nlkflint

Treefrog--spoken like a true scientist.

I think that the article mentioned these were homeschooled kids invited to the dress rehearsal. My guess is that there was no formal school system involved in the decision to let these kids go. There were parents who home school who had no clue what this opera was about. Sounds like no good preparation either, no researching the plot etc. I have seen wonderful kids come out of wonderful home schooling situations. I have also seem some situations where where parents didn't do their "homework", and/or felt that their sixth grader was "mature" and ahead of other sixth graders and so they jumped at the chance at exposing their child to opera, "especially since they would not get this exposure in the public school system." And this is the result.

Without trying to tackle huge minority issues, I think this quote sums it up well. I think speaking with the teacher is REQUIRED in this case. She/he has to be aware of the direct insensitivity of the comments. While it may not change old, ingrained and incorrect thinking, it will make the teacher aware of how his/her comments could hurt a young student. My guess is that "it never occured" to the teacher that the remarks were insensitive. I have watched Giselle with a corp of Wilis that was as diverse as we are here in south Florida (twice actually, with two different companies), and remembered thinking is was actually an advantage to be able to pick our a certain dancer and follow her movements across the stage and not have her become lost in a "cloud" of Willis. I know this goes against the idea that they are all to be alike, but I didn't think twice about it, probably because the cast included members of asian descent, hispanic/spanish descent, african descent etc.

I have never been to a performance of MCB at one of their major venue's when the music was not live. I am sure that when they are on the road, it is a luxury that is a bit too expensive. So next season, take a vacation to Florida, and enjoy our good nature--there is soooooo much here besides theme parks. And take in MCB with a live symphony.

I laughed out loud and I am glad a few others did too. We need more folks new to ballet to buy tickets, and really appreciate the athleticism and beauty;and to realize what they have been missing. Sure wish this was a syndicated column to run in more papers.

Found this thorugh Ari's links. You will smile when you read this one. This is the sort of thing I wish Dave Barry had written...but that is another thread!! It's worth following the link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2003Apr16.html Here is a sampling.. Enjoy.

I just had to post. I haven't laughed so hard in days. I just "stumbled" across the Dave Barry piece on Ballet from December 2002. Living in South Florida I am not sure how I missed it the first time. So I just HAD to go to Ballet Alert and check out the posts. Of course, I found the thread. I recall reading out loud a similar piece from Jan or Feb about Hoosiers to my husband (from Indiana) and laughing almost as hard. My husband found it amusing (OK not as amusing as I found it but he did find humor in it) and sent it to his dad in Indiana who had a good laugh. I think Dave Barry has an honest humor, and clearly has not been exposed to ballet enough to really appreciate it. HE ADMITTED IT. I suspect he went to one of Miami City Ballet's "Ballet for Young People" series." This is how MCB describes it : I think someone in Miami needs to invite him to perhaps a story ballet performance and see if he changes his mind. Although, it he doesn't it could just make matter worse. The Hoosier column I spoke of was actually a second column, about how he offended all the Hoosiers with his first column............. If you missed the link to the barry column: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/livin...rry/4784265.htm :D

Yes, the current May 2003 issue of DANCE has the ESPN ad on page 8: Lynn Swan is in mid air carrying the football in a photo taken during an NFL game, and the title of the ad is "WITHOUT SPORTS, WE'D SEE DANCE ONLY ON STAGE." In small letters at the bottom it states: Lynn Swamm studied dance which improved his performance on the field. I tried to add the image here-can't figure out how, sorry. Update: Here is a link http://hometown.aol.com/nlkflint/myhomepage/index.html A bit of the right edge was cut off but you get the essence of the ad.

Take a vacation to Florida, enjoy our "Good Nature" (there is so much more to see and do outdoors than just theme parks) and take in Miami City Ballet's Giselle in 2003-2004. It will be their third program, probably about March. You will be able to come down out of the snow and cold, and have a wonderful time. MCB put on Giselle last season. The program thanked ABT for use of the costumes and sets. They were divine. The dancing was suburb. It could be a wonderful early spring for you.

Copellia was this year--based on the Giselle every other year we will see it again the season after nest. I was also disappointed to see Giselle on the schedule again. With Three venues--Jackie Gleason, Broward Center and Kravis, they could rotate and mix it up a bit. But instead they did Giselle at all three venues in 2001-2002 and they will do it again at all three venues 2003-2004. So there are really three separate times it is presented a year, now twice in three years. Not a lot of variety. Why not Giselle at one, Coppellia at another etc. With only four programs a year, Giselle twice in three years (at all three venues) is repetative for us:the average patron (who also saw Orlando Ballet do Giselle in 2002-2003 the year MCB rested!) I know it is expensive to mix it up. But it offors more variety and might sell more tickets.

Can someone help explain the meaning of muse in the context of ballet. My dictionary doesn't seem to give a meaning that fully explains the word. And I am in turn having trouble explaining it to "the next person." I am especially looking for the definition when it comes to a choreographer and dancer. It is one of those words that I understand but have trouble defining/putting into words. How would you define muse... Thanks

Orlando Ballet should be "ready" for a listing/forum

I find many times the "two piece" tutus where the bodice and the skirt are not sewn together have a tendancy for the bodice "V' to curl up after a few uses, and it can be distracting when watching the dancer. Sometimes this is very apparant in photos as well. I think the some tacking down in front, even if the two pieces are not sewn together circumfirentially helps the line of the tutu but still allows for some flexibility.