canbelto

Alla Sizova, Natalia Dudinskaya, Irina Kolpakova, Alla Osipenko, and Natalia Makarova all had sons. Altynai Asylmuratova has a daughter.

Patricia McBride has a daughter, as does Maria Tallchief.

The Bournonville La Sylphide is set for release in the U.S. on March 28 as well. I admit I really don't know this ballet from Adam -- all I've seen is the Fracci/Bruhn Bell Telephone hour snippet. So ... to those who know this ballet, which version is "better"? The POB version, reconstructed by Lacotte, or the Bournonville? Or both? Choices, choices ...

I also asked him whether the Cinderella telecast would be released on DVD and he posted on his message board that no, it would not be released On the other hand his postings on the message board indicate that the Giselle *will* be released. Let's keep our fingers crossed. You can ask him questions by going here.

Johann Kobborg, her partner, has a website. He lists his schedule (which closely follows Alina's of course) and you can also ask him questions in the message board of the section. People ask him for Alina's schedule and whatnot, and he usually responds pretty quickly. It was from his message board that we learned that the Giselles are going to be filmed. He also talks about stuff like where he and Alina went for Christmas (Romania) and how their performances went. It sounds like he and Alina have a great relationship, on and offstage. It's very sweet, and I think it's great of him to keep in touch with his fans that way.

I think artists can be decent people. No question about that. But I'd also say that we should hesitate in extrapolating "meanings" from an artist's work and apply it to his character.

Case in point: Giuseppe Verdi wrote some heart-wrenching music for fathers and daughters. And he did lose two young children at an early age. Yet, as Mary Jane Phillip Matz's wonderful biography points out, he was not at all generous to his second wife's illegitimate children. And there's strong evidence that he abandoned two daughters with his wife Strepponi. And he certainly could have afforded to raise them.

On the other end of the spectrum, many people assume Alfred Hitchcock was a terrible, sadistic person because of the movies he made. But biographies and memoirs of people who worked with him paint a picture of a complex man for sure, but certainly not a monster.

Funny, last night I saw Do the Right Thing. Now *that* is a film about race relations that isn't at all preachy and contrived. Spike Lee has never done anything so good since.

Seriously, Millo thinks she started a "trend" of cancelling? What a professional she is. Personally, I never got the Millo craze. She always seemed terribly affected -- chest pounding, totally over-the-top gestures, plus this perpetual expression that seems to say, "I am the greatest singer in the world." The fact that she's appointed herself as a "savior" of opera is ridiculous. The people who are saving opera are singing opera consistently, in international opera houses. Millo sings maybe once or twice a year and she's opera's savior? Please.

At this point I'm really worried about Brokeback. I'm afraid Hollywood will "chicken out" and give it to something like "Crash" which is just socially conscious enough to make the Academy voters feel good about themselves. And I'm afraid Ang Lee doesn't have the power in Hollywood to really run a vigorous campaign, the way Clint Eastwood was able to do last year with Million Dollar Baby.

I know Irina Dvorovenko does some modelling on the side. She certainly has the looks for it!

Ok Oscar noms came out today.

Best Picture: Brokeback, Goodnight and Goodluck, Crash, Capote, Munich.

Crash won the SAG, but I really believe Brokeback will take home the honors.

Best Director: Clooney, Haggis (Crash), Lee, Miller (Capote), Spielberg

I think (and hope) that Lee will take home the honors, although I wouldn't be upset if Clooney went home with a statuette either.

Best Actor: Hoffman, Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow), Ledger, Straitharn, Phoenix

I think only Hoffman, Ledger and Straitharn are serious nominees. I hope Ledger wins, but I think Hoffman will win.

Best Actress: Witherspoon, Huffman, Knightley, Theron, Dench. I think Witherspoon and Huffman are the serious contenders. Reese will probably win.

Best Supporting Actor: Gyllenhaal, Clooney, Dillon (Crash), Giamatti (Cinderella Man), Hurt (History of Violence). Ooh boy, a tough one. I think Gyllenhaal deserves it though.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (Junebug), Catherine Keener (Capote), Frances McDormand (North Country), Rachel Weitz (Constant Gardener), Michelle Williams (Brokeback). Don't really have a strong opinion on this one.

Best Screenplay (Adapted): Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Constant Gardener, History of Violence, Munich. I hope Brokeback wins.

Best Screenplay (Original): Crash, Goodnight and Goodluck, Match Point, Squid and the Whale, Syriana. I hope Goodnight and Goodluck takes this one home.

I think the show is falling into a depressing conumdrum: the most endearing of the candidates (Jerry, George) are also its worst dancers. But they are so likable, it's hard to vote them off. Of the two, Jerry is marginally the better dancer, so I predict George will get a sad farewell if not this week but next week. I predict the middle-of-the-road talented (Tia) I predict will go next.

Final Four: Drew and Stacy (who are the judges' darlings), Lisa, Jerry.

I've said this before, but I also have a soft spot for Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A kooky performance for sure, but it worked.

I also think the always fabulous Toni Collette was terrific in "In Her Shoes." But the movie was (rightly or wrongly) viewed as a chick flick, and Collette doesn't have the pull that Zellwegger did to get nominated for a chick flick, as Zellwegger did for Bridget Jones' Diary.

As usual, I'll start

The two fields this year that I think are ridiculously crowded are Best Picture and Best Actor.

I'll start with Best Actor:

The three solid nominees I think will be Heath Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and David Straitharn. The other two slots will depend on a variety of factors. Will Jake Gyllenhaal campaign for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor? Will George Clooney (Syriana) campaign for Best Actor or Best Supporting? Supposing neither of them campaigns for Best Actor, then I think the two final slots go to Joaquin Phoenix and maybe Eric Bana. Bana's nomination I think will depend largely on how the Academy treats Munich. So far Munich has been shut out of the awards. Another possibility is Jeff Daniels for The Squid and the Whale.

As to who will win, I think Hoffman gave the type of performance the Academy loves to honor. But Ledger (IMO) deserves it more, and the momentum of Brokeback might be good for Ledger's chances. But this year I wish they could give out two statuettes, or even three, because there were some incredible performances by actors this year.

Best Actress:

Really weak field. Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon are my top picks, and Witherspoon will probably win. The performance I think *deserves* to win is Zhang Ziyi's heartbreaking turn in "2046" but I don't think she'll get nominated for that. Kiera Knightley will probably get a nod. Judi Dench will probably get nominated too just for being Judi Dench. Laura Linney might get a nod for The Squid and the Whale and I'd love to see this always-excellent actress rewarded. I don't have a problem with Witherspoon winning, but meh. A weak field, as usual.

Best Supporting Actor:

Again, REALLY crowded field. Jake Gyllenhaal and George Clooney could put themselves in for the Best Supporting race, but Frank Langella and Ray Wise of Good Night and Good Luck were outstanding. Clifton Collins of Capote was outstanding too. As was Matt Dillon in Crash. Anyone of them could win and I'd be happy with the outcome.

Best Supporting Actress:

This one is very strong, compared to Best Actress. I think Brenda Blethlyn might get a nom for Pride and Prejudice, Thandie Newton for Crash, Catherine Keener for Capote, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway for Brokeback. Gong Li might snag one for Memoirs of a Geisha. But the one performance that I really liked that probably won't get a nomination is Rosamund Pike (Jane) of Pride and Prejudice. She took this dullest of characters and made her enchanting.

Best Picture:

Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Good Night and Good Luck I think are sure bets. Munich, Match Point, Walk the Line, The Squid and the Whale are all possibilities. In the end it doesn't matter -- I think Brokeback is a sure bet.

Best Director:

Ang Lee of course for Brokeback, George Clooney for Good Night and Good Luck, Bennet Miller for Capote, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg ... Only Clooney and Lee would be serious contenders and Lee will probably get the statuette.

So overall, I think it'll be a good Oscar this year. Lots of quality, award-worthy films. We won't have to suffer through a Gladiator or Braveheart sweep

I'm not sure which girlfriend scene you're referring to, but I thought the introduction of Cassie was largely a set-up for the final trailer scene. canbelto pointed out, correctly I think, that we begin to lose sympathy for Alma. She can't quite love Ennis enough to get beyond her hurt and reach out to him in his own. Alma Junior, on the other hand, understands and accepts--almost unconsciously, it seems--that her dad isn't "the marrying kind." That beautiful smile of hers in the trailer scene--a wordless communication of unconditional love from a younger generation to an older one--is Lee's only subtle offering of hope in this otherwise bleak tale.

But then, yeah, there's that final masterly shot, where we lose the picture of Brokeback for the flat "grieving plain" out the window. It's devastating.

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I think another reason for the introduction of Cassie was to show how, in his own way, Ennis was being incredibly faithful to Jack. The relationship with Cassie goes nowhere, because Ennis's heart belongs to Jack. Ennis is the "distant" one in the relationship, the one who won't just run away and start a life with Jack. But the Cassie character shows the depth of Ennis's love for Jack.

I think the character of Alma Jr. is also a contrast to Alma. Alma knows about Ennis's sexuality, and is resentful and even spiteful. Alma Jr., OTOH, understands Ennis and accepts him.

Another reason for the introduction of Cassie I think was to highlight the strong class differences that start to emerge between Jack and Ennis. Jack leads a comfortable middle-class life, while Ennis lives in borderline poverty.

What a charming picture of Cojocaru, Canbelto! Are there any more pictures of her on that website? (Tried to find some, but couldn't even find the one you posted this link to)

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Yes, there are. They are lovely.

The plot of Match Point actually reminds me a lot of "Strangers on a Train." I haven't seen it, mostly because I came to the realization a long time ago that except for Annie Hall I haven't actually ever enjoyed a Woody Allen film.

dirac, tell us what you thought about BM!

I've got a better idea - the male danseur is the Investor, and the female ballerina is the Stock. It could be a great one act ballet. Investor first meets Stock, and Investor is swept away by passion. The Stock rising could with the right choreographer be a stunning series of lifts, each one higher than the last. But eventually, the Stock is ensnared in the arms of the villain Bear, and the Investor with a broken heart realizes he and Stock will have to part forever. The Stock and Investor pledge their love one more time, before the Stock is carried off by the Bear, leaving the Investor in the middle of the stage, heartbroken.

Master P at this point is simply being rude. Don't sign up for a show like this and then act all snooty about it.

I know this is early in the game, but I predict Stacy wins.

I guess whether you like the arms of the NYCB is a matter of personal taste. For instance when I saw Diana Vishneva dance Rubies the first thing I noticed was how different her arms looked from Miranda Weese, who I had also seen dancing Rubies. Vishneva's arms were so soft they seemed almost to be made of jelly, while Weese had the typical NYCB port-te-bras (a very straight extension, with very stretched hand, all the way to the fingertips). Then I popped in my tape of Patricia McBride dancing Rubies, and to my surprise her arms were more like Vishneva's than Weese's.

I wonder if part of this transformation may be actually due to Balanchine, rather than Martins. Balanchine in his later years stamped out much of the 'classical' in his ballet company -- he reworked ballets like T&V, Ballet Imperial and Apollo and even Square Dance to become more neo-classical.

I enjoy the Globes a lot because I think the stars are more candid. I for instance loved Mary Louise Parker's out-of-nowhere comment, "I'd like to make out in front of everybody." Or Clooney's joke about Jack Abramoff. Steve Carell's speech "written by my wife Nancy" was really funny, as was Geena Davis telling the story about the little girl and then admitting that she made it up.

The Oscars are staid and pale by comparison. But with Jon Stewart hosting this year, it might be a lot more fun. Also, I think that, as Ang Lee said in his classy acceptance speech, there were so many great movies and great performances this year, so the Oscars will be more suspenseful than they usually are. Best Actor will be a racehorse, as will Best Director.

I am glad Brokeback Mountain won for Best Director and Best Screenplay and Best Picture, because I've seen LOTS of good movies this year, but in the end the movie that haunted me days after I saw it (twice) was Brokeback. This is one year where I wish they could give out more than one award in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor category, because there were many, many films/performances worthy of acclaim.

Here are my thoughts going into Oscar season:

Best Actor will be a race between Ledger and Hoffman, although Straitharn will also definitely got nominated (and he deserves it). I honestly wouldnt know who to pick. I wish I could give all three of them statues.

Best Actress - very weak field. Knightley, Dench, Witherspoon, Huffman will probably get nods. I have a feeling Witherspoon will win, and I dont really have a problem with that.

Best Director - between George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck) and Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), although Spielberg, Allen, and Jackson will probably get nods. I think Lee will win, although I wouldn't have an issue with Clooney winning either.

Best Supporting Actor - Gyllenhaal will get nominated, as will Clooney, but I hope Matt Dillon takes home the statuette for his remarkable performance in "Crash."

Best Supporting Actress - I actually hope both Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams get nominated, as well as Thandie Newton for "Crash."

Best Picture - crossing my fingers for Brokeback. Capote, Good Night and Good Luck are definite nominees -- the other two slots I think are toss-ups. I have a feeling Match Point will get nominated.

What I don't like about the NYCB arms nowadays, especially in the corps, is that they don't differentiate between ballets. It's always that super-stretched-to-the-fingertips port-te-bras, with rather sharp elbows. Compare the NYCB to the Kirov, POB, or even ABT, and I think you can see the monotony of the NYCB "arms."

Buddy, I saw that. Thanks! I think it's wonderful that stars like Johan Kobborg and Diana Vishneva keep in touch with their fans this way. So to Diana, I say, "Thank."

Hans, I found another good example of how the Russian back is really a continuous curve that permeates into so many positions:

Maya Dumchenko

I also found an early example of the Russian back:

The beautiful Alla Shelest

I saw Capote this afternoon and while I can't say I'd want to watch this film again, I do think the movie brought to the forefront many morally ambiguous dilemmas. For instance, by the end of the movie, "In Cold Blood" had a double meaning for me -- obviously, it describes the way the Cutter family was murdered. But for me it also described the way Truman Capote played with the life of Perry Smith. Although he seemed to genuinely empathize with Smith, the fact is Capote tried to keep Perry alive for as long as it was useful. I thought Hoffman was masterful at portraying Capote -- his conceit, his megalomania, his pathological lying, his self-pity, and yet at the same time his intelligence and insight. I think this film transcends the biopic because its not really about Truman Capote -- it's about a man's inner moral tug-of-war.

This is going to be a very tough year for Best Actor. Heath Ledger, David Straithorn, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman all gave remarkable performances. The Best Actress field however remains really really weak.