Petra

I am sure that some of these 'disciplines' like trampoline are now being taught at "Schools for the Circus Arts". I believe (and I'm sure I read about this somewhere) that the popularity of Cirque de Soleil, etc. has created a demand for that kind of school too - among those ready, able and willing to pay for it, of course.

I would come to DC for Thanksgiving again this year, but it's not the right time to chance being 2 and a half hours away from my ob/gyn.

Well, the NYT's blooper has been publicised worldwide. The website of Ha'Aretz, the only broadsheet newspaper in Israel, had a picture of Spartacus at the Met with a caption saying it was the first time the Bolshoi had performed Spartacus in NY since 1970.

It looks like KC showcases ballet over the Thanksgiving weekend. Last year, they had the Joffrey Ballet. I think that's an excellent way to draw people to the ballet (or to DC), as there's usually very little else on over that weekend.

Playing devil's advocate here - It's a given that anyone who gets into the NY Philharmonic is seriously talented. Perhaps the reason there are more women in the orchestra is that men of that caliber are more ambitious in pursuing a solo career. I don't see what 'Asian' has to do with anything though. That's just being obnoxious - not to mention bigoted. [Edited to add:] I think we've come a long way when a white male with a surname like Polezhayov is suing an orchestra on grounds of discrimination.

Sounds like a description of Allegra Kent!!! Is Taylor anything like Kent was/is?

I didn't know that about Jezebel, but dancing at a wedding is a mitzvah. I know observant Jewish girls who have insisted on dancing at weddings even though they have sprained ankles, etc.

Sunpacy, I agree that this issue is very very American and can be very confusing to non-Americans, especially as most of us arrive here assuming that this is a land of equal opportunity and are very surprised to find that it just isn't so. However, while I agree that dancers seem to be extremely underpaid compared to other professions and compared to their intensive, lengthy and ultra-competitive training, I think that blacks and other 'people of colour' are clearly under-represented in the ballet world, as in many other workplaces. This certainly isn't a matter of salary. I started working for a large corporation 6 months after I arrived in the US, and I was quite taken aback at how 'white' the company is compared to the general population in the large NE city I live in. I come from a very multi-cultural and (at present) divided country, and yet there you don't see the kind of racial/national origin disparity in the workplace that you see here in the US. Every country has its problems - racial discrimination is a real problem in the US. I hope no-one takes offense at the above - it's just one alien's view.

I don't want to flog a dead horse, so I'll leave the aesthetics out of it, but the Shades scene isn't just a bunch of pretty girls dancing. If you make the entrance shorter, you lose the hypnotic-hallucinatory quality which establishes the fact that this is Solor's pipe dream.

carbro, I think Giselle, as a Romantic ballet, tells a much more 'realistic' story than the Classical classics, which lend themselves more readily to allegory and symbolism. There are no metaphors like in the Petipa/Tchaikovsky ballets or Romeo & Juliet so Giselle can't be abstracted away as the 'improvers' have done to those ballets.

Those operas can certainly set up some interesting conversations about 'family values' on the way home!

Really? I haven't seen any of these ballets, except for Les Sylphides (and it's highly unlikely I'll see this sezason at all), but my impression is that it's a very varied and interesting season. Aren't most of these ballets considered 'important' (bad word, I know, but I can't think of anything better at the moment) - even if not masterpieces or even if not danced by the greatest of stars. It's actually a repertory based season and not a star-based season. Just my (not too knowledgable) two cents.

Richard, sorry if I didn't express myself very well. I agree that one has to complain to the ushers. A parent who doesn't feel compelled to leave the theatre when their child is throwing a tantrum will probably not be very cooperative if an audience member asks them to leave. Edited to add: The Met's policy on children is that children are allowed but they must be ticketed. http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/sea...g/faq/#children Compare to the Pennsylvania Ballet's policy: http://www.paballet.org/season/attend.aspx

To the parents. Something's gotta give. Some people refuse to understand that if they have children, they either have to curtail their ballet going (as I do) or pay a ton of money for babysitting. I think it's got to do with society's obsession with self-fulfillment at any cost.

Jim, last time I checked, real estate in Manhattan wasn't that cheap either.

Dr. Coppelius, can you elaborate on the Peter Wright production? Many years ago, I saw his Swan Lake for what was then the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and by today's standards, it was definitely a 'traditional' Swan Lake.

My thoughts and support are with all the Londoners right now - and to all of us who live in large cities and travel on public transport, please keep your eyes peeled. Many attacks have been prevented or mitigated because of public awareness.

I would caution against comparing salaries in different countries. It's really comparing apples and oranges. I am not a dancer, but just as an example, I am presently earning in the US a salary which is below average in my profession for someone with my experience, credentials, etc., however it is still MUCH more than I was earning at home where my salary was above average. Of course, this disparity in salaries is not a problem as far as I'm concerned. Obviously, it's more problematic for Americans who go abroad, as Marga's posts demonstrate.

According to the caption below Kistler's photo, Midsummer's Eve is June 23. I always thought it was June 21, the summer solstice.

How wonderful to hear that an Israeli is so successful. The Russian emigre population has had such a huge influence on ballet in Israel over the past two decades - both as audience and as dancers. My parents saw a performance by the Panov Ballet a week or two ago and were delighted with the performance.

Last season, PA Ballet danced Concerto Barocco beautifully. I'm really not supposed to post here for the next month or so, as I'm studying for the NY bar exam and working at the same time, but I just had to plug my local company.

I thought Vivien Leigh looked lovely as a ballet dancer in "Waterloo Bridge," although it was wise not to show her at the barre. Vivien Leigh always looked like she had the equivalent of a ph.d. in deportment - even (or especially) as Blanche Dubois. Before her acting career took off, she did some modelling and in those days (the '30s) models were supposed to stand up straight and not slouch. IMO Neve Campbell didn't look like a ballet dancer in The Company. She was too earth-bound.

The Singing Detective is a TV series.

Treefrog, you are assuming that there has been thorough coaching. My education on this board has taught me that that assumption is faulty.

"Act III just drags along..." Um, I;m beginning to understand why those who are familiar with this Swan Lake are somewhat critical of it.