yudi

I went to see the MET opera Otello and missed this one. Hope they would put a video record on YT.

Thanks a lot for the link!

I was very interested to watch the programs, specially after catching the live-stream of Lopatkina's recital at Yale two days ago. I cannot help but compare them in dancing styles.

Did Balanchine say that he didn't like dancers to perform (some of) his ballets in Mariinsky style?

From an email. http://music.yale.edu/2015/10/06/yale-school-music-presents-prima-ballerina-performance-conversation/ There will be a livestream:

...

Performance: Legends of Russian Ballet **

October 14

Wednesday, 7:30 pm • Morse Recital Hall

Featuring Uliana Lopatkina with Andrey Ermakov

in gems of the repertoires of Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulaniva, and Maya Plietskaya

and video footage of all three legends

I don't quite understand the timing of Yale's ""stream live online". They show that

WED | OCT 14 | 7:30PM

I guess the 7:30PM is E.T., Yale's local time.

What is the time in Yale now? about 12:48PM.

Why did it show: WATCH LIVE IN 9 HRS 42MIN 10SEC?

Zakharova fell down in Act 2, would PATH publish the DVD of this Giselle?

It seems that FATHOM Events don't cover Bolshoi's Don Quixote on April 10 of next year.

Then, who would be her Armand? The German boy or Rodkin? Marguerite and Armand vs. Zakharova - Rodkin, ages fit.

Hope this time in Bolshoi's broadcasting of Giselle they would not do too many close-up shots, as in HD broadcasting of ROH's Giselle. It seemed that the British men always thought they knew 'drama' better. They had put too many big faces on HD screens for ballets in movie theaters. Maybe, they wanted to show Giselle was a sick girl, who had heart problem, so they put such thick white face paint on Osipova that you might think why a healthy noble man should love a pale peasant girl. Anyway, in Act I, Giselle was sick, but NOT dead. Moreover, in first half of Act I, Giselle was happy and shinning. That was awful to look at a flat white face on HD screen.

BTW, for ballet, they should keep the head, hands and feet of main roles in frames, when they are dancing.

Just don't do too much close-up shooting on dancers' faces, OK on feet, that would also reduce the recognition of dancers' ages. Probably, Polunin could have grown his beard or mustache again.

she has been working too hard.

Last year they said that the 3 hours live-broadcasting of each theater in WBD would be abstracted to 1 hour video and leave it on YouTube after WBD. Why SFB has only 15 minutes left? I was in a time-zone where I could not hold up to see SFB's program. I was hoping I could make it up later. However, they cut too much.

Thank you for the link to the interview. Ratmansky is funny!

If you lift your leg to 135 degrees instead of 45 or do a full split it takes more time. If you add a balance here and there and multiply the pirouettes it goes further in slowing down the original tempo. And then you add an extra trick at the very end and you want the orchestra to wait for you so you can finish with a big bang, like in the circus. (Why conductors approve of that is beyond my understanding). So the variation drags and loses its danciness and its character. Well, the original is never like that. Everything is faster and more alive. Faster pirouettes, less time spent in the preparations, no walking from one corner to another. Less amplitude and ‘wow’ effect maybe, but much more common sense. Stretching the lines to the extreme played a bad joke with Petipa. Too often it looks like a boring exercise, not exciting theater.

I received the info in email from medici.tv. The event is to celebrate the 50-anniversary of Kenneth MacMillan's choreographying of R&J. The show date is on Tuesday 22 September, 2015. I have no detailed info about casting and etc.

Maybe, Urin would try to find someone who had more experience in modern ballet? Anyway, this is my guess from reading Urin's talks and interviews. Then, Tsiskaridze probably sould not be in scope of his searching.

This is truly horrible experience. Birdsall, if I were you, I would be scared to death!
I was lucky, I visited St Petersburg and Mariinsky Theater in late June. However, when I walked back to hotel after ballet shows, I took another direction, along Moika River and I could still see tourist boats running in the river for White Nights, so I didn't feel unsecured. If I go back to S.P. for Mariinsky ballet next time, I would definitely put your experience in mind, when I book hotels.
I am a very cautious and timid person. When I walk on street alone, I would try to make sure either I walk among good groups, or no other people within 10 meters in front and back of me. If someone walked close to and approached me, I would evade them.
I wish you getting well quickly. BTW, in general, you might not come through a bad attack like this again in your life, comforting yourself with positive hopes.

Yes, go! If only because I have to go back to the US before it premieres, and I really wish I could see it. So I need to live vicariously through you.

Thank you for your passionate suggestion!

Let me see how I would feel about Russia trip. Russia is a such huge country. When I look at the map, I cannot figure out how I would make a tour of Russia in 30 days. I had spent 40 days in Austria, Germany and Paris. But, all these adding together are smaller than Russia. Plus, I don't speak Russian.

I cannot make my mind for another reason. I have read the warning on the webpage of the State Department. "U.S. citizens most at risk are ... These U.S. citizens are also at risk for harassment by police authorities." - Well, that is pretty much true.

I love ballet! But, sometimes I am too sensitive. Unless I feel very easy to stay in Russia, I would not just go and stay for the premiere.

In the Overview they say: ... Roberto Bolle, principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre and guest artist at La Scala and the Royal Ballet, ...

Principle dancer of ABT and guest artist at La Scala? I always thought that was the other way around, guest at ABT and principle of La Scala.

I dumped some $$ there, though, I didn't see that

On the "Review" (second) page, please click the "+" to the left of "Please enter your username" and enter your board name,

Anyway, hope you could get closer to your goal.

2015-16 ballet season schedule 9/21/15-6/29/15: https://www.staatsoper.de/en/staatsballett/schedule-tickets/schedule/ballet/all.html

very confused

why is it staatsoper.de ? not staatsoper.at ?

"9/21/15-6/29/15" should be 9/21/15-6/29/16 ?

The complete performance schedule of the National Ballet of China's visiting the US in summer of 2015:

Lincoln Center Festival 2015
@ David H. Koch Theater.

The Peony Pavilion (July 8–10)
Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00pm
Thursday, July 9 at 7:30pm
Friday, July 10 at 7:30pm
The Red Detachment of Women (July 11–12)
Saturday, July 11 at 8:00pm
Sunday, July 12 at 2:00pm

@ Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts,
Vienna, VA

The Peony Pavilion

Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00pm.

@ The Performing Arts Center of Purchase College，
Westchester, New York

D.Q., Giselle, Yellow River, Red Detachment of Women

Saturday, July 18 at 8:00pm.

@ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Springs, NY

The Peony Pavilion (July 21–22)

Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p.m.;
Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m.;
Wednesday, July 22, at 8 p.m.

References:
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_473f97a00102vqku.html

National Ballet of China will perform at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY July 21 & 22 for 3 performances. I think they're doing Peony Pavilion. Visit spac.org for further info.

Besides performances at David H. Koch Theater, New York and Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, the National Ballet of China will dance Pavilion on July 14th at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA; present short programs on July 18th at The Performing Arts Center of Purchase College，State University of New York.

Their program will juxtapose the familiar, including the pas de deux from Don Quixote and Act Two of Giselle, with works that encapsulate the Chinese spirit and experience, including the contemporary works Gungling Verse and Close Your Eyes When It Is Getting Dark, as well as selections from two of their signature ballets: Yellow River and The Red Detachment of Women.

too sad! ......

The 15th annual “Meet in Beijing” Arts Festival held its grand opening with the most performed classical ballet Swan Lake presented by the National Ballet of China on April 23 of 2015, and with guest dancers from the U.S. Isabella Boylston, a principal with the American Ballet Theater, and Paolo Arrais from the Boston Ballet, were invited to dance with Ma Xiaodong and Wang Ye, both principle dancers of the National Ballet of China.

In the morning of April 21, Isabella Boylston and Paulo Arrais arrived Beijing and started the rehearsals right the way. They both felt very excited to have the chance to collaborate with the NB of China.

This is the third time for Isabella Boylston to visit and perform in Beijing. Although, she had never danced the Makarova version of Swan Lake, the Artistic Director of NB of China, Feng Ying personally coached her and demonstrated the steps in the rehearsals. Isabella Boylston conveyed appreciation to her partner Ma Xiaodong. She was filled with envy at the Corp de ballet of NB of China. in an interview she said that they mostly come from the same school, all have very good physical condition, elegant arms, the corp de ballet of swans must be very beautiful on stage. Isabella also told the Chinese colleagues that although she is keen and competitive she enjoys dancing as Odette more, and she thought she would play the White Swan "more naturally."

Paulo Arrais, a principle dancer of Boston Ballet Theatre, has played main roles in many ballets, including George Balanchine's version of Midsummer Night's Dream, Mikko Nissinen's version of The Nutcracker, Florence Clerc version of La Bayadere, John Cranko version of Romeo and Juliet, Natalia Makarova version of Swan Lake and so on. Therefore, Paulo Arrais was very easily taking on the actions and performances to become a part of NB of China's Swan Lake production. In the afternoon, he was ready for a full scale rehearsal, the Prince demonstrated his extraordinary strength.

In the evenings of April 23 and April 24, two splendid Swan Lake performances, by Swan Isabella Boylston and Prince Ma Xiaodong, Swan Wang Ye and her partner Prince Paulo Arrais respectively, presented the beautiful and moving love story to audiences in the Capital Grand Theater. The American and Chinese ballet stars' superb ballet technique and wonderful performances on stage won huge applause from audiences, which gave the Meet in Beijing artistic festival a gathering rendered with full of vibrant color art.


















References:
http://www.ballet.org.cn/news_detailn/newsId=1214.html
http://www.ballet.org.cn/news_detailn/newsId=1219.html
http://www.ballet.org.cn/news_detailn/newsId=1223.html

Ballet as sleep aide?

I didn;t want to be negative to POB's performance. I actually like Nicolas Le Riche and Karl Paquette, POB's ballets in general. Nevertheless, in Act I of Ivan The Terrible all music, dancing, lighting, stage set and colors are so intense, shown on YouTube, no contrast and breathing, which made me feel so tired very quickly that I felt sleep before the end of Act I. ... Maybe, If I watched this ballet on HD screen or in theater, I would have had different perceptivity.

I did not see The Bolshoi's Ivan the Terrible on HD screen this time, because it was not shown in any of my "nearest theaters".
However, I was interested in knowing what this ballet was about. When I searched on-line, quite few Google's info results were from Ballet Alert!
10 years ago in Ballet Alert! there were fairly extensive discussions about Bolshoi's Ivan the Terrible as well as a former Bolshoi star Yuri Vladimirov who was the creator of this role Ivan The Terrible. He was also the teacher & trainer of Ivan Vasilliev who danced Ivan The Terrible few days ago at Bolshoi. A short video of I. Vasilliev's performance was leaked on YouTube Last week. Anyway, the discussions in Ballet Alert! were pretty conductive. So, I was very curious to see this ballet and found Nicolas Le Riche's recording on YouTube. However, POB's performance made me fall asleep faster.

"They also won the honor for ballet art" - that is what the National Ballet of China said in their post. (In Chinese: 为芭蕾艺术赢得了荣誉.)

Assumed that the ballet was just about jumping and turning in the opinion of most Chinese people, so the NB of China thought we finally made them understand ballet IS drama, but not sport!

Prima Ballerina Zhu Yan won the Best Actress for Shanghai Magnolia Award

The ceremony for the 25th Shanghai Magnolia Award for Drama Performing Arts was held at the Shanghai Grand Theater in the evening of March 31, 2015. There are totally more than 100 candidates coming from 49 performing troupes around the country to compete for the prizes of best dramatic performance. Zhu Yan (朱妍), Prima Ballerina of the National Ballet of China, has won the Best Actress prize and Zhou Zhaohui (周兆晖), Principle of NB of China, won the Best Supporting Actor nomination for their outstanding performances in ballet The Little Mermaid,

During the Shanghai International Arts Festival 2014, the juries of Magnolia Award watched ballet The Little Mermaid, in which Zhu Yan danced as the Little Mermaid and Zhou Zhaohui as poet Hans Christian Andersen. Zhu and Zhou's soulful dance, superb technical skills and theatrical expression impressed and conquered the juries. The National Ballet of China is very proud of their winning. They also won the honor for ballet art.







References：
http://www.ballet.org.cn/news_detailn/newsId=1178.html
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_473f97a00102vn0s.html

Last month Wang Ye and Ma Xiaodong, the two principle dancers of National Ballet of China, came to perform in the United States. They were invited by the Richmond Ballet in Richmond of Virginia, to dance the leading roles in Don Quixote. From Feb. 20th to 22nd, they danced D.Q. for three days in a row. Their wonderful performances won high praise from the audiences, the head and ballet masters of Richmond Ballet.

Wang Ye and Ma Xiaodong in Rehearsal
https://youtu.be/WmBytnzOd-U

References:
http://www.richmondballet.com/season-tickets/ticket-info/performances/don-quixote/
http://www.ballet.org.cn/news_detailn/newsId=1159.html