vrsfanatic

I believe Tara hench is in Tulsa now, as a soloist.

I believe the rites to Dolin's choreography and restagings were left to Jelco Yuresha, Yugoslavian dancer, soloist with London Festival Ballet and Royal Ballet in the 1960's. He is the husband of Belinda Wright. He does travel quite extensively restaging Dolin work if anyone is interested!

There was a job opening at NCSA for the fall of 2003, but I do not know why. We did receive a flier at work regarding the opening however I do not know of anyone who did make an application. I think the deadline for application was a while ago.

Reading was most definitely encouraged as I was growing up both at home and in school. I spent 3 years in public school in suburban NJ, where I am told I learned no reading skills, but I could sing and charm, was wisked out of the public school system in third grade (actually I had to repeat third grade), into an all girl's private school, where I remained until my graduation (well except in my junior year my parents did allow me to go to the public high school but I ran back to my private school after only 4 days. Somehow I knew I was not going to learn as well) We had reading lists, school year and summer, in the girl's school, from the time I can remember book reports, discussion groups, etc. I hated it, the reading lists, but I do realize today what value it has had in my life. I was always reading on the bus to ballet, from age 10. Those were two hours a day I had to myself. I was captured. There were so many books, mostly the ones already mentioned but in 6th grade we began with Shakespeare. Julius Caesar was the first and then every year until graduation another one. Now I thank my lucky stars, but at the time I must say I thought it all was ridiculous. In eighth grade we had our first book in French, Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and I must say this book changed my outlook completely on reading. How I struggled getting through it, but I must say that to this very day I remember the rewards I received by sticking to it and comprehending the words and the meaning behind those words. Finally I was able to understand it was a concept in reading that was of the most importance not the definition of each word. It also gave me the fascination to learn different languages. I give this book as a gift to young and old, in various languages. Our reading lists were divided into American Lit., English Lit., European Lit. My foreign language was French, 4 years of that although I must say I only function at an intermediate level now. It all seemed to go together with what we were studying in history class. We were reading the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich as we were studying World War 2, etc. To this day I have my books. They have been in and out of storage so many times, I cannot tell you. I have very little contemporary literature though. I find it difficult to get through. I have tried, but I never seem to find anything that grabs me. I will go to the library to get some of the books suggested here at BA, but I cannot buy anymore books, no room! ;)

grace, thank you for the link. Although my fantasyland of Nin is slowly being updated...I can appreciate your efforts to shed a new light on a subject that has fascinated me since my early teens. Whether her diaries and writings are actually factual or not is really not of great importance to me. They were beautifully written and express many ideas that are contemporary, as well as tell a bit of the inner most sensibilities of woman.

Thank you so much Ed Waffle. Interesting reading...I will just have buy that biography now. Actually I am running out of town, airplanes, trains, cars...I need a good read! Thanks again.

Oh vaganova mom...maybe the scandal broke when I was out of the country? :eek: Or I just plain, ol' missed that one. I know there was a lot of controversy over her writings for various reasons, but always found them peacefull, kind and thought provoking. If what Proust says is true, that happiness is the absence of fever, then I will never know happiness. For I am possessed by a fever for knowledge, experience, and creation. -Anais Nin How could anyone who spoke such beautiful words, not be real! Maybe I just don't want to know.

Great question! I loved reading repeatedly Le Petit Prince (the Little Prince), Days of Ulanova, although I must say I probably looked at the pictures more than read, and anything Ayn Rand or Anais Nin when I was in my a budding adolescent of the late 60s early 70s. I still can re-read any of it anytime quite happily!

Currently, I believe Mariinsky Theatre is dancing the Amor variation from Paquita in a tutu and when it is danced in Don Q a tunic is used. I am still researching whether the variation was used in Paquita or Don Q first, but Koegler has Paquita being staged by Petipa first in 1847. The Grand Pas and the pas de Trois was added in 1881. Don Q was first done in 1869 (Bolshoi) and in St. Petersburg additional choreography and music was added 1871. Looks like a toss up to me! I will keep checking though! As for the gender confusion for Cupid/Amor...well, maybe it is from a different fairy tale or myth? Interesting observation for sure.

This list is quite illustrious. Yet I must question, as I recognize names on the list who have spent perhaps time at CPYB yes, but they did not complete a course of study. Maybe a year as an already well trained dancer, as in the case of Kathleen Breen Combes, or else as a very young child, they received their very fine early training at CPYB, as in Ethan Stieffel, Vanessa Zahorian, the Hench 's and the LeBlanc's ( all of them, maybe 3 sisters?). Having known these children since they were very young I would have to say they certainly received beneficial training from CPYB, without a doubt, but it also should be noted that there are many fine schools involved in the development of many who either got their start at CPYB or went there by choice of course, before entering a company, but after high school. CPYB is a very fine program and Marcia Dale Weary is a highly respected teacher, but as with most schools in the US, many various teacher and schools participate in the training of our dancers. It is rare that just one school or teacher has created these wonderkins!

Does anyone know where I might find the Margot Fonteyn narration called The Magic of Dance? Thanks a lot for your help!

BW, I will try to answer a little bit of your question about training a "star" in a ballet school, although I must say I cannot take credit for training a phenomenon of any sort, mainly good, solid classically trained dancers who have been working in the profession at very high levels as well as various levels in between. I hope that will do. I cannot say I have one answer though. Very much of the actual star syndrome is created by a particular Artistic Director, the marketing staff of a company, and at times even critics. First and foremost I must say that each student I have worked with has shown an undeniably obvious desire to succeed. What I mean by this is that the personality was there to begin with. In essence, a student/dancer is driven and loves to perform, whether it is in class or on stage there is an undeniable shining light , no fear, an attack to the work. Of course these ingredients are provided by the student/dancer but without slow, methodical training, a highly professional eye that is able to mold the dancers'/students' mind in many aspects of dance, not just classroom work, the art of ballet is cheapened and the dancer will loose the necessary knowledge to excell. A dancer/student must obtain humility and a curiousity to understand at least physically (sometimes the intellectual part is developed after the physical part) why and how to make oneself better. A teacher can teach a student/dancer about these things but it must come from the dancer. It is not like make-up or a hat or shirt that can be put on and taken off. These things are internal. I am not quite sure if one can actually learn this. A teacher must teach one who possesses these qualities how to temper the urges the desires that can sometimes be so strong one is over powered but I, at least cannot say I have ever actually taught someone these qualities. They either had them or they didn't. If there is a teacher out there who can say how to teach this... bottle it and make a few million. I know many who would buy it! Sometimes I had technically better dancers not have a profession and those with what I call the personality succeed beyond my wildest imagination. I remember when I first started working as a teacher, I did have a very beautiful class, generally all physically suited for the profession but there was this one little girl, only average feet, face only average, proportions average. She looked like a vagabond amidst these beauties, but she had more spark. Over the 6 year period that I had the pleasure to work with these fine young people, she was always pushing harder than the others. She was always in essense in my face, sometimes to the point that it was annoying!;) Well, out of a class of 12 boys and girls, 6 of them had careers, but she had the biggest. Maybe not in the biggest company but she worked in a smaller company as the "star", the others became corps or soloists of very big companies. So you tell me, who was the star?;) I hope I was able to help a bit. BTW, I know many of the previous years winners, Grand Prix and otherwise in YAGP, and I guess it is a matter of opinion whether or not they actually counted artistry more this year than in previous years. The young dancers I know who were awarded grand prix and top prizes, in the past for the most part were not just flash and weak in artistry. IMOH ;)

grace, registration at the NY Times is free. It is an interesting website. I do not know if I receive a bunch of junk because I am registered there but it really is great to read the reviews and other articles that one may find of interest. ;)

I think I know what you are discussing and I agree with what has already been said on the subject, but when I looked at this particular photo I must say to me it looks more like she is very hyperextended more than her legs are oversplit. Her feet are definitely higher than her hips but that it because her knees are below the level of her hips. I have never seen this dancer so I do not know her legs. I do bet that she is very hyperextended. Really what I dislike intensely is when the knees are above the hip line. That is more of what I would refer to as an oversplit in grand jete.

As a teacher who casts students in large and small corps de ballet works I would like to suggest that perhaps the teacher in question did not use the most diplomatic of ways to describe what can be considered when assembling a group of dancers together. Just as we try to combine like sizes, we also try to assemble bodies that blend well together as well as skin tones. That is not to say that dancers of differing skin tones may not dance together on the stage, it is only to say that dancers are put in order according to size, shape, hair color, and yes, skin tone. Ballet masters/mistresses and choreographers also need to consider who are the more experienced dancers and who has the strongest technique. It is not an easy job to say the least. The choreography and the production is what it is supposed to be all about. Those in charge try to make for a harmonious picture. As in nature, there are various tones on green, red, orange, blue white, brown and black. All colors have shadings. Ballets can use many different ethnic groups and still look harmonious, it just takes more thought and time to assemble the group.

I am open to answer any questions I am asked but I am not always aware there are questions to be directed to me. A few times the guests have actually addressed me personally but mostly they speak with the administrators.

Our school has various levels of visitors...very often! Of course we have the occasional visiting parent or families who must receive permission from the teacher to observe in advance. We also have visting community groups who pay a nominal fee to observe. It is well done by our Director and Staff who give a lecture prior to the class and accompany the guests into the studio. Sometimes these lectures can take place 3 times a month. The guests are always different in that their reactions are varied. We have the ones who are filled with emotion and do not want it to end, clapping all the time and then they want to stay and ask questions about the class. There are also those who watch and listen pleasantly but show little obvious emotion. The students of course enjoy the ones who show more enjoyment. In the end they do help with community awareness, ticket sales and donations. I must say it did take some getting used to and it is always best when the group does follow common ballet classroom etiquette such as most ballet people know but is not common knowledge to the general public. Gee...maybe that could be a thread in itself! ;) We often have visiting ballet professionals from the community or otherwise. Particularly during the audition months. Perspective students and their families are often coming through as well! Basically our studios are open as long as the correct permission is given to attend the class! I particularly enjoy when visiting professionals observe. Sometimes we all can get so isolated. It is great to talk shop and share our experiences!

No psavola, I think you have made yourself very clear. The differences that we are discussing perhaps have more to do with teaching methods than the actual usage of the word epaulement. Although I like the approaches that are being discussed, the reality of what must be taught to a child from the beginning in the Vaganova program is as I have stated above. That does not mean that the teacher must actually speak to the student in those terms but the results must exist, even when one is a professional dancer. Therefore, when discussing the usage of epaulement or the existence of epaulement, it is not considered a movement of the shoulders only. As Andrei has stated so very well... The elasticity of the upper back sideways, forward, backward and the usage of the head and eyes makes the line of the pose and the artistic qualities of the position speak a language of the its own. This creates the idea of movement.I have tried very hard not to speak for Andrei, please do not misunderstand just because I like the way he made his statement. If you disagree Andrei please let me know. I am always learning! carbo, in Vaganova schooling there is a movement called bends of the body. The body can twist and turn in various ways of course. However many times what non-Vaganova trained dancers may consider as twists and turns, are to a Vaganova trained dancer/teacher simply 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th port de bras being used in a pose or a position. Also the arabesques 1-4 all have their own form and requirements, mechanically and artistically. Maybe this idea could help to give a reference point for non-Vaganova trained teachers and others who may have an interest in the topic. Sometimes we just need to better understand our language and I do not mean English. Just how we find a common form of communication so we can comprehend and continue to learn from one another.

There also are rules for the lower body (hips,legs and feet) when one uses epaulement. For example: the turn of the body to croise is a very sharp, forceful turn of the supporting heels forward toward the downstage corners of the dancer's diagram of the space. This allows the heels, hips and shoulders all to be on the same diagonal. The face or head with the eyeline may look in any choreographed direction, although there are more common usages than others. When a dancer is using epaulement efface there is a resistance to the turn of the heels, hips and shoulders so the dancer may remain turned out when seen from the audiences perspective. All systems use a differing numerical system to number the space, stage or studio, but all use the directions of the body. Without an understanding of these directions of the body there will not be epaulement. Another important aspect of epaulement is the expression of the pose. Without this, dance becomes simple exercise, mechanics. There are some very fine professionals working who do not have a good understanding of epaulement. I consider them more as athletes, not dancers. Without epaulement there is little expressive ability. Dance becomes only two dimentional. Even when watching modern dance (I just returned from a program of the Limon Company) they use epaulement. I am not sure what they call it in modern dance but dance is dance and the angles of the body are similar in how it relates to the stage regardless of whether we are discussing modern, ballet or flaminco for that matter. I am sure what we call epaulement in ballet is also used in stage and film work for actors. They just call it something else. They body expressivity is the same in all artistic forms of movement. Perhaps it just has different names.

Rachel and Alexandra, some very interesting ideas, observations and thoughts! I cannot say I have an particular answers, perhaps just more pondering, but it seems to fit in with the subject at hand. When I go to see a particular professional company or professional school perform there are many aspects of ballet or dance that I have come to expect. The first and foremost is a professional approach to the work, accomplished dancers with a certain level of mastery of the classical vocabulary and ballets being performed with the intended artistic integrity that they were originally choreographed. I have come to realize that I no longer have any particular expectations of a style in any company. They are all dancing it all, in one way or another, which was not the case even 20 years ago. I recently had the experience of seeing NYCB after a hiatus of 15 years (except having seen the few televised performances done in those years I did not attend NYCB). Fifteen years ago I walked out of New York State Theater stating I would never pay to see NYCB again. Well then it became even if someone gave me tickets I would not go. My expereinces had been so disappointing that I felt I could no longer support the Company. My disappointment with the training in the school was finally filtering into the performances I was seeing in front of me. IMO there was not only a lack of artistic integrity but also NYCB had lost it's professionalism in presentation of an artistic product. The corps de ballet was totally under rehearsed, the dancers were not showing a mastery of the classical vocabulary, the ballets no longer were being danced in the manner in which they were choreographed and I personally did not care for the new works being produced. In those 15 years I had students get jobs with NYCB and I just could not bring myself to see the company. I was glad they had a good job, but when I had the opportunity to be in NYC I just could never spend 2 or 3 hours watching a performance that I thought would annoy me! Well life has its' way of taking funny twists and turns...this winter I did find myself sitting once again in NY State Theater watching NYCB. I had all of the same expectations of disappointment as I had had the previous day, but somehow I sat there finding that either I had grown a bit and developed a different idea of ballet or NYCB was changing. I would have to say it is probably a combination of the two! In short I did not hate it as I assumed I would. I could gleefully and proudly look my joyous student in the eye as she walked out of the stage door apprehensively because she was terrified I hated it and what she had become in the very short year and a half since she had left the womb so to speak. I know one of the things I learned through this experience was as companies grow and change with the times, so do the people watching. To me NYCB looked better rehearsed, more in tune with the style of Balanchine that I remembered dancing and seeing by various companies in the 1970's, the level of classical accomplishment, at least with the corps de ballet, was of an increased professional calibur and for the most part the performance was presented at a high professional level. This was not the case 15 years ago! Hats off to the artistic staff and teachers. So, here is the case of one professional who went to the ballet with certain expectations of style and I can very pleasantly tell you that my expectations of style were met although I never expected that to be the case!

Are we discussing the current styles of these ballet companies?

Justine there is no recognized ceritfication outside of Vaganova Pedagogy course by the Vaganova Academy of Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. This is recognition of the teacher representing their School/schooling. I know when I was there they really were trying to copyright it like Pilates had done and even Balanchine Technique (please excuse me Balanchine people, I do not know how to make that copyright sign). It is at least a beginning to try to clear up all of the confusion about what actually is or is not Vaganova. To my knowledge they have not moved forward with this issue as of yet. There is no society that governs an examination process outside of Russia. Vaganova School will not even recognize Moscow or Perm as being Vaganova! ;) Colorado Ballet Academy has an examination process for themselves. Maybe you should call them? Look under www.coloradoballetacademy.edu, I believe. I do a class demonstration annually, not an exam really. My students are 14 and 15 years old, coming from varying backgrounds so at the end of one year with me, I feel I can show something but my goodness it is certainly not 4th or 5th year Vaganova work in the pure form. Are you teaching alone? I am fortunate that I do have another certified/diplomaed Vaganova teacher with whom I work that looks in, we talk a lot. She helps to be the other eye. I know it is not enough but all I have at the moment. I take advantage of any "Russians" passing through to come take "a look see" when possible. Since you are in Florida maybe you would like to come see? Let me know if you have interest.

Oh major Mel, I like this word! EXECRABLE...wretched! I had to look it up, but it was worth it. I agree! Thanks Jeannie for the interest at least to find out. Maybe they will build a stage like PO, where I hear it moves up and down, using the rake when needed. Evidently the POB does not dance on a rake.

Jeannie, we are having a discussion in the teacher's forum about raked stages. If you have a way to find out if the new Mariinsky stage will be raked it could be of interest to us! Thank you ever so much!

Thanks Jeannie and NO7. Funny, Kuznetsov was always Albrecht in school. He did that role in 6th, 7th, and 8th year, a well as others of course. Shows how things can change. I look forward to your very exciting reviews.