Yvonne

Hi Lukayev! I used to live in Waipahu and even have an ex-hubby in Pearl City (I know, I know....this ISN'T the "Buddy Board"!!) Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I agree with your comments about Corella! I just wish that he would come and guest with Ballet West! I know he has a sister that is a corp member at ABT - can anyone comment about her dancing? I wonder if she can jump and turn as well as brother? Post again and let us know about the state of ballet on Oahu!

Thanks, Drew! Ballet West is presenting Theme and Variations soon, and I hope what I will be seeing the entire ballet and not just the finale. In regards to Balanchine, barefoot girls and long, flowing hair - are you refering to Elegie??

I know this is an older thread, but I'm wondering, does ABT routinely perform ALL of Theme and Variations - or usually JUST the finale (as was mentioned above)?? What about NYCB? Thanks to a kind board member, I was finally able to see the entire ballet on video (Kirkland & Baryshnikov) and I really like it. In fact, I like the first half of the ballet much better than the finale! If I was paying to see this ballet (which I will be in a few months), I would definately want to see ALL of it, not just the finale (and not just because of the dancing - I hate to miss all that great music at the beginning!!) Just curious..... [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited March 08, 2001).]

How did Gregory look next to Godunov? I don't know how tall he was, but he looked over six feet in the photographs I've seen. I don't know how well they danced together, or how long they were a "partnership", but he left ABT, didn't he? Or did Baryshnikov or the other "powers that be" give him his walking papers? Did Gregory ever dance with Patrick Bissell (quite tall), or was that a little before his time??

Thanks everybody! (and Jeannie, I'm always glad when everyone is honest in their opinions - that's why I LOVE this board!) [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited March 07, 2001).]

This is a "spin-off" question from the "Who are the GREAT stars" thread that is currently open. CygneDanois, you are SO lucky to have seen Ferri in class! Now I'm very curious, because I've gotten the impression from comments on this board in the past, that she is mainly considered to be a "McMillan" type adagio dancer. Perhaps she is a lot stronger techincally than I thought. Has anyone ever seen her dance anything along the lines of Sleeping Beauty or Theme & Variations? If so, what did you think of her performance. I like Ferri very much in what little I've seen her in and would be happy to know that her range of roles is larger than I thought it was!

Drew, thanks for the interesting comments about McBride. For being such a well-known dancer, she hasn't been mentioned very much on this board (at least not since I've been hanging around) - it was nice to read something about her!

Cargill, I agree about not ranking dancers to see who is the "best", but often when reading about ballet, some authors seem determined to do just that. Perhaps what they are attempting to do is put a lable (in this case "The Greatest American Ballerina") to whoever they felt best "embodied" a certain feel and style of the times. That term seemed to be used a lot in the 70's and 80's, when there were a lot famous Russian dancers in the big American companies - maybe for some, it was important for this country to also have a "great" "home-bred" American dancer as well and to some writers Gregory and/or McBride fit the bill!

Many times when I am reading a book or magazine article about ballet that was written in the late 70's or early 80's, I am struck by the number of times that either Patricia McBride or Cynthia Gregory is mentioned as "The Great American Ballerina"! (personally, I would be more inclined to go with either Farrell or Kirkland) What really interests me about this topic is how LITTLE McBride or Gregory are ever mentioned on this board when we are all discussing who our favorite dancers are and/or great performances that we remember. There are many of you that have seen a lot of the "greats" in ballet - what do think about these two dancers? Even a great dancer like Martine VanHamel (who probably never got half as many opening nights as Gregory or McBride), is discussed and posted about on this board much more than McBride or Gregory. Any thoughts about these two (seldom discussed) ballerinas? Who do YOU think was the "Great American Ballerina" of the 50's, 60's, 70's or 80's?? Perhaps, to an extent, Darci Kistler was the American ballerina of the 90's..... [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited March 06, 2001).]

I wouldn't mind seeing a little Bejart. Since Farrell feels so strongly about what she learned while she was with him, let's see what she can do with it. At the time she returned to Balanchine (after her Bejart years), some critics actually felt that her dancing had improved.......

Drew, I couldn't agree with you more - thanks! I'm one of those individuals (unfortunatly), who has only had the chance to see her on video - and she definately won me over! Even on video (and perhaps when she was not even at her best), she STILL comes across SO beautifully with the phrasing of each step and her attention to detail. No matter what she's done in her personal life, I have never seen another dancer (IMO)that even comes close to her artistry and beauty on stage.

Regarding the Nureyev version, I think maybe he will keep ALL of Giselle's variations in, but have Albrecht dance those too (in drag), in addition to his own!

Regarding the Nureyev version, I think maybe he will keep ALL of Giselle's variations in, but have Albrecht dance those too (in drag), in addition to his own!

Forgot to mention earlier that I'm sorry to have missed (a LONG time ago), the partnership of Nijinsky & Karsavina - that would have been something to see - if for no other reason than to see what all the fuss was about! As long as I'm going back, although not SO far back, I would also have loved to see the original cast of Balanchine's Apollo and anything that was choreographed by Nijinsky! I guess these should be in a new thread entitled: "Great Choreography & Casting That I Missed at the Premiere!" I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at any of Nijinsky's premieres just so I could hear the responses from the audience members! I'm SOOOO off topic......sorry!

I miss EVERY dancer because the only famous dancer that I've had the pleasure of seeing live is Baryshnikov (and that was with White Oak)! I can't ever watch "Syliva" without wondering what Partrick Bissell would be doing now........sad, sad, sad.

Thanks for all the info everybody. Alexandra, I can't EVEN imagine Kirkland in "Great Galloping Gottschalk" since she refused to take part in "Push Comes to Shove"! Those two ballets are cut from the same cloth (IMHO).

Was Kirkland physically built similar to Kay Mazzo? Mazzo seems tiny from looking at her pictures (I know that she took many of Farrell's roles, not always with success). Kirkland states in her book that while she was in rehersals (for Coppeila), she had made a pact to herself that she would leave the company before dancing in that production. Said she had "had enough of glorified triviality"....hmmm?? (McBride certainly had a success with it!) [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited February 21, 2001).]

Can anyone who was around during Kirkland's years at NYCB, give their opinion as to what some of her best roles were? In her book (other than complaining about Balanchine's classes), she does not go into a lot of detail about the ballets she danced while at NYCB (at least not enough for me!) Did she ever dance Polyhimnia? If so, what did you think?? Was she still at NYCB during the time Balanchine was working on Who Cares? When Farrell left, did Kirkland pick up any of her roles, or was that still a little before Kirkland's time?? Just curious......

In "Dancing for Mr. B", Maria Tallchief talks about the pressure of being the "Ballerina" in a performance, and that no matter how great the corps and everyone else was that night, if she wasn't good then the performance wasn't good - and what a responsibility that was to her. Alexandra Danilova also comes to mind....

There are, unfortunately, no known videos (for commercial sale) of Kirkland in Giselle. I, too, am a "hard-core" Kirkland fan! All we get to see on video is the Nutcracker and Baryshnikov at Wolftrap. I wish she would agree to the release of more performance videos of her dancing. Wait, I just remembered - I have a video copy of an episode of "L.A. Law" (that I think first aired in 1992 or 1993) anyway...Kirkland plays a ballerina who takes her artisitic director to court! At the end of the episode it shows Kirkland rehearsing Giselle (in soft slippers, no pointe shoes), and is only about two minutes long! I guess that's about as close to her Giselle as I'm ever going to get! [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited February 03, 2001).]

Even though I really like ABT's current roster of dancers - for choreography, it's Balanchine for me. His work even looks good on video tape, which is about all that poor souls like me get to see! I've seen the 4 T's live (Ballet West) and will be seeing "Who Cares?" in February, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Theme and Variations" later in the Spring. Although I complain a lot about the lack of classical ballet in Utah, I suppose I should at least be happy that Ballet West consistantly includes Balanchine in their rep. I would LOVE to see them do Apollo, Symphony in C and Jewels!! I can't really give an in-depth answer as to WHY his ballets appeal to me - they just do! I think for me, it's just all that BEAUTIFUL music and the splendid way he used the choreography to make the music "come alive".

All of this talk about Robert LaFosse and Kirkland has made me remember a part in his book where he mentions that to him, Leslie Browne (when they were in R&J together), was a great "actress". According to him, HIS Romeo was not well received.....he felt, by female critics! I would only agree with him on ONE aspect of the "Kirkland/endless rehearsal issue" - that while rehearsing the "kiss" in La Sonombula over and over and over, it was kind of hard for him to "get into it", with her disheveled appearance (she was in bad shape by then), and those silicone lips. In spite of what HE thinks, Kirkland is my ideal and she WAS a wonderful actress! I have sometimes wondered what she could have achieved if she had become an actress instead of a dancer. I also agree with the comments earlier about Sallie Wilson and Lynn Seymour. ORZAK.....I wish you would write a book about your life in ballet...you have seen and worked with so many great dancers! I would be the first in line to buy a copy! (seriously!!) Would you autograph a first edition for me? Please consider it! [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited January 21, 2001).]

I just wanted to say (respectfully), that as someone who has lost a child (my son), that after the initial shock, talking (and having others talk and reminisce) about my son has been very theraputic for me. Of course, I realize that we must always remember that what works well for one person, may not be right for another... My heart goes out to the Foster family.

Thanks Victoria, I just couldn't remember her name. I've never heard anything about AIDS regarding Gunther, only Annorexia.

Basheva, I agree with you about Bissell - such talent and stage presence. Whenever I see him on video, I always feel sad wondering what might have been.... This past year, wasn't there also a young dancer from Chicago (not sure), who passed away due to anorexia while on her way to Disneyland? I can't remember her name, but what a tragic situation for her family. [This message has been edited by Yvonne (edited January 09, 2001).]