Alexandra

50 years ago, people were probably thinking the same thing, except it was the graying Ballet Russe audience versus the new, younger people who liked this Balanchine, with his no stories, no sets, and emphasis on dancing I've seen the same thing with Miami City Ballet audiences, when they had half-Balanchine, half-Gamonet ballets. People barely clapped for Balanchine and shrieked, cheered and stomped for Gamonet's. Is it just appreciation for something new? Is it that the newer ballets are danced with more conviction than the older repertory? Is it that the newer audience is less sophisticated -- and I don't mean that in a condescending way, though it will sound like that. We all see from the outside in. It takes many viewings to get to the inside, to see behind the smiles, the "she/he's cute!", the "wow! look at those turns!!" It's not as much a question of age as time of exposure, I think. I know 60 year olds who like contemporary ballet/dance more than neoclassical, and 30 year olds who'd rather see Balanchine. As I wrote on another thread, the Thursday matinee audience at the Kennedy Center's International Ballet Festival was one of the oldest I've ever seen in that house, and the only thing they really, really liked was Don Q pas de deux.

I thought she was adequate, but nothing more. The first soloist, Fedotova, has a beautiful jump! Volochkova fell yesterday afternoon in Don Q -- slipped while walking to the back corner, in the adagio, before taking a balance. During her fouettes, which travelled badly, the audience showed its appreciation by rhythmic clapping, like at a skating event. It was one of those audiences! They seemed new not only to ballet, but to being in a theater (and the average age was about 72). Lots of candy paper rattling. Is Goriacheva trained at the Bolshoi? She has the technique (she was much better the second night and yesterday afternoon than on the opening) but is very unpolished. There's no beauty to the movements, to my eye. I was sitting with someone who had seen Tatiana Riabouchinska do Spectre (!!) so she was less impressed with Kaptsova than I had been But to have to dance that piece with no set, no atmosphere, and no rose -- she has a flower, but it could be a giant carnation -- AND a new partner. That must be difficult. Gennady Yanin is getting the most applause for "Narcissus." He's a very cheery Narcissus, but he's dancing it beautifully. Yesterday afternoon, everyone was forcing it. The Danes were in We're Going to Grin at You Until You Clap mode. "Fancy Free," despite very good dancing from Cornejo (in the role that now must be called the short, perky sailor, although I don't think that's how it was born) and Corella in the Robbins role, didn't jell. I liked Corella's characterization though -- exuberant, and just on the edge between being the natural leader, and being a bully. I'm not going to any more performances this week. I hope others will and report.

In the Nureyev version, I agree, Glebb -- at least, the production he did for National Ballet of Canada. I don't know if it's in the Paris production. (I didn't get the point of it, but...)

So many variations, so little time.... I just wanted to put a quick word in for the Ashton pas de quatre. I thought the same thing, Paul. The pas de quatre Makarova/Dowell version looks stilted to me, and very quirky; dead Ashton. The dancers on the Festival Ballet video are DANCING it. You can tell they're rooted in ballroom dancing. I would imagine they'd be very hard to dance, though, if that was one's first brush with Ashton. I also loved your description of Farrell's dancing of the Don Q solo. My thoughts were less poetic, but similar. I thought she was dancing what was in Balanchine's brain, that there was nothing between thought and action. Silvy, you seem to have good instincts of what suits you!

Thanks, Mel. I was thinking of a new page, perhaps with the different names of the fairies from various major productions In your copious free time, of course...

Thank you, Su-lian. We have an archived forum from our discussion of Sleeping Beauty that has information on the fairies. http://www.balletalert.com/forum/forumdisp...p?s=&forumid=73 Calling Mel Johnson -- I checked (very briefly) your excellent Sleeping Beauty pages on our main site and didn't find much on the fairies. Since this question will come up from time to time, and young dancers, especially, will be interested in the variations for exams and competitions, perhaps this is something we could add? (And a thousand pardons if I missed it.)

Thanks for that, liebs. I love the "antic Americana" genre description! Twenty-five years ago, down here, the young modern dance choreographers all wanted to be either Paul Taylor or Laura Dean. They'd be in their 40s now, and I don't see them at Taylor performances either. In Washington, the company appears on a subscripton series (and it's not scheduled for next year), so we have a more mixed-age audience. But among young modern dancers and dance choreographers I've talked to, he's considered a dinosaur -- not a master from whom they can learn. I hope others will be going and we'll have more reports of this and subsequent programs!

I think the historical reconstruction issue could make for interesting discussion, and I hope we have it. If it looks dead, it's not good, but if the dancers believed in it and were coached, it might not look so dead I would quibble, though, with the comment that there's not one scene remaining from the original "Giselle." There are quite a few scenes, and actual dances, remaining from the French production; there are sketches from the first performances, not just of stage action, but of dances -- Giselle's solo, Albrecht and Giselle's pas de deux -- that match what we see today. I think we know what the changes were (There's an excellent book out now, "Ballet and Opera in the Age of Giselle" that details them.) Hordes of mime has been cut, and Giselle's final solo is Petipa's, as well as the grand pas of the Wilis. But there's a lot that remains. That doesn't have anything to do with the validity or stage interest of this Bayadere, of course.

Welcome, Nicolas, and thank you for posting! I hope to be reading you often. "Suite of Dances" was done for Baryshnikov towards the end of his classical career and was very suited to his (dancing) personality. I'm a great admirer of Legris, but his approach is so different, perhaps this lost something in the translation?

Some quick notes on the second performance: Not at all flat, neither the dancers nor the house. The Bolshoi got a scattered standing ovation, the Danes and ABT warm applause and several calls. Napoli looked completely different mostly because Rose Gad and Thomas Lund (in the Teresina and Gennaro roles) gave the ballet its center. They were in character even though this was "just" the dancing. It's wonderful to see how Lund has grown up -- he dominated the stage, was master of ceremonies at his own wedding (with appropriate Danish reticence, of course). He also danced beautifully. In his body, the Bournonville style still lives: the elegance, the relaxed torso, rapier feet, a quick, high jump, beautiful landings. He has a plie. He's grown into his face, too -- his looks had been a problem; he's been like a wise Alain, and that's difficult to cast, but here, he looked like Gennaro. We had an almost all-Danish cast of women, too; only Caroline Cavallo (from Atlanta Ballet, but with the RDB for more than a decade) was not Danish. Cavallo, only in the pas de six (no solo) was charming here, her dancing as sweet and clear as it wasi her early days as a Bournonville soloist. Unfortunately, in bigger roles, she has to use force and smiles in place of personality, but as one of a group, she's fine. Gad, coming back from both injury and a later maternity leave, hasn't quite gotten back in top form and her dancing was mellow -- the whole tarantella was a bit mellow -- but she's so musical, connecting the steps with a beautiful legato flow, that I didn't care. The female soloists were fine, as well (Diana Cuni, Gudrun Bojesen and Christina Olsson). It's the men who are the problem. Neither Fernando Mora (Spain) nor Morten Eggert (Danish, but still in the school when things began to change after the 1992 festival) were up to the first and second male solos, respectively. The Bolshoi was the same, only more (to keep in the Danish spirit; that's the title of a fairly recent film about Erik Bruhn). MORE leaps and turns and smiles. Volochkova's costume arrived, and she seemed much more comfortable in Don Q last night. The audience roared at the double fouettes. But the great performance -- and it was one for the ages -- was ABT in "Fancy Free." It was the best I've ever seen, as ABT was being turned over to soloists and minor principals when I started seeing the company, and lately there's been a whiff of "why do I have to dance this thing?" about the piece. And every bit of choreographic interest has been knocked out of the solos. Not last night. I suspect rehearsal. I suspect coaching. I suspect that all the dancers AND the coach(es) were in the same room at the same time. I don't care if they deny it. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it. There were so many tiny details in the solos that I've never seen -- and in the storytelling. Nothing had been ironed out. My one quibble is that it's the later, garbled role version (the Kriza sailor and the Robbins sailor are merged, which makes the ending of the second solo inappropriate, and causes the "sweet sailor" to take the role of the "ringleader sailor" at times, thus confusing characterization). Fix that, they have perfection. Gomes was the Robbins sailor, and was absolutely adorable. He also danced the pas de deux (with Julie Kent). The last time I saw Kent in this, she was doing Juliet -- instantly, deeply in love -- which I think is in the wrong key. Juliet wouldn't have to flip a coin to figure out who she would spend the rest of the evening with. Last night, Kent had the right tone, light, flirtatious. Paloma Herrera, as others have mentioned from other performances, does the girl with the red purse as exasperated, not frightened. Their meeting/gabbing scene was perfectly timed -- all the little bits were perfectly timed. I've never gotten all the business at the very end of the ballet, when the three guys usually just mill around and smile at each other when the third girl comes on the scene. I've never caught all the bits to the conversation -- no, we're not going after her. Why? Remember your sore shoulder? Remember my sore jaw? David Halberg, in the second solo, and Craig Salstein, in the first, were excellent, and all of them were convincing not only as war buddies, but as goofy, 1940s males. "Fancy Free" is one of those ballets I've always put up with because it's ours, and was a big hit, and shows a fine craft. Last night, it looked like a masterpiece, and I wish every aspiring choreographer would go see it and absorb its lessons.

Andrei, thank you for this -- and all of your other comments on the Festival. You have a unique perspective, and I'm very glad to read it! I can see that "Carmen" from your description -- yes, vulgarity and elegance would work very well. I have to say, I'm not surprised by your account of Kowroski's performance. She's trained in a very different style.

I wish they'd change the name from America Dancing, since, more and more, there are more foreign companies than American ones, but here it is. No Paul Taylor. I can't remember when we didn't have a season of Paul Taylor. BUT we're getting Ballett Frankfurt for the first time, and it's about time (the company has been here, but not at the Kennedy Center). And we're getting Merce. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces its 2003-2004 AMERICA DANCING SERIES featuring Kennedy Center favorites and cutting-edge contemporary companies from around the world SEASON TO FEATURE Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company, Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Lyon Opera Ballet and the Kennedy Center debut of Ballett Frankfurt America Dancing is sponsored by Altria Group, Inc. WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 2003-2004 America Dancing series, the Kennedy Center’s retrospective of modern dance, will bridge a full range of artistic perspectives, from the foremost masters of the genre to the art form’s most brilliant voices from around the world. America Dancing will feature return engagements by perennial Kennedy Center favorites Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Merce Cunningham Dance Company plus encore performances by Batsheva Dance Company, Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker, and Lyon Opera Ballet. The 2003-2004 season will also bring the Kennedy Center debut of Ballett Frankfurt in Artistic Director William Forsythe’s final American engagement. The 2003-2004 America Dancing series will include: Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker October 9-11, 2003 in the Eisenhower Theater Marrying physically daring feats with visually striking designs, Deborah Colker's work is the result of intense aesthetic questioning. The first Brazilian to win London’s prestigious Olivier Award, the internationally acclaimed choreographer uses modern dance to challenge notions of space and gravity and redefine the rules for what can and can’t be done. Her company was first seen at the Kennedy Center as part of the 2001 AmericArtes festival; now Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker returns with 4 Por 4 (Four by Four), a vibrant and sensual evening-length production that transforms imagery from the works of four Brazilian artists into kinetic dance concoctions. “Just when you think you’ve seen every move the dancers have in them, they surprise you” (The Washington Post). Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater January 27-February 1, 2004 in the Opera House Alvin Ailey once said, “Dance is for everybody. It came from the people. It should always be given back to the people.” Indeed, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater delivers on its promise—offering a generous feast for the senses with everything it dances. From jazz-inspired works and intimate portraits, to explosive epics teeming with passion. “One cannot deny the genius behind Ailey’s…stirring eloquence,” (The Washington Post). For its annual engagement at the Kennedy Center, this internationally renowned company, helmed by Kennedy Center Honoree Judith Jamison, celebrates its founder’s vision with a compilation of his classic dances, plus electrifying new works by some of America’s freshest modern choreographers. This is a co-presentation with Washington Performing Arts Society. Batsheva Dance Company February 24 & 25, 2004 in the Eisenhower Theater One of Israel’s leading modern dance troupes, Batsheva has its roots in the technique of Martha Graham, but has built on that tradition through the artistic genius of its artistic director, the brilliant Israeli dancer-choreographer Ohad Naharin. His works blend beauty with anger, serenity with sarcasm, as he uses dance to reflect life in his homeland. The company returns to the America Dancing series following their hugely successful 1998 appearance as part of the Kennedy Center Festival Art of the State: Israel at 50 – “terrifying in it’s force…a world where madness waltzes with grace” (The Washington Post). Merce Cunningham Dance Company March 26-27, 2004 in the Eisenhower Theater Merce Cunningham, the Kennedy Center Honoree and legendary choreographer, will return with his company to the Kennedy Center for the first time in nearly four years. Cunningham’s style is best expressed by long-time collaborator John Cage: “Merce Cunningham developed his own school of dancing and choreography, the continuity of which no longer relies on linear elements, be they narrative or psychological, nor does it rely on a movement towards and away from climax.” The engagement will feature classic Cunningham repertory spanning his five decades of work. Lyon Opera Ballet April 8-10, 2004 in the Eisenhower Theater Under the artistic direction of Yorgos Loukos they shocked and thrilled Kennedy Center audiences with performances of resident choreographer Maguy Martin’s Cendrillon during the 2001-2002 America Dancing season. Now the Lyon Opera Ballet, France’s great repertory company, known for its witty and often surprising choreography, returns to the Eisenhower Theater as part of the Kennedy Center French Festival with a new work by Philippe Decouflé. Lyon Opera Ballet is “highly sophisticated, highly imaginative” (The New York Times). Ballett Frankfurt June 17-19, 2004 in the Opera House Appointed in 1984, Artistic Director William Forsythe has developed a new repertory with his own unique style. That repertory and style has helped to establish Ballett Frankfurt as a force in contemporary dance not only in Germany but far beyond the borders of the European continent with performances all over the world. These performances at the Kennedy Center will mark Forsythe’s final American engagement as artistic director of the company. In his own words, Forsythe has said “The practice of introducing methods which delineate perceptual rules and boundaries is central to the domain of artistic practice.” That ideology will permeate the company’s debut engagement at the Kennedy Center, and will continue to define the style of the company for years to come. The company’s program will include the works N.N.N.N., Quintett, and Enemy In the Figure. All programs and artists are subject to change. To receive subscription information by mail, call the Subscription Office: (202) 416-8500. Subscriptions may be purchased in advance. Groups of 20 or more may contact Kennedy Center Group Sales: (202) 416-8400. Dates for sales of individual tickets will be announced at a later date. For more information about the Kennedy Center, please visit www.kennedy-center.org 2003-2004 season schedule – America Dancing Performance Dates Theater Company October 9-11, 2003 Eisenhower Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker January 27-February 1, 2004 Opera House Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater February 24-25, 2004 Eisenhower Batsheva Dance Company March 26-27, 2004 Eisenhower Merce Cunningham Dance Company April 8-10, 2004 Eisenhower Lyon Opera Ballet June 17-19, 2004 Opera House Ballett Frankfurt

Glad to, Marc. NBofFl now has its very own forum. Perhaps this will stir them to do bigger and more classical things.

I can't answer that question, but I met two NYCB long-time fans last night (down here for the Kennedy Center gala) who were very up on the Winter season generally, thought that it was as good as the Spring season had been bad, and said one of the nicest things about it was that Kistler was dancing well -- limited, but recognizing the limitations. I didn't see her dance when I was up last week, and wish I had. I've been hearing conflicting reports for years. "She can't dance any more"/"she's the company's great ballerina and dancing better than she has in years." I don't think it would be a good idea to do an official poll, but I would be interested to know if there are any Ballet Alertniks who have enjoyed Kistler's dancing this season.

I thought the evening was rather flat (and agree with most of Ari's comments), and I wonder how much was the "opening night" problem. Several people who hadn't seen the Royal Danish Ballet since 1992 (from intermission conversations) were also shocked at the way they looked. I guess since I've seen them during the Time of Troubles, I was more prepared. It is no small thing to say that they have not deteriorated further since January 2000! And Andersen does care about Bournonville and wants those ballets to be important to the company again, so I live in hope. (I agree, too, that having Napoli, especially the bare bones concert version, as an opening ballet is not ideal. We asked why the switch, and it wasn't really last-minute, but known some time ago. The Robbins Trust requires that "Fancy Free" end the program. Bournonville, alas, worked in the days when "trust" was written without the capital letter.) I did think some of the Danish dancers -- especially Thomas Lund in the first man's solo, and Schandorff in the fourth women's variation, and Rose Gad in the pas de six (without a variation) --were fine. I was especially glad to see Schandorff and Gad, because it's rare to see mature dancers rather than teenagers dance these variations. I didn't think they looked stiff; although I think, as a whole, the group was a bit over-careful. The other men who danced were not trained at the school and hail from Spain, France and Australia (Mads Blangstrup, with Morten Eggert the other Danish man along for this trip, was only cast in one variation in the tarantella, and I look forward to seeing him do one of the big solos later this week.) And I think you could tell that they were not bred to the style, especially in the shallow plies and arm positions. One small note on the Bolshoi dancers that might be of interest to Bolshoi fans. Volochkova danced Don Q in a pale yellow tutu; her own costume hadn't arrived yet, we were told. It is not her best color. She and Ivanchenko had danced the Don Q at a gala last year here, and, to me, it just doesn't suit them. Why not Black Swan? I was glad to see "Narcissus" again and would like to see more Goleizovsky. We got a setless "Spectre de la Rose" -- no window! - which I think is a terrible thing to do to a Diaghilev ballet. It's like doing a Balanchine ballet without the music. But I liked Nina Kaptsova as the Young Girl very much. I've read so many accounts of people saying, "Nijinsky? Yes, he was nice, BUT KARSAVINA!!!!!" that I wanted to see, just once, someone who could make this a ballerina role, and she did. She has the exact sense of floating, seeming to be completely relaxed and in a dreamlike state, yet dancing a classical variation -- very clear, very musical. I thought ABT's "Fancy Free" looked more like NYCB's than its own version, too, and have thought that for several years. It's not as tight (in both texture and direction), nor as sweet as the old ABT version. I also thought the sense of extremely close friendship among the men has been lost. But it was nice to see a full ballet after a night of excerpts. There will be other casts tonight and tomorrow afternoon. (Last night was DeLuz, Lopez, Carreno, Sandra Brown, Elizabeth Gaither and Angela Snow.) I thought the audience response generally was tepid, except for Volochkova and Ivanchenko, but the Tuesday night audience is often tepid, I think. I hope the week will warm up, as the dancers get used to the house. The stage manager should take a call when this is over. I can't imagine the logistics -- rehearsals, dressing rooms, all the sharing that must go on -- that goes into this. Each company brought its own conductor, too.

BOSTON BALLET ANNOUNCES 2003-2004 SEASON Boston Ballet Celebrates its 40th Anniversary Don Quixote October 16-19, 2003 Stars and Stripes October 23-October 26, 2003 Don Quixote October 30-November 2, 2003 The Nutcracker November 28-December 30, 2003 Lady of the Camellias March 18-March 21, 2004 Drink to Me... March 25-28, 2004 Lady of the Camellias April 1-4, 2004 Swan Lake May 6-16, 2004 (BOSTON, MA) - Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen today announced Boston Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season, starting and ending with two landmark Boston Ballet productions and featuring choreographers and works important to the Company's history and its future. "The 40th Anniversary Season will take us in two directions," said Nissinen, "to commemorate Boston Ballet's achievements over the past four decades and to break new ground as we begin our fifth. We'll open with Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote, the production that placed Boston Ballet 'on the map' when Mr. Nureyev first toured with the Company in 1982. We'll conclude our Anniversary Season with our admired and beautiful Swan Lake. We'll honor one of the foremost choreographers in the world of ballet, George Balanchine, in his centennial year. Balanchine supported the Company in many ways in our early years. There will be three Balanchine ballets performed this season. Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes, a beautiful ballet by Mark Morris, considered one of today's most innovative and important choreographers, will be featured. Morris' early association with Boston Ballet was among his first with classical ballet companies at the beginning of his exceptional career. As always, we will also present fresh, new talent including David Dawson's astonishing work, The Grey Area. We will feature two of Val Caniparoli's works; his passionate, full-length ballet Lady of the Camellias and a world premiere he will create especially for Boston Ballet." Don Quixote Choreography: Rudolf Nureyev Music: Ludwig Minkus Sets and Costumes: Nicolas Georgiadis Marius Petipa's 1869 ballet, Don Quixote, is based on Cervantes' famous novel. "Nureyev's exuberant Don Quixote is perhaps the most significant work in Boston Ballet's history," said Nissinen. "It is dramatic, passionate, and comic with bravura dancing that has thrilled audiences here and around the world. This version has not been performed by the Company in Boston since 1986 and we are especially pleased to bring it back for the 40th season." To pay tribute to Nureyev on the 10th anniversary of his death, Boston Ballet restores this exciting production with beautifully refurbished sets and costumes made possible by a grant from the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. Opening night, October 16, 2003, the Company will host a 40th anniversary gala in The Wang Theatre with festivities prior to and after the performance for gala ticket holders. Further details will be announced in the spring. Repertory I Stars and Stripes Choreography: George Balanchine Music: John Philip Sousa Mozartiana Choreography: George Balanchine Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Grey Area Choreography: David Dawson Music: Niels Lanz Boston Ballet commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Balanchine, who played an important role in founding the Company by helping to secure the 1963 Ford Foundation grant that established it as the first professional ballet ensemble in New England. "With a list of over 425 extraordinary works, Balanchine is the greatest choreographer of our time, who successfully fused modern and classical concepts. This program explores Balanchine's extraordinary range with two contrasting pieces," said Nissinen. "The beautiful, reverent, Mozartiana was one of the choreographer's final works. The ballet's formal costumes, choreography, and music arouse a sense of bliss and reverence." Stars and Stripes, created in 1958, is set to the stirring music of John Philip Sousa and was performed at the opening of Lincoln Center's New York State Theater. "The ballet features uplifting patriotic touches and extraordinary dancing," says Nissinen. English dancer and choreographer David Dawson created The Grey Area, a compelling contemporary ballet that explores the area between life and death, for the Dutch National Ballet. The ballet has achieved great critical success and was recently nominated for the Benois De La Danse choreographic award. The Nutcracker Choreography: Daniel Pelzig, Sydney Leonard, Bruce Marks, Mikko Nissinen, Anna-Marie Holmes, and Gianni Di Marco Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky For many New Englanders, the holiday season is not complete without Boston Ballet's family favorite, The Nutcracker. Under Mikko Nissinen's direction, the 2002 production was hailed by The Boston Globe as "the finest performance of the Christmas classic" in the Company's history. This year's calendar includes 43 performances of The Nutcracker at The Wang Theatre. Lady of the Camellias Choreography: Val Caniparoli Music: Frédéric Chopin Sets and Costumes: Robert Glay de la Rose Based on Alexander Dumas' 19th-century tale of the tragic affair between a gentleman and a courtesan, Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias was inspired by the same work as Verdi's opera La Traviata. Nissinen calls it "lush and romantic, with all the passion, heartbreak, and inspired dancing of the very best story ballets." Choreographer Val Caniparoli's ballets have earned him national and international praise from critics and audiences alike. "Caniparoli's works are filled with energy and passion. He is a choreographer who knows how to blend music and dance with precision," said Nissinen. His works are performed by numerous companies including San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Florida, Singapore Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Hong Kong Ballet, and Israel Ballet. Repertory II Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes Choreography: Mark Morris Music: Virgil Thomson Duo Concertant Choreography: George Balanchine Music: Igor Stravinsky World Premiere Choreography: Val Caniparoli Mark Morris is one of today's finest choreographers and, along with Mikhail Baryshnikov, is co-founder of the White Oaks Dance Project, a touring company that fosters the creativity of emerging and existing choreographers. Morris' works have achieved the highest critical acclaim, and have joined the repertory of Boston Ballet and major ballet companies around the world. In 1986, then an emerging choreographer, he created Mort Subite for Boston Ballet. Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes was commissioned by American Ballet Theatre and premiered in 1988 with a cast including Baryshnikov. "The heart-stopping beauty and flow of the ballet will captivate audiences," said Nissinen. Val Caniparoli follows Boston Ballet's premiere of his passionate Lady of the Camellias with a world premiere created specifically for Boston Ballet. Balanchine's Duo Concertant offers a fascinating onstage dialogue between dancer and musician, in which the music-making itself becomes part of the dance. Swan Lake Choreography: After Petipa and Ivanov Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Sets and Costumes: John Conklin The 40th Anniversary Season culminates in the revival of another milestone production: the Company's famed Swan Lake, which The New York Times called "the best production of this ballet in the United States." With the passionate score of Tchaikovsky and the exquisite sets and costumes of John Conklin, this Swan Lake has thrilled Boston audiences for over a decade. "It is a fitting finale for this special season," said Nissinen. New Season Schedule Boston Ballet will alter its performance schedule in 2003-2004, adopting a season format that has proved successful for other major North American ballet companies. The Company will perform two productions-a full-length ballet and a repertory program in tandem in a three-week period. The full-length production will run for five performances in the first week, followed by six performances of the repertory program, and five more performances of the full-length ballet in the third week. Boston Ballet's fall and winter programs will follow this pattern; schedule changes do not affect The Nutcracker or the final program of the season, Swan Lake. Subscription Information The subscription season includes all programs except The Nutcracker. Renewal packages are now being sent to current subscribers. New subscriptions go on sale as of May 1, 2003. All Boston Ballet performances take place at The Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston. For more information on the 2003-2004 season, please contact the Boston Ballet Box Office at (617) 695-6955 or log onto the Boston Ballet website, www.bostonballet.org http://www.bostonballet.org>. *** Merrill Lynch is Boston Ballet's 2002-2003 Season Sponsor

I think this discussion has run its course and am closing the thread. The article has been noted, but further discussion gets us too close to the personal lives of dancers.

This is becoming a trend in Europe. It's certainly happened a lot in France, and perhaps that is the model? Is this an attempt to jump on the bandwagon, as we would say? Or to bring in a new audience? (Do the classical/neoclassical evenings sell out?) What's your sense of the audience? I thnk we have other posters from Belgium, too, or perhaps those who have seen the company and I'd welcome their comments as well.

Lucky London! I hope we will get reports. You've made it sound so enticing..... Marc, this is a company I've never seen. Is the repertory all contemporary dance now? (I know they did a "Swan Lake" that was in the New! Improved! mode.)

Only that there will be a tour -- details have not yet been announced.

If I may intervene to prevent a misunderstanding -- yes, Francoise is Catherine, and we know this. The name "Catherine" was taken when she joined. Francoise, I don't think Viviane was commenting on your English, but thought that you had must copied (and translated) someone else's post. To prevent misunderstandings, it's all right to say "This was also posted on Critical Dance" or whatever the site was. At least, it's all right to do that here. While I'm being Solomon , having read her posts for some time now, I don't think Francoise meant to be tendentious, just stating an opinion. Some of us say things in stronger ways than others, and I'm sorry if it sounded too strong, but I don't see anything out of line here. All of us read things differently, as well as see things differently, I think.

I think GWTW raises an interesting point about the post-War economy having an influence, at least in America. But Britain did not experience a post-War boom, quite the opposite, and the Russian economy was struggling as well. I do think, though, that age and legacy are not synonymous. Balanchine was starting from scratch in one way -- he had to find dancers -- but not in another. He was transplanting a tradition and giving it a native coloring. Other companies here and iin Europe that began in the 1940s didn't have that, and don't have a legacy. DeValois also imported a repertory and teachers (from the Ballet Russe) AND had another structure -- that of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg -- in mind as a model AND deliberately chose a choreographer (Ashton) who could produce works to suit that model. Neither company was accidental. They began as institutions. Institutions have legacies. I think that's what institutions are about -- creating, preserving, and passing down. We have institutions so we don't have to reinvent the wheel every 10 years. We also have experimental companies that are born with no intention of becoming institutions because their concern isn't creating a legacy, it's experimenting. I think people often confuse the two, and that this is the cause of much rancor (on the internet and in real life!). Some expect experimental companies to act like institutions. Others (more, these days) expect institutions to act like experimental pick up companies. I think the reasons for the decline of the great "fortress companies" are many -- but not financial. There is much more money around now to be spent on the arts than in the 1930s and 1940s. It's simply that the people running these companies don't have the same vision, and internal political struggles in some of them (I except NYCB) or careless appointments by a board that doesn't undestand the art form has resulted in the appoiintment of directors who are more interested in their own careers than in preserving the legacy, or who are too weak to stand up to the board or the dancers, or who are not artists and do not know how to preserve the legacy, even though they may want to. There is one socioeconomic fact that is now coming into play in a big way, and it's a confluence of repertory trends (the death of character ballets and, hence, the need for character dancers) and the Baby Boom. At a time when dancers are being forced off the stage at younger and younger ages, there are more and more of them in their 30s and 40s needing jobs. Onceuponatime in the goodolddays dancers could dance well into their 50s and there weren't as many of them. Not as many pigs trying to muscle into the trough, as it were. Finally, there's the Video Problem. Balletmasters once had their jobs because of their memory and their eye. To remember those complex character ballets one needed an eye for detail and an eye for style. Now, literally anyone can stage a ballet, and anyone does. ("Here, take this video. Come back Tuesday. A little more energy. Jump higher." This passes for coaching today.) The one great company that Croce does not mention is Paris, a company which is often slighted in American criticism for reasons I have never understood. Whatever its problems -- and the current repertory is a problem -- Paris is still a great institution. What has sustained it through decades of creative drought is its school and its belief in its school.

Treefrog, I think this would mean that Diaghilev associated character dancing with Russian subject matter rather than classical dancing. "Swan Lake" might be Russian to us, but it wasn't to them. Petipa's ballets -- all that I can think of, at any rate, took place in a different place and time. Part of Fokine's manifesto was to use footwear appropriate to the character. Boots for Russian peasants. Nijinska wanted them in pointe shoes, not boots.

Tell us more about why you thought they were interesting! (And I'm moving this into the Dance forum, since it's not a ballet company.)

Good question -- sad, but good. I have a Croce quote for this one: "The central fact of ballet history of the last decade is the disintegration of the company and of the company style. It has happened everywhere, and to companies with once invincible reputations: the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballets of Britain and Denmark, the Bolshoi, the Kirov. Such companies were fortresses of style; they absorbed change, withstood adversity, challenged each other for world domination, and through it all, maintained a healthy local accent and native vigor that inspired civic pride even in the non-ballet-going public."--Arlene Croce, The New Yorker, July 10, 1996.