atm711

Julieanne Moore in a play by David Hare--and Madam Butterfly....

When a spectacular ball player retires---it is not uncommon to retire their number---I think the time has come to retire the ballerina role of Diamonds---and leave us with our memories of Farrell.

I have just finished reading the book and it is a great prep for the upcoming Ballets Russes DVD. It gives a very sympathetic portrayal of Col. de Basil, so different from what has been generally written. When her second husband asked her to stop dancing prior to their marriage, she had not performed much for the past seven years. In 1942 she left Ballet Theatre and danced sporadically after that. She danced with Massine's Ballet Russe Highlights for a couple of months, danced at the Roxy Theatre in NYC (ouch! 5 shows a day), and joined deBasil one more time for a two month tour of Cuba and Rio. For most of this time she appeared in plays, a musical and a play with the young Yul Brynner. Ballet Theatre always wanted her back, but she reasoned that without Fokine (who died in 1942) she would not feel comfortable working with Tudor or deMille. A false assumption, I think since there was lots of a familiar repertory for her to dance. My feeling is that she wanted to stop, and was receptive to her husband's push.

Thanks, Mel (though I'm kinda dim on who's Keith Lester; was he in the Ballets Russes?)

From Chujoy's trusty Dance Ency.:

"Born in England, 1904; studied dance with Anton Dolin, Nicholas Legat; made deb ut in Hassan, choreo. by Fokine (1923). Was partner of Lydia Kyasht, Karsavina, Spessivtseva, with the latter at Colon Theatre, Buenos Aires (under Fokine), dancing leading male roles in Spectre, Scheherazade, Thamar, Firebird. Danced in Reinhardt's Miracle (England, 1932); with Ida Rubenstein company in Paris; toured US in ballet revue. Joined Markova-Dolin company as dancer and choreo. (1935) choreographed David (1935), Pas de Quatre, Bach Suite #2 (1936) also Lament of the Swan, interpolated into Swan Lake. Choreo. Pas de Desses and created role of Paris in it (for London Ballet 1939) Revived his Pas de Quatre for Ballet Theatre (1946)"

This was published in 1949, so I don't know what happened to the dear fellow.

My mother still talks about Melissa's performance in Jerry Robbins "Interplay"

When I read of her death this morning, my thoughts went back to her early years in Ballet Theatre where I first noticed her in the Corps. One of her first leading roles was, indeed, in 'Interplay' and I heartily agree with your mother---I can still see her in that jazzy finger-snapping silhouette section. During this same time period she was featured on the cover of Life Magazine.

...and 'Fancy Free' takes place in a Bar.....

With the memory of Vishneva's Giselle still lingering in my head, I was not at all taken with Zakharova's performance. Before she even moved much I found the 'bigness' of her to be quite unappealing. The extensions were much too exaggerated and her emotions were a fixed worry look on her face.---and to think she was in a production staged by Yvette Chauvire--a most sublime Giselle. I did like Zakharova's Swan Lake and in time, I believe it will be a great one. There are very few ballerinas who can do both successfully.

Something should be done for the stage floor of LaScala. All those vertical lines make it look like the dancers are performing on a ball field.

halfway through Artifact Suite I almost got up and left.

I had the same misgivings, and got up my courage to leave 5 minutes before the end (a first, for me!). I guess the many 'thuds' of the descending curtain and the lack of 'wings' screamed 'avantgarde', in case the audience was not quick enough to catch on. Granted, it could be my problem that I cannot see much merit in this work. I did have the unsettling thought--'would I have booed the premiere of 'Rite of Spring'; but then, I did have an appreciation of Balanchine long before he became an Ikon, I was able to recognize genius (forgive the word, I can think of no other) even at a tender age.

The one ballet on this mixed repertory bill that I would really like to see again is Tomasson's '7 for 8'. I don't think I have ever seen a b allet where I come away marveling at the male port de bras---all the men exhibited beautiful port de bras but the honors to go Pascal Molat in his solo 5th movement--and Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun I would love to see again and again.

As to Wheeldon's 'Quaternary'---I found it a bit hard to swallow that he is considered by many to be the great-hope for choreography. I am a bit weary of the I'll-slide-down-your-back-crotch-in-the-face School of Choreography. I saw some of this last week in Chautauqua NY by the North Carolina Dance Company, but the choreographer was a teen-ager and I attributed it to raging hormones. But at least 'Quaternary' gave me a chance to see Tiit Helimets perform.

The low of the season, for me, were all the evening long ballets----one after the other Oh, for the glory days of Ballet Theater when there were three or four different ballets every night. Those were the days when upcoming corps members and soloists had a good chance to shine. It was a glorious Company then, and perhaps a new Director would try to recapture it.

but the thought of an all-Balanchine Giselle makes my head hurt. (The port de bras alone....

There was a Ballet Theater Giselle in the 50's that Balanchine had a large hand in---he used Berman costumes...to me, it looked much like the Dolin version---with different sets...

Since most of the comments linger on the passion and abandon of MacMillan's ballet, I could not help wondering what today's audiences would make of Antony tudor's R&J. It has been on my mind because I recently saw a clip of Nora Kaye and Hugh Laing in the bedroom scene; it depicted the time of their parting. As Laing was leaving he suddenly lay down on the floor on his back, and Kaye bent over his face and kissed him. He arose and stoically tried to walk off---but he stopped ever so briefly and looked over his shoulder at the empty bed...a-hh only in Tudor.

I disagree, but I totally respect your right to say it! ;) I may like Part, but I don't mind criticism of her, I just thought not mentioning her when Lady M was mentioned and she said she was listing the main cast was wrong.

What I find most appalling is that ABT still has her dancing these small parts.

Two people in a marriage have a hard enough time explaining it without the World jumping in. I once read a very slim book written by a man who had the same physical problems as Roosevelt. He went into great detail about what it was like to live hour- by -hour, day-to-day- with such an affliction. Unfortunately, I can't recall the title. Most Roosevelt biographers don't delve too deeply into this. If anyone is looking for a wonderfully pro-FDR book I recommend Conrad Black's recent bio "Champion of Freedom"---it was worth plowing through 1,000 pages.

I saw two of her Giselles--last year with Corella and this year with Malakhov. What I can't get out of my mind is her Act 2 performance this year. From the moment she emerged from the grave and went into a frantic spin which was so fast it r eminded me of one of those artsy blurred photographs--a mass of white emanating wisps of white--I knew I was in for a very different Giselle. Most Giselles look like complacent phantoms, already of another world, but her Giselle was seeking peace. I found her return to the grave so poignant when she purposely avoided Albrecht's touch, finally embracing her death. I did not have these same thoughts when I saw her Giselle the year before with Corella; then I was overwhelmed with her Act 1; and felt, at the time, that she did not blend well with Corella---which, from recent postings, has improved this season. But, make no mistake about it--this is one of the great Giselles.

The last major classical role I saw her dance(excepting MacMillans's ballets was as Aurora to which she brought much feeling and a softness of movement with her beautifully rounded arms lovely leg line that ended in beautifully arched feet like Pavlova's that Ashton so admired and exploited when he created 'The Two Pigeons for her.

While transferring my old tapes to DVD I came across a clip of Seymour and Nureyev in Sleeping Beauty PDD and what an eye-opener it was. Although I only know Seymour mainly through tapes, I have come to admire her greatly ---much for the way it is expressed above. After watching her in 'Brahms Waltzes" I feel I have really seen Duncan; but it is "A Month in the Country" that her artistry (yes, that word!) is so much in evidence.

Nobody could convince me to spend money on her though.

Spend your money on this one. Her b--chy scenes were hilarious, but what stayed with me were the quiet scenes that showed her vulnerability. You could see into her soul.

Loved your comments, Bart. I could not agree more.

Even Balanchine had more duds than hits!

As was once said in the Old West-----"Thems fighting words"

I saw Veronika Part and the one word that comes to mind in describing her performance is 'fluid'. Her movements flowed and melted into each other--they appeared to be one long unbroken enchainement. There is one moment I look for before the start of the Act 2 adagio; as the Prince assists Odette to her feet, does she look into his eyes or does she look into the void of the theatre and go into her pirouettes? When it's the former I have the hope of seeing a love duet. Part looked into Gomes' eyes. If her Odette impresses more than her Odile it is because of her soul-stirring performance--and isn't that the way Swan Lake should be? For me, she is the best Swan Queen I have seen since Ananiashvilli. Isn't it time that Ballet Theatre realize the treasure they have in Veronika Part? It's hard to understand that on the night before this glorious performance she appeared in Swan Lake as a very minor soloist. Dancers as expressive as Part don't come our way too often; she should be nurtured and groomed for many leading roles. Enough of the technical kid wonders, since that is the sum of what they offer.

David Hallberg had one advantage over Gomes in the role of Rothbart. He looked fabulous in that hideous costume.

---and for our darker side there's "Fall River Legend".

I had never cared much cared for Bluebird before. What are the beaten steps in which the dancer repeatedly turns his upper body this way and then that? For some reason, although none were high flyers, the Royal's relatively shorter dancers looked better to me in this than the tall figures I associate with the role.

The steps are brise voles--and I agree on the size of the dancer. My favorite Bluebird is (was?) Jean Babilee, an enigmatic dancer of short stature--resembled a young Brando. I enjoyed reading all the comments about the Messel production; it was my introduction to "Sleeping Beauty' at its first American appearance so many years ago. It was my favorite for years until that magnificent Kirov reproduction.

Gia Kourlas writes of Diana Vishneva, "If only she had worn tights! Bare legs don't befit a ballerina."

Do you agree with this dictum? How can you tell the difference?

In this case I reluctantly have to agree with Kourlas. I watched Vishneva'a Manon very closely through my opera glasses. In the last bare-legged scene I noticed a large smudge on her left upper outer thigh--it was a bit larger than a golf-ball. I didn't know if it was a tattoo or a bruise---I refrained from mentioning this in my comments about her performance

I saw his ballet, 'The Red Poppy', a 1-act adaptation of the Soviet production. Danilova was an enchanting Asian dancing girl and Frederic Franklin did a great Russian Sailor's Dance. About his autobiography 'Borzoi', he received a literary prize of $1,000. Lots of money in 1935.

As others have said, Cojocaru's Aurora was wonderful -- All that said, however, I do look forward to (hopefully) seeing her perform this role in 5-10 years. I wanted to see just a squidge more character development, something that showed me more of the impetuous teen that Aurora was in Act I and the woman she had become by Act III.

Since I am 'stuck' here in NY, I did not get to see this performance that you all describe so enthusiastically. But, as I read your reviews the above thought occurs to me. I suspect 'Chauffeur' is correct when she predicts 5 to 10 years maturity. With this in mind, I was surprised by those who said she was the best Aurora they have seen.

I am one who seeks out Veronika Part. Woolcott had a hard time trying to describe her artistry and I don't think I will do any better. Perhaps, it's her presence, her demeanor. For me, I prefer dancers who don't make me think of technique---it's comfortably there, but not uppermost. Part does this for me; Farrell had the same quality.