Hans

"Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet" is hilarious, and I second carbro's mention of "The Concert."

I don't recall anyone stating that ballet ought to be modified to suit those who dislike it. IMO, ballet has already become far too athletic, and I suspect that's actually part of the reason it's driving audiences away. Note: Sandy later edited his/her post above to clarify the point on which I disagreed in my first sentence. Thank you, Sandy!

When I was at SAB (admittedly, this was about six or seven years ago) Hubbe taught the most advanced men's class and very occasionally the level below. At the time, intense re-training did not occur at those levels, especially Advanced Men, partly (I suspect) because the class was enormous and that sort of thing requires a good deal of specific attention to each student. Another thing that would have made it difficult was having a different teacher every day as well as the fact that most of the students had been trained in different styles before coming to SAB for a final year or two of polishing. So I agree that it is possible to alter technique in important ways at any age; it's just that it takes a lot of time and consistent effort on the part of both teacher and student to do so--and of course I would be thrilled to hear that Hubbe has indeed changed the men's pliés at SAB for the better.

Having seen both Chenchikova and Somova, I can confirm that they are indeed pretty much stylistic opposites. Although Chenchikova did have her flamboyant moments (she could pirouette like a tornado) she confined such things to appropriately bravura moments in the choreography.

Carbro, my pet theory is that demi-plié is not taught very well anymore.

Papeetepatrick, thank you for elucidating your point, even the parts you thought were already obvious.

I doubt it, leibling, unless he teaches beginners. From a teacher's perspective, a soft landing begins with a deep, springy plié and correct use of the foot in battement tendu. As the dancer progresses, s/he learns to coordinate these two movements to produce two things: a light, "fluffy" jump (as we say over on BT4D ) and a noiseless landing during which the dancer catches him/herself with control on the toes and balls of the feet before carefully placing the heel on the floor. And of course, all that (and more) has to happen in just a fraction of a second!

I don't think there's any reason to attach a gender to an art form except to irritate and divide. Ballet isn't feminine any more than it is masculine, and it's the same with music, drama, and the visual arts. To state otherwise is, to me, unenlightened and offensive, and it serves only to further alienate those who already think of ballet as outmoded and irrelevant.

I actually can't bring myself to answer this question, as in my opinion, it is impossible for a perfect ballet to exist.

Wow--definitely a huge step for Ms. Jimenez, and many congratulations to her, she's a fantastic dancer. I agree with you though, Mike--I will really miss seeing her with the WB. She was an enormous asset to the company, and I'm sure she will be in Amsterdam as well.

I agree, omshanti. I was merely reporting the study's findings, although as I read it such a long time ago, I cannot be very specific. Perhaps someone else can?

Actually, I recall a study that found that ballet is more difficult than football and on a par with bullfighting.

So...wait. Legs at 90º are now the minimum requirement for anyone wishing to study ballet seriously. Does this mean that in two hundred years or so the minimum required leg height will be 180º? :rolleyes:

Canbelto, I think not being able to raise one's leg high enough is a different issue from fluidity of movement. Even if a dancer is not particularly flexible, if s/he moves well, it won't matter.

I know I'm a little late, but Balanchine actually said, "It is very difficult to express, say, 'mother-in-law' using classical mime."

Ed, if a professional dancer doesn't enjoy class every day, s/he is in the wrong profession! It was certainly not my intention to suggest that class is some sort of necessary evil. However, as Danilova wrote, "A true artist is awakened on the stage."

Normally, people generally just call those steps "bourées," but the technical term is "pas de bourrée suivi." The upper body is indeed supposed to remain as still as possible, although some slight movement is to be expected. I can't really speculate as to exactly why Ferri's bourrées look the way they do on that tape, but from having watched her dance before, I suspect that her center is not particularly strong, which may be part of the problem in this case.

I'm seeing the June 17 matinee to catch Fadeyev. Saw Pavlenko a few years ago in La Bayadere and was not impressed. I am looking forward to Osmolkina's Paysan pas de deux, though; she was a lovely Gulnare in Le Corsaire last year.

A Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter ballet would probably make a mint.

I don't know, sandik. Having watched the Kirov lately, I'm becoming less and less convinced that it will get better with time; it seems to be getting worse. The problem is not that the dancers are developing their physical facility, it's that only people with one type of body are being accepted into the big academies these days, which runs contrary to the fact that many types of bodies are acceptable and necessary in ballet, beyond certain minimum requirements (turnout, &c).

I downloaded the podcast, and it was a lot of fun to listen to. I definitely recommend it to others and hope they do more of these in the future.

I wonder if small, free outdoor performances of excerpts (by both schools and companies) during summer (and spring and autumn if the climate allows) would help get people to the theaters. Having students dance would ensure that parents and friends would attend, and if the company performs a bit, too, it might whet others' appetites for the full-length ballets.

I don't have too much direct knowledge, but from reading reviews it seems as if Washington Opera is doing quite well. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that Placido Domingo is a household name, but the review of their latest production makes it seem as if the company is very good indeed.

Sorry--from reading your post I received the impression that you were advocating for the French system. I hope this mini technique discussion has not turned off other posters from commenting on what goes into a beautiful 5th as there is certainly much more to it than the mechanics of turnout, important and complex as they are.

Well, I don't know if I quite agree...if one teaches turnout with the goal being to get the sole of the shoe facing forward, one risks the legs not being completely to the side, whereas if one takes the legs directly side, the sole of the shoe will probably not face front except when the leg is raised above 90º. As every body is different, I don't believe there are any absolutes when it comes to teaching turnout, and I've found that a combination of these two ideals works best. You want the leg rotated in the hip socket as far as it will go, but you also want it to be fully side, so I would advocate for each dancer to use the approach that s/he feels works best for him or her.