Marga

I was thinking about that when I went to bed last night, after indicating that the stress was on the ASH. Georgian names danced through my head, including the "-vilis" that end the names of some parents I am acquainted with. You are right, I believe, and I have succumbed to the common pronunciation accepted by transplanted Georgians who go with the flow instead of insisting on the right emphasis.

continued artist, You are the same age as my youngest child (6th of 6, and once a dancer) and I think you are off to a great start in acquiring your own plethora of knowledge! I have always admired your posts for their maturity in -- forgive me -- one so young, and have marveled at your already vast knowledge of balletica, far larger than my own when I was your age 43 years ago and a dance student myself. So, I'd say, yes, "all of the above" (school, travel, lifelong learning, self-teaching) and about languages, specifically, "how long" depends on how interested one is in discovering the secrets of other languages. I speak two languages fluently, English and Estonian (which is the language we usually converse in at home), and while studying Russian for 3 years in high school (and practicing speaking it with my Russian grandfather), acquired a keen interest in it (as I did in French which I studied for 7 years while in school). Estonian and Russian have some similarities in word origins and pronunciation, so that just sticks with me. Also, my daughter the dancer studied with a Russian teacher, so we've been around spoken Russian (ballet teachers, parents, many of her ballet friends) since she was 8 years old (she's now 21). Lastly, for me, my husband is a French teacher and a fanatic when it comes to the study of linguistics (he almost majored in it). Our conversations often turn to the etymology of words, comparative linguistics, and phonetics. We also talk about current pronunciations, spelling, and grammatical usages of English that have become prevalent in popular culture, despite being incorrect, which are changing the way our English language is being used and passed on. I'd say we might seem like boring people to some reading this, but then, we also sing, dance and make merry! Since this is a sticky, I feel uncomfortable going off topic. If the above part of my post must be removed, I understand. (I just hope artist sees it first). Let me add a name to the list: Gelsey Kirkland. Gelsey, hard "G", like Gordon, not Jelsey. I'll bet I'm not the only one who wondered about this for years!

I believe it's "Jee" (like the first syllable in the ill-received movie "Gigli")

In Russian the double "L" is pronounced as in English, not as in French. "Alla" is said "AH-la" "Ulanova", contrary to popular opinion, is pronounced "oo-LAHN-nova" (no "y" sound for the "u") MA-SEEN "Anna", to say it the Russian way, would rhyme with "wanna", so the second pronunciation you offered is correct "ah-nahn-ee-AASH-vili" the "ash" rhymes with "gosh" nee-NET de val-WAH (the name she was born with is a little easier: Edris Stannus)

Hi! We've had a discussion on her whereabouts before. Click on the link below. It will take you to that thread. Children of Theatre Street

When I heard that Caitlin Valentine and Christopher Ellis were leaving Orlando Ballet for Colorado Ballet, I assumed that she, at least, was being hired as a soloist. Caitlin, 21 years old, has danced principal roles in Orlando for years. Orlando is not a tiered company, but it is clear to the dancers and audience who the "principals" are, and Caitlin is one. She has an extremely lovely lyricism to her dancing, is a good actress and a solid technician. Caitlin is an absolutely wonderful dancer, so compelling to watch, with beautiful line, extension and flexibility, beautiful balances, and the ability to do standard showstopping tricks like 32fouettés (hers include doubles and triples). Christoper Ellis is a strong dancer, too, with great technique, ballon, turns, and stage presence. He is the danseur noble type, with perfect ballet line and dashing good looks. He is a desirable and secure partner, and he and Caitlin have performed together outside of Orlando Ballet many times. They are both assets to any ballet company anywhere. Colorado balletgoers are in for a treat. Caitlin Valentine bio Christopher Ellis bio And here's a picture of the two of them at the 2006 USAIBC: Caitlin and Christopher

Kate, I respect your opinion and your right to disagree with me, but I don't like being told to throw (if that's the word you meant when you wrote "through") out my copy of a book just because you hate it. In fact, I have two copies of Peter Watson's Nureyev, a paperback (easier to carry around) and a hard cover, and intend to keep both of them.

My favourite, by a long shot (and I own several Nureyev biographies), is Peter Watson's biography, titled Nureyev. I couldn't put it down. The book also gives an excellent, detailed overview of life in Communist Russia as it tells Nureyev's story. I highly recommend it.

I believe that's the 16mm reel that I bought on ebay about 2 years ago. A friend, whose company does such things, transferred it to a VHS tape for me (at a cost of $150), so I do have a viewable version. That doesn't help you, silvy, but others who are interested may come upon such a find on ebay sometime, as I did. I have a second reel of Villella as well (also purchased on ebay, but I don't know what it is, perhaps it's the same one!), but, due to the cost, have not had it put on VHS tape. I guess I'll have to find someone who still owns a working 16mm projector in order to view it.Fortunately, I saw Villella dance countless times during my balletgoing days in the 60s. He was my favourite danseur.

Briefly: Svetlana Lunkina, whom I love in classical pieces, should stick to them. Both her and Artem Shpilevsky's offerings were contemporary and, although showing off her incredibly beautiful body in its pliancy and shapemaking capablities, did nothing to show what Lunkina can really do given a familiar pas de deux/variation combination with its inherent difficulties of execution. Why, instead of the Pink Floyd nonsense, for example, could they not have offered a classical pas de deux as their Act II presentation? Sarah Lamb: I was so looking forward to seeing her dance, and she did not disappoint. She gave us who have seen Daniela Severian dance to Edith Piaf singing "Je ne regrette rien" (I've seen Severian dance it 3 times and strongly associate the piece with her) the opportunity to compare and contrast. While Daniela Severian's performances of it are always earthy and, despite the balletic technical perfection, more "modern" in feel, Sarah Lamb made the piece come off as airy and light, with similarly perfect technique. The challenge to the dancer of "Je ne regrette ...." is to make its difficult and demanding choreography seem natural and raw. Both Severian, in the past, and Lamb, yesterday, have risen to the challenge with supremely exquisite results, but when all is said and done, if I were asked which of the two I would like to see dance it next time, my answer would have to be Severian. To me, she owns the piece. For Lamb, it's a great addition to her eclectic repertoire. I knew ahead of time that Makhateli was injured and would be replaced by Ivan Putrov, and I was very interested to see Putrov dance "Le Bourgeois", having thus far identified the piece with Marcin Krajewski. While Putrov did a creditable job with it, showing off his flawless technique when possible, he needs a few more acting lessons before he can carry it off. Marcin still reigns for me, and I also think that Daniil Simkin performs it better. It's always a showstopper, of course, as it belongs to the group of inevitable crowd-pleasers which includes the likes of "Gopak", and it was lots of fun to watch, despite the fact that Putrov didn't really show us the drunken side of the character at all, managing to come off only as slightly inebriated. Putrov and Lamb's second stage offering was a wonderful "La Sylphide", arriving in the nick of time to soothe the classical ballet-hungry patrons who had sat through about as many so-called modern pieces as a true ballet lover can take. Here, Sarah Lamb, accompanied by the physical appeal of her yellow-blond hair, danced a lovely sprite, showing us her incredible turnout in the fifth-to-fifth-to fifth position steps on point and in the light runs between jumps. Putrov, as James, was pure and perfect, demonstrating ballet at its best. He brought down the house with his variation. Desmond Richardson danced to the "Moonlight Sonata" as he did 2½ months ago in New York, and was superb as always. I could watch him do anything at all, even just stand. Rubinald Pronk (raised in the Netherlands) and Clifford C. Williams (a New York native), also of Richardson's "Complexions", showed us what modern dance really is. They danced an astonishingly compelling duet which was sheer perfection in dance. Both are technically very strong dancers with beautiful lines and phrasing, not unlike Desmond himself. The extra quality that both bring to their dancing is that inner knowledge that only the born-to-dance dancer has, that intense drive and connection to movement that cannot be taught -- it has to BE there from the start. The only other dancers I feel compelled to write about are Ashley Bouder and Herman Cornejo, who, bless their hearts, brought us unparalled ballet dancing of the highest order. Ashley Bouder even effected change in the history of the Stars of the 21st Century. For the first time in years and years, it was not Lucia Lacarra's exquiste pose as Odette that graced the cover of the evening's thick ballet program -- it was, instead, Ashley Bouder's exuberant jump which refreshingly suprised us as the chosen cover picture. Way to go, Ashley, for breaking the languid ballet stereotype and bringing us a breath of fresh air! Having seen Bouder/deLuz bound through Tarantella in New York in February, I was very much looking forward to Bouder/Cornejo do the same. Herman Cornejo, with his bouncy swatch of curly hair topping off his movements, rendered a Villella-like Tarantella to quicken the heartbeat of every audience member who was primed for an evening of stellar ballet. As the opening number, "Tarantella" perfectly set the mood as it had us sitting on the edge of our seats from the getgo. (Too bad we had to settle back again during the next number, the first of many slow, modern, "position-to-pretty-position" pieces.) With Bouder's flirtatious audacity ruling Balanchine's choreography and Cornejo's boyish persona belying the perfection that is his command of all things ballet, the two romped through Gottshalk's uplifting Italian-flavored folk dance with abandon and total control. Tarantella is in good, no, great, hands, with these two, and Mr. B. should be very proud of them. When it came to Act II and yet more contemporary stuff thrown to us masses, Bouder and Cornejo again rescued the evening with a "Diana and Actaeon", which, I daresay, has seldom been seen by balletomanes used to the Russian straight-arrow penchées and sharp poses struck by gymnastic ballet dancers bent more on showcasing their own flexibility than pleasing the patrons with any insight to the role. I bow down to you, Ashley (no pun intended, as she did indeed dance without the prop!), for giving us a different spin on things. You made the piece NEW and I love you for it. Technically perfect, that goes without saying -- you dance above technique because you OWN it -- you brought subtle nuances to it, simultaneously eschewing the slavishly held to and revered acrobatics displayed by all others I have seen perform this chestnut, and advanced the piece to a new level. What will stick in my mind forever is your beautiful penché with your raised leg positioned at the "2" of a clockface. Thank you for that. Herman Cornejo, barechested with massive rib structure showing, gave us the pyrotechnics associated with the male variation and the crowd roared in response. He also matched Ashley, nuance for nuance, giving us a wonderful new version of a classical winner, both showing us that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I have always had a profound admiration for Kitty Carlisle. She was a vital, energetic, charming woman throughout her long life -- a role model for every woman. Her accomplishments show that with determination and a positive spirit, one can attain the career of one's dreams by finding the right level of participation. God rest the soul of a wonderfully elegant woman!

It's good to let it out. You speak for many. I think Edith D'Addario will continue to rest in peace.

Striking the floor with a flexed foot, which then extends to a pointed foot, is not the "Russian way", as Hans already mentioned. In character, yes, the flexed foot is used, but not in ballet class. However, I learned to do frappés with a flexed foot from teachers who followed the Cecchetti method of classical ballet instruction. I don't know if they are still taught this way (I taught them with a flexed foot when I was teaching in the 1970s and 80s), but Cecchetti is the only method I am aware of which uses a flexed foot striking the floor in frappé.

It must be because you're 6' tall (for times when you're not in the first row)! I'm only 5'4" (with hair that lies flat on my head!), but my leaning forward seems to obscure the view of the person seated behind me. Come to think of it, audience members of your height (and taller) obscure my view, and there's not much you or they can do about it (except to slink down in your seat a little ).

I just have to offer an explanation in rebuttal. The situation may be unique to me, but I'm sure I'm not the only health-challenged patron of the ballet. I have had to lean forward at many a performance, and do so only as a last resort, because my abdomen harbours a very large tumour. When seated in the normal way, I can only last for a half hour or so until the pain becomes so severe that I simply need the relief of leaning forward. Of course, the balletgoer seated behind me thinks I am being incredibly rude and insensitive, rather than in incredible pain.I always try to buy seats where there will be no one behind me, either on the sides or in the back row, but ordering through ticketmaster, this isn't possible every time. Instead of staying home to bear my particular burden and foregoing theatregoing entirely, I just do the best I can and bear the inevitable pain as long as I can, praying that the person seated behind me will be kind if I have do a little leaning forward. I simply want to raise awareness, as it were, of other reasons for leaning forward. Lots of folk may look hale and hearty on the outside, as I do, but live with chronic health problems that don't allow them to behave as normally as you would like.

I am looking forward to seeing Ashley partnered with Herman Cornejo. They will be dancing Diana and Actaeon and Tarantella. It'll be interesting to compare it to the Bouder/de Luz Tarantella we saw in New York.

The first book that comes to mind, always, is The Secret Garden, so I suppose that had the greatest impact on me and qualifies as my favourite. I remember imagining the making of the garden very vividly. I was, and knew I'd be, disappointed when I saw the movie, because the garden depicted, although lovely, was not the garden I had made up in my head as I read the book. Too, the characters looked different than the way I had pictured them to be. The books I was most fond of (I've probably forgetten a few): Five Little Peppers and How They Grew My Friend Flicka Eight Cousins The Bobbsey Twins Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates The Big Wave Out of Darkness Black Beauty Heidi Pippi Longstocking Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Mr. Popper's Penguins Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle All-of-a-Kind-Family and later, in my teens: Silas Marner The Scarlet Letter Franny and Zooey Ethan Frome Tender is the Night the plays: The Glass Menagerie Our Town but, above all, The Great Gatsby

Yay for my homies! Both Maria and Sergei joined Berlin Ballet at the same time, in 2005, coming from demi-soloist (Maria) and soloist (Upkin) positions with the Estonian National Ballet. Thanks for the news, volcanohunter.

The above passage is from an article written in July, 2004, about the Joffrey Ballet at 50: Joffrey Ballet at 50 Anawalt gives the quintessential description of Mrs. D'Addario, the spirit of the Joffrey Ballet for nearly 44 years. She had an unmistakable persona -- you could immediately pick her out at any gathering -- as well as a distinctive look which, for me, includes picturing her with a cloud of cigarette smoke over her head! What a loss to the ballet community. Another era has passed. The news of her death is in today's links, which lead to her New York Times obituary.

What made the audience gasp was that those turns were fouettés, which, of course, are part of the female variation in Corsaire, but during the immediate confusion following the injury, the stage was bare as the orchestra played on. Suddenly Tina Pereira ran into the center of the stage and began to turn, and continued turning -- her fouettés propelling her to the front of the stage -- during the music for her partner's tours à la seconde, finishing with not a grand flourish, but a sort of petering out before the count in the music was up, and assuming a pulled-up-in-fifth, down to b-plus school ending as the music came to a close. The audience greatly appreciated her quick-thinking bravado and aplomb.

Mine, too. I just changed "tomorrow" to "later" after I realized it.

Well, that was some competition! With the unexpected turn of events, it proved to be a thrilling night. I guess I can't say anything until the results are published in the papers, but the story that will be told along with the winners' names will be quite the read. Until later!

So far I've read about companies that should not be left out, but I've yet to see a list! There's a number one, but no further numbers. After ruminating the considerations put forth in the preceding posts, it is hard to come up with a list, I agree. Is there someone gutsy enough to put their neck on the line and produce one?

Yes. Go! Take a class for sure. Kevin Pugh, former principal dancer NBoC, runs Dance Teq and teaches regularly. So does recently retired principal, ballerina Martine Lamy. The classes are so good that many company members take Dance Teq classes whenever possible. They are held in the beautiful NBoC studios.

I saw the Matvienkos dance together at the Stars of the 21st Century Gala at Lincoln Center on February 15th, 10 days ago. I thought they were truly amazing, although there were a couple of reviewers who didn't share my views. It seemed to me that for these reviewers, it was more of a 'if you love the Americans, you've gotta hate the Russians" kind of mentality informing their opinions. Denis had the Bolshoi flash and fire and wowed the crowd with his unbelievable turning jumps, taking his Diana and Actaeon variation to a whole new level of "can you beat this?" Anastasia is blessed with a long, sinewy body that looks great even when she's just standing there. Her technique, as his, is impeccable. His (multiple) pirouettes are straight on, her musicality takes her faultlessly from movement to movement. They appear quite dynamic together, he with his blond, she with her dark hair. I certainly recommend seeing them! Edited to add: I just looked through the Matvienko photos at the Schiavone gallery and WOW! They are stunning, each and every one of them. I think these are Schiavone's best pics on the internet!