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Helene

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  1. Helene
    Yes: Prix de Lausanne 2003: http://www.prixdelausanne.org/v4/index.php/View-users-list/Prizewinners/Page-16.html In this interview, Mark Monahan writes, Given the chronology, did he take the Prix de Lausanne scholarship to the Royal Ballet School, which he joined a year later? The Royal Ballet site lists the Artists, but, alas, provides no bio links.
  2. Helene
    Didn't Tsiskaridze already reject the idea of cutting his management teeth in a regional house?
  3. Helene
    Compared to individual giving of 13 billion dollars (2011) to the arts, both the NEA (146 million, 2012) and Kickstarter (323.6 million, 2012) are a drop in the arts bucket: 1.1% and 2.5% of total individual arts funding respectively, and NEA funding is only 3.3% of the chunk that is not funded by individuals. I haven't watched the video yet to know whether it answers the question of whether the Kickstarter money is incremental money (or significantly incremental money) from "non-traditional" donor bases, or if Kickstarter is mostly a platform to process the same money. While there's nothing to stop individual artists from soliciting grants for projects on Kickstarter -- at indiegogo, an artist could ask for funding to take a six-month break to recharge, not a Kickstarter option -- from the article, it doesn't seem to be the way it's been used to date, while over 116 million of NEA funding has been used for artist grants (80% according to the article). There have been well-publicized downsides, particularly the peer pressure fellow artists feel to donate to each other's projects, but the upside might be a younger and more involved donor base that won't donate to an institution, doesn't care about the tax deduction, and would rather feel like an investor in a project. I think this ties into the discussion about the questions Marina Harss raised Suzanne Farrell's stagings of rare Balanchine works under Balanchine Preservation Initiative and whether the money is well spent, since Kickstarter is pure audience-voting-with-their credit cards, without the panel of experts/peers deciding where the money goes: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/37484-marina-harss-suzanne-farrell-ballet-and-the-balanchine-preservation-initiative/#entry323616
  4. Helene
    Also "La Cage aux Folles" and "The Producers."
  5. Helene
    It seemed really odd in the context of the paragraph. I also misunderstood that he was talking about only the buildings, not the ballets themselves.
  6. Helene
    I can imagine that Kaye would have been a great Odette. Perhaps not one that would be recognized in Russia, but from everything I've read and heard about her, I would have paid to see her paint her toenails.
  7. Helene
    They all seem to be playing nicely in public and to the press: http://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fizvestia.ru%2Fnews%2F553359 In the meantime, Vladimir Malakhov agreed that Tsiskaridze's dismissal was the "last straw," said Iksanov was a failure both at reconstructions and new ballets, and commented that he doesn't know Urin, but doesn't think he'll work out: http://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fizvestia.ru%2Fnews%2F553351 People's Artist Alexander Belinsky, said he's had little interest in the Bolshoi since Vasiliev left and Maximova died, he only knew Iksanov when Iksanov was younger, and he didn't want to comment on what led up to the change, because the future is more important than the past (emphasis below mine): http://translate.google.ca/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fizvestia.ru%2Fnews%2F553365
  8. Helene
    That's the reason I qualified my statement with "often." My point was that people donate for whatever reason they want, and if it's their money, it's their decision. It's not that I don't cringe at some of the money that's thrown around on vanity projects -- nothing at all to do with Suzanne Farrell Ballet -- or think "If I Ruled the Universe, The Money Would Go [To Something Else]", but, at the end of the day, I'm not writing the checks. I donate not even close to 1.5% of PNB's New Works Initiative, but I do donate what I can because I think it's important for PNB to do new work and for ballet choreographers to have a stage on which to practice and strengthen their craft. (Everybody wants the stupendously popular masterwork, but few want to invest in the developmental ballets.) I don't have to like everything regardless of how successful and/or popular the works are, and I don't expect every world premiere to be a finished product or unqualified success, because while there are certain choreographers like Wheeldon, Ratmansky, and Gibson who increase the odds, nothing is guaranteed, and who wants them to have to duplicate themselves and take no risks? I don't even have to agree with what Peter Boal chooses or the direction he takes with some of the work because there's enough variety, from "Giselle" to "Concerto DSCH" to "Dances at a Gathering" to "Matrix Theory." If I thought all of the choices were going off the cliff, I might think otherwise. I'm always disappointed with what I consider the neglect of American classics, such as the Tudor rep, and the missed opportunities elsewhere, but unless there's a megabazillions jackpot with my name on it, I can't have that pony.
  9. Helene
    Robert Gottlieb is a part-time critic. Insightful and a must-read, and we're lucky for the time he does spend doing it, but still part-time.
  10. Helene
    But what? Reid Anderson had the authority to choose casts for "Onegin"; it's possible he had the authority to refuse to allow the Bolshoi to perform it. (I don't know what the contracts stated.) There are conflicting reports over whether this was 100% his decision to make, whether it was a joint decision between Anderson and Filin, or whether Filin was there to object if he felt there were grounds or extenuating circumstances. If Filin were to override Anderson, or Iksanov overrode Filin and Anderson, the consequences might be immediate, or Anderson might have agreed to this run, but that would be a big bridge to burn. I'm not sure what the timeline was in terms of when Anderson made his decisions or what Zakharova knew when. There are the ballet equivalents of "I'm leaving to spend time with my family" to save face, and it's possible that Iksanov missed the opportunity to allow Zakharova to bow out gracefully with an injury that made rehearsing impossible, a mysterious illness, or schedule overload, etc. etc., but it isn't clear she wanted to, or that Anderson didn't made the decision too late for this to be effective, and Anderson's response was far more embarrassing, which is the risk she took when she left the production. Was Iksanov supposed to lock her in his office? Offer her a dacha (carrot)? Threaten to break her ankle (stick)? There are a number of articles in Izvetsia in which different theater managers are interviewed or asked for comment, something I can't imagine happening in the US, and there is one common criticism: Iksanov stayed out of artist management, and, as a result, he mismanaged the egos through neglect. His criticisms of Tsiskaridze were organization-based, and another point of consensus from managers and fellow artists like Korsakov is that Tsiskaridze is the equivalent of "too big to fail" and should be treated exceptionally.
  11. Helene
    Surely Aran Bell is American, but how would that be meaningful if his training is POB-based, one of the foundational rather than eclectic classical styles/curriculums? Gillian Murphy, Tanaquil LeClercq, and Michelle DePrice received all of their dance education in the US, but they wouldn't qualify.
  12. Helene
    Press release: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S NEW YORK SUMMER INTENSIVE FINAL PERFORMANCES SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, JULY 26, 12 P.M. AND 4 P.M. AT FRANK SINATRA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Final performances for American Ballet Theatre’s New York Summer Intensive Program are scheduled for Friday, July 26, 2013 at 12 P.M. and 4 P.M. at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, New York. The performances mark the conclusion of ABT’s 18th annual New York Summer Intensive, a five-week training program for dancers ages 12 to 22. Summer Intensive students will perform selections from Coppélia, Onegin, and Swan Lake and Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker. Additionally, original choreography by Leslie Browne, Franco De Vita, Olga Dvorovenko, Adrienne Hurd, Kate Lydon, Kris Storey and Richard Toda will be featured. Participants in American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensives are chosen through a cross-country audition tour sponsored by Freed of London, Ltd. This year, more than 4,400 students auditioned in 24 cities across the United States. ABT’s 2013 Summer Intensives will reach over 1,200 participants in New York City and satellite programs in North Carolina, Alabama, Texas and California. Currently, 310 students are participating in the 2013 New York Summer Intensive. The annual program at ABT’s New York City studios is a comprehensive course that begins with daily ballet technique class and includes specialized classes in pointe work, partnering, choreography, jazz, character dance, modern dance, musical theater, Pilates and yoga for young dancers. To complement the dancers’ training, lectures are offered on injury prevention, anatomy, nutrition and dance history. Under the direction of Melissa Allen Bowman, the 2013 New York Summer Intensive Program incorporates a faculty of ABT alumni, members of ABT’s Artistic Staff and renowned teachers, including Kevin McKenzie, Franco De Vita, Kate Lydon, Charles Askegard, Ethan Brown, Leslie Browne, Gabrielle Brown, Harriet Clark, Olga Dvorovenko, Raymond Lukens, Carlos Lopez, Rosanna Seravalli and Cheryl Yeager. Frank Sinatra School of the Arts is located at 35-12 35th Avenue in Astoria, New York. For detailed directions, please visit www.franksinatraschoolofthearts.org. Tickets, priced at $15 each, will go on sale to the public Monday, July 15 at 10 A.M. on www.tututix.com. Adults and children age two and up require a ticketed seat. For more information, please call the Summer Intensive Hotline at 212.477.3030, ext. 3416 or email summerintensive@abt.org. Please visit www.abt.org for more information.
  13. Helene
    until
    Jul 11, 2013 | 7:30 p.m. Jul 12, 2013 | 7:30 p.m. Jul 13, 2013 | 2:00 p.m. Jul 13, 2013 | 7:30 p.m. Jul 14, 2013 | 2:00 p.m. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Program and Ticket Info: http://www.musiccenter.org/about/Our-Programs/Glorya-Kaufman-Dance/1213-Season/American-Ballet-Theatre/
  14. Helene
    Like bookends, to Farrell there is McBride. I only saw Farrell live late in her career and McBride after her prime. The best I saw of Farrell is on film/video. While that's true of all of the NYCB ballerinas I mentioned, I didn't see them after their primes, and LeClercq never had a chance to be at hers.
  15. Helene
    The way the "job description" for the board is written, it is their responsibility to interfere in artistic matters: While I think the Board should be limited to financial oversight and operations and not be involved in artistic decisions, that's not only the de facto reality but the de jure reality. I think expecting Iksanov to keep the Board from doing its job and reaching its tentacles into other artistic areas is like expecting a the president of a public university to stand up to the Justice Department (to use a US analogy). Why anyone wants the job unless they, like Lyndon Johnson, have dirt on everyone and have critical sums of money to use as bait and withdraw like a lash, is beyond me.
  16. Helene
    Sarah Van Patten is one of the most unique ballerinas I've seen. I only get to see the company in intense weekends, even when I see her perform the same ballet in a three-day span, her interpretations are not set or predictable.
  17. Helene
    I misspoke: I didn't mean she had never danced the roles, but that her renown and reputation, at least decades later, were based in other rep. Was it different when she was dancing -- we people at the time drawn as much to her Giselle as to her Hagar? In general ABT doesn't even run after non-US-born and non-US-trained female dancers with a contract and a pen unless they come from the Royal Ballet or a Russian company. I think the reasons Kochetkova was invited as a relatively last-minute replacement were that she was Bolshoi-trained, she is somewhat known in NYC from her gala work, and, most importantly, she's short enough to be a partner for Cornejo. If she were Natalia Magnicaballi's height, I doubt she would have been considered even if Hallberg had been scheduled.
  18. Helene
    Did the oligarchs on the Board of Trustees drive out Osipova and Vasiliev? I thought they were courted by a theater director offering them big salaries, apartments, and unlimited guesting opportunities and schedule flexibility. Was it the Board of Directors, rather than Burlaka, who insisted that Osipova's priorities should be the Bolshoi tour to DC with "Le Corsaire" instead of "La Sylphide" with ABT, for which she had been announced months before? Did the oligarchs on the Board of Trustees determine that Zakharova didn't meet the requirements to dance opening night of Tatiana? I'm not quite sure what the oligarchs on the Board of Trustees were supposed to have done about Tsiskaridze. "The Bolshoi Theatre Board of Trustees was set up in 2001 with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Government of Moscow and on instructions from the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation." Iksanov didn't create it. What was Iksanov supposed to do about them, and their influence and decisions? That's like holding him responsible for the overruns of the theater reconstruction, when he didn't make the contracts, didn't have a choice of contractors, and where decisions were made within the government. (Sounds like the life of a project manager to me.) There's plenty crazy about the way the Bolshoi is structure and run, and one could argue that Iksanov did not ultimately pass the "little of the authority and all of the responsibility" test, but that doesn't explain Lavrovsky's disregard for the behavior of the artists he cites.
  19. Helene

    Hello!

    Helene replied to Gisela's topic in Welcome

    Welcome to Ballet Alert!, Gisela! We hope you will join our discussions. Russian ballet is a lot of what we discuss, both the works themselves and the companies.
  20. Helene
    Interesting and frightening: he seems to be saying that once a dancer becomes a star and the face of the theater, he or she should be dictating the terms of what s/he'll dance and that his or her behavior within the theater should be irrelevant. It's like the way professional athletes are treated in the US.
  21. Helene
    Thanks to the heads up from Lynette H, we now have official confirmation that Esteban Hernandez is joining San Francisco Ballet: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/37428-new-dancers-2014-season/page-2#entry323555
  22. Helene
    Long-time Ballet Alertnik Pamela Moberg made a casual mention in another thread about having her book, "The History of Theatre and Dance in Sweden 1600-1900" on amazon.com, and I think this deserves a thread of its own. The blurb says, "Sweden has a long theatrical history – often at the whim of the reigning monarch. It did produce many stars, who unfortunately choose to take their talents elsewhere. Charles Louis Didelot, Marie Taglioni, Pehr Christian Johansson, Jenny Lind and Christina Nilsson were all born in Sweden, but became famous abroad."
  23. Helene
    A major irritant is the notion that the first "scandal" was the acid attack on Filin.
  24. Helene
    Looking at arguably the five great ballet choreographers to date: August Bournonville: Danish-born, but his father emigrated to Denmark. He was trained by the Italian Galeotti and the French Vestris, and he lived and studied in Paris for five years. He had an aunt at Royal Swedish ballet, I assume through his Swedish mother. Marius Petipa: French-born, raised partially in Belgium, also trained under Vestris, spent three years in Spain, moved to St. Petersburgh to dance at 29, where he worked with Perrot for almost a decade to learn his craft. Frederick Ashton: Grew up in Ecuador and Peru. His early ballet influences -- Pavlova, Massine -- were Russian. Antony Tudor: British-born, but his career was primarily at ABT and in NYC wherever he taught. Technically, he was from the Italian school of Cecchetti, whose artistic lineage goes back to Beauchamp, and, after becoming London-based, had a profound influence on ballet schooling in Great Britain and the colonies. George Balanchine: Trained at the Imperial School, went to Paris, London, Copenhagen until Kirstein convinced him to come to America, where for over a decade, he mainly choreographed for American musicals and films. Bournonville was the only one to stay where he was born for most of his life. The rest were peripatetic until they landed in what was to become their long-time artistic homes. There were a lot of shake-ups and "foreign" artistic influences in their lives. Great American male dancers are yet another thread. Edited to add: the whole categorization seems arbitrary when you think of kids like Aran Bell, for example. If he wasn't born on US soil, it's likely he was born on a military base or in a local hospital providing services to the military. However, he's been largely trained by Denis Ganio. I believe both Julian and Nicholas MacKay and raised in the US until they joined the school of the Bolshoi Ballet school, where they are studying through the pre-professional track, and not as a one or two-year finish to an otherwise US dance education. Michaela DePrice was born in Sierra Leone and was adopted as a young girl. Her life fits into one of the classic American narratives, but as she wasn't US-born, it seems like she couldn't count.
  25. Helene
    Carla Korbes was born in Brazil and had her early training there, and he seems blind to Carrie Imler.
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