BilboBaggins

Have you two discovered http://www.minastirith.com? I think of it as the "Ballet Alert" of Tolkien ... in depth discussion, a drive for accuracy and a love of the art .... Anyway, I can't believe you have time for ballet, school, and LOtR ... in one day!! BB

Hi Grace: Yes, I guess I was thinking of a libretto as the full and complete translation of the text [e.g., of an opera], whereas by syllabus I meant an outline or overview of the story, and when I talked about an "annotated syllabus" I was imagining an overview that included the names of particular dance movements associated with given points in the story .... ... and I certainly accept Alexandra's point, which is a commercial reality, although it is sad to think that people who appreciate ballet are unwilling to support more knowledge of such beauty and art ... and Mel, I will be more than happy to use whatever educational material is available on BA ... and try to add whatever I can to the stream of knowledge, or support those who do ... As for variations, for me, without a sense of what the "plain" original version was, I may not be able to recognize the variations that subsequent choreographers have added ... gotta start somewhere! Regards, BB

Beefed up? Major Mel (you really should be promoted to Major General for this!!), what you've done is far more than what I was asking for ... actually your section "The Dances" really addresses my question, especially when combined with "The Story" (syllabus). Is there anything that contains either those two elements, or just "The Dances", for a significant part of the current ballet repertoire? Thanks and regards, BB

I could probably write the grant, but my qualifications to really deliver the goods would be very limited compared to others on this site. ... if I were sitting on the grant review committee, I wouldn't fund me, even though I like the idea, purely on that basis .... So, sorry for having taken us on a tangent ... BB

Oh, well ... just a thought ... BB

Well ... when I go to the Royal Opera or Royal Ballet, the Program Guides (at GBP 6 each -- about USD 9.50) are flying off the shelves ... they include a syllabus as well as some fascinating historical information on the work, the author, early productions, illuminating critical analysis, social commentary, etc. And the gift shops of the NYCB or the Royal Ballet sell all kinds of operatic guides and books on ballet ... seems there is an audience starved for knowledge ... As for niche market , I'd consider it a wonderful market for Ballet Alert ... if "we" could write the descriptions, we could probably combine them as a book (for the Gift Shop set) or make the text available to ballet companies to insert into their "Program Guide", to be sold at individual performances ... and it seems we have a wonderful collection of dance experts, who also have marvellous descriptive and writing skills ... and perhaps even a publishing connection? Have I just done a business plan??? :eek: Do you think there would be interest in a small BA group putting this together? I know at least one willing customer :D ... and potential participant ... we might even be able to "pre-publish" them here on the site, for feedback ... BB

Hmmm ... let me take one step back ... I am fully in support of the dancers having and needing far more detail (best learned in person and via oral tradition) ... and notation, whether Benesh or Laban, seems to have far more detail than a audience member would need ... but how about the poor audience member, who has never been a dancer, and wants to be able to describe and discuss a particularly moving movement/moment ... he's read one or two books on classic ballet steps, but needs a guide to the particular ballet he's seen ... because he can relate the movement to a particular moment in the story. ... is there perhaps an annotated syllabus or libretto, so that not only is the plot line described (that's in most program guides), but the key dance movements are identified? What is the ballet equivalent of the Opera Lover's Guide to Operas, providing a syllabus and interposed a gude to the major arias? BB

The fear that I have is that so many things passed via oral tradition are disappearing in today's world (and in yesterday's world) ... old methods for cooking, for many decorative arts, the art of writing ... and even the art of ballet could be in danger ... Video or DVD is certainly not the ideal solution ... unless you had multiple cameras and a way of displaying the full stage as a hologram ... what other choices are there? BB

My daughter told me that ballet is still an art orally transmitted from teacher to pupil, but even that doesn't seem right ... after all, in a corps de ballet, not everyone learns all the roles, so any pupil only receives a portion of what the teacher knows. How does a ballet master remember all the parts of all the ballets? She said that ballet notation essentially goes into archives, but is otherwise not available ... seems a shame there isn't something more like a libretto or an overview of technical items. I can imagine it would be exceedingly difficult to choreograph without an easy form of notation ... after all, how does a choreographer capture what he/she does or is thinking? [Post-note edit] Wow!! I've just looked at the Labanotation websites -- very interesting but very complex. The second site is especially interesting ... a high school in El Paso, TX, that teaches Labanotation to its students and then uses it to transmit dance from other cultures!! I wish it were possible to get some of the more common ballets (or perhaps even just more common movements) annotated so one could study them at home before a performance. BB

My apologies for what is probably an embarrassing beginner's question: if I want a written record of a play, I can get a copy, with staging directions. If I want a written record of a symphony (or other music), I can get a score. If I want a written record of an opera, I can get a libretto and an accompanying musical score. If I want a written record of a ballet, I can get ....???? I know for the music, I can get a score, but for the movement, is there a choreographer's record? How do I, as an enthusastic amateur and audience member, get something that helps me refer to a particular movement on stage (independently of the music) ... or how do I "see", in the written sense, how a variation differs from the "standard" movements? BB

Oh ... are you going to love this ... (from Variety, 13 March 2003) The remake of "Shall We Dance" ... due for release in 2004, starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez (not yet signed, but apparently almost ...); director Peter Chelsom; screenwriter Audrey Wells; studio Miramax. No mention of the choreographer (that tells you how important the dancing will be ) ... although Gere sang and danced in the film version of Chicago. I wonder if it will be more like "Pretty Woman" or "The Wedding Planner". Either way, it's unlikely to be very much like "Shall We Dance". ... Filming due to start in June. BB

Interesting information, thanks, Paquita ... I'll look out for it and see what I can find. Regards, BB

Interesting ... I understood from Paquita's comment that it would be an English remake -- I thought "UK", not "American". I was trying to picture a Brit version like Billy Elliott or perhaps Australian, a la "Strictly Ballroom" ... an American version would be way different!! :eek: BB

You've jogged my memory (who said hobbits never forget anything!!) -- it was, indeed "Shall We Dance?". I'm not certain that an English re-make would work as well -- so much of this film's tension and resolution depends on the unique aspects of Japanese culture in the husband/wife relationship; the nature of the "salaryman"; the nature of non-sexual relationships between men and women ... it would be very interesting to see how different the film might become!! BB

Interesting ... I have most of these films in my DVD/video collection!! There's one other, although I don't remember its name ... it was situated in Tokyo, about a Japanese "salaryman" (lots of psychology there), strained relationship with his Japanese wife, who, one night, wanders into a dance studio ... and the film turns into practicing for a competition in ballroom dancing. Exotic, aloof, beautiful partner (I believe she was Japanese, but not certain) -- contrast to obedient, but quiet wife, just as the excitement of dance contrasted to the repetitive life of the salaryman ... filmed with a wonderful eye towards the colors and aesthetics of dance ... very eastern in its cinematography and very western in its approach to relationships ... But if I try to think of other "sports" or "arts" in film, there is nothing like the richness of this dance collection. I recall one with a male hockey player and a female ice skater (perhaps it's not different, just dance on ice!!) ... love and competition. But football, soccer, basketball, baseball ... the list of films, especially in which both the male and female are involved in the sport/art, is very short. Is it perhaps because in dance, either lead can be the hero or demonstrate the effort involved? Is is because it is the only event in which both can excel and in which both MUST excel for the pair to be successful artistically? On a related note (dance and musicals) ... right now, the London stage has Grease, Fame, Chicago, The Full Monty (well, that's dance -- sorta!!!), My Fair Lady, Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ... the musical is definitely alive and well!! BB

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes .... Sky Digital (UK) has been showing all manners of dance (mostly non-ballet) films, most of which are now available as videos. These include: "Bootmen" ... Andy Garcia, of "Coyote Ugly" fame (another non-ballet, "dance" story), stars as an Australian steelworker, who is addicted to tap dancing. Dad is opposed to his dancing (info trailer calls this "Billy Elliott meets the Full Monty"), but Andy goes to Sydney to dance in a show, loses temper, loses job in show, comes back to steel mill. Steel mill is to be closed, tap dancers (using steel toed boots, hence the name) do a benefit (in the steel mill -- great props!!) to raise funds for workers' families. Dad loves son, approves of tap dancing ... everyone's happy. "Mad About Mambo" West Dublin, North Ireland. Catholic boy, desperate to be a footballer (soccer for Americans), takes up Latin dancing, because his hero footballer, from South America, says Latin rhythm helps his football. Oh, BTW, gorgeous female also involved in dancing as her passion ... female's dad happens to be only Catholic on Board of Directors of football team (how long do you think it took to come up with this plot?)... boy meets girl, boy and girl partner for dance competition, boy messes up, girl hates boy, boy gets inspired ... last scene is boy and girl dancing as the half time entertainment at dad's football match, fulfilling girl's dream to be on a stage and accomplish something without dad's help. Other recent "dance" films: "Center Stage" (this IS about ballet), "Save the Last Dance" ... and, of course, "Billy Elliott". Question: what is it about the passion for dance (of any type) and the struggle of dancers to succeed that inspires such intense study by film makers (quality of film aside)? BB

Hi MegsMom: RG is right, the most likely scenario is that you have a physical VHS tape, but recorded using PAL synchronisation rather than NTSC. As an American living in the UK (with a 50/50 mix of US/EU tapes), I found that I could buy VHS players/recorders that would play both. Made by Sony, JVC, Panasonic -- wide variety of manufacturers ... cost here ca. GBP 130-200 (so USD 190-300). If you're going to have a lot of mixed US/EU tapes, it may pay to buy one of the less expensive machines with this feature (can find them on Amazon, eBay, etc.) ... if not, and if you don't find a friend/school (may want to try the local college AV department or a local TV station) that has one, your best bet may be (unfortunately) to pay to have it converted. Good luck!! BB

thank you all ... looks like I have some internet homework to do!! I'll let you know when I'll be there and we can perhaps meet there! BB

Hi Kevin: Looks like a marvellous program ... three months of fabulous ballet. Naive question ... I've never been to Russia, but if I wanted to come for specific performances, where would you recommend staying? I know I can arrange the flights easily (I'm a U.S. citizen, living in the U.K., so would be flying from London), but hotel recommendations (and any suggestions of recommended ways to buy performance tickets) would be appreciated. BB

[Message moved to new Thread in Ballet Moms and Dads] BB

Hi dancermom2! Wish I could help ... I didn't recall seeing any names in LOtR, so I went to the Middle Earth Encyclopedia (http://www.barrowdowns.com/encyclopedia.asp) and looked up all the potential entries (Arwyn, Aragorn II, Tale of ..., Strider, etc.) ... the same phrase "... and many daughters" kept showing up. But the encyclopedia isn't yet complete, so ... I went to the web site for the Tolkien Society -- nothing there. Last hope is a book I don't have -- Christopher Tolkien's Index to the History of Middle Earth. Basically, it is a cross-referenced index to Hobbit, LOtR, and all the volumes of the History of Middle Earth ... if they are named anywhere in all the writings of father and son, that may be the best way to find it. Sorry I couldn't be more help ... BB

Ed, if I can carry one of your comments a bit further ... this webiste isn't Alexandra's full-time job (although some days it must feel like it is!!) ... this is what she does in her "spare time", around the tasks that "pay the bills", because of the passion she feels for ballet ... it truly is a labour of love and one which no amount of money could buy (but which we all really should support, because it takes real money to provide the access, equipment, etc.). My hat's off to all the moderators and participants, but especially to Alexandra and the local staff who keep Ballet Alert running ... BB

Sylvia (or anyone else who chooses to reply): Very naive question -- how do you get to attend so many performances of a single work? I couldn't afford to go more than twice? What am I missing? BB

Customs and Immigration was better than that ... one of the photos (when the cast & crew were flying in for the premier) shows separate desks labeled "hobbits", "orcs" and "elves"!! BB

Re Tom Bombadil, there is an interview with Peter Jackson (I'll have to find my source ... I've been reading so many "peri-Tolkien" books (those are books "around" the subject ...) that they're beginning to blur .. and he indicates that he thought seriously about Tom B and came to the same conclusion you did ... that in a movie, he would be a distraction ... he did apparently think about a "hint" of Tom B ... perhaps having a character with a hat, singing, go by in the woods ... when I have the reference, I'll give you the details ... Re "Middle Earth", as you all know, the films were shot all over New Zealand. I have a few Kiwi friends (actually Maori descent, rather than British descent) and it's so much fun watching the film with them ... they identify the places, tell me about visiting them, rave about the natural beauty. The country quite literally went crazy during the filming, as did the film crew, which truly respected the Maori spiritual significance of the sites and made certain they left each site ecologically untouched ... and today, in the airports, over Customs & Immigrations, the signs still read "North Island ... South Island ... Middle Earth" ... Someday ... I hope to visit ... "There and Back Again"? BB