Ray

Jennifer Homans reviews Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph (Yale University Press 2002) in The New York Review of Books, 12/19/2002, pp. 32+. Ray

Rick-- I guess I was less enthused by White Swan, Black Swan; the ballet anecdotes on which some of the stories were built are *so* familiar; I guess I expected more depth. Still, I did appreciate the author's subtlety and terseness. By the way, are you the Rick McCullough whom I worked with at Pittsburgh Ballet oh so many years ago? Ray Ricketts

Thanks for the info--I may actually be remembering the Dance in America tape. I'll keep looking! R

Hi I'm looking for the video of ABT performing Lilac Garden, made, I think, in the late 80s-early 90s (I think the whole video is "ABT in San Francisco" or similar). It's not available online, nor can I find it at any libraries outside of NYPL Lincoln Center (non-circulating!). I'd be willing to send someone a blank tape if they could copy it for me--or sell me a copy. Thanks much, Ray

I just read Anna Kisselgoff's review of the Kirov's Swan Lake, which was generally excellent--she really displayed her fluency with a lifetime of watching. One phrase, however, puzzled me, in her description of Zakharova, whom, she writes, has a "dropped heel when standing on toe." Any guesses as to what this describes? Loose pointe shoes? Not all the way up on point (I doubt that--and look at the pic that accompanies the review)? Poor editing? Ray

You sound like a very thoughtful choeographer, Leigh. Especially compared to some I've worked with, such as the one known unaffecionately as "Pork Chop" who told the assembled group of 16 of us, "OK, make a star." Between bites, I think. Ray

I meant to add that if you have discussed my questions at length earlier, you can just refer me to the archived posts--I don't mean to waste anybody's time. Ray

I think we have to understand 'editing' in its full sense--i.e., not just cutting but the process of thinking and rethinking one's ideas with the help of interested and/or informed others (the headline's "snip snip" does lead us to the think of the former, I'll grant). Editing a manuscript, for instance, involves suggesting ways in which to help the author's voice sound its best, not just lowering the word count. The article gives a great example of collegial advice-giving--Robert Raushenberg to Trisha Brown, so yes I agree that it's best to have a trusted and/or famously insightful advisor Leigh, you seem to be a reasonable choreographer who is literate and listens. Most choreographers, in my experience--with some wonderful exceptions--don't hear a thing, and bank heavily on the lonely struggling artist thing. What's worse is that no one whould *think* to say anything to them. What I wish the article had time to get into is the lack of a mentoring or apprenticeship period for a young choreographer. Sometimes it seems as if any former dancer--especially with a major company--is allowed the privilege of choreographing for a full company too soon (or directing a company--but that's a whole 'nother thread!). Balllet seems especially prone to this. Finally, I'm not sure, Leigh, why you think workshopping is inherently a bad idea. After all, nothing obliges you to accept any suggestions, and you could configure the constituency of the workshop as you like (perhaps, say, a group of like-minded choreographers at a similar career-path level, or artists or musicians that you may know. Or--horror of horror--dancers!). Can you say more? Ray

In tomorrow's Arts & Leisure section of the NY Times (p. 8 in the edition I get in Philly), Wendy Perron has a piece called "Snip. Snip: Dance, Too, Needs Editing." I think it's a great piece that alludes to the particular lack of mentorship/apprenticeship that choreographers have to (or have the opportunity to) go through--especially ballet choreographers. Lots more to say, but what do others think? Ray

Well they're certainly making up for past generousity now--Joan Acocella's articles on dance appear very infrequently. But the periodical seems to be short-shrifting all of the arts; most pieces are long enough to fit onto 2 facing pages, including illustrations. In fact, I think all of the periodical's articles are shorter. Ray

I agree completely: reperetory lockstep results from the unhealty combination of choreograhic star-struck presenters, overweening Executive directors, narrow-visioned Artistic Directors, and limited resources. (Part of why I retired from dance was because I was tired of doing bad ballets that were vapid and easier to dance--and less well-paying, natch!--than broadway shows! If they were audience pleasers I did not feel the love.) My main point was that the choreographers/works PAB chooses do not significantly challenge the dancers--or the audience. While Margo Sappington may not quite be on the lockstep list, I don't think she qualifies as a particularly daring alternative. Ray

As interesting as the most recent ballets may have been (I didn't see them, but I've never been impressed with Sappington's work on ballet companies, and Janek Schergen's [excuse misspellings] version of Beauty feels musically wrong in places), I'd still like to see PA Ballet rachet itself up a notch in terms of reperetory development. Where are the ballets by Forsythe? Wheeldon? Duate? (I don't even think they have a Kylian ballet in the rep.) And why don't they do the full-length Jewels? I strongly feel that the company does not reach as high as it could in terms of long-range artistic vision. Their excellent dancers deserve more. Ray

Tommy Gold as the young B (who will of course dance with all the other-aged Bs in frenzied angst)?

At the risk of offending B-worshippers (among which I count myself at times), I think Balanchine had definite moments of bad taste: Western Symphony, for one (don't hate me!) and the more talked about than seen PAMTGG (I'm all for a revival--I bet John Clifford and/or Pat Neary could do it). Yet Balanchine was ambivalent, at least initially, about those critic figures in Davidsbundlertanze--when I was at SAB I was one of them and we were on one night, off the next, and then back on. (No one has performed it *quite* the way I did, I'm sure!) But nothing B did compares to Eifman. Culturally speaking, I think Eifman is a fascinating, post-Soviet arts phenomenon. But he's a poor choice for NYCB's dancers and rep. (sorry to be so negative, Alexandra, I think if anything *Eifman* will be the one learning). Why not do a ballet by Alonzo King? Or Europeans we haven't seen at NYCB? Ray

How pathetic that the NYorker website can't even give dance a category of its own--JA's review is under the rubric "The Critics: On Television" !

Is it possible that NYCB is trying to market to the Russians and Russian Americans who pack Eifman's performances at City Center? (Interesting issues in re Jennifer Homans's recent NYT article about the Russians at NYCB and SAB.) Ray

Sorry all, I see that this issue has been broached in another forum. I tried to delete it but couldn't. R

According to Joan Acocella, NYCB is slated to do *2* Eifman ballets, one in 2004, the centenary of Balanchine's birth (New Yorker 7/1/02, p. 92). Acocella implies that this is a sad irony. What do others think? I'm not an Eifman fan--and I've seen his company twice; more importantly, I think he's a stylistic misfit for the company (to say the least!). Is it a sign of artistic desperation? Artistic shortsightedness? Artistic vision? A move to attract more Russian/Russian American viewers, who pack Eifman's 2-week City Center seasons? Ray