Cliff

There should be more examples of the non-russian back for contrast. I think curving the back is like high extension. Impressive, until it crosses a theshold and then becomes disturbing.

My ballet DVD collection is growing at an alarming rate. My favorites acquired this year in no particular order are: 1. Swan Lake with Zakharova. She is great. Although the editing of the corp is distracting. 2. Le Corsaire with Asylmuratova and the Kirov. I enjoyed this video so much that I also acquired the ABT version, and was disapointed. 3. Don Quixote with Dupont and the POB. 4. An Evening with the Royal Ballet. Fonteyn and Nureyev. Orignally released well before 2005 but still excellent.

In the coverage of the Robert Altman film, The Company, it was reported that Neve Campbell had ballet training before becoming an actress.

The Coen brothers "Raising Arizona" and "The Big Lebowski" are wonderfully eccentric comedies.

Zhakarova is light on her feet and has wonderfully graceful arm movements! I enjoyed her dancing and would like to see more. The production has the Burmeister choreography. Notable is the presence of a jester who overshadows prince Siegfried. The jester doesn't do any humorous mime or slapstick comedy, so it is unclear why the dancer was costumed as a jester. There is also expended choreography for a princess who is a fine dancer. The video is well lit. Not dark or washed out. The editing is good except for too many cuts when the corps is dancing. Distant view, closeup, sideways, view for orchestra, then balcony....

We just need an expanded inter-library loan program.

Swan Lake at Teatro alla Scalla with Svetlana Zakharova has a 10 minute feature showing rehearsals. Sub-titles are available in a long list of languages. This is an excellent video.

One practical drawback to nudity in ballet is dancing on pointe. Any artistic statement would be subverted by an otherwise naked woman wearing a pair of pointe shoes.

This is all pointeless.

What is the step pictured at this link? It looks like some bizaare science fiction choreography. http://www.issuemanagement.net/image/sab341330.jpg

Thanks for the info. Is the gala different than Le Corsaire, or is it Le Corsaire with added celebration?

The paper is unfocused. Aside from the larger society, are there subtle forms of discrimination that push boys out of ballet schools and men out of companies?

In Chicago, both ABT and the Bolshoi played to full houses without apparently hurting the Joffrey. NYCB would probably also be popular. I'd buy tickets.

Some dancers are described as classical and some as romantic. Is this primarily in reference to the ballet, such as as Sleeping Beauty or Giselle? Or is there something else that classifies a dancer. What are the telling signs that indicate a classical dancer instead of a romantic dancer?

Don Quixote was mentioned as one of only four full length Balanchine ballets. Others would be Nutcracker and Midsummer Nights Dream (I think). What is the fourth? Is Jewels considered a full-length?

There are various styles of training, such as Balanchine and Vaganova. Why are there different styles and what are there aesthetic consequences? For example, consider the Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty being performed in different styles. I'd assume that an experienced eye would perceive the different styles but what about the unexperienced eye. A novice would recognize a yellow vs a pink tutu. Would there be anything at an artistic level that would identify a Cecchetti style?

Quite a few books are available from libraries free of charge. Inter-library loan programs exist. I borrowed the Ashley bio from a public library, but not my particular home library. I've also checked out dozens of ballet tapes. DVDs are usually restricted to the local residents.

I'd take those speculations with a boulder of salt. They assume that the next 50 years will see the same increase in computer power as the last 50 years. Which is doubtful; silicon chips are approaching physical limits and assorted alternatives remain unproven. Its misleading to show a graph of computer power without also providing a graph of Intel's expenditures on chip fabrication lines.

There have been references here to "standing room" tickets. Are these literally standing room only for the entire performance? If so, wouldn't unoccupied seats be claimed at intermission?

Thats disappointing. I have tickets to see Ferri and Kent. Is it common to have two principals pulled from a lineup?

I would allocate funds for outreach, such as performing short works in high schools. I remember a modern dance group that performed at my high school when I was a freshmen. Next year they cut the arts budget. The problem with the question of "why support the arts" is that art is inherently worthy of support. Yet, this argument has failed to arrest the last two decades of declining arts funding. So I think its time for a new approach: Art helps win the war on terrorism!

For every woman who became a professional dancer, a hundred missed the cut and thousands never mastered the pointe. There must be a million girls who took classes and then as adults never attended performances. While these numbers are just estimates, it does suggest a comment and a question. Regular classes should include seeing professional companies perform in order to seed the next generation of balletgoers. And why don't more women attend ballet performances?

Perhaps the 5 false positions are the five basic positions with feet turned in. Reversed turnout may have a comedic effect. As a system of movement, compare first position (heels touching and toes 180 degrees apart) with feet in parallel. Its easy to move forward or backwards when feet are parallel. First postition would seem to facilitate movement sideways, which is probably better on a stage. I guessing here because I have a 90 degree turnout and no instructions. Do choreographers experiment with other positions?

Ballet has five basic positions of the feet. Yet, a very common position is missing. Both feet parallel, heel next to heel and toe next to toe. Is it that this position requires no practice and so isn't mentioned? Or is it superfluous?

Europe has a long tradition of government arts funding going back to the days of royal courts. Artists and grand performances would reflect glory and refinement upon the kings and assorted royalty. The USA lacked a royal court and is afflicted with a widespread anti-intellectualism.