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Lilac Fairy should definately be front and center. The music tells you so.

If after three chapters I don't feel that urge to know how the story will turn out, then I stop reading it. Usually no guilt involved. However a book I stopped reading after chapter 5 a few months ago had me agonizing with such guilt that I felt I should be placed in front of firing squad. The characters were quite likable if a bit......well bland I quess. I just couldn't work up enough enthusiasm to keep reading and find out what happened to them. But since I did like the characters I felt such a low down dirty skum for abandoning them. Forget not reading a book your friends recommended, try not finishing a book your MOM recommends. Oh vey

I've seen the word legato used in several dance writings to describe a way of moving. I think I know what it means, but I want someone to explain it. Also, what dancers of the past could be described as dancing with a legato way of moving and what dancers of today? Are certain ballets more suited to this type of dancing? Are certain companies more proficient at it than others? Any help or comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Ah, you just mentioned two ladies I always enjoyed watching for at the Oscars. My favorite Cher dress was that black beaded see through Aztec look with the towering headress she wore the year she wasn't nominated for Mask. And my favorite Geena Davis is the white ostrich plummy looking creation she wore one year. Two very smart, savvy women who knew what to wear to assure that their picture would be plastered over the papers and shown endlessly over the airwaves the next day, as opposed to someone who just has bad taste.

Well Calliope if NYCB needs to find another performance area for July in the future my backyard is open! But seriously even though I'm not from that area and have never been to Saratoga, I have signed the petition, emailed and snailed mailed all the relevant people involved. Ballet fans have to stick together. In my letter I mentioned that although I don't live in the area I had been looking forward to visiting Saratoga in the future and seeing NYCB there. Sadly that won't happen now.

What an wonderfully detailed report! Thanks Regarding Russell dancing in Agon, according to Repertory in Review, she danced in the first pas de trois.

Michael had mentioned earlier both La Sonnambula and La Valse. Both ballets will be presented during NYCB's spring season. As to who will be cast is anyone's guess.

Instead of seeing Kowroski as trying to fill Farrell's shoes, I wonder if she isn't more along the lines of Tanaquil LeClercq. She already does one of her parts quite wonderfully, Western Symphony and I think she might be quite good in that repertory. I'm not sure if she has performed in any of Leclercq's other roles, La Valse, Ivesiana, Choleric in The Four T's, the girl in Robbin's The Concert, but that's definately how I would cast her. I think it was Melissa Hayden who said of LeClercq "she was like Garbo when she danced." Sounds a little bit like Kowroski. And Maria also shares LeClercq's wonderful comic timing and theatrical temperment. It's too bad Mr. B. isn't there to reveal to us who Kowroski really is, as he did with Farrell, LeClercq and all of those wonderful ballerinas who came before her. Hopefully a choreographer will come along to help show her the way so she doesn't have to do it all by herself.

21 Grams has not made it to this neck of the woods yet, if ever. However the part Watts plays is supposedly of a glammed way down, emotionally ravaged woman. The reviews I've read have been very complimentary. The academy just loves it when a beautiful actress appears onscreen sans makeup, hair a mess in dumpy clothes, don't they? By the way what are the latest odds on best actor?

Sexual Healing: ABT gets down with Marvin Gaye

I was watching my tape of Emeralds the other day and started to wonder which dancer danced which variation in the Emeralds pas de trois. According the my Repertory in Review Sara Leland and Suki Shorer were the dancers. Who danced the first variation and who danced the second one, which has the dancer entering with a dreamy romantic run? Not an earth shattering question, just curious! This pas de trois is my most favorite in all of ballet. Thanks!

People are Strange: A Tribute to the Lizard King, Jim Morrison Sympathy for the Devil: A Tribute to Keith Richards Oh wait he's not dead yet, he just LOOKS dead!

Yes, Jeff Bridges is underrated. He gives consistantly fine performances year after year. He is not a showy "look at me" kind of actor, which is why he is overlooked at award time. I also think the same of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The same could be said for some men in ballet. I'm thinking of dancers like Ivan Nagy and Jock Soto. I'm sure I could think of more. Again these dancers gave or give consistantly fine performances season after season. They are sensitive and giving partners and fine dancers on thier own. Yet sometimes they get overlooked in favor of the more showy bravura men. By the way speaking of underrated actors let's not forget the women! Helen Mirren, the above mentioned Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis are a few.

The problem I have with Kidman is that she is everywhere! She has been in 7 films within the last 3 years, with 3 more to come this year. She has given some wonderful performances in some of those films yet I find it hard to really make an emotional connection to her as a performer when every three months you see her on a magazine cover promoting yet another movie. Take a break girl! On the issue of movie star/actors the performers I admire and look for mostly fall in the serious actor catigory. Daniel Day Lewis, Gary Oldham, Kevin Kline, Christopher Walkin. Someone I did like very much but lost interest in was Nick Cage. Used to be a very quirky interesting actor. You had no idea what he was going to do next, which lent his performances an edgy slightly dangerous quality that was thrilling. Then he went and became a movie star, acting in Hollywood's most vapid overstuffed turkeys. He not only lost his edge he lost his soul. Hopefully with the great work he did in Adaptation he is emerging from the "dark side" and will give us more of the unusual spendid work he used to do. Tom Cruise is not my favorite movie star in the world, however I do admire his work ethic and his eagerness to learn. He really pays attention to detail and seems very sincere about his craft.

I believe it's Darci Kistler. Is that correct?

Although I'm no Madam Cleo Here are my predictions: Best Actor: Sean Penn Best Actress: Diane Keaton, I adore her and just have a feeling she's going to get it. Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins and about time! He is such a subtle actor that I think his work gets overlooked in favor of more showy actors. Best Picture : Return of the King and also Jackson for best director. Sofia Coppola will get the best screenplay award for Lost in the Translation, more as a consolation prize for not winning best director even though it deserves to win on it's own merit.

Thanks for the link! So Albert Evans loves to cook It's interesting how many dancers and choreographers love to cook. Another outlet for thier creativity I suppose. And Wendy Whelan answered the questions about her injury very graciously.

I suggest the book "Balanchine, Celebrating A Life In Dance" by Costas. The photos are lovely and you can get a real sense of energy and movement from them. You also might look at back issues of Dance or Pointe magazine.

Albert Evans in anything classical, Theme and Variations, Divert. # 15, Chaconne, and so forth. It seems he only get's cast in the black and white or more modern pieces. First cast Emeralds: Korbes and Somogyi Second cast Emeralds: Ansanelli and Bouder Sanquinic in The Four Temperments: Bouder La Sonnambula: Taylor

Divertimento #15

Farrell Fan, very nice to hear about Barbara Horgan being on stage last night. In her section of the I Remember Balanchine book, she recalls amusedly how every morning he used to ring her to discuss the day's schedule and sometimes he would do funny little things as she picked up the phone like say, "Hello, this is George Balanchine" as if that distinctive voice could belong to anyone else. Did you happen to see any former NYCB dancer's last night? Either in the audience or invited up on stage to participate in the birthday celebration?

Here's some: "He dances with a panther-like grace" Usually applies to a male dancer(Nureyev, Acosta) I've even seen "pantherine" Is that a word? "He/She commanded the stage" "He/She danced as if they were composing the music with thier body" Huh!! :shrug:

Amen to that Carbro.

Aaaaaa! Benazir Hussein was the one from the Royal whose name I couldn't remember. Thanks!

Reading the other post on Minorities in ballet has got me wondering. I'm married to a man originally from India. Our 3 1/2 year old daughter has just started taking creative movement dance classes. If or when she decides to take ballet what role models are available to her? The ones that come to my mind are a ballerina with the Royal Ballet in the 1990's whose name escapes me at the moment, and Amar Ramasar with NYCB, whose career my husband and I follow quite closely. Are there more?