Memo

ABT's website is really out of date. I know one dancer that has had a corps contract with another company since July 1 and up until now was listed on the ABT website as a ABTII member.

Isadora Loyola was featured in a small role in Orange County a few months ago I cannot imagine she has been demoted.

There is also a nice group photo of all the new company members on the Dutch National Website. I think that married dancers often dance with different companies it is not unusual.

I felt absolutely horrible for Lolo Jones yesterday. Now she's someone who despite her good looks got to the Olympics the hard way. She was born very poor, and was a cashier at Home Depot. She was doing so well and then to see her crying after the race reminded me of Gail Devers. Poor girl.

I agree. What a disappointment. Did you see her after her interview under the bleachers alone. Breaking down. The agony of defeat.

Am I right in assuming that "promising" Alexandra Mukhamedov is daughter of THE Mukhamedov?

Yes

I bought a copy at the Opera House Shop about 2 weeks ago. It is multi format which is great. I am enjoying it.

OMG

Just bought a copy of the La Fille and RB Sleeping beauty with Cojucaru and Bonelli cant wait to see it. All DVD's multi format which is helpful.

I saw it Saturday afternoon. (July 5th) I would concur, it was very well performed and Guillaume Cote as guest artist definitely added to that performance he was dynamic.

Per the Ken Cen Press Office:

The first variation [LAW: the trio] was Andrew Peasgood, Antoinette Brooks-Daw and Yoshihisa Arai.

The second variation was Dylan Gutierrez and Delia Mathews.

Dusty Button and Nicki Moffat also had solos.

By process of elimination, the male soloist was James Hay.

Correct

Did anyone find the link to the Washington Post reveiw?

What a delightful and satisfying program is this PROTEGES II! I too attended the Friday opener. It was a marvellously balanced program of four complete ballets performed by four of the world's leading ballet academies...practically every A-#1 ranking academy minus the Vaganova of St. petersburg but, as vrsfanatic pointed out, the 'Vaganova' system was represented by the Bolshoi....sort of.

Royal Ballet Academy - Galanteries (Bintley/Mozart)

The RB Academy commenced the program with a home run, IMO. This pure-dance work is one of Bintley's more felicitous creations, although the partnering becomes a tad too busy in sections. I wish that the printed playbill would have broken down the sections of the ballet and noted the specific dancers of each solo, pdd or trio...because they were all so wonderful, deserving name recognition. If anybody reading this can identify the individual dancers of the following parts, I would be eternally grateful!

1. Ensemble a beautiful long entree with the full cast of 4 female soloists, 4 male soloists and 4 corps girls

2. Brisk MacMilanesque pas de trois for two guys and one mostly-airborne girl - I am guessing (from photos in UK magazines I've seen) that the small blonde gal is Delia Matthews and the guys are Yoshihisa Arai and Andrew Peasgood

3. *gorgeous PDD adagio - a lovely tall brunette ballerina in the Deborah Bull mold with a tall dark-hared gent; this seems to be the leading 'tall girl' role of the ballet. Antoinette Brooks-Daw's name is first in the playbill...so is it she???? Is the tall guy James Hay? Both danced in a very lyrical and refined manner. Bravi (whoever they may be)!

4. Brief pdd into a very brief female solo - the short blonde gal again (Delia?)

5. Mini solos running into one another for two solo girls - I am guessing Dusty Button and Nicki Moffat, as they are the two remaining names on the top female soloist line.

6. Presto, normal-length female solo for (I think) Delia Matthews - this one was fantastic...multiple pirouettes, perfectly executed in both directions & stopping on a dime.

7. *****THE HIGHLIGHT of the piece: Male Solo - gorgeous line, brisk footwork, amazing control. A mid-height Latin-looking gent...I am guessing Dylan Gutierrez. WOW! WOW! WOW!

8. Finale

In this and the other numbers, the heads/coaches of the academies come out for bows. I am guessing that the lady was Gailene Stock (Director)...though I could have sworn that I saw the face of Leslie Collier, former ballerina of the RB. I have no idea who was the gentleman coach who took a bow.

.

OK so I am thinking that it was Delia Mathews (tall brunette) and Dylan Gutierrez (tall, dark haired) that did the Adagio PPD piece and James Hay (british) dark haired that did the Male Solo.

I have not seen it but my dk is in the piece so I will see what other names I can find out.

Gailene Stock and Gary Norman took a bow with them at the end.

Dylan Gutierrez and Dusty Button are the two Americans in the group.

Glad some of your saw it great to read the descriptions thanks.

Another correction: Its the Royal Ballet School (not the Royal Academy) they are separate entities.

If anyone is in the Washington DC area and is going to this I would love to hear any feedback. I wish I could see all these talented students dancing in one performance but unfortunately due to my own rehearsal schedule I am unable to get away. My DK is performing in this event as part of the Royal Ballet School performance of David Bintley's Galantries. If anyone plans on going and would be so kind as to post their reactions to it would be greatly appreciated.

OH it took me a minute but that is Fokine funny. Thanks for sharing.

I just read a portion of the thread for the first time. I also agree with Adam. The article could be a romantic piece of prose or a work of fiction about a sad ballerina suffering and misunderstood for her art. I think it is a big plug for her to join the Royal although it is disguised as one it does not really take the form of an "interview" at all.

Isn't that the way most US ballet company contracts are? Coming up for renewal once a year. But at least one does build unemployment or disability benefits during each year of employment.

that too and being lucky enough to meet him a couple of times he is sweet, kind and passionate about the process.

Angel is beautiful in any photo to me.

Carbro put me onto their La Sylphide - for which I am foot lickingly grateful - and then the ABC put on the ABT's Swan lake two nights ago and there they were delighting me again. Am i right in saying that Herman has extreme ballon? How i'd love to be able to see them dance in the flesh.

whetherwax, since you were asking in another thread about interesting dvds you MUST check out Ashton's Dream where Herman turns a superbly danced and characterized performance as Puck. Erica also dances as a fairy.

[and after that you could buy the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Midsummer Night Dream to compare the Ashton with the Balanchine version. You've mentioned in that other thread that you're hesitating to start with Balanchine but Midsummer is atypical Balanchine and actually aesthetically closer to what you have been recently watching than, say, Manon]

I have both versions of MSND the PNB Version I love the use of the children and the butterflies. It is very whimsical although Hippolytas choreography is a bit standard and not very inspired. I also have the ABT/Ashton version and Cornejo is a stand out. I was interested to read Carbros analysis of him I think he is evolving into something very special and if he does not get type cast into the short friend roles he is destined for greatness. Angel Corella has broken that mold and Cornejo seems poised to do the same. He is consistently eye popping to watch.

I enjoyed the clip thanks for sharing. Shame about the injury. I wonder how things are going for her.

Protégés II

Jun 6 - 8, 2008

Opera House

Running Time: 2 hrs. 10 min.

Following the resounding success of the inaugural Protégés in 2006, the Kennedy Center launches its second engagement of this biennial showcase of the world's greatest ballet academies. Within a single mixed repertory program, you can witness ballet in its purest form, as rising stars from Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Paris Opera Ballet School, Royal Ballet School, and School of American Ballet offer fresh insight into classic works and highlight their academy's distinctive training style. You won't want to miss this tantalizing glimpse into the future of the art form featuring the next generation of ballet brilliance.

Royal Ballet School: Galanteries (Bintley/Mozart) - 22 min.

pause - 5 min.

Paris Opera Ballet School: Soir de fête (Staats/Delibes) - 26 min.

Intermission - 20 min.

School of American Ballet: Concerto Barocco (Balanchine/J.S. Bach) - 19 min.

pause - 5 min.

Bolshoi Ballet Academy: Grand Pas from Paquita (Petipa/Minkus) - 32 min.

http://kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.c...amp;event=BIBSH

Double tours en l'air sans préparation. It was my understanding that technique doesn't give the dancer carte blanche to change the choreography, no matter how outstanding his technique is for what he's substituting.

Hmm Adam which one is it?

I was afraid there was an injury when you mentioned that the variations and fouettes were omitted. That is usually the case.

Hope she is well soon.

Both variations were inexplicably omitted from the Don Quixote pas de deux, and so the coda immediately followed the adagio. Thirty-two fouettes were nowhere to be found in the coda---something that I can forgive in a full-length performance but not in a gala. As a result, I was puzzled as to why this piece was included in the gala, in this form, and with these dancers (Ethan Stiefel and Gillian Murphy.)

.

that is so strange from what I have seen Gillian Murphy can perform those fouettes with one hand tied behind her back. I would have been disappointed at that especially not seeing the solos. The last time I saw Ethan Stiefel out in LA however he did look excellent. He has bulked up somewhat which looked great on him and as someone said earlier the haircut is great. Just looked more mature, substantial and was quite a presence. I hope his injuries are behind him for now.

Right after reading this thread Kelly Ripa was discussing the Gala this morning on Regis and Kelly. (with Regis making the obligitory tights jokes) but she was very complimentary and appreciative in her description of the evening as she has been taking ballet classes once a week for the past few months for exercise. She was however laughing at the fact that at intermission Donald Trump was overheard asking his wife it is was "half time".

Ohhh sounds delicious. I did see Splendid Isolation in March at a Gala in Orange County California and I loved it. Max and Irina looked amazing. They told me later that they were hoping to do it at the opening night gala. Very interesting and visually stunning piece. Makes me yearn for another trip to the east coast.

hmm vacation is coming sounds like some good reading material for rainy days.