Ostrich

Historically the styles of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet have always differed, causing disagreement and rivalry between the two companies and having watched DVD recordings of the Mariinsky Opera made me wonder whether a corresponding difference of style and opinion exists between these opera companies. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about opera than I will be able to tell me!

True, zerbinetta. Maybe this thread should read "Are ballet lovers more often dog-owners or cat-owned?" Personally, I own two dogs, and one cat owns me. "Dogs come when called. Cats have answering machines."

Another cat dancer for the record: Nikolai Tsiskaridze. He owns one too! As regards whether dancers tend more to owning cats than dogs, I think that cats will naturally seem to come out the winners because they are easier to keep in flats. Most dancers just don't have the space to accommodate boisterous Siberian Huskies or Rotweilers.

Johann Kobborg gave the most phenomenal rendition of the batterie in Act 2 of Giselle that I have ever seen. Not understated though - he used it to build up to his climax of exhaustion, distorting his face as though his movements were becoming excruciatingly painful, and increasing the height of his entrechats six all the time!

Pierre Lacotte tends to use a lot of petit batterie. Certainly it abounds in his Pharao's Daughter. I don't know about his Ondine, but I've read quite a lot of commetns on its Napoli-like scenes, so I guess theres quite a lot of batterie in that as well.

What is the cultural perception of men in ballet like in China and Japan? Both countries seem to have taken to ballet big time.

Two more Beauty and the Beasts: Cape Town City Ballet (can't remember when) and Northern Ballet Theatre (2005). Saritachan, Northern Ballet Theatre seems to be quite of your opinion - currently they are doing a Three Musketeers ballet. In the past, they have performed Peter Pan, Wuthering heights, La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, A Streetcar Named Desire and a host of other ballets with "real storylines".

I can't listen to the audio - would somebody let me know the gist of what is being said by the various parties?

Of course, Kobborg does have a big advantage over the other 3 dancers in The Lesson - his partner, his production - while the other three have had only a very short time to rehearse the work (what with all the casting and programme changes). Did anyone see the Saturay night performance? Come on...I can't wait to hear about it! Socalgal, I'm interested by what you say of Tsiskaridze's solos being the biggest surprise of the night - in what way? Choreography...impersonation...dancing...? And just by the way, can you tell me which piece/s of music it was from Carmen that he danced to?

Oh, please post about it as soon as you can, socalgal and anyone else who saw it - I'm dying to hear!!!

Certainly a well performed ballet does change one's impression of what the music is like. I remember 2 performances of La Sylphide - the first time I saw it I thought the music charming, the second time, too boring and trite for words (same orchestra, same conductor, different cast!). Maybe I'll learn to like Stravinsky yet.

On bolshoi.net there are pictures of his birthday celebration. The last one is one of Moiseyev himself, looking great for 100! Link (Click on the little camera icon)

Reading the topic re. Mozart's 250th birthday made me think about composers who could have written beautiful ballets, but didn't. I have always lamented the fact that Verdi didn't compose a few ballets for us - just listen to the ballet music from his operas! Also Mendllesohn and Chopin - what do you think...?

An important aspect, for me, of any ballet performance has been missed so far - the music! I find I'm very sensitive to what I term "disturbing music" (Stravinsky comes under this heading) and I prefer not to watch ballets by these composers. On the other hand, if a dancer I'm desperately longing to see performes only in such a ballet, I'd go (which proves that I'm also a "dancer's first" person). Sets and costumes can utterly destroy a good production, but I wouldn't go to see any performance purely on the strength of it's decor! So it's first dancers, then music, then choreography (I'd watch even a poor company do a work I very much want to see, if I really have no other opportunity for seeing the work).

Personally, I don't think the photo gallery is a very good advert for Kings of the Dance. Stiefel doesn't come across very well on these photos - especially not the last one of him - and neither does Tsiskaridze.

Oh thank you, THANK YOU, THA-A-ANK you!!

Thanks for those links! I was looking for news about his birthday, but couldn't find any.

Today is Igor Moiseyev's 100th birthday - at least, so I presume. I have found no news about his death, so I presume that he is alive and jumping (literally) and celebrating his 100th birthday. Congratulations!!!

What a charming picture of Cojocaru, Canbelto! Are there any more pictures of her on that website? (Tried to find some, but couldn't even find the one you posted this link to)

While I haven't seen enough Apollos to really be able to talk along here, I would like to mention Kenneth Greve's interpretation. Seeing Hubbe on one night and Greve the next enabled me to make a very direct comparison between the two. Hubbe was lighter, more versatile and playful, but at the same time emotionally shallow(IMO). He was born a God in the full use of his powers - there was no growing into it, as in Greve's interpretation. Greve, less agile and more statuesque than Hubbe, gave the ballet a serener, more "sculpted" feeling. Personally, I prefered Greve's Apollo to Hubbe's, although plenty of people were not in agreement with me.

I also saw a Cinderella performance to Strauss's score, choreographed by Veronica Paeper and performed by Cape Town City Ballet (formerly CAPAB). Paeper turned it into a kind of "ballet pantomime", interspersing narration with the music. In the last act, she did a take on "Sleeping Beauty" by having various fairytale characters attend the wedding, including Sleeping Beauty herself. It was amusing in its way, but disappointing for people who expected "serious ballet". Strauss's music is beautiful, but personally I prefer Prokofiev's score - it tells the story so much more dramatically!

I'd also like to know more about Nunez's dancing - I haven't even heard of her, till now. As to Lund, I'm delighted at his success. I am a great admirer of his style and artistry.

I'd choose dancing Aurora opposite Friedemann Vogel - I saw him perform in Sleeping Beauty in August last year and still haven't got over it! Or else I'd like to be Altyani Assulmuratova - dancing anything, just so long as I can be her!!

Thank you Oberon! That helps! Maybe someone can also suggest a good German opera forum...

I'm looking for a website which had several video clips of dancers, including one of Assylmuratova. I found the website by accident and can absolutely not find it again. Maybe someone knows it and can help me! Any other suggestions about websites with online ballet clips are welcome!