bart

Thanks, Amy and Vipa. I've been looking forward to reading the comments of our members, and your posts are a great beginning. You make me wish I had been there. Thanks, Vipa. For the tip in the video. I'll be looking for Corella.

I recently attended a reading of Miss Julie by accomplished professional actors, and was astonished at how well this holds up as a play. I wonder how well the Culberg ballet holds up. It strikes me that Culberg, lacking words (and particular Strinberg's spareness of language) had to resort to more melodrama and angst than Strindberg himself puts on stage. In my youth, this was one of my favorite story ballets. The Miss Julie I remember at ABT was Cynthia Gregory, whose amazing achievement it was to dance the role, over a long career, with Bruhn, Nureyev and Bujones. Gregory looked the part and was definitely aristocratic, but passionate too, and played the Miss Julie with a couple of screws loose beneath her beautiful head of hair.

Weighing in with my impressions of the Coppelia weekend at the Kravis Center. A handsome production, beautifully lighted. Sets were made down here. Costumes came from ABT's production circa 1990s. Agree with Bart Birdsall's pleasure at Mary Carmen Catoya's Swanilda on Sunday. I got to see her twice, once in rehearsal. It was an amazing performance, perfectly balancing the acting and the dancing demands. Catoya has a rare gift of projecting clarity. Every movement of feet head and upper body can be seen, no matter how fast the tempo. Never ever seems fudged or blurred. I confess to a partiality to dancers who can combine super-fast, super-accurate footwork with a serene smile, elegant epaulement, and the illusion of effortlessness. Catoya's Swanilda Sunday pulled it all together. I can still close my eyes and visualize 6 or 7 combinations that remind me why I love classical ballet so much. Two lines of brises volees, a fantastic Scottish dance (agree with Bart B. on this), and ... that wonderful pas de deux. There was an instant towards the end in which Rebello promenaded her in arabesque penchee, with support coming only from each dancer's extended arms. At the end, Catoya rose into a gorgeous high, unsupported first arabesque. She held it. And held it.. A great moment, especially since the pdd is followed almost immediately by the super-fast, super-difficult finale dancing for Swanilda and everyone else on stage. Renato Penteado, dancing with Jeanette Delgado, was a fantastic Franz. Among his other talents, he's a natural comedian (natural means simple and spontaneous, in my book). He's also a superb technician. The combination is just about perfect for this ballet. He and Delgado work well with one another. Kleber Rebello, paired with Catoya, was performing what I was told is his first Franz. He gets better and better. Several women who sit in my section of the orchestra on Sunday, and who are long-time ballet viewers, fell in love with him. The bravura dancing in Act I and the Act III pas de deux was splendid. (If someone ever decided to market "balon," they should hire Rebello for the television commercials.) Loved a lot of the solo dancing: Zoe Zien and Callie Manning in Dawn. Emily Bromberg and (especially) Suzanne Limbrunner in Prayer. And (in the rehearsal) Ashley Knox as Spinner. On opening night these roles were danced by three different principals who were also dancing Swanhilda that weekend. An interesting experiment, but not (I think) a success. Dawn was erratic; Prayer was stiff; and Spinner (who danced Swanilda full out in rehearsal that afternoon) looked tired. I fell in love with the Delibes score and was grateful for Gary Sheldon and the Opus One orchestra for bringing out the nuances. They, working with Sheldon, get better and better. (The rehearsal was performed to taped music. If anyone thinks that live musicians are a financial indulgence, I urge them to attend back-to-back performances at which a single cast dances first to tape and then to live music. The difference, especiall with a score like Coppelia (or Giselle, last time out), is huge. I also fell in love with the Dance of Swanilda's Friends. Both casts, six friends each -- PLUS Swanilda. At first the music and the choreography come across as little more than "pretty," but everything develops into something richer and more complex. It's addictive. To me, anyway. bart (with a small "b")

Thanks, brokenwing, for starting this thread. I've added to the topic TITLE to include "returning" and "departing" dancers. Principals are down from 12 to 10. This gives some room for promotions (or new hires) during the season ... one hopes. I'll never lose my fond memories of Katia Carranza. For the past few seasons, she has split her dancing responsibilities between MCB and Monterey Ballet (Mexico), headed by her husband Luis Serrano, a former MCB principal. Her departure from Miami is MCB's loss but Ballet de Monterey's gain. The Principal Soloist category is being beefed up, from 1 to 4. Callie Manning (a long overdue promotion, imo) joins her husband Didier Bramaz in this ranking. Kleber Rebello and Renan Cedeiro, both of whom are dancing major principal roles already, join them. Soloists are down two two -- Sara Esty and Jennifer Lauren. I hope this also allows for possible promotions during the season. Corps is expanded from 23 to 26. Chloe Freytag, Lexie Overholt, and Kara White, Company Apprentices this season, are moving up. (I'm sad not to see Jovani Furlan, a talented dancer who comes to life on stage among joining them.) All the apprentices have been working quite hard this year, especially in Giselle and Coppelia, and seem integrated into the company already. The return of Breedon and Marshall is VERY GOOD NEWS. I missed them bart (with the small "b")

It's good to read about this because it places Lopez in context as a dancer. My memories of Firebird are probably fairly vivid because that was the first Balanchine ballet I ever saw (1957) I was especially nterested in it during its revivals. Helene, thanks for reminding us about the "Tallchief roles." By the mid-1970s lots of NYCB dancers had the technique to perform these roles. Lopez, it seems from what I read, was one of the rare dancers who had the personality and the stage presence to make these roles memorable.I wonder if it is possible to "teach" these qualities. The Miami Herald statement says that Lopez taught a class at MCB earlier this year. Does anyone have an information about her involvement in teaching That's an important role Villella plays..

A great memory, carbro. Thanks. And not Off Topic at all, I think (considering how exceptionallky far-ranging this thread has became. Lopez, like Villella, is a former dancer who will be in charge of dancers. Memories of her own career on stage are very relevant, it seems to me. Do you have any more such memories? Helene? How about others who followed NYCB in those days? For example, am I correct in thinking that I remember her in Firebird? Wouldn't THAT be an interesting Balanchine addition to the MCB rep, assuming that there is a dancer who can carry the part.

I don't really remember Lopez as an NYCB dancer, except as Firebird. This is largely because the bulk of her career as a principal was after I pretty much stopped attending ballet for an extended period. I checked in one of Arlene Croce's books, and here is an extended discussion of Lopez in March 1985, following a performance of "Theme and Variations" in Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3. It's a snapshot of Lopez at a single point of time, and perhaps focuses a little too long on a relatively small point of technique. But it does give us some ideas of the qualities that made Lopez a unique and vivid performer. It was an interesting time. Farrell was winding down; Ashley was at her prime; Calegari, Nichols and Fugate were exact contemporaries. Lopez had a lot of competition for attention, but did an admirable job of holding her own and making her mark.

It's interesting to compare with this photo of Fonteyn, a slightly older Royal Ballet ballerina who, like Nerina, was born with a name much more ordinary than her stage name.. Many facial similarities. Ditto the crown of their tiaras. http://i.dailymail.c...597_233x359.jpg

Recently, and coincidentally, we've been talking about Coppelia on several other forums. This includes Miami's version which I'll be viewing next weekend. Natalia, kfw, and others -- I hope you all will write in lots of detail about the Bolshoi's performances and anything you can tell us about the "Vikharev-after-Petipa" version.

"Beautiful ... Ugly ... One Step." -- Svetlana Osiyeva, Harid Conservatory, while demonstrating to a class of young dancers the small but crucial difference between one version of a port de bras and another. The ability to see and care about such distinctions strikes me as lying at the heart of classical style. I love the Russian ability to compress important ideas into just a few words.

Carbro, thanks for your comments on the idea of Studio Company. I love the process of a) lots of ideas combined with b) looking seriously at the difficulties. And, of course, the essential c): making a decision to take a chance after all the costs and benefits have been evaluated. MCB dancers are not unionized, and the restrictions are nothing like what you have in NYC. But there would be problems, especially scheduling problems, of course. My thinking is that new management HAS to be willing to think outside the box. Sandik. Not exactly "elevated," but getting there, the more I read about the background to the events covered in this thread. (But, then, I confess that I am one who would LOVE to have this particular Forsythe work added to the MCB rep. And, I'm an optimistic guy in general, as long as you let me have my dose of authentic Balanchine every once in a while.) Cristian, I agree completely on Aurora's Wedding. So earnest, so flat, so ... dull, despite the smiling and the gorgeous music. My impression has always been that Mr. Villella was not particularly interested in this repertoire -- not personally interested, I mean -- except as something you have to throw in to appeal to a wider audience (and also to make the dancers happy). These may reflect the fact that Villella as a performer was not really suited for the princely roles and danced them less frequently (and with less distinction) than one might have thought, given his extensive freelance work during his days at NYCB. I recall his Prince in the Balanchine Swan Lake, where I would rank less well suited than Ludlow and several leagues behind d'Amboise, who himself was not an ideal classical dancer, as he would be the first to admit. To make ANY of the changes we are talking about, there will have to be some changes in the Ballet Master/Mistress situation. This is especially true given the departure of Edward Villella, who took on many Ballet Master functions with the repertoire he knew best and cared about most. Lourdes Lopez will have a job to do there. It can't hurt to keep reminding her that MCB's classical repertoire needs serious work, which can't be accomplished if no one knows on the staff (or brought in from the outside) how to transmit it to the dancers -- at the same high level that Balanchine is transmitted.

Hey, it seems that we are wandering far afield from our topic. Let's not forget that this thread started with important news about a great ballet dancer, Angel Corella. I only saw Corella dance on stage a couple of times, in Fancy Free at ABT and Don Quixote (guesting in Madrid), though I've seen more on video. He always struck me as a dancer of unique charm and amazingly fluid technique. Retirement threads are traditionally the place to talk about a dancer's performances, career, and contributions. A lot of us who are not in the position to follow ABT closely would love to hear what Corella-watcher's think about him and what he has achieved and hopes to achieve in the future. Ballet Alert's long, on-going discussion of ABT's issues concerning male principals can be found here: http://balletalert.i...ncipal-problem/

Makes good sense to me, Kathleen. Thank you.Another issue is the difficulty of agreeing what we mean when we say "ballet." For some, this is a narrow category, often restricted to a particular time, place and vocabulary. For others, at the other end of the spectrum, "ballet" becomes a convenient shorthand for just about any form of dance that ballet dancers can more or less perform. Most of us find ourselves somewhere in the middle. But where to draw the line? My personal idea of "ballet" is mainly what Balanchine made of it. I'm glad that he was willing (quite anxious, actdually) to stretch the possibilities of ballet in new directions.. I'm equally glad that his inventiveness and creativity were always restrained by a reverence for classical ballet and, just as important, a faith in its capacity to absorb new forms of expression. By any definition, MCB is a ballet company. I expect that, under Ms Lopez's leadership, and despite the inevitable addition of new work, it will remain one. Puppytreats, I checked, and you are right. Ballet Caravan appeared (1940) at the Ford Motor Company Theater at the NY World's Fair. Lincoln Kirstein, quoted by Richard Buckle, wrote: This isn't included in Balanchine's "Catalogue of Works," but he was working on Broadway in 1940, so it might have been something he put together in between his other show biz gigs.

This is enthrallling -- especially for someone who has taken class with real pianists providing the music. I found myself getting emotional thinking of Olga (who often played numbers learned when working with Andre Eglevsky back in the 1950s), with Sasha, classically trained in Russia but whose heart was sometimes in an after-hours boite on Monmartrre, and with other pianists who made the experience of taking class, or observing better dancers in other classes, so much richer than it would have been with a recording. I was told that one must always thank the pianist, sincerely and with grace, at the end of each class. I always did this. Llke Barbara, I love the statement just before the end of the clip: that every ballet pianist "must be really dancing inside." Thank you innopec. You are a real truffle hound when it comes to locating audio and visual treasures.

Fascinating thread, which has developed two sub-themes: one having to do with larger issues, the other more narrowly focused on the future of MCB. They actually DO fit together, if you think about, and thanks to all for participating. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To return briefly to MCB's situation. Thanks, brokenwing, for your comments. By the way, your suggestion about making a connection with Art Basel is fantastic. Looking at Lopez's biography, it seems that she has been quite willing to think about collaborative relationships (formal and informal) with entities outside the company itself. Edward Villella is the product of a different age. Although Balanchine experimented with collaborations with outside artists and groups, the basic or default position of NYCB was to stand alone. There is also an unfortunate predisposition in a lot of arts managers to think of other organizations (dance or non-dance) only as "competition" for audiences and dollars. This was quite noticeable at Ballet Florida and was, I think, a factor in its demise. Not coming from Miami, nor being particularly interested in the contemporary art scene, I was stunned to learn just how huge Art Basel is. Performing artists of all sorts are getting involved, hoping for a piggy-back effect. What an opportunity. MCB has a fantastic studio in South Beach. It converts into a small proscenium stage. Perfect for studio work. There are other possible performance spaces in Miami Beach and on the other side in Biscayne Bay that might be looked at as well. Why not integrate a performance -- students at the School could be involved -- with one of the art installations or events? In fact, why not think about forming some kind of MCB Studio Company with Art Basel or another cityi-wide cultulral event as its trial run? The dancers at all levels at MCB are so strong technically, right down to the School Apprentices. They are also, in Lopez's term, "stage animals" who almost without exception project a passion for public performance. I am NOT thinking of something similar to ABT II, which is permanent and free-standing and is primarily a touring company. I'm thinking of something more flexible -- a company that would be redefined program by program according to need. A flexible Studio Company could mix dancers from a number of different levels. It could be led -- on a project-by-project basis -- by some of the more experienced but often underutilized young Soloists or even Corps members, quite a few of whom have the skills and personalities to (a) carry a lead role beautifully and (b) serve as excellent models to the most promising student dancers working with them. One dancer might be given a kind of informal oversight responsibility, with title, but the rest of the roster would be flexible, depending on commitments in the regular programming. The Studio Company could go on hiatus at times when all dancers are required elsewhere, like Nutcracker Season and other especially busy times. (Just occurs to me that Art Basel takes place during Nutcracker Season. Well, there are other events.) To simplify things and keep down costs, the company would be local -- touring no further than West Palm to the north and Naples to the West. I mean, places were MCB is already well known. That would include places with real theaters (with lighting and sound systems) like Boca Raton. It could also include campus theaters, which are often dark. I'm thinking of the Eissey in north Palm Beach County and the Duncan further south, but I'm sure there are many possibilities. Introducing this to Miami during a larger cultural event would maximize publicity, locally and beyond. My gut feeling, based on what I have read about Lopez, is that this kind of thinking comes easily to her. Meanwhile, Mr. Goldsborough and others are in place to do the numbers and evaluate the costs and benefits on a project-by-project basis.

Just want to make it clear that the statement "Where would I be as a Cuban immigrant" was made by Lourdes Lopez. Violin Concerto was merely quoting it.

The Times keeps expanding its story with more information about Lourdes and the search. The more I read, the more I like her. I like her evaluation of MCB dancers as "stage animals," something which they got from Villella and which sets them apart from certain other regional companies. I'm getting hopeful again. Jack, I've been thinking about your question: why did Gottllieb consider only outsiders. Can you think of anyone inside the company who has the experience, connections, and financial and p.r. skills necessary to to do the job? Villella never had a real protege. Nor is he the kind of guy who would seek to develop one. MCB was a regional company until it became good enough to become a company NYC and Paris audiences took seriously and could get excited about. Gottlieb was searching for someone to lead a company that now has a national and international following, at a time when "ballet" is looking for a way to attract new audiences, and when financial resources are not as available as they once were. He had no choice but to look outside Miami. It's interesting the way everyone at MCB keeps assuring us that the Balanchine tradition, style, training, etc., etc., will still be at the heart of the MCB project. I really want to believe this. However, I accept and even welcome that this does NOT translate being closed to other kinds of dance. Villella himself was enthusiastically committed to bringing in Taylor, Tharp, Ratmansky, the new choreographer Liam Scarlett, and even a tiny bit of Wheeldon. These works challenge dancers and expand their range without, I think, taking away from their ability to dance Balanchine and even to dance (with lots of help) respectable versions of the classics. If Lopez's connections with Wheeldon remain positive and constructive, it would be GREAT to have him form a connection with MCB. I'm sure a donor could be found who would start the funding. We've been talking a lot about refocusing on the 19th-century classics. This is an interesting topic but something of a distraction. My sense is there are few people within MCB, or in the south Florida ballet community generally, who have any interest in this project. Each season, Florida is innundated with Swan Lakes. MCB already has the Balanchine Act II-IV version, which they dance beautifully. I hope they stick with that and leave the rest of the ballet to the touring Russians. As for the more esoteric 19th-century works, my feeling is that one is more likely to see a version of Pharoah's Daughter on a Disney cruise ship than on the stage of any regional company the size of MCB. Recommitting to making MCB's versions of Giselle, Coppelia, and Don Q better -- and finding a like-minded donor to pay for it -- would be realistic, and a great idea as well. If they can get their financing straight, why NOT the Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream? Or Ashton's The Dream if you want something simpler (and cheaper)? (There are plenty of coaches available to help set both of these, and Gottllieb and Lopez have the contacts to get the neacessary permssions.) Why not a couple of Diaghalev revivals? -- the kind that helped put and keep the Joffrey on the map and which still pull in audiences? Why not a joint performance with the Paul Taylor Company as part of PT's almost annual tours to the Southeast? There are so many realistic and intriguing possibilities. New collaborations with the Cleveland Symphony or New World Symphony? Performances, probably starting small, that bring in artists and choreographers from Latin America? Something analogous to NYCB's "Black and White" programs?

Link No. 2: Here is MCB's Press Release about the appointment, from the company website. http://miamicityball....php?NewsID=344 Please note Robert Gottlieb's prominent role in the search process and the selection. The statement's emphasis on Gottllieb, Executive Director Nicholas T. Goldsborough, and company co-founder and Board of Trustees Founder Toby Lerner Ansin may give us an insight into who is in charge during the transition. The "choreographic trusts" referred to in the paragraph quoted above must be the Balanchine and the Robbins.

Link No. 1. An interesting article on Lopez's connection with Cuba, as of 1998. From the NY Times. I hope the LINK works for those who do not have a subscription. http://www.nytimes.c...lopez%22&st=cse Lourdes left Cuba at the age of 10 months and spent her life as a child, student, and performer in the U.S. In 1998, after she had retired, Lourdes was invited by Alicia Alonso to return to Cuba, where she performed Balanchine's "Pavane for a Dead Princess."

Yes, Congratulations to Lourdes Lopez. The article promises that it "will be updated as more information becomes available." One thing that has not been clarified is the point at which she will indeed take over. Edward Villella put together the 2012-13 program, and his contract lasts until the end of that season. Often, I know, this does not mean that the person involved will actually stay on the job until the contract runs out. I hope that the disagreements subside and that everyone pulls together for a deserved tribute to Edward Villella, the man who created and defined MCB, during the 2012-13 season. I also hope that we will see a lot more dancing for years to come from Jennifer Kronenberg. Despite the outcome of this job search, Kronenberg, as dancer, teacher, and "public face" for the company, remains and should remain a very big asset for MCB.

I suppose this is OFF-TOPIC, but Cristian raises an excellent question. I'd love to hear what others who follow MCB think about this question. What part DO the 19th-century classics have in the repertoire of MCB? The dilemma for many smaller companies seems to be: there is definitely an audience for these works, but not always enough to subsidize the tremendous costs of presenting them at the highest level. Note that I say "at the highest level." Regionally, in the U.S., there is no shortage of dumbed down Giselles or Swan Lakes and mediocre to abysmal Corsaires and Don Quixotes. My own feeling is that maintaining this repertoire requires a company with vast resources, a specialized staff, a sophisticated audience, and a long-term commitment. It may be that only the big artistic capitals of the world will be able to produce them in a manner faithful to the originals. The rest of us may have to depend for the most part on DVD's, especially since theatrical releases of filmed ballet from places like the Bolshoi and La Scala seem largely restricted to larger U.S. cities and university towns. What MCB could do is rethink their current full-length productions (Giselle, Coppelia, Don Quixote) and commit to the effort to remount one a year (with money and coaching) just as they did with the new production of Cranko's Romeo and Juliet, or as they consistently do with Balanchine's Nutcracker. It should be possible to find a donor willing to fund a serious remounting of something , keeping the sets and costumes but blocking time for coaching and extra rehearsal. Another thought: ABT is supposed to be coming to the Kravis Center next season for several performances. I'm not sure whether this will be a full length ballet or, less likely, a group of shorter works. Anyway, this will fill a gap in classical ballet performance down in our part of this state. Miami a few years ago did not support a run of ABT Sleeping Beauties, and the company has not come back since. If there is indeed a large Latin market for the classics in Miami, how about inviting Latin American companies to bring classical full-length ballet to Miami? I can understand that this might be impossible, given politics, for Ballet Nacional de Cuba. But what about lesser and less well-known national companies from Brasil, Chile, Bkuenos Aires?

Delighted to hear the positive responses to this. The "Paris" costumes -- beautifully captured in the trailer and in the photos that accompany Eva Kistrup's DanceViewTimes article, have great elegance. I hope money will be found to (at least) rent them again next time around. I have strong memories of Stuttgart bringing this to New York a year or so after it premeired. Haydee danced the lead. The production was not as elegant as RDB's seems to be, and I suspect not as subtle. But it was full of energy, dramatic effects, pathos, and passion. The choreographic element seemed a little weak, or perhaps overwhelmed. Anyway, it was a great night for the audience and an unforgettable experience for me. Anything recommended by Jane, Eva, and Anne is worth traveling to see, in my book. Anne's wonderful review of the RDB production is posted on another thread: http://balletalert.i...980#entry300980 Anne, I can't place the music used in RDB's trailer. But I do recall having bee told that Neumeier used some of the same music that Jerome Robbins used in Dances at a Gathering.

With respect, Cristian, you are talking about a serious re-invention of a company that already has developed a following and some renown with a quite different schooling, coaching, and repertoire. I am sure that there are people in the Miami area who wish for such a transformation. On the other hand, I don't think this has played a part in the transitions going on in MCB right now. The experience of Cuban Classical Ballet, a start-up venture committed to just the kind of repertoire you mention, had difficulty establishing an audience and donor base. Their story is not encouraging. I am not familiar with the history of Lopez's involvement with traditional classical works or with what is going on at the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. On the other hand, it's pretty clear that the reason she IS being considered for the MCB position is related to her long personal involvement and familiarity with the Balanchine and related reps, and her continuously renewed contacts with what is being created and produced in contemporary classical ballet.

Sorry, Ray. But this has already been staged. I saw it in Petrograd in 1921. The reconstruction, according to my program, was by the German choreographer Watta Krock, a pupil, I believe, of Lev Ivanov.. The egg, far from being created by Faberge, was credited to the Industrial Styrofoam Collective of Novosibirsk.

The version of the story I saw gave the title as "Cubit Zirconia." Clarification, someone?