Helene

According to the Dutch National Ballet Calendar, there will be two performances of the "Lines 2" program while you're in Amsterdam: http://www.het-nationale-ballet.nl/index.p...r=2005&month=11 Continuum - Wheeldon Who Cares? - Balanchine Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux -- Balanchine TBA

In the Sylve DVD, she tosses the flowers all over the stage -- like someone voraciously tearing the wrapping paper off the baby shower presents -- making me fear she or someone else was going to trip over them. What a lovely gesture to give out the flowers.

I stopped at the part where it said he was dancing Duo Concertante at the gala on 17 September -- with Louise Nadeau, and I think they'll make a beautiful pair in this ballet -- and went online immediately to buy tickets. The confirmation screen said: Section: unassigned Seats: row 1, seats 22,23. Fearing that this meant the first row of the theater, I called the box office. The gala will be General Admission, and the row and seats on the website are just a "feature" of the ticketing system. Tickets won't be sent until the end of August. (Just in case anyone else plans to order tickets through the website.)

My deeply-ingrained superstitious self thinks that Boal alone coming to Seattle is tempting Fate. When it was announced that Korbes was coming, too, I had to sacrifice all free onstreet parking to Squat, the goddess of parking, just to keep the universe in balance. And now to find out in today's PI that it was through Boal's influence that Jonathan Porretta came to Seattle instead of Miami... Adding Ansanelli to the mix would be too much good fortune in one place.

I've just changed the title to say "INCLUDES SPOILERS." I only put up the original title so that people could read the thread without worry during the first week, but everyone now has had their two weeks to read the book and they are warned In case you didn't read the subtitle, this post contains: T H E B I G S P O I L E R ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter only if you want to be surprised or have read the book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree with you -- I didn't find Dumbledore's death as moving as Black's for the very same reason: Black had found a reason to live. There are a lot of theories on the Internet that Dumbledore didn't really die at the end. The big emphasis in magic teaching in this volume was on non-verbal spells. While Snape did say the Avada Kedavra curse, in one of the earlier books, it was explained that the curse only works if the recipient believes it -- kind of like the Evil Eye -- and all of the other victims had their eyes open, but Dumbledore had his closed. One theory goes that Snape was sending a different non-verbal curse, while speaking the Avada Kedavra out loud to be witnessed. Also, all of the portraits of the dead headmasters line the office of the headmaster, and they have their say at will. So even if Dumbledore either died or had some mitigated alternate state -- like the Lilac Fairy's mitigation of Carabosse's curse -- I can't imagine that he'd be silent in his portrait. (That would be a sign of something different having happened.) The trick may be to get Harry to return to Hogwarts, since it isn't clear he'll be returning to school in Book 7. It's amazing how carefully die-hard fans read the books and find clues. I never would have thought of any of this on my own. My own theory of the books is that Snape may turn out to be the heroic character: a flawed and resentful man who is hated -- not always without cause -- mistrusted by both sides, and insulted, but who in spite of this, does the right thing in the end and gets qualified credit for it, like Roger Maris' asterisk.

Erica Cornejo. Thank you, Marga!

The broadcast finally made it to our regular PBS station, and I was able to watch it last night. (It originally aired on one of the HDTV stations.) As mainly a NYCB fan, I've seen relatively few full-length Swan Lakes: ABT's a couple of times, including the Blair version from the early 70's, and the visiting Kirov, Paris Opera Ballet, and Royal Ballet versions. PNB has produced it twice in the last decade, the last time in a new production by Ming Cho Lee, and I've seen about half a dozen tapes. In those performances, I've seen Odette/Odile portrayed by dancers that are not among my favorites, and some ballerinas that I've found rather dry, but I've never seen a characterization and phrasing that I've actively disliked until Murphy's. I don't insist on small, delicate dancers in the roles, and I do understand that there are technicians who make natural Odiles -- Florence Clerc comes to mind -- and whose Odettes aren't as compelling. I actually like big, strong dancers as Odette for several reasons: she isn't just there to portray her own personal tragedy; she's responsible for the entire flock of swans and must be convincing as their protectress, and watching a strong person show vulnerability is, to me, more moving than watching a delicate person be delicate. To my eyes, Murphy's Odette was self-involved and neurotic to the point of distraction. Her phrasing was glottal -- harsh trembling borrees and poses to a dead stop -- instead of legato. I actually wanted Act II to end, so that Odile would appear. (I usually want Swan Lake to end at the end of Act II, so that Odile doesn't appear.) That did provide a link between Odette and Odile and their joint appeal to Siegfried: both were equally high-maintenance. I might have expected that from a version where Siegfried is the central character, what happens onstage is a dream, and where it's all about the narrator -- and chemistry doesn't matter, only the obsession of the main character -- but in this version, Siegfried's centrality is diminished by the expanded roles of Benno and von Rothbart. Without the arc of Odette coming alive from hope and having that hope smashed, I don't see much tragedy, and without that tragedy, there's no point to the missing parts of Act IV, and not much sense in Siegfried joining Odette off the cliff. There is so little ballet that is televised that each rare instance has the potential to be iconic. This may be the only performance seen by tens of thousands of people, and become "What Swan Lake Is." In that sense, despite the "Swamp Thing," I think the emphasis on the men may prove to be a good thing. Soto, for example, said that seeing Villella on TV made him want to dance, and there are such rare opportunities for young boys today. I liked Angel Corella's peformance very much; I thought his facial expressions to be more cinematic than stagey, and that his unmannered and elegant performance -- with enough jumps and turns to make him a "real guy" i.e, athlete -- was an important introduction to male dancing, especially when paired with Cornejo as Benno. Gomes' melodrama was wonderfully controlled. He could give a lesson or two to campy movie villains. I really loved the first act costumes visually, but I agree that they were heavy for the dancing. The maypole, in my opinion, substituted a prop for a lack of invention, and having the aristocrats "slum it" was one degree of dramatic separation more than is necessary, but I did get a visceral thrill out of seeing the circle of jetes as the women held the ribbons. I particularly liked the second woman in the pas de trois, but I couldn't tell from the credits sequence which dancer it was.

That's a great point, brivagook. I wonder how much music would seem better, if we hadn't heard it that extra time that put us over the brink.

In the August/September Pointe magazine, there's an article on Cynthia Gregory called, "What's in a Name? Cynthia Gregory on being a 'ballerina'." It mentions that she will participate in a symposium called "The Ballerina in the 20th Century," which is jointly sponsored by the magazine and the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. Ansanelli is listed as one of the participants, along with Cynthia Quinn (MOMIX), Eleanor D'Antuono, and Lourdes Lopez. In the .pdf file that's found on the Nutmeg site, also listed are Emily Patterson (Joffrey), Victoria Mazzerelli, and Terese Capucilli. http://www.nutmegconservatory.org/media/me...e_Ballerina.pdf The symposium is from 2-4pm, and according to the ticket form, the price of $100 ("one low price!") includes the symposium and performance (8pm).

There's a feature on Jim Jarmusch, focusing mainly on Broken Flowers, in today's Washington Post.

I think that wonderful sweeping moments in the beats is one instance of Balanchine's genius in choreographing the Big Melody. The second is in the last movement of Serenade, where the melody is performed by the two groups of corps, and each man partners the corps woman on one side to the beautiful sweeping melody, and she ends in a quiet, resolved fifth position at the end of the phrase, while he goes on to partner the woman on his other side. The third is in Pas de Dix and Cortege (and maybe Raymonda Variations?), where the beautiful adagio is performed by corps couples, not by the principals. Where Theme first grabs me is the section where the female corps dances to the theme with the trembling strings and then form a line downstage, and the principal woman is supported in a series of developes by two corps women, as if the Swans partnered Odette in the White Swan pas de Deux instead of Siegfried.

One of my favorite records was a red vinyl 45 -- it was the young Tagliavini singing "E la solita storia."

I can imagine that many companies would love to have Ansanelli. If and when she or one of them announces a change, we'll be sure to post it.

I've loved the music to Sleeping Beauty since I was a child. I played the record constantly growing up, until I advertently melted it by leaving it on top of my father's tube amplifier. (Or maybe one of my parents did, because they were so sick of hearing me play it ) I moved on to the Ormandy recording of Swan Lake excerpts, which I played every night before going to sleep, back in the day when record players shut themselves off. I owe my sister a lot for tolerating it, since we shared a room.

Merrill Ashley, in describing her experience as a student during Nutcracker, wrote in Dancing for Balanchine Given that description, it's not surprising that Principal dancers aren't immune from students' scorn. One of the realities of the Internet is that one doesn't have to find a book publisher to immortalize one's youthful critiques -- they remain online in one shape or form indefinitely. And, students who are talented and lucky enough to make it to the stage will be subject to the same scrutiny by the next generations of students.

I don't think it's as strong as the others, particularly in the corps work, until the very end of the ballet.

I've branched this off into a separate thread on "What is the Quintessential Balanchine?," found here: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=20271

In a thread on Forsythe, Natalia wrote: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...ip=66.153.17.34 I think that Apollo belongs on this list for the development of its central character and its conclusive series of value judgements about what is essential to ballet -- classicism vs. expressionism, music topping the hierarchy for dance -- that can not only be seen as a "in the now" response to his artistic environment with Diaghilev, but that are timeless. More than a Bildungsroman, the character development in Apollo shows a focus of purpose through mentoring, exploration, and choice, and it is done entirely through movement. I don't think that every quintessential Balanchine ballet must be large-scale, with full corps. Agon is at the top of my list, showing the essence of music through movement, in which both are full partners. Of the tutu ballets (or formerly tutu ballets), I would choose Symphony in C because of the richness and depth of all four movements, from the last apprentice to the principals. A first alternate in this category would be Divertimento No. 15. I would add one of the ballets that were intended to be popular, since Balanchine concidered that not only a mission, but also the responsibility of a choreographer to show range. I'm having a hard time choosing between Stars and Stripes and Vienna Waltzes, even if Union Jack is my favorite of the genre. The last I'm going to have to think about longer, because I'm trying to distinguish between favorites and what represents the quintessential Balanchine. I'm tending to lean towards Concerto Barocco, but wondering if I need to choose something more directly related to Petipa, like Theme and Variations. What do you think are the five quintessential Balanchine works and why?

Leigh, I just saw your first post -- I was responding to Natalia's and got caught up before I hit the "Add Reply" button. I didn't realize you had posted in between us.

Artifact is a full length work from 1984. Artifact II, which was performed as a stand-alone by PNB, has a substantial corps which plays a "collective" against the soloists that break through. Not that this is comparable to Balanchine, but Forsythe has choreographed at a least one full-length work with a corps.

(oops -- posting at the same time as Hans) Peter Martins did do a production of Sleeping Beauty for NYCB, which has been revived several times since its premiere. (I saw it in February 2004 during a short visit to NYC.) It includes Balanchine's Garland Dance, for children through corps. (I don't have my Choreography by Balanchine "bible" with me to confirm whether this was choreographed for the Tchaikovsky Festival.) I find it frenetic, particularly the Fairy variations in the first Act, and the Jewels suite in the last. I do love the Puss 'n Boots and Little Red Riding Hood sections in the last act, though. I also thought the sets and costumers were quite beautiful, and I liked the use of watercolor projections to make transitions of time and place. Unless Martins rethinks this, I don't imagine that NYCB will perform a more patient production that unfolds instead of rushes.

We don't have a photo gallery on the site, but rg has posted many wonderful historical and rare photographs in individual threads in the Ballet History forum, and we think it's important that they aren't "lost" as new topics are posted. I've compiled a list of links to threads where the photos appear, located here. It's a "sticky" at the top of the Ballet History forum. (A "sticky" is a post that doesn't move down the page as newer topics are added.)

This is a list of links to thread which contain photos that have been posted generously by rg in individual posts in the Ballet History and other forums on Ballet Talk. Some threads contain multiple photographs, and it's worth scrolling down to find them: Through 2006 Spartak Kchessinska Jeu de Cartes Casse Noisette (Nikitina and Gerdt) Bredgvadze (Street clothes) Underwater Scenes Ulanova Markova "Trading cards" Devil's Holiday Afshin Mofid Ashton Zubkovskaya Le Festin Golovin Katschei costume Ulanova as Diana (Vaganova staging) Anderson/Zhukov Night Shadow (includes Kronstam as the Poet, courtesy of Alexandra; be sure to scroll down) Ulanova family composite Ashton performs "Fred Step" as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle John Kriza Sovenirs of London -- 1970 Kirov Bayaderka/Ponomarev -- Be sure to scroll down and to go to the second page Soloviev -- Be sure to scroll down Symphonic Variations (Dowell) Le Palais de Cristal, 3rd Movement Lovely unidentified picture, possibly a Grahn The Talisman Little Humpbacked Horse, Petersburgh Petipa production (Added 28 July) Elza Vill in Sleeping Beauty (Added 5 August) Soviet Era Esmeralda (Added 8 August) Le Corsaire (Added 19 September) Bronze Idol (Added 11 December) Toumanova/Youskevitch (Added 14 December) Emma Besone (Added 24 December) Design Sketches from 1892 Nutcracker (Added 30 December) Legat Caricatures (Nikolai and Sergei Legat, M.F. Kshessinska, P. Legnani, Marius Petipa, Marie Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Enrico Cecchetti. Added 2 January 06) Adam and Drigo (Added 3 January 06) Maryinski Theater (Added 9 February 06) Bolshoi Theater (Added 9 Feb 06) Marie Surovschikova (First Russian wife of Petipa, mother of Marie. Added 12 Feb 06) Obukhov in Esmeralda (Added 4 Mar 06) Vladimir Ivanovich Ponomaryev in the Serenade of ARLEKINADA (Added 13 Mar 06) Fairy Doll and Millions d'Arlequin (Added 13 Mar 06) La Fille Mal Gardee in Russia (Added 14 Mar 06) Preograjenska in La Fille Mal Gardee (Added 15 Mar 06) Odile/Siegfried Pas de Deux (Added 20 Mar 06) Vera Zorina in I Was An Adventuress (Added 20 Mar 06) Karsavina and Bolm in Le Pavillon (Added 30 Mar 06) Marie Petipa as Lilac Fairy (Added 2 Apr 06) Gerdt with Swan Maidens (Added 2 Apr 06) Aleksandr Orlov as Siegfried (Added 2 Apr 06) Mordkin and Giuri with Students in Swan Lake (Added 4 Apr 06) Inna Zubkovskaya (nee Izraeleva) (Added 22 Apr 06) Tamara Karsavina as Odile (with partner) (Added 23 Apr 06) Karsavina, Vladimirov in Swan Lake (2 Photos) (Added 23 Apr 06) Legnani and P. Gerdt in Le Corsaire (Added 24 Apr 06) Early Soviet Ballet Photos: Sleeping Beauty Panorama (Added 25 Apr 06) Early Soviet Ballet Photos: More Sleeping Beauty (Added 25 Apr 06) Karalli in Daughter of the Pharoah (Added 26 Apr 06) McBride and Villella in Rubies -- 1968 Publicity Shot (Added 5 May 06) The Very Young Anna Pavlova and Her Fellow Cupids (Added 21 May 06) Katherine Dunham (Added 21 May 06) Rest in Peace, Miss Dunham. Mariinsky Theatre Center Box (Added 29 May 06) Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Jeu de Cartes (Added 30 May 06) Toumanova and Eglevsky as Siegfried and Odile (Added 26 Jul 06) Eglevsky in Harlequinade (Added 26 Jul 06) Egorova in Sleeping Beauty as Florine and in the Ensemble (Added 31 Jul06) Gerdt as Lilac in Sleeping Beauty (Added 1 Aug 06) Suzanne Farrell on the Cover of "Ballet at the Beacon" (Added 4 Aug 06) Shollar and Vilzak as White Cat and Puss in Boots in Sleeping Beauty (left) and Columbine and Harlequin in Carnaval (right) (Added 8 Aug 06) An Airborne Melissa Hayden in Caracole (Added 9 Aug 06) Melissa Hayden in Glinkiana (Added 9 Aug 06) Jacques d'Amboise, Melissa Hayden, Diana Adams, and Patricia Wilde in Apollo (Added 9 Aug 06) Melissa Hayden and Peter Martins in Swan Lake (Added 9 Aug 06) Ending Tableau of Opening of Agon with Diana Adams (left) and Melissa Hayden (right) (added 10 Aug 06) Diana and Acteon Divertissement, with A. Shelest and S. Kaplan (Added 11 Aug 06) The Russian Imperial Theater School "House Dress" (Added 13 Aug 06) Kurgapkina and Bregvadze in Their Strauss Waltz (Added 23 Aug 06) Fountain of Bakhchisaray: Ulanova as Maria, T. M. Vecheslova as Zarema, and M. M. Mikhailov as Girei (Added 23 Aug 06) Fountain of Bakhchisaray: Inna Izraeleva (later known as Zubkovskaya) as Maria (Added 23 Aug 06) Gelsey Kirkland as Aurora (Added 11 Sep 06) Mikhail Markovich Gabovich (Added 12 Nov 2006) 2006 Dance Magazine Awards Citation for Gelsey Kirkland (Added 15 Nov 2006) Farrell, d'Amboise, and Tallchief on Informational Cards (Added 25 Nov 06) Serge Golovine--The Spirit of the Rose (Added 1 Dec 06) Valse Caprice: Pavlova and Novikoff (Added 1 Dec 06) Lydia Kyaksht as Swannilde (Added 4 Dec 06) Lydia Kyaksht, possibly Swannilde (Added 4 Dec 06) Maria Mariusovna Petipa (Added 8 Dec 06) Virginia Zucchi as Paquita and M.S. Petipa (Added 8 Dec 06) Viktor Semyonov and Image of Diana from Liubov Diana (Les Amours de Diana) (Added 11 Dec 06) Tatiana Vecheslova and Vakhtang Chabukiani in San Francisco (1934) (Added 22 Dec 06)

Absolutely. That was a wonderful tribute to her, lampwick.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this at halftime at a high school football game. Which is kind of the reason to exist for many Dolly Dinkle studios: creating majorettes and cheerleaders -- remember all of those splits? -- for school sports.