Alexandra

Susanne, that is such a good question! I'm going to make a stab at it and hope others will answer as well. I think it comes from having seen the role performed by dancers whom others have considered great in the role -- someone has to set the standard, and it's usually set by a consensus. There are some people whom MOST people who have seen a lot of dance and are educated in its history and traditions, and who have seen a wide variety of companies, etc will judge "a great Odette" -- Fonteyn, Makarova, Ulanova to name three. (There will be others who will say one or two of these were not as great as the other, but generally, if you write "Makarova was a great Odette" no one will scream.) You use that as a standard, read WHY those dancers were considered great, and match those rules, and those mental images, until you find one who measures up. (And then be prepared for somebody to say, "You've got to be kidding! She has no line, no turnout, a lousy arabesque and she's not musical!" Then you go back to the drawing board, as we say, and start building your image of Odette again.) A useful analogy might be something that I was taught in college in an art history class. The teacher, from New York, was trying to explain why he thought his colleagues on the faculty, in this small Virginia town, weren't educated. "They're not stupid, they're ignorant," he said -- a useful distinction. "Ask them who their favorite painter is and they'll say 'Norman Rockwell.' And you show them a Renoir, and they'll say, 'Oh, that's better!' And then you show them a Rembrandt and they say, 'Better still.'" (I think some might argue that Renoir and Rembrandt aren't that far apart, but I still take his point.) So part of it is knowing what qualities are valued for a certain role, rules that can be applied (or broken) each time you see a new dancer in that role, and part of it is exposure. I think you need both. As always when questions of this kind come up, nobody MUST do this. It's fine to go and like each Swan Queen you see, for different reasons. But if you say "Jane Smith is the greatest Odette ever, period," and someone says, "Fonteyn? Makarova?? Ulanova???" then the discussions start. Editing to add an afterthought in the nature of a clarification: When I say "learn the rules," I don't mean to say that one is stuck with them forever. The whole point of this exercise is to develop one's own taste and aesthetic, and form one's own opinions. But I don't think one can do that without knowing the rules. Saying "she's great" (in the formal sense; of course, we all do it every day, about everything, from friends to ice cream to TV shows) implies a comparison to "not so great," "ordinary" and "why the hell was she cast in the role?"

Thanks for Vaganova, Marga -- that's a good one! Cindy, I've always heard/said KOTCH ki (last syllable to rhyme with pie) but I won't go to the mat on that one As for spelling, I think this is another transliteration issue: there can be many interpretations of Cyrillic. The way you've spelled it is the way I've usually seen it, though. Happy sewing!

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I've always heard both, and just when I'm convinced it's one, I'll hear someone who knows what he or she is doing say the other. Is this because one is a Russian pronunciation and one a French? Or one is Anglicized or Americanized? I can't say. But at any rate, neither pronunciation would prove an embarrassment

Thank you for posting the link, Francis, and thank you for your wonderful description, Helene -- you really caught the atmosphere. I know that PNB has had a rather hard time the past few seasons -- I think every company that's gone through a theater renovation has -- and I'm sure all of us hope the next season, in the new digs, will mark a turning point in its fortunes. From what I've read, the DANCING hasn't suffered; it's just that the audience has fallen off a bit. I'll look forward to reading your reviews when the season gets going in earnest, Helene!

The closest commentary we have of Petipa's that I know of (only portions of his diaries have been translated into English) is when he was locked out of the theater at the end of his career, but managed to get in somehow, and had a look at what "that pig Gerdt" was doing to one of his ballets I'd love to hear his commentary on today's versions, too. Thanks for the report on the Swedish Swan Lake, Pamela. They danced that verison in DC a few years ago and it was a solid production in every way -- old-fashioned, not too much tinkered with, and solidly danced, meaning, to my eye, precious little poetry. And thanks for the DVD recommendations, Jorgen. I've never seen Neumeier's Swan Lake, and it's always intrigued me. It seems, on paper at least, to me, an imaginative reinterpretation, not done just for the sake of changing or updating, but adding another layer. I'm not a fan of Neumeier's choreography as choreography, but he does have an interesting mind.

Aside from recommending Vaganova for early grades (I don't know enough about teaching to say yea or nay on that) I agree with mbjerk. The school ISN'T broken -- why turn things upside down in what is one of the most respected ballet academies in the country? I think the school must serve the company. I think Webre needs to figure out what kind of company he's going to have. Either turn it into a contemporary dance company or be a classical company. Then have the training prepare that. I don't think he can keep doing a New Now Evening, a kiddie show, Nuts, a Big Classical Ballet and another New Now Evening. And I don't think you can train for that. Now, they look like ballet dancers in the New Now stuff and not-quite-ballet dancers in Cinderella. In its chamber days, the company was recognizably neoclassical in everything it did. It had new work (with Choo-San Goh), it had Balanchine, which it danced in its own way, and it could also be convincing in the miscellaneous works that appeared from time to time. If do they have Horton, I agree, that the students should be taught to respect it; good point. I also hope they'd be taught that it's different. I wonder, though, if you have to turn to modern dance to keep classical students from posing? In ballet, the dancers should be "encouraged to move to rather than make positions" I'd hate for that to be relegated to modern dance only (not saying that's what mbjerk meant) and for ballet to be left with only pretty poses. So much has been stripped from it already.

A new take on Von Rothbart! The stupid, not-quite-bilingual big owlie guy.

From today's Links, Lewis Segal reviews this program for the LA Times. (It's well worth reading the entire review, especially for Dvorovenko fans , and I have to say I'm glad someone agrees with me that ABT's "adaptations of 19th century war horses" are "dreadful.") A 'Dream' worth remembering

There's an alternate version of "Giselle" -- it's on the video of the Fracci/Bruhn "Giselle" in which there are circular patterns at the beginning of the second act. A vestige of the [feminine] Romantic Age that's been replaced by a later, more linear aesthetic?

This one's too good to languish on Links (thanks, Ari, for finding it): From the article: This would be the famous Swan Lake in the Round, I take it? Will Siegfried fight the good Baron a karate?

I THINK my favorite is Top Hat -- haven't seen any of them in awhile. Is that the one where she wears the feather dress? And they have that magnificent set with the twin stair cases? I've been reading dance (show dance as well as theatrical dance) history of the early 20th century, and something struck me about Astaire that I'd never considered. We all know that Irene and Vernon Castle were big pre-World War II, and then there was the Jazz Age, and then there was FredandGinger. But think about that, about living through that. When you read contemporary Jazz Age writing, Irene and Vernon's style was dead. Deader than dead. Dead as corsets. And then Astaire came back and basically revived the entire genre. (One Man Can Make a Difference!) It would be as if, today, a young Benny Goodman came along and changed pop music, reinventing Swing so that it became top of the charts again. It was a phenomenal accomplishment.

Quick administrative note -- gigi (and others reading this thread who are also dedicated MBAs, I hope you've noticed the new Arts Admin forum). More substantive comment. I know that there are people working in arts administration who are truly dedicated and care deeply about the art form. But there are also some who don't know much about the art form beyond loving it -- don't know how ballet companies as institutions work, don't understand the difference between art and hamburgers. Re the Boston situation -- I think gigi is absolutely right. The situation (here, or anywhere with a similar situation) can't be changed overnight. We can only hope that the new direction wants to stabilize things and pay attenton to morale, and will be able to do so.

Thank you so much for that, Giannina. It's an odd program. Don Q and George Harrison and the Dream. :rolleyes: Being a "Dream" fan, I'm glad the audience liked it, although whooping and hollering throughout would be a distraction! Maybe the cameras got 'em excited.

Old Fashioned, it was fascinating. It's not available commercially (i.e., it's not sold in video stores or on Amazon) but it is available for purchase to academics, so a local university library or dance department might have it. Problem is, I saw it 15 years ago and I can't remember the exact title. It was, I think, called "Dance in Human History." There was another segment I will never forget -- more interesting as anthropology than as dance -- of a small tribe of people dancing (where? ). Talk about uniform body types!!!!! There were about 2 dozen people of all ages, and they had exactly the same body -- short, slim except for a little pot belly in everyone over 12. And the skin tones were exactly matched as well. If a stranger from the tribe two rivers over came to call, they would know instantly that he was a stranger. The dance was very basic -- to the outside observer; it could well have had very complex meanings, of course -- little more than rhythmic shuffling around a campfire. "ethnic dance" has always fascinated me. One of the first topics we discussed in dance history was perceptions of space and how they related to both architecture and choreography. Tribes that had round houses had round dances (and tended to be matrilineal). Tribes that had rectangular houses had line dances (and tended to be patrilineal). Hmmm. Far from Baghdad, I fear.

Thank you for that, Dale. Good to see Hubbe is dancing.

I saw this on CNN, so I can't send a link. Sorry. It was only for about 15 seconds, just enough so that it looked they had lovely legs and feet, and there was a very gentle, sorrowful quality to the dancing.

Thanks very much for your review, dragonfly. I moved it over to the Joffrey forum; I think some people may have missed it. I think that "Sacre" comes from ballet's character dancing more than modern dance. Petrushka, in that ballet by Fokine, has turned in feet, too, and Bournonville wrote in the mid-19th century that "pantomime is the ballet of the turned in feet" so that's very much out of ballet's traditions. Two nights after I first saw this reconstruction of "Sacre," I saw an American Indian company dance a program of their traditional dances, and I was stunned by how similar some of the movements were. Lots of turned in feet! Can't speak to the two lines crashing into each other Accidents happen! I'm by no means a "Sacre" expert, so I hope others will chime in here! Thanks again for posting, and sorry no one commented for such a long time!

I saw the same thing, Nancy. It was not only "victimizing" the ballerina, but doing something awful to her "trainer" (lovely concept). But I didn't catch the name. The clip was of the corps in "Swan Lake" and they looked gorgeous! Very a la russe (which, given Iraq's post-World War II history, makes sense).

Thank you, chauffeur! I was rather fond of that one myself (It's by Ann Murphy, one of the many excellent critics in the San Francisco Bay area.) I hope it helped give you an idea of what the evening would be like -- and I hope you go and tell us about it.

Very interesting idea! How about also giving a few nights to the new generation of stagers -- there are some younger dancers just winding down their careers or branching out into staging, some with the company, some former members. I'd love to see what the under-40-somethings would do with Balanchine.

Another early alert: BALLET SAN JOSE SILICON VALLEY NEWS Dennis Nahat, Artistic Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 23, 2003 MEDIA CONTACT: Lee Kopp,(408) 288-2820 x 210 NOTE: JPEG photo attached; 300dpi, 5 X 7. Raymond Rodriguez (as Franz) and Karen Gabay (as Swanhilda) in Dennis Nahat's "Coppélia", one of three ballets in Ballet San Jose's new Children's Series. Photo By: Robert Shomler Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley Announces Children's Series "Nutcracker", "Coppélia", "Silly Simon" Designed for Young Audiences Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley has announced the creation of a new Children's Series of short ballets designed to introduce young audiences to the magic of storytelling through dance. The three-ballet program will include child-friendly versions of Dennis Nahat's "The Nutcracker" and "Coppélia" and a ballet entitled "Silly Simon", choreographed by Lise la Cour, based on a folk tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The ballets will be produced with full sets and costumes, and run approximately one-hour and fifteen-minutes each. The productions are available as a subscription series only. The Children's Series version of "The Nutcracker" (Sunday, December 14th at 1:30pm) will be performed by the professional company of Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley dancers with full sets, costumes, and orchestra. "The first act of the ballet is a perfect short story for young children," says choreographer and Company Artistic Director Dennis Nahat. "We meet a young girl named Maria at a Christmas party for her family and friends. Godfather Drosselmeyer arrives with gifts for everyone, including a very special nutcracker for Maria. Drosselmeyer tells Maria and all the guests that the nutcracker is really an enchanted prince. An evil sorcerer in the shape of a Mouse King has cast a spell on the Prince, and he can only be saved by a brave young girl. Much later that night, after the party is over and everyone has gone to bed, Maria awakens to an astonishing sight. The Christmas tree has grown to a towering height. The Nutcracker Prince is now taller than she, and he is fighting with an enormous Mouse King. Through her bravery Maria saves the Prince and together they fly off into the clouds on the back of a beautiful snow bird. The Nutcracker is one of my favorite ballets," says Nahat. "Coppélia" (Saturday, February 7th at 1:30pm) is the story of a village toymaker who carves marvelous life-size puppets. One day he creates a particularly beautiful puppet girl and he names her Coppélia. The toymaker sets his new creation high on a balcony overlooking the town square so that the sun will dry her newly painted enameled eyes. But Coppélia is all too lifelike, and Franz, the most mischievous boy in the village, begins to flirt with this new girl in town. Love-struck, Franz creeps into the toymaker's workshop to find the beautiful girl, but instead he meets with a disagreeable surprise. Meanwhile Swanhilda, Franz's sweetheart, has seen her boyfriend flirting with Coppélia and decides to confront her. So she, too, sneaks into the workshop. The confusion and merriment that follows will delight audiences of all ages. This three-act story will reworked to a very child-friendly one-hour and fifteen-minutes and will be danced by the professional company with full sets, costumes and orchestra. "Silly Simon" (five performances: Thursday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 25) is based on a tale by the great Danish poet and storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen. Lise la Cour, formerly of Royal Danish Ballet and currently the Director of Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley SCHOOL, will set her choreography on members of the School's Professional and Open divisions.. The story follows the adventures of 'Silly' Simon and his two clever brothers. The Princess Royal is seeking a husband, but insists that she will only marry a man who can speak for himself. The two clever brothers ride off on their fine horses to try their luck at wooing the beautiful Princess. But Simon has no horse of his own so he sets off riding a billy goat. On the way Simon collects "presents" for the Princess--a dead crow, an old wooden shoe, and a pocket full of mud. His clever brothers have a good laugh and then spur their horses toward the castle and leave "Silly Simon" far behind. "If you want to find out what happens, you have to come to the ballet", says Ms. la Cour. "The Nutcracker" and "Coppélia" (one performance each) will be staged at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. "Silly Simon" will be given five matinee and early evening performances at San Jose Repertory Theatre. Subscription packages range from $42 to $114 for children and $51 to $129 for adults. For additional information or to order subscriptions, call the Ballet Box Office at (408) 288-2800 or visit the web site at www.balletsanjose.org *** FACT SHEET BALLET SAN JOSE SILICON VALLEY Children's Series At a Glance (Currently Available by Subscription Only) "The Nutcracker" (First Act Only) Sunday, December 14th at 1:30pm San Jose Center for the Performing Arts 255 Almaden Boulevard in downtown San Jose Choreography: Dennis Nahat Music: "The Nutcracker" Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky Scenery and Costumes: David Guthrie First Performed: Cleveland Ballet on December 12, 1979 at the Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio. "Coppélia" (Specially Edited Version) Saturday, February 7th at 1:30pm San Jose Center for the Performing Arts 255 Almaden Boulevard in downtown San Jose Choreography: Dennis Nahat (Based on the Ballet of 1870 by Arthur Saint-Léon) Music: "Coppélia" Composer: Léo Delibes Scenery and Costumes: David Guthrie First Performed: San Jose Cleveland Ballet on October 16, 1981 at the Hanna Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio. "Silly Simon" (American Premiere) Thursday, April 22nd at 6:30pm Friday, April 23rd at 6:30pm Saturday, April 24th at 11:00am Saturday, April 24th at 1:30pm Sunday, April 25th at 1:30pm * San Jose Repertory Theatre 101 Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose Scenario & Choreography: Lise la Cour Music: Commissioned score Composer: Bent Fabricius-Bjerre Scenery and Costumes: Bjórn Wiinblad First Performed: Royal Danish Ballet, October, 1989 at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark. * Note: Special location for "Silly Simon" only Tickets: Subscriptions are available from $42 to $114 for children; $51 to $129 for adults. Box Office: (408) 288-2800 Web Site: www.balletsanjose.org

I'm sure they did Don Q in the early 90's -- they brought it to the Kennedy Center. March of '93, I THINK. That was Holmes' production, but, as I remember it, it was very close to the Nureyev production, which is close to the Kirov one. (There's a video of Nureyev in his production for the Australian ballet, but it's filmed like a movie, not a stage performance, so there are things in it that you won't see on stage.) It is a great ballet for kids, koshka. Several friends of mine with sons chose that as a first ballet for small boys and it was a big success. I'm not privy to the casting, but no harm in posting one's favorite candidates I hope you'll go and tell us about it. (Although October seems far away now.) One thing I noted when doing the season's calendar is that the company will do a few performance of Don Q, then another program (a triple bill, I think, but that's from memory) and then another few performances of Don Q -- a good idea, I think. It will give the dancers more time, more chances, at the ballet, and also, from a box office point of view, it will give word of mouth some time to make the rounds. Often, when a ballet is done four times, and the review doesn't come out until the morning of the third performance, and there isn't enough time for friends to call friends, then the ballet is gone before people know it's there. This kind of split-scheduling is a good solution to that.

I didn't see it this time around, although I've seen several of Baryshnikov's recent ventures. Sometimes people who are expecting to see a ballet star are disappointed -- he's doing modern dance, and very contemporary modern dance. But with a dancer of Baryshnikov's calibre, IMO, he's interesting to watch no matter what he's doing. I hope you'll post, if you go, and thank you for giving me a legitimate excuse to post a link to DanceViewWest, where Ann Murphy reviews the current solo show and will give you an idea of what to expect. http://www.danceviewwest.com/reviews/baryshnikov1.html If anyone has seen it, please post -- and I'm going to move this thread to the Dance forum, so please come on down