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More on the Gamonet upheavals in the Miami dance scene. According to Southflorida.com, MCB has lost its new co-ballet mistress, Iliana Lopez, who is moving to the Gamonet company. Lopez retired as a principal dancer after a long career (17 years) with MCB. During much of that period, de Gamonet was the company's resident choreographer. Lopez is no longer mentioned on the MCB website, but there's now a listing for an "Assistant to the Ballet Mistress": Joan Latham, a former MCB Soloist who I believe retired in 2004. Roma Sosenko, former NYCB soloists and long-time MCB ballet mistress, remains in her position. So ... the most popular of all MCB dancers (now retired) moves to Gamonet -- and the co-founders of Maximum (now Gamonet) move to MCB. Meanwhile, MCB takes baby steps towards introducing a new contemporary ballet season. It makes the plot of Sylvia seem simple by comparison. Any further news? Or reactions?

Helene. It's still going on. Every word. But they've moved to Boca Raton.

W-0-W !!! One of the last voices you hear is a elderly woman talking about the experience of dancing with the Ballet Russe: "I wouldn't have missed it for the life of me." Absolutely. I hope it gets good distribution. We have a few theaters down here who might (might) try it.

It sounds wonderful. Thanks, Alexandra, for the link. And BalletNutter (great name!), for starting the topic.

I echo George B Fan and hope posters will share their memories and thoughts. Unfortunately I was not a big fan of ABT (the classics, anyway) in my youth, and I tended to see ABT performances only from seats that were FAR from the stage. So I don't always have detailed memories of what I saw. I seem to recall Gregory as being outstanding in Tudor and other non-classical roles and can't for the life of me remember Swan Lake or things like that. Am I confusing things when I think of Lilac Garden, Fall River Legend, Moor's Pavane, and similar repertoire? There was indeed a time when Gregory was the most highly praised American ballerina. But --such is memory -- I need help in recalling exactly why.

From the Sept. DANCE MAGAZINE (Joseph Carman, "The Silent Majority: Surviving and Thriving in the Corps de Ballet): QUOTE: "No one goes into dance for the money, but corps dancers often get shortchanged, given the workload. First-year corps payi for Houston dancersw for the 2004-05 season was $714 per week; at Boston Ballet, it was $697. (Salary does increase with seniority.) NYCB ranks first with $956 salary, but try finding a tiny studio apartment in the Lincoln Center areea for less than $1600 a month. And ABT guarantees only 36 weeks of work per year, leaving the dancers to scramble for guest dancing or teaching work in the off-periods." QUOTE: " ... the elephant in the middle of the studio remains the issue of who gets promoted. ... 'You try to figure out who's getting promoted or not, who's getting pushed, who's a contender," says [ABT corps dancer Julio] Bragado-Young. 'At ABT, you see people who have done many solos, but were never promoted. You also see people who have never danced at ABT who are hired as soloists or principals. We talk about it. [Karin] Elllis-Wentz, a union dancer's representative, said the new ABT contrct provided for regular dancer evaluations with the management to encourage frank career discussions."

Thank you for your responses. The process of putting together a complicated work of art for the stage is fascinating. I'd love to see your experiences with Corsaire -- or another production, if you prefer -- documented in a book or on film.

Just had to add Richard Wagner, surely one of the morally slimiest and self-rationalizing of great artists. (Not just his dubious ideas about national and racial supermanism -- but his private life as well.)

Fascinating report. Thanks, carabosse. In terms of MinkusPugni's original questions, it suggests that non-dancers (even big fans) are experiencing something quite different from what dancers experience when watching the same performance. Even if they are "seeing" the same thing. (The implications for rehabilitation after stroke or injury, mentioned in the article, are very hopeful.)

My answer would be different for different stages of my life. As a teen: I agreed with lisinka. I was bowled over by the line created by the human body, which I assumed then to be "natural", along with the beautiful (usually romantic) music. "Fluidity" was my favorite element of ballet. Jumps and atheleticism came a distant second. Being a teen, it was Tschaikowsky I liked best. Swan Lake Act II pas de deux (all versions, especially Balanchine's) was my favorite. Firebird my second favorite. As a young adult: Balanchine was the great teacher. I learned that what appeared natural was highly "unnatural" unless set on certain bodies, carefully and daringly trained. My fondness for certain dancers -- and disdain for others -- was at its height during this time. My definition of "classical music" expanded greatly. Leotard ballets simply staged became much more thrilling than traditional fulll-lengths with sets, costumes, etc. The sense that NYCB in the 60s and even the early 70s was at the epicenter of artistic creativity. All those artists, serious musicians and intellectuals in the lobby, night after night! And then there were all the moderns: Graham, Limon, and Humphrey being my favorites. All appeared very respectful of the connections between "modern" and the western classical tradition, esepcially in story line and the music. Middle and advanced age: growing appreciation of the tradition behind every performance and a greater interest in the classics (to be visited, in my case, rather than deeply analysed) than before. The entire work, rather than a partisanship for individual dancers, has become more important now. The more trained the eye was, the more I saw -- and the subtler variations I could appreciate. Starting ballet classes very late has been a revelation. :blush: I see everything differently now, identifying so much more with what the dancers are experiencing as they move (and much greater awe for what all of them do, not only the greatest.) For the first time, I can "see" dancers making choices as they flow through all those "natural" lines that impressed me long ago.

Thanks for calling my attention to the email notification. It mentions a Contemporary Dance series of 2 programs (January 27, 28 and April 7,8 -- both 2006) at the company's studio theater in Miami Beach. David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris are listed as administrators of the program -- which will be danced by MCB dancers. Sounds like a great idea for a small theater and for touring in the area-- including, I hope, West Palm's Rinker Playhouse. I'm looking forward to seeing what the rep will be.

You've convinced me about Ochs. Octavian has always seemed to me someone "in love with love," and I really find it hard to bellieve his infatuation with Sophie (or, indeed, the Marschellin) in the same way he obviously feels it at the moment. I forsee other Sophies in his future. And each woman will end up forgiving him and loving him, just as the Marschallin does. So Octavian, while he focuses on each partner, also has a deeply suppressed side where he is also focusing on himself. Lots of young male partners unintentionally project this: staring in wonder at the girl while also sneaking a glance or two at the mirror.

Great work, Helene. I'm working on my own list(s). Casting is one of the apparently limitless things I don't have a clue how to do. How do you see the Italian Tenor: big elegant, bravura variation? lots of leaps, jumps, turns, and incredibly soft landings and impossibly long finish? Vladimir Malakhov? Query: how old should the Marschelllin be? I've been told the character is "old" only in comparison to the very young Octavian/Sophie. She is looking at age in the future, just beginnig to visualize its inevitability. "Time is a very strange thing." Amanda McKerrow? Kyra Nichols? Darci Kistler? The later Suzanne Farrell? Who's especially womanly and good at bittersweet? Octavian seems a fit for one of those smallish, boyish, earnest dancers, full of enthusiasm for life. Herman Cornejo? Ochs doesn't have to be old. Just delightfully full of himself and incapable (until the end) of self-doubt. Julio Bocca? Ethan Stiefel? And what about Sophie? A young discovery from SAB or the corps? But with a every so slight steelliness that keeps her in the game until she gets her man?

For those who follow the Miami City Ballet and Miami dance politics in general, much is happening. This includes (a) the withdrawal of former MCB dancers, David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris, from their own company, Maximum Dance, now that Jimmy de Gamonet has taken over; and (b) Palmer's and Pikieris's movement back to MCB as part of a move to develop new contemporary and childrens' dance series, designed to perform in smaller (non-opera-house) venues. Here's the story (courtesy of dirac's LINKS column). Miami City Ballet The company roster is up on MCB's website. It omits Isanusi Garcia-Rodrigues. But -- other then a few arrivals on the corps level -- it adds no new ranking male dancers. MCB's young male contingent can do quite nicely when promoted to the big roles now and then, but there's still a big need (IMO) for someone with a large-scale dramatic as well as classical stage presence.

I would like to ask some general questions about the process of "staging" a full-length ballet like Le Corsaire. Along the lines of ... what does a stager really do? ---------------------------- What aspects of the production are you responsible for when you undertake to stage something like Corsaire? What aspects of the production are you NOT resonsible for. In what order do you address the various parts of this task? -- What has to be done first, before actually showing up at the rehearsal hall? In other words, what do you "bring" to your first meeting with the dancers?) -- What develops during the process of working with the dancers? -- Do you find yourselve changing things in any significant way during the course of actually setting the ballet on dancers? If so, what kinds of things tend to have to be adjusted? What influence do you have on casting? Is this only for the first cast, or do you set guidelines to be followed with other casts? What kind of records must you keep about process of staging a ballet? In what form? How are they preserved and accessed by the company after you've left? What is it like to sit in the audience and watch the first performance(s) of something you've created in this manner? Can you sit back, let it go, and enjoy it? Or do continue to work on things that should be changed? --------- Many thanks for offering to do this task for Ballet Talk.

I'd forgotten about the music in Vienna Waltzes. And thanks for that explanation, Mel. I suspected that the problem was something stronger than "unsuitability" or "undanceability." Too bad. It's a great plot -- not to mention the wonderful roles. I wish I were sufficiently familiar with world-class dancing today to think of an ideal cast. Any ideas for ... the Marschallin? ________________ Octavian? (male I suppose) ____________ Sophie? ______________ Baron Ochs?______________

I see a significant difference in emphasis and spirit between the 2 threads. One discusses evidence of ethnic discrimination. This one has encouraged people to post about attempts at outreach, education, you name it -- the purpose of which is to increase diversity. Diversity can mean giving access to ballet to people of different economic backgrounds and not just to ethic miniorities. The Academy of Ballet Florida, our local school, has a significant outreach program which helps kids of all sorts of background to take class. You can see the results on the stage -- and in the audience -- at their annual Spring concert. Palm Beach Opera goes INTO the schools in a variety of communities to expose kids to opera, and then provides free tickets to the dress rehearsal of several productions each year. Versions of these programs exist in many communities. We benefit from learning about them and sharing their experience. This is the sort of thing, on a local scale, I was thinking of originally when I spun off this thread. Thanks to those who've posted.

I just found some partial answers to my questions in today's LINKS: some pluses and minuses from Joan Acocella.

Thanks for both the personal review, socal gal, and the wonderful link, giannina. I've read so many negative criticisms in the press about the Bolshoi nowadays -- inadequate technique, insufficient casting, overextensive touring, you name it. It's quite extraordinary -- much more than for other companies which are continually called "great." What's really going on? Do these negative reviews reflect a company-wide failing? If so -- who or what is to blame?

Welcome to the US, BaLLet BaBe 820. Mohnurka has already referred you to our sister site, Ballet Talk for Dancers. You'll find all kinds of discussions, and answers to questions, with fellow dancers there. Ballet Talk, although many dancers also post here, is primarily a site for the discussing issues in ballet, reviewing performances, discussing favorite dancers, music, ballet history, choreographers, etc. I hope you'll post in both locations. Good luck with your inquiry. I'll close this thread now.

Todays LINKS include a long and fascinating article on the Vaganova Academy today, comparing it with the author's visit in the 1970s. The size of the school (300 with 80 teachers) the long, demanding and competitive curriculum (which has added modern since the 70s) and the sacrifices involved are impressive. The finances are precarious; they do a lot for relatively little money nowadays. They ask parents to come to to the school during the application process to they can get a clue as to how the young applicants may develop physically. The standards today are for taller, thinner, with better legs than in the past. Kaiser comments on the graduation peformance: "These hardly looked like students -- they were fully formed professionals, impeccably trained and rehearsed." Yet the job market after graduation is uncertain. How does this program compare with full-time ballet schools in the U.S. and elsewhere? What are the pros and cons of the Vaganova Academy program?

Listening to the Marschallin's monologue in Act I of Der Rosenkavelier recently, I began visualizing some of the productions I've seen of this opera. The story, cast, historical period, and melodic (but rhythmically complex) music seem custom made for a ballet in the MacMillen or Petit style. Have any ballets been made to the Rosenkavelier music, using or even not using the story line? If so, what are they? and how successful were they? If not, why HASN'T this score and story, so extremely popular on the opera stage, been developed by ballet choreographers?

Some previous posters have made me think of the corps contributions of certain inanimate objects. -- the trembling, growing, magic Christmas tree in Balanchine's Nutcracker; -- every batch of snow flakes ever dropped from above during the Waltz; -- the spooky, meandering mists in every Giselle Act II, most Swan Lakes, and numerous others atmospheric scenes; -- all those swirling capes, trains, and long medieval sleeves that seem to take on a life of their own in Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda, and other period ballets. (Technically, I suppose, people do manipulate these, unlike the others on my list.) The movement and patterns are always just right, no mater how much they change from performance to performance. P.S. Can anyone explain just those mist effects are created (and controlled) nowadays?

I hear the first 3 notes of Stormy Weather -- but the kitsch spirit is (and I never thought of it before) My Way. Interesting! I love all three. Why is it that it's always the schmaltzy (sp?) music that sticks in my internal sound track and to which I always do my imaginary choreography. Why can't it be 12-tone or something truly intellectual?

Thanks, Alexandra, for that explanation. I can imagine all the politicking and infighting that must have gone on a the Imperial Ballet, without which Petipa's work would not have emerged precisely as they did, or at Paris -- or any large company for that matter. Mme. Hermine's links to South Florida today tell a remarkably similar story -- though this one relates to conflicts that developed after a merger of two companies. A related story by Guillermo Perez for SouthFlorida.Com: http://www.southflorida.com/sfl-maxdance0a...0,6310682.story <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I set up a separate thread on the Miami City Ballet forum for those who wish to contribute their thoughts about this.