koshka

About the loud shoes: probably the Kirov dancers are provided with Grishko or other Russian-produced shoes, and I know that Grishkos are notorious for their loudness. I vaguely recall noticing this at a Kirov performance either in DC or in St Petersburg. Oh, and another little tidbit about "Mariinsky"--the theater itself is often referred to as the "Mariinka". What is with the apparent trend toward seating latecomers during the performance? BAH! A few years ago I arrived late to BB and I was seated in the boxes at the rear of the theater until the end of the first act. Since then I have referred to the boxes as "the penalty boxes". :-)

I find that if I don't get the tickets in advance, somehow the space in my calendar just isn't there when the performance dates roll around. Also, I must say that the Kennedy Center is incredibly accommodating about changing ticket dates, though it can be a problem if I am out of town or not free for an entire run. I live 10 min by car from the Kennedy Center, so I have 2 ballet subscriptions there (in order to see both programs--usually each company has 2) plus a subscription to the Wash. Ballet's Kennedy Center performances (can't stand the Warner Theater...) plus a subscription to Boston Ballet. So I guess those are "planned". Beyond those 20-25 performances, I go to others as they catch my eye or interest. Sure is a good thing I don't have many other expensive habits.

Ah, so true. And why does this bring to mind La Volochkova's performance in DC last spring? All things in moderation...it is worth noting that a Kirov-in-Russia DonQ is a full hour longer than a Kirov-in-DC DonQ.

I know this is wandering off topic a bit, but ballet is just much more "mainstream" in Russia, and Russians who emigrate here seem to just continue that practice, though it's hard to know how it will be with the next generation. In Moscow and St Peterburg, it seems that for educated people it is absolutely standard to be up on who the big names are even in the absence of any special interest in ballet. One of my friends _always_ knew who was in and who was out and always asked with great interest who I had seen dance, but never ever had any interest in actually attending a performance. Kids are taken to children's theaters, then to matinees, then to evening performances. (Mariinsky tickets explicitly state that children under a certain age--11 I think--are not admitted to evening performances). Anyway, there is much more "audience participation"--not just the synchronized ovations, but clapping expected at certain junctures where here the music simply continues.

Redstorm, I totally agree that sometimes it is really fun to get dressed up, and it is also fun to see everybody else dressed up. Sometimes the weather and performance time (sunny Sun. matinees) allow for this, and sometimes they don't (cold weeknight performances). :speechless: :speechless: :speechless: :speechless:

Another thing that I am just remembering about my last trips to BB: there are soooooo many Russian speakers in the audience that I am just waiting for the first time a really good performance gets a Russian synchronized ovation. Russian audiences clap in sync for good performances, with the speed ramping up for the most popular performers.

Eeek! Definitely no t-shirts or bare tummies! :speechless: Anyway, isn't it too cold for that stuff?!?!?

I've seen it all, and as far as I'm concerned, anything that's neat and clean and doesn't bother others in the audience is OK. Black pants + sweater are a frequent combo for me. I would agree that jeans might stick out, so if you can persuade the teens to be a bit more formal, that would be good. For teens, the more important thing might be that if they are dressed more formally, they might act more formally (or maybe not...I'm told that formal clothing sometimes encourages formal behavior...) If they want to dress up, they should by all means enjoy the opportunity to do so. As a frequent balletgoer at the Kennedy Center, I truly don't care what people wear as long as they conduct themselves appropriately.

hehehe-- I have a Russian monopoly-knockoff that I stocked with genuine rubles. This raises the question: what would the money in this game be like? Colors? Decorations? Units?

I went to the Sunday matinee. The pieces performed were Mozartiana, The Gray Area, and Stars and Stripes. Both Adriana Suarez (Mozartiana) and Pollyana Ribiero (Liberty Bell in S&S) looked tired or off or something, although I still enjoyed their performances very much. I couldn't help wondering if BB's new scheduling has run them a bit ragged. The corps was amazing in both Balanchine pieces. The costumes in The Gray Area for the ladies were awful and distracting IMO. The men wore pale blue (gray?) lycra pants and white mesh-y tops. The ladies wore trunks in the same blue or gray, no tights (that was actually kind of cool--tights obscure some of the amazing muscle definition some of these dancers have!) and white mesh-y tops with nothing underneath, which was IMO gratuitous. Yuck. The dancing was cool though--very abstract. The main floor looked pretty full to me, which I thought was a good sign. It is true that BB is only doing this show for one weekend, but still I thought a relatively full house was a good sign.

bbfan--What you are describing is the Kennedy Center here in Washington. (I am not completely sure about the parking since I usually just park on the street.) Where one would put such a place in Boston, though, is a tough question. Maybe on the site in Somerville (?) where they were talking about an IKEA?

Here's an article about Ethan Steifel with a few tidbits of casting info: http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/arti..._on_motorcycle/

This weekend's BB is performing Stars and Stripes, Mozartiana, and The Grey Area (chor. David Dawson). Anybody going? (I am going to the Sun matinee.) Any word on casting or anything else?

I went Sat night (Feijoo/Yanovsky) and Sun afternoon (Ribiero/Carreno). Sat night I was in the center/rear orchestra and Sun I was in my preferred front-row seat. In my opinion, Feijoo has nothing on Ribiero. They both looked great technically, but I thought Ribiero had more "spark" or energy. Even at the coda at the very end, she looked as if she was ready to start all over again. But it could've been my superior (for my taste) seat on Sunday or the fact that I've been a huge Ribiero fan since her first year in the corps at BB. Other: I thought the mens and women's corps were both beautifully coached. It brought back memories of the then-pathbreaking Kirov-Boston Swan Lake of about 10 years ago. Costumes: I liked the costumes and sets, though at times I felt like maybe it would've been nice to see a bit more strong, clear reds and blacks rather than more muted oranges and browns. Minor notes: I thought the music was too fast at times, but perhaps I am just accustomed to the slightly different tempo on my CD. The front person on the horse was quite a ham--the horse did quite a bit of amusing pawing of the ground and wagging of the head. I found Ponomarenko's new red hair distracting, but it is always a delight to see her perform in any color hair. By contrast, it was refreshing to see few or no shaggy-haired men. It is kind of gross and unkempt when the men have long hair swinging and sweaty.

Many thanks for the casting info. Might have to try to get a Sat eve ticket at HotTix just to see another cast--as before, they all seem so great. I'm betting that if Ponomarkenko and Madrigal are doing both the Sat and Sun matinees, there will be a different cast on Sat night. I will try to take notes in the theater--that's the only way I'll have anything to report...

All the casts sound great, it's true. :-) My tickets are for Sun afternoon, so I'm still eager for a preview of the casting. BTW there is nothing crazy at all about seeing multiple casts.

There is only one way to find out how _you_ will like the 4th ring, and that's to try it. I do vaguely recall being up that high and not liking the view _at all_--I also like to be right up front, even if I'm off to the side or have an obstructed view. Do try the student rush specials if they have them (don't know anything about this)--the seats may well be closer, and of course if you're on the main floor, it is probably a lot easier to stealthily move up. Another idea, if you can possibly afford it, is to get a subscription (maybe they have student subscriptions?) to the very best/closest seats you can. I did this in Boston as a graduate student and it was worth every penny.

Can anyone point me to casting info for this weekend's performances? Thanks.

OK, my tips: For St Petersburg: if you email the Mariinsky and explain that you are trying to plan a trip, they might be able to send you the schedule for the whole season. This was my experience last year, anyway. They were very nice. Also, you can reserve/order tickets directly by email, which worked out wonderfully. (7 days in St Petersburg, of which I attended Mariinsky performance on 4 and a student performance on one!) Travel to Russia is, regrettably, still a major bureaucratic hassle. For this reason, it might be worth considering package tours and just picking and choosing the activities. The prices can be very competitive with airfare + moderate hotel. I have been to Russia about 10 times and I always keep this option in mind. The St Petersburg theaters continue to have dual pricing for foreigners and locals, but I hear that the Moscow theaters have finally done away with it. Other places: it can be very difficult to get schedules in advance unless you have a very specific goal (eg specific theater or company). However, nowadays most major theaters have an email address through which some information can be obtained (eg the Mariinsky and also the opera house in Sofia, which promptly replied to a query about a month ago). Otherwise, check a local paper for theater information and/or ask at your hotel and keep your eyes peeled for posters/etc. I caught a wonderful performance in Athens last weekend (POB at an ancient outdoor theater) because I spotted a poster and then looked up the information in the newspaper.

Alertniks-- Any info on zip code 22201 (Arlington north of Rte 50 toward Clarendon)? That's where I live and right now I'm on the road (see the Clavigo thread...). Haven't had any word one way or the other, though someone is staying at my house and my neighbors are the very best one could have in such an event--helpful _and_ sensible.

Indeed, the ancient theater is not exactly suited for installation of the gear needed for Flying by Foy. :-) One of the lead dudes (not Clavigo, one of the other 2) was indeed blond, but since there was no plot summary in the program and I didn't read up before going, I'm not sure if the blond dancer was the friend or the brother... Haha--one of the reasons I like ballet is that keeping track of the plot is not essential for enjoying the performance.

As far as I could tell, POB did only 2 performances in Athens, both Clavigo. For sets, they had some furniture-type pieces (chairs, bed, table) but nothing else. According to the review you linked, Clavigo descends like a spider during the dream scene--obviously this did not happen. I discarded my program before leaving Athens, so I don't know who danced the role of the brother. But I would not be surprised if it was the same guy who danced it in the performance seen by the reviewer.

OK, so I went, and it was great. It was even better to find out that the Herodus Atticus theater is only open during performances. Mashinka, next time I will grovel. :-) Anyway, the ballet was lovely although I really should have read a plot summary before going--it was rather hard to follow. Fortunately (as is often the case in ballet) it was possible to enjoy the ballet without understanding the plot. I agree with everything in the review linked by Estelle, and the principal casting was the same. The only thing I have to add is that I thought the ladies' first act costumes were really unflattering. They were too unconstructed or something, and they just didn't flatter--the corps looked kind of dumpy. I can also report that the Greeks have yet to master the fine art of price gouging on food for captive audiences. A baguette with ham and cheese and a bottle of water was 3 euros.

...more of the blow-by-blow I got a ticket--front row, on the side, 60 euros. You convinced me that I really must go just to see the setting and POB--to heck with whether Clavigo turns out to be my cup of tea. I must be looking poor or stupid or something, because the ticket seller somehow thought she had to make extra sure I knew the price was s-i-x-t-y euros. I told her that sometimes it hurts a little to pay for ballet tickets. :-) Of course, what was killing me was that I could hear the warmup class music coming out of the theater. I almost abandoned all pride whatsoever to beg the French-speaking people hanging around outside to get me in there to watch. <Sigh> I will try to take notes & update tomorrow or possibly Sunday.

Thanks for the input. I have never seen POB, and the setting is indeed the ancient theater just down the hill from the Acropolis. The setting is indeed amazing (don't know what the sets will be like...) I just went by the office and apparently I just have to go try for last-minute tickets... k