Calliope

Assuming it's the same version www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/bbc1.htm

In a recent issue of Town & Country there was an article on a writer who the NY Times hired. Young, late 20's early 30's maybe, her name escapes me. But her basic motto was The NYTimes can close a show (she used to work for an online review service) and that's what the public wanted to basically know.

Was Raines the Arts editor and Executive editor?

Welcome to the board Terriergirl. Good choices Mark D, I agree with you wholly on Garafalo's book. Another good "starter" book is "Ballet 101" by Robert Greskovic. A search on Amazon (just click on the link at the top of the page) and you can find books for specific styles, companies and history. They have DVD as well. I think it's hard to narrow down so few, like the performances themselves, the choices are so personal. Magazines, I'd recommed Ballet Review, Dance View.

The library... that's seems so long ago. I don't think I've set foot in one in ages, it's terrible. I was tsk-ing myself. I forgot to mention my favorite books growing up, the Narnia Chronicles. Silly me as a kid reading them, just thought they were great fantasy books, then we learned the word allegory

Lovely Bones was one of my favorite books. It's premise is very dark, but it's such an uplifiting book (for those that haven't read it, it opens with a girl looking down from heaven at her murdered body) it's a heavy subject, but it's such a great book. I read the "Devi Wears Prada" it was along the same lines as "Nanny Diaries" and the other dish books.

"Devil in the White City" is a good beach read. It was actually pretty interesting. Architecture and murder all mixed up, a true story too. Margaret Atwood's books make for good beach reads too, though I haven't read the new one. "Alias Grace" and "Blind Assasin" were both great.

But what Oprah did was give some people who might not have picked up a book like "The Corrections" b/c the couldn't get past the first chapter or thought it was a "smart" read and they couldn't do it, I admit to this phobia with some classics, so I'm glad Oprah is bringing back her book club with The Classics to be read. It's actually a nice joining of culture and pop culture. Even if some of the literature isn't exactly lofty.

Farrell Fan...based on your post alone, you should read "Da Vinci Code" !

Could it be that the dancers that danced Balanchine are not there on a daily basis that the rep has suffered? Or at least not enough of them? Whereas ABT always has "borrowed" roles that have been interpreted so many ways it doesn't have the same effect.

It's slang that kids use.

But isn't it pop(ular) culture? What isn't nowadays? Botticelli's on mousepads, Pachebel's Canon is sampled in rap songs. But each generation has it's own pop culture. In the 60's there was Archie Bunker and now there's Homer Simpson (there's actually websites dedicated to their similarities-which is a little much) The turnaround of the pop culture is what's mind boggling. In the magazines that have "in, out and so gone" type articles. Society seems to have a need to have to keep getting constant and new stimuli. For me, I wish ballet would stop looking for the next Balanchine and focus on what we he is listed in the "so gone" column. But it's society's want/need for new & improved. Technology, cars, even classrooms. I don't know that kids are not getting A's because they feel peer pressure, but there's a pressure of being street smart and book smart. Some kids don't feel they have a choice between the two. Some prefer to be "stoopid smart"

I remember always wanting to hear Dr. Seuss, it may have been the funny voices my Dad did reading them. And "Goodnight Moon", The Growing Tree, those were my most requested. I thought Judy Blume was adult reading, but I guess my first "real" book was "Rebecca" it was an elective "required reading" (we were given a list to choose from) that was in 7th grade and I was hooked on books from then.

I read"The Da Vinci Code" which I loved, Wallace Stegner is my summer reading project. looking forward to the Harry Potter book.

I love TV If it weren't for it, I might not have read half of "Oprah's" books, knew what people were talking about when they referred to "Soup Nazi", or learned that you really can't see the Great Wall of China from space. I admit to watching must see TV, American Idol and lots of MTV. If anything, I feel a bit smarter b/c of it. TV, the 'net, radio...it's mass media. We'll never get away from it. They're part of our classrooms. My mom used to yell at me for playing video games, now they've released a study saying they're not all that bad, but I'm still respectful enough not to tell her. I just finished reading "The DaVinci Code" and there's a discussion between characters and they talk about Disney and how the films are loaded with meaning and symbolism (Snow White, eats the apple and dies...a la Eve) So I think popular art can have the same qualities as high art, sometimes it may not be as obvious. I think people are to quick to dismiss tv as bad. Just like there's bad tv shows, there's horrific high art.

I think Rutherford did summer's with Joffrey as her parents taught there. She said in an interview that she did NYCB Nutcracker's as a kid.

It's been on the news quite a bit today (both radio and tv) here in NY. There was some commentary on one of the radio stations (sorry I don't know which, I was in a cab) saying that while it's good to spread the arts around the city, this separation will have it's effect on the arts and NYC as being a cultural capital. (deja vu considering the dance capital topic) I tend to agree with the commentator, those buildings are hard to fill, smaller company's may not be so willing to front the bill for something they can't profit from.

I can't speak on any other cities, but I'd venture to say Moscow or St. Petersburg. For no other reason than it seems like it's stable. I think when companies started leaving NY (like Joffrey) it was a statement that you don't *have* to do it in NY.

Jamie Wolf and I believe Eva Natanya.

Perhaps it's just me, but at ABT I've always felt more of a cohesiveness as a company versus City Ballet. Maybe it's because there is such a vast chasm between the principals/soloists and the corps at ABT. But they seem more a company. They need everyone to perform to make it work and at NYCB I sometimes get the impression that there's an effort to stand out from the person standing next to you on stage. I think Dale, you put it very nicely. And as harsh as I am on NYCB, I have no doubts I'll go back, just when the Balanchine comes back. Is there any reason ABT doesn't do much Robbins?

I converted a few seasons ago from NYCB to ABT. I'd still prefer ABT to do the full lengths and the "foreign" pieces (MacMillan, Ashton...) but they're attempt at bringing in new choreographers still stunts me. To me ABT is the company that does the "successful" pieces created on other people. And I think Tobias nails it on the head, they're just more "fun". Bringing back "La Fille Mal Gardee" was the shot in the arm the company needed. NYCB is IMO just a mess. So much time and energy to find "the next genius" in choreography, while the Balanchine just sits there, except when they pull it out for a celebration or an anniversary. And while I enjoy the dancers, there doesn't seem to be much coaching going on. And I feel as though I'm watching the same dancers over and over, I wish Martins would choreograph a piece using just corps members, I'd like to see if he actually knows the talent he has. As a side note...It was nice to see a Tobias review. I feel as though we've been wallowing in "everything is nice" commentary sans Gottlieb

I believe it's the x is pronounced like a z (think Zsa Zsa Gabor- z)

I saw the same performance as Colleen, so I don't have to much to add to her review. The mime in this ballet is still my favorite part. I think I could see this (and hopefully it stays in the rep) over and over and it still feels so timely. It's such a great human nature ballet. Lise counting in mock horror, all the babies and then scolding them. The overprotective mother, the scorned, dork of a lover, arranged marriages, money, crops, ribbon dancing and the Maypole! I left the theater with a great big grin on my face. It's such a light and funny piece. And I think it's a great introduction to ballet for people of all ages (despite the scary French title) I agree with Colleen, Murphy's acting seems more natural now. I enjoy Stiefel, maybe it's just me, but he seems much thinner than I remember him. And Barbee overdoes the Simone for my taste, I much prefer Guillame. But I really enjoyed Murphy. She had that youthful, naiive, but I totally know what I'm doing quality, that made her Lise all the more endearing. I wish they had a longer run of it, and running it during a holiday weekend was a bit unfortunate, but hopefully ABT keeps this in as a staple for their Spring Met Season.

When I first read it I thought he was also complaining about the NYCB dancers, referring to them as tools, and then with "Carousel" not meeting him halfway and his "lashing out at them". It could just be that the comments came at the very beginning of the article and the end of the article.

Bravo Leigh! I'm speechless, thank you for such remarkable insight. You've given me so much to think about.