Alexandra

Thanks, Dave! No, no. I'm absolutely not saying "don't you dare say anything negative!" Not at all. We want people to post their honest opinions, pro or con. Otherwise, there's no point in having a discussion group. We put up the "dancers read this board" reminder from time to time because often people forget that. We'd prefer that people wouldn't post things like "his entrechats are as hideous as his jug ears," say (not that anyone has done that on this thread) and would also remind dancers or their mothers that if reading "I didn't care at all for John Doe's performance in Apollo. He doesn't have the technique for it, and he's the company's jester so I can't imagine why they'd cast him in the part" is a "personal attack" in your eyes, then it's best not to read these boards. Enough said on this subject -- back to the performances!

Longfellow! Now THAT'S daring!!! (My proudest childhood accomplishment was memorizing "Evangeline.")

New York -- here's his web site Doug Varone

No, no. Literally just print more money (how inflation happens; the government runs out of money and just keeps the printing presses on) Or borrow it. Whatever. I was being facetious ;)

Way to go, Old-Fashioned. Don't forget to tell them that you're A Young Person with disposable income.

This is a great idea, treefrog. Thank you. I wouldn't be very successful, but I guess I'd take the "don't divert money from anything, just print more!" approach. I think that would go down well these days! There's a new tactic that people are using to say that having the arts downtown is a good way to revitalize downtown, so maybe I'd pick a Congressman from a district with a rotting big city and pitch it there. What else could we do?

Dido, I think the reference to "public that is becoming less and less aware of what good ballet is" is much more a criticism of what's being served to us than that somehow we should know better and don't. The more we see fourth and fifth rate productions or even second rate ones badly cast and poorly coached and staged, the more that becomes the norm. Not saying that we still don't have great dancers, but like fine paintings, they look their best in a good frame. I think your "go to the video" is a wise thought. There ARE solid productions and stellar performances available. It's not the same as being there; you can't FEEL them. But you can see it working.

I can only guess -- partly because it's original name was Ballet Theatre, but more likely for the same reason that sometimes when writing people will write "City Ballet" instead of New York City Ballet. It could be as simple as not wanting to say American Ballet Theatre three times in a row, or for the rhytm of the sentence, or to avoid using the initials. (And if the writer is referring to ABT during the time it was known as Ballet Theatre, then it's to be historically accurate.)

NEW YORK CITY BALLET PRINCIPAL CASTING FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 24 – FEB. 29, 2004 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24, 7:30 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) AURORA: *Bouder; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Woetzel; LILAC FAIRY: Kowroski; CARABOSSE: Nichols; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Abergel; CATALABUTTE: Kramarevsky; TENDERNESS: *Laracey; VIVACITY: Riggins; GENEROSITY: *Arthurs; ELOQUENCE: Mandradjieff; COURAGE: *Lowery; AFRICA: Crenshaw; ASIA: Veyette; EUROPE: Angle; AMERICA: Orza; GOLD: Askegard; DIAMOND: van Kipnis; EMERALD: Rutherford; RUBY: Fairchild; WHITE CAT: Flynn; PUSS IN BOOTS: Orza; RED RIDING HOOD: De Vivo++; WOLF: Seth; PRINCESS FLORINE: Edge; BLUEBIRD: Gold; JESTERS: Laurent, Severini, Peiffer WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Kaplow) AURORA: *Ansanelli; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Martins; LILAC FAIRY: *Hankes; CARABOSSE: Kowroski; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Muller; CATALABUTTE: Froman; TENDERNESS: Hanson; VIVACITY: Keenan; GENEROSITY: Rutherford; ELOQUENCE: Dronova; COURAGE: Bar; AFRICA: Seth; ASIA: J. Stafford; EUROPE: Higgins; AMERICA: Hanna; GOLD: *Orza; DIAMOND: *Riggins; EMERALD: Edge; RUBY: Mandradjieff; WHITE CAT: Hyltin; PUSS IN BOOTS: Ramasar; RED RIDING HOOD: Fellini++; WOLF: Tworzyanski; PRINCESS FLORINE: Fairchild; BLUEBIRD: De Luz; JESTERS: Ulbricht, Carmena, Hendrickson THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) AURORA: Bouder; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Woetzel; LILAC FAIRY: Kowroski; CARABOSSE: Ashley; KING: Lyon+;QUEEN: Beskow; CATALABUTTE: Kramarevsky; TENDERNESS: Abergel; VIVACITY: Flynn; GENEROSITY: Krohn; ELOQUENCE: Hyltin; COURAGE: Barak; AFRICA: Crenshaw; ASIA: Veyette; EUROPE: Angle; AMERICA: Orza; GOLD: Hanna; DIAMOND: Tinsley; EMERALD: Keenan; RUBY: van Kipnis; WHITE CAT: Dronova; PUSS IN BOOTS: Suozzi; RED RIDING HOOD: De Vivo++; WOLF: Seth; PRINCESS FLORINE: Riggins; BLUEBIRD: Hendrickson; JESTERS: Laurent, Severini, Peiffer FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 27, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) AURORA: Ringer; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Neal; LILAC FAIRY: Tinsley; CARABOSSE: Nichols; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Abergel; CATALABUTTE: Froman; TENDERNESS: Beskow; VIVACITY: Riggins; GENEROSITY: Körbes; ELOQUENCE: Mandradjieff; COURAGE: Golbin; AFRICA: Seth; ASIA: J. Stafford; EUROPE: Higgins; AMERICA: Hanna; GOLD: J. Stafford; DIAMOND: van Kipnis; EMERALD: Rutherford; RUBY: Fairchild; WHITE CAT: Flynn; PUSS IN BOOTS: Orza; RED RIDING HOOD: Fellini++; WOLF: Tworzyanski; PRINCESS FLORINE: Edge; BLUEBIRD: Gold; JESTERS: Ulbricht, Carmena, Hendrickson SATURDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 28, 2:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) AURORA: Borree; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Hübbe; LILAC FAIRY: Reichlen; CARABOSSE: Ashley; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Muller; CATALABUTTE: Froman; TENDERNESS: Laracey; VIVACITY: Keenan; GENEROSITY: Arthurs; ELOQUENCE: Dronova; COURAGE: Lowery; AFRICA: Crenshaw; ASIA: Veyette; EUROPE: Angle; AMERICA: Orza; GOLD: Hanna; DIAMOND: Riggins; EMERALD: Edge; RUBY: Mandradjieff; WHITE CAT: Hyltin; PUSS IN BOOTS: Ramasar; RED RIDING HOOD: De Vivo++; WOLF: Seth; PRINCESS FLORINE: Fairchild; BLUEBIRD: De Luz; JESTERS: Laurent, Severini, Peiffer SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 28, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Kaplow) AURORA: Weese; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Boal; LILAC FAIRY: Hankes; CARABOSSE: Ashley; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Beskow; CATALABUTTE: Kramarevsky; TENDERNESS: Abergel; VIVACITY: Flynn; GENEROSITY: Rutherford; ELOQUENCE: Hyltin; COURAGE: Bar; AFRICA: Seth; ASIA: J. Stafford; EUROPE: Angle; AMERICA: Hanna; GOLD: Orza; DIAMOND: Tinsley; EMERALD: Keenan; RUBY: Mandradjieff; WHITE CAT: Dronova; PUSS IN BOOTS: Suozzi; RED RIDING HOOD: De Vivo++; WOLF: Tworzyanski; PRINCESS FLORINE: Riggins; BLUEBIRD: Hendrickson; JESTERS: Laurent, Severini, Peiffer SUNDAY MATINEE, FEBRUARY 29, 3:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) AURORA: Ansanelli; PRINCE DÉSIRÉ: Martins; LILAC FAIRY: Tinsley; CARABOSSE: Nichols; KING: Lyon+; QUEEN: Abergel; CATALABUTTE: Kramarevsky; TENDERNESS: Hanson; VIVACITY: Riggins; GENEROSITY: Krohn; ELOQUENCE: Mandradjieff; COURAGE: Golbin; AFRICA: Seth; ASIA: J. Stafford; EUROPE: Angle; AMERICA: Hanna; GOLD: Askegard; DIAMOND: Bouder; EMERALD: Rutherford; RUBY: van Kipnis; WHITE CAT: Flynn; PUSS IN BOOTS: Orza; RED RIDING HOOD: Fellini++; WOLF: Tworzyanski; PRINCESS FLORINE: Fairchild; BLUEBIRD: De Luz; JESTERS: Ulbricht, Carmena, Hendrickson * First Time in Role + Guest Artist ++ Student of the School of American Ballet PROGRAM AND CASTING SUBJECT TO CHANGE (02/17/04)

I'm copying over something Ari posted on Links for discussion. Ismene Brown covers several things we talk about here in this review -- and I have to say I'm glad to see this in print! Ismene Brown reviews Northern Ballet Theatre's new Swan Lake. What is/will be the effect of "a public that is becoming less and less aware of what good ballet is? Is it good for audiences, ballets and/or dancers to have an artistic director of a ballet company say that the traditional classics are "stiff and posed soulless showcases for technique"?

I'd like to add my thanks -- it's wonderful to have a record of this!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do it, HF.

Followers of the SPAC story: be sure to check today's Links thread. There are several articles about the SPAC issue, including a group of fans who've banded together to try to stop this.

I think what often happens, in arts politics as well as other politics, is that someone(s) doesn't like a particular program and they find the ONE cheating welfare mother, $6 million dollar toiilet in the Defense Department, etc., or Karen Finlay to say, "SEE, it's all like this. This is terrible! Let's shut it down!" instead of looking at the whole picture. It's the "60 Minutes" syndrome. One person dies from a drug that helps millions, one person is defrauding the Medicaid system, etc, and because it's so much easier to focus on an individual, one story, one weeping widow, we cut a program in half.

And this is why we don't discuss politics on the board Simon, I think Mashinka lives in London and whether you agree with her or not, she has a right to her opinion. There's much disagreement in countries (and here, it's state by state) on whether the effect of the lottery is pernicious or beneficial. We'd be best to limit the discussion to the funding of arts.

It's interesting that, by our small, unscientific poll, more people would be like to go to see something because of a rave than to stay home because of a pan. I like that, actually. It seems natural that, whether by writing or by phoning a friend, people say "You've got to see this!" because it's good, they like it, and they want people, at least people with similar tastes, to see it too. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever written a pan with the hopes that people would stay away -- if anything, you want them to go so that there are witnesses ! (That's an unscientific comment, of course, but I hadn't thought of a difference in motivation before.)

Anyone see this? Reports, please!!

rkoretzky, you're running into the New Haven, or "out of town try-out" problem. Do all Broadway shows "premiere" in New Haven, or "debut" there?

Good going, rkoretzky! Placards for the People!

Thanks for writing that, Bethy -- there are a lot of Stiefel fans here, and I'm sure they'll be interested to read it. "Flames of Paris" really doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it? It's got more turns in it than any other showpiece I can think of!

Thank you, Giannina -- it does sound interesting. Several European friends who've seen this (and liked it) described it as more a theater piece than a ballet. It's coming here -- for a week -- week after next, and going to New York next week, so I hope we'll have more comments. Neumeier is so highly regarded in Europe and virtually unknown here, it's time we got to see some of his work.

Nan, go up a few posts; Mel answers you.

Jane's question got lost in the discussion so I'm repeating it:

You know, all you Saratogans and Summer Saratogans might write letters to the editor on this one, as well as to the board of SPAC.

Good points, tempusfugit! I've been thinking a lot lately of the alternate universe that the angel shows Jimmy Stewart in "A Wonderful Life." We seem to be living in it! Something went wrong.

[an earlier post on this thread was deleted as inappropriate]