Alexandra

Not petty at al l-- thank you, Estelle. Yes, of course I meant Patrick Dupond!

Hi, Yvonne! Haven't seen you in awhile. Welcome back

I didn't think you sounded harsh, Ballet Nut -- and certainly not offensive. Just realistic

liz's mom posted a review of the Royal Ballet's "Giselle" on the Discovery Ballet forum (which we put up to encourage people who had been reluctant to post reviews) and I wanted to link to it in case you all missed it. http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=4459

I was a bit surprised by the critical reception that Eifman got this time. Of the reviews from Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco that I found, all but one (in Boston) were unmitigated raves. The Great Genius of our Era. There is a NY review that calls "Don Quixote" an "honest mistake," but it's still within the context that this is great art. I can understand Eifman's ballets being popular, but I was surprised at the critics' reactions.

Glebb, I've seen the same video and admire those performances tremendously. I'd seen the ballet with Petit's own company (Dupont was phenomenal, as was Gil -- Manhattnik, I think he has a website. As they say in web pr speech, "Google him.") I hadn't, however, liked the ballet very much when Petit's company did it because I thought Khalfouni was so bland. Guerin is a different story! The corps choreography is barely filler, but the leading roles are wonderful. I think -- working from memory here -- that this was done for London Festival Ballet??? (Dupont was a bit different from Legris. He had to GET OUT -- out of that marriage, out of that village. He was so tormented that the suicide was a relief.)

It's an Irish last name

BW I don't have time to search for them all -- there may some still on Recent Performances -- but there's a thread headed ABT Swan Lake about ten posts down from this one: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=3934

BW I don't have time to search for them all -- there may some still on Recent Performances -- but there's a thread headed ABT Swan Lake about ten posts down from this one: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=3934

Kim, if you'd like to try Irish dancing, I'm sure the other dancers will welcome you People often make assumptions -- they may just assume that all Irish dancers are from Irish backgrounds, as though being named "McCarthy" automatically gives you fast feet So saying, "But you don't look Irish!" doesn't necessarily mean they think it's wrong for you to be doing it, but just that they're surprised that someone who isn't Irish is taking Irish dance classes. Give it a try -- I'll bet they're nice. If they're not, glare at them and say, "I come from a long line of McGillicuddies" and then dance better than they do

Not good news for ballet. (I love it that the assumption is that the fine arts are "boring". To whom?) I think people have been braced for something like this since Rothwell announced his departure.

Not good news for ballet. (I love it that the assumption is that the fine arts are "boring". To whom?) I think people have been braced for something like this since Rothwell announced his departure.

Just bumping this up for those who may have missed it last week. I set this poll to expire in 14 days -- which means this coming Sunday night. You can only vote once

Just bumping this up for those who may have missed it last week. I set this poll to expire in 14 days -- which means this coming Sunday night. You can only vote once

Glad you found it -- please tell us what you think after you've seen it.

Paul, I don't think you can imagine McKenzie's "Swan Lake" by thinking about his "Giselle." The "Giselle" (which I think is the work of many hands, although directed by him) is generally a traditional production -- and looked very good the last time they danced it here. "Swan Lake" was billed as a traditional production, but it's so much more The big news is that Von Rothbart is now two Von Rothbarts! Von Rothbart I a/k/a Swamp Thing, a slimy green critter who nabs Odette when she's out somewhere dancing out her "I'd rather be doing Juliet" fantasies in her nightgown and changes her into a (very obviously stuffed toy) swan. VRII, a sexy young thing in purple, charges on in the ballroom act and never looks back, dancing with the Would Be Brides and seducing the Queen (gosh, where have we seen THAT before?). Siegfried's role has also been, er, enhanced, jumpily speaking

Paul, I don't think you can imagine McKenzie's "Swan Lake" by thinking about his "Giselle." The "Giselle" (which I think is the work of many hands, although directed by him) is generally a traditional production -- and looked very good the last time they danced it here. "Swan Lake" was billed as a traditional production, but it's so much more The big news is that Von Rothbart is now Von Rothbart I a/k/a Swamp Thing, a slimy green critter who nabs Odette when she's out somewhere dancing out her I'd rather be doing Juliet" fantasies in her nightgown. VRII, a sexy young thing in purple, charges on in the ballroom act and never looks back, dancing with the Would Be Brides, seducing the Queen (gosh, where have we seen THAT before?) Siegfried's role has also been, er, enhanced, jumpily speaking

Thanks, Victoria. To be clear, the "real ballet" comment was made by a DanceView subscriber who wanted us to print more articles about "real ballet". This topic has come up here many times. Here's a link to a thread a few weeks ago when a poster questioned what we meant by ballet and Leigh and I answered with regard to the mission of the site. http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...s=&threadid=692 I think this would be a good topic for the Discovering Ballet forum, as it is a question that will undoubtedly continue to be raised and I'd like that forum to become the home of frequently asked questions. More definitions of "real ballet" welcome If you heard someone say "I want to see more real ballet!" what would that mean to you?

A very biased answer -- TOO LONG! I haven't seen this ballet in years, and my memories are from my standing room days. When City Ballet used to come here 15, 20 years ago, they came iin February and it was always unseasonably warm for those two weeks. My memories of Goldberg are inextricably linked with standing for 90 minutes, with all the latecomers crowding behind us, the line eventually oozing down the side of the house. At least three people fainted every year. Nothing to do with the choreographic worth of the ballet

I did see Kirkland in "La Sylphide" (I'd seen her before, with Baryshnikov, and loved her). The Kirkland-Makarova choice was a couple of years later.

I did see Kirkland in "La Sylphide" (I'd seen her before, with Baryshnikov, and loved her). The Kirkland-Makarova choice was a couple of years later.

I've been wanting to respond to this thread and haven't had the time to do so thoroughly -- and won't for a day or two. It's made for fascinating reading. I did want to say to Lolly -- thank you for taking the time to write that. I don't think it's convoluted at all. It touches on all the conflicts we have of wanting to know and not wanting to know, and what we want from the artist and what he wants from us.

I've been wanting to respond to this thread and haven't had the time to do so thoroughly -- and won't for a day or two. It's made for fascinating reading. I did want to say to Lolly -- thank you for taking the time to write that. I don't think it's convoluted at all. It touches on all the conflicts we have of wanting to know and not wanting to know, and what we want from the artist and what he wants from us.

It would make a difference whether or not one had seen the experienced dancer in a role. (And, of course, who the dancers were.) I do remember 20 years go having a choice between Kirkland's "La Sylphide" and Makarova's and choosing Makarova's because, after all, Kirkland was only 22 and I'd have years and years of watching her dance. So usually, I'd go for the young. HOWEVER, if I had a choice between seeing, say, Kirkland's debut in Theme and Variations or Ulanova's Juliet, I'd take Ulanova. (Not that either of these choices are valid today.)

It would make a difference whether or not one had seen the experienced dancer in a role. (And, of course, who the dancers were.) I do remember 20 years go having a choice between Kirkland's "La Sylphide" and Makarova's and choosing Makarova's because, after all, Kirkland was only 22 and I'd have years and years of watching her dance. So usually, I'd go for the young. HOWEVER, if I had a choice between seeing, say, Kirkland's debut in Theme and Variations or Ulanova's Juliet, I'd take Ulanova. (Not that either of these choices are valid today.)