vagansmom

Who would be the right woman for the job, I wonder?

As far as I know, there is a long history of children performing "the garland dance." I recall reading about them in older books written by former Kirov dancers. Anyone who's grown up at a residential ballet pre-professional school attached to any classical ballet company anywhere in the world has probably been a child in the garland scene. If not, they've certainly learned it as part of their repertoire training. Personally, I love this tradition.

Heather Watts always said the same thing about dancing for Balanchine, that she had many technical flaws and was grateful that he had faith in her. Alexandra Ansanelli too, although she didn't dance in Balanchine's time. I've always thought that Margot Fonteyn, measured by the standards of her day, was the complete package.

I stand corrected. John Rockwell is the music critic whom the NYT decided could also be a dance critic. I mean, really, what's the difference, right? I'd somehow morphed Macauley and Rockwell into the same person. I'd actually thought recently that my morphed persona was becoming a much better dance critic because he was at least talking more about dance history than music history. But I still stand by my belief that Macauley, like Rockwell, doesn't spend enough time reviewing the dancers themselves. And I agree that he can be quite mean-spirited. Edited to add that I liked Jack Anderson.

At least he's improved since the days when his reviews were more about the music (his background) than the dance. He still lapses into that occasionally and it infuriates me.

Back to photos. I always like to check out the New York Social Diary following ballet galas. There's a lovely photo of Ashley Bouder here, another one of Angel Corella, and I have to say that I love the outfits worn by Diana Vishneva and James Whiteside. They are fearless and a whole lot of fun, just what's needed at such a gala. http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/social-diary/2015/a-diamond-jubilee-abts-75th-anniversary-spring-gala

That was my favorite line too, pherank.

As close relative to a professional dancer and surrogate mom to dozens of others over the last 25+ years, I can attest to the fact that dancers regard matinee casting as inferior unless it's a ballet for children. Critics and balletomanes come out at night. Most of the dancers I know crave their attention (even while they sometimes dread it from the former). I feel sorry for Reyes because I think it affects her too, although not as much. I wonder how many people who had planned to attend both farewells will be forced to choose one or the other.

Elena Tchernichova, in her 2013 memoir, Dancing on Water: A LIfe in Ballet, from the Kirov to the ABT, discusses Simukova's tragic illness and death from complications due to measles. Simukova was scheduled to dance the grand pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty at a gala organized by Dudinskaya. Rehearsals started in the evening and ran late. Simukova lived far from the city and so had long rides to and from rehearsals. She developed a "bad cold" and was rehearsing while running a high fever. Dudinskaya insisted she continue to rehearse. Simukova checked herself into a hospital within a day or so after the opening performance. It was measles. She developed encephelitis, soon became paralyzed, and died three weeks later. Heartbreaking.

I am halfway through her book. For those who don't know, it's called Dancing on Water: A Life in Ballet, from the Kirov to the ABT, and is co-written with Joel Lobenthal, who makes Elena's words sing. I didn't know she'd written her memoir until a week ago when I first heard of her death. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves the stories, as do I, of the 20th. century legendary ballet figures of the Soviet Union, as well as the ABT years under Baryshnikov. I had previously heard bits and pieces of these stories during the years my daughter was lucky enough to have had Elena as a teacher/coach, so it's thrilling for me to read them fully fleshed-out in Elena's own words. Even if one isn't all that interested in ballet, but is a Russian history buff, as am I, Elena's story is fascinating. I wonder how different her life would have been had she not been adopted by Evgenia Vecheslova-Snetkova and her daughter, Tatiana Vecheslova. When I've completed the book, I'll post about it in the Writings on Ballet forum.

Nutmeg Ballet is reporting on their Facebook page that legendary ballet dancer, teacher and coach Elena Tchernichova died this past week in St. Petersburg, Russia. Friend and contemporary of Nureyev, Baryshnikov and Makarova, Ms. Tchernichov was principal ballet mistress at ABT in the 1980's. In 2013, she wrote, with Joel Lobenthal, her autobiography, Dancing on Water: A Life in Ballet, from the Kirov to the ABT. My condolences to her son, Alexei.

I didn't see the opening ceremonies. Did Vishneva perform Pendleton's "Dove of Peace" or was she just using the bead skirt costume and dancing to different choreography and music? If the latter, perhaps that's why Moses Pendleton's name wasn't mentioned. I also looked at photos of some of those costumes that mimic the bead skirt. I could be wrong, but they don't look like they're made of beads, but of some kind of rope. I'm just curious because I know that prop very well.

Swanilda8, I went searching for that BBC radio interview and found this other interview where he discusses his reasons for wanting to do a ballet about a library. The interview is really about his black-and-white short film "Much Ado About Nothing" (modern rendition; it's both hilarious and poignant), but it leads to his ideas about film as movement and how he loves dance. I've pasted some excerpts below, but you can read the full interview at http://flavorwire.com/395000/joss-whedon-praises-shakespeares-female-characters-wants-to-make-a-ballet-about-a-library/

Joss Whedon must like ballet dancers. He has always hired at least one former ballet dancer (usually professional) as a series regular on all his programs. As a Whedon fan, I've always had fun picking out the dancers among his cast. Summer Glau, mentioned earlier in this thread) got her start in that "Angel" episode, then quickly went on to become a series regular in Whedon's "Firefly." Her character was a genius whose talents included dance. Besides Glau, other Whedon series regulars who were also ballet dancers, either as actual professional dancers or long-time pre-professional students include: 1. Juliet Landau (Martin Landau and Barbara Bains's daugher (Drusilla on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") was a professional ballet dancer. Years ago, I saw some beautiful photos online of her dancing in a professional company, but I can't remember which one. 2. Harry Groener (The mayor in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") was an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet Company. 3. Amy Acker ("Angel" "Dollhouse" "Much Ado About Nothing") was a pre-pro student for 13 years who had to quit ballet in high school due to a knee injury. 4. Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") was a professional dancer who studied ballet, tap, jazz all throughout childhood. She has some very physical scenes in "Buffy" where her ballet training is clearly on display. Other series regulars in Whedon works with dance (though not specifically ballet pro or pre-pro) background include Julie Benz (Darla on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel"), who competed in the US Figure Skating Championship in ice dancing (her partner was David Schilling), Emma Caulfield and Michelle Trachtenburg, a longtime dance student. Sarah Michelle Gellar herself was a competitive figure skater for a short period during childhood. Both Caulfield and Trachtenburg shine in the "Buffy" episode "Once More, With Feeling" where, through a mysterious force (Hinton Battle's character), everyone in Sunnydale must sing and/or dance, some with such a frenzy that they burn up completely. Those are just the regulars I can remember off the top of my head. Throughout the years, Whedon's also employed guest actors with strong ballet background.

Ah, yes, the illnesses: holding in vomit during your solo till you could get to the wings where a crew member or even sometimes a fellow dancer is holding a bucket for you, and then flying right back out there onstage, all the while maintaining that light insouciant expression Bart speaks of.

Probably a matter of a simple misspeak.

The same could be said of expecting sexual favors in exchange for favoritism in roles within the dance world (other realms too, but this is a dance forum).

I don't begrudge anyone who uses social media as a tool to promote their name. It's simply another tool like the print media, radio and TV, other Internet sites such as LinkedIn. Other ballet dancers have used whatever media was available in their day to promote themselves. Off the top of my head, I'd say that in recent years the Canterna sisters were the first I knew who did a lot of that. Rasta Thomas. Misty Copeland is being accused by some as finding an avenue outside of ABT to promote her ballet career; those individuals believe she should wait patiently within the walls of the company. "Like everyone else does" is implied if not outwardly stated. That sort of thing - aggressively marketing oneself - used to bother me. It no longer does. It's done in many other lines of work, and those engaged in the practice are often positively admired as "go-getters." In fact, as I'm constantly being reminded, in recent years, one could be considered a slackard if one isn't promoting and "branding" oneself. I know that I am being urged constantly by the younger professional set around me to do more of this. Luckily, I have a new family member as well as the development dept. of a school "branding" me for the talks and workshops I lead; it's not my cup of tea, but I now admire people who are savvy in this way. I've certainly gotten a lot more speaking engagements out of it! I partly see Womack in this light. I'm speaking specifically about Womack's self-marketing, not the other areas of discussion concerning her. This aspect of the discussion would make a good thread all on its own if you don't already have one: Should ballet dancers self-promote?

Helene, that's where our difference of opinion lies. I DO see her interviews as the immature thinking of a 19 year old.

I can't judge her. All I see is a 19 year old who had a dream, worked hard on fulfilling it, endured a truly scary year beginning with the acid attack on Filin (we in America are not used to that degree of scariness in a ballet company), and then was so worn down that she called it quits with that company. She made PR mistakes. She's 19. Did you know that the final stage of childhood has a range of from 18-25 years old? Periods of impulsivity and ambivalent behavior are common during that period. The myelin doesn't fully lay down over the frontal lobes until about 24 or 25. Womack does not seem unlike countless teens I know who may not be fully consistent. I admire her tenacity. I acknowledge that she made mistakes. But geeze, no matter what the law may state about the age of adulthood (American law itself is ridiculously behind medical science: all it takes is a look at how the courts view mental illness to ascertain that), what we now know scientifically is that she's still a kid. I don't care what kind of personality she may or may not have: she's still unformed. I was on my own at her age too, having chosen not to attend college along with my peers. I'd hate for anyone to be judging my actions at that time; I now know I wasn't anything near adult maturity at the time. Few of my in-college friends were any further along. I believe in cutting her some slack.

Does anybody know the veracity of whether or not Womack was given a red diploma and how common that is at the Bolshoi? Who else might have gotten one and how is that dancer faring?

Just read this very sad news. Mr. Hijuelos was only 62. I first read his Mr. Ives' Christmas and was so taken by that novel that I set out to read most of his others. Although The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love won him the Pulitzer - and I loved it - there are very few novels that have stirred me as deeply as his story about Mr. Ives' internal crisis following his son's violent death. I lived within that book for many days afterward. For a few years, it was the novel that I measured all others against, and most of them fell short. I'm so sorry his voice has been silenced.

Listened to a short NPR phone interview with her this morning. It made me teary. I am THRILLED that Munro finally received the recognition she's deserved for so many decades.

Since you've read "In This House of Brede," definitely follow it up with another book about nuns in India, "Black Narcissus." I like character-driven novels and this one explores how the nuns' different personalities respond to the jobs they each had to do and how their faith is tested. "The River" is another good one because it's considered the most autobiographical. When I first read Godden, I was also reading Willa Cather. That year, 1980, I often alternated their books so much that in recent times, when I remember a book I have to go back to remind myself which woman penned it. Also, Godden studied ballet during the period of time when she was living in England. She later ran a dance school in Calcutta.

Love Rumer Godden. I bought those books (and many others she wrote) at a used bookstore back when my daughter was a budding ballerina. Godden is one of my favorite authors.