Funny Face

The university at which I have just completed a major in ballet is also the only university in the state to have a dance major program, and therefore, because I am the oldest dance major to ever be accepted and complete the program at this university, I am also the oldest in the history of my state. I'm getting ready to start scripting my story about overcoming a number of obstacles, including having cancer and losing my fiance in the process, to complete the degree with a 4.0, and I would dearly love all suggestions about actors who would be appropriate for such a role. Obviously, I would prefer that they have strong dance backgrounds. And they can't be too young or too old. The character would be in her 40s but look somewhat younger. (I was told while growing up that I resembled a wonderful actress who also dances and played "Cinderella" many years ago, but I haven't seen her in anything for a while). Suggestions, anyone?

DO: 1. Check out the souvenir table and buy a t-shirt to add to your dance warm-up collection. 2. Take the elevator to the top balcony in the lobby and case the joint for all your dance friends, then descend each set of stairs slowly a la Audrey Hepburn in ... what's that movie? ("Funny Face"). 3. Take a breather on the outside balcony overlooking Louis Armstrong Park. 4. Graciously acknowledge your students and their parents. DON'T: 1. Even think about using the ladies room unless you want to miss the entire second half of the program. (That's why you arrive early and take care of business beforehand). 2. Get blottoed and re-enter the theater doing your own version of the evening's choreography. 3. Wear black. Everyone but everyone else does, dahling. (Is this a performance or a funeral?) MAYBE: 1. Try to crash the millionaires' private lounge for drinks. (It's not actually crashing if you can dazzle someone into inviting you). 2. Case the theater for unused seats with a more advantageous view.

The specific explanation of the hairline helps. I couldn't put it into words at the time, but when dancing years ago, I felt compelled to go quite dark for dramatic effect against very fair skin. It works well with youth, but I wouldn't do it now, as I think it might still look fine on stage but quite harsh in real life.

Does anyone know anything about superstitions attached to red-headed ballerinas? Years ago, one of my roomies, a gorgeous natural redhead from Canada was a member of a major ballet company with a renowned French director, with whom she was having casting difficulties. One of the other roomies in the company said he had a French superstition about redheads. I had completely forgotten about this until I saw this thread. Anyone else ever hear of this?

I had previously seen her in the tv version of "Titanic" with George C. Scott, and she was a pretty girl, but has grown into quite the beauty. However, when I mentioned I'm not speaking one way or another about my personal take on her, I just have to jump off topic for two seconds to say that I think her husband's first wife was the classiest act, and a truly incredible beauty -- Diandra Douglas.

Petrenko has joined Yagudin and Baiul as skaters arrested for drunk driving.

I, too, was rather curious about why Crystal did that. As to Murray finally "taking the plunge," let's not forget his turn in "The Razor's Edge" many years ago with Bess Armstrong. It may not have been critically acclaimed, but he showed great promise and daring back then. Also, I thought he was brilliant in "Groundhog Day," a deceptively profound movie. I give him kudos for being one of the few alums of SNL who has not focused solely on silly cookie cutter slapstick block busters. Stay the course, Bill. We want to see more of you. As to Penn's speech, I'm almost sorry he was subdued. I guess once you have a few kids, you have to reign it in for their sake. It was almost as if he'd been given Thorazine. As to the way the ladies looked, I'm surprised at the minimal lack of comment about Zeta-Jones. Only a dancer could walk the way she did down the steps to that podium to present an award. I'm not talking about how I feel about her personally one way or another. But there wasn't a woman in the building who could hold a candle to her that night when it came to drop dead gorgeous. Fantastic figure (neither zoftig, nor emaciated) in a fantastic dress, with a world class walk. That face and the rest of the package was reminiscent of some of the great beauties of Hollywood: Natalie Wood, Hedy Lemarr, Gene Tierney, etc.

Y'all may want to check out the Blades on Ice website as well for additional information. There's some unfortunate news on there as well, I fear. You'll know what I'm talking about once you tune in to that site. On the up side, it looks like Oksana may be conquering her demons. She looked wonderful in her interview in the recent tv magazine special "Second Acts" in which she discussed at length coming to terms with a lot of issues in her life, not the least of which was her estrangement from her biological father. The reunion was videotaped and I don't think anyone could watch that with a dry eye. However she fares on the ice, it appears she is well on her way to being a much happier young woman. I'm looking forward to Worlds -- it's been a while since we've seen much skating broadcast.

I must add that although they do work with kids, and do a great job, Pilobolus II did a workshop several years ago here that culminated in a performance that included works with the kids, and solo/duet pieces. There was one piece that was so grossly inappropriate that even yours truly was shocked (think Janet Jackson, but go a little further south in the anatomy), and parents actually got up and voiced their disapproval aloud during the performance. It was a VERY BAD judgment call is all I can say.

Wish I'd known. I had the chance to interview the director several years ago when they guested here. I don't know if any of you remember back a number of years ago when they first formed -- they were a favorite of Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.

I think what we're looking for is some of the 'bounty' -- be it accolades, money, etc. -- that athletes enjoy. For instance, that's why dance depts. are becoming more modern oriented. Talk to the chairpersons of these depts. They'll tell you that they don't have the big bucks that athletic depts. have to recruit the top of the (classical) field. Hence, those dancers go directly to companies instead of to college. Meanwhile, the depts. become modern oriented because it's a more 'forgiving' form in terms of age and ability. These aren't pretty words, but they're true. I'm not sure how it came to be that baseball teams had to 'go steroid' -- certainly, this wasn't the case during the glory days. I grew up watching Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, etc., from the bleachers, and later the likes of Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. Gosh, it was fun. I've got a whole collection of movies of America's game, and I love it as much as I love ballet. When I toured overseas, I was always trying to get ahold of box scores from the U.S. Our artistic directors used to kid that they should choreogaph something that would allow me to wear a baseball hat. I'm still waiting. A couple of years ago, I had the very interesting experience of taking a dance history course that had more baseball players in it than dance majors. At first, there was a visible rift. Then, one day, the class got into a discussion about the concept of 'flow ' -- that inexplicable thing that happens when you're in the zone. One of the ball players described it as having the ball pitched to you and it looking "THIS BIG" (visualize a basketball). The class broke out into a frenzy with ball players and dancers finally starting to merge. The guys at first kidded about having to go to the box office and pick up their tickets for the requisite concerts they were supposed to attend. When one of those concerts included one of the school concerts with their classmates involved, they really began to develop an awe and a respect. I love those memories -- the girls coming in and eating their power bars and yogurts and the guys stinking up the place with their onion filled poor boys. It really did start to foster some mutual understanding.

Oh yes, he's funny in the movie, no doubt, but I'm just pointing out that his perspective seems to have changed as he's gotten older. Actually, "Fast Times" has special appeal to me because Cameron Crowe went back to high school undercover the same year that I also did so. It's interesting to me to hear the different players in "Mystic River" discuss Eastwood's novel approach to directing. He reportedly has a very serene and gentle style.

Just as an aside regarding baseball players and their increased health/nutrition, I was devastated to learn in the past year or two that more than half of pro players are on steroids, this estimation coming from the players themselves. Anyone else follow this scandal as it came to the fore, and the extensive media coverage surrounding it? My city does not have a major ballet company anymore, but it does have a ballet association that presents half a dozen major troupes each season, and the one major sellout is always MOMIX -- the athleticism is exactly what seems to appeal to people here. It's one of those companies that women don't have trouble getting their mates coming to see. So, I think there is something to the pull of blatant athleticism.

Former ABT principal Ted Kivitt used to have weight lifting contests with the Steelers.

Siskel and Ebert were predicting this decades ago for Penn, citing him as one of the great talents of his generation, back when most considered him something of an outcast. Has anyone seen his interview with James Lipton? He's gone on record stating he believes movies should be made for higher purposes than sheer entertainment -- vieiwing them as a medium for important messages. (Of course, I'm not sure what the 'message' was with "Fast Times" ...).

So we've got a healthy debate going here! I'm not saying that the right attitude will automatically result in your being awarded the roles of your dreams. Rather, 1) giving in to the knife and injections will not do it either and will only make you feel and look foolish, both in the outcome of the good doctors' handwork and the roles you keep trying to play; and 2) you contribute to the problem by perpetuating it! Moreover, this problem has been exacerbated in recent years. A number of notable actresses come to mind from years past who did fine work without succumbing to this craze: Glenda Jackson, Gena Rowlands, Katharine Hepburn -- heck, even Doris Day. It's time for the madness to stop, and I think people like S. Hayek have the right idea about creating their own venues. It was K. Hepburn who said to look for the circumstances you want, and if you can't find them, then create them. I know this quote well because it has guided me plenty. Yes, women are in a rather tough spot in the entertainment industry these days, but they are also contributing to this problem -- I've watched the erosion of feminism before my very eyes in a few short years. Virtually every awards show is a microcosm of what's happening. If this were my particular field, and I had the financial resources and pull that some of these actresses do, I would be scripting, directing and producing the work I wanted to act in.

I think that's the rub, however -- attitudes beng very closely linked to getting work. There's a booming independent film market out there. Women with a healthy attitude about maturing can resist giving in to having themselves altered so they can continued to vie for younger roles. Instead, they can use this very viable market to produce and promote work that is befitting of them. Even with the mainstream market, which is blending so much these days with the independent, we continue to see the more mature women hold their own. While in her 40s, Russo made, among others, 'Tin Cup," "Get Shorty," and "Ransom." Sarandon won her Oscar for "Dead Man Walking" when she was 50-ish. Pfeiffer was also in her 40s doing "The Deep End of the Ocean" and "What Lies Beneath." As for Streep, it may well be she doesn't always care if she plays the lead, as long as the work itself is good. I can't imagine anyone turning her down for just about any role she wanted to attempt. I think the same could be said for Field, who made a very intelligent and gutsy move playing Tom Hanks' mother in "Forest Gump," thereby establishing herself as a character actor before she 'had' to. Diane Keaton is showing she is still star/Oscar material. With the looming end of "Friends," it's Lisa Kudrow, at 40, who is being touted as the most likely to go on to a successful film career. Still going strong on Broadway is Bernadette Peters, well into her 50s. Kathleen Turner has established herself well there too. I don't by any means think this is the greatest time in movies for maturing women. But I think the way to do it is without fighting the natural changes of life. I also want to point out that there are younger actresses I do enjoy watching, but those are the ones who exude a certain intelligence no matter what their age. I think several who will make the transition nicely in the coming years are Julia Roberts, Ashley Judd and Marisa Tomei. I think Reese Witherspoon is another smart young woman with good range.

Silvy, I have this book, among others, of De Mille's, and I consulted her work quite a bit with regard to completing my studies. My opinion has been that she is, arguably, the most prolific writer of any dancer I've ever heard of. Also, it's very notable that she came from 'theatrical stock,' with both her father and uncle (the great Cecil B.) in the business, and yet, as an aspiring dancer/choreographer, that didn't do her much good. She had to make her own way. She lived very frugally, despite the many famous people she had met since her childhood, and worked very hard towards creating the first truly American ballet, "Rodeo." You may also enjoy reading "Where the Wings Grow," penned by her in 1978, some 17 years following "Dance to the Piper." I also have a very dear copy of "To A Young Dancer." I've amassed my dance library largely through books sales and used books stores, but you may be able to find these in a library.

This sounds very interesting. His company was in residence last spring at our dance program for about 6 weeks and set a work on our students. They also gave very good classes (compared to some of the modern classes I've been 'subjected' to). Intelligent movement presented well.

There are a few, however, who have made that transition, with grace and dignity: Rene Russo Michelle Pfeiffer Meryl Streep Sally Field Susan Sarandon It's sad to see so many others get caught up in Botox mania in a youth oriented society when, in fact, the general population is getting older.

Cage's career does seem to be uneven. You know, I remember years ago when Siskel and Ebert were opining that Michael Douglas received the Oscar for the wrong film because it's harder to make an ordinary man look interesting (as in "Fatal Attraction") than it is a souped up character, as in "Wall Street." I see this time and again with other actors. I actually like Cage a lot in "The Family Man," particularly in his interaction with the little girl who played his daughter. We do tend to overlook some of those people who play "Everyman" time and again. Years ago, when people were focusing on so many others, I thought Jack Lemmon was the actor of our day, such as in "The Apartment," or "The Days of Wine and Roses," or "How To Murder Your Wife." Ditto for "The April Fools." He still haunts me in "Missing," a riveting film. In more recent years, I've felt that way about Jeff Bridges. So many underrated performances, such as in "Arlington Road," or "See You in the Morning," or "Fearless." All three are movies in which he plays the ordinary man in a way that grabs us. A not so ordinary man, but one I love nonetheless, is "Starman."

Tried to post awhile back, but had connection problems, so will make this succinct. First, I don't think I've been tough at all in my comments -- in fact, I think I'm being rather soft. Kidman comes across as vapid no matter what venue I see her in. I don't think "Malice" was mediocre. It was underrated. As to star versus actor, I recall when I danced in "Interview With A Vampire," the buzz among the crew at the time (remember, Anne Rice did NOT want Cruise for that role!), was that Cruise was merely a star and Pitt was an actor. Well, I have never heard so much BS. I wish all of you could have seen Cruise's work ethic in action compared to what's his name. Yes, he is a people pleaser, but what's wrong with that? He made a point of thanking the dancers at the end of 16-hour days. He flashed that amazing grin as the two of us turned out to be extremely allergic to the mutant mosquitoes on the plantation where the film was being shot -- he kept on trying to kill the little buggers and laughed as we had to be swabbed over and over again by the attendant nurse. He gave Neal Jordan 200% attention and focus, hanging onto every bit of direction. When the little girls hired as extras began to droop from standing in doorways holding baskets of flowers and were yelled at by the assistant director, he chucked them under the chin with a smile and a sympathetic word. His children were in the same daycare center at the time as those of a close friend of mine, and he was equally sweet in that setting, making a point to tell her what beautiful little girls she had. If that's a "star" -- being focused while also being nice 24/7, I'll take it over the chainsmoking, aloof behavior of that other guy, who couldn't wait to get things over with for the night and party in the French Quarter. We get to do quite a bit of small parts and dancing in films down here, and to see a lot of behavior of actors/stars in the process, and I could tell you stuff that would surprise (and probably shock) a lot of you. We remember these things long after the set has been stricken.

Is this in New York? I've often associated the standing ovation issue to be one, sometimes, of geography. As in, with some locales, the people don't really know enough to discern what is good from great and they're excited and want to be polite, but in New York, you get inundated with great stuff, so I would anticipate a different level of sophistication. That doesn't mean that all other big cities would follow suit. I've seen some puzzling behavior (taste, dress, demeanor, etc.) in cities almost as big. I've lived in a city for the past dozen or so years that's as big as the northern one I hail from, and the folks up there are much more savvy about ballet, as well as with comportment at the theater. Down here, unless their children are in Nutcracker, forget the standing O. Now here's a twist. Any of you ever RECEIVE a standing O and know you didn't deserve it? Now there's a dilemma.

Just want to take a minute to thank Vagansmom for setting the record straight about sports being funded by the government vis-a-vis public school, from kindergarten through college. However, in addition to the examples she cited, don't forget about the tie-ins between big business and our government, and the barely discernible line between the two.

Anyone see "Thirteen?" I'm curious about this one, given the history of how it was written. It's already in DVD. Just a side note. How is it that some actresses manage to gain critical acclaim but cannot dress, stand and speak like grown women at awards ceremonies (or on Charlie Rose, or virtually any other venue)? Is this a world of talented puppets and parrots?