Gina Ness

Tatiana Grantzeva was very glamourous. She always dressed so gorgeously to teach class...like Danilova. Tatiana wore matching bright blue leotard and knee-length skirt, pink tights with pink teaching shoes, and always had her head swathed in a white turban, wearing pearl or diamond earrings. Very elegant and glamourous teaching attire! She was a beauty! And, she was a fabulous teacher! Perhaps rg can find a photo of her...

I can't stand the idea of arch enhancement. I agree with you all!

Yes! These names are familiar! Wow! Thank you, Christian!

I have been trying to remember....For some reason, I am remembering a pair of twin dancers. Were there twin young dancers at this time? When I eventually come across those old programs (I moved last year and things are still in storage), I'll see if I have this one from my youth company.

During my time at SFB, I first danced first and third movement soloists, and then first and fourth movement principal. It's a challenging ballet, but wonderful to dance. When we first danced it in the mid-seventies, we wore black leotards and black short skirts. Eventually, the tutus returned in the early 80s (Crystal Palace). I actually think the ballet works better visually without the tutus. The beauty of the line shows to more advantage in simple attire. P.S. I have a story for you that I heard when dancing at SFB. Beatrice Tompkins premiered the principal woman in the third movement in New York in 1948. It was to have been Gisela Caccialanza who had amazing ballon. Before the premiere, she injured her achilles heel during rehearsal and was unable to dance. I notice in looking at the history of the NYCB premiere that her husband, Lew Christensen, was the principal male in the fourth movement.

I bring up ballet history frequently in my classes...to the younger ones as well as my advanced students. They usually seem quite interested. I also give some combinations that I have remembered from my dancing days..."Let's do Erik's (Bruhn) tendu, or Terry's (Westmoreland's) pirouette", etc., and speak a bit about who they were. When we began variations class last fall, I brought in Madame Ludmilla Shollar's book A Ballerina Prepares and I told them about Madame and Mr. Vilzak. We are working on her versions of variations (I was one of her students at SFB in the 60s). I do this to honor her in my heart. But, parents can do something, as well. I was fortunate to grow up in San Francisco when all the major companies came around almost annually to the Opera House. This was before SFB had a spring season that ran until May. My Mom took me to the Bolshoi, the Kirov, the Royal Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, The Royal Danish Ballet, etc. She scoured used book stores for old programs and books about ballet and brought them home to me. I still have them all! I have some treasures...I spent a lot of time as a child looking at the photos and reading about the dancers who went before me. I really enjoyed it! I believe it is important for young dancers to see live performances, hopefully by good companies. It is very inspirational for them.

Well, when you compare this Nutcracker with Lew Christensen's version (especially the Robert O'Hearn production...1967-1985), well...I will just say that this current production seems sterile to me and less "magical" and imaginative. Mr. Christensen's Nutcracker is one of the best I have ever seen. San Francisco Ballet should bring it back, eventually. After all, NYCB still performs Balanchine's Nutcracker. Why not Lew's Nutcracker?

The marley flooring has to be taped together. It usually doesn't present that much of a problem for sliding unless the tape is old and worn. There are usually only center, quarter, and maybe eighth markings on the stage. The center marking may be from downstage to upstage, but the quarter and eighth markings are usually just at the front of the stage. Dancers become accustomed to rehearsing using these symmetrical guidelines. When they arrive on the stage, there are "tech" rehearsals to work out the spacing according to these guidelines and the information given by Mel and vrsfanatic. It takes a lot of rehearsal and experience to keep this spatial alignment. As a teacher now, a couple of weeks before our student performances, I turn the rehearsal around and make the dancers face the opposite wall (with no mirror!). Usually, the kids have a little trouble the first run through (especially the younger ones). It is important for the students to not be always looking in the mirror. They take visual spacial and choreographic cues from the mirror! They won't have that mirror during performance...

I believe that music plays a large role in what emotions a dancer might feel and express when executing a step or combination of steps. I always felt that my own dancing should represent/interpret the music (as I feel it) in addition to what the choreographer was envisioning. Dancing to the music was what initially attracted me to ballet in the first place, even as a young child.

Hello, cubanmiamiboy...I wish I could remember. I know I must have an old program around, but they are buried at the moment. When I saw your post, my memory was jogged reading Mirta's name...Hello, uniqe2, and welcome, too!

I would like to return to the Royal Ballet in the 60's to see (again!) Christopher Gable and Lynn Seymour in MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet"....the most memorable evening of ballet I ever experienced.

Wow, Deborah! Hello!!! It was great to see you, too! This is really a good forum and you will enjoy it! I'm over on BT for Dancers, too, where teachers can share information as well as young and adult dancers.

Hello, debhig...I would send you a personal message, but I can't as you are new to the forum. I just want to briefly say that I enjoyed reading your first posts, especially the one in honor and remembrance of your childhood teacher. My husband, Gardner Carlson, grew up dancing in the LA area and briefly partnered Joyce (as I mentioned earlier in this thread) and I was wondering if your paths ever crossed?

Joyce Cuoco was an amazingly talented, precocious young dancer in the 60s. She was a featured guest dancer on the Danny Kaye Show when very young. I remember watching her on television (as a young dancer myself) and being very impressed by her. I know (from reports from my husband who danced with her in LA) that she had a somewhat domineering Mom. I believe that she had a good career dancing in Europe, as has been mentioned. I wonder what she is up to now? If anyone knows, let us in on it!

I think I know what papeetepatrick is speaking of...Movies, in general, seem big on effects and little on substance for the past few years, with some exceptions. How many remakes do we really need, or sequel 2, 3, (usually getting progressively worse) etc? And, don't even get me started on the stoner movies or violence for violence's sake in films ...I believe the reason I enjoyed Mamma Mia so much is what JMcN spoke of...the actors looked like they were having a fabulous time making this film, some of them leaping with joy into very different waters than they are accustomed to... Pierce Brosnan probably paid to be in this film (just kidding!) Their joy was contagious! With some of the negative events going on in the world right now, it was just so refreshing to see something that made me feel good and entertained me. I never saw the live version so I have nothing with which to compare.

Dear PeggyR and dirac...Regarding LOTR, forge a bit further ahead of Tom Bombadil. I feel certain that you won't regret it! It's one of my all-time favorite reads...I've read it on and off at least ten times since the 60's...I read it a couple of times to my elder son when he was a child. It's still one of his favorites, too, at age 37! Perhaps this is why Bombadil doesn't make an appearance in the films! Currently, I'm finally reading Jane Eyre. I can't believe I've never read this novel. I'm loving it!

I saw the film this evening, and I loved it! It was so much fun seeing "Mrs. Weasley" (Harry Potter films) in such a different role as Rosie (Julie Walters). She was funny and terrific! I never dreamed to see Colin Firth (I loved him as "Darcy") in such a film...I thought the whole cast was awesome. Rarely at movies does the audience break out in applause at the end of a film...This one did!

My first teacher (Merriem Lanova) danced with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and I grew up with her version of Coppelia (which closely resembled the Ballet Russe version). I am very partial to this ballet! The score is just so wonderful! The first role I ever danced was a little "seated doll" in Dr. Coppelius' workshop. I then moved on to "Chinese Doll", to Mazurka and Czardas, then Swanhilda's Friend, and finally (at 14) the Dawn variation. I just staged full length Coppelia for my ballet school last spring based mostly on my childhood memories of the ballet ( I was one of those little kids who knew everybody's role!)... P.S. Miss Lanova knew Alicia Alonso well...

Thank you! I really enjoyed the clip...Quadruple fouette finish, too! Wow...However, Willam Christensen (SFB) staged the first full-length Coppelia in the United States in 1938. First full-length Nutcracker, too...

What a beautiful dancer and what a beauty! I absolutely loved her in the Ballet Russe documentary. A truly great dancer...May she rest in peace...

Cyd Charisse, the gorgeous dancer of MGM fame, has passed on at age 86. She was such a beauty! A ballet dancer who truly made the difficult leap to the cinema... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25216724/

What a wonderful video! I love the way she interacts with these young dancers...very kind and attentive. You can hear words of wisdom interspersed throughout!

He is just as wonderful as I remember. This was such a treat! I haven't seen him dance since I was a teenager! What I really notice now, as well as his amazing ballon and batterie, are his elegant, fluid port de bras and hands...

Thank you, cubanmiamiboy for posting this. I just remember how lovely she was...and I was only ten years old! I just realized in reading this that Mirta also danced with us in San Francisco. All four "Jewels"...We were so fortunate to see them when they were so young and just beginning their careers.

Baronova was just so lovely...She still is! It does look like Mr. Semenoff. I remember auditioning and rehearsing with him on several occasions as a child when the Kirov and the Bolshoi came to town (San Francisco) for children's roles in the touring productions. It's fun to see this photo of him.