Alexandra

Jared Nelson is now in the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet. Here's his bio page: Jared Nelson

Here's a story by Paul Parish in San Francisco Magazine about the soon-to-be-unveiled new production of "The Nutcracker." There's some really beautiful background on the ballet as a whole, too: Toy Story

Looking for our technique forums for dance students, adult dance students, Ballet Moms and Dads, The Men's Forum, Teachers, Dancers, Summer Intensives,et al? They have a forum of their very own now: Ballet Talk for Dancers

Ari posted these reviews on Links today. Did any Ballet Alertniks go? If so, please post your reactions (whether you went with kids or not ) The Joffrey Ballet performed its Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center in Washington last night. Sarah Kaufman in the Washington Post Jean Battey Lewis in the Washington Post

From the comments (I haven't had time to read the articles) it DOES sound as though justice will be done -- surely a rare thing! Thanks to rkoretzky for keeping us up to date on this matter all along!

NEW YORK CITY BALLET PRINCIPAL CASTING FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 1 – 5, 2004 GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER™ 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WEDNESDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 1, 11:00 A.M. (This is a special free performance for New York City school children, closed to the general public.) (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: *Bouder; CAVALIER: J. Angle; DEWDROP: *Fairchild; MARZIPAN: Dronova; HOT CHOCOLATE: *Muller, Orza; COFFEE: *Bar; TEA: Hall; CANDY CANE: Severini; MOTHER GINGER: Tworzyanski; FLOWERS: Keenan, Wolf; DOLLS: Piskin, Peck; SOLDIER: *Paradiso; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Hendrickson; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: *Seth, Beskow WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 1, 6:00 P.M. (Conductor: Kaplow) SUGARPLUM: Ringer; CAVALIER: Neal; DEWDROP: Kowroski; MARZIPAN: Riggins; HOT CHOCOLATE: Beskow, J. Stafford; COFFEE: Arthurs; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Ulbricht; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: *Barak, *Laracey; DOLLS: Hyltin, Flynn; SOLDIER: Froman; MOUSE KING: Seth; HERR DROSSELMEIER: La Fosse**; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: la Cour, Abergel THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 2, 2004, 6:00 P.M. (Conductor: Kaplow) SUGARPLUM: Bouder; CAVALIER: J. Angle; DEWDROP: Weese; MARZIPAN: Fairchild; HOT CHOCOLATE: Keenan, *Ramasar; COFFEE: *Barak; TEA: Hendrickson; CANDY CANE: De Luz; MOTHER GINGER: J. Stafford; FLOWERS: Reichlen, Beskow; DOLLS: Zungre, Pazcoguin; SOLDIER: Carmena; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Fayette; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: Seth, Bar FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 3, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) SUGARPLUM: Ansanelli; CAVALIER: Millepied; DEWDROP: Riggins; MARZIPAN: Edge; HOT CHOCOLATE: Rutherford, Higgins; COFFEE: Hanson; TEA: Ulbricht; CANDY CANE: Gold; MOTHER GINGER: Tworzyanski; FLOWERS: Bar, Muller; DOLLS: Piskin, Peck; SOLDIER: Severini; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Kramarevsky; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: J. Stafford, Beskow SATURDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 4, 2:00 P.M. (Conductor: Kaplow) SUGARPLUM: Borree; CAVALIER: Hübbe; DEWDROP: Bouder; MARZIPAN: Fairchild; HOT CHOCOLATE: Barak, Veyette; COFFEE: Reichlen; TEA: Suozzi; CANDY CANE: Hendrickson; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: Abergel, Golbin; DOLLS: Hyltin, Flynn; SOLDIER: Laurent; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: La Fosse**; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: Seth, Bar SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 4, 8:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: Whelan; CAVALIER: Martins; DEWDROP: Ansanelli; MARZIPAN: Riggins; HOT CHOCOLATE: Golbin, Seth; COFFEE: Arthurs; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Suozzi; MOTHER GINGER: J. Stafford; FLOWERS: Rutherford, Hanson; DOLLS: Zungre, Pazcoguin; SOLDIER: Ulbricht; MOUSE KING: Ramasar; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Kramarevsky; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: la Cour, Abergel SUNDAY MATINEE, DECEMBER 5, 1:00 P.M. (Conductor: Quinn) SUGARPLUM: Fairchild; CAVALIER: De Luz; DEWDROP: *Reichlen; MARZIPAN: Dronova; HOT CHOCOLATE: Abergel, Higgins; COFFEE: Abergel; TEA: Hall; CANDY CANE: Severini; MOTHER GINGER: Tworzyanski; FLOWERS: Keenan, Beskow; DOLLS: Piskin, Peck; SOLDIER: Paradiso; MOUSE KING: Seth; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Hendrickson; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: la Cour, Bar SUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 5, 5:00 P.M. (Conductor: Moredock) SUGARPLUM: Borree; CAVALIER: Hübbe; DEWDROP: Ansanelli; MARZIPAN: Edge; HOT CHOCOLATE: Bar, la Cour; COFFEE: Hanson; TEA: Ulbricht; CANDY CANE: Gold; MOTHER GINGER: Ramasar; FLOWERS: Abergel, Golbin; DOLLS: Hyltin, Flynn; SOLDIER: Froman; MOUSE KING: Orza; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Fayette; DR. & FRAU STAHLBAUM: J. Stafford, Beskow * First Time in Role ** Guest Artist PROGRAM AND CASTING SUBJECT TO CHANGE (11/24/04)

Thanks to A Viigilant Poster for this link (from last Friday's Washington Post): Actor Who Collapsed During Show Dies

Thanks for starting this, Sandi -- I hope some of our shy Frequent Posters will chime in!! DC has about 79 Nutcrackers (give or take a baker's dozen) at last count. Two biggies are the Joffrey Ballet's, which opens Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, and a brand new production by the Washington Ballet. Haven't heard of any guest stars yet. One might think that some enterprising Senator (or ex-Senator) might want to take the part of Drosselmeyer -- How about Senator Byrd of West Virginia? But no one ever does.

Thanks, Ari. Wow. That really fits in with the Kennedy Center's "theme" this year of the 1940s, doesn't it? (Actually, I'm glad we're getting more of a cross-sampling of what New York gets, so that's not a complaint. But why have a Seasons Theme and then not choose repertory to match it? ABT is giving us the 1920s and the 1840s/90s a la 2005.)

They're great! Thanks for copying them here, grace. (and thanks for the kind words)

Thanks for that sdj3. Love the bat story, too! There's a girl from China who's been getting noticed -- she was in "Symphonic Variations" last spring, which is a big way to start! I wonder if she was who you saw? Her name is Zhong-Jing Fang. . Here's a lnk to her bio page on the abt website. Zhong-Jing Fang

I thought of Spessitseva and Doubrovska for their lines -- long and lean. Doubrovska was a unitard ballerina, and if Spessitseva wasn't, she could have been.

Copied from Frday's Links: Jean Marbella in the Chicago Tribune on the Meredith Daneman biography of Margot Fonteyn: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi...,1,666557.story

Welcome, Mrs. T. I'm sorry you found us on such a sad occasion. Please accept our condolences on your loss. And if you'd like to come back in the future, you're aways welcome. I hope some of our posters will contact you.

Dudinskaya does a quintuple pirouette on one of the Best of the Kirov tapes (in Bayaderka, with Chabukiani, who turns faster than anyone I've ever seen). She doesn't look like a contemporary ballerina at all, but she could move. Remember, the people who taught those 1950s NYCB dancers were all Imperial Russians

I think we need to rehabilitate the word "soubrette." It's not a slur! (It's not limited to describing chambermaids in ballet) Charm, champagne lightness, etc. etc. Qualities that could stretch, easily, into a lyrical Giselle. Paul, I saw Ananiashvili in "Raymonda" when she was quite young (early 20s) and liked her very much. She certainly was strong enough for it, and built the role, was different from act to act, which we don't often see now.

Re soubrettes and "Giselle," a friend once told me that in Paris, "Giselle" had long been cast demi-caractere. When I got to Denmark, I learned that, until recently, the great Giselle was also the great Swanhilda (Margot Lander) -- who never danced the Sylph. So perhaps there's a soubrette "Giselle" tradition in Russia as well. Re Maximova as "Giselle" -- Paul, if there were only more ballet fans, think of the wonderful video simulation games one could do. Plug in a few videos of a dancer and through computer magic, we could see Suzanne Farrell dance "Theme" with Igor Youskevitch, say, or Alonso in "Square Dance."

I think if Ulanova or Fonteyn walked out on stage today, they would have the same effect that they did then. There are different types of dancers. We give a lot of "points" today for turning and high extensions, but there's also style, line and placement and aplomb. Not to mention, Fonteyn's case, the backbend (compare THAT on the various Cinderella videos). I've heard/read several people who saw Fonteyn in "Sylvia" and felt that none of the three ballerinas who just danced the role in London could match her -- technically, not just the aura. I don't think one can "get" Fonteyn from video -- at least not easily. I did see her onstage at the end of her career, and believed all of the people knew who raved about her and kept teling me that this or that contemporary ballerina "couldn't touch her," and I still was disappointed in the videos I saw. It took me 15 years. And then one day I watched something I'd watched many times before and suddenly I was seeing what was there, and not what wasn't there. (She hadn't changed, of course. I'd just been exposed to more.) As for Ulanova, I've never shown the bedroom pas de deux from "Romeo and Juliet" to a class -- of ballet students, modern dance students, or fans -- that wasn't stunned by it. The videos we have of Ulanova are in her late 40s, too, so we're not seeing her in her prime. But written records indicate that was a very fine technician (and I think you can see that in the first act of "Fountains of Baksichirai." Not to take anything away from Alonso, who was a brilliant techician, great artist and spirited dancer -- and probably could hold her own in any pirouette or fouette competition held today!!! I just read an account, by the way, of a nameless 18th century female dancer -- a groteschi, hence not considered a ballerina -- who could perform 20 entrechat huit and made the leading Paris Opera ballerina of the day "seem like a stone."

What about Spessitseva, or Doubrovska? Both lean, leggy types.

I've posted the press release on the PNB forum here: press release Peter Boal will succeed Francia Russell and Kent Stowell as PNB artistic director. Perhaps we could discuss the ramifications for PNB on the PNB forum, and any comments people want to make about what this means to NYCB on this one? (not to say there can't be any crossover!)

This just in: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SEATTLE, WA - Cathi Hatch, Pacific Northwest Ballet's Chairman of the Board, announced today that Peter Boal has been selected as the new artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet. After nearly two years of transition planning and an international search, PNB's governing Board of Trustees accepted the formal recommendation of the Search Committee, chaired by trustee Carl Behnke, to name Peter Boal as PNB Artistic Director. Boal will succeed Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, who have led PNB and the PNB School since 1977; the couple will retire at the end of the 2004-2005 Season. "Peter's exceptional achievements as an artist, his strength of character and his impressive entrepreneurial spirit made a very positive impression with all participants in the search process," said Mr. Behnke. "Peter's connection to the same Balanchine tradition that shaped Kent and Francia's artistic vision is a very compelling aspect of his background, as is his deep commitment to dance education and his thorough understanding of dancers as artists. We are very pleased and excited that Peter has accepted the challenge of leading Pacific Northwest Ballet." Mr. Boal is expected to retire from New York City Ballet in early June. He has been working with Mr. Stowell and Ms. Russell to compose PNB's 2005-2006 Season, and will assume full Artistic Directorship of PNB on July 1, 2005. "Peter has had an impressive career as both dancer and teacher and is taking on the daunting task of leading a major arts institution at the perfect time in his life," said Mr. Stowell and Ms. Russell. "He is a man of intelligence, sensitivity and integrity and has made clear his respect for the people and traditions of PNB. Getting to know him through the Search process has convinced us that we are leaving the Company and School we love so much in the best possible hands. We will continue to be a resource in any way we can for both Peter and PNB." Said Boal: "I am deeply honored to receive the opportunity to be the Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet. Over the past six months, I have watched 43 brilliant dancers triumph in a rich repertoire, under the selfless guidance of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. I am eager to work with Kent, Francia, D. David Brown and the many individuals who compose the PNB community, to ensure a smooth and exciting transition for this great institution. The success of this world class company deserves to be honored with success in the future." Selected from a group of nearly 50 initial applicants which was subsequently narrowed down to five semi-finalists, Mr. Boal, age 39, was selected as the lead candidate October 2 after extensive interviews and work in the studio with PNB's company dancers. Mr. Boal received high marks during this process, which was established by PNB's Artistic Director Search Committee. The Search Committee is comprised of PNB leadership Trustees, Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell and Executive Director D. David Brown. It is assisted by two advisory panels which include dancers, musicians, administrative staff, trustees and community leaders. Mr. Boal returned to Seattle during the third week of October to engage in further discussions with PNB's Artistic Director Search Committee, meet with PNB's Board of Trustees, and have another opportunity to meet with PNB's company dancers. Over the course of two years of planning and meetings, the search committee identified several hallmark attributes that define PNB and which would, ideally, be reflected in and compatible with the skills and experience of its new artistic leader. These attributes include a creative and imaginative individual able to challenge and inspire PNB artistically, a deep commitment to dance education and ensuring the strong positive symbiotic relationship between the company and its school, and an individual who has varied experience in performance and choreography as well as demonstrated ability to direct a ballet company. "Peter embodies all of these attributes and more," said Hatch. "Our dancers had a very positive experience with him in the studio and were quite taken with his passion and respect for ballet." Mr. Boal is highly respected in the dance world. Tobi Tobias of The Village Voice describes Mr. Boal as "a paragon of classicism. Both his stellar dancing and his teaching of the School of American Ballet's rising generation are lessons in purity, exactitude, and refinement." About Peter Boal: Currently a Principal with the New York City Ballet, Peter Boal became a member of New York City Ballet's corps de ballet in 1983 and became a Soloist four years later. In 1989 he was promoted to the rank of Principal. Mr. Boal has been featured in numerous ballets including many of the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Peter Martins, as well as numerous others. Mr. Boal's television appearances include Dance in America's "Balanchine in America" performing Western Symphony and "The Balanchine Celebration" performing Agon, the Live From Lincoln Center broadcast of "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography," dancing in Red Angels; and the May, 2004 Live From Lincoln Center broadcast of "Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100," dancing in Duo Concertant. In addition to touring with New York City Ballet, Mr. Boal has performed as a Principal Dancer with a number of National and International companies. In 1996, Mr. Boal was a recipient of the Dance Magazine Award, and in 2000, he received a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) for his solo performance in Molissa Fenley's State of Darkness. Mr. Boal has been maintaining full-time faculty member responsibilities at the internationally respected School of American Ballet since 1997, and has been particularly effective as a role model for and teacher of young men aspiring to be professional dancers. Mr. Boal recently founded and directs "Peter Boal and Company", a group of four NYCB dancers that commission new choreography and revivals. Having premiered this past March, the group has since performed at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan, Jacob's Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts and the Biennale in Venice, Italy. Mr. Boal is married to former New York City Ballet Soloist Kelly Cass and the couple has two sons, Sebastian and Oliver, and one daughter, Sarah. ABOUT PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET Founded in 1972 and under the artistic guidance of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell since 1977, Pacific Northwest Ballet is one the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States. The Company of forty-three dancers presents over ninety performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States with celebrated appearances in Washington D.C. and New York City. Pacific Northwest Ballet School, under the direction of Ms. Russell, is nationally recognized as setting the standard for ballet training offering a complete professional curriculum to over 850 students. PNB also provides comprehensive dance education to the greater Seattle area reaching over 10,000 adults and children each year through DanceChance, Discover Dance, Bravo!Ballet and other outreach programs and activities. Pacific Northwest Ballet's 2004-2005 Season is supported in part by James and Sherry Raisbeck, ArtsFund, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, PONCHO, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington State Arts Commission, and JetBlue Airways. New works and acquisitions during Pacific Northwest Ballet's 2004-2005 Season are supported in part by the Glenn Kawasaki New Works Fund.

The Washington Post still requires two sources for everything (NOT that they're blameless....) I really don't think journalistic standards have slipped generally -- there have been some huge scandals recently, but the field does still seem to enjoy agonizing over them and investigating. The problem -- and I'm now speaking generally, because I'm not saying that this is a problem with the book under discussion -- but it's just too easy to use the "Mr. X said" to manipulate your facts. I got some wonderful quotes of thirdhand gossip that would have helped buttress one of the main themes of my biography, and it really really hurt not to be able to use them, but when I'd check, and the person who was quoted n the thirdhand gossip "couldn't remember" that he'd said that, or two people said, "Oh, I can see how X would think that, but really...." and gave a good reason why my wonderful quote wasn't fair, then I couldn't use it. But I was writing for a university press, and the editors didn't pressure me to come up with anything juicy. I remember reading about Kirkland's autobiography, that she was pressured to come up with ANY story about a famous person. (Not a nice stoory, of course, not wanting to know if the First Lady had ever sent her a Christmas card.)

Camargo

I think they should be, and the "two source" rule is not a bad one. It can be awfully tempting to quote the dead; they can't sue (and no one can sue on their behalf.) A friend of mine wrote a biography with controversial content, and the publisher's legal team went over everything and needed to know two sources, by name (even if the people were "a source close to the victim") who could be called to testify. That's not a bad standard. I don't think anyone has said that there shouldn't be mention of Fonteyn's, or anyone's, assignations or sex life in a biography. It's the amount of detail, the kind of detail, and the amount of book time it takes up. Does every sex act have to be noted? Why not toothbrushing, cigarette smoking, meals? Sex sells. That's why the New School of Biography (which has been with us a long time) is obsessed with it. It has little to do with exploring the true nature of the subject, or correcting an imbalance in perception.

and the fingers are separate; tree ranches could go through them. I've been watching the 1984 video of Bessmertnova (with her broken arabesque) and was struck by how the men, especially, are elegant and noble as DANCERS but could not be mistaken for courtiers, which is, to my eye, the Kirov standard. And there's something -- back to Paul's observations on hands -- that (pardon me, people who really know something about painting!) I've always though of as Mannerist.