pugbee

I searched on this website, and found a post from 2003 directing someone to the Ballets de Monte Carlo vol. 2 recording on Arion. But I can't find that recording!! It is listed on Amazon, but they say they don't have it (so why is it listed?!) I couldn't even find it on arkivmusic.com -- the place I always find what I need!!! Any ideas on where else I might look? Does anyone know of other recordings available???

Yes indeed! Anyone care to voice an opinion on who they'd like to see promoted? I haven't seen the company in a few years now, but Heidi Cruz comes to mind, as well as Jen Smith. I may be basing that opinion more on seniority than anything else, but they are really lovely dancers! Also, Matt Neenan has certainly "served his time." There are many dancers in the corps whom I've never seen, though, so possibly some are more obvious candidates?

Very good point!!!

You're right -- love for attending performances comes from the home! We try to take our small regional company of pre-pro girls on "field trips" from time to time. This past fall, they attended the ABT performance here in Houston... and yet, I could not accompany them due to $ issues. I know of another reason why some of my "ex-dancer" peers do not attend, though this only applies to a small group of people (those who wanted to dance professionally, but never got a job). They claim it is simply too painful to sit and watch others dancing the ballets that they always dreamed they'd dance. And I'll admit that I frequently feel a twinge of that myself.

I echo Marga's reponse.... I danced professionally for only a brief time before having to "move on" due to injury. Now, at 25, I am married and have just bought a house. And although I teach 20 hours a week, any "extra" money is spoken for long before I even contemplate seeing the ballet. I would love to be at the ballet each week, but it's simply not possible. The last time I went, I saw Houston Ballet dance Apollo and La Valse. I thought it was a mediocre program (Apollo, in particular, had not been staged to my liking), and I was so put off by the amount of money I paid in "service fees" to purchase a ticket, that I haven't been back... Which opens up another discussion that I think we've had before: Would ballet companies be able to survive (and perhaps fill the theaters) if they would just drop ticket prices a bit?

Such wonderful news!! I have never seen Riolama, but everyone speaks so highly of her dancing. And James Ady is a fantastic dancer -- and a dear, sweet person! So proud of him!

Ditto, Old Fashioned... maybe we'll bump into each other leaving Bush Intercontinental! I had thought about going for Swan Lake, but now that I see Midsummer is planned for April, I may save my pennies for that.

Wow -- this looks to be a fantastic season!!! I wish that our local professional company's programming excited me this much! Interesting to see Franklin Court back on the docket... I think we had a thread about it some time last year.

I usually either have turning dreams, where I squeak out about 30 pirouettes at a time!!! (Funny, since I'm really not a great turner.) Or I'll dream that I'm on stage in the middle of a ballet and I realize that I don't know the end of the ballet!

Francis Veyette is back????!!!! Mid-season???? Anyone see anything in the press about that? (I, for one, am very excited!)

You're right, Oberon. The prince's costume is only a "front," attached loosely like a paper doll's costume. The stage hand holds the wire while the prince ooches out on to stage, then gives a mighty "yank" on the right music!

I know I'm a day late and a dollar short here -- but when and why did Martine Ciccone leave? Anyone know where she's gone?

Pictures from The Nutcracker have been posted on the Kansas City Ballet website. Some are really nice! http://www.kcballet.org/performances_photos.html

Socalgal: You said it! "Wise" is an understatement. When I was there, most of us had to dance in all 30+ shows of Nutcracker... and when someone got injured it was a messy juggling act to rearrange casting! Not to mention the fact that the soloist women usually were still Flakes and Flowers, along with everything else they danced! I noticed that no soloists are dancing corps parts this year.

Where's Charity Eagens? And Riolama? Also, I'm wondering if most of the "additional flakes and flowers" are students, or dancers who have been hired just for Nutcracker....

I would think they've gone up -- and so have the "handling charges." My gosh! Last spring when I called to purchase Houston Ballet tickets, I was told there would be a $7.50 handling fee per ticket for phone orders (I think that's the right amount -- could even have been more.) Okay, I said, I'll order on the internet. Same thing. Hmm... how about driving 45 minutes to the box office?? Oh, that I could do for the bargain price of only a $5 handling fee. Give me a break. Sorry for the rant....

The Academy of Music, in Philadelphia, was raked until just a few years ago. Sure made those bourre circles in Waltz of the Flowers interesting. It always took a few days to adjust when we first moved into the theater... pirouettes during company class became much more frustrating!

:offtopic: Franklin Court hasn't been done in years, but was still listed in their rep, last I checked. We used to do a shortened barre at lec-dems, where the exercises were all choreographed into one fifteen-minute piece of music. While we danced, another dancer "narrated," to explain what was happening and why it was necessary. I always wondered if that interested the kids, or just put them to sleep!

Thank Goodness! They certainly don't seem to get in a hurry about updating. Maybe they don't realize how much many of us rely on the website for into!

Dansuer, thanks so much for the review. I have several old friends in this company, and really envy you getting to see them. Will you be seeing any other casts?

I noticed that Sarah Edery's name is missing from the corps list. Anyone know where she's gone?

I have to say that I haven't been around houston ballet in a while, and therefore don't know what their current crop of students looks like. But... I was just impressed at the sheer number of them that walked away with jobs. Unfortunately, it's not that way for kids from all professional schools. Soooo, HBA must be doing something right!

Maybe it's the commentary and "behind the scenes" info that ballet is lacking. At this year's RDA/Southwest Festival, one of the companies had a very clever ballet poking fun at televised sporting events -- complete with running commentary, slow motion, reverse, plenty of fumbles, etc. I haven't laughed so hard at a ballet since I first saw "Slaughter on Tenth Ave." On a different path, I have long since felt that if ballet only had "cool" sponsors, popularity would grow. I just don't know why Nike doesn't sponsor a professional ballet company. They could all wear "swooshes" on their tights!!! I can't think of a better group that the "Just Do It" motto applies to than dancers.

I didn't realize they were a couple until I read their interviews on the Discount Dance Website!

Thank you! I've seen that set of CDs on the Internet, but didn't know that Les Rendezvous was part of it. Very helpful, thank you.