vrsfanatic

Nice subject! Vaganova School uses, toes pointed to the floor, toes at 25 (battement tendu jete, battement frappe), toes at 45 (mid-calf, rond de jambe en l'air, battement fondu), toes at 90 (hip level) and anything above. I have also heard at least one Russian teacher (straight out of Vaganova Teacher's course) using 35 for fondu. She says that is what she was taught in methodolgy, but all of the written material references 45, as I was taught in methodology. As Major Johnson has already stated it really is an individual issue depending upon the various lengths and shapes of legs. What is important is that the legs are all a uniform height and that the students/dancers are able to accomplish a skill as required/requested by the teacher/ballet master or director.

Janina Ciunovas (Cunova in the Warren book), just retired from teaching, although I find it hard to believe, in Melbourne, Australia. Age...let us say 89 +, afterall she "is a lady and ladies are not supposed to tell!" Last I heard, Yvonne Patterson, originally in first Serenade cast as well as Ballet Society, was still giving company class a few times a week at Pennsylvania Ballet.

I am not up on the most recent facts of working in Italy as a dancer but I know it was quite difficult back in the 1980s and I have not heard of it being on many lists of places for Americans to work in ballet. It had been easier as a teacher. Try reading the forum on Modern Ballet in Italy. There is a useful website as well as an audition listed in November. Italy is a fabulous place to live and work. There are a zillion theatres most with Opera Companies and Orchestras with many foreigners working amongst the ranks however there are not that many ballet companies that work independently of the operas. Check Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, at Teatro Comunale in Florence. Also in Florence there is an independent but very good ballet company Balletto di Toscana but again for an American, I do not know. Also type in ballet in Italy and do a search. Perhaps you could choose a city and search that region, such as Tuscany, Reggio Emilia, Rome, Verona, Napoli, Milan etc. Buona fortuna, what a place to live and work!

There will be an auditon in November for a program for choreography for Aterballetto. Maybe you would find this information of interest? The Italian company Aterballetto, artistic Director Mauro Bigonzetti, is going to hold auditions for its advanced professional course for young dancers. Auditions for 17 young unemployed dancers will be on November 12, 2003, at 10,30 a.m., in: Fondazione Nazionale della Danza -Compagnia Aterballetto Via Verdi, 24 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy Requirements: - Minimum age 18 years old - High school degree - Proof of 5 years of dance studies - Self-declaration of unemployment The course will be held from November 2003 to May 2004, for a total of 800 hours, 310 of which of choreographic workshop at Aterballetto’s. Tuition is free. Broad arrangements & fee will be decided by the Administration. Application & documentation must be sent and received by November 7, 2003, at: Fondazione Nazionale della Danza - Compagnia Aterballetto Via Verdi 24 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy tel: +39 0522 273006 fax: +39 0522 452851 e-mail: centrodanza@crd-aterballetto.it www.crd-aterballetto.it request it at: centrodanza@crd-aterballetto.it

If you or your daughter speak Italian try http://www.balletto.net/. They also have a translation function that it quite accurate. The website is run by dancers with La Scala, in Milan and San Carlo, in Naples. They cover a wide variety of ballet, contemporary and classical in Italy. Ballet is not covered as a college course in Italy since their educational system is quite different than ours in the USA. The children study ballet either professionally, in the National Schools in Rome and Milan (in order to recieve a diploma) or in private schools while going to their academic classes in their respective schools (liceo classico, science, language, trade...). The educational system issued a bacchalaureate instead of a general high school diploma in order to go on to university. The University system does not currently include ballet. Having lived in/worked professionally in ballet in Italy, I would like to add that there are good schools of ballet in Italy, mostly Russian based I believe because the Accademia di Roma had been training teachers to teach and issuing a diploma based on the Russian method of teaching ballet. There have also been some prominent Italian teachers who have trained to teach in St. Petersburg, Russia. I know one of the dancers who runs the Board I have mentioned above. he was studying to receive his diploma as a dancer in Vaganova Academy while I was also there. There are of course other methods being taught throughout the country, but the Russian program did seem to me to be the most prevalent. There was a summer program run by Virginia School for the Arts somewhere in Tuscany that if I remember well, was modern based. You could also check with VSA website. I believe it is discussed somewhere on this website! Buona Fortuna!

Trained by Fred Danieli, School of the Garden State Ballet, Newark, NJ from early childhood until her graduation from high school (no summers at SAB). She must have graduated in 1966 or 1967 but I loose track I was very young! Spent a few months in SAB before her corps contract with NYCB. Corps for at least 12 years, maybe more. Retired possibly 1979/80?...after that, I do not know. One of the inspirations of my childhood. As an eight year old I thought she was the world! :grinning: Many dancers from the 1960s and 1970s, NYCB in particular, from that school. Victor Castelli, Christine Redpath, Gloria Govrin...the list is long.

Thanks Major Johnson, most interesting.

Are not the divertissements named in the score by Tchaikovsky? I will have to get the score out today to check but I believe I have seen the name of each divertissement written (in Russian) on the top of each page. I just assumed (not a good idea) that it said, Waltz of the Flowers, Chocolate, Coffee, etc.. I know the pas de trois (Mirliton/Marzipan) says pas de trois so how that has evolved is not known to me. Anyone? I have no opinion regarding the various versions of Nutcracker. My interest is basically historical in nature. Major Johnson has written a very informative and interesting piece on Nutcracker. Thank you kindly! :grinning:

...that I go to work refreshed, revived, organized and thinking about how, when ,where, what and why I do what I do each day. I am a very organized individual, educated in my field, but Ballet Alert inspires me to be better at my job. It allows me the priveldge of having an outlet with professionals with whom I may not always agree on the particulars however having a deep respect for the knowledge on this board and recognizing I learn so much from the communication, I always have food for thought. Ideas to perhaps get me out of my quicksand and funk!! Ballet Alert is an invaluable part of my day. Thank you again! I cannot say it enough. BTW: it also helps to keep me a bit more conscience of typing, spelling, grammar and expressivity in my language. I know I make a lot of mistakes, but before BA I was regressing terribly in this area! :shhh:

A very big Happy Birthday wish to all who have helped to make BalletAlert what it is today! :party: The dedication, honesty, knowledge and openness of this board is unsurpassed. Chin chin, salute, cheers to our moderators for guiding us always forward! A very big Thank You!

James Sofranko, Matthew Stewart, with SFB, Robin...unfortunately I cannot remember her last name with BalletTech are three Julliard graduates to go on to high level ballet companies. Also There is Daniel Wiley who has chosen not to accept a contract with Boston Ballet this year, but was offered one. For various reasons I believe he chose North Carolina Dance Theatre. All are very high level dancers for ballet companies.

Yes, Bridgett is from Florida! Any notification of what she dances and how would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! :grinning: I did read the review posted on BalletAlert about In the middle...,not bad for an apprentice to be first cast!

I cannot comment on Voloshkova now, as I have not seen her since her graduation performance from Vaganova Academy. I reserve comment on that one! However, Ina do you know why the article in the Washington Post says, . Mr. Lavrovsky may have left Moscow for periods of time but never to live in the USA. He staged pieces for Atlanta Ballet and also in New Orleans. He also left to be director of Tbilisi Ballet in 1983. He worked in Teacher's Workshops (Russian method) in the late 1980s until 1995 throughout the US, but he never lived here on a permanent basis. It was summer work only. Seems odd to me! Thanks for any help you may give.

Just awakened and seeing the floods and wind damage I cannot help but wonder. How is everyone? Hoping everyone in the area is well.

Thank you so much!

I do not live anywhere near Houston, but could you please let me know if you see a new corps girl named Bridgett Zehr doing anything special? Thank you so much in advance!

Dane LaFontsee and Fiona Fuerstner do have a daughter, born in about 1970 (sorry I know the birthday, not the year). She is not a dancer, although I did have her in class as a student until they all left on the Milwaukee adventure. Dane was a Mouseketeer (early Mickey Mouse Club) before studying at NC School for the arts, I believe his name was Danny! Thank you rg for printing that synopsis of PBC in Dance in America. I just remember being filmed in class with Lupe, but I could not remember what year! Thanks so much. BW, as you already know, I only know of the Varna and Moscow competition we have already discussed, but I still cannot lay my hands on it. I did just finally meet Hideo Fukagawa in Japan (a real joy for me). He also has nothing on video of those competitions and would love to get his hands on anything. He is fortunate though that the World's Young Ballet video does exist! I will keep you posted if I learn anything new!

Diddo Major Johnson. Short but sweet. No harm done. I am sure there are many more tributes planned as the year 2004 unfolds, on the little screen and in the theatre. I know NYCB was just fiming something in Copenhagen. Perhaps we are in for a treat! :grinning:

Pennsylvania Ballet in the 1970s was involved in the Dance in America series on PBS. Perhaps there may be a few of the pirated copies around but really videos were not common usage then. I beleive it was a bit of Van Manen, Harkarvy and Balanchine. Serenade and Barocco. Maybe John Butler's Carmina Burana. I do not remember too well. Sorry. Maybe Tamara Hadley is in the corps, not sure if Bill Degregory was there yet. Jeff Gribler was still an apprentice I believe. Otherwise, you probably would not know any of the dancers.

Christine Cox is still dancing? That is great to hear. I will have to look at their website. Thanks.

I am sorry, when did ABT dance Serenade.

I am only able to address the corps work of the years, ruffly 1962-1987, at which time I attended NYCB on a frequently regular basis. I was a child during part of those years, I must admit, therefore perhaps some of my impressions have been a bit clouded by my immense love of anything that had to do with ballet, but I do not really recall the corps of NYCB ever being together. I came not to expect it. Odd because when I was a teenager I was dancing ballets such as Symphony and C, Barocco, Valse Fantasy...and we had to be together. I actually never understood it. SF Ballet , as well as PA Ballet in the 70s were highly regarded because of their corps work particularly in the Balanchine Rep. Could not all ballets look better with a corps that is uniform musically, stylistically, schoolingwise, etc? Since this is a thread that specifically states IMHO, my vote is yes! Not to lead us off topic because we have aleady covered this issue with the current generation of dancers but, when did SAB ever train corps members that went into NYCB? Read the bios of various dancers from the past, as with today's company, the majority were not from the NYC metropolitan area. A few, Ricky Weiss, Judy Fugate, Edward Villella, I am searching my memory for a corps dancer? I am sure there are some?

Just an observation regarding this statement...these ballet companies also have very reputable schools that have been established for centuries and traditionally have drawn the majority of their dancers from these schools. In short, the dancers, who have trained together since childhood, all use the same vocabulary, understand each others way of moving, they all come from the same mound. This can make for very coherent corps work! Great idea!

. I am pretty sure she ended up a member of Colorado Ballet. I believe she worked there a few years in the 1990's and is teaching somewhere in the US now. I cannot remember where though. The video does give students, parents, teachers and balletomanes a bit of what it is like to study and dance in St. Petersburg. A must see on the list for the blossoming student/driver of student and new teacher! I must say it is odd how different ballet looks even from the 1970's to now in Russia, well probably even the world.

Perhaps you should call MCB directly to get information on this question. Look in Dance Magazine or on the Internet for the phone number. They may even have an email address.