Old Fashioned

I also agree that Florine is an important role. This season I saw Leticia Oliveira, a soloist with HB, dance the part. She would also make a nice Aurora, although she wasn't cast in it this time (don't know if she ever danced it). Oliveira is one of the most technically accomplished in the company and one of the favorites here, and I definitely did not think she was being "wasted" as Florise.

This is unbelievable. Even though I've never been to Saratoga, I've always dreamed of going there someday to see City Ballet perform. I'm writing a letter, too, telling them this is one future audience member they have lost.

Female ballet dancers aren't? I'm not sure your idea would work. Dancers are trained in a completely different way from most other athetes. The running, especially, wouldn't work.

This topic came up at the perfect moment. Just yesterday a woman from Houston Ballet called me literally begging for a donation and continued to talk before I could tell her I was only 17 and couldn't make a contribution right away (she was asking me to do it over the phone). I don't mind making the occasional small donation to the company, but her methods of persuasion were quite pathetic. Actually, it was hardly persuasion because it almost sounded as if she was telling me I "had" to make this donation and they "had" to receive it by this time. I wanted to tell her I didn't "have" to do anything, especially since I've been ignored many times in the past when I tried contacting them in an effort to support the company. This also comes at a time when the new season has been announced and I am not happy about it. :angry:

Well, since I only know of one critic who writes regularly for the dance scene in Houston, and I don't happen to like her very much, reviews don't affect my decision to see a performance at all.

Simon Ball has been a great addition to Houston Ballet. Sorry I can't say much about Frances-Perez, as I think I've only seen her perform once in a small role.

Here's a link to HB's website that's more detailed: 35th Anniversary Season I forgot to mention that they are bringing back the Cullen Contemporary Series, which is like Houston Ballet's version of the "Diamond Project." They actually devised some interesting (not necessary in a good way) names for the repertory programs, rather than simply calling them "fall" or "winter." One of them is "Rock, Roll, and Tutus" (one of the works featured is set to the music of the Rolling Stones). Thanks to all those who contributed to the threads on Penn Ballet and NBoC about Kudelka's Firebird. I have my answer now. I was expecting the upcoming season to be similar to this one, which had a pretty good mix of classical and contemporary ballets (plus a Balanchine program and an Ashton, which will be the icing on the cake for me :rolleyes: ). I pray that the following seasons will not continue to have a barrage of vague and new contempo works by so-so choreographers.

Same situation here in Houston. It's only showing in one theater.

I'm with Vagansmom on this one. I don't think the author tried to brainwash people into believing these theories; the only things he accounts for being "true" before the novel begins are descriptions of art work (although he did get a lot of things wrong), the fact that there was/is a secret society called the Priory of Sion (I take this to be true...?), and controversy surrounding Opus Dei (he does not state that these "corrupt" practices actually take place). Yes, the novel is fiction, and that's how he intended it to be. These theories about the Holy Grail and Christ have been around for centuries; I guess people are just getting riled up about them lately because it has entered mainstream fiction. I also happen to be one of those people who wanted to learn more. It's amazing how so much of this stuff is out there that I could have never imagined before until I read The Da Vinci Code. I wanted to learn more about the Knights Templar and Priory of Sion, but most importantly, it fueled my interest in Leonardo's, among other artists', works. Somehow I used to think the Mona Lisa was overrated... :shrug:

Sleeping Beauty for me, too, for all the reasons listed above.

Hmmm, 55+ views yet no responses? Someone has to agree or disagree with me, or have another comment to add about the repertoire, so please speak up.

Thanks for the laugh.

Coming: a brave new ballet season

Listed in the Sunday paper is Houston Ballet's repertoire for next year. The article should be up on the Chronicle website tomorrow, and I'll create a link for it then. Meanwhile, here is a run-through of the 04-05 season: Celts (Lila York), along with premieres by Julia Adam and Natalie Weir Peter Pan (Trey McIntyre) Touched (McIntyre) The Nutcracker 35th Anniversary Gala Performance ("best of season" sampler) Rooster (Christopher Bruce), Suite en Blanc (Serge Lifar), along with a Welch premiere Stevenson's Romeo and Juilet Sandpaper Ballet (Mark Morris) and The Firebird (James Kudelka) Maninyas (Welch) and Giselle (staged by Gielgud) I find this to be a major disappointment. Even though this is the largest number of works the company will be performing in a season, there doesn't seem to be much variety. The only ballet I'm looking forward to is Giselle, although I don't know what Gielgud's staging is like. I'm not familiar with Lifar, but hopefully that should be interesting. Any thoughts on Kudelka's Firebird? And why Peter Pan again?? The biggest let-down of all is no Balanchine. :angry: I'm not sure I like the direction this company is turning. Molly Glentzer described the upcoming season as "the first to bear the signature of new artistic director Stanton Welch"...

Yep, I'm somewhat familiar with the area it's in, and I would love to go, but it's half an hour to an hour away (depending on traffic) from my place. I don't usually go out of my way to see movies (making that commute to the theater district is something else), but maybe for this one I will.

Aaargh. The Company is only showing in one theater out of the entire Houston area. ONE! So, I guess I'll have to wait a little while longer until it comes out in wid-ER release where it will be playing at a theater close to home.

Go for Carreno.

That's a shame about Naomi Nari Nam. She was a breathtaking skater (probably had the best spins I'd ever seen, right behind Lucinda Ruh). I'm rooting for Suguri and Arakawa. Arakawa's Turandot program is exquisite. And what a lovely girl she is. :yes:

I like Michelle's Tosca program and think she can pull it off quite well, IMO. I do not like the arrangement of Swan Lake Cohen skates to; I much prefer Ann Patrice McDonough's, but there's this one moment when a critical point in the music is cut off which is very annoying. Unfortunately, I missed the men's competition. I don't know when it aired. Any thoughts on the pairs competition? It may not be fair to say this since this is my first look at them in a long time, but the American pairs do not look like they're in good shape.

8TH NATIONAL TITLE FOR MICHELLE!!! 7 perfect scores in presentation! I am still recovering from shock to see how far she has come; she never seizes to amaze me. I have to admit, I actually cried with her. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the people who were there to see her perform live. Wow. If she can generate that much emotion and passion through the television...

Oooh, I'm jealous you got to see the cast with Oliveira and Ball. I was planning on going to the 26th matinee performance with them in the leads, but tickets sold out too quickly. What did you think of Ball as the Prince and Clement as Queen (assuming there were no cast changes for those parts)?

It's a tie between Mireille Hassenboehler and Sara Webb for Houston Ballet. I have yet to see something I don't enjoy seeing Hassenboehler in (even made "Garden of Mirth" somewhat watchable), and Webb becomes more and more charming each time I see her perform. Webb continues to grow into her roles, and I can't wait to see her in La Fille.

Where is this list?

No, I regret missing out on most of the previous seasons. This is the first time I've gone to see the programs consecutively because I can finally drive myself to the theater district! Thanks for your input, though (I hope you'll write more reviews in the future ). Is there anything from this season that you've seen that you enjoyed in particular? I wish I could say I'm glad to see Barbara Bears back on the stage, but I haven't actually seen her dance yet this season... I'd also like to add I adored Tyann Clement as Carabosse, and Ilya Kozadayev was superb in the Bluebird pdd.

Since Leigh started this in a few other forums, I thought I'd create one for Houston. I'll start off by listing the highlights of the current season for me: seeing Simon Ball and Mireille Hassenboehler in In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated Sara Webb as Aurora hearing about Webb's promotion to principal dancer Welch seems to be doing a pretty good job as the new AD so far