PeggyR

Smolen is married to SFB principal dancer Tiit Helimets; she is no longer listed on the company roster. Sorry, don't know what she's doing now. Peggy

Does Lord of the Rings count as a classic? After three tries, I finally got as far as Tom Bombadil, at which point I found myself fighting an irresistable urge to strangle a novel with my bare hands .

Well, it's not so much that I don't want to see her in the role; I just don't want to see her at all. She's not a bad actress, just limited; for my taste, much too limited for the number and variety of roles she's getting. According to IMDb, she's been cast in a movie version of Lear, not, despite what I'm sure are the best efforts of the Hollywood types, in the title role , but as Cordelia. Ah, well.

Quoted from the linked article: "According to press reports out of London, Keira Knightley will play Eliza Doolittle in the feature film remake..." Dear God, is there no escape?

Agnes: San Francisco Ballet performed the Westside Story Suite last year, and will be doing it again this year during Program 6, April 3 through 9, 2009. Peggy

Sorry for changing the subject, but I'll be curious to hear how she does in something like Giselle. I can certainly see her in SB or the first act of Giselle, but all that bouncing, American exuberance in Act II -- should be interesting. And you've got to give her credit for trying something so far removed from her usual style. Peggy

Hi garybruce: You should have no problems at all. It looks great, even on my old, cruddy TV: crisp and good color. Plus, Don Q was filmed in HD (in some alternate universe where I don't owe anybody any money, HDTV is my next purchase). Can't wait to hear what you think of it. Enjoy! Peggy

I got my copy last weekend and have watched it twice, so far. This is my fourth Don Q DVD (#5 - POB with duPont - is on its way) and the only one that I don't fast forward through to 'the good stuff'. It's all good! And anybody who doesn't fall instantly and hopelessly in love with Valdes and Frometa just isn't trying very hard - charmers, both of them. Both fine dancers and Frometa verges on the semi-stupendous at times. I am curious about the Don Q pdd in the third act, though. It looks like Valdes does a 'simplified' version of her variation, without the quick footwork I remember from other versions. She certainly can balance, turn and jump like the dickens, so that's not meant as criticism, she just didn't seem to do much allegro (of course that may just be the choreography). My biggest complaint is with the conductor, who doesn't always wait for Valdes to finish a turn. I know the music must be served, but really, if a dancer hits a fantastic balance (which she does pretty much all the time), is it fair to rush him/her just so a dead composer isn't insulted? In any case, well worth the obnoxious amount of money it set me back. Edited to add: Quote: "My "Fille": Carlos Acosta/Nunez." Have you ever seen the Carlos Acosta/Leanne Benjamin RB Coppelia? The first time I saw him, I thought I'd died and gone to 'ballet heaven'. Nobody quite like him, is there?

Sometimes (actually, always) it's frustrating to hear about the New York dancers that we on the West Coast are unlikely to see, especially NYCB performers. I've been dying to see Ashley Bouder and finally there are two videos on YouTube (not counting the official NYCB video, where she doesn't really do much dancing). I'm not sure what's allowed link-wise, so I'll just suggest you do a search on her name. One is her with Igor Zelinsky rehearsing for Vail. He just walks around in the back while she does some very nice fouettes. Though she moves around a little, I can't help but be impressed that she doesn't seem to lose energy or momentum toward the end. The other, and it's a treasure, is Bouder with Joaquin de Luz in a variation and coda. Watching this video (obviously pirated but halfway decent quality for a change), it's easy to see what all the Bouder-fuss is about. In all the years I've been a ballet lover, I can't remember ever seeing anyone attack the steps like that. And she's musical and light as a feather. Oh yes, and de Luz is no slouch either. Must be a thrill to see them in person. Edited to remove excess commas.

Completely agree about Courtney Elizabeth. And I'd add Courtney Wright; as I said in another thread, Wright always looks like she's having more fun than anyone else on stage. Too bad she has left the company this summer, I hope for better opportunities to display her abilities.

While I didn't find '...Ruins...' to be as compelling as you, there's no denying he has a unique vision, and I greatly admired the way he used his dancers. Just out of curiosity to see the effect, I'd like to see it performed without the distracting costumes and wigs --just dark practice clothes -- keep the moody lighting and present it as an abstract ballet. Me too. I hope we get to see some more of his work, or some revivals of what's already in the SFB repertory. Peggy

Every time A Chorus Line has been on tour here in San Francisco, for some reason or other I've never managed to see it; finally rectified that Saturday. I'm probably the world's smallest Marvin Hamlisch fan, but if you must listen to his music, it helps to have a cast this good. The only disappointment was Cassie. Nikki Snelson is a competent singer/actress, and mostly she danced well enough. But in Cassie's big solo, The Music and the Mirror, her dancing suddenly became tentative, seemingly marked out in spots. No passionate abandon, no desperation, no fear; for me, the dancing part of the number came off as flat instead of an emotional high point. On the other hand, while the quality of the rest of the cast makes it hard to single anyone out, I have to mention Kevin Santos (Paul) and the extraordinary monolog he delivered, and Natalie Elise Hall's hammy, over-the-top, hilarious Val. But, that leaves out Emily Fletcher's funny and ultimately touching Sheila, or Anthony Wayne's high flying Richie, or the beautifully sung Diana of Gabrielle Ruiz.

Ok,l knew this but now it's official..Domitro is the only one out of the three latest Cuban defectors to get to be principal in San Francisco. There are some YouTube videos of Taras Domitro that make me think we might be in for something pretty special. BTW, WHO is Adiarys Almeida, his partner in some of those videos? Love to see her on stage!

Hooray for Sofiane Sylve's return; what a glorious Myrtha she was in Giselle; I wasn't the only one to mourn her departure after Program 5 ended last season (guess I'll have to give up eating so I can afford to attend all her performances next season ). As for the promotions, congratulations to all five: well deserved, especially Dana Genshaft and Pauli Magierek, both of whom have been in the corps de ballet for a while. Good to see their talent has been recognized. And I must mention Jeremy Rucker, newly promoted from apprentice to corps de ballet. He was a standout in the Nutcracker Russian Dance last year. On the down side, Courtney Wright and her husband, Garrett Anderson, have left . Garrett was a fine Mac in Filling Station, and I was lucky enough to see Courtney dance two significant roles: the Nutcracker's Snow Queen, and one of the four demi-soloists in an otherwise lackluster Diamonds. She's one of those dancers who always looks like she's having more fun than anyone else on stage. They will be missed. I've heard rumors about where they're going; does anyone know anything official? I'd really like to keep up with their future careers.

I just got my notice from Amazon (in the U.S.) that this is now available for pre-order; my order has the 7/29 estimated shipping date.

IMDB, my favorite source of inaccurate information, lists her as 5' 7 1/2". No matter what her height, she had the most gorgeous legs. RIP, Cyd.

Amy: Thanks for your entertaining and informative review (I never would have seen it if all hadn't been put right with the BT world -- many thanks to Alexandra and company for giving us back the company forums). I'm something like seven times your daughter's age and I've never thought about the points you made. San Francisco Ballet is getting a new SL production next year and I'm going to keep your post available for comparison. Thanks again! Peggy

Here are my San Francisco Ballet high and low points for the 2008 season: I've always thought I could spend the rest of my life watching an endless succession of Swan Lakes and Giselles; anything that didn't involve a romantic tutu made me more than a little nervous ( I've never forgiven 'them' for putting the SL corps in pancakes ). But now, thanks to Helgi Tomasson's excellent programming, my mind has been opened up to a variety of contemporary ballet. Instead of drooling over next season's new production of Swan Lake, I'm drooling over Russian Seasons and Jardin aux Lilas. (OK, there a little saliva running down my chin for the SL .) As for disappointments, the biggest was Paul Taylor's 'Changes' during the New Works Festival. I've only seen snippets of his work on television; based on those bits and his reputation, I was expecting a lot more than this unimaginative fluff. I look forward to seeing something more representative of Mr. Taylor's abilities in future seasons.

Love it -- reviewing the audience: anybody who misbehaves doesn't get their subscription renewed! Peggy

It's a shame you missed the Wheeldon, but it's part of the 2009 season so maybe you can see it then. BTW, what did you think of Double Evil? I seem to be the only ballet-goer in San Francisco who didn't like it. I'd be interested to know what others saw in it that I missed. That one is being shown next season too; guess I'll have to give it a second look. Peggy

Memo: I don't know if you are aware of this, but a lot of critics think SFB's biggest asset is its contingent of excellent male dancers, so it's very impressive that your son has been accepted as an apprentice. Hope to see him on stage soon. Program A Matinee, Sunday, April 27 Two solid works and one disappointment. Fusions 
 Choreography: Yuri Possokhov
 Music: Graham Firkin, Rahul Dev Burman A great showcase for the dancers, particularly Yan Yan Tan in her pas de deux and solo; Possokhov allows her to be herself -- no acting required, just flexible, graceful, lovely. And Vanessa Zahorian was a treat; she was the only one who really 'got' the jazz-inflected music of the middle section. Never out of sync with the rest of the dancers, and without losing her beautiful classical placement, unlike the others she didn't dance on top of the music but down inside it, allowing the jazz rhythms to propel her movements. Good show. Inside the Golden Hour 
 Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon 
 Music: Ezio Bosso Like Fusions, an abstract ballet but with more substance. There's a beautiful pas de deux for Sarah Van Patten and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba that seemed to be done entirely in slow motion; amazing control. The many pleasures included the exquisite lighting, and a marvelous ending image as the dancers formed rows, hands crossed and clasped in front, each row rocking, rocking side to side as the curtain came down; hard to describe, but stunningly beautiful. Probably the major work of the festival, Inside the Golden Hour will bear repeated viewings. Changes 
 Choreography: Paul Taylor (staged by Patrick Corbin) 
 Music: performed by the Mamas and the Papas A disappointingly fluffy bit of hippie nostalgia, Changes benefitted greatly from the fact that these young dancers didn't look nearly as ridiculous in the clothes of that era as we old timers probably did. The biggest problem for me was the music: when I moved to San Francisco in 1969, musical tastes ran to Janis and Jimi, the Airplane and the Dead; my friends and I would have given up our Red Mountain wine ($1.79 a gallon -- those were the days) before we'd have listened to the Mamas and the Papas -- they were soooooo Southern California. The dancers were fine, as usual: in particular, Courtney Elizabeth as the in-your-face hippie chick, and Pauli Magierek as the unattainable glamor girl. Program C Matinee, Saturday, May 3 Thread Choreography: Margaret Jenkins Music: Paul Dresher From the program note: "Thread embodies a contemporary reading of the myth of Ariadne and the labyrinth of Knossos...Ariadne and her double serve as guides, spinning out their thread along the many windings of [the] path..." Ms. Jenkins is a well-known Bay Area modern dance choreographer; this is her first work for a ballet company. My knowledge of modern dance is too limited to judge how well Jenkins melds modern and classical dance, but the movement vocabulary she developed for this work makes good use of the dancers' classical technique while, at the same time, nudging them pretty far away from it. I'd be curious to see this performed by Jenkins' own company of modern dancers: how would their attack differ, would they be sharp and angular where SFB dancers were soft and curved? Worth another look. Ibsen's House Choreography: Val Caniparoli Music: Antonin Dvorak Five couples, each a woman and a man in her life from one of Ibsen's plays (Hedda Gabler, A Doll's House, Ghosts, Lady from the Sea, Rosmersholm). Like most poorly educated Americans, I've heard of Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House (actually saw that one on TV long ago), and that's about it, Ibsen-wise. So it's fortunate that, despite the theatrical sources, the ballet is plotless; instead, each character, in solos and pas de deux, expresses her or his emotions: the women repressed, oppressed, depressed; the men repressing, oppressing, depressing (if this one ever shows up on the same program as The Ruins Proclaim the Building Fell Down, they'll have to provide vats of Zoloft in the lobby). It's an unusual way to tell a story, but fairly effective due in large part to some very good performances, particularly the Hedda Gabler of Lorena Feijoo( who is rapidly becoming my favorite dramatic ballerina), and all the men (Orza, Willis, Scribner, Vilanoba, Norman). Double Evil Choreography: Jorma Elo Music: Phillip Glass, Vladimir Martinov Fifty-odd years ago, my mother taught me that, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Edited to add performance dates.

Today I saw the matinee Program B of the San Francisco Ballet's New Works Festival. The Links section has links to some interesting and thoughtful reviews; I'll just give some of my own impressions. After Alastair Macaulay's comment in the Times that the first three works in this program were 'ghastly', I approached the afternoon matinee with a good bit of trepidation. Not to worry: some good, some interesting, some just plain weird, but mostly reasonably entertaining. Naked Choreographer: Stanton Welch Composer: Poulenc (Concerto in D minor for Two Pianos) My alternate title: How to be Naked with All Your Clothes On Not sure why this was called Naked; everyone was fully clothed -- men in pinkish pants and shirts, women in conventional pancake tutus, also pinkish. Plotless, slight, pretty, utterly conventional. Pleasant enough, but of the four works today, this is the only one I wouldn't really care to see again. A Rose By Any Other Name Choreographer: Julia Adam Composer: J.S. Bach (Goldberg Variations, arranged for orchestra by Matthew Naughton and Martin West) My alternate title: How Aurora Grows Up and Becomes a Lingerie Model I'd read some pretty negative comments about this, but it turned out to be enjoyable, though it could have done with five minutes cut out. So, here's the Sleeping Beauty story, filtered through Ms. Adam: Aurora's mom and dad meet, fall in love, get married, shed their clothes, have their wedding night, and produce a baby, all within the first four minutes. Aurora appears and spends the rest of the ballet sometimes wearing, mostly not, a fetching little teddy. At some point, the fairies (danced by men who double as suitors and, later, a forest) give their gifts. Particularly funny: Beauty who manages to twist himself into various pretzel shapes while keeping his mirror planted firmly in front of his face; and Generosity, who graciously gives away all his money and then has second thoughts (I mean, we are paying $4+ for gas out here in California, so, really, who can blame him). Carabosse, who's definitely got some issues, shows up and gives Aurora the fatal spindle. A gigantic black pillow is produced, Aurora goes to sleep on it, the Prince (who also danced Lilac, though I'm not sure when) fights his way through the forest (fairies/suitors carrying tree branches), sees Aurora, falls instantly in love (must be that teddy), tries to wake her by picking up a foot (which flops), arm (flops), head (flops), tries to turn her over (splat - falls off the pillow); finally, she starts to revive but can't quite maintain the vertical. At last, she recovers, falls instantly in love with the Prince, off comes the teddy, curtain down. Maybe a little slapstick and lowbrow, but more fun that I expected. Adam has a very individual sense of movement: there was an almost Egyptian feel to the sideways, hands forward stance used repeatedly. I'd love to see more of her work, preferably something with a little less plot. Cast was great, Kristin Long as Aurora particularly appealing. According to Maria Kochetkova's website, she also learned this role and I think she'd be very good. The Ruins Proclaim the Building Was Beautiful Choreography: James Kudelka Composer: Rodney Sharman after Cesar Franck My alternate title: How the Costume Designer Went Wacko with the Pinking Shears According to the program notes, this ballet deals with the social decay of civilization. Kind of a lot for a 30 minute ballet. Corps de ballet of 12 women enters wearing tattered tutus and fright wigs (I think they represent 'social decay' though it looks more like 'tutu decay'). After some dancing in the dark (crepuscular lighting throughout), three men appear wearing gray Victorian frock coats, gray makeup on faces and bare chests, and Beethoven wigs (think Sweeney Todd with attitude). They dance with the corps, wave their arms like airplane propellers, and generally look menacing. During all of this, two female soloists in longer tattered tutus dance. Don't know what they're supposed to be. About 2/3 of the way through, Yuan Yuan Tan shows up wearing a red dress and red high-heeled shoes (red shoes: you KNOW that means trouble). Everyone else disappears, she and the main gray man (Pierre-Francois Vilanoba) have not so much a pas de deux as a pas de hissy fit: she pushes him, he pushes back, she kicks out, he restrains her. This goes on for a while, finally she ends up on the floor, face up, corpselike, he folds his arms and smirks. Yup, another uppity woman bites the dust. The work was saved by the superb performances by the two soloists in the longer tattered tutus, Frances Chung and Elana Altman. Tan is always lovely, but she's as fragile as an icicle and doesn't come across as a match for the beefy Vilanoba. I'd live to see someone like Sarah Van Patten in the role; if she pushes the drama button, that would be a fight of equals. On the whole, very, very weird, worth it for the fine performances. Joyride Choreographer: Mark Morris Composer: John Adams (Son of Chamber Symphony) My alternate title: Gee Mr. Morris, Why Are the Dancers Dressed Up Like Cans of Tuna Fish? Well, it's not really that bad, but the costumes by Isaac Mizrahi do have that look at first. Some full length neck to ankle, some neck to mid-thigh (like biker shorts), all either silver or gold metallic. Digital numbers on the midriffs flash randomly (tuna talk?). Odd, but effective with Morris' breakneck, spiky choreography. There are movements like kick boxing; sometimes the dancers take the position of a racer at the starting line; sometimes a pose vaguely resembling a body builder. The whole thing is headlong and a good showcase for these fine dancers. For example, a couple of times, the dancers, in unison, do a simple double pirouette, but they do it together, rotate at the same speed, end -- BAM -- exactly together. I suspect that's partly the dancers' skill and partly the music; it gives no quarter -- you're either on the beat or lost in the Pine Barrens. Superb performances all around and undoubtedly the major work of the program. Sunday: Program A

Hi Bart: I was having the same problem as you, so I just left the video running and it turns out the 'black' is actually a picture of the curtain, which has not yet gone up! Wait a while, and it's a fairly long time, maybe a quarter of that bar thing at the bottom, and everything will be OK. Peggy

Swan Lake Jumps: Very high with heavy landings or lower (much lower) with soft landings

Popularlibrary: That was glorious - thanks for the alert, and thanks to Paradiselost89, who posted the clips. I assume that was Vishneva in the first movement; who was her partner? I wasn't too impressed by his solo, although he seemed better later on, if I got the faces right. Lopatkina was exquisite in the second movement. Does she have the longest legs in the known universe? Now, if somebody would post Serenade... Peggy