vagansmom

I think the very first thing I noticed, and struggled against, was the tutu. I seemed to have been hyper-aware of it. That, and the mime, neither of which I liked. I remember finding it all so stilted and thinking that ballet wasn't something I could give my heart to. It seemed slightly ridiculous. But even back then, I was also very conscious of other aspects that still grab my attention now. The music: how does a dancer respond to it? Their upper bodies - are they fluid and expressive or are they wooden? Right from the beginning, I've noticed that at every single performance. I can't NOT pay attention to it. I wasn't terribly aware of the patterns at first. That was a gradual awakening. When I paid any attention to the corps, it was to see if they were together. Interestingly nowadays, although I like a coherent corps, I'm more forgiving and WAY more interested in the patterns, how the choreographer moves people around. Oh, and I remember at those first performances being made aware, without intending to, of the sound of the pointe shoes hitting the floor - "that sure takes away from the image of grace and lightness" and occasionally of a dancer's breathing. I remember thinking how funny it was to see their calm faces but (I was up close) hear them snorting through those nearly closed lips.

Yes, I saw the new "Dr. Zhivago" version too. I have mixed feelings about it. I own the original movie and love some parts of it, including "Lara's Theme", as well as the sweeping panoramic scenes. Nothing like that in this newest version. Although it made me shudder, I do like the real footage interspersed throughout. And I preferred this Tonia. I found her character much more approachable. But I really felt as though the actress playing Lara was miscast. I thought the same of Julie Christie although for different, almost opposite reasons. In this newer production, Lara seemed way, way too young. In the original movie, I thought she seemed too old. But of course, what I really want to do now is to reread the book. I read it when I was about 18; I simply don't remember enough about it to compare it to either film.

I would love to hear any impressions of this artist from longtime NYCB go-ers. I read recently that Anyone recall seeing him or know much about his history as a ballet lover? I also read that he left NYCB only after Balanchine died.

I can finally add my voice to this discussion as I finished this book last night. Giannina, your words do say it best. I found the book to have been so captivating (I really didn't intend the pun, honest!) that it was almost as if I were under the spell of Roxanne's voice myself. I never wanted the book to end and dreaded it for many reasons. Like you, Giannina, I knew there was no way it could have ended well for the terrorists but I was desperately hoping to be surprised. My pulse quickened in the final pages before the hostages were freed. Knowing there'd be a bloodbath, I started reading more and more slowly to keep myself from arriving at that inevitability.

But a high impact sport often creates very dense bone. Irish dancers are known to have dense bones, so are healthy gymnasts. When that's not true, it's because of other factors, most of which you mentioned, such as dietary restrictions. Someone at Skidmore College did a bone density study some years ago comparing female gymnasts, college athletes and ballet dancers. The gymnasts had the greatest bone density followed by ballet dancers. In terms of overall strength the ballet dancers were every bit the equal of the gymnasts. The gymnasts and ballet dancers chosen were young adolescents.

Thanks, Hockeyfan228. I knew someone would come up with that name and title Regarding "The Company", I'd heard that it's somewhere between documentary and drama but distinctly NOT a docudrama. I actually LIKE the idea of it not being a fictional story with the requisite plot. I am sorry to hear, though, that Arpino's character is a cliche. I'd much rather have seen him as more of a real person.

I recall that Sascha Cohen had a stress fracture in her back a couple years ago that kept her off the ice for several months.

There is that tearjerker movie about a girl with an illness - cancer? I don't remember - whose dream is to dance professionally. The girl is about 13, I think. The actress/ballet dancer's name escapes me right now. She is a very lovely dancer, clearly evident at her young age, and she went on to a professional ballet career. Despite all the pathos, I remember thinking that it was a very nice movie for a young ballet dancer because the actress herself was such a talented dancer. One had no trouble at all believing that she was a committed ballet dancer.

Paul. as I understand it, there's one more competition in this series. Maybe it'll be this upcoming weekend since the previous two occurred a week apart? It was shown on ABC. I think that there's a winner per competition but then the 3 are also averaged together to get a (grand prix?) winner.

Any thoughts on why there's been an increased incidence of hip injuries among figure skaters? Is it somehow the jumps? Are they being asked to turn their hips out? Not enough ballet?

Gosh, I remember Brian Boitano when he was a skinny little guy with lots of hair. I saw him win a junior men's competition. His parents sat behind us and were nervous wrecks.

Did anyone see this competition today? Cohen skated beautifully- no concentration lapses, and won. (Michele Kwan did not compete). Last week, in another competition that included Kwan, Cohen had another beautiful skate, as perfect as one could get, and beat Kwan for the first time. It was the first competition of the season - I don't remember what it was called. BTW, Jennie Kirk also skated the performance of her life. Very lovely, no mistakes! She placed second. Cohen is skating to Swan Lake. Her program is nicely balanced, skated with feeling. I can't wait to see her as the year progresses. I am "hoping against hope" the demons of her past insecurities remain firmly in the past.

I finished this book last night. It really is a wonderful peek into the thinking of someone with Asperger's. I found the book to be funny but also quite poignant. Most importantly, I think it reminds us that the perpetual anxiety experienced by some individuals can cause them to act very unconventionally and, to the rest of us, crazily. In this story, we learn that such actions from this young man's perspective really do make perfect sense. It's a timely read for me. I've been frustrated in my work with a particular student with autism and I'd forgotten just how anxious he must feel. Whether or not you're associated with anyone on the autistic spectrum, this book is still a worthy read. We can see bits of ourselves in this character too. We all have some "autistic" qualities but a lucky accident of birth has provided most of us with a sensible distribution of them.

For ballet on TV, go to pbs.org and click on your local PBS station's listings. Our local PBS station tends not to have the same schedule as the NYC stations. We usually have to wait a week or so. Re NYCB's Swan Lake: I will swim against the tide and say, go ahead and see it! It was the first full-length Swan Lake I'd ever seen and I liked it. I had nothing else to compare it to at the time other than student productions. A few years later I saw ABT's Swan Lake. I like that too. They're very different from each other but that's what makes it all so interesting, isn't it? Although it's the one I really hanker for, I haven't yet seen Kirov's Swan Lake.

Yikes, I just took on two more tutoring jobs, both with Asperger's kids. Lately all the recommendations that come my way are for these types of kids. I head to the bookstore tomorrow. I've read most of the nonfiction books about Asperger's and I've worked with many kids who fit that profile but the idea of reading a novel written in the first person by an Asperger's teen is quite intriguing. I'm looking forward to it.

Has anyone read this book or heard anything about it? The full title is " 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time': The Remains of the Dog" Here is a link to the NYTimes review: Go Here It sounds intriguing to me, especially since I work with people like the young detective in the novel.

Oh yes, now you make me want to read this translation as well! I don't remember anything very funny about the "The Brothers K". To my memory, (which could be faulty since I read it in my early 20s), it was a very dark fiction. Do you know if the same folks have translated any of his other works? On another note, I'm reading "The Nanny Diaries" although I'd vowed not to :shrug: It's nice and light, which is just what I need right now during a very hectic week. Because I work primarily with children of wealthy NYC transplants, I didn't want to see them in a cynical light. But then I walked into the staff room at school and there it was, just begging to be read, on the Staff Book Exchange shelf.

Adrienne, I have a copy myself of "As the Waltz Was Ending". I loved it too. It's a very popular book among middle schoolers where I teach.

Sigh Ms. Volochkova is indeed noble:

kfw, I loved "The Brothers Karamazov". I read the book in the 1970's. What do you think of the translated version you're reading? Can you compare it to the older version for me?

Ah, Funny Face, another true fan. Yes, I too loved her use of the word "fine" in describing her hopes for herself as a person. I also remember learning so much from her father in that section about him. It's in "Betsy and Joe", isn't it? She's observing how her father makes everyone feel comfortable and how he listens, really listens, to other people, how he's at home with all kinds of folks. I didn't realize the great wisdom in that passage till I was about 21 years old and had met my future father-in-law. I remember realizing that although he was an uneducated man, he was a very wise one who invariably was loved by all kinds of folks. And I thought he was probably much like Betsy's father. Another passage that's come back to me over and over again in life occurs in "Betsy's Wedding" where Betsy is struggling with her feelings about Joe's Aunt Ruth coming to live with them. She's feeling resentful and guilty all at the same time. She wished her husband had refused his aunt. But all of a sudden she realizes that if he did that, he wouldn't be the person she loves. And that's what makes her finally find peace with the decision. I've felt that way sometimes with my own husband whom I've sometimes thought of as generous to a fault. I woudn't have him any other way. Later in the same book, I think it's after Joe starts to work a night shift, either he or Betsy comments about how sometimes you have to fight like Jacob and the Archangel, wrestling and working and shaping a situation till it's right for you, that it doesn't just come to you easily but you have to make it your own. I almost wrote something like that to you, Funny Face, in your thread on Cross Talk. When I found out I had a chronic disease, I remembered those lines. They've often inspired me to take what I've got and make it something better. I would've loved to have been able to attend that gathering.

Funny Face, The Betsy-Tacy books are still my all-time favorites! I loved them so much that someone gave me the complete hardcover set as a wedding present in 1976. That set is one of my most cherished possessions. Any member of my family, male and female, can recite entire passages by heart from those books. I was so excited when the "Betsy-Tacy Companion" came out. All those photographs are priceless.

Funny Face and K8sMom, I recently listened to the audiotape of the sequel to "Bridget Jones's Diary". It's very funny. The actress doing the reading is just perfect, I never enjoyed a book-on-tape more than this one. There's a very funny section in it where Bridget Jones interviews Colin Firth, the actor who plays Mr. Darcy in the "Pride and Prejudice" movie. Keep in mind that the very same actor plays Mark Darcy (get it?) in "Bridget Jones's Diary". It was very hard to pay attention to my driving while I was listening to that section. I also adore the Anne of Green Gables books. I've read just about everything that L.M. Montgomery wrote. I was sad to read that she struggled greatly with depression throughout her life. If I remember correctly she was married to a rigid minister and the marriage wasn't a happy one.

Just finished "Life of Pi". I must admit, I liked the book alot once I got into it but it's yet another book, ala "Atonement" with a twist at the end. I'm not sure I care for the twist this time though. And now I've begun another book my daughter's begged me to read: Daniel Quinn's "Story of B". I hope to begin "Bel Canto" later this week if a friend remembers to send it along to me.

Paquita, I have that Croce book too. I love it at bedtime -short, interesting pieces. My husband's college years were spent reading many of the books on your list. He attended St. John's College, which is famous for its "Great Books" program. Every now and again, I look at some of those titles on our bookshelf and vow I'll wade into them but I never do. For me, they'd require a discussion group. You are very lucky :yes: Jacki