pherank

Currently available online here:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365049205

Thanks for listening, pherank! I am open to suggestions, too. I hope to grow the podcast into a show with features, news and teaching component.

Well you've come to the right place - we can chuck lots of ideas at you. ;)

We just need to get people noticing this thread. But I imagine the real issue for you is how to approach the various dancers, choreographers, directors, etc. and get them to talk to you. Not my particular forte, but it may be yours.

A couple of things off the top of my head:

1) Besides interviewing a single artist, you could also try talking with, say, 3 dancers from the same company, or 3 dancers from three different companies on a particular theme.

2) We recently started a thread talking about stage management, and I still think that it is really interesting to learn about how to put on a ballet - what goes into the production, and how the chaos is managed.

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/37438-stage-managing-101/

The Ballet Initiative podcast premiers today! Ep #1 features a conversation with principal dancer, Maria Chapman of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Maria joined us from Vail! To listen, go to: http://podcast.balletinitiative.org/

While you're there be sure to subscribe. It's easy and it's FREE! You can also subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher. Each service has an app to listen on your smart phone. Enjoy!

Thanks 32Tendu - I enjoyed that. I saw Chapman for the first time live at the end of this last season.

Edwaard Liang's page on Vimeo has full-length performances of Ms. Tan and Damian Smith in "Distant Cries" (just performed in Stern Grove a few days ago), "Somewhere in Time" as well as Ms. Tan and Vito Mazzeo in "Symphonic Dances" (this entire ballet has been posted):

http://vimeo.com/channels/478037/videos

Ms. Tan is just utterly beautiful in these ballets (especially in "Somewhere in Time"; my goodness, look at that figure and those legs!), and Mr. Smith is equally as sensitive and committed.

Ms. Tan remains the only 'name' ballerina that I've seen live in my ballet-starved country - she performed in a gala and did the 2nd Act GPDD from "Giselle" and, my word, she conveyed a sense of such lightness and fluidity that it seemed like a breeze could carry her off the stage at any moment. As a child I had seen her on the cover of Time magazine years ago and I remembered being struck by her beauty. I didn't know very much about ballet back then, but I now realize that she must have been quite esteemed to have been on the cover of Time. She doesn't seem to attract as much attention as some of the other big-name ballerinas on this board and elsewhere, and I've wondered why that is.

Excellent video link, Eshana - thanks. It sounds like Royal Ballet NZ is going to be having Gillian Murphy guest (in place of Carla Korbes), so that would be worth seeing. I've been to NZ and love the place - I didn't actually mind feeling so distant from the rest of the world. ;)

I will add that it is generally very difficult finding footage of SFB dancers online. I think these 'bootleg' videos are a big deal because we just don't have much that is 'official' in video form. And I don't recall Lorena Feijoo and Sofiane Sylve even being noticeable in SFB's Nutcracker and Little Mermaid DVDs, so we can't say that the company is well represented by the official DVD releases. The Chinese website tudou.com may still have some of these same "company" videos (I believe they are filmed by SFB for their own records).

According to the link, she'll be dancing the new Liang piece with Damian Smith (also an SFB principal). She and Smith have wonderful on-stage chemistry, so that should be interesting. I wonder if they will be performing 'After the Rain' as well.

Yuan Yuan Tan appears in London at Sadlers Wells in November.

I had thought that Smith was retiring as of 2012, but he does continue to dance with Tan at 'special events'. It has to be a problem for Tan, since they've been such a great partner act. I'm sure Tomasson and Yuan Yuan have been searching about for someone with the right chemistry, and physical size, to partner her.

My apologies if these appear anywhere else.

"Dance in America" segment with the young Darci Kistler and Ib Andersen from 1982

NIna Ananiashvili, Rose Gad and Darci Kistler - Pugni's Pas de Quatre

(Date of performance is not given)

Just watched Ep 2 online - I laughed through most of the show. And I probably wasn't supposed to.

In the casting meeting, it was fascinating to watch Adam pushing for the young ones, the 'newbies' - Sisk, Josh and Zach. And then he goes on to say (in the voiceover) that BW needs to prove that they are a "world-class" company to perform Cinderella. With Josh and Zach? Seriously? Sisk has more talent than either of them, imo, but she has a ways to go too. A matinee performance Cinderella, perhaps, but I can't see her as Cinderella on opening night - and again, who's going to partner her? Then he wonders where he's going to get a Prince Charming - what about Chris Ruud? I realize that there must be a LOT of missing dialog that would explain things better, but this is what we get.

Random thoughts:

Would be fun to know what Somes really thinks of the dancers, but that could be unnecessarily mean too. We get to hear those things enough from Mr. Macaulay…

Ian has a more 'grownup' attitude toward work than Zach certainly, and he works steadliy and hard. I have to think he would fit in better at one of the bigger companies - if he has the talent to continue. But, that seems to be an issue...

Chris Ruud seems to be a very important man, to hear him tell it. ;)

Maybe it's because I'm 'older', but I feel more for Christiana and Chris in their relationship issues than Beckanne and Chase - stuck in Zach's high school world. Yikes!

And please, no more tequila belly shots. Two episodes of that was more than enough. For a lifetime.

There's an openness and directness that is attributed to the American male dancer; Balanchine said that Americans "walk like men." I don't think it's so cut-and-dried when talking about women, let alone ballerinas.

It may be less obvious today, though I'm not certain that's true, but in the 1930s and 40s, American men and women were often described as being obvious to spot on a UK/European street by their manner and their walk. It was definitely true of American women as well.

I happened to watch part of a 2nd rate film noir movie last night, and I remember how characteristic the lead actor's saunter was - and the big shouldered suit with wide pant legs, and the fedora - all a classic look of the era, but no one walks like that anymore or cuts the same profile. By the 1950s, the archetypal looks for both men and women had changed considerably - women were being 'perfected' into homemaker angels, while the men seem to have affected a specifically athletic, working-class bearing, and a more menacing demeanor (think boxers and Brando). And these days, 'the baggy pants walk' chosen by so many young men is so affected as to be comedic - the point being NOT to "walk like men", or look like them.

Thanks Quiggin - I had not previously heard of Bar aux Folies-Bergere. I personally love the sets with hand-painted backdrops/art. RE: Parade - I seem to recall that Cocteau DID know they were 'hijacking' the project away from his original conception and direction (how much is hard to say). And he was very hurt that Picasso and Satie seemed only to be responding to each other, and not to his (Cocteau) direction. I can only image how difficult it would be to get all these artists to work together on a single project. Both painting and music composition tend to be solitary pursuits. And all those tremendous egos in one place: it boggles the mind.

Thanks for the links to the Picasso aticle, Quiggin. I think it's really wonderful that the Joffrey Ballet went to the trouble of re-creating Parade (with the aged Massine's help). Parade is the coolest. ;)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/joffrey/film-excerpt-the-parade-revival/2398/

EDIT: relating to Quiggin's posting, here's more images by designers for Diaghilev's Ballet Russes:

http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/exhibits/diaghilev/iconic_designs.cfm

I think MIro's Romeo and Juliet plan would make ABT fans howl. ;)

The way the show is shot, all five women and the four men with whom four are paired, appeared to be auditioning for the roles of Cinderella and Prince. We should know next week whether either of the two dancers who weren't cast continued to rehearse the roles. We should also know whether one cast member is the equivalent of the guy in the red shirt in the first scene of "Star Trek."

I wish the red shirt rule would hold with Tiger Woods, but alas, no.

I note that amid all the boy-girl stuff and the ginning up of "drama," some serious personal questions do arise. Allison DeBona's dilemma - whether to stick around for a few more years of dancing or give it up, probably forever, to follow a guy who's pushing her to join him in a place where there's no company -- is a genuine one. Ronnie's recovery is another.

Yes, these are the best "real" moments so far. DeBona spent last year worrying about her career, but she seems awfully close to ditching the whole thing and moving to Michigan(?). It's hard to say if in her case that's dumb. DeBona may not really love dance - it just happens to be what she chose to do.

Ronnie's problem is potentially very serious, and we don't really know if it's due to his monkeying around, or what. It's possible to get an infection after surgery even if your lying around all day, every day. He may not be my favorite "character" on the show, but I wish him well with his injury.

I thought Alison's doctor boyfriend was a last-year resident. Unless he has a post-residency gig or an offer to be an attending there, his job could be mobile, likely a whole lot more mobile than hers. Clearly she was unhappy during their break-up, and she's glowing now, but it's too bad she has to stop dancing, because from what I've seen in those brief clips of her, she's very compelling, and, in her late 20's hasn't reached her prime.

It strikes me as a danger signal when your lover/boyfriend insists you leave your career for them - and seems to be unwilling to find a compromise. If that's the situation - DeBona better love playing the masochist.

[And that reminds me of the Mad Men quote: "It's a business of sadists and masochists, and you know which one you are."]

The story behind the cheesecake - apparently the Larkspur (or perhaps it was the festival) contacted a few of the dancers ahead of time to find out their favorite desserts. They created desserts for them. I asked my son, who was there, about it. He didn't know the whole story, but this was the gist of it. Lil Buck is a vegan and they created some sort of vegan chocolate dessert for him.

Any idea what's behind the name 'Moscow Mule Cheescake'?

Moscow Mule refers to a vodka cocktail.

Maria gets her cheesecake.

When I saw that photo I wanted to know more. I've never been to that restaurant in Larkspur, but there may be a story behind this...

In the thread discussing All-American Ballerinas we were talking about whether grandeur was necessary, and I've been thinking that this photo proves that grandeur is alive and well among young dancers. ;)

"Moving house outfit"

Wow -- look at all those sweaters! It's been in the 80s here, which is very hot for Seattle, but Vail is a whole different climate!

And a different altitude...

Here's a photo of Maria Kochetkova at 8,022 feet (Vail Festival):

https://twitter.com/balletrusse/status/361992705464741890/photo/1

NY Times article on the book is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/books/balanchine-the-lost-muse-by-elizabeth-kendall.html

Has anyone read the book yet? I believe it has been out for a month or two.

I bought it at the Diaghilev exhibition in D.C. a month ago and am only two thirds of the way through it because, as with most dance books I read, I'm only reading a few pages of the time, the better to savor it. But from what I've read so far, La Rocca's praise and criticism are right on target. Kendall frequently makes way too much of little evidence. She forces theories. On the other hand, her evident love for the material, and her deep research, make the book a joy to read.

Thanks KFW - good to know. It was obviously of great importance that Kendall find more (and actual) evidence to support her assertions. But I think we all realize how hard that must be, as so much was destroyed in those years. It IS interesting how many Mariinsky members seem to have found Ivanova's death suspicious. There had to be enough implausibilities to the official report to make people have doubts.

I have another subject for her to tackle: Tamara Toumanova (and Mama). That could be a great book. Alas, we have nothing to read (and let me know if I'm wrong about that).

NY Times article on the book is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/books/balanchine-the-lost-muse-by-elizabeth-kendall.html

Has anyone read the book yet? I believe it has been out for a month or two.

The dancer who was actually in jeopardy was Bennett, since her partner had an injured foot, and if it hadn't held up or had become re-injured, her partner would have been on the sidelines like Underwood. Not every dancer gets to get a new partner because the partner is injured, especially with this kind of specific and careful coaching. At PNB, for example, Korbes gets almost all of the top roles in the post prestigious slots and is featured in all of the tours for which she is healthy. That still didn't get her a new partner for "Diamonds" when hers was injured.

This occurred to me too, regarding Bennett - in a major story ballet the chemistry between leads is so important, and they also need to move together 'naturally' - presumably because they've worked together for endless hours. Throwing in a replacement at the last moment rarely yields a great performance.

I certainly remember NOT seeing Korbes in Diamonds when the injuries hit at the end of the season. ;)

In Merrill Ashley's book she described how, as a younger dancer, she was called to a rehearsal, but wasn't used right away and sat on the side reading a book. She then realized that she was missing the opportunity to watch Balanchine at work. I don't see how it is a set-up for failure to be in the studio with Wendy Ellis Somes as she rehearsed and auditioned the couples.

What I meant was that Sisk wasn't being given the 'resources' and attention to succeed and be chosen for the Cinderella role, specifically. She could of course dance any other role in the production - we just don't know what Skulte has planned for the rest of the production. What you are saying about taking the opportunity to learn from Somes I totally agree with. But when we are young, we don't often think in those terms. It's always interesting to me that these rules remain 'hidden' - something to be learned by hard knocks, but there's an easier way: the company leaders could reinforce the importance of learning at all times. And we adults can say, "Why should they have to remind the dancers to be professional and learn all they can when the opportunity presents itself?" But that's precisely the issue in this kind of community - they don't KNOW HOW to be 'professional', responsible, focused: they're still kids for the most part. Turning 21 doesn't transform us into instant adults, so there's going to continue to be a lot of teaching and learning...

Well, young dancers are just that - young. They went to a party and tied one on. As Ian noted on the show, enjoying yourself too much has its risks at what is in effect an office party, but I saw no degenerate goings-on - Ronnie never even took his shirt off - and these young people work pretty hard at their day job.

Hi Dirac,

I was confused by your comment, because in the online version of the episode, this is exactly what happens - Ronnie takes his shirt off, and there's the lovely licking of tequilla off of Ronnie's belly - and at least one other dancer. There's definitely a lot of alcohol and drunkeness in the party scene, and I kept thinking, "Their parents must be so proud". ;) Not that I haven't been there myself, but I never would have allowed my private behavior to be recorded by TV cameras. There's a level of narcissim at work in this culture that just didn't exist when I was a 20-something. Perhaps their parents really are proud - because the kids are getting exposure!

http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/breaking-pointe/its-not-brain-surgery-its-ballet/?play=bbe877f3-dedc-4245-8d0d-c001a1056491

I don't know why Sklute failed to bring in a 5th male dancer. It would have given Beckanne a better chance to be seen by Ms Soames.

That's why it seems like a set up - doomed to fail. Beckanne is being given a taste of what it is like at the "top" of Ballet West, but there's next to no chance of her being chosen under these circumstances. She gets to do preparation for the role, but Skulte seems to be implying that she's not ready yet - and he's not wasting resources on her.

I don't think I can count the number of works I've seen that were intentionally based on vis art imagery -- add to those the works that seem to do it unconsciously and it's a pretty big list.

Any favorites or ones that you think are particularly interesting ?

If I'm understanding you correctly, an obvious example from popular culture would be Gene Kelly's An American in Paris - for example the Toulouse Lautrec section of the extended "ballet":

That type of stage decoration/illustraton work is rarely seen in present day films. CG special effects aren't nearly as interesting to me as sets painted by the artist's hand.

I have a question: why is Beckanne learning Cinderella without a partner? It looks like precious time waisted. With 8 male "soloists" of varying rank at Ballet West, and 1 out with a significant injury, that leaves 7 males to partner the 5 potential Cinderellas. Even if dancers are having to learn an additional role/part, how can things be weighted towards - What? The Demi-soloists roles in Cinderella? Or the Corps? The principal roles have to look strong and the partnering natural. What is Sklute likely to be thinking here?

I think it is fair to say that Breaking Pointe is not about ballet, but happens to use a ballet company as its context to allow us to see young people dealing with life's various ups and downs. So it's going to be found wanting by balletomanes. The ballet audience isn't likely to hear anything new - except of course young children who are only beginning to be exposed to ballet.

The talk about contracts at Ballet West WAS interesting to me, and I have to think that different companies have different policies regarding contracts. I'd like to hear more about that from people with experiences at say, NYCB, Mariinsky, POB, SFB and PNB just to get an idea of the range of possibilities.

TV is first and foremost about commercials (which is why the amount of actual "story" continues to shrink year after year). If the TV exces could get us to watch solely commercials, say ballet-themed commercials, they would absolutely just do that. Certainly the major network bosses think that way. And most of the real "cinematic" creativity happens in commercials actually, not within TV programs. There are of course small exceptions to the rule - usually happening off in a corner, on some lesser-known cable channel. But generally, not a lot of creativity, or truth, to be had in TV Land.

Note that the URL for The Nation article is now:

http://www.thenation.com/article/175311/running-shadows#axzz2aHl0FBOD

Yuan Yuan Tan - the Movie. Don't ask me what that means - perhaps it is only available in China.
http://vimeo.com/15863868

I collect many images, but haven't come across a large, complete image of this curtain. Sorry Fadedhour.