Paquita

My internet at home is down, and I'm at school right now (should be doing work...). But when it's fixed, I'll be chiming in! I attended the performance on saturday evening, and overall enjoyed it.

Lately we haven't had any major international companies here. Sometimes we get RWB and I heard that next year Les Grand Ballets Canadiens is coming. A few years ago there was a small Russian company "The Imperial Russian Ballet", and they were quite good overall. Other than that, all I can think of are one-night galas, such as the "Stars of the 21st Century" at the Ford Centre for the Arts. Last year we saw Jamie Tapper, Johan Kobborg, Svetlana Lunkina and Zhakarova, Desmond Richardson, Cyril Pierre, Igor Zelensky, among others. This year the gala is planned for early May. Judging from the Hummingbird Centre photos (in the stairways) we have had big companies tour here before, but that was a long time ago! We also used to get more guest artists like Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Schaufuss, Tewsley, Malakhov etc. Hope that will happen more in the future!

In this month's issue of Flare (the Canadian fashion magazine), with the red cover, there's a page on Chan Hon Goh. She's pictured wearing the white tutu from Swan Lake. Just a little blurb on her autobiography and such, but still nice to see her in a major magazine!

Attended the matinee today. The performance was completely sold out! Good news for the company! Cast: Siegfried- Guillaume Cote Odette/Odile- Heather Ogden (debut!) Rothbart- Christopher Body For those unfamiliar with Kudelka's production, this Swan Lake is considerably darker in theme and mood than most. It deviates quite a bit from the traditional version- so much in fact, that Kudelka feels no need to include "after Petipa and Les Ivanov" in the program. Ironically, most of the best parts of this ballet are the choreography of Petipa/Ivanov which Kudelka left in tact (some of Act 2, black swan pdd). For starters, the first act takes place in the "royal hunting ground", and all the dancers are male with the exception of the Queen and the wench. Instead of the elegant couples waltzes and pas de trois, there are men in ragged dress (I didn't even know it was a royal hunting ground until I read the synopsis) leaping about and the pas de trois is a frenzied dance between the wench, Benno, and the Fool (who is similar to the jester in other productions). The male corps looked wonderful in the difficult, petit allegro-filled choreography (except when fatigue began to set in near the end), but I didn't find it suited the music very well. Some sections were very simple, almost lacking depth, while others were unnecessarily packed with repetitive pirouettes, tours en l'air, and entrechats. Keiichi Hirano was comic as the fool with nice jumps and good stamina. Stephanie Hutchison was appropriately fiesty as the wench. Though very brief, her variation leaves quite an impression. This was my first time seeing Jean-Sebastien Colau (from POB), he danced the role of Benno. His technique could be more polished overall, but I enjoyed his stage presence and refined use of his upper body. My main pet peeve with the 2nd Act is the set. It looks like a muddy marsh. It's Swan Lake for heavens sake, not Swan Marsh. This bothered me more in the past. Maybe I'll eventually get over it... This is probably my favourite act, epitomizing the beauty and harmony that can be achieved through ballet. The corps were simply beautiful. Sure, their pointe shoes were a bit noisy at times, but they were so together that their pointe shoes would hit the stage at the exact same time and the sound was not distracting, it almost created a sort of rhythm on its own! The four little swans were Lisa Robinson, Tiffany Knight, Andreea Olteanu, and Tanya Howard. They did very well. I do wish that Kudelka would leave the arms long and stretched instead of bent around the head. It cuts the line so much shorter. He also added a new arm position for Odette/Odile, with one arm outstretched and the other hand touching the opposite shoulder, which I find awkward. Rothbart's "sewer-man" costume here is strange. It was very exciting to be at the Hummingbird Centre today for Heather Odgen's debut. She was lovely as the white swan. Her Odette was a delicate and frightened creature, afraid to even look Siegfried in the eye. I found Odgen a little emotionally detached although it could also have been due to the fact that I forgot my binoculars today! Her mime and expressions seemed instructed rather than genuine and personal, coming off as slightly more contrived than more experienced dancers. But I'm sure that she will grow beautifully into the role with time. She was already quite impressive today. She didn't seem nervous at all, even though there are a lot of expectations for her. She seemed very well rehearsed, every detail looked after. With time things will become more natural and less calculated. Technically, she was made to dance Odette. Her extension and control make for beautiful adagios that look effortless. She also has a very supple upper back, creating a graceful line. With Guillaume Cote, Ogden is secure and confident. He was an excellent partner, and the pdd went smoothly and flawlessly. The set for Act 3 was less spectacular than I remembered it. I think that after repeated viewings the effect begins to fade. However the vibrant colours still add a rich and decadent feel. The four princesses are standing on stools, covered in rigid tent-like veils which are a bit heavy. The veils are removed once they begin their variation, but I would do away with them altogether. They look more like Indian sari material than anything Hungarian, Russian, Spanish or Italian. I particularly enjoyed Stacey Shiori Minagawa as the Russian princess. Her elegant epaulment and footwork added to her performance, as did an attitude turn that ended in a prolonged, floating balance. Jillian Vanstone also shone as the Italian princess. I'm looking forward to seeing her in Napoli because she has such speed and precision in her allegro, she seems like she would be at home dancing Bournonville. The Spanish variation is a bit odd. The costume is a tacky shade of turquoise and the choreography consists mainly of haughty wrist-flicking. The polonaise has been left out which is too bad. The ballet goes straight from the Italian tarantella to the arrival of Odile and Rothbart. The black swan pdd was very good. Kudelka has chosen to include Rothbart in it. Actually, Rothbart is a big part of this production. He just can't leave Odette/Odile alone with Siegfried for one moment! I saw Ogden and Cote dance this pdd at the Erik Bruhn competition and had forgotten that Odile dances a large part of the pdd with Rothbart (they modified the choreography for the competition). This Odile is very dependent on her father's instructions! As the prince, Guillaume was noble and compassionate. Some dancers play up Siegfried's melancholy more, but I thought that Cote's portrayal throughout the ballet was suitable and authentic. He had a nice, slow variation in Act 1 that showed of his incredible line (especially in arabesque), balance, and control in pirouettes. These qualities also came through in his Act 3 variation although the tempo is much faster. Odgen's fouettes (starting with a few doubles) were no problem for her, and I knew they wouldn't be because she was so "on" with her turns in her variation, knowing exactly where her centre was. She was travelling a bit, but I find that most ballerina's do- if only slightly. I remember watching a video of Swan Lake with Nureyev and Fonteyn, and in Act 4 Siegfried runs around frantically searching for Odette. It made me laugh because in this version the prince has no problem, because all the other swans are black! Not that I minded... The darkness prepares the audience for the ending where everyone but Odette dies in a violent storm. In this Act Siegfried confronts Rothbart. They physically push and shove each other, good fighting evil. Previously in the pas de trois they only took turns dancing with Odette/Odile but never interacted with each other. Overall, a so-so production that was well-danced and generally well-received judging by the large audience, many for whom this was not the first time seeing the ballet. Personally, I find it lacking in grandeur and cohesion, and generally inferior to most other productions (at least the one's I've seen on video such as the Bolshoi's, the Kirov's, etc). I wonder what Kudelka means by making a Swan Lake "to care about", one that is remodelled in his image of modern society and relavent to the times. Does he think it is uplifting to watch the good die alongside the wicked? Not all ballets must be uplifting, but then they should give some enlightenment. What lesson does this ballet have to teach? That evil always overrides good? Even though Odette forgives Siegfried, their love was doomed from the start. There is no hope. I apologize if some of my comments come off as too harsh. I found myself more or less indifferent to the production when I first saw it in 1999, but since then my tollerance for its shortcomings has dwindled somewhat. I am still glad to have went. It was a pleasure to see Ogden triumph in this debut, and Cote is also a joy to watch as he grows. Did anyone else go? Impressions?

I also suggest the rush tickets. For single tickets there is no student price, and the cheapest seats at at the back of the balcony for $30. For the same price, rush tickets usually get you a seat somewhere in the middle of the orchestra section. Just make sure to go a couple of hours before curtain time, or go on the less popular dates (2nd weekend if there is one) for the best seats. You can also check the website or sign up for their newsletter to be notified of special ticket offers. Enjoy the ballet!

Well creativejuice, you got me for a second there with that subject heading! Too bad that it will never (and I am quite certain when I use the word never) happen... The bitterness between Glasco and NBoC is still as strong as it was 4 years ago when the whole thing blew up. They basically pretend that she never existed, which really is a shame because she should be remembered as the fabulous ballerina she was. Maybe she could write a book... I never had the chance to see her in Alice, and I wish I did. The role being created on her, it would be logical and beneficial for them to call her up to spend some time in the studio coaching the young dancers learning Alice, but I'm not sure if Kudelka can even stand being in the same building with her (and vice versa). The closest thing to a farewell she got was a Manon, performed in Ottawa I believe. She was partnered by Rex Harrington and even he was affraid to touch her! It's terrible how ugly things got, but she has moved on and seems to enjoy her new life, especially with her daughter. Next season looks to be interesting (good or bad) with quite a few new works. The spring season's a bit too Kudelka-centric, but the winter season will be a must-see. Rumour has it that Kudelka has plans to revamp Sleeping Beauty, so we should all enjoy Nureyev's version while we can. Anything by Mrozewski is highly anticipated and will perhaps bring some of the modern crowd to the Hummingbird. I've been seeing a lot of his work lately, with "The Year of the Lion" (dance film) on CBC's Opening Night and "Twinkle" (previously titled "The Swingin' Defile") at the company's fundraising gala last friday. Did anyone else manage to see either?

It's just been posted on the NBoC website that Sonia and Kurt Browning are expecting their first child in July. She will be on maternity leave starting now. Great news for her!

The rush tickets are $30 now, still a good deal. For students and seniors you can get whatever seats aren't yet sold. Another good thing about rush tickets is that you can check the casting schedule before deciding what day to go. It's worth seeing at least once, if only for the wonderful dancers (NOT the production that's for sure!). Good luck!

Oh don't get me started on Kudelka's Swan Lake! Just kidding... Personally, I wouldn't want to see it more than once. If you are one who believes the classics should not be messed with (sort of like I am), than this version feels like a bit of a nightmare. He has made the tone and mood very dark. The 1st act is mostly an all-male corps. There are mechanical swans. The lake looks more like a muddy marsh. Don't get me wrong there are some redeeming qualities. The sets for the 3rd Act and quite stunning, as are certain costumes. A lot of the 2nd Act, and the black swan pdd stays true to the Petipa choreography, and of course the dancers always do a wonderful job- there are lots of opportunities to showcase the company's talent in this ballet. If you haven't seen Jewels, you really must! No matter where your tastes lie, you will deffinately enjoy it. Each section (Emeralds, Rubies, Diamonds) has its own distinct personality yet they are linked by Balanchine's musicality and style. I'm very excited about seeing it again! It's hard for me to recommend it over Tristan and Isolde though, since that will be a world premiere. Have you seen any of John Alleyne's other works? If you liked them, you will probably like Tristan and Isolde. I'd also suggest it if you prefer ballets with a narrative. It's always exciting to see a new ballet, however it's more risky than seeing an established favourite like Jewels.

For the National Ballet of Canada, I'd nominate Greta Hodgkinson. She is one of the most versatile principals, appearing in almost every ballet this season. Her technique is assured and she brings a freshness and vitality to every role she performs. Her dancing is consistently excellent, and she is definately one that the company can rely on at any time.

Unfortunately, the dance scene in Toronto is not what it used to be, and is certainly not as alive as it is in most big American cities. IMO, NBoC is really the only company that consistently offers high-standard classical dancing. As for the modern scene, I'm less knowledgable about that. That being said, there is a "Stars of the 21st Century" gala coming up in April, that was a hit last year. The dancers are usually from ABT, NYCB, Royal, POB, and such. The National Ballet School's Spring Showcase (in May) is also very good. NBoC is also having a fundraiser in Feb. "Dine and Dance with the Dancers" for which Matjash Mrozewski has choreographed a new ballet called "A Swingin' Defile". For contemporary dance, there's the fringe festival of independent dance artists (fFIDA) in July/August. It is very hit and miss. There are some hidden gems to be discouvered though, if you're willing. The Harbourfront Centre also hosts different companies, Ballet Creole, Danceworks, Toronto Dance Theatre etc. Try looking at their website: www.harbourfront.on.ca . The mixed rep winter program looks to be one of the best, with vintage ballets "Spectre de la Rose" and "Napoli". "Elite Syncopations" is always fun and they've added "Judgement of Paris" to the program, which I'm very interested in seeing. P.S. There isn't that much snow on the ground here, like last year, it's been a mild winter. It looked like we weren't going to have a white Christmas, but it snowed just that morning!

I saw the matinee on Dec.21. Kudelka's version is not my cup of tea either, but I get to see the show for free when I volunteer, and it is kind of a Christmas tradition. It was exciting to see Rebekah Rimsay's debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Kudelka's variation is particularly deathly for the ballerina, she hardly gets to bend her knees. It's very difficult, yet it doesn't look like it is, the movements are a bit stiff. I remember Kim Glasco complaining that it was hard on her knees, and she had a very 'easy' body... Rimsay made it look quite elegant though, and the grand pas with Ryan Boorne was nice and went smoothly. The children from the National did a good job too. Chris Body put in some great dancing as Uncle Nikolai. The production is very lavish and visually stunning, as most of Kudelka's are, so it's great for selling tickets (kids love the dancing horse, and skating bears). I find it a bit over-the-top, especially that big faberge egg ! He takes a German story and relocates it to Russia, typical Kudelka. I also didn't like how he did the character dances. The arabian coffee is quite beautiful, but the chinese tea has been changed, and it's just a baker running around and some children playing 'patty-cake'. Also, the russian music is used for a solo for the Nutcracker. The Snow Scene was breathtaking though, I must say. Stephanie Hutchison was a perfectly icy queen. Not my favourite producation (or ballet for that matter, hearing the music in restaurants and shopping malls, one gets a bit sick of it sometimes), it was still nice to see the theatre so full, and the visible excitement in the eyes of the young audience members, many first-time balletgoers. I hope they are encouraged to see some of NBoC's other performances!

NBoC ~Erik Bruhn Prize- Screening of documentary "I'm the same, only more", Michele Wiles and David Hallberg in Grand Pas Classique and Manon, Alicia Amatrian and Friedemann Vogel in In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Heather Ogden and Guillaume Cote premiering Dominique Dumais' CollectiveSonataForTwo, Clara Blanco and Gonzalo Garcia in Continuum. ~Romeo and Juliet (I second Saveta, the whole company looked great). ~Fille mal Gardee, after a 10-year absence. Martine Lamy's Lise. ~Apollo (Rex Harrington, Chan Hon Goh, Greta Hodgkinson, Sonia Rodriguez). ~Guillaume Cote and Tina Periera are ones to watch. ~master class taught by Karen Kain, with Ashton's style as a theme. Other ~Stars of the 21st Century Gala- Marcin Krajewski of Ballet Opera Wiesbaden's solo "Les Bourgeois", Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Belotserkovsky in Tchai pdd, Jamie Tapper and Johan Kobborg in Giselle and Flower Festival, Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington in Impromptu. Also, witnessing Lucia Lacarra's hyperextension in Light Rain is something I won't forget! I don't know if it actually qualifies as a highlight... ~NYCB in Who Cares?

I agree, it seems that Kudelka tries to cover-up for his lack of imagination with glitzy sets and costumes. There is a lot going on at once (infernal dance), but everything is incoherent and detached from one another. I don't think musicality is one of Kudelka's gifts, and so IMO, he should stay away from Stravinsky (please!). The Royal Ballet's Firebird is on sale on DVD at the NBoC ballet boutique, and I can't say enough good things about it! That's how the Firebird should be done. I also don't think story ballets are Kudelka's forte. He is very literal-have you seen "the contract"? I wonder why he wanted to re-stage the 3 Tchaikovsky ballets. It seems he wants to make everything dark, like he did with Swan Lake. I'd rather see more short ballets like Four Seasons than a 'new, sinister rendition of the classic Sleeping Beauty, redefined in a modern context'. Ugh! With Swan Lake, as with Firebird, he spent way too much on unnecessary effects (like the mechanic swans in the very beginning). Some critics raved, National Post had to because they sponsored the production. But I remember Globe and Mail's response was quite negative. It's difficult to gauge because at that time, the press was divided between those for and against Kimberly Glasco (who spoke up saying that the company could not afford this new Swan Lake).

I was just listening to Holst's planets on the radio. That would be interesting to see as a ballet... Or how about Stravinsky's symphony for wind instruments (I'm not sure the exact name)?

On friday, I went to see the National revive Ashton's classic, "La Fille Mal Gardee". Prior to the performance, Alexander Grant gave a 'Ballet Talk', hosted by dance critic and historian Penelope Reed Doob. The discussion was short, but interesting, as Grant's charisma and personality are conveyed through his speaking as it was in his dancing (I never saw him on stage, but can only imagine that he must have been an excellent dancer and actor). He talked about the privilege he had to work closely with Sir Frederick Ashton. Much of what he said echoed what I heard from Karen Kain when she gave a master class based on Ashton's style in Jan. Ashton never went to the studio with steps prepared, choreographing was a collaborative process, and he was open to ideas that the dancers had. He always brought out the dancers' best qualities and made sure everyone 'looked good'. Ashton would listen to the music on end for months before creating a ballet. He always knew exactly what sort of mood suited the music, and how the steps should express that. After watching "Fille", this was evident to me. Grant also discussed his artistic directorship of the NBoC during the 70's, how he expanded the repertoire to include Ashton, Tetley, Robbins, Bejart, and MacMillan into the repertoire, as well as encouraging young choreographers, among them James Kudelka! He also gave candid acounts of how he was the pioneer of male pointework as Bottom in "The Dream"! He had great difficultly finding shoes that were large enough, and finally found a pair at Capezio's in NYC, which to his delight were 'Pavlovas'! Speaking about "Fille", the ballet is clearly one that is close to his heart, as it is to many balletgoers. In his own words, "It's a happy ballet, and one should leave the theatre feeling happy, as if you've just had a glass of champagne." Grant has staged Fille for the Stuttgart and the Bolshoi, and will go on to do so for the Boston Ballet. "Fille" indeed did lift my spirits as Grant had promised! I had reservations about a ballet with dancing chickens, but it was a sheer delight from start to finish (jumping hens included!). The naive setting, fairy-tale story, and bright country dancing were exactly what Torontonians needed on such a dreary winter evening. Ashton truly understood how to please an audience. He also built on all the subtle nuances of music and narrative. Though I am not usually a fan of mime, that which appears in "Fille" is so perfectly timed and comical that it does not feel boring or old as it can when overdone. The story unfold smoothly and clearly, making it a great hit with the younger audience members as well. (The theatre this weekend was much fuller than with last week's mixed program). I was sorry when Lise and Colas danced their wedding pdd, knowing that the ballet was soon coming to an end. The dancing on both friday and saturday's performances was superb. One cannot imagine a better Lise than Martine Lamy who also danced the role over 10 years ago. Hers is delightfully mischevious, just a bit of a coquette. Lamy has proven herself as a great comic actress with a lot of wit. Every detail is thought out and perfectly in character, even when Lise is not the centre of attention. Technically, she posesses wonderful ballon, delicate pointework, and steely balances (especially the slow promenade in attitude derriere, supported only by the ribbons of the maypole). Sonia Rodriguez is charmingly sweet as Lise. Her adagio movements are especially confident, and arabesque penchees seem second nature to her. Her dancing is light and joyous, accented by dainty hops en pointe. The role of Colas was danced by Piotyr Stanczyk and Keiichi Hirano, both just promoted to 2nd soloist in the last year. Both were graceful partners, and seized the opportunity to shine in this leading role. Piotyr danced on opening night, and was extremely well-recieved by the newspapers. His jubilant dancing was the surprise of the evening. Stanczyk has gained more confidence and conistency and it is a joy to watch him grow as a performer. Though he is not equal with Lamy in acting, he received a loud burst of applause for his turning sequence of pirouettes a la second and in attitude. His jumps, line, and extension have improved greatly, and the same can also be said of Hirano. Hirano brings to the role, personality and technical ease. His Colas is immediately likeable. His dancing had spectacular moments (entrelaisses, and quick double tours) but some less certain ones. He is still a bit of an on/off dancer, but it was a good debut and I'm glad Kudelka noticed his potential when casting him. Philip Lau was hillarious as Alain, petrified and maladroit. His facial expressions and movements were deliciously over the top. Daisuke Ohno was also a great comedian in the role. The corps looked great. The looked like they were having so much fun, I almost wished I was up there dancing with them! Finally, one can't forget the Widow Simone. Tomas Schramek is an asset to the company, one of the most talented character artists I've ever seen. The clog dance was hoot! "Fille" closed today, so I hope that some other posters had the chance to see it. Judging for these performances, as well as last season's "Monotones I and II", Ashton's spirit is still very much alive at the NBoC.

The only one I know that is commercially available is 'ABT at the Met', which you can buy on their website.

I attended the opening night performance on saturday. The mixed program of Bayadere Act 2, A Delicate Battle, and the Firebird aptly showcased the range of talent and versatility in the company. The Kingdom of the Shades looked beautiful. This was my first time seeing NBoC dance it, and the corps did an excellent job. Corps member Tina Pereira, deserved special recognition for her flawlessly controlled penchees (all 32 of them! she was the first shade). All those arabesque balances must make Bayadere one of the most torturous ballets for the corps dancers! I was impressed at the unity of the corps, excluding a few times when they were not exactly in sync. Greta Hodgkinson's Nikiya has authority and grace. She is confident in her technique, and tackles long, gruelling adagios with ease. She makes those arabesque pirouettes with the ribbon look like a piece of cake! Aleksandar Antonijevic danced Solor with his signature elegance and clean lines. He looked a bit tired, but even so, gave a good performance. The 3 soloists were Heather Ogden, Jennifer Fournier, and Xiao Nan Yu. What a great cast! Yu's variation (the slow one) was especially gorgeous. Even a slow single pirouette looks like a work of art, her retire perfectly placed. It's nice to see Jennifer Fournier back too. Her dancing has a lot of speed and precision (probably from dancing Balanchine!). Her upper body was a bit stiff though. Heather Ogden also gave a strong performance. My favourite piece of the evening was A Delicate Battle, and judging by the comments I heard around me, it was well-received by the majority of the audience. The ballet deals with themes of suffering and pain, leading to beauty. It is the constant struggle of the artist in modern society. The first part has the dancers in ice blue leotards and socks (?), dancing under a thin canopy as snow falls, to the music of Bach. The steps break in and out of unision. Their dancing is intercepted by men in dark business suits and women in period gowns who dart across the stage, searching. Finally, all the dancers are in a line looking up, and the canopy falls. The second part uses contemporary music by Gavin Bryars, "After the Requiem". 3 couples, the men and women from earlier in suits and gowns, dance in a darker setting. I woman remains in full dress, while another takes off one layer and wears a simple under-dress, and the other strips to a nude leotard- the woman in full dress hurrying to pick up the left-over clothing. Tanya Howard, the 2nd woman, stood out in her pdd with Patick Lavoie. In the last scene, Alejandra Perez-Gomez is alone, still wearing a stiff, blue period gown, making large port de bras movements similar to Leto's in the prologue in Balanchine's Apollo. It's quite powerful. I don't really like how Kudelka has interpreted the Firebird, but I think it's the ballet that a lot of the audience came for so I won't complain! Even so, the theatre was not full, which was a bit disappointing. Chan Hon Goh and Guillaume Cote were both superb in their dancing. One minor thing I noticed was that the firebird arrived a few seconds before Ivan took out the feather! Rex Harrington was Kastchei the Deathless, revelling in the bad-guy role. As always, he takes full command of the stage. In fact, all the dancers did a wonderful job, I just find the choreography lacks inventiveness and doesn't fill Stravinsky's great score. The running up and down the stairs is also distracting. I didn't like it the first time I saw it, and it was even worse this time because I have seen the Royal Ballet's version (now available on DVD, with Leanne Benjamin and Jonothan Cope) which to me is far superior. When I heard the music, the images and steps from that version kept on coming into my head! Which version does RB perform? I understand that it is one of the closest to the Fokine original? I've also seen Balanchine/Robbins which has some good parts, but I prefer RBs.

I saw the film at this year's Toronto Film Festival. An excellent film! I prefered it to his last one, "All About My Mother" which was also well done. I would recommend it to everyone. There isn't really that much dancing in it, but the film focuses on the subtleties of non-verbal communication which I think anyone involved in dance can understand and appreciate.

NBoC principal dancer William Marrie took a leave of absence a few months ago to work with Twyla Tharp (I'm assuming he was dancing in 'Movin' Out'). James Kudelka informed the audience at last night's performance of the Firebird that Mr.Marrie was involved in a serious motorcycling accident friday night in NYC, and passed away yesterday morning. Everyone was shocked and saddened by this loss. James dedicated yesterday evenings performance to William Marrie, and I know he will always be remembered and missed.

I just have to echo everything Saveta said. What a great achievment for Jaimie! I'm sure all her teachers and friends at NBS and NBoC are very proud of her. She has been missed here in Toronto, and it's kind of sad that we lost her, but she seems to be very happy at the Royal, getting lots of great roles. I saw her at last year's gala too! She dance Giselle and Flower Festival, and I was so impressed to see how she has grown. There will be another gala next April (Stars of the 21st Century), so I hope she'll be back then!

For ballet videos/books/magazines you should visit the Ballet Boutique. I think it's on Broadway just across from the Lincoln Centre. It's not second hand, but they have lots of stuff. The Sansha boutique also has a pretty nice selection of videos, stationary, and dancewear (more than the capezio stores I've visited). Finally, the NYCB gift shop in the New York State Theatre had a lot of excellent and hard to find books related to ballet the last time I was there (June). It's only open during performances though. Have a great in NYC!

I will be seeing the performance on Nov.16 and for Fille I will be attending Nov.22, and volunteering on Nov. 23 (eve.). The only Firebird I've seen so far is Xiao Nan Yu, and she was excellent but it isn't her best role. I don't think the choreography really gives the ballerina that much room to shine, but I'm still curious about Goh. I remember the newspapers calling Goh's portrayal "pretty" and Hodgkinson's "a variation on Odette", while praising Yu's. I wish I was seeing Goh in Bayadere though. She seems very suited to dance Nikiya. I'm surprised she wasn't even cast in it this season. But Greta and Aleks should be wonderful, they are both technically fearless. I saw A Delicate Battle, and I've seen a few excerpts again at the summer performances at the Harbourfront. Leigh, do post your impressions, I'd be interested to see what you think about it. Personally, I enjoyed it very much, though I felt some segments were weak. As a whole though, the concept and imagery were intelligently rendered and it leaves a strong impact on the audience. tigger, for Fille Mal Gardee, any of the dancers should be great as Lise. I think Sonia Rodriquez will be perfect, but I'm looking forward to seeing Martine Lamy since she is very experienced in this role (all the other dancers are making their debut). Lamy's repertoire is shrinking a bit, going away from the classics, but she is still stunning in some ballets (anything MacMillan, and she was also beautiful in last year's Merry Widow) and I think Fille is one of them.

There are a lot of Tango films that you might be interested in watching. Some of the plots are so-so, but the dance sequences are excellent. Tango (Julio Bocca is in this one) Assassination Tango (Robert Duvall. I saw this in the film festival this year) The Tango Lesson (haven't seen this one yet, but heard it's good) There are many more which I can't remember right now...

It's affiliated with the company which is located in Calgary. I believe they are Cechetti based. I don't know much else, as I don't know anyone personally that has studied there. But I think their website is: www.albertaballet.com