leonid17

I miss Patrick... Ditto.

I shivered with shock when I saw the dancers were not wearing tutus. For me it means a loss of grandeur. This review by Clement Crisp tells the story as it should be told. http://www.ft.com/cm...00779e2340.html

The recipe below is I think almost exactly how my grandmother (born 1884) made "Sugared Plums." http://www.bbc.co.uk...gar-plums.shtml Sadly my mother, (an excellent cook) never had the time to make this delightful once a year treat as we were a large family and Christmas was always a period of great hustle and bustle.

I have always loved this photograph which was taken by Clifford Coffin in 1954 who was possibly the most important or the greatest of the photographers published in "Vogue". SEE http://www.flickr.com/photos/53035820@N02/sets/72157624884433203/

Thank you so much Christian for posting this film. These three great female dancers brought happy tears to my eyes as I watched and remembered Marta Garcia and Maria Elena LLorente from over forty years ago and memories of Madame Alonso in Giselle.

Konstantin Skalkovsky the eminent dance critic for the Saint Petersburg Gazette reviewing the “Cinderella” premiere in 1893, was to compare the technical ability of Legnani performing 32 fouettes “without travelling an inch,” to the enormous success Emma Bessone had when she had performed 14 fouettes in “The Tulip of Harlem.” In fact Legnani encored the fouettes at the “Cinderella “premiere but only completed 28. If anyone wants to link Cecchetti, fouettes and Legnani together, “The Tulip of Harlem” may give you the opportunity (see the Paul Parish post above) as Cecchetti was a co-choreographer of this ballet and it may have given him the opportunity to work with Legnani. Of course this is only a supposition.

Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was taught at the Teatro alla Scala ballet school where Carlo Blasis had been Ballet Master and Director of the ballet school of Teatro alla Scala di Milano from 1837 to 1850 and the first person to codify and publish an analysis of the classic ballet technique in his Traité élémentaire, théorique, et pratique de l’art de la danse (1820). It was into the revised school method of Blasis that Legnani completed her studies, under the direction of Caterina Beretta herself a pupil of Carlo Blasis. After she arrived in Saint Petersburg in 1893 Legnani achieved extraordinary success. She recognised however that her high technical achievements were at odds with the Imperial Theatre style and studied with Serge Legat and Christian Johannson to adapt her schooling. From 1893 to 1901 she was the undisputed star of the Mariinsky Ballet with Petipa creating a significant repertoire around her talents and unlike earlier Italian guests, Legnani was endowed with grace, beauty, and plastique overcoming her short stature and rewarded as Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Imperial Theatres. As to your question, "Did she do fouette with a direct stab a la seconde, or did she developpe front first and then swing it a la seconde like Ballets Russes-descended dancers do now?" I have never read of any such exact recording of the performance of choreography of that era. Is there any such a detail of execution in the Stepanov record? PS Cecchetti studied und Giovanni Lepri in Florence an exceptional student of Carlo Blasis who is widely accepted as the most signifcant creator of the Italian school of dance. Cecchetti was to teach at the Imperial Theatre School from 1887 to 1902 and I have so far found no record of him teaching Legnani.

The Amazon package confirms that the DVD is manufactured for " Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe."

Perhaps her promotion has something to do with the five pregancies among the senior members of the company.

Vyacheslav Samodurov former principal of the Royal Ballet where he cut his choreographic teeth, was to be found staging a ballet in a factory in the Urals echoing of such events of the 1920's and 1930's in the Soviet Union. The one-act ballet, called 'H2O' was performed by the Yekaterinburg Theatre in a car factory, as part of the second Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art. Workers from the factory also took part in the performance, performing in their work and office clothes alongside professional ballet dancers. Vyacheslav Samodurov, Art. Director of Yekaterinburg Opera & Ballet, said,"This is, after all, the Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art, so it seems to me that all of it connects well together. I think we live in a very industrial, modern and dynamic world, so, I think that this (ballet) is an ideal symbiosis." An extract of the work can be seen at, http://www.telegraph...tal-ballet.html Yekaterinburg State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. PS Apologies for incorrect spelling of Vyacheslav Samodurov in the heading.

It was shown in the cinema at the Museum of London in 1981. As part of this years celebrations of Pavlova moving into Ivy House it was shown at the British Film Institute with a piano accompaniment using themes from Auber's opera. To supplement the exhibition at Ivy House on the history of Pavlova in which I wrote, co-curated and co-designed with Julia Weiner, we were fortunate to have the film running continuosly through the day on a sceen placed in the exhibition space.

Clement Crisp of The Financial Times who is often a stern critic gives Natalia Osipova a rave review for her performance in "Swan Lake". http://www.ft.com/cm...144feabdc0.html He must have seen the ballet a 100 plus times and his witticisms often abound and I am also sure he must echo Richard Buckle's pointed comment in a similar context of, "..one more "Nutcracker" nearer to death." His review of Marienella Nunez in the same production a few days earlier was less enthusiastic. http://www.ft.com/cm...144feabdc0.html

Press response. http://www.telegraph...den-review.html http://www.guardian....wan-lake-review

I first saw Alla Osipenko as a teenager and was struck by the crystalline beauty of her line and her innate nobility. For those of us who saw both Osipenko and Kopalkhova on the Kirov's first visit to London they set he standard each in their own way and regrettably no such artists remain in the Mariinsky ballet today, or even possess the artistry of the dancer I mention below. Osipenko is much admired here in London and I had the good fortune to entertain her for an afternoon in Ivy House with the Strozzi family in attendance. I have noticed there has been some comments about friendships among the Leningrad ballerinas. It has been my experience that they each share respect for one another's work. I should also say that in London since their retirement, a number of us have always found Yevteyeva, Komleva and Kunakova in a group always friendly with one another and warmly greeting rogether those whom they have known over many decades.

I have seen the following Anthony Tudor ballets and have been an admirer of the best of his creations over the last forty years and have particularly been moved by performances of the following works:- Dark Elegies, Echoing of Trumpets Knight Errant Lilac Garden Pillar of Fire Shadow Play The Leaves are Falling Tudor's dance works, seem to undoubtedly find more more appeal with the introspective members of an audience especially when it is a dance audience brought up on academic classical ballet. Anthony Tudor (born William Cook)in his ballets often reflects the emptiness that the “Economic Depression” following World War One which had left upon many of his generation, which he in turn, employed in his psychological ballets that pre-empted his social detachment from a number of areas of life. Born 1909 into a fairly humble working class background, his father was a butcher and he found himself in 1924 working in Smithfield meat market as clerk amongst the daily sight of bloody carcasses of thousands of dead animals. He would in later life became a Buddhist as Ms Judith Mackrell recalls(see below). There were dark phases of his childhood in London which were coloured by the economic depression that immediately followed the end of the 1914-18 war. Seeing men who had returned from the “War” who were depressed by unemployment and humiliated by the Poor Law which Tudor in the East End of London would certainly have witnessed. He would have also known of or witnessed the hunger marches from Scotland and the North in the early 1920's as the global economy began to decline and inflation was rampant and the economy was depressed by 25% between 1918 and 1921 and did not recover until the end of the Great Depression in 1930. It appears that Tudor grew up as a rather isolated person perhaps due perhaps to his latent (or otherwise) homosexuality in that rough, tough, milieu that he inhabited. Having tyically left school aged 15 he must have found interests beyond his home background as at 19, he saw Anna Pavlova(or was it Lifar in “Apollon Musagete) dance and decided that this was the career he really wanted. He maintained his employment from early morning to early afternoon in the raucus and noisy atmosphere of Smithfield Market and went to study with Marie Rambert in her evening classes following an interview with Cyril Beaumont who had recommended her. He found himself with two lives as far apart as one could imagine. Tudor's keen observation of human nature and his somewhat isolated approach to life, made him an observer of types which he would later integrate into his choreography. I saw him in London and Edinburgh Theatres on a number of ocassions and both he and Hugh Laing seemed to glide in another worldly atmosphere detached from those around them. I noticed that often when Tudor was acosted, there was rarely a glimmer of a smile as he spoke. On reflection it seems to me that it was in his detachment that his keen observation had been developed. His ongoing interest and then devotion to Buddhism seemed to perfectly suit the somewhat distant disciplined aesthetic person he appeared to have become. This distancing could become intimidating as a number of dancers have recorded. I am sure that a number of his ballets will continue to be performed and admired for a long time yet. Judith Mackrell, wrote the following about Anthony Tudor in 2004. http://www.guardian....rghfestival2004

Author of "Sex and the Single Girl." http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-19250147 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/business/media/helen-gurley-brown-who-gave-cosmopolitan-its-purr-is-dead-at-90.html?pagewanted=all

I also saw the film in1981 and it was reprised at the British Film Institute yesterday, as part of the Pavlova 2012 celebrations. Appropriately, with a live piano accompanist in the shape of the extraordinary John Sweeney, who recreated a period experience of technical brilliance that was unforgettable in his use of themes from Auber's opera, which I believe was also used at the original 1916 screenings. The Dumb Girl of Portici is remarkable in its filming and Pavlova is also remarkable as the main protagonist. The photography is vivid and startling, even more so it appeared to me than when I first saw the film as I had not quite appreciated the technical brilliance of the direction and camera work. Other professionals from the ballet world including Jane Pritchard of the V &A Museum who has been responsible for the BFI programming, was as enthusiastic as were many other knowledgeable connoisseurs who one knew, that attended this single showing. The Dumb Girl of Portici is also a tribute to Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 — November 13, 1939) screenwriter, producer and director who is considered "the most important female director the American film industry has known" with a prolific record in the silent movie era becoming the first woman to own her studio. See the extraordinary biography of Lois Weber on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Lois_Weber

I am saddened to hear of this news as Mr. Cragun has left us at a comparatively young age. I saw Mr. Cragun dance on a good number of occasions and like others, I think of the marvellous performances that this handsome man and his manly performances made him outstanding in his performing era. With Marcia Haydee they were among the brightest stars of their time. Judith Cruickshank has written a most fond obituary of Mr Cragun. http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/aug/10/richard-cragun?newsfeed=true

FROM BOLSHOI THEATRE WEBSITE Cast for tonight is:- (Plus BIOGRAPHY) 14 july 2012 Aspicia, the Pharaoh's daughter - Olga Smirnova Lord Wilson, an Englishman, who turns into an Egyptian called Taor - Semyon Chudin John Bull, his servant, who turns into an Egyptian called Passiphonte - Denis Medvedev Ramze, Aspicia's Nubian slave = Anna Tikhomirova A Fisherman = Vladislav Lantratov The Fisherman's Wife - Anastasia Stashkevich Pas d'action Yan Godovsky Alesya Gradova (Boyko) Xenia Kern Svetlana Pavlova Maria Prorvich Igor Tsvirko Two Cavaliers - Karim Abdullin - Igor Khromushin Rivers First River – Guadalquivir Daria Khokhlova Second River – Congo Anna Okuneva Third River – Neva Maria Vinogradova The Pharaoh - Andrei Sitnikov The King of Nubia - Andrei Melanyin The God of the River Nile - Georgy Geraskin River Servants to the God of the River Nile - Karim Abdullin Yevgeny Golovin Yegor Khromushin Ivan Mikhalyov Caryatids Olga Kishnyova Anastasia Meskova Anna Rebetskaya Victoria Yakusheva The High Priest Alexei Loparevich Herald - Denis Savin A Monkey - Alexander Pshenitsyn Conductor Pavel Klinichev BIOGRAPHY OLGA SMIRNOVA Born in St. Petersburg. In 2011 she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet (ARB) to them. AJ Vaganova (teacher Lyudmila Kovaleva) and was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet. teacher-coach was the actress Marina Kondratieff . Its successes were noted throughout the study repeatedly awarded various scholarships. Continuously participated in the tour ARB - performed at the academy in Japan, Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece and Portugal. In 2004 took part in a joint concert of the ARB and the School of the Royal Ballet of Great Britain, held in London. He has an extensive repertoire. In particular, sang - Masha in the ballet "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky (choreography by V. Vainonen), Queen of the waters in the movie "The bottom of the sea-ocean" (music by C. Puni, R. Drigo, B. Asafiev) from the ballet "The Little Horse -Horse "(choreography by Alexander Gorsky's version of Yu Boatmen) Seventh Waltz from the ballet" Les Sylphides "(choreography by Fokine), great classical music on the pa DF E Aubert (choreography by V. Gzovsky)," Thais " the music of Jules Massenet (choreography by R. Petit), etc. She put the number "Mazurka" to the music of Chopin (choreography by Vladimir Romanovsky). Repertoire 2011 Prince of peers ("Swan Lake" in the second version by Yuri Grigorovich) the second variation in the Grand Pas ("Don Quixote" by Ludwig Minkus, choreography by Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky in Yuri Grigorovich) Myrtha ("Giselle" by A. Adam and choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa as amended by Yuri Grigorovich) maid of honor, Lilac Fairy ("Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky, choreography by Marius Petipa, in Yuri Grigorovich) Queen of the Dryads ("Don Quixote ") in 2012 Nikia ("La Bayadere" by Ludwig Minkus, choreography by Marius Petipa in the wording of Yuri Grigorovich production) The third odalis ka ("Corsair" by A. Adam, choreography by Marius Petipa, staging and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Boatmen) the leading party in the "Diamonds" (participant premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre) with music by Tchaikovsky and "Emeralds" to music by Fauré (III and Part I of the ballet "Jewels") (choreography by George Balanchine), two jeeps ("Giselle" in version by Yuri Grigorovich) Duet («Dream of Dream» to music by Rachmaninov, directed by J. Elo) Tour In May 2011 participated in a gala concert of memory of Galina Ulanova of the series "Icons of Russian Ballet", held at London Coliseum Theatre - performed with a classmate S. Strelkov, "Melody" to music by Dvorak (choreography by A. Messerer) . In July 2011 participated in a gala concert of international ballet stars in the I International Competition of ballet and dance, held in Beijing (Great classical music on the pa D.F.E. Auber). Print

Thank you innopac for posting the above.

‘'...... I can assure you the bunch of nonentities Ms Mason has assembled for our delectation in a succession of scintillating works by her favourite choreographer, Wayne McGregor don't have the same pulling power by a long chalk. '' The argument of getting young people into the Opera House through Mr McGregor's works was a fallacy and it goes to show how incompetent the Board of the Royal Opera House has become since the days when Sir John Tooley's or Sir David Webster were a beneficial influence. The rot set in at the Royal Ballet despite some major creations, with Sir Kenneth MacMillan's directorship. When that most distinguished dancer Sir Anthony Dowell followed, sadly he proved to be a less than able Director and it was in his era, the Royal has lost its way. What were the pressures put upon Dame Monica and where from. The Arts Council England? Trendy aging left wing dance critics influencing the board through their reviews? Where did this idea of getting younger student types given seats in the orchestra stalls to boost a response to MacGregors works come from? Of course living in an era of dumbing down, where what is new is to be seen as ''good'' and what is old is seen as ''bad,'' or, Academic Classical Ballet is not what young people want to see and brain washing style multi-media dance events are. Really? I think not. Anyone can do a random age check at the Royal Opera House and see who attends and in what numbers whether for the older or the newer repertoire. There has been no impact on the attendance of the older audience by a younger audience . ‘’And what of the future?’’ I hear is the cry. ‘’We need to get a younger audience in to replace the ageing patrons.’’ The employment of ‘’off the wall’’ dance works will not get audiences coming again and again to the same productions, as they have always done with the major classical corpus of the Royal Ballet repertoire. For me the revival of ''Sylvia'' was the best step that Dame Monica took as Director and led the way in the revival of better performances. On looking back on her tenure, it would seem that there are various pressures put on the Royal's repertoire that have little to do with straightforward ''High Art'' presentations such as befits the status of the premier UK opera house and its premier ballet company.

Having met and entertained Galina Ulanova for an afternoon with Geoffrey Whitlock when curating the Anna Pavlova Memorial Museum, I am always delighted to see unfamiliar photographs.

No lack of logic, like many other ballet goers I blame Sylvie Guillem along with several other dancers as having over time, a negative effect upon genuine aesthetic of Academic Classical Ballet, turning a high art into an entertainment in which certain members of the audience are thrilled by vulgarity.

A coach is a coach is a coach, especially if the ballet is “Cinderella” in which Sergei Polunin played the role for at least five performances. Over two years ago he was every inch a Prince in “Nutcracker” followed weeks later by his extraordinarily stylish Prince in “The Sleeping Beauty.” The following month he was the Prince in “Cinderella” where he gave a most stylish performance in a marvellous partnership with Yuhui Choe. Mr.Polunin successfully essayed the role of Aminta in “Sylvia” followed by the Prince in “Cinderella” on several occasions and a further performance of Aminta in “Sylvia” In the January of 2011 he danced “Albrecht” twice and in April there was a dream of a performance of “Cinderella” with Alina Cojocaru. This was followed by four more performances of “Cinderella.” In the Royal Ballet’s summer tour to the Far East he danced Albrecht with Marinella Nunez. Back in London he was a marvel in “Marguerite and Armand” with Tamara Rojo and again with Rojo and Lauren Cuthbertson. In the run up to Christmas 2011 he partnered Cuthbertson as Aurora on two or three occasions was the Prince to the Sugar Plum Fairy on several occasions and remained the choice of the Prince into January this year. That he had become a Prince of choice by Dame Monica Mason there is no doubt and with that responsibility and his confidence arising from his undoubted successes with audiences and critics, I see no fault in his choice of aesthetics as to the manner in which he wished to present himself on stage. Perhaps he even felt he deserved to be trusted? Mr. Polunin is undoubtedly a refined artist of the ballet, who it would appear, saw his career developing through his abilities to develop characterisations that both suited his physicality and his interpretations of the roles he performed I feel he had nothing to prove to anyone, repetiteur or coach. Such exceptions in performance had been allowed to other dancers in the past. The inner conflict was real, as Dame Monica Mason when asked about Mr Polunin sensitively explained in her talk given at Ivy House during the recent Pavlova celebrations. She described Mr Polunin as being something of an outsider in the school and the company. Thank goodness this never showed on stage and in over fifty years of watching ballet, all I can say, is thank goodness for the outsiders I have witnessed who were exceptional performers. As to your,” Anyway, will there really be "more freedom" at the Stanislavsky.” Generally speaking it’s a possibility. Individual highly talented young dancers in Russia have frequently been given their head to allow personally found inner confidence to grow and often with a coach of either a paternal or maternal concern for their success. On reflection it was his first performance as the Bronze Idol in "La Bayadere" back in 2007. that a hurried discussion took place among a group of older ballet goers in that we had all been struck as to the potentially significant dancer of the future, that the teenage Mr Polunin might become.

I particularly like the Sibelius "Valse Triste" which has been choreographed a good number of times and possibly the first time was by George Balanchine. See: http://www.hodsonarcher.com/Hodson_Archer_-_Ballets_Old_%26_New/Valse_Triste.html