Balanchinomane

Thanks, dancer100 - that picture is wonderful,

and that is not the photo in the book!

Here is one of her recipes:

A VELVET DRINK FOR COLDS

4 1/3 cups red wine

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp lemon rind

Boil ingredients together over high flame 20-30 minutes

or until reduced in half. Serve hot in a glass.

Anybody want to try it and report?

I love Delibes flower duet from Lakme.

A beautiful way to start off a stormy Friday the 13th...

I got one from Amazon for $42.00 about 5 years ago, so it may pop up less expensive from

time to time. It's a treasure. Some recipes are Mr B's pickles, Patty McBride's frankfurter salad,

Doubrovska's champagne sherbet, Villella's beer soup. There are lots of interviews, anecdotes

and photos. Can you picture Violette Verdy in the kitchen wearing an apron?

Distribution at the theater was no picnic either. I got there at 0845 - they opened at 1100.

I got to the window at 245pm. I got every performance I wanted but settled for partial view.

The only center seats left were rear mez and gallery. (I'd rather slit my wrists)

People in the line were complaining that the online and telephone buyers grabbed all the

good seats. I didn't think so. It's just wildly popular and they really advertised a lot this

year. It's a wonderful event and just gets better every year.

Villella mentions the collaboration in his autobiography but provides no choreographic details.

"In the 1970s....I appeared on televison with Carol Burnett, who satirized some ballet conventions

with me on her show. Carol Burnett is an artist with a true comic sense, and she investigated and

really understood the art of ballet. Her spoofing was good-natured, intelligent, and a lot of fun.

I felt ballet could stand the ribbing."

Yes - rhymes with Saltine. During the intermission of the R+J premiere 2 years ago,

I overheard a man refer to her as Paris Hilton's sister. A woman interrupted - and said

her name is HYLTEEN. The man said to her "How do you know?" The woman replied

"Because I'm her mother."

That's terrific news. She's had a huge workload this year

and has been stunningly beautiful in everything.

Brava, Sara, on your well deserved promotion.

My favorite celebrity sighting was Miss Sterling Hyltin - those lovely long legs

climbing the stairs up in the Family Circle. She looked gorgeous!

Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3

(more is better...)

Saratoga or Jacob's Pillow?

Robert Irving.

Sofiane Sylve ou Violette Verdy?

Tess Reichlen

Daniel Ulbricht or Herman Cornejo?

Balanchine

Zobeide or Zenobia?

Ashley

Martins or Farrell?

Her photo is missing from the lobby billboard that features the principals....

The ballet was Graduation Ball. My mother took me to see Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo

at Kleinhan's Music Hall in Buffalo. I was already a ballet student. My teacher,

Miss Shirley, had taught us pirouettes to the music of "the Drummer Boy."

When I made the connection between the steps I was learning and what they

could look like on stage with costumes, lights, sets and an orchestra - I knew

I wanted to be a Ballerina....

So the big winner of the Battle of the Nutcrackers is Mark Morris' The Hard Nut.

I was sure Mr B's would be the winner. What's even more depressing is that it's

Christmas Eve and I'm on this darn computer. Oh well, Merry Christmas everyone!!

Does anyone know who danced Apollo for Nilas?

Any reports would be welcome.

...And the most unusual curtain call - as the curtain split she boureed out as Odette,

rippling those swan arms, with a very unswan-like grin on her face!

What a magnificent performance from Nina and Angel!!

Last evening was such a heartfelt expression of love and appreciation coming from

both sides of the footlights. There were so many special moments. In Serenade,

the knowing smile as she gives her hand to Ashley and then to Sara, her new

successors, sharing secrets of a very exclusive sisterhood. The beautiful arch of her

back and outstreched arms as the curtain fell - what could she have been thinking of?

The special grins for Phil and Nilas as they got to whirl her around one last time.

That beautiful white dress with the all the bright colors of the flowers (and her

husband's Hawaiian print shirt.) Those sweet little boys in miniature tuxedos - what

was she whispering to them? She has given us so much joy - our paltry applause

doesn't seem enough in return.

Raymonda's another good role for Bouder's talent. Veyette will pull it off next time.

The variations are devilishly hard but this ballet is often dismissed as a piece of fluff.

Petipa could not have dreamed of such difficult footwork. The soloists all did fine -

stand outs were Scheller and Stafford doing their fouettes in perfect unison,

spinning like pairs skaters.

Color me shallow, but in Dybbuk whenever the 7 men line up to dance I hoped they

would break out and do the bottle dance from Fiddler on the Roof. I'd much

rather see that.

Yes, it was an impressive debut for Gillian. Being a brilliant technician isn't

enough for this role. It seems the hardest part is conveying thoughts and

emotions by non-movement. After she refuses Paris and her parents leave

her room - her despair turns into resolve as she sits on the edge of the bed.

The music swells and seems to pump strength into her - and it's all in her

facial expression. Acting ability like that can't be taught or coached.

Hallberg doesn't need to act - he embodies Romeo. He was very

solemn during the curtain calls, as if he had suffered all those emotions.

Only Gillian could get a smile from him.

This production is gorgeous - the designer, Nicholas Georgiadis also did

Manon. I hope they never tinker with either one. His Sleeping Beauty for

National Ballet of Canada was the 1st I ever saw and is my gold

standard. That wasn't the version ABT discarded, was it?

Well, the ominous program insert announced that Reyes was injured

and that Ferri and Bolle would be dancing tonight. Act 1 was as wonderful

as it was on Thursday. But before the Act 2 curtain rose the dreaded

announcement was made - "...due to Mr Stiefel's injury the part of

Lescaut will be danced by Sascha Radetsky."

There was no indication anything was wrong - Stiefel was really into

the part - he looked terrific. No one I talked to knew what had happened.

Oh, I hope it's not serious. Radetsky walked right on to play the drunk

scene. The performance continued seamlessly. Ferri and Bolle were

magnificant. Not as many curtain calls as Thursday and fewer flowers

tossed but their appearance was mostly unexpected. I've never seen

so many empty seats on a Saturday night - an uneasy pall over

a memorable performance.

Miss Herrera won me over last night...... Damn, the last thing I needed was another ballerina I'll want to see in every production at ABT!

Welcome to Paloma's Fan Club!

The last couple years I've been disappointed in performances by Vishneva, Part, and Dvorovenko but I've never been let down by Herrera. She is consistantly good and

always turns in reliably brilliant performances.

She still has that modest quality she had when she was so young and just starting

out with the company. She is secure in her technique and her artistry continues

to grow. If she is blessed with a long career she can become one of the beloved ballerinas of our time, like Jaffe and Ferri. And oh, those gorgeous feet!!!!

Thanks SanderO and Mel for your calm, wise perspective. I was hoping for the perfect,

quintessential Beauty, as I love it so. And I will go again and find more about

it that is good, be it not authentic. I still want to see a Rose Adagio to die for.

But tonight, I'm off to see Bach across the Plaza...

but I can't help but single out that awful green kilt, with the rhinestone breastplate, purple feather boa, and curly red wig.

That's what Elmer Fudd would wear on the golf course.

We have Tchaikovsky's score, Petipa's choreography, and the best Dancers in the world.

What if there was a production faithful to the original - set against a blue cyclorama -

the dancers wearing practice clothes. A minimal Beauty. Would you attend?