Ed Waffle

A few from the world of opera: Why are tenors always standing on the doorstep? They can’t find the key and don’t know when to come in. ---- How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb? None--she has her accompanist do it. ---- How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb? Just one—she holds the bulb and the world revolves around her. ---- How many mezzos does it take to change a light bulb? Five—one to stand on a chair and screw it in, four to ask “Isn’t that a bit high for you, dear?” ---- Why are soprano jokes always one-liners? So that tenors can understand them.

There was an article in today's (Thursday) Wall Strett Journal which listed people who had planned to be in harm's way on Tuesday but for different reasons were not there. The lead was a software sales rep whose company suffered a direct hit from one of the terrorist planes. She had been laid off the day before. Kyra Nichols' husband was scheduled to be on one of the flights that was hijacked and crashed but had injured his ankle jumping rope over the weekend and couldn't make the flight.

I was wondering about Dark Elegies--although even listening to Mahler's "Kindertotenlieder" could be difficult under the circumsances. There are great works that were written specifically for this type of situation. Haydn's "Mass in Time of War" is one of them. Some of the Bach motets written for funerals would be perfect--grand but filled with emotion and not lugubrious. "Spem in Alium" by Tallis (which I am listening to as I type this) is an all purpose and sublime choral piece. Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" would fit this occasion--and almost all others--since it emphasises the indominatability of the human spirit. It was used to open many Central European opera houses after the Second World War, but would also work wonderfully in such a terrible circumstance as this. Regarding ballet, I would rather see something upbeat and happy. Indeed I would love to be at a performance of "Rodeo" right now.

Pray for Peace. Pray for Justice. Give Blood. Ed and Shari Waffle

This has been an intriguing thread and one that indicates just how much fun BalleAlert can be. 1) Estelle wrote: "Around 10:30 PM (the show was supposed to start at 10 PM, and most people had been queuing since 8:30 PM)"--this sounds delightful, living as I do in the American midwest where it seems that producers want to get shows over by 10:30 PM. 2) alymer wrote: "He's a charming man with a very wide culture, who did some excellent work but he has suffered from political problems - ie a change of local adminstration decides that a contemporary dance group rather than a classical company -however modern - is what they are prepared to fund." Which says volumes about how the performing arts are funded in France as compared to the United States and how state or municipal funding is not axiomatically better than private funding. alymer also wrote: "This isn't the place to go into all those dirty dealings, but you are absolutely correct in your estimation of him." Which is the right approach, but does sound so much more interesting than the recent uproar at the ABT. I am happy that someone knows it and who is willing to discuss it privately. And this is just one quick thread from our Europe-based friends, and ignores a lot of other great stuff in these posts. So if you are wondering what to do with the pre-refund (or whatever it is) that the IRS is sending or already has sent, think about donating a few dollars of it to BalletAlert.

There are two books with which I am familiar that show how one can view culture through the prism of art and hundreds (or thousands) which show the opposite. Many academics want to blame those who lived in the past for not solving problems that exist now—they seems to resent those who came before them for leaving such an untidy world. If we, in our enlightened state, can see how stories like “Giselle”, “Carmen” or “La Traviata” not only reflected institutional sexism but also helped to sustain it, how on earth could the men (of course) who created them not see the same thing? If Verdi was so great, why did he write an opera based on such an outrageously male-dominated text as “The Lady of the Camellias”? And how could he do so without undermining it through his own commentary? By the way, I realize “institutional sexism” is probably such an outdated term that by using it I have unconsciously thrown my lot with the oppressors. There are ways to look at works of art as expressions of the culture from which they came and to draw conclusions about that culture. I would disagree that academics and academic critcs may not understand the complex context of the works they criticize and posit that they prefer to impose their own context on the work--a context which in many cases is apparent only to the critic. Even after one reads the aricle or chapter in question, the connection still remains murky. One work that does this very well is “The Runaway Bride: Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the 1930s” by Elizabeth Kendall, who is known to many people on this list for her dance criticism. In this book, Kendall analyzes what she calls Depression romantic comedies and shows that they “contained real wisdom about the relations between the classes and the sexes—and real wit about the persistently hopeful naivete of us, the Americans.” If you enjoy movies like “It Happened One Night”, “My Man Godfrey” or “The Lady Eve” and actresses such as Irene Dunne, Claudet Colbert, Barbara Stanwyk, and Carole Lombard (which is like asking if you like breathing) this is a book for you. Kendall shows how the concerns of an entire generation can be seen in these movies, and does so in beautifully written prose. Another is “Opera, or the Undoing of Women” by Catherine Clement. Clement is not a musicologist, but a French critic of philosophy who loves opera. While it may seem a bit off-putting that she has also written books on structuralism, Marxism and psychoanalysis, (this book is dedicated to Claude Levi-Strauss) she writes well and really knows her stuff. She covers many the undone women—Carmen, Butterfly, Liu, etc., and how their treatment reflects the social and philosophical currents of European thought at the time they were written. Her synopses of plots, often less than a page long, are delicious. While Alla’s initial comment was a response to a Village Voice article, much of what annoys many of us (or at least me) are academic writing--serious and detailed enough to be published between hard covers—that simply restates received knowledge. [ 08-19-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

In addition to opera (first) ballet (second) chamber music (third), I enjoy movies--only a few and those obsessively--and certain sports. I saw "Moulin Rouge" six times this summer and would like to see it six more. The first two acts--essentially from the first time "the Sound of Music" is heard in the garrett until the end of the scene in the Elephant with everyone convincing the Baron to fund "Spectacular Spectacular" is as thrilling as anything I have ever seen on the screen. It also is the only movie I can imagine that used the vocal gifts of Kylie Minogue and Placido Domingo in close proximity. I taped and watched two hours per day of the Tour de France bicycle race every day during the last three weeks of July. My wife is much more creative. She is a skilled water colorist and draw beautifully. Like Alexandra I enjoyed the Cuban Missile Crisis movie (Thirteen Days) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, which we saw a few times. CTHD is a hyper-romantic movie that hits all the right notes. Currently reading David Cairns biography of Berlioz and John Dryden's prefaces.

Manhattnik-- Do you know what recording Taylor used? There are a lot of great ones: --Martha Argerich (even with her usual quota of wrong notes) --Evgeny Kissin (a bit too classical for some) --Stephen Drury (thought by many to be the best recording so far) Julip-- I think the choreographer would have to make those decisions, depending on how he or she is inspired by the work--and, possibly, by the pianist. [ 08-11-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

Jane Simpson and Mary Cargill mentioned Schubert's song cycle "Der Winterreise". Like a lot of people who studied voice I learned it both as a school exercise and for performance. It does seem that a ballet to the entire cycle it would be dreadful, but a couple of the songs might work. "Der Doppelganger", for example--it is from a different cycle, but could be done like a soft-shoe, but on pointe. With a follow spot, of course--"Me and My Shadow" for Lincoln Center. What would be intriguing is a ballet done to a good recording of the John Cage masterpiece 4'33".

This is a question regarding encountering an artist after a performance. From the New York Times, in an article covering the opera and food travels of a couple: “But despite the tepid reaction, Ferrara's "Macbeth" included the best single performance we saw on this trip: Francesca Patanè's Lady Macbeth, wild-eyed, dark-voiced, lithe (and sometimes naked). She was fabulous, and it was all we could do to stop ourselves from intruding on her postperformance supper around the corner from the opera house, where we also were dining, to tell her so.” This has come up occasionally here in Motown and must also be the case wherever there are restaurants near performance venues—in other words, everywhere. For example, there is a lovely (and not inexpensive) restaurant close to the Detroit Opera House where we gather with a few friends, including members of the Michigan Opera Theatre chorus, after the last matinee of the spring and fall seasons. It might seem that since the you are encountering the artist in such close proximity to the stage, and within a short time after you were giving her a standing ovation that she is still “in character.” However, unless you know that the person does not mind being approached by a fan under these circumstances discretion is almost always the better part of valor, especially when one has been really moved by a performance, whether in an opera, ballet or the spoken theater. The greater the sense of wonder and delight that the artist has created, the less articulate one would be—at least that has been my own experience. One exception was after “Samson and Delilah”—we recognized one of the principals in the restaurant and a chorus member we were with, who had studied with him, said that he enjoyed being recognized and signing programs, which seemed to be the case. I wonder if others on the board agree, that artists encountered under these circumstances should be left alone, unless one has specific knowledge of their desires to the contrary. This is different from running into someone away from the theater—Susan Jaffe in line at Barnes and Noble for example or Rene Fleming picking up her dry cleaning. Then a quick “You were wonderful in "-------" and sensational in "-------------" and we hope to see you again in "-------------" might be appropriate. [ 08-04-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

And while our attention is distracted by the flamboyant Rev. Moon, the Phillip Morris Company, a real merchant of death, continues to bring us culture. Not that I boycott performances sponsored by or companies supported by Phillip Morris, being happy to sup with the devil if it includes ballet. The multi-national company of years ago has become the global entity of today and their reach is quite astonishing. In this case the product they manufacture and distribute causes illness and death when used properly. Which, according to them, is not necessarily a bad thing. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010726/t...cco_deaths.html The main point the referenced study makes is that early deathes caused by smoking may benefit a country--in this case the Czech Republic--because increased health care costs will be more than offset by lower payments for housing and pensions. Ed Waffle ewaffle@hotmail.com [ 07-26-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

Spisto's background in management of large orchestras didn't prepare him very well for ABT. Whatever the real situation is (and we may never hear Spisto's version of it) at least part of the reality is that symphony orchestras are still much more autocratic organizations than ballet companies--or at least ABT. The Times article mentions that ABT is a "company where staff and dancers liked to describe themselves once as an informal family." What Tolstoy said about families is familiar enough to not have to quote it. If the next ABT executive director can get along with the family and raise as much money as Spisto did, he will be successful. Given the deepening recession and the sharp collapse of equity prices it will be difficult for anyone to match his fundraising. Spisto was executive director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra before going to ABT. He worked very well with major donors in the Motor City--the DSO has a decent endowment and can afford to tour regularly. He had an excellent relationship with Nemii Jarvi, the music director, who is not the easiest person in the world with whom to work. The Times article is typical of its kind--Carvajal seems to go out of her way to find and quote everyone who had a grievance with Spisto while not bothering with the other side. Which is not surpising, since if Carvajal continues to cover ABT, she will need those sources and Spisto will obviously not be a factor. Ed Waffle ewaffle@hotmail.com

Victoria Leigh wrote: “there really were Ballerinas, stars, mature artists who the public knew and loved. Not that we don't have ballerinas today, but with all the contemporary rep, and then the companies who do not rank dancers, and perhaps a lack of "emploi" in terms of developing the classical ballerinas in the classical roles, we just don't seem to develop the Fonteyns, Ulanovas, Plisetskayas, Tallchiefs, or the Farrells and Kirklands. Dancers are doing principal roles before they have matured into principal artists.” As usual, Victoria’s post cuts to the heart of things especially the last sentence quoted above. It rings very true because the same situation, with some variations, exists today in opera. What is termed either “international” style or “American style” in singing has become the norm, with a few besieged fortresses of national singing styles still holding out in France and Russia. What has happened is that “Lucia di Lammermoor” will sound much the same at La Scala as at the Met. Unfortunately, Lucia at the met will also sound like “Don Giovanni” and “La Boheme” at Covent Garden. Singers learn roles in languages other than their own phonetically without understanding the text. They get graduate degrees from Julliard, Indiana or Curtis, which means they can sight read Schoenberg, can learn a part while stuck in traffic during a commute and can write a paper on the core tonality of “Tristan and Islolde.” What they can’t do is perform Italian opera in an Italianate style. No one has taught them to do so and no one will. That the same may be true of ballet training is at least indicated by Luka, who writes: “there's a girl in my class who's several years older than me who has good technique, but (not to be like a grumpy critic, which I have no right to be) she dances everything the 'same'.. whether it be a Pas de Quatre variation or something as bright and merry as the canary fairy thing in 'Beauty'. ” I seem to recall that some of the ballerinas mentioned above were secular stars to some extent. Fonteyn, Tallchief (at least in Chicago) and Farrell were names known outside of ballet—as was Kirkland, but she more as a poster child for wretched excess than anything else. Another parallel is a young singer being pushed into roles much earlier than before. There are well-documented instances of great lyric artists ruining their voices through taking on too many roles and too heavy roles before they were ready to do so. The most famous instance is Maria Callas, while Elena Suliotis, even more reckless than La Callas, ruined a magnificent voice in about five years. While the vocal abuse that caused Callas’ and Suliotis’ decline is not purposely visited upon young singers today, it is a consequence of casting practices. Without boring non-opera listeners any further, what is happening is that what was considered a normal progression of roles over a period of years in the works of Verdi or Wagner does not always exist and younger singers are thrust into parts for which they are not yet equipped. In ballet this taking on of roles to early is detrimental to the art and the artist. The same is true in opera, with the additional factor of potential harm to the singer. Drew wrote: “I've never quite understood what people mean when they criticize Kirkland for the intensity of her research and preparation of roles. Onstage the results were magnificent (not just my opinion) and she looked utterly spontaneous” While Mel Johnson’s answer summed up the opposite point of view, I would also emphasize the cooperative nature of rehearsal and performance. In some forms of art or entertainment it can be funny—the movie star who won’t come out of his trailer until he feels motivated can be accommodated since his appearing in the movie means it will sell 30 millions dollars worth of tickets in its opening weekend. The performance of the other actors won’t be affected by his actions. But when there is just so much time available for rehearsal, when a sold out house is already guaranteed (or at least no more tickets will be sold based on who is appearing) and the success other parts of the performance hinge on interacting with the star, then the type of tortuous preparation referenced above can be detrimental. With solo acts it is different—a pianist may work on a few bars for weeks until she is satisfied with them, a violinist may not perform a certain cadenza until she has played it 100 times to her satisfaction. In the world of sports, Martina Navatrilova revolutionized women’s tennis with her off-court fitness routines. Lance Armstrong spends 6 hours a day on his bike. Men’s and women’s figure skating bridges both sport and art and is another instance of how obsessive preparation can lead to success because there are no other performers to affect. I very much agree with Drew regarding the way that memory gilds performances. It is very difficult for me (and perhaps for others) to separate the feelings created when one first encounters ballet with the dancers on stage at the time. There are many ways to interpret Odette/Odile and I have seen and loved many dancers in this role. None of them, however, were as “good” (in other words, moved me in such a fundamental way) as Makarova, who danced it the first time I experienced “Swan Lake”.

Melissa, I think that one reason that suites from ballet scores are played by orchestras is that the composers wanted it that way. There is a lot of music in a score that is not particularly profound in itself but is written specifically to accompany what is happening in stage. Composers realized that (as did conductors and impressarios) and rewrote the score to stand completely by itself. Which, for a ballet fan who also attends orchestral concerts, is not a bad thing. The rewritten and reimagined suites for orchestra of the great ballet scores are works that can stand by themselves and might allow one to hear what the composer considered to be the essence of his work. I would like to hear entire ballet scores played by great orchestras, but it might be a tough sell to the regular symphony going public.

The opening of "The Ride of the Valkiries" from Wagner's Ring Cycle may be the most well known passage in opera. A very effective non-operatic uses of it is in the movie "Apocalypse Now" in which it accompanies the attack helicopters roaring into battle from the sea. The rhythm and accents are often difficult for the eight Valkiries. John Culshaw the producer for the first ever recorded Ring told of teaching them the rhythm with the following: "I'm sick on a SEE-saw, Sick on a SEE-saw Sick on a SEE-saw Sick on a TRAIN" It really works--actually too well and not only for the listener. More than one of the eight reported singing those English words instead of the German in subsequent performances.

From Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure section. Film Goes All the Way (In the Name of Art) By KRISTIN HOHENADEL "THERE are those who are offended by the saccharine quality of the Hollywood love scene, gauzy and backlit, choreographed like pas de deux." I hope she stays with film.

Colwill wrote: "Why would any couple pay £142 ($220) just to talk and ignore dancers as great as Diana Vishneva and Anton Korsakov?" This is beyond me as well. And it seems fairly common. Part of it in the U.S. may be that people are used to loud movie theaters, where no one shuts up and cell phones, pagers and other electronc devices go off constantly. In a movie theater if a person with a ringing cell phone doesn’t actually take the call it is considered polite. But it is only a movie, it is less than ten dollars and generally the sound is turned up to such ear-splitting volume that it doesn’t make much difference. The worst is audiences for opera and ballet. There is some respect for spoken theater, since unless one can hear the words there isn't much point to a production of "Hedda Gabler". Symphonic music and chamber music also fare pretty well. Not many people buy tickets to a concert by a string quartet so they can talk to each other and the "sushers" in concert halls are often aggressive. The big problem is not talking but sleeping. And not just sleeping, but snoring. Even if the snorer is awakened and admonished, one is still worried that he will nod off and start again. The behavior that Colwill describes is so hideous that it is surprising that the people in front of the offending couple didn’t tell them to keep quiet. Having chatterers behind us is always more than my wife or I can stand. The continued public display of affection that this couple engaged in is also extremely rude. They are saying that they need not concern themselves about whether others can see the stage or hear the music since they are so much in love that they just can’t keep quiet about it and the whole world must feel the same. I was once on the receiving end of a rebuke. It was many years ago at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. We had gotten student rush tickets for Solti leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Sixth. We couldn’t believe our luck when we found our seats—seventh or eight row, center aisle. Perhaps the couple whose subscription entitled them to those seats weren’t speaking to each other and decided to stay home to not talk. At that time the CSO concerts were very big deals—-Solti was the cultural god of the Windy City. The first chair players were like talented chamber players and the orchestra had great depth. The Mahler symphonies had been ecstaticly received and were wonderfully played. Getting these tickets was like a gift from god. Both of us were simply transfixed. The first movement of the sixth symphony is long—Solti probably played it in 21 or 22 minutes. I might have taken 21 or 22 breaths during that time. The first movement ended and I just slumped for a minute in my seat and looked at my companion. She whispered something like “Wasn’t that amazing?” but since both of us were glassy eyed, there was no point in answering. I shifted in my seat to get comfortable as the orchestra tuned up. Before Solti gave the downbeat the man in the seat directly behind me hissed in my ear “Will you please stay still and tell her to keep quiet?!” I was shocked and couldn’t imagine that he enjoyed that or any concert very much.

Even if one does have proof, why would anyone post something that could ruin a career; or hurt it, or even potentially hurt it? Perhaps if you really hate a person and want to do them harm and feel that you are justified in doing so OR if the person in question has a real chance to harm another AND posting it on a message board is the best way to get the word out. Otherwise, even if you know that someone engages in behavior that could cause harm to himself or others there should be better ways to deal with it than BalletAlert. [ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

Alexandra wrote: ===Anyone want to start a "Men Can Too Like the Arts And Are NOT Dumb?" Special Interest Group?=== Not me. The second part of the question could NEVER be proven. Regarding stereotypes--at a former employer where I was a manager, there was a newly hired person was certain that I was gay. She based this on the fact that I not only talked about opera and ballet a lot but did so quite passionately--or as she put it "flamboyantly". And the only men who do that, of course.... [ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

On another thread, Leigh wrote: "However, one of the reasons Alexandra started this site was be a site that was not anti-modern, but was pro-classical and neoclassical ballet in an unadulterated form." A few points, none of which may be germane to this argument. I am not sure if it works this way in ballet but in serious music listening newer compositions often if not almost always affect the way one hears older works. While one may not think specifically of a Beethoven symphony while listening to a Handel concerto grosso, the fact that one has heard Beethoven and knows how he deals with some of the same musical issues that Handel does seems inescapable. I wonder if the same may be true of watching ballet? Does the fact that one has seen Ashton, Balanchine or Tudor and may be very familiar with them affect the way that one watches and responds to nineteenth century choreographers? This would be a personal reaction and not an adulteration, of course, but still has a significant effect on the audience. The difficulty comes when choreographers who may be of lesser talent than Ashton or Balanchine—-Ben Stevenson, for example, condition the viewer. If the audience is waiting for the strobe lights, smoke and flying by Foy in classical ballet they will be in for a disappointing evening and may well miss the real sublimity of the what they are seeing. Classic works have always been redone, reimagined, or newly approached. Or, to put it differently, they have always been ripped to unrecognizable pieces. The most popular works at the Paris Opera in the early nineteenth century were pastiches of Mozart—Don Giovanni marries Donna Elvira, the Commendatore didn’t really die in the duel, the overture from a long forgotten French opera is tacked on. In some cases the author was convinced to adulterate his own work—Rossini had to redo the ending of his opera “Otello” because the Roman audience wouldn’t stand for a murder on stage. Otello and Desdemona lived happily ever after in the new version. They are also cases when geniuses approach the work of other geniuses. I am reacquainting myself with the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and have come across some shocking but not surprising things. John Dryden, a poet and prose stylist of the first rank, was one of the many people who “improved” Shakespeare. In his “Preface to Troilus and Cressida” he tells us why Shakespeare’s play isn’t one of his best and goes into detail how he rewrote it to make is more stage-worthy. Dryden rewrote some scenes, changed the order of several of them and composed entire new scenes. The seventeenth century was not an ironic age—something which I had to keep in mind while reading this preface. He was not winking at the reader and actually saying "isn't it silly that anyone would try to make Shakespeare better." By definition, Dryden was not postmodern—in fact he was not even modern according to some views. He really meant what he said in his preface, that this particular play of the greatest dramatist in the language (which he acknowledges) needed a lot of punching up and he was the person to do it. Dryden was not a hack—this is not the Lamb’s “Tales from Shakespeare”. Whether it was successful is another story—flawed though it is “Troilus and Cressida” is known as a work by Shakespeare and is very still produced in festival settings. Dryden’s play seems mainly know by its preface, which contains some of his best thoughts on tragedy.

One imagines that most female celebrities had some dance training as a child. With the exception of Suzuki instrument training it seems to be the only type of performance work that a young child can do. Serious singing training doesn't start until quite late and I can't imagine a drama class for pre-teens: "All right class, today we will begin with Desdemona's death scene from Act IV of Othello". So any female singer or actor who had talent, loved to perform and showed it when quite young would be in ballet class. Some like Natalie Dessay, Sarah Jessica Parker and Charlize Theron studied for years while others were working professionally in the theater or movies before they could get into serious work. [ 06-21-2001: Message edited by: Ed Waffle ]

Watching Makarova and Nagy hurl themselves from a stage rock and into the wings at the end of “Swan Lake” the first time we saw it. Bernice Coppieters as Juliet Susan Jaffe as Giselle Irina Dvorovenko as Myrta. Sara Viale of Ballet Internationale in the Bachanal from “Samson and Deliliah”. Prokofiev’s score for “Romeo and Juliet”.

This is an issue that we in Detroit view with concern if not alarm. The ballet audience here seems stable, old, white and not with not enough people to support much of a season. The modern dance audience is largely missing. The Michigan Opera Theater has been acting as a producing organization for three or four ballet companies per year, with the ABT as the centerpiece. It is one of the many ways the MOT keeps the Detroit Opera House lit. Chrysler (now DaimlerChrysler) has been the sponsor for ballet at the opera house, which is one reason how they have been able to afford half-empty houses. The recent messages from the general director of the MOT have had strong hints that this largesse may not continue to the same degree. They have tried ethnic marketing—for Ballet Hispanico, for example, there was much more Spanish spoken in the auditorium than usual. There is a separate organization within the MOT structure for fundraising and support for ballet. Not much has helped to expand the audience. An indication of how bad things are is a comment overheard during the opera “Peter Grimes” last year—an opera, since it was modern, in English and depressing, had very little walk up business. “This is like a ballet house,” someone said, surveying the acres of empty seats. One problem may be the house itself. The opera house has a seating capacity of 2,700 and anything less than 1,800 seems sparse. Just down the street is the Music Hall, a venerable structure that is a constant state of crisis. It has a very shallow stage, limited backstage facilities, a drab auditorium and an antiquated box office. It often seems to be on the verge of closing (there are three individuals in the arts community here who can truthfully say they “saved” the Music Hall at different times) but sells out several shows for the Dance Theater of Harlem and successfully produces a modern dance series each year. The audience for DTH performances I have attended there, generally at least two per five or six show season, has been significantly African American. There are good reasons for this. Dance Theater of Harlem is as much a cultural as artistic event in Detroit. Some artists, sponsored by a local utility, are in town early doing outreach in high schools and community centers. This shows up in press coverage beyond the usual arts section article. The Music Hall itself is a familiar destination to black audience members—it has a well-attended jazz series and plays host to some comedians who draw African Americans. So if things continue as they are—or, more likely get worse—the only professional ballet in Motown in the near future may be due to the efforts of the Music Hall and the African American residents of Detroit.

Although I have seen dancers fall quite often, it is still always a shock when it happens. By its nature, slipping and falling is an ungraceful action which is at odds with everything else that one has seen up to that point. It is the same when a singer in an opera cracks on a note--not just sings flat, but either completely misses it or makes a really odd and unpleasant (and painful sounding) noise. As part of a three hour performance of hundreds of steps or measures of music it doesn't mean much. I wonder what dancers on the board feel, when instead of "bourree, bourree, jete" the steps become "bourree, bourree, splat". Is it the same attitude as a professional athlete--you have to forget about the errors right away because dwelling on them will just distract you from the rest of the perfomance?

Off topic, but orchestras can also sabatoge guest conductors they don't like. It happened to Dmitri Mitropolous with the New York Phil in the 1950s and to countless others with other orchestras. The orchestra will play like gods during rehearsals, giving the conductor a false sense of just how well he is doing. Then on the first night of the series, with critics and contributors in the audience they will play as if sight reading the piece. There are stories also of orchestras warning guest conductors who are tempermental, overly demanding, or simply not communicating properly. A member of the adminstrative staff will be told to tell the conductor "If he keeps this up, we will play it the way he is conducting it", leaving it to the go-between to decide how to phrase it to the offending stick waver.