Helene

The latest video is a short (20") clip of Peter Boal rehearsing Lesley Rausch (Swanilde) and Jerome Tisserand (Franz) in a short bit of mime: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#...5572&ref=mf There's a quiz!

The weird thing about the "Law and Order" phenomenon is that I was in my 30's when it debuted, but I swear I watched the re-runs as a kid.

"Center Stage" also adopted the line that jazz dancers can eat and laugh and that dance isn't, by definition, an ascetic experience. (Considering the meh Stroman choreography that the ballet dancers were flogging themselves to perform, and stomaching Donna Murphy's Juliette Simone, I'd take the jazz class any day.)

I suppose it had to happen sometime, but wah.

Wow, that's a lot of promotions! Congratulations to the dancers

The live broadcast will be available KING radio is tonight at 7:30 PDT, including via internet stream.

A dose of Frederic Franklin in the audience is a privilege in itself.

How could I forget the umbrella

The program will show the lineage from Petipa to Balanchine very clearly. You will learn a lot about Petipa in a short period of time and will see much more of Petipa in the Balanchine ballets

This opens tonight. Go, go, go!!!!!

There's a PNB new video on "Coppelia"; it opens with Liora Reshef, then shots of the kids, followed by Kaori Nakamura (Swanhilde) and Jonathan Porretta (Franz), and ending with the kids. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/vid...v=1295096739386

Oh, my, Marcelo Gomes...

I'm looking forward to seeing what Scher does for Sar. Dancer-choreographers aren't always limited by their own style or physical type, but some inspirational work has come from it.

There are two articles on Bruce Greenwood in today's "Links" and a review from The Georgia Straight in Vancouver, where the film opens tomorrow at the Fifth Avenue Theatre and an interview with Chi Cao in another. From the National Post article: I wonder how much of Li's story Chi knew while he was at the Beijing Dance Academy, or whether Li's history was expunged, even by his dad.

The film will be playing in Vancouver at the Ridge Theatre as the second film in the 4th annual French Film Festival, opening 25 June, closing 8 July. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it. http://www.festivalcinemas.ca/movies/frenc...lm-festival.htm

Sar is the subject of a documentary by Anne Bass, "Dancing Across Borders". Here's the discussion thread on the film. http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...s+borders\ I feel like Wylie Coyote chasing down Road Runner to see it, because it played in Seattle only when I was out-of-town, and when I visited other cities, it had just closed or was about to open after I left. Sar was in the Pacific Northwest Ballet School Professional Division for a year before he joined the company. The first time I saw him was in the School graduation performance of Bournonville's "Konservatoriet" (classroom act) where he was the Dancing Master, and he displayed the same charm and technique. He danced with PNB until last fall, when he resigned from the company, and sadly, there wasn't room for him when he reconsidered. He's currently auditioning with other companies.

It's odd for a prestigious company that has steady work during tough economic times is losing so many dancers not due to retirement or new artistic leadership. If Sokvannara Sar ends up in your neck of the woods, you will be lucky audience members.

The color shot is beautiful!

I saw the film yesterday: it was the 10:00am Sunday breakfast movie at the Park. I missed the first seven minutes or so because the bus schedules were mangled due to the "Vancouver Sun Run", but I'm not sure that was a critical loss. Cao, Guo, and Huang were all superb as Li Cunxin, and I was thrilled to see my favorite Australian Ballet dancer Madeleine Eastoe as Lori. Camilla Vergotis had mainly one face -- smug -- as Mary McKendry. Amanda Schull was very sweet as Elizabeth Mackay. Joan Chen was stunning as Li's mother; it's hard to watch anyone else when she's onscreen. I have no idea what Ben Stevenson is like in real life, but Bruce Greenwood almost stole the movie. I much liked the actress who played Madame Mao, but like half the cast, she's missing from the list on imdb, and the official website lists only the top characters. The '70's style for men doesn't play very well, and when the men are shown from that period, they tend to look like porn stars. The screenplay was weak. I know there's a lot of material, a lot of periods, but apart from leaving out some of the best and most powerful parts of the book, like McKendry's trip to China and Li's reactions to returning as a wealthy (relatively at least) ballet star, which would have ruined their ending, even the consulate scenes were quite dull. I found the whole movie had a TV movie cadence and emotional temperature, where commercials would have broken up its essential flatness. It was great to see Cao and Guo dancing, though, and between the actors and the landscapes, it was eye candy to the nth degree. I have to see the Graeme Murphy "Swan Lake" someday, which looks like a hoot. Was Stevenson choreography not available?

He describes the lead-up to the proposal in his blog: http://www.sfballetblog.org/2010/05/i-did-it/ at hiding the ring in his poison case!

Or if they'd cast a shorter ballerina who has authority.

Anne!

It looked very much like a "yes" from the video. to Mr. Karapetyan and Ms. Zahorian!

Lena Horne died today. Washington Post obit New York Times obit Rest in peace, Ms. Horne.

Verdi wanted to name the opera "Amneris", not "Aida". I wonder if Myrtha's demotion coincides with Albrecht's promotion over the years.