leonid17

I know of five Arvo Paart scores that CW has usedin the ballets:Liturgy, After the Rain Quartenary,Kiss. and now Misericors are there more? Other choreographers have created a number of works to music by the same composer and I don't see a problem unless of course you don't like Arvo Paart. I take your point about homogenization of a company's repertoire, but how good is the Bolshoi's repertoire? Mr Wichel, you say, " I want to see what the Bolshoi does that is unique to the Bolshoi..." so do I, but what the Bolshoi do now is not a patch on what the Bolshoi once did and their uniqueness has been fairly diluted. Company's decline for various reasons. I have witnessed the Royal ballet's decline under the apalling directorship of Kenneth MacMillan and subsequent directors. Monica Mason has shown that positive steps can be taken to revive the RB's lost status and care of its core repertoire , but it still has a long way to go in my opinion. I have heard some present day Russians ballet people still talk about 'defectors' as if they should be shamed. Is that how Balanchine and Miassin whose works have entered the Bolshoi repertoire are still seen by some in the Russian ballet heirachy? We know that Mme Uralskaya is the editor of a Russian ballet magazine and to be quoted in the press shows she does have some status. I am not sure that she wants the "...judicious cross- pollination..." as you kindly suggest. I do think the major Russian ballet companies do think about what new ballets/productions can be sold abroad and the impresarios who bring the companies to our shores are certainly invited to premieres in Russia and consulted.

I did edit my earlier post for grammatical reasons and cohesion. Mr. Wheeldon's other teacher was German Samuel who I believe now works in the USA who I met on a number of occasions as I did Anatole Grigoriev. My comments were not about Vaganova per se as it has its own glories. What changed under Vaganova was that ballet acquired different methods of execution and emphasis of steps and port de bras that was not in accord with the Franco/Russian tradition of performing 19th century ballets. I attended a long series of lectures on the Vaganova method given by Anne-Marie Holmes using film of the Vaganova Academy classes and was delighted that two former Ballet Russe dancer queried the execution of certain steps as not traditional and demonstrated how they should be performed.

An interesting insight into Mr. Wheeldon's reception and his creative process. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/arts/dan...nce&oref=slogin I find the following statements in this article very interesting, "The role of new, international choreography at the Bolshoi, a theater with a reputation built on the grandeur of its productions, is controversial in Russia’s dance world. Valeria Uralskaya, the editor of Ballet magazine, said she was intrigued by the adagio from Mr. Wheeldon’s work presented at the press preview but worried about the general tendency of the Bolshoi repertory. “If we show very actively only that we are translating work, we won’t be interesting to the world,” Ms. Uralskaya said. “The Bolshoi Theater is not just the Bolshoi Theater but the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. It is interesting to the world as Russian theater. We’re interesting when we show each other what we have.” There appears to be an isolationist ideology in Ms Uralskaya's statement and that the Bolshoi Ballet is a Russian icon and should remain nothing more than that, It is when the Bolshoi show what we have seen countless times before, that audiences in the west begin to fall off and I am not sure how Russian the ballet is in Russia really is today. Surely the staple repertoire has a French heritage as does the method of teaching and it was Swan Lake, Giselle and The Sleeping Beauty (alongside Romeo and Juliet) that wowed audiences in the 1950's and 1960’s when Soviet Russian Ballet companies came to Europe and the Americas especially the Bolshoi's Giselle and Swan Lake and the Kirov's Sleeeping Beauty, Giselle and Swan Lake. The Franco /Russian Imperial ballet tradition of performing the 19th century repertoire began to become degraded in Petipa's lifetime and authenticism began to disappear with Gorsky revisions and the innovation of the Vaganova method of teaching and between the wars productions. The real Russian Ballet tradition was to be reborn in the West. This is not a criticism of the Vaganova method just that historically the Perrot/Petipa/St.Leon repertoire performing tradition created in Russia died almost a hundred years ago only to be reappear again in companies like the Ballet Russe, Sadlers Wells and ABT. So what we are left with is a Soviet Russian ballet tradition that is some distance away from what I would call the Russian ballet tradition which was highlighted when the Kirov reconstructions ended up less than authentic as Soviet accretions would not be dumped. If we examine the politicised repertoire of the Soviet era there are very few ballets worthy of revival and the Bolshoi ballet was in the forefront of presenting these works. Ballet in recent years has become almost dominated by international touring and the taking of foreign choreographer’s works into Russian repertoires is in my opinion an enlightened move and I look forward to the days when modern Russian choreographers no longer shackled by politics are invited to produce works for western ballet companies.

Payback, probably, for our old habit of calling residents of all the various Soviet Republics "Russians." I am sure that many citizens of the Southern States feel to this day that they share different values to the big Northern States cities. I as a Londoner born and bred do not find myself sharing eaxactly the same values as people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are no stereotypes, each of us no matter where we come from experience similar emotions and expressions. But, I consider myself first and foremost a Londoner above being British at an experiential level. Vakhtang Chabukiani in his performances is undoubtedly Georgian and Nikolai Sergeyev is undoubtedly Russian in his performances but as the French say ' Vive la difference'. If the Moscow Russians feel Christopher Wheeldon is American it is because of the time he has spent with NYCB. Me personaly, consider Wheeldon to be English as I consider Balanchine to be Russian despite his many years in the USA.

Follow below link to Carl Davis interview, the composer of David Bintley's new(old) ballet. http://www.brb.org.uk/livebase/bin2/webpac...mode=wbFullItem

David Bintley the Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet has gone back to a story he first tackled some 16 years ago which I did not enjoy and there were dark mutterings about his future. With new music by Carl Davis and new choreography several friends who saw the premiere said it was a much better work than his first version and were moved by the performances. Critic links for the Times, Guardian and the Daily Telegraph herewith. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,585-2568486,00.html http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/dance/r...2009129,00.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml.../btcyrano09.xml

Ckeck this link for interview with CW. http://context.themoscowtimes.com/ PS. Ballet is called "Misericors". Hamlet was to be produced for Nokolai Tsiskaridze who has regrettably been ill with pneumonia and CW appears to have been made an honorary American by the Bolshoi.

Could you post the link? Thanks Done plus one more.

Ismene Brown in The Daily Telegraph raises some questions that might seem controversial to some on below and the venerable Clement Crisp is left dispirited by the event in the Financial Times. Links also include the Evening Standard Review. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.html.btballet127.xml http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/show.viewId=23383428 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/20eefc8-b220-11db00779e2340.html

Please use the below link for an interview with the elfin Alina Cojocaru in todays TIMES. Not just anybody: Alina Cojocaru

From February through to May in London, there is a small exhibition in the historic Cabinet War Rooms, that pays tribute to the Sadlers Wells Ballet who during World War II performed throughout the UK and in Europe. The exhibition includes letters written by Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias to be seen by the public for the first time. The following links take you to the exhibition venue and a various revues of the exhibition.http://cwr.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.1381 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml.../btballet05.xml http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_brit...icle2241454.ece http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=193092007

It is sad to record the passing of Nicholas Johnson a former dancer with the Royal Ballet Touring company and English National Ballet. I first encountered Nicholas when he was still a student who almost wildy snatched binoculars from a ballet regular as Vladimir Vasiliev whirled around the stage, so that he could witness the phenomenon more closely. He will be remembered for his clean elegant technique and sensitive playing of leading roles. New Yorkers may remember him appearing in the play, "Nijinsky death of a faun" in which he cameoed dance roles and portrayed Nijinsky sinking into mental ill-health. He leaves a widow Laura Connor the foirmer Royal Ballet dancer.

I understand the symposium was filmed and more than interesting exchanges took place. I am hoping that the text of the various contributions will be published as it is reported that some controversial statements and challenges to the Stepanov texts were made. I have been led to understand that the tragedy of the contributions made by some of the Russian's who attended, is that they may unwittingly be victims of the received Soviet history, of the type that blighted the possibility of more authentic reconstructions of the Kirov's Sleeping Beauty and Bayadere productions. The other important thing to remember is that the authentic Petipa tradition began to die in Russia during that great old man's lifetime and was almost completely abandoned some seventy years ago with the impact of the Vaganova method upon the execution of the choreography and many changes in story presentations. Clement Crisp a critic with an almost ancient memory of ballet, in his review of the Munich Ballet’s Le Corsaire (the link appears earlier in this forum) in his opening sentence says, “Ballet is an art written on air and on unremembering muscles.” Wrong Mr. Crisp, muscles do remember through the retention of motor skills via neuromuscular facilitation and this is why older dancers have over the years made many important contributions to revivals of ballets. What made the reconstruction of an authentic Petipa ‘Le Corsaire’ from the Stepanov notation almost impossible, as I understand it so far, is the fact that approximately only one third of the production exists in the Harvard Collection notebooks. Liska has attempted it would seem, to immerse himself in the history of the type of dancer of the original production and examined the teaching of the period and execution the choreographic steps of that time and apply what he has learnt. This is something which I believe very few Russian ballet masters would be brave enough say they wanted to do, or, be allowed to undertake. I understand that Vikharev's noble work was interfered with by older Soviet dancers faithful to Vaganova and Konstantin Sergeyev(et al) amendations to Petipa's ballets. Clement Crisp writes, "... Le Corsaire, a celebrated old extravaganza that has an impossibly vexed theatrical history, from its creation in Paris in 1856 by way of no fewer than 14 recensions in Russia? “ Of course the production that Liska was looking at had no such recensions (and I do not think the Soviet productions were recensions in the meaning of the word) but instead he was attempting to create the first rescension. We have discovered in the Kirov Sleeping Beauty reconstruction many similarities with the Sadlers Wells /Sergeyev (not entirely authentic) production both using the Stepanov notation as the skeleton for a fairly fleshed out copy of the original production. Interesting enough the Kirov ballet's earlier Beauty production, confirmed in many places despite a number of hands changing the production, many obvious chureographic similarities to the notated productions. What Lacotte created with his La Fille du Pharoan was like Vinogradov’s Le Corsaire, an entertaining romp with no serious claim to Petipa authenticity with only Vinogradov exhibiting the kind of 'theatrical verve' that Mr Crisp craves. Ivan Liska it appears has attempted to open a window to mid-19th century Petipa style without 180 degree arabesques, which among other modern thuggeries, entirely fails to respect Petipa as a choreographer of genius creaing his own style of fully integrating story-telling with dance with its own aesthetic. Edited: 06.03pm

I don't know about a deeper understanding and more insight, but here is a link for Clement Crisp's review. The Financial Times Sorry the link did not work but if you visit the Financial Times site and search Clement Crisp you should be able to get it for a few days before it disappears and you have to pay for it. I can email this direct if I can be informed to whom. Moderator's note: Edited to insert link. Thanks, leonid!

I thought that many would like to read two UK obits. Links below. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/obituary/0,,2001718,00.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...1/31/db3102.xml If you go to the Royal Opera House website and click on Ballet and Dance and then PRESS you find a tribute to Glen Tetley. I find that my friends and I are talking a lot about his works and especially their survival. I hope that the USA gets to see more of them in the future so that he can be evaluated by audiences even if the ballet press have not admired his works so much in the past.

Thank you for the link. I am an admirer of many of Glen Tetley's works and spoke with him on a number of occasions when he worked in London. I found him a charming man, happy to talk with dancers and members of the audience in the Nag's Head pub opposite the stage door of the Royal Opera House after performances.

In the interview(Please find below), Sarah Lamb pays tribute to her former teacher Tatyana Legat who I remember as an outstanding soloist of the Kirov. Yesterday afternoon I watched Sarah Lamb dance the leading role in 'La Sylphide' staged by Johann Kobborg. Miss Lamb gave an exquisite performance having captured not just the dancing style of the role but spirit of the role in playful mood and at its tragic moments. Physically Miss Lamb is perfect for the Sylphide with the lightest of arabesques and high light jumps capture the essence of her otherworldly ream from which she has appeared. I found no flaw in her performance which given the opportunity, she will make this role her own. The only thing missing from this rather good production is a man playing Madge. There are good historical reasons for a man playing this role as there is for Carabosse. http://money.guardian.co.uk/workweekly/sto...1994482,00.html

Dear Leigh Wichel Why is it that I have got the impression you expect the Royal Ballet to perform Balanchine ballets in the manner/aesthetic of NYCB? I thought the idea of a neo-classical company dancing an academic classical ballet odd but then I realised they probably would't try to dance it any other way than their company aesthetics. None of the reviews I have read point out that it is some distance away from Petipa's Sleeping Beauty especially as the fairy's are named as are the leading characters. Until Lilimarlene1 mentioned it, I did not realise that there was any sort of pecularity about the production being turned into a neo-classical ballet. But after Matthew Bourne, what is one to expect? Please don't answer that.

One more review from todays Observer by Luke Jennings a critic who is a former dancer. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/observe...1989832,00.html

I am most grateful to read your report and especially the effort you went to see the exhibition. I have always been interested in Nijinsky's art work having seen some examples before in exhibition and auction catalogues. Once again thank you.

I posted today, reviews of Simone Clarkes's Giselle to bring some balance as to why this subject was being discussed in 'ballet talk' in the first place. Like many of your posters I keep in touch with the dance scene in New York, Paris, St. Petersburg via the media, websites and most importantly friends in those places whose judgements I value. I have not checked, but have assumed, that most postings on this subject have come from American citizens some of whom live in the New York/ Metro area. Of course it is easier to keep abreast and informed about what is happening in our own back-yard but for my own point of view I read a large number of postings about American dance and the issues companies and dancers meet because, I am interested in the whole area of dance performance and although I am not too interested in personal issues concerning named individuals, given the age we live in I do not expect much else than to find it so published. Too much can be said about who and why Balanchine went to bed with so and so or the same for Jerome Robbins. We have become prurient societies otherwise we wouldn't read dance biographies that contain sometime as much detailed information of their sex lives of choreographers as they do of their actual creative processes. It is the ballet world itself that has created the 'celebrity event' genre about dancers/choreographers whether they deserve it or not and the media reflects this in a manner most of us do not like.

That is the conclusion I eventually arrived at.

BBC television and radio are presenting over an extended period programmes about Tchaikovsky;s life and works including 'The Sleeping Beauty' with Alina Cojocaru: See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressrele...haikovsky.shtml

Yet more on Mr. Wheeldon in yesterdays UK Guardian newspaper: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/feature/0,,1985101,00.html Apologies if this has appeared elsewhere. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/16392793.htm The following Wheeldon statement's resoundingly, resonated with me."There are not so many young choreographers experimenting with the classical vocabulary,'' Wheeldon says. ``There's a stigma among young people and even in the dance community that ballet is uncool. Which is a shame, because ballet has a potential to be very cool, but there needs to be choreographers exploring things on pointe.'' and "Increasingly, ballet companies are turning to modern dance artists like Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, who for all their prodigious talent don't have the immersion in the classical tradition needed to make ballet grow. " I hope Monica Mason has read this? PS Minutes after I posted this link, you now have to register to read it.

As an alternative to the Simone Clarke story I thought readers might like to read other reviews of the ENB's Giselle. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/art...2542359,00.html http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/show...viewId=23381305 http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/15586/giselle