Rachel

Greta Hodgkinson of National Ballet of Canada - dark yet delicate, beautiful body

Allegra Kent

Suzanne Farrell

Helene Alexopolous

April Ball - Former Boston Ballet Principal

Julie Kent

Svetlana Zakharova

Christiane Vaussard

Rachel

Sorry Balanchine fans! 

I would say that in general the Balanchine fans would prefer ABT to stick to the non-Balanchine or unperformed-Balanchine rep, rather than see them "over done" as the ABT reviews seemed to imply. A Balanchine fan appreciates the Balanchine performance style in addition to his choreography. While many appreciated how ABT seemed to treasure the works on their tribute as if they were true gems, that doesn't necessairlly mean that fans want this eagerness over style. That is untill ABT is able to not "over do" a Balanchine ballet one night, and then go and dance Corsaire the next night.

Rachel

But the point is, its significance has changed over the years, and choreographers who were charged with making a ballet in the style of The Sleeping Beauty in 1913, 1940, and 2000, would probably interpret the assignment in three different ways.

Ari, I'm not sure whether you think that this broadened spectrum of interpretation is adverse or not. I think that this diversity of interpretations may be the only reason that a continuance of choreography in Balanchine's aesthetic can be done creatively. What I mean is that if Balanchine work was always interpreted in the same way, far less creativity could be spawned. But, if a choreographer is able to look at Balanchine's work and see the many facets that can lead to an influence on his/her own choreography, he/she is much more likely to continue within the aesthetic in an original manner. For example, if all a choreographer sees in Balanchine's work that exemplifies Balanchine's aesthetic is the relationship of man and woman, the choreographer might end up limited in creative possibilities, resulting in the creation of a parody. But if the choreographer is able to spot the subtleties of Balanchine's aesthetic, he will have a larger source of inspiration for his work, and his continuation of aesthetic will neither hinder his own creativity nor produce a parody.

Rachel

QUOTE (canbelto @ Jun 22 2004, 12:40 PM)

All I'm saying is that as its been roughly 20 years since Balanchine's death, it's a bit unrealistic to expect all new commissioned ballets to adhere to something Mr. B would have approved of.

Do we even want new choreography to be made in the Balanchine aesthetic? Because afterall, it will never be Balanchine. Wouldn't we rather the new work be an expression of the choreographer's own aesthetic and sensibilities? In the case of a panegyric, as Eifman's ballet seemed to have meant to have been, the honored choreographer's aesthetic should have been represented. But in terms of other new work? Afterall, we want creativity, not the inevitable "parodies" that result when a choreographer uses Balanchine's aesthetic as his own, as Ari mentioneed. Also, as afore mentioned, scenes like the Bar in Union Jack and Bottom"s and Titania's pas de deux in Midsummer would have been corny if any other choreographer had made them.

However, if its the relationship between the music and choregraphy, the crafting of steps, the embodiment of the dancers abilities in the choreography, and structure that maintains technique, I'm of the camp that good choreography should include them[hockeyfan228/QUOTE]

I agree that all good choreography should hold dear these hallmarks of Balanchine. But does that mean that all NYCB repertory must hold true Balanchine's own values?

Rachel

:offtopic: My middle school band teacher used to tell us this story as well as one about maggots growing in a clarinet whose reed had not been cleaned for a long time.

Rachel

I understand now after that clarification, vrsfanatic. I may not have the discerning eye and knowledge of the syllabus to say that Mezentseva was not executing movements correctly, however, I can say that those two girls in back of her in Beginning III were quite terrible; I would say an insult to Mezentseva and ballet technique in general, not just the Vaganova technique. Could you give me some examples of incorrectly executed steps, just to broaden my understanding of the technique? Also, if Mezentseva were to perform the steps as she had but in a higher level, would they still have been incorrectly executed; is it incorrect for that level, or in general? By the way, do you know where I might get ahold of some upper levels of these Willis videos? Thanks.

Rachel

vrsfanatic: I agree that Mezentseva may not have been executing the steps in the manner that they would have been performed by a student of that level. However, I was more under the impression that she was called in to demonstrate, not an actual producer. But again, how can a "prima ballerina assoluta" execute third year material (because I saw the Beginning level 3 tape) like a third year student would?

Thank you for the warm welcome Alexandra.

Rachel

My only experiences with GM have been through watching a demonstration of classwork with the Willis Ballet, followed by a series of clips from pas de deux, as well as Backstage at the Kirov. I believe that Mezentseva represents the Kirov style in its transition period. This transitory period was the divide between the great dramatic ballerinas of the sixties and seventies, more along the lines of Kolpakova and Maximova, and the newer phase of Russian dance starting in the late 80's, which I would say started with Assylmuratova and progressed to the present. I think she embodied the Kirov schooling, perhaps as it became less flamboyant and dramatic and more pure. In this classroom video, I think her technique is formidable, a true textbook of the Russian school. However, this was before the current flexibility of the Kirov dancers. I think she was less athletic and more pure line. And due to this purity, and possible difference in style from the dramatic ballerinas was a different presentation, and is why she is highly regarded.

I agree that she looked cold in some of those video clips, but I think that might have had to do with a face predisposed to a certain "suffering" look; not a dramatic face. As for her stiffness, I find that it is similar to that of some of the pre-transition ballerinas. In general, I think that the Kirov's fluidity has been the result of the last few decades, and not before. I was excited by her dancing in Don Quixote and I thought her White swan pas de deux in one of the clips supremely beautiful. I would agree also that she is not in general physically beautiful: I don't like her back, but I do think it's fair to say that she exemplifies the Kirov schooling.

Rachel

Yuri Possokhov, Gonzalo Garcia, Sergio Torrado, Roberto Bolle, I always thought Zoltan Solymosi was every inch a dashing prince, Carlos Molina, Joaquin de Luz.

Rachel

I was thoroughly impressed with the matinee performance on Sunday, April 18. Not having seen SFB since Jewels of 2002 and having been disappointed with that performance and the general look of the company, I think that the company was in great form last night, everyone dancing well. Starting with Monotones I and II. I: the piece was well rehearsed, synchronized, executed well. Ashley Wheater explained that Monotones I was created to have more of a worldly feel in conrast with M II which supposedly reflected Man's landing on the moon. Since M I was worldly yet not earthy or passionate, it seemed like the dancers were just going through the motions. However, M II was sublime. Muriel Maffre was other worldly; with Brett Bauer and Moises Martin, they seemed to be in a trance - almost like high priests performing a sacred ritual. They danced with such chrystaline form - a string of legato phrasing uninterrupted.

Thais Pas was my least favorite work. There were a few momements of beauty, Julie Diana's entering bourres, and at the end when Solomakha was kneeling with his chest on his thighs while Diana lay on his back in a Fish position and was slowly turned from sided to side. It seemed to be too much of a mix of everything I've already seen: a combination of MacMillan and Cranko's Romeo and Juliet and La Bayadere.

Symphonic Variations with Rachel viselli, Nicole Starbuck, Elizabeth Miner, Jaime Carcia Castilla, Pierre-Francois Vilanoba, and Guennadi Nedviguine. I prefer the start of this ballet when just the three women are dancing so much more than the end. I don't think the more classical choreography of the men was anywhere near as good as the womens. The dancers seemed to be trying very hard to abide by Ashton's style: low, controlled arabesques and more angular and restriceted port de bras, however in doing so, they were stiff. The port de bras became more soldier like and less classically reserved and conservative. Nicole Starbuck did prover herself as a new soloist and Maime Garcia Castilly demonstrated a clean natural facility and technique that seemed so much less bulky and more refined than that of Nedviguine and Vilanoba.

This year Elite Syncopations was accompanied by an onstage band. This was my first viewing of this ballet and I loved it. Muriel Maffre, subing for Elana Altman in the Alaskan Rag was absolutely hilarious. Amanda Schull was adorable in the Golden Hours with Stephen Legate, demonstrating some real stage persona. Pascal Molat in the Friday Night solo was impressive technically, while demonstrating both wild abandon and comic ability. I actually was the least impressed with Julie Diana in the lead, as she seemed to be the least immeshed within her characterization.

Congratulations to SFB for a thoroughly commendable job! I am very pleased with the path in which this company is progressing.

Rachel

What about the room behind the stage specifically built for the dancer's to warm up in while being admired by their patrons? They said it was a unique design of the Palais Garnier and I'm assuming that round rehearsal room was as wel. I enjoyed the clip of the POB students executing the adage tremendously. What gorgeous dancers!

Rachel

Is this the lead of the waltz of the flowers?

Rachel

Ms. Jaffe is the director and founder of Princeton Dance and Theater Studio along with Risa Gary Kaplowitz.

Rachel

Mr. Johnson, in my experience, I have found that a definited beat of the toe from the back to the front of the knee helps my coordination tremendously.

Rachel

The man must have pure lines and clean technique. The tours must land in a clean fifth. I love seeing a very supple plie that allows each movement to flow into the next, as if the dancer was tempting gravity. I like a man to have slim beautiful legs, not overly developed, but long and streamlined. Most important is the man's ability to just stand and look like a prince. Although it is the man's job to present the woman beautifully, I love to see a man who can simply stand in first position and distract me from the ballerina. Ahhhhhh!

Rachel

I found her breathtaking in the closing credits and Romeo and Juliet in the studio in The Turning Point. Those sequences are very inspiring.

Rachel

I've seen the same clip Amy's Mom. Due to the rather shaky quality of the film, I'm wondering if it enhanced the speed of her pirouettes.

Rachel

Don't forget the Russian method, in which the leg extends strictly to the side and closes to retire back before a petit battement to the front. Mr. Johnson, in which method do you find it easier to hold one's turnout?

Rachel

Could some one enlighten me as to the correct terminology of this step:

It starts from 5th and is executed en face like a big glissade in which the legs reach a straddle split. It lands en fondu on the first extended leg with the second leg in retire. Occassionally to finish, the leg is extended to efface devant 90 degrees or 3rd arabesque. Is this a jete ouvert? I'm quite sure that it is a classical step because my Russian teacher teaches it as part of the Vaganova syllabus.

Rachel

So the tir bouchon of the higher retire sort is exactly what? Higher than the knee cap? Directly to the side or slightly crossed in front? Are there pirouettes in this position, as I've seen a dancer from the Ballet Stars of Moscow pirouetting in a position with the toe much above the knee?

Rachel

When I listen to any good music: good soul, good classical, good ragea, good rap, good pop, I respond. The music triggers emotions within me. Some symphonies make me feel empowered, some make me feel small and isolated, others make me want to go out and do something good with my life. I think that to be musical, one's body must translate for the audience how the particular music makes them feel. If a certain phrase makes one want to take a deep breath, I want to see that reflected in the dancer. If another phrase makes one want to raise one's arms in reverance to the sun, I want the dancer to convey that somehow. I want to see the dancer projecting, radiating from within them how the music makes them feel. That's all that matters.

Rachel

An even better example of supported arms in pirouettes would be those of Jose Manuel Carreno. He also has some of the most beautiful pirouettes that I've ever seen. I can't help but notice Corella's tendancy to arch back in his pirouettes. Its quite noticable and prevents his turns from looking completely centered and effortless. By the way, I was watching a short clip of Alicia Alonso in the Black Swan Pas de Deux from the 60's or 70's. Her 6 pirouettes seemed to rival those of Sofianne Sylvie.

Rachel

Thanks for the clarification Minty. I did have Ms. Gingras this summer and enjoyed her authentic pronunciation of the ballet terminoligy.

Rachel

For those French-speakers: Apropos to the e-accent endings of ballet words, for example Plié: doesn't this accent indicate past tense, the past participle from the passe compose. I've always wondered why ballet terms are not in the present tense, like plier or jeter (all pronounced the same as the past participle) Actually, this summer at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, my French Canadian teacher actually conjugated the verbs. She'd say, jette or assemble. Curious.

Rachel

This was the picture of Yuan Yuan that appeared in the SF Ballet program last year. This year, she has a more recent photo in the program which does make her look much more mature.

Rachel