atm711

Many thanks to all for your input---"It's the Mom" has convinced me, and I will take my chances.

With all the negative talk of Kudelka's Swan Lake that is currently going on, I am getting cold feet about the upcoming production at ABT of his Cinderella this Spring. I am planning to take my six-year old granddaughter to see her first 'real' ballet and I am wondering just how traditional this version is. Supposedly, it's a ballet for children, but having been subjected to a couple of weird Coppelias--I am having doubts. My alternative performance is to take her to NYCB for a matinee performance of Symphony in C and Vienna Waltzes (ballet just doesn't get better than that). Input greatly appreciated.

Unless I'm not reading it correctly, it apears that Malakhov is only listed for one performance---and that is Giselle with Vishneva. He was supposed to do this last season but was replaced by Corella---any thoughts on whether he will show up?

I have been asking myself that question for years. For most of my early years of ballet-going I was content to see Act 2 and an occcasional Black Swan PDD. The first full-length I saw was the Sadlers Wells production which they b rought to NYC on their first tour--attributed to Sergeyev. What I gained was the melancholic Act 4 which I loved, and added so much to the Work, and we all know what has happened to that Act in today's productions. When I watch my SL tapes, I FF Act 1, watch all of Act 2, FF Act 3 except for Black Swan, and watch what is left of Act 4. I don't think I have gained much over the years; I would again be contented with Act 2 and a Black Swan.

If 'Match Point' resembles any film, it's 'A Place In the Sun'. I loved the film, even though Woody set it in London. It's good to see him come back so strong

I like Stravinsky's description of Serge Lifar in the role:"still quite young, conscientious, natural, spontaneous, and full of serious enthusiasm for his art...". Peter Boal was even more amazing in the role than I previously thought when I realized he achieved all this at a much later age.

Unreasonable demands on the part of the husband? I wonder...he might have detected in her a need for a change, and to live a more 'normal' life, and he was the one to give her a push towards it. Katharine Hepburn maintained for years that you could not have children and a career and do justice to both....(especially such a demanding one)

Singing while you dance? Isn't it all in the breathing, as Makarova had reminded us?

I see her face every time I turn on my computer---it is a beautiful black and white photograph of Riabouchinska, Toumanova and Baronova in Sylphides costumes in an empty dance studio. I missed seeing her on the ballet stage by about a year. At the time, she was a member of Ballet Theater but left in the early 40's. However, I was determined to see her on a stage. In the late 40's she appeared in a Broadway musical---something called 'Follow the Fleet' or 'Follow the Boys'--it starred Jackie Gleason . I don't recall the story line--but she did wear a classical short tutu.

Yikes---a very quick search of Google revealed an interview with Baronova on 3/10/05, and said she was 86 at the time---information on her death may be a bit premature....

Ballet Russe and Ballet Theatre were more glamourous then---as part of the 'waiting-at-the-stagedoor crowd' I can tell you that when the principals left the theatre they were dressed to the nines, none more so than Danilova--no sweats and sneakers for this crowd. Franklin was, indeed, a very good favorite slave, and he also did the 'Nijinsky spin' on the back of his neck.

In defense of Tallchief---she could have done it :rolleyes:

Since I saw most of the dancers in 'Ballets Russe' perform live, I have been pondering the phrase "singing with the body" and wondering if the physical stature of the dancers contributed to this. Dancers of the mid-century were shorter and heavier, Baronova's 'fighting weight' was 126 lbs. (compare that to, say, Wendy Whelan, or pick your dancer.)

I loved Arthur Golden's novel, and indeed, I checked the credits many times to assure myself that this was written by a man, and I found the film really disappointing---it dragged in spots and the women came off as a silly bunch of b--ches. Most disappointing was Zhang Ziyi's performance---she seemed to fade away into the back ground, and at times looked like she was not 'there'. I found out that if you really want to see a film about geishas to see a japanese film called "A Geisha" from 1953. I requested it from my library.

He made a great film with Rita Hayworth and did lots of dancing, I saw it recently on AMC--unfortunately, I cannot remember the title---Dirac, where are you? I found it---"Tonight and Every Night" (1945).

I have always thought of her as our answer to Grace Kelly; the outward calm (glacial, if you wish) but covering the fire within. I had the impression that the program cut her segment too short and I wanted to hear more comments from others.---I didn't like the bangs, it covered too much of her still beautiful face; although they looked great on Julie Harris.

Zakharova in 'Fille du Pharaon' and in the Bourmeister 'Swan Lake'

That underwear must have been awfully big on Ms. Watts.....

That crescent on Toumanova's head has been bugging me for days---I know I saw it somewhere, but not in conjunction with the tutu--and I finally found it in (of all things) Alex Gard's 'More Ballet Laughs'. She is taking a curtain call after a performance of 'Balustrade' along with Balanchine, Stravinsky, Tatiana Leskova and Roman Jasinsky. Her costume is all black; long leotards topped with a feathery skirt.

And 'Bah, Humbug' to you, too. The very least they can do is to offer people their empty seats during the regular season.

I chose 'La Sylphide' because (for me) all is lost if the technique is not pure, clean and precise.

Toumanova's headpiece looks very 'Dali-esque'. There were three Dali ballets floating around at this time--'Bacchanale';'Labryinth'; and 'Mad Tristan'...perhaps it is a leftover from one of these. :blush:

I wish I knew which version Alicia Alonso danced those many years ago at Ballet Theatre. (I suspect Dolin had a hand in it). Alonso was a regal ballerina--a Princess--and there was none of that hand fluttering, which makes me shudder everytime it is overdone. She had the manner of an Aurora.

A few years ago I had a 'Swan Lake' day at Lincoln Center... in the afternoon Ananiashvilli in the full version and Whelan in the evening in Act 2. Given my high regard of Ananiashvilli in this role, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Whelan's performance--it was something I would never have expected from her, and she stood up quite well to Ananiashvilli. Whelan was particularly brilliant in the Act 2 coda, which I would expect from her, but I was completely unprepared for her deep portrayal and lyricism.

I am surprised there wasn't any mention of Farrell in the BR article on Saland.