BilboBaggins

Interesting ... so some artists can INTEND their works to be allegorical (or let's say based on a defined story), while others allow the audience full reign to interpret as they wish. Do you really think that an author as careful as Tolkien, taking the time and creating entire histories of Ages, really didn't have, in his mind, some link? Did he really just write it as a fabulous tale, without any meaning he wanted to convey? I'm just thinking (as an example) of Verdi's opera "Falstaff" (just saw it last weekend, so it's fresh in my mind). Verdi acknowledges his love of Shakespeare and the use of Shakespeare's plays Henry IV, parts 1, part 2, and the Merry Wives of Windsor as the basis, but his librettist took major liberties with Shakespeare's text and characters to fit into the operatic form (many of them actually improvements!!). Verdi, by naming it, clearly implied the strong connection. But if you take a ballet, such as Tschaikovsky's Swan Lake ... the connection to the original tale is there, in name and in story ... but by the time a new (non-original) chorecographer has made changes and the artists have exercised their freedom to innovate ... when is a ballet a "variant" and when does it become a "vew version"? BB

Hi Marc: Thanks for the reply ... BTW, have the dates been announced for the 4th International Festival? It would help me to block off my holiday time now!! Regards, BB

So much for my recollections ... and my "allegory"!! Thanks, Mel, for the real facts!! BB

Actually, if I remember correctly (and please correct me if I'm wrong), the "original draft" for much of TLOR was a series of letter that Christopher has subsequently published. His father, JRR, had written them to him when JRR was on duty with the British Army during WW II and Chris was a 9-10 year old, sent away to the country because of the bombing of London. They must have been originally a very long "night time story" from father to son ... and perhaps (here I am, back on my allegory trail!!) the battle of Good and Evil in the trilogy came to mind in the more immediate war father and son were involved in ... BB

Hi Marc, et al.: I've just learned I may be able to come to St. Petersburg for the International Festival, but most likely for 1-2 evenings. I know the performance list seems to be changing daily, but if you had to choose 1-2 sequential performances, what would you recommend? Also, I have the schedule of performances for the White Nights Festival, published by the Royal Opera, as part of the "International Tours" program ... is that also undergoing massive change? Thanks, BB

Hi BalletStar811: Since I used the term "allegory", let me help you with definitions. An allegory is a story, poem, novel, etc., which can be interpreted to show a hidden, inner meaning. As an example, you can read "Moby Dick" and think of it as a story about a sea captain chasing a white whale ... or you can think of it as a tale of Good and Evil ... the "Good and Evil" meaning would be interpreting Moby Dick as an allegory. Allegory is related to two other figures of speech in English: simile and metaphor ... A simile is a comparison of one thing to a different kind of thing, using "like" or "as". "You dance like an angel" is a simile. A metaphor is the use of a description or term for something to which it doesn't really apply or using one term as a reference for another. "You are the rock of this dance company" is a metaphor (you're not really a rock, but the person is saying you are the solid foundation of the company ... and comparing your strength to the strength of a rock). Hope that helps. BB (... and no, I'm not really an English teacher ... I just love to read!!)

I knew he was a devout Catholic, but didn't know his biblical translation role, although given the quality of his prose, it's not a surprise. There are so many passages that just scream "good vs. evil", as well as the whole passing of the Age of Elves, rise of the Age of Men themes ... several texts have looked at the LOTR as a biblical analogy. BB

120 years of peace, marital bliss, raising a family ... blink of an eye for an elf, but a true gift of precious time for mortals ... ... and given true love, how much beyond the death of your beloved would you want to live? It's sad, but I could see alternatives that are much sadder ... BB

My second history fact of the day!! I learned that the field by the Rope Walk in Sandwich is where Henry V's archers practiced with their longbows before setting sail for the Battle of Agincourt!! ... and now, people let their dogs ... run in it!! BB

(Moderator: If these have to be removed for copyright reasons -- although I acknowledged the sources -- can I replace them with URL's? I can't post attachments yet ...) Just in case you'd like to see the scholarship that people have put into this (not to mention Tolkien's genius in creating a consistent detailed history across thousands of years), here is the chronology of Aragorn and Arwen, viewed from slightly different perspectives ... From the entry "Aragorn" in the Middle Earth Encylopedia, on the Barrow-Downs Website: Man, Dúnedain. (T.A. 1 March 2931 – F.A. 1 March 120) Son of Arathorn II and Gilraen. Husband of Arwen Undómiel. Father of Eldarion and many daughters. Last Chieftain of the Dúndedain and King of the Reunited Kingdom. Ranger of Eriador and member of The Company of the Ring. Aragorn was born on March 1st in the year T.A. 2931, the son of Arathorn II and Gilraen the Fair. When he was only two years old his father was slain by orcs and he became the Lord of the Dúndedain and the last Heir of Isildur. He and his mother were taken into the care of Elrond in Rivendell. To hide his heritage from the enemies of the Dúnedain, Aragorn was known in Rivendell by the name Estel, which means ‘Hope’. Not until he was twenty years of age (T.A. 2951)was he told his true lineage and name. At that time, Elrond gave to him the heirlooms of the Heirs of Isildur - the Ring of Barahir and the shards of Narsil, Elendil’s sword. But he withheld the Sceptre of Annúminas until ‘he had earned it’. The next day Aragorn met Arwen while walking in the gardens of Rivendell, and he soon fell in love with her beauty and wisdom. But his love for Arwen went unrequitted for many years because she was an Elf already many centuries old and he was still quite young and but a mortal. He then took leave of Rivendell and journied out into the wild of Middle-Earth for thirty long years, laboring for the cause against Sauron. During these years he befriended Gandalf the wizard (T.A. 2956) and served in disguise the lords of Rohan and Gondor where he was known as Thorongil (T.A. 2957-80). His services brought him into the far East and the deep South where he learned the ways of the servants of Sauron. While in Gondor he led a small fleet to Umbar where he burned most of the ships of the Corsairs and personally overthrew the Captain of the Havens. When he was forty-nine years old Aragorn sought a rest from his journeys in the Elven realm of Lothlórien (T.A. 2980). Unknown to him, Arwen was staying for there for a time, and they met again. During his long years Aragorn had grown into a man of great stature and power so that he appeared almost as an Elf-lord. Arwen at last returned his love and on Midsummer’s Eve they plighted their troth on the hill of Cerin Amroth. As a token of his love he gave to her the Ring of Barahir. Though it saddened Elrond greatly, he was silent when he heard of the promise between his daughter and Aragorn. Being Half-Elven and having lost his brother to mortality in the Second Age, he knew only too well the sorrow that loving a mortal could cause. He refused to allow his daughter to marry a Man, even one as great as Aragorn, unless he be no less than the King of both Gondor and Arnor. He would not allow her to sacrifice her immortality for anything less. So Aragorn returned to the wild more determined than ever to regain the kingdom lost so long ago by the Dúndedain. He wandered again for many years until Gandalf came to him in T.A. 3001 and asked for his aid in seeking and capturing Gollum. The hunt proved long and seemingly hopeless, for he lost the trail of Gollum. It was not until T.A. 3009 that he once again searched for Gollum, this time in the vales of Anduin, Mirkwood and Rhovanion, finally seeking all the way to the borders of Mordor. finally in T.A. 3017 he found and captured him in the Dead Marshes and took him to Thranduil in Mirkwood where Gandalf questioned him. He then spent more years as a Ranger in the wilds of Eriador where he was known as Strider. He became a rugged, woodcrafty man, the most skilled huntsman of his day, and also skilled at avoiding the traps of the enemy. He knew all of the lands for hundreds of miles and all of the peoples living in them. In the last years before the the War of the Ring he spent much of his time patrolling the borders of the Shire. Told by Gandalf of Frodo’s journey and warned by Gildor that the hobbits were leaving the Shire, Aragorn was waiting for them when they arrived at Bree He helped them avoid the attack of the Black Riders and later used his knowledge of the land to avoid the Riders for the many miles between Bree and the Weather Hills. At Weathertop he drove of the attacking Black Riders and used his extensive knowledge of ancient healing techniques to find and use athelas on Frodo’s wound. His Ranger skills once again proved invaluable in the journey through the hard lands between Waethertop and Rivendell. At Rivendell he participated in the Council of Elrond and was chosen as a member of the Company of the Ring. But while the other members of the company rested and prepared for the Quest, Aragorn accompanied the sons of Elrond on a scouting mission down the Greyflood River as far south as Tharbad. When he returned, the broken shards of Narsil, the Sword of Elendil, were reforged as Andúril. When the passage over the Redhorn Gate proved impossible, Aragorn counseled against the mines of Moria, having once entered the mines himeself, long ago.. But he submitted to the leadership of Gandalf. When the wizard fell at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Aragorn became the de facto leader of the Company and led them quickly into the safety of Lothlórien. Unsure of Gandalf’s intentions for the Quest beyond Lórien, Aragorn took them by boat to the lawn of Parth Galen beneath Amon Hen, the Hill of Sight. There, while he pondered the future of the Company in the Seat of Seeing, a force of orcs attacked. Frodo and Sam escaped but Merry and Pippin were taken prisoner, but Boromir was slain. Aragorn came too late from the high seat to save the man of Gondor, and he greatly rued his decision to climb Amon Hen. After giving Boromir’s body to the Anduin, Aragorn led the chase across the Wold of Rohan to rescue the captured hobbits. The Three Hunters raced for days but were unable to overtake the orcs that were running towards Isengard. Instead they met Eomer, who lent them horses, and finally Gandalf returned as ‘The White’. The wizard told them that the two young hobbits were safe with Treebeard and urged them to accompany him to Edoras in Rohan. Aragorn proved a valiant warrior at the Battle of Helm’s Deep, facing the enemy army alone atop the Deeping Wall and slaying many orcs. After recieving the palantir or Orthanc he returned to the Hornburg Tower and there, as the rightful user of the stone, wrenched it to his will and revealed himself to Sauron. He also used the palantir to look far into the South where he saw a fleet of Corsairs approaching the southern coasts of Gondor. It was this vision that convinced him to travel the Paths of the Dead. He fearlessly led the way through the Paths, calling the Oathbreaking Dead to him at the Stone of Erech. The army of ghosts followed him to Pelargir, passing him at the last and overwhelming the ships of Umbar. Aragorn and the people of the harbors then manned the ships and, with a sudden change in the winds, sailed quickly up the Anduin to Harlond. Aragorn thus arrived at the last moment at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, turning the tide of the battle and meeting Éomor in the midst of the field. From there he proceeded to Minas Tirith still dressed as a Ranger for he refused to enter the city as a King until he had the leave of the Steward. Once inside the walled city he went quickly to the Houses of Healing where he skills saved the lives of Éowyn, Faramir and Merry. At the Black Gate of Mordor Aragorn parleyed with the Mouth of Sauron, defeating the sorcerer in a short battle of wills. As the Mouth retreated and the armies of Sauron sallied forth from the Morannon, Aragon ordered the armies through the battle and, with the aid of the Eagles and the destruction of the Ring, the war was won. So it finally came to pass that Sauron was destroyed and the King was returned. Aragorn and the triumphant armies returned to Minas Tirith where he was crowned by Gandalf as King Elessar, taking the surname of Telcontar which was Elvish for ‘Strider’. Then Arwen arrived with Elrond who now gave his blessing. And on Midsummer’s Eve of the year 3019 of the Third Age Arwen and Aragorn were wed. As Elessar he ruled the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor for many years. And Arwen bore him a son, Eldarion, and several daughters. But at last, though his lifespan was three times that or normal Men, Aragorn grew tired and knew that his time had come. On the 1st of March of the year 120 of the Fourth Age he laid himself down on a bed of stone prepared for him in the House of Kings in the Silent Street. There he said farewell to Eldarion, passing the crown and the Sceptre to him. And there he said his last good-byes to Arwen, at last falling into a deep sleep from which he never awoke. Aragorn had many names including Elfstone by Arwen, Strider by the people of Bree, the Renewer by the healers of Minas Tirith, The Dunadan by Bilbo, Longshanks by Bill Ferny, and Wingfoot by Éomer. REF:-84, 212, 213,214,215, [iI]297, 298, 302, 304, 305, 327, 334, 340, 349, 419, 442;[iII] -20, 34, 39, 48, 58, 59 150 ; [V]-52, 55, 56, 64, 68, 135, 136, 150, 152, 158, 168, 180, 181, [VI]274 ; [A]382:390; 421:433; [F]469 Abbreviations: b. = born d. = died F.A = Fourth Age fl. = flourished T.A. = Third Age WoR = War of the Ring S. = Sindarin C.S. = Common Speech From the entry "Arwen" in the Middle Earth Encyclopedia, on the Barrow-Downs Website (I excerpted only the final portion -- note the slight differences and additional details): After the fall of Sauron, she married Aragorn in Minas Tirith with her father's blessing now that he was the ruler of the renewed kingdom of Elendil. The parting with Elrond her father was grievious for her, for she was now a mortal woman by her own will. But in her stead, she gave Frodo the Ring-Bearer a white gem, and told him to sail into the West. 120 years of a life together was granted to the King and his Queen, and on his dying day Aragorn prompted Arwen for the last time with her crucial choice; but although he offered her to 'repent' and sail west to her Elven kin, she accepted the Doom of Men. And there she said she finally understood the Gift of Men from Eru, and how bitter it was to receive. Then Arwen took leave of her people in Minas Tirith and returned to Lórien one last time for a few months alone. Before the new Spring had come to the silent woods, she laid down upon Cerin Amroth and passed away. (end of quotation) 120 years together ... coincedentally (perhaps not -- Tolkien was said to be a religious man) the life span of Moses ... and dying within a few months of one another ... BB

The Lille I had in mind (I've also seen it spelled Lisle, but then in France, Dunkirk is Dunquerque ...) is the largest city in Northern France and the 4th largest in all of France. It's about a 75 km drive (about 30-40 min) from either the ferry terminal at Calais or the Eurotunnel exit. Has a large North African/Morrocan population, so the Sunday market has great couscous; hot, sweet mint tea; home made harissa ... and the usual French garden produce to die for ... It also has the largest bookshop in Europe (over a million volumes in stock, multiple languages) and a spectacular flower market, outside of Wazemann's ... you get the picture!! The architecture is also wonderful. It was the gateway for the French occupation of Flanders in the 1670s (its military fortress, Le Citadel, still actively occupied by 2000 French marines, was the model for the Pentagon), so there is the mix of the Flemish style from the north and east, and the old French style from the south and west. Same for the cuisine ... it's one of the few places in France where beer is more commonly drunk with food than wine. Finally, it has at least two of the best art collections outside of Paris. The Opera House is spectacular from the outside, but is under renovation (scaffolding everywhere), so I haven't seen the inside yet. Can't tell you anything about ballet there, but the indications from the AA (the British version of AAA) Guide is that there is a very active dance scene in Lille ... Oh ... and there is EuroStar (train) service to there from London Waterloo, so you don't have to bother with a car if you choose not to ... but most people do, just to bring back all the goodies!! BB

In the city of Lisle, in northern France, every Sunday morning, in the courtyard of the Bourse, just across from the Opera House, there is an open-air market with several book sellers. Every time I've been there, there is a fabulous collection of French ballet magazines (from the 60s-90s), French and English books on ballet technique, biographies, etc. -- and the prices are very reasonable. Have yet to find anything like it in England. BB

Hi Balletstar811! If you go to Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk (or Alibris.com, if you want autographed or rare editions) ... and enter "Tolkien" as the author (most people mis-spell it, so be careful!!), you'll find books by J.R.R. Tolkien (author of LOTR) and also his son Christopher. You can also find the full list at the Tolkien Society webpage, which IvyDancer posted in an earlier message. The original texts are The Hobbit and LOTR, but JRR also wrote the Silmarillion, Tales of Tom Bombadil and a number of other Middle Earth texts (He was a professor of medeival language at Oxford and also has published professional works, such as a translation and commentary on the Beowulf epic, but we'll skip those). Christopher, once the Hobbit and LOTR really took off, edited many of the notes, alternate tales, drafts, background materials, etc., his father left into another series of books, including his master work, The History of Middle Earth. That amounts to about 12 volumes (in softcover, that's about $230) and covers all the Ages and has a tremendous amount of detail and background for LOTR ... As you might imagine, most people stop after The Hobbit and LOTR, some get to Silmarillion, and very few get to The History ... Hope that helps!! Regards, BB

As always, so right on target ... and so now, not speaking metaphorically (so very UNLIKE a hobbit), it's around 11.00 pm and I'm going to go off to sleep. Thanks, everyone, for a most enjoyable and educational evening!! BB

Amazing ... almost the same words my nordic instructor used, almost 20 years ago!! BB

Interesting ... is there a corresponding "weighting" step? BB

Super glue and duct tape are universal objects of admiration ... very little they can't fix!! So, let me get back to "light footedness" ... is unweighting dependent on the spring of the floor? In nordic skiing, you start to unweigh by pressing down and letting the snow "spring" you up ... how dependent is a dancer on his/her medium for that help? BB

Truly, Mel, you are a fount of knowledge ... no, I had no idea!! Given the technical ingenuity of the set design team, I would have thought they'd come up with something far more sophisticated!! Seriously, the other amazing thing about the films is the technical advancements made by the NZ based digital company and design team. They came up with new materials for costumes, masks, body suits, as well as ways of crafting multiple models for all the sets used, often having to provide the same set in multiple scales ... I wonder if any of it has application to dance? For example, can they now make a better, longer lasting pointe shoe? BB

Hi SpiritIvy: Thanks for the references ... looks like I have some reading to do tonight ... Reading the Making of LOTR, you get a fascinating and very impressive picture of Viggo Mortensen. He did his own horse riding scenes (minimal use of a double) and not only learned the swordsmanship needed for the film, he did all of his own swordsmanship (no stunt doubles) AND wore his sword at all times "on set" ... he said the nature of Aragorn, in all its complexity, and all his warrior skills, had to become a subconscious part of him if he was to do justice to the role!! He's becoming a hero of mine as well ... just because of his depth of involvement .... What other films has he done? BTW, if anyone is doing a lot of Tokien reading, especially of History of Middle Earth or the other non-LOTR books, you may want to get Karen Forstad's "Atlas of Middle Earth" (personally, I never leave home without it!!). Mel Johnson is correct -- the geography of Middle Earth changes age to age, so a compendium is useful. Beware, though -- Forstad also did an "Atlas of the Land", for the 6 volume fantasy by Stephen Donaldson, and it has NOTHING to do with Tolkien or Middle Earth. BB

Slightly different topic: elves and the lightness of walking on snow ... when I was learning advanced nordic technique (back in the Elder Days), one of the descriptions for preparing certain steps was to "unweigh" the uphill or downhill ski in preparation for a Telemark (or other turn) ... the mental image was that of a coiled spring, relaxing to hold your weight off the ski you were about to move ... I guess Middle Earth didn't have skis or snowshoes, so the Fellowship was forced to walk ... surprising they didn't sink to their waists (or deeper) ... Is there a similar mental process in dance of "unweighing" as preparation for a particular movement? BB

What have I started??? You know ... go away for a week and what do you find when you get home ... if only my herb garden grew like this!! There was nothing about elvish dance (please, no threads about "Elvis dance" ...) in "Making of LOTR", but in the "Visual Companion to The Two Towers", there is a brief note on elvish/human romance. Paraphrasing: Aragorn and Arwen were not the first elf and human to fall in love; the first were Beren and Luthien. Beren saw Luthien DANCING in the forest (Now, I REALLY have to find out more about elvish dance!!) ... and in that moment, was smitten with love. Apparently Luthien did not forsake her immortality, since some (but not all) her offspring remained immortal. Their offspring included Elrond (hence his human ancestry although he is immortal) and also Arwen, his daughter. Aragorn (human, and apparently descended from Beren!!) was raised at Rivendell by Elrond, but never met Arwen because for most of that time, she was visiting her grandmother in Lothlorien ... long visit, unless you have the life span of an elf!! Frightening thought ... if elves are immortal, all your ancestors (unless they've been done in by an orc axe or something) are still alive ... no tales of "granny used to ..." ... because granny still does ... and so does great-granny ... and ... Can you imagine: "...well, you may be 7,000 years old, BUT you're STILL my son and you'll do as I say ... or I WILL put you over my knee ..." ... BB

Thanks, Tracey ... I have a lot to learn ... and not just about Ballet!! BB

Hi Giannina: Thanks for the compliment -- I tend to get lost in technical matters and go into "technospeak" ... I re-read your question and actually, the literal answer to your question is you're recording the playback output of your video recorder, not from the tape directly -- that's what comes out of the "video out" socket you're connecting your DVD recorder to. It should look very similar/identical to what you see on your TV when you play the tape. If it doesn't (i.e., if the quality is much better on your TV, or much better if you play it in another VCR), then there's an electrical problem and you can start to trace it ... Regards, BB

I'm not sure what I find more fascinating ... the article or the Ballet Alert comments on it!! First, (it's funny: me, a transplanted American, having to explain this ...), "Posh and Becks" are indeed Victoria (the former Posh Spice) and David Beckham (UK soccer star extraordinaire and captain of the UK Team). They are the best known couple in the UK (except, PERHAPS, for HRM The Queen and Prince Phillip) ... their comings and going are documented by papparazzi, their TV ad for potato chips (aka "crisps") show them as royalty and no doubt sold billions of bags of chips. If they go to the ballet ... then it MUST be the right thing for ordinary but "with it" people to do ... and the public will follow. Analogy: if Britney Spears (and whoever she's dating this hour) or Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston showed up at Lincoln Center ... the NYCB would be sold out for the next 2 months ... Heaven knows, if any of them bought something affordable, the implied endorsement would bring on a buying binge of epic proportions. Having spent years going to the NYCB before coming to London, I have to say the prices are about equivalent (and both are lower than the Met or ROH prices), the London crowd is better dressed than the NYCB crowd generally (Saturday nights are the exception, but at matinees, NYCB dress can be sweater and slacks, sports coat as well as more formal attire) and, most pleasingly to me, the London crowd has more children generally present -- ballet seems to be more of a family event here than in NYC. My sense of food and drink at the interval is that it's no more expensive than in NYC or in the theatres at Leicester Square, although the theatres seem to have service better organized. Given the superb restaurants in Chinatown just a short distance from Covent Garden and the other restaurants nearby, I'd restrict interval refreshment to the liquid variety anyway. Now, to the heart of the matter ... perfection? I'm not sure I agree. Technically, I don't know enough to be able to detect perfection from "almost perfect" when discussing NYCB or RBC calibre dancers, but I know when I've been moved by a performance and when I've been left cold ... and the author was moved ... and that's may be his ultimate definition of "perfect". Dancers are "naked" when performing ... their expressions, their muscles, their motions are completely visible ... there's nowhere to hide. We see their full efforts and can even detect the practiced fluidity which allows great dancers to hide the effort -- but then we "see it" by its absence. What brings me back time and time again, and what I think will bring the author back, is that in viewing, we vicariously move to the stage and become that movement, that poetry ... we are simultaneously in the audience and on the stage ... and NYCB and RBC have mastered the art of encompassing us in their motion. I can't dance to save my life in reality... but I can become part of what I see regularly at Covent Garden ... and share in the art and joy of dance ... and that can be understood by anyone who appreciates music and coordination of motion, even a "footballer" and his mate, and not just "older, balding snobs and their shoulder sagging spouses" ... BB

I was introduced to this site a few months ago, by my 13 year old daughter, who began posting before the "no posters under 13" rule came into effect and is now in Bronze Circle (no wonder she never has time to call me!!!). She sent me a page from the Boston discussion, because we were going to Boston and she wanted to get to some of the shops that had been highly recommended ... and now, she's hooked on ballet ... and I'm hooked on Ballet Alert (as well as ballet!!). "... even the smallest of creatures can do great things in this world ..." BB ;>))