Helene

Yes, there is: in "Repertory in Review," there's a mention, but not a description of specific choreography, except for adding the mechanical slide in place of the balance in the adagio. The revisions wouldn't say that the PDD was removed in 1958 for the TV broadcast and replaced by Pas de Cinq, but the SPF variation was moved to the beginning of the act unless the SPF was in the PDD when it premiered, and they also wouldn't say when the PDD was restored in 1959 that the Cavalier's variation was not put back in, had it not been there in the first place. What aren't documented completely are the other changes to the adagio, SPF variation, and coda choreography, but the structure has been the same since 1959 -- SPF at the beginning of the act and adagio/coda at the end.

Unfortunately, the TV show won't help. In theory, Balanchine's original PDD should be very close to what we see today without the Cavalier's solo, because there are no other major revision notes, except for the slide -- the Sugar Plum Fairy puts her point on a slide mechanism and is dragged along in arabesque -- which had been a balance in place. I think it's safe to presume that because he preferred the Sugar Plum Fairy variation at the beginning of the act, it made little sense to have just a Cavalier solo or to find some other less famous music to interpolate for another solo, but the act is long enough as it is. Maria Tallchief described the first "Nutcracker" and how stressful it was to, having danced nothing until then, hear the shouts and ovation for Tanaquil Leclerq's Dewdrop, wondering if the PDD would equal it. (It did.) Perhaps this, plus Balanchine's designation of her partner as a Cavalier, not a Prince, made it an easy decision not to give him a solo outside the brief one in the coda. I find the solo in the beginning to be very gracious. I wrote "should," be very close, because there was at least one significant change in the Sugar Plum Fairy variation. Kyra Nichols performed the original in one performance I saw, where instead of moving turns, she did quarter turns in place, like hitting compass points. Kent Stowell also uses a similar format, except the man is the Nutcracker Prince, and he gets his solo, too, at the beginning of the second act. The adagio goes straight intothe coda, and the kids in the Dollhouse scene (set to the Mother Ginger music) introduce the coda.

According to the online Balanchine Catalogue, by deduction, the original PPD format -- adagio, variation, variation, coda -- was in Balanchine's original in the traditional spot. According to the revision history, in 1958, for the TV broadcast and the remainder of the season, the Sugarplum Fairy's variation was moved to the beginning of the act and four cavaliers (Candy Cane, Tea, Coffee [then a man], and Spanish) partnered the Sugarplum Fairy in the PDD with no variations. In "1959, adagio and coda of GRAND PAS DE DEUX restored with Cavalier, replacing PAS DE CINQ, but without variation for Cavalier; Sugar Plum Fairy variation retained at beginning of Act II," which shows that there was a Cavalier's variation in the original production.

I've only seen a handful of "Cinderella"s and none of them used this convention.

Now this has possibilities! This is how Rossini's "La Cenerontala" is set up.

Except for the blaming Cinderela for her own fate with her new family members, that scenario sounds fascinating.

Surely the company was not going to hold the top job empty when they have a season to finish.

Judith Cruickshank describes the scenario and production in detail in her review for danceviewtimes. In her opening, she writes, "Having ...set ‘The Nutcracker’ in the grimmest of orphanages," I saw Bourne's "Nutcracker" at Sadlers Wells about a decade ago, and I'm not sure that the Land of the Sweets wasn't equally as frightening as the orphanage.

Former Principal Dancer and current OBT Director of Artistic Operations, Anne Mueller, has been named the Interim Artistic Director, per the company's Facebook page: We are delighted to report that Anne Mueller, former Principal Dancer and currently the Director of Artistic Operations at OBT, has accepted the position of Interim Artistic Director at Oregon Ballet Theatre. As we look forward to a wonderful 2nd half of the 2012-2013 season, please join is in congratulating Anne on her appointment. Best of luck to Mueller

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A blog post by Sara Mearns in "Dance Magazine": My Moment with Makarova

That's only been since this past April, when Peter Boal decided to stage it. Until then, PNB performed the version staged by Francia Russell of the complete ballet.

The Best By far the best of all was Thomas Lund's final performances as James in "La Sylphide" and the Teacher in "The Lesson." (With the bonus track of his King Didon in Alexei Ratmansky's "The Golden Cockerel" the night before.) There outpouring of love and respect the company and audience gave him in his final performance as a Solodanser was like something I've never seen before and thought I never would. Jonathan Porretta as Gamache -- like Johnny Depp, only more beautiful, and an extraordinary balance of vanity, humor, and hysteria -- and Sancho Panza to Otto Neubert's Don Quixote in Alexei Ratmansky's "Don Quixote," about as opposite a pair of characters as it comes, and each one of them a combination of pathos and humor. Carrie Imler as Kitri in Ratmansky's "Don Quixote." To say that she was born for the role is an understatement, but then, when she dances Lilac Fairy, I feel the same way. She was light and charming, which, combined with her characteristic technical command was a joy. As icing on the cake, she was an innkeeper's daughter: as much as she loved Basilio, she had a head on her affectionate shoulders, and if Basilio's friends thought they were going to get a lifetime of free haircuts, they had another thing coming. Leta Biasucci as Swanhilde in Balanchine's "Coppelia." It's always great to see a young dancer take the reins and excel, but it's whole other level when he or she owns a part, filling it with detail, nuance, and expert dramatic arc as Biasucci did last June. Lucien Postlewaite and Seth Orza, back-to-back in "Apollo." Postlewaite's was exquisitely fine-tuned and musical, and in it, Orza's was the most dynamically and musically alive I've seen him. Lucien Postlewaite's performances in the PNB season-ender Encores program. In Pas de Deux from "Prodigal Son" with Laura Gilbreath, he reprised the role in which he burst to prominence years before as an injury replacement. In the film excerpt from "Cylindrical Shadows" he was a member of the ensemble in a co-commission with his husband, Olivier Wevers', company Whim W'him. In Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette" "Balcony Pas de Deux," he danced with long-time partner and friend, Kaori Nakamura. Nakamura and he didn't perform this work with each other until an injury to Postlewaite's partner, Carla Korbes, caused them to pair up in the PDD in the "Love Stories" program in Fall 2011, but both then and in this final performance, they showed us what we had missed. Korbes had been too injured to perform Terpsichore when "Apollo" was performed last April, but in she danced with Postlewaite as if they had performed the roles together their entire lives. There was Boal's discovery at 14, as Terpsichore to his Apollo, dancing with a man at the beginning of his prime on his way to new adventures in Europe. The whole evening was verklempt-making. Bruce Wells' "Snow White" for students at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. The choreography and story-telling were top-notch, with opportunities for dancers across a wide range of ages and expertise and roles that made the leads look like stars. The March 2012 triple bill. "Cylindrical Shadows" didn't transfer from the smaller Intiman Theatre to the McCaw Hall main stage, but Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz, with their long lines and ability to express drama through movement in the heart-breaking central pas de deux was breathtaking. David Dawson's "A Million Kisses to My Skin" was like a crucible: not every dancer found it energizing, but for the majority that did, the wattage that projected from that stage could have lit up Seattle Center for a week. Victor Quijada's "Mating Theory" was not ballet, and although I enjoyed the movement vocabulary, what I found so great about the work were the clarity with which the social relationships were portrayed and how they evolved and morphed from one section to the other. Peter Boal considered a contemporary, non-traditional version of "Giselle" a few years ago, and I think Quijada gave it to him last season, through the prism of Robbins' "The Cage." It's as if Quijada took it one step further and asked, "What would happen if Giselle out-Myrtha'd Myrtha instead of dying?" and Rachel Foster answered that question in a tour de force performance. Ballet Arizona in "Episodes." The deepening partnerships of Tzu-Chia Huang and Astrit Zejnati and Natalia Magnicaballi and Ilir Shtylla. The La Scala Ballet DVD of the reconstructed "Raymonda." The Worst: Thomas Lund retiring. But it's the best news for the students of the Royal Danish Ballet School. Lucien Postlewaite leaving for Monte Carlo. But it's the best news for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo's audiences. Not being able to get to NYC to see Paris Opera Ballet or California to see the Mariinsky Ballet.

The biggest traffic jam might come in "Agon", but it was first performed at City Center, which isn't a very big stage. The others should look fine in Victoria.

I don't miss the Lilac Fairy's pointe work at all in the reconstruction, particularly when dancers like Lopatkina develope up to their ears in her variation. The long dress gives the Lilac Fairy more stature, in my opinion. She manages; the rest dance (en pointe), except for Carabosse, and the set-up is between the two of them, not between Carabosse and Aurora.

The reconstructions were not uniformly accepted by all of the Bolshoi dancers: Tsiskaridze was very vocal about doubting their authenticity, especially the "based on Petipa" new choreography. Given what's come to light about his recent petition/coup attempt, thses remarks could have been as self-serving.

I think it is not Obrastzova but Osmolkina on the "New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg" DVD. Yes, I was mistaken: it is Osmolkina as Princess Aurora. Thank you for the correction!

Thank you, Mme. Hermine. It definitely belongs here. Thank you for posting!

What separates this ask from a Kickstarter or Indigogo project is the lack of specifics: how much they need and what they need it for (specifically).

Right now, the best we have for the Mariinsky reconstruction of "Sleeping Beauty" is Act III with Obrastzova on the "New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg" DVD.

I don't remember, but Monastyrska did plenty of pianisimi in this performance, and while she sang plenty of forte, too, she didn't scream anything that I can remember. The tomb scene especially was full of pianisimi -- Alagna used a bunch of falsetto, mainly at the end of "Celeste Aida" and the Tomb Scene, but it sounded to me like he was out-of-tune in the Tomb Scene and was the one who marred it. She sang it beautifully. Given the choreography in the second act, both in Amneris' chamber and the Triumphal Scene, I didn't miss an attempt at choreography in the temple scene, but I did miss the music. Aside from some temple priestesses who dressed Radames up in his blessed battle wear and who carried the representation of the god to him, it was a very masculine scene, with the women's chorus backstage, which was quite effective. Perhaps that is why they cut the dancing. (I just wondered if I had dozed off unexpectedly and missed it.) Verdi considered naming the opera "Amneris," and while she doesn't have big arias -- most of her solo singing is interludes -- and Aida has two, the second added after the premiere, Amneris has those great blood-boiling scenes with Radames and the priests. Plus, to her own dismay, she gets the last words. Although mezzos have talked about how the tessitura shifts to be uncomfortably high, and it's by no means easy, the role of Aida is a killer: between the stamina to carry the arias and the Nile Scene (act, really), she's a servant in all of those ensembles, on again, off again as the action shifts, and it must take a huge amount of concentration to keep it all straight and remain credible. For example, in the Triumphal Scene she has a lot to sing and a lot of staging, while Amneris gets to do most of hers sitting on her throne. She also is the victim, dramatically, while Amneris gets most of the fire and the mood swings. There could have been a great confrontation scene in there, right before the Triumphal Scene, which Aida almost starts -- Excuse me, but I'm a Princess in my own right -- but then takes back immediately and starts to grovel. I've always wanted them to have it out there, interrupted by a messenger to summon Amneris to the ceremony, with a "This isn't the end of this discussion" ending, but, alas. The biggest mezzo/soprano scene I can remember is when Eboli confesses to Elisabetta that she planted the jewel box and has been sleeping with the King, and the Queen banishes her. There really isn't an argument. That Verdi even had an extended scene between the Aida and Amneris is unusual.

Lorena Feijoo just posted this to her Facebook Page: I wish Mr. Roca a full recovery.

I thought Monastyrska did fantastic jobs with both "Retorna vincintor" and "O patria mia." Cristian, did I imagine it, or did they skip the ballet in the Temple scene? Go to the encore, Sandy and Birdsall. It was much better than the live performance I saw, with the exception of the mezzo, Irina Mishura.

It was stellar today, one of the best I've seen. Monastyrska is a true Verdi soprano. I was only sad that they interviewed her at the end of first intermission and I missed all but her greeting. I've seen this production live and I take issue with the second act staging: I know it solves multiple logistical issues to have the Pharaoh descent to Radames' level, so Radames doesn't have to keep looking upstage, but it doesn't seem believable. Nor do I think the Pharoah and Amneris would have climbed to their throne through the crowds; if anything< I expected them to descend. It's a generally impressive production, though.

I, too, thought he had been filmed in smaller, more cameo roles. I like him a lot in character-driven roles, and I always wished he had more screen time, like I wish that Gary Avis' Cavalier in the Royal Ballet's "Sleeping Beauty" DVD had a much bigger role.