ViolinConcerto

Allyson Green, who "helped" choreograph "Don Giovanni" at the Met, teaches and does choreography in San Diego. This article describes her research-intense approach to creating a new "Les Noces."

Green threw herself into studying Stravinsky's life and music. And, during a recent stay in New York (where she helped choreograph "Don Giovanni" at the Metropolitan Opera), she did extensive research on wedding rituals at an exhibit at the Ukrainian Museum.

Doing such in-depth study is a new way for her to make a dance, Green says. "In the past, I tended to make work that had more of a personal nature. But in the past years, I've become more excited about working on something from an academic standpoint. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have read all the books on Stravinsky."

Thanks, Sandi -- At the website, they show 16 double page spreads of illustrations, but have no text samples. If they indeed, only cover 1911-14, as they mention, then some of the photos are out of sequence, eg, Balanchine in Venice. Very few of the images on those double page spreads are new to me, other than page 15, which shows back and front of a costume I'd not seen before.

$750.00??????

Just last week, the New York Times posted a long and interesting article about Hypothyroidism and its relation to many problems, including psychiatric disorders.

I too hope that her long absence will soon be over, and she can reclaim her place on stage and in our hearts.

I found this link to a book on the Ballets Russes by someone named "Tubeuf," with a price of $750. It also said that the book was sold. Does anyone have any knowledge of this book?

Here's a thoughtful article about dePierro in Huffington Post.

I especially appreciated this:

DePierro's story is unique for the extraordinary external attention paid to her at a young age, but the way she felt about failing -- for years afterward -- isn't.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health showed that American young women had fewer "significant failures" at school than young men, but that such a failure made them significantly more likely to suffer a bout of depression before age 21. In her book "Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong," Alina Tugend cites studies showing that women berate themselves more for mistakes and that they blame themselves first, whereas men often blame others first.

MacAuley has something to say about this topic, in today's New York Times. Here is the link and here is a quote from the beginning of the article:

Last year, as I toured the United States in a “Nutcracker” marathon, I observed how more than 12 American productions featured the Sugar Plum pas de deux that Lev Ivanov choreographed for the 1892 original in St. Petersburg. But in only one case was the pas de deux — whose adagio, early on, features a beautifully spectacular phrase unlike anything else in 19th-century ballet, with the ballerina seeming to peel herself open in her partner’s arms — actually credited to Ivanov.

It is possible to read sections of the book on Amazon.

On this website, for a company that coordinates estates and exhibitions, you will find a photo of a pair of Nijinsky's ballet slippers. By clicking on the image, you can see a few other personal articles of his clothing.

Ironic.

Balanchine did say, "Après moi, le Board." Why do these people think that a corporate model would work for an artistic venture?

Ohhhhh. All I can say is (to quote Pope) "Had we but world enough, and Time...." then we could visit all the exhibitions, watch all the film clips, etc.

Thanks, CM. How DO you keep up with so much?

1. The New York Times has published an obit for Annabelle Lyon, who passed away at age 95. She danced with "American Ballet," and "Ballet Caravan," among other companies. I wanted to post the link to the Times using the link icon, but couldn't. Here is the full link:
   

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/arts/dance/annabelle-lyon-dancerwith-balanchine-dies-at-95.html

I thought the whole fuss referring to Balanchine's dancers and ballets as being like "IBM" was all about "Agon," and hadn't been mentioned since.

I saw that article this morning, and just started laughing! Laemmli must not be familiar with the many collections of personal accounts such as "Balanchine's Ballerinas" or any of the memoirs from dancers like Merrill Ashley, where they discuss Balanchine's insistence on wearing and working in pointe shoes all the time. They were very aware that this practice changed their way of working and their bodies, but they certainly didn't think it was to their disadvantage, or made them become like automatons.

This sounds similar to NYCB's new mystery pricing. Are the "dynamic" prices posted ahead of time? Or is it a crapshoot the way NYCB seems to be?

Helene, I don't seem to be getting emails when a topic is updated (where I formerly was getting notified). Is there a way to reset this? I really like the new look.

Thank you.

Some of these changes -- especially those related to the financial oversight and personnel issues -- are probably long overdue. Who knows what will happen. Speaking for myself, I just hope the company retains its Balanchine-centered training and repertory as it moves into the future.

Good luck, Mr. Goldsborough.

I believe that's a universal hope. All fingers crossed!

The Washington Post announced that Mr. Goldsborough will become Executive Director. From this and another article, it seems that much of his experience is in fundraising, which isn't a bad thing nowadays.

Here's the link

Nicholas Goldsborough headed to Miami City Ballet

By Jacqueline Trescott

Nicholas T. Goldsborough, a former managing director of theShakespeare Theatre in Washington, has been named the new executive director at the Miami City Ballet.

I spotted this in the Times, and thought I'd share it with all of you, since it's a generally positive review and has a photo of an exceptionally cute red-headed dancer. Here is the link.

PS

As a redhead, I always like to see the occasional red-head doing well on stage.

Be still my heart!

Did you ever see Richard Marsden? He was in NYCB quite a while back, his parents were ballet dancers, and he was featured on a book cover about a young man in ballet. He was a delightful dancer. And a redhead!

Very attractive. I like the Font in your ALL CAPS headline.

I spotted this in the Times, and thought I'd share it with all of you, since it's a generally positive review and has a photo of an exceptionally cute red-headed dancer. Here is the link.

By contrast, the ballet is finest and most original in several places where the plot has challenged Mr. Yeston and Mr. Whitener to find a dance equivalent. Act I starts with the famous fence-painting scene, an engaging male pas de trois for Tom’s friends (successfully individualized). Town, schoolroom, church are all clearly delineated (helped by Walt Spangler’s economical but evocative décor, with the barest wooden framework for each building descending on cue, and Holly Hynes’s costumes). The Act III courtroom scene, which should be so dance-hostile, is made vivid by effects of grouping and gesture.

See NY Times Link

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/millepied-retires-from-city-ballet/?ref=arts

He has been "de facto" retired for years. It seemed unfair that for so many years he remained on the NYCB payroll as a principal but never danced there, while at the same time he was out earning fees as a choreographer at other companies and on other projects.

I wrote those exact words to a friend earlier today! (Great minds think alike!)

That concept of the hands on the truck is possibly the worst concept for a dance I have ever heard. What was he thinking when he said "yes?" Or rather what was he drinking?

Sandik, it's not so much 'June Taylor' or Busby Berkeley (directly overhead & stationary) as it is a camera that is 'floating' or skimming across the stage, sometimes weaving between dancers. One never knows where it's going to stop. I've seen this 'skycam' -- literally set up on thin wires strung up across a stage or an arena, tiny camera can zoom on the wires, every which way -- method employed at figure skating events. It's ridiculous above the ice and it's ridiculous here, too.

ITA with Cygnet that the Mariinsky (and NYCB and ABT) have missed the boat here due to 'closed door' policies & not jumping on the 'live ballet in cinemas' bandwagon. Very soon, if not already, the American public at large will be able to claim the Bolshoi or POB as their preferred 'home company' because of the accessibility via the cinema events AND their often-available DVDs. America knows and loves the POB and Bolshoi dancers probably more than those of NYCB and ABT...certainly more than NYCB. For cryin' out loud, there's even been more DVD releases with La Scala Ballet in the past 6 years than there's been of NYCB and ABT (and the Mariinsky?) combined. (OK, so NYCB has agreed to throw hoi poloi a bone in the form of that 'rarity' from the Balanchine oeuvre...Nutcracker! Wowee! That one has never been seen! How about Live on PBS/Cinemas performances of Symphony in C, Agon, Concerto Barocco, Dances at a Gathering, Goldberg, West Side Story Suite, etc?)

What,exactly, is the reason of NYCB and ABT not doing the live screening? Is it too expensive to do so?

My recall (or is it assumption?) is that the Trusts do not want the choreography stolen, misattributed or misappropriated.

I was particularly interested in this portion:

The Thursday performance of “Bacchae” will be live-streamed free to an East Village bistro, Zaitzeff, and to the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, a community organization in the South Bronx, to make the company accessible to a larger audience. Ms. Lopez said she felt strongly about this effort, despite criticism from colleagues.

“I’ve gotten a lot of flak: ‘This is not sports,’ or ‘If you’re offering it for free, people won’t come to the show,’ ” she said. “I’m really tired of people talking about how fragile dance is. It’s powerful. Where would I be as a Cuban immigrant if I hadn’t found it?”

I think that since they are aiming for a younger, more offbeat/artsy/alternative audience, that's a good idea, akin to the beginnings of the Metropolitan Opera's radio broadcasts, which have been going on for years and years. The work may not appeal to ballet traditionalists, but she'll be opening a door to new viewers. The Joyce is so small that she needs to widen the company's reach, and live streaming is a good way to do it.

It's a shame, for whatever reason, that Peter Boal could not use Sean Lavery's version of the "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene. He danced it (with Judith Fugate I believe) and the choreography was beautiful, moving, intelligent, human, breathing and musical. Sean hasn't done any other choreography, as far as I know, and we are all missing something as a result.

Thought I'd add this, which I found recently:

Info about the tragic death of an NYCB alumna, a few months ago:

By Judy Atchinson, the Schenectady Gazette:

Dance honors

This next item saddens me intensely. Marnee Morris, one of Schenectady’s own, died recently. Born and raised in this town. I studied piano for many years with her father, and I was 7or 8 years older than she. Her first love was ice skating, and as I visited her house weekly I would see her skating on the ice rink in the back yard. Her father had constructed it and kept it flooded and swept clean.

She moved on from skating to ballet and was a soloist under Balanchine with the New York City Ballet. Her epitaph and a photo of her at SPAC are on my wall posted by Heather. Dance magazine writes movingly of her sweetness and openness. But her life hit a downhill spiral and she contracted HIV in 1990. AIDS/HIV touches all of us. Support the Aids walk and other such programs. Too many people here die from AIDs/HIV.

Thanks, RG, for the photos and scans.

There are a few good photos on Facebook. I am not sure if that link will work. It says "by New York City Ballet" on the page. I don't know how to use facebook (I'm surprised they let me on!) so I hope that link gets you through.