KarenAG

The Mirror and the Lamp is indeed a great book!

Welcome back, Raymonda. Prodigal Daughter! I'm chuckling as I write this ?

Greetings, Kris,

Welcome to a great forum and thanks for the great first post. Just a few responses as I must get ready for work soon. Regrettably, I've not yet seen SFB, being an East Coaster (actually I live in upstate NY) but I hope to someday. I've heard many great things about Kochetkova and Tan and I hope to see them someday, especially Kochetkova, who also dances with ABT, as you may know. I adore Sara Mearns and will see her dance in Concerto Barocco next week. Barocco is one of my very favorite short ballets. Have you seen it? It's marvelous, a masterpiece by my favorite choreographer, George Balanchine. I really love Bolero, too. Have you seen the old video of Soviet ballerina Maya Plisetskaya's dancing it? It's quite amazing and I really can't think of it without thinking of Maya's mesmerizing performance. You will find MANY Giselle-lovers here (heck, probably EVERYONE).

Regards,

Karen

I remember the thrill of buying my two-volume set when I chose English Literature as my major, joyfully anticipating the brave new worlds I would discover. No book in my library is more dog-eared, except perhaps my books from childhood. Rest in Peace, Professor Abrams.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/books/mh-abrams-professor-who-shaped-the-study-of-romanticism-dies-at-102.html?ref=obituaries

Yes, at guggenheim.org/live.

Thanks, Armour! I'll be tuning in.

This is very good news and so necessary to build future audiences. I'm always depressed and distressed that the arts, and this certainly includes ballet, are seemingly irrelevant to so many people, old and young, but especially the young. So many distractions and not enough exposure to or value placed on the arts.

Will the three ABT sessions Apr 19 & 20 be live-streamed? I couldn't find anything on the website. Thanks.

My husband surprised me with birthday tickets for April 25 matinee! So sweet and I'm thrilled to see AIP. Now I need to read through some of these reviews and many thanks to all the good commentary on this thread. Also seeing the Aldus Manutius exhibit at the Grolier Club Library so it will be a full, happy day in the Big A.

I'll be so interested to hear from members who attend this!

Sometimes people on the phone give you a hard time, but dealing directly with someone in person might yield a different result. If you want to maike an exchange, next time you are at Lincoln Center bring the tickets to the box office window and see what they say. It's worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.

Personally speaking, I used to sit in side boxes in the Parterre or Grand Tier, but I just found too many problems with those seats. Either my view was obstructed or, when I had a good first row seat in a good box, the other people in the box were so intent on getting a better view that I felt like they were practically seated in my lap. Ruined my experience and I vowed never to sit in the boxes for ballet again. It's one thing to have someone practically in my lap or up in my face on the subway. It's completely another matter for that to occur at a ballet performance where I'm paying good money and looking for an enjoyable experience.

As for the TBA TBA Bayadere, I wouldn't be surprised if they just had Kochetkova and Cornejo fill in, giving them 2 shows instead of their scheduled one. However, Seo as Gamzatti would be too tall for Cornejo to partner. I just hope they announce the change as soon as possible so I can exchange my tickets accordingly.

How I wish I'd know this (or asked) before I purchased my seat! The ticket price alone made me think it had to be a good seat. Well, thank you Abatt and everyone else for your input. I do hope it works out .

My check is in the mail.

Seat 4 is not great, but it's probably ok if you're tall. It's on the side, so you'll either be looking over the people in 1,2&3 or leaning over to try to look around them. My husband & I had 1&4 one season (4 is behind and to the side of 1) I moved my chair a bit and he is tall so he had no problem seeing. However if you're not tall and the people in 1.2&3 aren't willing to move their seats (and they rarely are because it impacts their comfort & view) you may have a problem

Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I called the box office and they said they don't get complaints about the issue you mention, nysusan, but I can see your point and I am NOt tall, I'm 5'1! I hope it will be okay.

Albany Girl, I hope you bought tickets in the first row of the side parterre(seats 1,2 or 3). It's ok if you have 1&4 but it's very hard to see from any other seats.

Hi nysusan, thank you for the heads up - my ticket cost $115!! How can one not be able to see for that price? My seat is row 4 seat 4. Please let me know what you think - I didn't notice anything about these seats being partial vision. Thank you

Sorry, the Picasso Le Tricorne thread is in Ballet News &Issues, not Head's Up.

Thanks so much, Amour, for your thoughts. I procured my tickets to Bayadere last night for June 6! My husband is joining me and we'll make a great day of it, visiting the New York Historical Society, too, to see Le Tricorne (see the thread in Heads Up), the Taddeo Gaddi Maesta and lots of other wonderful things. Can't wait. We're in the first row of the dress circle. I chose different sections for the three performances I'm attending to see what I like best. For Giselle, I splurged and bought a ticket in side parterre and for R&J, we're in the orchestra balance. I've decided a fourth performance, for Sleeping Beauty, is just too much; I'd be traveling from Albany to NYC 4 times in a little over 3 weeks, so I'll just have to wait and see it next year, which I must guess they'll perform it. No matter, it's a rare privilege for me to see this much ballet in such a short time. And seeing NYCB May 2, too, the finale of my subscription this year. And, as I've mentioned, after June is NYCB at SPAC. What riches! I'm blessed and grateful.

This is wonderful news and a very happy ending. What a nail-biter, though, reading through the thread and links. I'm so happy it will be on permanent display for all to enjoy. Already planning a visit to the NYHS in June when I see LaBayadere!

Thank you for reviving this thread, AlbanyGirl. If you saw her in the middle-late 80s, that was when her hip injury was really starting to affect her performances, I understand. I agree the footage of Meditation, and particularly Don Quixote, is astonishing stuff. It was also touching to see Balanchine goofing off for Farrell's home movies. However, in some ways Elusive Muse gives rather short shrift to the post-Bejart years at NYCB (and not only in terms of film footage), relying mainly on the familiar Dance in America videos. Perhaps this was in part out of necessity - I remember reading that Anne Belle couldn't include any excerpts from Mozartiana, for example, because of issues over permissions. Still, the movie's narrative is heavily weighted toward the pre-Bejart years (so was Farrell's book).

Hi Dirac! Thank you for your comment and I agree. I would have to guess that the time period perhaps most interesting to historians and ballet enthusiasts is pre-Bejart. Besides the dance footage, I was thrilled to just hear Suzanne speak about herself as a dancer, recount her stories and watch her coach. She became more real to me in the film. In the book, the picture I got was a shy and reserved (maybe, unapproachable), but poignant goddess. I believe she had her hip replacement in 1986, the year I lived in Europe, and I don't recall seeing her dance when I returned in 1987. This, of course, would have only been at SPAC; I didn't see NYCB performances in NYC at that time. When I saw Suzanne dance for the first times in the early 80's, I knew nothing about her personal relationship with Mr B, only that she was a spectacular dancer, and she surely did not disappoint! I was absolutely blown away by her, and the company's, art and beauty.

Reading through the comments above to my inquiry about Semionova and LaBayadere, such interesting, diverse and perceptive comments, and so valuable to me. Thank you. ~ Karen.

The rare footage of Meditation and Don Quixote is worth the video.

AlbanyGirl - Let me reiterate what Drew said - this is a very expensive habit, or hobby, or whatever you want call it. In my twenties, newly employed, I pooled all my $$ to buy ABT tickets for their appearances in Miami (Baryshnikov, Makarova, etc.). It's 35 years later and I promise I've dropped a bundle on plane tickets, hotel bills and ballet tickets and trust me, it's all worth it.

One year when I had tickets to four performances of Giselle, my husband asked me "Does anybody else go to four performances of the same ballet in one week?" Wasn't he surprised, when we went together to a Spotlight Seminar, to learn that some people go to every performance of Giselle. In fact, some people (not I) go to every performance of the entire season! That's their "summer vacation." Yes, Kristen and AlbanyGirl, I agree that it's totally worth it.

Kristen, it is so worth it. So happy to share in this camaraderie, Ladies . How I wish I'd seen Baryshnikov and Makarova - oh my! My husband, Joe, saw Baryshnikov perform at SPAC. Angelica, I know. As much as my husband loves ballet, he could not see as much of it as I would like to and attempt to! De gustibus non est disputandum, is the saying, I think. ~Karen

Wow! Those costumes and especially the sets!!! Weird, yes, but in a rather wonderful way, at least from the photos.

This is a fascinating and most enjoyable thread, given that I've read Farrell's autobiography a couple of times and just received, through the Amazon link below, SF: Elusive Muse on VHS. I watched it twice yesterday, my husband watching on the second bounce, and much of what is being discussed here we are in the process of discussing, so I know I'll have more to say about that extraordinary video, but what I will say now is how wonderful the dance footage is! I only saw Farrell in her later years and I'm not sure those years included her hip replacement (can't remember) - she was an amazing dancer in the 80's IMO, but her dancing in that film, pre-Bejart, is just incredible.

This is a wonderful film. The first 'Dying Swan' I ever saw on YouTube is Yvette Chauvire's, when I was trying to find a clip of some sort showing Pavlova. This was before I knew about Maya's famous but very different take on this ballet. Ms. Chauvire's Dying Swan remains my favorite - how I wish we could get the film she was in in 1937(?), with Mia Slavenska, I think, Le Morte du Cigne (pardon my terrible French ) .

Thanks to all for giving me some much-needed insight into this unknown (to me) dancer. I'm getting closer and closer to a favorable decision to take in this performance (alone or with my dear hub if he wants to join me)! I'd better do it before they raise the prices......

I've seen Murphy dance about 3x - once at the Met (SL) and twice at Bard. She is always lovely; loved her in 'Other Dances' with that great, handsome and 'large-hearted' dancer, Marcelo Gomes. I simply cannot remember the 3rd ballet I saw her in! For the two performances I do have tickets for this season, Reyes/Cornejo Giselle and Obratszova/Cornejo in R&J, well, I'm so excited I could burst! The thought of seeing Cornejo in two performances so close together (I've seen him only once, with Corella Ballet) and these two ballerinas fills me with happiness. But La Bayadere is calling meeeeee.....

Yes, it is, Abatt. I am confident I'll be delighted with Gillian, ABT Fan, and I've heard good things about Kim. I don't know much about Semionova and couldn't find much on BA. Any thoughts?

Well, I'm almost certain I'll be buying a ticket (SB, too - this is becoming an expensive habit). All this on the heels of NYCB at SPAC.