Clara 76

I am resurrecting this issue because there are some things that need clarifying. David is in town right now readying Beauty and the Beast for the theatre. I asked him about his Swan Lake because I wanted to understand more about it. He showed me the programme and there are beautiful pictures of his Swan Lake with absolutely gorgeous costuming that appears to be Art Deco yet still has the unmistakeable look of the ballet. His only intention was to bring the story forward into the realm of the believeable for our times. He also showed me the quote that began this thread. It was DEFINITELY taken out of context. The following is the exact wording from the programme: "Swan Lake is perhaps the most famous of all classical ballets. Visions of women in feathered tutus on pointe and men in tights have defined the public's idea of ballet for better or worse for the last century. My first Swan Lake to both see and perform the lead role in, was Eric Bruhn's version for the National Ballet of Canada. I loved it and being the last Siegfried to be totally prepared by Eric, it will probably always remain a priceless treasure. By today's terms this production was fairly traditional and and tame, but in its day controversial for expanding the role of the prince and transforming the character of Rothbart the sorcerer from a man to a woman. When we performed this version at Covent Garden the critics had a field day tearing the production apart in their famous fashion, but their words fell on deaf ears. We all loved our production and preferred it over other rather stiff and posed productions that appeared to be soulless showcases for technique rather than movement and emotion. The heart of the music being left behind and often forgotten or stretched to tempos where it all but disappears. " It goes on with even more detailed explanation about his latest version. I only copied the pertinent paragraph. Had any of us actually seen this production, I believe we would've had a very different perception of it than what the critics wrote. The dead swan that was mentioned so much in the reviews is actually a miniscule part of the whole. The audiences who saw the production loved it, and I guess until one actually sees something with their own eyes, it can be dangerous to form concrete opinions without a factual base. Clara

If you are interested in seeing just how much of our media that is owned by Clear Channel click on this link to the AFLCIO and you can download Cornell U's assessment of the monster. AFLCIO or check out Columbia Journalism Review at: http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/ It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that they own the Saratogian... Clara

To the Pointe- My thoughts exactly!! What's also interesting is that none of those dancers would get hired today. Choreography has evolved and I am guessing that at that time, overhead lifts were rare. However, everything has a give-and-take, and I am wondering sometimes if we are sacrificing artistry for jaw-dropping tricks. Just a thought... Clara

Can you imagine what would happen if we brought rotten fruit to throw at the opposing football team???? Talk about your interactive sports!!!! I might actually go to a game... just to see that!!! Clara

Good Topic!! I wonder if it's got to do with just simple evolution. What I mean is that if you look back at the Olympics from the same era, you would see athletes appearing similarly, making world records that today, are seen as comparitively easy. I think training methods have changed as well. Perhaps the 'eye' has changed also? The Russian methods tend to focus more on the back and arms, so perhaps we were more influenced by them at that time?? It'll be interesting to see what Major Mel and Alexandra have to say...they are far more knowledgeable than myself!! :yes: Clara

Excellent point Manhattnik!!!! Clara

Hello Farrell Fan, I do not think that booing is ever justified. The artists who take the stage have every intention of giving a wonderful performance. As anyone who has ever performed on stage can attest, sometimes, stuff happens. And if the audience members could see the tears backstage when something does go horribly wrong, they'd re-think the boos. If one attends a performance that one is dissatisfied with, one does have some recourse, but first, a decision must be made about what specifically was the problem. For example: A newly promoted dancer is cast in a role where she is a bit overwhelmed by the choreography-proper response=applause. Not a standing ovation, but applause, recognizing that the dancer was chosen for the role, not the other way around. Then, at one's leisure, one could write a letter to the company discreetly expressing one's displeasure about the performance. If the problem is one of choreography, i.e. the Edward Villella situation, again proper response=applause for the dancer, not the choreography. Again, write a letter. Now, if the dancer is "phoning in" their performance :rolleyes:, one may clap politely and address in a letter that the dancer was either off their game, obviously injured, or needs to retire. :yes: And lastly, the "frog-in-a-blender" scenario: Leave the performance immediately, if it offends you. There is always a representative from the company in the audience somewhere, and that person will report back. Then write a letter asking for your money back!! That'll certainly get some attention!! Companies will take the letters into consideration, especially if quite a few come in with similar complaints. But that's just my humble opinion!! Any others out there??? Clara

I read all of this with interest as we are facing a similar problem here, since our local association for the performing arts hired a monster from Clear Channel. His decision to open ticket sales the same week that our Nutcracker opened cost us. Get this-the Broadway show opens in JUNE. They could've waited to sell those Broadway tickets until say, January, when not much else is happening here, and everybody would've been happy. Not to mention the havoc he wreaked with the local stagehands union. Oh, and also never mind the fact that the ballet and the symphony are responsible for the main theatre not being torn down in 1969. Together we held a money-raising campaign that saved this historic theatre from the wrecking ball and what do we get?? THE ROCKETTES 36 years later. I believe that not only are letter-writing campaigns in order to those in charge of these venues, but also letter-writing campaigns to our politicians demanding that our educational system be revamped to not only include the arts, but USE the arts as teaching tools. Studies prove that children who are involved in the arts are more focused, learn quicker, and fulfill their potentials better than those who are not. Our curricula as it is today, consists of individual subjects that stand alone. This dissassociation I believe helps produce the problems that are evident today. The thing that seems to be the missing link here is how much these subjects overlap, intertwine and should be combined. I believe this could be accomplished by utilizing the Arts. There are many benefits to restoring the arts to our schools. Art is what civilizes and inspires us to the great technological advances that we achieved thus far. I am certain that Einstein was inspired by music. I know that African-Americans were inspired to rebel using the only tools their masters couldn't take from them-their feet. Leonardo Da Vinci came up with the concept of human flight centuries before it's fruition. I am certain that all major advancements in humanity can be traced back to the arts. Seeing a beautiful or disturbing painting helps one to define one's own parameters. Listening to an opera can produce tears in the average man. And seeing a ballet can spur you on to your own greatest heights. For example: Take a famous ballet or Opera. Dissect the musical notes and you have numbers (math), read the words and you have poetry, languages, reading. Take note of the period and study the history. Look at the story to understand older civilizations. Compare costuming to today’s fashions, look at the treachery to learn the morals. Take famous paintings and learn how to really see things. Learn about the painter’s time. Participate in a game and learn how to plan ahead. Take a rap song and listen to the anger to learn empathy. Dance and you learn how to live. By achieving a truly educated populace we lose the base instinct to war with others. We learn to use our brains instead of our bodies to relate to others. We learn to live as though we do not own the land upon which we inhabit. We understand and are tolerant of others. We learn that working for a living can be rewarding as well as a financially sound idea. Those who strive for great wealth alone will learn that philanthropy has other rewards besides just a tax shelter. In summation, the more educated we become, the less reliance is needed upon the government for welfare, gun control, crime, and even arts-funding. Imagine a day when tickets for ballet, operas, and symphonies will be purchased alongside sporting events. If people grow up with it, like sports, (which imo are funded by the government) they will support it in the future. Whew!!!! I better get off the soapbox now!! Sorry but I believe we are the Keepers of the Flame, and I believe we have some work to do!! :yes: Clara

But then you'd just have Communist Russia... I personally think that the diversity adds much to a company, and like Alexandra mentioned about Helgi, I believe it is up to the AD to achieve cohesiveness. Clara

Hello aeangel008, Have you tried your local library? There is another thread somewhere on the Ballet Talk site about Dance Mag. archives but I don't know exactly where it is. Try doing a search and see what you can come up with. Another suggestion might be to go to: Dance Magazine You could contact them through their website and maybe they could help. :shrug: Good Luck! Clara

Hello Hjete, I am so glad you enjoyed Rendezvous!! I loved Colores-so glad to see more from female choreographers! A funny side note about Call the Whole Thing Off- the dancers were allowed to create their own monologues, and Patrick Howell's was particularly hysterical, especially about the whole "Nair" thing!! Clara

Hello Alexandra, I agree with you that the context is a rather broad one and I did read both of the reviews. It's just that David always had such high regard for the classics and romance, and his choreography seemed only to enhace and further clarify the stories. You are so right about the MTV thing. I think that younger generations can sometimes have the focus of a 2 yr.old-and perhaps, choreographers feel pressure from boards/investors to produce something that might capture short attention spans? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that lower standards (or none at all) were invading ballet as they are certainly present everywhere else. I do believe that the arts are the way to increase the educational levels of peoples everywhere. It is a cause dear to my heart! I find it disturbing that 14% of Americans cannot read, balance a checkbook, or find an intersection on a map. I better be careful as I am veering off topic but we do have some work ahead of us as keepers of the flame, don't we? Clara

[stiff and posed soulless showcases for technique"] Sorry but I still don't have the 'quote ' thing down Bias Warning: I know David quite well and I am speaking from that direction when I say that I have been interviewed by the press and had my words printed out of context, and I am wondering if that may be the case here. David did a wonderfully classic Swan Lake for our company that included all of the expected classical elements. Most of the ballets David did for us were classical. I've never heard him use the terms stiff etc. in that particular manner. [What is/will be the effect of "a public that is becoming less and less aware of what good ballet is?] I don't know if that is necessarily the case, or if the people who have more connection to excellent dancing and ballets, are "growing up" (that's nice for greying ). In other words, growing up when the world was less global, entertainment took the forms of higher culture. Dance was more a part of public schools, not extensively but certainly more than today. Today's children are more likely to know who Britney Spears is than George Balanchine or NYCB :rolleyes: . That is where we, as keepers-of-the-flame can improve. If dance were as much a requirement as sports, we would find our audiences growing, appreciating great dance, and paying more per ticket prices. They would buy ballet subscriptions along with their sporting ones. :yes: I don't know, it's just a thought...! Tell me what you think Clara

I hope nobody minds me replying to this topic but I've only recently come across it and I thought it might be relevent to note that yes, Yoko did do exactly that-I personally didn't see her but another teacher that I work with has seen her do it, several times I guess. She said it was pretty amazing. And knowing Yoko like I do, it doesn't surprise me at all! Clara

That is so true Chauffer, she has been kind to us, and I was referring more to her reviews of other companies' ballets that she has sometimes missed on, imo. I have no complaints at all with how she handles our company and as I said before, she is certainly entitled to her own opinion. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify that for you! Clara

Our city unfortunately is a one newspaper city with only one ballet critic who has little to none ballet background-her background is in opera and classical music. Occaisionally, she will get something right, and of course, she is entitled to her opinions, but most of the time, her lack of ballet training is painfully obvious. Be that as it may, I would still go to see a ballet despite a rave or pan review- I prefer to make up my own mind. :yes: Clara

I just found this on NBT's website! I hope this is the proper place for this :shrug: ? Clara NBT News CONGRATULATIONS - Director of the Year - 30 Jan 2004 Congratulations to Artistic Director David Nixon, voted Director of the Year by readers of Dance Europe magazine, from everyone at Northern Ballet Theatre. As the magazine states "Nixon was appointed as Northern ballet Theatre's artistic director to rescue the company from a shaky period and to restore a decisive hand over a company still coming to terms with the untimely loss of its pioneering director Christopher Gable" Nixon is duly credited for focusing on the dancers, nurturing and developing what he calls "a beautiful group of people". He has also added a clutch of hit ballets to the company repertoire including his own Madame Butterfly, Wuthering Heights and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Making the company's last autumn/winter season 2003, the most successful ever. Dance Europe magazine concludes"His astute direction has served Northern ballet Theatre (which won Company of the Year in 2002) well, and the company is now firmly back on its feet." Congratulations also to Principal Artist Jonathan Ollivier, who appears in the top 20 'voted for dancers' in the same poll. The magazine states "Jonathan Ollivier received a huge share of the vote"and one excited voter claims "He's just amazing". Well done Jonathan.

There's no way I could choose a favorite-my brain would explode! Clara

Hi All! I couldn't agree with you more, Vagansmom. If dance/opera/Theatre/all things cultural were introduced in kindergarten, continued through all grades, and held as an extra-curricular activity, we wouldn't need grants! We could make it all on ticket sales alone! I wonder what would happen if we circulated a petition throughout this site and all of our individual studios and let those in charge know that there are many of us out here who vote...and then we could,"take the money and run"! We did a ballet last season called 'Across the Field' and invited football players to see it for free. The ones who came loved it. I really think that Ballet could become as important as sports once the word gets out to the general population. Any other ideas out there? Clara