Hans

I was shocked to see the headline of the Kaufman article in the Washington Post today--I can't believe this has happened.

Click here for some very detailed information about Sleeping Beauty.

Regarding "F" names, the prince's original name is Desiré (Desired One), and I'm not sure the king has a name.

I enjoy the music to Les Petits Riens, the only ballet Mozart ever wrote.

I'll take choreography every time. I'd rather watch Dinkle students do Swan Lake than ABT do Kylian.

In my opinion, it's not Balanchine who discarded, but Martins. Balanchine took a few important parts of the ballet and condensed them, whereas Martins has thrown out much of the heart of Swan Lake. For all its speed, I find the Martins production tedious (to put it politely) who cares about the jester's endless entrechats-sixes and a whole lot of bourrées by the swans? The story is not communicated via the choreography; rather, the choreography obscures it.

That makes me think of the typewriter tap dance in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

I think some of it may have to do with SAB, which used to have primarily Russian and French teachers who taught classical ballet. Now the teachers are primarily Americans, former NYCB dancers who teach the Balanchine style. Habits are learned very early in ballet, and if you're taught classical port de bras from the beginning, it won't ever completely go away. However, if a dancer only knows Balanchine port de bras, his/her arms will look quite different.

They are indeed fouettés, but not continuous ones--there are other turns in between.

drb, I must admit that when Boal was onstage, I never noticed who was Terpsichore.

Peter Boal, for his purity and simplicity. Bart, I love your description of Martins's Apollo as "a quite agile Victorian Banker"

Many of these photos have served to remind me of what the Russian back is not--perpetually bent into a pretzel. Canbelto's point, as I understand it, is not an extreme position, but a continuous curve that appears in even the slightest bend. For example: Alla Sizova 1 Alla Sizova 2 Compare with: Alicia Alonso and Maria Tallchief

Please accept my sympathies, that is terrible news.

It does make sense, and I agree with the logic that led you to that conclusion canbelto, but I think most (if not all) ballet dancers at an advanced level can do a fairly precise 90º arabesque. However, that may not be the most flattering line on everyone depending on the flexibility of the dancer's hips and back. Lines also differ based on one's training; in some styles an arabesque is a sharp angle, and in others it is more of a spiral or curve. BTW, Sizova's body has got to be one of the seven wonders of the ballet world. I think she's even more naturally suited for it than Sylvie Guillem.

I voted "yes," but it has little to do with flexibility. My preference is for the strength of the Vaganova (not all Russians are Vaganova) back, which is the strongest and most thoroughly and effectively used in all ballet, IMO.

Good god, the gems on that list! Is all that really usable for staging?

Calling Renata Scotto "Little Renata" is really unkind unless it has something to do with her height. She was a wonderful bel canto soprano, and she currently coaches the rising star Anna Netrebko. By the way, it's Dame Nellie Melba (I adore Melba toast almost as much as her singing!).

I should hope not. It would be terrible to lose my favorite local company!

Regarding Nureyev's work with modern choreographers, I believe he worked with Graham a good deal.

That's a great pic; thanks for posting it, Solor.

I don't think I can answer this, as I don't know very much about the Bolshoi Academy, so I'm going to post your question on Ballet Talk for Dancers (accessible via the link at the top-right corner of this page) where people might know more.

I'm not totally sure what that could be...how old was she when she ended her studies at the Bolshoi? Presumably after she left, she continued to dance...at a different school?

These are great--I'm actually laughing as I read this thread!

When you teach ballet, you learn very quickly that actual angles have very little to do with anything--often, what looks right on a particular person differs according to his or her proportions and natural flexibility. So I would say that the attitude derrière that is most appropriate for any Aurora is that which suits her body the best. (Although I do admit a personal preference for attitudes with the knee bent about halfway between 90 and 180 degrees so that the line curves upward, as Andre once said poetically, "like a bird's wing.")

Oh I have no doubt that it's possible to sing while dancing (Broadway performers do it all the time) just that I definitely couldn't do it.