LiLing

Congratulations Amanda!

I was there last night 5/13 as well. What a terrific program, four strong works in one performance! Nothing but Robbins, Balanchine, Bach, and Stravinsky, who could ask for more.

Teresa Reichlen was glorious in Concerto Barocco, partnered by corps member Justin Peck. He seemed a tad short for her, but danced and partnered extremely well.

Symphony in Three Movements received a powerful performance, with Sterling Hyltin standing out but really the whole huge cast (thirty two, I counted) danced like a house afire.

A great evening.

What a waste of Tyler Peck. Either the choreographer didn't know how to use her, or had very little rehearsal time with her to throw something together.

How is Kate still there? She is just dreadful. Who is voting for her? Maybe all those kids have their cell phones on redial!

I too, much to my surprise, love Pam.

Ah, what a lovely photo, rg! Modern productions of this ballet seem to have lost some volume in their tutu design...Love how fluffy they used to look back then...

I think the difference is in the fabric. In those days the bottom layers were tarlatan with a soft net tulle for a top layer. The nylon tulle used now days lasts longer and is easier to care for than tarlatan, but it doesn't have the same body.

Does twitter really bring in new audiences for ballet? Why would someone who is not already interested in ballet want to read a dancer's twitter posts? It would be interesting to know the make up of the groups following these dancers tweets. My guess is, people who are already fans, and of course dance students all over the country for whom every detail of a professional dancer's life is fascinating, even if they have never seen that dancer dance.

As for companies censoring the dancers, that could become quite a contentious issue. I could see the union getting involved.

Lynn Seymour and Gelsey Kirkland both gave performances that I thought about for days afterward, and they remain vivid in my memory after these many years. While I saw both women give wonderful performances in a number of roles, my top favorites would be Seymour's A Month in the Country, and Juliet, and Kirkland's Giselle, and La Sylphide,

I almost forgot Sally Wilson, wonderful in the Tudor repretore.

I just read straight through The Sugarless Plum in one evening. In addition to documenting her heroic struggle with diabetes, Ms Karz gives a fascinating peek backstage at NYCB during her years there. I highly recommend it.

I also felt it was pretentious. It read like a paper by a student trying to impress with his background knowledge, referring to Descartes, Verlaine, Matisse, Rousseau, and Becket in one review!

" I still believe that an artist should subordinate his voice a bit " And perhaps so should Mr Rutter.

That being said, I do like some of what he has to say, " artists know more about life than philosophers. ........Ballet,........, can teach me something about life." I've read much worse in major publications.

The dance numbers are always dreadful at the Oscars IMHO. I think it is because they are thrown together in a very short time. A piece d' occasion is usually disposable, unless the choreographer is Ashton. The Tonys have the huge advantage of putting on dances from shows that have been honed and polished to perfection on stage. I love the Tonys!

"The final New York performances will cost $10 a ticket, according to Cunningham’s wishes."

I find this very moving. Thank you Merce.

Maybe Nilas Martins is retiring, but it isn't being announced, because he won't be doing a farewell performance. I mean what could he dance? Certainly not Apollo!

I think of the Siren as sensual and alluring, but cold and calculating, rather than scary.

I remember a review that said Kistler danced it "like a young snake." I loved that image, and though it described her performance perfectly.

Here is my reaction as a former dancer. Yes, I did read reviews, as did my co. colleagues. Even the mildest negative comment hurts. If it is a critic you respect, you try to consider it, it may be helpful. If you think the critic is wrong, you try to ignore it, but it is painful. Your friends can tell you Mr. X is an idiot, other reviews may be glowing, but that negative comment is still out there in print for all the world to see, including readers who didn't see the performance to judge for themselves.

Choreographers and artistic directors read reviews as well, and they can influence their perception of a dancer.

Of course as a performer, you put yourself in a position to be reviewed, and it is the critics job to give an honest evaluation. I cringed at Mr. Macaulay's comments on Ms Pereira et al, because I know how I would feel if it were me, but I don't think he was out of line or overly subjective.

You should take a co. member out to diner and pick their brains. Dancers like free meals. :< )

Happy New Year everybody, and thank you moderators, for a very enjoyable year of Ballet Talk.

LiLing

Jennifer Dunning's beautiful description of Matt Turney's qualities as a dancer on stage describe her off stage persona as well. "Serene... quiet eloquence.... a luminous still center in the dramatically charged Graham company."

She was indeed beautiful, as a dancer, and as a person. RIP

A lot of young girls tend to want to dance or act - or both. Anything that involves a lot of people admiring them.

In my experience young girls today who just want to be admired want to be pop singers or models, or better yet, celebrities without working at actually developing any skills, a la Paris Hilton. They certainly don't want to sweat at the barre every day!

I bet young Miss Martins has a pretty realistic understanding of what a career in the theatre demands. I hope she realizes her dreams.

Opinion on her performances at the Royal Ballet seem to be divided.

The only thing I've seen her in is a DVD of Snow White made in Spain with what seemed to be a cast assembled for the production. I thought she was charming, and perfect for the part.

I haven't seen them, but isn't this considered a ballet co.?

From their web site:

"Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions and imbue classical ballet with new expressive potential."

I'm excited about this. I hope it will encourage people to sample some offerings by constituents they may not normally attend. Opera buffs to the Theatre, balletomanes to the symphony, and those of us who are pinching pennies, to everything!

The four ladies on view tonight -- dark-brunette (!) Darci Kistler, Jenifer Ringer, Jennie Somogyi and Janie Taylor --

Are you saying Kistler has dyed her famous golden mane?

Gelsey Kirkland did several parts, there is a picture somewhere of her as an Angel, and I think she also did candy canes.

On the issue of using non dancers:

Never mind how they move, just standing in the still Duff is clearly not a dancer. Those un muscled turned in legs and the dead back foot, good grief!

Adstudent, The school attached to The National Ballet of Canada may include notation in their curriculum. Perhaps you could get some material from them. If so, I'd be interested in hearing which system they teach. Labanotation is widely used in the states, but I understand Benesh is mainly used in England.

I have only studied Labanotation, which can record movement accurately and in great detail, and so it is valuable as a way of keeping a record of a work. The problem is, it is extremely time consuming, both to write and to read. For that reason, it isn't practical for dancers to learn choreography from a score the way musicians do.

I was surprised at all the responsibilities listed for P.M. in the article. It's a wonder to me he had any time in the studio at all. Maybe he just wants to slow down. After all he is sixty three. Even former dancers get creaky!