Alexandra

Yes, Hans -- they go for a formula, and they're using a 19th century formula, and it all FEELS like a formula. I hadn't responded to Simon's comment about MacMillan being the Andrew Lloyd Webber of ballet. Yes and no, I'd say. (Barnes has always been harsh on MacMillan, yet very supportive of Cranko, from what I've read, and I'd say Cranko was more ALW in some ways.) I like some of MacMillan's short ballets, but not the full-length ones (we've had this discussion before, and there are many people on the board who love "Manon" and "Romeo and Juliet," and of course, you're more than welcome to that opinion!!!) I'm one of those who thinks that MacMillan's full-lengths are mostly padding, and manipulative -- pushing the audience's buttons, deliberately tearing at the heartstrings, putting a comic scene after a tragic one, or vice versa, just, it seems, to make an effect, etc. (I'd also add that in the mid-1970s, I saw some splendid performances of Romeo and Juliet -- beautifully danced, thoughtful interpretations.

It does make you want to see that it! Although I hope he doesn't give anyone ideas.....

Here's Ms. Tinsley's bio, from NYCB's web site -- www.nycballet.com if you'd like to check out other bios) : That doesn't answer your question, of course It could be that the writer misunderstood, and that 13 was the age at which she entered the school. I don't know; that's just a guess.

They definiteliy can be uneven! I used to love Harlem's "Serenade," second only to NYCB's. They had such power, especially in the turns. I was, however, very happy to hear that Alicia Graf is back. fingers crossed -- no more injuries!!!

This is a very interesting thread, and I don't have time to do it justice now (I'm on a deadline and will come back later), but there are several points I can't resist responding to now. Simon, I agree totally on the "revealed meaning" problem. It's like someone rewriting all the children's stories and renaming the characters Scary, Good and Evil as a shortcut. To me, all the Freudian interpretations take the fun out of it. That's what coffee bars are for -- to discuss things, to say, yes, but don't you think Siegfried's mother is a bit..... I think there's a great divide, not just between Romanticists and Classicists (who can get along rather well) but between Realists and Classicists, or Realism and Abstraction (and, to me, the point of classicism is abstraction, distillation, objectivization of experience). The Realists want to see it live, in color, right there, life itself, vividly depicted. The Abstractionists want to see life at one remove, the ideal, the possible, not the actual. And I don't think the two points of view, or tastes, will often be satisfied by the same work. I did want to say something on Cranko's borrowing of steps -- Simon may well be right about Cranko's sources, but everyone borrows, or quotes. I think it's only plagiarism when you see an obscure work in an obscure place, and come home and mount it proudly as your own, knowing full well that no one will be able to "catch" you. I'm sure someone will come in with a list of things that Balanchine or Ashton "plagiarized." There's a lot in Petipa that is awfully close to Bournonville, but Bournonville may well have gotten it from Louis Henry, or Perrot, or Taglioni pere -- I've long harbored a suspicion that there was one long, very long, ballet made back in about 1649 and everything since has derived from it! I hope others will jump in -- but Simon, do you see any possibilities for the three-act form in classical ballet (or dance generally)? Audiences are drawn to it. John Martin, an ardent fan of modern dance, wrote in a NY Times Sunday piece back in 1956, after the Danes brought Ashton's "Romeo," that [paraphrasing] "Fifty years from now, when the 3-act ballet is once again ascendant, we will look back to this "Romeo and Juliet" as the start of its revival." He saw Ashton's "Romeo" as a revivification of the three-act form, yet that it was contemporary, and poetic, and classical ballet (I'd agree). So I think it is possible. What do others think?

Eric Taub reviews opening night of NYCB's Nutcracker for DanceView Times: A Whirlwind Nutcracker Jack Anderson, in the New York Times: Come On, Valiant Toys. Let's Fight Evil Mice

Ann Murphy in the Chronicle: 'Nutcracker' profits from new sugar-high pacing

Did anyone go to the opening? Paul Parish reviews the opening night of San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker in DanceView Times: Happy as Snow: A Joyous Nutcracker Opening

Did anyone go? Susan Reiter reviews Dance Theatre of Harlem's revamped St. Louis Woman in DanceView Times: A Revised St. Louis Woman, and the Return of Alicia Graf

Thanks to Ari for finding this one -- from the French Press Agency, but published in the Khaleej Times (Balanchine has a big reach): New York celebrates ballet during George Balanchine centennial

This just in from ABT: DAVID HALLBERG PROMOTED TO SOLOIST AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie has announced the promotion of David Hallberg to Soloist, effective January 2004. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, David Hallberg began jazz and tap classes at the age of ten. He began ballet training at age 13 with Kee Juan Han at the Arizona Ballet School in Phoenix. In 1999, he was accepted into the Paris Opera Ballet School where he continued his classical studies under the direction of Claude Bessy, Jacques Namont and Gilbert Meyer. Hallberg joined ABT’s Studio Company in September 2000 and the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre in April 2001. His roles with the Company include Espada in Don Quixote, the second sailor in Fancy Free, the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, the Friend of the Family in Pillar of Fire, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Benno in Swan Lake, and leading roles in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C (first movement) and Theme and Variations. He has also performed featured roles in William Forsythe’s workwithinwork and Stanton Welch’s Clear. Hallberg created the title role in Robert Hill’s Dorian. Hallberg was a recipient of the Princess Grace Fellowship and the Chris Hellman Dance Award for 2002-2003.

I agree -- that's what I was trying to address above. The choreography in Ashton's Romeo and Cinderella does (my two favorite R&Js are the polar opposites, Ashton's and Lavrovsky's, one intimate and the other grand, as you say). I'd also compare Ashton's much maligned Marguerite and Armand -- another distillation. I wrote something along these lines on another thread recently -- that often Ashton is misunderstood, I think, that he's taken too literally. Marguerite and Armand is a series of pictures, flashbacks from Marguerite's fevered imagination; it's not a literal, linear retelling of the story. So is Month -- it's scenes, scenes that can be danced, and in that piece, I think Ashton went further than anyone has yet in using the classical vocabulary to advance plot and delineate character.

The great story ballets aren't about the story, although the story must be clearly told. Those who appreciate Petipa's Sleeping Beauty or Ashton's Cinderella know how it will turn out. It's how the story unfolds that matters in classical ballet, and many of the greatest ballets have the slightest stories. They're like "The Faerie Queen," a pretext for poetry.

Welcome, Simon, and thank you for such a thought-provoking post. I don't think there's a problem with the form itself. What would the Royal look like with a core repertory of: "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty" with Ashton's additions And Ashton's: Cinderella Romeo and Juliet Ondine Sylvia The Two Pigeons (2 acts) La Fille Mal Gardee (which is sometimes given in 3 acts) Not even thinking about the Raymonda he wanted to choreograph and the Bournonville La Sylphide he wanted to acquire. So I think there's nothing wrong with the three-act ballet -- or the one-act ballet -- in itself. I wonder if Ashton would have felt differently if there were more music suitable to three-acts -- he had no trouble with R&J and Cinderella, which carried the story through three acts? I'm a fan of "Jewels," too, of course, and would be very happy with more ballets in that line.

I haven't seen Maffre nearly as much as djb or Paul, of course, but SFB comes to DC about every other year and I've always admired her. Her dancing has depth (the intelligence already mentioned). I espcially liked her this past season in "Dances at a Gathering." She had wit there -- the Girl in Green (the Verdy role). No self-pity or lack of confidence at all when the second man left her, just a shrug, and a "what's wrong with him?" And she's musical and has beautiful lines, and you never quite know what she's going to do.

Casting for Week One: NEW YORK CITY BALLET PRINCIPAL CASTING FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 2 – DEC. 7, 2003 GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER™ TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 2, 6:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: Ringer; CAVALIER: Tewsley; DEWDROP: Somogyi; MARZIPAN: Mandradjieff; HOT CHOCOLATE: Keenan, Hanna; COFFEE: Abergel; TEA: De Luz; CANDY CANE: Gold; MOTHER GINGER: Danchig-Waring; FLOWERS: van Kipnis, Tinsley; DOLLS: Hyltin, Pazcoguin; SOLDIER: Froman; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Fayette; HOSTESS: Bar; HOST: Fowler WEDNESDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 3, 11:00 A.M. (This is a special free performance for New York City school children, closed to the general public.) (Conductor: Quinn) SUGARPLUM: Taylor; CAVALIER: Marcovici; DEWDROP: Bouder; MARZIPAN: *Fairchild; HOT CHOCOLATE: *Hankes, *Orza; COFFEE: Reichlen; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Ulbricht; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: Keenan, *Wolf; DOLLS: Dronova, Labean; SOLDIER: Severini; MOUSE KING: Seth; HERR DROSSELMEIER: La Fosse**; HOSTESS: Abergel; HOST: Hanna WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 6:00 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) SUGARPLUM: Ansanelli; CAVALIER: Woetzel; DEWDROP: Bouder; MARZIPAN: Edge; HOT CHOCOLATE: Abergel, Seth; COFFEE: Krohn; TEA: Hendrickson; CANDY CANE: Suozzi; MOTHER GINGER: J. Stafford; FLOWERS: Rutherford, Hanson; DOLLS: Fairchild, Flynn; SOLDIER: Carmena; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Kramarevsky; HOSTESS: Beskow; HOST: la Cour THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 4, 6:00 P.M. (Conductor: Fiorato) SUGARPLUM: Kowroski; CAVALIER: Neal; DEWDROP: Borree; MARZIPAN: Bouder; HOT CHOCOLATE: Beskow, *J. Stafford; COFFEE: Hanson; TEA: Ulbricht; CANDY CANE: Gold; MOTHER GINGER: Danchig-Waring; FLOWERS: van Kipnis, Taylor; DOLLS: Hyltin, Pazcoguin; SOLDIER: Suozzi; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Fayette; HOSTESS: Bar; HOST: Hanna FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 5, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: Ringer; CAVALIER: Soto; DEWDROP: Weese; MARZIPAN: Riggins; HOT CHOCOLATE: Rutherford, Higgins; COFFEE: Reichlen; TEA: De Luz; CANDY CANE: Hendrickson; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: Abergel, Golbin; DOLLS: Dronova, Labean; SOLDIER: Ulbricht; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: La Fosse**; HOSTESS: Beskow; HOST: la Cour SATURDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 6, 2:00 P.M. (Conductor: Fiorato) SUGARPLUM: Ringer; CAVALIER: Askegard; DEWDROP: Ansanelli; MARZIPAN: Edge; HOT CHOCOLATE: Hankes, Orza; COFFEE: Arthurs; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Ulbricht; MOTHER GINGER: J. Stafford; FLOWERS: Bar, Krohn; DOLLS: Fairchild, Flynn; SOLDIER: Froman; MOUSE KING: Seth; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Fayette; HOSTESS: Abergel; HOST: Hanna SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 6, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) SUGARPLUM: Somogyi; CAVALIER: Boal; DEWDROP: Taylor; MARZIPAN: Mandradjieff; HOT CHOCOLATE: Golbin, Hanna; COFFEE: Krohn; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: *De Luz; MOTHER GINGER: Danchig-Waring; FLOWERS: TBA, Hanson; DOLLS: Hyltin, Pazcoguin; SOLDIER: Severini; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Kramarevsky; HOSTESS: Bar; HOST: la Cour SUNDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 7, 1:00 P.M. (Conductor: Fiorato) SUGARPLUM: Ansanelli; CAVALIER: Millepied; DEWDROP: van Kipnis; MARZIPAN: Riggins; HOT CHOCOLATE: Bar, *la Cour; COFFEE: Abergel; TEA: Suozzi; CANDY CANE: Hendrickson; MOTHER GINGER: J. Stafford; FLOWERS: *Reichlen, *Muller; DOLLS: Fairchild, Flynn; SOLDIER: Ulbricht; MOUSE KING: Seth; HERR DROSSELMEIER: La Fosse**; HOSTESS: Beskow; HOST: Hanna SUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 5:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: Taylor; CAVALIER: Marcovici; DEWDROP: Weese; MARZIPAN: Fairchild; HOT CHOCOLATE: Beskow, J. Stafford; COFFEE: Hanson; TEA: De Luz; CANDY CANE: Gold; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: Bar, Krohn; DOLLS: Dronova, Labean; SOLDIER: Froman; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Kramarevsky; HOSTESS: Abergel; HOST: la Cour

I'd suggest we leave Edison, or continue that discussion in PMs or email, and come back to artists

And Hilary Osterle in the Financial Times: Balanchine 100 New York City Ballet New York

Copied over from today's Links: Another review of NYCB's opening night by Jocelyn Noveck for the Associated Press.

Happy Thanksgiving! In the NYTimes, Anna Kisselgoff reviews NYCB's opening night gala: Celebrating Balanchine, From Kinky to Classic

I've been told something very similar about Vera Volkova [i.e., I remember a story about "floating arms like a parachute" but nothing more specific] in her classes in Copenhagen (1951-1973). I don't know the origin of the metaphor, but Balanchine observed Volkova's classes (and brought his dancers over in the summer to take those classes) in the 1940s in London.

I'd agree - I"m not suggesting a lowering of technical standards at all. The argument between "you just want to see athletic ability" and "you just want to see emoters" comes up a lot -- most people want both, each person gives "points" for different things. For me, there's a basic technical standard that you shouldn't drop below, but there's much more needed than that basic technical standard. There's also the issue of coaching. When I was watching the company a lot and talking to people, there was a phrase that came up over and over "She's one where you had to set every finger" (that was the coaches, older dancers, or teachers talking.) Meaning that there was extreme attention and help given to a dancer that produced a perofrmance beyond what the dancer was able to give on his/her own.

Tobi Tobias reviews the New York City Ballet opener in her ArtsJournal blog, Seeing Things: SPEAKING OF BALANCHINE (She also answers, in passing, the question we've asked here about whatever happened to That Postage Stamp:)

Mindy Aloff reviews last night's New York City Ballet gala opening in DanceView Times: A Gala Opening, with Brilliant Dancing

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