Birdsall

I loved Les Patineurs tonight! Penteado was a terrific Blue Boy! My favorite part of the music, however, is when the White Couple dances (Catoya and Reyes). So romantic. Not sure how I feel about the upside down split lifts (sort of jarring during such romantic music), but overall it is a gorgeous pas de deux. The Blue Girls (Arja and Lauren) were like spinning tops! In fact, the entire cast made this the lovely highlight of the evening for me. Apollo was nice but I think I agree with people who prefer the original which I have on video (Jacques d'Ambroise). Cerdeiro looks so young and lean so he was a very youthful Apollo. He certainly acquits himself well even if he doesn't have the look we have in our mind for Apollo. I think the stool with the props stacked on it looked like a small end table with a white phone on it (the way the scroll, mask, and lyre were stacked). I think they should consider a different type of seat/platform next time they do this. The last piece Piazolla Caldera was interesting. To me it was a hybrid piece ( modern/ballet/broadway style). I enjoyed it, and there were ballet movements throughout (although no pointe shoes rather low high heels), but Cristian, I am not sure you would like it. There were a few (short) moments of rolling on the floor! A wonderful night but I personally think Les Patineurs contained the magic of ballet more than the other two. I know Apollo is an important work but it has an abstract/modern oddness to it, and even though I respect it I doubt if it will ever be in my Top 10 Balanchine ballets. I find things like Serenade, Theme and Variations, Ballet Imperial, etc. more magical.

Thanks, everyone! Helene, thanks for the explanation. Bonnette, that was nice to hear! Cristian, for someone who did not want to see Piazzolla Caldera, you sure are interested! LOL Why don't you go to one this weekend?

I told the person that he didn't post publicly b/c he knew his intent was to kick me but he is now claiming I am the rude and hurtful person because I responded to rudeness with rudeness. Basically, he wanted me to roll over and play dead, I guess, and let him kick me. This is actually the second time this person I never knew contacted me and was rude. The first time I turned the other cheek, but now he is blocked!

Thanks to everyone! Ascballerina, thanks!

How do I block someone who keeps private messaging me?

Recently I was private messaged by someone who implied I am too dumb and should not be posting anything to Ballet Alert and people like me are the reason so many dancers and knowledgeable people no longer post. I was under the impression Ballet Alert was for everyone and even beginner's. I have never gone into the Dancer version of the site because I don't belong there, but I post often to this one so I learn. I have never tried to portray myself as anything other than someone who likes ballet, watches a lot and wants to learn, etc. Do the majority only want the "cognoscenti" posting and the rest of us to just listen and not ask questions or give our opinions? I would like to know. If this place has 98% wanting only "cognoscenti" posting I will retire from this forum. Maybe a new branch should be created for beginners and people who want to teach them about the art. That might solve the problem. I will go there instead if such a forum is created.

Helene, I love Tereshkina. She is amazing! But teach me something. How can you tell if a dancer has poor turn out or good turn out, since they move so fast all the time? If a dancer stands still in 5th you can tell. I understand that, but as they move about the stage I find it very difficult to tell. Unless the dancer is doing simple moves at the barre during classes it seems hard to tell. During performances they rarely stand still in 5th long enough to really see just how good their turn out is or am I mistaken? Please teach me how to look for good or bad turn out during performances. B. Birdsall

I just wanted to make a clarification of what I have said way above about hyper-extension. When I refer to hyper-extension, I am not talking about the ballet term leg extension (raising leg to waist height or up to the ear). By hyper-extension I am talking about joints and how some people's joints are hyper-extended. That means instead of the knee, for example, looking bent like normal it actually bends the wrong way (slightly). You can see non-dancers who are simply hyper-extended from birth, b/c that is unique to their bodies. When they are standing straight their legs are not straight. They indent where the knee should actually be more forward than the shin. You have this with elbows also, In fact, when I taught Pilates I ran across this problem in elbows a lot more than I did in legs, b/c we have become accustomed to thinking hyper-extended legs are attractive (most ballet dancers want it). A hyper-extended elbow joint means that when the arm is held straight it actually goes too far in the opposite way than it is supposed to bend. People with these types of joints do not feel like their arm or leg (whichever limb is hyper-extended) is straight unless they hyper-extend. This is something that many ballet companies see as a plus but when I taught Pilates the people who trained me believed it was important to train clients NOT to hyper-extend. Hypothetically it causes the joint to push the wrong way more and more over time and that can eventually lead to injury of that joint. The more the person relies on locking out the limb to hyper-extension the more they are stressing the joint. However, I would love to know what actual dancers think of this who are retired. Do they have joint pain and problems due to hyper-extension being a plus in the ballet world? I wish I could explain what I mean. Again, I want to stress that I am not talking about leg extension (how high a leg can be raised). I am referring only to joint movement and the joint moving in the "wrong" way slightly (for lack of a better description since "wrong" is subjective.....many ballet dancers want hyper-extension in their legs). Bart

I respect your knowledge and am sure that many agree with you. However, I believe ballet is similar to opera, and there are tons of examples of opera singers that some people think are horrendous. A good example is Cecilia Bartoli, who I actually like a lot, but I understand why some good friends of mine can not stand to hear her. Their criticisms (and many people have agreed with them throughout her career) are that she makes horrendous, bizarre faces when she sings, moves her body in a jerky manner when she sings (both things are normally not allowed by a voice teacher), and she aspirates her coloratura, has a small voice, indulges in some breathy or campy mannerisms, etc. But many people find the good points of her voice outweigh the bad points and love her. She is one of London/Decca's cash cows always selling tons of cds of Vivaldi or Gluck arias that no other singer could actually get anyone to buy. She has just released a cd of arias by Steffani who is an obscure composer. No other opera singer would probably be able to release a cd of such rare arias that no one knows, b/c the cd would normally not sell. She can release this, b/c she sells cds no matter how obscure the composer is. Another example is Maria Callas, a legend. I would say that most people love the drama she brought to her singing and her recordings are the first I would grab to take with me during a fire in my house. However, there are some who think her voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard like someone above commented. There are plenty who feel that way. People are divided on her even after all these years and even after her "legend" status (which I personally think is deserved). Her international career was short also which indicates something might not have been right about her technique (and there are many theories why she lost her voice) but you will find many, many Callas lovers who play many instruments and also sing who will tell you that her technique was flawless. But there are just as many Callas haters who play many instruments and sing and think she is overrated and is the cause of the decline of operatic standards. In the end, opera singers and ballet dancers are like wine. Each person tastes something different in a particular bottle of wine. One person will go into ecstasy over a certain bottle while another will spit it out disgusted. The only reason I say all this is that the trashing of Somova on this site is always given as a fact. It is not a fact. It is an opinion. I suppose the trashing of Skorik can be opinion as well. I have seen some full-length performances of Skorik and I have to say currently I would prefer not to see her in any role, but I hope she can prove my opinions about her to be unfounded and maybe one day I will eat my words. Maybe one day she will improve her self esteem (because maybe that is the key to all her flubs as someone implies above). Each singer, dancer, or bottle of wine is going to have good things and bad things and it depends on what we are willing to tolerate. I can tolerate Cecilia Bartoli's aspirated coloratura, over animated face and body, etc. Others can not. Many think she is a joke to the opera world, but many totally disagee. There is a male mezzo (counter tenor really) who has a funny parody of Bartoli on YouTube, and he is amazing not only vocally but also copies all her flaws as well as her amazing vocal pyrotechnics. It is actually hilarious, but it demonstrates how a particular artist divides people completely and one person's trash is another person's treasure. I have a good friend who is dumbfounded that I like Bartoli, but I have friends who like her as much or more than I do. Less people trash Callas b/c she is a legend and they sound ignorant to criticize Callas, but they will confide that they can't stand her voice if you get to know a Callas hater. They know it is taboo to claim to hate her voice and find it horrible (although some people do say it out loud). But a current singer like Bartoli is always fair game and you will find plenty who will trash her today. I think you, Cristian, and everyone else have every right to your opinions. I am not trying to convince anyone that Somova is good. That is in the eye of the beholder. But I simply don't personally think it is fact. Some flaws (in any dancer) can be shown as fact that they make mistakes or have flaws, and that helps to form an opinion, but the overall decision that a dancer is terrible is an opinion (possibly based on facts). I even have to remind myself that my opinion of Skorik is an opinion.

I read somewhere that Somova actually was encouraged by Vaziev's wife to use very high extensions. Could this be true?

I like reading all the comments. I have to say I did enjoy Somova's Lavrovsky Juliet. So far I have yet to enjoy anything I have seen Skorik do, but I hope you are right and she can actually improve. Maybe it is nerves, and now that she is in a fish bowl she feels pressure and can't handle it during performances. Part of me feels sorry for her, but at the same time, if I fly to St. Petersburg I do not want to have to be scared that she will be cast as Aurora, for example. Someone commented earlier that it is UNHEARD of that we have to be scared when going to see the Mariinsky. That was never the case when it was the Kirov according to many people. Are there any rules about promotion? Since Skorik was promoted to First Soloist this past September, is that the level she'll stay at for the duration of this season? Or can someone be promoted twice in one season (at the beginning and then at the end)? Are there any rules concerning this? I know some never get promoted, so I suspect there are no hard and fast rules, but how fast has the fastest dancer been promoted at the Mariinsky, for instance? Does anyone know? Or is it different for each person? If a dancer is promoted one step at a time up the ladder is she sometimes promoted more than once in a season?

Bartoli is highly controversial among the cognoscenti despite selling out concerts at top prices. I like her, but I understand WHY some do not. I have seen her facial contortions that are not supposed to be there. Most voice teachers or coaches would tell her to stop that. I also hear her aspirated coloratura that is the major complaint of many. It does not bother me either, but to some opera fans it is simply horrendous. So I think the comparison is actually fitting. People new to opera would probably see that Bartoli is a "star" and hear that she does amazing things with her voice and will not understand at all why many can not stand what she does. Same with Callas. You even say that for many it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. I hear that aspect of her voice but I love her recordings to death. In fact, I would probably grab her recordings first if the house were on fire, but it was a very flawed voice and people still argue today about why she had such a short career and whether her technique was actually good or not. She divided many people when she was singing, and she still divides people in their appreciation or lack of appreciation. This is a case where someone who wants pure voice "voce, voce, voce" and prefers the beauty of the voice above all other aspects of opera will probably not like Callas at all. With that said I think she did have a beautiful voice but it was problematic. I have to honestly say that I have never really understood what people hear when they listen to Birgit Nilsson (I hear gasps and people fainting and having a heart attack right now all over the world). I just don't like her voice at all, especially when she sang the Italian rep. She was okay to my ears in Wagner, but I would much prefer to listen to Nina Stemme. I think there is always going to be differences of opinions about certain artists and divided opinions. My point is that Somova is someone who divides opinions, and I am saying that without trying to say she's good or bad. You decide. But there is a difference between that type of artist and someone who makes mistake after mistake and has to constantly simplify to the point where the choreography is blaringly different. You have this in opera too. You have singers who transpose the music to make it suit their voice better, leave out traditional high notes if it is not written in the score, etc. Then, you have singers who throw in extra high notes or hold notes way longer than the score or conductor intends. An example is that almost every singer I hear in La Traviata as Violetta omits the trills in the cabaletta "Sempre Libera" except on recordings. It is because trilling during very fast passages is hard, and many, many singers leave the trills out. A few keep them in. Even greats of the past would fudge at times also.

No, BB...she does not. Her grand jetes are never "grand"...her fouettes are butchered and out of center...her balances are a joke. There's nothing on her technique that makes her different from every other "non ballerina" ballet dancer. My point in this Skorik thread is that there is a big difference (in my personal opinion) between Skorik and Somova. You have every right to dislike Somova and think she is terrible. That is your opinion, and it is your right to think that. But I see a huge difference between the two dancers. Somova does the hops on pointe in Giselle's Spessivtseva variation on pointe. Skorik does them with an almost flat foot or with simplified choreography (adding turns to hide the fact she can not hop on pointe). This is just one example. I personally think Somova's grand jetes and fouettes are an example of what I mentioned above. Her knee is hyper-extended much more than the average dancer even more hyper-extended than dancers with hyperextension, so I understand why some people don't like it. The hyper-extension gives her a floppy rag doll look when doing grand jetes and fouettes because of her hyper-extension which is actually not "uncontrolled".....it looks uncontrolled due to her extreme hyper-extension, but people have been reporting that she is changing that slowly. I will repeat what I consider to be true. Hyper-extension is very, very difficult to change. People who are hyper-extended do not feel like their leg is straight when you move the two halves of their leg into what you see as a "straight" line. They will feel like you just bent their knee very much and they feel bent. They are always going to want to go back to what I call their "default" which is their body's basic way of holding itself. And then when you add the problem that hyperextension is usually a thing that coaches and teachers want in ballet dancers, well, then you have a dancer with natural hyper-extension stretching her hyper-extension out more and more over time and getting approval as she is growing up. These hyper-extended people don't feel like they are holding their leg straight unless they hyper-extend the leg. For these types of people they only feel like their leg is straight when the two halves are going in the wrong (by wrong, I am comparing to normal human beings with no hyper-extension) direction (bending so that the knee goes inward instead of the normal outward). But I did not mean for this topic to turn into a Somova bashing thing. But since she was brought up I do think Somova and Skorik are world's apart. I think if you give Somova steps to do, she will do them. She might not do them how you personally like them done (you might hate the look of them), but she would do them. Judging from many past performances if you give Skorik steps to do she will fall or stumble or have to simplify the choreography. I think that is a huge difference. With all this said I wish both of these dancers the best and hope that Skorik can improve her technique or somehow work on her nerves (which might be her major problem).

Although I am new to ballet, opera has this same exact issue and has had it probably since opera began. There are always controversial dancers. There have been MANY opera singers throughout history that people love and others hate and can't understand what others see. Some singers make blaring mistakes all the time yet are stars. Some GREATS even have flaws (Nilsson sang sharp a lot, Sutherland's diction was mushy, Callas had a flawed upper register, Caballe overused her pianissimi, etc). These ladies I just named are "greats" but had flaws everyone complains about. Today Cecilia Bartoli is controversial. Many rave and swoon over her while others are shocked anyone could like her due to her facial mannerisms and aspirated coloratura. When she came on the scene her naysayers thought she was the most horrible opera singer in the world, but she has withstood the test of time, but some continue to dislike her singing immensely while others swoon over her singing. Her cds sell better than any other singer and her concerts sell out. Maria Guleghina is another singer I personally find very controversial. She has power to burn but blasts away and when she sings bel canto it is like a bull in a china shop, but many knowledgeable opera lovers think she is fabulous! Anyway, this element of the performing arts has and will always be a part of things. Certain artists divide people completely. Obviously, this is the category Somova falls into. But I think if she is given choreography, she can always dance the steps, and it is her execution that people do not like. However, she actually dances the steps (maybe with extensions that people find too high). In contrast, Skorik seems to not even be able to dance the actual steps. Everything has to be simplified, so I do not think this is the same thing at all.

Yes, it is very odd that she is being pushed. Even the Korean tour video ad put her face before Lopatkina's as if she is the main star of the Mariinsky even bigger than Lopatkina. That was strange too. I think it is like punishment, but I just wonder why. Fateyev must know the controversy surrounding her. It probably makes her even more nervous, so it would be best to let her succeed in smaller roles until she is ready.

I grew up watching *I Dream of Jeannie" reruns and actually had a crush on Larry Hagman, although I didn't know that is what it was at the time. Then, when Dallas came out, and I was still a kid (around 10 or 11 years old) I was astonished to see him act so mean in the new show! I have to admit that I was not really a Dallas fan (I preferred Dynasty.....more campy), but I did think he made a good villain from the few episodes I did watch. I can not believe how time has flown. Now he's gone. It seems like yesterday that he was young and a presence on tv!

I personally would much rather see Somova as Nikiya than Skorik from what I have heard. I think people view Somova as out-of-control due to her hyper-extended joints (hyper-extended more than the average dancer). I have worked with people when I was a Pilates instructor, and hyper-extended joints is something that is very, very hard to change b/c it comes naturally to someone. They are probably even born that way. It is not a matter of "no control." It is that person's body. And although hyper-extension is valued in ballerinas, Somova tends to divide people in their opinions, and I think that is one of the reasons. Her hyper-extension is more than most, in my opinion. Because of that people do not like the way it looks (her grand jetes appear floppy to people for example, or her 32 fouettes look unusual b/c the calf lifts higher than the thigh due to the hyper-extended knee joint). From what I have experienced hyper-extension is not something you can easily change, if at all, b/c people who have hyper-extended limbs only feel like their leg or arm is straight when they hyper-extend. When you tell them to bend the knee or elbow a little so that it looks more straight they feel totally bent and totally unstable (if standing on the hyper-extended leg, for example). So if someone expects her to change her hyper-extension her coach would literally have to be in the wings yelling out, "Bend that knee! Bend that knee!" every few seconds so that the leg looks straight, because when I taught Pilates I could only get hyper-extended clients to stop it with me breathing down their neck. If I worked with a couple at the same time, the minute...no, the milli-second I took my eyes off the hyper-extended person, she would revert back to hyper-extending her elbow (or leg or whatever). This is something that is almost impossible to change. The person feels like her arm or leg is straight only when hyper-extended. If you adjust her arm or leg so that it looks straight to the average person, she feels like her arm or leg is completely bent and it does not feel right. I say all this b/c what I see in Somova is someone who can actually dance but some people do not like the hyper-extension in her joints. Others are not as bothered by it. There are other complaints they have about her (too high extensions, etc), but this is a dancer who can actually dance the steps. So the two dancers are worlds apart, in my personal opinion.

It is unfortunate to read this. I also have a friend who saw it and said that in his opinion it was the worst performance of Nikiya by a Mariinsky soloist ever. I hope for her sake that she is improving, because she is now in the spotlight, but if what you write is true, it is sad that the Mariinsky keeps pushing her into high profile assignments before she is ready. It seems cruel for them to do this.

Wonderful picture!!! Thanks for sharing it!!!

I just read online that the reason was "technical difficulties" and the two Miami shows were being filmed (I guess for video release), and that explains it a little. I think someone should have come out and announced something like, "Sorry to keep you waiting. There are technical difficulties. Please me patient!"

Why was she so late both nights? Did she say?

Stepanova will be wonderful as Lilac Fairy! Great news!

I stayed at the Opal (mentioned above), and I thought it was fine (our room was clean, and you enter using a card key, dirt cheap), although it is up the hill, but I stayed there with an 80 year old female friend of mine (mention this so you can gauge whether it is for you), and she had no problem walking to and from the opera house with me. She loved the walk and was forced by her daughter to give up high heels recently otherwise we would have taken a cab. However, there is a seedy element on some of the side streets and even on Van Ness at night but especially behind the hotel. I arrived at 1am and caught her leaving the hotel for food (she flew earlier than I did). I almost had a heart attack when the clerk said she just left to go hunt for food on the streets behind the hotel. It is not exactly the best area for an 80 year old woman to be wandering around by herself at 1am, but she is fearless. During the day we felt totally safe including the side streets and behind the hotel, although we did have a couple of times when people wanted money, but I just said, "No," each time and they didn't bother us after telling them no. This was Summer 2011. Maybe the area has gone downhill even more since, but I would stay there again since it was so cheap. I am a 6 foot tall 45y.o. man though, so I am less scared than others might be. My 80 year old friend seemed to like it and wasn't frightened at all either, but she is that way. She finds everything an adventure. I just give all this info so you can gauge whether it is a place for you. I found it to be a very convenient location. Yoga, various restaurants, near Japan Town, near China Town (sort of a walk), near the opera house, near good coffee shops!!!!

Was Novikova scheduled originally to dance Raymonda on the 6th? If so, that IS a shame. I think she is the best Raymonda currently. We'll probably see how Kondaurova does (probably pretty good). But Kolegova's name on the casting would never disappoint me either!!! She is good as Raymonda also!

I tend to be more in Cristian's camp about wanting Swan Lake (for example), although I do think it probably makes sense that MCB doesn't have the same resources as Cuban National Ballet or the Mariinsky (no feeder school that constantly supplies fully developed students that can constantly replenish the corps de ballet), so it is probably much harder for MCB to make the classical ballets its staple, and they do have a different focus (neo-classical) for the most part. I would be okay with MCB sticking with neoclassical ballet, if there were another company that gave us plenty of classics. Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami seems to have offered some in the past, but are only offering rep shows currently. But I like that Cristian has hope that MCB will do Swan Lake. I hope so too. One day. I think it would be interesting and exciting to see what these dancers could do in that ballet. I don't think starting to plan a future Swan Lake is totally out of MCB's reach, and I don't think doing a Swan Lake means they will jettison the Balanchine repetoire. Most seasons they have at least one full-length. I suspect a small company has to do a balancing act of rep programs and full-length story ballets. I suspect the story ballets are easier to sell but also more expensive and time consuming to produce. The rep programs are cheaper (I am guessing) and give more dancers more opportunities (possibly). Programming is probably a very tricky thing in a small or medium company. I do think this is a great discussion.