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atm711

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Posts posted by atm711

  1. I can see where one can put one's life in jeopardy on this web-site for any criticism of Fonteyn. Something you didn't know Lu when you expressed your opinion and that is that Fonteyn has been all but canonized on this web-site.

    A long time ago Beaumont wrote of Fonteyn:

    "Fonteyn's dancing is always ordered and restrained. She moves within an ambit determined by herself and is seldom carried out of it by the emotion born of a moving situation.

    Fonteyn has vitality, but not fire. You never feel that her whole body pulsates and burns with the desire to dance...."

    I saw Fonteyn dance "live" many times, starting from her first American appearance in 1949, and down through the years. Beaumont's description sums it up for me. Somehow, I have never judged a dancer by commenting on "placement".

  2. Itwas a pretty superficial look at Stalin, Lubyanka and the Bolshoi. One was reminded of the awful political ballets they were doing, and it set me to thinking why we in the west, at the time, had such a high opinion of the Bolshoi. It was Public Relations at its best.

  3. My vote is for the Diaghilev years -- all 20 of them.--If I can pick a few years here and there, I would love to see Spessivtseva's Giselle and I would really like to re-visit Ballet Theatre's 1944-45 season. There's always "The Twilight Zone".

  4. Universal Ballet's "Bayadere" must certainly qualify as the most sumptuous production around. If it's costuming and props that capture you--this production is for you.

    The two ballerinas -- Eun-Sun Jun (Nikia) and Seh-Yun Kim (Gamzatti) turned in "nice" performances (would it be better to say "commendable"?) The latter has a more bravura technique and attacked her variation in Act II with much verve, while Eun-Sun Jun is the more lyrical. (Makarova, Assylmuratova and Bussell are hard acts to follow!)

    The much touted "Shades" scene left me with a few reservations. There were too many distractions---the 32 entered on a 2-level cumbersome ramp while a panoramic back-drop filtered clouds and mist across a moon-lit sky. The entrance was performed behind a too-dark scrim, which made the scene look murky. The serenity of the scene was missing for me. It wasn't until they were all in place that the scrim was raised and we could see the pristine whiteness of the costumes. As to the "Corps"--there were many rough edges--perhaps it is too much to expect 32 to dance in unison.

  5. Quoted from the LA Times article:

    "Adrienne Dellas-Thornton (founder of UB) insists that, despite her membershipin the Unification Church her association with Universal Ballet has always been professional, not religious. Company officials are equally adament that it's a dance organization, not a representative of the church"----It seems to me that the lady doth protest too much.

    Cults, or supposed cults, leave a bad taste in my mouth. I have a dear family member a part of one to this day--and it tries any means to seem "respectable" and boasts of many prominent Hollywood people in its membership. However, all this talk has not prevented me from seeing "La Bayadere", I already have my tickets. (I must have a touch of larceny in my heart--the lower prices lured me)

  6. I was at the Thursday night performance and from what I have been reading, I suppose I am one of the few who actually liked "Amarcord"--it had the same strong impact on me that I felt the first time I saw "The Green Table". I loved the family dinner scene, the Confesion scene, the party scene with the Glenn Miller music--and Gradisca's lovely theme music melted me! (Perhaps one has to be Italian to like it). I must also commend Sabrina Brazzo, a ballerina I would love to see again.

    In October of 1950 (on our first date) I took my future spouse to see "Carmen" with Jeanmaire and Petit, and since we have just celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary this past Saturday we thought it would be fun to revisit "Carmen" together.

    I felt Durante was too predatory (she could have been dancing "The Cage")---when Jeanmaire and Petit danced that pas de deux there was a softness and vulnerability evident in both of them. With Durante (although beautifully danced) there was a disinterest, and one expected her to be paid for her services

    My spouse's comments?--the program was "better than Balanchine". I think I will need another 50 years to work on a conversion.

  7. Victoria Leigh writes:

    "Back then...there really were Ballerinas....stars, mature artists who the public knew and loved."

    You can also say the same about movie actresses and you don't have to rely on anyone's memory--it's all there on film. Just compare the 3 versions of "An Affair to Remember". We go from the mature, assured Irene Dunne to the slightly neurotic Deborah Kerr, and finally to the disaster (?) of Annette Bening.

    It is not only ballet's problem.

    [ 07-17-2001: Message edited by: atm711 ]

  8. I will be seeing Carmen next week in NY but I was expecting Alessandra Ferri..I was a bit puzzled when I read recently that she is expecting a baby...does anyone know who will be dancing in NY? Alexandra, I know I am hopelessly dating myself, but I saw that Carmen back in 1948--more than once! There is also a tape out with Jeanmaire and Baryshnikov--but the chemistry is not there.Petit and Jeanmaire sizzled.

    As for "Amarcord", I'm sure it would help if you are familiar with the Fellini film. I am looking forward to this, because I understand they are using the background music of the film.

    [ 07-13-2001: Message edited by: atm711 ]

  9. With all the opinions about the pros and cons of Fouettes in my head, last evening I saw on Classic Arts Showcase" a tape of Alicia Alonso in the Black Swan PDD performed in 1968 with the Cuban ballet. Even with the poor camera work (about one-third of the time the dancers were out of camera range!) it was driven home to me what a great technician Alonso was. When I think of Alonso it is always her great artistry, with her technique a second consideration. While watching the PDD I thought.."will she or won't she"--well, she did, and brilliantly. She had the energy of a twenty year old--and she really dazzled, and she performed them "on a dime". I have seen other ballerinasdo pique turns, and one I saw did 32 changements!--but there is nothing to compare with the fouettes when properly done (perhaps with the exception of Nadia Nerina's 32 entrechat-six). It is necessary for the b allerina to dazzle at this point in the ballet--and if she is not up to it---practice, practice, practice.

    P.S.--I do not know anything about her partner--his name is Plisetsky--all I know is that he was not quite up to the part.

  10. Too bad! - I missed my chance!--I did not see the leotard "Sylphides" (I will settle for "Dances at a Gathering" costumes). I have seen some wonderful and some not-so-wonderful "Sylphides"--but that is the ONE ballet that no company can ruin for me. The groupings, combination of steps, the over-all patterns always come through.

    Maybe Fokine was "The Man who disappeared in an instant" because Massine was busily melding himself into Fokine--when Fokine was gone, we already had a replacement in the works. Unfortunately, not so for Balanchine!

  11. Well, if Balanchine is my "spire", Fokine is my "foundation". Les Sylphides is still the most perfect of ballets. My interest was fired by watching Firebird (with Markova), Scheherazade (with Danilova and Franklin), Carnaval (with Harold Lang), Petrouchka (with Massine). Aside from "Spectre" and "Bluebeard", "Swan" and "Igor", I haven't seen any of his other works. All of these works can appeal to today's audience with modern costuming. One of my wishes is to see "Sylphides" performed as a leotard ballet.

  12. If indeed I am a Balanchine Centrist I can only say in my defense that there were many years of ballet-going leading up to this. I was fortunate in my early ballet-going to see lots of Fokine and Massine and Tudor and Robbins--with a sprinkling of Balanchine, Ashton, Petit. During this time I could never fully understand why he wasn't more popular--and in particular, why Ballet Theatre had so little of his works. I finally got a good dose of Balanchine with the Denham Ballet Russe--and have been hooked ever since. I am a Balanchine centrist, in part, perhaps because I remember those years when he was out in the wilderness. FINALLY--they get it!!

  13. I will take two Rothbarts (Yea! even four!!) to ONE Jester any day.

    I saw Gillian Murphy this afternoon and thought she had a smashing success of a debut. Her Odette was a bit distant to her Prince, but it was appropriate for her--after all, she doesn't know the man too well, and up to this point in her life she hasn't had much success with men. Her technique was pristine and I loved the wonderful high arches of her back. One of my favorite parts of Act 2 is the coda, and her beats were sharp, fast and close to the floor. Act 3 was just as assured as her Act 2 (although, she did have a Cook's tour of the stage during the fouettes)--and again, she kept this Prince at a distance. Perhaps she will grow warmer in the role as time goes by--but I found her perfectly acceptable and exhilarating as she is now.

  14. Dale---I also saw that Wednesday matinee and was really bothered by the Tchai PDD--what Corella did at the end of the PDD was unforgiveable. In his haste to throw in a double tours en l'air he completely screwed up the finish--when Tuttle went headlong into her final jump, he clumsily managed to catch her, but had to give a final lift to achieve what he should have done in one take, and he had the audacity to repeat it! I suppose what really bothers me is that the audience applauded him more than they did Malakhov--who did a beautiful Nutcracker PDD with Jaffee.

  15. My first reaction is to say -- "Get out while the going's good!"

    I saw Danilova countless times during the last 10 years of her career, and if she was to be judged on technique alone my feeling would be -- "it's time". But what a powerful stage presence she was--and I, for one, am happy that I saw her Odette and Swanilda and all the wonderful Massine ballets. I feel the same way about Alicia Markova. During the 15 years I observed her, her technique could only be described as "fuzzy" (you weren't quite sure what she was trying to do)--and she rarely raised her leg in arabesque above a 45 deg. angle (OK in "Giselle" and "Pas de Quatre" but it didnot quite work in Nutcracker PDD). For a few years she was the only one who danced "Taglioni", but once Alonso (in her glorious youth) took over the part, I finally saw the choreography that Dolin had devised. Notwithstanding all of this, I still feel privileged to have seen these two Ballerina Assolutas. This quality is very hard to come by.

  16. I have only seen Nadezda Pavlova on film, in particular, the Shades section of Bayadere. (Russian Ballet, The Glorious Tradition, vol.3). Truly exquisite. For me, it has never been danced better. She captures the beautiful melancholy of the ballet. (Last week, I saw it danced at ABT by Tuttle with a broad teethy grin most of the time.)

    I saw Bessmertova dance Spartacus and Giselle and the best I can say is that she is a good company ballerina.

    I only saw Maximova on tape and I have always been favorably impressed with her work.

  17. Isn't it time we claim Balanchine as one of our own? Would it be the Balanchine we know if he had spent his life in England or France? I don't think so. He was also greatly influenced by our culture, whether it be in the athleticism of our dancers or our musical theatre and Hollywood. It amuses me how some Russians are trying to claim him.

    Ballet IS American, and we have Balanchine, Robbins and deMille to prove it.

  18. For me, it was a complete disaster. I don't think Baryshnikov in his prime could have saved this work. I expect it will join the junk heap where ABT's "Othello" resides. I can't imagine taking small kiddies to this one---the story is downright depressing. I have always admired Corigliano's score for the movie "Red Violin" and I looked forward to this one--but I found myself almost lulled to sleep. The backdrops and light show were far more engaging than anything that happened on stage.

    And Paquita, I also wondered where that blue costume was.

  19. Alexandra, I find your comments on Wilma Curley's opinion of SAB interesting. At the time I knew Wilma she was a child studying with George Chaffee, who doted on her talent. When she went on pointe he was careful in her choice of a shoe--he avoided a too hard toe box. It was a small studio with small classes, but it was time for her to spread her wings--she was not in the "right place at the right time". After her cocoon environment, she might have not found it too pleasant to be one of a few dozen.

  20. All the high praise for Danilova's Swanilda is not in the least over-stated. Her 2nd act toyshop scene was pure delight. I loved her nonchalance towards Coppelius when he was trying desperately to please her; and then teasing him unmercifully as she broke into a Scottish or Spanish dance. Of course, she was also fortunate to have Frederic Franklin as her Franz. Over the years I have avoided most Coppelias--but I regret not seeing McBride--I think she could have competed favorably with my remembrance of Danilova.

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