Alexandra

For those who don't check our Links forum: Review of NYCB's opening night by Mary Cargill is up on DanceView Times. Photos of Kyra Nichols in "Walpurgisnacht," and Dupont and Legris in "Sonatine." Étoiles, imported and homegrown

That sure sums up the age!!! Thanks for that report, Balletbuddy. I've only seen two of Mills's pieces, a "Midsummer," which I thought was very after-Balanchine, but quite acceptable as a small company version, and "Taming of the Shrew" which I thought was absolutely awful! (Non-funny jokes, simplistic, repetitive choreography.)

Once upon a time, I actually pondered this question, and decided I'd rent the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballets and do a grand Saison Ballets Russes (both pre- and post-War, the Kirov for the Fokine ballets, the Bolshoi for the Massine ones.)

Tobi Tobias, on Kyra Nichols, in her Arts Journal Blog -- just up! KYRA NICHOLS

(Copied over from Links; I just put this review up): Review of Miami City Ballet in Vienna, Va. (Balanchine program and "The Neighborhood Ballroom" by George Jackson up on DanceView Times: From Miami, Spunky Balanchine and Villella's The Neighborhood Ballroom

I missed it so I don't know. I would imagine, though, that if Coda copied in text -- in any alphabet -- it would "copy" as is.

And magically changed it into finest English! Thank you!! Congratulations to all the winners.

Wow! What a start to the season!!! (I mean you guys ) Thanks for all the comments. Flipsy, I can see your very interesting point about its being a marketing gimmick to have a French program, a Russian one, an American one, but I could also see that part of the fun of a repertory season is to see how (or if) ballets look different depending on the program they're on, what ballets they share a program with, etc. Anyway, it's good to read they're off to a strong start, and good to welcome some new, or at least new-ish voices to our discussions. More please And please keep it up throughout the season -- no injuries, no illnesses, just lots of opinions and observations.

This just in: Casting announced for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2004 spring season At the Metropolitan Opera House Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Marcelo Gomes to Perform Leading Roles in United States Premiere of Raymonda Friday, May 21 at 8 P.M. Guest Artist Svetlana Zakharova to Make ABT Debut as Nikiya in La Bayadère on Monday Evening, May 17 Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director. American Ballet Theatre’s spring season opens Monday, May 10 with a special opening night gala. The program will include highlights from the season’s repertoire including the first movement of Ballet Imperial with Paloma Herrera, Gennadi Saveliev and Stella Abrera, the pas de deux from Act I of Manon with Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca, the pas de sept from ABT’s all-new Raymonda with Nina Ananiashvili, Jose Manuel Carreño and Marcelo Gomes, George Balanchine’s Tarantella with Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel, and David Parsons’ Caught performed by Angel Corella. The opening night gala will also feature a Piéce d’Occasion performed by violin virtuoso Sarah Chang. A second Piéce d’Occasion, A Sweet for Freddie, will celebrate choreographer and ballet master Frederic Franklin, who celebrates his 90th birthday this June. The United States premiere of Raymonda on Friday, May 21 will feature Irina Dvorovenko as Raymonda, Maxim Beloserkovsky as Jean de Brienne and Marcelo Gomes as Abderakhman. Choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes and conceived and directed by Holmes and Kevin McKenzie, Raymonda is set to the music of Alexander Glazunov, with sets and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Steen Bjarke. Xiomara Reyes, Ethan Stiefel and Herman Cornejo will dance the leading roles at the Saturday, May 22 matinee and Nina Ananiashvili, Jose Manuel Carreño and Gennadi Saveliev will perform that evening. Nina Ananiashvili, Julio Bocca and Gillian Murphy will perform the leading roles in the season’s first performance of La Bayadère, on Thursday, May 13. On Monday evening, May 17, Principal Guest Artist Svetlana Zakharova will make her debut with American Ballet Theatre in the role of Nikiya opposite Jose Manuel Carreño as Solor and Michele Wiles as Gamzatti. The cast will repeat their roles on Wednesday evening, May 19. On Friday evening, May 14, Principal Guest Artist Roberta Marquez will make her New York debut with ABT in the role of Nikiya opposite Ethan Stiefel as Solor and Irina Dvorovenko as Gamzatti. Ms. Marquez made her ABT debut in the role in February at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. Ms. Marquez, Mr. Stiefel and Ms. Dvorovenko will repeat their roles in La Bayadère at the Wednesday, May 19 matinee. The first of two repertory programs will be performed May 11 and May 12. The program will include Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze, Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison, choreographed by David Parsons, Ann Reinking, Natalie Weir and Stanton Welch. Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre and Cole Haan is a Leading Benefactor. Graff Jewelers is ABT’s season sponsor of the 2004 Metropolitan Opera House season. ABT’s 2004 spring season is also 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 spring season are on sale at the Metropolitan Opera House box office or by calling 212-362-6000. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org <http://www.abt.org/> . Complete casting follows. AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE Metropolitan Opera House - Spring, 2004 FIRST WEEK Mon. Eve., May 10, 6:30 P.M. GALA BALLET IMPERIAL (First Movement) – Herrera, Saveliev, Abrera MANON (Pas de Deux from Act I) – Ferri, Bocca A SWEET FOR FREDDIE (Variation from Coppélia) – Tuttle; (Pièce d’Occasion) – Company CARMEN FANTASY (Pièce d’Occasion with Sarah Chang) – Reyes, E. Cornejo, H. Cornejo, Molina, Copeland, Pavam LA BAYADÈRE (Act II entrance) RAYMONDA (Pas de Sept) – Ananiashvili, Carreño, Gomes, tba TARANTELLA – Murphy, Stiefel LE GRAND PAS DE DEUX – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky CAUGHT – Corella RAYMONDA (The Galop) – Ananiashvili, Carreño, Bystrova, Saveliev Tues. Eve., May 11, 8 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE PETITE MORT – Company SECHS TÄNZE – Company PILLAR OF FIRE – Murphy, Molina, Gomes WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON - Company Wed. Mat., May 12, 2 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE PETITE MORT – Company SECHS TÄNZE – Company PILLAR OF FIRE – Wiles, Hallberg, Torres WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON – Company Wed. Eve., May 12, 8 P.M. REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE PETITE MORT – Company SECHS TÄNZE – Company PILLAR OF FIRE – McKerrow, Saveliev, Corella WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON – Company Thurs. Eve., May 13, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Ananiashvili, Bocca, Murphy Fri. Eve., May 14, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Marquez+, Stiefel, Dvorovenko Sat. Mat., May 15, 2 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Tuttle, Corella, Abrera Sat. Eve., May 15, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Ananiashvili, Bocca, Murphy SECOND WEEK Mon. Eve., May 17, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Zakharova**, Carreño, Wiles Tues. Eve., May 18, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Herrera, Corella, Murphy Wed. Mat., May 19, 2 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Marquez, Stiefel, vorovenko Wed. Eve., May 19, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Zakharova, Carreño, Wiles Thurs. Eve., May 20, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Herrera, Corella, Murphy Fri. Eve., May 21, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA (COMPANY PREMIERE) – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Gomes Sat. Mat., May 22, 2 P.M. RAYMONDA – Reyes*, Stiefel*, H. Cornejo* Sat. Eve., May 22, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Ananiashvili*, Carreño*, Saveliev*

I'd recommend it too, although I disliked it intensely There are so few books about the hard work involved in backstage life, and the disappointments. And very few written by dancers who didn't become stars. I found the bitterness hard to take -- it's the kind of book editors love. Ballet is bad. It hurts people. It hurts their feelings. I hope writing it got the bitterness out of her. So I'd recommend it because it shows a side of dance people don't usually get to see.

Madge has been a challenge. She peppers me with articles, so to speak, but there are only so many Enraged, Disenfranchised Witch articles one can run...... Mme. Theo never quite recovered from the New Millennium. I think she's still down there...maybe she'll come up for the Eifman ballet and I can coax her to write something on line. Thanks for remembering them!!!

vrs, I asked that when I interviewed several dancers for an article about "La Sylphide" a few months ago, and was told no, that so far, at least, there had been a series of guest teachers. They used to use guest teachers when they were working on an acquired ballet in a foreign style -- when they did "Swan Lake" in the 1960s, say, Anisimova was brought in not only to stage the ballet, but to teach company class. But then they had a balletmaster who taught company class.

giggle giggle. I thought the same thing. We can only suppose that so did he!!

Mindy Aloff's Letter from New York this week is (mostly) about the Martha Graham Company. (She also has comments on Capriol Suite and A la Francaix) I hope people have noticed that Aloff includes a very extensive Credits section at the end of each letter. This one gives you every program, and who danced what; so remember these as a resource, if ever you need to know what the Martha Graham Dance Company performed in New York, Spring 2004. Letter from New York Leigh Witchel reviews Program C: Graham's Maze Reviews last week of Programs A and B: Women and Fashion - by Susan Reiter, review of opening night Martha in the New Millennium - by Meital Waidsnaiber - review of Program B

I think we are in agreement. I think the student can get the same thing at home -- if "home" is a school with high standards and first-rate teachers, and if they devote a year to polishing (as opposed JUST to winning medals!) The schools people send kids to be polished polish their own

A couple of quibbles on later posts. ABT does dance a lot of ballets originally danced by European companies, but saying they have a European classical style is stretching it a bit, I think. Each dancer has his or her own style, something those used to a company having a distinct style (especially the Europeans I've talked to about this) notice within about two minutes. Also, while I agree with vrsfanatic that you can't teach ballet in a year, you can polish a well-trained dancer in that period of time -- I saw it in Copenhagen in the early '90s. ("You just calm them down and stretch them out," Kronstam said, about turning a rather over-exuberant American trained self-styled whiz kid into a lyrical dancer.) People have been sending children or students to major academies for centuries to be polished, to attend a class de perfection.

Good points, particuarly the last one. Taylor said, in the NYTimes article, something to the effect of, "Why don't they just pick the best modern dance company and invite it?" Why indeed? Or six or seven companies and have a season?

Smoothness? I remember reading that Ashton once said to Deanna Bergsma (Myrtha) that he wished he could ride on her back when she danced, so he could feel what it was like to move that smoothly. Another point on Myrthe, I think of hers as a jumping role, but in the film of the Danes' "Giselle," the camera concentrates on Mette-Ida Kirk's (Myrte's) feet on her entrance, which is all bourrees. And a third note, just pulling bourree thoughts out of the sky in no particuar order, I remember a piece that Christopher Dean choreographed for Torvill and Dean at a competition here, in which he used bourrees -- very deliberately, I think -- to be choppy, the opposite of smooth. He was working with ballet dancers at the time, and I always thought that was a deliberate experiment -- see how something that, in ballet, was about smoothness, and how it was completely different on the ice. In contemporary choreography, a bourrees may not be smooth, but deliberately steely, angry, an indication of power. Choo-San Goh liked the sound of pointe shoes, and often had the dancers bourree to make noise

I think they do, but with advice. If they know the company, they'll have an idea of who they want. If they don't, they'll watch class, and sometimes, understandably, can pick someone whom the director knows isn't suited to the role -- doesn't have the stage presence, or the stamina, or will have a technical difficulty with one part of the ballet. I can't answer whether Villella is part of the trust, or why there was no trademark blurb. That could be something cosmic, or a printer's error.

Thanks very much -- but no, this is permanent. I thought of moving it to an online publication, because we would like to continue some of the content, but many of our subscribers don't have internet connections, or don't have time to spend on line. DanceView is not in danger, and will continue. As I said in the letter, we'll convert BA subscriptions to DV subscriptions. I hasten to add that this does not affect Ballet Alert!, the site. However, I will be doing another fundraiser for the site, as I did around this time last year, in a week or two, because those expenses have grown to more than I can handle. When we started six years ago, we were very small, and technology was much simpler!

Just got this press release -- good news for Feld fans, and of interest to anyone who's followed Feld's career: April 26, 2004 BALLET TECH FOUNDATION INC. presents 'MANDANCE PROJECT' Choreography by Eliot Feld October 20-November 7 at The Joyce BALLET TECH will present three weeks of performances, October 20-November 7 at The Joyce, of 'MANDANCE PROJECT." The season will premiere twelve dances choreographed by Eliot Feld for a select company of dancers, with: DAMIAN WOETZEL and WU-KANG CHEN NICKEMIL CONCEPCION JASON JORDAN SEAN SUOZZI PATRICIA TUTHILL

Thanks, Ari and Mike. I couldn't go, so I'm doubly happy for the reports. Mike, please don't feel constrained -- go ahead and post your rave, if you'd like The more opinions the better.

They're gorgeous! Thanks for your notes, too.

What a great analogy!!! Thanks, Carbro. I think it's fine to have an aesthetic position. But I think you have to be careful how you wield it. To use Carbro's food example, if I go into a restaurant that says "Ribs R Us" and I find one vegetarian dish, that's fine. But if there are two ribs selections with 5 chicken, 7 fish and 8 sushi, then I'll scream. But if the guy says he's selling Ribs, and he does -- then your only job as a critic is to describe and analyze the ribs, not complain that they're not sushi.

Our local PBS channel showed "That's Entertainment 2" last night, which I hadn't watched in years, and as soon as I decided, again, that Astaire was The Master, the best of the 1930s movie dancers, there was a clip of Bojangles (Bill Robinson) just as elegant, though different. Later, we had James Cagney. Not forgetting The Nicholas Brothers..... I almost put up a poll, and then was afraid I'd leave someone out, so I'll leave it open. Who's your favorite Dancing Man, and why? (I'd like to limit this to the 1930s; anyone who wants to wax passionate about the later technicolor musicals might start another thread.)