Alexandra

Thank you for posting those results, Yulia. I think "more pepper" is needed generally these days! That's a great comment. There are so many competitions now, perhaps that's why there weren't a lot of guests.

Hello, Yulia! I hope some of our posters will be able to help. You might keep checking Ballet-Tanz (a site that's in both German and English). Here's a link to the English pages: http://www.ballet-tanz.de/en/start.html It looks as though they're preparing a section on Summer Festivals, though it's not yet active. Are you interested in scholarly conferences, or performance festivals? I think there will be schedules of festivals published; it will be more difficult to find out about meetings and conferences, I'm afraid.

The Washington Post reviewer liked Blanche -- said she "wouldn't appeal to purists" -- but then went on to say how wrong (impure?) Stanley was! I agree with you point for point, Ari. I also was struck by the "We've had this date from the beginning" line being so matter of fact. I wasn't bothered by Clarkson's age, but Blanche's. 45 is so far from 30, in this world.

I think the 4 Ps is a keeper. It was an early commission by the City Fathers. Other movements could be Tangy and Zesty. And we mustn't forget the famous Doublemint Twins double variation.

There's an article on this week's DanceView Times that I hope some of you will find interesting: a report on a dance criticism conference held recently in Budapest. Lots of cross-cultural issues raised. Dance Criticism: Cross-Cultural Views

On the "Sylphide" video you can see some other RDB ballerinas. James's mother is Kirsten Simone; Madge is Sorella Englund (of course these aren't dancing roles, but they're still beautifully done. Next time you see it, watch for Simone's little scene in the forest, where Effy turns to her and asks what to do and she simply raises her hand to say "I can't help you" and turns away. It's her future, too -- she's dooming herself to an old age in poverty, without protection, but she cannot influence the girl. Speaking of whom -- Ann Kristin Hauge, now an architect (or last I heard) is Effy and a wonderful one. And Silja Schandorff, very young, is the first Sylph.

Tai Jimenez and Duncan Cooper of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Is it Amy Aldridge of Pennsylvania Ballet?

I think you might be thinking of "The Lay of Thrym" which wasn't presented in full in 1992 (because it had been a flop) but I'm sure "Abdallah" was. I agree it's more a reconstruction than a real Bournonville ballet!

No -- but they were married (at different times) to the same man: Harald Lander, who directed the company in the 1930s and 1940s.

Welcome, Dionysus! That is a good introduction -- it is simple, but the information is solid, and there are some things in it (the five positions, a few mime gestures, what's a pointe shoe?) that other history books don't have. This isn't straight history, but another wonderful introduction to ballet, that I always give to newbies , is Robert Greskovic's "Ballet 101."

I'd agree -- and you didn't see Rose Gad (injured). But the company has had an absolute terrible time since the early '90s -- four different directors, lots of firings, emigrations, changes at the school, changes back, changes again. Danish men of the last 50 years of the 20th century who made careers abroad: Erik Bruhn, Flemning Flindt, Peter Maritns, Peter Schaufuss, Ib Andersen, Nikolaj Hubbe. And men their equal who stayed at home: Fredbjorn Bjornsson, Henning Kronstam, Niels Kehlet, Arne Villumsen, Alexander Kolpin. To name a few

I think there are two reasons for this perception. One, that the RDB has turned out so many world class male dancers, especially for such a small country; and two, because the female roles in the surviving Bournonville ballets are so different from those in the surviving Petipa ballets -- Bournonville didn't create ballerina-dominant ballets where the ballerina did 7 variations and 4 supported adagios. Also, during the real glory days of Danish male dancing -- the 1960s -- there were more first-rate men than women, and the ballerinas weren't considered quite at the level of their partners. That said, there have been some wonderful Danish ballerinas. In this century Margot Lander, Margrethe Schanne, Kirsten Ralov, Mona Vangssae (who created Ashton's Juliet), Kirsten Simone, Anna Laerkesen, Mette Honningen, Sorella Englund (Finnish, but spent her career in Denmark), Lis Jeppesen, Mette-Ida Kirk, Rose Gad and Silja Schandorff. Others would nominate some more names, I think. Today, from what I saw in DC a few months ago, the women are stronger than the men. The RDB hasn't been turning out a steady stream of great male dancers in quite a while. I'd be very interested in a Danish perspective on this.

I think the main reason that Abdallah is dull because it's a reconstruction. There wasn't a continuous performance tradition. So much of Abdallah reminds me of some of the reconstructions of fragments from the 1970s and '80s -- the steps might be there, but the dancing looks bare. I haven't seen "Abdallah" in a long time, though, and I will say that even by the 1992 Festival, the dancers were beginning to add character to it; it was like coming back to a new housing development after five years, when the trees had begun to grow and the place didn't look so barren. I don't count this as one of Bournonville's ballets, though. On the employ question, my comment was based on discussions I've had with Bournonville stagers and older dancers that Irma is a comic role; by that, and by the class of the character, it's demicaractere (as is Eleanora). It's demi-classique, not coarse and not character, but demi. (That's by Hans Brenaa's way of casting, which I'll take over that of the current direction. But there are several viewpoints of employ and proper casting even among the Bournonville specialists.) I was told that the only truly "classique" ballerina roles (of ballets still in repertory) were the Sylph and Hilda (others had been Astrid in "Valdemar" and the ballerina roles in the mythological and historical ballets). But my main point was that I think the ballet needs a contrast between the two ballerinas, and if you're going to put Bojesen in as Irma, then you need someone other than Gitte Lindstrom as Palmyra. But I would be curious to see Irma well danced by a jumper There are a lot of good mime roles in that ballet, and I've wondered how it would look without Tommy Frishoi and Niels Kehlet. Kehlet's part was tiny, but he made so much of it.

Glad to read you again, Effy -- I"ve missed your trenchant comments

As far as I know, no to both questions, unfortunately. Bournonville music isn't recorded generally. I know of: the third act of Napoli, all of Folk Tale, and all of La Sylphide; the Kermesse in Bruges pas de deux. But all of these are on records (!!!) and I bought them long ago. Right now, there are no Bournonville ballets commercially available on video.

This just in: NEW YORK CITY BALLET ADDS FOURTH WORLD PREMIERE TO SPRING 2004 SEASON In Addition to Previously Announced Works by Boris Eifman, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon, Nine-Week Season to Include a Second Premiere by Mr. Martins New York City Ballet has announced that its spring 2004 season will feature a second world premiere ballet by Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins. The new ballet joins the three previously announced world premieres on the season calendar, by St. Petersburg-based choreographer Boris Eifman, NYCB Resident Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, and Mr. Martins. The new addition to the spring season, Eros Piano, will premiere during the American Music Festival. The ballet, choreographed by Peter Martins, is set to music for piano and orchestra by John Adams; the costumes are by Holly Hynes, NYCB’s Director of Costumes, and the lighting is by Mark Stanley, NYCB’s Lighting Director. The previously announced ballet by Mr. Martins, Chichester Psalms, is also part of the American Music Festival. The ballet is set to choral music by Leonard Bernstein; the score will be sung by The Juilliard Choral Union, a community-based symphonic chorus composed of 100 volunteer singers. The costumes are by Catherine Barinas, and the lighting by Mr. Stanley. Eros Piano and Chichester Psalms will both premiere on Wednesday, June 2, at 8 p.m., and will also be performed on Friday, June 4, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 5, at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, June 6, at 3 p.m. -more- For the Russian Music Festival, St. Petersburg-based choreographer Boris Eifman will create a new work, Musagète, set to music by Tschaikovsky and Bach. Mr. Eifman is the founder, artistic director, and choreographer of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, for which he has created over 40 ballets. Musagète, his first work created for an American company, has scenery and costumes designed by Slava Okunev and lighting designed by Mr. Stanley. It will premiere on Friday, June 18, at 8 p.m., and will also be performed on Saturday, June 19, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m.; and Thursday, June 24, at 8 p.m. The first premiere of the season, Christopher Wheeldon’s Shambards, was performed for the first time on May 8, during the European Music Festival. Shambards is set to a commissioned score by Scottish composer James MacMillan and is Mr. Wheeldon’s tenth work for NYCB. The scenery is by Michael Nagle, the costumes are by Ms. Hynes, and the lighting by Mr. Stanley. The fourth and final performance of Shambards this season will be on Friday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets for NYCB’s spring 2004 season, which runs from April 27 through June 27, are available online at www.nycballet.com, through Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100, and at the New York State Theater box office. The New York State Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue at 63rd Street. For general information on tickets for any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.

It depends on what your definition of is is.

Most of these have found their way into some repertory somewhere, I think -- and we are talking about Bob Balanchine, right?

Have a great time, Chaipuris, and please write to tell us about your experiences and what you saw.

One of the many quickie ballet novels of the 1970s had a character who was partly Not Balanchine and partly Not Tudor, and his ballets were known by their Koechle (sp?) listings. FF's No. 16 reminded me of that. And there would have to be the Fellini-inspired Divertimento No. 8-1/2, originally programed with Door and a Sigh, but lost somewhere between festivals.

Finally! A place for those cute little pink-and-white checked tutus!! Dale, thank you for giving me the perfect opportunity for one of my Very Best Danish Stories. Once upon a time, the RDB was dancing "The Four Temperaments" at Tivoli. One of the Old Ballerinas came up to Kronstam (who was then director of the company) and chided him for putting the girls in something where they looked so ugly. (As one of the Danish critics wrote, in his wry way, "Balanchine's costumes make very harsh demands on our ladies.") Old Ballerina had an alternative suggestion: "You should give them pink and white checked gingham tutus, and have their hair in little side curls." Of course, in the Four Peppermints, every movement would have its own color, but there surely would be a place for pink and white checks.

Sometimes editors just gently remind, as Juliet did. It's good to remember, mid-season, that THE DANCERS READ THIS BOARD and we try to avoid comments that could reasonably be considered personal. It's bad enough that we tell the world they fell out of pirouettes, slid across the stage and/or muffed a lift. We'd like to avoid comments along the lines of: "she needs to lose some weight" "I'd like to feed her a barrel of clotted cream" and/or "Maybe it's time for a face lift...."

Idle Handel, chamber ballet for Six Men in Winter......

I also loved Elizabeth Loscavio in this role. She was very young when I saw her (SFB in DC) and if she wasn't a Queen, she was very much a Princess. Another aside -- yes, TF, she was a loss. I'm with those who saw her with Hamburg Ballet in "Nijinsky" and couldn't believe it was the same woman.

Why thank you! That's exactly the effect I was after, since the death was such a shock to everyone who knew him. I didn't put this in the book, but he had been hospitalized on the last day of the season It was Mette-Ida Kirk's farewell performance and he'd intended on going, and bought her flowers (which I presume he sent). The dancers were off to Orange County for a brief American tour. Kronstam was adamant that he didn't want any of the dancers to know he was in the hospital (he was afraid of more rumors starting). He died the morning of their last day and the dancers were told 30 minutes before curtain. (I think the company was worried that, because a lot of the dancers were rushing to the airport right after the performance, they wouldn't have a chance to tell them otherwise.) A friend of mine who was backstage said it was awful -- there were dancers collapsed in the corridors everywhere, crying, and several dancers mentioned in later interviews that they were crying on stage. Vivi Flindt was on a plane, going back to Copenhagen, when she learned, from the front page of Politiken. She walked in her door, turned on her answering machine, and there was a message from him asking her to come see him that week; she'd been asking for two years and he hadn't been up to it. But now he was getting better. For weeks everyone did the "but that's not possible, I just saw him yesterday" thing.