Alexandra

Clement Crisp, July 18, 2002, on Onegin: Too much Mills & Boon, not enough Pushkin

Anyone going? This piece, by Jennifer Dunning, was in this past Sunday's NYTimes: Celebrating the Vision of Merce Cunningham

dirac wrote: I like that definition. The notion that, as Peter Sellars would have it, "Prince is a modern day Mozart" is baloney. Beethoven was once "modern" , as was Stravinsky. Prince is in a different room. Unfortunately, "classical" is as ghastly a term in music as it is in ballet. "serious" music, "concert" music -- not much better. I would disagree, though, that pop music is folk art. To me, popular music is manufactured music, while folk music really does come from the people and has roots so ancient they're untraceable. And while there is horrible classical music and good pop music, I also feel very strongly that there is a hierarchy of genres (and that serious music, by its aspirations, rules, and form, heads it). I think a ballet can be made to any kind of music, or even to no music, or to words or to bird calls -- a great choreographer can get away with anything. But "Who Cares?" isn't a permission slip for the less talented to put on a few tunes and have the dancers bop around. Usually, the very form of pop music means any dances set to it risk being banal. The four-bar phrase, the repetitiveness, the tendency to "act out" the verse. But again, someone with a great talent can get around that. (I liked some of the "Sinatra Songs" but I do consider Twyla Tharp to be a ballet choreographer, even though she, at times, says she is. She doesn't use the language like a native. She's just after the technique of it, not the linking steps, not the form. I don't consider her a great choreographer in any genre, but that's a different story.) A view from the modern dance side on this, and a local one at that. When I first started goinig to dance concerts in the mid-70s, this included attending concerts at local universities. It was mandatory for students to choreograph to "serious" music. This came, I was told, from the 1930s to 1950s period in modern dance when modern dancers felt that they had to justify their art form, that they were always being compared to ballet, and, by some, judged to be not as serious. One of the "rules," then, was to use serious themes and serious music. (I don't think this was a concern of Martha or Doris, but we were several generations away from them, by the mid-1970s.) By the mid-1980s, one of the lesser schools here was permitting rock tunes -- and the dances really were execrable. Do wah do wah oh, baby baby type stuff. Not a comment on the song, just put it on and jiggle. Other dance departments were shocked. Their students wanted to do the same kind of pieces. The students won. As for the ABT George Harrison piece, again, one can never prejudge something. I've been surprised more times than I can count by something I thought would be awful that turned out to be interesting. That said, when I read it -- not just the "concept" but the choreographers involved -- I thought it was one of our joke threads, the "How Bad Can It Get? Let your imagination run wild" one. I think Ari's comment that there are choreographers who seem to have rock music sensibilities is very true -- all too true, perhaps. One of the things hindering the development of ballet, I think, is the lack of contemporary classical music with feet. (i.e., that's both listenable and danceable)

Thanks for putting your 2 cents in! It's very much okay Welcome, aes301, and I hope we'll hear from you often.

I changed the title of this thread, as we had two "Onegin - summer season"s. And here's a link to another, brief, earlier discussion of Onegin as a ballet (it's on the Ballets forum). http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=4137

Thanks for that -- and good for her. But WHAT ballet do you want to see? Which ballets, which companies, etc. etc.

I thihk this is an excellent question and that Ari has laid out the issue very well. I'd like to let others go first, though What do you all think?

This was discussed at the time, Rachel -- but I don't know if the posts are still on the board. (We've had to delete lots of posts in the past because of space constraints.) You might do a search for San Francisco Ballet School or SFB School and see what turns up. I don't remember, now, how this was resolved. Does anyone else? I think LMCTech and Paul Parish had opinions on this one -- I hope you don't mind my mentioning your names.

Ballet has been pretty scarce on American television recently (that's in the past decade!) If you could write a Letter to The Programmers at Dance in America -- and/or Great Performances -- saying what, and how much, you would like to see, what would it say? (A weekly series is not likely ) For those who live out of U.S. airwaves, I think many of us would be interested in what you are seeing/would like to see, as well.

I think this is a good question, but I don't even have a bad answer I honestly don't think one can predict progress, because great artists aren't predictable. The only thing I think one can be sure of is that the next artistic leader will be doing something that no one predicts Either something completely different, or (as Balanchine and Ashton did) reinventing something very old into something that looks of its time, i.e., now. One of the problems inherent in classical ballet is that nearly every narrative work in other fields (literature, theater) created after World War II looks inward, explores the inner life of its characters, and often the dark side of life. Classical ballet, by its nature, doesn't do that. It looks out of the body (turn out); contractions were for modern dance. Several choreographers, from the great (Tudor, say) to the less than great have tried to use this in ballet, but I don't think this dichotomy has ever been satisfactorily resolved. Balanchine did it by skipping narrative and going straight to the soul/mind; Ashton did it by, mostly, telling stories from other times and plotless ballets that dealt with ideals. Perhaps when a contemporary choreographer says "we must progress" that can be taken to mean "we must accept my works and not that old guy's that everybody compares me to." What I see in new ballets is either A) people trying to do the opposite of what has been done (the "stand classicism on its ear" schtick) or, more usually, B) making derivations of what has been done. If anyone is braver than I am, though, and would like to make predictions, please do!!!

How could you find a season centered around "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "My Funny Valentine" ballets wanting? Is this a new trend? "Cutting edge, gonna kick its butt into the 21st century, waykewl newnow" ballets replaced by...well, we haven't seen them yet, and they may be great, but what on the surface seems like schmaltzballet.

Both Dream/Fille and Diamond Project anniversary were programmed way before 9/11, of course, lest someone read the prior post as ABT was taking the sure way out and NYCB was forging bravely ahead with new, uncomfortable works As for what's going on back stage -- we don't know what's going on back stage. If one talked to ten different dancers, not to mention ten different dancers' mothers or spouses -- one would get ten different views. Whatever is going on back stage should be kept back stage, at least as far as this board is concerned.

FOUR WORLD PREMIERES INCLUDING A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON TO HIGHLIGHT AMERICAN BALLET HEATRE'S FALL SEASON AT CITY CENTER, OCTOBER 15-27, 2002 SEASON TO INCLUDE NEW WORKS BY JAMES KUDELKA AND ROBERT HILL AND A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD RODGERS CHOREOGRAPHED BY LAR LUBOVITCH Revival of Antony Tudor's Offenbach in the Underworld Also Planned The World Premiere of A Tribute to George Harrison and new works by James Kudelka, Lar Lubovitch and Robert Hill will highlight American Ballet Theatre's fall 2002 season at City Center, October 15-27, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The Company will also present a revival of Antony Tudor's Offenbach in the Underworld and of The Garden of Villandry by Martha Clarke, Robert Barnett and Felix Blaska. Principal Dancers for the engagement are Nina Ananiashvili, Maxim Belotserkovsky, Jose Manuel Carreño, Angel Corella, Irina Dvorovenko, Marcelo Gomes, Guillaume Graffin, Paloma Herrera, Robert Hill, Julie Kent, Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel. American Ballet Theatre's opening night gala on Tuesday evening, October 15 at 7:00 P.M. will include a Pièce d'Occasion, an excerpt of Offenbach in the Underworld, and performances of The Garden of Villandry and Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free. American Ballet Theatre's City Center season is sponsored by UBS PaineWebber, and MovadoWatch Company. Major funding has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. ABT's 2002 City Center season is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Four choreographers will come together for the World Premiere of A Tribute to George Harrison scheduled for Friday, October 18. Ann Reinking, David Parsons, Natalie Weir and Stanton Welch will each choreograph to recorded songs written and composed by the late George Harrison, including Something, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and My Sweet Lord. Performances of A Tribute to George Harrison will be repeated on Saturday evening, October 19, Sunday evening, October 20, Tuesday, October 22, Saturday evening, October 26 and Sunday evening, October 27. The World Premiere of a new work by Lar Lubovitch, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Richard Rodgers' birth, is scheduled for Wednesday evening, October 23. This yet-untitled work, created on the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, is set to the Rodgers' songs Do I Hear A Waltz?, It Might As Well Be Spring, Who Knows Where or When?, The Sweetest Sound I've Ever Heard and My Funny Valentine. The new work for six dancers will incorporate last season's ABT premiere of My Funny Valentine, a pas de deux created for the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Music for Lubovitch's new ballet will be an original arrangement of Rodgers' music by Marvin Laird for three cellos, a piano and oboe. Lighting will be by Tony Award winning designer Brian MacDevitt (Into The Woods). James Kudelka, acclaimed choreographer and Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, will choreograph a new work for ABT, which will have its World Premiere on hursday evening, October 17. Set to Violin Concerto by Edgar Meyer written for the violinist Hilary Hahn, Kudelka's new work features costumes by Denis Lavoie and lighting by Scott Zelensky. This will be Mr. Kudelka?s third work for ABT. He previously created Cruel World (1994) and States of Grace (1995). The fourth World Premiere cheduled for ABT?s 2002 City Center season will be a new work by Robert Hill set to Lowell Liebermann's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1. Hill's new ballet, his third for ABT, features costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Brad Fields. A ballet for 10 dancers, Hill's new work will be given its World Premiere on Wednesday evening, October 23. Previously, Hill created Baroque Game (1999) and Marimba (2001). Antony Tudor's Offenbach in the Underworld, first performed by ABT in 1956, will have its revival premiere on Thursday, October 24. A depiction of French café society in the 1870's, Offenbach in the Underworld is set to Gaîté Parisienne by Jacques Offenbach, arranged and orchestrated by George Crum. Last performed by ABT in 1958, the revival will be staged by Donald Mahler. Returning to the repertory for the first time since 1989, The Garden of Villandry, by Martha Clarke, Robert Barnett and Felix Blaska, will have its revival premiere on opening night Tuesday, October 15. Set to Franz Schubert?s Trio No. 1 in B flat, Op. 99, the ballet was created for the Crowsnest dance company in France in 1979 and received its ABT Premiere in 1988. The Garden of Villandry is a work for three dancers and features costumes by Jane Greenwood and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. Additional repertory scheduled for American Ballet Theatre's 2002 City Center season includes George Balanchine?s Symphony In C, Jerome Robbins? Fancy Free and Other Dances, Stanton Welch?s Clear and other classical pas de deux. ABTKids, a special performance for families, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26 at 11:30 A.M. This one-hour presentation, features specially-tailored performances by ABT?s dancers accompanied by a full orchestra. Tickets for ABTKids are priced at $15 for adults and children. American Ballet Theatre will again present ABTalks at City Center. ABTalks are pre-curtain discussions held one hour prior to performances and are free to ABT ticket holders. A detailed schedule will be announced at a later date. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre?s 2002 City Center are priced from $30-$75 and are available by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212 or on-line at citycenter.org. City Center is located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.

rkoretzky, don't fret too much about impending "defections." There's always dissatisfaction in ballet companies, and at the end of every season I hear "everyone's leaving" rumors from at least three major companies. Maybe some want to leave and can't find anything better, maybe they're just venting. But come fall, I'm betting most of them will be back.

Jeannie, unfortunately, seems to have a business travel schedule that doesn't take ballet competitions into account! I have a friend going to be on the critics panel, as it turns out, and I'll get a report when he comes back, but no news in advance. Won't they mostly be the same people who were at Jackson? There are some dancers who seem to do the competition circuit, rather like golfers and marathon runners

Thanks, bobsey and FF, for these reports -- they really give a flavor of the season, and the place, and they were both lovely to read.

Thanks, Pamela, I have ballettens danser ud -- and not a single one of my Danish friends can give me a better than the literal translation, which makes no sense in English! One suggested that IF the book were about their US tour in 1965 THEN that may be what the title means. Alas, I have more than 2000 photos of Kronstam, several of the ones that were in that book, but had to whittle them down to a mere 155 It may interest you to know that the ballerinas of Apollo have a particular loathing for one photo -- and you'll be able to tell which one by this story -- because they felt the photographer was crawling around, trying to shoot up their dresses. But there are some interesting photos in that book of several of the dancers. When I first went to Copenhagen in the spring of 1990 I found dozens of wonderful used ballet books -- many English (Royal Ballet) and Ballets Russes ones, and they were usually quite inexpensive. Since then, though, the university added a dance history course and, I've been told, the students all scour the shops to build their own libraries, so the pickings are slim. Glad you found some nice ones

I can't take a Bible oath that K von A never danced the Verdy role, but I don't think she did. I also remember von Aroldingen in the Mimi Paul part -- for several seasons, both when Verdy was still doing the lead, and during the Ashley inter-regnum.

Welcome, tempusfugit -- and thank you for jumping right in We love "fanatics" here -- hope to be reading more of you

Welcome, tempusfugit -- and thank you for jumping right in We love "fanatics" here -- hope to be reading more of you

There's no question that three-act ballets are popular, and sometimes, it seems, that they're popular only because they're "full evening" works or "story ballets." I'd argue, though, that there's nothing inherent in the number of acts that's the problem. Ashton created several three-act ballets. (And hasn't Modernism run its course by now?) I found a Sunday piece by the NY Times' John Martin, by the way, written after the Danes had brought Ashton's Romeo and Juliet to New York in 1956, that "50 years from now, when the three-act form is again dominant, we will look to this ballet" as the one that pointed the way to the return to the three-act form. I'd prefer the Ashton version to any save its polar opposite, the Lavrovsky, which, I think, is as great in its very different way. And I think the Ashton Romeo was very much of this century in its depth, and the way that it got to the root of the story and translated it into a dance impulse -- unlike Cranko's Onegin, although I think one must always remember, to be fair, that Cranko was working with a very modest company and died very young. What he would have accomplished had he had the Royal Ballet at his disposal, what he would have made in his 50s and 60s, we'll never know. Like Mary, I've also seen performances of "Onegin" that convince one it's a good ballet, and some performances that expose its weaknesses heartlessly. I think there could be an interesting aesthetic debate over "what is the work," in the sense of, how much does performance count? "Dying Swan," danced by me, would not look like much of a ballet. But danced by Pavlova, I'm convinced it was high art. (Note to KB, and I'll delete this when I've heard from you, please check your email )

KB raised the question of the Royal Ballet's changing identity on another thread, and since it's the end of Ross Stretton's first season, I thought it might be a good idea to post that as another topic. Lynette Halewood wrote a very reasoned piece, IMO, about this for the July ballet.co magazine, for those who'd like to read it. (There is also a thread discussing this article on the ballet.co forums, if you'd like to read the readers' responses.) http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_02/ju...irst_season.htm Any comments on the state of the company (from those who actually see it frequently ) or, for the arm chair quarterbacks amongst us, from what we've read in reviews, and postings comments, about the current state of the Royal Ballet?

Hello, KB -- welcome to our pages Your comments on Onegin are quite welcome, but so are Lolly's and Sylvia's enthusiasm and their comments on how much they enjoyed the performances. I hope we have room for both. A request, please. Could we leave what's going on on other web sites out of the discussion? I started to edit out your comments about ballet.co, because I don't want attacks or negative comments about any other web site posted here, but then saw that Jane had made a clarifying remark and noted your apology and so left them. I don't think it's quite accurate to say that ballet.co champions Onegin. There have been discussions -- pro and con -- about the ballet on that site, as there have been here. We've had debates here on the identity of the Royal Ballet question in the past, and there's no reason not to have another one I'll post that as another thread.

I just learned of a lovely web site today and thought some of you might want to browse through its photos as well. It's called The Ballerina Gallery. The main site is www.ballerinagallery.com There is a new section just up today, though in honor of Natalia Bessmertnova's birthday, and those pages are here: http://www.ballerinagallery.com/bessmertnova/

Stan, you must have had your ear to the ground Could this be that rumor? Here's a press release from ABT: (Mary Cargill has posted about this on the Dancers forum, too) VERONIKA PART TO JOIN AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE AS A SOLOIST Veronika Part, a soloist with the Kirov Ballet, will join American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist effective August 1, 2002, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Part will make her debut with ABT during the Company?s tour of Japan, September 12-22. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Part began her early training in rhythmic gymnastics before entering the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 1988. She joined the Kirov Ballet in 1996 and was promoted to soloist in 1998. Part?s repertoire with the Kirov Ballet includes Nikiya in La Bayadère, Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, Myrta, Moyna and Zulma in Giselle, Raymonda and Henrietta in Raymonda, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. She has also danced roles in George Balanchine?s Apollo (Terpischore), Jewels (Emeralds and Diamonds), Symphony in C (second movement) and Serenade, and in John Neumeier?s The Sounds of Empty Pages. Part was the winner of the BALTIKA Prize in 1999.