An Autobiography.

The Bolshoi's Don Quixote has Kitri and Basil being allowed to hold their wedding at the Duke's castle. Some versions of La Bayadère have the wedding of Gamzatti and Solor during which the temple is destroyed.

Kristen Gallagher has been dancing with the Richmond Ballet since 1989 and is with the company for the 2002-03 Season as well. Juliet is right. In 1999, the Suzanne Farrell Co performed Tzigane at least while on tour. On Wednesday October 27 it was performed in Richmond with Kyra Strasburg (Boston Ballet) and Philip Neal (NYCB) who is a alumnus of the Richmond Ballet School.

Thanks Mel! The context seemed to be pointe shoes. Hope that you are now feeling as good as new.

I enjoyed The Four Temperaments. A fascinating summer read. I would have liked a bit more of the ballet thread but there was enough to make the book seem realistic. I don't really see that that Virginia Valentine, the rising young dancer in the book, is different from the rest of the human race. Living one's life is sometimes a messy business. She made mistakes but recovered and moved on. It wouldn't have been the same if they had all gone to Disneyland! The only flaw I detected was the reference to Selva pointe shoes (p.194) which I think were discontinued long before the days of SUVs. Or perhaps it was a reference to a dance supply shop of that name in Saratoga, NY? In any case, I found that once I began I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.

Thanks Alexandra, A fine site with some very nice photos of Anya Linden, my all time favorite ballerina!

In the SOED the second definition, a female gamine is: A small attractively informal, mischievous, or elfin young woman. Leslie Caron was also described as gamine.

I agree that the question is a difficult one to answer. I chose the young dancer because seeing the debut performance gives one a benchmark opportunity for watching the dancer mature in the role during future performances.

I agree that the question is a difficult one to answer. I chose the young dancer because seeing the debut performance gives one a benchmark opportunity for watching the dancer mature in the role during future performances.

They could have fashion shows during intermissions where Darcey could model the cat suit from her James Bond film.

Odile is saved by environmentalists * who clean her feathers with a detergent (New sponsor here - Proctor & Gamble etc. Sample packets distributed in the lobby) Snowy white once more she and Siegfried go off together to live happily ever after. * Or was it the Suds Fairy?

Odile is saved by environmentalists * who clean her feathers with a detergent (New sponsor here - Proctor & Gamble etc. Sample packets distributed in the lobby) Snowy white once more she and Siegfried go off together to live happily ever after. * Or was it the Suds Fairy?

While Odile is not really a black swan but a white one that had been coated with oil from a recent spill.

While Odile is not really a black swan but a white one that had been coated with oil from a recent spill.

Dracula II: The Vampire Bites Back Swan Lake, becomes 'Exxon/Mobil Lake" complete with drilling platform in its center.

Dracula II: The Vampire Bites Back Swan Lake, becomes 'Exxon/Mobil Lake" complete with drilling platform in its center.

La Bayadère II: Nikiya Returns!

La Bayadère II: Nikiya Returns!

Thanks Alexandra. The Odalisque was definitely blond. I didn't think that I would have missed the quad pirouettes, but then…. I have rerun the Odalisque portion of the video several times to see if I can pinpoint the part that impressed me so in the live perf. In the video, that point seems to be at the end of the 'quad turns Odalisques' (Murphy's in the 3/8 perf) variation which, if correct, would account for the quiet shoes. But the video is edited so that I can't be certain. This just points up (again) the fact that there is no substitute for seeing multiple live performances of the same ballets. Thanks too for the tip that the video cast wasn't the 1st night cast. The Boulevardier

Oh, dear me! Fools rush in…. I had hoped that there might be a more experienced and knowledgable BAer who would come to the defense of this performance, but since no one has stepped forward I find it left to me to pick up the gauntlet. I have not seen the Kirov's version of Le Corsaire mentioned by previous posters. I base my remarks on the assumption that the ABT Video of Le Corsaire (for Dance in America in 1999) is the archetype on which Kevin McKenzie wants this production judged. The principals in the Video are in large part the same as for the performance on Friday evening. March 8th, with the following exceptions: Character : Ali: In the Video, Angel Corella. In the KC perf. 3/8/02, Jose Manuel Carreño Character: Lankendem: In the video, Vladimir Malakhov. In the KC perf. 3/8/02, Gennadi Saveliev During McKenzie's introduction to the video he says that he envisions the ballet as "the rip roaring fun of a 19th century story, politically incorrect attitudes and over the top performance values." Basically, a lighthearted frolic of a ballet. It was with this in mind that I watched the video and formed my expectations for the live performance. I must say that I enjoyed the Friday evening performance enormously! The costumes, the music, the DANCING were wonderful! One may argue with the production values but then that IS what anyone who purchased tickets should have expected to see. It is arguable, that a dancer's role interpretation far off the mark set by that in the video is not carrying out the intent of the Director. Given that one had suspended disbelief sufficiently to watch so politically incorrect a story as pirates and the sale of slave girls set to music and danced in tutus and pointe shoes, it was a simple matter to take the fantasy just a bit further and have them smile. Perhaps we didn't get the full 32 fouettés from Kent. Too, I thought that Carreño did not have the animal magnetism and panache of Corella as Ali (as seen in the video), but none the less I was very pleased to see Kent who I love and Carreño's interpretation of the role. I was also pleased to see the multiple pirouettes and jumps and there was sufficient music to accommodate them too. And I love 180º extensions. (In for a penny in for a pound) As for Savliev's barrel turns, those were not in my copy the video and as a result were a delicious surprise! I can say for a fact that the first tier audience was humming with gasps and comments and was not found sitting on its hands at the conclusion of his performance. He got a very enthusiastic round of applause from all of us in the first tier. I was particularly pleased with the performances of the Odalisques especially the one on house right (who I think of as the 3rd Odalisque) whose steps consisted primarily of beats. I could not identify her even when I later pulled their photos from the ABT site. My thought is that she was Michele Wiles. Can someone (Alexandra or Ari or another knowledgeable poster) identify her for me please? One of the things that I noticed about my 3rd Odalisque was that her shoes were very quiet, which is a big plus in my book. However, that opens the possibility that the 3rd Odalisque was danced by Gillian Murphy and her Gaynor Mindens. Thought the 3rd Odalisque's feet looked great - just in case she turns out to be Murphy. I'm trying to keep my contrarian streak going here. The Boulevardier [ March 10, 2002, 06:28 AM: Message edited by: fondu65 ]

From the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Ballerina: A female ballet-dancer, esp. one who undertakes a leading role in classical ballet. Ballet: (a theatrical performance of ) dancing and mime to music; a company performing this. Under Point: point shoe A ballet shoe blocked at the toe for dancing on points; point-work Ballet dancing on points. Pointe: Dancing. The tip of the toe. Also a dance movement executed on the tops of the toes. Under Toe: Toe-dancer, a (ballet) dancer who dances on points; toe dancing, dancing on points; toe-shoe N. Amer. A ballet with a reinforced toe; a point shoe.