Lillian

I dropped about $60 on a ballet Barbie last Christmas for my niece. Ballerina Barbie was far too busty and if you put her in the usual tank top and pedal pushers you ended up with plain old Barbie -- not Gelsey, not Natalia or Suzanne.

Well, there's no denying the uncanny similarity in body type and facial features between Kay Mazzo and Yvonne Borree. They look like mother and daughter: small-boned and dark-haired -- like sparrows. It hit me first when Martins cast a young Borree (then in the corps I believe) in Mazzo's role alongside Baryshnikov in Duo Concertant years ago (at the Balanchine Celebration?). He then cast Borree in Mazzo's parts in Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Square Dance, Donizetti Variations, Union Jack and others. From what I've seen of Mazzo on tape, she's a softer, more vulnerable dancer than Borree who often looks shaky and unpolished whenever I've seen her live. In rehearsal she's actually a very strong, aggressive dancer. I think she's just incredibly nervous on stage.

"Sometimes I watch Yvonne Borree and I wonder what he was thinking." Kay Mazzo.

Hold on, I can see Brideshead Revisited as a ballet. Baryshnikov would have been the perfect Sebastian.

All this Heather Watts talk has me seeing her as Scarlett (let's not forget the kitchen scene in Dancing on my Grave). I'm seeing Jillana as Belle.

Patricia McBride IS Melanie

I'm I the only one picturing Miranda Weese as Scarlett? [This message has been edited by Lillian (edited October 07, 2000).]

Re: Mozartiana video. I remember speaking with someone at the NYCB gift shop who told me that Farrell was holding back, playing it safe, in that video and that her live performances were far more thrilling and daring. I later saw her live in Mozartiana at the end of her career and I was shocked to see her smiling throughout the T&V. She was so serious on the video. There's that last moment though when she finishes a turn, cracks a smile and the curtain comes down. What a dancer! (Equally thrilling on that video are performances of Heather Watts, especially in Who Cares)

Thank you. What a heartfelt review. A great ballet boost for people like me who live in cities without a Gala in sight (just mountains of snow and alot of second-rate modern dance).

Whenever I see Damian Woetzel I always get the feeling that deep down inside he's more of an athlete than an artist and that there's a part of him that hasn't quite accepted that he's a ballet dancer.

Person: Hmmm...hard one top three- Diaghilev, Vaganova, Balanchine ballet: Agon

What kind of coaching are the City Ballet women getting for these classical roles? I don't think she is entirely to blame here. I mean, who the heck showed Miranda Weese what to do with her arms? Peter Martins?

I'm a bit too busy to start looking up quotes (and I'm sure I'm opening up a huge can of worms here) but I believe in both Merrill Ashley's and Sauzanne Farrell's autobios they say that often when Balanchine choreographed, he left many of the arm positions to them, focusing primarily on the legs. Secondly, I see nothing wrong with criticizing a ballerina's appearance (its all part of the package, I'm sure Jeannie agrees with this) and lastly I understood exactly what Steve meant when he said yucky. Good word -- should be used more often -- especially for a crowd with a sense of humor.

Well thanks Steve. Interesting how certain dancers can get under one's skin. Kyra Nichols and now Evelyn Hart are my least favorites, but Weese ... I've always found her pretty exciting. I remember the first time I saw her in Sanguinic in the 4 Temps. She was terrific -- so controlled and precise. Arms? Can't remember if she had any. Just remember those legs -- legs that made me not care about arms. But isn't Balanchine all about legs? Too each his own I guess. We all have dancers who rub us the wrong way. [This message has been edited by Lillian (edited October 01, 1999).]

Estelle I believe that may be so. I remember hearing both his parents were dancers and teachers.

I agree about Armand. I was in class with him in France and I have never seen such a natural dancer. His turns are incredible. He stays up on demi-pointe at the end of six pirouettes. He looked so blasé in class. And talk about gorgeous - like a young Oliver Reed. This was in 1985, so he must have been quite young. I later saw him as Paris at the London Festival ballet's Romeo and Juliet. He was much better up close!

I spent a good day in that wonderful library but was sorry to see so many great films off limits without permission. Are you saying that a simple call to the Balanchine Trust will open all those doors? Even the rehearsal videos? I thought is was a union thing. I would love to know before returning. I was so frustrated by the no access bit.

Will this exhibit be making an appearance in Saratoga this summer?

I started the Kyra Nichols bit on the other thread and thought I'd transfer it over here. I have seen Kyra Nichols in dozens of ballets in New York and not once was I taken with her performance. Maybe almost once, in the Spring variation of the Four Seasons but Wendy Whelan is great in that too. Her performances of Scoth Symphony, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Allegro Brillante, Afternoon of a Faun, Raymonda Variations, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux all left me stone cold. I dread opening up a program and seeing her cast. The worst part is I can't figure out why. Maybe it's because she isn't stretched out enough (I agree with Lugo) and she looks down a lot. But I think all and all she is just so BORING. No surprises with Kyra Nichols. She also has this American school girl look that I don't find too elegant. And as I mentioned before, she always has her mouth open! Of her generation, I far preferred Maria Calegari, one of my all time favorite dancers. I also found Merrill Ashley far more exciting in the virtuoso roles. Merrill Ashley in Allegro Brillante put them all to shame, even a few years ago when she was so injured she could barely walk. Kyra Nichols is a huge star, so I'm probably wrong on all counts. It is just a gut feeling. Sorry to all the fans. I really want to like her...

Juliet, I also loved the Nureyev biography. I couldn't put it down. I also recommend the book "To Dance" by Valery Panov which is a small taste of what he and Galina Panova had to struggle through. What a beautiful dancer she was! And he must have been a wonderful Hamlet. I also recommend a book mentioned by Alexandra called "Dance is a Contact Sport" by Joseph Manzo which is a gossipy book (a bit hard to find) about NYCB in the seventies. Lots of Gelsey Kirkland bits. Good light ballet read. I quite like the Steven Caras Balanchine picture book and just ordered an out of print Caras book on Peter Martins from Amazon.com. I've been trying to track it down for years. I did not enjoy "Tributes" as much as many of you. I wish they'd come out with a book similar to that of Lincoln Kirstein's "New York City Ballet".

Oh sorry, but the one act Balanchine Swan Lake just doesn't "do it" for me. I like the whole thing, especially the beginning of the fourth act Kirov version with all those sad little swan variations to that delicate music. I also prefer a thin Swan Queen and corps to give it that otherwordly feeling. There is nothing worse than robust Swan Queen. This is why I quite liked Mezentseva in this role. Did anyone see Kirkland dance Swan Lake? I can't even imagine what that would have been like?

I never watched LA law either but also caught that episode for some surreal reason! It made me blush, especially the courtroom scene when it all seemed a little too real! Notice in the dance scenes, she wasn't on pointe. I thought she looked awful! Those lips just jumped out at you. I also saw the interesting profile of her on 60 minutes. Great clips from Giselle. Those ghostly arms! I would love to have seen her as Giselle. I heard her mad scene was incredible. Does she still teach at ABT? I know she has in the past. I know so many dancers with great Gelsey Kirkland stories. She's a legend already. I get a real thrill running into an old picture of her. And her rehearsal clothes were great! She wore leg warmers over leg warmers over rubber pants and still looked emaciated. What a riot! We'll probably never see anyone like her again. Is she the female Nijinsky?

Interesting point Alexandra! I read Kirkland's book a year before I stopped dancing and it did indeed put some strange ideas into my mind about breaking my ankles and enhancing my lips. Kirkland had such a look of her own, I was always surprised she'd want to alter that. Pure insecurity I guess. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book which I've now read close to a hundred times. I especially agreed with all the manipulation you go through as a dancer. The mirror issue is important as well. I think Baryshnikov betrayed her on many counts and is somewhat responsible for her breakdown. I'm sure none of you will agree with me on that one. Although I worship Baryshnikov as a dancer, I bet he is a bit of handful as a mere mortal. I've only seen Kirkland dance on video, but I did see her in class. You can't even imagine how incredible she was. She did the center adage on demi-pointe! Everybody in that room was gawking and totally in awe. I prefer her to anyone, including Makarova. She is also an elf of a person up close. She is absolutely beautiful - a fairy with a deep New York accented voice. I was in Freeds (pointe shoe store) in London trying on shoes next to her and I couldn't keep from staring. I didn't enjoy her second book at all. Too preachy and detailed. I think her editor is a bit to blame. I'm surprised there aren't more videos available of her dancing. Her used pointe shoes are still the #1 requested of them all. Anybody have a pair up for sale?

Dear Alexandra and fellow dance enthusiasts, I'd like to emphasize a point I made in the first post. Ballet is about lifting up and modern is about getting into the floor. This point is crucial, especially to modern dancers who would probably pass out at the suggestion of a modern piece being done on pointe. I don't think anyone could dance Martha Graham on pointe. The pitch turns alone (turn done with the body parallel to the supporting leg, head down and the other leg in a high arabesque) are unimaginable on pointe. Women in classical ballet are also expected to dance on pointe and no other kind of dancer is trained for pointe work. Everything Balanchine choreographed (except for the Paul Taylor piece in Episodes) is classical ballet. The Four Temperaments is incredibly classical, it is the style that is different from say, Sleeping Beauty. Concerning turnout, I think it is Arlene Croce who has written the most interesting essays on the subject. If the Bolshoi dancers weren't dancing turned out, shame on them. Turnout is essential in ballet- not an option or a style. I'm sorry to sound so picky, but I learned all this when I studied modern with an ex Graham, Limon, Doris Humphrey dancer, Ina Hahn. With the help of Labanotation, this wonderful teacher revived a Humphrey work for her students (most of us were ballet dancers).It was a beautiful little piece set to a partita by Bach. It was also extremely difficult because we had to get down and bend sideways from the waist, and all the fast little steps were done on bent knees. It was a real challenge and not one bit of that dance had any ballet in it . I liked your point, about modern dance being rough, powerful and raw. This is the best thing about modern dance- the raw energy and abandon. That is probably what attracted Nureyev to Paul Taylor's company. I'm not surprised about the Duato bit. Although I quite like Jardin Tancat, the rest of his ballets do nothing for me. I find them unmusical, unfocused and too long. Mark Morris is another choreographer I would love to like, but I don't. (sorry to sound so opinionated!) There are choreographers out there who defy definition in both these categories such as Bejart and Eliot Feld. I have enjoyed both these companies, and they change shoes and styles constantly. Let us also keep in mind that the reason we don't see more full length classical ballets is because many companies just don't have the talent to fill the roles. These ballets call for stars, a large strong corps de ballet, some good character dancers, and a whole lot of money. Only about six companies in the world can pull that off today. Concerning your point about all dancers looking the same- it reminds me of sports teams. Our local company Les Grands Ballets Canadiens was full of Americans at one point. If there is no good school with a common technique attached to a company, you're bound to get a bit of everything- the technique milkshake. Does anyone actually teach pure Cecchetti anymore? This is why the Kirov is still such an interesting company. At one point all those dancers were even wearing the same shoes. Today they probably order Freed's. Ah, the beginning of the end! (sorry to write so much...this is just such a huge and interesting subject)

There is another side to this issue - the difference in technique involved in these two dance forms. To put it simply, a ballet dancer lifts up (the extreme is pointe) and turns out and a modern dancer gets down to the floor and works turned in. As long as they are turning out, you're looking at classical ballet. I don't know if this makes sense but as someone who has danced both, I can tell you it is difficult to master these two extremes.I can think of very few dancers who have. Many companies have added modern dance to their repertory to attract a new younger audience and to produce dance with a low overhead. Unfortunately this forces them to form a diverse company which looks mediocre in all circumstances. I am surprised at this policy because I find modern dance more of an acquired taste than classical ballet. Anyone who has sat through an evening of Molissa Fenley works, better know what they are getting into. Here in Montreal, this "contemporary ballet" has all but taken over. A lot of this "new" choreography is pure pretentious garbage that gets a lot of critical attention because it is so "cutting edge". Please. I wonder if anybody who knows anything about dance can sit through more than 15 minutes of a company like La La La Human Steps. And to top it all off, ballet companies are so desperate for choreographers that they ask modern dancers to produce ballets for them. Has that experiment ever really worked? The Peter Martins ballet, Adams Violin Concerto drove me up the wall because I thought the ballet dancers (Merril Ashley and Adam Luders) made the modern dancers look awful. And I'm someone who really loves modern dance. I just don't think they go together. And then you see a ballet like In Paradisium by James Kudelka or a beautiful piece by Nacho Duato and you have to rethink the whole issue over again... I still consider that crazy mess of a ballet (which I quite enjoyed), the Golden Age, classical because of the pointe shoes. In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, as well. Take the pointe shoes off the girls, have them hit the floor and stop turning out, and only then have do you have modern dance.