atm711

When were they ever --'what they used to be'? I saw them on their first visit to NY in '56 and was fed all the propaganda of how great the Company was ---"Our ballerinas would have been lucky to be in the Bolshoi corps, etc., etc." At the time we had the same comments I am hearing on this thread---the principals are great, But.....I did not see them this season (my one-person strike about the high prices), but in that first NY season there looked like there was a lot of dead-wood in the Company,--is that true today? But I suppose the stars still have it---on one of their visits I saw Vasiliev and Besmertnova (the only role I liked her in) in Spartacus--and I must admit they were fabulous, but the ballet was not to my taste.

A pretty bad film, but one I always enjoy seeing again---such delightful trash. Last night I saw a film from the 40's with Rita Hayworth (Lee Bowman was the love interest)--I wish I could remember the name---it took place in WWII London, and she did quite a bit of dancing--but the most pleasant surprise of the film was Marc Platt (also known as Marc Platoff)---for those of you who have never heard of him, he was an American and a beautifully trained classical dancer---one of our unsung talents. The movie is silly, but he does a lot of great dancing in it---and it's worth catching---if only someone can come up with the name......

I hope and pray (yes, she is my favorite at NYCB) that there is a Giselle in her future; but I also am fearful that she might languish in the background of some big Company---not unlike Menieur, or for that matter, Veronika Part (who is finally coming into her own).

I didn't see it, but Nimet, the velvet-voiced announcer at midnight on WQXR saw it and liked it; but said that she thought at any moment it would morph into Aida.

The original production of 'Fall River Legend' had Alicia Alonso as Lizzie shortly thereafter, Nora Kaye); Diana Adams was the Mother, Peter Gladke the Father, Muriel Bentley, the step-mother, RuthAnn Koesun was Lizzie as a child, and John Kriza was the pastor. A great show The two Lizzies were a great contrast: In Alonso's softer interpretation, Lizzie came off as a victim of her step mother and father; but with Kaye's performance, she was undoubtedly over the top and I had no doubt that she delivered the 41 blows.

Tudor's 'Undertow' received many mixed reviews, but I loved it--especially when I figured out all the Greek names. If Balanchine's Don Q can be revived, surely 'Undertow' is more than deserving of another look.

It appears that the author of the piece is taking out his dislike of Ratmansky on Massine. "Had the Bolshoi found the worthy cast for Massine's plan, his LeTricorne, whose choreography by the way, isn't all that original would have, probably been a better show." --"isn't all that original".....? I would hope he is comparing this to pre-1919 works and I'd love to know which ones. He seems to think that the Russians do not have the passion for it; but the two Russians I saw (Massine & Toumanova) had no problem with it.

The highpoint of the season for me was John Rockwell's incisive reporting...considering my initial response to him ; I found myself agreeing with him most of the time.

One of the benefits of retirement is that I can go to the movies in the afternoon when there are usually no more than a dozen patrons (unless it's an 'art house' movie and then it could be only three or four people). What I find really pesky, though, is the coming attractions....at least five before the film, and at top volume. I am surprised that no one mentioned this---one of our local politicians is trying to get the theaters to list the actual starting time of the film.

Amazon has it for $27.97, due to be released July 26...

I could never get enough of that entrance---so much so, that I made my own tape of four different company's performances---one after the other and I play it when I am looking for some serenity.....

There was a colorful insert in my recent ABT program for the upcoming City Center season and the photo on the cover is one of David Hallberg in 'Rodeo'. The costume he is wearing gave me cause for concern--he is in red-white-and blue. (sparkling white boots, blue pants with what looks like a series of 5 large hob-nails going down the side of the leg, and a flaming red shirt.....) It looks more suited to "Music Man'. The productions I have seen had rugged males in rugged clothing and the production had beautiful south-western colors---oh, for the days of Oliver Smith and Kermit Love.

Well, I just learned that I share a birthday with Julie...but I treated myself instead to the July 12 Giselle...Vishnieva and Part--a combination made in heaven. From the moment she came out of her front door I adored this Giselle with her hair pulled softly back at the nape of her neck and flowing down her back. (am I mistaken. or did Spessivtseva also wear her hair this way in Act 1?). With her technical perfection it would be so easy to ignore the expressiveness of her performance; the delicacy of her hops on point in Act 1 and the whirling dervish she became in Act 2 at Myrtha's command. She was really in a nether world in Act 2; never, for me, did she even momentarily appear to be a part of Albrecht's world.---and Veronika Part's Myrtha... ---it doesn't get much better. Her big jumps were quite exciting--with her skirt flying wide and high, she was a menacing demon. As to Corella, I did not see the 'chemistry' that others saw---he has a long way to go in expressing Albrecht. He did do some fast moving brises in Act 2, but it was nothing in comparison with what Baryshnikov did in this Act. (I particularly missed B. early in the second act--when Albrecht encounters Giselle for the first time--B. looked confused, unsure of what he had seen and seemingly without any preparation rose into the air and executed a high jete en tournant eliciting gasps from the audience---Corella ran a long way before jumping, and it went unnoticed by the audience.) ---and the very imperious actions of Bathilde during the mad scene; acting like a spoiled brat swishing her red skirt as if to ward off Giselle; and then exiting the stage while Giselle was literally on the floor and swooshing her skirt walked off the stage----momentarily taking your concentration off of Giselle...I don't recall seeing this before.

Thanks, Bingham, it was Zomosa. I also think there is a tape of the Joffrey Green Table.

Danilova had a Benno with the Denham Ballet Russe, and it was usually performed by Leon Danielian.

Good news about 'The Green Table'...I haven't seen it since the Joffrey, and try as I will, I cannot remember the name of the dancer who was so very effective as Death...it might have been in the 60's or later---I seem to recall the dancer's name started with 'Z'.

Due to be released next week on Amazon is the DVD 'Great Dancers of Our Time' featuring Malakhov, Laccara/Kimura/Vishnieva/Saidakova/Pierre/Bohm---the details are very slim. There is a photo on the cover of 'Spectre'---Is anyone familiar with this one? I am always looking for current dancers on DVD and I would love to know who is dancing what.

It's not. :rolleyes:

Ah, but those two great partners of the past were not in the Vasiliev heroic mode; there was a dignified simplicity about their stage presence.

I saw Veronika Part on Thursday night and she was a truly passionate Odette but Gomes' Prince did not give her much emotional support in ActII. She danced with awesome abandon and I couldn't help thinking that this Odette needs a Youskevitch or an Ivan Nagy. Gomes was no match for her, I wished he had repeated his Rothbart role. (He was sorely missed; Jesus Pastor needs to be more dynamic) Part is surely on the way to b eing ABT's foremost Swan.

On that same tape is my favorite: LaBayadere PDD with Nadezda Pavlova and Vyatcheslav Gordeev. She has a beautiful porcelain beauty, and an absolute gorgeous line.

In the 'eat-your-heart-out-category' if you did not see them---there are just 2 for me---Danilova and Ananiashvilli.

Ha very Jon Stewart-ish.

It was Balanchine's version of Swan Lake in a Vera Zorina film---the story ended with Lew Christiansen leaning remorsefully on a castle---he was several feet taller than the castle....

No 'Bringing Up Baby'--- and 'Barry Lyndon' over 'Tom Jones'?