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I guess the key phrase is "so that a entire productions could be preserved." The idea of simultaneous relay to large screens around the country sounds quite exciting. Rather like some boxing events here. Think of marketing possibilities for ABT or NYCB, for instance, so that ballet fans arond the country wouldn't have to wait another 4 or 5 years to have "national" telecast of a major ballet performance. University theaters would be a great location for the relays. Right now the ballet audience in the States seems incredibly fragmented. Just read the Ballet Talk posts. Few have the opportunity to see more than local companies or tours. Each AUDIENCE operates more or less in isolation, even if key professionals and the most die-hard fans are able to move around a bit. This could be a way of linking ballet audiences and creating more of a national constituency for the art.

This link raises issues for the future of ballet performance videos. Paris Opera Ballet also seems to be upping its onstage videos. What do you all think of this development? Any similar projects planned for American theaters/companies?

Thanks, Marga, for mentioning Melissa Hayden. She more than any other dancer is responsible for my original fascination with ballet, and I was depressed that I couldn't come up with something specific to put her on this list. Great, great dancer-performer. Giselle05: I love the "hair, flair" characterization for Damian Woetzel I won't forget that.

Ballet Talk has made me want to be able to recover my memories of past ballet performances more systematically than I've done in the past. I've just been going through programs that have survived, season by season -- cutting out the ads and irrelevant stuff, arranging them by type (ballet, opera, theater, misc.) and/or by company. These go in file boxes. labelled by season. I've also started making an alphabetical listing on computer, season by season, of all the ballets I've seen that I can recall, with main dancers or other details that seem worth remembering. What do YOU do with your programs? Or, do you have other ways of preserving the memory of the ballet performances you've seen. And why or why not?

Eyes: Margot Fonteyn, Maria Kowroski Legs: Nina Ananianisvili, Cyd Charisse, Darcy Busssell Elongated body: Sylvie Guillem Perfect conventional body: Margot Fonteyn is said to have had this, and it certainly was lovely

Recently many of us had the chance to see a rather original kind of Rothbart when Marcelo Gomes portrayed him in the televised ABT Swan Lake. After that, I can't imagine any other way of doing it. It made me think how memorable -- and even lovable, in a perverse way -- villains and villainesses in ballet can be. My favorites -- Rothbart/Gomes -- and the lead spider woman in Robbins' The Cage. I've seen so many photos of Nora Kaye in the role, that I tend to forget I never saw her dance it. But I saw several performances at NYCB in the early 50s -- right through Patricia McBride much later. And all were chillingly great. Who are the best villains (and villainesses) in ballet in your estimation? And who portrays/ed them most effectively?

So far there've been 18 replies to Alexandra's original question. Half (9) have referred directly to being exposed to ballet by family: mother, grandmother, "parents." Several others refer to early ballet lessons, which I assume required the support -- if not outright encouragement -- of family. Just as there are theater families, there appear to be balletomane families. What an advantage we had!

Thanks, DSanderson. I've wanted to see a non-Danish Sylphide for quite a while. Just ordered it from the Amazon link on Ballet Talk.

Am just re-visisting the tape made of the telecast. This Act III (ballroom scene) gets better and better in my estimation. Gomes's Rothbart, everyone loved. He turns the character, who is sometimes cheapened into something resembling a Vincent Price villain, magician or puppetmaster, into a powerful, seductive figure who makes you feel why he is so good at contgrolling all that happens. I was mesmerized by his commanding yet seductive gesture (forefinger pointed upwards, other fingers drawing the princesses in) during the Russian dance, and by the eyes. Lots of closeups, and well-deserved. Gillian Murphy was also impressive -- and not only the dancing. In this part of the Ballet she "acts" effectively in her interactions both with Rothbart and Siegfried. The look on her face when she emulates some of Odettes more swooning, passive, and swanlike gestures, is one of the cruelest, most self-satisfied, I've seen. She gives pliancy to the artificial Odile, who --ironically -- seems to me to be less stiff than her "real" Odette. Odille really is a well thought-out, effective portrayal. Corella's Siegried really becomes effective and quite sympathetic once you accept that his characterization is of someone who perhaps a little less bright -- certainly less experienced -- than any of the other main characters. He's a reactor, always a few beats behind everyone when it comes to understanding what is going on. His solo variations really do express joy, or possisbly relief, that he has found Odette again -- and that she's SO exciting and relatively uncomplicated, compared to their meeting by the lake. In a world with so many Swan Lakes -- so many excellent performances -- God is definitely in the details.

I just read this in a posting having to do with Kirov/Corsaire. I know a bit about recent DTH problems, but had the impression that things were getting better. Anyone know the story behind (and timeframe) behind this cancellation? Or prospects for a return next year? DTH was one of my favorite companies when residing in NYC -- and Arthur Mitchell (whom I watched long ago with NYCB at City Center) is, in my book, one of the finest dancers, ambassadors, company leaders, and gentlemen in American ballet.

Really fascinating information. And very encouraging. There's obviously a lot of enthusiasm and national pride about Belorussian dance. One small question about the Choreographic Institute. I gather that this is a ballet school. Do they also "teach" choreography to the ballet students? I am not clear about the title. Questions: you mention the folkloric origins of Belorussian dance. What is the connection today between ballet and traditional folk dance? Are there folk companies in Belorussia similar to Moiseyev (which is very well known in the US)? How are these institutions funded -- and how can the government afford to support what appears to be a very ambitious program?

Giselle. Ferri, Bocca, Part. That should be something!

Re the Royal's East Asian tour: 88 members, all those principals, including some pretty major guest artists. Quite an enterprise.

The gap between the top, unionized companies and the employment terms described by emhbunhead is sad and dispiriting. Income inequalities (gap between top earners and median earners) are increasing generally in most job descriptions in the US, so I guess it's not unique to ballet. This may be of-topic, but I wonder how job termination is handled legally and contractually in ballet companies. Must contracts be renegotiated each year, or is there some sort of seniority-based job security? How (if at all) are dancers protected from frivolous termination due to personal discrimination, personality conflict, etc. How are issues like age, weight, technical and aesthetic concerns, etc., handled? I raise the issue because I'm aware of several dancers -- former soloists and at least one principal in large regional companies frequently mentioned on Ballet Talk -- who have come to smaller and (I assume) less well-paying positions in this neck of the woods. Age and performance ability do not seem to have been an issue in these terminations. I'm also have read (on Ballet Talk) about charges of anti-union hiring/firing policies in at least one major regional company.

This weekend Ballet Florida (West Palm Beach) produced its 10th annual program featuring the work of local choreographers, dancers, and lighting/tech designers. I saw the second of two performances at the Eissey Theater. Step Ahead selects aspirant choreographers from the local dance community (several of them dancers with Ballet Florida) and provides them with a troupe of professional dancers, a month of and rehearsal time (and space), and a full week of production preparation on the Eissey stage. Current director of the program is Ballet Florida dancer and choreographer Jerry Opdenaker. One of the most interesting features of the program is the chance it gives to local theater tech students (college and community college, though one young lady from high school was back for her second year) to do lighting design for the ballets. It's a big event for the entire dance community around here. In the past, this has been very much a Ballet Florida performance. This year, however, the program was later in the year and many Ballet Florida dancers were not available. 4 dancers from Maximum Dance Company in Miami made the trip north, providing a very strong, refreshing modern energy beautifully based in classic technique. Here are two links: Ballet Florida (West Palm Beach) Maximum Dance Company (Miami) THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM (WITH COME COMMENTS): Higher Love. Choreography by Jesse Hammel to music by Depeche Mode. 3 men, 3 women doing fast, difficult highly balletic, highly athletic and acrobataic movements. A crowd pleaser and fun to watch. Hammel took the lead (back flips and great arabesques -- a winning combination). Tina Martin, the closest thing that Ballet Florida has to a prima ballerina, had the first of three knock-out performances of the evening. Paul Thrussell, former principal of London City Ballet and Boston Ballet, was strong, athletic, and graceful. Sitting on a Shelf. Choreography by Stacey White to music by Oystein Sevag & Lakki Patey, Oi Va Voi, Jack Johnson, and Rob Dougan. Three women. Movements extending outward were invariably (predictably, after a while) cut short and contradicted by contractions inward. Art's Alive. Choreography by Mary Kay Lee to music by Pink Floyd/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A slight but very agreeable satire on what happens when different dance styles and dancer personalities meet in a dance studio and the larger "arts" world outside. Son of Dust. Choreography by Andrea Dawn Shelley to music by Clint Mansell/Kronos Quartet. Story of a fallen angel from the book of Ezekiel. Tina Martin (as a dark spirit, Diabolos, in a black, strapless Rita Haywood gown) seduces, traps, and enslaves The Anointed Angel (Thrussell). Wonderful dramatic chemistry between Martin and Thrussel. Deep End. Choreography by Tara Mitton Catao to music by Peter Gabriel. A pas de deux with lots of movement based on encircled arms. Imaginative lifts. The choreographer teaches at Harid Conservatory. Merci Mon Amie. Choreography by Ballet Florida dancer Jennifer Cole to pianco music by Beethoven. A light, classical chamber piece, quite lovely and well danced by Cole and partner Gary Lennington (anaother Ballet Florida dancer, trained at Youth Ballet of Central Pennsylvania). Union. Choreography by Jerry Opdenaker to music by Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Opendaker has several works in the repertories of ballet companies, so it was not suprising that this was the most skillful, moving and "finished" work of the evening. Opening shot: film projection of the sun rising over ocean waves rolling onto a beach. Three silhouettes (man and woman together , with another woman slightly apart) rise from the floor, stand mesmerized by the sunrise, then gradually walk toward it. Movie screen flies up -- opening the stage. 11 dancers (lead couple, Martin and Thrussell, who by now fit each other beautifully). Sort of a Caribbean village festival, but with an unworldly, deamlike, and rather complex feel to it. Opdenaker, more than the other less experience choreographers, knows how to keep the flow of solo, pas de deux, and corps going. there's plenty of movement, but nothing to distract from what he wants the eye to focus on. Another Maximum dancer, Cristian Laverde Koenig (trained in Colombia and Cuba, and who's danced with Ballet International in Indianapolis and the National Ballet of Cuba), was impressive: fine classical techique, bravura jumps, and lots of grace. Lots of talent and creativity with lots of enthusiasm from the audience. Opdenaker's piece, and Martin's, Thrusssell's, and Koenig's dancing (each in three ballets) were downright thrilling.

Wow. Great job, Helene. These links are wonderful to have in my Favorite Places. Also, there's a lot of recent information from posters on the most recent Ballet Talk thread for the Royal Ballet of Flanders -- about the 2005-06 program and the Belgian dance world generally.

The SAB site has an interview with Boal that is actually a lot more interesting and thoughtful than others I've read in the mainstream press. Boal talks about his teachers, the influence of his exposure as a child (in the audience) to Balanchine ballets, his thoughts about teaching, role models, SAB, and the special needs of male dance students. Really fascinating. Thanks, Helene.

Reading recent threads on ballet competitions raised this question for me: Can the recent prominence and spread of ballet competitions (and the devotion of so much training and so many resources to winning them) have something to do with the heightened emphasis on "prowess" and the need to make a quick, smashing impression?

Thanks, vagansmom, for that reply. Question: doesn't Flatley consider himself something of a stylistic rebel, a cultural hero breaking away from rigid, even ossified rules and conventions? At least that's how I've heard him interviewed. Also, what's your take on Jean Butler? I admit to being mesmerized by her in the tv Riverdance.

Thank you Pamela and others for your posts on this event. The idea of national tv systems televising such a program is mind-boggling and mliraculous and to this American. You are veryfortunate over there. I was delighted to hear about the success of the Polish young woman and man. A visit to Poland -- newly in the EU -- last fall made me quite excited about the country's future as full and free participant in Europe. "Excellent" indeed.

Giselle05, you make me feel as though I were there. I wish !! Glad to see the slightly older guys can still generate so much excitement -- artistry compensating for the loss of sheer youthful power???

Very important and interesting topic. The debate over whether artistry (as traditionally defined) or thrilling technique goes back at least as far as the gladitorial combats in ancient Rome. I especially the observation about the decline of "romantic" experience and point of view. You only have to look at older and recent versions of Romeo and Juliet (film as well as dance) to see this occurring. I was quite startled to find myself more impressed by the way Angel Corella (ABT's televised Swan Lake) landed and placed himself at the end of his jumps than by the incredible jumps themselves. Stunning. But this kind of perfection would be mostly lost in a big hall where the elevation and distrance travelled and physiologically impossible arabesqus are the only things easy to discern. On another thread, oberon mentions that he won't even attend ballet at the Metropolitan Opera, a vast barn of some 4000 seats. I know others who feel the same way. Taste that responded positively to style, artistry, projecting a characater, was developed in small theaters. It was there that a Fonteyn, for instance, could do "what consummate artists in all fields do: transcend technique." (Meredith Daneman's biog.) Maybe chamber groups, smaller regional companies in smaller venues, and videotaping are more important than we think -- a way to preserve finesse and "artistry" where it can actually be seen and appreciated.

Almost all ballet -- but especially Balanchine -- seems to demand re-visits. There's so much there that passes by so quickly that I sometimes feel I have to re-check: did I really see that? what WAS that and how did it go? I'm one of those 1965 Don Q viewers who saw it twice, and, to be honest, came away with few impressions of Farrell's role. She was not yet the icon to the audience that she was to Balanchine. I was too young perhaps, but the memory of the evening (even as I left the theater) was overwhelmed by wonderful sets, contumes, action, the strange lack of dramatic impactd, and the overlay of music that I dislikedy. I've often wondered about these "off kilter/off balance" postiions which are spoken of so often. What do dancers think of them? I know they must be difficult, but do they add to Dulcinea's characer or to the progress of Don Q's idealization of her? In other words: what do you all think of this part of the ballet?

That link led me to the European Broadcasting Union site, and the pages devoted to the competition, including rules: Link to EBU Young Dancers Competition Site Apparently the EBU includes Middle Eastern and African countries as well as European. The competition takes place in the Teatr Wielcki in Warsaw, a beautiful opera completely reconstructed after WWII.

Here, here! Even if some of us, like Marga's husband, tend to express our deep and caring involvement in the performance with a bit too much analysis, a bit too soon.