Alexandra

Thank you very much for checking, Dale -- and for posting, of course.

Please tell us what you can find out! (There are still untold treasures in vaults....)

There's a tiny piece of it on a long out of issue video tape called Portrait of Giselle, which is centered on Anton Dolin, That's the only one I know.

No, Sander O, we don't explain the wisdom of our policies. They're our policies and you agree to follow them when you sign up. This forum has been around for a long time, and we're not here to debate forum policies and what went into making them, but to discuss ballet. I posted about blogs associated with printed sources in my post. Editing to add that my post stating that 2 posts had been deleted wasn't meant as a chiding, but as an explanation so that someone wouldn't think that something had gone wrong with the board, or his/her post had disappeared and needed to be reposted. Please return to the discussion on Part!

I've deleted two posts that referred to a discussion on another message board. A reminder that it is our policy not to post links to other discussions boards. When and if there is news of Veronika Part in a newspaper or other news source we'll be glad to discuss it.

She was an extraordinary child. To have three "godfathers" like Balanchine, Nureyev and John Curry looking after her augured a brilliant future. She made at least one movie (with Mary Tyler More, in which she danced.) She was in NYCB's Nutcracker. But there was prep school and university and skating and ballet, and that's a lot even for a very gifted young person.

There are stories of the early ABT days (I think I got this from Charles Payne's ABT book) where the "Russians went around saying Fokin' this and Fokin' that" and the Americans found it hysterical, to the Russians' puzzlement (and probably distress). Nothing to do with Fokine but I have a "what did she say!" comment for you. At a performance of Roland Petit's "Proust" here several years ago, the woman behind me whispered to her companion -- as luck would have it, of course, during a moment in the orchestra when the instruments decided to take a 5-second break -- "What's Proust French for?" What indeed?

Do Persians count Royal Danish Ballet ballerina Linda Hindberg's mother was Persian (her term). Hindberg is on tape in the RDB's "Napoli."

Antonella, we really can't permit tape trading here. We've had so many problems with people getting ripped off that we just had to stop it: no exceptions. I also can't help on that particular tape, because I don't have it and have never seen it. I'm sorry! If you run into any British teachers this summer, they may have a copy. That's the best I can do.

Hello Antonella! Wonderful to hear from you again!!!!! "Bella Figure" is available on DVD: Nederlands Dans Theater celebrates Jiri Kylian. It has Bella Figura, Sleepless and Birth-day and I got mine through Amazon.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit cards -- it cost us nearly %2,000 a year and which greatly exceeded the amount of money we took in. You can send us money through PayPal. Anne, I'll email you with details.

Thank you, faithful readers :blush: I don't usually do this, but here's a link to the cover. Costas's photo is wonderful! DanceView

Hi Mellio! Welcome to Ballet Talk! You've asked a question that I'm sure others have wanted to ask -- we are all curious about dancers and why they disappear from the roster for a few weeks. It's our policy here, though, not to discuss injuries, or any backstage/insider information unless it's official -- a press release from the company, or something in print. Unfortunately, ballet companies almost never send out press releases on injuries or other reasons that might keep a dancer away from the stage. Here's a link to our Rules and Policies -- I hope all our members will take this as a gentle preseason reminder, and a pointer to new members, to either check out, or refresh your memory, of our policies. Rules and Policies

I'm correcting myself. It's not a BUTTON, but a key that the ballerina turns. Don't know about any strings

In the RDB production (and those derived from it) I believe there is a button in the front of the bodice which she pressed to make the wings fall off. Editing to add (noted in my post below) that it's not a button but a key that the ballerina turns.

Lisa Traiger wrote a beautiful appreciation of Michael Bjerknes in her danceviewtimes blog: Michael Bjerknes

Moderator note: In case there was confusion, one of the Moderators made the first post in this thread invisible for a bit because it went against our "only post links to youtube in connection with a discussion" rule. I reinstated it because people had commented on the post. PLEASE feel free to discuss this performance, but please remember that our YouTube policy is quite simple: post links to youtube material ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH AN ONGOING DISCUSSION. We don't want this forum to become a list of "check this out on youtube" posts. Thank you.

I think Robert captured beautifully the essence of Michael. He did touch people who barely knew him. He was one of the warmest, kindest people I've ever known, and he had a very gentle charisma: you wanted to be around him, and to be part of whatever it was he was doing. This year, he'd planned something beautiful for his students -- and any students in the area: a series of performances and master classes by various studio companies (Paul Taylor 2, ABT 2, etc.) so that his students could see, as he said, the dancers they were about to be.

Yes, Cristian. Beautiful words, and he lived that sentiment. Here's a link to an interview I did with Michael several years ago for the old Ballet Alert! Interview with Michael Bjerknes

I am sadder than I can say to have to post this. Michael was a fine classical dancer (Houston Ballet, Washington Ballet, Joffrey Ballet), wonderful teacher and incredible human being. He was also a charter member of this board. I don't have any details. He had been ill for some time, but only a few weeks ago his wife told me he was back teaching. This is the email from Pam Bjerknes that was sent to friends. Dear friends, Michael passed away early this morning. I was with him when he died and he was at peace. I am planning a service and will let everyone know soon what we will be doing. I am home with my family and will continue to lean on family, friends and colleagues to help us through. All classes at ADI will continue as scheduled. Michael wanted us to keep moving forward. Thank you for your kindness and support. Pam B. Michael Bjerknes December 6, 1956 - April 14, 2008 “Help young people of all ages create art and hopeful peace rather than war and dividing hate” Michael (April 10, 2008)

I think kfw put the distinctions very clearly. For the past 20 years in America, at least, newspaper criticism isn't really criticism. It's been a very politically-aware tightrope act, trying not to offend companies or readers. As we often see on this board, what most ballet fans read is: "He hates my favorite dancer or company! Bad bad critic." Or, "She loves my favorite dancer and choreographer. What a brilliant woman!!" Doing what Macaulay is real criticism: an intelligent man who knows his field and has seen an enormous amount of not only dance, but other live performance (theater, opera, concert music) to have a clear, uncompromising standard against which he measures what he is seeing now. "Objectivity" in criticism doesn't mean not having biases -- everyone has biases. It means looking at something from the outside, and judging what one sees, rather than merely writing, however attractively, about what one likes. I think he is upsetting people, but he's also bringing back people who gave up reading newspaper criticism years ago when it stopped being criticism and became boosterism. There are other opinionated writers out there (most notably Robert Greskovic of the Wall Street Journal, whose reviews are now starting to appear on line!!!) and I'm very grateful to read them. Even when I disagree with them, I know it's not just "an opinion," but reasoned judgment. If it's expressed passionately, or wittily, all the better.

Second! I just received the Doubrovska film and it is a gem.

What happened???? There is actually BALLET in this season!!!! Oh, lordy, I hope it's a huge success and starts a trend.

Now that is very helpful, and will make me work at it some more--I hope I am able to see this 'dancing through the beat', which is very interesting if I can then find the opposite to compare and be able to see it. I thought it might possibly be something like this, but wasn't sure if it was possible for something more or less Western mainstream to be so singular that it reminds me a little of getting used to some Eastern musical and dance forms (some of them I have loved immediately, others I could never.) I remember having the same reaction to Ulanova's "Giselle." She looked off the music. I was sure the tape was defective. And then I started watching her, and finding the music that way, and lo! she was very musical. Bournonville (and Ashton and Tudor) are melodic, and very legato. Watch in the pas de deux (Act II). When James does his 1-3/4 air turns (NOT because Bournonville couldn't do a real double; they were de rigeur from the late 18th century) and ends with his arm raised, saluting HER. Her first step is his last. The lighting is for atmosphere. Classicism is the sun, Romanticism is the moon. And here's the tough one: in Bournonville's day, no one watched the feet. They watched the face, and then the eye might drift down the torso. That's why, in some Bournonville variations, the dancer looks down at his/her feet: so that we will follow his/her eyes, and see this really splendid step.

Yes, they are two entirely different ballets. I like delibes' comparison of various Romeo and Juliets. Re the musicality: the Danes dance through the beat, not on it. They're also very subtle and it takes some watching to "get it." (Not that one has to, of course.) When I was first trying to understand Bournonville, I asked a dancer why most Americans preferred Dancer X or Mime Y while most Danes (at least, the Danish artists I admired) preferred M and P, and was gently told, "You know, Danish art is very subtle, and it takes a long time to get used to it." It took me two years of watching them (on several short visits) before my eye adjusted. (And of course, it's also a matter of taste. Someone might watch them for 50 years and still think they were dull.) A reminder that this was Hubbe's debut and he was 20.