LiLing

I agree with Miliosr, Martins has a tough row to hoe any way you look at it. My complaint is that there is just too much of his own choreography, given that he is not a major choreographer. Yes, the company must present new repertoire, and the few well esteemed choreographers we have right now are in great demand and not always available. I applaud his taking the risk of presenting new works by young choreographers, even if the results are disappointing, but surely there are more possibilities. During Balanchine's time there were stagings of tried and true works by Tudor, Ashton, Cunningham. Anyone have suggestions for revivals or reconstructions that they would like to see staged at NYCB?

And to that of Merce Cunningham. From Alma Guillermoprieto's piece in The New Yorker: .........".his home, a top-floor loft on one of the noisier stretches of Sixth Avenue. I had never been there, and it took me a few minutes to take in the spectacular shabbiness of the place,.............It turned out that Merce, the greatest living creator of dance beauty and contemporary fusions of art forms, the inspiration to artists around the world, did not even own his own home." It sounds sad out of context, but she goes on to say, "There was no pathos in this discovery...............There was no discipline or self-denial involved in his neglect of his surroundings, just the carelessness of someone who woke up every morning, every day of his long, productive life, focussed on nothing but making the best dance possible that day."

The Winter season is disappointing, but the Spring looks interesting. Has anyone seen any of Alexey Miroshnichenko's work? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

I first encountered Merce when I took some classes he taught in Boston. I was crazy with excitement at this strange new way of dancing, as only a teenager can be. I then saw the company while attending the American Dance Festival, held at Connecticut College. It was the summer he premiered Aeon, which caused quite a scandal, because John Cage played his score at a very high volume. People near the speakers claimed they had pain in their ears, and some of the audience walked out. Louis Horst was on the composition faculty, and he disapproved of Merce's methods, as did most of the faculty. That of course make him a rather heroic figure to us, the students (it was the 60's after all). Some members of Jose Limon and Pearl Lang's companies (who were in residence) took Merce's advanced class as well as his own co. members, whom we idolized. He may have said teaching was a necessary evil, but his classes were exhilarating. Heady times indeed, and wonderful memories. Thank you dear Merce, RIP

Agreed, but I just have to get in my two cents worth! What we do know, is that the official reason given by the company was financial. At least one dancer was told "we can't afford to keep you". Then in The Times: "Mr. Tabachnick confirmed that an undisclosed number of new corps members would be promoted from the ranks of eight apprentices". This makes it clear there were more considerations than saving money. Saying this for publication is hurtful for the dancers, and their professional reputations. Now I give Peter Martins credit for at least speaking directly to each individual dancer, rather than sending a letter, as MCB did. I do think it would have been better, kinder, albeit more difficult for him, to have an honest talk with each dancer about why they were singled out. If they haven't a clue, how can they grow from this experience? Sometimes dancers don't realize they are projecting a bored attitude in rehearsal, or their absence from a huge co. class is noticed, and seen as lack of a work ethic when in fact they are paying for a more demanding class elsewhere. Perhaps they aren't a good fit for this co. in style or body type, but would be valued by a different co. There is no way to avoid the pain that results from being fired, but a little guidance might make the transition to the next step easier. Thinking of the Cunningham debacle on top of this, I wish management would stop making things worse by making ill considered comments in the press!

Of course it is difficult for anyone to lose a job, and in the current economy it can be devastating, but I think the issues for the dancers are a bit different. The dancers aren't expressing the fears I hear from my friends who have lost jobs, i.e. financial fears, finding another job before their unemployment runs out, loss of health insurance etc. They are grieving the loss of the thing that gave focus and meaning to their lives. From the Times article: The emotions are especially acute because, more than many other workers, ballet dancers define themselves and their self-worth by their profession. Losing a job is like losing one’s identity. Sophie Flack, “It was the end of the life I knew since I was a little girl.”

I saw many of Kirkland's performances with both NYCB and ABT. She was a prodigy who attracted attention and speculation while still a student, and joined the co. at fifteen, (looking closer to twelve) with a prodigious technical facility, and a rather reserved stage persona. My earliest memory is of her Firebird, a tiny fragile creature that circled the stage with the highest, fastest, beyond split grand jetes I had ever seen. When she moved to ABT she made an amazingly quick transition to the dramatic repertoire, so different from the Balanchine she grew up on. Her Giselle was one of the most intense experiences I've had in the theatre. Just one of those transcendental experiences that you never forget, and can't adequately verbalize. Her La Sylphide was a fey and witty creature, who literally seemed partly of the air. Of course her fragile appearance and powerful technique made her perfect for these rolls, but you were unaware of technique, it was her ability to make these characters real and draw you into the drama that was so wonderful.

There used to be a week of dance performances after the end of the Shakespeare season in Central Park sponsored by The Harkness Foundation. It was a mixed bill, ballet, modern, ethnic, and Free! I saw Lupe Serrano do The Duel, and still remember how powerful she was, with astonishing elevation. It was a wonderful setting for it too, outdoors, with the castle in the background. Id love to see ABT revive this.

Oh dear, is ballet the last profession in the 21st century where it is still acceptable to refer to highly skilled professional adults as boys and girls?

Kristof's list is for older kids. Here are some for the preschool set. The Olivia books by Ian Falconer She is a little diva pig. She has pictures of Eleanor Roosevelt and Martha Graham on her walls! Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, Pierre, and everything else Maurice Sendak has ever written for children.

I was reminded of the descriptions of the glamorous ballerinas of old, who always looked impeccable in public. She not only looked beautiful on TV, she even looked gorgeous in the pictures of her arrival, hair down, black top and slim pants that emphasized her long legs, high high heels! No hopping out of the car in jeans and T-shirt for Miss Part!

Oh, this is definitely something Merce Cunningham would do!

I was also at the Wed. matinee, and very much enjoyed Murphy and Hallberg. The balcony and bedroom PDDs were heart stopping. The three harlots, Isebella Boylston, Simone Messmer, and Sasha Dmochowski were terrific. With the exception of the final fight between Romeo and Tybalt (Patrick Ogle) I found the sword fighting lacked excitement. It looked like the dancers in the large group fight were moving through meaningless choreographed positions, set to counts and basically phoning it in. Hallberg and Ogle managed to infuse their's with dramatic motivation, create tension, and make it look spontaneous. I noticed the next night's juliet, Hee Seo, was listed in the huge corps of ballroom guests and townspeople. I hope the poor woman had some time to rehearse!

McMillan choreographed his Juliet on Lynn Seymour. Cranko's Juliet was Marcia Haydee. They were cast because they were both dramatic ballerinas, wonderful actresses. In addition they had close collaborative relationships with the choreographers. They, and other members of the casts contributed to the development of their characters. Martins chose to work with inexperienced young dancers. While narrative ballets don't appear to be PM's strength, I think he really put himself at a further disadvantage by casting for youth.

I was referring to open classes, not private coaching. Teachers who teach on their own, that is privately, as opposed to on the staff of a school. Some have their own studios, some rent or share Usually you can pay for single classes, or buy a card for a number. Some but not all charge AGMA members a professional rate. The classes Sophie Flack spoke of taking fall into this category. Many company members of all rakes take these outside classes.

For many companies in smaller cities company class is required, and included in the union's calculation of hours. There is no realistic alternative, either in terms of quality, or location. In NYC however, there are many highly respected private teachers offering professional level classes, some within walking distance of Lincoln Center. It is very easy to take co. class, go straight down the hall to rehearsal without changing clothes......convenient, and FREE. To seek out a class that is more challenging, or more focused on your weak areas, is inconvenient, and expensive. This would constitute going above and beyond. Incidentally, I remember seeing Peter Martins in Maggie Black's class when he was a dancer in the company. (She whom Balanchine referred to sarcastically as "Black Magic".)

I saw my first Sylvia Tuesday night, and after hearing the music in recording since childhood, what a thrill to hear it live.......those horns! It is an ideal ballet score, full of drama and variety. Not having seen any other casts I can't make comparisons, but I thoroughly enjoyed both Herrera and Gomes. Herrera made the most of the opportunity the role offers to show a variety of qualities. Gomes was exciting in his solos, and what a wonderful partner he is. The third act PDD has some tricky partnering but you would never know it. Those two worked together as smooth as silk and looked like they were enjoying it as much as the audience. This is a full length ballet that moves right along, no boring padding, as someone pointed out. When the peasants dance, they DANCE. There are two outstanding examples of some very witty choreography that is so uniquely Ashton. The slaves (Alexei Agoudine, Luis Ribagorda), and the Goats (Sarah Lane, Daniil Simkin) all well danced, as was the whole ballet. My only complaint is the women's noisy shoes in the first act. Even their bourrees sounded like hammers. What they had to do didn't require super hard shoes. Herrera on the other hand, had softer (quieter) shoes, and she was doing a lot of turns and balances. She must have very strong feet! This isn't Ashton's greatest work, but it is a very well made and entertaining ballet. I loved it.

I make a distinction between good feet, and beautiful feet. Good or bad feet referring to how well they are used, or not, beautiful being the visual appearance, i.e. a high arch. While I love a highly arched foot, I don't like the very hyper extended knee that often accompanies it. Chacun a son gout! (Sorry, I need a tutorial in typing accents.)

I wish theaters would post a sign, or place an insert in programs. The use of ANY electronic device in the auditorium is NOT ALLOWED. Please remember to turn off your phone's ring.

Opps, I thought you were asking about the Dark Angel in Serenade!

I share the distress expressed by the posters above over the loss of the company and studio. If the works are only performed by ballet companies with no training in Cunningham technique, they will change a great deal, and what will be lost will be the very elements that make them distinctive, unique, and worth preserving. One problem that hasn't been discussed, either in the press or here is the need for a company to have new works after the founding choreographer is gone. Common wisdom is, you can't have a season without a premiere. This problem of new works, that fit the company has been a big issue for the Graham and Limon companies in trying to go on, and they both performed work by others during the founder's lifetime. I don't think the Cunningham Co. has? That may be one reason they don't envision continuing.

There is a piece by Alastair Macaulay in Sat. NY Times "Every Day a Different Ballet Star: How Cast Changes Cleanse the Palate" in which he raves about the performances of Teresa Reichlen, and bemoans the fact that she isn't given more performances. A wake up call to P. M.? I will see MND Sunday.......Reichlen AND Ringer, I can't wait!

I think frequently when a choreographer is labeled musical, it is just a matter of how closely they mirror the musical elements, rhythm, phrasing, overall structure. If the musical score is fairly complex and the movement vocabulary sophisticated, this can be very satisfying, if not it becomes what is called Mickey Mouseing, and can be almost comical. (In a cartoon, the character goes up stairs, the music goes up the scale, he falls, the music crashes etc. whence the term.) For me, a musical choreographer doesn't do the obvious, the choreography is an added voice, sensitive to the music, but not slavishly tied to it. I'm afraid I can't explain myself very well, but this is an interesting topic. I'd love to hear Alastair Macaulay's thoughts. He pays more attention to the music that the average dance critic, which I appreciate.

Attention Flamenco fans: In addition to his Flamenco Trilogy, Carlos Saura made a film called Flamenco, which is a documentary with some of the most fantastic singers and dancers on film. Also, Los Taratos, directed by Francisco Rovira Beleta. It is a Gipsy setting of Romeo and Juliet, with a powerful performance by Carmen Amaya, and a very young Antonio Gades. Some of my favorites have already been mentioned here...Pan's Laybrinth, everything by Kurosawa. I'll add Jean de Florette, and especially the sequel, Manon of the Spring, dr. Claude Berri, Whale Rider, Niki Caro, Angels and Insects, Philip Haas Camille Claudel, Bruno Nuytten.

The thing that strikes me in the opening scene is, there is no character definition. Who are these people? neither the choreography nor the costumes tell you anything about them. The two color coded groups of women could have wandered in from a Tharp/Robbins ballet. Oh for Cranko's whores and flying oranges! The acting was for the most part indicating by the crowd, and melodramatic from the principals, but I don't think you can blame the dancers so much as the direction, or lack thereof, that they received. And of course, this was a stage performance. Normally for an actor a performance for film would be less broad, and for TV even more subtle. On the positive side, Sterling Hyltin's dancing......gorgeous! Daniel Ulbricht was a terrific Mercutio, and the sword fights were exciting, really well staged and performed. I enjoyed the intermission segments, and you had to laugh at the idea of Joan Fontaine dancing Juliet!