koshka

Hi YouOverThere.

Welcome to DC!

Yes, DC traffic and parking can be trying, and the Harman Center is tougher for parking than the Kennedy Center (!). That said, metro can work to Silver Spring, and there is parking to be had for lower cost/free around the Harman Center if you can do some scouting. There is, for example, a garage near 9th and D that charges $10, or $7 with ticket stub. For Kennedy Center performances, there's street parking to be had within a 10-minute walk, but it's best to either allow some time or to familiarize yourself with the area.

As for the fashion standards: Well, DC is (ahem) not really known for style, and many people do attend performances right after work. The weekend ballet crowd at the Kennedy Center is a bit more formal, and the Kennedy Center opera crowd is more formal still.

Now, as for the performances: I thought the "gala" format was a bit odd, but it was enjoyable, and for the friend with whom I attended, it was like "Cliff Notes" ballet. Once a season, it's OK. And I did like Stars and Stripes.

Again, welcome, and good luck with attending future performances!

Do not know anything about classes but would love to hear.

The Mariinsky calendar is usually up for a full year, but it doesn't seem to show school performances. I don't know how to find out about them in advance, but I know they have sometimes occurred at theaters other than the Mariinsky--I caught one by sheer chance once at the Concert Hall. You would have to check the individual theaters' schedules.

There is a small theater museum--a gem. i can look up the address.

Ballet-specific shopping: the Grishko shop on Gorokhovaya; the music shop on Nevsky (carries sheet music for ballet class among other items); the Lomonosov china stores, which often carry ballet-themed teacups, etc.

White Nights is peak tourist season, so there's lots to do but it's very crowded, with prices to match.

If I were planning a spring trip, I might examine the ballet calendard to see what's appealing with an eye toward possibly catching a Vaganova school performance (ideally a graduation performance).

It is true that there is much more English signage and that the city in general is much, much more tourist-friendly than it was 20 years ago.

So--if you are up for learning the Cyrillic alphabet (not all that hard, esp. if you know a few Greek letters already) and you are normally a do-it-yourself tourist, you could probably book hotel, airport transfer, and ballet tickets and then away you go!

The only difference between Russia and other countries is then the visa situation. Getting a visa is a complicated process, but it essentially involves getting a hotel voucher (indicating that you have a hotel prepaid) and then applying for the visa. There are firms that can help with this process, or you can do it on your own. It is a bit of a hassle, and it is moderately costly in time and/or money, but it is very doable, especially with advance planning.

You should be able to arrange a St Petersburg-only tour, or perhaps a StP-only tour with a few extra nights added on when you're on your own.

I wouldn't say it's easy to arrange independent travel to Russia, but it's less hard than it once was. You can book hotels and flights online, and most hotels will offer airport pickup (which I would recommend). The hotel will typically provide the materials needed to apply for a visa. Ballet tickets can be bought online.

I personally like April and October for travel to Russia, but the long nights of May-June are hard to resist...

Love the video with the cat!

So I am curious: How common is it for a cat to appear on stage at Russian theaters? I'd guess that the theaters have resident cats, but that the cats _generally_ steer clear of the noise and lights of a performance.

Perhaps this comment will mark me as a hopeless philistine, but I really, really want to ride the Wuppertal monorail now, especially if it occasionally features avant garde dance.

At some theaters (maybe at the Kennedy Center), the standard announcement is to turn off "anything that beeps or glows".

My preferred (and subscription) seats are in the front row, so I rarely have glowing devices in my field of view, but I can imagine that it would be very distracting.

The problem of phones that come back to life to sound alarms even if they are "off" is a difficult one. I know we should all know how to control our devices, but (alas) the reality is that many of us now have more than one of these devices, and they get replaced annually. Most people I know, including the very tech-savvy and conscientious, have been caught by surprise by a new device...but usually only once! It's just really unfortunate if that once is in an auditorium. :-(

The problem of those who are avoidably and inconsiderately noisy or distracting is easier to solve technically, but harder to solve practically.

Finally, as for clothing--I do love to see people all dressed up, but I'm not there to see them, I'm there to see the show.

I have an extra ticket--or possibly two extra tickest (I have two and will be able to use one at most).

Wow--such a long-dormant thread. My response from 8 (!!!!!) years ago is pretty much still all true. A few more thoughts.

Yes, the youngsters do surpass one--well, they surpass me! In fact, in the time since my earlier (2003) post, several dancers at the school where I most often take classes has gone from being tiny tots to being the standouts in the top level. It is a joy to watch.

A bit more on the presence of teens in adult classes: at this school, adults are rarely or never permitted to take the "level" classes for the children and teens. Exceptions would be if an adult is performing with the school and, more rarely, if an adult participating in a performance in other ways wants to join the pre-performance warmup. The teens join adult classes for makeups, during school breaks (summer and Christmas), and if they decide to step off the pre-pro track. _In general_, the teens are a pleasure to have in class--they have been taught appropriate class manners, and they abide by those standards in adult classes. Occasionally the younger teens have .... lapses, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

Why am I (still) taking class? It feels good, and it is good for my mental and physical health. There is always something that can get better. It is true that some avenues of improvement are more promising than others at this stage, but there is still plenty to work on!

I remain fortunate to have access to a school with one or more daily classes that are at a good level for me and that are at times that work for me (correspondingly, I am fortunate to have a workplace where my leaving in time to make it to class is heartily supported).

I have not had a chance to watch all the videos yet, but I am saving them as a special treat. Thank you so much! Bart is absolutely right--it's so wonderful to see a series of rehearsals. It was also good to have the reminder that the performance is coming in time to get tickets.

Might be blah if you've seen all of these pieces before, but I don't think I've seen any of them so far so I'm looking forward to it.

But once of each program will probably be enough.

Thanks for the heads-up!

For me, it's the front row if at all possible. I am not all that tall, and I like the close up view. Every so often I sit somewhere else, and then I can't wait to get back to the front row.

A few notes from last night, the first night of the final round.

1. The very first couple, Ji Young Chae and Ki-Min Kim, of Korea, set the standard for the evening with a lively, precise Esmeralda pas de deux. Unfortunately, I didn't find this couple's contemporary piece at all appealing.

2. Tamas Krizsa, the noncompeting partner of Maki Onuki (both of Washington Ballet), injured himself near the end of one of his solo portions of their pas de deux. He appeared to stumble out of the last (or nearly the last) of a series of leaps around the stage, then staggered a few steps, then fell to his knees. The music was stopped, the stage lights were brought down, and the hosts reported soon after that on-site medical staff had determined that he should be taken to a hospital with an apparent ruptured [Achilles?] tendon.

Prior to the injury, they were dancing beautifully. There is a very dramatic size difference in this couple, and at first I thought the size difference made for an odd combination. But it actually worked quite well, with his power and strength allowing him to support and lift her effortlessly.

3. The solo male competitors, Esteban Hernandez (jr, Mexico) and Rodrigo Almares (sr, Cuba) were both impressive.

4. The Belarusian couple Ekaterina Oleynik and her noncompeting partner Kanstantin Kuzniatsou did a rich and detailed Sleeping Beauty pdd and then a showstopping contemporary piece that was reminiscent of Balanchine and Pilobolus, with lots of complex and surprising partnering, beautiful lines, and athleticism.

Tonight I will remember to bring a pen so that I can record my impressions in real time more fully.

A bump and a related question.

I'll be there to see Round 3 and visit friends. Are there other events / classes that might be open and of interest?

I saw the film today (in DC).

My read is that Anne Bass was actually _less_ present in the film than her place in the story warranted, and so I thought in that regard the film showed restraint. I actually would've liked to hear more from her.

As for her role in Sy's life, I assumed that it was along the lines of "this is someone who has enough money that she can undertake a project like this without worrying about the cost, who has the connections to make it happen, and who loves ballet". That might be naive, but that was my take.

I thought the film was quite fair and clear about how difficult such a transition was (and has been) for its star. It's a documentary--not a fairy tale. Time will tell what the ultimate ending is, though the most interesting comment along those lines was from Peter Boal, who said that he expects Sy to create something completely different that reflects his unique background.

As for the assessment of Sy's body type, or physical facility for ballet: didn't seem out of the ordinary to me at all. Oh, and I did think he has a truly remarkable demi plie.

Hi all.

I have 2 tickets to the open rehearsal (Weds afternoon) and possibly one ticket to the Weds performance that I cannot use and would be have to give (free) to anyone who can use them. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks. I had spotted more than one translation, but I don't know the actual Russian title.

I'm now wondering where my teacher would've heard the music. Do you know if this ballet was in the repertoire of Russian/Soviet companies?

All-

A question that came from one of my teachers. Is anyone aware of any video or audio recordings of M. I. Chulaki's False Bridegroom? I believe that this ballet was created in the mid to late 1940s.

Thanks.

k

Yes, you will be able to see feet. I am a long-torsoed 5'4", and I can see feet if I sit up straight!

I love love love my front-row subscription seats.

I'm with Marga that the very best seats are in the front row. Occasionally I have a fit of cheapness and get tickets elsewhere, and I always regret it.

[My Kennedy Center subscription seats are front and center, and my neighbors and I can't stand sitting anywhere else.]

So...for NYCB: I've only been once recently, but I was very happy to get a front row seat. One feature that was really nice was having a great view of the conductor.

But, as others have said, you should also consider the tastes of your family and your budget.

k

I noticed the photo too, and wondered what the story behind it is. I think the photo was in her second home--it was in the part where they were interviewing her daughter.

I liked the film a lot, though I was left wanting to know more about the commercial/advertising side, since well over half of the pages in the magazine are ads.

Re seating: the first row in orchestra in the center section when the pit is in use is G (my subscription seats are there). I'm not sure about the sides. I have to sit up fairly straight to see the feet, but then I'm only 5'4".

It seems like the Bolshoi used local students for the puppet show. But I can see how it would add complication to cast it.

The men's variations looked different in a number of ways--I'm curious about how much customizing was going on.

I don't think Shklyarov did the pirouette-double tour series at all, for example.

I though a revoltade was one of those sort crazy looking jumps with the legs NOT in a closed position (and done by one of the other men, though I forget which one). Must find some video and figure it out...

As always I cannot hold a candle to Natalia's descriptions, but here are a few of my impressions from Thursday night (Tereshkina/Fadeev) and this afternoon (Obraztsova/Shklyarov).

I must agree with the newspaper reviewers that the production overall seemed a bit "flat". I am not sure how to describe it beyond that--DonQ should be very bouncy, lively, and fun (I gather that it is the "kids' ballet", much like Nut here). The dancing in both performances was very, very good, but overall it was just a bit flat.

Missing were the puppet show in the second (? gypsy camp) act and also the reprise or encore-like bit at the end which I seem to recall turns into bows-with-music in Russian theaters (am I recalling correctly, Natalia?).

I expected to like Obraztsova better, and she certainly has the perkiness that I associate with Kitri. She was a delight. Tereshkina, however, was stunning--I can see her as a great Odette/Odile, with emphasis on the latter part of the role. Her technique is so strong that it became a tool or instrument rather than a challenge, so that nothing looked hard. Fantastic.

I liked both Basils very much as well, though I could swear that they did completely different variations. Fadeevl did a remarkable sequence of pirouette-double tour-pirouette-double tour and also some tour-assembles (or some close relative thereof) at about a 45 degree angle. Shklyarov showed some leisurely (in a good way) double cabrioles.

So, did the two Basils do different variations?

Another Russia/US question: in the one-armed lift in the first act, the music stops completely for a moment. I seem to recall that Russian audiences applaud, and it's as if Basil won't put Kitri down until there's applause. And here...dead silence.

All in all, I was very happy to have seen two performances with great casts all around.

Thanks for the update--I think I have tickets for 2/19 and have never seen Flames of Paris. To see Simkin would be an added treat.