leibling

That does sound like Robert Conn. I know that he and Trey were at NC school of the Arts at the same time- if we are talking of the same man.

Amy Seawright is another Miamian- this is her second year with Suzanne. I think Gavin Larsen is coming from Alberta Ballet.

There are some state owned PBS stations that take programming into their own hands... I know that the station in North Carolina- WUNC, I think, has filmed and offered broadcasts of Carolina Ballet, as well as NC School of the Arts. As far as I know, all of the filming was done in Winston-Salem. Maybe they air broadcasts once a year- I am not sure.

I remember hearing a little bit about Bonnie Moore several years ago, and I just saw a video of the Erik Bruhn competition the year she competed (also there was Wes Chapman, Viviana Durante, Rose Gad P...? , Errol Pickford... ) . Whatever happened to her?

I just finished "Moscow Farewell"- by George Feifer. It is his account of a year he spent in Moscow in the seventies.... I enjoyed it immensely, although it was a little slow from time to time. However, I found his descriptions of Russian life very interesting, and he is a good storyteller.

As a dancer, it is very interesting, actually, to read what everyone has to say. Generally, most people on this board offer very constructive criticism, and while the truth may hurt, in some cases, we cannot always rely on the press to offer completely objective reviews. One critic can only write one article, but here on BA, you can have three, four, and often times many more people offering their opinions.

I have a few vivid memories of Mr. Noble, but the one that sticks with me above all else was the day he taught me that to execute a glissade with one's arms in second position was "in very poor taste". As embarrased as I may have been at that time, it is something that makes me smile, now. Mr. Noble was a man of few words, so when he spoke, telling stories of the way things were in the Ballet Russe, everyone listened. He seemed to come from a different place in time- an era of manners, chivalry and glamourous ballerinas. A compliment from Mr. Noble was of the highest order- he had seen so much in his time. His advice you could always use, and his knowledge you could always appreciate. He had such a presence, that even if I didn't see him (when I have returned to visit NCSA), I still knew that he had been there- that he had been around. I would hear the students speak of him the same way we spoke of him when I was a student- respectfully, reverently. He was a legend in his own right, and now, I suspect, will become even moreso.

Good-bye, Nr. Noble, and thanks for helping me with that glissade.

I don't know that I have seen a masterpiece that is hard to appreciate, though. This is very subjective- my masterpiece may be someone else's piece of fluff. I guess there are always those works that are "widely regarded " as masterpieces, but for one reason or another, I don't understand them. (Cunningham comes to mind- I have so little experience with his work- I don't know what I am watching, yet what I read tells me of the "greatness" of his work.)

Having recently bought a video camera to film performances and rehearsals, I can tell you that somehow the image on the TV screen is altered... it is flat and one dimensional. You don't see a three-dimensional body move through space. Maybe this is obvious, but even so, I had to really think about whether the effect was real or something I was imagining. I don't know if there are camera techniques to alleviate this flatness- that would be an imteresting study. Anyway- just thought I would try to add to he reasons ballet is not so successful on TV- though I would love to see more of it!

I do think that the Kennedy Center may have some sort of contractual rule about performances within a certain radius of the theater- maybe this is why Baltimore does not have many touring stops anymore.

In the Bournonville spirit, why not the "Catnip Festival at Genzano" ?

I voted for Minkus.... the ballets he wrote have been around for such a long time. In all honesty, I could have voted for Prokofiev just as easily, but I guess it seems that Minkus doesn't always get his due credit.

I feel the same about Mozart as Paul, interestingly enough. This is probably because somewhere in the back of my head I remember hearing a story about how Balanchine felt that his music was "perfect" and that he would not be able to do it justice with choreography. Divertimento #15 was considered "lesser" Mozart- if you can believe that. I find that music sublime. Anyway- forgive me if my memory is faulty about the story- but I have heard this somewhere.

I voted for Minkus.... the ballets he wrote have been around for such a long time. In all honesty, I could have voted for Prokofiev just as easily, but I guess it seems that Minkus doesn't always get his due credit.

I feel the same about Mozart as Paul, interestingly enough. This is probably because somewhere in the back of my head I remember hearing a story about how Balanchine felt that his music was "perfect" and that he would not be able to do it justice with choreography. Divertimento #15 was considered "lesser" Mozart- if you can believe that. I find that music sublime. Anyway- forgive me if my memory is faulty about the story- but I have heard this somewhere.

Dances at a Cattery

every cats holiday favorite- "the Birdcatcher"

Tchaicatsky Paw de Deux ????

Yes- I can confirm- Nancy is teaching at the MCB school- she is very good and very popular- and Roma is actually the assistant ballet mistress for the company, and teaches at the summer school. Her class is not to be missed.

Does anyone know what companies might be performing in Moscow and St. Petersburg in June ? Are the big companies working then ? Jeannie, do you have any ideas ?

There is so much to think about here that I don't know where to begin... this is very interesting though because people don't often talk about how or why they interpret things a certain way. All I can add is that as a performer, if I am performing a previously set piece, then I want to know as much background as possible. Some people may find this confusing, and I will admit to being confused, too, but it is the process of working through the confusion of historical or pschological significances that will yeild, for me, something I can bring to the stage to make the experience real. Even if I end up "throwing out" so much of what I thought about, the information was still processed and retained- perhaps for future reference. The first time i danced a leading role in Balanchine's Serenade, I went a little overboard trying to find philosophical and psychological connections between the steps, etc. The ironic thing is that all of the research and thought that I put into this led me to the simplest " interpretation" possible- everything I needed was already in the music. This was one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned, and has stayed with me for years.

There is so much to think about here that I don't know where to begin... this is very interesting though because people don't often talk about how or why they interpret things a certain way. All I can add is that as a performer, if I am performing a previously set piece, then I want to know as much background as possible. Some people may find this confusing, and I will admit to being confused, too, but it is the process of working through the confusion of historical or pschological significances that will yeild, for me, something I can bring to the stage to make the experience real. Even if I end up "throwing out" so much of what I thought about, the information was still processed and retained- perhaps for future reference. The first time i danced a leading role in Balanchine's Serenade, I went a little overboard trying to find philosophical and psychological connections between the steps, etc. The ironic thing is that all of the research and thought that I put into this led me to the simplest " interpretation" possible- everything I needed was already in the music. This was one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned, and has stayed with me for years.

Carolina Ballet performed to Handel's Messiah for Easter, this year.

I can't decide- it depends on who the dancer is in each case.

I can't decide- it depends on who the dancer is in each case.

I voted for personality- interpreting the poll to be asking for the difference between personality or amazing technique. What is interesting- someone mentioned this above, is that technique does enhance the personality. I don't mean the technique of thirty two double fouettes on a dime- I mean the "simple" technique of how to move the body.

I voted for personality- interpreting the poll to be asking for the difference between personality or amazing technique. What is interesting- someone mentioned this above, is that technique does enhance the personality. I don't mean the technique of thirty two double fouettes on a dime- I mean the "simple" technique of how to move the body.

From an insider's point of view, it is very hard to give any director an overall "superb". I agree with all of the things that have been said about all of the directors mentioned, but , and I hate to say this, they all have their bad points, too. However, a director often becomes a figurehead- whatever happens to a company is blamed on them, whether it is their fault or not. Likewise, they are most often given credit for great acheivements when there were others involved or responsible for said acheivement. It is not a bad thing- it is just the way that it is.

I can try to describe the perfect director- let's see... open and HONEST communication with the dancers- an ability to develop dancers at the right pace- an idea or focus for the company that is communicated to the dancers- openness to new ideas, choreography, ballets, styles- respect for what new dancers bring with them into a company- patience- respect for older dancers as well- an ability to listen to problems and questions and being willing and able to discuss thes things- ..... there are so many qualities. I think most directors have at least a few of these things- or I hope so at any rate. I know that it is hard in this day and age to run a ballet company, so I have to give them all credit for trying.

I do hear very good things also about Suzanne Farrell