Hans

I understand that this sort of thing is common in other places and can be justified, but that doesn't make it right, especially given that ballet dancers have such short careers. Giving them the option of finding better roles and more fulfillment elsewhere instead of stringing them along for years seems as if it would be much more productive for both the company and the dancer.

Isn't he pretty much doing what Balanchine did? One hears that Balanchine never fired anyone, just stopped casting them and eventually they would go away. However, Martins' saying Sophie could learn featured roles and then not following through strikes me as lying to her face. It may avoid confrontation or saying something difficult, but when you are the AD, sometimes you have to say difficult things, such as "I don't see you advancing with us beyond where you are now." It's a responsibility that comes with the position. He said it to Aesha Ash, so why not Sophie? Because he wanted her to stick around as a lower-level corps member until he could hire some apprentices? Maybe that would fly in the 1970's when AD's were supposed to be considered semi-divine by the dancers, but these days people want the truth. I think Martins has been ignoring the world outside Lincoln Center for quite some time now, and while I can't really blame him, I think he does so at his peril. Re: views of NYCB as stuck in the past, I think they have put themselves into that situation. The fact that Balanchine (and Robbins) were creating new, exciting, high-quality works was used as a reason to dance with NYCB for a very long time, and NYCB/SAB still promote themselves as being at the forefront of balletic innovation when they are not, and haven't been for over 10 years. To dancers who were born after Balanchine died and have watched NYCB dance the same repertoire for decades, with a sprinkling of new middle-of-the-road choreography that isn't really very good or interesting, NYCB would look staid. Don't get me wrong: I think NYCB should definitely dance Balanchine and Robbins, but pretending that they're the latest thing in ballet when they are really a Balanchine/Robbins museum (not a bad thing!) is not going to fool anyone, especially dancers who know people in other companies like Cedar Lake, go to see new work, &c. Based on the interview, it looks as if Sophie might fit in well at a place like PNB, with its emphasis on more modern choreography, but of course she also mentioned that she'd like to stay in New York. Whatever she decides, I wish her well.

I think she is also absolutely right about NYCB isolating itself from the rest of the ballet & dance world.

Men with beautiful feet include, IMO, Peter Boal, Yuri Soloviev, Andris Liepa, Laurent Hilaire, Manuel Legris (not a high arch/instep but a nice line and used skillfully) Marcelo Gomes, David Hallberg, and others. Off the top of my head I cannot think of any differences in the use of the foot between men and women--the foot points and presses against the floor in essentially the same manner. Men must appear to have more "weight" than women in their movements, but I think that has less to do with the foot than the way the rest of the body is used. I will say I do not like too much hyperextension in a male dancer as it makes the line appear less solid.

Regardless of the dancer's actual age, isn't it most important that she be able to "project" the appropriate age for the part? Like many ballet dancers, Ansanelli appears (onstage, anyway--I haven't seen her in person) rather younger than she really is. As much as I enjoyed her dancing, I really thought she came across more as a young woman than a mature, married lady with a 12-year-old son.

Sandy, I agree. I could understand checking one's phone after the announcement (which occurs after the lights are dimmed) is made just to be certain it really is off, but other than that, yes, one ought to turn it off as soon as one walks into the auditorium, in my opinion. kfw, I wish I could tell!

The following article was posted yesterday by user "theballetbag" on Twitter (where else?): Welcome to the tweet seats: Twitter at the theatre Read the article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/mar/1...twitter-theatre For my part, I disagree with Ms. Jamieson. Using a mobile phone in a theater is incredibly rude, and cupping one's hand over the screen does very little, if anything, to diminish the brightness. I don't understand why she thinks it is somehow rude to one's followers not to tweet about a performance in real time--surely people will understand that one cannot send text messages during a show. And if they don't, I would not be inclined to gratify such a selfish and inconsiderate desire. At the last ballet I attended (Manon at the Kennedy Center) I did send out little one-line Twitter reviews during the intervals, but it would never have occurred to me to attempt to do so once the lights had gone down! I would hope that an usher would put a stop to such behaviour immediately.

My mistake is worse: when I read the thread title I thought immediately of all those little angels in many productions of the Nutcracker, and asked myself: They have NAMES? I first thought of the Nutcracker angels, too!

It is a bit difficult to explain, but when, for example, the leg is extended at any height (even pointe tendue, or in fact even when simply standing), the dancer must feel a core of energy moving through the center of the leg and through the tips of the toes, as if one is reaching with one's toes for a point just beyond them. Of course, the foot must be fully pointed, with the toes curved (but not clenched) to finish the line, but the feeling is one of length rather than merely the foot curving around. The ideal these days seems to be a very hyperextended leg (knees that bend a little bit backward) and a very pronounced arch and instep, much like the photos posted of Svetlana Zakharova, and I fear that in attempting to achieve these extreme lines and exaggerate them, students do not focus enough on the feeling of lengthening the leg and reaching out through the ankle and foot.

Is the aforementioned Dance in America video still available? I want to see this famous sur le cou de pied.

Thank you for that, Mme. Hermine--I had forgotten Mason was Myrtha in that production. Quite a jump! She is one of the ones who almost makes me forget she is wearing pointe shoes. Evdokimova's unbelievable footwork (as well as her many other extraordinary qualities) can be seen to advantage here: and here: as well as in several other videos on youtube. She is another one, like Sizova and Rojo, with a very strong, beautiful arch.

Cristian, I am with you re: your last two links. I find Fonteyn's line impeccable. There is one misconception that I'd like to clear up: a highly arched foot is not always naturally weak. Some are, some are not. An example of a well-arched, strong foot is Alla Sizova. It is always important for the dancer to perpetually lengthen the leg and foot, a detail that I fear is too often ignored in the modern quest for extremely curved lines. And finally, when an academy such as RBS or POBS, &c., evaluates a child for admission, the arch is one of many factors considered. Also important are proportions, face, how tall the child is likely to grow, the depth of the plié, musicality, and coordination.

Just returned from "Manon" with Alina Cojocaru and Johann Kobborg. My goodness, what beautiful dancer-actors they are! Cojocaru was very effective as a youthful Manon, just a teenager perhaps, who impetuously runs away with Des Grieux and is soon after seduced by the glamour of Monsieur G.M. Her teenage appearance was quite striking in the brothel scene--I could very easily imagine Sylvie Guillem dancing the same steps with seductive confidence, but I found Cojocaru's young, naif Manon, covered in unfamiliar silks and jewels, quite striking as she half-hesitantly abandoned herself to this new world, torn between the glamour and her feelings for Des Grieux. She was very moving, without being over the top, during the death of her brother, the rape scene in the gaol, and the final flight into the Louisiana swamp. Kobborg, as no one needs to be told, is an impeccable artist, with beautiful line, a strong stage presence, and nuanced acting. He was able to convey his character's thoughts even while standing around the brothel, and he was sweetly protective of Manon. Ricardo Cervera as Lescaut also seemed quite young, and perhaps not so much distasteful (considering he basically sells his own sister to the highest bidder) as thoughtless. I received the impression that perhaps they had not spent much time together as children, and as a result he does not really have feelings for her as a person. Self-absorbed and wily, his most entertaining moment came during the drunken Act II pas de deux with his mistress. Both he and Laura Morera displayed excellent comic timing, and it was a pleasant, light, well-choreographed contrast to the syrupy darkness of the rest of the ballet. This was my first time seeing Manon, and I feel about it the same way I feel about MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet--I'll only watch it with a really good cast. It seems that MacMillan wants to tell the story through the dancing, without mime, but doesn't quite know how. We therefore see a lot of rather pedestrian steps repeated one (or two or three) too many times and must rely on the dancers' acting ability to understand characters' relationships and what is happening in terms of the plot. MacMillan is clearly a master of clever and complicated lifts, but unfortunately when he thinks he's come up with some really interesting gymnastics, he feels the need to beat us over the head with it and make absolutely certain we get to watch it several times, regardless of what the music is doing. In the same vein, he has to show us quite graphically and specifically just how Manon is defiled by the Gaoler, as he is apparently unable to get the point across any other way. Thankfully, the rest of the cast was up to the standard of Cojocaru and Kobborg, so we had a beautifully danced, finely acted performance that triumphed over the unfortunate choreography to produce a moving evening of theatre.

OP--Original Poster

I agree with those who say the answer to the "good feet" question is two-pronged. A dancer may be born with beautiful arches and insteps but not use them well at all. From what I have seen of her, Eva Evdokimova may well have my favourite pair of ballet feet, in terms of both natural beauty and her exquisite use of them. Manuel Legris is an example of a dancer who does not have extremely high arches (though they are more than adequate) but he uses them beautifully, and his dancing is more of a pleasure to me than that of others blessed with lovely feet but no idea how to use them. Edit: I realise this is blowing my own horn, but in case you are interested, iczerman, I have written a blog post on this subject: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/blog/de...hp?showentry=45

Thank you both for the advice. If I'm able to go, I think I'll just spend the extra $7 and get a Family Circle seat. Back on topic, I had noticed the Sylvia micro-site--it looks lovely and contains a synopsis, biographies of Ashton and Délibes, and more. Thank you, ABT.

I am really tempted to go to NY to see the Wednesday performance, but the only seat I can afford is a balcony box, which is described as having a partial view. Is this worth it?

I have a couple of questions which I hope won't be seen as heretical or tendentious by Corsaire lovers: Why IS this ballet revived and revived and revived, while others are ignored? Why does every ballet competition include what appear to be dozens of young people performing portions of it? One might very well ask similar questions about The Nutcracker, which has even less to recommend it. Le Corsaire, apart from all the classical dancing Natalia mentioned, is light entertainment, not Heavy Art. It reminds me of I Puritani, which has a plot so stupid it makes me want to pull out my eyes, but some very beautiful music.

Just got back from the performance--rather tired, might add more tomorrow, but here are my initial thoughts: Chroma--showed off the dancers' lovely bodies and technique impressively but nothing else. Extremely pretentious, no substance IMO. I agree with those who say program notes oughtn't to be necessary, and in the case of this ballet they add nothing. A Month in the Country--couldn't be more of a contrast to Chroma, both in style and quality. Ashton is an excellent story teller, and the characters and events were very clear. Ansanelli has beautiful footwork, and it was shown off to great advantage, but the part is really meant for someone older. Still, her pas de deux with Beliaev was touching. I have two questions about this ballet: first, did Ashton choose to use Chopin's theme and variations on Mozart's "La Ci Darem La Mano" from "Don Giovanni" on purpose? It seems to maybe have some relevance in terms of the older/younger, experienced/callow relationship of Natalia and Beliaev, although with the sexes reversed. I'm not familiar with the play. Also, is the ending with Beliaev kissing the ends of the ribbons on Natalia's dress in the play? I recall reading about a similar gesture in a play described in Edith Wharton's "The Age of Innocence", but I cannot recall whether the title of the play is mentioned, and I don't have a copy of the book with me. DGV--left me cold and rather bored. I would not mind if I never saw it or Chroma again. However, A Month in the Country left me longing for more Ashton! I wonder if it might pair well with The Dream...?

I certainly agree with that. Dancers work on skills they will need to use in performance, so an Ashton infusion could be just what we need in order to see some more lively and expressive upper bodies. I also think Ashton might complement Balanchine well, and his full-lengths provide some variation from the usual 19C Russian classics--not that I don't love those, but we've all seen countless Swan Lakes and Sleeping Beauties, and Fille, Sylvia, Les Deux Pigeons, &c would be a pleasant departure from the routine (not to mention that story ballets sell).

Are there biographies of Maria Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, &c? How about Jules Perrot? Is there enough material to be able to write bios of these people?

Odette in the forest with a lake.

Absolutely, I agree entirely.

Unfortunately I was a bit late to the performance on Sunday, so I had to watch Act I on the monitor outside the KC opera house and was therefore unable to see the portrayal of Lanquedem. From the description above, it strikes me as very poor taste, much like the blackface children in La Bayadère. Surely the offensive references could be removed with no damage to the ballet, especially considering that Lanquedem is not portrayed offensively in the productions of the Mariinsky (as far as I can tell) or ABT.

Thank you, Mikhail, for that additional information. In that case, I really cannot blame Shipulina for her average-quality performance on Sunday--in fact I would say that given the circumstances, she danced excellently! No one could ask a dancer who both had a fever and fainted to perform, and it sounds as if Shipulina was the only option. I am grateful she was able to dance, and I'm sure we all wish Osipova a speedy recovery. Hopefully Shipulina will have some well-deserved time off after this tour!