Susanne

Being very new to ballet I saw that Swedish Swan Lake production which was broadcasted on Swedish television in January. I'm glad to hear that I wasn't alone with the gloomy and dark impression of the whole film! When I saw it on TV I really didn't understand what all the fuss of Swan Lake was about! Maybe the unlucky choice of lighting and colour of costumes are to blame. Pamela, I saw Natalie Nordquist in the Sleeping beauty. But I must say that I didn't have enough ballet experience to fully appreciate the performance since it was my first time at the Opera-house. There were just so many things to look at, all at the same time! The second time I saw the Sleeping Beauty wasn't with Nordquist and hrmm, excuse me for being non-educated, but how on earth do you determine if someone is "good" or "great" in a role? (The part that impressed me the most was actually the Lilac fairy done by Forslind)

I used to visit a group that I found by searching with Google ("ballet" and then clicking on "groups"). Then someone there mentioned that there were lot's of misinformation (I think it was performance dates and that sort of info they were referring to) on Ballet Alert. Of course I had to look it up as I was interested in everything that had to do with ballet. From Ballet Alert I found Ballet Talk! It turned out to be the best site ever!

Why I do ballet? First of all: I don't have the body for it = flat feet, bad ankle flexibility, very long toes and my knees tend to point inwards to eachother when standing in parallel, which means I cannot stand in parallel with my feet together even though I'm not hyperextended: I actually have big difficulties not having bent knees and straighten my legs! So having stated those facts about my body that I cannot change I still love ballet and taking classes. Maybe just because this is something that I don't have any talent for. I have to work really hard and struggle to look half as gracious as most other people. I started taking ballet 1 1/2 years ago at the age of 21. For the first time in my life I did something that I really wanted to do and that there were no pressure from my envorinment that I should succed. I guess I had that syndrome as one of the caracters in Center Stage when she stated: "I don't want to do something that I just happend to be good at" and I had done things that I happened to be good at all my life. At every class I just enjoy myself and learn as much as possible and every progress makes me really happy simply because I don't expect myself to do that As this other day when I finally after over a year suddenly understood the technique in the feet behind jumps in ballet that makes it look so effortless! I have found that the only time that I'm 100% concentrated for a whole hour is during ballet classes! It seems as you leave the real-world problems outside the studio without getting more frustration adding to your system in the studio. So I guess ballet classes is kind of therapy to me This doesn't mean that I realx in class and become lazy, in fact: I have to say that I'm one of the most concentrated students that always tries to improve and pays a lot of attention to teachers corrections and comments to the whole class (I think that's thanks to Ballet Talk ) It's such fun to learn a lot about something new as an adult when you have had the power to decide all by yourself! It's almost the same thing as those astronomy nerds who wants to learn everything about the universe: I have become a ballet nerd! Edit: I forgot to mention that there are no ambitious young aspiring dancers at my school. Here in Sweden there is really only one school (located in three different cities) for children who wants to become professional classical ballet dancers. That school offers school education in combination with daily ballet training six days a week. So it's pretty off limits for us oldies!

Was this your opinion or was it the actual results? Because I believe that (if I'm not terribly mistaken) the Swedish couple won the first modern/contemporary prize and that the young Ukranian won the first prize in the classical part of the competition. And the Ukranian also got the highest over all score by the judges. Wouldn't it have been quite interesting if Rebecca Labbé who danced the same variation as the girl from Switzerland would have represented Sweden?? Then there would have been two gilrs dancing the same variation in the same competition!

Has anyone read the book "Physics and the Art of Dance: Understanding Movement " by Kenneth Laws? What did you think? I just found it at amazon.com and was wondering if anyone could recommend it? Thanks!

Thanks for moving it Xena! And thanks for the links to those threads with the beautiful pictures Mr Witchel! They were really interesting since I recently saw a production of the Sleepin Beauty myself! I wonder why there were very few dancers with those really high arches which are very common today. Is it possible that the reason is that pointe shoes were made differently?

I'm not sure weither I should post it here. Have you noticed that dancers on pictures from the 40s and 50s looked very different from how they look now? It seems that nobody had that amazin "swan neck" arched foot nor did they have that athletic looking legs. But still; people continue to praise dancers from the past. Isn't it possible that those dancers from the past wouldn't even make it to the corps today? The female dancers looked, well, more like women Exactly when did the dancer's body become so different?

Why do the judges always give so low marks to Liashenko? Her freeskate was really good artistically! I just feel so sorry for her! Jeannie: Do you know if Liashenko is pronounced with an o or with an a at the end? And what about Plushenko and Timoshenko?

hi! i tried to watch the tape of a dance competition (the swedish part of the comptetition European Young Dancers) once again. What they call modern is really not Mats Ek nor Birgit Cullberg, because the students who have attended to the classical school dances Mats Ek. Most of the "modern" students have made their own coreographies to strange music. (strange crawling movements to strange music). I find Mats Ek really fun and the movements are meaningful. What I really don't understand is why the modern students had to crawl on the floor all the time?

Hi! I hope someone out there can explain the mystery of modern dance to me! I just don't seem to get the point! I tend to think that they lay on the floor all the time doing strange movements! I can enjoy some modern coreographers as Mats Ek. But most of the modern dance is really a huge mystery to me! It is not even beautiful!!! Could somebody please explain to me how to enjoy modern dance!!!! (I don't want to almost fall asleep every time I watch modern dance)

The question is: What has happened with all the U.S stars from the previous season? (i.e Timothy Goebel?) Or do the Americans have shows that will give them more money at the States than an amateur competition?

Eurosport broadcasted it today! But I was unfortunately in school... I think they will broadcast the exhibition on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to that!

I didn't find this thread until now!!! Silly me! But I definitely think that the swedes looked better this year than previous years. These two have at least grace and straight backs when they do crossovers which you cannot say of some of the swdeish skaters a couple of years ago. So Åsa and Kristoffer looks as they have got potential! I had really never ever noticed Stanick Jeanette before. But I thought that he had the best long program in the whole competition! Such a poetic performance! (I didn't even like the book "Le petit Prince" when I our teacher had us to read it in my French-classes in High School!)

Yes, I think it's sad that it's difficult to tell the difference between ads and articles in the magazine. In my opinion It is almost only ads with beatiful pictures, but there isn't really that much to read. Especially if you are not based in the US, and don't have so much benefit of the ads and college guide or whatever they usually have in the magazine.