Fraildove

I have a question. Sadly, I've never seen LHBB and people speak of the goofy sets and sparse costumes. Could this be a ballet the Mariinsky markets to families and children? I know they generally don't but maybe if even just one performance gave a slight discount to families, it would be a great way to get them while they are young so to speak!

So having watched Shapran, plus the 'famed' Skorik fail and tonight's Satanila on Kultura with Shakirova, the one thing all 3 have in common is shoe. And it was something that plagued me and continues to plague many dancers with really brilliant, stellar technique and dancers without. As stated above, due to the polymer that is used in the construction of the shank and box of the shoe, it doesn't break down like a traditional, paste shoe. Which is wonderful in most circumstances. But the shape required for hops on pointe, and the more arched the foot the more important this becomes, is almost a 90 degree angle. So in order to prevent the ankle from rolling into what is a full pointe position, the ankle and toes clench and purposefully hold back. The Gaynors generally like to be in two positions, pointed and almost pointed. It is a pre-arched shoe and why it makes rolling through Demi-pointe so hard. They have created different strength shanks to help this issue, but the instant a dancer feels like she is going over too far it is safer, and instinctual really, to come off pointe. So the very reason the shoes are so reliable are what make them so difficult to manipulate in that position. It's the very reason many teachers do not like young dancers wearing them, and why some old school dancers won't go near them. The ability for a shoe to conform to the dancer's foot changes. And the Gaynor Minden shoe has what can really only be described as a 'popping' feeling going from Demi to pointe. Many dancers swear by them, I loved the lightness of the shoe and how quiet they are especially in comparison to their Russian-manufactured counterpart. I always changed shoes anytime I needed to do ballone or extended hops because I never felt completely in control of the shoe. And when we are talking CM from being en pointe and off, I preferred loud and clunky to sleek and plastic. And promptly changed back as soon as possible. Just my take.

I think first and foremost you have to realize that ballet education is like building blocks. One cannot progress higher until a solid foundation is laid. That is why it is very difficult to reteach a student with very ingrained bad technical habits, however if the facility and mental awareness is there, it's possible. It's just hard. I also do not agree with you that the bulk of the best schools in the US are ones affiliated with a major company. From having danced professionally to now being a teacher (and consistently a student, as I learn more about this art form every day) that observation does not hold true. I was just discussing this tonight with a student's parent. There are very few schools in the US that have consistently produced high-level, employable dancers right out of high school. Harid is one of them, Kirov Academy at the beginning was another. From there, you have to look to smaller schools, teachers and coaches who do what they do because they love it, not because of the money, although that would be nice. Every teacher who works with a student has an impact on what that dancer becomes. You cannot break it down by last year, or even last 4 years. However, from age 14-18 in this country is probably when most dancers are really formed. That is a very different way of training than anywhere else on the planet. Running a ballet-only school that has daily classes for children from age 10-18, with no major outside funding is incredibly difficult. Trust me, we struggle every day. And when we get very talented young dancers, we do encourage them to go away their last few years of training so that they become exposed to different styles and teachers. Have we trained a dancer from age 10 to a professional contract, yes, but only 2. And the ones who have moved on to other programs have never failed to mention us as their original teachers. Which is incredibly humbling knowing how easy it is, when limited to a few sentences, to only name the SAB's or ABT's. You also asked if the primary training would be visible if someone only studied in a school for 1 or 2 years. Absolutely it's visible. Strong technique allows a dancer the versatility to play with style, to be able to deviate from the original method taught and to branch into other systems of study. When a dancer bounces around, sometimes that is lost. Ask yourself if a dancer trained at Vaganova, or POB, when dancing Balanchine, if a touch of their underlying style doesn't show through. Of course it does. As for final year, trainee, apprentice then Corps structure, I call B.S. Sorry, but it just makes me angry. It is, in my opinion, a way for companies to get highly trained dancers who can perform in large company productions for free, essentially dangling a carrot in front of their nose with hope for an eventual company contract that may or may not exists. I've seen too many young, talented dancers go from studio company to studio company, having to waitress on their off hours, only to be told, 'Sorry, we like you, and after having you hear for two years we still don't have a contract to offer you". It's heartbreaking. If it was so necessary for an artistic director to have a few years to 'observe' dancers, then how on earth did all of the incredibly talented dancers of the past make it... I know companies are struggling financially right now. And I know the talent pool way exceeds the number of jobs, but when it becomes, what could be argued, as exploitation of dancers I draw the line. I believe the dancers at Washington Ballet went on strike when, due to finances, they were using the upper level school students instead of the paid company dancers for certain performances (I don't remember the exact details, but do remember that that was one of the complaints). I know that what I just wrote sounds a bit of a rant, but I've just seen to many talented dancers get caught in what seems a never ending circle. Unless you get very lucky and wind up exactly at the right place at the right time. As for the ABT national curriculum, I don't feel that spending one or two weeks in the summer can 'certify' someone to teach ballet. There is a reason why ballet has been passed from teacher to student for 200 years. It isn't something one can learn from a textbook. It only comes from experience. And I've met some wonderful teachers who have chosen to become 'ABT certified', and at the same time some that have no business calling themselves a ballet teacher at all... I wish Ms. Harvey all the best, and hope that she adds her considerable knowledge to the curriculum that is in place now. As for non-company schools, I think it is very telling when ballet teachers would rather entrust their young students to schools like Harid, where classes are small and the attention to detail and artistry extremely high, than to a company school where they get a whole lot less. Will the more than likely spend some time at a company school, probably. But for the training that means the most, they don't have any higher track record than anywhere else.

There are also websites that have freelance dancers listed that schools can contact when in need of guests. Sometimes as partners, sometimes for male dancers to partner their students. Also, my husband gets more invitations than he can accept each Nut season and will pass them off to friends that he has danced with over the years. A lot is word of mouth. As everyone knows, the ballet world is ver, very small. For instance, we are right now guesting in a very small town in the northwest and I ran into a friend I danced with 20 years ago in school! It's crazy how ballet is so connected. But to someone who never danced or never grew up in it, I'm sure like it seems like a puzzle how things work!

From someone who has done that lift, it can be terribly difficult, not because of strength, but timing. The woman has to 'step' down at exactly the same time as the man lifts up. If it is even a fraction of a second off, it's awkward and usually won't work at all. You can see in the clip with Gomes that Part's left leg pushes out and the knee and leg don't go straight down as Gomes starts pressing up. Maria and her partner time it perfectly. Each dancer has their own little quirks which add to the unique partnering style of that dancer. For that lift to look effortless, both partners have to be perfectly in tune with each other. Even long time partners who have done that particular lift many times can still have trouble with it if one is having a bit of an off day. I've danced the Grigorovich Nutcracker as well as Spring Waters and traditionally not had issues with that lift (other than the obvious uncomfortable position of the arm when dancing with a new partner...) but even so have 'missed' on that lift on occasion. I would like to say that I genuinely hate that lift when done in a tutu. Hate it!

I once again got angry when she said Flesh and Bone was so much like real life for a professional?!?! Um, what? I even danced in a Russian company as well as US.nothing like I experienced and if she is experiencing that she needs to quit.

'Ballet is so much more than facility and technique' This should be the motto of every ballet school on the planet. Trying to convince young dancers if this is an everyday battle. It's my fear, and I am seeing it everyday, that so many of our young dancers are not being prepared to handle adulthood. I know this is a phenomena occurring across the board, and of course not all fall into that catagory. But I'm seeing a generation of kids who are preprogrammed to have the mentality of entitlement. We talk to our students about reality and illusion, about what will be expected of them and what they can expect. But without parent reinforcement it is hard. Anyone else have that experience?

My teacher always said working hard and working smart are two things a dancer must learn. She obviously hasn't figured the last part out, or she is vastly overstating her work schedule (which, sadly, wouldn't surprise me at all). Just today I had a friend who works professionally in Israel Ballet email me her latest blog and said how angry she was to hear anyone in our profession air such grievances. She chose this path, but her coworkers did not choose to be called out in such a public way. She also said that the link was sent by a mutual friend from ABT and the sentiment was the same. So there is no longer doubt that a. her blog has made her famous/infamous, and b. it isn't going to do her many favors if she chooses to audition for other companies. To be honest, I'm surprised her director is allowing her to continue to post without and serious repercussions. It's just sad

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/the-story-of-ballet-dancers-sergei-polunin-and-joy-womack-a-1059837.html This has to be one of the most inflammatory articles I've ever read. It actually just makes me angry. To compare Polunin to Womack is the most rediculous thing I can think. She isn't ranked prima ballerina. She says principal, the company lists her 1st soloist. She rants about her job, her host country, and films when asked not to by uncomfortable colleagues and wonders why she isn't welcome?!?! And gets angry when she can't leave in the middle of the season?!? Seriously?!?! She wasn't taken by Los Angeles Ballet, nor the Paris Opera (did not figure into even the finals). There are other Americans dancing in Rusia, Maria Beck at the Stanislovsky, Mario Labrador at Mikhailovsky, getting paid living salleries and dancing roles appropriate to their talent and working their way up in the company. What has bothered me from the beginning of this story is the entitlement that she seems to expect. If she were 'prima ballerina' why is she dancing Demi and soloist parts, and small corps de ballet roles as well as now two principal roles. And complaining that now she is dancing principal parts she has a hard time dancing soloist roles. How would any artistic director even want to hire someone so critical of the companies she has worked for so far, and now that article appears and sensationalizing the dark areas of the art. She does work hard, but so do many others. But if she wishes to keep her current job, and especially if she wants to change companies as she seems to be expressing, she needs to realize that venting on her current employer and fellow dancers is going to come back and bite her hard. And the whole thing with the Bolshoi... She was on a contract that is similar to what Paris Opera did with Hannah O'Neil. Even O'Neal said in that first year she only danced 3 or 4 times. (She was promoted to Premier Dansure, and she did this by proving herself in corps, Demi and soloist roles. As do most people who have a promising career). It was a temporary contract and one that was not even offered at graduation, but in a general auditin as the Bolshoi did not accept her as a performer based off of her exams and performance. And to say that it was so easy for Polunin, who did go very quickly from soloist to principal, is unreal. The raw talent tha Polinin has is unbelievably rare. I have found that Ms. Womack struggles with musicality, phrasing, and learning choreography quickly. I have family in Moscow who know ballet (one graduated from Bolshoi, one from Kiev) and have seen her dance. Let's just say their opinion falls more closely in line with what her fellow dancer said after Joy went to the press about the $10,000. I'm sorry for the rant, but I am so tired of the entitlement that some young dancers seem to expect. I do have an observation that leads to a question... She has said, repeatedly, that she danced the lead in her graduation performance. And initially I didn't think anything about it since it was Paquita. So I assumed if it was the lead, Paquita was performed as the Vaganova school does and paralleling the leading role that Zhiganshina dance, with soloists, Demi-soloists and corps. But when the video was posted, all I saw was her and Mr. Labrador performing the Pas de Deux as an excerpt piece. Since this was one of many stand alone Pas that was performed, is she implying it was the 'lead' because it was Paquita, or because she views the other pieces as lesser works. I just don't understand the reasoning with this one. But her entire 'saga' has been murky from day one. I so wish someone would advise her to be careful about what she says on a very public blog. The ballet world is incredibly small, and this may very well all blow up on her if she doesn't tread carefully.

I was rather shocked to see candy allowed in the Koch Theatre in NYC. As a child, I don't ever remember that being an option, anyone know when that started? My son is 8 and he knows even now that snacks are eaten outside, during intermission and never in a performance. Are we really all starving to the point we can't survive 45 min without food in our hand?!?!

Those are not Gaynors, they are much too high a profile, and look like really knew, unbroken in Freeds. And as far as ripping out the whole shank, I had a teacher who dance with her who told us she half-shanked her shoes, meaning she cut half the shank out. I cannot imagine her being able to dance with no shank, especially given how flexible her feet are. Usually that type of foot needs a very hard shank. If she actually did dance shankless, it's miraculous she can even walk, much less dance at 52.

I hope and pray he will be able to overcome this injury! He is such a gifted dancer, and it would be a tragic twist of fate to have such an amazing career cut very short by injury. It wouldn't be the first time, but no less tragic all the same. He was so kind to my son when they met in New York (my son is 8, and David had seen a video of him dancing at age 3, so my son was blown away that 'The David Halburg knows who I am!" He said it so loudly we all fell out laughing). Sending well wishes his way and hoping he is back on the stage very soon! As an aside, I would love to see Polunin dance in person. He is another one of my sons 'idols'. Granted he has know idea the history there. Will anyone be attending?

As someone who was too young to really get to see Ferri, I would love to see this performance. I do think it will attract a young crowd, not to mention ballet students who never got to see her perform. Her video of Juliet is iconic, so I really wouldn't be surprised for it to sell out quickly. When I read the headline, I never even thought about her age. Even if her technique is diminished, her acting and lyricism would still be worth seeing again. Just another perspective to throw out there

If you look around the 1:00 minute mark, you will see a MUCH smaller class, a handful of dancers working with their coach. I know that in many cases, soloist women and men, Principal women and men, and corps de ballet all are separated in classes, and these groups can be narrowed down even more with the coaches. Mariinsky works much the same way. When they your, they all take class together. But I do agree that it would have been nice to either have that explained for audience that doesn't know how Russian companies generally work, or to group them all together that day, or to allow the cameras into the different classes. It has also been my experience that Russian dancers can be a bit camera shy.

One thing to remember about Russian companies... All 200 members would not be in one class. Dancers are assigned to coaches that are retired artists. So the morning classes are broken up into several different classes. It's not like most western companies where the entire company has one class, altogether, with the AD or ballet master. I agree that for the broadcast they probably did handpick a group and put them in a class together for that day, but even if the hadn't, you wouldn't generally see everyone together, unless on tour. Just a side note

The Abby Lee video almost made me physically ill. Someone needs to shake these parents who are sending kids to her school. Do they have any idea of what they are getting in terms of solid dance education? They aren't going to be able to do anything professionally without proper technique!

Did you see the assemble video? Instead of assemble front, back and side, Maddie did sissone ferme instead. And Abby told her good job. Wanted to bang my head against the wall knowing that this woman is teaching kids, poorly, and making thousands. Unbelievable!

I think you are right in all regards, sadly. I really do wonder what will await her when she returns full time to Moscow. As for her continued use of the untruths, there has also been discussion on other threads about the same thing with Misty Copeland. However, Misty, or someone in her PR group did correct this, and I thought it great that she did acknowledge two of the other ballerinas during her curtain calls in Swan Lake. I know Joy is aware that she most def is not the first American to graduate, nor the first to be hired as many people have commented on this issue. As for the Principal status, she might get away with it with uneducated (in ballet) people who don't recognize the difference, but most definitely she would not gain herself and respect amongst her colleagues by continuously referring to herself in that regard. I really do wonder how this will affect her in the eyes of other Artistic Directors. If it make me uneasy, and I'm just a former dancer turned teacher, I can't imagine how her own director and company feel, as well as others in the profession.

I worry about how open she is being on such a public forum. There are not many businesses in the U.S., let alone Russia, that would continue to employ someone who so openly criticizes her workplace and coworkers, even if in a moment of emotional distress. You add that on top of talking to the press a few months ago about how pitiful her salary there is, not to mention the fallout when she left the Bolshoi. The ballet world is very small, and when bridges are burned, it's usually not just in one regard. Back when she was talking to the press, actively seeking it out during her break with the Bolshoi, I wished then, as did several of you, that someone she loved and trusted would tell her to stop talking. Immediately. I think the downfall of growing up in the age of social media and YouTube, especially in the public eye, is that everything seems to be an open book. When dancers or anyone for that matter transfer from being and under aged student to being an adult in a professional workplace, there has to be the understanding that certain things should not be aired publicly. I'm not advocating censorship but more like discretion. Especially when criticizing openly your employer and the government who is supplying your work visa. If that upset, she should have sought out her teacher, or the person who hired her, for counsel and how to file a complaint. That is what she refused to do in the case of the Bolshoi. But if she has plans to stay, or probably better to say no solid plans to leave, she very well may have just made her life ten times more difficult than it already was. It really makes me sad for her. There is a lot in the 'brand' of Joy Womack that I don't like, such as the continued use of being the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi (she wasn't), or that she is a Principal dancer at the Kremlin (She is listed as leading soloist, which is one rank below than what most westerners would understand as actual Principal), or to continue to film yourself with other company dancers even when they have expressed that they don't want to be filmed. But there are a lot of things I like about the person that is Joy. She is determined, talented, and driven to succeed in this profession. I'm just very concerned that she is continuously making it more and more difficult for that to be realized. I truly wish her the best. It is very hard living and especially working in a foreign country. But when you are in that country, you must remember that this isn't the U.S. And that you never should expect it to be.

1. Yuri Soloviev - what an incredibly talented dancers and such a tragic life. Would love to read more about him and what he went through. 2. Henry Danton - born in 1919 and still teaching and staging ballets at 96, his career has spanned through nearly the entire 20th century as well as nearly every continent. Although not as famous as many listed, he has worked with nearly everyone, in schools all over the world, and has such incredible stories and insight that I don't know if a single volume would do it justice.

So very sorry this happened! I agree, it could have been anywhere in the world, but it makes it all the more painful when it happens in a city you have come to love. It is a good reminder, though, for all of us who travel. I find that I, too, find myself sometimes too comfortable and relaxed in places that I've spent time before, even as a woman who is often with a small child, or small group of ballet students. My husband, who is not American, is very protective, and I, as an Amaerican, sometimes resent that. He won't permit me to go alone at night unless he absolutely has no choice, and I usually just roll my eyes and tell him he worries too much. But yes, now that I think about it, I probably do let my guard down too much. I'm so very glad that your injuries were not more severe, as in I'm glad there was no knife involved! I do hope you won't let the actions of one, possible two, stupid humans stop you from enjoying the city, and especially the company! I've always wanted to go during the festival, but thus far it's never worked out, so I have been living vicariously through your commentary. Best wishes and hoping for a very speedy recovery!!!!

I know that she isn't dancing as much or many of the 'leading' roles she has alluded to, and in recent posts has seemed a bit down. I'm surprised about Paris Opera though. The dancers there are all brilliant and competition for any role, even corps, is stiff. I wish her the best, but wonder why she feels that she should only automatticaly be dancing principal roles after just graduating a few years ago.

Birdsall, just wanted to say that I, too have to live vicariously through you, so just know that all of your reports are loved and appreciated! I know I am my the only one who is extremely envious of your upcoming trip!!! Have a wonderful time

I finally got to see Laurencia! That was absolutely wonderful and yes I found the lead to be much closer in what my expectations are for a top Vaganova graduate. Not just the pyrotechnics, which she has in bounds, but in nuance and stage presentation. Her use of her eyes and confidence in all of her ballet positions speaks volumes. I liked her very much. I'm not saying Lukina doesn't have tons of potential, it's just less developed than my general expectations. I hope she gets a wonderful coach who will work with her so that she will reach her full potential and pray that if she is going to Mariinsky that she won't languish like so many other talented dancers.

Well, I'm not sure in this run since I didn't see it, but there were several occasions when I was on balance that my partner let me start the port de bras backward with no support and catch me at the bottom of it. It was a lot of fun to do and got a lot of response from the audience which was kind of funny to us as it wasn't all that risky. In retrospect, it probably looked mighty impressive. All I remember thinking is at least I don't have to come back up Like in the Cinderella variation cambre back! I always had a a Partner catch me. Maybe the do employ her leaning into him, but I would bet money at least one or two of the dancers did that themselves.