Helene

Every once and a while we old people are

The San Francisco Ballet website has a short interview with Christopher Wheeldon, and soloist Moises Martin is featured in Artist Spotlight.

I'm starting this thread to note updates from the NBoC monthly newsletter, "Ballet News" and the website. To receive the newsletter, go to the National Ballet of Canada home page and sign up at the bottom of the page. October 2005 * Single tickets to the NBoC Toronto season go on sale on October 17. * The Western tour has been a great success, including sold-out audiences in Calgary. (At least the Saturday Oct 1 matinee in Vancouver was sold out as well, according to the signs at the box office.) * Pre-performance talks by Karen Kain during the tour drew large audiences. * Chan Han Goh is expecting a baby. * Stephanie Hutchinson, Christopher Body, Martine Lamy, Evelyn Hart, and Robert Glumbek will perform with ProArteDanze at the Betty Oliphant Theatre in Toronto on Oct 20, 21, 22. (http://www.proartedanza.com/performances.shtml) * Rex Harrington will be starring in The Alley Cats at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver from Oct 25-Nov 12. * Former dancer David Adams received the Order of Canada. * Burnise Silvius has left the Company for the South African Ballet Theatre in her home country. * Designer Michael Levine was given a Bessie for his designs for The Contract.

Welcome to Ballet Talk, Kevin! We're all waiting for this one -- and the DVD -- with bated breath.

Those are very dynamic photos, amitava. Where were they taken?

I found the following description of Artifact Suite on EdinburghGuide.com: http://www.edinburghguide.com/aande/theatr...ishballet.shtml It sounds as if only a movement of Artifact II is included in the Suite.

That is really fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen supported fouettes. The woman would have to be very disciplined in her placement during the "whip", just as the leg was starting to tire.

Thank you for the updates, BalletNut! (This is going to get expensive...)

Schorer retired from NYCB in 1972. She was not in a featured role in the original cast of the four ballets Balanchine choreographed in 1970-1 (Who Cares, Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3, Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra, or PAMTAGG. According to the Preface of her book, Balanchine Technique, she had an increasing teaching load at the end of her career, among her duties teaching a "Newcomer's Class" for the newest members of the corps. According to her SAB bio, she became a Principal Dancer in 1968.

She must have been prescient, because she joined NYCB in 1959, the year Diana Adams tapped Suzanne Farrell for SAB, and Susan Pilarre was still performing children's roles in The Nutcracker through the early 60's.

That's what the company did for years for the Robbins rep Robbins had his own Assistant Ballet Masters and got to promote specific dancers (at least while officially co-running the Company).

I have to agree. The most rhythmic pirouettes I've ever seen were Phillip Otto's when he danced for PNB. They were never pyrotechnical, but the phrasing to the music was extraordinary.

It's the only way some people get to hear Puccini.

I went to see the National Ballet of Canada's Swan Lake this weekend in Vancouver; it and a performance of The Messiah by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet are listed in the Ballet British Columbia 2005/6 season brochure and in the subscription packages. This seems to me to be a great way to ensure a core audience for visiting companies, thus creating economically viable tour dates. In addition, Ballet British Columbia has created several outreach programs for kids. BC Kids Club is sponsoring three activities at the Scotiabank Dance Centre from 10:30-11:30 am: Swan Lake. Fun hands on activities: see video clips of the performance, learn the story, try you hand at some of the repertoire and discover how to make a tutu. (October 29, 2005) A Choreographer's Workshop. Fun in-studio activity with stretching and improvisation to music with some of our dancers. (February 4, 2006) Music and Movement. Music plays an important role in a ballet. Whether it is classical or contermporary, fast or slow, music affects the way we dance. At the workshop, enjoy fun dance games and activities to different types of music. (April 22, 2006). ($10 per event, or $20 for all three) Boy's Club. Dance is the musical sport. Male dancers are strong athletes who train in the dance studio and the gym. Join Ballet BC dancer Edmond Kilpatrick for a fun dance boot camp. For boys age 10-12 years. No previous dance experience is necessary. (February 25, 2006, 2-3pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre, $10) Pre-teen Club. Have you ever wondered how professional dancers train and stay in greatshape? Watch a private Ballet BC company class in our rehearsal studios followed by a snack and talk on nutrition and good eating habits for dancers by a Registered Dietician. For teens age 12-14 years. (January 16, 2006, 9-10am, Scotiabank Dance Centre, $10). All ages: Nutcracker Sweet. Meet dancers from Nutcracker, enjoy delicious treates and refreshments and chat with dancers before the matinee performance begins. (Saturday, December 31 matinee, 12:30-1:30pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre) ($20, under 14 and seniors, $25 student and adult) Each one of these is such a wonderful idea to involve kids at a young age, particularly boys. If just a handful of boys learn to respect other boys and men who dance, the entire project will be worth it.

While I wouldn't argue that a Schipa's or a McCormack's voice was a large as a Caruso's or Ponselle's, both were lauded in the opera house. Schipa owned La Scala during his prime, and the knock on McCormack in opera that he lacked passion. (As one of his Santuzza's was reported to have said, "Monsieur McCormack. If you had been Turridu, I would not be in my unfortunate predicament.") I don't think that Schipa's foray into songs like "La Cumparsita" was any more "pop" than Caruso's penchant for Neopolitan songs. The great Russian singers of the late 19th and early 20th century made masterful recordings that have stood up to any made up to this day. Sobinov sounded as good in his 1901-1911 recordings as Schipa later did. Nikolai and Medea Mei Figner, Dmitri Smirnov (even if I don't like his style), and Eugenia Bronskaya are just some of the pre-Soviet artists who were stellar in the studio. Among the tenors, in particular, but also among the women, in my opinion, the more successful recording artists in the pre-Victor era were those with the brightest voices, not necessarily the smaller voices.