perky

I was wondering when ballet would appear on So You Think We Can Dance. And it's Balanchine! How lovely!

Thank you for taking the time to post this Amy! Allegra has mannerisms when she speaks that I suppose some people could call eccentric. I call them charming. She's the sort of dancer where her personality is as alluring and exciting as her dancing. In my opinion she has a tremendous inner core of strength while at times appearing almost fragile. What a interesting combination!

I remember seeing a photo of Adams from her ABT days as the younger sister from Pillar Of Fire. She looks so vibrant, young and beautiful in the picture, like a pent up colt suddenly let loose in the fields. In her photos from NYCB she seems to have grown in to a more stately elegant dancer.

Swan Lake:

In the fourth act Von Rothbart realizes the error of his ways and repents. Odette and Siegfried marry and open a bed and breakfast located on the scenic banks of The Rhine. Forgiving by nature they hire Von Rothbart as the B&B's head chef. Unfortunately things don't work out well as the new head chef's speciality is "Roasted Swan with Chaudon Sauce".

Sleeping Beauty:

After being defeated by The Lilac Fairy, Carabosse decides that perhaps a relocation is in order. She packs up her spells and spindles and heads to the kindom around the corner. She is joined by three other girls. White Cat, who has just been dumped by Puss In Boots after she spit up a hairball the size of a Buick on his mother. The Canary Fairy, who is darn tired of being the "up and happy" one all the time, and finally The Queen, who's bloody miffed that she missed 100 years of fashion shows. The four become best friends and spend their time sipping Cosmopolitans and discussing their sex lives. They support Carabosse in her new career as a writer for a column called "Sex in the Kingdom."

Giselle:

After Giselle returns to her grave, Albrecht is devasted. Naturally, being an aristocrat makes him facinating to the local people. He is contacted by the editor of a magazine called "In Touch with Us aristocratic People". Albrecht writes a story about his deception of and redemption by Giselle. The title is "Willi Or Won't He, Albrecht's story." This is a huge success and starts Albrecht on the path to being a writer. His best selling book is a self-help tome for lovesick men called, "She's Just Not That Into You, How To Tell If She's Just Being Coy Or Just Dead." He becomes a big success but alas is unable to enjoy it as while on a book tour in The Pacific Rim he trips on his sword and falls into a volcano. Somewhere Myrta is laughing.

I respectfully disagree with Carbro regarding the Kyle Froman photo of the ladies laying on the seats in their tutus. This is my favorite of all the photos. I see irony at work in the poses, although I didn't think of jewelry box ballerinas as Carbro did. To me the girls look like offerings laid out to the ballet Gods with the seated girl almost casually looking down at them as if to say "I'm not falling for it". I had no idea that Jerome Robbins quote was attached to the photo, but it makes perfect sense to me.

Hmm, a TBA Sleepwalker casting for La Sonnambula. Might I make a suggestion?

JANIE TAYLER, JANIE TAYLOR, JANIE TAYLOR!!!!!!!

That is all, thank you.

As soon as I read this post I thought of Farrell dancing the variations in Chaconne. Very fast allegro dancing but done with a plushness and expansiveness. Personally I think her dancing defied any sort of attempt to place her in a specific category. You can't stick her in a mold because she broke the mold.

I found the role analysis the most interesting parts of Shape. I would love a third book devoted entirely to an examination, down to the third lash of her left eye, of each of her roles. The process of discovery and interpretation bringing it all to the stage fascinates me.

I'm glad you said this because I agree. The way she describes the process of finding Giselle, Aurora and Juliet is thrilling and fascinating. Man I would love to watch her coach one of these roles.

Getting back to the original topic "Classicism is enduring because it is impersonal." How many times have we heard that quote about Balanchine's choreography, "See the music, hear the dance."? The dancer becomes the music. Maybe he thought adding too much analysis isn't needed for his choreography because it's so musical?

Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stroker's Dracula is a delicious dish of overripe accents. Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder's posh Brit accents are on the same level as any small town high school drama kid. Anthony Hopkins fairs no better with his German Van Helsing accent, although I suspect he meant it to sound that way as his whole performance is so broad and over the top weird. Actually you could say that about the movie as a whole. Although I do love Gary Oldman's performance. He manages to make a Transylvanian accent sound so rich, romantic and poetic.

Maria Tallchief for President!!!!!

I think Sidwich is correct about some of the pro's choreography starting to look tired. Much as I love Edita, the paso she and Jason did this week seemed like a watered down version of the paso she and Cameron did last season to the Superman theme. The only pro for me that seems to consistantly choreograph exciting fresh dances is Karina. She and Mario are the main draw for me this season. I loved, loved, loved that tango they did this season, flawed though it was. However, I don't think they have a chance to win. It seems like female viewers have a problem with Karina. I myself happen to like her rather spiky personality. She's also in my opinion the best female pro dancer on the show.

And why is Mark Ballas getting on my nerves so much this season? Maybe it's those wacky faces he makes when he dances.

Welcome to the board Mellio!

Maria is a favorite of mine as well. I love the glamour and theatricality she brings to the stage as well as those legs as long as the Mississippi river!

What roles do you like to see her dance?

To save people frustration, the Alexandrova-Tsiskaridze clip is no longer on YouTube, which is too bad, because she is simply wonderful there. It was pulled for copyright violation, no doubt, by request of The Trust.

I suspect that the Trust searches not only video websites for unauthorized postings, but probably discussion boards as well, to see if posters have found some that they've missed.

So far, though, they seem to have missed the K-M video.

Thanks much, emilienne, for the &fmt=18 hint.

A couple of weeks ago I typed in Suzanne Farrell on Youtube and much to my delight Afternoon Of A Faun came up with Suzanne partnered by Afshin Mofid. I was going to PM Farrell Fan the news when I returned from an errand a few hours later however by that time it was already gone!

Sorry Lou

Ears totally covered.

Matinee or Evening performance?

Clara

Revival of "The Seven Deadly Sins" or The Figure In The Carpet"?

Mayerling

Carabosse or Madge?

Petrushka

Albrecht, heartless cad or Albrecht, misunderstood romantic?

"Dancing in St. Petersburg"

Toni Bentley's "Winter Season" or Merrill Ashley's "Dancing for Balanchine"?

I missed Marlee and Fabian's performance. Does anyone know what their score was so I can run the percentages?

Attention Alvin Ailey fans -- Tom Bergeron announced on tonight's show that the Alvin Ailey troupe will be performing on tomorrow night's results show. All this and Kylie Minogue too!

Miliosr, Marlee and Fabian recieved a total of 21 for thier jive.

Ouch! I thought the judges were way too harsh on Marissa.

Nijinski

Plie or Tendu?

Maya Plisetskaya!

Edwin Denby or Arlene Croce?

For me great art connects to that spark of the divine that we're all searching for whether we realize it or not.

I find this whole situation sad. Boiling it all down to a "he said, she said" argument makes me realize that Balanchine's ballets are divine but the people in charge of them are just human with all our human weaknesses. It would be nice to think that both parties could overcome their differences for the sake of preserving the legacy correctly but it seems as if that wound is still too fresh. I find it somewhat ironic that Farrell and Martins were so simpatico as partners on stage but so totally unsuitable off it.

I think Yamaguchi is going a little overboard with the comments regarding how difficult and different ballroom dancing and figure skating are. Most people are saying that she has an advantage over the others and I imagine that's an uncomfortable position to be in, but still its a little too much. That said, I thought she was lovely, elegant and smooth. Should be interesting to see how she does with Latin next week.

I also think that Shannon Elizabeth is too tall for Derek. Even last season I thought that he was given a too tall partner in Jennie Garth.

Pricilla Presley's dancing surprised me. Based on her demeaner throughout the men's competition Monday night she looked scared, stiff bewildered and completely out of it. But she did a lovely, slightly sexy and playful foxtrot. She's always been a beautiful woman who could be even more beautiful if she went for a more natural look. Using your face seems to be an important part of ballroom dancing and I hope she realizes it because I would like to see her dance some more.

I adore tennis so i was excited to Monica Seles on DWTS, however I think she will probably be the first female to go home next week. But I hopw they don't give up on tennis stars, I want to see Martina Navratilova next season!

As for the men, I'm really pulling for Penn to get better. He reminds me of Peter Boyle's Frankenstein in Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein dancing Putting On The Ritz. Large, goofy but kind of sweet. And Adam Corrolla we know this show can be cheesy but if you're going to agree to be on it you've got to reach down inside you and embrace the inner cheese-meister. Let go and have fun.

Wow, aesthetically she looks very much like dancers today, leaner and more muscular. She looks like she would be right at home dancing the second pas de trois girl in Agon.