Hans

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.

One doesn't have to dislike Osipova to dislike that clip. I think she is a very nice dancer, but I find that particular video extremely unpleasant to watch for the same reasons Leonid has given above.

I read about the possibility of a strike today, too. Let us hope it does not come to that!

rg, I apologise for not making this clearer--I was replying to Michael's post, not referring to Croce's writing.

As far as I know, the hunters partnered the swan-maidens in the original Petipa-Ivanov production--each hunter had two swans.

Read the rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/arts/mus...pera&st=cse

Does the quote refer only to Swan Lake? I ask because NYCB seems to have become just as much of a 'museum' (not that that's necessarily a bad thing) as many other long-established ballet companies.

That is surprising, Marc. They've mimed beautifully every time I've seen them--every gesture clear and precise. Of course, the extended speeches would be more difficult to pull off.

What a gorgeous description of Osmolkina's performance. I hope to see her dance this role one day. I'm not surprised she conquered the mime--the Mariinsky dancers have excellent training in mime at the Vaganova Academy, and they all mime beautifully when a production calls for it. The Mariinsky Ballet has, in its various incarnations, been performing mime for over a hundred years, after all. A question: does the Royal Ballet really perform the Petipa/Ivanov choreography? They might use more of it than other companies, but I was under the impression that their production had been altered by Ashton, among others. They also don't seem to have enough dancers to perform it, as it requires a very large corps de ballet.

According to the video, Obraztsova handled the mishap with courage and grace.

High School Musical as a ballet! Or we could be truly demented and do... Moves: The Musical

I know: 'Café Nervosa', in which dancers act out various scenes from 'Frasier'. Imagine what Tudor could have done with Niles and Daphne!

Shortcoming? I would say asset--Peter Boal is an artistic director with taste! Do the works of Martins, Tomasson, Stowell, &c. really bring in lots of money? Perhaps only their 'restagings' (I'm being kind) of the classics. Otherwise, I think it is much more important to know who the good and popular (and hopefully both) choreographers are and bring them in.

That is very interesting, but I find it difficult to understand without knowing what system of 'fixed points of the classroom' is being used. It seems as if it might be similar to the Vaganova system...?

Are cameras (video and still) theoretically prohibited at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi?

I haven't seen it at the Kennedy Center. These 'fans' might want to consider that they are putting the dancers they claim to love so much in danger, whether it's the women on pointe or the gentlemen landing complicated jumps. Can you imagine trying to spot during pirouettes with little flashes going off in front of you? Even in moments of seeming repose, dancers have plenty of distractions and things to worry about. They don't need more!

Haven't people been complaining about the lack of side aisles in that theater for some time now?

Hm, perhaps they weren't shared, but the genre became cliché so fast (not that it wasn't to begin with) that it seemed that way. I haven't read the 'Twilight' books, either, but what I've heard about them doesn't make me eager to.

As there seem to have been many successful productions of 'Dracula' shared between companies, I propose... Twilight: The Ballet