fandeballet

I thought that Stearns did a good job, probably without benefit of alot of rehearsel time.

I thought that Angel's 1st variation was a little sloppy. His 2nd variation and a la second turns were up to his usual superb standards.

How about letting Herman dance Ali???????? I think it is a shame that he has not danced a role that people....IMO.....would pay for alone to see?!?!!!!!

And, may I say, that in person she is a most beautiful person inside and out!!!!!

When Carlos Acosta danced the title role of Spartacus with the Bolshoi this past January in Paris, there was talk of a dvd release of those performances. Please, anyone who finds out please let us know if and when it will be released!?!?

In 2005, I don't know if he did it before, Marcelo Gomez did a fantastic leap. It was the last defiant act of a Prince totally commited to his love and destroying Von Rothebart. Marcelo rose majestically & arched his back, with perfectly pointed feet, with his arms spread out, with total abandoment. The audience gasped. A definite 10. Carlos Acosta did a similar jump, another 10, and more gasps from the audience.

A great magazine!!!! We use to have one magazine store that would sell DT here in NYC. But it closed in the late 90's. Great

news indeed!!!!!

In 1974, I saw pictures in a Life Magazine from the mid-60's of Nureyev up in the stratosphere!!! I asked my mother if Rudi used a trampoline to get up there. She said, "No dummy, he can do that by himself! That's the guy I wanted to you to see last year!" I saw him with Sleeping Beauty with the Canadians at the Met in 1974!!! I've been hooked on ballet and dance ever since!

A sad day. I just can't believe this has happened. May we all keep Jennifer's and Julio's families in our thoughts and prayers. They both have made significant contributions to my (our) enjoyment of watching ABT for more than a decade or more.

IMO, the last full-length Graffin perf. as Albrecht, was one of his great, if not the greatest, peformances of his career. I told him, down in the Met's employees' cafe, soon after his perf., that his Albrecht touched me in a way that Nureyev or Dowell touched me! He was truly touched and amazed by my comparisons. He was a total cad in Act 1. Then he was a haunted and tragic soul in the second act. Unfortunately, I never got to see him dance in Giselle again, due to a severe

knee injury that ended his career as a lead part performer. (1998????)

David Hallberg will be a triumph. I could not think of anyone more perfect to coach him! Simply because Mr. Graffin will coach him by using Hallberg innate sensitivity and acting skills. Not to mold him into a Graffin mold. But the best that David himself can do.

Now that I think about it, was Graffin coached by Rudi for Albrecht, during his days with the POB????

I fell in love with the "Ribbon PDD", and the solos connected to it, in Ashton's La Fie Mal Gardee. Beautiful, but pretty difficult to dance. That one arm tushie lift at the finish sure must be painful for the Colas(?)!!!!!!

You know, I never really believed in the gene pool idea, and Yonah is CA's nephew. So the gene pool does not apply here as much. But the Acosta danceline appears to be in superb hands!

That is some school down there!!!

If you go to YouTube, and type "Yonah Junior Acosta", you will see Carlos Acosta's nephew dancing a Don Q variation in a competition earlier this summer. I am a big Carlos fan, but IMO, Yonah is a better dancer at the same age!

(I hope I presented this right. I did read up on the forumn rules.)

It was the 1st live tele bcast fr. the Met. It was at the very top, in the Family Circle Standing rm. It was Boheme. It was the production before the current Zeffereli one. Renata Scotto was Mimi. She was wonderful also!

It was during the Act2 cafe scene. Right at the end of the act. The chorus, soloists, and the orchestra were at the apex of their collective crescendos. Full Power. Then right through all that sound, came Luciano's sound. It was not a blunt impact, but a power that was powerful in the way it enveloped you with its beauty, virile power, but above all, a warmth that enveloped you and filled you with a glow. This was my first great experience w opera. A chill went thru me too!!!!!

Bravo LP, King of the High Cs, eternally !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As someone who loves ballet, due to Rudi, this film just gave me a wonderful gift. Among the clips I saw, the Bayadere snippet was the thing that brought a gasp and tear to my eye. I always wished that I could have seen a film

of RN at least doing the Shade scene. It was my one regret as my ballet watching/loving progressed.

IMO I always imagined Rudolf as a magnificant Solor. So the brief view, showed me what I imagined for years was true! Bravo RN forever.

Mel or anyone. If anyone saw him as Solor in the 60's, could you decribe the experience?

Here! Here! Everbody who helps keep this site working and organized deserves our thanks

IMO it is overall the best site that I have seen on the internet!!!!!!!

Thankyou Natalia. It is a wonderful treat!!!!!! Fandeballet

Did anyone see the July 8(?) performance of Spartacus w/ the Bolshoi and Acosta?

I love Carlos Acosta, but I have to admit that Gomes is the greatest all-round Siegfred I have ever seen. His character development in all ballets is what a ballet artist should strive for. IMO Gomes would have fit in perfectly with the Royal and Stugart Ballet co's of the 60's and 70's with McMillan and Cranko!!!!

Favorite Odettes: Natalia Markarova and Nina Aniashvilli.

Favorite Odiles: Cynthia Gregory and Nina Aniashvilli

I pesonally don't count. If you can do 15, 20 or 25 fouettees and do and finish them cleanly, along with anything else you do to fill in after the fouettees, is fine with me.

Acting is an important element in Sleeping Beauty? No! No! Swan Lake, and Giselle, the acting is essential. It is what separates great ballerinas from good ones- that ability to project two different characters in the same ballet.

I consider SB a ballet that is a really a dance exercise. Puss n boots and Carabose gets to act more than Aurora and the Prince. If you try to put in a dramatic element, it will probably come oot as comical. A definite no-no!!!!!

I first saw Othello when ABT premiered it in 1997 or 1998. Considering there were dancers like Desmond Richardson and Julio Bocca, to name just two, the choreography is uninspired, to put it nicely.

Marcelo is the supreme professional. A true gentleman. I have come to appreciate him more and more over the last 4 years.

I asked him once about his partnering, what are his secrets for presenting and caring for his ballerina so beautifully? His answer: "I truly love it. And, it gives me great pleasure! It shows!!!!! Bravo Marcelo!!!!

Anyone remember the Saloon? It was on the NE corner of 64th & B'Way. It had pretty good food. I remember going for a liitle post perf. celebration for JM Carreno's B'Day. It was a very nice place. I am even remember the old Empire Hotel's Coffee Shop & Bar.

Is there a possibility that Park's weight loss over the last few years has caused her to lose some muscle. Enough to cause her inability to have a strong center. [abs,back muscles, etc.] She is drastically thinner than she was when she first came to ABT. Could she also have stamina problems, that would affect her dancing something like the Rose Adagio, that calls for alot of sustained point work?

I think that an overemphasis on counting fouette turns and balances during the rose adagio, can ruin overall enjoyment of the ballet . I am no fan of Park, but since she is considered a part of ABT's future, we should at least give her time, rehearsal time that is. I don't blame her. I blame it on opening nite. Not enough time to prepare EVERY piece, like it should be.