Dansuer85

The first one you posted is it! Thanks!

I do not see where it says she will be doing the part of 'Myrtha'. She will be making her MET debut in the lead ballerina role of Theme and Variations, which she did on tour in Kansas City.

There was a video about Sylvie Guillem back in the 80's I believe. I have some clips from it, but would like to know it's name and also if it's still available! Thank you!

Could be Marga, I honestly can't remember. I'm sure that's a good book though!

Since this is effective on June 30th, 2005 shouldn't they announce soon who will take over? Like with PNB when it was announced the first of the year who would take over and 6 months before that, that they were retiring. It just seems some abrupt. Any thoughts from the NBoC people?

Carol, I am sorry I do not remember the name of the book! It was a small book, maybe 100 pages are so. I was around 11 or 12 when I read this so it was a few years ago. I'm sure if you go to the Library they can help you!

fandeballet said:

Dear Dansuer85..... You must also understand that while managements have different degrees of enforcing the rules, all tickets bought are licences that entitles you to your spot, whether you have purchased a seat or standing place. The Met feels that its ushers must enforce the licensing agreement, and unsold or empty seats that are sold must be kept that way!!!!! Believe this , the ushers' strings are pulled very hard by Met management!!!!!

Fandeballet, I tottaly understand that! I don't hate the ushers for doing their job, I just wish the Met didn't care so much. I mean yes, if I could pay for an orchestra seat, I certianly would.

I do agree that it's the luck of the draw richard!

I've done standing room at both the NYST and the Met. NYST you can sit right as the lights go down, I very much like this! It's far away, but you can see pretty well. At the Met, they are horrible! I know I paid for standing room, but I can't afford an orchestra seat and if there are empty seats then whats the harm?! I was seeing a performance of "Copellia" last summer and I had a balcony seat and it was very crowded and I saw that the orchestra was rather empty, so I tried my luck down there, didn't work! At the Met it works much better if its very crowded, had luck with some friends at a performance of Swan Lake! I don't mind standing room, but as the others said, if I'm in the first row. It's cheap and it makes it when I'm in New York City I can see more than one performance!

Maria Tallchief has been hailed as the "First American Ballerina", seeing as she was truly AMERICAN(Native American, I forget which tribe and part Irish, I could be incorrect on that part.) I'd have to say the title fits! I have read a few of her biographies over the years and have most enjoyed her stories as one of the first dancers in America.

Thank you for the link to the videos on NYCB's website! I had no idea they were there and i'm very much enjoying them! I must say I really enjoyed Tyler Peck(sp?). The others were nice, but just something about her and maybe it was her variation too, but she was very enjoyable to watch.

Well, I think it wouldn't have been too hard to use a dancer from the company. I'm sure there is some soloist, if not corps member who was learning that as a 4th or 5th cast. I do think that one of the appeals of having Barker dance is that she is a top dancer from a company on the other side of the country. I think guestings are great but a part of me always thinks, "Too bad a dancer from the home company didn't get a chance to show what they could do". Everything happens for a reason though and I'm sure it was a treat to see Barker and I'm sure that drew some people who might not have been coming to last minute grab tickets.

I know this is off the present topic of promotions, but I was just curious to what all of the Boston Ballet goers thought about having Patricia Barker guest as "Lilac Fairy"? Obviously the company is large enough and talented enough?(I would guess) I know guest artist can be good, but this was such a last minute thing, why not have someone from within company step up and get a chance at the part? Wouldn't that be better overall for the company? These are just somethings I thought about when reading all of this. It sounds like it was a great producition.

I'm a fan of Gilmore Girls. I believe more so than making fun of dancers(which I don't think it was meant to at all, except to say the dance world is poor, which it is isn't?) But more about Emily and her snobbery...I also don't think you can take offense to everything. I personally found it kinda funny.

Kansas City Ballet's 2005-2006 Season

» Fall Performance

October 6-9, 2005

Stravinsky Violin Concerto

Choreography: George Balanchine

Music: Igor Stravinsky

Canzone I and II

Choreography: Paula Weber

Music: Bohuslav Martinu

ZuZu Lounge

Choreography: Margo Sappington

Music: Juan G.Esquivel

» Spring Performance

May 11-14, 2006

Voyager

Choreography: Todd Bolender

Music: Leonard Bernstein

Six Solos II

1. Green Dress Circle, Choreography: Claire Porter

2. Isadora, Choreography: Isadora Duncan

3. Witch Dance, Choreography: Mary Wigman

4. Episodes, Choreography: George Balanchine

5. Song of the Nightingale, Choreography: George Balanchine

6. Percussion IV, Choreography: Bob Fosse

The Catherine Wheel Suite

Choreography: Twyla Tharp

Music: David Byrne

to see the rest of the season click here

By Paul Horsely of the Kansas City StarFull Review

Some dancers just dance. Others absorb movement into their bodies in ways that allow them later to create their own coherent dance.

Robert Hill is a choreographer of the latter sort. The impact of his “Piano Concerto No. 2” at the Kansas City Ballet's program Thursday derived partly from his imaginative use of what he learned as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.

This engaging four-section piece, in its world premiere, had the passion of Russian ballet, the deft clarity of Balanchine and a loose, fresh, modern quality.

Preview of Kansas City Ballet- performances this week(5th-8th)

The first time Robert Hill set a piece of Lowell Liebermann's music to dance, he was nervous. What would the composer think?

“With Mozart you don't have to worry,” Hill said recently of the task of choreographing music of a living composer.

Unlike Mozart, Liebermann was not only alive and well, but he also was living — as Hill would soon learn — a block away from his own home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The two “neighbors” were about to meet in the studios of the American Ballet Theatre.

Kansas City Star

I'd have to say, as much as I hate smoking, I don't believe it has alot to do with it. Maybe some, but not alot. I know many dancers who smoke and breathe easily and then those who don't and breathe heavy. It's more to do with pacing your breathing and learning how to breathe correctly!(which im still working on! ) Also allergies, colds and sinus problems play into all of this! I do agree, watch the dancing, but I also agree that I don't want to see gasping on stage!

Ok, I know i've taken a while to get my perspective of the show written, but i've been busy! Sorry! But at last here it is....

I saw both shows, Friday night and Saturday night. The program for both nights was "Theme and Variations", "Tchaikovsky Pas de Duex", "workwithinwork" and "Sinfonietta".

Friday's performance:

Theme was performed by Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes. This was the first time I had seen this ballet live and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't all I had expected. Paloma and Marcelo where not very exciting. Paloma has great feet and legs but no presentation or grace at all. I felt her quick foot work was not very clean. Her arms were rather wild and not soft. Something that bugged me a lot was when she did the quick pas de chats(i believe there was a soutenu after) she was just so jerky! She was really pretty in the section where she is held up by the girls, because it's all about the legs and feet and the Pas de deux was rather pretty, but still very boring. The corps was decent, the stage was rather small for theme, but they were pretty good, lines and timing were a little off, but not badly so. Marcelo was decent in his variations, but I found him to have no personality! So, from that I do not believe either of them were suitable to Theme!

Tchaikovsky Pas was performed by Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo. I also had never seen this live so it was very exciting to see 2 balanchine ballets in one night i'd only seen parts of on video! I've never seen Xiomara before and she was BEAUTIFUL! She is so lyrical and soft and her presence is just so sweet! Herman is an utter power house amazing performer freak of nature! His double cabrioles were just amazing, I could have jumped through each beat! Over all I think they were both amazing. They work well together and flow really well. Xiomara tripped at one point when running towards him, but was able to keep her composure(after the audience gasped in unison!) and kept going! The only thing I would say, is the dives weren't very explosive, she was right next to him. But over all I loved this and them!

workwithinwork by William Forsythe, I had not see this ever. I LOVED IT! I thought it was an amazing piece of work, a tad too long, but amazing! The choreography was just amazing, flowing, exciting and static(in a good way). People who stood out in this to me where; Misty Copeland, Michele Wiles, Eric Underwood(wow what extension and great movement quality) and Marcelo Gomes. Marcelo really impressed me in this. I've never really liked him in the classical pieces i've seen him in, but in this he just blew me away and his movement quality was AMAZING! Misty moves very well in work like this and her legs and feet really seem to lend themselves well to this type of choreography(more so than classical in my opinion which i'll get to). Michelle Wiles really does contemporary better than I thought she would. This piece is amazing and over all was done extremely well!

Sinfonietta(didn't see it friday so will talk about it on saturdays)

Saturday night-

Theme with Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo. This was Sarah Lane's(20 year old Corp member) debut in the Ballerina Role! She is so tiny!! She was beautiful! Her presence is just so elegant! She has very good/clean foot work! She danced the variations so well! Hit almost every turn. Her upper body was elegant and soft yet precise when need be, no jerkiness though! Herman was as usual amazing! His variation's had so much movement and flow. The partnering was a little shaky, i'm not sure why, because he partnered very well the night before in Tchia Pas, i'm assuming it has to do with being their first time together. My only pet peeve about Sarah was her arabesque line. While it was nice and straight and clean her foot tended to point downward. I wish someone would tell her to wing her foot a bit, to give her a better line. The corps on this night was....not as good. By not as good I mean line wise! The dancing was good, but I felt the lines were really just not there.(Now this also could be due to a different perspective as I was in the orchestra before and on this night in the Balcony). Misty Copeland stood out to me, but not in a good way. I felt after seeing her the night before in workwithinwork she would be really good and strong in Theme, but she wasn't. She looked as if she were never fully over her shoes, she was sloppy and very boring. I also just don't like how she looks in a tutu! Over all though, this performance was much more enjoyable than the previous cast. While the corp was a little more sloppy, they were more vibrant!

Tchia Pas was with Paloma Herrera and Angel Corella. Ok, It was good, but eh. Angel was amazing. So full of energy and alive and just amazing! He changed the variation, where as Herman did the original, but it was obviously still amazing. Paloma, while having more energy than the night before, looked dead next to Angel. She to me is more suited to this than Theme, but she was still not graceful enough, she hit the turns and the big sissones onto pointe very well, but again over all I just couldn't enjoy her. I was hoping that since they've danced Don Q. so much together that the dives would just be ravishing and full of life and power, but alas no. She almost tripped both times before jumping and she was like 2 ft away from him.

Ok this is getting long but shortly on workwithinwork- it was basically the same cast and again I was amazed by it, though long, amazing. Misty Copeland again amazed me, which after seeing her in Theme surprised me(even though she was amazing the night before) Her feet just look gorgeous in this and she used them! So at least at these shows she was showing more of an affinity to contemporary work than classical.

Sinfonietta by Jiri Kylian. Ok I was very excited to see my first Kylian work. Well, it was good, but it was just a bunch of saute de chats. Like at first I was enjoying the music and the background, but then it just kept going and going and going and being Saute de chat after saute de chat after saute de chat after saute de chat!! It was a tad annoying. I'd say this was my least favorite piece by far, because it didn't show much substance to me!

Over all I most enjoyed seeing them dance! It's always nice as a dancer to see shows to keep ya going! Also to see people I know up on stage! Well, plus I love ABT! Bravo

I did see them! Im gonna try today, maybe tomorrow to put a review under the ABT in KC thread!

ABT was in Kansas City on April 15th and 16th. Over all the performances were good! I will post more later when I have time to write out a review, but thought I would post this to see if anyone saw the performances! Please post if you did and share your impressions!

I've not seen them dance, but I would think Berlin Opera Ballet would be a good one to see. I know a few dancers there(wonderful) and you could try and see the lovely Polina Semoniva(sp?) I mean if you're in Germany see what you can! Best of luck with such an amazing trip! I'm sooooo jealous!!!

Hasn't happened yet! :-D

It's not very old. Polina is only about 20. She is a Principal dancer with Berlin Opera Ballet(Staatsballett-Berlin). She is quite gorgeous, I have never seen her live, just pictures and this video and heared from friends! She is from the Kirov, I believe. Malkhov snatched her up! heheh

I'm kind of sad we are seeing Herrera twice, she's not my favorite. While I'm glad Lane is getting the chance, I was really hoping to see Wiles in this. I'm very excited to see both workwithinwork and Sinfonietta!

Kansas City Ballet has put new pictures up from the winter performance!!

Kansas City Ballet Winter Performance Photos