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Helene

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Everything posted by Helene

  1. Helene
    Many thanks for the report, Bart B!
  2. Helene
    DePrince is featured in the May 2012 edition of Teen Vogue: http://www.teenvogue...-deprince#intro Thanks to PNB's FB page for the heads up.
  3. Helene
    Marketing gimmicks also have a way if setting expectations that can backfire and/or become burdens. The wife of a former boss who had worked for a cosmetics company told me back in the '80's how difficult it became to sell cosmetics on their own after Clinique started to give away little samplers with a $10 purchase. It created the expectation that there should always be swag with practically any purchase, not on occasion and for substantial purchases (~$50 at the time).
  4. Helene
    There was a color film of Allegra Kent and Conrad Ludlow in the second movement of Symphony in C that was excerpted in the "Dancing for Mr. B" documentary that, if they have it, would be on my list after the Liebeslieder, which you've seen, and the Concerto Barocco on your list. (There was also a black and white version in the Balanchine bio of Kent in Symphony in C that I liked less.) I'm not sure how much more of the Tallchief Firebird there is than what was shown in the Balanchine bio, but that would be interesting. There was also a documentary that PNB screened a few years ago in which Dianne Chilgren played a piano arrangement of La Valse to a performance of Leclerq made by an audience member in live performance (without sound).
  5. Helene
    After seeing "Breaking Pointe," I'm glad Boal declined. I just found info from PNB about "Coppelia" in my inbox: Peter Boal's Letter: Doug Fullington's notes on the Act III Festival of the Bells: Q&A Participants (subject to change): Friday 1-Jun eve: Jeffrey Stanton Saturday 2-Jun mat: Margaret Mullin Carli Samuelson Saturday 2-Jun eve: William Lin-Yee Thursday 7-Jun eve: Lesley Rausch Jerome Tisserand Friday 8-Jun eve: Ezra Thomson Saturday 9-Jun mat: Kaori Nakamura Jonathan Porretta Saturday 9-Jun eve: Rachel Foster Benjamin Griffiths Sunday 10-Jun mat: Leta Biasucci James Moore
  6. Helene
    Obraztsova has joined the Bolshoi. I always think of Tereshkina as the opposite: a dancer who keeps feelings close to the chest. She's always reminded me of Nichols, whom I loved in the role. I prefer the long legged, cool bones, but it speaks differently to everyone. its Ayupova still dancing? I've only seen her 1993 Calliope from the Balanchine Celebration.
  7. Helene
    Tershkina would make s great Act II PDD women in Kondaurova's performances of Titania and vice versa, and I don't see a need for a gimmick that undermines the drama, but I also don't think the Balanchine stagers dictate casting, even now, although they might argue their case strongly.
  8. Helene
    If the Act II pas de deux is the biggest neoclassical role of the night and is recognized as such, the Prima can dance that (and the rest of the divertissement) instead of Titania. Doubling up makes little sense dramatically because of the stark contrast in the relationships. .
  9. Helene
    Oh, stinger, if infantile was the worst of how the dancers were portrayed .
  10. Helene

    Alina Somova

    Helene replied to kirovboy's topic in Dancers

    Catherine Pawlick argued in her book about Vaganova that after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Mariinsky management deliberately went for a change in aesthetic to "Western," (-influenced) which in my opinion was a superficial and distorted view of the aesthetic from a culture with limited exposure to what it was trying to emulate. Somova was at least partially trained and later encouraged and coached to look a certain way by her coach and management. People who bought that misguided aesthetic don't believe that Obraztsova deserved to be promoted ahead of her. In the movie "Ballerina" Somova is chastised for the very things in which she was encouraged to do or at least that were ignored. Is a stage rehearsal really the place to decide that there was a serious aesthetic or technical issue? Somova did a lovely job in the lyrical second movement pas de deux in "Ballet Imperial.". While she wouldn't be my first choice for the Midsummer PDD -- I think she'd be fine as Titania -- with respectful coaching and some time, I think she could do it. Imagine her being coached by Verdy.
  11. Helene
    Adam Luders did as well, partnering Nichols.
  12. Helene
    It was originally Verdy/Ludlow. I disagree that the ballerina has to be small. Kyra Nichols, for example, was quite stunning and Darci Kistler was luminous in it, although Heather Watts gave my favorite performance of it. Watts wasn't that small either: she just looked shorter by comparison to the very tall dancers in the company.
  13. Helene
    The producers couldn't have picked a more tense time to start the series. In this recent interview, First Position director Beth Kargman discussed her approach: Right after I watched Breaking Pointe, I was watching a show on BOLD, and there was an advertisement for Romeos & Juliets, described in a 2011 press release as: but the TV spot made it sound like it was made in the same tone as "Breaking Pointe." I thought the highlight of the first episode of "Breaking Pointe" was how stunning Adam Sklute looked in the suit in the rehearsal at the beginning. I suspect that Quinn Wharton's film, "Eastern Odyssey" on Tiit Helimet & Co.'s tour to Estonia captured more of the reality of day-to-day life. There were tense moments and some rough conversations, but it felt true, i.e., recognizable in more than the ballet world.
  14. Helene
    I think that the Midsummer Act II Pas de deux is second to none in the Balanchine rep, on par with Symphony in C second movement. It's also a far more difficult role to get right than Titania, in my opinion.
  15. Helene
    While I understand why Agon is considered one of the greatest ballets ever, Episodes is my favorite of the Balanchine black-and-white ballets. Ballet Arizona is doing the standard post-Graham version and doesn't include the Paul Taylor solo, which NYCB revived with Peter Frame in 1986-7.
  16. Helene
    That is great news, doug! Thank you for letting us know so quickly.
  17. Helene
    Massot is listed on the ("subject to change") cast list for Danish Summer Ballet in June: http://kglteater.dk/Alle_forestillinger/12_13/Kongelig_sommerballet.aspx While the RDB website lists the dates (10-14 June, 16-17 June), unfortunately, where the performances will take place is (as of now) still last year's list. Last year's tour stops were Gentofte, Sorø, Sønderborg, and Grenå. There are six performances this year vs. four listed for 2011, and I'm not sure if this means more cities or multiple performances for some cities.
  18. Helene
    This is the news I've dreaded, but he will be a great head of the School.
  19. Helene
    Sunday 19 August 6pm Bring your picnic basket and experience hundreds of performers from the Royal Danish Theatre as they present opera, ballet and drama highlights from the upcoming season. Performing: The Royal Danish Opera The Royal Danish Ballet The Royal Danish Theatre - Drama Department The Royal Danish Orchestra http://kglteater.dk/Alle_forestillinger/12_13/Det_Kongelige_Teater_paa_Skamling.aspx
  20. Helene
    Saturday 18 August 6pm Free Admission Bring your picnic basket and experience hundreds of performers from the Royal Danish Theatre as they present opera, ballet and drama highlights from the upcoming season. Performing: The Royal Danish Opera The Royal Danish Ballet The Royal Danish Theatre - Drama Department The Royal Danish Orchestra http://kglteater.dk/Alle_forestillinger/12_13/Det_Kongelige_Teater_paa_Rosenborg.aspx
  21. Helene
    until
    Venue and towns not on website as of 31 May 2012 (2011 dates listed and not updated) Sunday 10.06.2012 19:00 Monday 11.06.2012 19:00 Tuesday 12.06.2012 19:00 Wednesday 13.06.2012 19:00 Thursday 14.06.2012 19:00 Saturday 16.06.2012 15:00 Sunday 17.06.2012 15:00 Eight Danish towns will host performances by the Royal Danish Ballet, including classical and modern ballets with excerpts from A Folk Tale, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Apollon, etc. And this year the Royal Danish Theatre’s youth company, Kompagni B, will take part in the entire tour. Complete cast - Subject to change Alban Lendorf Ulrik Birkkjær Jean-Lucien Massot Susanne Grinder Marcin Kupiñski Amy Watson Alba Nadal Camilla Ruelykke Caroline Baldwin Hilary Guswiler Jon Axel Fransson Jonathan Chmelensky Lena-Maria Gruber Ida Praetorius Alexander Bozinoff http://kglteater.dk/...mmerballet.aspx
  22. Helene
    until
    Venue and towns not on website as of 31 May 2012 (2011 dates listed and not updated) Sunday 10.06.2012 19:00 Monday 11.06.2012 19:00 Tuesday 12.06.2012 19:00 Wednesday 13.06.2012 19:00 Thursday 14.06.2012 19:00 Saturday 16.06.2012 15:00 Sunday 17.06.2012 15:00 Eight Danish towns will host performances by the Royal Danish Ballet, including classical and modern ballets with excerpts from A Folk Tale, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Apollon, etc. And this year the Royal Danish Theatre’s youth company, Kompagni B, will take part in the entire tour. Complete cast - Subject to change Alban Lendorf Ulrik Birkkjær Jean-Lucien Massot Susanne Grinder Marcin Kupiñski Amy Watson Alba Nadal Camilla Ruelykke Caroline Baldwin Hilary Guswiler Jon Axel Fransson Jonathan Chmelensky Lena-Maria Gruber Ida Praetorius Alexander Bozinoff http://kglteater.dk/...mmerballet.aspx
  23. Helene
    Ballet Arizona's "All Balanchine" program opens tonight and runs through Sunday afternoon. Casting has been posted to the website:
  24. Helene

    Alina Somova

    Helene replied to kirovboy's topic in Dancers

    That is very good news.
  25. Helene
    That sounds like superb casting!
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