Alexandra

Could we have some summary comments on the recently completed Winter Season at NYCB? My sense from reading the posts as they were written (I haven't gone back and read them again; this is from memory) is that there was enormous excitement at the beginning of the season, and a feeling that the company was dancing very well. Then there were comments about casting, and individual programs -- I have a sense that generally people were happy with the season, if not happy with every performance. What do you think now that it's history? What were the highlights? What programs interested you, worked for you? Any new works stands out? Any debuts? Any great, or not great, performances? Who was the season's ballerina?

The Joffrey Ballet opened last night with its program of Nijinsky ballets ("Jeux," the newest reconstruction; "L'Apres midi d'un faune," and "Le Sacre du Printemps.") Did anyone go? I'd rather you all go first This program will be repeated tonight and Thursday. The weekend program is, IMO, an excellent program for people who are new to ballet; it's a good mix, with not only something for everyone, but two little-seen ballet classics (Tudor's "Lilac Garden" and de Mille's "Rodeo") in addition to Gerald Arpino's "Kettentanz.")

There's also a biography of de Valois by Kathrine Sorley Walker. David Vaughan's "Frederick Ashton and His Ballets" (I always recommend reading that BEFORE Julie Kavanaugh's "Secret Muses") Fonteyn's Autobiography. And Alexander Bland's "The Royal Ballet, The First 50 Years." I'm sure there are a lot of books published in the 1950s and '60s that had a short shelf life and that I don't have. The War Years were as important to British ballet, I think, as they were to the world in general

I think the names are in the article. Click the "read article" link.

Can any Bostonians comment on this? Was it expected? What is the feeling there about Nissinen? Has the repertory for next season been announced yet?

Nissinen takes his first steps by letting go six dancers read article

I agree, mussel -- very brilliant. And, unfortunately, very stageable! Watch for it soon. Henrik, we're not suggesting that any of these productions are a good idea. We've had a lot of past discussions about bad productions that rework the classics, some of them along these lines, and this thread is devoted to thinking up some of the worst possible things that might happen to "Giselle." I don't think any of us WANT them to happen

I agree, mussel -- very brilliant. And, unfortunately, very stageable! Watch for it soon. Henrik, we're not suggesting that any of these productions are a good idea. We've had a lot of past discussions about bad productions that rework the classics, some of them along these lines, and this thread is devoted to thinking up some of the worst possible things that might happen to "Giselle." I don't think any of us WANT them to happen

Obviously, Big Glo was a lost Myrtha, Paul

Obviously, Big Glo was a lost Myrtha, Paul

Kevin, that looks absolutely fascinating. Thank you for posting this. Have you watched it yet? What did you think of it?

How could I have forgotten "Cinderella?" Estelle, the attempted child eating isn't in the story; I didn't mean to imply that. I was just listing it, the omitted part of the story, after the two examples that were in the divertissements. It was in Perrault's tale, but not the ballet -- but the theme is a concern in those old folk tales. "Bluebeard" just might be able to be revived. Not that anyone would want to. ATM, did you see that one? [ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: alexandra ]

No one went? Samba? Bard's Ballerina? Ari?

Estelle, that was above and beyond the call of duty -- but thank you for doing it What a lovely post! About the names being restricted, that may have had religious origins. Catholics were (perhaps still are) directed to choose only saint's names. You have to pick a certified, well, canonized saint. I wonder if that became a civil law as well, in France? I have a vague memory from my high school "French language and civilization" class that there were several laws of religious origin? I was struck, watching the ballet's divertissements, of how many of Perrault's tales involved people eating people, or avoiding being eaten by beasts. Does this have a psychological significance, or is it that the 18th century is not too far from the time when people stayed out of dark forests for a very good reason? The Giant with the seven-league boots is in the ballet (Tom Thumb, or Hop o' my Thumb, in some productions). He's threatening to eat seven little boys, but they steal his boots and get away. There's Little Red Riding Hood, of course. And the omitted portion of the story (the mother wanting to eat Dawn and Day). Substitution is another theme -- not Perrault, but Grimm, I think, has Hansel and Gretel tricking the nearsighted witch with chicken bones; they're too skinny to be worth eating. I don't know of any other ballets made to Perrault's stories. Does anyone else?

What a lovely story, Alymer! Especially since I've read that she wasn't well-cast as the Miller's Wife. I think we could get back a lot of ballets if someone would just play the music for the dancers who once danced it.

Interesting reading, indeed. The dancers were in the hold of a cargo ship, I suspect, because they were on their hurried way back from Holland; they'd been dancing when the Germans invaded and had to pack up and leave immediately. They left costumes and sets behind -- several ballets were lost. It is interesting to read the 1939 prescription for the future. What a difference a war makes. In 1939, the company was "competing" with the Ballet Russe in its Salvador Dali phase, and there was a lot of pressure to come up with something avant-garde every season. The War gave the company a break from competition, and it's often been mentioned that this allowed the company to develop in its own way -- de Valois really wanted to have a company modeled on the Maryinsky, with its traditions and full-length ballets. Lillian Baylis gave de Valois her start and was immensely important to the performing arts in Britain in the early third of the 20th century. Massine was not only the great dancer, but the great choreographer. Massine did not have a company, nor did Fokine, and that, I think, is the main reason why they are now memories.

I think the Nearys WERE compared, as Colleen was younger than Patricia, and inherited some (many?) of her roles. I found it impossible NOT to compare the Frames, as they were twins, and looked identical -- yet not. Peter Frame was more muscular, and advanced more rapidly, than Paul. I think it would be terribly difficult to be a sibling in a ballet company -- in any company. Especially when one begins to advance more rapidly, get more roles. The Tallchiefs danced on separate continents! Wise move, I'd say.

For those who have seen the Kirov's new/old production, what did it tell you about the ballet? I was struck by how much it looked like (what I've read about) an 18th century court ballet. Not only all those processions and court dances (which we used to call "character dances," but they're not; I did notice the dancers used a much deeper plié in those than in other parts of the ballet. Coincidence, or genre?) but the dominance of the King, to a lesser extent the Queen, and a far greater extent, the Lilac Fairy. The Royal production seemed to me a hierarchy headed by Aurora, The Ballerina. Good and evil, Carabosse and Lilac, were opposing forces on either side. The King and Queen, and Catalabutte, were side characters. In the Kirov production, the King was much more important -- even though they've cut two of his mime scenes (explaining to Aurora what the Rose Adagio is about, and banning spindles from the kingdom). And the Lilac Fairy is Queen of the Night -- she's in every act, she presides over the Apotheosis, she's mistress of ceremonies, solver of problems, an old-time danseuse noble. Did anyone else come to think about "Sleeping Beauty" differently, or learn something about the ballet from this production?

First off, a quick "good to see you again" to leibling -- we missed you I noticed a few posts by you last week but didn't have much board time and so didn't comment then. I agree with what Leibling wrote, "Then, the cranked arabesque with the leg over the head but the upper body contorted and uncomfortable to look at- what is the point?" I'd say that goes for any ballet -- if you can't do it easily, don't do it. The same thing happened, one reads, when Fonteyn added the balances (with arms en couronne). Everybody tried to do them, most wobbled -- defeating the point. I read Fonteyn quoted as saying, "It must look as easy as stepping off a bus, or don't do them," and I think that goes for any "trick." But specifically, for me, the 90 degree arabesque in "Sleeping Beauty" is part of the choreography. (I don't mind a higher arabesque in other ballets and Balanchine is a different matter.) I just got some beautiful pictures to run in DanceView (next issue, out in April) of Zakharova in Sleeping Beauty and I would not know, without a caption, that it was from "Sleeping Beauty." I can't fault the extension; it's beautiful, there's no strain, it suits her. But it's not Aurora. It's someone else up there, kicking to the heavens. (I feel the same about the 90-degree arabesque in Shades, but I freely admit that's because that's the way the Royal did it when I first saw Shades. The Kirov, for a long time, judging by photos, does a 110-degree arabesque. To me, it looks sloppy, because it causes the hip to be raised slightly and breaks the plane of the body. But I won't go to the mat on that one )

Christine Brennan, in USAToday, on judging and skating. An interesting editorial, I think. Skating Scandal continues to burn read article

I noticed in the Times review of Sensdance that Eva Evdokimova is appearing with the company and will be dancing tonight: read review (Dirac has posted this on Links, but I put it here, too, for Evdokimova fans.)

Thank you for posting that. I especially liked "It's as if he'd dissevered everything above the cerebellum and left us only reptilian-stem behavior." This production could certainly spawn several "Giselles" from hell

Thank you for posting that. I especially liked "It's as if he'd dissevered everything above the cerebellum and left us only reptilian-stem behavior." This production could certainly spawn several "Giselles" from hell

Andrei, I'm sure the coincidence of article and birth has the most profound significance I was interested in your comment that Diaghilev's reputation grows in Russia today. Perhaps it's because that is a period that people are just able to discover -- it's certainly worthy of discovery He was the model for an artistic director for generations in the West.

I forgot when I posted above that I was once a judge at a (very small, local) competition! Everyone else there knew everyone involved -- which is why they'd brought me in; I wasn't a teacher with students. This was a competition for scholarships to a summer program, and it also gave "encouragement" prizes to good students. There was no pressure at all, and the two teachers of the two most likely winners watched the competition, but were not judges. The two most likely winners both had serious shortcomings, and it was decided, quite amicably, to give no gold, but two silvers. What I remember most about that experience was one very young dancer -- 12 -- who HAD IT. She had all the potential to be not only a dancer, but a ballerina. Beautiful body, serene presence, very strong technique for her age. One of the good aspects of competition -- everyone noticed her. I actually made contact with her family, who seemed to have not the slightest clue of her talent; they thought she was doing this for fun. They would not send her away to a better school; they didn't want her to be away from home. They said they'd send her to SAB after she finished college. Sigh. I asked about her several times in the next few years. She stayed with her very small, shopping center school and won competition after competition, but never chose dance as a career.