Helene

PNB plumped up the wilis tutus that they rented from Houston Ballet. They moved quite well. I wish they hadn't covered up the green wings so much, though.

I know that San Francisco Ballet has free performances at Stern Grove, and PNB used to perform at the Ste. Michelle Wineries, but neither presented a full coming season's excerpts program. This summer, Oregon Ballet Theatre presented "OBT Exposed", where the company offered free classes and rehearsals for their "Nutcracker". I don't know if they've done season's previews in the past. Pacific Northwest Ballet has performed at Bumbershoot over Labor Day weekend -- Bumbershoot has a single admission charge to hundreds of events at Seattle Center -- but usually a work that they think will be popular with the younger crowds at what is, primarily, a popular music festival, like "Jardi Tancat", Victor Quijada's work, etc.

We just received a press release from BalletMet about the upcoming "Rhythm on the River" program, which is a free season preview in Bicentennial Park over Labor Day weekend. (Most of the press release is on this calendar post.) I think this is a brilliant idea to attract new balletgoers and people with some interest, but not enough to take a gamble without having tasted it first. People can see the range of offerings, and could very well decide to take the plunge, based on being intrigued by something they see.

The billowing long silk skirts in Nureyev's production of "Swan Lake" that POB brought to NYC in the '80's was the most memorable thing about that production. The costumes were stunning.

Maria Chapman: I'm pretty sure that her partner in "Symphony in C" (2nd Movement) is Jeffrey Stanton, and the man who pulls her up by the waist in "One flat thing, reproduced" is Batkhurel Bold, who was her "Symphony in C" partner when she made her debut under Russell and Stowell. Stanton also partners her in the "Walking Pas de Deux" from "Emeralds" while she speaks briefly about what it was like to be coached by Violette Verdy and Mimi Paul. I don't recognize her partner from the clip, but when I saw her in it in 2006, Casey Herd was in the same cast. In the video montage at the end, Chapman dances in: Millepied's "3 Movements*" with Seth Orza Myrtha in "Giselle" "One for My Baby" for "Nine Sinatra Songs" with Anton Pankevich -- she is genius in this "Russian" from Kent Stowell's "Swan Lake" Stowell's "Cinderella" -- it looks like the "Seasons" divertissement to me "Ballet Imperial" "Cinderella" ball scene with Seth Orza "Emeralds" solo *For whatever reason I don't remember the costume, but I'm going with the credits here.

PNB has created a short trailer for the "All Wheeldon" program: I recognize Rachel Foster and James Moore in "After the Rain Pas de Deux", Carla Korbes and Seth Orza in "Carousel", and Carla Korbes (pink tulle) and Amanda Clark (deep red) in "Variations Sérieuses". It may have been Louise Nadeau in the clip from Polyphonia (black leotard) and with Seth Orza in "Variations Sérieuses", but so many of the clips went by too fast to be sure. I missed the Laugh Out Loud Festival and haven't yet seen "Variations Sérieuses", but the casts I did see in the other Wheeldon ballets are: "After the Rain Pas de Deux" (May-June 2009): Korbes/Bold (opening gala), Chapman/Bold, Nadeau/Stanton, Chapman/Cruz, Foster/Moore. "Carousel (A Dance)" (March 2008): Foster/Tisserand, Thomas/Moore "Polyphonia" (March 2007): Chapman/Milov, Weese/Postlewaite, Foster/Spell

On the To dance or not to dance it... thread, in a discussion of Trinidad Sevillano, Simon G wrote: I'm reading the great figure skater Toller Cranston's book, "Zero Tollerance", and I just came across this passage on Healy: It's interesting that Simon wrote that Healy could do anything technical in ballet, because her competitive skating career was stopped by her jumping technique and ability. By the mid-late 70's, up-and-coming contenders (ex: Fratianne, Biellmann) were already doing full sets of doubles and some of the triples; Healy "wrapped" many of her jumps -- ie, jumped with her leg in a close-to-passe position, as if she were doing a pirouette -- instead of keeping them straight and together. Very few skaters, most notably Midori Ito, arguably the best women's jumper ever, were able to defy the laws of physics and jump triples or the most difficult doubles with a wrap, especially today, where under-rotations are penalized by a technical panel. Even had she not turned pro at 11, it is unlikely she would have been competitive as a amateur. Here's a clip from 1997, after Healy had left Vienna State Ballet and hadn't skated for seven years, in which she is first interviewed by Roslyn Summers about why she left ballet and then skates to "Don Quixote". I'm not certain this is the same program Cranston saw years earlier, but it's quite beautiful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8d2ov28Y2A By 1997, she had already skated with John Curry, danced with London Festival Ballet, earned an honors degree from Princeton, danced in Monte Carlo for a year and Vienna State Opera Ballet for six. She was 28. About artistic demands, it's not surprising, since Healy worked with John Curry, who set the bar in the West.

She was handed a bouquet by Kevin McKenzie after her last performance , but there wasn't an announcement that I know of or any fanfare. If you blinked, you could have missed it. Re: ABT Studio Company, I know at PNB, for example, the apprentices' contracts don't begin until mid-September and they usually aren't added until then, and that, in general, not all websites are updated regularly over the summer. It's possible that some of the dancers no longer on the Studio Company roster have contracts elsewhere, but won't be confirmed until closer to the beginning of their new companies' seasons.

Thank you for posting, Krystin! Can anyone identify the male dancer in red and Tyler Angle's partner in "Mercurial Maneuvers"? http://www.youtube.com/user/newyorkcityballet#p/a/u/1/aW9rr1Xa41w

I think the role of Juliette is one of those "Announce it, and there are lines out the door of the AD's." In the past, when the R&J Balcony Pas de Deux has been performed as a excerpt, it's been a gala one-off, with one cast. There's a unique opportunity this season: it's part of the "Love Stories" program which will be performed seven times. Current dancers who've performed Juliette are Korbes and Nakamura. After "Giselle" I think it has Rachel Foster's name all over it. But there may be an opportunity for a one-off for someone else, and perhaps a younger dancer, since it's an excerpt and the dancer doesn't have to learn and carry the whole ballet.

This wouldn't be the first time that NYCB spent a lot of money on a festival. The first under Martins, if I remember correctly, was the American Dance Festival, and then there were the Diamond Festivals. How much money for the festivals is restricted for that purpose? How many ballets have gone on to survive? Suzanne Farrell Ballet is not a full-time company, but if that company is a museum, it's one I'm happy to go to. Not every work is a masterpiece, but every work has a purpose.

The last two I've seen her in were "Tell No One" and "I've Loved You for So Long". I think most North Americans remember her from "The English Patient". Here's her IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235853/

I don't remember where I heard about "Etre et Avoir", but I put it on my "top requests" list at Cinemail.ca, and today received and watched the film. It's a documentary by Nicholas Philbert covering one school year in a one-room school house for a few dozen 4-10-year-olds in rural France. The teacher, Georges Lopez, is in his penultimate year before retirement. It's a remarkable, intimate look at childhood.

I love Kristin Scott Thomas. I need to hunt this down in Vancouver.

If you haven't yet registered, this is the link to the Registration FAQ: Somehow in moving things around, I lost the post with the mission of this site. So here it is. Ballet Alert! Mission: "To be a place for civilized discussion about classical ballet" We are not the lobby. The key words are "civilized,""discussion," and "classical;" what happens in classical ballet/classical ballet companies is not always civilized, but that doesn't mean the discussion of even the ugliest ballet topics cannot be. Our rules are in place to support this mission (and to comply with copyright law) and further the discussion. Aside from specific rules, there is one critical policy that takes context and posting history into consideration: No agendas. We don't have a problem with criticism or strong voices, nor do we have control over whether people back off from either; however, If you want to be: The final word on a dancer, company, academy, or the overall subject of ballet, A way to drum up internet traffic for a dancer The voice that must make negative comparisons repeatedly to bolster a dancer or theory and/or become the living incarnation of deja-vu-all-over-again, and/or A claque leader or member, get a blog or post to your own social media. We'll probably read you. Just not here. Here are the basic site rules: Follow the Golden Rule. Write what you think of the subject, not other posters, i.e., no ad hominem attacks, characterizations, or psychoanalysis. OFFICIAL NEWS ONLY with sources/citations, defined below, unless the "Group" in your profile reads Editorial Advisor. Everything else will be removed. Details are below. To keep us in copyright compliance, limit quotes from articles/reviews/books to a maximum of 250 words or, for short articles, a small snippet. We are not a fan site or booster club, and criticism is encouraged and welcome, but, please, try not to screech, and if you don't write under your full name, post only what you would if you were. If you post an identified agenda through the patterns of your posts, for good or bad, you will not last here for long. Don't re-post/cross-post links to articles/videos anywhere on the site except in the Obituaries and Videos forums, unless you have a specific discussion point to make about the content in a relevant thread. We'll remove links for articles that belong in the "Links" forum (and probably have been/will be posted in the daily threads). Discuss critics' opinions in the "Writings on Ballet" forum, your own in the Company forum review threads. Don't discuss the discussion. Do not discuss each other. If you have a problem with a post, click the "Report" button at the bottom of the post, and the Moderators will review it. If you commit board suicide, assume your suicide note will be removed. Off limits is discussion of other discussions unless they are by ballet professionals/companies on mainstream media, official social media, and video by ballet companies or professionals. Discuss/critique those discussions at their original site or to the site's contact info. (Added 19 June 17.) Identify your interest -- parent, dancer, AD, employee, volunteer, board member, rival -- if writing about an interested party or topic. Post it once; we'll remove duplicates and most cross-posts. Politics and religion are off-limits unless they are part of a ballet issue, like NEA funding for the arts or religious symbolism in a work. Do not use PM to harass another member, or your PM privileges will be revoked. If someone asks you to never PM them again, never PM them again. If you have an issue with the contents of a PM you received or you've been contacted after requesting no PM contact, contact an Admin or Moderator. For all but Admins and Moderators, the word "Block" in bold red type should appear under their name to the left of the PM message, and clicking that should block all PM's going forward, but there's a bug that doesn't enable this for all non-Moderators/Admins. (Clarified 28 May 13) English-language news, including interviews, and anything that can be translated through free, accessible online translators, that can be posted: Yes: Official sources, which are determined by: 1. Who wrote them/gestured them/posted them, ie, whether a ballet professional says something in public under their own name and puts their professional reputation on the line 2. Whether they can be found in a public-facing, ballet context Official sources are not determined by content. Examples: Official company/organization/ballet professional websites Mainstream media: newspapers, magazines, journals, TV Books, blogs, tweets, podcasts, interviews by ballet professionals, including professional critics, and companies Public ("Like") social media pages of ballet professionals and companies Public-facing social media content -- ie, you can see them if you're not a "Friend" or need special permissions, aside from signing in -- on Facebook, Twitter, instagram, snapchat, and other social media du jour published by dancers and other dance professionals Announcements by ballet spokespeople Company Q&A's and pre- and post-performance presentations. Programs, including substitution slips, and cast lists and other info posted in the lobby. Non-verbal behavior on stage that signifies a retirement or marriage proposal. Company YouTube or other videos -- but not the comments, unless posted by the original uploader if s/he's the publisher, company, or ballet professional. Any news posted by Editorial Advisors and non-English press news posted by Foreign Correspondents The former ballet.co.uk Magazine (only) is the only discussion-board-related official source; it's been archived through Dance Tabs. Non-English-language news from the same official sources can be posted, if there are photos/video that need no translation, a translated summary of the points/link to the translated article (including by an online translator), or, if the language is supported by Google translate or another online translator. No: Unofficial news -- not stated outright or posited in the form of a question Anything that starts with "I heard", "Dancer X/her mother/Peter Martins, etc. told me'" "It's common knowledge/Everyone knows" or "Is it true that [unofficial news]? Private conversations. Insider info. "My magic eight-ball told me," doesn't cut it. Information and opinions from other discussion boards. This includes written or spoken editorials by videomakers in their videos. (Clarified 28 May 13) If someone on a discussion board outside the US or Canada posts a link to official news that has not been posted in Links, you're welcome to acknowledge that you found it because it was posted by Poster X on Board Y. News from non-official blogs and websites, including fan sites Comments on social media, video sites, mainstream media, blogs made by non ballet professionals. Anything backstage or in public that is not part of a performance or official event. Info from company volunteers unless part of official talks (ex: NYCB Fourth Ring talks), presentations, and tours not limited to major donors. (Added 5 Jun 12) Social media where you have to be given permission to see posted material What can be reviewed in the ballet forums: Professional ballet companies Performances by non-professional ballet companies, if a professional dancer performs with the company. Do not review the non-professionals in these productions as if they were professional dancers. Workshop/graduation performances by schools affiliated with professional companies or the following elite schools: Harid, CPYB, and Kirov Academy. Open rehearsals Rehearsals and classes open to low-level donors ($150 or less). For classes, no critiques of specific dancers. General comments by the instructor or rehearsal director are fine. Seminars, lectures, exhibits by companies and museums or curated by institutions like the Guggenheim (Works in Process) If it's by a non ballet company -- "ballet" in the name does not guarantee that it is a ballet company -- review it in the Modern and Other Dance forum. Why did your post/part of your post disappear? It contained: Unofficial news, including unofficial news posed as a question or prediction News links without comment Links to professional reviews and discussions about them and/or critics on the company forums Duplicates Ad hominem attacks on other posters, characterizations and psychoanalysis of other posters Racist, sexist, and disparaging remarks about sexual orientation Discussions of the discussion Gratuitous attacks on performers' appearance Political and religious references that aren't part of the performance, arts policy, or the subject Off-topic posts Self-interested posts that don't disclose the interest Posts on subjects that belong on Ballet Talk for Dancers (ex: ballet classes, summer intensives, auditions, tutus, toe shoes) A plug for your product and service, unless you are a long-time member Agendas, obvious or part of a pattern Housekeeping: all-quote posts, extensive quotes not directly addressed by the answer, entire quotes where the answer appears directly under the quoted post. We're trying to remove excess scrolling on mobile devices. Quotes longer than 250 words or for short articles, all or most of the article Moderation: If we have to repeatedly remove/edit a member's posts, we'll put the member on "Moderated" status, which means any future posts will not appear on the board unless we approve them manually, which we do as our schedules allow. Personal Messenger, if applicable, will be suspended at the same time.

Ballet Arizona just posted a video with Breanna Starke and Russell Clarke on their work with Motion Dance + Theater this summer: They performed in mid July.

PNB also linked to this article in the August/September 2011 issue of "Pointe Magazine" on corps member Abby Relic: On the Side: Abby Relic Relic is a wonderfully versatile dance for the company, and a great commedian, which she showed as one of the Eville Stepsisters in "Cinderella" this past year. I wish we had seen more of her in "Giselle".