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Drew, I'll do ya one less. I only saw two performances but this is what stood out for me. Ashley Bouder: I saw her as one of the four soloists in Ballo Della Regina and as the soloist in La Source. I love her energy and style. I could not erase the goofy grin plastered on my face whenever I watched her dance. Sofiane Sylve: Saw her as the Coquette in La Sonambula and Sanquinic in The Four Temperments. A very womanly, mature stage presence combined with her striking good looks and astounding technique made a tremendous impact on me. I wish I was there to see her dance more often! Pauline Golbin and Antonio Carmena were two corp members that stood out for me. Golbin has such a warm, glamorous presence. Of the ballets I saw The Four Temperments was the best. Wonderfully performed by everyone. It had my heart beating faster from the onimous opening notes to the final mass surging forward, the principal women lifted in graceful arcs by thier partners. I just thought of something and wanted to add it. The centennial of Balanchine's birth is a BIG deal. From outward appearances it seems that the powers to be at NYCB think so too. All the advertising, the special packaging of the winter and spring season, the quest artists, the new ballets commissioned to "honor" Mr. B. All of this they hope will bring in more of an audience, to sell out the theatre, etc. It seems that instead of thinking "how can we honor and celebrate Mr. Balanchine's centennial," they thought, "how can we market and package this in order to take ADVANTAGE of Mr. Balanchine's centennial." My husband and I drove 11 hours this Spring in order to see NYCB perform. We could perhaps have done it last year or waited until next year, but I wanted to do it this year, in the Balanchine Centennial year as a way to somehow honor Mr. B. Maybe a small gesture, but heartfelt all the same. I just wish Peter Martins and the Board of Directors that ok'd commisioning Musgete and putting in on Balanchine's stage thought the same way.

I was reading the Autumn 2003 issue of DanceView and in an article on the Metropolitan Opera Ballet it was mentioned that Anthony Tudor had made an anti-war ballet called Echoing of Trumpets. It got me wondering how many other ballets have been created that took an anti-war stance. The only other one I can think of at the moment is Ashton's Dante Sonata. I know there must be more. Any others? Any favorites?

Lucky you Carbro! My husband and I are buying the book this weekend. It's unlikely I will ever get near enough to Clinton to have him sign our copy, so perhaps Mr. Parish will sign it.

From the past: Michael Mordkin, Michael Somes, Nicholas Magallanes. The latter is featured with Marie-Jeanne in a serious of photos by George Platt Lynes. They are nude and posed by Balanchine. Both are beautiful but Magallanes is a lovely speciman of Manhood, uh......so to speak. From the present: Nikolaj Hubbe, Albert Evans, and although he isn't dancing anymore I've always thought Patrick Dupond was good looking. Maybe not in the classical sense, but he always did IT for me.

The quote I posted from Farrell is not exactly my viewpoint I just thought it would add to the discussion. Herman, you mentioned that European dancers have a problem with sticking the pelvis out in Balanchine. How do they look dancing The Four Temperments with it's very pronounced forward pelvis?

Can we vote in this poll if we haven't seen Musagete? Pretty Please! :yes:

Susanne Farrell wrote on this issue in her autobiography. In Russia to stage Scotch Symphony she and Irina Kolpakova are speaking after a rehearsal: "We proceeded to discuss a basic difference between Balanchine and the Russian school that we had both observed. The Russian training split the body horizontally at the waist, meaning the upper body worked separately from the legs. The expression and emotion was conveyed on top, where the heart resides, while the technical steps were executed below, a separate event. Balanchine had extended what the legs could do and might do by envisioning the body vertically. He would often close one eye and optically split the body down the center, leaving each half with all the necessary components-head, arm, body, leg, and foot. To him, the lower body was as capable of expression as the upper."

Thanks for the review Michael, the remark about casting Amar Ramasar againest type as a Bollywood heavy had me laughing . He really is more of the sweet but sexy kid next door type of Bollywood hero, more like Amir Khan or the great Dharmendera in his younger days.

Glad to hear that Robert Hardy's role in the upcoming films will be larger. Anytime Hardy is on screen it's a good thing, however I still always think of him as Siegfried Farnon!

Eyes: Suzanne Farrell Smile: Patricia McBride Profile: Alexandra Danilova

Originally the studio had planned to replace the kids as soon as they outgrew their roles or if puberty wasn't kind to their looks, but now they realize that all three have made a connection with the audience and are eager to keep them for all the movies.

I did see the Galloway book in the library and wondered about it. Thanks for your post DanceActress.

Ari I couldn't agree with you more about Georgette Heyer. She's deservedly the Grande Dame of Regency Fiction. Another great is Barbara Metzger. She writes the most wonderfully quirky and appealing characters. Her writing style is how champagne tastes, bubbly, sparkling and addictive! Regency England is definately my favorite historical period for reading.

Michael or anyone who attended that performance, Who were were the men that made up Janie's carriers in Unanswered Question? Imagine having the responsibility of keeping her safe!

Can anyone recommend a good book about him? I want something that covers his music as well as his courtship and marriage to Clara Wieck and his eventual mental illness. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Check your local library. That's where I found both the videos and the book. Augustyn is a charmer!

What I didn't realize untill I saw the ballet was how important a role the Coquette is. She's such a wicked, flirty little minx. I think it's important for the dancer to somehow show a sort of jaded ennui. That makes it all the more moving when the poet encounters the Sleepwalker's unaffected pure innocense.

It's interesting to read your comments on Davidbundlertanze. It's one of my favorite Balanchine ballets but Kistler's performance last Thursday almost ruined it for me. Her accents seemed too strong and she seemed way too jittery and frantic. She missed that otherworldly serenity and strength that Farrell had. But Kyra Nichols saved the performance for me with her steady and calming influence.

Sorry this is being posted so late, we just got back last night after an eleven hour drive. We saw both Tuesday's and Thursday's performances. Tuesday's opener of Ballo Della Regina was danced at a whirlwind pace with abundant charm. I had never seen Square Dance which was next. You always hear about how hard a ballet it is to dance and it is, but I also thought the opening adagio was quite lovely and it quickly became my favorite part of the ballet. Next was La Sonambula, another ballet I haven't seen but always wanted to. You know how you build up a ballet in your mind, you read about it, look at pictures of various dancers dancing it over the years. It's almost impossible to to match the reality to the vision that's been built up in your head all these years, But La Sonambula came pretty darn close, due I'm sure to the casting of Whelen, Boal and Sylve. All three were wonderful and kept me so involved in the story that my heart was breaking as it followed that light slowly up the tower at the end. Amazing. Thursday's opener was La Source. As wonderful as Weese and Hubbe were, I was completely blown away by Ashley Bouder. You know when Christopher Walken as The Continental says, "WOW, WOWEE WOW WOW!!!". That's what I kept hearing in my head watching her. This girl eat's up steps like a demon. Her whole body looks alive and radient and her face lights up with joy. Awesome. Next was Davidsbundlertanze. You know, Farrell Fan in another post mentioned that although he loved the ballet, the current cast doesn't do it justice enough. You Sir, are correct. Although I am happy I got to see Kyra Nichols dance live at least once before she retires. The Four Temperments was next. This ballet was danced so well by everyone. Count me as a a new Sofiane Sylve fanatic. Both here and as the Coquette in La Sonambula she impressed me with her technique and the large scale of her dancing. She has a real womanly allure on stage. You know your watching a woman dance, not a girl. Would love to see her dance Emeralds! And I got to see Albert Evans dance too, in a role that he somehow makes look like it was created on him. I feel very lucky I got to see these performances, even the not so great ones When your passionate about NYCB and Balanchine and you hardly ever get to see them, when you finally do attend a performance you feel like, I dunno this sounds kind of silly, but you feel like you've finally come home.

Overwrought theatrics + Mourka as a dance figure = urgent need for a box of kitty litter.

Recently I read that when Lucia Chase formed Ballet Theatre in 1939 Balanchine was practically the only choreographer in America not asked to contribute work. Also that when American Ballet Caravan's South American tour was over the repertory was offered to Ballet Theatre and was refused. This repertory included such gems as Concerto Barocco, Apollon Musagete, and Serenade. After reading that I went Whhhaaattt!!!! So what gives? Did Lucia Chase not like Balanchine? Or is the answer like most things in life more complicated.

My feeling on why they ended with Vienna Waltzes since they have done it twice now in televised performances is because the ladies look so beautiful and elegant in their Karinska gowns, the men look handsome in their tuxes, it get's most of the company on and when they do the final speeches at the end they have a nice looking backdrop of dancers dressed to the nines. But I agree, I would have ended with 3rd and 4th movements of Symphony in C or done excerpts from Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 or the finale of Diamonds.

Now that I've seen parts of it, add my name to the Liebeslieder train as well also, A Month in the Country The Kirov's Jewels Divertimento No. 15

It was broadcast at 9:00 pm our time which is 10:00pm New York time, not exactly LIVE is it! First, Thank You to the powers that be for including an excerpt from Liebeslieder in the program. I've never seen the ballet, only read about it in books and eagerly soaked up the comments the BA posters have made about it recently. So it was a real thrill for me to see it. I completely fell in love with it and long to see the whole ballet soon. I was moved to tears by the Ringer/Hubbe pas de deux. Duo Concertant was nicely danced by both Boal and Borree, however she seems to carry a lot of tension in her face and neck. She did seem to loosen up a a little as the ballet went on. Loved Ansanelli in The Man I Love. She twinkles! But I did throw a shoe at the TV in frustration as the camera kept on Marsalis instead of the dancers. Thought that important people from Mr. B's life should have narrated the clips, Barbara Horgan, Eddie Bigelow, his dancers. It would have been more poignant.

Once again hockeyfan you done us all a great service by reporting on this program. Thank you very much! Regarding the rights to Balanchine's ballets I'll quote directly from an interview Barbara Horgan gave; "During their lifetime the heirs own the rights, control the rights, get the income, and at their death they could designate the income for twenty years to as many heirs as they wanted. But the rights would stay in the trust. After twenty years the trust would continue to negotiate these rights, but at a certain point those rights would end, and they would be transferred to The George Balanchine Foundation... So at some point in the next twenty to twenty-five years, the Foundation will become the licensor and owner of the Balanchine repertory."