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MelissaK

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Everything posted by MelissaK

  1. Last night I watched a wrenching documentary on Alzheimer's disease and at one point during the program a list of famous people who were afflicted with the illness was shown. I was shocked to learn that Balanchine had Alzheimer's disease. Is this true and how advanced was the disease when he died?
  2. atm, I saw it on channel 25 too and enjoyed every minute of it. The clips of her dancing Dances at a Gathering, and especially Liebeslieder and Emeralds were gorgeous despite the poor film quality. She had such exquisite phrasing and musicality. And what a wonderful teacher she is: insightful, witty, supportive and all those fascinating remarks about Robbins and Balanchine. Let's hope the film is released on video soon.
  3. Alexandra, Have you read Wharton's 'The House of Mirth'? It's a sad story but beautifully written. I highly recommend it. Melissa
  4. There's a ballet sequence in Stanley Kubrick's 'Killer's Kiss'. In fact the ballerina was the then Mrs. Stanley Kubrick, Ruth Sobotka. Melissa
  5. My favorites: Margot Fonteyn Natalia Makarova Maya Plisetskaya Nadezda Pavlova Suzanne Farrell Merrill Ashley Violette Verdy Gelsey Kirkland Alessandra Ferri
  6. For me, this is a difficult question because I have yet to see a ballerina who masters both roles. Makarova was a model Odette: she lived and breathed the part, possessing all the vulnerability, pathos and lyricism required, as well as the supple upper body and liquid arms that made her Odette unforgettable. I think she was a good, but not great Odile. She was seductive but just not evil enough for my tastes. The best Odile I've seen hands down is Maya Plisetskaya. She was seductive, riveting, technically brilliant and eclipsed all the princesses at the ball. She was deliciously evil and I'll never forget when she reveals herself to Siegfried at the end of Act III she laughed maniacally at him and pushed him away contemptuously when he still thought she was Odette. This should be a good thread and I look forward to reading everyone's opinions on O & O.
  7. Marc, Thanks for the info re: Marie-Agnes Gillot. It was odd that she was dancing the Lilac Fairy's variation, but there was not a hint of lilac in her costume. What other roles has she danced? Melissa
  8. My faves are Natalia Makarova, Suzanne Farrell, Alessandra Ferri, Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya, Carla Fracci, Patricia McBride, Violette Verdy and Gelsey Kirkland. Melissa
  9. Last night I was watching on Classic Arts Showcase a portion of the Prologue to Sleeping Beauty. It was Nureyev's production staged for the Paris Opera Ballet and was filmed in 1999. The ballerina portraying the Lilac Fairy danced very beautifully: her pirouettes and line were gorgeous. Does anyone know the name of this lady? Thanks! Melissa
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