Paquita

There's a feature interview with Rex in the fall issue of Dance International. The article can also be seen online: http://www.danceinternational.org/Current.htm. He discusses his performances with Karen Kain, Eveyln Hart, Carla Fracci, Chan Hon Goh, Greta Hodgkinson, Xiao Nan Yu and even Kim Glasco!

For any Toronto posters that are interested, BMV bookstore has just received some ballet videos from Kultur. They have never been owned, they were extras from the company. They have the 1st Erik Bruhn Prize, a mixed Kirov video, Fernando Bujones in Giselle, and a few others, all for $6.99 each. I just watched the Erik Bruhn prize last night. It features: Martine Lamy & Owen Montague- black swan pdd (Bruhn version), solos from Blue Snake and The Rite of Spring Viviana Durante & Errol Pickford- Don Q grand pas (they also performed a contemporary pdd which I cannot remember at this moment!) Bonnie Moore & Wes Chapman- Sleeping Beauty pdd, Romeo and Juliet balcony pdd Rose Gad Poulson & Lloyd Riggins- La Sylphide pdd, The Leaves are Fading pdd hosts: Karen Kain, Glen Tetley For that price, this video is a steal! I don't know how many copies are left, so go check it out at one of their two locations: Yonge & Edward (right beside the worlds biggest bookstore) or Yonge & Eglington.

I'm so sorry gracey! I think you're right! I remember now that Odgen was scheduled to dance Aurora but she was replaced, presumably because she needed more time? Pardon me, it was Sonia Rodriguez who I saw dance with Guillaume Cote in Feb.

I have to agree with everyone, the NBoC put on a fantastic show last night. I couldn't find a seat, so I was standing at the back, but the best view is from the back anyways because of the way the stage is designed. This was my first look at Musings and I thought it was quite lovely, although not especially memorable. Jennifer Fournier looked strong in it, dancing with more freedom in her upper body. Aleksandar Antonijevic's soft port de bras and fluid style worked well in this romantic piece. On a side note, I thought the long dresses the women wore were beautiful! Especially the one on Stacey Shiori Minagawa... it was purple/blue I think. The Larghetto with 1 woman and 3 men seemed to drag on just a tad too long, and I agree with tigger that the arm over the eye thing was bit overused. Some formations reminded me a little of Apollo, with the 3 men replaced the muses. I really enjoyed Minagawa's solo. She showed style and sharp attack. Heather Ogden is certainly getting a lot of attention these days, but I would also say that Minagawa is one to watch. She also gave a solid performance as one of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty. I thought Rebekah Rimsay's variation was interesting. Compared to the rest of the variations, the sweeping arm movements and turned in stance were starkly modern. Rimsay performed it well. She can be very dramatic, moving rigorously and then coming to a completely still position. I saw there,below in the fall program and it looked a little different on the Harbourfront stage because the lighting seemed a little brighter. With their extremely long limbs and extensions, Tanya Howard and Julie Hay were physically perfect for this abstact and animalistic ballet. Both gave intense performances, to an almost hypnotic effect. Sleeping Beauty was wonderful. Did they really announce that it was Ogden's debut as Aurora?? Perhaps they meant it was her first time dancing the role at Ballet by the Water, because she danced Aurora in february. She certainly is a technical marvel, with very steady balances in the rose adagio. She's no Greta Hodgkinson, however. But with a little more polish, she could certainly be a great Aurora. She already seemed more relaxed in the role than when I saw her in the winter season. Guillaume Cote was the perfect prince, no surprise there. The bluebird pdd was danced by Jillian Vanstone and Richard Landry. I continue to be impressed with Vanstone's precision and articulation. She was a beautiful Florine. As the bluebird, Landry did not quite get as much height as one would like to see. Perhaps there were some slippery spots on the stage because at one point he did slide (a very small slip) when he landed his double tour. Overall though, he made it through the pdd cleanly. The fairies were very together and looked well rehearsed. In the solos Tanya Howard was a little wrist-y but Rimsay was remarkably light and delicate in the 3rd variation (almost entirely hops en pointe- ouch!).

I was in Vancouver this week and just got back tonight. Just in time to catch the last "Ballet by the Water" performance tomorrow! I will be volunteering, so I hope they let us watch the whole thing! Will report after.

I remember speeding through Karen Kain (National Ballet of Canada)'s autobiography, "Movement Never Lies". She writes candidly about her partnerships with Frank Augustyn and Nureyev, her experiences at the ballet school, the Moscow international ballet competition, and working with Erik Bruhn, Alexander Grant, Reid Anderson, and James Kudelka. Like her dancing, the book is infused with wit and grace. The book is also filled with beautiful photos. I second Marga's recommendations, especially "Holding on to the Air".

"Theme and Variations" will be replaced by dances from "The Sleeping Beauty" on the program.

I went for the Tchaikovsky program last night. It was a nice program, but there wasn't very much by way of ballet. I was surprised that the dancers were only given a tiny piece of the stage, in front of the symphony. Some of the choreography had to be changed to accomodate the space limitations, and at one point, Nilas Martins almost bumped into one of the violinists! It was too bad that they could only do the adagio from Sleeping Beauty, not the full pdd with variations and coda. Nevertheless, Chan is absolutely beautiful in these roles:)

Chan Hon Goh's website is now updated to include two appearances at the Brott Music Festival in Hamilton on July 10 and August 19. Here's the link: http://www.brottmusic.com/concerts.htm. Has anyone attended this festival before? I've never heard of it, but I'm glad I found out about it! I'm hoping on going for the Tchaikovsky program where she will dance in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty (pdd) with Nilas Martins. The tickets are very reasonable at $30/$25! I have been inside the Hamilton Place theatre, and it's not the greatest, but it should still be a good program. Goh's website has also been redesigned, so be sure to have a look! www.chanhongoh.com

Thanks for the additional information, Joseph! I've seen the Stuttgart recording at the ballet gift shop before. It's very expensive, but I may have to splurge next time I see it

I think you might be thinking of "True Prince: Vladimir Malakhov", which is available now on VHS and DVD at Amazon. The Balanchine Celebration videos can be purchased on the NYCB website (www.nycballet.com), but it appears that some are not available right now. Davidsbundlertanze is actually the only one in stock, as well as the technique videos (arabesque, attitude, etc).

Yes, all the performances are free and seats are first come first serve. This becomes especially important since the stage is quite high and the seats are all flat (not on an incline at all), and there is simply not a lot of seating in the first place!

Marga, the Eifman company is coming to Ottawa in April 2005. They will perform "La Giselle Rouge" at the NAC in their first Canadian tour! Too bad Toronto isn't included on their schedule... Here's the link: http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/whatson/results.cfm?EventID=4077.

NBoC's Rex Harrington was particularly scarred by a negative review in the Toronto Sun of one of his earlier performances. When he finally met the critic in person, he quoted the entire article to his face!

Former NBoC soloist Roberto Campanella has created a small company of independent artists that will perform mostly contemporary ballet pieces. ProArteDanza will perform in Toronto's Betty Oliphant Theatre in October. The program features choreography by Kudelka, Campanella, and Robert Glumbek. Dancers collaborating include Evelyn Hart (!!!) and Chris Body. Seeing Ms. Hart is enough reason to go, and it's also an opportunity to see Chris Body who has left NBoC for Broadway. For more information, see their website: http://www.proartedanza.com.

I'm actually glad to hear they are no longer doing T&V at Ballet by the Water. They did it a few years ago and it was horribly cramped on that tiny stage, especially in the finale! I was very dissapointed to hear that Four Temperaments has been scrapped though... Oh well, maybe next season... It's odd to see a full length classic like Giselle paired with a short ballet, but I'm not complaining! More bang for your ballet buck! I agree with Leigh's speculations about Giselles, except minus Xiao Nan Yu- I think by then she will be on her maternity leave. I saw her last week in Cruel World and her pregnancy is already quite visible. I saw Chan Hon Goh the last time they did Giselle (I think 2000), she was flawless. I'm guessing that Sonia Rodriguez will be given the role. Nice to see Madame Butterfly paired with something. It's really too short of a ballet to stand alone. Adding the performances of Cinderella is a smart move. I think they will sell a lot of tickets. The premiere created quite a buzz, but the run was very short and lots of people missed it. Next year those people will have to chance to see it, and I'm sure lots of people (myself included) will see it again. Interesting to see The Contract has become "The Contract (The Pied Piper)". Maybe so when they go on tour, audiences will know right away the story that it was based on I guess...

Just an early heads up- the program for Ballet by the Water has been announced: Musings (Kudelka) there, below (Kudelka) Theme and Variations (Balanchine) See: http://www.national.ballet.ca/Performances...alletbythewater . Better get there early! Last year I was a volunteer at the event. Some people showed up as early as 4:30pm (for an 8pm performance)!

Right! That's it! Thanks for the speedy reply. It is a beautiful piece.

On Sylvie Guillem's website there's a music clip: http://www.sylvieguillem.com/sylvie/11/en/gluc ("Melodie" arranged by Fritz Kreisier). It sounds *so* familiar, but I can't seem to place it! For some reason NYCB comes to mind... Perhaps it's from a ballet in their repertoire? (editted post: I just realized where I heard it, they used it in "Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse"! But is it also used in a ballet? Thanks.)

The ABT website now has a few videos you can watch of the dancers rehearsing Raymonda (mostly Dvorovenko and Belotserkovsky) while Kevin McKenzie talks about the plot. There is also a video with Susan Jaffe, Cynthia Greogory, and Martine Van Hamel talking about the ballet. It's clearly advertisement (every video has a link "buy Raymonda tickets!" underneath) but still nice to see.

Did anyone go see it yet? I went on opening night (saturday) and was quite blown away! Kudelka has managed to create a production where the dark undertones of Prokofiev's score and the fluff of the fairytale story are not at odds with each other. He does this by taking a different perspective on the story. The ballet is not centered on the rags to riches transformation of the heroine. In the end, Cinderella and the Prince share a simple outdoor wedding and begin a private life together. She does not become a glorified princess with fame and fortune. The prince sees in her a way to escape the superficial and corrupt materialism that he is thrust into at birth and that Cinderella's stepsisters aspire towards. At the ball, the prince seems distant and distracted. He reminded me of Siegfried, but a little less melancholic. Kudelka's clever use of the photo journalist (performed by senior dancer Hazaros Surmeyan) helps in portraying the characters without using pantomime. While the guests at the ball (especially the stepsisters) love the camera, the prince is uncomfortable with the attention. In the last scene (after the wedding), the photographer asks his permission for "just one" photo, but the prince turns him away. Overall, Kudelka stays away from mime as he did in his other full-length work, the Contract. This time, however, it is more effective. I overheard two comments in the lobby during intermission: "I thought I was going to fall asleep but i didn't! The pace was fast" and "You'd be lost if you didn't know the story!" The ballet is roughly 3 hours long including intermissions, but it feels much shorter. The narrative unfolds at a brisk pace, even if certain details are sacrificed. It works because most people in the audience are very familiar with the story. If it were a new story, more explanations would be required and it would deffinately be more of a challenge to find an alternative to mime. Much of the success of Kudelka's Cinderella lies in it's ability to appeal to both children and adults. In this ballet, we catch a rare glimpse of the choreographer's witty sense of humour. Kudelka's works have been known as meditations on the themes of "love, sex, and death". When he created his "Firebird" he said in an interview that he would like to add "whimsy" to the list. That "whimsy" is on display here, as Kudelka shows his lighter side. The story is still in tact and recognizable for younger audience members. The "around the world" sequence in Act III is colourful and funny (although I find it unnecessary and over-the-top), as we follow the prince to the Arctic Circle, Japan, Spain, Holland, India, etc. Older audiences will appreciate the fresh interpretation of the story, the innovative choreography that is so in tune with the music, and the hillarious performances of Victoria Bertram (the alcoholic stepmother), Jennifer Fournier (the vain and shamelessly self-promoting stepsister), and Rebekah Rimsay (the awkward stepsister with thick, plastic frame glasses). I am a huge fan of the music, and I really like what Kudelka has done with it. It certainly is a difficult score, but the changes in mood and speed are matched perfectly in the choreography. In the lead roles, Sonia Rodriguez and Guillaume Cote were ideal. Her Cinderella is a feisty and hopeful dreamer that always manages to make the best of the situation. Her dancing (most scenes in the kitchen are done on bare feet) is exuberant and articulate. There is a wonderful solo in the third act where she dances with only one pointe shoe! Cote posesses an elegance beyond compare. His prince is regal and refined, yet exceptionally warm. In the ballroom pdd, he quite literally sweeps Cinderella off her feet. In the around the world scene, Cote and his 4 attendants perform several grand allegro combinations and a series of pirouettes a la seconde. Unfortunately, the attendants could not match the elevation and extension of Cote's leaps or the speed and precision of his turns. Finally, the imaginative sets and costumes designed by David Boechler were just stunning. Cinderella's home is framed with huge art deco flowers and the stepsisters many tacky outfits are hillarious. But the most dazzling scene is the ballroom (Act II). The corps women are each dressed in different black and white gowns, stylishly adorned with sequins and fringe. Cinderella stands out in a warm pastel cocktail dress. She makes her entrance in a flying pumpkin-chariot drawn with bright ribbons, the sight is magnificent. I hope others will get a chance to see this new production that should prove to be a great success for the company!

The casting is up! Lots of Toronto debuts in the Four Seasons... Sonia Rodgriguez and Guillaume Cote make their debut in Theme and Variations, which should be very exciting! It seems that Kudelka is fostering a partnership between them now, whereas earlier, Cote was more often matched with Heather Odgen. I've seen them together in Sleeping Beauty and the new production of Cinderella, and they compliment each other quite well. Technically and artistically, I think that Rodriguez is a better match. I'm curious as to whether Keiichi Hirano and Nehemiah Kish will be able to rise to the challenges of Theme and Variations... The Four Seasons A Man REX HARRINGTON (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) ALEKSANDAR ANTONIJEVIC (May 21 at 7:30 pm) RYAN BOORNE** (May 22 at 2 pm) Spring CHAN HON GOH (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) TINA PEREIRA** (May 21 at 7:30 pm) JILLIAN VANSTONE** (May 22 at 2 pm) Summer GRETA HODGKINSON (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) STACEY SHIORI MINAGAWA** (May 21 at 7:30 pm) HEATHER OGDEN** (May 22 at 2 pm) Autumn MARTINE LAMY (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) REBEKAH RIMSAY (May 21 at 7:30 pm) JENNIFER FOURNIER (May 22 at 2 pm) Winter VICTORIA BERTRAM (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) JULIE HAY** (May 22 at 2 pm) PIOTR STANCZYK** (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) RICHARD LANDRY** (May 21 at 7:30 pm, May 22 at 2 pm) Cruel World First Movement JE-AN SALAS and RICHARD LANDRY (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) TANYA EVIDENTE and PIOTR STANCZYK (May 22 at 7:30 pm) MARTINE LAMY and RYAN BOORNE (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) REBEKAH RIMSAY and RYAN BOORNE (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) REBEKAH RIMSAY and PATRICK LAVOIE (May 22 at 2 pm) JENNIFER FOURNIER and PATRICK LAVOIE (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm, May 23 at 2 pm) STACEY SHIORI MINAGAWA and ETIENNE LAVIGNE (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm) Second Movement XIAO NAN YU (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) JULIE HAY (May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 7:30 pm) CHAN HON GOH and RYAN BOORNE (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) GRETA HODGKINSON and RYAN BOORNE (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm) JENNIFER FOURNIER and PATRICK LAVOIE (May 22 at 2 pm) Third Movement GUILLAUME CÔTÉ (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) PIOTR STANCZYK (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) MARTINE LAMY (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) REBEKAH RIMSAY (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) Fourth Movement XIAO NAN YU and AVINOAM SILVERMAN (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm JULIE HAY with JEAN-SÉBASTIEN COLAU (May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) TANYA HOWARD and NEHEMIAH KISH (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) STEPHANIE HUTCHISON and KEVIN BOWLES (May 21 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 2 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) Theme and Variations GRETA HODGKINSON and ALEKSANDAR ANTONIJEVIC (May 19 at 7:30 pm/ May 22 at 7:30 pm) SONIA RODRIGUEZ* and GUILLAUME CÔTÉ* (May 20 at 7:30 pm/ May 23 at 2 pm) HEATHER OGDEN* and NEHEMIAH KISH* (May 21 at 7:30 pm) STACEY SHIORI MINAGAWA and KEIICHI HIRANO* (May 22 at 2 pm) *Debut **Toronto Debut

To those in the greater Toronto area, "The Dream" is airing tomorrow at 4pm on WNED (it did not air on wednesday for us).

It's being held at the Ryerson Theatre this year (I think in the past, it's usually been at the Betty Oliphant Theatre).

Thanks for the information! It was helpful! I will try and go to see what it's like. Chan Hon Goh is going to be one of the adjudicators this year.