atm711

From what I recall from the old Fedorova production---there were neither angels or dolls.` Jack Anderson has a very good description of what I remember...."By current standards, the Ballet Russe Nutcracker was a truncated version capable of serving as one item on a mixed bill...a brief first scene showed the Christmas party--there being no battle with the mice--journeyed immediately in her dreams to the snow country and the land of sweets."

From what I remember though, there was a brief encounter with demons before the land of the sweets. The triumphant Nutcracker emerged and took Clara by the hand to the land of sweets. (talk about a shoe-string version---this poor Nutcracker did not have a mask on his head, but what looked like a white head covering made of o-tag, and the funny part was that there was not a piece covering the top of his head. From my seat in the second balcony of the City Center you could see the dancer's head.) There were no children in this production, the dancers played the children. The second act began with the dance of the snowflakes. I did not see a more elaborate production until Balanchine's in 1954. But, the highlight was the Grand Pas.

One interesting note about this production----in some performances the young Svetlana Beriosova played Clara.

There is a world outside of Manhattan---actually, two million people live in Brooklyn

Ballet Theatre also did this version as a divertissement with the likes of Markova, Hightower and Alonso.

My favorite Grand Pas goes back many years to the first version I saw,--the Ballet Russe version staged by Alexandra Fedorova. It was a truncated version, to say the least, and done on a shoe string--but, that Grand Pas has remained with me all these years and I have warm memories of Danilova and Krassovska. I loved the choreography and I generally wince when I see other versions to that glorious music.

Wonderful news--an early Christmas present. Now all ABT has to do is dump the City Center and have their fall season at BAM.

Demeaning Robert Helpmann was not my intent. I saw him in two roles that I greatly admired; Hamlet (a short ballet he choreographed) and Miracle in the Gorbals. Hamlet was particularly engrossing. It was a short work, perhaps 15 minutes or so, the story was out of context as seen through a desperate mind. It was a brilliant performance. If I am not mistaken, I think he also choreographed Gorbals, which was not as successful as Hamlet.

(A naive observer could be forgiven for wondering just how Helpmann wound up as premier danseur for the Ballet Lermontov.)

....or the Sadler's Wells, for that matter

The production was 'Halloween-ish'--a very apt description. I put it in the same category as the disastrous RB Sleeping Beauty by Maria Bjornson. In both productions, the scenery ate-up the dancers. The Prince's 'friends' were the raunchiest I have seen and I found the drunken tutors leering interest in the two sub-teen girls offensive. What were they thinking when this was put in?---are we supposed to think it was 'cute'? The many swans on the stage during the solemnity of the Act 2 adagio robbed it of its intimacy for me. They were posing and moving all around the stage, when they should have been still---which they did during the pas de quatre---go figure! I have great admiration for Nunezes solid technique--her langorous turns in attitude during her Act 2 variation and the slow renverses in her Act 3 variation and I commend Soares on lifting her high over his head in the Act 3 pdd. She held a very long balance in arabesque in Act 3, but she should have let it go after the first wobble and not wait for 3 or 4 more. (a pet peeve of mine for any ballerina---let it go after the first wobble!)

The bonus feature by Beryl Grey, Monica Mason, Lesley Collier and Nunez made it all worthwhile. I particularly enjoyed the candid comments by Mason. It was a pleasure to see Beryl Grey--I saw her Swan Queen those many years ago on the first visit to my shores of the Sadler's Wells Ballet. At the time, I was more impressed with her Odette than Fonteyn's. Her height was unique at the time and it was unusual to see such a long-limbed dancer. (she was a marvelous Lilac Fairy and had a natural warmth) We had long-limbed Diana Adams but she did not have ballerina status at the time.

I, too, loved MH's article on the Mariinsky. A pleasure to read--he did not mince words. I particularly appreciated the article by Michael Popkin on Volynsky---now, perhaps, I can go back to Ballet's Magic Kingdom and make some sense of it

Speaking of hats....I have always loved the side tilted tam worn by Youskevitch in the original production of 'Theme and Variations'...if memory serves--I think it had a feather on it.

It is the thinnest I have ever seen Toumanova. I can only surmise that she dieted strenuously for the camera, and lost her bosom in the process. My blog (click above) has my favorite photo of her...take a look. I saw Petit's company during the visits Leonid mentioned, but, alas, I do not recall Perrault. I was more than likely dazzled by Rene Jeanmaire and Colette Marchand, and did not pay too much attention to others.

I am so proud Congratulations and thank you, Mr.President.

There were three Balanchine works on the program--pas d'action from Divertimento #15; pdd from Clarinade; Agon, along with Bejart's pdd from Romeo and Juliet. The two highlights were the Clarinade pdd and Farrell's talk at the program's end with Joan Accocella. Clarinade is set to a blues score by Morton Gould; it was originally danced by Farrell in 1964--no one else ever performed it. It was Balanchine in his erotic mode. A ballet by Balanchine to Gould seems a bit far fetched to me---the choreography, for me, called out for Stravinsky. Gould had better interpreters in Robbins, deMille and Feld. That said, it is very much worth seeing. It would be a relief to see that on a program in place of the interminable Corsaires and Don Qs. The Divertimento was pristine; the five female soloists (Kendra Mitchell, Nicole Stout, Sara Ivan and Natalia Magnicaballi and Violetta Angelova were admirable, as were the three men. That final reverance at the end is thrilling. Agon was listed in the program as 'company premiere'. It was Balanchine at his best--right down to the splayed fingertips. It has been quite a long time since I saw Agon 'live' and an equally long time since I saw the humor displayed in the pas de trois. Magnicaballi in the pdd had the hesitancy that is talked about in Diana Adams interpretation. I am far from a Bejart fan---but his R&J may convert me yet--I particulary enjoyed the Berlioz score.

The Saint and The Sultan by Paul Moses tells the story of a meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Malik al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt and a nephew of Saladin, in 1219 during the Fifth Crusade. You can read more here:

www.saintandthesultan.com

(full disclosure): the author is my son.

Amazon has it.

Les Sylphides---the first ballet I saw. I am still in awe of the beauty of the groupings. I have seen many performances over the years---good, bad and indifferent...but the beautiful workings of the choreography still shines through--and it would, I think, even performed in leotards.

Christian---you write of Alonso's last years---when she was in her 50's and 60's? The Markova Denby is writing about is 35 years old. supposedly in her prime (she was born in 1910). It is not a fair comparison

Is Denby on target???

In reading the review don't take it out of its context. At the time, there were three Giselles at Ballet Theatre---Alicia Markova, Tamara Toumanova and, Alonso. The "norm" for Giselle interpretations was Markova---certainly among the critics at the time. Compared to Markova's waif-like virginal interpretation---anyone could look 'lusty'. (in Denby's book. 'Dance Writings and Poetry' there is a review of Toumanova's Giselle from 1944, incidentally, my first Giselle)

Alonso was Terpsichore in Apollo and her beautiful classical line was shown to full advantage in the role. For those who may feel that we who have seen ballet for decades are always looking back---not so, I say in my defense. It took me years to see the perfect Terpsichore and Apollo--Farrell and Peter Boal.

Larsen was excellent in that clip---he really captured Massine's persona---you could easily fool me into believing it was Massine. Who is the fellow who did those fast pirouettes?

For years I thought no one could top Farrell in 'Diamonds'---and for years I was right --and then I saw Ulyana Lopatkina! Did she top Farrell?---I don't know, but they are two beautiful interpretations.

Is this the color version that was excerpted in the "Dancing for Mr. B" video?

I watched this version last night. My granddaughter, who will be starting Columbia this month hopes to be taking some classes with Kent at Barnard and was so happy to have seen this clip. I, too, admired Kent greatly in this role. In fact, I always felt I was seeing it for the first time as Kent performed it. I did see LeClercq but never felt she was suited to the part.

I have my tickets for the Princeton performance.......

How I wished we could have seen some of the 2nd Act--I loved the small flowered ringlets she wore in her hair in this Act.

Constantly seeking another Erik Bruhn.....hopefully, maybe, David Hallberg?

Truly profound. It is also reminiscent of Makarova's variation; a ballerina Kirkland admired. It doesn't show in Kirkland's performance but I can only imagine the rigors of her soul searching that went into her interpretation.

Wow! and I thought what occurred at the Met Opera this season was gross. It was the night of Osipova's La Sylphide. I was sitting in the Dress Circle and during the first ballet (Taylor's Airs) there was a slight commotion two seats away from me in my row. After the ballet a young couple rose to question the elderly man and his wife sitting behind them. He was apparently kicking the back of their seats and claimed they were leaning back and pushing their seats on to his legs. (a surprise to me, these seats do not move back with any pressure). The young woman was trying to reason with him, whereupon he called her a bitch. The young husband demanded an apology, but the older man repeated his charge again. At this point the young man reached up with one strong arm and pulled the man down to his seat---but quickly thought better and shoved him back up. At this point the ushers finally woke up and security was called. All four were escorted out---and for the rest of the intermission the many onlookers were taking bets on which couple would be back. (it was the older couple--- we guessed the young couple were given better seats.)