Alexandra

You both did great jobs!!! Thanks, Paquita and Saveta. It's so much fun to read such long, detailed reviews -- thank you!

Dale, I agree -- there's no "Spanish School" as there is Russian or French School.

Refers to Stephen Petronio, edgy, physical (very good, IMO) American modern dance choreographer. There are a lot of reviews of him available on line, although I couldn't find an active web page. As the kids say, Google him.

Here's One Woman's Opinion -- definitely of the "is bad ballet better than none at all" school of thought. Judith Mackrell gave it two stars in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,...,434938,00.html On the plus side, it seems as though they bring stars, and you might like the stars

What was the second date? I think there are dozens of ways of looking at ballets -- some people look for the story, some for the dancing, some for the music, some for the scenery and costumes, some for a mix of all of those, etc, etc. I brought up the Greeks only as a reminder that sometimes when things seem odd, there was a reason for them. There's also the question of which context do we use? What Tchanikovsky intended when he wrote the score? Petipa and Ivanov's (some day I promise I'll put up the article we printed in DanceView that argues there's a good possibility that Petipa choreographed all of "Swan Lake") intentions? Can Grigorovich, or anyone else, simply take the score and use it (well, of course they can, and they do ) I'd be more sympathetic to the latter case if there weren't bits of the earlier carcass left about!

Thanks to all who've posted, especially to Estelle and Terry for the summaries and the links. I thought I'd bump this up to the top, since it's actually "next season" now

James and Albrecht are Romantic heroes. Classical precepts do not apply Seriously, since we all grew up, presumably, in a different religion -- whatever it is, it isn't Hellenic paganism -- the stories may seem silly (and we've certainly had some good "silly" threads), but if we want to understand the ballets, then I think we have to look at them in the context in which they were created. One class I had in dance history -- that was absolutely awful; they hated all of it. The class time conflicted with Oprah, and that was where their heads were -- thought the entire idea of "Romeo and Juliet" -- play or ballet -- was "dumb" because "like, if it happened today, Romeo would have had a pager." (This was before cell phones.) I think Grigorovich was trying to redo Siegfried in a more modern image -- the thoughtful, instrospective man although still buffeted by fate (in our programs he was called Von Rothbart, the Evil Genius). Literally buffeted -- pulled to and fro, so the audience would "get it" and not have to imagine. I think, too, Siegfired, through performance history, has become a hybrid character, half Romantic, half-Classical hero. And then, in the 20th century, he became an anti-hero. Lots of baggage for one poor little Prince. Perhaps reparenting therapy is in order

Have you ever read the Greek tragedies? The Odyssey? The Aeneid? I mean destiny within that construct; that is what the entire classical tradition is based on, including Petipa's ballets, and including Swan Lake and Bayadere. Not Grigorovich's versions perhaps, which are derivative of derivative of derivative. but then we get into the old "what is the work?" question. What is "Swan Lake?" the original, or whatever it is we saw last week. (It's both, in one way, and in another.....)

euros and dollars are ALMOST the same now. And one million sounds like a lot! Thanks for the recap of what happened in Paris, Estelle. I'd forgotten that.

ABT STUDIO COMPANY AT THE KAYE PLAYHOUSE, DECEMBER 4 & 5 AT 8 P.M. Performances of Jiri Kylian's Return to a Strange Land and New Works by Sean Curran and Avichai Scher American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company will present two evenings of works at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, on Wednesday, December 4 and Thursday, December 5 at 8 P.M. The program for both nights will include Return to a Strange Land by Jiri Kylian and the World Premiere of Jouons by Avichai Scher and the New York City Premiere of The Saxophone Dances by Sean Curran. Created in 1975, Return to a Strange Land is often considered one of Jiri Kylian's masterpieces. The piece, set to music by Leos Janácek, consists of two duets and two trios and was last performed by the ABT Studio Company in 1999. The ballet explores the journey between mortality and death. According to Kylian: "The title Return to a Strange Land, conveys the step from one form of existence into another. The substance, which bodies are made of, has always existed on the other side: the unconscious. To live is to become conscious. To die is to return to the other land: the strange land of one's origin." The World Premiere of Jouons, choreographed by School of American Ballet student Avichai Scher, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4. The ballet, whose title translates to "let us play," is a simple story of a young woman who gradually becomes integrated into a group at play. Set to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, the work features ABT Studio Company dancer Sarah Lane, the recent winner of the junior silver medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi and one of this year's recipients of The Chisholm Foundation Scholarship. Sean Curran, founder and artistic director of the Sean Curran Company, choreographs his first work for the ABT Studio Company with The Saxophone Dances. Set to the music of Jean Phillipe Rameau, Ferenc Farkas and Lenny Pickett, The Saxophone Dances is Mr. Curran's first work set on pointe and will feature artists from the Studio Company and the Purchase Dance Corps of the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. The Saxaphone Dances received its World Premiere on November 15, 2002 at the Performing Arts Center in Purchase, New York. Tickets for ABT's Studio Company at The Kaye, priced at $24 for general admission, $18 for members and senior citizens and $10 for students, are available by calling 212-772-4448. The ABT Studio Company is a small classical company of 12 young dancers of outstanding potential. In its seventh season, the Studio Company prepares young dancers to enter American Ballet Theatre and provides opportunities for the emergence of new and established choreographers and composers. Through in-school performances, lecture-demonstrations and academic residencies, the ABT Studio Company brings the excitement of close contact with a professional company into communities around the country. The dancers, ages 16-21, are handpicked from around the world by the artistic staff of American Ballet Theatre. Studio Company dancers will train in the program for one or two years before joining American Ballet Theatre's main company or other leading national and international professional companies. Participation in outreach programs for children and other selected groups is an important part of the Studio Company's mission. Studio Company dancers perform in schools around the New York City area and throughout the United States. The outreach program also extends to colleges and universities where dance students experience the rare opportunity of collaborating with the Company during a three-week residency. The ABT Studio Company is funded, in part, by The Chisholm Foundation and MetLife Foundation. This performance is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. For more information, please visit ABT's website at www.abt.org.

ANGEL CORELLA AWARDED SPAIN'S NATIONAL DANCE AWARD Angel Corella, a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, was awarded the National Dance Award in Spain by the National Institute of Scenic Arts and Music on November 4, 2002. The National Dance Award in Spain is given annually to dancers of the highest quality. This year the jury awarded the prize to dancer and choreographer Maria Pages, and to Mr. Corella in the interpretive category. In bestowing the award, the jury regarded Mr. Corella as an "exceptional dancer and a representative of a generation that exalts Spanish dance in the most prestigious companies in the world." Angel Corella was born in Madrid in 1975. He began his ballet studies in Colmenar Viejo, and later studied in Madrid with Victor Ullate and Karemia Moreno. In May 1991, Mr. Corella won First Prize in the National Ballet Competition of Spain. In December 1994, he won the Grand Prix and Gold Medal at the Concours International de Danse de Paris, dancing the pas de deux from Don Quixote and Le Corsaire. Mr. Corella joined American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in April 1995 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in August 1996. He has appeared as a guest artist with companies around the world and is currently a guest artist with The Royal Ballet. Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre's 2003 Metropolitan Opera House season are on sale now by phone at 212-362-6000 and by mail. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org.

Thanks for that, Estelle. In theory, I think that's a good model -- better than putting in the businessman as artistic director, anyway

Some very quick answers -- I hope other will fill in. 1. Yes! Plié and demi-plié is the key to all. At least, that's one theory, and it's the strength of the Russian, as well as the Danish school. It does give the soft landings, but it also gives weight -- and people without a good plie often look spindly and stiff in the knees. 2. The classical tutu descended from Renaissance costume -- Juliet can go into more detail, I'm sure. 3. I think the classical ballets looked back to antiquity for their morals. I remember endless discussions in Latin class about how it wasn't really Aeneid's fault that he dumped Dido; it was his destiny. If more people had really looked at the ballets and wondered where their stories came from, perhaps we'd have fewer "let's make this make sense" renditions of them! Both Solor and Siegfried were acting out their destinies -- but "fault" wasn't a concern of the gods. They were quite happy to trick people into misbehaving (and carrying out the ends of the gods) and then whacking them for it. Such is life. 4. There were dream sequences as early as the 1850s, and possibly the 1840s. Bournonville writes in "My Theatre Life" about a "clever device" he'd just heard about, and uses a dream in "Folk Tale" for, as you say, story telling -- it's a flash back (take that, Martha Graham!) Petipa uses it for Raymonda's dream. 20th century messers-around-with-Petipa often used it because they didn't try to make sense of a supernatural story. Don't believe in ghosts? It's only a dream. Just like "Dallas," if you remember that one Great questions! And remember, before giving yourself a big headache asking questions about the 19th century based on these productions, remember they bear little resemblance in step, costume, style, atmosphere, or philosophical underpinnings, to the original. Only the music and the vague outlines are the same.

There's a 2 minute 41 second interview with Hubbe, in Danish -- and three brief dancing segments from "The Lesson" -- on the Royal Danish Ballet's home page. If you go to http://www.kgl-teater.dk/ on the home page you'll see a photo of Bournonville's Konservatoriet, and below that there's a little icon of a movie camera and "Se interview med Nikolaj Hübbe" Click, find the same words again, choose your connection speed and you'll get it. They also promise a "trailer" but I couldn't get that to work.

Thanks very much for posting this, treefrog. La Dolphin may post as well, of course I agree -- it's a mess. It's a big, 19th century variety show. The classical unities were not in favor then And it had to appeal to a mixed-interest audience, just like today. Back then, the character dancers (and that Tom Tom dance IS our Indians, not theirs. God knows why. It's part of the interest that people then had about other cultures, and the way they expressed it. There's one dance, done by young women on this tour, that's generally done by children, and generally done in black face/black body stockings. I saw this production when the Bolshoi was here a few months ago, and as a production, it's the weakest Bayadere I've seen. But I agree -- there is some glorious dancing in it.

An interesting comparison, when the Bolshoi brought its version to DC last season, they didn't have the two little girls. Whether they were left home and didn't tour, or whether this is their standard version, I don't know, but you really did miss them. The girl looked like a ditsy juggler without the distraction of those kids.

The story to which dirac refers is examined in my book, as well as several different accounts of whether "Apollo" was changed or not. I agree with dirac about Apollo now being done by everyone, everywhere now, and that once it was much more closely held, as it were, but I don't think Balanchine really searched the length and breadth of Europe before finding Martins. Balanchine had Taras contact Kronstam, who had had several invitations to join NYCB, "to see if I was still in shape," as Kronstam put it. He was, but wasn't available to go to Edinburgh. Vera Volkova suggested Martins to Taras. But the principle dirac mentioned is very true, and not only for "Apollo." How many Giselles were there in 1940 and how many this year, this season? (And no, it's not because there were only 6 people capable of doing the role in 1940 and 600 today. There were probably 100 men who could have danced the steps in "Apollo" in 1965, but they didn't get to do it.)

Solor, it's all in here: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=5965 Look for Act IV, the Wrath of the Gods

I think, unfortunately, that LeClercq, although she was undeniably important, suffers from two things -- one, she didn't dance long enough, and two, some of the roles that were the most individual created on her disappeared with her illness. I wish someone had done a book on Diana Adams -- one could be done now, but it wouldn't be the same as one done based on interviews with her when she was alive. From the little I've seen and read, she's one of The Great Ones for me.

I think, unfortunately, that LeClercq, although she was undeniably important, suffers from two things -- one, she didn't dance long enough, and two, some of the roles that were the most individual created on her disappeared with her illness. I wish someone had done a book on Diana Adams -- one could be done now, but it wouldn't be the same as one done based on interviews with her when she was alive. From the little I've seen and read, she's one of The Great Ones for me.

This program was on the modern dance subscription, so I was surprised at the reaction. Some of us who liked it discussed the tepid reaction, and thought, for Helikopter, it was the music -- although the volume here was quite civil, not aggressively loud, as in some avant-garde programs. The main comments I heard were that Helikopter was "just steps" (with which I do not agree) and that "Sacre" was: too vicious, too anti-female, too pornographic. I don't agree there, either. I especially liked the hillock in Sacre. I read once Stravinsky describing the music, and he said that spring in Russia is not gentle, but the earth is ripped apart violently -- and Preljocaj echoed that when he tore the hillock apart. I thought it was a very thoughtful approach, and I'd expected a "let's use a famous name and famous score and coast on it" version.

Thanks for posting -- and a VERY belated thanks to Nanatchka. I thought the dancers were absolutely stunning. I liked the way they looked like very fit artists rather than athletes, and had "normal" bodies -- meaning not too muscled, not to skinny, but definitely dancers! I was very disappointed that at the Kennedy Center, you couldn't see the light patterns from the orchestra -- not from where I sat, anyway, and others who saw it from both above and below said the difference was stark. I could see only flickering lights, not any patterns. I had several friends who'd stopped going to see Preljocaj because they hadn't been impressed with his Romeo and Juliet remake, or his more tanztheater-like pieces, but liked this program very much. The audience here did not -- you could feel a chill, at least opening night, and the comments I heard at intermission were mostly negative. Thanks for posting the link, too

This is wonderful news -- I hope they do dig back into the archives. There were several appearances by NYCB and ABT dancers of that era.

Mel, in D.C., it's the laws. There's no place left to smoke here, except outside. We could make a list of dancers who died of lung cancer. Erik Bruhn, Toni Lander, Inge Sand, Nicholas Magallanes.....

Re Part and Malakhov, here's an official answer from ABT's press office: Alexandra: Regarding Spring casting, we have released just the Principal casting for the most part. Of course, there are many soloist roles in these ballets that are not cast yet. The first page of our press release lists the Principal Dancers for the engagement and it does include Malakhov. Also, casting for the World Premiere of HereAfter and Artemis has not been released yet. Veronika and Vladimir and others will definitely be dancing (barring injury of course) during the season. We will be putting out another brochure (for single ticket sales) sometime in early February -- that should provide some updated casting, the tba's may be filled in, etc.