Alexandra

I think this can happen, Michael, because a ballet one once found ABSOLUTELY AWFUL will eventually, if you see it enough, be like that loud, unpleasant uncle who comes to dinner once a month. He's family. I have to admire you for admitting that you've changed your opinion

If we can keep this within the realm of acceptable speculation I gather that Boada has been much injured? (He's never been on one of the company's tours to D.C., and then come here, on average, every other year, if not every year.) Was Maynard also often injured? (It seems the dancers' contracts aren't being renewed for the next season, not that they're being fired on the spot. This often happens for a variety of reasons, including a good dancer who is no longer able to perform for reasons of age or injury.)

I've copied this over from Links: John Lanchbery, conductor, orchestrator, and arranger of ballet music, died yesterday at his home in Melbourne, Australia. The New York Times The Guardian The London Times ---------------------------------- Any comments, memories about John Lanchberry? He was the most important arranger of ballet scores in the last half-century. The arrangements were sometimes controversial (what isn't?). Are there successors?

To get back to "Les Noces" and the quote Glebb posted, compared to that, Nijinska's treatment of the score seems conventional -- or, if one thinks that the kind of fragmentation and modernism that Stravinsky's words reflect are difficult to transform into public forms of art, like theater and dance (as opposed to private forms of art, like painting and music), then she made a modernist adaptation of a traditional ballet, but with set roles and, if not a literal narrative, a drama nonetheless. Glebb, or others more familiar with the score than I am, is there a matching -- or contrasting -- fragmentation in the choreography?

I don't want to have to type in the whole chapter in David Vaughan's biography of Ashton (the ballet is discussed on pp. 149-154 if anyone is curious), but the ballet was announced in Dancing Times in January 1937 (from which it can be inferred that the ballet, which premiered in April of that year, had been in progress for some months previously) and "The idea for the ballet was Lord Berners's; he began to compose the music before actually entering on the collaboration with Ashton." There's nothing to suggest that anyone went bounding out of a performance of Les Noces wanting to do a classical, comic ballet about weddings. But more importantly, there's nothing choreographically, musically, or visually that links the two ballets that I can see. Ashton often borrowed from Nijinska -- patterns, arm positions -- but I think trying to make the case here is a real stretch. The inspiration for this ballet was Gertrude Stein's writing (chosen by Berners, mostly from "They Must. Be Wedded. To Their Wife.") The score was originally performed as a choral piece. The narrator replaced the chorus later, during the War, for budgetary reasons (and probably a shortage of singers) and retained afterwards. (The narrator, which everyone else loves, I think hurts the ballet, because the jokes -- like rowing movements during the "I am older than a boat" line -- seem very obvious when you can hear the words.)

Thank you for that, Diane. I'd love to hear more about the "rather obscure-seeming, original works using a largely classical ballet vocabulary." That's what we don't have much of here, and what we do have is usually very derivative -- watered down Balanchine.

Thank you for that, Diane. I'd love to hear more about the "rather obscure-seeming, original works using a largely classical ballet vocabulary." That's what we don't have much of here, and what we do have is usually very derivative -- watered down Balanchine.

"Les Noces" (originally performed in 1923) was revived for the de Basil company in 1936 and then not performed again until Ashton revived it for the Royal in 1966. I can't see any connection between Les Noces and A Wedding Bouquet except the subject. Vaughan says, "[berners'] original intention was siply to write a choral work, with words by Gertrude Stein, and only later did he decide that it should be a ballet. The scenario was concocted by Berners, Ashton and Constant Lambert, in weekends at Berneers' country house." Vaughan goes on to say, "The striking thing about 'A Wedding Bouquet' is that it is not, like de Valois's Douanes, say, a character ballet in the manner of Massine, but essentially a classic ballet, and it is full of dancing." Glebb, I'm very glad the Joffrey is still dancing it. It's one of the finest things I ever saw them do, and I love the ballet

I received an email from George Jackson with some information on Italian ballerinas: dell'Era was for a long time prima in Berlin; in Theodor Fontane's novels, sophisticated Berliners are always rushing off to see dell'Era dance. Jane Pritchard not long ago had an article (Dancing Times, I think) on her. The reason there is confusion about the death of several Italian ballerinas is that they often left the scene of their fame -- which could have been any one of a number of European cities -- when they retired and returned to their birthplaces where they may not have been well known. Pensions were sent to them there, and when they died their relatives were understandably not prompt in notifying the Vienna or Munich or wherever Operahouse because then the money would stop coming.

Justine, you'll find other Vaganova teachers, and those interested in Vaganova, on the Teachers forum. I hope you'll join in the discussions there, or start some of your own.

Part did Lady Capulet yesterday afternoon at the Kennedy Center.

Thank you for this, Jeannie. It gives a very clear picture of what this production is, not only what it looks like, but how it's constructed and the nature of the dancing (LOVE the milkman reference)! I can't say I'd get on a plane to see it! Ratmansky is getting a lot of commissions, but it doesn't sound as though he's the Russian Christopher Wheeldon Are any of our St. Petersburgians going to these performances?

Thanks, Saveta -- no, I understood that. You were very clear. I meant, did the whole Bournonville excerpt begin the program, or end it? I've never heard of it being used as an opening ballet. Editing to say -- never mind! It's in Paula Citron's review. It was the program opener (she also says that this was possibly not a good idea).

Thanks, Jeannie, it sounds like fun. Thanks for your review (and thanks also for reporting on the ambience and the audience!)

Sneds, I think if there's an interview and the company is displeased with the results it will be brought to the dancer's attention -- but what might upset one director might not upset another. As for the photograph, it's customary when one does an article to call and say something like, "We'd like to interview four of your male dancers, one principal, one soloist, couple of corps. And please provide photographs." Of course, I don't know what happened here -- and sometimes a writer might ask the dancer, "Do you have any photos?"

Thanks for that! I just wanted to make sure I was clear on something, though, Saveta. They OPENED with pas de six and tarantella?? If so, that may be the first time in history. I think it's illegal in Denmark to have the tarantella as anything but the last thing on a program! ;) And did they do Flower Festival as a separate piece, or stick it in the middle of the Napoli bits? (which has been done in Denmark, by both Flemming Flindt and Hans Brenaa) Just curious. The thing to look for in Flower Festival -- it's a small thing, but... -- is the way the dancers do the little flirtatious glances. The timing is terribly difficult and very few non-Danes can manage them. The girl has to almost look at the boy and then look away just in time, and both seem both innocent and flirtatious at the same time. Something in the choreography might interest you -- the full ballet was about a kidnapping. The girl (Rosa) is kidnapped by a bandit and the boy (Paolo, I think) rescues her. So the arm positions in the pas de deux refer to the story. The girl has her hands behind her back several times, and the last time, the boy separates them, as if freeing her from her bonds. The comments you made about connecting the steps and flow and stiffness made a great deal of sense. Dancers often look stiff doing Bournonville because they're not used to keeping the arms down and have to remember to do it. The trick is to keep them down, but free, and make it look natural. I'm glad Hubbe is staging Bournonville. He's one of the Hopes for saving that repertory, in my opinion (and that of seeral of the older dancers as well.) Also, kudos to Kudelka for reviving a Tudor ballet! It sounds as though it's a character ballet rather than a classical one -- rarer still. This may be the only Tudor on the continent, outside of Offenbach, that ABT is doing this season. Thanks again for your review. I hope others will see the program and write.

Vishneva is being interviewed all over the place. I'm copying over this from a post Ari made on Links a few days ago. ------------------------- The Baltimore Sun goes to St. Petersburg to interview artists about how they have made the transition from Soviet to post-Soviet rule. ---------------------------------------- I haven't read any of these interviews (except for the excerpt above) and so can't comment on them -- I note that in this excerpt, we also learn that Vishneva is hardworking and harried.

Su-lian, I've seen a filmed Rose Adagio, too, although I don't think it's complete (?). It's on one of the many videos about Fonteyn. There is a complete Fonteyn Beauty at the Dance Collection. It's a private film, pieced together from ten years of performances. It's lovely -- the photographer's favorite dancers in their best moments, In His Opinion. I saw it at a conference on Sleeping Beauty quite some time ago -- I don't think it's available for public viewing, though.

As far as I know, no, alas.

So we can keep things togther, I'm going to close this thread. Please post your reviews and reactions to the performance on this thread in Recent Performances: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=9886 (Medora, thanks for posting -- I've moved your post over to the other thread.)

I agree with you on the boiling hormones -- excellent phrase! I found her cold as well, which made the reaction -- which one could actually feel -- very strange to me. We often have demonstrative audiences, but usually, these days, they are cheering for male technicians. I didn't mean to divert the thread -- back to Alexandrova! (But if anyone wants to start a thread on Volochkova, please feel free.)

I'm going to move this into the Dancers forum so that more people will see it.

But it is a jump/turn/turn role now. I was there last night, but won't comment until after my review appears, which won't be until after the run.

I'd like to echo Katharine's remark, and explain it a bit for those reading this forum who perhaps aren't used to American and English ballet criticism (in print or on message boards). Often, reviews are very concentrated on technique (in America) or on acting, as if the ballet were a play (in Europe) -- yes, I'm generalizing! -- and it's nice to read another approach, which gives one an idea of the qualities of the dancer, both technical and emotional, and also gets to the soul of a performance, what really matters. So thank you both! Mikhail, it might interest you to hear that when the Bolshoi was last in Washington, Volochkova had an effect on the audience, especially, it seemed, the men, that I haven't observed before, and I've been attending performances at the Kennedy Center for nearly 30 years. She did "Swan Lake" and "Bayadere" (Nikiya) and both were rather cold performances, yet people were excited. There had been no advance publicity; they didn't know a thing about her. The man sitting in front of me appeared to be one of those American husbands who's there only to please his wife, and he woke up at Volochkova's entrance. At intermission, he said, "She's nice. Is she dancing next week?" And I heard similar remarks. It was a most unusual reaction.

Just a note -- and I'm speaking generally; I don't know the particulars here. But I'm not sure that NYCB had any control over what was printed. Companies usually don't have approval of articles.