Helene

I think the latter is more common than the former. Merce Cunningham can do what he wants, as can almost any epophynous company. The Mission Statement of the Cunningham Foundation is: Unless there is a restricted donation to any one of these entities/programs, or restricted within one of them, he takes people's money to support his work, which means his artistic decisions, regardless of how arbitrary or justified. He can be vindictive and lose our respect; if the Foundation has an endowment, those donors are stuck with the decisions, no matter how they disagree. For money spent and future money, they can disagree with their pocketbook, and fans can disagree by not buying tickets. An institution like NYCB has a different mission. The resident genius can make the same artistic decisions, which can be accepted or denied. What Balanchine did to Suzanne Farrell when he fired her essentially for not marrying him was unconsionable, without any artistic pretext given, and that Board said "fine". If the genius doesn't like it, s/he can leave: Balanchine famously said more than once that he would leave the Company and start another little one. By that point, there would have been many people who would have funded him to do whatever he pleased.

Maria Kochetkova danced the Verdy role in "Emeralds" this afternoon, partnered by Nicolas Blanc. She danced the role with extraordinary delicacy and grace. She had her moments of drama, almost all expressed with her neck and shoulders; she would continue to stretch her neck up and back, while the rest of her body moved forward, as if she were pushed in opposite directions. In the ronde de jambes on the diagonal in her solo, she didn't just move from the knee: there was a little frisson in her working foot that sent shivers down my spine. For the most part, though, until the brooding ending, she looked content, fulfilled in her role, which was very lovely to see. In the graceful, full way she used her upper body she was matched by Blanc. When a figure skater has the skill with a blade, I could watch them do laps of cross-overs. With Blanc, I could watch him walk all afternoon. With every step, his foot kissed the stage. His pirouettes were textbook: not pendantic, but the embodiment of how technique transforms movement: pulled up from the waist with an easy upper body, turned out with generous position, and no sacrifice of style for quantity. That combination of elegance and strength, and the perfect balance of upper and lower body is rare in male dancers. The Pas de Trois is the breeding ground for women moving into the Mimi Paul role, and Frances Chung was no exception. She can light up the stage in roles that require quick movement and impossible weight changes. This role was a stretch, until the quick light movement of the original final movement, but she rose to the challenge, particularly in the way she shaded her arms and shoulders in the solo. In the Pas de Deux, she was partnered by Isaac Hernandez, who looked like he was concentrating very hard in the beginning, but seemed more at ease as it progressed. Chung's last walking sequence was very Chaconne-like, as if she were walk-swimming through water. I wish I could see their next performance. The Pas de Trois was my first opportunity to see Taras Domitro. It's not a virtuoso role for the male dancer, but I saw glimpses of what I saw described when SFB performed in NYC, particularly in the original final movement, where during his effortless jetes, he seemed to hang in the air. I can't tell from the program who was Dores Andre and who was Charlene Cohen -- in Swan Lake, there were wigs galore -- but the dancer who did the second solo (Susan Pilarre's in the Dance in America DVD), took a role that often looks thankless to me, and made me look at it with fresh eyes. She had something to say with it, something I think would translate beautifully in the Paul role. Tina LeBlanc's "Rubies" was extraordinary: her musicality expressed itself into a rhythmically dynamic performance: there was no question who the lead in this ballet was, even with Sofiane Sylve as a lush Tall Girl, and Pascal Molat's strong performance was her foil. She embodied the music. When the casting comes up, if you have to, commit a felony to get a ticket to her next peformance. Sylve dances from stillness; when she flipped her leg behind her with seemingly no preparation, you could feel it, like a whip cracking. Kudos to the male quartet, Martyn Garside, Garen Scribner, James Sofranko, and Hansuke Yamamoto, who were her brilliant foils. I didn't see Vanessa Zahorian's Odette when SFB performed "Swan Lake", but I did see her Odette this afternoon in "Diamonds". No allusion to Ivanov was missed. It was a very lovely performance, even if I'm not sure it was Balanchine, although it was more so in the third movement solos than in the centerpiece Pas de Deux; there she showed much more of a dynamic range than in "Rubies". In just about every critique I've read, "Diamonds" is considered a relatively weak ballet, and I went along with the bandwagon on this. The Paris Opera Ballet video, with the opening movement, made me re-think this a bit, but watching the SFB corps performance the underrated opening movement, and then seeing the antecedents built into the ballet in Zahorian's performance, building to the last movement, I don't think this anymore. Davit Karpetyan was a strong partner, and he had lushness in his solos. From last night's third movement quartet, Elana Altman and Erin McNulty gave fine performances as the two demi-soloists in the opening movement, switching with Lily Rogers and Jennifer Stahl from last night. The corps was superb again. I could watch the opening movement several times in a row when it's danced like this. Luckily, Perry Silvey's decision to light the opening of "Emeralds" and "Rubies" in semi-darkness -- even from the Orchestra -- didn't extend deep into the performance. The set by Tony Walton was odd: a series of Milky Ways of lights on black, the color matching the movement, which then resolved into some shapes that I guess were supposed to be related thematically. It looked a bit like paintings on velvet with a glitter kit. The costumes were Karinska's designs. I tried to meet up with Paul Parish, but what we ended up doing was conversing over voice mail and email. I realized that there were a few things where we had diametrically different views, and I watching from the Orchestra this afternoon, I realized that where the seats are makes a huge difference in War Memorial, which is not a particularly good ballet house. Even in the Grand Tier, which isn't very high up, the feet don't register nearly as well as they do from the front of the Second Tier, the highest tier, of McCaw Hall in Seattle. From the Orchestra, feet are visible, and the strength and weaknesses, particularly in point work, are front and center. I wish I could have seen the performance simultaneously from both sections, to see if the energy projected (or not) to the Orchestra played to the higher reaches. Paradoxically, the facial expressions in "Rubies" looked less show-bizzy and in "Emeralds" seemed less beaming from the Orchestra today than from the Grand Tier yesterday. Does Miriam Mahdaviani have a dancing daughter at SFB? In the opening of the first movement of "Diamonds" in the downstage left line, closest to the center, was a short, dark-haired dancer who very much reminded me of her. My non-ballet notes from SF are that I was thrilled to stay in a hotel with a ceiling fan and windows on two sides that opened for cross-ventilation, and which was a 20-minute walk from the Opera House. Both days were gorgeous, sunny days, and I went to the Ferry Terminal for lunch before heading to check-in. For anyone who is planning to visit, bring minimal cash to the Ferry Terminal, with its rows and rows of vendors. (Because you'll leave with minimal cash.) I got off cheap: a bag of dried nectarines and two apples from the "cosmetically challenged" box. On the way to the hotel, I passed an "End the Fed" rally. San Francisco is always so hard to leave!

The powers that be at SFB want to convince us that the rhythmic masterpiece just danced by someone at the height of her power was danced by a 40-something ballerina who's retiring in two weeks. Yeah, right.

Pascal Molat replaces Joan Boada in "Rubies" (about to start). Cliff notes: See this "Emeralds" cast.

Zaharian and Karapetyan are in "Diamonds" for Van Patten and Martin. After her original take on Odette/Odile, I was looking forward to Van Patten, but I suspect this is more Zahorian's fach than "Rubies".

My immediate context for watching SFB's "Jewels' is the PNB performances earlier this Spring and SFB's "Swan Lake" from just a few weeks ago. The staging is credited to Elyse Borne, with additional coaching by original "Emeralds" leads Violette Verdy and Mimi Paul, who also coached at PNB, and Suzanne Farrell for "Diamonds". The most noticeable thing at the beginning of "Emeralds" was how dramatic the corps women were, and then, how dramatic Lorena Feijoo was in the Verdy role. There wasn't a narrative, but there was a character, to an extent that I found disconcerting and had never seen in many performances over three decades. I did a double-take when I saw the program for her partner, and thought there was yet another Orza brother, but it was Seth Orza, guesting from PNB. Dramatically, his performance was up several notches, and he made a very handsome partner for Feijoo in the Pas de Deux. The drama made Feijoo's solo episodic. In the PNB performances, each of the female leads, although quite different, dance them as theme, development, theme, as one long movement, and Yuan Yan Tan did the same in hers, revealing the dance logic, and dancing with warm perfume. Damian Smiths partnering was quietly expressive, and the softness and elegance Tan brought to their Pas de Deux made it the highlight of the ballet for me. Frances Chung, Hansuke Yamamoto, and Dana Genshaft gave a clear and energetic rendition of the Pas de Trois. Genshaft's arms were particularly fine. "Rubies" opens with Tall Girl front and center, and from the time she started to move, Elana Altman commanded the stage with expansive movement, driving the focus through her, and shaping the role to the final climax. On the one hand, Vanessa Zahorian performed with lightness and charm, but on the other, she danced with a grounding centeredness without a sense of risk, and with dynamic similarity throughout. Her dancing was a bit overwhelmed by Pascal Molat's muscular, dynamic performance. In the first movement, the corps was show-girly, but by the third, they had pulled back just a little, and looked like an organic whole, instead of a group of individuals. The opening movement of "Diamonds", with its languid pace, was the perfect showcase for a corps that had just finished a run of "Swan Lake": in their arms, shoulders, and heads were the fluidity and polish from the classical work. Lily Rogers and Jennifer Stahl were beautifully matched as the demi-soloists. Joined by Erin McNulty and the superb Elana Altman in the third movement, the quartet danced with grace. The demis and corps in the final movement emphasized the counterpoint and changing patterns. The leads were Sofiane Sylve and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba. I'd only seen Sylve on the Dutch National Ballet "Sleeping Beauty" DVD, which didn't prepare me for the full force of her dancing live. Although the extensions as choreographed are neoclassical, it was the most classical performance of the ballet I've ever seen, with lovely arms and epaulement and an open upper body. Her legs and phrasing have a creamy quality, and the majesty with which she took her place as a Ballerina was breathtaking. She was stupendous. When she is cast again later in the run, run to see her. (If we can't convince the pilot to drop her off a thousand miles farther north, or if Seth Orza doesn't bring her back in his suitcase.)

I'm still swooning over Tan. 2nd intermission: Elana Altman just rocked the house as Tall Girl in "Rubies".

YES - Any maybe act it too. I have not idea if AA can act but she has an elegant quality the Fonteyn had & is beautiful. That was my first thought -- cast her to do both. But they'd have to shoot her dancing from the waist up, unless she spent a lot of time trying to move like Fonteyn. She moves her legs and feet very differently than Fonteyn.

Bea Arthur died of cancer at age 86. Associated Press Obituary

I can't say I'm inspired by the photograph of Huff: it's hard to imagine how she'd physicalize Fonteyn's offstage carriage and grace.

James McAvoy was terrific in the British TV series "Shameless". He's a lot more versatile than his romantic lead roles would suggest, and he's very adept with a dark side underneath surface charm.

I just got this notice from PNB: A Conversation with Mark Morris and Peter Boal (Free; RSVP recommended) April 28, 2009, 7:00 pm-8:00pm Seattle Downtown Library Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal engages in a lively discussion with director and choreographer Mark Morris. RSVP strongly recommended to Education. First come, first served without RSVP. A $5 parking rate is available at the library for this talk—enter at Spring between 4th and 5th Avenues. http://stgpresents.org/education/calendar.asp#04.2009 Yay doug! (MMDG is in town to perform "Mozart Dances" next weekend.)

With Legris' upcoming retirement from POB, it might be a "last chance" to see him in NA. He won't take over La Scala until 2010, and will guest until then, but it isn't clear where.

Saturday May 9 is not that far away...

I'm a dissenter on the Royal Ballet "Sleeping Beauty". I think Cojocaru's performance is worth the disk, but I don't think it meets the criteria of overall excellence. I don't think all of the fairies, for example, are exemplary, and the corps don't have the style that they have in the past, even from when I saw them in the 1980's.

Congratulations to the dancers who've been promoted, have joined the Company, and who have returned.

I haven't seen anything to confirm the dancers who will perform this at BAM, but the original dancers were Aurelie Dupont, Nicolas Le Riche, and Manuel Legris. Brown was nominated for a Benois de la danse award for "O Zlozony / O Composit" in 2005, the year it was created. Link to BAM, for the performances, April 29-May 2: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=706

The Kolpakova "Raymonda". If playing in a ballet orchestra was sixth choice for musicians in the Soviet Union, you'd never know it from their playing.

An article in The Seattle Times on the upcoming Seattle International Film Festival notes the following documentary on the roster: Most films get two showings; I've got my fingers crossed I'll be in town for one of them.

Many thanks for the report, Ceeszi!

The discussion thread is here: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...269&hl=yagp

For what it's worth, if you search for an ASIN in the amazon.com box, we don't earn commissions on it. It's an odd quirk of the system. But the ASIN is great for confirming that you have the right product. Many thanks for the update, volcanohunter! I'm going to preorder it now.

We just received a press release from the International Committee for the Dance Library of Israel:

We're waiting for either a press release or reports from the press conference. Right now, all I can find are the press releases about next season's ballet and opera, and Domingo singing Simon Boccanegra.

Thank you I can remember things that catch my eye and ear, but, then again, that's where all of my attention goes, and why I have sticky notes to remind me to read my sticky notes.