dirac

Thank you for reporting back, atm711. I enjoyed reading this. Please let us know how things proceed!

Carrey (who is also a very good actor, better than Williams IMO) certainly qualifies. I’d put Jack Black in the same category. It's notable that men dominate the category, highlighting how unusual Hutton was in her approach. It may be that some who were put off by her were affected not only by her "out there" quality but by her sex as well.

Interesting point, but I'd suggest that the live wire a/o eccentric performer hasn't gone away but just appears in different forms and venues -- standup comedy produces a lot of such types, for example, and, if the comedian is successful, thence to television or movies.

Interesting topic(s), scherzo. I’d say that a lot has been done and will be done with pre-existing steps (similarly to the way a short story uses pre-existing words; it’s not an exact analogy, but ballet steps are a language, too – it’s all in how you use it, and there’s no need to create neologisms just for the sake of doing something different).

Actually, Dirac, she's his step-mother! She is indeed, ViolinConcerto. What was I thinking????

I remember Kistler complaining to Dance magazine some years ago that the company wasn't fostering partnerships - don't know if that was before or after she began dancing with Nilas, I think it was after (and I agree, the whole dancing-with-your-mother-in-law thing is a little odd. Some trashy novelist needs to look into the possibilities - "Phaedra in the Fifth Position" or something like that? Please note, everyone, that I don't mean this as private gossip or speculation or as an invitation to same ).

I generally do in most cases as a general rule - there comes a time when one must think of shelf space - unless it's something I just have to get to, and even then there's the library.

Not to mention the adroit way Lincoln disposed of the dangerous ones. Gore Vidal gives a nice account of the goings on in his novel, "Lincoln." I understand that the popularity of biographies has been rising and they are now the most popular form of historical non-fiction. Also recall reading BTW that many men prefer reading non-fiction and some read no fiction at all -- it's a major difference in the reading habits of the sexes, apparently.

I have the impression that Weir writes chiefly of English monarchs, although I suppose Eleanor of Aquitaine was hardly English, and I'd think the Isabella must be the French Isabella who married Edward II, Hans?

I'm afraid I thought she was already gone, too. But she had a happy ending in a way, and that's good. I think that if Garland had been in prime shape she might have been an interesting Annie, softer and more vulnerable. As it was, Hutton was fine, and it’s just as well Garland wasn’t able to pull herself together and stagger on – those photographs of her in costume for the role are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. Hutton and Fred Astaire are an interesting contrast in “Let’s Dance."

It’s Adam Sklute.

That was my experience in the Northern Californian schools, too. Although I will say the drama and music departments were good and lively ones, and that was true up through high school. All public, not private, I should note.

Betty Hutton has died, age 86. Never a favorite of mine, but I loved her in "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek."

Very romantic. Of course, you want to be certain the lady is going to say yes, cf. Alec Baldwin’s misfired proposal in ‘Working Girl.’

Interesting topic, dnznqueen. It seems to me that the dancer and the reviewer may approach the same performance from different perspectives. As others have noted, in ideal circumstances the reviewer is writing for the audience (and the reader who may never see the performance). sz writes: I agree, sz, although I had some reservations about the approach Bentley took with "Winter Season" - her tone was a little soupy for my taste in places. But it was a genuine novelty to me to read about ballet company life from the perspective of a highly articulate corps member.

Thank you, artist, for reviving another old thread. Yes, when it comes to public schools, so much depends on where you live. I know of instances where parents have pulled up stakes and moved to get their children into the school the parents wanted.

I think a note of explanation would be in order, definitely. It's obvious from the many references to physicality and how the actors move that Daniels is trying hard to make the article relevant to dance, but he still didn't write anything that couldn't appear in a magazine devoted to film. kfw writes: I'm with you, although I guess with modern dance choreographers making inroads into ballet companies as they have in recent decades, it's important for ballet fans to at least keep abreast of what's happening, since it'll make its way to your local ballet company eventually.

You won't be disappointed (unless, of course, you're looking for sex. None there, really); interestingly, in the course of my own research I've seen many scholars refer to Yourcenar's work--pretty amazing (she did the translation too). By the way, plug the title into the IMDB--there is actually a Memoirs of Hadrian flim "in production"! We'll see if it ever comes out....... Perhaps Eifman should choreograph the story? ("Spartacus" meets "Tchaikovsky: The Mystery of Life and Death" !) Thanks for directing me to the imdb link, Ray - interesting. Boorman is one of those directors who's either terrible or terrific, in my experience. I can't see Banderas as Hadrian, though - maybe the talks will fall through. I haven't gone out of my way to read Weir because so many of her books appear to be retreads of familiar subjects, but I've been known to be wrong. I can't address the Marie Antoinette, not having read it, but Fraser's account of Mary Queen of Scots is excellent - in many respects definitive, unless there's been new research. She is opinionated, but I like that - her opinions are out front where you can see them right off, and it makes for lively reading.

atm711, I'm as bemused as you are. The piece took up a significant amount of space, not even including the photo section, and the use of Balanchine and ABT as fig leaves, so to speak, just drew attention to the oddity. Sorry, I don't come to Ballet Review for movie discussions unrelated to dance. Surely there are film magazines and quarterlies aplenty out there?

No need to 'keep up' with it, Hans, we're just glad to hear from you. I haven't read any of Weir's books, although I see her name regularly in the history section of bookstores, so I'd be interested to know what you think. Ray, your post reminds me that I have a paperback of 'Memoirs of Hadrian' sitting at home - bought it two years ago and haven't yet got round to it. Embarrassing.

I hear he's great. Hoping to catch this before it's pushed out of theatres by new releases. I saw "Shattered Glass" by the same director, Billy Ray, on the subject of Stephen Glass, formerly of The New Republic, and it's a neat little movie with very good acting. (Not to mention helpful tips on what to say to your editor when he seems to think you're making stuff up: "Are you mad at me, Chuck?" "I feel really threatened right now," "Can you drive me to the airport? I don't think I should be alone," etc.)

Thanks for posting, Tiffany. I didn’t read that one all through but dipped in and out of it. Berg is a good writer – his bio of Charles Lindbergh is excellent. I thought the Hepburn memoir a tad self serving, and was rather put off by the way it was hustled out onto the market in what seemed like days after her death, but I agree it’s well worth looking at if you are interested in Hepburn. And by all means, check out those movies, too. Some of them are pretty good.

artist, I think Paul is referring to Wordsworth’s ‘Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.’ It’s easily available on the Net, I should imagine, but you could always have recourse to an actual book. Worth checking out. Thank you, Paul, for that lovely post. I agree with you about the value of committing poetry to memory in school - I have no idea if it is the custom in classes nowadays, but if not, it's a pity.

Danielian, definitely. And add John Kriza to the ABT stud muffin list, if his name hasn't arisen already.

Thank you, artist, for reviving this golden oldie of a thread. I read The Adventures of Huck Finn after The Adventures of Tom Sawyer when I was very young, knowing nothing about the background or writing of the books, and I couldn't get too far into Huck at that time - I recall that the description of Huck's dad spooked me. This made sense later on when I read about the backstory of both novels.