Watermill

In her review of Suzanne Farrell Ballet's Kennedy Center Performance,

Suzanne Farrell Ballet: Lifts and Stumbles

critic Sarah Kaufman has some rather harsh criticism of Jared Redick, who went on as a replacement for an injured Peter Boal. I'm not suggesting that the dancer in question is beyond criticism due to the circumstances, but shouldn't there be some understanding of those circumstances and therefore a reasonable mitigation of that criticism?

Even if Mr. Redick had a week to get ready, that's precious little time to get up to performance speed in what is an extremely difficult role. Thanks to Mr. Redick's availability, the dance went on and Mr. Boal had time to heal.

Think I'll file this one in my "every act of kindness shall not go unpunished" file....

Watermill

A friend tells me it was a delightful "give and take" session of reminiscences of Mr. B and his Nutcracker. I hear that Nancy Goldner's remembrances of the 1954

Nutcracker were especially fascinating. The 600 seat Winningstad Theatre approx 2/3 full. Very sorry to have missed it.

My final dress ran late, was unable to attend.

*BIG SIGH*

Anyone go? How was it?

Dear Mel, At the risk of having to take cover, I wish to point out that anyone using the term "old smoothbore" when introducing 18th century gunsmithing allegories into a discussion of Balanchine is at peril of having the above quoted phrase ricochet back toward the marksman. Fortunately, your remarks are of the highest caliber, so I will restrain myself from going ballistic.

Keeping his powder very dry,

Watermill

Andre, I pretty sure you're referring to the great documetatrian Frederick Wiseman's Ballet. At one point it does follow ABT dancers on tour. There is a beach scene where a male dancer flies a kite with all the choreographic flair one would expect.

This film is rarely shown on TV and is only available as a rental to groups or for purchase by institutions. I believe it is the finest "behind the scenes" look at the world of ballet ever made.

I'll be there. Will share any pearls.

Yes, Leigh, that's our Alison. From Portland Maine to Portland Oregon she came in 1996. Check out Dance Mag's 2002 "25 to Watch". What a pleasure it has been watching her grow as a dancer, from corps to all the major roles, including that of the soloist in Rubies. This after having a baby in Sept 2002. After the departure of the magnificent Stephanie Crank, Alison stepped right in to the spotlight for James Canfield with some amazingly dramatic performances. She can knock your head back in the last row of the second balcony.

BTW: I made the same mistake in upstate NY. When the Canadian Border police found some white powder in a container marked "talcum" in my girlfriends bag, they tore apart the car looking for drugs. It did not help that my hair was longer than hers. Oh, did I mention that this was 1969?

Great idea balletmom: My daughter's knowledge and appreciation of ballet have been increased immeasurably by the collection of 60+ videos I've put together.

Without a doubt your best guide to all this is Robert Greskovic's (BalletTalk board member rg) must-have book Ballet 101. It has an appendix video guide that separates the wheat from the chaff. Use it to start a checklist. Ebay & Half.com are excellent sources for out of print hard to find videos, but it takes a lot of diligence and patience. My daughter plays the ABT DVD's to death! Be sure to include the Royal, Kirov and Bolshoi. And of course: Balanchine.

Happy hunting!

Watermill

Mind if I butt as well?

(Well, maybe not as well, but just butt...also)

But I digress, having butted into my own butting...but then...butt, then!

Perhaps they'll dine during an intermission. I went to an opera in Germany where a three course meal was served in at each of three lengthy intermissions. The snoring through the last act nearly drowned out the singers. One of the advantages of Ballet: snoring cannot overcome the dance. Though dance can sometimes cause snoring. And especially those speeches. Hey, what're the odds Movado presents a watch to Martins? As they say: "Timing is everything."

Blessings upon you, Great Morpheus!

Not that it would be listed in the press release, but aren't the top level SAB students performing something for the Gala?

Good grief...what a trail of tears...I remember the trio from their fairly brief stay at OBT. There was great drama in their leave-taking as I remember, but one didn't know how much of it to ascribe to Canfield and his peculiarities.

Here's my question: If Suzanne Farrell Ballet, with all her support, star power and reputation after 3 years has a 1.5 million budget, a pick up company and only 20 weeks a year, who did these folks think they were? Starting with a $2.7 million budget?! Based on ticket sales!? Wow...

The lack of a general manager or financial officer seems a critical mistake.

What's so sad to me is the uprooted, devestated lives of people who just wanted to dance. Not since LA Ballet...

Stars in your eyes can quickly turn to tears.

Of course, Mel, Wagner would have orchestrated the gesture with a multi-chord sforzando from the brass section. With extra euphoniums for emphasis, eh?

Now that's what I call Gesamtkunstwerke!

What would this be called in ballet, a "grande lune de recourbement"?

A quick ABT site check shows her joining the corps in 2000. What amazing depth ABT has!

But how slowly they move up the ladder...

You're right, Mashinka: the BBC channel on my cable is nothing but light comedies and home or garden decorating shows. While I'm sure BBC is still producing better shows, what they pipe in to America is an insult, as if to say "Well, you know, the Yanks can't handle our higher culture. so well send them our coarser stuff." But your post makes me think that perhaps they're treating their own population this way too. A bloody shame.

I heartlty agree: it's one of those extremely rare instances of a TV series giving as much pleasure as the books. Entire series beautifully directed by Herbert Wise. Terriffic screenwriting adaptation from Jack Pulman who died shortly after.

One of my favorite moments: Sian Philips and the professional poisoner.

Dress up! It adds to the pleasure! Especially teens who are always wanting to try being grownup. (tho rarely admitting it cuz it ain't cool)

This also brings to mind the amusing panoply of audience attire here in Portland...Artsy meets Boardroom meets NikeSwooshers meets aging TreeHugger Hippie ...meets Canfield era GothPunk. Is this a ballet audience or the StarWars Canteena Scene!?

A Button down Watermill in his Hermes Tie

I think I need to win the lottery.

Seriously, the top of my "must see" list right now is Acosta and Rojo and Cojocaru.

Greena than Giannnina.

Watermill

Thanks, Treefrog...I had only read the excerpt you posted and assumed the worst from it . But now having read the entire review, I see that it was just one of those strange out of context musings that critics are prone to. Apologies to Mr. Smith who seems to be most competent and fairly knowledgeable after all. I'll try not to shoot from the hip/lip quite so quickly again. I think I'm a bit trigger happy from all this Pop Ballet garbage.

I'm sure he meant it as a compliment, but it's not. It's ignorance. Mr. Smith has a right to his opinion of course, but it sounds like they assigned their second string film reviewer to the ballet by mistake. Either that or Sid needs to cut back on his X Cube hours.

Oh well, just another misunderstanding of ballet's unique essence. I guess it's all of a piece with Nutcracker Barbie's assault on Swan Lake.

This thread is so long now, I hesitate to sift through the entire thing to see if this film has been mentioned. (Maybe we should do a sticky of previously listed films?]

Just caught a part of the classic Bathing Beauty (1944) on TCM, an Esther Williams vehicle (or vessel!) with Red Skelton as her goofy composer boyfriend. Directed by Kitschmeister George Sidney at his Technicolor best.

Featuring a long ballet studio schtick-fest complete with Red in pink tutu...uses lots of Nutcracker...the corps appears to be mostly Hollywood showgirls, but some appear to have taken more than a few classes. Appalling caricature of sadistic Russian ballet mistress played by Anne Codee as Madame Zarka. She slaps poor Red around in what is more like a roles-reversed apache dance than a ballet class.

Noticed that Anne Codee reprised the role of Ballet Mistress in another Red Skelton laffer, The Clown (1953).

A quote from Suzanne Farrell in today's OC Register:

"Some fathers don't know why their daughters like to dance. I want these people to know why their child wants to dance and bring that aliveness to it."

Thank you, Ms. Farrell.

Unique and unpredictable...animal magnetism...best looking tenor of all time.

If ballet had Nureyev, opera had Corelli.

Bravo!

A must-read article from today's Links gives the hard business facts of the Boston theatre space situation...not suprisingly, Big Business is the root of the mess, with Clear Channel assuming the role of Walmart ...

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/artsNews/e...g?articleid=336

A Boston Boy,

Watermill

Not really into cross-dressing, but can't pass this chance up: The Cygnets...yes, all four...cuz I'm gonna have the Lion King puppeteers make the other three and connect them to my limbs so we'll be totally in unison. Of course, I'll need to get up on pointe and then there's all that boring dancing stuff, but what an entrance!