jorgen

I didn't see the second cast on the 15th, and then on the 19th it was more first than second cast (see above). There is only one perfomance left this year, which is with first cast. After that the Nutcracker plague takes over... The Balanchine programme is then back in early January with three performances before the US tour.

I went to see the "second cast" last night the 19th, but the there were several changes. Serenade though was danced as announced. I liked Marie-Pierre Greve very much and wish we could see her more often. Diana Cuni was beautiful, moving with such grace and authority. In Octet Gitte Lindstrom / Blangstrup was replaced by Silja Schandorff / Bowman. I had looked forward to see Lindstrom in the part (not that I ever mind seeing Schandorff!). Yao Wei was on with Sakurai again replacing Izabella Sokolowska. There were also changes in the Piano Concerto. The awaited Gudrun Bojesen / Massot couple was replaced Caroline Cavallo / Blangstrup. I don't think Cavallo is so bad here, the role suits her pretty well. Again Diana Cuni was surprisingly good, a bit of a revelation for me. I like her more each time a see her, she is what I will remember most from this evening.

I think it would be best to start the evening with a small "appetizer" ballet and let La Sylphide be the final and main attraction. It worked out pretty well when Etudes was replaced with Vers un Pays Sage as a starter.

Yes, it written Fëdorova (Fyo'dorova).

Great news from RDB! Nikolaj Hübbe will guest in the role of James three times with three different Sylphs. October 16: Sylph: Gudrun Bojesen James: Nikolaj Hübbe Madge: Lis Jeppesen October 22: Sylph: Silja Schandorff James: Nikolaj Hübbe Madge: Mette Bødtcher October 24: Sylph: Caroline Cavallo James: Nikolaj Hübbe Madge: Lis Jeppesen

What a shame Greve is out! I had looked forward to see him. As you say, let's hope at least Silja Schandorff will dance (with anyone!)

Effy, do you know if Kenneth Greve will be back to do James on Tuesday 7th October?

Aspirant, which night do you mean was changed to "Vers un pays sage" and "La Sylphide"? Today Thursday, the only change was that Greve and Mora was replaced by Bowman and Massot in "Etudes". In which, by the way, Gudrun Bojesen was wonderful. A joy to watch.

Alexandra, you are right about Schandorff and Gad but I see them all the time in Copenhagen. I very seldom miss a performance when my beloved Schandorff is on. She was wonderful as usual last night in "In the Middle, somehwat elevated" with Kenneth Greve. I will see Gad tomorrow in "Manon" and Schandorff in "La Sylphide" on Saturday. I was lucky to see Alina Cojocaru in her Onegin performances here last year.

Thank you Effy. I do love Alina Cojocaru, but for me it means totally 8-9 hours on trains for 20 minutes of her. It's a tough choice...

Effy, could you please give some more details about time and location of this event!

I have heard Nina Ananiashvili will guest with the Royal Danish Ballet in Alexei Ratmansky's new Anna Karenina in April 2004. Much can happen until then, but it would be wonderful to see her in Copenhagen.

Ok Pamela, here we go. I saw three performances: Tuesday, Saturday matine and evening. Tuesday had the best programme with maybe the finest Balanchine ballets. Serenade, Agon, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Symphony in C. Very good but not as sparkling as I had expected. They seemed at bit uninspired this first day. The highlight of the week for me was Nikolaj Hübbe (with Yvone Borree) in Square Dance on Saturday, with his outstanding stage presence and dancing as Vila perfectly described above. Other highlight was the tall and beautiful Maria Kowroski in everything, specially with Jack Soto in Sonatas and Interludes. I also saw her in Serenade, Symphony in C and Agon. On the Thursday I saw, instead of NYCB, the last of the three fantastic RDB Manon performances that Silja Schandorff and Nicolas Le Riche has given us. This time very daring in the last scene and a standing ovation.

To get a clue of the expected Kennedy Centre cast here are the casts for the coming La Sylphide in Copenhagen: Sylphide: Gudrun Bojesen, Rose Gad, Silja Schandorff James: Thomas Lund, Mads Blangstrup Madge: Lis Jeppesen, Jette Buchwald, Mette Boedtcher Premiere on September 20.

The book "The Bournonville Ballets - A Photographic Record 1844-1933" by Knud Arne Jürgensen 1987 is a true goldmine with 477 photos. It is still available from the publisher (Dance Books). To make it easier to follow the discussion about helmets etc I have scanned some vintage photos from Valkyrien. See them here: http://www.ballerinagallery.com/private/valkyrien.htm

Amy Watson has just been promoted to soloist with the Royal Danish Ballet. (Amy Watson was born in 1981. She studied with the ABT and was engaged by Suzanne Farrell's Company before she in year 2000 became a dancer of the Royal Danish Ballet, where she has danced a number of soloistroles including Olga in Onegin, Helena in Romeo and Juliet, and in Manon, Vers un Pays Sage, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Odyseen, Napoli, Symphony in C, Serenade, The Concert, Hallelujah Junction, Ballads Enclosed, Sleeping Beauty and A Folktale.)

Still a bit off topic: The NYCB dancers performing in Sweden was a group called "Danses Concertantes", founded by Benjamin Millepied and Alexander Meinertz last year, with eight dancers from New York City Ballet. They have a web site: http://www.danses-concertantes.com/

Rose Gad did Manon last season with Mads Blangstrup and will do so this season too. I saw them only at a dress rehearsal, but I preferred the more passionate Silja Schandorff - Kenneth Greve couple. I love Silja Schandorff. She can do everything. For example she did Forsythe's "In the Middle somewhat Elevated" wonderfully last May. The other Manon cast is Caroline Cavallo - Andrew Bowman. The week 2-7 September will be a busy week in Copenhagen with NYCB at the Tivoli Concert Hall coinciding with three RDB Manons at the Royal Theatre.

POB star Nicholas Le Riche is scheduled to guest with the Royal Danish Ballet as Des Grieux in MacMillan's Manon. His partner as Manon is RDB principal Silja Schandorff. The three dates are: August 25 August 27 September 4

Not until next year, 15-30 July 2004. It's held every second year. See Varna web site: http://www.bulgarianspace.com/music/varna_..._ibc/index.html

You are right about the Swedish Swan Lake. It's dark and murky, so are the sets and costumes. An unlucky choice. To get top picture and prodcution quality looks for the latest Royal Ballet DVD's. The Paris Opera Ballet prodcutions are of very high quality too. My favourite DVD is Hamburg Ballet's "Illusions - likeSwan Lake". Perfect picture and sound. You can choose from different soundtracks. From the directors spot, from the auditorium or with John Neumeier's commentary in either English or German. A shame we can't have the classics with commentary by Petipa himself!

Regarding Eva Evdokimova, her name is Bulgarian. Her father was an emigre from Bulgaria, her mother American. They met as students in Munich. Eva was born 1948 in Geneva, Switzerland, but she got an American passport. She spent most of her childhood and youth in Germany and England. She made her debut in the States only in 1977 when she was 29 years.

Anna Netrebko , young soprano of the Mariinsky, is extremely beautiful. She sang at the televised St Petersburg 300th anniversary gala concert last May. She has a wonderful voice too. See her here: http://www.annanetrebko.com/

Alexandra, here are some ballerina names with the accent in the right place. Checked with my Russian Ballet Encyclopaedia. Asylmura'tova Altynai Ayu'pova Zhanna Bessme'rtnova Natalia Che'nchikova Olga Chistyako'va Irina Dudi'nskaya Natalia Evte'yeva Elena Fe'dorova Sofia Go'likova Tatiana Grache'va Nadezhda Ivano'va Veronika Karsa'vina Tamara Kolpako'va Irina Kondra'tieva Marina Likho'vskaya Olga Lopa'tkina Uliana Maxi'mova Ekaterina Me'zentseva Galina Mikha'lchenko Alla Osipe'nko Alla Plise'tskaya Maya Semenya'ka Ludmila Semizo'rova Nina Semyo'nova Marina Sizo'va Alla Soro'kina Nina Spessi'vtzeva Olga Struchko'va Raisa Te'rekhova Tatiana Timofey'eva Nina Trefi'lova Vera Ula'nova Galina Veche'slova Tatiana

Some may be interested in my photos from the 2003 Europeans: http://www.convergentus.se/skating/ Including Carolina Kostner, Tatiana Navka and others.