ShesnoFonteynsMom

Homesteadlite: My condolences to you and yours. Jennifer touched the hearts of many.

Support System, I don't doubt that most SAB students aspire to be in NYCB, but also wouldn't we hope that some are also looking for the opportunity to be dancers in other companies? Is SAB only about getting into NYCB? And yes, some dancers only want to be in a large company with a large rep; nothing wrong with that; perhaps others don't. As Dale stated, it is their choice. I would say that devotion to the craft needed to prepare young people for (a ballet) company life merits one to be, a dedicated dancer, an exceptional teen, a wonderful child, a person ready for all possibilities; not necessarily a true artist. A concept I was not quibbling about. I was just wondering what Printcess was referring to.

Printcess, your post made some valid points, but I'm not quite sure what question you are posing. Helene, did however, and I thought her reply was excellent. If a dancer's interest is only getting into NYCB or nothing, than I ask is that dancer an artist, a true performer, do they have a true passion for the art, or is it only about being one of the 'best'? A baseball player who only will be Yankee is not a player, is not into the game. A post HS grad who will only go to Harvard is not a scholar. I understand you are not quite stating such, but I got confused. I don't feel that going to a smaller company is being a big fish in a small pond but, as you stated the opportunity to dance more roles, yet with fewer performance opportunities. I think I missed your point somehow...so asking nicely, what are you saying?

Okay, you started it... In Firebird, during the set change... (to the wedding scene)... and the corps does the the courtly dance.. (to disguise the sound of the screech, screech, screech of the risers being dragged across the stage)...don't the corps guys wear mustard colored 'bang-bobbed' wigs? And didn't you ever notice, those little SAB girls (when the curtain goes up) scootching, side-ways, across, the risers, holding onto their big, black, top-heavy, chiquita banana-hatted wigs (with always one poor child, whose head is petite, with her part resting on her nose?) Or maybe not...I tend to make my own history as I age.

Well, this is fun. After the blood, sweat & tears, to-the-mat discussion about Mlle. Mearns, and should he have or shouldn't he have, it sounds like it turned out fine. Just goes to show that we can have passion and bloviate and sometimes we are wrong...(then again, we can have passion and bloviate and sometimes we are right...and sometimes we just have passion...and sometimes we just bloviate...and mostly we have passion and fun)

Richard53dog, I am a big Cojocaru fan! However, I am always mildly distracted by those beat-up box-cars she wears on her feet.

I think that must be a first ! Congratulations to you for your first professional position. Hope you enjoy. Merde.

MIA Heard this, but couldn't believe it. Checked it. Alexandra Ansanelli's name no longer on NYCB website roster. ?????

. . . after this brief poodle pause, let's get back to Balanchines's Ballet's--- Has Performance Quality Dropped?. . . . . . So, Tex, . . . take that bandana off your head . . . how would you compare . . .

In defense of Amy Watson: I don't know her personally, but if memory serves me that article was at least four years ago and she was maybe 16 or barely 17 years old and attending the SF Kennedy Center SI---the author of that article was "embedded" there for several days, and well, young people let things escape the gates of their teeth that sound horrible when repeated out of context. I'd bet that Ms. Watson would take back that comment if she could and that whatever she meant was lost in translation. As a teacher of young people, Ms. Farrell, I'd like to believe, took no umbrage.

Oh, oh, oh...I forgot to add...the "Men In Skirts" piece. Last offering of the night was a choreo by Jessica Lange (no, not Michie B's old squeeze). I liked it. Mlle. Shesno thought "too long" and Daddy Shesno found the music "too depressing"...but I found it compelling. Being a Scot, I found the men's skirts too long for war & elimanation. One audience member said, "with a pony-tail and one pierced ear, it would have been quite sexy". Well, whatever.

I really enjoyed this Studio Co. performance. Standout dancers for me: Nicole Graniero, Hee Seo & Faye Hideko (iforgetherlastnamefromJKOschool). (I lost my playbill on the 9 block trot home so I'm a bit foggy.) Jessamyn Lawrence, a dancer in the Studio Company choreographed a piece that was so interesting and complex for one so young that I was a bit stunned. And how could one not enjoy seeing Gage Bush (Englund) taking her bows. Alex Wong, nice dancer, clean technique. My only criticism is that I would like to see these young performers do more rep and less new choreo/contemporary. I think they can stand the test. That being said I understand such is difficult as they only are 12 strong. Tarantella (an alumnae performance) was unfortunate. And why, oh why, do I not appreciate Michelle Wiles? Pretty arms, nice legs, and one Rose Adagio balance so beautiful---yet I just cannot love her. I was overly focused on the young ladies, but these young men were strong.

Hmmm. George B Fan I agree. I didn't get the Warren Beatty nod. It made me kakk a bit. (kakking is what my calico cat does when she has a very, very dry hair ball caught mid-esophagus). The last movie of his I viewed, he played a senator who went loopy and went around DC rapping---it was really cringe-worthy. (Who was it at BA who coined that phrase?) And yes, yes, Phillip Glass. I look forward to Kirk Peterson's "Amazed Burning Dreams" next month because I love that music.

Hans---don't quote me, but it was my understanding that the Empire will not be demolished but renovated. As for the Harmony it is a fully functioning co-operative and will stay as such. For those who need accomodations to replace the Empire, try the Comfort Inn Central Park West at 31 W. 71st St.---Travelocity can book rooms for $79. (Caveat emptor: the rooms are teenier than the Empire, the elevators are s-l-o-w, but they serve a continental breakfast and the block is lovely.

I attended an event there back in September---the management told me it will be converted to co-ops or condos.

You didn't mention Bernadette Peters. What's your opinion?

J & A---Your points are well taken.

I didn't see Miss Tan perform Paquita 10/10 but I did see her perform Chi-Lin 10/11. I too thought she had a beautiful line, and also a wonderful clean technique. She is obviously a young dancer with great natural ability and probably in time will grow to be a dancer we all will want to see. I found the comment "... (she) is as dull as watching paint dry" to be particularly unkind. I thought we had agreed here to comment as if the performer's mother was within earshot. As a mother I hope I never hear that about my young dancers no matter how untalented they may end up. When we get to the point that neophytes don't want to read our reviews for fear we will spoil their Sunday afternoon then perhaps we have gone too far. There comes a time when honest opinion and personal taste flips its pointe shoe over the line in the sand. We are among friends here so to speak but we still have to be careful what escapes the gates of our teeth.

Tobi Tobias has a review of both and some thought provoking premises. www.nymag.com/page.cfm?page_id=6117

If you were forced to hazard a guess as to why there is an across the board 'failure in technique', what would that guess be?

Yes, there is a big improvement---perhaps Ms. Quinn has shamed them into showing up for all the rehearsals.

I agree about the Acosta/Carreno/Herreera pdda3: oh my god doesn't describe it--the balcony was hooting and yelling--I almost embarrased myself. What a good time. And it was quite a competition. McKerrow was fine in Giselle, but I found her face disconcerting; death doesn't excuse deadpan. I thoroughly enjoyed Gillian Murphy and the smile on her face as she bobbled was sheer delight--I can forgive her arches. I don't have such a negative opinion on Symphony In C. True the pointe work wasn't quite up to 'speed' but I enjoyed seeing port de bras that wasn't so stick-straight. (An aside: sometimes I really appreciate Andrea Quinn & sometimes I feel she is racing for the win at Churchill Downs)

Broadway, under the auspices of the Public Theatre, 3 yrs ago, 'On the Town"?

Broadway, under the auspices of the Public Theatre, 3 yrs ago, 'On the Town"?

Ditto the bravo for Keith Young. He was always wonderful when he danced with the Twyla troup. Too bad he got panned by the critics for his first big choreographic attempt in NYC.