Alexandra

I didn't go; bad cold. But it's people wouldn't have gotten home yet, G!!!

Thank you, Sylvia -- it's so good to read you again! I hope you'll be going a lot this season; it's a season, especially at the Royal, that many of us will be interested in reading about. It's funny; when Door and a Sigh first came out, there were some reviews that said it was Balanchine making fun of a Bejart ballet. And others said that he was trying to make a Bejart ballet (for real). So it's always been controversial. I've never seen it. I thought it an interesting choice to bring to London, and have been interested in reading what people think of it.

Thank you so much for this, Michael. I especially loved your introductory analysis

They opened with "Door and a Sigh"!!! Jane, how was the audience? What did you think of the program? Head shots don't always help, but here's Bouder's on the company's web site: Ashley Bouder and here's one of her as Aurora: Bouder in the Rose Adagio

Having read the reviews only, not the book, I think she's right on that last comment! (good to read you again, grace)

Kenneth LaFave in the Arizona Republic on Ballet Arizona's La Sylphide, staged by Nikolaj Hubbe: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/a...hiderevu16.html

It does have a certain meaning now, but once it simply meant "I'm the REAL prima ballerina of this company". The young Italian ballerinas who came to New York in the "Black Crook" days had this title in their contracts -- they were good dancers, but 19, 20 years old and hardly Kschessinska or Fonteyn. But the problem was that American impresarios, who didn't understand much of anything about ballet traditions, were handing out "prima ballerina" contracts to anyone (probably saved some money that way). And so the ones hired as THE star insisted on "prima ballerina assoluta" -- "the absolute first female dancer" -- in her contract. Now it seems to be used as a fancy word for "super star" or "no, really, I mean BALLERINA." Re the quote kfw gave us above -- how nice that someone is writing against gymnastics! (I'm assuming that the piece asks us to look at Part as something more than a gyroscope.)

Emilie Wahlbom did one for the Danes in the 1920s.

I've just spent the last half-hour going through pages and pages of Google links, and nowhere is there an age. I've checked the New York Public Library catalogue, though, and it lists his birth date as 1968. (One thing everyone seems to agree on is that he started ballet lessons at the age of four. But no year.)

I just checked a few reference books and he's not listed in them, unfortunately . But a close guess would be that he was 18 when he won that competition in 1989. (I saw him do "Narcissus" too, Jose Manuel, and I thought it was stunning. A hard role for a young man to do, perhaps, but he had the spirit of it.)

But Canfield's heart did not seem to be in traditional Nutcrackers and Giselle, and the publicity, at least, was heavy on the New! Sexy! Rock! None of that stupid tutu stuff!!!!! I think when you have a one-company town, you'll always have a battle of tastes. There are probably lots of people who miss the sexy rock stuff. As there were plenty of people who, during its day, longed for something else. My point, as always, is if you're going to call it a ballet company, then please perform ballets. If you want to do something else, by all means, go ahead.

Rockwell spoke at the Dance Critics Association -- was it last June, or the one before? I didn't go, but friends' accounts were positive. He's not primarily focused on the danse d'ecole, shall we say, but I think he respects serious art. There have been rumors that Anna Kisselgoff would be retiring for several years now -- it's an incredibly tough job. I can't imagine having to grind out overnight reviews three, four, five times a week for nearly 30 years.

Treefrog wrote: My favorite Nutcracker performance, back in the days when ABT brought Baryshnikov's production for two weeks every year, was the matinee the day after Christmas, when the smallest children came, each bringing a toy that they thought might enjoy "Nutcracker." Once, I remember a small boy of about three, proudly handing the tickets to the usher and saying, in the loud, clear, confident voice of a future politician, "NEXT year I'm going to stay for THE WHOLE THING!!!" One act is a good plan. I've once did an article about children's reactions to "Nutcracker," which involved accompanying the kids and a parent. Children under six tanked midway through the divertissement, the three year old screaming at the site of Sugar Plum and her cavalier. (I don't think she objected to them personally, just couldn't take one more pas de deux.)

Breaking in to say -- Welcome, adagio1! If you'd like an official Welcome from our Welcome Lady, please introduce yourself on our Welcome forum

Casting hasn't been released yet; we'll post it when it is released. But, as you note, casting can be volatile (what a great way to describe it!) I don't think it's wise to count on any specific dancer dancing any specific performance. It's a sure way to be disappointed. (I'm hoping to see Lopatkina too; fingers crossed!)

It's a traditional production. The subtitle is "An American Nutcracker," and it has an American setting. I think the first act is especially good, and there are some excellent, Ballet Russe era social dances in it. (Always very well-performed when I've seen it.) The divertissements will depend on the cast you get, I'm sure -- there's a King of the Snow rather than a Snow Queen, lots of very colorful flowers, etc. I'm not a parent, so I'm not the best to advise on toddlers. I think any child who isn't old enough to sit still for two hours is best left at home! But there's certainly nothing in this production that would frighten a child or offend his or her parent. There are lots of kids in the audience - and after the Nuts we've had the past few seasons, I think parents will be heaving one huge, audible sigh of relief for this one!

I didn't see it, but George Jackson reviewed it for DanceView Times. In Praise of Ruins He includes background info how the revival was accomplished. If any Ballet Alertniks went, please tell!!! To me, this was the most interesting revival in America this season, and I'd like to know what you thought (even if you don't think it was the most interesting revival, of course!)

The Street Dancer and Mercedes were two different roles, and they are sometimes combined in non-Russian productions, especially, as many companies don't have the character dancers to put over the traditional tavern scene. (Or at least there were two roles; I don't remember the names of the characters. Perhaps someone else does?)

For the Royal Danes, I think "Napoli" pas de six and tarantella is the house specialty. It's what they always do on gala programs, whether for the ballet audience or the general audience on special occasions (it's what they danced as Denmark's contribution to the Millennium celebrations) Is "Spartacus" a specialty of the Bolshoi currently? I associate that with the Grigorovich era, as I associate the Royal Ballet with "Sleeping Beauty" during their glory days (but not now). I think house specialties change. (I agree with Natalia that "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake" "belong" to the Maryinsky, but the Royal owned them in the West, during the Cold War days.) What is ABT's house specialty? Once it would have been a triple bill of Theme, Pillar, Fancy Free. That would be the program you'd take the out of towner to see. Not now (they'd still do those ballets, but not usually on the same program.)

Constanza Elizabeth, the defile (and there should be an accent acute on the second "e") is the presentation of all the dancers of the Paris Opera, from the smallest female student, who leads it, through the etoiles. It's simply a slow, orderly walk from the very back of the stage -- way, way back, so you can see the foyer de la danse, and even some of the portraits of the very first ballerinas -- to the front; then turn, look at the audience, and walk to the side. After the little girls come the women of the corps de ballet, each group led by an etoile; then the little boys, and then the men. (Note to Lifar: You know it should have been the men first, then the women.) It's very simple, and very powerful, and very moving.

Third week casting: CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD WEEK OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S FALL SEASON AT CITY CENTER Role Debuts in Mozartiana and New Casts of Les Sylphides and VIII to Highlight Final Week of Performances Casting for the third week of American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season at City Center, October 20 through November 7, was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The third week of performances will include the debuts of Julie Kent, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Yuriko Kajiya and Stella Abrera in Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides on Wednesday evening, November 3. On the same evening, Gennadi Saveliev, Kristi Boone and Sarah Lane will debut in Christopher Wheeldon’s VIII. On Friday evening, November 5, Maria Riccetto will debut in the leading role of George Balanchine’s Mozartiana, along with Carlos Lopez who will dance the Gigue for the first time. Julie Kent will debut in the leading role of Mozartiana on Saturday evening, November 6. Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre and Cole Haan is a Leading Benefactor. Graff Jewelers is the 2004 season sponsor of ABT at City Center. ABT’s 2004 Fall season at City Center is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2004 Fall season at City Center are priced from $35 to $80 and are on sale now by mail or by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. City Center is located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org. Complete casting follows: THIRD WEEK Tue. Eve., Nov. 2, 7:30 P.M. PRETTY GOOD YEAR (NEW McINTYRE BALLET) – Company workwithinwork – Company SINFONIETTA - Company Wed. Eve., Nov. 3, 7:30 P.M. LES SYLPHIDES – Kent*, Beloserkovsky*, Kajiya*, Abrera* VIII – Saveliev*, Boone*, Lane* AMAZED IN BURNING DREAMS – Lopez, Copeland, DeLong Thurs. Eve., Nov. 4, 7:30 P.M. MOZARTIANA – Part, Beloserkovsky, Pastor VIII – Corella, Herrera, Kent SINFONIETTA - Company Fri. Eve., Nov. 5, 8 P.M. LES SYLPHIDES – Kent, Beloserkovsky, Kajiya, Abrera MOZARTIANA – Riccetto*, Stiefel, Lopez* AMAZED IN BURNING DREAMS – H. Cornejo, Copeland, DeLong Sat. Mat., Nov. 6, 2 P.M. PRETTY GOOD YEAR (NEW McINTYRE BALLET) – Company workwithinwork – Company VIII – Saveliev, Boone, Lane Sat. Eve., Nov. 6, 8 P.M. MOZARTIANA – Kent*, Corella, H. Cornejo workwithinwork – Company AMAZED IN BURNING DREAMS – Tidwell, Boone, Gomes Sun. Mat., Nov. 7, 2 P.M. MOZARTIANA – Part, Beloserkovsky, Pastor LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – H. Cornejo, Riccetto SWAN LAKE, Act III Pas de Deux – Herrera, Gomes LE CORSAIRE Pas de Deux – Murphy, Corella SINFONIETTA - Company Sun. Eve., Nov. 7, 7:30 P.M. MOZARTIANA – Kent, Corella, H. Cornejo workwithinwork – Company SINFONIETTA - Company

Nikolaj Hubbe and Ib Andersen are interviewed in a Sunday piece about story ballets in the Arizona Republic. Kenneth LaFave in the Arizona Republic on story telling in ballet and two very different presentations in Arizona this month: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/arts/articles/1010dance10.html

In the hopes that other KC Ballet fans will find this spot, I thought I'd open a forum! Thanks, dansuer!!

Hi, Lazer Canary! This is what I found at a site that sells book. "Bolshoi Ballet Today": London: Thames & Hudson, 1956. First Edition. Small 4to, pp. 203. I'm not sure about the coffee table book, but I have a book that sounds like it: "The Bolshoi: Opera and Ballet at the Greatest Theater in Russia," William, Morrow and Company, Iinc., New York, 1979.

I don't think that anyone was deliberately ignoring atm's question. It was an interesting point, but if no one knows, then no one knows. I don't know if there was any filming of Danilova's coaching of Ashley. There is a film of Danilova coaching, but I don't remember that Ashley was one of the dancers included. I don't think she was, but -- perhaps someone else knows?