Alexandra

Thanks, Eugene. Things seem frozen here. There's an outpouring of money to charities and funds for the survivors, but people seem reluctant to spend. That, coupled with a fear of travel, will make things slow for awhile, I fear. I hope people will attend performances if they are able to do so. In addition to all the reasons Eugene stated, it doesn't really make any sense, or do any good, NOT to.

It's interesting that dance began as a part of religion -- although with animists, everything is part of religion: hunting, healing, birth and death. Yet in most cultures it became separate; now we choreograph dances to bring to the church. (There has long been a liturgical dance movement in the United States. I don't know whether it's completely Protestant, or if other religions take part as well.)

Could we have some other views? What about those who like Dracula et al? Or who hate story ballets no matter what they are? Or, to phrase it more positively, prefer "pure dance" and find story ballets trivial? Also, what about Ms. Howard's point -- which I think reflects an accurate general perception, even though there are many exceptions -- that story ballets are off-putting to some, while others will ONLY go to story ballets? Why is there the assumption, on the anticlassical side of the spectrum, that anyone who likes/attends narrative ballets is 85 with an equal IQ, yet at the same time rich and elitist? That's another paradox that's always fascinated me. Perhaps the notion of an old and stupid elite is comforting to some [ 09-20-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

I think this is an interesting topic that we should be able to dance around I don't know about radical Muslim groups (I have a feeling Muslims would parse that phrase differently). One certainly sees a lot of dancing with rifles over the head, but I don't know if that's an ancient tradition or formalized in any way There are some Asian cultures, however, that integrate dance with religion and life in general that they are inseparable (my knowledge of this is from minimal reading and a few PBS specials on world dance) but Indonesia has no word for "pray," "play" or "work." It's just "doing" -- the classical dance forms in Indian and other south Asian countries were firmly grounded in religion. African countries, as well, integrate dance with religion as well as other aspects of life. Some dances are literally training exercises for hunting -- builds spear throwing muscles, teaches group harmony. Lincoln Kirstein traces religion and dance in Western Europe. There was once dancing in tihe Catholic Mass -- Ite missa est (go, the mass is finished) is accompanied by a mime gesture. Kirstein, writing in the 30s, said that there were still danced Masses in some churches in Spain; whether these endure today I don't know. The Puritans' view of dance is well known Early Protestants generally were wary of dance -- too sexual, too much touching, too much jiggling around. The Khymer Rouge were not dance fans. Any radical cultural revolution movement, whether from the Left or the Right, frowns on anything that smacks of personal expression. There are people from a variety of cultures here. What about dance in your part of the world, or religion or culture?

I use Internet Explorer and get the "configuring grafics" message, but it quickly turns into a web page. There's a glitch in the search engine, too. It loops any searched text into subsequent entries. Perhaps they didn't test it in all browsers.

After a few delays, the Danish www.bournonville.com site is up. LOTS of good photos, as well as information about each ballet. (editing to clarify: It's run by Danes, but it's in English.) [ 09-20-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

There is a book coming out soon -- published by the Dance Collection, I think; I hope that is a herald of things to come. It's been available in Russia for some time.

I agree -- I didn't mean to take issue with your statement. I almost wrote "among his friends, perhaps ...." but that might have been taken as catty

Thanks for all the comments. Richard, I agree with your historical survey -- my reference to the French boulevard theatres was in the context of French Grand Opera, of course. There are several storytelling traditions left out of the article, but I don't think it was intended as an historical article, but as dealing with the here and now. I also agree that one of the chief problems in the past 50 years, at least, is the lack of new, danceable music. This may well be a problem of money as much as one of art. I also agree with dirac's point about the lack of storytelling skills among today's choreographers -- for all the reasons she mentioned. Ballet (dance) has often functioned on formula following. A genius invents an Infinite Formula (the romantic ballets of Perrot and Bournonvile in the 19th century, the demicaractere ballets of Fokine and Massine in the 20th, or the plotless ballets of Balanchine) and other choreographers follow the formula, sometimes making very dull, competent works, but often making quite acceptable ones. (I'd submit that Ashton and Tudor worked in different ways; many were influenced by them, but no one is imitating them.) I also was perplexed by the Bourne comment (that his is *the* Swan Lake for some people), but this may well be true. One of the impetuses for this board was a very acrimonious discussion in another setting over the question of whether Bourne's "Swan Lake" was a ballet or not (I thought it might be nice to have a discussion group for people who knew what a ballet was). But there were several people who wrote, "I never liked ballet before, but now I love it." There may well be those who weren't regular dancegoers and were attracted to Bourne's Swan Lake and have no other context. I don't think this means Bourne's version has replaced what's left of the original, by any means I think Mary put her finger on the paradox reflected in Howard's article, that, as Mary put it, "Is she saying Balanchine taught her and others to dislike story ballets, but everyone wants to see them, but the audience is bored by them?" I think there are three audiences (at least): those who only want story ballets, those who only want contemporary dance that looks like a ballet--there persists the need to say "I'm going to the ballet," even if what one is seeing is David Parsons' "The Envelope"--and a very few who want good dance and are open to it in a variety of forms. There's one aspect of this question that we've never really discussed -- it could prove contentious -- but I'm seeing more and more a division between high art and pop art. I know there are those who don't recognize such a distinction; I do. I've often used the opera/musical comedy division, which no one seems to question. Both are popular, both have different audiences, although there is some crossover, and there is a general understanding that one is high art and one is not. In ballet, however, everything has been jumbled into one big pot. Much of what is being done in story ballet today that I've seen IS closer to musical comedy than opera. (Not meaning to insult good musicals, which, as Richard points out, are hard to come by too these days; storytelling skills have been lost there, too.) While I agree with dirac that many people will go to see any full-length ballet, even if it's mediocre, and will pass up the opportunity to see a mixed bill, I haven't seen many excellent mixed bills recently either. The Kennedy Center developed a practice years ago of programming mixed -- mostly contemporary -- rep during the week and running full-lengths on the weekend. Companies around the country try to satisfy both audiences -- three programs of, mostly pop, stuff, with a Balanchine tossed in, perhaps, or a pas de deux, and then throws in a Sleeping Beauty to finish off the season. In some places, story ballets have become children's programming -- some companies have two programs of contemp and two kiddies' shows. I'm working on an article for the next DanceView on Ashton -- how he's regarded today -- and came across an article by John Martin written in 1956 about his "Romeo and Juliet" which Martin much admired, and which was a very substantive, high art, story ballet using classical ballet. Martin wrote at the halfway mark of the Century of Short, Plotless Ballets, and said (paraphrase): "Fifty years from today, when the story ballet is reascendant, we will date its resurrection to Ashton's "Romeo and Juliet," which showed the 20th century how to make a story ballet using older formulas." Unfortunately, the story ballet is certainly making a comeback, but, for the most part, not on a very high level. Thanks for these comments -- more please

A colleague tells me that the complete version was last danced in August 1979 at the NY State Theatre. Excerpts were performed at the same theater in the summer of 2000.

Another piece about the place of the story ballet in the world today -- an interesting one, making some good points, by Rachel Howard, in the San Francisco Examiner. http://www.examiner.com/ex_files/default.j...ory=X0916STORYw The piece examines several angles -- how story ballets are off-putting to some and beloved by others and the recent love affair with Dracula and his friends. To someone who has seen many narrative ballets danced so that they "made sense," especially, not so long ago, by both the Royal and Royal Danish ballets, the idea that there's a problem with the ballets themselves and not their producers doesn't compute, and I've never agreed with the notion that the abstract ballet is inherently superior to the narrative one--nor vice versa. But I can't think of many examples of good storytelling that I've seen in the last decade--most places, much longer than that--either in stagings of the old classics or the attempts at making new ones. Here's the first paragraph: "Today the story ballet is in a strange state. It's hard to believe that at their premieres works like "Giselle," "Swan Lake," and "La Baydere" made sense not only as dance but as story -- that they were every bit as theatrical in their age as Broadway musicals are today." (I think if audiences are expecting ballet to be "as theatrical as Broadway musicals" they will be disappointed, as our musicals were what was presented in the boulevard theatres, not in opera houses, and "Giselle" and "Swan Lake" had a different model of theatricality, namely opera and classical theater.) Perhaps at the crux of the debates about story ballets is our view of realism. Should ballet be "real"? There are many interesting points in the article -- comments, please. [ 09-18-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

Wow. Thank you, Steve -- that was really beautiful. Thank you for capturing not only the performance, but a moment and what it meant. (Sorry for misplacing the performances. I didn't correct the subject line, so that Steve's first paragraph would be clear.) [ 09-17-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

Good question about the nature of the job. Once upon a time, artistic directors had to be ballet masters -- meaning they could teach class, develop dancers, and choreograph a repertory. Now, too often, they're retired dancers needing a job. There are exceptions, of course, but it's ojt for the most part. The Kennedy Center's new training program is a good step on the road to formalizing training, but it's not just for ballet directors (not to imply that it should be). The notion that someone who wants to be an artistic director apprentice himself to a master for a few years -- ha! (And who are the masters?) I think, like other things in the arts world, this will be in freefall until new Masters emerge, and a paradigm solidifies.

That was my first thought. The Oakland dancers may well have been "laid back" but....there are stereotypes everywhere. What about the larger question, Doug (and anyone) about what seems to be a trend of the new director coming in and changing the company's direction, aesthetic, or character? In PNB's case, for example, would the new director in, say, 2010 [NOTE: This is purely hypothetical ] be "within his/her rights" to make it a non-Balanchine-oriented company? Who would/should make that decision? Board, dancers, audience? How much of a vote do the dancers and audience have? We've seen in Boston that a company with a consciously-Vaganova orientation was turned from that course. Oakland had carved out a name for itself as specializing in Ballets Russes era revivals that no one else was doing. Now it will have a much more contemporary twist -- not, it seems, from any request from dancers or audience, but because that is the background of the director. The same thing is happening in Scotland, where Scottish Ballet is being turned from a classical ballet company to a contemporary dance company. What do you think about this?

What? No takers? West Coasters, is Ms. Brown's assessment correct, in your judgment? Any Coasters, this is another angle on the new director coming in and changing the character of a company. Good? Bad? We'll see?

Reports, please!

Please don't let this thread become contentious. My comment was not intended to belittle any nation or group, but to comment that other countries were caught up in this tragedy directly as well and have a personal stake in what happens next. Unless you've read through the list I referred to in the initial post, you may not realize what countries were also affected. There are other threads on the site where people from all over the world (including many from England) have expressed their shock and condolences and solidarity and I'm sure all of us have been touched by them. Should it matter, my mother's family is English and Scots, and I'm very aware of British and American support for each other in this and other crises over the years. [ 09-16-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

Jeannie, I didn't know of her -- the Post ran an obit (it's on the Links forum, but I don't remember which day). She may have danced under the name Sonia Morales.

Thank you, Colwill. The service in St. Paul's was moving, too. This may be of interest/use to some people. The Washington Post has a list of firms that were in the Twin Towers, with contact numbers for some of the higher floors. (It's interesting to see how many non-American companies there were in the building, which gives a clue to the outpouring of international anger and support.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/natio...les/tower1.html This is the first list for Tower 1, but there are links at the bottom of the list to Tower 2.

In interview with Karen Brown in today's San Francisco Examiner, there's this provocative quote: "There's definitely an East Coast/West Coast difference," Brown says. "And I hope to be able to change that, at least with my company. I would like my dancers to be more tenacious, more assertive, more empowered, and to really be aware of how short a dance career is. There is no time to be laid back." http://www.examiner.com/ex_files/default.j...y=X0913OAKLANDw I suppose one could debate if that's true or not, but perhaps more interesting is the question, do Oaklanders have a right to be laid back if that's the way they see life? It's another take on the question, should a director come in and turn a company upside down, or try to build on the character of the company?

Another email message, this one from people in New York who are organizing a vigil: Friday night, at 7:00 pm, step out of your door, stop your car, or step out of your establishment and light a candle. We will show the world that Americans are strong and united together against terrorism. Please pass this to everone on your email list and buddy list, we need to reach everyone across the United States quickly. We need the press to cover this--we need the whole world to see.

All day I've been thinking of something Xena said in her first post yesterday, that she didn't feel like dancing. I almost posted, keep dancing, don't let them stop you. What is the role of art, and artists, in the wake of September 11th? Stop dancing and mourn? Rage against terror and the inhumane through art? Depict the events, offer a catharsis? Comfort those who have suffered, or who are afraid? Glorify the goodness in man, make art about the soul, provide a model of goodness? All of the above, or something else?

Xena, Mel doesn't live or work in NYCity, but upstate New York, far away from this. I've heard from Mary, who works in Manhattan, but way uptown at Columbia. Other New Yorkers, if you do log on, please just check in so that we know you're all right. Dale, thanks for your eyewitness report. Others who have been involved, or were near to what happened and saw it, please feel free to share experiences. There have been suggestions on TV news to try to stay off phones -- especially cell phones -- to leave them clear for people who need them.

It is worth noting for people in D.C. or N.Y., or who have friends or loved ones in either of those cities, that roads are clogged, phone circuits are jammed -- I've tried to call people in New York all morning and can't get a line. The Metro here is jammed. With so many offices closing early, the staggered leaving times that makes rush hour here barely tolerable is not working. Point being, it will take people several hours to get home.

Thank you, Xena. I'm six blocks from the Capitol in D.C. and okay, although I've heard more sirens today than I knew existed. I was about to open a "Please check in" thread; glad you beat me to it. Please feel free to use this board to communicate. I would ask that we call a moratorium to any Silly Season topics today as a sign of respect to all of the people who have died.