Tiffany

hilarious!! I am laughing out loud reading this post!!!! My favorite is Romeo and Gillette!!

Irina and Max are going to be dancing with the Delta Festival Ballet's Nutcracker in New Orleans, LA, so I will get to see them dance!!! Irina will be Sugarplum Fairy and I think Max will be her Cavalier. It is Dec. 20 & 21.

Sorry this is a little off topic!

Because of BA...I have a network of people who can understand me, and my passion for dance, which is hard to find in the area in which I live. Thanks!

I have never seen Miss Manners write about ballet. It fits, though, because in ballet class you do learn manners and respect as well as ballet steps.

I especially liked the "ballet class run like a Siberian labor camp" bit; could be an almost apt description in some cases!

Quote from Ari's link:

Ms Volochkova has as many critics as she has supporters and the Russian press has reported that the dispute may have had more to do with her ego than with her size.

But she denied she was difficult and accused theatre's director of finding excuses to prevent her working at the theatre.

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Hmmm, so was the real issue her weight or being difficult to work with?

Don't know if she is difficult or not, but I have trouble believing she is "too heavy". She certainly looks thin in the photo in the article, and sounds thin based on her quoted height/weight.

I have had quite a few people who don't dance stop me to say how ridiculous ballet is because Volochkova was fired for her weight, which they consider too thin...this entire issue didn't make the world of ballet look very good to the general public. Or at least the general public near me.

I saw the last part of their dance. I'm so glad you posted who it was because by the time I saw them the TV was not displaying their names/company anymore! I think they were both wearing dance sneakers, quite sensible for that type of floor. It was cute how Tom missed the wall but he covered pretty well! Even though they were in sneakers their dancing was still exquisite and professional and I enjoyed it!

Oh, yes, she must have been freezing but she certainly didn't look like she was!!!

She looked great!

I have to agree, no one is too old for Noel Streatfeild's books! I have 3 of them-Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, and Theatre Shoes, but there are at least 10 more, Circus Shoes, Movie Shoes, etc., though out of print, they are still listed on Amazon, and some are available through Amazon sellers.

Another good biography is Suzanne Farrell's Holding on to the Air: An Autobiography.

The Ballet Family is listed as being by Mabel Esther Allen, at least in our library. B)

I heard of BA through friends at my dance studio. They recommended it because it is moderated unlike another message board that they had tried at first. After looking at unmoderated message boards, I really appreciate this one! :rolleyes:

And how I discovered ballet...I think I was about 3 years old, and I remember seeing some type of ballet dancing on television, probably on PBS, and I have loved it ever since. I can't remember ever not being intensely interested in ballet. I think that my family has tried to understand my devotion to ballet, but unless you feel the same way, you can't really understand....so its always been wonderful for me to have teachers and dancing friends who could understand and relate. And now, with this message board, I have even more people with whom to talk about ballet!!!!

Well, you know, Bloch, Leo's, Danskin etc. havn't had ads yet (that I've seen) with dogs & ballerinas so your St. Bernards might be just what they're looking for!

Citibob, yes, I've noticed the trend for ballerinas to be pictured in everyday settings too- for instance the NYCB calendar this year, which might be what you were thinking of in your post.

Mel Johnson, I liked your comment. I'll have to remember that saying! B)

I'm not sure if this is the proper forum for this post, so please feel free to move it.

On the back cover of Dance Magazine Nov. 2003 is a charming Capezio ad featuring Sarah Lane and three puppy dogs. She is wearing a red tutu and holding a leash for each dog. Then, in the December 2003 Dance Spirit is a Mirella ad featuring a brunette ballerina (whom I can't identify) holding a leash for one dog who looks as if he has been caught chewing a pointe shoe. The Capezio ad appears in the Dec. '03 issue of Dance Spirit as well.

So I'm curious, does anyone know if one of the ads was copying the other one? They are both cute ads; I just found it a bit odd that 2 companies would feature dogs in their ads so close together time-wise.

It may not be available any longer, but my daughter first fell in love with ballet by watching Baryshnikov's Nutcracker with Gelsey Kirkland.

This is my favorite version of the Nutcracker. I wish that someone would put it on DVD. You can get it on VHS through Amazon.