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ToThePointe

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Posts posted by ToThePointe

  1. I took my son last night to see Don Quixote. I wish I had bought tickets to see Giselle.

    It was enjoyable, but not what I expected of the Kirov Ballet. I'm usually not a critic, but this just didn't sit well with me.

    Act I was fine, Act II was disappointing, Act III was okay.

    The high points were Cupid and the Matador's Girlfriend(?). They were the only ones IMHO that showed true artistry.

    The costumes in Act II were disappointing. They looked like something purchased from Curtain Call Costumes. It was hard to distinguish who was Queen of the Dryads until her variation. Her extension was incredible, but again IMHO, it is not about what you do, but how you do it, and the artistry just wasn't there. I remember the man behind me commenting how good she was because she could extend her leg to her ear. I'm a dance teacher, and that just doesn't impress me. I've got fourteen year olds that can do that.

    It looked like many of the dancers were having an off night. Of course, Kirov dancers having an off night are still worth watching.

    All that being said, my son (10) loved it and during one intermission was trying to do Italian Fouettes on the balcony. :)

    Don Quixote is my favorite ballet. I saw it live by ABT with Patrick Bissell as Basil. When I was a teenager, I watched ABT's version on tape almost every night.

    I think I'll stick to ABT on this one.

  2. What can I say... ABT, Twyla Tharp, and Danny Elfman... just a few of my favorite things.

    Rabbit and Rogue did not disappoint. It was one of the most phenomenal performances I've ever seen. I was blown away. I don't even have the words to explain. The play between the music and the choreography was perfect, dark and quirky.

    I would go back every night, especially with ticket prices as low as $25, if I could afford the gas from San Diego to Costa Mesa on top of it. I might try one additional trip anyways.

  3. I don't know if it is still available but there is also a video of her dancing Cinderella for POB. I don't care for the altered storyline much, but her dancing, as always, is amazing.

    I saw a clip on Bravo once (it was the end and I couldn't get the tape in fast enough) of her dancing in a cathedral performing an incredible pas de deux where she barely touched the floor. Does anyone know what that was?

    My dream is to some day get to see her perform Sissy, but it is very unlikely to happen.

  4. I would think that in the arts, we would be able to get past this issue. As a few have stated, the world of opera is very diverse.

    Dancers have always been at the mercy of the whims of the AD's. Stories abound (true or not) of AD's who would only hire dancers with brown hair, or green eyes, etc. Let's face it, dance is still one of the few industries where you can be hired or fired just on the way you look.

    Okay, so one black dancer in a corps of white swans might stick out, but what if half of them were black? There are other roles in Swan Lake as well, and to not hire ethnic dancers because of two or three ballets that require uniformity in the corps seems silly. I recently saw Misty Copeland in Giselle. She did not stick out in my opinion.

    I do not believe that if a black dancer leaves a company, that she should be replaced by a black dancer. I think the best dancer period should get the job, regardless of race.

    So here's my sad story. My old dance partner (who is black) and I went to a major ballet company's audition for their summer intensive in the early 1990's. He blew the competition away and was accepted into their program. When he went up to the judges to thank them, one of the judges told him that the only reason he was accepted into their program was that they needed to fill their quota. :) It was a very quiet car ride home. He was an amazing dancer, and was later offered a full scholarship to Ailey.

    May 24:

    Editing this to add that I just got the new Dance Magazine, and it addresses this very issue.

  5. In the video ABT Now, Paloma Herrera's balance in the Don Q pas is amazing. At one point Angel Corella offers his hand, and instead of taking it she just allonges out of attitude to arabesque... and he just gets out of the way. My jaw hit the floor.

  6. As I get older and realize what handrails on staircases are for, my mind drifts back to the good old days. It seems like everything hurts anymore and after five hours of teaching my ankles feel like they are going to explode.

    So here's my premise:

    If the ballet fairy came to you with her wand and dust, and zapped you back into perfect form and technique :( (or gave it to you if you never danced) for one night, which ballet / pas de deux/ or solo would you like to relive.

    For me, it would be the Act II pas from Swan Lake (or just Swan Lake for that matter). Of course I'd want the fairy to zap some extra strength into that left foot/ankle just for good measure. It is not necessarily my favorite ballet to watch (don't get me wrong, I love to watch it, but it's not my top pick), but it was one of my favorites to dance. The music takes me away and it is a ballet that I can get totally lost in.

    What about you?

  7. Help. I have been desperately seeking to replace my tape that is completely worn out. I originally taped it from the TV (when A & E still stood for ARTS and Entertainment) on a beta tape then transferred it to VHS, but it is done for.

    I search constantly on line to no avail. I recently found a used one on Amazon for $70 (with out the case) but I don't have that kind of money right now. I was outbid on e-bay not to long ago as well.

    Does any one have one for sale or to lend?

  8. Just a side note, I took the term "arabesque a deux bras" from the Gretchen Ward Warren book "Classical Ballet Technique".

    As far as imagery... it's a tough one. How old is the child in question (I ask to determine what she may or may not understand)?

  9. She is speaking of what I believe to be known in Vagonova terms as Arabesque a deux bras. Both arms allonge in front of the body with one at 90 degrees and one around 135 degrees.

    Teachers that teach a mosh of styles will commonly refer to it as Checetti 3rd arabesque due to it being called "3rd Arabesque" for that particular syllabus.

    As far as its origins, I'm not sure, but I'm certain Major Mel will know that one.

  10. Boxer Muhammad Ali.

    I don't know if you would consider body building a sport but Arnold Schwarzenegger also took ballet.

    During the 70's I believe the Dallas Cowboys were taking ballet as well.

    I tried to research this subject myself a while age and did not have much luck.

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