liebs

Both versions of Balanchine's (white and black costumes) at NYCB and Martins' production. David Blair and Baryshnikov at ABT. Loved the first, grew up on it and saw countless casts. This will always be SWAN LAKE for me. The second was terrible. Nureyev's for POB and the National Ballet of Canada's with Nureyev on tape. A Royal Ballet production, as a child, don't know which one.

I know I saw Don Quixote twice, once with Luders as the Don. It was a long, complicated ballet and even the twice that I saw it had different dances in it. Balanchine seemed to be tinkering with it up to the end. I don't remember the score being painful but I don't remember the score either. The dances for Farrell were extraordinary as was her performance and some of the imagery (the over sized books, the scenes of the Don in the Court) was also beautiful. It was not a masterpiece but it was clearly the work of a master choreographer.

For the last several years, we've exchanged homes with people in different European cities. A great way to save money as there are no hotel costs and you can cook instead of eating out. We've arranged our exchanges through Intervac.org. It costs about $90 per year to register.

Although race is an issue, an important one, it is not the only factor. The Bolshoi last summer at the State Theatre had a heavily Russian audience and not one I usually see at NYCB or ABT. Given their reactions (applause at inappropriate moments, excitement over any little trick), I did not feel that they were a "ballet" audience - they came to see their country men. The same is true of "Riverdance," this isn't a dance audience, it is an Irish audience. Maybe with proper marketing, you could win some of these people over but not many of them. If NYCB and ABT only advertise in the Times, I believe it is because their marketing budgets are so limited. How can they afford to spend money in places that don't guarantee a return on investment? There are no easy answers to growing an audience, that's certainly clear.

Leigh, interesting to think of Askegard as an heir to D'Amboise. The other day, I was struck by how much of Luders rep (Davidsbundlertanze, Faust and In Memory Of). Luders and D'Amboise were very different dancers, an indication of Askegard's range or just an indication that a tall guy at NYCB will never lack for repertoire. I was very impressed by his performance in Swan Lake with Kowrowski. They both seemed passionately involved in the story and had real characters.

Your point is well taken Alexandra. I think it is possible to love different companies and different corp de ballet for many reasons. I can adore the extravagant energy and individuality of NYCB and love the purity of the Russian companies as well. For me, it will never be either or.

I hope BU is prepared for some one who will undoubtedly wreck havoc there as well. At least professors have tenure.

Ringer has a mild injury, she hopes to be back for Midsummer.

Baryshnikov's latest comments on ballet remind me of Shakespeare's "the lady doth protest too much." I think he enjoys shocking people or perhaps, he just wants to move on. He cann't still be "the prince," so why not do other things. I just had the pleasure of seeing White Oak tonight. I'll write more at some point on the Dance Board but I don't think any one would have been disappointed with his performance in Lucinda Childs "Concerto," it was a fabulous performance of an extraordinary piece. Before you judge what Baryshnikov is doing now,go see it.

Although, there are others who know the role of the Firebird such as Alexopolous. She was scheduled for Dances at a Gathering and couldn't do Firebird as well. The same sort of conflict apparently applied to the other dancers. I enjoyed Carmena in Four Seasons recently and it is nice to see him getting some other opportunities. I was also happy to see Rutherford cast in Dances and La Valse. And hope to see more of her as well.

Alexandra, War and Discord in the Balanchine version is choreographed for a male and female soloist and a female and male corps.

I saw Four Seasons last Friday with a very simliar cast and was also struck by Carmena's Faun. It was exciting but very cleanly danced. I much preferred this performance to that of Hendrickson last season, which I felt was too unsubtle and less carefully danced. Van Kipnis was a lovely surprise in Spring, giving a more girlish cast to the role than we see from Ringer. This was the best work I've seen from her. It was also nice to see Rutherford in Summer, I was afraid she was being overlooked in favor of Taylor but notice she is back dancing La Valse. Millepied's performance in Fall was a little uneven. He didn't seem to have a way to sustain the musical impulse throughout his variations. They started and stopped and so he was less satisfying in the role than Woetzel who can make each variation seamless. Last Friday also featured Monumentum/Movements in glorious performances. Askegard partnered Kowroski in Monumentum. She made me think of Diana the Huntress, chaste, powerful and fleet. Alexopoulus danced with an icy sensuality and a total involvement that I have rarely seen from her. I saw Abi Stafford in Divertimento #15 for the second and she had relaxed considerably by the second performance. Maybe she's a dancer who needs time to work into her roles. Perhaps her next performance of La Source will have some sparkle.

How about Betty Cage? She was so instrumental in the success of the early years of NYCB. And Barbara Horgan.

Manhattanik, why do you think McBride and Baryshnikov are "the odd couple?" I remember them looking good together, especially in Rubies?

I've been thinking recently about how some female dancers seem girlish even when they are mature. But others seem womanly, more sensual and perhaps darker even when they are young. In the first category, exemplifying a girlish quality I would put Gelsey Kirkland, Larissa Lezhina (sp?) and Darci Kistler. Perhaps, that's why Kistler is still successful in roles like the Girl is La Valse and can be partnered with the much younger Jared Angle. Dancers such as Makarova, Suzanne Farrell, Kyra Nichols, Martine Van HAmel, Susan Jaffe and Monica Mason seem(ed) womanly to me even when they were young. From what I've seen on video, Farrell even when young had a sensual, womanly quality. I never found Nichols to be very convincing in Afternoon of a Faun. She's too adult and self-aware to play the self-centered girl in that ballet. Some dancers like Patricia McBride or Jennifer Ringer are chameleons, youthful and girlish in The Four Seasons but very womanly and mature in the "quarreling lovers" ppd from Robbins' In the Night. Fonteyn could also be either girl or women and was sometimes both as in Sleeping Beauty where we saw her progression to maturity. I think Amanda McKerrow also fits into this category, youthful in the first act of Giselle but womanly in The Leaves are Fading. There are dancers who make the transition as they mature like Lynne Seymour. She was famous for her wild, child-like quality in her youth but by the time of A Month in the Country, she was able to convey the passion of a mature, even world weary woman. I like dancers in both categories and it is interesting to speculate about some of the younger dancers we are watching now.

Your wish is my command. I saw the performance tonight. Divertimento #15, Zazouski, Ash and Violin Concerto. The entire cast of Divert was making their debut, except Weese and Neal. As Croce says, the allure of Divert is the possibility of perfaction. It can never be achieved but the attempt is almost always worth seeing. The side boys were Jason Fowler and Stephen Hanna. Both are big men and lack the classical style needed for this work. I would have preferred to see Arch Higgins and Alex Ritter. The ballerinas were Abi Stafford, Janie Taylor, Carla Korbes and Kristin Sloan replacing Asanelli. Everyone seemed a little tense but a few more performances should take care of that. Taylor was a disappointment, her wildness doesn't really work well in this piece. She was also carrying a lot of tension in her arms and neck, and at best her arms don't have the "classical style." I enjoyed both Sloan and Stafford particularily in their variations. The ppd were more problematic. Korbes was a revelation dancing the third variation and ppd. It was choreographed on Allegra Kent and for many years performed by Stephanie Saland. Korbes danced with a beautiful classical style and great serenity. A gorgeous debut and hopefully she will continue to grow into this part. Zazouski is a long (17 minute) ppd to various Russian composers. Margaret Tracey and Benjamin Millepied performed well. Millepied continues to grow as a dancer and a partner. It was pleasant but Robbins did this better in "Other Dances." I can not talk about Ash. Violin Concerto is one of my favorite ballets but tonight's performance was not one of the best I've seen. Jock Soto and Nilas Martins looked heavy and sluggish and danced that way as well. Soto's partnering skills haven't deserted him but his dancing is becoming weaker. Whelan was fine as always as was the women's corps. I have grave reservations about the male corps. I see very few men with any trace of classical style and refinement. Tonight, they barreled through Violin Concerto as though it was one of Martin's works. Wither the men of NYCB?

I don't remember the details of this performance but I remember thinking at the time that a matinee by Kristine Elliot and Kevin McKenzie was very natural and contemporary in feeling. It was probably a debut performance for her, a Wed mat. at the Met. They just seemed like two kids caught up in a situation, they didn't understand and could not get out of. I don't think Elliot, a rather small, blonde dancer, had many performances of Giselle but I remember this one with great affection.

Ivan Nagy was a wonderful, and underrated, Albrecht. I remember one Makarova/Nagy Giselle for ABT at City Center. Sheer magic! He was a wonderful, attentive partner and had an elegant line. He portrayed Albrecht as truly in love with Giselle, not at all a cad, just misguided in thinking he could have it all. Very noble and repentant in the second act.

In Little Women, Meg or Margaret(the eldest sister)has a daughter who is also named Margaret and nicknamed Daisy. Apparently, this was once very common.

Alexandra, does the Fracci/Bruhn production feature Toni Lander as Myrthe? If so, I found that a fascinating video because it is much more cinematic than many of the other which are "flimed" stage performances. And Fracci makes a wonderful Giselle, totally believable in her performance - even in close up.

I was very fond of the David Blair production for ABT. It is the one I am most familiar with and saw it a number of times over the years with great, good and indifferent Giselles. I did not care for the Bolshoi's recent production, which I saw in NYC last summer. Giselle without the mime doesn't make much sense.

In the traditional iconography of western painting, lilies symbolize purity. They are often associated with the Virgin Mary.

Liang is leaving NYCB to join the cast of "Fosse" on Broadway. Our loss is Bway's gain! I guess he felt stuck in soloist hell.

There is a film of the Fracci/Bruhn Giselle at ABT where the camera work makes it clear that the circle is an important motif for the second act. It is a fascinating production, the David Blair staging I think. Fracci and Bruhn were as wonderful as I remembered them to be and Toni Lander is a terrific Myrthe.

Marc, thanks for the report. I was fascinated to know that the dancer preparing Giselle could not dance the Peasant ppd and there were no replacements. It is so different here in NYC. At New York City Ballet (for better or for worse), dancers go on in a part the length of the ppd with one day of rehearsal. It is interesting to learn how other companies are organized.