puppytreats

Did I see things? I though Nic. Tsis.'s name was listed in the opening credits. If so, what was his role?

I don't understand how a pancake style tutu can truly be too short or give more coverage, even if placed lower on the hips. Were you saying that a different style of tutu would be more appropriate?

Bolshoi in cinema is worth it just to experience Natalia's excitement vicariously.

I am confused by comments praising the connection between Desire and Aurora. I felt no emotion between these two dancers, almost like Svetlana was dancing separately and was allowing whomever was chosen to spin her and lift her. David was noble but very deferential; I never felt passion or love. This did not seem like a true partnership.

I loved the costumes, but hated the wigs. David looked like George Washington. It was jarring.

Is "Esmeralda" next or "Nutcracker"?

I thought the ballet had two acts, not three. (I was basing this on the written text on the screen. I thought one act each occurred before and after intermission.) Based on the above definition, I was talking about the first act.

I was very impressed by the performance. I offer a few observations below.

1. I am a fan of Svetlana, but I never imagined her as Aurora. I was very pleasantly surprised. I appreciated her in both acts. Her dancing appeared effortless. I came away feeling, more than ever, that she is a princess and a star. This version of the ballet certainly sought to showcase that.

2. I didn't know that "Sleeping Beauty" involved a chicken fairy. The yellow feathered fairy was a joy to watch.

3. The fourth prince, who wore a crown with feathers in a circle, pointing outward, was beautiful physically and in his dance. Did he perform the role of the prince in "Cinderella" in Act II, as well? What is his name?

4. I loved the fairy tale characters. They were humorous and dramatic, if a bit campy. The birds really danced like flying birds. The wolf chasing Red Riding Hood continued in character even after taking his bow, to the audience's delight. The Puss and Boots characters captured the essence of playfulness and kitty confidence.

5. Lilac lacked the presence, grace, and power with which I associate the character. I wondered if she held herself back in some manner. She hardly ever even smiled.

6. David Hallberg dances beautifully, with grace and elegance. I expected longer solos, having seen other versions of this ballet. I had some trepidations during the lifts, but this ballet does not contain many lifts. A few times he landed too far to the side of the stage, outside of the lighting. Also, the cameraman did not show his entrance on two occasions, and did not show the curtain call, to my dismay. Unfortunately, I did not see his interview, and I hope it ends up on youtube.

7. The children in Act I were wonderful. Their smiles were genuine, and their dancing was beautiful.

8. I don't like Carabosse in any incarnation. I never have understood the characterization. I do not find the character scary or innately evil, just ugly.

9. The scenery disappointed, surprisingly. The painted backdrop did not convey anything important, and was not spectacular or interesting.

10. I appreciated the forest scene. It explained the vision of Aurora in a way that I have not seen before, and really provided context that was missing for me. It helped tie the two acts together.

11. David was a bit too deferential in his kiss. That peck would not have awoken me after one hundred years of sleep.

12, The theatre contained maybe ten people. Why doesn't the distributor market this series? I can't imagine who would not have enjoyed this performance.

Bravo!

I think Wayne Eagling is quite bright enough to know what he has with Muntagirov and that to give him freedom to guest is the best way of keeping him with ENB for a little longer. ENB's repertory is constrained for a number of reasons and it's normal that Muntagirov would want to expand his repertory and his experience. But who knows where he will end up. Meanwhile the company has aquired a new leading man in Zdenek Konvalina, and there seems to be a lot of talent among the junior men - (including Carlos Acosta's nephew, Jonah) which is not to decry Muntagirov's exceptional gifts. And it's also worth keeping in mind that his style and personality may not appeal to ABT's audiences.

The Royal can be very difficult about guesting. Kobborg and Cojocaru are exceptional in the freedom they are given and who knows what the future will bring for them, especially given their relation ship with Monica Mason and the advent of a new director. But more generally, I do remember in the past one male principal having to turn down a really nice guest appearance because the company would not release him, despite the fact that his schedule was clear for something like a month. "You might be needed to cover", was the explanation.

See thread on Natalia and Ivan leaving the Bolshoi....

Critics and criticism have changed hugely in the past years and the changes began long before the advent of blogging. It's a year or two since I was able to go to the theatre regularly but it had become unusual to see a critic at anything other than an official press night, which was not the case twenty years ago. At that time serious critics would try to catch most or all casts and would often see a visiting company more than once. And that applied (in some cases) even if they had to pay for a ticket. In London, at least, there tend not to be special areas for critics, although the press is sometimes offered a glass of wine in the interval.

One other thing to bear in mind about professional critics is that they have to cover everything, regardless of whether it appeals or not, and write about it objectively. Bloggers, on the other hand, seem mainly to choose companies, programmes or casts they like or are particularly interested in which narrows their range of experience. Obviously, the fact that they have to pay good money for a ticket is a big factor in this. Why would you spend money to have a bad time?

Or time. A professional critic attends performances, conducts research, and writes for his job. People with other types of jobs that require heavy time commitments do not have the luxury of spending considerable amounts of time leisure activities, such as attending theatre.

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding purchasing opera glasses?

I thought the prior thread advocated obtaining Vadim.

Why would someone put in his bio that he was a classmate of Svetlana?

mili, you of all people should know Bolle is not a guest of ABT.... By the way, I have been waiting to ask you what a natural weightlifter is.

Often, many factors influence a decision, to different degrees; this does not render the stated reasons "contradictory."

In the recent documentary on the POB, the director indicated that the schedule is planned two years in advance. In "Ballerina", didn't someone find out she was promoted from a posting, instead of being told directly? (We have discussed on this board how artistic directors likewise lack courage or strength to fire people directly, and let them wither without roles or interaction.)

I can imagine not being able to plan a schedule for someone who is in demand internationally, and under time pressure, is very frustrating and disturbing. These are very valid concerns to address, and all for valid reasons- artistically, financially, and for emotional well-being. Finding out one's schedule one month, or even three months, in advance does not permit adequate planning. In addition, one faces the risk of injury and cancellation, which also interfere with planning and impose time pressures. Therefore, these pressures explain a lot about the decisions. Furthermore, the number of dancers employed by the Bolshoi is enormous; just look at the roster. When I read it a few weeks ago, I wondered how anyone gets a chance to perform.

One expects that the dancers would express publically their artistic motivations, not their financial ones. I interpret this as a matter of etiquette and image. I noted a long time ago that almost all dancer interviews are very similar, giving rise to a tentative conclusion that people are trained to say certain acceptable things in interviews or learn from example.

When I look at pictures of Natalia with other ballerinas, her thigh muscles look completely different - they are shaped differently, are much more developed, and appear stronger. I was wondering if anyone else noticed this, and if something like this is the likely product of genetics or of a specific type or duration of muscle training.

i kept my mouth shut, but you poked it. Actually it's not her thighs per se, it's her calves, the size & shape (you need to see it close to fully grasp it), that both enables the high(est) jump and "keeps her from tutu roles" (aka Swan Lake, Sleeping beauty) (by some russian clasical gurus) as there are other ballerinas with lither and leaner "classical line".... believe me, i feel for her, as i myself (as most humans) can't change our genes.

YID, It was not a criticism. I was wondering how to train muscles like that to get power, and I am also interested in how lithe bodies achieve sufficient strength.

I don't think so-called "professional critics" are necessarily immune from desires to promote one dancer or company over another, or to advance an intellectual agenda (consciously or not), or from bias. I think bloggers promote and exemplify democracy; particularly in the arena of reviewing arts, this wide-spread dissemination of opinion enriches the reader's experience. Of course, paid-for bloggers or "reviewers" create a problem of reliability. Therefore, a healthy dose of skepticism is required.

Poor David, to come at such a time must be devastating to him. Some would see it as opportunity, I assume, but it could be very upseting, to someone who is not Machiavellian.

When I look at pictures of Natalia with other ballerinas, her thigh muscles look completely different - they are shaped differently, are much more developed, and appear stronger. I was wondering if anyone else noticed this, and if something like this is the likely product of genetics or of a specific type or duration of muscle training.

She is beautiful.

I'll post the dissenting opinion and say that on the contrary the photograph by Oscar Hildago is a good one, and somewhat in the same character as that of Villella by Bill Eppridge on the second page. It shows a good contrast between the soloist and the corps.

Most contemporary dance photography tends to be overly romantic, and as photography, less adventurous than the choreography being photographed. It doesn't report.

As a something of an antidote, check out the "shockingly banal" photographs that Walker Evans did for Fortune magazine ("The Boom in Ballet") and which were also published in Lincoln Kirstein's dance journal - was it called Dance Index? Also Alexi Brodovitch's photos in his book Ballet have some bite to them. Here are Evans' outakes:

http://www.metmuseum...190029001?img=1

Also a bit unvarnished:

H Cartier-Bresson at Magnum:

http://www.magnumpho...&PN=2&CT=Search

http://www.magnumpho...SH=1&SF=1&PPM=0

http://www.magnumpho...PN=19&CT=Search

Quiggin,

What a great resource.

"Welcome to the Jungle" - "Manon"

"Enter Sandman" - "SB"

Any of the nightmarish ballets - e.g., "Nutcracker" -- perfect for loud, clanging drumbeats and guitars

Michaela and Joan Sebastian came. Also present were Joan's sponsor/teacher from NY, the head of YAGP, and some others.

A lot of ballet students were in the audience, too.

Michaela told me she is at JKO School of ABT but also with the studio company. She looked fabulous. Her parents were also in the audience and took a bow.

Joan Sebastian is with the Royal Ballet School and flew in from England. He is very sweet and modest, and has a real presence. His roommate from Queens also showed up; he still lives in Queens.

The director added an update at the end of the movie, indicating that two months after the competition, Rebecca was asked to join a company on the west coast. I don't remember which one, off hand.

I had seen Aran on Guggenheim's Works and Process about the YAGP and his progress in one year, since the filming of the movie, has been amazing. Aran, Miko, and Rebecca did not show up in NY.

Two of the stars showed up at the screening, as well as the director and other people who worked on the film. The audience was very receptive.

1. After seeing Osipova in "Coppelia", I never expected her to excel in "Giselle", but her jumping skills are so valuable here, even if used or displayed for a different purpose. Brava.

2. What muscles are used to pull up and jump, so as to create the puppet being pulled up/angel being lifted/bird flying appearance?

3. In another post from this performance of Act II, on YT, which I looked at after reading the above posting, in Act II, Hallberg lifts his leg in attitude, and I wanted to know if this is typical, instead of arabesque.

4. In Act II, after the entrechats, Albrecht starts to leave the stage and Giselle flies in and he lifts her. Typically, is Albrecht doing any lifting or is Giselle mostly jumping? I am thinking about Svetlana - her jumps do not look like they are assisted in any way - she is just lifting her legs and flying.

Random, persistent thoughts, sometimes vented here; sorry.

Didn't Farrell say that the point was individuals acting together, uniformly, rather than cookie-cutter, replaceable dancers?

Maybe the author just watched Altman's ballet movie and got this idea about dancers....

p.s. - OK, that does it. I now have booked for every single show & can be certified as truly Looney Tunes!

Be proud, Nat.

Option 6. She could shop at consignment shops for designer clothing. The only designer items I own all come from consignment shops.

I have never ventured thusly but every once in a while I am reminded of vintage and consignment shops. Thanks for the reminder.

Are principal dancers really paid well enough to afford Hermes? Holy cow!

From the article: "Many designers lend me dresses, but I don’t own that many."

Spaced out judiciously, as what fashion magazines like to call "investment pieces", Hermes is a very good and even (cough) cost-effective purchase.

1. It could have been a gift.

2. She could be very frugal and save on everything and give herself one special gift every 10 years.

3. She could charge her credit cards like crazy and be in debt.

4. She could be paid to wear Hermes or other designers in magazines and where she will be photographed.

5. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Principal dancers with major companies are relatively well remunerated. (Relatively being the operative word.) And don't forget endorsement deals. Irina & Max have their own line with Bloch, for example.

Are they paid outside of union contracts? Do you have any idea of the range?