Marga

Ebay has another copy up for bids of the 16mm reel that I mentioned in my post above. No one has bid yet and the auction starts at $16. It has just been put up for bids and ends on August 7th. 16mm Ballet with Edward Villella

This list is from his own one page website, www.avisher.com: Dance: Los Angeles Ballet 06/07 Tulsa Ballet 06/07 Joffrey Ballet 05/06 Ballet San Jose 04/05 Washington Ballet 04 Sacramento Ballet 03/04

Thanks, nysusan. I spoke with Reyes a few years ago right after a performance when she was still wearing her pointe shoes and standing on flat, so have noted her height. Further, my own dancer daughter is exactly 5'2" and she seemed taller than Xiomara. But I believe you, and if Sarah Lane herself said so, who am I to quibble? My perception of Ms. Reyes' height must have been off.

M.Mel's description sounds a lot like my daughter. She has a contract with a wonderful ballet company which begins Sept. 1, but it will not pay all her expenses -- in fact, it will just about cover rent and utilities. She is working now as a freelance dancer, having just finished one filming project and this week beginning another. In addition, she works two part-time jobs outside of ballet. I was thinking about her when I wrote my earlier post. I admire her so much!

Good highlight (long and languid)! That "shortest" bit perplexed me when I read it. I'm quite sure that Xiomara is shorter than 5'2".

It's interesting to me that you should pose this question today, bart. Sometime during the middle of last night I was thinking of the difference that dancing makes to those not born with the God-given gifts of a body suited for ballet. I thought about how much harder such dancers always have to work to do the things that the so-gifted dancers achieve effortlessly. There are those like Svetlana Zakharova and Sylvie Guillem, for example, who have the acrobatic facility, the unbelievably shaped feet, the gorgeous silhouette, indeed, the sheer ability to make us sit up and take notice just by stepping on stage. Suzanne Farrell, for another example, has the je ne sais quoi that is so alluring you can't take your eyes off her, the physical beauty, the quality of being in her own world that is infectiously watchable, the innate musicality, the daring and complete confidence of movement that makes you feel secure while having the privilege to view her. (I wrote in the present tense because I was remembering it as if it were yesterday.) So, her dancing seemed not only effortless, but flowing freely from her as if compelled by her soul. There are scads of examples of those for whom dancing does not seem to be hard work, but for most everyone else, from apprentice to principal, there are tales of great hardship to tell. Having danced myself, I know what it feels like to work on a difficult combination only to watch another dancer sail through it as if born to do it. Starting from the first plié at the barre, I was aware of the effort I had to apply to things like simple turnout, a basic necessity that to the dancer endowed with a better positioned ball and socket joint, more to the side of the hips than mine, was not even anything they thought about. There are regular people everywhere who have never danced, but who can stand in a perfect fifth position because their bodies are built that way. To have to fight for turnout in every exercise you do predisposes you to the hard work needed to become a dancer. Those that persevere through difficulties like that -- for some it is the ability to turn, jump, point the feet, or maybe simply having the stamina required -- work on it every waking minute. And, no, they get no credit for it because the audience, in general, doesn't realize what they've gone through to achieve a career in ballet. The Joffrey Ballet, in its early years, comes to mind (M.Mel can offer his inside opinions on this). It was known as a company which took dancers who were rejected elsewhere for not having the "right" bodies, flexibility, or line or whatever. What Joffrey required was passion, commitment, and really, really hard work (and not in the greatest conditions -- I remember Rebecca Wright telling of a night-long rehearsal where at 4 am, snow began to fall inside the studio through a hole in the roof). His company in New York City in the 60s was avant-garde, classical, contemporary, experimental -- absolutely astounding in its scope. You could feel the hard work his dancers put into it. And they were gorgeous because of it! Some of those dancers teach today and are incredible instructors. I have seen dancers today in regional companies who would not be accepted into big name companies because they are either too short, too bulky looking, too short-legged, too large-headed, too busty, sometimes, but watch them dance and WOW! Orlando Ballet's Katia Garza and Zoica Tovar, for example, are two of the most accomplished and beautiful dancers I have ever seen. The world stage is deprived of their dazzling performances, unfortunately, but if you're ever in or near Orlando.....

Thanks for the correction, MM!

Les Sylphides is a romantic ballet using Chopin's beautiful waltzes and mazurkas, preludes and a nocturne. The large group of dancers in their long white romantic tutus move as a corps and also form tableaus in the background, posing behind the soloists during their variations. There is one male dancer (the "poet") who dances a pas de deux with a lead sylphide. The ballet is known as a "white" ballet, a quintessential romantic ballet with its soft lines, lilting jumps, port de bras and seamless patterning. The dancers wear the romantic hairstyle associated with "La Sylphide" as well as with the Wilis in Giselle. Les Sylphides was premiered at the Maryinsky in St. Petersburg in 1907, as noted above. It is referred to today as either Les Sylphides or Chopiniana. Russian dancers and teachers typically still call it Chopiniana. La Sylphide was originally choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832 and featured his daughter, Marie Taglioni (also noted by rg above). The version we are familiar with today is a Bournonville ballet and it was choreographed in 1836.

Allegra Kent is in fact 2 inches shorter than Bouder. She gave her height as 5'3" in an interview. Kent has long legs and arms on a short torso which gave her the illusion of more height. Repertory in Review quotes Suzanne Farrell: " 'Diamonds' is hard because you're out there in white and there's no hiding. 'Diamonds' you can't sell. It's too dignified to sell. And you can't cover anything up." I see Ashley Bouder as someone who can "sell" anything. Might this be a detriment to her in 'Diamonds'? Perhaps she would have to "hide" a little!

I am so sad.

Mine, too.

This unique auction ends today just before 3 PM PDT (6 PM New York time). If you have a couple of thousand dollars to spare, you may want to bid. If not, the description for the item and the accompanying photographs (one is of Nureyev with some kind of scooter/bike standing outside The Ballet Shop) are very interesting. I miss The Ballet Shop. It was always on my agenda whenever I went to Lincoln Center. Then one day I saw that it didn't exist anymore and became quite sad. That tiny place was a hub of balletdom with wonderful books and artifacts. It was a nice place for ballerina sightings, too! Ballet Shop autograph book on ebay

Of course, there's James (Inside the Actors Studio) Lipton's Mirrors, which is all about dancing.

Thanks, Alexandra!

I noticed a few minutes ago that there were 403 "guests" online, and then, just a minute ago that there were now 575 guests. Is that possible?? Or is it a glitch? If it's true, then where are they?? Every topic I click on has no one but me, or only one or two others reading that topic, peaking at 7 or 8 (mostly in Links). If it's true (right now it reads "465"), then, WAY TO GO, BT! Just curious....

I believe you, Natalia, since you were there, and yes, a photograph often does take things out of context. I am sorry the Times chose to run this one. I know that their photographers take dozens of shots at a time -- I've seen it. Also, I'm in the camp of those who believe that just because you can doesn't mean you should. Although Odile has more reason to take her penchés further than Odette, as she must be the über-Odette in order to make Siegfried forget about the real one, I still think that going beyond 180 degrees is a bit much in ballet. Ballet is not gymnastics. I love Sarah Lamb, and if you say that Eun is "miles" above her, then I am very interested in seeing Eun perform myself.

I had trouble putting the two together, too. When I saw the picture I winced for its vulgarity. What is artistic or beautiful about having a crotch thrust in your face?!

I am thrilled to see my "homie", Artjom Maksakov (Estonia) still in the competition! He was a graduating student at the Tallinn Ballet School in 2003-2004, when my daughter was dancing with the Estonian National Ballet, and was already under contract to the company because he was SO good. Last year (2006) he became a first soloist. Artjom was born in July 1984 in Ukraine. He is one amazing dancer and I am so happy he went on to Round III. Here's a picture: Artjom Maksakov

This is the first time I noticed that Veronika's last name, in English, also means "to divide". Ms. Part got her name from her Estonian father. In Estonian "part" means "duck" (as in the farm animal, not "look out.......").

Kurt and Kyle Froman are identical twins who danced with New York City Ballet. Kurt Froman left to do Movin' Out a few years ago and Kyle Froman is still with NYCB.

The links section led to this compilation of personal snapshots by former ABT dancer Sonja Kostich. Nice captions. ABT reunion pics

Yes, it is.

The only ones I recognize for sure are Bruce Marks (AD of Orlando Ballet) and Ali Pourfarrokh (AD of Eglevsky Ballet), at opposite ends of the front row, Marks all in black on the left bank (about 8th to the right of left) and Pourfarrokh in a blue suit and tie on the right bank (about 10th to the left of right).

Thank you, Jacki, for a post that says it all (link to vagansmom's post), and so well! I've described my own health problems before, and I'll only say here that to others I, too, look perfectly healthy, which is far from the truth! Because of my own difficulties, I am now more sensitive to the fact that others might have problems, too.

artist, thanks for bringing up djb's post. This one I know for sure: Vishneva IS pronounced Vish-NYO-va (not vish-NOY-va -- sorry, canbelto!)