Helene

Aside from her contribution as a teacher in codifying a teaching method and updating it based on contemporary technical demands, Vaganova was also responsible for updating the Petipa/Ivanov classics for the audiences of the '30's, which included stripping them of mime. Not only does company style derive from her method, but aside from the reconstructions, many versions performed today stem from that aesthetic. Without Pavlova, deValois's influence wouldn't have been as great, because without Pavlova's tours, there wouldn't have been Ashton. Independently, the Ballets Russes tours established ballet across many continents, and ballet wouldn't have taken root without many of the female pioneers who established companies and schools in the Commonwealth and the US, on their own and as offshoots and cousins of Balanchine: without them, ballet would just have been something that passed through once a season, akin to the circus. To those I'd add Celia Franca (National Ballet of Canada) and Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally (Royal Winnipeg Ballet). Beginning in the 30's, the latter two brought Canadian-themed ballets to the public.

They got married yesterday: At Long Last, Love Trumped Art Congratulations to them .

While ABT will never be an Ashton company, I'm hoping that by slowly adding Ashton ballets and reviving the ones they have regularly, that the company will reach the tipping point where some of the style and technique get into the dancers' bones, and they're ready for each new work.

Kimberly Falker, the host of the Balancing Pointe podcast, has been up-front about her point of view for her interviews: she's the parent of an aspiring dance student/dancer, and, through many of her questions, seeks to understand how the whole dance process works, from training to career to retirement and moving on to other dance-related projects For the last two weeks, she has done a series on NYCB, with interviews at each level of dancing, and I found it fascinating to listen to them over a couple of days in the order in which they were published: SAB Student Mikayla Lambert Apprentice Daniela Aldrich Apprentice Isabella Lafrenieare Corps Member Lexi Maxwell An Update from Lafrenieare Soloist Lauren Lovette Principal Ask la Cour (Part 1) Principal Ask la Cour (Part 2) One thread is education, and it was interesting to hear how each dancer approached his or hers.

In Konservatoriat there were two women: one had a pink ribbon (around her waist, with a big bow in the back) and the other a silvery lilac. Which was Lukina? It was interesting to see the continuum: the Tango was a pure character piece, and it was hard to believe these were students. Gagarskaya reminds me of ice dancer Elena Ilinykh, and I found Leontyev compelling. Diana and Actaeon is so tricky, because there's a lot of character that has to be conveyed through carriage and style more than stylized choreography. Shakirova had a great combination of grandeur and playfulness, with a lot of ease and aplomb in between the big movement. Again, I might have guessed a young soloist, but not a student. Zhiganshina has presence to burn, and her core is like the crazy Cuban ballerinas who never get knocked off center.

From Marina Harss in "Dance Tabs":

Get some rest, and then have a blast! I will be eating vicariously through you and your Mom!

I haven't watched the "Rosenkavalier," but I disagree that modern productions are obscuring voices and that there is no one worth hearing. Balanchine famously said, if you don't like the dance, shut you eyes and listen to a concert. I heard the generation now looked at as golden, but dismissed by people who had heard the generation or two before them, and I'd rather hear Michael Fabiano live than Franco Corelli on a recording. (I heard Corelli live on a bad night.) I'm not a big fan of lists restricted lists -- I think lists should expand as new artists emerge -- although I was happy to see Fred Plotkin break his own rule and add John Osborn (age 41) to part 1 of his "40 Under 40" list: http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/40-under-40-next-generation-great-opera-singers/ Aside from the bigger names like Pisaroni, Costello, Camarena, and probably by now Fabiano (who has established quite a career in Europe), I was thrilled to see Andrew Garland -- he sang Schaunard to Fabiano's Rodolfo in Seattle last season, and his recital tracks are superb (plus I swoon for redheads) -- Quinn Kelsey -- to die for in San Francisco Opera's "Atilla," also with Furlanetto -- and Bryan Hymel -- a great save for the Met in a beautifully sung "Les Troyens" (and a reputed sweet guy) -- among the first 13 Plotkin lists. I'm looking forward to reading about the other 27 in part 2.

We received a heads up at Contact Us about this photo from 2013: http://www.montrealgazette.com/thick+layer+blankets+Mountain+View+Cemetery+Vancouver+Tuesday+morning+Olympia+Dowd+takes+walk+October+2013/9069186/story.html

From FauxPas' observation in the ABT Cinderella thread, ABT's production of Ashton's "Cinderella" has re-triggered the discussion of Ashton style among critics. From Barre Flies, Gaynor Minden's hosted critic blogs, come the following: From Leigh Witchel: From Robert Johnson: From Apollinaire Scherr: From Alexandra Ansanelli: From Laura Jacobs: From Alastair Macaulay in The New York Times: And Ashton’s choreography often sets up a striking tension between what we see and hear. Leigh Witchel also writes, which brings to mind the frequent comment that Balanchine is less a technique-based style than an approach to movement, and Balanchine training -- at SAB or any of the neoclassical-focused academies -- isn't a strict syllabus or pedagogy. With Sarasota Ballet and, locally, chamber ballet company New York Theatre Ballet striving to present Ashton in his own style, or certainly more in his own style than other companies who present his works in isolation, what I find promising is the focus on the extent to which the dancers' ability to grasp the style (or not) is the focus of so much commentary. For a while, Ashton style seemed to be holding on by a gossamer thread and a prayer, and now is at least holding on with twine, with the expectation that it can be resurrected, if only for specific productions.

We just got at heads up that the following in available on ebay (from the UK): 1,297 BALLET, DANCING, GRAMOPHONE, GLYNDEBOURNE PROGRAMMES AND MAGAZINES. Details are available if you scroll down. The person giving the heads up wrote, "I would of course donate, if appropriate any selling costs to your organisation or a chosen charity." If anyone is interested and needs contact information for the person making this offer, please send a PM to me directly or send email to "Contact Us" on the upper page menu, and I'll forward the contact email.

[broken record on] Our policy is that the only links or references to blogs/website articles valid for BA! are to blogs by dance professionals , including established critics. Also, the company forums are for member reviews and comments. "Writings on Ballet" is the forum to discuss reviews and commentary by established critics. I hope I'm not embarrassing Faux Pas by pointing out a great use of critics, and that is by bringing up the background info discussed by critics -- in this case the use of torso and arms that those unfamiliar with Ashton (or Ashton danced properly) -- and then going on to discuss whether s/he saw this in the performance. Information like this helped me to understand the waist-bend in the Romantic style, for example. [broken record off]

I assume it's a conversation with his wife or partner about their day, but the only thing (I think) I caught was her asking him how the interview went. Of course, given my language skills, she might have asked him what he had for lunch...

That's fantastic!! (But how did the interview go?)

I thought she was gone from the roster, too. Hopefully the current state of the website means she is back.

A video for Next Step:

A few news tidbits: on her Balancing Pointe podcast, Kimberly Falker has added a question to the few she asks each dancer at the end of the podcast, and that is who they would like to listen to an interview with. NYCB apprentice Daniela Aldrich, who grew up in Carlisle and studied for ten years at CPYB before SAB, answered Janie Taylor and fellow CPYB alum Leta Biasucci. I'd love to hear an interview with Biasucci. Matthew Renko has choreographed a classical trio for three ballerinas that premieres this Friday, 13 June at 7:30pm as part of the Next Step program.

The best explained "Cinderella" I've seen is Rossini's "La Cenerentola." The stepfather, Don Magnifico, is the evil one, because he stole Angelina's (Cinderella's) inheritance from her mother to fund himself and his two daughters by another wife, and he's forced Angelina to be a servant in the house, denies that Angelina is his daughter -- he claims she is dead -- and threatens her if she reveals her true parentage. This, of course, is easily explained in words, but in ballet, forget it. The Prince's tutor, Alidoro, shows up at Don Magnifico's castle dressed as a beggar, and while he's mistreated by the stepsisters, Angelina treats him kindly. When he tells the Prince he's found someone worthy of marrying, the Prince switches places with his servant and falls in love with Angelina because he observes her as a person. Even in the ballet version, it's not simply love at first sight like it is for Romeo: it's the Prince's recognition of a woman of quality and virtue who is in stark contrast to the stepsisters and all of the other women who throw themselves into the Princess-for-Life sweepstakes and at him. The issue I find with ballet versions of "Cinderella" is that the music is darker than the story being told. The Grimm is quite dark, but the score doesn't tie all that specifically to the story, and the most gruesome parts -- and the most sadistic -- aren't shown in the ballet, like how the stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to fit into the shoe, and the blood filling their stockings gives them away.

That looks like a good resource, but please remember, anyone who wants to discuss what critics are saying, please discuss in the "Writings on Ballet" forum. The companies forums are for what you think about what you see.

That has to be a general request, because I cannot be in Seattle this weekend Or double :(, because I saw a rehearsal for Next Step today, and there are six works that all deserve to be seen. There's a fine range of music and styles, using from two to six people per work. Ezra Thomson performs on guitar for his series of pas de deux set on two dancers. (I don't know if he wrote the music.) Matthew Renko's is a classical work for three ballerinas, with an extended solo for each. Andrew Bartee created a four-movement work adding dancers as it progresses. Price Suddarth's piece is a classical, for two couples ending in an extended pas de deux. Margaret Mullin's music is my favorite -- parts of two Bartok string quartets -- and her piece is for two women who are very different physically, and it's fascinating to watch the differences between them. Jahna Frantziskonis and Angelica Generosa collaborated on a work for three couples.

This coming weekend are the last performances of the PNB/PNBS season. On Friday, 13 June at 7:30pm, there will be six premieres of works choreographed by company dancers -- this year Andrew Bartee, Angelica Generosa, Jahna Frantziskonis, Margaret Mullin, Matthew Renko, Price Suddarth, and Ezra Thompson -- on Professional Division students. http://www.pnb.org/Season/13-14/NextStep/ On Saturday, 14 June, the School will present its annual School Performance at 2pm and 7pm. Unfortunately, the link from the Calendar is resolving to "Page Not Found." The afternoon performance focuses on the lower-level kids from the Seattle and Francia Russell Center kids, but if I remember correctly, also includes upper level and Professional Division performances. The evening program focuses in on higher level students and the Professional Division. One work that will be performed in the evening at least -- and, since there seem to be two casts, possibly in the afternoon as well -- is Kyle Davis' rendition of "Sylvia" with music by Leo Delibes. Davis generously allowed a small number of invitees to watch tonight's rehearsal of the complete Act III, and I was lucky to be asked by an invitee. For anyone who loves classical ballet, this is a must-see. Davis is doing something quite rare now: he is moving large groups in sophisticated and architecturally impressive ways in a classical ballet. The last time I saw anyone attempt this was Mark Morris in his "Sylvia" for San Francisco Ballet. (Ratmansky takes a different approach to people-moving in "Don Q," where there's less real estate for the cast of thousands.) There is plenty of lovely choreography for the seven principals, including a rather spectacular solo by a rather spectacular Aminta, but it's the approach to the corps that was music to my eyes.

The "Midsummer" fouettes are not only perfectly timed and in character for that particular stretch of music, they also invoke Hippolyta whipping up a forest windstorm.