Hans

I am pretty sure Florina is supposed to be a princess; I heard that the bluebird is meant to be teaching her to sing.

I recall an old Microsoft ad that showed the words "Have a nice day" or something to that effect (whatever MS's old slogan was) while playing part of the Mozart Requiem to which the words (in Latin, of course) were something like "The damned shall be convicted to the flames of Hell."

When I read the original post, all these Peter Martins ballets leapt to my mind. And don't forget all the Royal Multi-National Ballet of Heck's many productions of Sleeping Beauty, most notably the ones that include a small cast with two or three "court ladies" sitting round the stage, imaginary vines at the end of Act I, and a boat that makes figure eights over and over and over and over through the mist....

That's a very good point, Watermill. Choreography for crowds is very important, as anyone who has seen a boring "party scene" in the Nutcracker knows.

I heard that he was teaching, I suppose at the Vaganova Academy (as you probably know, his wife, Altynai Asylmuratova is the director). Marc probably knows for sure....

If you don't mind using opera glasses, the fourth ring is ok, but it is very high up. NYCB's Swan Lake is a very unusual production. It either replaces or modifies the traditional choreography, and the ending is unconventional. It's interesting to compare it to other productions, but for the "gold standard" Swan Lake, I'd try to see the Kirov-Mariinsky or maybe the Royal Ballet. I'm not too sure what other companies' Swan Lakes are like these days (except ABT's--very untraditional in many ways as well), but others can fill you in on that, as there may be some companies in the US (more accessible) with a good production of Swan Lake. Hope this helps! Editing to add: Sorry! Didn't realize I was writing while Alexandra was posting. Swan Lake is a bit like Nutcracker--nobody really likes absolutely everything about any version, but I've heard that there are a few decent productions out there. And as Alexandra said, reading will help a great deal .

I thought the Location section was required...?

Oops, that one was a mistake--I just meant Odette. Although...has anyone seen Bussell as Giselle?

Darcey Bussell as Aurora Svetlana Zakharova as Giselle (yes, I know it's happened) Viviana Durante as Odette or Giselle Sylvie Guillem as Aurora Kirkland as the Lilac Fairy Farrell as Aurora Baryshnikov in anything by Graham Borree as Odette

I think it is because of Ballet Alert that: Whenever I have a spare moment, I run to my computer to see if there are any new posts yet. I no longer subscribe to Dance Magazine, but I still have all the latest in the dance world. When I talk to my friends on AIM, I keep wondering where all the good smilies are :shrug: I have a very hard time resisting the urge to get back out of bed and post my latest ideas on the anatomy of whatever step(s) or concept(s) we're discussing in Teachers. If I have a question, I can ask some of the most knowledgeable people in the dance world about it. And finally... I have learned more about ballet than I ever would have in any school.

Congratulations! This is one of the best resources the internet has to offer in terms of ballet

atm, you might try the Bolshoi's Cinderella. Some nice special effects in there and pretty good dancing. I'm wondering, though, if perhaps the length of the ballet isn't a factor--it is much longer than both the Nutcracker and Peter and the Wolf.

Here's a clickable link: Bolshoi Ballet Academy

Carbro, you're right about pirouettes done done with a relevé on one leg, and a prime example is pirouettes en dedans from fourth position croisé: the working leg performs a dégagé à la seconde with the supporting leg in plié, then as one does the relevé, the working leg comes to retiré. Not everyone teaches every en dedans pirouette that way, of course, but it's good to know in case one has to dance Diana and Actaeon

I agree with that, Carbro. It's not mime, abstract steps, mime that makes a story ballet--it's continuity so that the story is told throughout all the action. One might liken it to aria and recitative in opera. The recitative is what really moves the plot forward; the aria is (generally speaking) when we see the inner feelings of the character. It's not that the recitative is for plot and the aria is just fancy vocal display (though that does play a very enjoyable part!)--the recitative/mime moves the action along and the aria/pas de deux, variation, &c adds depth to the characters.

In which case the change of legs would happen under, instead of in front of, the body, right? Also, I've seen it done with a passe instead of through 1st position.

I don't know of any Juilliard graduates with ballet companies, but several Indiana University graduates have been successful in obtaining professional contracts.

Sleeping Beauty is my favorite, and we all know who choreographed it. Besides my "secondary favorites" (Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia, &c) I really enjoy Fokine's Petrushka. And is Le Spectre de la Rose considered a story ballet? There are characters and a bit of a plot, but it seems as if it could almost go either way.

Carbro, I think we should form a foundation and sell T-shirts and buttons with "Save the Cou-de-Pied Pirouette" written on them . Mel, at approximately what age/level does one start teaching this step?

The Grant description of pas de ciseaux is as follows: Pas de ciseaux. Scissors step. A term of the Russian school. Pas de ciseaux is similar to a cabriole devant, except that the legs do not beat but pass over each other. Fourth position croisé derrière, R foot back, pointe tendue. Demi-plié on the L leg, thrusting the R leg forward in effacé with a grand battement, bending the torso back. Spring off the L, throwing it forward so that it passes the R in the air. The L leg, well extended, is immediately thrown backward through the first position into first arabesque, as the R leg descends in demi-plié.

Definitely! I don't know what the current usage is at the Vaganova Academy, but in "Basic Principles," Vaganova refers to pirouettes as "tours." So if you run into any old-fashioned Russians... I would also like to highlight Corella's lovely rounded first position of the arms.

K8smom, for a more cheerful Wharton, you might try some of her short stories. Roman Fever and Other Stories is very good, with wonderful little plot twists. Twilight Sleep is hysterical in a very sarcastic way; it's not exactly uplifting, but you will get a good laugh out of it . But in general, unrequited/ill-fated love is a staple of Edith Wharton's books.

Pas de bourré fleuret is a beautiful term that I am very proud to add to my vocabulary I cannot wait for the step of the week forum! B)

Ok, yes, I think those are usually referred to as "bournonville pas de bourrés" Not to be too pedantic, but coupé these days usually means a step, not a position. The position is usually called sur le cou de pied, and it can also be devant or derrière. I could go on and on about this but it's not the right forum.

The hobble step...? Do you mean pas de bourré? :shrug: