atm711

Oh! those awful hats I hope it doesn't catch on to this side of the Atlantic....

A bit off topic---but sometimes I wonder if a Ratmansky of the future will 're-do' the Balanchine ballets

I remember a time when ABT would schedule a short rep piece before Giselle.

If my memory still serves me---the first act did not have the peasant pdd at that time. which made for a shorter act and also an 'opener' ballet.

Drats---I was so looking forward to his 'Franz' in Coppelia---the perfect heir to Frederic Franklin in the role.

Thanks for that, rg---the Spesivtseva clip on that tape has always has always bothered me---it is so invasive.

I agree with you, Bart -- no particular work---Kaye in PdQ, Alonso in Syphides (I recall her Giselle tutu as having a thin black horizontal band down the skirt)--the Eglevsky costume completely throws me.....

A correction--- Marjorie Tallchief as Myrtha---Maria was not a member of the Company at the time--she was with the Ballet Russe

Somehow, I don't recall Melissa Hayden complaining about Clare Bloom in 'Limelight'----

I guess I am one of the few who remembers 'Eddie' as a young man...and he had the same loving attributes then. He had the reputation of always being "There" for whatever had to be done.

God bless.

If a dancer is never given the opportunity to show the principal roles publicly until the role is "star" quality, the dancer cannot develop themselves as true artists. Dancers need to perform roles publicly to develop themselves.

A case in point----Many of us in NYC watched David Hallberg as a corps member---and the 'star quality' was something he did not need to develop---it was always there. Too often, technical prowess pushes dancers along much too soon.

To each his own, of course, but Isabella is known to have one of the most beautiful bodies in ballet, from her small head to her gorgeous feet. She has a lovely countenance, strong supple back, beautifully shaped long legs, fantastic line, long hands/fingers and feet/toes, narrow hips, tiny waist, and is lithe and lean.

Absolutely, I could not agree more---but it is not enough to tackle a true ballerina role---give her all the soloist variations out there (and there are some beauties); she needs to grow artistically. In promoting their dancers, it appears to me, ABT relies heavily on technique alone.

Her interpretation is much too playful---par for the course of a corps dancer but not a Ballerina. Hallberg tried valiantly to maintain his Danseur nobility but her broad smiles cast a shadow on his performance.---try viewing Farrell or Lopatkina.

I haven't seen the Graham Company in many years----the last time was with Nureyev in Appalachian Spring I saw them once again last Sunday at the Rose Theater in NYC--and I can now understand all the negative talk about the Company. "Embattled Garden" came across extremely well with a beautiful Miki Orihara who had excellent support from Tadej Brdnik, Katherine Crockett and Maurizio Nardi. (I never knew that Adam supposedly had another wife before Eve!). A memorable 20 minutes. It was followed by "Snow on the Mesa" by Robert Wilson---how this 70 minute yawn has survived since 1995 I will never understand. It was intended to be a 'tribute to Martha'---what audacity.

Ah--they don't make them like that anymore....that look on his face beautifully captures the quiet dignity of his stage persona.

I thought I would never buy another Don Q dvd (I have 6 complete versions)---but on the strength of DNB's beautiful Giselle I will purchase one more when it is available

The appearance by Kirk Douglas was a ghastly mistake.

Also agreed

Don't be too harsh on him---this is the man who broke the blacklist.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us and, with you, look forward to your recovery. Raymonda is a wonderful goal.

I bought the book recently but haven't read it yet. I assumed that the 'Apollo' in the title referred to Louis XIV and not Balanchine---those who came after are certainly Louis' angels. Miss Homan's gave a lecture this afternoon at my local Tribeca Y. and I am sorry I didn't think of asking her this question.

Chrisian, one of the interesting things of the original production (yes, Christian, I saw that) were the elaborate masques and head pieces. They were quite beautiful and added a lot of mystery to the surroundings. Best of all the dancers was Tallchief as the Coquette---never to be equaled in the role. My favorite sonnambula though is Allegra Kent---so out-of-this-world.

He calls her the great American ballerina of our era.

Hmmm---sort of like the Obama Peace Prize?

Ratmansky did not disappoint.

The tone was set by the interaction between the family, friends and children which appeared to be spontaneous (although I am sure it was

carefully rehearsed.) They did not come across as stiff upper-class mannequins as is the case in some productions (including the more

popular one here in New York City.) I saw a warmth and joy in the family gathering which included the hyped anticipation of the children

waiting impatiently for the gifts and festivities, they did not act as little adults.

My one reservation is the one I have with all the Nutcrackers I have seen---the Grand PDD. I found Ratmansky's choreography uninteresting

with far too many lifts and deep swoons. He apparently saved the worst choreography for the two solo variations. He is too young to know

of the version by Alexandra Fedorova, a former Maryinsky dancer. Perhaps he should consult Frederick Franklin and gain some idea of the

beauty of that PDD.

I believe that clip is from a 1955 black and white telecast for American TV. It is a truncated 66 minute version---but of all the videos I have seen of Fonteyn in SB this is my favorite. It is the Fonteyn I saw in 1949 when she captivated New York. I wince when I have read comments that 'she has no feet'--take a look at this pdd.

Wendy Whelan weighs in on Black Swan. Now whose perfume do you suppose it was she stole?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-04/black-swan-movie-ballerina-wendy-whelan-reviews/full/

Miss Whelan makes the most sense of any reviews or comments I have read about this film. A mind boggling assessment, she superbly validates the physical and mental strain of a dancer.

I broke my vow of not seeing another Nutcracker----the lure was Veronika Part and Ratmansky

At ABT we usually have a choice of seeing 6 or 7 Swan Queens during the season---if I am only going to see one---it is always Veronika Part.

Briefly off topic in reply to the question above---Can a dancer be overprepared? Yes--I saw it happen to a favorite dancer, Ruthanna Boris when she was with the Denham Ballet Russe in the late '40's. She was outstanding in the balanchine/fokine repertoire but her audience wished her to dance one of the classics. Much to our joy, she finally got a chance to do their 2-act Nutcracker---which proved a disaster. She was overly ripe and her performance fell flat.