Helene

Like hockey officials who back off at the end of tight games, so that their calls don't decide the outcome, the scores and levels of the elements on paper were so close among the top teams going into the Free Dance, that I think the ISU decided not to deduct for the one costume that most went over the line, Grushina's.

Pants on women were outlawed post-Thomas-era, but re-instated last year, where Candice Didier of France, all in white, Slutskaya, and Suguri, all in black, including a corset top, wore them. I, personally, think that the cut of the pants that Suguri and Slutskaya wore/wear emphasizes the breaks in their line, the main weakness of both, but this year Elena Liashenko is wearing a unitard for her West Side Story free skate, and with her long lines, she looked stunning in it earlier this year.

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As a muse for a man who has been touted as the young savior of classical ballet, and one who has worked with the dancer in her prime, it would have been insightful for Rose to have asked Whelan a question about Wheeldon. As for After the Rain, it would have been a good segue into her partnership with Jock Soto, what it means to have a great partner, etc. Even William from Idaho might have been interested

Thank you, audreydoll! The link to the schedule is: http://www.spac.org/resident-companies/spa...es.asp?varID=50 Unfortunately, it's alphabetical by ballet. This could be subject to change, but right now the performances by date are, in alphabetical, not program, order: Thursday, July 6, 7:30pm Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky/Martins after Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine) Friday, July 7, 7:30pm Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky/Martins after Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine) Saturday, July 8, 1:30pm Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky/Martins after Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine) Saturday, July 8, 7:30pm Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky/Martins after Petipa, Ivanov, and Balanchine) Tuesday, July 11, 7:30pm Concerto Barocco (Bach/Balanchine) Duo Concertant (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Monumentum Pro Gesualdo (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Movements for Piano and Orchestra (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Symphony in C (Bizet/Balanchine) Wednesday, July 12, 7:30pm Fearful Symmetries (Adams/Martins)Western NY Export: Opus Jazz (Prince/Robbins) Western Symphony (Kay/Balanchine) Thursday, July 13, 1:30pm Concerto Barocco (Bach/Balanchine) NY Export: Opus Jazz (Prince/Robbins) Symphony in C (Bizet/Balanchine) Thursday, July 13, 7:30pm Duo Concertant (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Fearful Symmetries (Adams/Martins) Monumentum Pro Gesualdo (Stravinsky/Balanchine Movements for Piano and Orchestra (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Western Symphony (Kay/Balanchine) Friday, July 14, 7:30pm Friandises (Rouse/Martins) In the Night (Chopin/Robbins) New Wheeldon Ballet (Bartok/Wheeldon) Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (Tchaikovsky/Balanchine) Saturday, July 15, 1:30pm Fearful Symmetries (Adams/Martins) NY Export: Opus Jazz (Prince/Robbins) Western Symphony (Kay/Balanchine) Saturday, July 15, 7:30pm Concerto Barocco (Bach/Balanchine) Duo Concertant (Stravinsky/Balanchine) Monumentum Pro Gesualdo (Stravinsky/Balanchine Movements for Piano and Orchestra (Stravinsky/Balanchine) New Wheeldon Ballet (Bartok/Wheeldon) Tuesday, July 18, 7:30pm: Andantino (Tchaikovsky/Robbins) Firebird (Stravinsky/Balanchine and Robbins) New Ratmansky Ballet (TBA/Ratmansky) Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev/Lavery) The Cage (Stravinsky/Robbins) Wednesday, July 19, 7:30pm Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine) Songs of the Auvergne (Canteloube/Martins) Vienna Waltzes (j. Strauss Jr., Lehar, R. Strauss/Balanchine) Thursday, July 20, 1:30pm Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine) Songs of the Auvergne (Canteloube/Martins) Vienna Waltzes (j. Strauss Jr., Lehar, R. Strauss/Balanchine) Thursday, July 20, 7:30pm Friandises (Rouse/Martins) In the Night (Chopin/Robbins) New Wheeldon Ballet (Bartok/Wheeldon) Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (Tchaikovsky/Balanchine) Friday, July 21, 7:30pm Songs of the Auvergne (Canteloube/Martins) Symphony in C (Bizet/Balanchine) Vienna Waltzes (j. Strauss Jr., Lehar, R. Strauss/Balanchine) Saturday, July 22, 1:30pm Andantino (Tchaikovsky/Robbins) Firebird (Stravinsky/Balanchine and Robbins) New Ratmansky Ballet (TBA/Ratmansky) Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev/Lavery) The Cage (Stravinsky/Robbins) Saturday, July 22, 7:30pm SPAC Action Council Gala An evening of Saratoga premiers featuring choregraphers from around the word.

Thursday is the free skate, and here's hoping the quality is just as good!

The Ladies' short program is now over. For anyone who's interested in the results, they are located on the NBC website in order of results and detailed formats.

I think ASM is "Assistant Stage Manager." I don't think you'd be a ballet groupie, even if you hung around the stage door for Jose. Then you'd be a "Jose" groupie

I think Dale hit the nail on the head: intimidation countered by a put-down. And one that isn't even used properly, since it refers to fanatic devotion to a specific performer/athlete/band/team.

After a fall-filled Original Dance segment, the Free Dance is complete. Belbin/Agosto won the silver medal after finishing 4th in the Free Dance behind Navka/Kostomarov, Delobel/Schoenfelder, and Grushina/Goncharov. With Denkova/Staviyski in fifth, the top five in Torino is identical to the top five in Moscow at last year's Worlds. I am very sad that Delobel/Schoenfelder ended off the podium in fourth, after a second-place skate in the Free Dance. The top Men place almost identically as in Moscow, with the exception of Plushenko, who withdrew with double hernias: Lambiel, Buttle, Lysacek, Weir.

Wow, she got a great ovation after the performance I saw, and it didn't seem to come from a concentrated clique.

Thank you for the review, bart! It sounds like the challenge for Ballet Imperial was for the corps. I'm glad Villella programmed it, because bringing the corps to another level in tutu roles is not very high on enough Artistic Directors' agendas, in my opinion.

I agree with canbelto about the Raymonda Dancer's Dream. I particularly liked the footage of Guizerix and the interview footage with Hilaire, Platel, and de Vulpain.

Pootunia, a belated welcome to Ballet Talk! Thank you for a great first post, and we'd be very happy if you'd tell us a little bit about yourself in the Welcome Forum.