Sonja

Thanks for your encouragements! Currently there is not much ballet here in Munich anyway, but we are looking forward to a "new" Raymonda (premiere 1 December), so please be prepared for some more reading then!!

rg, HUGE thanks for this detailed reply! I am not sure if I will still be able to get this CD over here in Europe, but with the details I will find the music somehow! Thanks again!

Estelle, it would be great if you found out anything in previous programmes - but please don't bother too much or spend too much time, it's not THAT important!

I've tried to find out which music of Fauré Balanchine used for the first part of "Jewels" - but only found "Pelleas et Melisande" so far - which is quite HUGE, so I'd be very happy if someone helped me here with more details... (Contrary to many others, I like this music!) Thanks!

Alexandra, I am looking forward to those archives - especially to the interview! Thanks for this hint (and sorry when my reviews get that long - I try to cut them short, but sometimes I get carried away...)!

After a "bejwelled" weekend with the Kirov, Munich ballet scene has come "back to normal", with a mixed programme performed by Bavarian State Ballet - "topped" with a guest appearance of Paris Opera Ballet étoile Aurélie Dupont (replacing the injured Maria Eichwald). The choice of ballets provided a very wide range of "modern" ballet - not like the new triple bills of Royal Ballet, for example, each of which is put under a general theme. What may sound strange at first - to me it worked as it gave an idea of the diversity of styles, and I found it quite amazing how well Munich dancers changed their style within one evening. They are not specialists in one style, so some may critic that they don't do anything perfectly - but it's the variety I appreciate, and I guess so do the dancers. Some notes on the individual ballets: Grosse Fuge (Hans van Manen) Kusha Alexi, Sherelle Charge, Silvia Confalonieri, Beate Vollack Amilcar Moret, Christian Ianole, Oliver Wehe, Norbert Graf This is one of van Manens better known ballets, and one of the most significant, I would say. Personally, it is not my favourite (I am not too keen on baroque music, I must admit), but it goes really well with the music. The dancers went for it - but who made those strange hair decorations that looked to me really odd? The whole ballet is in black and white, and I have never seen colourful (yellow, red, brown and black) hair accessories before... Who Cares (Balanchine) Lisa-Maree Cullum, Laure Bridel-Picq, Michelle Nossiter Alen Bottaini I thought it quite courageous (or foolish?) to put on a Balanchine piece, only two days after the Kirov Ballet had performed "Jewels" - but maybe noone expected people to watch both?? I love this one, it's so entertaining - and Lisa-Maree Cullum is very quick, very much at home in his style. Alen Bottaini felt at ease, too - he looked as if everything was all easy and spontaneous, really boyish and having a great time flirting with his three ballerinas. In the Night (Robbins) Lisa-Maree Cullum - Roman Lazik Kusha Alexi - Oliver Wehe Aurélie Dupont- Kirill Melnikov First time I saw this ballet - and although some people may call it old-fashioned, I loved it. It's so beautiful, set to beautiful Chopin music, no unnecessary extras, nice costumes - something to sit back and enjoy. There was quite a long break between "Who cares" and this one - although it was not a proper interval, but Lisa-Maree Cullum had to change her hair and dress, so this was a bit unfortunate, I thought. Aurélie Dupont replaced an injured dancer from Munich - I had only seen her in "Diana & Acteon" pdd in a gala before, plus on the "Sleeping Beauty" video, so I really don't know her. And she was really good! She and Kirill had a nice rapport - they looked as if they had danced a lot together! - and I enjoyed their acting very much! There were so many little details, such a variety, between passion, anger, despair - and after all, sort of "happy ending" - it was great entertainment. The second detail (Forsythe) What a change, after "In the night". Fortunately, there was an interval in between the two ballets, otherwise this would have been a bit tough to cope with. I am no particular fan of Forsythe, but this is the ballet I personally like best of those I know. Some call it "clinic", too cold, all the light grey costumes etc - but I prefer it as it is one of the few Forsythe ballets where one can actually see the dancers' movements. Many other of his ballets are so poorly lit that I can only guess a bit of the choreography, but here it is all bright and visible. As for the music - generally I am no fan of electronic noises (basically, this is how it sounds to me) - but for some reason this one gets me going every time I hear it. And it seems to have this effect to the dancers as well. They really go for it - and the audience loved it. There was huge applause - a nice reward to our local company.

Hi Estelle (and Alexandra), thanks for replying! Aurélie Dupond again danced the 3rd pas de deux, and I was also imressed by her acting - I had only seen her once before in a gala (Diana et Acteon pdd) and in "Sleeping Beauty" on video so really don't know much about her, and it was a nice surprise! I will try to post a "decent" review of the whole evening later!

Tonight Aurélie Dupont will be guesting in Munich in Robbins' "In the night" - has anyone seen her in this ballet, or are there any reviews? (I could not find any of her, but had only a very quick search...)

Terribly sorry and sad to hear this! I was touched so much by Sarah's performances, the "happy" ones such as Lise, but even more in the big dramatic roles, and just as one example of many I treasure how bravely she took over Juliet from Darcey, dancing with Zelensky - not everyone's taste, maybe, BUT THIS IS BALLET, isn't it? I hope this won't point into a direction of an AD pushing the technical wizzards but neglecting the dancer-actors... We'll see. Good luck to Sarah, and I hope to learn soon what she will be doing in future - hopefully we'll be able to see her somewhere!

If I am not confusing things, she was with Kirov, then with Bolshoi - but what is she doing now? -- oops, sorry, found the article - for convenience, here's the link: http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=89101 I saw her end of 1996 in Kirov's Nutcracker (partnered by Zelensky) and thought she was pretty and good - but there was not much to dance for both of them anyway... [ 08-22-2001: Message edited by: Sonja ]

Sorry, that's all I could find so far on the web... with Zenaida being promoted to principal at RB, I am sure you will soon find more pictures of her - just keep on looking! Good luck!

..it's not very big and not one of the "classics", but try this one: http://www.imagidanse.com/francais/presse/...ventGarden.html Sonja

Talking about skirt desasters makes me think of a "Lady of the Camellias" in Munich, when in second pdd Marguerite's skirt started to rip off. In this act, she wears a beautiful white dress, and the skirt must consist of many metres of white chiffon - audience held their breath while the dancer tried not to step onto the remains of her skirt... After they had finished the pdd without falling over, she sent off Armand as usual - and then Nanina came on stage with HUGE scissors to cut the skirt to make it less dangerous. What is normally a highly dramatical scene (Armands father arrives to convince Marguerite to give up his son) failed a bit this impression in that performance...

Re. dancing in Nazi Germany - being German myself, I have mixed feelings about this... Since it's very difficult to get anything "authentic" from this dark time without getting into extremely "brown" (=neo nazi) company, I believe there is not much available here in Germany. Best source may be people like "I." who now live elsewhere and have a need or want to tell about this time. I am sure their stories can be extremely fascinating, but I feel it is very important to get the context right. (I am sure you will agree with me on that point!)

I don't know if the question leads too far apart - but when reading this topic, I was wondering what is worse: A theme totally unsuited as story of a ballet - or a bad ballet with no story at all...? (Then, you can't even blame it on the subject...)

I heard that Ethan Stiefel will be guesting at Royal Ballet next season - does anyone have any details, please?

...no such pair in Don Q in autumn? So who is going to partner Tamara Rojo, and won't Carlos Acosta be on at all??

Hi Kevin (and the rest), "Jewels" seem not to sell too well in advance in Munich - but probably for several reasons: a) big confusion about start of ticket sales (published was 20 August, then 12 July, then 14 July) B) about 60-70% of seats in a 1000 seats theatre are at top price level (180 DM) - which is a lot for a lesser known ballet in Germany Personally, I believe that at the end, performances will sell out since Kirov is such a big name - but good chances if anyone wants to come over! I'll be at 3 of 4 performances (at least! but on the cheaper seats...) - so if anyone is there, how about meeting??? Ticket information also on www.bayerisches-staatsballett.de - just in case...

Marc, seems your critical eye picked out every weakness and you put your finger on the wounds of this company... Hope you will enjoy tonight's performance despite of.... so much!

Hi Alexandra, thanks for explaining this (again) to me! I think now I know what you mean - and I am really considering going "up there" to see Onegin as I really love this ballet (personally, I think it is Cranko's best... at least of those I have seen so far!) Thanks again Sonja

Sorry for being ignorant - but in what way does their "Onegin" differ from the "known" ones (Stuttgart, Munich, probably London as well)? Is it set and costumes, or what? Thanks for shedding some light on this for me!!

Haven't watched it this year yet - one hour synopsis will be broadcast in German TV (ZDF) on Sunday, 1 July, at 0.45 am (so in fact it's already Monday...) Forgive me if I am wrong, but I think Christina McDermott won a prize in this competition (early 90s?) and so did Zenaida Yanowsky in 1997 (??) - I remember she did a beautiful, although "typical competition" solo from Esmeralda pdd...

Mashinka, thanks for this very interesting information. Like Estelle, I have been dreaming of going to St Petersburg, but your notes confirm everything I heard from the few people I know who went there - going on a package = furiously expensive but probably the best if you don't speak Russian; going as independent traveller = quite difficult. Personally, I love to go to London, where for "normal" productions at ROH day seats are available, so if you queue early enough you are sure to get a seat on the day and don't have to book months in advance. Shame on me, I have never been to Paris (yet). Vienna will come up with some interesting productions in the next season, and the big plus there are the standings - you have to queue for them, but they used to be only 20 or 30 Austrian Shillings (sorry, don't have the exchange rate, but it's REALLY cheap!). Once you have your ticket, you run to the standing places, secure your place by knotting a scarf or similar to the place, and then you have almost about an hour before the performance starts so you can grab something to eat. The best of those standings are just behind orchestra stalls, with a perfect view of the stage - and I have found it incredible, that you are standing just centimetres behind people on seats costing about 2000 Austrian Shilling, if you manage to get into first row!

Stu Cassidy has returned? Sorry, seems I have lost track... Any more company news of who has joined / will join???

Very interesting topic! Here in Munich normally audience gasps in a way worried about the health of dancers - at least those frequent goers around me. AND - especially in story-telling ballets where a lot is happening on stage - some people don't even notice when someone of the corps slips! I remember a very bad fall of one guy in Don Q. pas de quatre when he could not get on his feet again as he injured either his knee or achilles (sorry, can't remember), so the other three guys had to carry him off the stage. This made me feel really sorry and worried for him and left a sad taste in this otherwise so bright production - but of course, the show did go on...