atm711

Very true, Bart. Legris and Vaestro did not do it for me either. The beauty of Villella's performance is that one felt he was making it all up as he went along--nothing calculated---only felt---but that is also intrinsic to the choreography.

Sandra Bullock's dress was gorgeous

ditto---and so was her hair-do

I can clearly see the influence of Alonso in the performances of ALL the ladies---Alonso in her youth could not be topped as Taglioni--the ladies had the wonderful period style Alonso brought to the piece; my highest compliment, they all looked like a bunch of Alonsos dancing. It brought back so many memories of the young Alonso.

Welcome home---Tallinn with all that snow must have been gorgeous---although I am a bit weary of the white stuff by now. Tell the truth---wasn't making that snow angel the highpoint of your trip

'Dances' has always been one of my favorites--and I wallow in it---it could go on for two hours for all I care. HOWEVER---the last performance of it I saw at NYCB was in June of '08. (Borree, Bouder, Mearns, Rutherford, Stafford) and it was one big yawn. After praising it to the skies to the person I was with, it was embarassing to be nudged by asking---when does it end? I had to agree, it was one long bore.

atm711, can you give a specific example or two of the maturity -- or lack of it -- that you are thinking of?

I have very often wondered what today's ballet-goers would have thought of seeing Danilova, Markova or Dolin perform near the end of their careers. I had some inkling when reading some caustic comments about Darci Kistler on Ballettalk. I haven't seen her perform live in a few years so perhaps her technique is far from what it once was---but didn't anyone see anything else? A maturity, perhaps? And this 'maturity' is not a question of age---Nora Kaye had it in her 20's. I also see this quality today in Michelle Wiles and I don't only look upon her as a whiz-bang technician, which she surely is.

I would substitute 'adult' for 'mature'; that is, artistically mature--and not necessarily in years. It is a quality I miss most in today's performers. I do not see it at NYCB and it's the main reason I go to so few performances.

A couple of more thoughts on th production.....

In Act 1 Albrecht also has a variation to unfamiliar music. There is a 40 minute bonus feature and I was disappointed that it was not clarified.

atm711, I just heard from one of the choreographers that the unfamiliar music for Albrecht's first act solo is from Adam's score for Le Diable a Quatre.

thank you for this information, and also for the Peasant Pas----not knowing things like this can drive most BalletTalkers crazy.

I have my tickets for the Brooklyn College performance. The Israel Ballet web site does not list the performers; neither does Brooklyn College.

I just read Carbro's entry with more care and I see the performers are listed. Any background on them?

A couple of more thoughts on th production.....

In Act 1 Albrecht also has a variation to unfamiliar music. There is a 40 minute bonus feature and I was disappointed that it was not clarified.

The Corps in Act 2 wore their veils for a longer time than in any production I have seen and it added so much to the mystery of the scene. There was one absolutely breath-taking moment when the corps formed a perfect circle around Myrtha---and for the first time in any production they really looked like a sisterhood.

If I ever had to choose the best ten ballet performances I saw I would have to name two that Malakhov performed with Diana Vishneva---Giselle and Manon. A partnership for the ages.--and I saw both performances fairly recently.

hummmm---now that would be an interesting topic---can you choose just ten???

I got my copy a couple of weeks ago and thought it was a beautiful production (designed by Toer van Schayk.) The backdrop of the first act (a forbidding icy blue mountain scene) was contrasted with the warm earth tones of the village--it seemed like a foretelling of the tragedy that was to come. This same background was also used to great effect in Act 2 and was silhouetted with black trees. There was a peasant pas de quatre in Act 1 superbly danced, especially by the women. Michele Jimenez and Maia Gremillet. In addition to the usual solos, the two ladies also performed variations to music I had never heard before. I thought perhaps it was another composer, but Adam is the only one listed. Tsygankova was a credible Giselle and I especially liked Josef Varga's Albrecht.

John Percival in his review of Parry's bio of Kenneth MacMillan had a curious observation:

"MacMillan is widely credited with having single-handedly dragged classical dance out of its obsession with fairies and princesses"

Really? am I missing something here?---or perhaps he is talking about British ballet?

By all means, Christian, don't miss Tallinn---it was the best part of my visit to Helsinki If you can get to St. Petersburg, flying is the best way. I went via Helsinki and it was a day long dreary trip by bus through uninteresting terrain.

I have a clip of Haydee and Cragun in 'Shrew' (metropolitan centennial 1984) and it is a delightful work.---and get someone to show you how to make an angel in the snow.

Any opinions on the Dutch National Ballet's Giselle with Tsygankova and Varga ??

Well ... Veronika Part as Nikya started off with the ghostly, severe look. As she continued to dance with her Solor (Gomes) you could see her face change, and at the end of their pas de deux she raised her arms, almost as in triumph, and her face was a smile. Not a happy silly perky grin but that of a woman who had overcome and forgiven. It reminded me almost of an Olympic gold medalist on the medal stands. It was an unforgettable performance.

my feelings, too. I could not help comparing Tereskina to Part. I kept waiting for some rapport between Tereskina and Saranof, but it never came. I have seen little improvement in Somova---she still has the persona of a chorus girl in an old Hollywood movie. Such a crime to see Kondorouva taking second place to her.

Plot: Man of Quality (1926)

The brother of director Raoul Walsh, George Walsh starred in this low-budget gangster melodrama directed by Wesley Ruggles. Walsh plays Jack Banning, a motorcycle cop by day and undercover agent by night. Disguising himself as "Strongarm Samson," Banning infiltrates a gang of smugglers headed by Richard Courtney (a very young Brian Donlevy). Unfortunately, Marion Marcy (Ruth Dwyer) recognizes him and spills the beans to Courtney. The villain orders his henchman, Spanish Joe (Lucien Prival), to take the undercover cop "for a ride," but Banning escapes with the help of female undercover agent Dorina (Laura De Cardi). Marion, who has come to love the heroic policeman, is kidnapped by Courtney, but Banning manages to rescue her in the nick of time. With the gang behind bars, Banning and Marion can finally plan a future together. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Of course it's possible that the female undercover agent went undercover at the ballet, i suppose.

You're right though, he does look like Brian Donlevy. But for some reason the woman looks very familiar to me.

I searched imdb for a long time trying to find a summary of the plot---how did you get it? Reading that scenario would have convinced me it had nothing to do with the still photo.

if it's an American film---the gentleman looks a lot like Brian Donlevy--he made a movie in 1926 called A Man of Quality.....a really wild guess.

What a gem--thanks, so much. I also watched the clip of her and Dolin again, and noticed how she wore her hair long, but simply gathered at the nape of her neck---Vishneva wore her hair the same way when she did Giselle and it looks so much more youthful than the tightly coiffed heads.

I got four books:

l. Bravura! Lucia Chase and the ABT by her son Alex Ewing

2. Thank Heaven - A Memoir by Leslie Caron

3. The Last Empress (Mme. Chiang) by Hannah Pakula

4. The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2008

I am reading the Lucia Chase book and it is fascinating reading about the demise of Mordkin and the beginnings of a new Company, and the astonishing vision of Richard Pleasant. Looking forward to every page. What interests me most about Caron is her early years with Petit. I was glad to get The Last Empress; the Times review was quite good. The Best Men's Monologues includes one by my grandson Matthew.

If we were to replace "Suzanne Farrell" in that sentence with "Sylvie Guillem," we would have a sentence that has been posted dozens of times on Ballet Talk. In a few decades, it will be "Alina Somova." Comparisons like this are always being made, I expect.

oh---NEVER mention Somova in the same breath as Farrell and Guillem

I thought one thing Cojocaru needs to improve on are her "Wili turns." When Giselle is first initiated as a Wili I always watch the turns. I like Giselles to turn like demons. To see how it's done, watch Natalia Makarova.

or, more recently Diana Vishneva. The DVD is good, but I saw a live performance and she was literally a 'bat-out-of-hell'.

Thanks for posting, atm711. I would guess that Tandy's understudy was Ruth Ford, who was married to Zachary Scott.

Thanks, Dirac--now I can sleep tonight I did come up with Constance Ford, but when I saw her photo I knew I was wrong---Ruth Ford was a fine-boned willowy blond.

I did actually see the original production---probably a year after it opened. Brando had left, and was replaced by Ralph Meeker. That night, too, Tandy was replaced by her understudy. I have been trying to remember her name---I think it was Ford, and she was married to a prominent movie actor at the time. (I clearly recall his face but cannot remember his name---madding!) I can only report that the beauty and poetry of the play came through with these performers.

Slightly off topic. A headline in the Times in 1955 stated: Nora Kaye knocks out Youskevitch (in Streetcar, the ballet)---'miss Kaye completed a turn and her elbow held high, struck Mr. Youskevitch in the right eye. He fell to the ground unconscious. At the moment the scene ended and the lights went out so that no one in the audience was aware of the accident.'

Good old Nora---I doubt Tallulah Bankhead (as Blanche) could have done better.

Thanks, Iczerman. your remarks are appreciated. I hope to hear from others who have seen the DVD before I take the plunge and purchase it. I recently bought the Royal Ballet Swan Lake with Nunez and Soares and was disappointed---once bitten, twice shy? I have too many DVDs I don't care to see again.