Alexandra

Thanks for that -- I'd forgotten the "Lost Sonata." (I missed the Stravinsky Festival and only know about it from reading.) I was so focused on the Eifman Balanchine ballet that I skipped over the fact that a piece of Balanchine's music has been performed in Russia -- I wonder if that was from his days at the conservatory as a student? Or is it a later work?

Thanks for that -- I'd forgotten the "Lost Sonata." (I missed the Stravinsky Festival and only know about it from reading.) I was so focused on the Eifman Balanchine ballet that I skipped over the fact that a piece of Balanchine's music has been performed in Russia -- I wonder if that was from his days at the conservatory as a student? Or is it a later work?

Hi, Morris Neighbor I think your point about emotional maturity in Feld's earlier works is a good one. I admire what he's done in education tremendously, even if I don't particularly care for his current repertory. He's had about three major changes in direction, though, so there may well be a fourth -- back to weltschmerz, perhaps

Interesting topic, Calliope, although it may be hard to answer. This is one area where anyone with inside knowledge may be understandably reluctant to post. The topic of boards has come up in interviews I've done a few times, and each of the companies was very different. Some boards are made up more of community leaders than ballet lovers, others have wealthy patrons who want some control over what they see -- or at least be able to have some input -- as well as genuinely want to support an art form they love. Has anyone ever been on a ballet board, or have any insights to offer?

I certainly didn't want my brief answer to preclude further stories! I've posted several times about this in the past and wanted to let others have a turn. (I saw a "Nureyev and Friends" program out of curiosity on Bastille Day in 1975, and have never gone a day without thinking of ballet since.)

The trouble is, both of these will probably come true in about five years! But hats off to Bruce for giving us early warning

New technology at Royal Opera House may revolutionize ballet: http://www.danze.co.uk/dcforum/news/1264.html

BW, those posts should still be on this very forum. There were quite a few comments on the ballet in DC, NY and in California.

BW, those posts should still be on this very forum. There were quite a few comments on the ballet in DC, NY and in California.

Thank you for that, Glebb -- IMO, a very sensible policy!

It is harvest time but the colors are so springlike, I've always assumed they was harvesting spring wheat! "Les Rendezvous" is also a springlike ballet.

Look forward to reading you, Helena Paul, I saw the production when it was new in 1993, when the company was poised at the edge of the cliff but hadn't quite thrown itself over the edge They got this production for the designs -- the late Jens Jakob Worsaae, very popular in Copenhagen -- and thought it was "a very undramatic production." I think they thought that was deliberate, and that's the way they danced it, religiously copying the video. The second act -- well, they couldn't help themselves. It's so like "Folk Tale" first act they had to bring humanity to it, and Mette Bodtcher's Countess stole the show. Most critics didn't like it -- they only liked "cats," the only "number" their leading critic found sufficiently sexy. I haven't seen it since. The last time I saw the company in non-Bournonville works, it surprised me. They brought Peter Martins' "Swan Lake" to life -- curiously, their phrasing seemed to suit it more than City Ballet's, and the designs are at home in Copenhagen. But in "The Merry Widow," which should be a sleepwalk for them, they were sloppy and forgot to tell the story. Leigh, I think Kenneth Greve has been injured, recovering from an injury, or poised on the bring of an injury for the past five years

I second everything Dale wrote

Thank you for posting that, Tancos. It is a striking comment -- and perhaps not a new situation. Isn't that the difference between "Ballet Imperial" and "Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2"? When the old "manners, sense of ceremony, etc. don't make sense to either dancers or audience, one way to deal with it is to reinvent them, change them and make the elegance something that's understandable. It does leave "Sleeping Beauty" in a pickle, though

Ashton's "La Fille Mal Gardee." Love, spring, pink ribbons and chickens.

Thank you, Giannna -- I love the horizontal thumb. Eifman was just in San Francisco, a bit of a drive for you, but California, nevertheless

Good question, Missy, but it's a hard one to answer, because the repertories of companies change so frequently. Today, Atlanta Ballet has a more contemporary than classical repertory, but that could change by the time you're out of school. Three years ago, Boston Ballet was a Vaganova company with a lot of the Petipa ballets in repertory, but that has changed, too. Here's a link to a web site that has links to company's home pages: www.balletcompanies.com Go to the section for the United States and look up the companies you're interested in -- there will be links to their home pages there. Most companies have their repertories listed. So you can read what they're dancing this year and get an idea. Good luck

Someone must have seen this company -- we've heard nothing from Chicago, or California, or, now, New York! What do you think? (Please note, Eifman lovers and Eifman haters, and all those in between, equally welcome! Or we can have a thumbs up Eifman thread and a thumbs down Eifman thread. Whatever pleases you ?) )

I'll be interested to see what you think of it, Helena. Gudrun Bojesen is the newest young Danish ballerina, mid-20s. She's a lyrical dancer and was lovely in both "Kermesse" and "Folk Tale" in the Bournonville week. If I were going, I'd try to see her, because I'd be curious to see how she does. I'm a great admirer of Schandorff, although I think she's more suited to the Lilac than Aurora. I've seen the Danish TV broadcast of this ballet with her Aurora and I've never seen as steady a Rose Adagio. Caroline Cavallo to me is one of those earnest, hardworking dancers with a nice smile. She's an American trained at Atlanta Ballet and has been the favorite of every director there (except, I think, Gielgud) since the early '90s and I have never understood why. (can do anything, quick learner) Of the men, I think Mads Blankstrup is very interesting. He has good instincts although -- well, there's a coaching problem over there. Masset is one of the Schaufuss imports -- I've never seen him. Andrew Bowman is from Australia and, from what I've been told, one of the few foreign dancers to really try to understand the Danish way of dancing and doing things and is Schandorff's regular partner now. I don't know that any of the men are really princes! I'll be interested to hear how they do. If you can see Thomas Lund as the Bluebird, he's their finest classicist at the moment, I think.

I saw one.

Beautifully put, Cabriole. I'd say yes, and I'd vote for that one

Beautifully put, Cabriole. I'd say yes, and I'd vote for that one

Thank you for this, CASloan. I hear very little about Duell's company -- I wasn't even sure it was active, so reading about a performance was especially valuable. I'm sure there are many people reading these boards who remember Daniel Duell as a dancer and will be glad to learn what he's up to these days. (I can't resist adding that I hope your post will encourage to see others who are attending performances to post about them Just think how interesting this board would be if we had several posts like this, from around the country, each week? Then we'd really know what was going on!)

Thank you all who have voted so far. I'm also ver happy -- really, truly, personally happy -- that several people who don't often post have responded to this thread. So thank you, justafan, Sammie and CASloan. I hope we'll hear more from you. I'd love to read what you're seeing. (Thanks to EJohnson, BW and linsusanr, too ) I'd also be curious, those who do not subscribe, why? (Nothing to subscribe to, don't like what's on the subscription, too much money, lots of other reasons?)

Thanks for that, atm. I don't think one should mess with "Oklahoma" any more than one should mess with "Swan Lake"! Perhaps it was a success in London because the original wasn't as well known there? There was certainly a lot of pre-opening hype here. We were going to get a great, revived musical. But the post-opening buzz has been a bit more reserved. Did anyone else see this?