Mazurka

The Moor has a gorgeous apartment as opposed to Petrushka and gets the girl - how is that racist?

One could argue that the silly Ballerina is a slight on women, or limpy, powerless Petrushka offensive for Caucasians.

These are after all puppets, exaggerated in image and movements as opposed to the dancers dancing "humans".

http://books.google.com/books?id=TB3VeqCOL9IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Andrew Wachtel in Petrushka: Sources and Contexts points that this ballet is a permutation of the Commedia del Arte, discusses it with respect to Russian Symbolists, its place in Russian modernism, and shows the many complexities of this work. If it is about race than it seems to presages the ascendancy of non european cultures. (The Magician has Asian costume), Wachtel mentions such apocalyptic/symbolic interpretations..

http://books.google.com/books/about/Petrushka.html?id=TB3VeqCOL9IC

For me Petrushka was the high point of the evening - I have wanted to see Dighilev's original scenery and costumes for a long time, and it was just delightful. The dancers seemed to really enjoy this ballet and Ormsby Wilkins and the orchastra were fantastic.

I thought the Afternoon of the Faun required a sexual intensity to make this piece work that was not there. Nizhinsky has that in photos. The nymphs could have been a little more seductive too. The costumes and postures from the greek amphoras were beautiful.

Loved looking at the beautifully dressed Sarasota audience! If you plan to go to Florida it is well worth it to make it coincide with one of these productions.

I would be the first to admit Lopatkina mastery

I wrote that Tereshkina's performance was more emotio ally satisfying for me

Not that it was better. At Lopatkinas performance I sat next to unruly children

And magic was broken so there are also the circumstances under which you watch

She is probably more interesting and in command of her art

I do not know enough about technique and am on a learning curve

As in any art full esthetic experience goes in hand with understanding the art intellectually on many levels - knowledge of the fine points of techinque is more important in ballet than lets say in paintng

Luckily one can enjoy any work of art on many pevels just that it becomes a fuller experience wth knowledge and that elusive quality called connoisseuship

Which amour and fondoffiuettes are possessors of

Kondaurova owned Robbins last night at left competition in the dust

If this is contest

Expectations also have a lot too do with how one reacts with low ones surprise is greater

I also saw Tershkina last night. I sow Lopatkina and Kondaurova in earlier performances. I found Tereshina's performace the most emotionally satisfying and possessed of beauty. Especially in act one. There is tenderness, yearning and abandon in her portrayal, there is connection with her Shklyarov, as the love story becomes completely credible, she is mesmerizing. Every line is gorgeous and fluid and brings music to a completion - the sum of the parts is more. I kept thinking the music flows through her, this is poetry in motion. I think the proportions of her body may also have something to do with it - after all Gomes in any other body would not be Gomes :-)

I am not an expert just a laik.

Where Odette is languid and tender Odile is dynamic and aggressive - there is constant connection with Rothbart so that she is as if pulled by strings that he holds.

So even with the slightly (maybe 2 -3 feet) travelling fouettes I really loved the performance.

I did not like the black swans - perhaps they served a function when Soviet gov saw enemies of state everywhere and it served a function for the state censors, but they introduce a jarring note.

All jokers were great but Tkachenko was also witty.

If proof is needed that body type requirements are an ideal to strive for in classical ballet - the Marinsky corps is proof, it is a wonder. Both women and men are extremely handsome as well.

Everyone danced beautifully as opposed to the messy 2nd night - maybe they did get over the jet lag and the clearly smaller scene than the one they are used to.

Well today they offered me a partial view extreme side balcony in exchange for row A mezzanine...otherwise a tax break if I donate the ticket...

Am I the only one not aware of BAM subscription exchange policy? They only allow exchange for the same program even if there is only one performance offered or if the other performance is completely sold out, while seats are available for other programs! They will not let you change!

Reading small print now applies to buying tickets to cultural events at venerable institutions....

I was wondering why Soboleva did not get the flowers at curtain. Are flowers sent by the house?

The second act was as close to an ideal as I can imagine, true to the spirit of Romanticism, and the dancing was

extraordinary, the characterizations utterly convincing. I was surprised esp. after the Bolshoi, that the house was far from being sold out and

felt a little sorry for the dancers - would love to see them as guests at ABT

Just came upon this

Susanne Farrell and Ib Anderson Mozartiana

The T&V last night were heaven. It was as if everyone danced in a state of grace - the lighting, costumes, corps and soloists it all came together in perfection. -

Ashely Boulder was wonderful - purity, clarity and so natural, I also liked Gonzalo Garcia - everything was balanced and measured, nothing exaggerated.

In Mozartiana the little girls who did such a great job had the ethereal charm of children in 18 century paintings.

Vipa, I was wondering what others thought about this production. The music was the best part on Friday.

It sadly lacked magic - a must in a fairytale. I am not fond at all of the Chagall scenery nor backdrops - I like the opulence and lushness of Gocharova - truly Russian/20ies exotic,

Chagall seems, dare I say it, a little passe.

I concur with Amour this is Ballanchine light.

I wonder if Firebird is not relegated to a vehicle where you go because you are curiouos how ballerina X, Y or Z is going to dance it.

Also as a culmination of an evening program children dancing the dark/evil forces seem out of place (maybe esp after Somnambula) , though children may perhaps love seeing their counterparts

during a matinee.

I think you are right - the context/programing detracts from it.

Should they retire Firebird?

If I never saw "Vienna Waltzes" or "Union Jack" again, my life would not be materially altered for the worse. I close my eyes for the last three minutes of "Duo Concertant," which I find unspeakably mawkish. (My apologies to the dancers; it's not you -- it's that gimmicky spotlight.)

If I never saw Concerto Barocco my life would be poorer...

I have not seen Ballanchine's entire oeuvre, and I do not like everything to the same degree. But I eventually will see all of them. I will do that before I start making broad generalizations.

If you go to the Barnes collection and see all the Renoires, or even if you go to any retrospective at MOMA - it is apparent that great artists do not put out masterpieces

time and again.

Ballanchine is a phenomenon. He is an American phenomenon. I think all tourist who come here and are part of "inteligentsia" should experience his ballets.

I see no reason to be offended by those who worship him and fail to understand why it ould elicit such antagonism. He is larger than life and comes from an era, the 1960ies, when we still had those larger than life intellects. I have not doubt that having lived through the flowering of culture in the 60ies I see Ballanchine differently than those who are younger.

Art has many layers and it can be experienced on a straightforward emotional level, or with the understanding of the layers of meaning, which comes with increased connoiseurship,which I am trying to acquire :-).

Recently I saw the sad documentary on Tanaquil Le Clercq, (who more than any other of his dancers epitomized the ideal Ballanchine body type), and now I understand completely differently ballets such as Agon, where the ballerina's limbs are being manipulated and placed by the male dancer, or La Valse.

Veronika Part in Swan Lake on the 29th the one Swan Lake to be simulcast regionally - too bad it will not reach us statesides

Hoping someone can and will tape and post...

Glad I failed to read the program....

I think Russians like their symbolism a little more pronounced. I was happy that there were less black swans than white ones when they danced together :-).

I also do not read the evil genius as a figment of Sigfrieds imagination.

I see him as a demon.

At the risk of getting out of my depth I think that the supernatural has been much more part of reality or magical reality in Russian lore and literature than here.

This is true of Russian fairy tales (in American lore I can only think of the Headless Horseman as being comparable),

in Gogol's tales incorporating demons and witches into normal everyday (Evenings on the Farm near Dikanka)

or Bulgakov cultish Master and Margarita - where the devil very matter-of-factly takes residence in the center or Moscow (or is it St. Petersburg).

I suspect there may still be old women in the countryside with vestiges of superstitiious beliefs in magical creatures inhabiting forests,

(perhaps going back to Naiads) Rusalkas that take a man to his watery death,

or club footed conniving devils inhabiting bogs that want to steal men's souls. - a little far from our graceful evil genius but perhaps connected -

One could probably write a dissertation :-)

As far as I know there is no direct fable that Swan Lake comes out of though there are supernatural tales of transformations and of course why are those princes names always German?.

I come out much happier from ABT's spectacle - but I would not call this SL dismal. I did not go with great expectations which anyway always works great.

On Grigorovich's version of Swan Lake, I must admit I am a bit puzzled by all the negativity here. I personally think this is the best version of this ballet, with all the fairy tale silliness taken out, and the plot indeed made more "streamlined", common sense and coherent. It is a clear parable about the fundamental unity of good and evil, founded on their juxtaposition, as one would not exist without the other, and the inevitable tragedy and destruction of the youthful longing for beauty and purity that is unattainable among the dark realities human existence.

I wholly subscribe to this opinion. I attended Saturday's matinee with apprehension - and was surprised at the beauty of the choreography.

This is a dark and grown up, non sentimental interpretation - I found the narrative more cohesive and streamlined, (though I do prefer the original score). I wonder if the experience of Evil in the last century in that neck of the woods, (continued even as I write-Ukraine) is the source of Grigorevich making this a parable of good and evil.

I saw on youtube the variant where good triumphs in the final scene and wonder if Bolshoi uses the endings interchangeably

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEgkKTrmlK0

I would find a happy ending more satisfying..

I thought the subdued hues were quite beautiful and the background related to the ancient Russian wooden architecture - this is far from the Loire Valley or

Mad Ludwig's confections, indeed it is fittingly rather primal. The use of empty space was striking - perhaps this was especially apparent from the stratospheric height where I was,

the empty spaces as the corps went through the wonderful formations had a tension of its own - there was also tension when the scene became empty and only the protagonists

danced - a mastery of the spacial architecture which I have not experienced before.

When Chudin was on the scene I could not take my eyes of him so I do not know how Belyakov danced the evil genius, Smoliyaninov as jester was spectacular.

I usually find the cardas and mazurka at ABT missing the character of these dances which are in essence fiery and windswept -

the Bolshoi is stylized however it captures all the essential movements even if for a couple of seconds (the characteristic diagonal swaying in mazurka for example) .

A very interesting SL with superlative dancing.

Thank you California, if they were there they would be visible...

I was told people were queing up for cancellations from 4PM yesterday - there were none.

Amazing how despite terrible reviews (NYT included) everyone wants to see them.

Did anybody who went notice if there are people selling tickets in front of theater?

I'd appreciate if anyone would report...

I almost bought standing room this morning... they sell only 42 of those per performance!

I was told this is due to fire codes - but it seems to me 42 is a v. small redundancy for such a large theater.

Suite en Blanc

1. instead of competing on Ballanchine with NYCB

instead of Gaiete with those costumes that obscure the dance and which make even Marcello look unshapely (that is a feat)

2. showcase talent that has not been promoted this year esp classical dancers that have so many fans

3. showcase the corps

4. oh men doing that Mazurka, Gomez, Gorak, Cornejos, Simkin what a treat that would be

5. no need for expensive scenery/costumes

also no more Christian Lacroix costumes please....

She got a very very warm send off from the audience I was happy to see - lots of flowers raining on stage - I do not know if there was anyone official onstage.

Too bad it had to be the long week-end. I hope she does well at Houston Ballet.

Gorak was full of youthful verve and freshness - they would have made a nice pair.

Last chance to see Yuriko Kajiya before she leaves ABT, at 2PM today.

Scrape out the bottom of ballet budget - go standing room!

I would wish for more Ashton.

I only wish I could have seen the Dream more than once this season - I would wish they include it in any of the short programs in the future.

Cornejo embodies Puckishness and his jumps and spins are breathtaking,

I love Gillian in whatever she dances - I love her as O/O. I love her Titania even if her hair gets tangled! Not only for the technical beauty but for the spunkiness and strength of character

there beneath the surface. Yet it is a gentle pair they make with Cory. She is the opposite of all the bland and the Disneyesque ballerinas.

I thought Adrienne Schulte characterization too strong - after all Ashton finds these human follies endearing.

Did not stay for Tempest. The choice of music eludes me - Met's Enchanted Island has great music but that would be a different ballet.

Essentially, Raymonda portrays Muslims as barbaric and evil. It portrays white European Crusaders as good. We've had this conversation before on this board, noting that many other ballets (Corsaire, Bayadere) also portray certain groups as either evil or stupid.

Are we going to expurgate the Chancon de Roland from Western Literature and delete references to the Siege of Vienna next?

Seriously better to teach historical context than to throw out chunks of somebody elses culture AND history - in this case my culture.

Perhaps this view can be held if one is born in the US which has never been invaded on a obliterating level by any other nation or peoples.

re: Nijinsky's costume 'controversy,' about which facts remain somewhat murky, the costume in question was Benois's for Albrecht, not Bakst's for FAUNE.

That is how it was related to me when I was quite young - perhaps the real controversy over Nijinsky's Faun choreography migrated to the

Albrecht costume story. It made a better story for me at least...and made me pay attention to the dancer... the power of anecdote and apocrypha.

Such

From what I read Nijinsky was in effect terminally dismissed from the Mariinsky when he wore Albrecht's costume without requisite "modesty trunks"

over tights, which by then (1911) was not raising eyebrows in Paris. Interesting speculation on the role of Diaghilev who gained thereby.

It would be nice to see some Diaghilev revivals with Bakst backdrops and costumes.