Alexandra

Jacki, when I was in high school I dreamed of going to St. John's -- I always liked starting at the beginning of things But when I was in graduate school, one of my classmates came from that program -- very intelligent woman, but she'd never thought that anything happened AFTER the books she read (Willilam Harvey's theories of circulation were current science, etc.) They weren't allowed to research, she said. They were encouraged to do "original thinking" without benefit of research. So although I still love the idea (that students read classical texts in the original, and that that is the foundation of the curriculum) those professors need to give a context, too. This has been an interesting discussion, though, and I hope it continues. Treefrog, I remember reading about that blue eyes/brown eyes study when it was done. (Some parents weren't thrilled, as I remember it.) I think that is a good example of how you can use experiential learning to the good. But if that's ALL one learns about race relations or the Holocaust (not that you were suggesting that), then even though the lesson is a strong one, I think it's not the complete one. The cliche that's been buzzing around my head since this discussion began was, "Man learns from history that he never learns from history." Maybe this is why. We're taught to make superficial comparisons never getting to the root of WHY and HOW things happened. Just that they did, and they were very, very bad and we must never, never do them again. (I actually was taught the roots of the Holocaust and slavery, in an excellent public high school. We had small classes -- 15 was a large class -- and it was all discussion and reading.)

Thanks, Pamela. Susanne saw this and posted about it on a thread Manhattnik started on Anything Goes asking "Where are our Russian Correspondents." It started out to be about NYCB in St. Petersburg, but also mentioned the Danses Concertantes group -- sorry you couldn't get to see them!

What's odd, though, is that it's not consistent. I also run IE and Windows (XP) and haven't had any problems -- I've been watching it closely since you posted. As far as I can tell, I haven't missed anything. Are others having similar problems? Especially since the board upgrade, which would be in the past week. (If you're reporting something from before then, they might say, oh, the upgrade solved that. I realize that Ari's reporting something post-upgrade.)

A long time ago I made a joke that there was originally ONE ballet, in Italy, in 1465. And everything we've seen since then is a little part of that one, big, exorbitantly fantastic 12-hour-long classical extravaganza. And sometimes I wonder if maybe it's not a joke

Roma, I've noticed that, too. But there's bits of Petipa sprinkled all through Balanchine. Now, wouldn't it be wonderful to know from where Petipa got it?

Good point, Brioche. Perhaps we could get back to Boston Ballet changes. Anyone who wants to discuss San Francisco Ballet, past or present, or the general theoretical question of how an AD can change a company is welcome to do so, but please start another thread. Thanks all!!

"She was bending over backwards to be positive since they have a new artistic director, but was really teed off at all the claptrap and wants to be sure that it Never Happens Again." I have to say the whole thing sounds awful to me -- would be enough to be very wary of ever seeing this again, and, deliberate or not, a cliche is a cliche.... once a critic.....

Well, someone doing a blog could certain call it enchainements, but I think blogs have been out there so long (in Net time) that the word is here to stay.

Welcome! This is a fine place to post that question Unless the schedule has changed radically in the past few years (and I think this is one of the things that has not) class, which is not mandatory, begins at 10:15; the first rehearsal is at 11:30. They rehearse until 12:30, break for lunch until 1:00, and then rehearse until 3:00 or 4:00. There are often overtime rehearsals scheduled at 4:00, usually for an hour. You can go to the company's web site and find how often they dance. It's several times a week, and not on a regular schedule -- the company shares the Royal Theatre with the Opera. Corps dancers often also dance in operas. How often a particular dancer dances depends on the dancer. Usually corps dancers anywhere are on nearly every night unless they're injured, especially when the company does mostly full-lengths (as the RDB is this season). When they do triple bills of small-cast works, then there are fewer opportunities for the corps. There's one unique thing about the RDB that might interest you. Students graduate from the school at 16 and become apprentices ("aspirants") for two years. They take a special aspirants class every afternoon. There used to be a real effort to give them one or two solo roles during this period, to try them out; I don't know if tha's still the case, but I'd suspect it is. I'd like to give a caution -- it's what we always say to students -- any information you find on the net needs to be verified. I observed the company closely in the 1990s, so what I've written I'm sure is accurate then, but things may have changed. You might want to write to the company's press office -- the address will be on the web site. The email address may even be there. EVERYONE at the Royal Theatre over 12 is fluent in English, so don't worry about that. Ask if you can interview -- do an email interview -- with a dancer. Or ask them your questions about the schedule, because then you'll be sure the info is up to date. The RDB website is: http://www.kgl-teater.dk/ Good luck!

Michael, I think you've nailed the conflict It's what I'm getting at when I say 'I liked it, but I knew it wasn't good." It's breaking apart taste and aesthetic, or emotional reaction and judgment. I think both are equally valid -- one emotionally, one intellectually. And eventually one can come to live with the dichotomy

Not only would that be a copyright violation but I wouldn't stand at a photocopy machine for 400 pages worth of material for anybody, thank you. (And no copy shop would do it.)

I think she is, Roma, but my information is two years old, so...... Silvy, your question spurred me to put on line several interviews from past issues of DanceView. One of them, also by Marc Haegeman, is of Kirill Melnikov, another expatriate Russian dancer. He talks about changes he saw in the Kirov then -- the interview was done in 1999 -- and what he says may explain more. Melnikov interview There are other reviews -- Jane Simpson with Alexander Grant, talking about staging Ashton. Mary Cargill with former NYCB ballerina Juditih Fugate. Several by Marc of Paris Opera Ballet dancers.

I promised months ago to put some of Marc Haegeman's interviews with Paris Opera etoiles up, and they're now on line: Manuel Legris (2000) interviewed by Marc Haegeman Isabelle Guérin (2001) interviewed by Marc Haegeman Elisabeth Maurin (2002) interviewed by Marc Haegeman Agnès Letestu (2002) interviewed by Marc Haegeman Interviews

Several years ago to a young Danish dancer and potential stager -- it was a good cause. He'd looked all over for them, and they were already out of print. But I still miss 'em.

How about asking the school to organize trips to a big city two or three times a year? (Presuming that you're within a day trip of a big city -- go to the matinee and back in one day.) If you get enough students, they can get a group rate. And the students would have a group experience -- if I were organizing it they'd get an orientation on the bus going up, and a debriefing on the bus coming home! Videos and DVDs ARE great, but they still need guidance. I've done video showings for several groups of ballet students, and the only watch for the technique. It's as though nothing else exists -- they need to be given background info on the ballets, and they need help finding a context in which to put their technical knowledge.

To me, Lezhnina is the ideal Kirov Aurora -- very much in the Kolpakova mold. Pushing her out, and bringing in another "ideal," was one of the turning points in recent Kirov history, for me.

No, it's not easy to replicate, but it's possible -- back to what you said at the start of the discussion. Parents have to educate themselves in the art form, take their kids to performances, and discuss them. I'd bet all the money I don't have that any parent whose son has any potential to become a professional football or basketball player makes sure that he gets the best coaches possible, the most performing, er, playing opportunities, that he's surrounded by anyone who can help give him an edge, and that he gets to games -- of course, it helps taht they're televised (but ballet has videos, and you can watch them with your children too). If you're child is a budding pianist or violinist, they're not JUST going too practice scales all day. You're going to make sure they're listening to music. Ballet needs the same kind of commitment.

I'm sure Marc does I hope he sees this.

I agree. I think students MUST attend performances -- but, as with literature or music or anything, they also have to be able to discuss that with a knowledgeable adult, bat their ideas around, go through the whole "but you never saw La Sublimova" at an early age, so they get used to it -- and learn WHY people called La Sublimova sublime. This is part of the reason why the great international companies are fed primarily by their schools -- it's not JUST the teaching, but that the kids get to watch those performances, and take part in them, from a very early age. They can go to their teachers and say, "Why doesn't she get the lead? She's the best turner," and the teacher can say, yes, but .... It's a huge part of their education.

Good point, Roma! Thank you -- I'd never thought of that! You're right. I'd never noticed the similarities between the Divert ballerinas and the Sleeping B fairies until I saw Farrell's company do Divert last season -- it was a very old-fashioned staging, or at least they danced in the way, I'm guessing, that Farrell did when she first danced it, and production was much more "classical" than we're used to seeing in a Balanchine ballet. I did see one staging, by Colleen Neary, of "Rubies" (for PNB) where the "second ballerina" was Queen Bee and the leading couple was reduced to her sidekicks, and thought the balance was off. But maybe....just maybe.....

Ah, but I don't think of the Lilac Fairy as a runner up -- not originally -- I think she's The Star. That was the great gift of seeing the Kirov's reconstruction, especially with Part in the role. She's not the Star in the sense of the most stage time, or the most varations, but she holds the ballet together. Petipa was giving us an 18th century neoclassical ballet fairie, but I don't think anyone got it This was reinforced by seeing the short film, Act I only, and that condensed, of Excelsior. There, the Spirit of Light was completely mime -- whatever the equivalent of a bass is in a ballerina -- and the ballerina was demicaractere, quick and brilliant, the only soloist in a grand ballabile of corps dances and processions (she was the Spirit of Civilization). The Spirit of Liight presided.

Oh, divulge, divulge! If you're really feeling generous, you might give us not just the names of the Dead, but include the answers for each one too.

I forgot about them -- thanks, Grace. (I had them, and gave mine away. ) They were put together by the late Kirsten Ralov who certainly was an expert in that field.

Ask and you shall receive....if we get two posters from Portland, I'll put up a forum In the meantime, here's a press release, just in: From August 25 - 31, OBT Exposed!, Oregon Ballet Theatre's open air, summer rehearsal tradition, returns to the South Park Blocks, but with a twist: it's the first public appearance of OBT's new artistic director, Christopher Stowell, who brings a brings a brisk sense of the new and the exciting to OBT's 03-04 programming. Portlanders will have a chance to - meet Christopher Stowell, a former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet - get a glimpse of OBT dancers, familiar and new, in each morning's company class - watch afternoon rehearsals of Kent Stowell's Duo Fantasy led by Pacific Northwest Ballet principal ballerina Patricia Barker. The piece by PNB co-artistic director (who also happens to be Christopher's father) is one of four OBT company premieres to be performed in Christopher Stowell's debut program, October 11 - 18 at Keller Auditorium. - encourage the young dancers, aged 9 - 12, of OBT's Project F.I.N.D. Dance Camp as they prepare for Sunday, August 31 performances of their own choreography.

Grace, we did have that happen about three weeks ago -- you might remember I closed one thread, becuase both Estelle and I had had a huge delay (well, 10 miniutes) between posting and the post appearing. That's the only time it happened. The tech people looked at it -- they continiue to be wonderful -- and said this had been caused by some tiny thing going wrong during the conversion and they fixed it. If it happens again, please let me know.