vrsfanatic

Sorry no news on the contract issue today. Way too busy.

Odd indeed. It has been used only as an opener as far as I know. I will ask my director today what the actual contract says.

Ha, ha...I am a ballet teacher. I must have patience!

Viscera was a total mess, not worth the time and money spent nor the dancers ample energy to make this seem like a piece of art. It was dark, dingy, boring and everything else that cubanmiamiboy has stated. I too question how Fancy Free could have been so horribly received but it was not well danced energywise and definitely looked dated. I am in agreement as well with cubanmiamiboy that the programing was backwards. Swan Lake Act II should have ended the program. I too remember NYCB always opening with Swan Lake, so perhaps like Serenade, it is contractually an opener. At a time when Balanchine was alive doing the programing or in conference with the few directors of companies he allowed to do his ballets (for free), this may have worked. It did not work for Program I of MCB at the Arsht Center. It will be interesting to see how the audiences in The Broward Center and the Kravits Center respond.

Having seen this version before, many times on NYCB, my expectations were not as yours. I hope as patrons we can differentiate between dancers doing a wonderful job in the roles they are given and a choreographic expectation not attained. For Swan Lake 2nd Act, a corps de ballet who dances together is paramount. Although I have not seen NYCB do the ballet in years, I would say that while Balanchine was alive, as a child, I never saw the Corps of NYCB together. It simply was not a focus. Neither right nor wrong, just not what I like. I still appreciated the ballets of Balanchine. This is not Petipa. If one must, categorize it as something else done to the same music. It is however the Balanchine version of Act II Swan Lake. As a ballet teacher perhaps I am forgiving as I do recognize one does what one must at a particular time. I am sure this choreography did help to develop his Company and dancers.

That said, Miami City Ballet is looking better than ever. The house was full, happy and excited. Filled with young people. What a change from 20 years ago! Bravo Miami City Ballet for bring ballet excitement back to Miami. It has been missing for too long!

While I was not pleased with the programing, I went with my eyes wide open for what I was going to see. I did not expect the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake, nor was I looking to compare the two. Is the Balanchine a definitive version? No. I cannot fault the dancers for dancing what they were given to dance. Unfortunately,the corps was ragged, the Little Swans, admirable, Siegfried beautiful to watch run and mime but his jump was small and he is not a turner, Ms. Messmer on the other hand was beautiful technically and artistically. I was in the 3rd balcony and she read to the balconies for sure. In Broward and West Palm, I will sit closer. I thought she was absolutely lovely. ABT and SFB have lost a treasure. I look forward to watching her develop further as an artist.

Dear Birdsall, I am so sorry to read of your attack in beautiful St. Petersburg. I was working in Asia at the time and not very connected to the Internet at the time (too many Asian dinners that go on for hours). It is wonderful news that you will make a full recovery and that you are able to find some bright moments after such an ordeal. A good cry hopefully has helped you to cope more with your feelings.

While I was studying at Vaganova Academy, a fellow international teacher friend was mugged twice for his warm coat. This was early-mid 1990s. I walked to and from Mariinsky almost every night alone (trollies were either packed or did not arrive, so rather than freeze walking was the most dependable mode of transport) to see performances of some sort and visit with friends who live around the corner from Mariinsky. My first year I took my fur coat with me. I stuck out as a foreigner and learned quickly to dress down. Everyone walked then. I never took the car rides and my friends never allowed me to do anything but take a taxi they had phoned ahead for if the evenings ran into the wee hours of the morning.

My last visit was in 2009. I again walked every where. I was able to see I. Kuznetsov do Tybalt, btw. Having watch him grow up from 6th year to 8th, it was very exciting for me. He was an excellent Tybalt indeed. He was a good Albrecht in school as well. It is interesting how in Mariinsky, he was developed more as a character actor. He is a character indeed.

As for walking and safety, I realize that when I am traveling, I tend to go into vacation mode and can be a bit unrealistic about where I am. As beautiful as St. Petersburg is, I was brainwashed by my Russian friends what to do and what not to do. I am sure I was just lucky as I did not use my smarts as often as I should have. Walking is however the best way to see this beautiful city, daytime and nighttime.

I will miss your reviews. They kept me so in touch with a city and ballet company I love. Thank you for your love of ballet and your vivid, intelligent reviews. Maybe we will meet one day when the company is on tour.

When I lived in St. Petersburg I missed this ballet because I was unable to read Russian well enough to understand a theatre notice. Then it was not done again while I was living there. How much I would love to see this ballet. The Russians were so excited about it in 1993-1995.

Vipa, an interesting opinion but as with all opinions there will be many who are not in agreement with you.

Thank you for posting. My rare trips to NYC always miss The Ballet Shop. Being always early for the ballet, it was a wonderful place for me to wander through as a young ballet student awaiting the ballet to begin. I have a large ballet memorabilia collection, I believe because I was so fascinated by his store. He was always encouraging to me, although I am sure he was only trying to sell a book or two. He was a part of my ballet life, while he was unaware, from my childhood until the shop closed. He influenced my love of all things Russian ballet.

May he rest in peace.

I cannot open the link to The Atlanta Black Star!

It would be nice to include Andrea Long-Naidu a member of NYCB in the 1980s and then a principle dancer with Dance theatre of Harlem for 13 years.

I have tried repeatedly to post a link but it will not post for some reason. Please Google: www.blackpast.org/aah/long-andrea

She joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 1985 (I am guessing around age 16, after having spent her entire schooling period in that school) soon after she was at ABT, attempting to enter the corps but landed at SAB for a few months, after which she received a corps contract to NYCB. The Bio in the link does not say but she was there until 1991 maybe 1993, at least after which she went to Dance Theatre of Harlem as a principle, where she remained for 13 years.

She now teaches at the school of The Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Different time in the 1980's. She could dance anything.

Perhaps an injury may occur to a dancer who is unaccustomed to dancing on a rake. Having experienced taking class on the floors at Vaganova Academy for well over two years (as a teacher, studying to be a teacher), there is a difference indeed. Many non-Russian trained dancers have survived this adjustment without injury for centuries. It may be a personal issue. The rake in Rep Zal, the studio most often seen in photos and on video, is the same as Mariinsky. A few of the other studios are the same, while some are a bit less. Rep Zal has the biggest rake/inclination.

It would be interesting to hear Mr. Halberg address this issue, although the Russian dancers I know who dance on our flat stages, have almost no problem with the adjustment.

Yes there was an announcement that Mr. Gomes was to dance with Mikhailovsky Theatre a few years back. I do not know what happened, but outside of that one performance, I do not know of others in that Theatre.

As for Asia/American principles, Marianna Tcherkassky was of Japanese/Russian decent. She was born and raised, I believe in the Washington DC area.

Perhaps many American teachers do not know how to teach the carriage of the upper body, usage of the arms and the focus of the eyes as it is taught in various European and Russian schools. Being an American born and trained student, dancer and now teacher of the generation of the early 60's until now, I have rarely met American teachers who know how to teach the usage of the upper body as we see in those trained in Europe and specifically Russia. There are a few, but not many.

Thank you for posting this link. I had missed it the other days. Indeed, as always, Lupe is a delight and a fine example for all.

Thank you Natalia, very nice to know.

Very sad news Amy. Thank you for posting. He was a wonderful dancer and a very kind man. A loss to the world.

Yes, it is Pennsylvania Ballet with Jeffrey Gribler as well.

Fantastic! Thank you for posting.

If my memory serves me well Ms. Hadley was at Pennsylvania Ballet one year before Mr. Gribler and two years before Mr. DeGregory. The date range was somewhere between 1973 and 1976.

This is not really the correct forum to discuss the inner workings of Vaganova Academy from the 1980s to the present day. I will bow out of the conversation. However, I am quite aware of the history of the development of the school/Academy/Institute. Thank you for your contribution to the discussion.

Just a small correction, Vera Alexevna Dorofeeva had worked at Vaganova Academy for many years, as an administrator. She was a much loved persona in the Academy, who may never have studied ballet, but her job was purely administrative. She ran the business end of the school and she did it well. Asylmuratova was the Artistic Director and truly the one who needed to know ballet. Dorofeeva, and her predecessor, N. Nadirov were expected to be good business people. Having worked with and for both, I can attest, they both were excellent at their jobs at the Academy. Things may have changed since my departure from the Academy in 1995, however to describe Vera Alexeevna Dorofeeva as " the lady who had no connection to ballet" is not exactly true as she had been working her way from the bottom up at Vaganova Academy since the 1980s at least. That is a long history working with one organization. Knowing Dorofeeva I am happy to report she knew and loved ballet but showed great respect for the artist and how much they knew simply because the artist had spent a lifetime in the world of ballet.

Vaganova did not codify what is known today as the Vaganova Method by herself. Instead, she lead a team or panel of people who sat down and together discussed how, when and why to teach the movements of classical ballet. The esteemed, Nikolai Tarasov, another Soviet pedagogue, trained in St. Petersburg, who eventually continued his teaching career at the Bolshoi and at GITIS, was one of the panelists. I wish I had paid better attention to my late husband's stories, handed down directly from N. Tarasov about the development of the "Vaganova" method of teaching. Unfortunately, I thought he would have more time than he did. This panel was compiled by the Soviet government. It broke up eventually, if I recall correctly, as many panels do, because of disharmony amongst the panel. Eventually Vaganova gathered her players, Kostrovitskaya, Bazarova, Mae and Pisarev. The method continues to be examined and modified to suit the needs of the choreography. There has always been and continues to be a methodology cabinet that oversees the needs of the method to ensure that it stays current and serves the needs of the repertoire. The Soviet government re-named the school, The Academy of Russian Ballet, named for Agrippina Vaganova. The name of the program of study is not the Vaganova method, rather, it is simply the method of teaching classical dance. The world has re-named it the Vaganova Method.

Nanarina, A. Asylmuratova has not been the Director of Vaganova Academy since October of 2013.