Nanatchka

The whole issue of funding--and as a CEO Peter Martins cannot be flawed--plays into repertory decisions. People often like to talk to the people they fund (ie living choreographers). People like to underwrite new work. Thus the company requires new work, without regard to what the dancers might or might not like. If there was a moment for funding NYCB solely as a Balanchine Legacy company, it is now past. However, what Homans was addressing was what the Balanchine now looks like. Hers is a sincere and authentic voice, coming from a particular point of view. Thus we engage in a "conversation" with her, as readers, and here as a discussion group. I would say that makes her article extremely succesful.

Originally posted by BalletNut

.....Isn't this what Balanchine and his exalted Russian colleagues were trying to escape in the first place?

I think perhaps they were trying to escape the privations of the Revolution, when coffee cake was truly used coffee grounds.

Originally posted by BalletNut

.....Isn't this what Balanchine and his exalted Russian colleagues were trying to escape in the first place?

I think perhaps they were trying to escape the privations of the Revolution, when coffee cake was truly used coffee grounds.

Give a shout when you get to "ask second." What we need are ballets in which it is possible to be wild, but that's another story, and we already have them. We just don't see them performed that way.

Keith, you left out the Twiggie photo shoot where everyone was Twiggy....at the time, she was the cat's pajamas.

Of the dancers on that list I have seen, the one I wouldn't have missed is Farrell. (However, I only saw Fonteyn late in the game, when she was dancing with Rudi.) I just wish I had seen Farrell sooner, and more. Of course when you saw her you got to see Balanchine (okay, maybe Bejart, so I ought to be careful what I wish for). I remember Tallchief as Firebird--since I was (really) a very little girl, she made a big impression. In fact, she still does.The dancer I would most like to have seen (and didn't) isn't a ballerina. He's Paul Taylor. As a Ballet Alert concession,I'd be willing to see him during his appearances with NYCB!

With all due respect and affection for Leigh Witchel, and with thanks for his excellent and exceedingly interesting review, I differ on Kyra Nichols in Vienna Waltzes. I think her performance in it is thrilling--as Mary Cargill once wrote in on these boards(I am paraphrasing from memory, and I sure wish I has written down her exact words), Nichols uses ballet as a language in which she speaks to us. There is one moment in Vienna Waltzes when she is dancing alone and extends one arm up as she is bent over. The last time I saw her do this it seemed to me a distillation of the Swan Queen--so evocative. So mysterious. I think I will go see her dance the role this week, and see it again.

"The Hard Nut?" Yes, it's a lot of fun. There's an excellent video. Speaking of cross dressing (two characters in Hard Nut, at least in the original),I regret not having seen Robert Irving in drag--did anyone take a picture? He must have been quite regal. I don't think, though, that Mark Morris is in the National Ballet of Anywhere camp--whoops, sorry--I suppose he's the antidote, if that's where we're going with this

"The Hard Nut?" Yes, it's a lot of fun. There's an excellent video. Speaking of cross dressing (two characters in Hard Nut, at least in the original),I regret not having seen Robert Irving in drag--did anyone take a picture? He must have been quite regal. I don't think, though, that Mark Morris is in the National Ballet of Anywhere camp--whoops, sorry--I suppose he's the antidote, if that's where we're going with this

This thread is turning out to be enormously depressing. When "Thank God I'm not a dance critic" is a common response to performance, things aren't good.

This thread is turning out to be enormously depressing. When "Thank God I'm not a dance critic" is a common response to performance, things aren't good.

Estelle, this was a marvelous question. I only didn't respond because I didn't know the ballet. You described it to perfection. I think you should make this a regular Ballet Alert feature--scan in some obscure photo, and let people identify it

Originally posted by Morris Neighbor

But as the brilliant documentary Dancemaker suggests, Taylor is more appealing as a dancer and dancemaker than as a person.

I happen to disagree with this for any number of reasons. (Just for instance: 1.You cannot separate the dancer and dancemaker from the person. 2.All that whining about him in the movie didn't make him less appealing to me. Etc.What could be more appealing than Esplanade? Diggity? Et.al.? Or Taylor at curtain? )The book--Private Domain-- is just as much a made up thing as the dances--maybe that's why it seems so truthful. Well, there you have it. I really do love Paul Taylor.

I read a whole stack of dancer books, several years ago. Most fell into the category of Too Much Information. But Moira Shearer was a real sleeper.

Originally posted by Morris Neighbor

But as the brilliant documentary Dancemaker suggests, Taylor is more appealing as a dancer and dancemaker than as a person.

I happen to disagree with this for any number of reasons. (Just for instance: 1.You cannot separate the dancer and dancemaker from the person. 2.All that whining about him in the movie didn't make him less appealing to me. Etc.What could be more appealing than Esplanade? Diggity? Et.al.? Or Taylor at curtain? )The book--Private Domain-- is just as much a made up thing as the dances--maybe that's why it seems so truthful. Well, there you have it. I really do love Paul Taylor.

I read a whole stack of dancer books, several years ago. Most fell into the category of Too Much Information. But Moira Shearer was a real sleeper.

I've seen a couple of performances where Thalia crept in--however, this wasn't intentional. But why not? Let Kowrowski play her, she has a knack for the screwball.

Originally posted by leibling

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.) [/b]

You rang? Just make your mind a screen for the dance, and don't worry about your lack of experience. The work will come to you.

Originally posted by cargill

Echoing of Trumpets is a staggering ballet, very powerful, but not gloatingly salacious like Macmillan's are (at least to me.) ]

I just have to say that is the best description of what I feel about Macmillan I have ever come across ( including my own descriptons).

As long as I am now in this topic:About dark/light: you have to consider whether you are talking about music, events in media res, endings (you might say Macbeth has a happy ending in that order is restored, and Duncan's sons take charge), or what not. ( I think Romeo and Juliet is always dark, what with the dead teenagers littering the stage, but I suppose the romantic stuff, and god forbid the happy hooker stuff, is "light." ) Do we mean tragic/comic for light and dark? Are we talking about tone, or some qualities of movement? (Can one sylph about being tragic?) It's all very interesting to think about.The darkest works I've seen were modern dances, to be sure: Taylor's Last Look, Tharp's Fait Accompli, Bausch's Cafe Mueller, et.al. The moderns don't go in for that curtain fall apotheosis stuff--no swanboats in sight.The darkest ballet I have ever seen was Edward II (it was dark night for the entire art form), but let's not go there.

You could also look at an Oxford Book of Quotations or a Bartlett's (your library should have both) and in the index, find "Dance." This will lead you to Milton's L'Allegro (Trip it lightly as you go, on the light fantastic toe) T S Eliot's Four Quartets (At the still point of the turning world, there is the dance) And WB Yeats's Among School Children (Oh body swayed to music, oh brightening glance, How can I tell the dancer from the dance?), among many other poems. Be sure you look these up yourself (!!!!!!!!), because I am quoting off the top of my head. (I won't do your homework for you, but I'll help you do it yourself. Speaking of which, why don't you try writing a poem about dancing yourself? You could write about how it feels to do it, or how it feels to watch it. )

With Manhattnik's permission to broaden the scope, I offer Merce Cunningham cat numbers (original titles in parentheses):

Garfield (Canfield)

Beachbirds for Dinner (Beachbirds)

Night Wandering (actual title!)

Walkaround Time (ditto)

Fielding Mouses (Fielding Sixes)

Native Green Litter (Native Green)

Behind the China Cats.

Tallchief--Firebird

Farrell--Tzigane, Diamonds, Mozartiana, Vienna Waltzes

Kistler--Titania in Midsummer

Nichols--whatever she dances, so changes over time--at moment, Pavanne, the McBride signature piece (along with others named here), Vienna Waltzes

Calegari--Liebeslieder,Mozartiana (she took this over from Farrell in the most amazingly perfumed performance)

Peter Martins--Apollo

Adam Luders--Davidbundlertanze

Peter Boal--Oberon

Damien Woetzel--Prodigal Son

I can see where I might go on forever here, and I haven't even gotton to ABT. In thinking about this, I am struck by the utility dancer--like that divine glamourpuss Helene Alexopolous--who dances many roles exceedingly well without having particular signatures. And Wendy Whelan, too. Et.al. I have also started recalling Balanchine's will, which certainly indicates who he thought were the "owners of roles." Others here are more expert on this topic than I, said person(s) having copies of said document.

I find myself worried about the cat. I hope it wasn't murdered for the occasion. I mean, how else? {"Oh look, the cat's dead. How handy, we're going to the ballet tonight!"---?) Speaking of cats, on extremely rare occasion I have been known to hiss (the girly version of booing), but never at a performer. I would probably hiss more often, but I feel constrained to behave like a guest when attending performances as a guest of the company or the house. By the way,I hissed for content--or against it, really, or for the magisterial complaint Ed Waffle delineates in his last line. I also have left things at intermission, perhaps most notably MacMillan's Manon, which I found nauseatingly misogynistic. I only once walked out in the middle of something, and it was very bad behavior on my part. (Exit, pursued by amplfied Irish music.) Lately, I find myself thinking very carefully before going out. Perhaps the ultimate refusal to applaud is just staying home in the first place.

I find myself worried about the cat. I hope it wasn't murdered for the occasion. I mean, how else? {"Oh look, the cat's dead. How handy, we're going to the ballet tonight!"---?) Speaking of cats, on extremely rare occasion I have been known to hiss (the girly version of booing), but never at a performer. I would probably hiss more often, but I feel constrained to behave like a guest when attending performances as a guest of the company or the house. By the way,I hissed for content--or against it, really, or for the magisterial complaint Ed Waffle delineates in his last line. I also have left things at intermission, perhaps most notably MacMillan's Manon, which I found nauseatingly misogynistic. I only once walked out in the middle of something, and it was very bad behavior on my part. (Exit, pursued by amplfied Irish music.) Lately, I find myself thinking very carefully before going out. Perhaps the ultimate refusal to applaud is just staying home in the first place.

Originally posted by Morris Neighbor

If you asked leading choreographers -- like Mark Morris or Twyla Tharp (I choose them since I see their work just down the street) -- how they would want their work staged in the future, would they insist on some "definitive" performance? (In both cases, I fell confident in saying, the answer is "NO!")

I'm not so sure. In fact, I think I disagree.We'd have to ask them. I just cannot think Tharp would be more laissez faire on this subject than she is on any other. Of course one cannot rule from the grave, but one can make assumptions from how the choregrapher controls his or her work in life.

As for Martha being back, all I can think is "As if," and "If only." I thought Martha was gone when she was still here....

I like the more specialized shout-outs, like" Brava La Prima." On rare occasion, I've been known to yell it. (Note:I grew up hearing my father yell it, so it feels nostalgic and appropriate to me.)There are two choreographers whom I greet with "Bravo" when they walk on stage for bows. For one of them, I rise to my feet at the same time. I don't give a xxx's xxs what anyone around me thinks about it. But my enthusiasm is nothing compared to Mark Morris's--he really whoops it up when he likes something, as does his company member Guillermo (Didi) Resto. It's very pleasant. However, my all time favorite is a dancer and later choreographer named Keith Young. (You may remember him from Twyla Tharp--he danced the first duet in Sinatra--Strangers in the Night, swooping onstage carrying Shelly Washington over his head--too fabulous, but I digress.) Keith used to give utterance to amazing wolf howls at curtain, perhaps because his then wife was in the company taking the bow. It was a kind of mating call. Clapping is always good, though. If you do it right, you can kind of exercise your upper arms. (Hey Manhattnik, instead of leaving for drinks, how about isometrics in our seats???!) How about a thread on booing and hissing???? So many dances, so little time....