Natalia

Woah...what a Happy Easter Sunday...in every respect! Well, I missed that fabulous Good Friday performance (although I fondly remember Julie Kent's exemplary Giselle from two years ago at the Met). To me, Sunday afternoon was close to perfection in this ballet. Gorgeously uniform corps de ballet (a-la-Kirov) and exellent miming-acting throughout. Amanda McKerrow & Maxim Belotserkovsky were simply wonderful as Giselle & Albrecht. Both would fit in nicely at the Kirov. McKerrow gave a dramatic rendering of the mad scene in Act I which, heretofore, I felt was beyond her reach. Boy, was I wrong! Between McKerrow's Hagar in the Washington Ballet's recent PILLAR OF FIRE and this Giselle, I am completely re-writing my opinions on the acting abilities of this fantastic ballerina (who came to prominence by winning the Gold Medal at 1981 Moscow IBC). Amanda McKerrow is a GEM of a actress-ballerina! Then comes Myrta. Wow!!!! What more can be stated about the perfection of 1996 Varna IBC Gold Medalist, Michele Wiles? Her rapid ascent to soloist-and-beyond level has just been capped by a simply-brilliant Myrta debut in today's Giselle. Not to be missed, my friends! This is Tatyana Terekhova quality...only taller! ;) WOW-WOW-WOW-WOW-WOW!!!!! [ 04-15-2001: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

Congrats, Leigh! Yes - yes - yes - yes - yes!!!!

How right, Alexandra & Victoria. Victoria - I felt "it" from up in the 2nd tier. I remember turning to 'Bard's B' as Herrera was dancing Aurora's solo & commenting: "She must be deeply unhappy." Something in the spirit. I felt like giving her a big hug.

Terry - While there is nothing wrong with us (her long-time admirers) wondering and caring, it's probably best not to speculate. Dancers are - gasp! - Human Beings. Like all Human Beings, they can have their ups and downs. Paloma Herrera is an immensely talented and intelligent artist who, in time, will surely be back to her usual sparkling self. One only has to see the career of her near-contemporary at SAB, Jenifer Ringer, to see that a great talent cannot be dormant for long. [ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

Yes...several of us did. See other topic/thread (ABT 4/12 - Quick Notes).

I believe that Dawn (a.k.a. 'Bard's Ballerina') captured most of my own feelings about last night, as we were sitting beside one another. Quick notes, mainly comparisons with the other two nights, as I attended all three performances of this mixed bill (+ dress rehearsal). THEME & VARIATIONS - undoubtedly the best of the three performances of T&V this week. The corps de ballet must have been drilled all-day Thursday because they were noticeably more in unison tonight than on previous viewings. Ashley Tuttle was simply beautiful - clean, spot-on dancing coupled with a scintillating charisma that projected to 2nd tier, where I sat. She totally "attacked" her first quick-paced solo with the pas des chats. Brava! Ethan Stiefel displayed a true cavalier demeanor despite minor problems with his partnering of Ms Tuttle in the pdd. Again, Michele Wiles' aplomb and secure technique made her stand out among the four demi-solo girls. Funny story: I was expecting to see Sasha Radetsky, her usual partner during the previous nights (and listed in tonight's programme), come on with her for the finale. I instantly noticed that the usually poker-faced and shortish "Sasha" was (a) grinning from ear to ear and (B) taller by about 3-4 inches....then I realized...No! It wasn't Sasha at all but, rather, Ethan Brown with Michele tonight. Let's just say that, by watching Michele, I 'discovered' the joy of Brown's megawatt personality. Here is one young man who seems to relish every second on the stage! BLACK TUESDAY - Yeah, yeah...I sat on a rubbish can and stayed this time! As it turned out, Sasha Radetsky was pulled from T&V because he was dancing in Black Tuesday...so, of course, I could not miss him. ;) Tonight did not change my mind much about this work, except that the first duet for two males ('Underneath the Arches') seemed brighter & bouncier -- less tentative & muddied -- this time, with Sasha Radetsky and Sean Stewart. Another positive addition to the cast was the ravishingly beautiful Brazilian, Renata Pavam (twin of Diana Vishneva, in looks AND technique), as one of the three 'gigolettes' in the 'Honey, Are You Making Any Money?' number. Watch out, everybody -- this 1998 Jackson IBC medalist is rarin' to take the dance world by storm! On the other hand, the 'Big Bad Wolf' number was a bit less effective with Jennifer Alexander, replacing the first-cast's Marian Butler. If the final big solo was dull and too-long with Ethan Stiefel (first cast), then it was interminable tonight with Joaquin De Luz. With Stiefel, you could at least see some visual contrast (light blonde hair) against the dark set and costume. Ah well... The evening went downhill from there.... SLEEPING BEAUTY, Act III - A moribund performance. First, a sliver of 'good news': Sasha Radetsky's Bluebird soared cleanly - classy, not flashy. However, he -- like seemingly all other Bluebirds this week -- was paired with a big (taller) lady and, once again, one could see the struggle with the 'traveling Presage-lift' during the adagio, although the Swan-Lift at the end of this number was OK. His Florine was Gillian Murphy, who couldn't help adding a couple of double-turn pirouettes in the middle -- not the end -- of the final diagonal of her solo. Petipa would be surprised but, I suppose, this was Ms Murphy's only opportunity to show-off her highly-praised turning skills! As for Paloma Herrera and Giuseppe Picone as Aurora and Desire...well, the least said the better. The handsome Picone has possibilities which were not fully displayed here. As for Ms Herrera - I am quite saddened to see her deterioration since I first became her fervent fan, five years ago. She is, quite simply, a different dancer. Different body...with the exception of those always-glorious feet and one very nice balance during the adagio. Wednesday night's BEAUTY was easily the best of the three, thanks to the regal bearing & Vaganova technique of the Aurora/Desire pairing of Irina Dvorovenko & Maxim Belotserkovsky. On to ABT's GISELLE this weekend. - Jeannie p.s. - To our Christian members: Happy Easter...and Happy Weekend to all! [ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

At the dress rehearsal, the person doing most of the talking & correcting was a tall, short-haired woman in a grey sweater. I *think* that it was Bettie De Jongh (sp?) but it was so dark in the auditorium that I'm not 100% certain. The ABT regisseur with Mr. Taylor & woman-in-grey appeared to be Susan Jones. Thus, I'm assuming that Ms Jones will be responsible for maintenance of the work in ABT. Incidentally, Sarah Kaufman's review is in today's Washington Post. I'm not sure if it is included in today's links by Dirac. Title of the review: "The Not-So-Great Depression: 'Black Tuesday' an Underperformer in Taylor's Portfolio." Most accurate, IMO.

Thanks, Andrei. That explains Pharaohs Daughter...but what about the Kirov's Manon? Is that out of repertoire, too? If memory serves me, the Kirov continues to dance 'Manon' and will be presenting it in London this summer. Too bad that Maxim Khrebtov's nomination for best male dancer (Lescaut in Manon) was apparently withdrawn. According to all reports, Khrebtov created quite a sensation as Lescaut.

Wednesday was a far more felicitious performance, due to the spectacular Vaganova technique and Kirovian nuances in Dvorovenko and Belotserkovsky's Aurora/Desire. [Did I mention earlier that I saw the great Kolpakova coaching Dvorovenko in Aurora's Act III solo? Awesome!] And what can I say about Michele Wiles' Diamond Fairy that hasn't been articulated above? She is perfection in the role. WOW-WOW-WOW! On the other hand, De Luz & Chen were rather bland in the Bluebird pdd. In T&V, Murphy/Carreno were far better than Herrera/Gomes the evening before. Both dancers have the 'regal air' that I like to see in the soloists in this ballet. Carreno is ABT's true Cavalier, IMO. ;) Yet...just like Cygne Danois, I have to give the top honors to Wiles/Radetsky in this ballet. As one of four demisolo couples, they simply stole the show. These are stars, not supporting artists! Skipped the Taylor - two viewings in Tuesday's dress rehearsal, plus the Tuesday performance, was enough for me. Sorry - this is no ballet. This is plain-and-simple modern dance with some Fosse steps thrown in. I prefer my ballet 'straight-up and classical,' thank you. Thank goodness, this mixed bill includes two true ballets...and two of my all-time favorites, at that. Definitely getting my money's worth, even without the Taylor. Terry - Xiomara danced on a very small scale and, to be a bit blunt, doesn't have a traditional face...not sure how to write this politely. I'll just stop there. Juliet - Abrera is indeed lovely. She will be dancing Myrta in GISELLE, during one of the performances this weekend. I'll be there again tonight. Can't get enough of Michelle Wiles and Sasha Radetsky in T&V! - Jeannie

Happy to read that we weren't in total disagreement, Alexandra! My finger merely wavered at Dress Rehearsal, where the principals for both Tchaikovsky ballets differed from those seen at the Tuesday performance. It was the performance that sent the thumb down. [in addition to Dvorovenko/Belotserkovsky's BEAUTY Act III, the dress rehearsal saw very fine T&V soloists in the form of Gillian Murphy and Jose-Manuel Carreno, who will lead that ballet tonight (Wednesday). So...the only 'downer' at the rehearsal, to me, was BLACK TUESDAY.]

Funny thing. The official website of the Golden Mask organization (www.goldenmask.ru) list the following ballet nominees on *both* the English and Russian versions of said site. Far fewer nominees than Marc's source. Perhaps there is a "supporting dancer" category? [Alexandrova did not dance the lead role in Pharaoh's Daughter, but the lead slave, Ramseya. Gravtcheva, Ananiashvili and Lunkina were the three ballerinas in that production.] Best Ballet Production (only three): Afternoon of a Faun - Bolshoi Jewels - Mariinsky/Kirov Faust - Maly (St. P.) Best Female Ballet Performance (only two): Vishneva - Rubies in Jewels Lopatkina - Diamonds in Jewels Best Male Ballet Performance (again, only two): Samodurov - Rubies in Jewels Belogolovtsev - Afternoon of a Faun Go figure...

It was a [mostly] Black Tuesday at the Kennedy Center last night, as ABT opened its week-long spring season with a mixed bill in which two great Tchaikovsky tutus-and-tiaras ballets served as bookends to a truly dreary -- thematically, visually and, alas, choreographically -- world premiere by modern dance master Paul Taylor. THEME AND VARIATIONS (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky) - Perhaps my all-time-favorite Balanchine ballet, tonight's T&V was not at all done justice by the ragged ABT corps and the lackluster principals, Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes. Ms Herrera's gorgeously arched feet are always a delight to behold but her sagging port-de-bras was too much of a distraction. Even her usually-spot-on technique eluded her in the diagonal to her solo that precedes the pas de deux (sloppy finish). Mr Gomes certainly *looks* like the perfect cavalier -- tall, dark & handsome -- but he, too, displayed mediocre technique tonight. The famous male solo with the successive double-tours was a case in point, as Gomes badly cheated the jumps by commencing each one looking at the wings (i.e., these were one-and-three-quarter tours en l'air). Halfway through the ballet, I fixed my eyes on the (to me) true star of that work, that evening - tall, blonde Michele Wiles, one of the four female demisoloists...she made the entire ballet for me. [A graduate of Washington's Kirov Academy and Gold Medalist at Varna 1996, Wiles will be dancing her first (or one of her first) Myrta in GISELLE this Sunday afternoon. Too, she will be debuting the lead in T&V in New York City, on June 22. Not to be missed!] BLACK TUESDAY, World Premiere (Taylor/popular 1930s depression-era songs) - Despite glimmers of greatness -- and I certainly recognize Taylor as one of THE greatest choreographers of our day -- this ballet/modern dance can be summed up in one word: BO-RING! Brown-on-black; black-on-brown. Despite lighting designer Jennifer Tipton's efforts, this ballet was barely lit. It is set inside a New York subway tunnel, populated by various homeless people and underworld types (a cigar-chomping pimp, hookers, a child hooligan-murderer). Fun - fun - fun! Worst of all, the choreography was ridden with Taylor Cliches: now comes the Jitterbug, now comes the 'happy jump' with open arms by the corps, now come the quick-footed jerky movements and shoulder-twitches for the person who is going bonkers with the world. Bits of the musical 'Fosse'. Plenty from of 'Championship Ballroom Dancing.' But mostly LOTS of re-hashed Taylor. The costumes by Santo Loquasto appeared to be cast-aways from Taylor's recent tango ballet....dark print dresses in filmy fabric for most of the the ladies. The monotony was broken by the two effective segments in the work, both coming towards the end of the ballet. One of these is 'Are You Making Any Money?' featuring Marcelo Gomes as cigar-chomping pimp with three 'gigolettes': Erica Cornejo, Elizabeth Gaither and Anne Milewski. The audience seemed to wake up with their synchronized antics. The other excellent piece of this ballet was 'I Went Hunting and the Big Bad Wolf was Dead,' in which a little pigtailed girl in overalls (Marian Butler in THE finest performance of this work) goes bezerk and shoots everyone in her path...all to a Disneyesque happy tune. Paul Taylor's 'take' on Columbine and other high school massacres, perhaps? The other episodes in this ballet went on far too long to be effective. Even Ethan Stiefel in the final Tharpish-soft-shoe solo ('Brother Can You Spare a Dime?') made minimal impact. Brother, can you spare a No-Doze tablet??!! SLEEPING BEAUTY Act III - Many, many seats in second tier (esp. in the middle) emptied after the Taylor work...but those of us who remained were rewarded with a luscious Aurora and Desire of Julie Kent and Angel Corella. Less effective were the diminutive Diamond Fairy of tiny, dark-haired Xiomara Reyes (with bumbling silver fairies who seemed to be learning their roles right there on the stage)...and a very bland Bluebird pdd by the heavy-looking Ashley Tuttle...heavy in the arms of Hernan Cornejo, who won't be winning any partnering awards anytime soon. HOWEVER, Cornejo made up for his weak partnering with a magnificent, high-flying solo. Easily the highlight of an otherwise lackluster evening. Well, long-ago, I bought tickets for the repeats of this program tonight (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday). I'll know to take a long-long break between the two Tchaikovsky works. It's dinner at 8:45 pm for me. - Jeannie Szoradi, Washington, DC. p.s. - I also attended the 2 pm Dress Rehearsal for ABT Friends members. The leads in BEAUTY Act III were magnificent: Irina Dvorovenko & Maxim Belotserkovsky, who will be dancing Aurora & Desire tonight (Wednesday). Extra incentive to stay on through the end tonight! The biggest delight of the dress rehearsal was the opportunity to see a great Aurora from the past, Irina Kolpakova (an ABT regisseur), coaching Dvorovenko in the finer nuances (particularly, facial expressions) of Aurora's pdd solo. It all occured just in the wings, which I could barely see from my seat...but my eyes were focused on that 'surprise' for a very long time. [ 04-11-2001: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

I second Kevin's post. Vishneva is indeed a magnificent choice and, as for the Kirov's rendition of JEWELS...well, you may recall that I gave it my 'vote' as THE finest ballet evening for me, in the year 2000 (London tour, first-cast). Washington, DC, is in for a real treat next February, when the U.S. premiere of the Kirov's JEWELS takes place here at the Kennedy Center. [...and it is Vishneva who graces the cover of the subcription series brochure ]

I agree with your definition of "pretense" Alexandra. If the audience-member has a well-rounded education and is fairly well-read, then s/he should have no trouble understanding 75-80% of the ballets (or other works of art) out there. The problem arises when the topic of the work is so specific to one geographic region or lifestyle or cultural group, that only audiences from said group can understand the message. *What is the Ultimate Pretense? To me, it's when the creator of this "insider work" doesn't care to share this inside knowledge with the general public by publishing program notes to explain intent, meaning, and such. Case-in-point (surprise! non-ballet related): I recently attended the screening of a Hungarian docudrama at the American Film Institute. Subject: the settlement of Hungary by the ancient Magyar peoples 1,100 years ago. The film was mainly visual...almost a silent film. Two hours of unexplained images...a stag in the forest...two kings slash their wrists and do a blood-letting ceremony...endless wanderings on horseback through the flat Hungarian Plain with no "story." I was reaching for the No-Doze...a real snoozer! To my amazement, the mostly-Hungarian audience in the theater were in tears as the show ended and the lights came up. They gave the director a standing ovation. The guy sitting in front of me was crying: "this is our sacred stag...this is our history in poetry!" Yet I was almost asleep, as no verbal explanation was given, nor were any program notes provided. Obviously, the presenters assumed that everyone attending this *public* screening in Washington, DC (not Budapest) to which TICKETS were SOLD would be well versed in Hungarian history of the Middle Ages. That, to me, is "Pretense." Especially if it is being presented in a 'cultural exchange' setting where one assumes that not all viewers belong to the group depicted in the work of art. [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited April 05, 2001).]

Thanks, Alexandra. Whatever...it's a masterpiece. Back to Leigh's main topic: This sort of explanation to "Les Biches" is an example of the sort of thing that, I think, should be in the program notes. Another example on a different topic: Robbins' "The Concert." For those of us who do not live in NYC or have inside knowledge on the types of "audience characters" depicted in the ballet, why not an explanation? What may be obvious to frequent arts patrons in Manhattan isn't necessarily so to folks in the Hinterland. Or is half the fun in keeping certain 'secrets' to oneself (for the choreographer and his inner circle, perhaps)? If I were choreographing a ballet that takes a lighthearted look at typical Washington, DC bureaucrats, I would like the non-Washington audience to have the inside track on the types of characters shown...and, believe me, we have some distinct "types" around here. - Jeannie (p.s. - *Totally* unrelated: Did you guys see what happened to the U.S. Stock Market today? up-up-up...wooo-hooo...need some more disposable income as we purchase our ballet subscriptions for next year) [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited April 05, 2001).]

Coincidentally, I was researching Nijinska's "Les Biches" last week, around the time when I attended this Washington Ballet performance. I had just viewed a private film of the work at a library and was trying to get my hands on every scrap of information about the 'true meaning' of that masterpiece of a ballet. [What a ballet...talk about a good candidate for revival!] Maybe I didn't look in the right places but I scoured my own private library plus the Library of Congress for reviews, essays and such. *Nowhere* could I find an explanation by Nijinska or any dance critic of "Les Biches", except to say that it is what is on the surface: a nice 1920s "house party" somewhere in the south of France....intended to be the "Les Sylphides" of the 1920s (a simple 'mood piece'). But who/what does the girl in the blue tunic ("La Garconne") symbolize? Just like the Bettie DeJong character in "Esplanade" it is too simplistic to assume "a lesbian." "Les Noces" is also a puzzlement. Less so "Train Bleu" in which the story and funny characters are spelled out quite clearly. Doggone it - I sure wish that La Nijinska had further explained her ballets!

I, too, knew beforehand about the tall dancer, Bettie de Jong. She was quite strikingly different, even among the diverse physiques in the 1960s-to-mid70's Taylor company. I was somewhat sad that the stager did not mention her because she is an icon of dance, in her own way! I felt like raising my hand in the audience and mentioning her name but it was the end of a long evening & I decided to 'go lazy' and let the stager speak for himself. I don't think that it hurts peoples' imaginations to offer a few facts on what really *does* inspire a choreographer to create a dance. If I were the stager & received that question, I would have smiled & asked the questioner: "What do *you* think it means?" I'd let the guy in the audience give his explanation -- something prompted those guffaws from the audience when he originally asked the question, after all! -- then I would have explained the Bettie DeJong connection. As it turned out, the stager came across as a bit aloof, albeit very polite...sort of like saying: "I've answered you. Next question?" (My own words but that's the gist of how it came across. He missed the opportunity for a *really* fascinating discussion, IMO!) [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited April 05, 2001).]

Cool. I was sorry that he did not answer it in a clearer fashion....but it was a cleverly diplomatic manner, nonetheless.

I thoroughly enjoyed Washington Ballet's recent 'American Icons' program, which I attended last Wednesday evening, March 28. It was, for me, undoubtedly the most satisfying evening at the Washington Ballet since...well, that 1987 performance in which they first danced 'Esplanade.' This is the sort of well-balanced, quality-choreography program that has been missing from WB's repertoire for so many years. The high expectations that I had beforehand were not dampened by the actual performance which was, in general, on a very high level. Perhaps they lost a bit of that initial 'oomph' in subsequent performances, from what I've been reading? [The Wednesday performance that I attended was officially a 'preview' so most critics went the following evening, Thursday the 29th.] CONCERTO BAROCCO - Neat, clean dancing from the corps. Fine female soloists, especially the "second lady" Erin Mahoney, who displayed nice high entrechats during the third movement. A couple of reviewers above already noted what was my main qualm about this work: the hee-haw grins on the faces of a couple of corps ladies, which continued through the middle (slow) movement. The huge smile on the first soloist's (Christina Fagundes) visage bothered me less; besides, I am used to Fagundes' ever-present smile from her ABT years. The male soloist, Runquiao Du, showed a bit too much of the 'effort' in lifting the slender-but-tall Fagundes during the second movement; for a moment, I was afraid that he wasn't going to make it! TCHAI PDD - A delight as a 'whole' but a bit sloppy in details. Again, the 1000-watt smile from Michele Jimenez didn't bother me so much because this is, after all, a show-off, competition-style pdd. Her technique was very strong. Jared Nelson has improved quite a bit since I last saw him; what a natural gift of long line and charisma this lad has! PILLAR OF FIRE - *The* highlight of the evening for me. I have never thought of Amanda Mckerrow as an actress before...coach Sallie Wilson has certianly done wonders with her. Amanda was simply *spectacular* in both her forceful acting and lovely dancing. I have only seen a couple of Hagars 'live' before (Kathleen Moore and Leslie Browne) and Amanda is way above both, in my estimation. The entire company danced their roles -- big and small - with conviction, although Brianne Bland as the Young Sister was a bit over-the-top (in acting AND make-up, black brows & racoon eyeliner on a blonde?); she looked like a Stepford Wife from where I sat in the middle of the orchestra seats...scarry! I thought that the much-commented-on Runqiao Du (as the 'bad boy' from the House Opposite) was dramatically 'on'....and drama isn't his usual forte. ESPLANADE - Very good but not quite at the level that I recall from the 1987 performance. All dancers seemed to be holding back a bit during the Wednesday preview. Perhaps they 'let loose' on Thursday and for the remainder of the run in this ballet...yet, from what I read, the corps was stronger in 'my' CONCERTO BAROCCO on Wednesday. Of the four ballets on view, ESPLANADE was the weakest for me, by far...yet acceptable. Post-performance Talk: It was a treat to see and hear all three stagers, interviewed by WB atistic director Septime Webre. Victoria Simon (for the Balanchines) was concerned about toning-down those smiles in CB. Sallie Wilson (for the Tudor) seems so sweet & quiet to be one of the all-time great ballet actresses on the stage...she talked about Tudor's methods in developing every single character on the stage (no matter how 'small' a role). The gentleman who staged the Paul Taylor work (sorry - forgot his name right now!) received the most interesting audience question. Someone asked him to explain the meaning behind the second movement of 'Esplanade' with the 'tall woman in pants' who dances very little and cries in the end...very different from all other women in the ballet. The male audience member asked, laughingly: "What was THAT all about?" prompting others in the audience to also laugh. The Taylor stager did not answer the question & simply said, "It's up to everyone's own imagination to interpret." In a nutshell - I LOVED it. Let's have more of this sort of program in the future, Mr. Webre. - Jeannie Szoradi, Washington, DC p.s. - The chamber orchestra was quite good on Wednesday, especially in the two Bach works. My only qualms were with the odd arrangement of the Tchai pdd (woodwinds and brass replaced by piano). [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited April 05, 2001).]

James - Have you tried any of the on-line "bookstores" such as www.amazon.com? Tales of Hoffman is surely available there. You might try some of the auction-type websites, such as www.ebay.com, for the out-of-print rarities. Amazon also has a department for rarities. Here's another Shearer film. Have you heard of the ca-1960 Hollywood film 'Black Tights'? It features four different one-act ballets by Roland Petit/Les Ballets de Paris. Among these is 'Cyrano de Bergerac' starring Moira Shearer as Roxane. The other ballets in the film include 'Carmen' (Zizi Jeanmaire), 'The Diamond Cruncher (again, Zizi), and 'A Merry Mourning' (Hollywood actress/dancer Cyd Charisse on pointe). Roland Petit is the male star, as well as choreographer, of all four ballets. Choreographer's privilege, I suppose.

Well, I'll have to eat my hat. At last night's Washington Ballet performance of Tudor's PILLAR OF FIRE, Amanda McKerrow totally blew my "Americans Aren't Dramatic" theory out of the water. She was FANTASTIC! More later...last night's program was 'only' a preview so I don't wan't to spoil things for tonight's official 'premiere' of the WB's spring season at the Kennedy Center. But, in general terms, I'm doing my "Happy Dance" for Washington Ballet right now!!!!

Marie-Agnes Gillot seems to be an obvious choice for 'etoilehood'. I wouldn't be surprised if she is promoted before the end of the current season.

small postscript on Leigh & mbjerk's comments about Americans' 'matter-of-fact' and 'just-there' quality: I could never-ever imagine an American (or even a Western European) ballet dancer choreographing bows 'in character' as do the Russians, Cubans, or other "Soviet Influenced" dancers! It simply wouldn't look right. When Susan Jaffe or Amanda McKerrow take their bows after SWAN LAKE they are Susan & Amanda, not Odette. The Makhalinas and Alonsos continue the suffering arm waves...the ballet isn't over yet and we, the audience, can't *quite* crack their facades. That is a very un-American/un-Western concept. I'm not advocating either style as right or wrong. Just pointing out uniquenesses. [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited March 27, 2001).]

The ballet version of Wuthering Heights sounds intriguing. LeRiche as Heathcliff? Quite a commission for the dancer Kader Belarbi. Does anybody know if the composer, Hersant, writes in a melodic style? Maybe I'll finally see a "live" EXCELSIOR. That one jumped out at me immediately! Once you get past the shock of only two full-evening-length classical ballets, you can see a number of delights in the program.

To me, the prototypical American dancer is not so much the stereotypical 'Balanchine Thin' creature as s/he is a technical whiz from the waist-down and acceptable from the waist up. On the negative side, I've noticed that most professional American dancers are somewhat lacking in dramatic conviction. Interestingly, most modern Russian dancers also lack this ability for drama -- they tend towards the MELOdrama, which is a different thing. The major Western European academies (those affiliated with POB, RB, RDB, etc.) tend to produce the more balanced dancers -- fine technique, speedy feet AND natural dramatic abilities. Alas, only POB seems to maintain the integrity of its style by employing mostly (only?) its own school's graduates. Back to the Americans (including Latin Americans!). They are among the very best in the world, technically, but are somewhat lacking in dramatic abilities. The sports-craze in America trickles down to wondefully athletic dancers. Energetic. Dynamic. Often charismatic. Alas, rarely bringing me into their dramatic orbit, during dramatic ballets. [This message has been edited by Jeannie (edited March 27, 2001).]