Yvonne

Thanks Nanatchka! I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who felt that way about the first act! :)

When I went to see Ballet West in Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the first act was so "complete" for me, that I had a slightly difficult time sitting through the second act! I really could have gone home after the first act and still have felt that I saw the complete ballet. I am very familiar with the play and realize what is transpiring in the second act - but for me the first act was perfect in it's self!

When I originally posted about this performance, I was hoping to find out how others felt about both acts, but since not even ONE person responded to that post..........., oh well!

As far as mixed bills go, I agree with Lezhkina - money is tight for me (for ballet tickets), so I doubt that I would ever walk out mid-way through the evening. I really want to see "Theme & Variations this month, but it is on the same bill as "Black Cake" and "Polish Pieces", both of which I have NO burning desire to see (also with a wedding comming up in October that I have to foot the bill for, there will be NO ballet tickets for me again until "Nutcracker" time rolls around again!!)

[ 05-13-2001: Message edited by: Yvonne ]

I should have checked eBay before I wrote that last post! Balletnut, there is one copy of that video up for auction NOW! The bidding starts at $11.99 (no reserve price), and nobody has bid on it yet. The auction closes on May 5th. Go to www.ebay.com and after the page loads, type in "Makarova" and your movie will come up. It's simple to register and bid - Good Luck!!!

GO FOR IT!!!!

Balletnut, what a bummer! Well....I'm on eBay frequently. The next time that video comes up for auction (and it ALWAYS does - at least twice a month), I will post here and let you know. Ebay is very simple to use and you should be able to nab the video for well under $25.00. It's (eBay) a great way to find ballet videos!

Balletnut, I hope you see this reply. The Baryshinkov/Makarova Giselle video IS still in print and available for purchase!

1. Go to dealtime.com

2. Click on "Movies" catagory

3. Under "title", type Live From Licoln Center - Giselle

They also have all the other versions mentioned in this thread.

Hope this helps!

When I watch "Dancers", I always find myself thinking that if I were Giselle, I would surely choose Hilarion (Victor Barbee), over Albrecht (Baryshnikov) - (IMHO) he's better looking!

If you have the seen the version of Giselle with Mezentseva (sp?), you will see that their Hilarion definately does NOT suit Giselle - much too old - and physically Giselle seems to dwarf him in size.....well, at least in my opinion!

Bravo, Leigh!! I hope some day I'll have the opportunity to see one of your ballets!

Didn't she dance Birbanto's girlfriend in ABT's video of Le Corsaire? If that's her, I'm curious too.....

I attended last Saturday night's performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, danced by Ballet West.

I'm not even going to attempt to "review" it, cause that doesn't seem to be one of my "strong points", but.....it was my first time seeing this ballet (along with my husband and nine year old daughter).

Yes...we all enjoyed it. The dancing was at the level I've come to expect from this fine company. Tong Wang danced Oberon and really stole the show from Titania (IMO). After seeing Wang in the 4 T's, Miss Julie, Lilac Garden and now this, I'm impressed by his dancing more and more.

Just a few comments...

I really enjoyed the first act, but I'm not crazy about where Balanchine ends the first act and begins the second act. The couple sitting next to me never came back after Act One (I'm pretty sure that they thought it was the end of the ballet, since all the couples had gotten back togeather with the right partners!!) It's a long first act, and even though the second act is a celebration of the weddings taking place, it was just a tiny bit hard to sit through - the whole style of the ballet changes in mid-step (at least that's how it seemed to me). After watching so much going on in act one, act two just seemed kind of "one-dimentional".

Michio Hayashi was fluid and beautiful in the second act pas de deux (I kept thinking of Allegra Kent). I would like to see more of Hayashi this season.

Not that this is of any earth-shaking importance, but in all the scenes where Titania is dancing with her "attendants", her gown is SO close in color to those dancing around her, that she just seems to fade in with them. I'm not trying to nit-pick, but the ballerina just doesn't stand out with all that blush-pink chiffon twirling around (including her own) on such a small stage

[ 04-11-2001: Message edited by: Yvonne ]

This topic makes me think of something that Melissa Hayden recalled about Balanchine, when he was onced asked by an individual what one of his ballets was "about".

Balanchine's reply; "It's about 15 minutes - it takes 15 minutes to dance this ballet". (I'm sure THAT little gem never made it into any NYCB playbills!!)

[This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited April 06, 2001).]

Did Cynthia Gregory ever dance the Dying Swan?

She certainly has "the squiggly arm thing" going in her performance of the Black Swan PDD on the ABT in San Francisco video! Even my husband (who was just passing through the room one day while I had the video on, noticed and commented on her arms - and he's not even a balletomane!)

The Nijinsky "Faun" has a character that's (of course), a faun (it also has nymphs - I think six of them). All the movements were supposed to look one dimensional, as if you were looking at greek figures on a vase, etc...(at least that's the impression I got from reading Buckle's book on Nijinsky.) The dancers had difficulty trying to move and look the way Nijinsky wanted them to, and I don't think that he was very patient (or maybe he just had difficulty explaining what he wanted - in his biography I get the impression that Nijinsky wasn't exactly the "verbal" type). The ballet takes place in an outdoor, woodsy type setting. The faun is curious about the nymphs and attempts to interact with them. At the end of the ballet, the faun crawls up on a large rock and stretches out with a scarf that he obtained from the "lead" nymph, and well....let's just say the Paris audiences were quite shocked with the ending! It is not a very long ballet. I saw this on television back in the early 80's with Nureyev, but I don't know if it's available on video. The music is SO BEAUTIFUL (IMO), and it sparked my interest in Nijinsky, which, in turn, led me to ballet!!

The Robbins "Faun" takes place in a ballet studio, with one female and one male dancer. They are wearing "practice" type leotards and there is NOT a faun in site! I don't know what the "plot" is, but I'm sure others on this board will be able to tell you. The impression I get is that both dancers are more interested in their own reflections in the mirror that they are in each other.....

[This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited March 31, 2001).]

As I read this thread (the parts about what makes a "danseur noble"), I keep thinking about Patrick Bissell. I've only seen him on video, but even in that medium, he certainly seemed to have had the body, the walk, the "weight", the presence and the partnering ability to make his ballerina look great.

I'm certainly a lay person when it comes to these things, but if he had lived and further developed his dancing, was he the "danseur noble" type? Reading this thread had certainly made me realize how little I know about these "categories"!

Ah.....now I understand everything!

Do they (Angel & Carmen), resemble each other??

What's with her feet??

So where does Baryshnikov fit into all this?

I must admit the thought NEVER entered my mind until I started reading these posts about "small", but effective, Myrthas!

One more question.... In the movie "Dancers" Leslie Browne dances the role of Myrtha. Was this a role she only danced in the movie, or was it part of her rep at ABT?

I must admit the thought NEVER entered my mind until I started reading these posts about "small", but effective, Myrthas!

One more question.... In the movie "Dancers" Leslie Browne dances the role of Myrtha. Was this a role she only danced in the movie, or was it part of her rep at ABT?

Now REALLY......I wonder what kind of a Myrtha Gelsey Kirkland would have made???

She could have taken all her anger and frustrations with the opposite sex and poured it into that role. Not to mention the way that she always "got into character" and the endless effort she put forth on the roles she danced....I wonder what she could have done with that role.

I'm sure that her Myrtha would definately NOT have been one-sided and she wouldn't have needed any of that extra black mascara!

Now REALLY......I wonder what kind of a Myrtha Gelsey Kirkland would have made???

She could have taken all her anger and frustrations with the opposite sex and poured it into that role. Not to mention the way that she always "got into character" and the endless effort she put forth on the roles she danced....I wonder what she could have done with that role.

I'm sure that her Myrtha would definately NOT have been one-sided and she wouldn't have needed any of that extra black mascara!

Such great posts, thanks everyone! The role of Myrtha has always been my favorite in Giselle and I'm sorry to hear that many companies have "downgraded" the role to that of a soloist (not that there's anything wrong with being a soloist) - it's always just seemed like a very "meaty" ballerina role to me.

Alexandra, I never really thought about Myrtha's vulnerability underneath all that ice - but you are SO right! Once upon a time Myrtha must have had her heart broken very badly to come back with such a vengence - you know what they say about a woman scorned!

Such great posts, thanks everyone! The role of Myrtha has always been my favorite in Giselle and I'm sorry to hear that many companies have "downgraded" the role to that of a soloist (not that there's anything wrong with being a soloist) - it's always just seemed like a very "meaty" ballerina role to me.

Alexandra, I never really thought about Myrtha's vulnerability underneath all that ice - but you are SO right! Once upon a time Myrtha must have had her heart broken very badly to come back with such a vengence - you know what they say about a woman scorned!

Just finished (again), watching my well-worn copy of ABT's Giselle and, of course, Martine van Hamel was wonderful as Myrtha. At some point last night, I started thinking about the recent thread on Cynthia Gregory, where there were a few interesting comments about her performances as Giselle. What I would like to know is; did Gregory ever dance the role of Myrtha? If so, did she come across better as Myrtha than she did as Giselle?

Robert LaFosse once described Gregory as the most chilling Siren he ever danced with in Prodigal, so I think I could picture her as Myrtha as well.

van Hamel is often praised (and rightly so), for her strong performances as Myrtha - who else do YOU feel was, or is now, effective in that role (or is van Hamel pretty much the "ultimate"?)

Who was dancing Myrtha the last time that ABT was performing Giselle?

Just finished (again), watching my well-worn copy of ABT's Giselle and, of course, Martine van Hamel was wonderful as Myrtha. At some point last night, I started thinking about the recent thread on Cynthia Gregory, where there were a few interesting comments about her performances as Giselle. What I would like to know is; did Gregory ever dance the role of Myrtha? If so, did she come across better as Myrtha than she did as Giselle?

Robert LaFosse once described Gregory as the most chilling Siren he ever danced with in Prodigal, so I think I could picture her as Myrtha as well.

van Hamel is often praised (and rightly so), for her strong performances as Myrtha - who else do YOU feel was, or is now, effective in that role (or is van Hamel pretty much the "ultimate"?)

Who was dancing Myrtha the last time that ABT was performing Giselle?