ViolinConcerto

I've been digging a bit on different approaches to the ballet before tonight's opening, so I went back to some of the biographies i own that have something to say on the subject. Alonso, Danilova and Kirkland are some of them. Particularly interesting are the scarce words of the latter on Balanchine's version. This is what she has to say:

"I also knew that Balanchine would adapt the concept to his vision of pure dance. The story and the characters would be encased in plastic. I made a plan with myself; I would leave the company before dancing in this production. Danilova's somewhat old-fashioned approach was to be wed to Balanchine's modern sensibility. I knew the inevitable outcome of such a marriage would be a stylistic travesty, a waltz of dolls. I had had enough of glorified triviality. His Coppelia was a major hit that summer without me. I had no regrets about not appearing in that one..."

Any thoughts from those familiar with this staging...?

I'd have more patience for Kirkland's scorn for "glorified triviality" if her and her husband's version of "Sleeping Beauty" weren't such a godawful, wrongheaded mess.

I guess we have to take it as it is. Just another choreographic assessment, probably one that's not very popular, although also probably with a few followers here and there.

Just as our own opinions. BT's "Favorite variation" and "Least favorite variation" have its good share of pieces that belong to both threads.

I think that Kirkland's chip on her shoulder about Mr. B. obscured her judgement about nearly everything else.

My takeaway from the articles was this: How much was being a dancer ever his dream? The Guardian article states (accurately or not, I cannot say) that Polunin, "was pushed into dance by his parents in the hope that it would bring the family a better life."

I got the impression that he is a young man with very limited exposure to the world, and very limited education about the arts or other options open to him. The part about his attempts to self-tattoo were troubling as well. There's much more to this than we can really see.

A new article about Kathryn:

http://www.worldartstoday.com/dance/moving-forward-by-going-back-home/

maybe there's a whole collection?

Tours en L'air has a 2012 schedule posted. Thanks for telling us about it puppytreats! It's surely something to keep an eye on.

Pick the one that most represents your take on Boards making artistic decisions. Think about Miami City Ballet, and a host of other examples:

I just got a copy of the May 29, 1971 issue, which I had had and lost a while back (though I saved the cover for many more years, great photo!). I searched for it, found a number of copies on ebay. I got one at a reasonable price, and there are mover available if anyone else is interested. Go to ebay and put this in the search box:

'

SATURDAY REVIEW Magazine May 29 1971 IGOR STRAVINSKY

good luck and enjoy!

I remember seeing it in 1998 or 1999. It was rather odd, describing a wedding ritual, with everyone dressed like European peasants. Not really ballet. The title describes it. Les Noces.

I think it's been done since then, although I don't remember when. The ballet is very much visually modeled on Bronislava Nijinska's "Les Noce." It premiered at ABT.

A very dedicated balletomane, "Nickwallacesmith"has posted "Portrait of Diaghilev" in seven sections on You Tube. Here is a link to the first segment. Hopefully someone will come along and embed a visual link, but I never did learn how to do it.

Caution, the chronology is terminally screwed up. But it's narrated by Tamara Geva, with interviews with Danilova, Dolin, Balanchine, Massine, Markova, Doubrovska, Karsavina, and others. Nice to have it close at hand.

OY VEH! As we say in NY -- Mea culpa. Typo. Sorry!

Not to toot my own horn, but the item could have been found yesterday on our Links, as well.

I hadn't checked, and it's great that you posted it!

Congratulations on your excellent search, your devotion and your answer!

To help call the music to mind, the interval is a minor 6th, eg, the beginning of Bei Mir Bis du Schein. (Don't blame me for the spelling).

I found this article at this website.

One of the most outstanding figures in the world of ballet, Fernando Alonso, is celebrating his 97th birthday. Alonso has earned prestige worldwide as one of the world's best ballet professors and as the principal creator of the internationally known and praised Cuban ballet school.

Alonso found, was the mentor of and trained Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and Director of the Cuban National Ballet Company, Alicia Alonso, to whom he was married for a number of years and with whom he has a daughter, ballet maitre and Director of the Havana based Pro-Dance Center, Laura Alonso.

Just came from tonight’s run of the Nutcracker in Broward. Here are some thoughts:

Glad to run again into Mr. Jack Reed..! (Hey there…I might see you back again tomorrow)

Act I

This year I decided to sit upstairs, so I could take a different view of the corps, and glad I did..! The ballet is an entirely new thing when watched from up there. I never realized how HIGHLY CHOREOGRAPHED the whole thing is…including the ballroom and battle scenes.

THE PARTY SCENE

The ballroom sequence is definitely delightful. To see how Balanchine creates this vintage feeling to perfection, how he integrates the children in such organic ways into the action is just a marvel. Never have I seen a production that tells so much about the life in such high class environment. Particularly interesting is how he makes the kids dance along the adults without looking too affected or unreal. I’ve seen many other productions where even adult dancers never look as comfortable in such choreographed situations. Balanchine’s party scene is being studied to the ultimate detail, including social classes differences little touches here and there-(like the way everybody, including the children, hand their coats to the female servants without even looking at them sometimes). One can tell that these are children in training to make their future insertion in society easily and with complete success, sort of miniature ladies and gentlemen.

THE BATTLE SCENE

The battle scene was another discovery. How is that I never saw all those lines and diagonals and the quasi mathematical moving of bodies, both of the mice and the soldiers…? At one moment I even thought..”This is as complex as the Waltz of the Flowers!” …and sure it is…From orchestra one can only see lots of running onstage, but from upstairs the designs come to life…Balanchine really uses lots of space to accommodate his designs, and the battle is no exception. Again…the vintage feeling is here too…the costume designs of the soldiers are lovely…they really look like those old cartoons from the 40’s. Kudos to the kids, and my highest respect for them and their ballet master. They were rehearsed to PERFECTION.

THE SNOW SCENE

What can I say but just to reinforce my total devotion to this little jewel of corps choreography…? If anything, I wish Balanchine would have used many, many, many more dancers to make this marvel of scene even grander. Again, from upstairs this is a completely new choreography.

Note: Thank you, whoever is in charge, for returning the snow balls hand devices to the ballerinas. In past years there were substituted by silvery branches, and the effect wasn’t the same. That aside from the fact that the snow balls things are a direct link to the Imperial production designs, as we can see from the pic in “Apollo’s Angels”.

Act II

I have only one complain about the introduction, which I have voiced before in this board, and is the fact that Balanchine changes the roles of the parade girls from its original matryoshka dolls form to angels. Then also, it is never explained-(at least in this production and in this city)-that this are the Nutcracker’s sisters welcoming their brother back to the kingdom. A little clarification and background story would be nice, particularly for the non connoisseur audience.

And here comes my biggest disappointment from Balanchine’s staging. The dis-articulation of the Grand Pas de Deux. As we all know, now the Sugar Plum Fairy dances the well known Pas’ “celesta variation”, and in my humble opinion, here Balanchine’s own choreographic ideas never came close to the beauty of the original one, so well preserved in some other productions around the world. The Sugar Plum Fairy anticipated variation is rather bland, although nice to watch but nothing for which the ballerina can really make a statement.

THE DIVERTISSEMENTS.

The Spanish Dance is great. I’m not a real fan of character shoes in ballet-(they rather bore me)-and so Balanchine's’ pointe work preference here is definitely welcomed. The leads were danced by Isanusi Garcia-Rodriguez-(a very underused principal, IMO)-and a rather stiff Maya Collins-(or was she substituted …? Help me here, Jack!

The Arabian Dance is another topic I want to discuss a little. In this era of many popular belly dancing and circus contortionists inspired choreographies for this dvertissement, it is great to see such subtle and elegant rendition of what we can see as a fantasy of an eastern dance. One never see a bit of any sexual/pelvic gestures as it is so popular in many productions nowadays, or the never ending lifts and rollings of snake-like ballerinas on top of male dancers, sometimes more proper of a modern harem than that of a treat from Confiterinburg. Balanchine’s coffee looks like taken out of one of those old films, where Hollywood actresses moved and danced just as that…as American women imitating to their best foreign dances and gestures. Still, just getting to see again that the “vintage” feeling has been preserved is a nice touch. I’m sick and tired of vulgar odalisques dancing to the children exposing their crotch open wide.

To be continued…

Christian, one of the joys of watching Balanchine ballets over the years at the NYS Theater is that ALL of his ballets look new from different points in the theater. The designs, diagonals, complex corps movements, etc. all become revelations from new seats. For me the greatest examples are "Symphony in 3 Movements" and "Stravinsky Violin Concerto," but then, those are my favorite ballets.

I would love to hear more about Maya Collins from all of you down in FL., I always enjoyed her warm smile, and her line. I'll miss her in NY, but will follow your reports. She's one of those dancers that I feel has untapped dramatic abilities as well. What do you think?

....and thanks, MRR, for the link!

The film will consist primarily of interviews about Balanchine's teaching methods, with dancers who studied and danced with Mr. B. The list is very long and inclusive.

I am excited about seeing the outcome of these efforts, but I do wonder about what the larger frame will be holding these interviews together, and/or a critical/contextualizing/focusing point-of-view. Will there be any? If not, I fear that this film will hold little interest for those beyond us balletomanes. And as much as I love Balanchine, I hope this doesn't become just another hagiography.

If you go to the Dance Film Association site, Hochman has posted a short clip of what the film will be like. It is focussed on Balanchine in the classroom, and as such may in fact be limited in interest for students and devotees, but it has a lot to offer even just that limited audience. Something like this will NEVER attract a major popular audience, unless, say, Natalie Portman gives it a major pitch.

Let us know if there is anything we can do, and tell us how. Small amounts help!

A year later and they are still fundraising, now for post-production.

Many new photos on facebook, (Merrill Ashley, Suzanne Farrell, Dan Duell, Carol Divet, David Hays, Stacy Cadell, Afshin Mofid, Karin von Aroldingen, Bart Cook and Maria Calegari). There are comments and "likes" by many old friends as well.

The Dance films page is also a good place to donate, they have Pay Pal.

So, tis the season!! Use those links again! Shake that purse!! We wiil all be so happy when the film comes out.

Just before the summer of 1924, Lidia Ivanova, Alexandra Danilova, Nikolai Efimov, Vera Zorina and George Balanchine (who were very young-marrieds) were slated to do a short tour, starting in Germany, as the Balanchine-formed group "Soviet State Dancers" during the Maryinsky's summer holidays, at the invitation of Vladimir Dmitriev. They were the "cream of the young Maryinsky crop" according to Danilova in Choura.

I believe you meant "Tamara Geva" and not Vera Zorina. Zorina was wife #3, Geva was #1.

For those who are interested in the topic (Balanchine's teachings) thee is also the film, in post - production now, "In Balanchine's Classroom."

Here's the facebook link.

Amazon still has copies of "Balanchine the Teacher."

...and they are on the Times website, in "Arts Beat." Great. Though I've read little about Colbert, (and haven't seen the show other than on You Tube), I got the impression that underneath all the silliness is a person seriously interested in the arts!

The New York Times just published an article about lavishly illustrated and intriguingly covered books for multi, multi bucks, into which category the new B.R. book falls.

I'd need a new, very elegant coffee table.

Here is the link to an article with an interview. I'm sure all of you who read "DanceViewTimes" are aware of this. An interesting revelation is that he studied to be a microbiologist!

A quote from the end of the review:

WCP: How do you feel about quitting reviewing?

GJ: My first review was published in 1950 and the time has come. I believe I can still see, hear, think, and feel, but one does grow slower. Because of that personal change, there is the need to guard against misjudging such things as pacing and duration. I'm not going to stop writing. There are two books I have in mind, in fact have started. If ever they are going to be finished, though, it should be now and without many interruptions. Regular reviewing, if done properly, is consuming.