mussel

My all time favor by a wide margin is still Halle Berry's Saab gown. What year was that?

Segerstrom Centre in Costa Mesa has posted a pic of the set design to its facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/SCFTA/photos/a.129720390889.106586.6822650889/10153061530175890/?type=1&theater

Judging from the scale model of the set, it looks much better than the last production. Hope the gold ceiling of the set won't be as jarring as the model's.

Hudson's costume sketches for Carabosse and Aurora rose adagio:

Detail of Carabosse's skirt:

Me too. I am very tempted to fly to CA for the weekend just to see it. It's a very good sign the production will have precious stone/metal variations.

1. Aurora

2. Désiré

3. Lilac

4. Carabosse

5. Florine

6. Blue Bird

7. Diamond? Gold? White Cat? Red Riding Hood? Cinderella?

The role for the 7th name is a mystery. I suspect it's one of the jewel fairies, but then Gold, Silver, Sapphire, or Diamond doesn't stand out from the other three.

SFB has enough dancers to stage Vienna Waltzes on its own but it'd be cost-effective to co-produce to save expenses.

What happened to the Tempest? It's postponed the current season and nothing for the upcoming season.

Yes, even by today's standards that's very little. I was also a bit surprised to see the commission of a full-length The Little Prince in light of the fact that Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal is about to unveil its own version. But then intra-Canadian touring has practically disappeared, so every company could justify having its own production.

http://www.grandsballets.com/en/performance/the-little-prince/

I am a little sorry that the company has opted to present "Rubies" and The Four Temperaments on a triple bill rather than a complete Jewels. LGBC, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Alberta Ballet have all performed "Rubies" and the 4Ts. Again, none of those companies is likely to tour those ballets, so it isn't as though Torontonians have an alternate place to see them, but at present the National Ballet is the only company in Canada with enough bodies to do "Diamonds" feasibly, so it seems a shame not to show off this capacity.

Is the complete Jewels in NBoC's rep? Company size shouldn't be a deterrent to mount large works, the company can always borrow extra bodies from other companies like RWB & LGBC. Someone here mentioned PNB borrowed from OBT to have enough bodies to mount Vienna Waltzes.

I found Cacti gimmicky when Boston brought it to NYC last summer. If not the complete Jewels, the company should have made it an all Balanchine program with Serenade or T&V in place of Cacti.

La Sylphide is 2/3 full length, it could have attached another one-act like Bournonville Divertissements, Napoli 3rd act, or Les Sylphides if the company wants to take the sylphide theme all the way. I may try to make a trip to catch Winter's Tale.

15/16 season brochure available to download: http://saison15-16.operadeparis.fr/pdf/OnP-BRO-SAISON-STD-bd.pdf

What're the sources for the reconstruction? From Harvard? Mariinsky archive? Will there be a white act? How many Petipa ballets are reconstructible? I hope it will on streaming or DVD. Anyone going? Please report back. I nominate Vikharev or Burlaka to replace Kevin.

It's premature to start a "2016 US tour" thread, this Russian site mentioned at the end the article that Mik will be back in 2016: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http://izvestia.ru/news/579840&usg=ALkJrhhpwC6gQHKZG_Sy1sSiMUWF8QqoTQ

Diana Vishneva's in NYC rehearsing the new Beauty. A Russian friend told me there's an interview of DV in a Russian magazine where she mentioned the new Beauty is more of reconstruction than rechoreograph. Here's a picture of the 5 Auroras DV posted on FB:

WSJ BAM season reviews:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/ending-on-a-high-note-on-the-mariinsky-ballet-at-bam-1422487518

http://www.wsj.com/articles/dance-review-from-russia-a-swan-and-slippers-1421882444

By the way, what in the world is going on with ushers in America nowadays???? A young boy a couple of seats in from me was taking a selfie of himself and the Kennedy Center auditorium (and I was too), and the usher came over and chastised us. I asked her why we couldn't take pics of ourselves before the show started since it should disturb nobody and she said it is not allowed to take pics inside the auditorium. I told her I understood why that rule is in place for DURING the performance but not before and told her everyone is snapping photos of themselves at the Mariinsky Theatre before the show (and many take pics during the show at the Mariinsky) and it is much more beautiful and needs more protecting from bulbs flashing, but they allow selfies and pictures there all the time. She told me, "That is Russia!"

I also snapped a shot of the NYCB theatre when I was in NY last and an usher rushed over and chastised me. It was 30 minutes before the show was starting. So I wasn't disrupting a performances or bothering performers and I did not use flash (and I didn't use flash at the Kennedy Center either).

I read on here that someone was taking pics with her friends during an intermission at the Met, and an usher chastised her.

I find it really ridiculous that these ushers are stopping people from taking pictures of themselves at very plain 1970s theatres while gorgeous theatres like the Mariinsky allow it. The Kennedy Center, the Met, and David Koch Theatres are actually sort of ugly compared to European theatres, so they should be complimented anyone wants to take their pictures there!!!

Does anyone know the rationale behind not allowing pics BEFORE the show begins? I find it ludicrous, and I must have taught in public schools too long, because I came close to turning into a student and saying, "Nobody really wants a pic of your ol' stank theatre! Get out of my face!" LOL (it's a joke!!!!)

I couldn't agree more with your sentiment. It's free word-of-month marketing when people posting pictures of themselves having a good time at a theater. Theaters want to attract young audience yet they have this outdated policy that chases away young audience. ROH has a very sensible policy that pictures are allowed as long as it's not during performance. Most Met ushers don't enforce no-picture policy during curtain calls, you can see sea of LED screens lighting up in the orchestra during curtain calls. What's MT's policy regarding pictures?

NYT review of DC reps: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/arts/dance/mariinsky-ballet-performs-at-the-kennedy-center-opera-house.html?ref=dance

Canada is now doubtful. Berkeley will get Cinderella while OCPAC will get Raymonda. When will OCPAC announce the new season? Who are the current crops of Raymonda at MB? It may worth a trip if they bring Lopatkina to SoCal.

The Brooklyn tour raised more questions than answers per NY Observer's season recap: http://observer.com/2015/01/a-season-of-the-mariinsky-conjures-more-questions-than-answers/

What's the status of tonight show? I assume it's still on? Travel ban is lifted and public transits are being restored to Sunday schedule.

The travel ban is lifted earlier this morning and public transits are being restored to Sunday schedule. Judging from the weather map DC is totally spared. Hopefully Northeast fans can make it to DC by tonight curtain. The company stayed at Brooklyn Sheraton, part of the company left Brooklyn on Sunday and the remaining part left on Monday morning by tour bus, so the company escaped unscathed.

I hope I can make it to NYCB tonight, I assume it's still on.

Lincoln Center Festival announced with NB China's Peony Pavilion & Red Detachment of Women: http://www.lincolncenterfestival.org/

Building the Mariinsky at BAM:

Forster debuted Les Sylphides in 2013 fall season. It'd be wonderful if he's casted again.

The "scaffolding" was originally designed as NYC fire escapes for a West Side Story Suite production, when it didn't pan out, it's recycled for Cinderella.

Another puzzle: in the several notices about their visit in the last couple of days, there hasn't been any mention of the Lincoln Center Festival. I wonder if it's possible the Festival is bringing another company in July. I have googled "Lincoln Center Festival" every which way and haven't been able to turn up any hints.

Usually we'd hear any news about a major company as part of LCF by now. By processing elimination we can rule out Mariinksy as they're here right now, no Bolshoi as they were here last year. The only news I've faintly heard is Hamburg may bring Liliom to NYC this year. 2014/15 is a banner year, we've had Bolshoi, NBoC, Mik, now Mariinsky, and then RB, not to mention NYCB churns out amazing performances night after night and the upcoming 75th ABT season, may be it's time for my bank account to recuperate a bit.

Aurelie Dupont, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Jeremy Belingard, Eve Grinztajn, Sebastien Bertaud, and Julien Meyzindi will be dancing the new piece: http://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/en-coulisse/collaboration-entre-le-ballet-de-lopera-de-paris-et-la-compagnie-wayne-mc-gregor-random-dance/

POB dancers to appear at Park Ave. Armory in Wayne McGregor multi-media evening-length piece. Co-commissioned by PAA, POB, Sadler's Wells, Manchester International Festival, and FAENA Art. The piece will probably be part of POB 2015-16 or 16/17 season. Single tickets go on sale on 5/11:

http://www.armoryonpark.org/programs_events/detail/tree_of_codes

Not a big McGregor fan but will go just to see POB dancers.

Does Lacote's staging include a full 32 fouettés?

Yes, it starts at 1:45:40 http://youtu.be/tPrQTVgkHnM?t=1h46m38s

I was surprised to find Delibes' Sylvia was used for Lucien's solo in the Grand Pas. Was it in the original staging? And there're no 32 fouettes that's in Lacotte's staging for POB or Makarova's for ABT, so I assume the fouettes were added later?