Helene

I know that she wasn't in the book, but Lisa Rinehart has written wonderful reviews for danceviewtimes.

Adding my thanks

Olivier Wevers is choreographing a new piece for the Northwest Dance Project show "NEW NOW WOW!" in Portland, OR, which will run from 30 September-2 October. According to Whim W'him's Facebook Page, Wevers will choreograph the work during the last two weeks in Portland. He is a busy man!

I just got a Google alert for this video of the finale of "Red Angels" from Vail International Film Festival: In order of appearance: Andrew Bartee Carla Korbes Lesley Rausch Lindsi Dec Seth Orza (no solo) I poked around YouTube found some more of PNB at Vail: Mixed class and rehearsal footage. Here, there's a bit more of Seth Orza, along with captioned ID's of Korbes, Sakvannara Sar, Daniil Simkin, Orza, Lindsi Dec, Korbes with Batkhurel Bold (longish passage from the Pas de Deux in Benjamin Millepied's "3 Movements"), Olivier Wevers, Lesley Rausch and Andrew Bartee, and Peter Boal. His foot looks better. Montage of rehearsal clips from "After the Rain Pas de Deux", with Rachel Foster and Jeffrey Stanton: Here's the second half of "Cool" from "West Side Story Suite". The dark-haired dancer in the red skirt is Rachel Foster. In the line of five men at about the half minute mark, from left to right: Ezra Thompson (blue with dark neck band), Benjamin Griffiths (peach sleeveless), Barry Kerollis (pink), Josh Spell (pale yellow), Jerome Tisserand (lime), James Moore (shirt with collar). In the background, Kyle Davis (aqua) partners someone I can't recognize because of the lighting, Lucien Postlewaite (Riff) partners Foster, and Andrew Bartee (blue) partners the woman in polka dot dress. Here Postlewaite has to sing after dancing up a storm: Three minutes of the "Black Swan Pas de Deux" from the $20.10 performance on 3 August, danced by Carla Korbes and Karel Cruz: Not PNB, but I couldn't resist:

, carbro!

I'm not a major fan of Yoshida, and I don't know McRae, but I love Gary Avis and would love to see his Drosselmeier.

According to Alastair Macaulay's review of the International Evening at the Vail Festival, Sokvannara Sar danced as a freelancer with NYCB's Robert Fairchild, Tiler Peck, and Joaquin De Luz in Larry Keigwin's "Rock Steady".

A mention of Rachel Butler-Otto and Phillip Otto by Christopher Fleming, who reports on his website that he's been teaching at the summer intensive at their school in Huntsville, Alabama this summer: http://balletfleming.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/alabama-and-%E2%80%9Crescue-me%E2%80%9D/ Fleming was a terrific dancer at NYCB, and the "About" section notes that he is a "part-time professor with the Dance Department at Goucher College." (It's a mere 88 degrees in Baltimore.) It was nice to see that his logo is a picture of him in "Fancy Free", a great role for him.

I was transfixed by his upper body and the way he coordinated his arms and head and shaded his shoulders mid-flight. Just beautiful. I just searched for Hecht. I saw that he joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle in 1987, but left before I moved there in time for the 1994-5 season. (Only Benjamin Houk, and I think Sterling Kekoa and Brad Phillips, from all the dancers reviewed, were dancing by the time I saw the company, although Michel Mesnier and Sylvie Guillaumin were in Seattle teaching in the school.) He's listed as a Guest Performer with The Hamburg Ballet, but no years are listed. The notes for the VAI DVD for Massine's "Symphonie Fanstastique" thank "Bjarne Hecht, a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet from 1975 to 1986 and now an actor living in New York City, for his translation." Hecht was listed as part of the 1992-3 season of the MCC Theater (Manhattan Company Class Theater) and in 1993, who played a "German Workman" in Thorton Wilder's "Pullman Car Hiawatha" at Circle in the Square. In more recent years, Bjarne Hecht from "Washington DC", has a Facebook account, whose friends list includes a number of RDB dancers -- Alexander Kolpin has a great profile photo up now -- although his hometown is listed as "New York, New York". In DC, there is a Bjarne Hecht who donated $400 to Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2008 and who, in 2008, was the manager of 51st State Tavern.

Anne -- thank you so much!!! When sandik and I were watching it, I mumbled something about that blond boy looking like Nilas Martins (and then trying to do the math to see if it were possible), but then thought, "Probably every other boy in Denmark looks like that." Niels Kehlet had a lot of character in the "Tarantella". I had heard his name, but never seen him before. I keep watching for the scenes in the studio through the warm-up before the performance where Hans Brenaa coaches, demonstrates, fusses about every detail of Kirk's costume in that wild shirt from the '70's, and, especially encourages. I wouldn't have thought him 60, let alone 70. I'm considering buying a second set, because if anything happened to this disk, I'd be crushed. Edited to add: I just found this review of the first Bournonville Festival by Tobi Tobias, which was reprinted in her Arts Journal blog, "Seeing Things", before she was able to review the second.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts online catalog lists the following information about "Dancing Bournonville": CONTENTS. Brief excerpt from a performance of Conservatoriet. Direction: Flemming Ryberg. Scenery and costumes: Ove C. Pedersen. Music: H.S. Paulli. Brief segments showing various teachers in class: children's class conducted by Flemming Ryberg Fredbjørn Bjørnsson teaching a men's "Wednesday" class Henning Kronstam teaching an adult class Erik Bruhn, as guest director, teaching a women's class. [*] Hans Brenaa teaching a mime sequence to Mette-Ida Kirk and Ib Andersen in preparation for restaging of Kermessen i Brügge. A week later, Brenaa rehearsing the same ballet with Kirk and Andersen. [*]Another week later, Brenaa directing Kirk in the same ballet on stage. [*]Backstage preparations before the premier of the same ballet shows dancers making up and warming up, and Brenaa giving a brief pre-performance talk to the dancers. [*]Mette-Ida Kirk and Ib Andersen in the Pas de deux, Act I, from Kermessen i Brügge in performance. Direction: Hans Brenaa. Scenery and costumes: Lars Juhl. Music: H.S. Paulli. [*]Performance of Tarentella from Act III of Napoli. Direction: Kirsten Ralov. Scenery and costumes: Søren Frandsen. Music: Paulli. [*]Kirsten Ralov instructing Linda Hindberg and Arne Villumsen in a run-through of the Pas de deux from Flower Festival at Genzano. Does anyone know who was in the Tarantella towards the end? I know Ib Andersen was one of the men -- he's the one who grab's for the woman's foot -- and I think Arne Villumsen was, too. (Not Gennaro, though, like in the later video with Linda Hindberg.)

I watched the third act again tonight as an antidote to the rain we're having. Thanks so much to rg for that cast listing: I was finally able to figure out who was who, and that the man in red in the Pas de Six that I loved so much is Bjarne Hecht.

Rest in peace, Mr. Judt.

Just a reminder: Links to rg's photos are gathered in this forum, by year: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?/forum/229-links-to-rgs-photos/ Each year has a series of links to prior years at the top of the page. They are a treasure trove and Ballet Talk is privileged to have them.

Thanks to a the response of members of Ballet Talk and Ballet Talk for Dancers in the last day, we have met our goal and are ending this year's fundraiser. Thank you and to everyone who donated and to everyone who uses the amazon link at the top of the page, on which we get commissions that cover the rest of our costs. More

The next generation is here: Caitlin (Caitie) Kakigi has been in Vail this summer, photographing rehearsals and Some of her photos have been posted on "The Winger": http://thewinger.com/2010/dispatch-from-an-intern/ http://thewinger.com/2010/the-half-way-point/ Scroll down -- the one at the bottom of Woetzel is superb. Some other links with photos by Kakagi: http://www.examiner.com/x-37863-Denver-Performing-Arts-Examiner~y2010m7d18-Two-diverse-venues-host-performing-arts-in-Colorados-Beaver-Creek-and-Vail-Resorts http://www.vaildance.org/vaildance/calendar.aspx?mode=detail&eventId=vidf_2010_7 These are just a drop in the bucket.

What do they do that makes this evident?

Thank you for quoting that, bart. Cheers to Mr. Eagling!

In my next life, I want to be the Photo-shopped version. At least for a week or two.

Wow, you are a tough audience

You're right on both points: that moment, or series of moments, doesn't come close to becoming a whole or much of significance, but it does show the potential. "Pristine" is the exact word.

No need to apologize -- I avidly read every word, and I share your hope that they bring this to the US (or Canada). I'd travel for it in a NY minute. In the US ballets and operas seem to take life from other productions -- no Macbeth or Elektra or Ballo for a while, and then all of a sudden, the opera is everywhere -- and it would have been great if the Bolshoi would have followed Royal Danish Ballet in Berkeley with it's "Coppelia", especially since San Francisco Ballet will have danced in the joint Pacific Northwest Ballet/San Francisco Ballet Danilova/Balanchine "Coppelia" a few months before.

Every once in a while though, one of the Trocs goes out of Trocdom and does something so direct and exquisite that it takes my breath away, and gender isn't even a factor.

I've always liked the plot of "La Bayadere". It reminds me of "Aida", but without the slow death by suffocation (or, possibly dehydration), and with a stupendous opium vision.

In an article about Seattle composer and choral director of The Esoterics, Eric Banks, Michael Upchurch, wrote about a recent spate of commissions for Banks' work, The Seattle performance by Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer Olivier Wevers' company is a long way out, but it isn't clear when and where the piece will be performed at Lincoln Center. I hope it's being performed by Whim W'him.