Watermill

Yes, I am quite intrigued that LA audiences are supporting the touring companies...if the support has built up and a truly appreciative audience is being developed then perhaps a good company could thrive. With the right AD and a lot of money. That is my fondest wish (as I promote my WCGA Fantasy). And god knows any one of several dozen LA gazillionaires sweat the budget of a mid-size ballet company everytime they bend over to tie their shoes. (Just heard that Uma Thurman's contract with Lacombe was 14 million) Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the demands Forsythe places on an audience might be too much for LA. Yes, he has the status and the rep and the chops...but when they have to sit through more than one season of his peculiar style, will they continue to buy tickets? And yes, you're right, the tree huggers of Oregon are a far flung world away from the Big Restaurant where people eat people for lunch. But Canfield has nearly perfected something called "Rock Ballet". Think about that and get ready to hold your lighter up in the dark! From the parapet, Watermill

Nice try plieades... but can't think of a more unlikely match...though I could be wildly wrong... You have, however, forced me to quote your statement and there upon ponder: Does it? I suppose that's why I'm so taken with the Canfield idea: he doesn't really fit anywhere and from what I've seen & heard, neither does LA! Wasn't it the locale of which it was said: "There's no there there." Forsyth might last two years, but Canfield would rock on as long as they make movies for teenagers. Youth will be served. Climbing out of the moat, Watermill

Actually...it just struck me as I was responding to a query on the OBT thread... that James Canfield would be perfect for LA. Sexy (overly), Pop-oriented (again overly) but with a rock solid respect for classical technique. See Martha Ullman West's insightful article on the OBT threads. It's a match made in LA-LA land. Seriously: he would pack a Tinsel Town venue with his edgy eardrum-splitting style. Not sure I'd include it in the glittering necklace I'm trying to sell here... May have to settle for the bracelet and a pierced eyebrow, huh? Falling into the moat, Watermill

Hi Jameth, As far as I know he's still liviing in Portland. I believe he's been up for consideration as Artistic Director for several companies, but not been hired as of yet. There's been some speculation that he might work as a freelance choreographer. As you know, he is also a very highly regarded teacher. He has a lot to offer on all these levels, so I'm sure he'll emerge some time in the future. I also know that running a company is beyond exhausting. Maybe he's taking a very well deserved break. Watermill

Ok, I'm totally jumping the music here, but in another (and some might say overly excited) post I hinted at a "Golden Age of West Coast Ballet" .... This, of course, is presuming that Christopher Stowell is going to lift Oregon Ballet Theatre to heights it might not acheive without doubling the budget. (And here in tech-heavy Oregon, not likely without a strong economic recovery) So humor me... At both PNB and SFB, long time ADs have forged extraordinary companies that rank in anybody's top ten list. If Stowell the Younger is able to put OBT on the map...let's see...that would leave....SoCal to complete the bejeweled Left Coast necklace I am crafting. (Out of not so total fantasy, because I have heard that John Clifford is making another try at a Los Angeles based company.) I know that there have been extensive threads on why LA Ballet has not succeeded, but the concept of a West Coast Golden Age is too tempting to dismiss out of hand. If not LA, what about San Diego? Capistrano? Little Carmel? To ridiculously further the analogy: what we have now is a pair of earrings...in a few years a NW bracelet...if Orange County ever gets its act together...a necklace! And when the day finally arrives, they could all perform Balanchine's "Jewels" on the same night! From his castle on a cloud, Watermill

Congratulations to the founders and the moderators who gently handle our passionate discourse with aplomb and good humor. I have received terrific advice, comradeship, co-miseration and some howling laughs from my visits to what I consider "The best forum on the web"! And five years for any org or group concerned with the arts is a very long time...most last five months... Cheers! Watermill

I just realized after re-reading the article that former NYCB Soloist/PNB Principal and Royal Danish Ballet Mistress Colleen Neary is here setting Rubies...and Martha Ullman West is sitting in the studio taking notes! This is very exciting! Add to this Patricia Barker's visit to set Duo Fantasy and Darla Hoover's upcoming work on Nutcracker and one can feel how very different things are going to be at the Civic Auditorium.

I have been reading this thread with some interest as it has veered into the most intriguing question of whether a dancer's true style is reflected in their writing. I once saw Norman Mailer dance at a wedding and felt that he was not being truthful to himself as a writer in the way he danced. I was quite disappointed. I believe it was Steve Martin who said, " Talking about art is like dancing about architecture." To this I might add: Writing about dance is like singing with your feet. With a wink, Watermill

OBT fans and Christopher Stowell followers should be sure to read this terrific article by the sorely missed dance critic Martha Ullman West: http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/or...69362154690.xml[/url] I've been waiting for months for someone to give this kind of knowledgable overview to the transition from Canfield and Stowell, knowing full well that she was the only one who could. The Oregonian's Bob Hicks, a general arts reviewer, has been doing a very good job reporting on all the changes, but Ms. West, former President of the national Dance Critics Association, brings far more ballet-savvy to the keyboard. I feel she was very fair and balanced in her treatment of Canfield, who remains in my memory as one of the most paradoxical choreographers and Artistic Directors. Her appraisal of Stowell's maiden voyage is eagerly sought by most of the balletomanes I know. I fervently hope that she emerges from her semi-retirement to become engaged in what many of us feel could be the beginning of a Golden Age of West Coast Ballet. (PNB...OBT...SFB...LA?) Watermill

I won't go into much detail as I'mm trying to entice other OBT fans onto this forum... The basic concept of Canfield's Nutcracker is that Marie is an anspiring ballerina who is visited on Christmas Eve by famous Maryinki ballerina Kschessinskaya. Faberge substitutes for Drosselmeyer. In the dream sequence, Kschessinskaya dances the Sugar Plum Fairy. The main difference obviously, is that the role of Marie is danced by a principal dancer, providing opportunities for some some wonderful pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince. I invite someone else to fill in the rest of the description...

I agree: while visual variety, especially in a long ballet, is necessary to relieve the audience eye, close-ups of any kind should always be chosen judiciously. Never when the full movement (as in entrechats) needs to be seen. I often think that sometimes the camera operators are under-rehearsed. When you think about it, they need to dance the frame around the dancers...so they need to rehearse thoroughly so as to anticipate the needed change in frame...and to do it smoothly! No director or editor can make up for bungled shots. Really looking forward to Altman's Company for these very reasons! Cinematographer Andrew Dunn is one of the best...I have high hopes.

James Canfield's Nutcracker, though obviously similar in parts is quite different from the Balanchine Nutcracker chosen by Christopher Stowell to be performed this year. A choreographer from the the Balanchine Trust is coming to set the piece on the company. What do you think? Are you looking forward to this version? Will you miss the old Nut? What about "The Nut Has Finally Cracked" parody? Will you miss that, too? Throw in your two cents, and I'll throw in mine!

Sorry Alexandra...failed to notice that we'd been moved off the "Other American Companies" forum. Thanks! I would like to encourage fellow OBT followers to please join in...This is a wonderful opportunity to bring OBT to the attention of a large number of fans and dancers across the nation & even the world...so stop lurking and start pitching in! I'll toss out a subject to chat about in a new thread... Cheers! Watermill

Sorry, mediamaven: that was my misreading of a previous post. Glad to have someone else from the OBT scene posting... OK, Alexandra, can we have our own thread now? :yes: (See your promise above)

This uneveness in the corps of major companies reminds me of why bigger is not always better. I remember watching OBT's James Canfield rehearse two measures of the Flowers from Nutcracker for nearly one hour. By the end, not only were the arms together, the very breath was together...and it showed in performance. I think that coaching is the issue here, not the dancer's talent. Some times the big companies are focused on other production issues. Then the Kirov pulls into town and everyone remembers what a corps is supposed to look like.

Just returned from the Park Blocks (Day One): Christopher Stowell taught a brisk class. About 3/4 of company attended. Only those six dancers in Duo Fantasy are actually under contract this week, so the other 15 or so who showed up do it voluntarily, which is good of them (and good for them). The most pleasant suprise was to behold the magnificent Patricia Barker taking barre along with the company. Now that's what I call a GRANDE Battement! The new company members look promising. Unfortunately Kester Cotton was not there. After class, the company broke and the crowd (about 150) stood up, moved about, chatted. During the break, Particia Barker, there to set Duo Fantasy, reviewed a bit of the archival video, then marked a bit of it, returned to the video, marked another phrase or two...then danced almost the entire piece full out solo. I doubt there were more than 4 people under the tent who realized what was happening. It was one of those strange unplanned magical dance moments that happen.... for those who have eyes to see. What an unexpected pleasure! Ms. Barker then led a pretty easy-going rehearsal, helped along by occasional video reviews. Kathi Martuza is most impressive. It was also good to see most of the board there to support Chris Stowell on his first official public appearance. Many students of the school there to check out the company and new apprentices. Lots of chatting re: Nutcracker rehearsals (which begin Tues!) A cystal clear Portland day, and all is well in the world of Ballet. Watermill

For Act One: stick with Rossini. The bright, light comic touch is perfect. For Act Two: How about Debussy? Magic in the air...along with the dancers! Act Three: Mussogorsky!? Dark undertones... submerged themes...bold finish!

Very exciting to hear of the new shape the company's taking. With one exception, those dancers remaining are very strong. Vanessa Theissen & Katarina Svetlova will be missed, but the new dancers sound wonderful. Christopher Stowell's biggest challenge is going to be mounting a Nutcracker than will maintain the high popularity of Canfield's crowd pleasing version. The entire fiscal year hangs llike a Christmas ornament by this single golden thread. Without a strong Nut, he won't be able to expand the company to major story ballet strength. Looks like he's starting a larger apprentice program which should help. I was a little taken aback at both Kent Stowell and Patricia Barker leading the Park Blocks barre and rehearsals. I think CS should have this first very public appearance to himself. But most important is the raising of the quality of the company, and he appears to have done that in a very professional way. As far as I'm concerned, he's lept over his second hurdle brilliantly. (The first being the eye-opening season) I will report from the open rehearsals soon. Watermill

Ms. Temin started another tempest in a T-Pot (Beantown transit riders will get the pun) last November when she badly mis-stated audience numbers at the Wang. See "Boston Ballet Box Office Woes" in Boston Ballet. I suggest that anyone starting a thread based on her reporting first verify the facts.

Ok: I viewed reel #2 on the old projector...what an odd production! By the way: it's a flying carpet that transports Marie and the Nutcracker to various lands. Some interesting moments, but an especially disappointing pas with Villella and Hayden. Credits: SUGAR PLUM FAIRY...........................Melissa Hayden MARIE..............................................Patricia McBride NUTCRACKER/PRINCE.......................Edward Villella BLUEBIRDS......................................Helga Heinrich Nils Keleth ALSO: Ray Barra, Heidron Schwaartz, Margot Werner, Hannes Winkler, Hugo Delaville, Edith Demharter, Monica Muller CHOREOGRAPHY..............................Kurt Jacob BUDAPEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY Franz Allers A production of Bavararia GMBH, Commissioned by Stuttgart SDP

I have the complete 16mm film of this Nutcracker. I will run it and note the credits for you. As I remember, it is a mostly German production using (obviously)very high quality guest artists. If my often failing memory serves...Drosselmeyer takes the Prince and Clara flying in his magic sled through an animated flock of birds, providing a segue to yes: the Bluebird variation. More later...

Then there's the hyphenated Vera-Ellen as Miss Turnstiles in ON THE TOWN taking a barre from Madame Dilyovska, whose samovar packs a potent punch. V-E obviously studied ballet...any idea where?

Then there is the opening of "A Star Is Born" when a drunken Norman Main is pawing the ballerinas, who are seen rehearsing a circular dance in the wings. Several of them shove him away and then try to pull him back from his inevitably premature entrance. Fittingly, they seem both fragile and tough.

Didn't see them this year, but Trey McIntyre's "Like a Samba", "Speak" and "Aliss" (all presented in the past) were extraordinary in their diversity and quality. Maybe Erik or K8tes mom caught it. Wish more OBT-goers would post. We have an extremely exciting season coming up & hopefully some lurkers will pipe up.

If memory serves, on opening night 1945, the Act Two Ballet brought down the house. The audience would not stop applauding, so Bambi Linn (dancing the Daughter) came on stage and they repeated the whole thing! Now that's dancing!