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grace

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Everything posted by grace

  1. antony, i too am an avid non-smoker - hate to be around smoke! BUT: i just thought maybe i should point out (in line with what another poster has said about dancers being no more immune than others...) that, just like 'other' people, dancers smoke for lots of reasons - not just to 'keep thin'. it certainly is a paradox - needing a healthy body, but deliberately abusing it...but the question remains HOW to get that message through effectively, to any and all people who 'enjoy' something about smoking, and to those who are in the grip of a genuine addiction.
  2. no, no - it's not about being a 'foreigner' - it's specifically about being 'australian' - although we seem to have agreed that australian-ness is NOT the (main) issue, here, re stretton. it would be rather hard to explain the distinction, if you are completely unaware of it ?... - but i imagine that sophisticated americans DO have an inkling of what i'm talking about... i don't want to turn this thread into one about intercultural attitudes, so perhaps just to say that australians are TRADITIONALLY held in a *PARTICULAR* type of DIS-regard by the english, especially when it comes to anything intellectual or artistic or refined - therefore certainly not to be trusted with great british cultural institutions (until recently, obviously).... and IMO, mason became an 'honorary' english person many many years ago - as i guess aylmer realises, if s/he thinks people might be unaware of her nationality. i guess it has, to some extent, to do with embracing british values - so that someone like wayne eagling remains forever canadian - because he is inclined to be provocative (as helpmann was) - while people forget the canadian-ness of someone like jenny penny, because she was likeable and never outrageous (publicly, i mean - i didn't know her personally). some people blend in, and some remain forever 'outsiders' - to some extent by their own choosing.
  3. in response to alexandra's words: i too agree with this about stretton. unfortunately he brought in those very same things (from ABT) to the AB, as if that formula was the 'one-tried--and-true' way to run a ballet co. i wondered about his judgement the first time around (at AB) - but to see it happen twice, when the 'ABT'-ish approach hadn't even been particularly well-received the first time, really made me wonder about his intelligence... about helpmann, i would differ. i would consider him an example of the attitude i mentioned above. i was living in london when he died, and was appalled by the meanness of spirit, of the obituaries i read there - just plain spiteful, as if his achievements had been resented all along, because he WASN'T english. funnily enough, i have just this afternoon watched a TV program about this attitude to 'colonials' in england. one australian expat made the point that, as an australian, you are completely outside the english class system, so 'they' find it hard to know how to treat you - because how to treat you is, to at least some extent, dictated by where you 'would' fit, in the heirarchy. at the same time, it always seemed to me that this CAN be used to advantage. because 'they' can't pigeonhole you, into one particular level, you can be free to move about socially, in ways which english people might not think to, or dare to. i don't want to set off a war with british readers. so, my apologies, if these sentiments are different to your perceptions about the experiences of australians in england. btw, the phrase 'tall poppy' is such a well-known expression in australia that it sounds quite old-fashioned now. there was even a book titled 'Tall Poppies', about significant australians (in the 1970's, i would guess). back to stretton, and his australian-ness: you can nevertheless bet that NO other australian will get a look-in there (at RB) for ANOTHER 50 years, now that HIS stint has turned out so badly !!!
  4. alexandra wrote: i agree. i DO think, from my experience of this institution (both the company and the theatre) - and for that matter the city and the whole country (!) - that there unquestionably IS a negative attitude to australians - which any australians there have to attempt to overcome, if they are to be taken in any way seriously - but you NEVER can. don't imagine that... you will always be 'an AUSTRALIAN'...with all that that implies in terms of 'their' attitudes to you. but: it would appear that alexandra's take on this situation is far more the appropriate and significant one, re stretton. personally, i would like to see gailene stock's name left out of this discussion. imagine seeing, for example, on a german discussion board, posts suggesting that since one american AD isn't flavour of the month in germany, maybe an american ballet teacher who is head of a school in germany, is likely also to leave, or be ousted... it kind of comes across as if they are conjoined twins, or something... :confused: there is no reason to relate the one situation to the other. the school and the co are run separately. maybe in america, schools 'attached to' companies are run more closely together - i don't know...maybe that explains the assumption of some posters that the two are linked in some way...i'm guessing...but there is no reason here, to surmise that what happens to one, affects what happens to the other - they merely happen to have been born in the same country, and originally trained in the same ballet school/danced in the same company. i'd rather imagine that stock would prefer to be left out of it, also!
  5. grace

    Who's Next

    ah! - i was hoping i'd get away without answering the 'why' bit... (just laziness...) you write that you have heard that jefferies is "a sincere, intelligent artist and a thoughtful man"...i would agree with that. and - more or less - that answers the question. however, to add to that: he has the requisite background. 'requisite', in my view, in that he is a rightful inheritor of the (RB) tradition, so to speak. ...having served his time in the organisation, through the levels...knowing well everyone who has mattered there over the last 40 years or so...he incorporates the values which made the company what it was and is, while, at the same time, having his feet on the ground, and being a nice person (which is not always the case, with artists who have had such a sheltered upbringing, into a highly prestigious position). he is completely familiar with the RB traditional repertoire. he was a superb actor, as well as an accomplished dancer and partner. he now has (5 years i believe) experience in the director's role, running a reasonable-size company (HKB, as you say) - and i agree that it would be interesting to hear kevin's views on this possibility. he is married with a family, and is mature enough to have developed the better attributes of the older adult, without being so old as to be close to retirement age. above all that, he was hugely respected within the company (as was/is monica mason). he was affectionately regarded by all levels, from what i saw. (perhaps you could say that he is in a similar position as david macallister was/is with the australian ballet - someone who everyone knew, who was a popular person, a welcome appointment, someone who 'everyone' genuinely wants to succeed...)
  6. excuse me... but as an 'aussie', i just have to speak up and say that this re-hash (i hope it's NOT 'hash'-ed) is the work of choreographer (and artistic director of sydney dance company), graeme murphy. his works are intelligent, sometimes deep, aesthetically very pleasing, often playful, (usually hugely flawed somewhere, IMO) but ALWAYS interesting - and with an inevitable brilliance which IS 'graeme'... i haven't seen this production, yet, and i have only skimmed the article (linked above) about frederickson - but i just have to speak up for 'graeme's' right, so to speak, to approach another classic, with his always fresh vision - "for better or worse"!
  7. grace

    Who's Next

    "if you had the power who would you appoint "... stephen jefferies
  8. poppiedancer, i am not sure what your enthusiastic response is in reference to - do you mean that you want to know how to get the new zealand dance newsletter? sorry if i have misunderstood.
  9. poppiedancer...if you are still reading..., it depends what you are looking for. it is fair to say that dance australia (DA) is the most reliable and comprehensive publication about dance in australia. (at this point i should probably 'declare my interest', in that i am one of the australian writers for DA - but i really don't care whether you buy it, or not. i am not 'on commission'!) there is a little coverage of dance in new zealand, also. subscribing usually saves you money, and they regularly have special promotion offers, where you get a free dance bag or poster or T-shirt, or something like that, when you subscribe. watch out for one of those offers - they usually have them at this time of year, in anticipation of gift subscriptions at christmas. there is also a new zealand newsletter (NOT a discussion site) which is distributed by raewyn whyte in new zealand - but i feel this is probably not what you are looking for. if you have any other question about the magazine, or about dance in australia/new zealand, please ask and i will try to look back in.
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