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I plan on seeing 'The Shades' as well. ;) I was planning on seeing Kingdom of the Shades regardless of whatever else was on the program, just because it's one of my favorite ballet moments (and the music is as good as Minkus gets). I do wonder who gets to lead the Corps in the long serpentine dance: Danilova mentioned that the first shade down the ramp did 31 arabesques before the last shade arrives. Who will be given the 'honor'?

It's always nice to have visitors join us at the War Memorial, Golden Idol. The SFB 2014 season will be, unsuprisingly, a kind of mix of things seen before, with a few premiere ballets. Program 5 will be the West Coast premiere of Ratmansky's Shostakovich Trilogy, and I know that anyone seeing ABT will likely have already viewed this ballet. Otherwise, the programs are probably a mix of things you've already seen with maybe one new item. Tomasson likes to do a lot of mixed-rep programs - and I personally love that. I feel like I've had a full evening when I get to see 3 different ballets. But a single story ballet for me, while engrossing enough, still involves only one theme or approach, so I always walk out of the opera house feeling like I could use more. But that's just me. I know I'm going to see Program 8 (Balanchine/Robbins) myself. NYC is super-saturated with Balanchine and Robbins, but on the West Coast, we get to see only a couple of decent productions involving that repertory each year . It's been a slow, painful process for me to get to see most of Mr. B's masterworks live. Otherwise, I make do with videos.

"...now that the internet gives them the chance to post materials on their website (as they do with programs like Frontline and Nova) are they pro-actively including those kind of rights in the agreements they sign with the artists they feature?" That's a great question, Sandik, and I'm not certain how one can find out. Classic Arts apparently isn't able to post any broadcasts to their website, so they aren't dealing with Internet rights issues and royalties.

This is good news -- it's been a long time since we've seen Pennsylvania Ballet on PBS nationally. My impression has been that ballet performances are few and far between on PBS, and, when programs are scheduled, they are sometimes removed at the last minute in a particular region, to suit the instincts of the programming manager. PBS isn't the best place to expect to see dance, that is my feeling. The Classic Arts Showcase channel actually shows ballet and some modern dance, intermixed with opera, symphony performances and sections of classic films, over and again during its programming hours. But since it's a cable channel, many people don't have access. One encouraging development at PBS has been the posting of archived performances, such as SFB's The Little Mermaid (in its entirety with additional footage of Neumeier talking about his ballet). But in their listing of full episodes, there are only 3 dance programs listed to watch, and there have obviously been many more over the years. I don't even know if the Pennsylvania Ballet show mentioned above will actually be shown in my area, or if it will appear at 3am on some random date. I've found out about an awful lot of great video footage by way of the Classica Arts Showcase, and not from PBS.

And so would I be if I was in NYC. ;) But I'm on the West Coast, so for me, I've had to learn with SFB and PNB. I did of course go see ABT when they recently visited LA, which was worthwhile to be sure. But now with Messmer and Froustey added into the mix, there's still lots to be experienced with SFB. I'm looking forward to next season and beyond. I'm hoping Froustey can really blossom in SF. EDIT: regarding Masha Kochetkova at ABT - she's absolutely the type of person who will take on any challenge just to see how it goes. She is extraordinarly fearless. And so she will have a load of life experiences at the end. She's become one of the "gala queens", and seems willing to appear anywhere she can make friends. So she's got fans spread out all around the globe from these gala appearances. She's a very intelligent and thoughtful woman (if you ever happen to listen to an interview with her), so I suppose her personality just wins people over. ABT may have just needed someone on short notice and she's certainly the type to just get on the red eye flight and be there, as needed.

Hi Vipa, you bring up something that is worth talking about: the ballets chosen by Tomasson for NYC seem to be ones that specifically show off the COMPANY, and not so much individuals - they are pieces that show how well these dancers can work together as an integrated team. Kochetkova can be great in a piece like "Borderlands" as well as the traditional pieces, but it's all about what "blows up your skirt". I myself have not paid so much attention to certain dancers for a long while, and then one night, they may just do something unexpected and turn my head around. I love those moments when someone's artistry exceeds my expectations. It always helps to see a bunch of different programs over time - that's when you get won over by particular people in particular roles. I think you are the first person to mention Dana Genshaft and Sasha de Sola - it's great when people start noticing less celebrated, but very talented dancers, too.

For those of us who cannot see Froustey in Suite en Blanc -

The SFB cast list states: Program C: Friday, October 18 – 8:00PM From Foreign Lands Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky German and Polish sections: Simone Messmer (and others) Program D OPENING MATINEE – Sunday, October 20 – 2:00PM Suite en Blanc Choreographer: Serge Lifar Mathilde Froustey, Vitor Luiz, Davit Karapetyan, Simone Messmer*, Esteban Hernandez, Francisco Mungamba, Wei Wang, Lonnie Weeks, Vanessa Zahorian, Taras Domitro, Yuan Yuan Tan, Tiit Helimets *Denotes premiere in role

I'm sure that was a result of lack of time - Tomasson had to decide what ballets roles there was time to learn, and what was just pushing it too much. The original cast list says Messmer on Friday and Sunday, but nothing about Wednesday night.

I could have sworn that late last night I read a review of Program B by Robert Johnson (Star-Ledger). I distinctly remember him mentioning being bothered by/fixated on Kochetkova's neck (I don't remember which ballet it was). But now, today, the article is nowhere to be seen. His review of opening night was about as positive as anything he's written. The Program B review wasn't panning anything, but it seemed more actively critical. Maybe I fell asleep at the computer and dreamed the whole thing. ;) EDIT: Sorry, that was in Seibert's review (so I WAS falling asleep): "The tension in Maria Kotchetkova’s neck distracts from her precision in, say, a series of fouetté turns that change orientation. Hansuke Yamamoto, eliciting gasps with whip-around jumps, embodies the work’s bravura, the men whipping up excitement as they whirl around the women." Masha K. tweets: "7 ballets done 3 more to go until the day off". If anyone has gone to the matinee with Mathilde Froustey - it would be great to hear your impressions.

From Mindy Aloff's Dance Anecdotes, another one about Danilova: (On the passing of Balanchine) Karin von Aroldingen was perhaps his greatest comfort: she attended him devotedly and even at his lowest moments he always recognized her step in the corridor before she entered his room. Barbara Horgan speaks particularly of Maria and Choura. Maria was more outwardly upset than anyone, “near hysteria” each time she left his room and always in tears when she telephoned from Chicago. But Danilova was the most affecting of all. She came only once to the hospital, and when she left his room she said, “I won't come here again - I have said goodbye to him.” Watching her walk slowly away, Barbara Horgan felt a great sorrow for Choura, realizing that she was losing her oldest and dearest friend. - Moira Shearer [For those that don't know: when Danilova passed away in 1997, she was buried at Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor NY near the grave of George Balanchine] During an interview with a group of American dance critics who traveled to the Soviet Union in 1983, the late Russian dance historian Vera Krasovskaya recalled the first night of the New York City Ballet’s first appearance in St. Petersburg, in 1962: "Balanchine opened in Serenade. And I thought how sorry I was that I had to stay for more ballets. I just wanted to walk along the Neva and think about all the beautiful things I’d seen." -Aloff [the Neva being the St. Petersburg area's iconic river]

I know that Yamamoto was at National Ballet of Canada, so perhaps that is where you saw him? You can see a bit more of Yamamoto here (and Tan, Chung, Domitro and Helimets) in Tomasson's On a Theme of Paganini: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KBuw7d_KkiI/ And here's a fragment of Trio (just 'cause): http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/kzt2NGFfW3E/

I have more of a problem with Mr. McG's music choices - loud electronic music played out of a P.A. system doesn't work for me. But, there are definitely plenty of people of who have responded positively. Tonight's program should be more to your liking - and 4 pieces! That should feel like a full evening.

Thanks for your impressions, Abatt - It's a shame you were not able to stay for the entire program. Borderlands is 180 degrees from Ghosts, as I recall - it does show off the dancer's abilities to move in increasingly non-traditional, unpredictable ways. (I saw Borderlands a couple of times last season with I think Suite en Blanc first, and Robbins' In the NIght second, and Borderlands was a crazy finish to the program. But the SFB dancers pulled things off in impressive and believable fashion.) Of course, if you're not a McGregor fan, then you probably did yourself a favor. ;) I hope you get the chance to catch one of the other programs as well.

For cinema and photography buffs: it occurs to me that many people may not know about a certain website that has an enormous, ever-growing collection of cinema (mostly Hollywood) digital images. The quality is high - that is they tend to be large-size, digitally cleaned-up images. I will warn you that if you like this kind of thing, one can get lost for an entire evening, or day, on this website, merrily downloading images. ;) Dr. Macro's High Quality Movie Scans [Note that there are two different "galleries" referred to in the top right corner of the website (depending on whether the site owner supplied the photo, or someone from the general public) but all galleries are worth perusing. As an example of the incredible goodies available: Blondelle, Cagney and Keeler Lillian Gish Rain (Crawford and Huston) Rear Window (Stewart and Burr)

Those are some very nice photos - thanks for the link! Love the one with Danilova and Arthur Mitchell, and even Lillian Gish makes an appearance.

"I can see in the Soviet style an extension of the way I was trained, but I think what happened here in ballet in our century is much more interesting than what happened there…Somehow, in Russia, ballet has become the exhibition of dancing. Soviet dancers no longer want to show the story or the mood so much as they want to show their technique -- this one can turn three times in the air, lifting both his legs, and that one can do something else. But it‘s no longer expression; it‘s exhibitionism." -- Alexandera Danilova, 1988

Point taken - but "tweeting" is a luxury none of my friends and work associates can really afford. Teenagers, on the other hand, were truly created for such activities - and if I could only think of the next fashionable gimmick I could be living on my own island in the South Pacific...

I've tweaked the line a bit to make things more obvious. Regarding Demographics: I had to laugh at the remark (attributed to DeBona's younger sister) that, "No one goes on Facebook anymore!" And her brother was touting the importance of Twitter. But those opinions are mostly about what is 'cool' to a young person and what their friends have decided is socially acceptable, and not so much about what is occuring in the society as a whole. It's pretty obvious that Facebook isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And I know of pretty much no adults who actually rely upon Twitter for their news of the world. Which suddenly makes me think about the NYCB and "city.ballet" that soon debuts on AOL On. To paraphrase a certain young girl, "No one goes on AOL anymore!"

Hi Helene, Did you mean to write that "no publicity is bad publicity"? (repeating my line above) - That was my statement on the matter, not DeBona's - sorry if that wasn't clear.

I did want to know more about why she chose BW over Ballet Arizona. I kept thinking: she sounds very, very earnest. ;) I'm not sure why, but I somehow expected her "real" self to be different from her TV "character" self. But the Breaking Pointe TV show's depiction of her seems now to be fairly accurate. My favorite part of the interview was actually Part Two, where she described how the show's episodes were devised and shot. And when she talked about why the show was done in the particular manner that it was. It is certainly great to hear that DeBona doesn't think that anything bad came of BW's involvement with Reality TV. No publicity is bad publicity, I guess. We've all discussed this elsewhere, but I do think there's much room for improvement in how The CW approached their packaging of ballet the art form, and ballet the profession, and I hope this isn't the last time we get to see an "up close and personal" depiction of life at a ballet company on North American TV. I personally wouldn't want Breaking Pointe to be the last word on things.

It might be worth just paying the $25, and selling one of the tickets you have (or get a friend to come along). ;) I've done just that—which means I have a spare ticket. I don't think I can sell it at this point, so do any BTers want a ticket to tomorrow's show? PM me, and I'ill be happy to drop off at box office for will call. You could watch half the program in one seat, and the rest in the other seat - two different viewpoints. Just an idea. But if one location is clearly superior to the other, I suppose there is no need for that. In any case, have a great time at the theatre, Tutu.

Thanks for the heads up, Jack - I do remember enjoying the broadcast I watched last season. Be a part of history! ;) And for anyone not used to the Kennedy Center website, the website functionality is fairly primitive too (note that JavaScript needs to be enabled in the viewing browser), so it is often necessary to reload the page a few times to catch site of the video link which gets added at the last moment. If no link is displayed at first - don't panic! But at the appointed hour, start refreshing the page until you see the link. And if the video feed drops it may be necessary to refresh the page again to give things a kick. These days, it is de rigueur to use a technology like AJAX on a video website that allows for instant updates to portions of a web page without having to have the entire page reloaded - thus making your experience truly interactive. And if I just made your eyes glaze over, I apologize.

It might be worth just paying the $25, and selling one of the tickets you have (or get a friend to come along). ;)

Hi Stage Right - If you read the interview with Kendall mentioned above, I think you will understand better that even Kendall was unsure if the "Lost Muse" notion would work. But she felt that it was worth showing the connections between Ivanova and Balanchine, and letting readers decide for themselves. I tend to agree with you that some of Kendall's assertions go too far, given the evidence, but I appreciated her efforts all the same. It was good of her to celebrate the short life of Lidia Ivanova. In Alexandra Danilova's autobiography, Choura, she recounts a dream that Balanchine told her about: 'George told me that not long after Lidia was drowned, he saw her in a dream. "I am so lonely," she said, reaching out to me. "I want Choura." "No, no," he said, and he pulled me back, away from her. We all loved Lidia and were terribly upset at losing her. But it was years before we understood what had gone on; the extent of the tragedy dawned on us only later. In a sense, she was a casualty of the Revolution.'