dirac

I meant the same thing by “controversy” as EJohnson did. Borree became a kind of symbol of what might or might not be wrong with the company, which places her right in the middle of one of the major ballet controversies of our time. No, this is not a debate of the “Borree is great!” “No, Borree is awful!” type since apparently the best most people could say was that she worked hard and was good in Duo Concertant. New Yorkers would have more to say about that than I. Nevertheless she did excite considerable discussion. I think a critic’s overall view of a dancer is relevant in a farewell performance review in any case, but that was my point in regard to "controversy."

The question of Borree's abilities did cause controversy and much critical comment, although she is not a major ballerina.

Certainly the review of a farewell gala is also an appropriate place to discuss the performer's career and impact, for good and ill, as well as the performance itself. If there was controversy or intense disagreement about a dancer, or if there was debate regarding whether the dancer postponed retirement longer than was desirable or healthy - not only is it legitimate comment but it's only fair to the reader to mention such matters and give an honest accounting of them.

Thanks, abatt.

While I can understand both sides of this discussion, I have to side with kfw. Kindness is currently out of fashion in journallism. But kindness and honesty are not entirely incompatible, in the right hands. And, as kfw says, "there are soft ways to criticize." LoRocca's parting shot -- "How strange, upon seeing her perform for perhaps the final time, to feel as if you’d hardly yet seen her at all" -- is glib and unnecessary. It says more about LoRocca than about Bouree. I didn't really see it as a "parting shot" and I doubt it was intended that way by La Rocco. It's not so much blunt truth - no critic can ever really claim to know or have that - but an honest account of a writer's reflections on the performance.

I agree, Patrick. Borree excited some controversy and for La Rocco to suggest why, and admit that she shares some reservations about Borree, is appropriate. It is reasonable when reviewing a dancer’s retirement performance to look at her legacy or lack thereof. It wouldn’t be fair to the reader not to do so. It’s a goodbye but it’s still a review and an assessment. Besides, if you think that was bad, wait till Gottlieb waves his hanky in tender farewell to the lady. Not.

First Dude is a very nice colt, as it happens, with a beautiful stride. Not much of a race yesterday but congrats to the winner and his people, and compliments on the choice of name.

I don't really know the show or either of the films, but for what it's worth, "age" in pregnancy is skewed fairly young in the medical world. When I was born in 1956, my mother was considered quite old to be having a first child (at 30) -- when I had my son at age 37 I was categorized as an "elderly mother." Interesting, sandik. Medical terminology is a different thing entirely, although certainly in 1956 thirty in a woman was older in a cultural sense than it is now. Thanks for the heads up, abatt. Dargis is not my favorite critic but it will be interesting to see what she has to say.

Tell us what you think when you see it, Mashinka. I'll probably go this weekend or the next.

The economic downturn was well underway by the time the first movie arrived in theaters and there was some comment at the time that the designer name dropping wasn't terribly appropriate. I'd say in response to that poster that the Art Deco luxe of the Astaire-Rogers pictures -- and not all of them; the studio was careful to acknowledge Fred and Ginger's essence as dancers-of-the-people by casting them downscale as well as up. were about escape but SATC has always been to some degree about consumerism and brand names, not quite the same thing. That may account for some of the difference (although it was odd to see A.O. Scott of the Times flaying the film for its materialism - never has the NYT been more gentrified and upscale than it is now). I was thinking more of the hostility towards the actresses expressed in relation to their age and the anxiety of some of the male critics to announce that "they're not the target demographic for this movie." True enough, but you usually don't see that driven home quite so emphatically.

I would be curious to hear from anyone who's seen the sequel (or checked out the reviews). As my last post indicates I was no fan of the first feature film but I confess to being stunned by the vicious critical reception of SATC 2 and stunned especially by the unpleasant overtones of some of the reviews. I may just go out this weekend and plunk down my money to show sisterly solidarity. Anyone?

Great clip, Ray. Thanks!

I don't think the backstory makes much of a difference. If the end product is poor, it would only bring to mind Wilde's line about killing what you love. It doesn't matter how passionate you are about the music if you don't have the chops and the range for it. Fleming was approached with a challenging opportunity that could have made her look very foolish and decided to take it. Nothing wrong with that, surely. That said, I agree that these days Fleming has become too much the diva - and not in a good way.

Good points. (Of course, Peggy Arnold would have said that she was the true loyalist - is betraying traitors treason? But I guess that's outside the purview of this discussion....)

I thought it might be nice to have a new thread for performance reviews of the tour. It's here.

Alastair Macaulay reviews the company. I hope people who see these performance will tell us about it here.

California is right, the movie should be seen by ballet fans. It's not "Giselle" for the ages IMO, but it's worth having on the record because it's Baryshnikov (at the time I was not impressed by Ferri here). Julie Kent is very young and does little in the way of dancing as I remember. She looks lovely until she opens her mouth, producing sounds that make Lina Lamont sound like Vanessa Redgrave. Her speaking voice in "Center Stage" is vastly improved. Yes, this is great news.

Glad to see you're getting some good responses, MakarovaFan. I hope you find them helpful.

And ... what does this have to do with whether she dabbled in the questionable politics of her playboy husband? Well, we can't assume that Tito's intentions were necessarily bad. Politics was the family business. Fonteyn's stature does make a difference - the story is not only interesting in itself but because it concerns Fonteyn. I would say that it was rather more than "dabbling" - although Fonteyn made light of it and it didn't turn out very well, to put it mildly, there's no reason to think that anyone involved wasn't dead serious, so to speak.

Not sure that Castro's all having the 'glitz' of a 'celebrity revolutionary' is much in the way of a mitigating factor.

It's fresh news because these are recently declassified files that add additional detail. I'm sure a great many public figures would be delighted if what they wrote in their autobiographies settled matter of fact for all time, but that's not how it works, fortunately for the most part. When a legendary Dame of the British Empire is up to her neck in fomenting revolution in a foreign country and her hubby is schmoozing with Castro for guns, yeah, I'd say it's a story.

Thank you for posting the news, leonid. Hopper's personal problems and career in self indulgence was at least as impressive as his contributions to film, so he was probably lucky to make it to 74 (and it's a tribute to our species' increased expectations of long life that seventy-plus is no longer considered very old ). Hopper's career was revived by his memorable turn in "Blue Velvet" but that role also typed him in such a way that it was difficult for him to get away from such parts. As a very young man he was a notable presence in supporting roles in "Giant" and "Rebel Without a Cause" and he benefited from an advantageous marriage to Brooke Hayward, who had grown up as friends with the Fonda kids and introduced Dennis to Peter Fonda, leading eventually to "Easy Rider." RIP to a unique screen presence.

Definitely such work is certainly of interest, as long as everyone is aware of the implications of "reconstruction."

Also the mountain has come to Mohammed in a sense. Classical dancers don't need to leave their companies to do modern work because so many choreographers in contemporary dance make works for ballet companies sooner or later.

A BBC News report, with a video clip of Fonteyn at a press conference. Laughing it off as a sort of "Bananas"-type imbroglio was probably a canny way to handle it. I imagine some in Panama didn't find it quite so amusing.