Hans

It was you who wrote that about the person attending Parsifal, Ed, but I enjoyed hearing about it again. I have to say, I doubt I will ever have the courage to take on Wagner (Romantic music in general is not my favorite), but I have the profoundest respect for those who appreciate his work!

Yes, Marc discussed on the thread about blond ballerinas how Larissa Lezhnina projects well, even though she's blond, because she has a large head and facial features.

I honestly can't think of anyone who hasn't already retired...such as Asylmuratova, maybe Isabelle Guérin, Elisabeth Platel (though I've never seen her live). And what about Carla Fracci? But the title of Assoluta--that means these people have to live up to Legnani, Kschessinska, Fonteyn, and Plisetskaya. Not at all easy to choose.

Sounds plausible. I know someone who was rejected because her torso was "too boxy."

Well, I've worked with some pinhead teachers.... :rolleyes:

In this case, it refers to someone with a small head (the way the head of a pin is very small). The word can also be used to refer to someone who isn't very intelligent, but that's not what it means when one's talking about a dancer.

MJ, are you sure? I never remember that happening; in fact Princess Florine's variation always seems to end with an obvious flourish.

Congratulations! I love WB, so I hope to see you perform with them!

Gorgeous rg!

My school has a dance major with a concentration in history and criticism. I'm not sure about any of the details, though. However, I don't think that's how most dance critics got their jobs.

That doesn't mean that a memorial in St. Petersburg would be inappropriate, although as we've all been saying, one in NYC would of course make more sense. But why not more than one?

MJ, I can't really think of any other American cities that have enough of a Balanchine legacy to build a monument...certainly not Washington, although an excuse could be made that he was a national treasure. (Also, Washington is becoming so crammed with monuments that soon everyone will have to move to Bethesda.) I agree, St. Petersburg would be a very appropriate place for one as well.

Sorry, I meant even a skin and bones body--important little clarification there . I've never seen Calcium Night Light, and doubt that I ever will now that I'm no longer in New York. But the title sounds interesting .

Genetics also plays a role, and of course being healthy is no guarantee of a long life. But I don't think it's mere coincidence that there are so many ancient ballet teachers around . I see your point, though, about one's body being one's instrument (it's a similar idea for dancers). I would think that she should focus less on the numbers on the scale and simply try to get regular exercise and eat healthfully without bothering about losing a certain number of pounds. That way, she would be taking care of her health without really compromising her voice. (I also don't think Fen-phen and other dieting "quick-fixes" are a good idea at all--they tend not to work in the long-term and can cause severe problems. Moderation in all things, the speed of weight loss included.)

Re: Herrera, I thought it was interesting that some mention her "good" technique, whereas one of the reasons I dislike her is for what I think is rather mediocre to downright sloppy technique, especially in terms of footwork and port de bras...the beautiful feet and legs are there, but I just don't see them being used with much precision :shrug: I also have to disagree with Hal--I know it's just personal taste, for which there is no accounting (so this is not a personal attack, just stating a difference of opinion), but I think it is her very thinness and unusual proportions that make Whelan so difficult for me to watch...I prefer dancers who look more womanly, but then I also like the tutu ballets more, not the leotard/unitard ones in which a skin-and-bones body sometimes looks heavy. And this from an underweight guy...I wonder if there's a correlation there. Hm....

I have to cheat and divide it into two centuries: 19th Century: Taglioni in La Sylphide Pas de Quatre Legnani in Swan Lake Brianza in Sleeping Beauty Virginia Zucchi in just about anything 20th Century: Karsavina/Nijinsky in Les Sylphides and Le Spectre de la Rose Sizova in the legendary Sleeping Beauty at the Met in the 60's Kolpakova in Sleeping Beauty Kirsten Simone and Henning Kronstam in just about anything Kschessinskaya in her prime...I suppose in Swan Lake

Several NYCB principals used to grate on my nerves for various reasons. One dancer I have never liked is Julie Kent, for reasons similar to those stated above--no chemistry for me, rather flat. In general technique, what irritates me most is lack of a plié, and one sees this more and more often. It's usually related to wobbly ankles. I recently saw one dancer who, though she had gorgeous feet, seemed to be determined to plié or come off pointe/demi-pointe as little as possible, I suppose in an attempt to look lighter, but it made me really nervous.

Maybe Voigt could try ballet....

I'm pretty sure Sylvie Guillem does not have red hair, although it does look kind of reddish in the video of Manon. Perhaps it was that sort of maroonish dye job that used to be so fashionable in Europe?

Dido, I wish I knew more--I'm pretty sure she said it was a professional company, although not a very high-level one, and quite small. The woman was short, so she was placed in the front of the corps, and my grandmother said she danced very beautifully/movingly. That's about all I know--she can't remember much about it herself, although I'd really like to know what the company was, who the dancer was if possible.

Not the same as being bald, but my grandmother once saw a performance of swan lake in which one of the corps members (in front) had one arm. She found it very moving.

diane, my great-grandfather was Danish, and my father and I have a lot of his traits. I've been trying for a while now to figure out which ones are commonly Danish and which ones are just us

A good-looking, macho man.

Why would there be a statue of Abe Lincoln at Lincoln Center? I was always told that it was named for Lincoln Kirstein.... I always found the JFK head to be on just as grand a scale as the rest of the building--and if nothing else, it makes for a great reference point/meeting place!

Yes, I've already received a pm regarding that; sorry for the mistake--I think I'll stick with ballet and music instead of biology! (Also should have phrased that in a way that didn't state it as a fact, which it clearly is not!)