Helene

If he said it was from a dancer's 1099, why would it need a further citation? He's a respected journalist and author who well knows the standards about sources in professional journalism.

Context is always helpful.

From The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/arts/music/whitney-houston-dies.html?_r=1&hp Rest in peace, Ms. Houston.

Sounds like a dream project to me with that line-up.

Jordan Pacitti, who started his fragrance business while still a member of the company through the support of the Second Stage program -- I'm pretty much addicted to his Mojito and Coconut Lemongrass candles -- also trained as an esthetician and is now branching out in several ways: first by offering facials and second with the beginning of a new skin care products line. Congratulations to him, and many bravos to the Second Stage program

There's a reality between film and rosy memories, but even if dancers we see on video were always shot in the best quality in their prime, it reflects overall quality for a lucky few. I don't "get" Fonteyn from film, and when the people I most respect say "You had to be there.", I believe them. I could have picked apart this or that turn or balance or landing in all four performances of "Don Q" I saw this weekend if I watched the videotape, but that's not how I experienced them in the theater.

Peter Boal said in the Q&A last night that Lesley Rausch and Jerome Tisserand are performing Kitri and Basilio in the abridged school performance of "Don Quixote". Before Boal and Jonathan Porretta arrived -- there was a big gala party right after the performance, and Boal greeted his guests and made a toast -- Audience Services Manager John Tangeman fielded questions. He said that the opera, which closed last Saturday, was cleared out sometime on Sunday, and that the PNB crew worked until 3am, after which the electricians showed up at 4am. PNB dancers don't get a lot of stage time for any production, let alone one that ships in 4x as many crates as their "Nutcracker", which itself is a huge production. In some ways, dress rehearsals are the worst of both worlds, if a necessary evil: the dancers are still transitioning from the tape marks in the studio to the reality of set pieces, and adjusting to differences in proportion, spacing, and lighting, yet their in costume and everything looks bright and shiny. Sometime the dance energy is there, but that's not the focus. Peter Boal joked that last night was a dress rehearsal (for Korbes and Cruz, anyway), but unlike for "Coppelia" and "Giselle", it didn't look it. It took about .0001 second for the audience to erupt and stand when Korbes and Cruz came out for their first curtain call. It was great to see Alexei Ratmansky, lighting designer James Ingalls, and set and costume designer Jerome Kaplan, on stage to take their bows at the end.

On the subject of live vs. pre-recorded music, even when pre-recorded music is deliberately chosen, it still sounds to me that it's disembodied sound, no matter how good the sound system. For example, in the beginning of "Fancy Free", which starts with a recorded period song, when the first chords of the orchestra are played, it's always a shock to my system to hear the live orchestra emitting from the stage, not from somewhere on high in the theater.

It's also odd to hear concert versions of pieces to which ballets have been set when the music is cut and/or re-arranged, for example, Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings" and "Mozartiana" and the Mendelssohn symphony used for the Divertissement in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", where the middle part of the slow movement was dropped by Balanchine.

Sappy violins in marching band music -- I object. It's counter to what Balanchine said was the reason Americans walked quickly and forcefully.

(I don't think it's placed over one of the traps.)

Not to mention the neutering of Sousa.

How is Karel Cruz going to fit in the basket in Act II?

When I saw the DNB video of "Don Q", Biasucci immediately leapt to mind as Cupid.

Good for her! Lucky people in Barcelona

Critic Alice Kaderlan was interviewed by KUOW's Dave Beck for the show KUOW presents: http://kuow.org/program.php?id=25854 (Select "RealAudio", High or Low settings for MP3, or "Download" to listen.) She discusses having seen her first Ratmansky story ballet in St. Petersburg in 2008, her observations about Ratmansky during a corps rehearsal and his instructions for characterization, and what she's looking for in this production.

Stage rehearsal: just under a minute of Leta Biasucci in the Cupid's variation:

Marcie Sillman interviewed Alexei Ratmansky and spoke to Peter Boal for this segment on KUOW: http://kuow.org/program.php?id=25863 For those of us who've been wondering how the cast of thousands in Alexei Ratmansky's version for Dutch National Ballet, suggested to Boal by Mikhail Baryshnikov after Bartyshnikov turned down Boal's request to stage it, would translate to PNB's 46 dancers: One more night!

Allegra Kent has authored a children's book called "Ballerina Swan", which is illustrated by Caldecott-winning illustrator Emily Arnold McCully and will be published later this month. Here is the publisher's description: --------- New York, NY—February 2012. Ballerina Swan, by world-renowned prima ballerina and Balanchine dancer Allegra Kent, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Emily Arnold McCully (Holiday House, April 2012, $16.95), encourages children to pursue their goals with passion and hard work. Sophie, a swan, loves to watch the dancers in Madam Myrtle’s Dance Studio stretch and turn and leap. She wishes with all her heart to join them; but when she tries, Madam shoos her away. Then one day a new teacher comes to the class; she allows Sophie to stay and encourages her to work hard. This message of perseverance will ring true for children of all ages as the unlikely ballerina achieves her dreams in spite of the odds. Paired with illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner and ballet enthusiast Emily Arnold McCully, this irresistible story of pursuing one’s passions will have readers cheering for the feathered ballerina. Emily McCully draws upon her enthusiasm for ballet as well as her own artistic talent to create paintings with elegant cityscapes, expressive gestures, and an exquisite swan whose body language communicates hope, shame, dejection, grace, and of course good ballet technique—all attributes with which young readers will identify! -------- I've just pre-ordered it via our amazon.com box at the bottom of the page. Estimated release date is 20 February 2012.

I haven't seen him as Oberon, but any opportunity to see him is a great one.

I look forward to hearing about these performances.

If anyone finds links to the sale of this DVD, I'd appreciate if they would link them here. Thank you, cinnamonswirl!

Like Galina Ulanova before her: congratulations to Ms. Obratzsova for the well-deserved recognition

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