Hans

I have to say, I think she is exactly right (except about Bourne).

According to PBS.org, MPT will be showing the performance May 21 at 8pm and May 23 at 7pm.

Reminder: NYCB's production of the Prokofiev classic will be broadcast in the US on Live from Lincoln Center around May 21-23. Check your local listings for exact dates and times at http://www.pbs.org. It is less than two weeks away!

Having devoted my entire life to the art form since the age of seven, I think it is safe to say I am a balletomane.

I'm trying to read Murdoch's A Severed Head at the moment. It is certainly not difficult language, but the plot seems totally unbelievable so far, and I think it is quite dated. I'll have to wait until I've finished to form a definite opinion. I'm also reading three other books (Far from the Madding Crowd, As I Lay Dying, and Silas Marner) so it may take some time.

I wish I had thought to post about this sooner. Did anyone else take advantage of the Metropolitan Opera's "Free Met Player Weekend" this past Friday-Sunday? There is an astonishing number of complete operas, audio and video, at http://www.metplayer.org. I took advantage of it to see some classics I hadn't yet had the chance to see in performance--Rigoletto, Tosca, Das Rheingold, Die Walkure. One can ordinarily watch and listen for very reasonable rates ($15/month for unlimited operas, $3.99/opera, &c.), and I will start doing this (I must finish the Ring cycle!). I wonder if it would be possible to do something like this with ballet.

Yes, Gina, that is what I meant.

The dancers at SAB/NYCB say Seren-AHD. Indeed, I've never heard it pronounced any other way.

I have a friend whose favourite books are Don Quixote and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Maybe DQ (which I've never read) requires a fantasy novel mind-set?

Click here: http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html and scroll down to "fouetté rond de jambe en tournant" on the left.

I agree about both Ringer and Hathaway, Carbro. For me, this is a bit like choosing who might play Maria Callas or another similar artist: ultimately impossible, but still interesting to consider.

I am surprised at the relative laxity of the dress code...even KAB is more strict.

Hopefully this isn't too off-topic, but does this mean that Diana's variation from Vaganova's "Diana & Actaeon" pdd is actually by Petipa?

The first variation in Part II is certainly not Romantic-era...this scene is lovely, though. Thank you for sharing.

The tricky part would (for me) be the orchestra. I'm not sure you will ever find a really first-rate orchestra playing for a ballet company, but some ballet orchestras play quite well. Apart from that, though, I think there are quite a few DVD's of the quality you describe. Is there a particular ballet you're looking for?

How about Sylvie Guillem as Mary?

It appears there is no film of Verdy and Villella's performance on Youtube, presumably because of the same copyright issues.

Yes, but I think there still ought to be a ballet about it.

I would love to see this done. A ballet about mature, powerful women. I would like to see it done as an elaborate story ballet because I think those sell better and are seen by a wider audience. Perhaps with choreography by Ratmansky.

I was considering the sad fate of Antony Tudor's version of this ballet when I remembered that Ashton had choreographed one (for the Royal Danish Ballet, if memory serves). However, I've never heard of a performance of Ashton's 'R&J', either by the RDB or Royal Ballet or anyone else, aside from the following post here on BT:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...ost&p=21190

Is Ashton's 'Romeo and Juliet' still in the repertoire? Is it really rarely performed, or have I just missed hearing about it?

Cristian, I recall Darcey Bussell, Elisabeth Platel, and Yevgenia Obraztsova.

I saw this clip when it was up, but I believe it has been removed, most likely due to the Balanchine police.

I have to warn, if you are traveling by Greyhound, you will not want to arrive in DC late at night. The Greyhound station is near Union Station (which contains both Amtrak and Metro) and it's fine during the day, but I would not walk around there alone at night. If you are going to Union Station at night, it is probably safer to take the train.

[Admin note: this discussion has been split off from the original discussion of the production. This thread has great details and photos about the production:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=24998]

Tickets go on sale this coming Thursday, April 9, for the Bolshoi's performances of 'Le Corsaire' at the Kennedy Center, June 16-21. Casting is here: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/ind...amp;event=BJBSH

Was Croce watching the same dancer I just saw in those clips? 'Weak' is the very last word I would choose to describe her; she is perhaps the strongest dancer I have ever laid eyes on, so strong that she does not need to announce it. When she jumps--well, she doesn't jump, she simply floats up into the air without any apparent preparation at all, hovers there for a moment, then graciously descends, all in perfect time with the music. Those who saw her live describe her dancing so beautifully (the clips, while breathtaking, clearly just hint at what her presence conveyed) that I am quite envious. She appears, from what little I can see, to be the ideal Giselle and Sylphide, and probably much more.