atm711

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?

She is the most beautiful dancer I've ever seen.

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....

What an entertaining evening... What a romp it all seems to have been...

Is it just me, or did the Ballets Russes talent have a better handle on glamour .............. but wow Frederic Franklin sure flew around the stage in Scheherazade!  He leapt off those stairs as if they were nothing. 

 

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.

Tallchief in N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz

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

  There was a softness to the gestures of the midcentury dancers which seems to have been translated into lifelessness today...

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.

Ever since I saw Mark Platt in Ballets Russes, I've been looking for his old movies --

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 always thought of her as a bit of a glacial Diana,

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.

From NYCB:

No refunds or exchanges can be granted due to strike actions, which are beyond our control.

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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.

...it is very lonesome here in Blogville....

I would love to see Whelan's Odette/Odile.

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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.

The photos are stunning...although I have reservations about the costumes by Lacroix---too many ruffles for 'Rubies' and too much ornamentation for 'Diamonds'.

Dancers (often Russian) who drag out the curtain calls with elaborate reverences, kissing of roses, faux-humble glances at partner and/or audience.  My rule:  if the curtain call is longer, grander and more elaborate than the performance ... cut it out.

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You would have loved Nora Kaye as the Russian ballerina in Tudor's 'Gala Performance'. She hit all the bases you mentioned. At the time, she was doubly hilarious because it was felt she was imitating Toumanova.

My quest is over---it was mailed today. I can see one benefit to all this--I can now spell 'pharaoh' without having to think twice.