Alexandra

Thanks for posting that, Ginny -- it was lovely, and I wish you'd post more often I wondered about Sologub, too. I thought her extremely unpolished, especially in the second act. (By "unpolished," I mean that her arms were lacking in grace, and that her dancing was sloppy, unclear. Was she aiming for a 90-degree arabesque and missed, either overshot or undershot that particular landmark by a few degrees? Well, at least she was in the right time zone ) I admired Korsakov's dancing very much, too, but I'll always stand up for proper employ, and he doesn't have the line or height for a Prince. (He was wonderful in the Rubies pas de trois, and I'm sure he would make a wonderful Bluebird. Too bad we didn't see him do it.) He was, however, the only Prince who really acted, I thought. He was making a real effort to look gracious and princely.

I wasn't drawn in by a specific marketing campaign, but I did go for brand name. I ALMOST went to my first ballet to see Baryshnikov, because there was an article in the Post about him, and how he was the next Nijinsky. Having missed the first Nijinsky (of whom I had heard ) I wanted to rush to see the new one while he was still young. Alas, the tickets were sold out. A few months later, that other Next Nijinsky, Nureyev, was in town. I didn't have to be sold; I just saw a flyer. Leigh, I love your Five Wives and Mad Cow -- what an epitaph! I am glad you wrote to them and I hope those people are now selling hair products or something more worthy of those talents. Calliope, I hope you are right about disgruntled audiences. Unfortunately, since it's a pervasive problem,, we can't really vote with our feet, in the sense of abandoning Underrehearsed Company A for Beautifully Manicured Company B. People just stop coming. Then the marketeers are brought in, in a climate of high hysteria, and blame the old.

Calliope wrote: "I'd rather see the marketing money spent on rehearsal time." Oh, yes, please, please. And all the education money that's supposedly used to hook those young people and which, if it was doing its job, would have produced more ballet fans than NFL fans by now. I agree -- I've said this before, and I nkow there are others who feel the same (and those who feel differently, of course ): ballet is not for everyone. It can be for anyone, regardless of race, class, AGE, or financial condition. But there are probably many more people who will be bored by it than not. This week at Sleeping Beauty -- the long version -- there were people who were delighted and people who groused that there wasn't enough dancing. At the Satuday matinee (curiously, the "old people's" matinee) there were a lot of empty seats after Act II, while no one within my eyesight in the orchestra left early on Friday and Saturday nights (where the audiences are very mixed, as far as age goes; my "research" is eyeballing the orchestra audience on the trek up the aisle during intermissions). I get impatient with people who think "Sleeping Beauty" is too long, until I remember that there are people who are happy to watch little cars race around a track for five hours, which would bore me to tears. You could have dragged me to stock car races at any age and I wouldn't have been interested -- like ballet, it's not for everyone

For me, this was the best of the five. Ayupova isn't 25 any more, but I like mature dancers. Her dancing is pearly, not sharp; she uses her upper body; she's musical; and she's danced the role enough to pull it together. The younger ones came out and did a series of solos. I've never seen the post-Rose Adagio solo danced FOR the Princes. I've read about Auroras who begin shyly and gain confidence through dancing, but I've never seen one (I missed Fonteyn and Kolpakova, and Lezhnina was too young when I saw her to do more than get through it). Ayuopova also makes distinctions among acts. The vision scene was dreamlike (it's not too much to ask) and the wedding pas de deux was very well danced. Korsuntsev (Sunday afternoon) was the only one of the Princes on view here who measured up, for me. Everyone has pointed out the problem that the Prince walks on and nobody knows. At every performance I heard people make a comment, when the Tutor comes on, "god, is that the Prince? He looks so old?" but Semenov (if that is, indeed, who played Galifron at all performances; two names were listed in the program, but the program notes were obviously written by a disinformation specialist hanging on after the Cold War) is the most princely person on that stage. A bit fussy with his hankie, but a beautiful reverence and courtly manners. Fadeyev (like Kolb) was slack. That's the best word I can find for it. Perhaps this is what passes for elegance now? If you have too much energy, you can't be elegant? (Get some videos of Dowell and Nureyev; yes you can ) Act II is the Prince's act, and we should have some idea of why the Lilac Fairy chose him to be Aurora's consort. The four princes in the Rose Adagio were more fully characterized. Fadeyev's dancing in Act III was also a bit slack, with some messy landings. Saturday night was (I think) the second cast Carabosse, perhaps Islom Baimuradow). I liked Petrov (the first cast one) better, because he was more mysterious; his triumphant exit after he fells Aurora is made with such a burst of power that he seems magical. I'd have to see Baimuradov more to say anything more intelligent than that Pavlenko was Lilac. I like Part more, but that's completely preference; I like her Victorian air. Pavlenko was a lovely Lilac. She danced her solo beautifully -- she has a very light, high jump -- and she has a quiet, rather sophisticated (one has the feeling this Lilac is witty at private parties, but veils it for state occasions) tone in the mime. Part drips with goodness as with Lilacs. Pavlenko is more judicious; she picks her battles The ballet is such an ensemble piece, though, it's hard to single out people. It's the company (and the guest children) who get the gold medal, in my book. There were several other Ballet Alertniks there, and I hope you'll tell us what you thought [ February 18, 2002: Message edited by: alexandra ]

Every time I read one of these articles, I think that the unconscious subtext is that they want to round up everyone over 70 and bus them to a concentration camp to get them out of the way for real people. Ageism lives. I posted this on Links, but thought it worthy of discussion, so post it here as well. ------------------------------------- Why it's trainers, not tiaras, for a night out at the opera. For generations, the popular image of the average Covent Garden operagoer has remained the same: grey-haired and doddery, the men wearing formal evening dress, the women draped in the family jewels. But the Royal Opera House has discovered that its audience is much more in tune with the twenty-first century than expected. http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,...,651649,00.html

Hi, Ronny, and welcome to Ballet Alert! There are a lot of interesting videos to choose from, including several "Swan Lakes," "Sleeping Beauties" and "Nutcrackers," if that's your preference. One book that has an excellent videography (as well as a lot of good information about ballet in general) is Robert Greskovic's "Ballet 101." I think that's a good starting place. We have a whole forum here devoted to Ballet Videos and I'm going to move your post there. There are already several threads called "Favorite Ballet Videos" so you might find some tips. You might want to check our Ballets section. It's not very complete yet, but Mel Johnson has material on the three Tchaikovsky ballets that might interest you. Click on the Petipa link for Swan Lake and Beauty, and the Nutcracker link for Nuts. http://www.balletalert.com/ballets/19th%20century/19th.htm Please feel free to join in our discussions, post about what you're seeing (on stage or on tape) and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Hi, Ronny, and welcome to Ballet Alert! There are a lot of interesting videos to choose from, including several "Swan Lakes," "Sleeping Beauties" and "Nutcrackers," if that's your preference. One book that has an excellent videography (as well as a lot of good information about ballet in general) is Robert Greskovic's "Ballet 101." I think that's a good starting place. We have a whole forum here devoted to Ballet Videos and I'm going to move your post there. There are already several threads called "Favorite Ballet Videos" so you might find some tips. You might want to check our Ballets section. It's not very complete yet, but Mel Johnson has material on the three Tchaikovsky ballets that might interest you. Click on the Petipa link for Swan Lake and Beauty, and the Nutcracker link for Nuts. http://www.balletalert.com/ballets/19th%20century/19th.htm Please feel free to join in our discussions, post about what you're seeing (on stage or on tape) and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Kevin, have you tried alibris? -- www.alibris.com They're a rare book finder. They list the books from different booksellers, you order from them, and they pass the order along. There are other bookfinder services, but I don't know them -- perhaps someone else does. I'm going to move this to the Books thread, so please look for more responses there

Kevin, have you tried alibris? -- www.alibris.com They're a rare book finder. They list the books from different booksellers, you order from them, and they pass the order along. There are other bookfinder services, but I don't know them -- perhaps someone else does. I'm going to move this to the Books thread, so please look for more responses there

I put this on today's Links, but thought it deserved a thread of its own: Artistic director of Oregon ballet quits http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/or...13831676183.xml Canfield: 'The public is hungry,' critic says http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/or...41282922260.xml

Hi, Ken. If you'll look in your program, you'll notice that the magical Golub danced both Diamond AND Gold. (As noted elsewhere, the program is not reliable.) I missed Aurora's "pager." There are photographs of the original Lilac Fairy wearing a helmet. I'm glad you got to see this one.

Thanks, Kevin. I believe Kurgapkina *is* Ayupova's coach. Says a lot for the (rightly) revered Russian way of a coach allowing his/her charge's individuality to shine right through.

Re the unannounced cast changes, many of us were asking that same question this weekend, Jeannie. Critics be damned, it's discourteous to the dancers and the audience I think. As the reviewer writing the cast change reviews (I'm doing a weekend wrapup) it really puts a critic in a bind. If I write who I think the dancer is and it's not the one listed in the program, what does someone who was in the audience at that performance think? I was toying with writing "allegedly danced by...." and then thought better of it.

My question for this afternoon's performance is, who might Irma Nioradze's coach be

Shoe note. This afternoon, Part wore the white shoes (with the white costumes) in both sections of Act II. The other performance may have been an error -- or perhaps just because the blue shoes might be difficult to part with

Francis Mason was here this weekend, and I asked him if he knew which Cupid Balanchine had played. (Mason collaborated with Balanchine on the Stories of the Great Ballets and had, thus, conversed with Mr. B about such important things.) He said that Balanchine's Cupid had sat atop one of the fairy coaches, that in that production (and this would have been in 1916), each fairy had a coach, and made her entrance in a coach in the Prologue. DOUG, do you know if this was something added later (post 1903) OR, if not, why they're not in this production?

I only noticed the King was wearing red heels last night. Perhaps the Missing Panorama had a scene in which the Lilac Fairy strips and changes clothes -- understandable, in that case, why they didn't bring it

I asked around at intermission and the consensus was that it was a double. The Prologue fairies have doubles in the finale. Another piece of missing mime is that the King doesn't ban sharp pointed objects from the Kingdom. Another 30 seconds that makes a difference. We do learn, however, that Princess Aurora will be beautiful about 70-11 times. (Not that I object to that. I love the way someone does a gesture and then the courtiers repeat it, the way the corps will repeat a phrase danced by the ballerina. JULIET -- ARE YOU OUT THERE? Why does Lilac get into the boat wearing the blue shoes and come in to the Awakening Scene wearing white ones? Another shoe note: Last night's Prince darkened his instep to simulate heeled shoes in the grand pas de deux.

Ari, I think this production has already been trimmed. Several people who saw it in New York say that the first act has been tightened (fewer processions). I don't KNOW that the mime has been cut, but it's a possibility. Does anyone know? As for the Carabosse/Bluebird doubling, I wondered the same thing. I can see only two choices: A) another dancer did Carabosse in the procession or B) (there is time) Cecchetti put a black cloak on over his blue feathers. DOUG FULLINGTON? ARE YOU OUT THERE?

Dale, I think they'll dance "Serenade" and "Tchaikovsky pas de deux" for the gala. I'm going, so I'll let you know I like your Jack-in-the-deck-of-cards description of the men in Rubies. A colleague reminded me that this is very much the way Baryshnikov did the role "until Balanchine made him tone it down." Someone also pointed out something to me that I'd missed, and which may explain the unease some of us have sensed with "Emeralds." There's a rake at the back of the stage (the stage isn't raked, so this is an added, superficial rake). They don't use it, but avoid it -- leaving very little dancing room. Since our stage is smaller than the Mariinsky stage, this may have caused problems.

1. Hire the Bolshoi to do a Massine festival (and make sure that only old-style Bolshoi dancers need apply). 2. Make DanceView a color glossy monthly and give the writers a big raise 3. Buy the copyrights to all the Tchaikovsky scores and license them -- very carefully -- only to companies who will NOT do pseudoFreudian or other New Now productions of "Swan Lake," "Nuts" and "Beauty." 4. Mount a Bournonville Festival with stagings by the half-dozen or so people who could stage the ballets properly (none of them presently, or recently, employed by the Royal Danish Ballet). 5. Make a huge donation to the Balanchine Ballets Rehearsal Fund at NYCB. 6. (Hardest of all) Scour the globe for dancers who can phrase Ashton as Ashton was meant to be phrased, then revive every one of his ballets that can be revived. (I only buy tickets in Really Big Lotteries.) 7. Just to round out the last century, hire the Kirov-Mariinsky, Rebels Wing, to do a Fokine Festival, with strict instructions, and donate the last few millions to reviving all of Petipa that is notated. Next stop, Lavrovsky..... Who says there isn't a ballet repertory?

Okay. You'll find me cheap, but hardworking and imaginative.

Thank you, Jeannie. The Kennedy Center press people checked before curtain and were assured that there were absolutely no cast changes I always remember Reagan's "Trust but verify" when trying to get cast changes out of Russian ballet companies. Perhaps I should write "the alleged Tarassova".....)

I think Ed's got something there. It's a rare opportunity -- a contemporary story where men can wear tights. One would have to have a hero and a villain, though. It would be ideal to have both pairs of skaters the victims of Evildoers, like a Greek tragedy, but in our post-Titanic age (when we seem to only be able to understand tragedy by watching a cute couple) I think we'd have to have a winner and a loser. I'm waiting to see what Saturday Night Live will do with this one. I won't be home in time to see it (and my VCR is unreliable) so I hope someone will watch and post.

We're awash in color and lilacs down here in D.C. at the moment, and I wondered what people would vote as their favorite tutu? Whether it's one you'd want to wear, or just like to see hanging on the wall? I've been dithering between Gold Fairy, which bounces nicely and has a matching gold cap, and Princess Florine's striped number. (I doubt anyone could get Lilac to part with her shoes, wands and staffs.)