grace

you can thank kevin ng, for introducing me to these happy little items, when he sent an animated online christmas card to ballet alert several years ago. i was just enchanted - and remain so!

alexandra: thanks for the info about ashton's position as assistant, going back as far as that.

after i wrote my post, i realised that, regardless of the historical situation (of whether assistants are always appointed), even asking the question is irrelevant now. after all, in the current situation, mentoring a potential director would almost be the object of the exercise. so surely there WILL be one.

alexandra wrote

"would a (relatively) young person want to be an assistant without assurance of becoming AD when s/he could get a job now running a company"

i think this sentiment underestimates the sense of prestige, belonging and loyalty which 'born and bred' RB dancers have for their own company.

since childhood, most have believed that joining this company was the only worthwhile outcome of their focused young lives. eventually leading it, is the ultimate - for the few who aspire that high. a 'higher' position in a lesser company...?: to a member of this 'family', there is no such thing.

there are 'other' things/ different things... (and with eventual maturity can come an understanding that 'other' things CAN be worthwhile, too) ...but there are not 'better' things than progressing within the fold.

i am not saying this applies to all. many develop other tastes, and want to head in other directions...in particular, those who come into the system later (for example, into the upper school from elsewhere, including overseas) are more likely to have diverse aspirations. but some, especially those who have been within the system all their formative years, 'belong' there, because they choose to, and have been raised to. and that culture of belonging is extremely strong - which is understandable when you have seen it at work. in that context, being ASSISTANT here, is far better than being AD anywhere else....

ummm....GWTW: the 'great idea' comment was about the conference - i will amend my post to make it clearer. sorry for the misunderstanding.

i wonder whether 'they' always appoint an assistant (at RB)? it seems to me (being very vague about this, in my memory), that the concept of having an assistant AD (or even more so, an ASSOCIATE AD) is a relatively modern fashion...is that right, or not? historians please advise!

however, assuming for a moment that there might be one...jane simpson wrote

"Would either Deborah Bull or Bruce Sansom really want to spend 4 years as Assistant Director, with no guarantee of getting the top job at the end of it?"

are you joking?!?

viviane - i get the feeling you are basing your comments on some personal experience which we are not privy to? might it be possible for you to state facts or situations you are aware of, rather than innuendo? perhaps you have been a student at one or other place? readers here are usually very grateful for genuine personal insights...and you sound quite cynical, as a result of experience....

having lived at white lodge over one summer, visited the upper school many times, and known a fair number of people who attended both, i felt (when i read the RBS report) that it was a reasonable reflection of reality. it sounds as though you feel differently. i would be curious to hear more?

a bit 'lame': dancing candy canes to the entertainer:

http://send.greetings.yahoo.com/greet/send...days/Christmas/

the studio piano accompanies the twelve days of christmas...

ten ladies dancing, 11 lords leaping...

http://send.greetings.yahoo.com/greet/send...days/Christmas/

and here's a dancing santa - not ballet though!

http://send.greetings.yahoo.com/greet/send...days/Christmas/

here's one for all you nutcracker participants to enjoy sending:

http://send.greetings.yahoo.com/greet/send...d?.id=152059587

thanks estelle.

a "curiosity triple bill"! what a great idea!

alexandra wrote, about macmillan's agon costumes

"obviously you can't tell the color"

this reminded me that, growing up with ballet books full of B/W photos, i must have unconsciously made a lot of assumptions about colours. the first time i saw symphonic variations, i was SO shocked by the backdrop - i suppose i must have assumed this ballet WAS in B/W or at least shades of grey - which would have been so appropriate...so, to see its vivid lime green was genuinely shocking.

of course, i came to appreciate the colour - and all the more so when i understood where it came from - but was amazed at how wrong i had been, in my unconscious assumption.

not meaning to misdirect the topic...

ah!

time for a new thread, i imagine...

;)

how about grigoriev's 'the golden age'?

brendan's point is certainly a good one.

"There will be inevitable speculation about the appointment of an assistant. Whoever it is will be a strong favourite to succeed Monica Mason when her term finishes."

the obvious choices of sansom and/or bull will likely generate some debate...

it seems to me that it is inevitable that sansom will become RB AD at some point - and rightly so. the question is just 'when?' today's appointment makes for an appropriate timeline, for mason to hand over to one or other of these people, who, by then, will have acquired a reasonable amount of management experience.

still...who knows how the world will change in 4 years...

gosh no - they wouldn't be in any library here.

i was just wondering what sort of 'look' macmillan's version had?

mel wrote:

Anybody seen "Springtime for Hitler - The Ballet"?!

umm........................................

no.

tell us about it?

:confused:

ballet annual? i don't think i've heard of it - unless you mean those old B/W books, which i think were put together by arnold haskell?

estelle, i am wondering about the phrase "moral harrassment".

is the french equivalent a term with a specific meaning? or is it a literal translation? i have just been thinking that it doesn't convey to me, what i would expect from the words... and wondering why. thanks for helping me understand.

thanks alexandra - were there any photos of this piece?

LMCTech - i don't get it?!

:confused:

WOW! great idea (the meeting, that is).

posted by estelle:

...quite a long time ago there also was Marie Taglioni's "mal de genou"...

LOL!

wonderful.

interesting discussion. i haven't responded to a poll before: this is quite fun!

i have seen fonteyn and kirkland live. i have seen ulanova up close, and watched her coach - but have not seen her dance, except on film.

i have seen farrell on video - lots.

that leaves just karsavina and pavlova as complete unknowns - although i have seen quite a few snippets of pavlova on film.

so i voted for pavlova - to experience what made her so great.

however, i do find this an odd list. i guess any of us, reduced to 6 choices, would make up an 'odd' list!

in response to other names so far suggested, i would certainly feel makarova should be on anyone's list. since she HAS been dancing in my lifetime (unlike some of these names), i DO regret not seeing her live: very much so. (but of course i have seen lots of video).

i too would like to have seen markova and beriosova. and chauvire and jeanmaire. and sibley. i am glad i have seen guillem and bussell - and most especially glad i have seen alessandra ferri - who i feel the most 'affection' for, out of all of these.

at this point in time, i would most like to see cojocaru, and oaks (& edur).

elsewhere i noticed that leigh has written a long paper on agon...is it online, leigh? maybe you could just give us the link?

;)

Sometimes I think that the distinction between "different" and "good" is lost

excellent point, carbro.