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Very interesting. Thank you. From the Royal Ballet's site -- Choreography: Marius Petipa Additional Choreography: Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon Production: Monica Mason and Christopher Newton after Ninette de Valois and Nicholas Sergeyev Designs: Oliver Messel Additional Designs: Peter Farmer Lighting: Mark Jonathan

Jane, Mel, does the Royal's current version retain the same Ashton bits?

I've thought about becoming a Kennedy Center member again to get tickets early, but I've been waiting till casting is announced. Royal Ballet watchers, can you say how far in advance casting is usually posted?

chauffer, if you buy online, you won't know where in the section your seat is.

Treefrog, thanks for setting me straight about the Joffrey's rep. Pop isn't even an accurate description for most of the ballets in "The Company," and I was forgetting classics like Monotones -- I or II? -- and Pavanne that I saw them dance in the 70's. perky, sitting here as I am 2 to 2 and a half hours from The Kennedy Center, which I've often driven to twice a week for ballet, I love the thought of you seeing NYCB every night because, after all, you're only 3 hours away! That's the spirit!

I first saw NYCB at Chicago's beautiful 4200 seat Auditorium Theatre in '79, which I guess was at the tail end of the so-called dance boom. Main floor seats were plentiful for each of the three weekend performances I saw, but then the company was there 2 weeks. Apparently the Harris is a little over half that size. How well does the Joffrey sell? I hope the lure of Balanchine and Robbins and probably Wheeldon -- has his work been seen in Chicago? -- will bring in lots of casual dance fans and that a sizeable number of these will try the home company. Or will more of those people just patronize City Ballet and not spend money on the Joffrey? And will City Ballet emphasize the pop side of its rep to meet Joffrey fans halfway, or will they offer concentrate on neo-classical classics? Should be interesting. Congratulations, Chicagoans!

"Summerspace" is a beauty, alright. Having seen Merce's "Sounddance" last night, I can't forget the sight of the gorgeous gold swags used as backdrop, and the sight of the dancers in matching gold tops bursting out of them. For those who don't know it, or who want a reminder, swags and costumes can be seen here.

If the companies linked on the Article 19 site are a fair representation of the European modern dance scene, I have to wonder what comes first there, the politics or the dance. I mean, that's a chicken or the egg question, but if it's a fair question then I'm not surprised at Dance Europe's decision.

Thank you very much, ltraiger. For those who don't know, "Repertory in Review" is subtitled "40 Years of the New York City Ballet," and surveys the choreography for Balanchine's American companies beginning with "Serenade" for Ballet Caravan in 1935 and proceeding through "Union Jack" for New York City Ballet in 1976. For every single ballet Balanchine and Robbins and guest choreographers made, Goldner gives dates, the names of the composers and decor and costume designers, first and noteworthy later casts, plus descriptive and analytical essays. For the major works she includes snippets of reviews and often photos. In addition the book includes introductory overviews of successive historical periods, plus essays on Balanchine himself and the School of American Ballet.

That seems a curious mixing of functions on MacMillan's part. His choreographing the piece may have been an act of worship, or at least of solemn remembrance informed by his religious beliefs, but what is the dancer's part in that worship or remembrance, and what is the audience's? I suppose the dancers can just execute the steps with the proper solemnity, but to ask the audience to respond to the piece as he did, or at least to publicly limit their response to the piece -- a piece they've had to pay to see -- to his, seems a lot to ask. Personally, I'd favor honoring his intentions anyhow. That seems only respectful. But I still wonder if the request is appropriate. Isn't it MacMillan's job to elicit the response he wants instead of demanding it? I'm not asking rhetorically and I haven't seen the piece. I'm just trying to think it through.

I have to think the company would attract and keep more talent if Martins did let more of Balanchine's own dancers coach. Their coaching alone might not spark a renaissance, but it could only help, and certainly the dancers and the art deserve it.

carbro, I can't actually see curvature through Bocca's loose shirt, but his chest suggests it to me. Thanks for your response; I asked because I'm trying to sharpen my perceptions via more experenced viewers like yourself. I love Bart Cook's flexibility (in The Four Temperaments video) too.

carbro, I'm curious. What about Bocca's back in the Manon shot on page 8?

I just wonder what the company gains by this wording.

Farrell Fan, I don't like the prosaic name Ballet Tech either, even if the name does highlight the connection between the company and the laudable work Feld does with the school. Tiffany, thanks for the interesting topic, but I have to agree that the names you threw out aren't very good, and perhaps they illustrate the problem. I wonder if even the best names meant to describe the nature of the company's dancing wouldn't quickly sound bland, as as Amy says, gimmicky, not to mention limiting.

I don't think these problems are specific to the ballet world or can be eradicated from the ballet world. Some people will always be cruel, others will suffer from low self-esteem compounded by failing to meet freely chosen goals, and others will, from a lack of charity or a lack of life experience, avoid people they don't immediately connect with. As for Balanchine, his old world world mentality is intrinsic to his art and its high and humane view of the human person. Like most any artistic genius, he was devoted to his art and naturally wanted those he worked with to share that devotion. But the high percentage of his dancers who speak affectionately of him suggest that for those willing to pay his price, the rewards were great. They served him, a necessarily flawed human being, but in so doing they served his art.

Crash sounds preposterous, but I'm skeptical of the idea that Hollywood was afraid of a gay cowboy theme. Certainly it makes few films that warm the hearts of social conservatives, particularly when it comes to sexual mores. This year's winning song was a reminder of that, and George Clooney's acceptance speech was a reminder that the industry is not afraid to speak its mind. And I don't know what the Academy would have stood to lose anyhow. Any self-respecting liberal bowing to perceived conservative pressure would stand to lose that self-respect.

Photos from the Sunday, February 5 performance of Romeo and Juliet with Herrera and Hallberg can be seen at Gene Schiavone's site here.

How sweet, Bill, and what a beautiful way to experience the ballet. Thank_you_.

On the occasion of his company's monthlong season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, NPR's Morning Edition had a nice piece on Mark Morris today. The story and further interviews with the choreographer are online here.

I agree. I think Alma has good reason to be resentful. Ennnis hasn’t just broken his wedding vow to her and caused her financial worry, he’s neglected her emotionally, not even noticing her tears as he runs off to be with Jack, not even caring enough to bring the fish she and the children love. It’s a shame she’s given that bigoted “Jack nasty” line, but she only comes out with it when Ennis won’t acknowledge her pain. He has never leveled with her, and he still won’t, but she’s known all those years, and she’s kept her silence. To my mind, she, as much as Jack and Ennis, is a tragic character. As to the Thanksgiving scene discussed elsewhere on this thread, I guess I’m imagining this since it hasn't been mentioned, but I thought it was there to set up Jack’s murder. I looked away during the brief scene in which he is beaten to death, but it struck me later that Lureen’s father must have been one of the killers. I can’t quite remember the scene, but didn’t Lureen say earlier, when they’d first met, that her father might have committed murder? I saw the humiliation the father suffers as Jack finally stands up for himself would serve as the last-straw motivation. But perhaps I made that up.

Thanks for those two reports, LAC. I saw the Saturday bills and thought the company danced very well, beginning with Weese and Woetzel, who made Allegro Brilliante look like lots of fun. Certainly Woetzel must have lost a step by now, and New Yorkers must notice, but I sure didn’t. Weese too thrilled me with her speed and confidence, exactly what one expects and needs from the New York City Ballet in Balanchine, but such a gift every time again. As for Duo Concertant, the young have no monopoly on romance, but it looks loveliest on them, and Washington has seen lovely young couples in this ballet in the past few years. Standing at the piano yesterday, and reacting to each other much more than any other duo I’ve seen in the ballet, Borree looked tired and Hubbe, always so handsome and still so handsome, reminded me of a roue and not a lover, in all that makeup. Thankfully they soon began to dance, and, as then as the saying goes, the years melted away. Can it be I’m finally becoming a fan of Yvonne Borree? Yes, it can. Reichlin in Monumentum had the presence I’ve been reading about, and Rebecca Krohn in Movements was wry and delicious, and I thought Askegard caught the spiky spirit of the ballet as well. Zungre and Angle were appealing in Romeo and Juliet, and my wife liked Drew Miller’s set. On the one hand, Sylve was impressive in Firebird. On the other hand I have to agree with Sarah Kaufman in the Washington Post that her perfection was all wrong for the part, too neat and square. Only in her circle of great, big, glorious jetes did her character finally come alive. Jonathon Stafford was very appealing as the Prince, but unconvincing in the battle scenes, where he seemed to momentarily relax between jousts with the creatures. Fairchild and Millipied made Ballo look easy, as did the four soloists, but I missed Bouder’s explosiveness. Polyphonia went right by me last year, and a work that most people find mysterious I found mostly dry. I’d have said "academic demonstration" if much of the movement wasn’t Wheeldon’s own. I'm sure that was my fault. This year I was ready for Klavier, and it moved me, and was the perfect cool and remote piece between the high-spirited opening and closing works. I hadn’t seen Union Jack in 26 years and even if the opening movement is largely solemn, I thought the whole ballet was a hoot, starting with Kirstein’s program note. In the Costermanger pas de deux, Martins (who looked slimmer than last year) and Ringer had me in stitches. It was good to see Abi Stafford in her element here after a rather blank and lifeless performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy in a local Nutcracker last year. There she may have been hampered by the small stage and possibly by lack of rehearsal time due to a last minute partner change. Here she charmed. Thank you, Michael Kaiser! Overheard in the lobby: “They aren’t sticks anymore. The New York City Ballet, they aren’t sticks anymore!”

I think the old generalization that ballet is airborne and that modern dance -- which developed to some extent in response to ballet -- is earthbound, is pertinent here. I guess I disagree with Hans. Even if a dancer with a relatively short and stocky body has the technique to match a taller and slimmer dancer, for me the movement will tend to look better on the taller and slimmer body. Of course personality is the wild card factor but, to me, taller reads as lighter and slimmer reads as fleeter. As Balanchine said, with taller bodies, we see more. The movement is easier to read. We're told that Balanchine set the standard onstage and off for thinner bodies, and that's no doubt true, but my guess is that the ballet ideal is not an historical accident. In other words, I don't think his taste in dancers would have been so influential if it didn't have some objective correlation. Likewise, I doubt it's an historical accident that modern dancers on average are shorter and stockier. Anyhow, Treefrog, let me add my thanks. Great topic!

I agree. But artistic directors shouldn't have to hire them either.

Thanks, Bill! How was audience reaction? And was how much of an audience was there?