Yvonne

The music of Debussy led me to Nijinsky. Further reading about Nijinsky sparked a passion for ballet which, for me, is still going on 20 years later.............!!

Okay........."dumb" question of the week! What exactly IS "rubato"?? I've seen the word mentioned many times in print (especially in conjuction with Kirkland), but what, precisely, does it mean??

Twice during December (as I was channel surfing), I came across what I think (not sure) was the Joffery Ballet's Nutcracker. At the end, Clara sails up and away in hot air balloon - IS that the Joffery version? Some of costumes were quite........"interesting" [ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Yvonne ]

It's amazing to hear that he's still performing - thanks for the info!

Hee, hee, hee.........I just got off of eBay, where someone was offering a vhs tape of Coppelia starring "Fernando Jones". To me, "Bujones" carries alot more panache than "Jones"! ANYHOW.......Fernando Bujones never seems to be mentioned much on this board when we all go on about our favorite dancers and/or performances. I've only seen him on video with Cynthia Gregory in Paquita. Does anyone have any thoughts/impressions to share about this dancer?? I do recall seeing a performance video of him called "In His Own Image" for sale a while back.....am I just getting the wrong impression, or did this guy have a huge ego?? Perhaps he felt that he always had something to prove since he often seemed to be overshadowed by Bayrshnikov.....??

All this talk about PAMTGG has got me started thinking about Balanchine's "Electronics" (with Verdy & Villela - I think....) I've never seen Electronics (WHO has??), but always got the impression from eveything I've read about it, that the costumes alone almost certainly quailfy it as a "Turkey". Has anyone here EVER seen it........and is is a turkey??? [ November 23, 2001: Message edited by: Yvonne ]

"The Merry Widow" (Ruth Page version).......(I'll award it 8 "turkeys" out of a possible 10)

For me it would have to be Anne Belle's "Dancing For Mr. B" - I love seeing and hearing all those great NYCB ballerinas talk about their roles, careers and Balanchine! Also, there are some really unique performance clips in it (where else am I going to get to see Allegra Kent??) If we are talking about strictly "performance" videos, it would have to be "ABT at the Met" (I always enjoy a mixed bill) and that video has a little bit of everything on it!

Bumping this topic back up briefly, to say that a pair of Merrill Ashley's signed Capezio pointe shoes just sold at auction for a final bid of $400.00! I was suprised....that amount surpassed the last pair of Farrell's shoes that were auctioned on eBay. If anyone is still wondering how they are going to pay for their summer vaction getaway, just get in your closet and dig out all those old (autographed) pointe shoes! ;)

Where is he going.............??

You can see quite a bit of Eleanor D'Antuono dancing with Alexander Godonov on the "Godunov - The World To Dance In" video. You might still be able to purchase this video through Kultur (check their web site). If you can't find it, let me know on this topic thread and I'll get back to you. I might be willing to swap mine for something of yours!!

All of this interesting talk about the "corps" makes me think over and over about Toni Bently's book "Winter Season", (which I'm sure most of you have read).... To me it's a great example of a good dancer who (for whatever reason), never made it out of the corps. So then, she is faced with the question...do I stay or I do I go now?? Does she stay and accept the fact that for her, the corps will be it - can one learn to be content with that and dance just for the dances' sake - or does it have to be ALL or NOTHING?? I think often in America, it is drummed into our heads from an early age, that in the pursuit of one's dreams...,it always has to be "all or nothing". Perhaps the quality of a corps might be improved if one looked at it as a position to take pride in (after all, how many aspiring dancers even make it into the corps of a major ballet company) - to learn and grown into roles - to serve the dance. Instead of a place where one is only concerned with how they are going to be "noticed" and move up and on as quickly as possible! Can any dancer truly accept (after a period of time), that for them it will always be the corps - and be satisfied with it? Who knows....I certainly don't!

Now lets see.....I certainly do applaud at the END of the performance and curtain calls are great, but if I have to drive 45 miles home in dark, snowy weather, I'm just going to have to leave five minutes early to beat the parking garage bottle-neck and hope that some of the dancers don't go into hysterics because of my itinerary! ;) ;)

Speaking of "multimedia extravaganzas" (AND being European)......how about Bejart??

Ugh.....maybe someday, if I'm VERY lucky, I'll get to see Mr. Baryshnikov pile up objects in the center of a stage somewhere. :rolleyes:

If you check into eBay (www.ebay.com), type in Ballet VHS and hit "enter", you will be able to pick up alot of these videos at a price that will fit a student's budget! That's how I built up most of my Balanchine Library - buying them all retail would have cost me a small fortune! Also, you might want to try www.half.com

Gee.......I'm one of those "people" who sometimes leaves during the curtain call - maybe it's because I don't enjoy spending as much time waiting in the parking garage as I do sitting in the theater watching the performance!

Tat, how much were the various shoes going for? I'm curious. I would LOVE to have a pair of Julie Kent's, but can't afford them on eBay (and they don't come up for auction very often). A pair of Susan Jaffe's shoes are currently up to a $56.00 bid. I wondered why they looked as if they hadn't been danced in - maybe they were defective.

Was anyone on this board lucky enough to see Allegra Kent in the role? I've read that her interpretation was very "interesting" (in a positive way). As we all know, sometimes, when people use the word "interesting", what they really mean is "awful"!! (although, it seems that they are usually talking about someone's latest outfit or hairstyle!) ;) Sorry to be off topic, it's Monday.......

I'm with Lovebird on this one......the sound of pointe shoes "clunking" across the stage!

I don't think Les Sylphides is in ABT's current rep? Does anybody know when it last was? I love this ballet (especially the music), but the only ABT cast I've ever seen in is the Baryshnikov/Tcherkassky/Harvey/Yeager cast that is on the "ABT at the Met" video. I know many great companies have staged this ballet throughout the years - does anyone have a favorite cast or production that comes to mind??

I would like to see Julie Kent in ANYTHING that is Balanchine! I would also love to see Alessandra Ferri in some "short tutu" ballets....

Although many might disagree, I would add Suzanne Farrell and Gelsey Kirkland to the list, as "recent" American ballerinas who really pushed the envelope with the artistry and near perfection of their many performances. Farrell now is passing on her knowledge of Balanchine's works in a pure and undiluted manner (as is Maria Tallchief, also). Kirkland is behind the scenes, teaching, trying help young dancers to "feel" what they are dancing and to "think" about what they are doing and why. To remember that dancing requires your whole heart and body, not just a strong pair of legs and great feet!

Alexandra, which of Farrell's roles do you especially enjoy seeing Kistler dance?

I know it is usually thought (myself included), that a ballet part is always performed and "captured" best by the dancer on whom the part was created - but I'm curious......has anyone here ever seen a part in a ballet that they actually liked BETTER when danced by someone OTHER than who the part was made on?? :confused: I, myself, have never had the pleasure (or luck) of seeing a dancer in a part that was originally "made" on them (except on video)!