LMCtech

I haven't been on a board, but I have worked for several large succesful arts organizations and as far as I can tell, a board's most important function is to raise funds. They are also there to check the spending of the administrators of the organization as is required by tax law, therefore any kind of not-for-profit agency will have a board of directors or trustees.

What makes you say SFB's school is in turmoil.

I used to think Julie Kent was beautiful, know I think she's boring, but still beautiful.

The LeBlanc sisters are very different with totally different body types. It is hard for me to compare them at all. There are also the Martin brothers (Ruben and Moises) here at SFB in the corps. I haven't seen them dance enough to really compare them, though.

Interesting article. I have seen this phenomenon in my own family, my much younger sister being much quieter about her views than my brother or I. We always thought it was because we overpowered her (which may be some of it), but it could be generational as well. I don't think it will change ballet. The art form will continue as it always has.

Interesting point. The British press always seems to me (from the outside) very willing to lay blame and not very willing to give credit. They seem very negative. Maybe it's that we in the US only seem to get exposed to negative British press, so there are supportive or constructive critics out there I never get to read. I do think it is important for people to express concrens, but there is a tone that sometimes creeps in that could be construed as overly personal.

I don't think the teacher asked for that. I think the choreographer did, and he had the right to because he was the choreographer. A dancer is trained to give the choreographer what they ask for, which this dancer did. That makes her a good dancer. And a versatile dancer, that choreographers will want to use, because she can give them what they want. I think I'm talking in circles. I'll stop now.

Gotta agree with you, dirac. This all sounds like more Ross bashing from the all-too-critical British press and a little whining from dancers who are not used to this new AD's style or artistic requirements. Actually this takes me back to the "fitness" discussion we had before. If the dancers were stronger, with more muscle tone, and stronger technique, the injuries would not be as prevalent. [ March 22, 2002, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: LMCtech ]

I couldn't agree more. I taught at a competition studio, but we were all college dance majors and knew that what we were doing was a joke. We also knew that "Lyrical" stood for "Lyrical Jazz Dance" as opposed to "Hip-Hop Jazz Dance". None of those kids had much talent (maybe two had natural gifts, but they were having fun. We also knew enough to never lead them into believing this would lead to a career in dance. Oh, well. At least they got good strict technique in my ballet classes (they hated me).

Sometimes it has to do with personality. If the new AD can't stand this person he may have to work with, or if that person can't stand the AD or won't make the changes the AD wants, something has got to give and it will be the person lower down on the ladder. I have said before that every AD has the right to have working for him or her people who can share his artistic vision or help him acheive it. Sometimes that has little to with talent or tenure or experience, but with personality. For instance, I don't like working for micro-managers, if someone new was hired to be my boss that managed that way, either I would have to leave, or I would be fired. And it wouldn't be because I couldn't do my job, but because under the new conditionds I would no longer be able to do my job as effectively. Dancers (and their managers) work VERY closely with one another, it is essential that they can respect each other. One personality conflict can ruin and entire ballet, ballet season, ballet company. [ March 16, 2002, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: LMCtech ]

Sparky, I think you are being too hard on Washington Ballet. Although I haven't seen them recently, I was living in New Jersey when Mr. Webre was at American Repertory Ballet. I found his choreography to be a breath of fresh air. You may not like his integration of pedestrian movement, but that is a time honored device, though used more in modern than ballet. As for the dancer's bodies, not every company can have a uniformly skinny company like NYCB, and it seems to me from postings on this board and reviews I've read, that this company may be more interested in the quality of movement of the dancer than the body type, which I commend.

Alexandra, I'm going to disagree with you. Ballet classes are essentially anaerobic. There is a lot of starting and stopping. The heartbeat rises high and often, but not for extended periods of time. Endurance is never fully developed. The dancer tires easily. Conversely, doing a full-length ballet (like Sleeping Beauty) is a trial in endurance. Where is a dancer going to develop the endurance needed for a role like that, when they are not getting it in class and only get the run the ballet full through once or twice if they are lucky. They will have to find it outside the classroom. While weight-lifting used to be discouraged. It is now encouraged, especially for men. In order to protect their backs and shoulders and knees (and all the other things a male dancer strains when he lifts another dancer) they need to strengthen them beyond the ability to lift a 110 lb. ballerina. I will agree that weight lifting for females is not as encouraged, but there could be fewer injuries if the girls were stronger too. With a properly designed program of weight-lifting, a dancer can easily gain strength without "bulking up" or loosing flexibility. I was involved in a reserach study in college that proved exactly this.

Alexandra, I'm going to disagree with you. Ballet classes are essentially anaerobic. There is a lot of starting and stopping. The heartbeat rises high and often, but not for extended periods of time. Endurance is never fully developed. The dancer tires easily. Conversely, doing a full-length ballet (like Sleeping Beauty) is a trial in endurance. Where is a dancer going to develop the endurance needed for a role like that, when they are not getting it in class and only get the run the ballet full through once or twice if they are lucky. They will have to find it outside the classroom. While weight-lifting used to be discouraged. It is now encouraged, especially for men. In order to protect their backs and shoulders and knees (and all the other things a male dancer strains when he lifts another dancer) they need to strengthen them beyond the ability to lift a 110 lb. ballerina. I will agree that weight lifting for females is not as encouraged, but there could be fewer injuries if the girls were stronger too. With a properly designed program of weight-lifting, a dancer can easily gain strength without "bulking up" or loosing flexibility. I was involved in a reserach study in college that proved exactly this.

You forgot San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

I'm surprised no one has come up with this idea. At the end of Act I, Giselle goes crazy, takes Albrecht's sword and...kills him (afterwards she and fiance high five and break into the wine). Act II opens, all the wilis are now Willys, men who have been killed by wives/fiances/girlfriends for infidelity. This would take care of Alexandra's suggestions for more male solos. (Actually I expect it to be Matthew Bourne's next project. Maybe he can recycle those goofy pants from Swan Lake.)

I'm surprised no one has come up with this idea. At the end of Act I, Giselle goes crazy, takes Albrecht's sword and...kills him (afterwards she and fiance high five and break into the wine). Act II opens, all the wilis are now Willys, men who have been killed by wives/fiances/girlfriends for infidelity. This would take care of Alexandra's suggestions for more male solos. (Actually I expect it to be Matthew Bourne's next project. Maybe he can recycle those goofy pants from Swan Lake.)

Well, it's all PR people who come up with this jargon, most of them without knowing a darn thing about the company they are making materials for, be it a dance company or a pharmaceutical company.

Well, you've got to be suspect of a company that's announcing auditins every six months. Why aren't they retaining dancers? Hmmm....

Part of the reason they sign up for gym memberships is that many ballet companies facilities no longer included weightlifting equipment for insurance reasons. Though it can be controversial, weight-lifting and strength training in general are essential parts of dance training and needed to stay healthy, but are often not offered sufficiently by companies (or schools) due to budgetary and space constraints. A strong dancer is a healthy dancer.

Part of the reason they sign up for gym memberships is that many ballet companies facilities no longer included weightlifting equipment for insurance reasons. Though it can be controversial, weight-lifting and strength training in general are essential parts of dance training and needed to stay healthy, but are often not offered sufficiently by companies (or schools) due to budgetary and space constraints. A strong dancer is a healthy dancer.

I saw it last night. It looks beautiful. Emeralds: Clean lines and elegance all around. Joanna Berman was particularly strong. And the corps was very clean. Cyril Pierre was not all he could have been, but was a very good and attentive partner. Rubies: This ballet has been in the repertory for several years, so it was no surprise that it was good. Tina LeBlanc was not as angular as she could have been, but Gonzalo Garcia was great, excellent technique and dynamic stage presence. The tempo seemed a little slow. Diamonds: This was surprisingly good. I expected it to be much sloppier, but they really pulled it together. Yuan Yuan Tan was perfect in the lead, sweet and vulnerable but with strong technique and command of the vocabulary. She was partnered by Roman Rykine who was elegant and masculine. The soloist couples were all strong. The corps held it together very well. This is a difficult piece to do, there is nowhere to hide. There was a point in the forth movement that was shaky, but they got through without a scratch.

My first live viewing of an opera was City Opera's Carmen, when I was in college. Before that I had seen a bunch of Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts. Now I've seen a couple of operas 40+ times and about 20 operas once or twice. It helps when you work for an opera company for three years.

Well, they don't get a lot of opportunity to really show off in their culture, and let's face it, it is fun to show off. I've seen some Japanese students, that I kind off overlooked in class, become absolutely magnetic onstage.

I go in and ou of my cynical moods. Sometimes I will "get into" the play of good vs. evil, sometimes I have to sit back and balk. It usually depends on what kind of day I have had. But I still think I (and everyone) need to see it to remind myself of when I took it in without any question.

Lacarra is a rubber band. She can barely do a clean double pirouette, but partnered she looks amazing. She is best in the contemporary repertory. Her Aurora was emotionally blank and the classical lines were pulling into the contemporary realm, but physique is beautiful. As the bride in Petit L'Arlesienne, she was surprisingly animated and emotionally deep. I really felt for her. I haven't seen her Giselle, but I suspect her Act II is better than Act I. She can definitely pull the diva act at times. Like refusing to do any Nutcrackers (are they beneath her?). She has a devoted following all over the world though. She is quite a creature.