leibling

Wow.

I just wanted to clarify a casting issue.... at the FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 performance at the ARSHT CENTER in MIAMI, Katia Carranza performed the second lead girl, replacing Tricia Albertson, who was listed in the program. I know that some pre-performance announcements are difficult to hear, so I just wanted to make this correction.

It is definately Patricia Delgado from Miami City Ballet!

Did you also hear that it was Patricia Delgado with Sarabia on Saturday evening? cubanmiamiboy seemed think I was incorrect in what I had heard. It did not look like Seay to me, but I do not attend every program so I thought I had just forgotten her port de bras and line from last year. To clarify, Deanna Seay DID dance Odette on Saturday night with Rolando Sarabia. Patricia Delgado danced the pas de neuf solo, replacing Allynne Noelle.

I don't know how to confirm this, but I have been told that both of his daughters are enrolled in ballet classes.

After some intense scrutiny- including squinting at the computer screen- here is the casting I could see in the clips I could find... Swan Lake- not the current version- Deanna Seay and Carlos Guerra Nutcracker- Sugar Plum- Jennifer Kronenberg: Spanish- Patricia Delgado and Didier Bramaz: Arabian- Michelle Merrell: Flowers- Katia Carranza as Dewdrop. Video #4 is the finale. Symphony in C- 2nd movement- Deanna Seay and Yann Trividic with Demi soloist women Patricia Delgado and Charlene Cohen Don Quixote- 3rd act pas de deux- Katia Carranza and Carlos Guerra Ballet Imperial- Soloist- Tricia Albertson- Principal couple- Jennifer Kronenberg and Carlos Guerra In The Upper Room- Stompers Callie Manning, Jeanette Delgado, Tricia Albertson, Daniel Baker, Jeremy Cox and Daniel Baker. Ballet group- PAtricia Delgado, KAtia Carranza, Mary Carmen Catoya, Deanna Seay, Luis Serrano, Dider Bramaz, Carlos Guerra Foxtrot:- Yann Trividic with Callie Manning, Jennifer Brie, Andrea Spiridonakos and Irene Balague ( I ahd to pull out the old program books for this one!) It looks like MCB is trying to reach out to new audiences by posting so many videos. Wow.

Sonatine was cut for the opening night gala- it will appear for all other shows, though.

Hmmm- for next year- well- how about Romeo and Juliet?

I was there on Friday night... it was an interesting evening. I have to say that I was not disappointed- then again, after everything I have read about the production, I was not expecting much. Generally, I found the sets and costumes rather jarring to look at- as if the palettes didn't match. Specifically, I am remembering the costumes for the fairies and the king and queen. "Disney" is the word that comes to mind- everything a little too vibrant. The kiss scene seemed, to me, to be an homage of sorts to Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and while providing a nostalgic moment, it did not seem right for a ballet. I also did not care for the blue-green shading on Aurora's tutu for the wedding pas de deux- someone suggested that Act 3 could have been hosted by the Bluebirds since everything was tinted blue- the King and Queen (same costumes for a wedding?), Aurora and the Prince, the set. Also, I missed seeing the "Precious Stones" pas de trois in Act 3- even though we got the music played, we had another series of Fairy variations, and for me this really came across as an attempt to give these girls more to dance rather than having anything to do with the story. I found alot of the choreography a little silly, too- the entree for the characters in Act 3- Puss and Boots, Red Riding Hood and Cinderella- they had some sort of act revolving around a flower. I can't remember who gave the flower to whom, but after I saw it for the third time, I had had enough. It is too bad that these variations were cut in favor of having all of the fairies dance again- I already knew who the fairies were, and I would rather have seen the characters dance. Instead, these characters were introduced, the fairies took over the Precious Stones, and sudduenly there are the Bluebirds followed by the Grand Pas. There was no build-up of expectation, so it didn't seem so special when Aurora and the PRince finally appeared. One more gripe... the garland dance from Act 1 was led by two children, supported by a corps adult dancers. I would rather have seen adults featured in this- or an ensemble with no featured dancers, or something. This approach made the garland dance look like a recital. I can't be too critical of the dancing- I have heard far too many stories about the lack of rehearsal time and the constantly changing choreography, and knowing this, I could understand what was happening on stage when things were not together. Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreno danced Aurora and Desire, with Michelle Wiles as Lilac and Nancy Raffa as Carabosse. Everyone dance well, but, with the exception of Carabosse, I felt that the characterizations were rather pale. Nancy Raffa's Carabosse, however, commanded the stage and electrified the air from her first entrance (although the pyrotechnics made me laugh!). It was a relief when she entered, as she made more out of the little bit of choreography that she had than most everyone prior to this point. I enjoyed also the scene when Aurora pricks her finger- at this moment Julie Kent's fragility and vulnerability really worked, as it did in the vision scene, also. After that, the highlight of Act 3 was Maria Ricetto's Princess Florine. Clean, clear, musical, sparkling- I would love to see her as Aurora, someday.

This is great- we can just wear our t-shirts to the theaters in order to identify each other!

I did not know Jennifer very well, but I will always remember her as a student. Her personal strength and determination enabled her to make tremendous strides as a dancer in a very short period of time, and I admired her for that. She was a hard worker; it seemed that she worked (in her dancing) with an unusually clear focus- undaunted by any challenge. I wish I had known her better. I offer my sympathy to all who knew her.

Even though I only know her by reading about her, it is a shock to hear of this happening to a fellow dancer. I send all of my thoughts to the families, and beg of all of my fellow dancers everywhere to please be careful this holiday season.

That last gesture in Emeralds... I know what you mean, Bart- I also often see that out-stretched arm as emblematic of an unfulfilled search. Sometimes, though, in a strange way, this gesture is what links Emeralds to Rubies. I am starting to see Jewels as a bit of a journey, though I can not be specific as to where the journey takes me. Yet it was that gesture of the men- reaching toward something that we cannot see- and not in the direction of their ballerinas- that makes me wonder if in some way they are saying that life goes on. Jewels, as a whole, bears the true sign of a masterpiece, in that the more I know it, the more I realize that there is so much more to explore.

That is very thought provoking, popularlibrary. I have often sensed that relationship in Diamonds.... there is really no other explanation for the moment near the end of the pas de deux when the ballerina, having gone her own way (so to speak) throughout, suddenly returns to the cavalier, leads him across the stage with those bourees that do create an electric shudder, and then bends over his arm in seeming submission. However, in reflecting on the ending of Emeralds, for instance, your insight provided me with a darker, more ominous view of the second finale- the slow walking section. It almost seemed as if the women, in their quest to elude the men, sought to combine their powers in order to escape, and managed to outwit their pursuers through their collective effort. Hmmm- this is wonderful food for thought. Thank you!!

I only saw them dance together on video, but I have to add Jacques D'Amboise and Melissa Hayden. Having met both of them in real life, I can imagine that they had a good time together, and it shows in the videos I have seen.

I have many concerns regarding this appointment, and Haglund's post says most of them. However, maybe he will surprise us, and while he may only be 34, Susan McCullogh was also in her thirties when she became dean. However, I think I remember that she had already directed the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, and had worked as a ballet mistress for Netherlands Dance Theater by that time (I may be wrong in my memories, so don't quote me!!) I feel as if this appointment is the school's way of trying to attract top tier students, especially since the ballet faculty is a little thin with the recent departure of Kee Juan Han and Melissa Hayden's passing. There are many elements present in a school such as this, of which excellent dance training is but one. Student issues, for one is a huge part of this- being able to observe the students, knowing the signs of problems and how to psychologically deal with them. Then, you have to keep the faculty happy- or at least try. Administrative duties are a big part of the job, too, and I can't help but to wonder if Stiefel has had experience in any of this.

The thing about Gaynor Mindens, though, is that they really require a dancer to use their legs properly. The shoe won't look right if a dancer is sitting back on her legs, or relying too much on the shoe to hold her up. A dancer needs to use THE WHOLE LEG in order to acheive the proper line, and while this is true for all shoes, the fact that Gaynor Minden's maintain their shape in the box makes it easier to consistently acheive the proper shape of the leg. Furthermore, I think that each of the five different shank strengths perhaps different plastic on the inside. I believe the shoes I know to be classified as "Hard" have the blue inside, while the "extra- flex" strength has a white plastic inside. The company also offers a suede tip, which may be a little slow to turn in at first, but as the tip wears out a little bit, this is not a problem, and the shoes last forever. The big difference for me (yes- I am a convert) was that I really actually like the way they look, forming to my feet better than anything else I have tried.

I also just finished Deathly Hallows last night- I felt as if I hab been bewitched as I COULD NOT put the book down. What a terrifc storyteller JK Rowling is- the way the plot kept twisting through every page of the very long book. Yet none of it seemed irrelevant to the story- everything fit into place at the end. What interested me even more were (what I felt to be) the occassional allusions to today's real world problems (a ministry of magic that people don't trust to tell the truth, government conspiracies). I don't know that it was subtle, but I had to chuckle a bit to find myself relating to her characters through these situations.

Miami City Ballet has a long history of twins and or siblings in the company. For several years, the Modrono twins, Maribel and Mabel, danced, both eventually becoming principal dancers. Now there are the Esty twins, Sara and Leigh Ann, who are both in the corps.

I thought I spotted Elaine Kudo in the middle of picture one- also- Frank Smith is in picture 4 behind the lady in the blue dress. You can see half of his face behind her arm.

I can see the differences implied by "emphatic and punctuated"...there is an old video of Agon with a nearly original cast- Todd Bolendar, Violette Verdy, Diana Adams, Arthur Mitchell. Anyway- there IS a tremendous difference in the way the ballet was danced as opposed to the way it is now danced. It is as if the dancers are dancing the steps without necessarily needing to "figure them out." It is really difficult for me to explain this but... I felt in watching the videos that the emphasis was on the work as a whole, and the mood generated by the combinations of movements with the music rather than a presentation of steps. Yes, the steps were still beautifully performed, but perhaps they were also more spontaneous. I am not saying that today's performances are not also spontaneous- just that the overall understanding of the work seems different. With the technical capabilities of dancers these days growing by leaps and bounds, it seems natural that the emphasis would change, and the audience would start to see more turns, higher jumps and extensions rather than a particular character or personality. I suppose it could be a difference in interpretation- the farther we are from the source of all of this material (Balanchine himself), the more we hear someone's particular idea of where the emphasis should be placed. On another note, pertaining to this recording of Agon, the way the music was played even was different from what we hear today. If one was to compare the music in this recording with the music played for the Agon excerpts in the Balanchine Celebration aired in 1993(?), one can hear the difference in emphasis there as well. Different phrasing (in my opinion, the more recent recording had a more lyrical, singing quality to it as opposed to a consistent, even beat in the earlier one), and perhaps better acoustics and maybe more technically accomplished players (don't quote me on that, though!) create a sound today that IS as different from the earlier sound as the dancing is different. Referring again to "emphatic and punctuated", and depending on which era you define as being so, the main difference between the two Agon videos (to me, anyway) was in the execution of the steps. The older video displayed all of the steps performed on a more even technical level- there weren't any heartstopping extensions or turns, etc, but I remember that the performance left me with images of movement- Bolendar's soft-shoe inspired movement, or Verdy's speed and precision, or the soft manipulation in the pas de deux where Diana Adams didn't seem to care that she was being twisted into a pretzal. And, the attack was "even" in musical terms, but it made me hear the music. The more recent video left me with memories of Darcey Bussel's fantastic extension, and Wendy Whelan's spidery approach to the second pas de trois- complete with deep plunges into second position grand plie on pointe, and phrased in such a way that there was an emphasis on that. This, to me, is more a emphatic and punctuated approach to the same choreography. We can't know for sure anymore what was originally intended, so both approaches are equally valid- just different.

Marianna Tcherkassky.

In response to the question about dancers that leave out the hard stuff, well, then what do you think of the ones that insert extra steps and tricks? Is this any more or less appropriate? Some ballets seem to be geared more for that sort of thing- the bravura full lengths, but even so, I can never forget the fact that I want to see a BALLET- not a circus. Even with something like Don Quixote- there is a story to tell, and while the steps are used to display high spirits, etc, I would just as soon seen 32 perfect single fouettes rather than a series of 32 double-triples with flicking fans, etc. As far as simplifying things- while the choreography should be recognizable, I would rather see the story, with appropriate qualities, performed on the stage than to see a dancer unable to convey any of this because of the struggle with the steps. And we all have our bad days...

Watch for Marife- I have seen her perform before and she was quite a beautiful dancer.

Another Dance View Critic- Carol Pardo. I appreciate her thoughtfully well-written reviews, which are wonderfully informative while being honest.