Hans

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.

New York City Opera, struggling to shed financial and administrative turmoil, took a step forward on Wednesday, announcing its first operatic season since essentially shutting down a year ago during renovations to its home at Lincoln Center.

In 2009-10 the company will present a tasting menu — just five productions — symbolic of its traditions: modern works (Hugo Weisgall’s “Esther”), new productions (“Don Giovanni” in a staging by Christopher Alden), the underperformed (Chabrier’s “Étoile”), war horses (“Madama Butterfly”) and Baroque works (Handel’s “Partenope”).

“It was really a question of making a season that would remind people of all the wonderful things City Opera stands for,” George R. Steel, the general manager and artistic director, who took over those positions in January, said in an interview.

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!

In terms of artistry, Boal has turned a personal shortcoming to the company’s advantage. Although he doesn’t create new works, as many ballet directors do, his close ties with leading choreographers have drawn them to Seattle to stage their works.

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

As it turns out, Baltimore Opera's performances of Norma with Hasmik Papian in the title role and Ruth Ann Swenson as Adalgisa were its last. From the Washington Post:

Three months after seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and canceling the remainder of the 2008-09 season, the board of trustees of the Baltimore Opera Company voted yesterday to pursue Chapter 7 liquidation and dissolve the 58-year-old organization. The company will sell off its assets, including a warehouse, scenery, costumes and technical equipment, and distribute the proceeds among creditors.

"We had some promises of money, but there just wasn't enough out there," said General Manager M. Kevin Wixted. "To raise money for a season of opera was out of the question. We could have struggled on month-to-month, but we'd never get ahead."

Really terrible news.

According to what I've read in the press: NYCB has a tricky situation with the Kennedy Center because NYCB's orchestra's contract requires them to play whenever the company is touring within a 250-mile radius of NYC, and the Kennedy Center orchestra's contract requires them to play for visiting companies. They have, fortunately, worked out an arrangement: NYCB's orchestra plays one tour, and the KC's orchestra plays the next.

It is very interesting to read this thread from beginning to end. It appears that as a soloist, Wiles showed a lot of potential dramatically. So what happened?

This photo?

I love it, too.

I am surprised to read that she found the KAB training and style so uncomfortable given that she began her training there at age ten and remained there for seven years according to her bio on ABT's site. However, she does not have what that school would probably consider an ideal body for ballet, so maybe that was part of it, although they have successfully trained other dancers who do not have an ideal physique.

To my untrained eye, it's difficult for me to see how Wiles' figure doesn't conform to ballet standards. What is the ideal physique for Vaganova training?

Michele Wiles is a beautiful dancer with incredibly strong bravura technique. However, she does not have the long lines and sky-high extensions that are so popular these days. She has a more old-fashioned classical look that I find very appealing--in fact, I'd love to see her as Aurora. She definitely has the look and technique for that. EDIT: I really enjoyed her Odette/Odile, too, as I hope my review made clear.

I don't know if one could say that an ideal physique for Vaganova training exists outside of the balletic ideal, but vrs would know more about that.

As vrs has said in the past, the true Vaganova method is only really taught at the Vaganova Academy. It includes much more than just ballet classes. Therefore, it is difficult to use the term 'Vaganova' when referring to other schools (note that in my quoted post above, I did not say 'Vaganova' at all) even if the teachers come from the Mariinsky Ballet.

That said, KAB is well known for having very high training standards as well as for achieving the 'Petersburg look' with its students. Unfortunately, unlike the Vaganova Academy, it does not have the ability to choose 'perfect' bodies from thousands of auditioning children. It must therefore balance high standards with less than ideal circumstances, and sometimes that can be difficult for both students and teachers.

Please note, I am not saying that anything in particular happened with Wiles; I did not arrive at KAB until after she had finished her training there. I was very happy with the training at KAB, but I know others who were not. If you have been trained elsewhere previously, the training can seem very rigid, and that works well for some, not so much for others. It is perfectly understandable that although it makes you a very strong dancer, its strict expectations and particular aesthetic might make one feel stifled or placed into a mold. If it's an aesthetic the student likes, great! If not, I could see how it would feel uncomfortable.

Sandik, if you look at the bottom left of each post in a thread, next to the "Report" button, there is a "Top" button, and if you click it, it returns you to the top of the page. I don't blame you for not noticing it--I just found it today, and I've been reading the board for over ten years!

I am surprised to read that she found the KAB training and style so uncomfortable given that she began her training there at age ten and remained there for seven years according to her bio on ABT's site. However, she does not have what that school would probably consider an ideal body for ballet, so maybe that was part of it, although they have successfully trained other dancers who do not have an ideal physique. I suppose it is just that not every method is appropriate for every dancer. They helped her dance well enough to get into ABT, anyway.