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eland

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Everything posted by eland

  1. I went to a performance recently and while I appreciated the ability of every dancer onstage, I couldn't help but notice the lack of color... I have been around this Artform for a long time and it hasn't changed....Why is it? There are plenty of good black students in the Major schools,so why don't they continue or why aren't they encouraged? ballet was always to me the thing that took riske..It was a story, so a choreographer or director could choose their own hero or heroine... Why hasn't it changed? I look at companies like Boston Ballet and New York City Ballet ,who used to have one or two people of color and now, Boston Ballet especially is very pale... Wouldn't it be a good idea for the director of the company to look at the Demographics of the city and try to appease to everyone?If onel Black dancer is leaving, they should at least have a back up... Poeple talk about missing the black dancers in the company and substituting them for the Asians and that isn't a good comparison aside from the non caucasian issue... Am I the only one who sees this problem and is there any hope for improvement? I'm just curious because I love Ballet, but I can't stand sitting in the audience without seeing someone black onstage...The dancing is fine, but there is no soul...,
  2. While it will be sad to see BWNE go, Boston Ballet isn't the only ballet school intown.Walnut Hill school has a very good program and they aren't that far away. Just in Natick which is close I think to Waltham and Hopkington or at least as easy to get to... There are few other smaller schools around as well. ..
  3. I went to the friday evening show ... .I loved Falling Angels. I thought the women in the company gave it their all. I was pleased to see April Ball back onstag in "In the Middle"She was always one of my favorite dancers and I was sad to see her go a few years ago, so I was really excited when I saw that she was going to be here. She is such an expansive dancer and with a stage as large as the Wang, you want someone to make the stage seem small. She is alot taller than most of the women there, but who says ballerinas have to be under five feet tall? Saraband(E?) was well danced. It was neat to see the men and women in separate, but equal parts... I don't know how I feel about the first piece...It was nice..., but didn't really go anywhere. The dancers looked nice, but I kept waiting for something exciting ot happen and it didn't... I think it is a good ballet for the die hard classical fans who aren't keen on contemporary rep...It wasn't on pointe, so that made it "Modern".The music was lovely, so you couldn't really get mad at it..It just wasn't what I envisioned boston Ballet dancers doing on a rep program... no biggy though
  4. The company is dancing extremely well, but I miss the personality of the individual dancers of the "old" company... The company also looks a bit Homogonized in that there isn't much variation of color, but everyone is still great to watch. i have long been a fan of inclusion and I don't think it is intentional, but I do think mikko should look at hiring another black or darker Latino female dancer for next year...that kind of "inclusion" gives the community the sense that you don't have to be white or fair skinned to have a ballet career and that is one thing about Bruce Marks and AnnaMarie Holes that I miss. Diversity was Bruce's platform and AnnaMarie carried it out after he left... It would be a shame to see the company regress on that front even if it has good dancers.There are plenty of good black dancers out there too... In terms of Shows...Taming was fun. nutcracker was well danced, Sylphede was beautiful, but short, they should have had another piece with it...(oh and that was 2005...oops)
  5. eland

    Best Jumpers

    Erika Lambe from Boston Ballet had an Amazing jump. She could easily out jump most of the men in the company... Come to think of it, Sarah Lamb also has a nice jump....Maybe it was something in the former training... Currently, Kathleen Breen Combes comes to mind in terms of jumpers for the company. Coordination and timing are the key. People who jump well, or appear to do so, time the take off preciisely and they hover.... Take notice the next tiem you see something that involves good jumping....
  6. I know that everyone has a different opinion on what beauty is, so my choice for a beautiful Ballerina would be Adrianna Suarez from Boston Ballet. She is exotic and I think ethnicity in itself is beautiful..
  7. This is to Mike, I don't think I said anything about DTH having a fundraiser... I believe I had asked about where the dancers were going to go and then I commented on how a company like DTH needed a good general director who could not only pull the company out of its current hole, but who was also familiar with the artistic side of things and whom Arthur Mitchell felt he could trust. From what I am reading, it all boils down to him and he doesn't seem to want to let just anyone make decisions. There has to be someone with the know how to run a company like that and keep mitchells dream flourishing... Of course you can't have a fundraiser without dancers ...unless they believe enough in the cause to just volunteer....But I don't remember that being part of my earlier question..Maybe it was somewhere else...
  8. last week is over and I'm really surprised that I haven't seen any comments on Boston Ballet's opening program. I was wondering if anyone had been to see the Balanchine mixed rep program and what they thought. I saw it over the weekend and thought the company looked really good. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the corps de ballet in Divertimento on the night I Iwent. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. My one criticism for them would be to enjoy dancing more, but I think most of them were new to the company, so I'll chaulk it up to nerves... I saw the Martins premire and had mixed emothions. I thought it was a bit long, but the dancers were great.It was a buit repetitive towards the end, but maybe I was just tired. Rubies was nicely danced, but I felt it was a bit too nice. I am impressed with the level of dancing that Mikko has brought to the company and my only issue is the lack of color to go with it. He did hire a young man from Dance Thetre of Harlem and I think that it fantastic, but there are no true women of color left in the company and it worries me for furure generations.... Yes there is a good number of Latin dancers in the company and a few Asians, but in my opinion, the company cannot truely reach the greatness it craves if it remains exclusive.... This is not to say that they don't want diversity, I just think they should try something else to bring Black dancers in... This isn't meant to be a political thread or anything like that... I am a great fan of the company and want to see it reach greatness. I thought they looked great last week and can't wait to see" Taming"..: I have always felt that they could do more ..Take more chances with people and maybe they'll surprise you... But this first program was a good startig off point for the company ....I just hope it continues to do good things.
  9. I think it would be wonderful for other companies to offer work to some dancers from Dance theatre of harlem. Call it divine providence or luck, but Boston Ballet hired a young man about a month ago who was with Dance theatre of Harlem. I haven't seen the company in a while, but I know Tai Jiminez and she is a beautiful dancer. I've also heard that Alicia is nice. It would be a great gesture by NYCB or ABT for that mater or any company at this point to do something... I think a large challenge for DTH is going to be finding a business manager who knows what they're doing and who Mr. Mitchell will "trust" with his Baby. I think it has to be someone who has danced in a major company or has a vast knowledge of the arts and has had to face similar challenges Mr. Mitchell did as a dancer and a director, but who knows how to make a business plan that will both help the company with it's problems and ensure the Legacy of Arthur Mitchell.... Well, hopefully something will work out...
  10. McCormic and Schmicks is great. ...I'd almost forgotten that one... The happy hour deal is supposed to be good and it is right until around theatre time. If you like Seafood, the regular menu is wourth looking at. A little pricey, but worth it on the occasional special occasion...
  11. Hi i there, I saw this thread and couldn't resist because I love inexpensive food and more especially goiod food . I read the first page and didn't go to the next, so i'm sorry if i've repeated someone... Yes, Pho still exists on Washington street.(in fact, it is a favorite amongst some dancers of Boston Ballet...) There was another" Pho" on a cross street from the Wang that was kind of Upscale and not very good, but the Pho on Washington is definitely worth the trip.They have great soups and there really inexpensive. There is also a Maylasian restaurant across the street from pho called Panang and a thai restaurant called Montien that is across the street form the Wang center's backstage door. Jacob Wirths' is great and on Friday evenings, the have "sing alongs" , so you can eat and nourish your inner "broadway" or "rock" star...It's really fun and they love a ballet crowd. There is a great Dessert restaurant called "Finale" which is a little pricey, but well worth it if you want to splurge after a night out. There is a chinese restaurant called" PH Changs "that is still good to best of my knbowledge. It is open late and usually crowded though... Well, if you are in Boston already, eat up, if not then look into those restaurants, they;re worth it...
  12. To Fendrock. .. I believe you are thinking about Olivia Hartzel who was in mozartiana.I think she is still a little too young for BII at he moment... As for the rest of the Website, it is still under construction."The mom " was correct in her information about katherine and Roman,... In terms of the main company, I believe there is another male joining soon. He is from Dance Theatre of Harlem which makes me happy because the company will have at least one African American dancer in it. I was a bit concerned after Erika Lambe "retired" .It seemed a bit odd that Mikko would let her retire and not have any African Americans to fill her spot.So if this person shows up, my fears are quelled for the moment....Of course it remains to be seen what kind of dancer he is and whether they'll use him, but at least there is one...
  13. What about Arthur Mitchell? I certainly agree with many of the choices made ,but I wondered if he fits the bill... He is American and a former "Balanchine" dancer.I don't know what kind of a dancer he was in terms of technique, but he certainly had carisma and a following , and he went on to found Dance theatre of Harlem to give other black dancers a chance. ... I call that American....
  14. Larissa Ponomorenko.... Definitely a high point in anything I saw her dance!!! ( :rolleyes:) She is amazing onstage and off. I didn't love Don Quixote...I know it was Nureyevs' version etc. but it was a bit long without much happening. Everybody danced their roles superbly and the choreography was extremely challenging..Perhaps that is why I didn't enjoy it.I felt sorry for the dancers and admired them at the same time... I didn't hate it, it just wasn't up there on my must see list. I really enjoyed the mixed rep program in the spring, especially "Plan to B" by Yorma Elo.He is a very interesting person and choreographer. I think the best thing about Boston Ballet this season is how well the dancers performed ...I mean half of the company was brand new and yet everybody pulled it together like they were old pros. There also wasn't a noticible gap between the company and BB2 dancers as there has been in the past.In fact, some of the BB2 women were quite exceptional and rightly so earned contracts for the company. A sad note I suppose is saying farewell to people who have left the company.I didn't like how it became so secretive this year.There are so few real fans in Boston for Ballet...Not to discount the few of us around, but if you look outside the city... In New York and San Fancisco , news is news regardless and people would know what is going on... I just think it was a shame that people won't know who will not be returning next season...this isn't meant to deter them from attending shows, but to prepare them not to see their favorites... All in all though, good job Boston Ballet.I hear they're going outside of Boston next season,Show them what you're made of!
  15. I think perhaps,boston Ballet is taking a "conservative" approach because of the way subscribers react...many of the die hards prefer thre full lengths, but at the same time the next generation craves excitement... Perhaps it's just the city. There have been so many people who loved the last mixed rep and are dying to see more, but it is difficlut to bring people in. I have always thought that the company needed to really put themselves out there in the community and perhaps that would get people talking, but it hasn't happened so far. I don't mean just the underpriviledged, but even the 30 somethings with money to spare...It needs to be the next "in "thing and with the right kind of marketing,it could change the face of ballet in this city...and the rep next year will be on the must see list... Just a thought...
  16. I agree with the sentiment of universitality... As an African American from a 'privelidged" background, I was exposed to the Artforms and Customs of different cultures , which is what makes me appreciate them now. I'm only saying that there are many "moneyed" minorities that ,althought they have the resources now, may not have had such growing up, so unless they've seen it, they won't support it. I don't know why it is this way and I can't wait for it to change... In terms of support here in Boston,Maybe my husband and I can start a trend... If you think of it, boards are made up of people with money who convince their moneyed friends to sign on...Maybe that is what Boston Ballet really needs....Even if they don't have multiple Black dancers(maybe they will next year...)the company is talented and if people see that they are supported, maybe they'll sign on... It is a matter of opening your eyes,no matter what your station.
  17. It would be nice if it could be "just Art"... Come to think of it, maybe it could be... there is a population that welcomes just art, but there is another part that likes to label and that is where this whole discussion has started.. In my opinion, art is art and beautiful no matter where is has come from. expression is something that we have trouble with here in the good old USA, so I welcome it when I can. I am not condoning the minorities with money that choose not to support the arts. I am simply telling you why they won't support it... Nevertheless, Art is beautiful and I hope things change in the future...maybe they will...
  18. Funny comment there Mel... Who really knows the answer to these questions that seem so obvious to us, yet they elude the rest of the population... I suppose it doesn't help that the economy is so shaky I mean,even the well off are feeling pressure to stay that way, so perhaps they are cutting back on the frivolities... I know that unless a minority is born with money, their focus will be to hold onto what they have, so when it comes to supporting the arts, they'll want to make sure it is worthwhile... I wish the United States had the kind of support for the Arts that they have in Europe.this might promp more people to have interest in the Arts, but since we don't it is a series of checks and balances...Does that make any sense???
  19. I think it is a matter of supporting what you see... There are many "moneyed" people of color in the U.S. particularly in New York and surprisingly in Boston, but from what I have heard form people I know, they aren't interested in spending time or money with any organization who doesn't do much to promote" their kind" Ballet and the Arts in general have long been thought of as an upper class ,white,elitist pheniomenom that didn't really want to include anyone else into their circle. Even though there have been baby steps made to include minority members into companies, the practice has virtually remained the same....Use them, but not too much...It is a fundamental issue that needs to change in order to gain more support... I live in Boston where I can tell you the support for black and Latino dancers and artists is slim.OK , there are people who will come out in droves for example to see Alvin Ailey or to suppoort and up and coming black Opera singer from the Conservatory, but that is because they are being featured for what they have..and history has already proven that they would be accepted..( Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, Marion Anderson,Alvin Ailey, the late Elma Luis( who started a performing arts program for the black communityand whose recent funeral had people in the thousands mourning and merited television coverage) Those same people will not support Ballet however, because if its failure to do anything with its black dancer(s) or to even bring in more than one...
  20. ok,first,for KFW, why do you suppose it is that black dancers just aren't as good as whites or others? Don't you think people improve with encouragement? Everyone assumes that a black persons' body is not suited for ballet, so whenever one enters a ballet class,they might not be given the same attention initially because they don't look the part... One of the things about a company like Dance Theatre of Harlem is that Arthur mitchell has tried to send the message to his students and dancers is that you can dance ballet no matter what your race is. I don't know...In this time especially, there should be more effort to try to encourage the black students to succeed. Pillates is a perfect vehicle for molding body types and gaining strength without overdeveloping muscle. ( a common issue with the African American body type) If a black girl came into a studio and had a nice, but athletic build, ok feet extension,she could turn. and jump was attractive.....what will eventually happen to her? The same thing that has happened to so many of us when people say..."Why don't you join Alvin Ailey"? That's just it.There shouldn't just be two companies that black students could ever hope to get a job in and succeed. There are plenty of white people and others that have horrible feet and many of the same structural "defects" that black people have nad yet they succeed.I don't understand that. Does it just show up more on black people? I guess I iwsh it didn't matter,but ti does because times haven't changed. As for the number of Whites attending Alvin Aliey and such to the number of blacks attending The Kirov. I agree,it is unbalanced and having asked the African Americans with means that I know, ther answer is always the same...They don't want to support and organization that will not support black dancers the same way everyone is supported. In the case of Boston Ballet, there has only been one black woman for years.There was a black boy last year, but he is gone.I am curious about next year to see if the numbers increase or decrease. Many people think it is a matter of "shut up and dance"... but I think it is too important for that.It has to change.A black person should not fear losing their job just because they want to dance and want to be treated equally. Many people think we should be happy to have a job and that shouldn't be the case.We shouldn't sit back and watch people around us getting opportunities that we are just as suited for and be expected to just let it happen. The few black dancers that make it into companies other than Alvin Aliey or DTH have always have the misfortune of being under utilized and that has to change. I'm waiting to see an Artistic director who will throw the status quo out the window. If a black person joins the company and doesn't quite have something , then work with them. Don't just assume it is all they have and ignore them... The same should go for any race, from Caucasian to Asian to Latino and more...Everyone deserves the chance to prove ther worth. Of course my plight is for the African American since I am one and i know the struggle to succeed and I have whitnessed success in someone close to me. I will leave with this thought. ... Race should be nothing more that and address.Look at the person and and not the street that they live on and you will discover far more than you imagined...
  21. someone asked why there had to be a certain number of minorities in any ballet company and I was floored.... It is not the number per se that is the issue.I think that if there were a certain number, nobody would notice they were different...Call this corny, but it calls to mind the Martin luther King speech where he said his dream was to see children of different ethnicities is school and play together...Shouldn't that extend to everything else? :shrug: It bothers me that in this day and age that someone would actually think that just one of any ethnic origin was sufficient...Has society not progressed as I had hoped...Does this erson speak for the general public?
  22. I think "Lady" is a unique gift...It is one of those ballets where you find yourself wondering at first who is who, but because of the Choreography,or perhaps the dancers, you get swept away. Larissa Ponomorenko is as always amazing,but I was really proud of Melanie Atkins.She is a soloist and fairly new to the company( she came with Mikko) and has been used alot in Balanchine and Contemporary Ballets, so I was truely moved by her portrayal of Margurete.(sp? sorry..)....I was really pleased to see a not so obvious choice do such a great job. Kudos to whomever cast her in the role... It goes to show you that Boston Ballet has alot of hidden talent,regardless of what the artistic staff or others think...and it is going to be a different year next year when many of them are gone...
  23. Well, kudos to the Joffrey ballet... Treefrog, I understand your question about the rate of Black ballet students to white or other and it is indeed alot slower, but that is because many black students are not introduced to the artform and if they are, all they see are white people, so their parents tell them that it isn't for them... I believe that in some cases, it is unfortunately a socioeconomic issue.Some black families cannot afford to send their students to ballet class, but I also believe it is a case of immitating what you see.... As children, I think we have all found something to identify with , whether it is a public figure ( a politician, doctor, fireperson...)or a doll or a member fo your family and every child has wanted to grow up to be that thing...I have never heard a black child say they wanted to grow up to be a prima ballerina and I think it its because they haven't had multiple examples...There has only been one in my lifetime and none in the future generation... You follow by example and if you're a child and don't see an example of you, you might think you don'e have a chance... It is ture, I don't really know of an Iranian ballerina either, so I guess the good news is that the lapse in racial equality isn't relegated to one race... As for the Joffrey, the only other co. I have noticed as having more than one or two tolken blacks is ABT... Of course I am concerned about Boston Ballet because I am in the city adn want to see more representation.... I guess it walks a fine line...If directors made the conscious effort hire a diverse clientel of dancers then the dancers would wonder why they were hired, but at the same time, if some people don't start doing this, the there will not be a balanced future for minorities... Please don't get me wrong, i am not angry or accusing anyone, I just wonder why it is the 21st century and the numbers are still relatively small even though the population is changing around the companies...
  24. It has been a while since this topic has been broached,and I wonder if there has been any insight to it. Things in Boston are as they've ever been...getting lighter... I truely hope that next season there are more than one noticably dark person in the company.It is a shame to come to a black and "not "issue,but that is the direction companies seem to be going in. Perhaps it is a general "stereotype" that if you're black ,you must be trouble...I honestly believe that there are black people in the arts who only want to succeed where few have been allowed to in the past. my comments in past threads were not meant in malice, but as educatation.There are too many people with blinders on. Things will never change in this profession unless people make them change. I had always hoped to see Boston Ballet rise above everyone else and like Houston Ballet, have a ranking Black dancer,but I don't think that will ever happen.... I am not talking about someone who has a "drop" of "african" somewhere so that their hair might curl,I'm talking about Black.Dark brown skinned with 'nappy" hair that you have to process to get straight. It seems as though a person like this is a threat because he or she has already gone through the process and is waiting for their due.... Wake up America....The World is made of different races and some of them are black. Why is Dance Theatre of Harlem the only place of its kind? Why does every white person I know tell someone Black to go to Alvin Ailey? Don't get me wrong...I don't have anything against people who aren't balck, in fact, I love other races, but I don't understand why the African American is still so behind.. My advice to a school might be...Don't take someone in as a token. If they are truely talented, push them, otherwise it will go away ...The other thing is that you don't have to have light skin to be beautiful and just because you're dark, doesn't make you a threat. Everyone needs to know this... As for Boston Ballet, you have to get more that one Black person into your company ,and I don't mean anyone who you have to guess their race.....I'm talking BLACK.The company is so talented and you seem to represent every other race,so step up to the plate>>>
  25. Hello "BW" and the "mom".Thank you both for your comments.... I think that all we can do at this point is to wait and see what happens in the future ...The world is changing ...You see it in children everywhere,...It's just a matter of the adults catching up with the children... "mom" Your words were heartfelt and kind and we thank you for them.I do need to point out that it is really the examples the kids need to see....Yes,my mother did say the same things to me as a child...I had to be smarter than everyone in my class at school,( and I graduated a year early)...In ballet,I had to be better than,or at least have one thing the other kids didn't in my class and the same Credo carried into everything else I did as a child...(Thus, I've always had a hidden talent even outside of ballet...)So you were right in saying that to your children... It's funny ,the more I think about this topic,the more I realize,it really isn't us...As a minority in the Arts,I can honestly tell anyone who is interested....DO YOUR BEST .Period.If your best is what they want to see,then they will,..If they aren't ready,it will take time and perhaps the next generation will open their eyes,but never under any circumstance,let anyone tell you that you aren't right it even if they can't tell you why.OK,I am done preaching for the night....
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