Alexandra

I split this off from the timeline thread in Discovering Ballet. Very good stab, Mel. I'd just thought of the 1929-1945 period as a "post-Ballet Russe" period, but I like yours better. I think the Expressionist strain continued -- MacMillan, especially -- but after the war, there was a "neoclassical" revival (I don't think that's a proper use of the term, but it's what's always used, so my objection is moot.) I'd call the Balanchine-Ashton period the new neoclassical period and date it from the late '40s -- "Symphony in C," "Symphonic Variations" -- and also Lifar's "Suite en blanc" and Lander's "Etudes." As for now, I'd go for The Electic Period or the Who's In Charge Here? period. It will be interesting if this will turn out to be a transition period, or if, well, this is it.

Re Felix Kschessinsky and daughter, I can't resist an aside. It's one of my favorite stories. He was a great character dancer (and his daughter, was, indeed, THE Kschessinska). He danced until he was 80, when a fall through the trap door during Sleeping Beauty made him think about a career change. I've always wondered if it was an accident.....

Thanks very much for that, Kay. Regarding the RDB and Balanchine, I think they dance him in their own style, as NYCB dances Bournonville Divertissements in its own style. It's interesting that the company is bringing a mixed repertory (Balanchine as well as new works) -- on other tours this year, including to Washington, they're doing all Balanchine. (I actually think it's better for them to include new works on the tour as it gives a better picture of the company.)

Have you ever thought of a pseudonym?

Simon Dow danced with Washington Ballet for several years (very nice dancer) and was assistant (or possibly associate, I forget) artistic director for a year -- one of the poor fellow who came in thinking they had the company only to find that Miss Day still reigned. I saw one of his ballets then -- very after Forsythe, during the period when Forsythe's "ballets" had some dancers doing nonstop movement with others walking around with odd things on their heads. I also saw a piece he did for a workshop at WB, a very heartfelt work about AIDS that I didn't find very interesting as choreography. (I'd also say that he had the reputation here for being a very, very nice person as well as an excellent teacher, especially good at working with dancers who are injured, with a gift for slowly bringing them back to fighting shape.)

The second act of Swan Lake had men, too -- one huntsman for every two swans. In England, the lack of men definitely changed the choreography. There weren't many to begin with, and from 1939 to 1945 there were hardly any because of the war. (One touching story I read was when one young man did his last performance before being called up he got the typical front of the curtain calls usually reserved for stars -- after performing Wilfrid in Giselle.)

I hate to intervene, but I think long arguments about performances we haven't seen aren't helpful to the discussion. Both Effy and Kay have seen the company before many times. Even if they hadn't, though, I think people want to find out how the company was perceived abroad -- and I don't want anyone who DID see the performance to feel reluctant to post. Effy and Kay, if you went to other programs, I hope you'll let us know what you thought. (Sorry for being greedy )

Oh, I agree. And inexperienced dancers need to get experience -- but I'd also say that every audience is entitled to a good performance, and if a dancer isnt ready, then, unless there's a certified emergency, they shouldn't go on. I think artistic directors should have taped to their door, "Remember! Tonight will be someone's first night at the ballet. And the McAllister family of 8 has driven 500 miles to see this, their only performance of the year."

Thank you, citrus -- it would be very interesting to see what the Chinese view of this is.

Thank you, floss!!! You've very delicately stated both sides of a one of the issues in ballet today -- I'm sure it happens to all of us. I get to see several performances during a run, so it's not as much of an issue as it would be for someone who is only seeing one or two performances in a season. I hope you will tell us more about what you're seeing this season -- even if no one comments, people read it (it's hard to comment on a performance you haven't seen). And the more comments we have, the more others who HAVE seen the same thing will come out and post about it. So thank you!!!

I'm closing the thread only because we've had a couple of questions posted about dance history and I wanted to leave this thread as an easy to use resource.

Thanks, Pamela. We had an earlier report on this that's posted in the Kirov forum. I'm going to close this thread, so we don't have two discussions going on.

A Chinese company visited DC about 15 years ago -- I believe it was the Central Ballet of China, but I dont remember, unfortunately. They did a 20th century Chinese ballet, based on a Chinese folk tale, and there was a dance in which.....drum roll, please......a man came out and positioned his arms at his side, with hands raised, one finger pointed. As he danced, his head -- wearing the "traditional" hat -- bobbed back and forth. He could have been doing the Chinese dance from "Far From Denmark" or "Nutcracker." After the performance one of my colleagues went back stage and asked if it was a traditional dance or taken from Western sources and was assured that it was an ancient, traditional Chinese dance. That may or may not be true, but there's one anecdote to support the traditional theory. I hadn't thought about the pointed finger being related to the long fingernails of the mandarins, Mel, but I like the thought I read a quote once that I'm sure you've heard too: "We let others do our dancing for us." (from the Wit and Wisdom of the Mandarins, or something like that)

Thanks to all -- this info is terrific. But I think what Ozzie had hoped for, too, are your own firsthand reports. If you see a performance, please write about it! This company tours, I believe, so people in several cities would have a chance to see it.

Luxie, they usually don't release it until a few weeks before the season. I've don't think I've ever seen a cast list for any company that included corps dancers, and seldom soloists. Usually it's only the principals. "La Sylphide" will be a new production, though, staged by Nikolaj Hubbe, and the premiere is this month, so when we see what that casting is, it's a reasonable bet that, barring injury, the same dancers will do it here.

Thank you, Marc. There's a brief video at that link as well (Our correspondent thinks Swan Lake is an opera, but what the hay.) Look to the right of the story.

Thanks to rg for this, just posted on the BBC News site: Fire destroys Kirov costumes

ooh, ooh, thank you, dirac, I get to use one of the new smilies: :offtopic: Please stay after school and do 12 sets of voltas

Just a quick comment on teachers -- By all accounts, Williams was one of those very rare genius teachers, especially for men, and produced a staggering number of good dancers. His level of teaching occurs only once or twice in a generation.

That's actually a good point -- one of the problems with shock art is that shock dulls the senses. One cam imagine the crowd watching gladiators or early Christians -- "No, Mummy. I don't want to go. We saw them ripped apart by lions last week and the week before that."

Hans, if that comment about music was mine, I meant it literally: "other arts such as music," (i.e., the other arts one of which is music) not giving music any primacy in the name game.

Thank you, Effy and Kay -- it's great to have these. If you go again, I hope you'll report more. What was the audience reaction? Any sense of whether people were thriled or disappointed or both?

kfw, I shouldn't say where it was, but I can say it was NOT Georgetown I'll PM you. This was a required course for MFA students, all dance majors. Two were well-prepared for it. The other nine were not; they had no background whatsoever in history or culture. The course ended up being an advanced dance appreciation course. To be fair, I'd taught the same course two years before and, by luck of the draw, six of the nine students were well-prepared and it made a difference. (i.e., they knew, right off, that Romantic wasn't a valentine.)

That's part of the job description of an artistic director. Like any enterprise, there's an overall direction, a mission statement, a vision of what the company is supposed to be and what direction it's going. That's why Kaufman raised the question.

Mel, dag nab it. They're going to do that version now, and it will be all your fault.