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Azulynn

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Posts posted by Azulynn

  1. a) when the West cheers, the company responds by billing the dancers they *believe* the West wants to see most. If inappropriate leg kicks sell more tickets, well unfortunately the days of 100% state funding in Russia are over...it has to compete, and unfortunately it is competing w/the fast pace of 21st century (shortened) attention spans. A higher leg *has to be better* because it is higher. Doesn't it?

    b) it is the very infiltration of the West (as argued by the Russian pedagogues now in their 70th+ decade of life) that created these higher traditions, the splits, acrobatics etc...altho Lopukhov did experiment with the same in the socialist realism-laden 1930s...

    Interesting that some pedagogues blame the West when Western companies seem much less excessive overall these days than the Russian ones - Guillem started the trend, of course, but gymnastics have been incorporated into Russian training(s) to an extent unheard of elsewhere I think. It may have to do with perceptions of the "West" and Western audiences in Russia as well, of course...

    You're right, it's not necessarily the place for this discussion, but I'm glad you address the issue in your book - should be a fascinating read.

  2. Of course, the POB is always precise, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in summer 2012. avesraggiana, have you seen live performances of 'Jewels' by POB? or just the DVD as I have? I've asked a number of times about other performances of 'Diamonds' in POB besides Agnes Letestu, but have gotten no response. I'd like to hear if Dupont or Marie-Agnes Gillot have done it, or just who else has done it, and has it been distinguished? Because Mr. Letestu's performance is the real failure of that DVD to my mind. She doesn't seem focussed on it at all, if you've seen Farrell or Kowroski do it (and that certainly includes Farrell even on video.) I do like very much the rest of 'Jewels' on that POB video, though--very elegant and spirited as well.

    Diamonds has also been done in Paris by Marie-Agnès Gillot, Delphine Moussin, Emilie Cozette and Stéphanie Romberg. I don't think it's been as strongly cast as you'd hope, but Moussin was supposed to be excellent in it. The best I've seen by far was Laura Hecquet, a Sujet who danced the pd2 at a Young Dancers' Evening a few years back.

  3. Kyeong, I suggest giving the POB box office a call to see if they have anything left for the dates you were thinking of - I would actually recommend doing this today as booking opens tomorrow morning at the physical box office in Paris (there are different quotas for every means of booking) and there will most likely be nothing left at the end of the day. Check the website regularly as well, as sometimes a few top-price tickets pop up for a particular performance closer to the run.

    It will be extremely difficult to get even returns on the day for Swan Lake, but since it's at the Opéra Bastille you can always go and queue for standing tickets (62 of them are sold an hour and a half before the performance).

  4. It is really up to you, Chazell - both Alexandrova and Osipova were really quite stunning in the role when the reconstruction premiered last year. Lopatin may just be the better Franz, but I suggest you watch one or two clips of both ballerinas on YT and pick the one that appeals the most to you. I particularly enjoyed Alexandrova's musicality and humour in the ballet, not to mention her rock-solid, textbook classical technique (she may just be at her peak right now), but I don't think you can really go wrong here...

  5. I was at that Giselle in Rome (or more accurately at this cast's other performance), and Ashley Bouder, seen from the right angle, was in no way lumpish. I'm not sure comparing her to Somova makes any sense, especially in this role (from body type to training and tradition there's no comparison, and I found it hard to even compare Obraztsova and Bouder, both performing in the same production last week). On the other hand, Bouder was particularly extraordinary in the second act in Rome. The Youtube clips are very bad quality, but if someone has seen both Bouder and Somova in the same role live, let's hear it...

  6. Dansomanie, a reliable French website, has just announced that Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia of the New York City Ballet would guest with the Paris Opera Ballet in Jewels for a single performance of Rubies, on November 12.

    This is terrific news ! They should bring much energy to the company.

    (I hope this is not considered gossip - Dansomanie gives casting in advance for every POB program, usually slightly before the company's website and with greater accuracy.)

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