atm711

Has anyone seen Karita Mattila's "Salome" at the Met this week???Talk about 'having it all'---Wow! She apparently went 'all-the-way' with those seven veils.

This die-hard ballet-goer finally got to a Taylor concert on Saturday---my first time, and I watched it through virgin eyes :rolleyes: 'Airs' is a wonderful work--so reminiscent of Balanchine at his best---my only reservation musically was his dance to the Handel Alcina music. It seems to me the music was only used as background, where the rest of the work was so exhiliaratingly set to the music. I also enjoyed 'In the Beginning', it reminded me of the wonderful little trifles that deMille and Tudor created for Ballet Theater (Tally-Ho, Judgement of Paris, etal). I was dreading the use of Orff's music, but Taylor mercifully did not use the more pulsating part of the score. While watching 'Piazzolla Caldera" I thought it was very 'sturm und Stroman'; but then I realized this was created two years before "Contact".

The architect of the Lincoln Building (60 E. 42) was J.E.R. Carpenter, 1939. The lobby has a reproduction of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

I don't have HBO, but I did catch up with the show last night via a tape. Dirac's description of SJP as an 'aging birdbrain' summed it up for me. I find it laughable that Baryshnikov's worldly character would be interested in her.

In a recent review of NYCB Alexandra posed the following question--"Who are the great American male dancers"--and went on to name d'Amboise, Villella, Bujones and Bissell. I can name one who pre-dated them all--John Kriza of Ballet Theatre who held the title of Premier Danseur. He had the boyishness of d'Amboise, the energy of Villella, a good classical technique (not quite as grand as Bujones) and the charming stage presence of a Bissell. He created the role of the 'dreamy' sailor in 'Fancy Free', he is still my favorite poet of 'Les Sylphides', partnered all the classical PDD, and was a top-notch 'Billy the Kid'. His wonderful sense of 'tongue-in-the-cheek' drollery made his show-off in 'Les Patineurs' and the Drummer in 'Graduation Ball' a delight. He easily fits the description of 'great' when compared to the aforementioned dancers.

I loved the photo of Ludmilla Shollar---I remember her as a teacher in New York (with her husband, Vilzak). She is so beautiful in the photo---when I knew her she was plump and matronly.

Yes, Mel--it did occur to me right after I posted---but even 'Peter's stuff' is a lot better than what I saw---think about it for a minute.

The fact that ballet has lost some of its softness is not at all surprising, in view of the fact that the world in which it takes place has lost some of its softness.  It goes hand in hand with the more casual style of today (when's the last time you saw a woman -- besides Brooke Astor or Diane Keaton -- wearing gloves when the weather didn't require it, or the setting wasn't formal?)

Take heart, Carbro. If you saw the 'Times' Style section two weeks ago you would have seen a predicted return to the styles of the 50's. B)

I finally saw 'The Company' yesterday---and was alternately disappointed, bored and wishing Altman had used NYCB instead of the Joffrey---at least we would have had better choreography. It would have been improved if the Snake at the end had chewed up the choreographer instead of the dancers. The film did manage to come to life when Malcolm McDowell was on screen.

Memorable Lilac Fairy? Mine will always be Diana Adams--true, she was only in a one-act version, b ut her variation (the one with the Sissones) is one I will never forget.

I am so glad to have read the earlier comments....I just read the article in the 'Times' and wondered what had gotten into Dunning. My favorite Florine has always been Alicia Alonso, who performed the role when she was also doing Giselle and Odette. The beauty of her performance is that she danced like a regal classical ballerina---it's not all cutesy-ville. Doesn't Dunning know that this is a prize ballerina role----when Sadler's Wells performed 'Beauty' on their first visit to NY, Moira Shearer was the Princess Florine, and she was at the height of her popularity--having just filmed 'Red Shoes'.

Another case of Globalization? Perhaps it will become a campaign issue. B)

In the 'Times' last Sunday (2/22/04) there was an article about a music professor from Princeton who was interested in the score of an early Diaghilev/Massine/Prokefiev ballet which he identified as "The Steel Step" (Le Pas D'Acier). It was originally done in 1927 with a cast that included Danilova, Massine, Lifar and Woizikovsky. He went beyond his interest in the music alone, and is presently (with a group of collaborators) planning to revive the ballet at Princeton's Berlind Theater in the spring of 2005. The music professor, Simon Morrison, said "It is difficult music for a casual listener, as mechanical as the din of a factory floor......there is little lyricism..." ...."Most of the work will be a recreation in the spirit of the performance" (whatever that means, I'm not sure).

Zeeva Cohen, head of Princeton Dance program will use student dancers ..."The dance is about trying to capture the common man in the streets...it is not supertechnical, except for the lead couple." One interesting aside to all this: it seems that Diaghilev tried to get Kasian Goleizovsky from Moscow to choreograph it, but had no luck and gave it to Masssine.

I have always had a problem with the 'complete' Swan Lake. In my early years of ballet-going I saw only Act II and an occasional Black Swan PDD. My first complete Swan Lake was when the Sadler's Wells visited New York. My one benefit, I decided, was the beautiful melancholic Act IV. As we are all aware, the Ballet has been truncated --and Act IV is usually 'on-the-block' ready to be chopped away (to leave more time for the Jester ??) I must have 8 or 9 version of Swan Lake on tape and whenever I watch one I fast-forward Act I, watch all of Act II, zap through the national dances of Act III until the Black Swan, and hope for a good Act IV. I sometimes wonder what I have gained since my first encounter with Swan Lake Act II and the Black Swan PDD.

In 1972 Rebekah Harkness bought the old Colonial Theater on Broadway and 62nd for one and a half million dollars. She modeled the renovation on the Maryinsky and spent five million. In a biography by Craig Unger he said the following:

"Black 'negro marquina' marble was shipped from Spain to line the foyer.....sixteen crystal chandeliers were hung from the ceiling....the stage had absorption units beneath the floor to give it special resiliency...Rebekah had 1,277 hand carved Louis XIV chairs made in Valencia...upholstered in Harkness Blue"

After seeing "Rubies" last week, I thought how much I would like to see again its precursor--"Danses Concertantes" with the original Berman sets as performed by the Ballet Russe in 1944. It was revived in 1972 by NYCB--I did not see it then, but from what I have read it was not successful. Danilova and Danielian said that the revival did not succeed "because the original had a jazzy thrust absent in the later staging"...I wish all the "Rubies" lovers out there could see this.

Michael, I agree with you that the Swanilda we see in Act III should be grander than the Swanilda of previous acts, but to what degree?  She should be recognizable as the same character.

No-o-o I can't say I agree with this comment. I think the audience deserves to see a transformed resplendent ballerina in Act 111--the continuation of the story-line is not 'the thing'--the dancing is. This is the way Danilova did it---but I can understand why it is different today---where are the mature, tried and true ballerinas?

The 'Farrell' role in 'Symphony in C' was originally LeClercq's. Kowroski would probably be better in the role than LeClercq--she has a more beautiful classical line.

'Emeralds' wasn't dull for me--it was just too bland. My criticism is not with the ballet, which is my favorite part of 'Jewels'--what was needed was a first rate ballerina performance; those long solos need more than good technique. I admired Antonio Carmena in the pas de trois, he was the most engaged male on the stage. Weese was first rate in 'Rubies', although as of late, Hubbe has seemed a bit lumbering to me. Savannah Lowery brings Gloria Govrin to mind--I tend to concentrate on their proportions, rather than their performance, and it can be disconcerting. Kowroski was fine in 'Diamonds'--she's not Farrell, nor should she try to be. What I would like to see in her performance is a greater calmness and serenity---at times she appeared to be the troubled Swan.

My pet peeve has always been the 'contribution' slot on the mail order form---so much so, that I buy my tickets at the box office. I'm sure the seats ordered by mail are not so good if the contribution slot is left blank. I like to twit the NYCB marketeers by telling them I would never order tickets without knowing who's dancing----and not being much of an opera goer, I think it a bit outrageous that ABT has to share any contribution with the Met Opera Company.

I finally hooked up my scanner and I have put three photographs on my 'blog'---of Danilova and Magallanes, Toumanova and Riabouchinska---you can see them at: Ruminations.

Take the money and run

I have been reading Nigel Hamilton's biography of Bill Clinton--"An American Journey". I do have some reservations about the book; there is too much psychoanalyzing of his subject and he has far too many quotes from Emmett Tyrrell of 'American Spectator". This aside, I was delighted to learn that our very own Paul Parish was a Rhodes Scholar with Clinton during that time. B)

From what I have read of Cavallo, I was looking forward to her replacement in 'La Sylphide'---hoping for Schandorff, but pleased with Bojeson---it was a tantalizing bit. The William Tell casting of Watson and Lund (she looked like a country girl) would have b een fine if only I could have stopped thinking of Darci Kistler. I, too, wish NYCB would acquire Kristoffer Sakurai--he was fine in 'Flower Festival' but could use a bit more polish; his left foot could be more sharply pointed, and his fifth positions tighter. (Oh, we can be so picky ) Tina Hojlund made 'Triplex' worth watching; a very alive dancer with a good command of the stage. Back to the confusing program which listed the same three dancers in 'Nomade' (although there were only two principals) and 'Triplex'. I am assuming I saw Hojlund in 'Triplex'--but did I also see her in the lead in 'Nomade' :shrug:

I know.  I've seen excerpts on film.

I sort of gave myself a mental exercise, because I do like the lighter quality of the white in Barocco.  But Agon needs not only the black, but the contrast of the black and white in the sections where the whole cast is on stage.

Just as you say, Carbro--it's the contrast that I miss, and I'm pretty certain that you would not like an alll white 'Agon', and I gag when I think of the original Barocco costumes. It was quite revolutionary, at the time, and most of the audience did not know how to take it--including most of the critics. I must admit, I was in that group. When The Ballet Russe was performing this, Ballet Theatre was in the midst of a very glamorous season---Markova, Toumanova, Riabouchinska--Hence, Barocco was a shock to our system---but Balanchine slowly reeducated us.