sylphide

Great initiative Bart!

Greetings rolande: :huepfen024: :huepfen024: :hyper: :huepfen024: :huepfen024: What an honor! Thanks SOOOOO much for sharing your thoughts. Those are precious words from someone who many of us have as a role model. Can I frame your post? Wow, I must imagine how it felt when you said: That must indeed have been a special and heart warming experience and the very best of luck with your work. Seems to me you already started to plant the ballet seeds in some little heads. A thousand thanks!

Greetings Cygnet. Woops...mistake from my part , I got too carried away. Glad to hear about your other illustrious sisters too! Really cool Hope one day my school too will have such privilege.

Now THAT is an interesting comment Mr. Johnson! I suppose part of the problem resides also in the fact that (black) could possibly face uncomprehension(sp?) from both sides. Dancing is perhaps for most a <lonely> search for expressive freedom through movement. I refer to it as lonely in the sense that one is constantly within herself, her body, and must forgoe many social activities in order to excell in the craft, even if there eventually is a socialisation process within a company and at ballet school. However if your peers support you in your endeavors, it must make things easier. To whom do you turn to when you are alone in your quest?(I suppose boys in ballet must experiment such a thing, although they are generally more encline to be favored by the industry, they do not often receive general positive response from other non-ballet dancing boys.(but i will not get into that, I do not know the dynamics of this problematic). Maybe the ones who <made it >or are most likely to <make it> are the ones who received support from their peers? Erika Lambe comes to my mind since she is the 3rd generation of pioneers in the performing arts. But I can't generalize with that one example that comes to my mind. So 1 side (the n-colored, although not always the case, as in M. Johnson's example) tends to reject <does not see them as right for the part> and the other side( peers ) <do not seem to understand why they would pursue an art that 'rejects' them from within....>(which is a comment I have heard addressed to myself by some peers, although I am not yet near the professional level. but I must confess alot of my peers a actually proud of my achievements. Maybe there could be also a correlation with social economic factors...). Hard thing to experiment when growing up... No wonder so few make it to pro level.

Ari: this is precisely the reason why I do not usually participate in "intelligent" debate on important questions on the internet. Unfortunatedly, it will always be easier to talk about pointe shoes and the color of tutus. People sometimes seem to think at one point that certain comments could be directed to them even though one has not explicitely said such a thing.So no, I was not attributing such sentiment to you. (Did I write such a thing?) Rather, your comments stimulated my mind to further my own reflexions. That is all.

Oh and by the way, Eland how did you cope in ballet school? I am just sooo interested in hearing your story! (if you would like to share, of course )

I think many of you have provided various intelligent points on this issue. And by the way, Cygnet OH MY God! was Virginia Johnson really your sorority sister? That is just amazing! I find Drew's comment particularly courageous. This is living proof that by having at least a minute inclination to mind openness, people's point of view can be wider, especially, in a ballet context, when a performance is delivered by an artistically accomplished dancer. The characterization of "a Prince" could therefore be achieved in a wider range of bodies than what could have been previously concieved, same logic for the Malakhov example, therefore not limited to the race issue. But the problem still resides. How does one get to the level of performing in a big company, if a majority of black kids are NOT in top rated ballet schools?even if (at least some) AD's would be positively enclined to choose some, given the fact some could/would present themselves at a company audition. The lesson from Drew's experience is clearly that change is bound to happen if we stimulate people's minds. Bravo to you. So the bottom line is the ballet public open minded? I would like to think it is. I mean, this is the 21st century... However, I don't necessarly agree to use the fact that the classical ballets as a valid excuse. I am rather against such an excuse for peoplewho feel the right or need to "typecast" on the basis that history has not provided them with an alternative. But there WERE people of African descent in Europe at that time!(although I am sure Ari did not necessarly imply there was 0). In France (Paris) there were few, but at the very least enough so that Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was able to head a troop of 1000 "colored" men in the French Revolution! This is off topic but The Chevalier de Saint-George was such a violin virtuoso and a prominent composer that in 1775 the King of France wanted to appoint him as the Royal Academy of Music's AD and just a year (or 2?) later Noverre was to become the Ballet master of the POB....Hmmm I wonder what ballet would've looked like now if the King didn't meet strong oppositions regarding his intentions on nominating Saint-Georges ( :blush: ok, can I dream a bit???) See, maybe I am totally off track, but when I first saw Les Sylphides, I was struck by the ideology behind the sylph, more than by "the fact she should be white because M. Fokine's environment was majoritarly white so therefore, sylphs for the next thousand years should be white". I mean I will always admire how some Asian countries have taken up ballet as part of there own culture, even if princesses in Europe's courts would not have necessarly looked like them. For me, the power of this art resides in the power of transcendance. The more an artist is "classically pure", the easier you should be able to believe his/her soul reflects on the "concept" or emotions underlying and motivarting the character they portray. Finally, some of Leigh, Drew and Cygnet's insightful comments have made me realize that in conclusion, the very least I can do to make things a little better is to believe that if one feels the need for change, one needs to believe she has the power to make it happen( in her own environment, by concrete actions...) Boy do I know what I will be doing next February! Thanks to all for your replies(even if it was not my topic).

Very interesting comments Helene. But you have hit THE most important aspect of racism because when you say that we cannot label an action of "racist" nature unless this is precisely what makes such behaviors pervasive in nature. Untill the general population won't feel the need to have "proof on Camera" of such behaviors, we won't be going anywhere. And this is ballet, where everything is so subjective. It is not appartment searching for which there is always a documentary that shows how some landlords change their minds about vacancy when they see a colored person arrive to visit. I think also that an AD perpetrating (consciously or not) those behaviors also are intelligent enough NOT to say the real reasons underlying their actions. there has been comments made at least by dance critiques in the Dunham era about how peple don't see ballet being interpreted in black bodies. Things have changed since them, but this was not SO long ago. The difference now is that it is no longer "permitted" to make such comments. Not very politically correct nowadays. But have the mind of people changed in such short time? The ambiguous nature of the problem also resides in the fact there is a lot left unspoken. Hmm...speculations of course this is technically what it is. But it is evident there is a problem and although I am not neither a professional yet, neither had the chance and privilege to meet M. Mitchell healthy discussion is always a positive thing and at the very least helps the younger ones living through difficult experiences. Any positive thaughts on how we can make things better?

I will speak about the issue in the Black female dancer point of view, because , for evident reasons, the black male issue has a complete different dynamic. So here it goes: I was not sure if I wanted to add on eland's observations which are clear simple facts : But I had to say something since I am not sure I enjoy reading such shallow comments: I have not yet been aware that extensive and serious research has demonstrated such nonsense. Not every "human raced" ballet dancer is blessed with P. Herrera's feet. Than again, some research seemed to have proven that the Asian hip joint is more mobile than any other. However in my Regression Analysis class, we have learned that it is extremely easy to make some variables appear to be strongly correlated to each other when they truly are not. It all depends on the model and perhaps the interest of the firm spending money on the research at stake. Secondly THERE IS A HUGE CAN OF WORM and I sincerely think that unless "the people who hold the power and the key to make change happen" make genuine intelligent moves, nothing is going to change. This is precisely what feeds the worms and make them multiply exponentially, therefore making matters even worst. I will not speak of the South African Situation, as I do not live there, but IT DOES NOT leave me perplexe that black children are not more keen in taking ballet in that country. From an outsider's point of view, let's not pretend that in a country where apartheid ruled until very recently and where a vast majority of the black population is still struggling with basic nutritional needs, that one should expect the rate of ballet class signup to increase linaerly in such a short time. I am sure that there were quite a few enrollment at first and after, some kind of stagnation. But I am sure that with the emergence of a middle class, a second boom is bound to happen. It always takes time to incur change in mentalities. I suppose this is part of human nature. Maybe in such countries where there exists sub-human poverty the solution would be more of something like a state-founded shcool just like in Cuba or soviet-era Russia. Where only the most naturally gifted sudents enroll and where the most excellent teaching could be available. But that's a different debate. If we look at the POB school and Company, there are many cases of problems regarding race. In the race issue, there is always two important variables: the observed facts and most importantly the reason unedrlying those facts. It is easy to state observations, but it takes courage to investigate as to why people behave the way they do. Nevertheless, as for "the people who hold the power and the key to make change happen" I will define them by not only the AD, producers, etc..but even more importantly the ballet teachers. I have a tremendous respect for what they do, but I think unfortunately, they also have a huge responsibility when in that rare occasion a gifted young student appears in front of them in the form of a colored ballerina. And I am not necessarly talking about Sylvie Guillem type of overtly gifted body, more in terms of being gifted with a basic good "ballet body".That student will need uncomparable inner strength to overcome the obstacles that will lay in front of her on top of the other issues that a classical dancer normally deals with. Part of the problem resides in the training years, IMO. And more importantly surviving them. Note that for my personal case, I am not in a professional school so not really dealing with a group setting. Would Misty Copeland would have made it if it wasn't for her teacher who put her under her wings? She benefitted from one on one training therefore probably gained strong self-confidence in her dancing capacities.Then again only she really knows....How about Aesha Ash. I would love to meet her to know how she coped with things. Are biased teachers less inclined to teach and correct the black child because teacher "knows" that eventually that child is going nowhere in ballet? Of course I am talking about children who A priori have some good basic physical dispositions for ballet(turnout, flexibility, elongated body type.) However even some minute sheltering in Ballet school will not help one deal with the jungle of the company world. I don't know. It seems to be very complicated because ballet is based a lot on subjectivity. On what do AD's base themselves for casting? On their own perception of what Aurora looks like or on what they think the public to whom they sell the tickets to think what Aurora SHOULD look like? It is very twisted and pervasive. Heck even at University, I am in a very "cerebral" and "rationnal field", I have noticed some non Kosher things going on when I go speak to my Program Director. I must imagine how it might be for a black dancer in a classical professional school setting. The inner strength she must have. And the underlying knowledge that she has the RIGHT to be there regardless of what her peers/teachers think of her. And this is the hardest part, since ballet is extremely self scrutinizing. I have read stories about this classical dancer at POB and how she was somehow under Mme. Bessy's wing. But when came time for her to join the company, she was clearly left behind (although she joined she was basically stuck in the cdb 4ever until qhe quit). As a dancer you are always insecure about how you do what you do and how you look when you are doing those things so you constanly want to improve yourself. I think surviving Ballet school is the first step. Then surviving the Company world is another, since there the the business factor and revenue generating factor comes into play. Is the Company profitable? Is casting a black dancer in a soloist role judged too risky? Is the AD too coward to make a bold move that could therefore make the public not so much "shocked" next time it happens? Which reminds me of one time hearing on TV that putting a black model alone on the cover of a fashion magazine does not generate as much sales...therefore she should be on the cover with some other non-black girl. By the way this was before the industry discovered that actresses/singers could have the right to be on the cover of high end fashion magazines. And so what if the sales drop the first few times(I am convince that even if there is a drop, it will not be THAT significant or are people really going to boycott a complete production because Gamzatti is played by a black woman ?). Society could benefit of such moves in the long run. I am convinced that those decision makers do have a social responsability and should tend to educate the public especially if they hold the key to positive social change. But then again, do they want to do that? Can they afford to?It is too easy to act like an ostrich and pretend "it is not my job to do that". Hiding one's haed in the sand especially when one has they for change is detrementa for society. Thirdly, I strongly believe that it has a lot to do with the way the society we live in portray black women in general. Can we really be anything else then a nanny, a compassionate best friend or as prostitute? Ballet is not the movies, but look at how mainstream Hollywood 's way of typcasting the black female actress (and this has been said by actresses who "made it"). Are the decision makers genuinely convinced the public is "ready" to accept that the black woman can represent the quintessence of female etheral lightness and purity, which seems to be the international symbol of being a ballerina? I myself was involved in the modeling industry and I will always remember that (after having passed the audition process for some work) they have told me on set that I should act more like a street girl (I don't know how else to express this) and telling me expressively that the public wanted to see something "jazzier" out of me and to leave "noble maneurism" for the other (n-black) girls that were casted. (Believe me, no one wants to see me do HIP HOP ) Although I might not completly and textually agree that if

Thanks Mary J. I will surely look into that CD. It sounds great!

Not quite sure those are actual pictures of this year's Gala...Interesting review though. Thanks for the link.

It is written Olivier Wevers on the program.

Unfortunately, I also happend to be at the Gala. Although I do agree that the couple Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur were extremely pleasant to watch in Impromptu, I was not overwhelemd by their Don Q. Actually I did not appreciate the way the show ended up being a mere mish mash of various dances. Let me explain. I really appreciated Patricia Barker's contemporary solo, Neither Do I, even though I am a die hard classical/romantic ballet fan. Although not my favorite ballerina, I felt she was an accomplished artist and that she was able to communicate a range of emotions to the audience. She also moved beautifully to the music. Another modern piece I enjoyed was Feed the Bird from the Wiesbaden Ballet, danced by Daniela Severian and Dimitri Smikin. (I hope I am not mistaking the title, Marga please tell me if I do). The man's costume was original: topless with a romantic tutu and the woman was actually wearing very conventionnal black shorts and fitted t-shirt. I think that even visually, this was very interesting to see. The choregraphy was interesting but unfortunately, the audience was laughing every 2 minutes, starting when Smikin entered wearing the tutu, only at the sight of any peculiar position of the body. Believe me the choregraphy was a lot deeper than that and peolple seemed to take it to the first degree only....what a shame. Having said that, Diana Vishneva and Andrian Fadeyev offered a stunning performance of Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (and who was saying the Kirov Shouldn't dance Balanchine?) It was light, beautiful, refreshing and uplifting. She had such a lovely expression while she was dancing. And it truly felt as if she would not want to be anywhere else in the world than here, on this stage sharing her dancing with the audience. I felt that this ballet might have been choregraphed especially for her. Fadeyev, whom I had seen at the Mariinsky in Etudes, was equal to himself: noble presence, charming with great jumps ( I still cannot believe his thighs.... so powerful yet so long and he jumps so lightly). The dancing couple also gave us an excerpt of Lavrosky's Romeo and Juliet. The pas de deux was so expressive... a real charm and feast for the soul. Vishneva was so delicate, almost surreal. Beautiful extensions but only when necessary, adequate aplomb, lightness and balance. At the very end when her Romeo was kneeling at her feet, embrassing her legs, both stayed still and then true magic happened: only her arms were moving to the fading sound of the music and then I knew and understood what being a ballet artist meant. It was not about extensions, height of jumps or being able the nail that n-th pirouette after having performed 32 fouettes. It was in this very moment when the couple was staying still, under the moon, that it clicked: when nothing but a port de bras nothing but arms that move fluidly like silk makes you feel for a moment that you are somewhere else, on another plane, another dimension.... Wich brings me back to why I was absolutely ashamed at the end of the Gala. I just could NOT understand why if one had true artists like Vishneva and Fadeyev, and Barker and perhaps Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur why on earth would someone even think of putting dancers like the Canterna sisters on the same stage? True, the sisters are advanced/professionnal level dancers, but please. There was absolutely no lyricism in their movements. There piece called Via Dolorosa was very well executed...for a graduating class performance, not for an event called" Gala des Etoiles. What I am trying to say is that they really need polishing if they ever want to shine on stage...in classical/neo classical or lyrical works. If even Asylmuratova spent 4 years in a corps the ballet... for me this proves my point ( Have they ever been in a professionnal company is a question I kept asking myself?). On the same note, I do not know why Margie Gillis was there. There were two ladies from Europe seating next to me and I wasn't necessary proud that Gillis was an exemple of "Canadian" talent. No lines in the body, nothing innovative in the steps being executed. A big zero. I really tried but could not find anything positive to say about her 2 solos:A complex Simplicity of Love and Waltzing Matilda. Are we in a day and age where reality TV is so present that we NEED to see someone that so resembles our next door neighboor dancing in her kitchen, while the kids are asleep? I will stop there for Gillis as I don't want to attract enemies.... As for Ms. Volochkova, her Russkaya was...well...adequate. Nothing overwhelming: I have seen others do it with much more passion. Her second solo, Villisa, was not brilliant either. She used her high extensions almost every time her leg was off the floor and I was under no impression that she was "possessed" with the spirit of dance. She seemd to me like a beautiful young woman who happened to have done ballet (in one of the world's best schooll??!! :shrug: ) and puts on her pointe shoes because this is what she has been doing for all her life, not because she needed to feed her passion. And technically...that is another story altogether: If even I can close my fifth positions when doing series of pirouettes....This is very minor but when the artistry is just not there, well I like to see clean-er technique...for the very least. As for the weight issue, I find it irrelevant: Let's just say that Volochkova's dancing with or without an excess of weight is not something that I would particularly want to see in a classical company. I was also very deceived in the presentaion of Diane and Acteon, a ballet I personally enjoy alot. Maybe I was biased and know my tape with Terekhova by heart and that I have seen tapes with Larissa Lezhnina perform admirably as Diane, that I could not enjoy Ms. Oiwa from Ballet Internationale. Maybe it was not the best role for her, perhaps she was not feeling well...she performed a great partnered cabriole though. So I would actually make sure I see more of her to make a better judgement. Her partner Ogulcan Borova had great stage presence, however I did not enjoy the "tricks" he did ( I could not figure out what the name of those steps he performed en manege were...) They were closer to acrobatics than ballet and of course, the public clapped and clapped forever... The more I think about this mish mash of talent, that I am sure alone or grouped differently would have looked more to its advantage, the more I wonder if it was simply the promoter's fault in lacking judgment and understanding of ballet and dance in general, even though his wife is apparently an ex-ballerina :shrug: OK so I had to say all of this and let it off my chest. I trully admire true artistes and find it such a shame and such a disgrace to have people of all walks of life share the same stage as the ones who really breath (or seem to ) breath dance and know how to convey this special means of expression to an audience. I already apologize if I have offended anyone, but this is my opinion of this year's Gala des Etoiles

:grinning: Oh my God, that is exactly how my teacher remembers him as well!

Isn't it? this is precisely why I am now obsessed by getting my hands on this film.

Well, where to start? I will PM you with more info. Thank you again.

Thank you for the wonderful pictures. I might be biased because he was my teacher's teacher, but the one with Bregvadze and his partner is SOOO pretty.

Sublime! Magnifique!

Ok, so here it goes: Does anybody know if the film Dialogue From the Stage about Dudinskaya is available anywhere in this world on video or DVD? Does it pass somewhat regularly on Russian TV? How could one get to see it? Or is attempting to see it here in the West an impossible mission to accomplish? Searched the website, but did not find anything. Dying to know...

Thank you so much! The picture is beautiful. I was actually looking for pictures of her while she was a dancer. Well, I don't need it for anything particular...except than for my own pleasure My teacher has recently told me stories of her as a teacher at the Academy and how all her students were in awe with her beauty and how inspiring she was to her pupils. A thousand thanks!!!

Would anyone know where I could find pictures of this legendary beautiful dancer? I tried searching the net, but did not find anything. Thank you.

Thanks for the info...I was asking myself the same question. Is she teaching really? Is she part of a faculty somewhere in the US? I would travel anywhere to have a class with her! She actually is one of my favorites. I ADORE her.

It is actually in "The Leningrad Legend" narrated by Makarova. I admit to be guilty of watching Assylmuratova in this tape almost every day... She is indeed absolutely pure in this excerpt.

I recently came back from a wonderful trip to Saint-Petersburg. Everything went extremely well. I was travelling indepedently with my mother. We encountered NO PROBLEMS watsoever. I cannot say for myself that: .I wouldn't ever go back there in a group. I need my freedom when I travel, and I found that it is a great way to interact with local people and get a more real feel of the surrounding way of life. Of course we had to plan the visa arrangments ahead of time. But once you know that you need it to travel there, I just can't see where the problem is. Every country has their plus and minuses. Saint-Pete. has such a wealth of culture that I found this a small price to pay to have acces to all this beauty. I went to the Mariinsky and bought various tickets from cheap to expensive, depending on what was left. However, this was always cheaper than what our hotel was suggesting. I absolutely do not regret having travelled that far to see my favorite company perform in its hometown. I plan on going back next year. But that is just me.

Who and where is this author from? In my humble opinion, he has (to the very least) probably forgotten Lopatkina.