vrsfanatic

Are competitions necessary? They are if you are a foreigner. Foreigners are not able to secure work in the USA without qualifications which show they are better than the American counterparts. With US Immigration this is done by showing prizes and awards. It is an actual question on the O1 and H1 visa application form. As for Americans, I personally do not find it important in the least to participate in or win a competition, but it has become a way to find jobs. Companies like to use flashy PR regarding the dancers and winning awards. It is one thing the American mentality understands. Read the bios of the dancers in our companies with the highest professional standards. It always mentions this award or that award. If it were not considered a selling point they would not mention them. It does not hurt a school either to receive this publicity. To say you have a student who has won such and such or the school has received top honors or the teacher has been awarded. Competition is high and one never knows what attracts various people. Sometimes what attracts some could push others away. The competitors are numerous in NY because they do not only invite the winners to the Finals in NY. I think it is anyone who scores a 75 or higher. This pays the bills! An example: there are 10 regionals (this is hypothetical), 6 winners, 3 juniors and 3 seniors in each regional. That only makes 60 competitors all together. That will not pay the bills in NYC, for that matter anywhere. Also they accept video entries. People who did not compete in the regionals for some reason or another but are permitted to show themselves in NY. Some schools have open invitation to compete and only show themselves in NY, not in the regionals. I can only speak for myself, but we have not only sent students to competitions to win an award. We have sent some when younger, to experiemce what it is like so that when they are older and they may be able to win. It will not be their first competition. For example in YAGP they have 15 year olds competing against 18 year olds. In our school there is a vast difference between the two age groups. Our 18 year olds are very, very good artistically and technically. Our 15 year olds may have the technique but not the maturity artistically, therefore the 15 year old is not able to be competitive with the 18 year old. The 15 year old might compete for experience but not to be awarded. The 16 year old however could actually win, beat the 18 year old! this I have seen. I find the age difference in YAGP too vast. Is it a good experience? Overall I would have to say YAGP, as Prix de Lausanne, has been a good experience for our school and the students. We generally have won what we set out to win or accomplished what we set out to accomplish. Goals must be set for the school and the various students who participate. Not all can win the 4 prizes available in YAGP, but the students can achieve. We take our foreign students and they are seen by the "biggies", the younger ones gain experience in competition (ours are all in the 15 -18 year age group, we do not have students who are not in high school). The older ones win the prizes we set out to win and if they do not win, well they have had an experience being seen also by the "biggies". It has never hurt. The students do not have to participate, it is their choice and believe me there are many sitting at school wishing we had selected them to participate. As far as I know, we have selected not to participate this year in YAGP. That could change, things always can. Our reasoning...timing. Our performances are just too close to the dates of the finals. It takes a lot of time to prepare the students for competiton and for us it may not be necessary to be seen every year! We will see!

I have the understanding that YAGP was originally conceived to allow American dancers the opportunity to be seen on stage annually by highly qualified professionals in a performance setting . As explained to me by Larissa, the year the competition was being planned, it was to be for 12 to 15 year olds only. Somehow it became a competition also for much younger students as well as older students, I think up to age 18. YAGP has had to face the financial realities attached to doing such a competition annually. It is now being held in Japan and brings in international judges. Frankly, the international judges do give the opportunity for less corruption. Professional contracts have been given out at the Competition, top prize a contract to ABT Studio Company. Students are offered scholarships to various summer courses but as has been stated previously, the ones chosen for scholarship are in deed the same students who have already received scholarships to various other summer courses. Having served on various small scale competition juries I would have to say the politics of YAGP are no different than other small scale competitions. As AT has stated, yes people do receive prizes because they are 18 and it is their last year, just like students in schools or dancers in companies receive roles because they are older or have a higher ranking. I do not necessarily agree with this, but it is a reality of the Dance World and are we as teachers not responsible also to help our students to be prepared for what they will face in the profession? The fact that YAGP Finals are held in May does make it difficult for the judges to award the prizes to students who have not already made commitments to summer programs, but when else could it be held? Certainly not in December, no one would participate if it were held before Nutcracker was over. The fact that the prizes do go to the same students and schools, for me is quite normal. We, as teachers, school directors, and company directors are all after the same thing, the best students available. Personally, I think the fact that the same schools are awarded the top prizes could be some politics but not only politics!;)

Thank you Kevin for the update on the events in St. Petersburg! Again, reading your review has been absolutely enjoyable! Wish so much I where there. Give my best to all who may remember me! Keep the reviews coming.

Thank you Doug for explaining what you mean by libretto. It is pretty much the same as program notes. Well, of course the information I am seeking would not be found in these notes. But, you did mention notation, regarding the variations in the Bolshoi version being close to the notation you have. In the notation is it explained what was intended in terms of character of movement?

For the sake of my education, and perhaps others too, in the libretto is there a discussion of her character while dancing the variations or just the steps? Having never seen a ballet libretto, I am fascinated as to how that aspect is handled. I have always been confused by the various interpretations of her role in particular. Having never seen an American full length version, when performed in excerpts, the role of Raymonda can become a bit more of a gypsy instead of French royalty. I have seen the Bolshoi version, various ballerinas, but only on video. For example Pliesetskaya is much more agressive in her approach to the role than say Kolpakova, Makhalia, or Komleva. Having studied the variations with Sulamith Messerer, Irina Kolpakova and Ninella Kurgapkina I have been fascinated by the differences in their interpretations. I was wondering if perhaps you could give us some insite into what the libretto says? The excerpts I have seen in the US tend to follow more of the Bolshoi approach to this ballet than Kirov. Who staged the ABT version, I think it was back in the early 1980s? Does anyone know? It was not very close to the Kirov staging of the wedding act. Take a look at Makarova in the Ballerina video for yet again another take on, of course, just the wedding variation but it is quite a different idea of the role when put in context! I would be very happy some insight, if anyone can help!

Since the storyline has many different interpretations there are various ideas as to how the role of Raymonda is performed. Taken out of context, excerpt versions vs full-length versions tend to differ. It is important we have established she is of French royalty, not Hungarian. I am not familiar with the libretto unfortunately, but would enjoy very much the opportunity to read the original. What I know is the old fashioned way in the ballet world, handing down from one dancer to the next. I know this has merit, but sometimes things can get changed with time.

Jeannie, what a evening it must have been. I guess it is one to see it is to believe it! Please keep the reviews coming good, bad or indifferent! Loving every word you write.

I am also awaiting Doug's enrichment of the notation, I have only seen the Kirov full-length Raymonda live. Although it is long, I think almost 4 hours and the story is difficult to follow the dancing is glorious. I have seen Bolshoi on video which is filled with lovely gypsy atmosphere, but alas Raymonda is not a gypsy and snippets of Nureyev POB on video as well as excerpts live, which I disliked immensely. Having studied various sections of Raymonda with various ballerinas of the Kirov, I have learned that it is perhaps one of the most misunderstood ballets. I will save this discussion for excerpts however, since that is when I have found it to be so misinterpreted.

Jeannie thank you for the information about the Sergeev version of Raymonda vs Grigorovich! Too bad we did not meet in St. Petersburg in 1994-1995. I did not know other Americans in St. Petersburg then. I would have enjoyed it. Back to Sergeev vs Grigorovich...I remember the Russians being utterly distraught over the what "Vinogradov" had done to Raymonda and I could never get a straight answer that I understood what it was that they disliked so intensely. For me it all was so much better than anything I had ever seen that I was just living in amazement for two entire years. I had seen the best ballet companies of the world, but nothing compared to what I saw in Russia and I remember Raymonda in particular. So now it is Grigorovich( maybe that is why I could never get the direct answer I was seeking) that I was seeing. I remember J. Makhalina very well in the role! I asked my colleague from Kirov about that Raymonda of 1993-1995 and she seemed to think it had been the same one she had danced when she was in the company with Sergeev as director. I thank both you and Doug for clarifying the differences. Now I just need to get myself back to St. Petersburg so I may see once again the ballet I remember so well. By the way, I am glad you got to see Kolya up close for he is indeed a very beautiful young man. I had emailed Kevin telling him he needed to get you closer to Kolya so you could see a little better. Eat some fabulous food for me! [ March 06, 2002, 06:56 AM: Message edited by: vrsfanatic ]

Jeannie thank you so much for your lovely and vivid review. It seems as if I was sitting there with you. You are so fortunate to be there! It is a pleasure to read that Ti-eun and Kolya (Nikolai)are doing so well. They both were lovely in school. Ti-eun Ru did Masha from Nutcracker, quite a fete for a foreigner who went to Vaganova School at age 14. Kolya Zubkovsky is quite a firecracker in character roles. I have never seen him work classically. In school he did the slave dance in Bayadere and I hear he still is dancing it in the company. He is a very personable young man, speaking some English and Italian. He does seem to have his grandmother's mysterious looks. Thank you again. Keep the reviews coming. Enjoy the snow! Tread through the streets carefully. Remember to shuffle! One is less likely to fall then. [ March 05, 2002, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: vrsfanatic ]

I cannot thank you enough for your very vivid and exciting reviews. Please continue with your very passionate desciptions and knowledgeable observations! This is fun even for those of us who are not fortunate enough to be there!

Ginger Smith is an extremely talented young girl from Phoenix, Arizona area. I know two years ago she won the junior Grand Prix for Youth America. She is a real beauty. We offered her a scholarship maybe 4 years ago, but she stayed home to study. She was working with the same teacher as David Hallenburg ( I think is his name, the boy who was in ABT Studio and now the company). The teacher is a very gifted man, but unforunately I cannot remember his name. He is Asian. Obviously she has done well. Go Ginger! [ January 31, 2002: Message edited by: vrsfanatic ]

I am sorry to say, I do not know anything of the "12 storeys of Vaganova". I will check with my Russian colleagues, but I am afraid that is not something that was included in the program for the one foreign teacher, me! I would love to read of this, so if anyone can say where to find this information I would love to read this theory. I am fascinated. As for what is a technician...I know what is meant by the question, but maybe if we, as teachers could try to "brainwash" our children that technique cannot exist without musicality, we may be able to begin a new outlook on how to accomplish clarity of movement, free expressivity, with musicality. Personally, I try to use the word mechanics to describe the cleanliness of the actions. I know it is all semantics, but for me this idea made a big difference in my approach to movement. The jury is still out on the effects it will have on my students. Andrei or anyone else, if you know what is meant by the "storeys", please respond! Thank you!

Please help me to understand...do you mean upwards of $100,00.00 annually for a senior corps member of NYCB? Let's hope those dancers have saved their money because they will not come anywhere near that as teachers!

Thank you Jeannie for the news from Moscow. It is interesting to see Lavrovsky is back in favor after a number of years of being on the outs! Did you get to see the performance honoring Liepa? Glad to hear Herrera is looking better. It would be interesting to hear the Russian reaction to her work. Looking forward to hearing more.

Thank you Kevin for such a lovely review. It is always so nice to read your very descriptive reviews. Please keep them coming!

Sorry I was not clearer in my description. I truly meant to imply that I must have been the challenge for Violette with my background being strictly Balanchine. I had not one clue, as the students say today. I was well aware of her background by that time in my life and was quite confident that she was more than capable to guide me. She never once faltered or sighed in frustration. She persistantly pursued the differences in port de bras, usage of the body and dynamics until I suppose we ran out of time! She danced with Royes Fernandez, to my waltz girl. I hope I measured up somehow. I know at the time I thought I did, so I suppose that is what is important.

Looking forward to seeing the documentary on Violette. I too must say that as a student, meeting and working with Violette was one of the most influential experiences I had. I was a child when she had an achilles operation and fortunate enough to have her as my teacher for my second or third year of ballet. I was all of 9 or 10, had no idea who she was, but I remember to this day many of the things she would say about music. Her description of the dynamics of frappe were fantastic. As an older student, age 16, I had the fortune to be also coached by her in Syllphide. Having had strictly Balanchine training it really must have been a challenge for her, but she was kind, patient and very giving. As a dancer and teacher, I would have to say Lupe Serrano was the one who had the most affect upon me. A very strong, intelligent and straight forward person, who is able to make it all seem so logical. I have many fond memories and things to thank her for. Also on the list I most definely should add Benjamin Harkarvy, Barbara Weisberger, Jurgen Schneider and Janina Ciunovas. All brilliant teachers or directors who have given their souls to the art form of ballet and the development of teachers.

I can only speak from observation in St. Petersburg over a two year period, but it is something more than what we have up to this point! To my knowledge the Kirov only did the Vainonen version of Nutcracker as a school production until recently. By this I mean within the past 10 years. The Mirliton, known as the pas de trois from Nurcracker, is always done by second or third year students, never by professionals. The school productions all subsequent roles interpreted by the students of the school, except Drosselmeyer. While living in St. Petersburg I did see both school and company productions. In the company productions the students danced the fantasy figures at the opening of what we in the States call the 2nd act, as well as Mirliton. All other roles were performed by the company. The children in the school perform constantly with the company. The young students do Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle, etc. There are children's roles in most classical ballets. The older students do not have as many opportunities, but there are some. Also the students have their own performances in the school theatre annually. Each class has their demonstration consisting of variations, duets, pas de deux for the older ones, pas de trois, etc. There is also a mid-year production in Marinsky, which was Nutcracker the years I was there. As well as a year end program consisting of a class concert, variations and a finale of say second act Swan Lake or Shades from Bayadere, the years I was living there. The students also do international tours. In my time, they went to France in the winter and Japan every summer. I am sure they still go to Japan. I am sure Andrei has more complete information consisting of his personal experience as a child. They are on stage constantly!

Jeannie, thank you so much for the update on Moscow! I was hoping someone would see the Lavrovsky Gala and write about it on the Internet. I am glad to hear Misha is still thrilling the audience, even after a hip replacement in 1991 and he is on his way for another one this winter! He was a very dynamic performer, teacher and coach. Misha was always the one to take the chances. He loves to dance! He turned 60 in October (the date in Koegler is incorrect by one month). Nice to see his private ballet school is working out! He does come to the US periodically to teach, coach and stage a piece or two. He is a very dear person who would be an asset to any school or company in the US! I was unaware that he was married to Bessmertnova. I knew of Semanyaka, the Georgian wife and his present wife. The things one learns on the Internet!

In a round about way I found a different website which may interest you since it has information on many international schools. Type in classical ballet in Florence, Italy On the first page double click on CyberDance-Ballet on the Net-International Sites Scroll down to Schools. There are many listings for Italy. the address of Florence Dance Academy is: Florence Dance Festival Borgo della Stella, 23r 50124 Firenze, Italia Ph. 011-39-055-289276 Fax. 011-39-055-217810 website:florencedance1@leonet.it I could not reach the website so maybe you need to fax. Keith is American so they will understand your Fax. I hope you can find the information you are looking for. Buona fortuna!

I am still searching for the website. I cannot find it anywhere. The ballet company in Florence is part of Teatro Comunale, the largest theatre in Florence. The company works in the opera as well as performing separate concerts at various theatres. The larger hotels have listings. Also you can go to Teatro Comunale and there is a list of events, perhaps only in Italian, but maybe it has changed, I lived there so long ago. There is also a school in Piazza della Signoria, same piazza as the David (the copy), called Centro Studi di Danza run by another ballerina from Teatro Comunale Cristina Borzoletti, I think is the spelling of her name. She also has a performing group which has been quite good. The Brenda Hamlyn School on via Maggio has classes for children but I do not know if they have classes for adults anymore. I know these schools still exist because I have sent others to them. Still searching! Yes, where is antoP?

I was a young child when Mr. Balanchine did Don Q. I do not remember the year. Maybe someone can advise me of this. Image Mr. Balnachine sitting centerstage, absolutely enface upon his horse ever so elegantly. Jaquelyn Kennedy Onassis sitting beautifully first ring, center. Well, I shall say the horse had a call from nature just as the curtain was to fall, but not soon enough. As a youngster, first I was astonished to see Mr. Balanchine on a real horse no less, but then the rest was an experience I shall never forget. I call it one of my funniest moments in the theatre.

There are a number of schools in Florence to take class. There is a website in English and Italian, but I do not remember how I found it. Off the top of my head, Florence Dance Academy, directed by Marga Nativa and Keith Faronne. Marga was a prima ballerina assoluta with Teatro Comunale in Florence. Keith, an American who danced with Igal Peri in NY. I know they have open classes, day and evenings and English is spoken by some. I will try to get the address and phone number and also that website.

Living in a suburban beach town has meant that I have had to keep myself busy with non-dance related activities. One can find me in the Auction houses searching for antiques at ridiculously low prices. It has become most addictive I must say. Has inspired a lot of reading as well as kept me up with my passion for history, any history I am not particular.