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The plan was to have the same cast on 3, 5, and I think 8 November and combine the performances to get the best video possible. Dale and Estelle, the Agence Enguerand site is back up and their three photo sets are again visible.

For a preview of the DVD, and a look at Lacroix's version, here are photos from Agence Enguerand of POB in Jewels. The date given, 27 October 2005, suggests it may have been the dress rehearsal, since the opening night was 28 October. Emeralds (12): http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...t=&type_action= Rubies (8): http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...photo=selection Diamonds (15): http://217.167.132.38/agence/general.php?o...photo=selection POB gives the casting for the video as: EMERAUDES Laëtitia Pujol - Mathieu Ganio Clairemarie Osta - Kader Belarbi Nolwenn Daniel Eleonora Abbagnato - Emmanuel Thibault RUBIS Aurélie Dupont - Alessio Carbone Marie-Agnès Gillot DIAMANTS Agnès Letestu - Jean-Guillaume Bart

Here is a collection of 40 pictures of the Assoluta, the first at age two. http://www.mmv.ru/p/ballet/ (first click near the top center: К юбилею Майи Плисецкой Then click on Фотогалерея) Here she is in two sets from the 1996 Mikkeli Festival. Bejart's Isadora: http://www.balletmikkeli.com/eng/isadora1996_eng.php and Bejart's Kurozuka: http://www.balletmikkeli.com/eng/kurozuka1996_eng.php In the latter ballet she plays the role Bejart created for the sublime Kabuki onnagata Bando Tamasaburo in 1988. Her partner is Patrick Dupond, who was also the partner of Tamasaburo.

EURO-TV offers a 10+ minute tribute to Maya, from Riga, Latvia (August, 2005). After about 3 minutes Maya appears and dances Bejart's "Ave Maya" and then has some fun with the audience. http://www.eurotv.lv/modules.php?name=News...article&sid=592 One clicks on the word Video below the photo.

The combo of Evans and Cage is intriguing. I wish they'd identified the Cage. But I don't think it'd be one of those mic-hanging-out-the-window pieces. I'd have bought (full-price) tickets long ago if there'd been a serious Balanchine, like Sym C or Strav Sym or Violin Concerto... After all, it is the only ballet in town till 2006. But it is a long wait, and the chance of getting good seats at such low prices... and the dancers are so great! Doubtless they'd have sold the Big Tickets to the Society Elite no matter what, but most people who go to the Gala are balletomanes, and it would have meant a bit more $ to the company had they attracted "us" with some festive Mr. B! And, more importantly, not have sent such a negative message: remember, this is the time of their phone campaign for Guild renewals, upgrades, and new memberships. Although there is a lack of rectitude in the following thought, perhaps weakness in the Met Opera attendance will lead to a bit of season shortening. Not that long ago they extended their season, stretching ABT into post July 4 low ticket sales. Who knows, maybe they could rest the opera mid-season, and NYC would finally get some time and space for the Mariinsky, like the rest of the country.

"...A very bad sign indeed.... as this post originally began.... that Peter doesn't consider Balanchine a necessary part of an opening night gala at Balanchine's NYCB." Apparently some NYCB fans don't agree with Peter on this. Judging from the e-mail sent to registered users of NYCB's website, it isn't sold out: THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGINS! New York City Ballet invites you to share in the glamour and magic of our Winter Season Opening Night Gala Performance on Tuesday, November 22 at 7:30pm. As a Registered User, and a special member of the NYCB family, we have set aside a select group of Orchestra and 2nd Ring Seats at a very special price - just for you! Registered Users may purchase Opening Night Orchestra Seats for $60 each. Registered Users may purchase Opening Night Second Ring Seats for $40 each. Come celebrate the start of an extraordinary new season with a special "one time only" program: AN AMERICAN MUSIC CELEBRATION Fearful Symmetries This stellar evening begins with the return of Peter Martins' dynamic and lightning-quick ballet set to a propulsive John Adams score. This exuberant work makes the mind race. A New Ballet by Albert Evans You know him as a talented principal dancer. Now, come and discover Albert Evans as choreographer when he presents a new work for the Company to music by one of America's most important composers, John Cage. You'll be part of the "in crowd" when you enjoy this ballet in its only performance of the season. N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz Get hip to this recently revived audience favorite with music by Robert Prince and choreography by the incomparable Jerome Robbins, featuring the coolest young dancers around.

The LA Times recently published a review of the two versions. A quote: "As might be expected, the Kirov capitalized on elegance, with Aleksandr Gulyaev remarkably pure in line as Danila but also persuasively torn between his character's love for Katerina (the dewy Anna Polikarpova) and the secret splendors revealed by the supernatural Mistress of Copper Mountain (the forceful Tatiana Terekhova). Gulyaev expresses a genuine yearning for creative transcendence, but Nikolai Dorokhov — his boyish, virtuosic Bolshoi counterpart — just concentrates on the steps, often flashier than in the Kirov edition. His Katerina (Ludmilla Semenyaka) brings welcome complexity to her mournful solos, and his Mistress of Copper Mountain (Nina Semizorova) an edge of glee to her twisty vocabulary." The entire article: http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/segal/cl...y?coll=cl-segal

"Strangely underused: Angel Corella." Actually Angel was dancing in a number of performances of "La Gioconda" in Barcelona during the first part of ABT's season. Here's a photo (click on upper right photo): http://www.liceubarcelona.com/comu/recull.asp?i=146# I fully agree re Veronika Part's great Citry Center season. Too bad the Spring casting was decided in advance. Still, there's no excuse for giving her just one, workday matinee at that, Swan Lake. Hopefully some of those TBA leads will fall to her (and Acosta?). Oh yes, sz, Brava! Sarah Lane, that performance blew me away too.

I think many will agree that this has been an unusually successful City Center Season for ABT. In particular, certain individual dancers had performances that might be viewed as breakthrough or otherwise magical. My peak moment came from apprentice Hee Seo in Tudor's Dark Elegies, part IV. A performance of radiant grief, so natural and unaffected, and of true depth. I hope others will also describe moments or performances that especially moved them and/or signaled a leap forward of some favorite, or newly discovered, dancer.

For a real change of pace, how about non-dance photos by a dancer? Here are 28 from a current exhibition in St. Petersberg. Click on each to enlarge. The photographer is a fairly well-known dancer: http://www.baryshnikovphotography.com/about/photos2.html

If you're interested in Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers, photographer Aleksei Brajnikov's site: http://www.bolshoi.net/photos/brajnikov/page-prima.htm offers many fairly large photos. On the upper right there are nine lines listing dancers in alphabetical order. Click on a line and their photos appear. Click on photos to enlarge.

At last, the right question! Kobborg. Can someone supply the other matches? (Careers are short, salaries small, fringe benefits and pensions? I hope proceeds from the high ticket prices go mostly to the performers.)

Johan Kobborg's website gives some interesting details on the performances in Costa Mesa, 16-19 February, and New York, 23-26. Mr. Kobborg will perform in the new Wheeldon ballet, as well as in a new version of "Afternoon of a Faun" choregraphed by T. Rushdon, and a solo of Bournonville. He will also perform with Vishneva (he does not mention her by name, but for NY the City Center site does) in "Jeune Homme", with DATE to be announced for each city. The singular date suggests that perhaps the men will alternate performances in "Jeune Homme." http://www.kobborg.co.uk/calb/cal.html

The Rheinishen Post offers an 11 photo slideshow of the premiere of Malakhov's Berlin "Sleeping Beauty" (leads are Vishneva, Malakhov). Review links were posted (German and English) in the Vishneva thread under Dancers. http://www.rp-online.de/public/bildershow_...76?picture_id=0

This is the one scene in the ballet that should have gone on and on and on. Live, and on the DVD, it is the high point of the ballet (for me), and could stand alone as a component of a mixed bill. (Not quite Kingdom of the Shades of course, but still so good...) Dream request: Perhaps a pro Petipa scholar-choreographer could be commisioned if M. Lacotte is not interested... With six rivers, what a wonderful "teaching ballet" it could be for young dancers.

ABT Spring Casting WEEK 1: May 23 T Corsaire: Herrera, ?, Corella, Reyes, H. Cornejo, Lopez 24 W mat Cor: Irina, Max, Corella, E. Cornejo, Radetsky 24 W eve Cor: Murphy, ?, Carrreno, Abrera, Saveliev, Pastor 25 Th Cor: TBA 26 F Stravinsky: Apollo (Carreno, Kent, Riccetto, Murphy), Petrouchka (Bocca, Abrera, Gomes), Jeu de Cartes (TBA) 27 S mat: A (Hallberg, Part, Abrera, Wiles), P (Corella, Reyes, Stappas), J 27 S eve: A (TBA), P (Stiefel, E. Cornejo, Zhurbin), J WEEK 2: 29 M: A (Max, ?, Hamrick, Thomas), P (Corella, Abrera, Gomes), J 30 T: A (Carreno, Kent, Riccetto, Murphy), P (Bocca, Reyes, Stappas), J 31 W mat: A (Max, ?, Hamrick, Thomas), P (Stiefel, E. Cornejo, Zhurbin), J 31 W eve: A (TBA), P (?, Abrera, Gomes), J June 1 Th: A (Hallberg, Part, Abrera, Wiles), P (?, Reyes, Stappas), J 2 F Cinderella: Kent 3 S mat Cindy: Murphy 3 eve Cindy: Kent WEEK 3: 5 M Cindy: Murphy 6 T Cindy: Wiles 7 W mat Cindy: TBA 7 W eve Cindy: Murphy 8 Th Cindy: Wiles 9 F Cindy: TBA 10 S mat Cindy: Kent 10 S eve Cindy: Wiles WEEK 4: 12 M Giselle: Reyes, Stiefel, Murphy 13 T Giselle:Irina, Max, Part 14 W mat Giselle: Herrera, Gomes, Abrera 14 W eve Giselle: Vishneva, Malakhov, Wiles 15 Th Giselle: Kent, Carreno, Part 16 F Giselle: Reyes, Bocca, Murphy 17 S mat Giselle: TBA 17 S eve Giselle: TBA WEEK 5: 19 M Manon: Ferri, Bocca 20 T Manon: Kent, ? 21 W mat Manon: TBA 21 W eve Manon: TBA 22 Th Manon: Ferri, Bocca 23 F Manon: Kent. ? 24 S mat Manon: TBA 24 S eve Manon: Vishneva, ? WEEK 6: 26 M Swan Lake: Irina, Max 27 T Swan Lake: TBA 28 W mat Swan Lake: Part, Gomes 28 W eve Swan Lake: Vishneva, Carreno 29 Th Swan Lake: Herrera, ? 30 F Swan Lake: Kent, Bocca July 1 S mat Swan Lake: Wiles, Hallberg 1 S eve Swan Lake: Murphy, Corella WEEK 7: 3 M Sylvia: Murphy, Max, Lopez, Gomes 4 nil 5 W mat Sylvia: Wiles, Hallberg, Salstein, Saveliev 5 W eve Sylvia: Herrera, Corella, Salstein, Pastor 6 Th Sylvia: Kent, Stiefel, Lopez, Radetsky 7 F Corsaire: Herrera, Gomes, Corella, Reyes, Carreno, H. Cornejo 8 S mat Cor: Irina, Max, Stiefel, Riccetto, Radetsky, ? 8 S eve Cor: ?, ?, Carreno, Abrera, Saveliev, Pastor WEEK 8: 10 M Romeo & Juliet: Vishneva, Corella 11 T R&J: Ferri, Carreno 12 W mat R&J: TBA 12 W eve R&J: Herrera, Hallberg 13 Th R& J: Irina, Max 14 F R&J: Ferri, Carreno 15 S mat R&J: TBA 15 S eve R&J: Kent, Gomes N.B. Irina=Dvorovenko, Max=Beloserkovsky The success of the season rests on TBA

Specific casting for dancers who appear to be Ballet Talk (and/or my) favorites. One should note that lead ballerina roles are not yet given for 2 Corsaires, 2 Cindys, 2 Giselles, 3 Manons, 1 Lake, 2 R&Js. Veronika Part: May 27 Sat mat Apollo (Terpsichore): Hallberg, Abrera, Wiles June 1 Thursday repeat June 13 Tues Giselle (Myrtha): Irina, Max June 15 Thurs Giselle (Myrtha): Kent, Carreno June 28 Weds mat (!) Swan Lake: Gomes Diana Vishneva: June 14 Weds Giselle:Malakhov, Wiles June 24 Sat Manon (TBA) June 28 Weds Swan Lake: Carreno July 10 Mon R&J: Corella Alessandra Ferri: June 19 Mon Manon: Bocca June 22 Thurs repeat July 11 Tues R&J: Carreno July 14 Fri repeat David Hallberg: In addition to the two Apollos with Part: July 1 Sat mat Swan lake: Wiles July 5 Weds mat Sylvia: Wiles July 12 Weds R&J: Herrera Marcello Gomes (leading roles): In addition to the Part Swan Lake: June 14 Weds mat Giselle: Herrera July 7 Fri Corsaire: Herrera, Corella July 15 Sat R&J: Kent NO FANG, NO LANE Acosta: no dates given H. Cornejo: just two non-major roles listed: May 23 and July 7 Corsaire

Ashley Bouder, Natalia Osipova. Before the early injuries, Darci Kistler.

Why is it, do you think, that so many great ballerinas---Vishneva, Guillem, Cojocaru, Ferri....---are crazy about Manon? (I mean this as a literal question, not in any way as a comment on above posts re MacMillan.) I've seen one prima ballerina so intensely into it that when she flew herself onto the bed her momentum carried her head-first into the head board(no injury). You heard the boom and seemed to even feel the vibration in the cavernous Met!

Vladimir Malakhov's version of Sleeping Beauty in Berlin looks a bit different from the Mariinsky's, but I gather from reviews that much of the traditional choreography is included. Here's a nice photo of Diana and Vladimir dancing in the premiere. There are also links to three newspaper reviews, all in German, however. http://www.tanznetz.de/en/kritiken.phtml?p...id=112&tid=6470 Update 10/30/05: http://www.tanznetz.de/en/news.phtml?page=...id=114&tid=6486 now has the picture but also review text in English. The Berlin press does not fully endorse Malakhov's shortening of Sleeping Beauty..

An English translation of the book was made at the time (of course in the English and style of the 17th century) and has been preserved by project Gutenberg. You may download it from their site: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9454 When I used zip it downloaded almost instantly, but at first could not see the the illustrations in the text. Then I discovered they were all there too, but had down- loaded into their own folders. Many illustrations of positions, and the files identify the pages for the illustrations. The American Library of Congress offers many resources, including numerous videos, going back to 1490: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html

Twyla Tharp's site has a number of photos as well as other information about "In the Upper Room." http://www.twylatharp.org/archive/dance_pa...anceSelected=85

Thank you Skittl for the information. Judith Fugate starred in Who Cares for years at NYCB, her specialty being "Fascinatin' Rythm." The company that she and her husband run also performs the Concert Version of the ballet (the full scale version uses a large number of men), so she's a wonderful expert to have. As a young girl she starred in Mr. Balanchine's Nutcracker in the role of Clara (called Marie or Masha by Mr. B) for four years and later became the first Marie to dance the great role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. She is a beautiful dancer, both delicate and fast. Mr. Balanchine used to call her "Sarah Bernhardt!" Here is an interview with her not long after she retired from NYCB: http://www.danceview.org/interviews/fugate.html Please keep us informed on how it goes.

The telecasts of Raymonda are appearing at the times posted for today. Mostly at 400Kbps, with infrequent slipping to 225. Act 1 has finished with Act 2 about to begin. Re the matter of who's who, in Act 1 the first star out is the great danseur noble Filin. Then Alexandrova and partner arrive followed immediately by Shipulina and partner. Then Allash (Raymonda). Later, in the Lyre Pd4 Alexandrova is first to start; when it becomes a Pd5 with Allash (the Lyre player) in center, Alexandrova is to our left, Shipulina to our right. This being Grigorovich, it is really a sequence of divertissements rather than being story-oriented like ABT's version. The Act therefore ends (beautifully) with a Dream Scene rather than a Vision Scene (at ABT it is a vision inspired by the "white lady", of course the Virgin Mary Statue, but for some reason ABT is shy about that--it is the era of the Jerusalem Crusades, after all). Raymonda dreams of her nobly robed Knight who has just given her his gift of silk, but Eros enters the dream in the form of Saracen Knight Rinat Arifulin, who then begins his very impressive performance. http://www.cultu.ru/english/pautina/2005/raymonda/

Roughly, it is like our Oscar, but Russia being a more cultured country gives such awards to the arts. Bright Spring was a recent winner, so it could be that, since Bright Spring is a more significant work of art , they didn't want to risk failure with Fille (?). Also, Fille is already a few years old, the video was recorded in October 2003.