SandyMcKean

My guess is that personal reasons may be a big part of the move.

PNB's loss is SFB's gain. Jahna Franztiskonis is a superb dancer, and IMHO the joy she finds in dance will propel her, over time, to the very top. My vision of Jayna (pronounced "John-a" BTW) is that her life as a dancer, and as an artist, is paramount -- promotion odds are secondary.

I am sad she is leaving PNB but glad she is not going too far.

Well at least she is going from one great company to another. Can't do better than SF Ballet!

I miss all dancers when they leave, but Jahna I will miss more than usual (the last time I felt this way was Chalnessa Eames). This year I was just at the point where I would spot her on stage, and then proceed to focus on just her (since I go to multiple performances of all programs, I can afford to do this). Her dancing is infectious; her dedication and joy radiates. She's one of those that come along every once in a while that captures my imagination, and I relish looking forward to how their career and skills progress. And make no mistake, Jahna is a rising star -- where ever she is going to dance.

I have a brother who lives in the bay area. I never get myself to visit him enough. Perhaps Jahna being there is just the push I need to fly down there more often.

If she had to go, I'm glad it was to San Francisco Ballet.

I've been searching the web trying to find out what she will be doing next. Haven't found anything. Anyone know something that can be made public??

Jahna Frantziskonis......leaving??!!

Say it ain't so. Jahna is one of the most exciting young dancers I've seen in a while. When she dances, she is 100% THERE.....and no where else.

Cumberbatch was nothing short of brilliant.....IMHO.

I like it too, but I'm not in favor of it being more than an occasional thing. Why not? Because I think it confuses the audience.

Remember what happened on opening night of the Forsthye rep? The orchcestral interlude was between the 1st and 2nd ballet. The lights come half up, and the orchestra started its thing. The audience seemed to think it was a pause and started talking which got louder and louder as the orchestra played on....becoming little more than background elevator music. I noted that in the very next performance, Peter Boal came out on stage between ballet 1 and 2 and made a couple of announcements including that the orchestra would next play a musical interlude celebrating it's 25th anniversary. That worked. And indeed for every performance of the Forsythe rep after that such an announcement was required.

P.S. Having said that....certainly preludes work better than interludes; but I still think that many (most?) in the audience think that the orchcestral prelude is somehow an overture to the 1st ballet.

To me, the importance of raising the arms to 5th is not in the situation in which the ballerina is in balance and the raising of the arms might throw her off, but rather in the situation in which a ballerina is somewhat off balance from the moment she releases the cavalier's hand. The time to grab the next cavalier's hand is far shorter without going to 5th. Indeed, I think one could never be in balance and still grab that next hand if it were placed close enough. I have seen the next cavalier place his hand so close to the current cavalier's hand that the ballerina only has to move her hand 6 inches to grab it. The power of going to 5th, is that all such "safety valves" have to be foregone.

What they said....................WOW, and then WOW again!

How wonderful. I've recently moved from Seattle to a small island in the NW corner of the USA....no bridges, only a ferry. I live in a cabin heated by a wood stove with my wonderful wife and 3 beautiful cats. AND YET....I can sit here and watch LIVE one of most creative people of our times, at work, on my computer screen as if (or nearly so) I were there. All is right with the world!

Now to the "real" thing this weekend. I can't wait.

Minus 2 minutes to go....

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very happy!

Can anyone make out who is the dancer with the beard in the back of the room marking the Jonathan Poretta part?

I find this thread fascinating. I am likely a minority here, but I find the whole Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms thing archaic. Why not just simple "Sandy McKean" (altho in my case, being male, Mr Sandy McKean often helps to avoid confusion in official situations).

In addition, I have no trouble referring to dancers by their first names (much to the chargin of Helene ). OTOH, I think there may be a difference depending on whether the interchange is in writing (newspaper article) or verbal (conversation). I don't really know any PNB dancer as a friend (altho many of them know who I am, and I certainly know every one of them); but if, for example, I go up to Leslie Rausch after a Q&A to speak to her, it would be very strange for me to address her as Ms Rausch. She does know me, and I would think it would be awkward for her to hear me call her anything but Leslie. In a similar vein, I sometimes speak one on one to Peter Boal about some dancer or other. Again, it would seem very awkward to me if I mentioned to him: "Peter, Ms Imler was so fast tonight". Better would be: "Peter, Carrie Imler was so fast tonight". But I know Peter, and I know Carrie, and they know me (but certainly not as friends), and it just plain feels more comfortable (and I do it without thinking) to say "Peter, Carrie was so fast tonight" Same if I were talking to Helene after a performance. She knows the dancers and I know the dancers. It would be weird to me not to say Carla this, and Seth that; just as it would be if I were talking to my basketball buddy, Richard, to say; "Mr James got 50 points last night." instead of "LeBron got 50 points last night", and I surely don't know LeBron James at all.

Now in print, or even on this forum, it might make a difference to me. When I am in verbal conversation, I know who I'm talking to; but in print I don't. If I say Carla this, and Seth that in print, maybe readers won't even know what I'm talking about. I have noticed that if I post here on BA something about a PNB performance, I usually say, for example, "Carla Korbes" in the post first, then any further reference to her might well be just "Carla".

I can easily see how folks can feel differently about this, and I say to each his/her own. But I can't see begruging another for using whatever practice feels comfortable to them. That's not to say that there aren't some out there who can and do push it for effect. I can't see myself saying, for example: "Barak and I see eye to eye on immgration." Some folks are name droppers, but I think it's pretty obvious when that is happening, and surely it happens only in a small percentage of the cases.

Not to pull the topic away from carbro, but seeing this clip of Concerto Barocco has me remember this particular performance. It has Carla Korbes and Carrie Imler in the 2 violin roles (clearly visible in this clip). Those 2 violins of Bach's are very much in competition, and so should (IMHO) the 2 primary dancers be in competition. No question this occurred that night. Carla and Carrie are 2 of my 3 most admired female dancers at PNB (the other is Leslie Rausch). When Concerto Barocco gets to the part where each of the 2 violins played alone with its associated dancer, the fireworks were astounding. Carla came on and did her magic, then Carrie would do the same....each seemingly (and actually I'd bet) saying to the other: "Let's see you top THAT".

I didn't know carbro, but I surely remember her many posts. She too would have loved that night!!

She's got talent all right......at least to my eyes when I watched her in season 1.

I too was not impressed. Altho it is always a pleasure for me to see and hear Renee Fleming.

Well, I absolutely loved this screening.

I thought Maria Allash performed at the level of great art (not just the dancing). I liked the music (made me think of Shostakovich). The story was compelling, and the stagecraft (costumes and alike) a treat for the eyes. Grigorovich's choreography I found fascinating; was it the best choreography I've seen? No, but fascinating none the less (very reminiscent of Malliot IMO). He created powerful renditions of emotions.

Was it the greatest thing ever? No, but for my $18 and an afternoon, I'd do it again in a heart beat. (And it's certainly easier and cheaper than flying to Moscow or to the east coast.....which is about the only other ways I will ever see the Bolshoi -- living here in Seattle as I do!)

Does anyone know how I can watch "Breaking Pointe" season 2? It was on Hulu for a while, but has been removed (I guess I wasn't fast enough ).

It does not seem to be on DVD. I can find any info on a DVD release date either. Indeed, I can't find any way to see it at any price at any time (so far).

Violette Verdy coaching her solo in "Emeralds" to Margaret Mullin (orange skirt), Carla Korbes (grey/black skirt), and Elizabeth Murphy (blue skirt)

Correction: it's Mullin in the blue skirt and Murphy in the orange skirt

Every time I see that video of "Imler’s epic fouettes" I get goose bumps. I couldn't agree more with Jonathan Porretta's accolades for Carrie. His word "fierce" is spot on.

Soon we will see her as the Rubies tall girl.....can't wait. I can't think of any female dancer who can dominate a stage full of men (dare I say it......as fiercely) as a solo woman better than Carrie. She is Myrtha personified

Later edit: I screwed up in this post a few days ago. Altho there is a brief period in Rubies when the tall girl is alone with the men, it is very brief indeed (like 3 seconds!). The scene I was thinking of when I wrote the above is from Kent Stowell's Carmina Burana where Carrie is so effective as a solo woman among a gaggle of men. Sorry about that......

I am devastated of course, but having watched Carla suffer thru injury after injury, I completely understand and support her decision. The universe's humor can be cruel at times. To give such great talent, but then to withhold a body strong enough to endure the expression of that unlimited skill, poise, dramatic presentation, and commitment is beyond my understanding.

I have seen Carla dance dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I have never felt that I even came close to seeing her limits. She is a truly remarkable dancer who will always be one of the iconic figures in my personal world as a lover of ballet.

THANKS Carla......for everything!

so could you please reveal yours? Or compare it to mine (5' 7")?

I am 6'1"

I've always had good luck with the back of Orchestra Center.

I'm curious.....how far back (in terms of row letter) have you been willing to go?

P.S. BTW, the orchestra rake increases the further back one goes; so the "head" and "center section" problems decreases the further back one sits. Also in the interests of full disclosure , I'm a person who perfers to sit closer than many....so that no doubt colors my perspective on seating.

I'm concerned about being blocked by someone in front of me or sitting below the level of the stage...

Do not sit in any row closer than row G or even H in the orchestra if you are concerned about heads. The rake in the orchestra behind row G should make things OK after that. Helene is 100% right about the 2 side section in the orchestra being better for heads than the center section (this is because from the side you tend to look btwn seats toward the stage).

The rake in all parts of the house except the orchestra is steep enough to eliminate all head problems. Row D in the Dress Cirlce can also have head problems.

You will lose some part of feet if you sit in the 1st few rows of the orchestra. The only good option there anyway is the very 1st row because of heads. In the 1st row you will lose the actual contact of the point shoe with the floor since there is a row of lights that block. If you are shorter you might lose perhaps 1/4 of the foot. I sit in the 1st row sometimes for the unique perspective, but losing that contact point with the floor always bothers me somewhat (note the pricing for the first few rows in the orchestra is relatively cheap except the 1st row).

The Dress Circle balcony hangs over row W in the orchestra. I would definitely not sit behind that row (row T is an even better cutoff because sound does muffle a bit behind that row).

Helene guess is not correct; the 2nd tier overhangs all of the 1st tier; however, the 1st row of the 1st tier is OK.

If you sit in the gallery below row M you will progressively lose a lot of the upstage corner on that side. Also the only really good seats in the gallery proper (not the highest part that Helene mentions where the row numbers start again...A,B,C,D reflecting Dress Circle row numbers) is the innermost 2 seats (seat 1 & 2); however seats 3 & 4 are acceptable; do not sit outside of seat 4.

I am always amazed that folks have such confidence that they can determine what is good or bad, or even what they "like" or "don't like", based on how they are perceiving at that moment. Few seem to acknowledge that perhaps it is they that are the problem. Perhaps it is they who need to have their eyes opened.

For example, I go to most of the MET Opera HD b'casts at my local theater. This year the Met performed Shostakovich's "The Nose". I disliked it for the first 30 minutes. I discovered after the performance that most of the audience there that day didn't like it. Some audience members even walked out (albeit there were no live performers). In time, I started the "hear" what Shostakovich was trying to "say". I started to tune into it. By half way thru the opera, I was loving it. I had changed, not "The Nose"....and I changed for the better. As it turned out, "The Nose" was the MET presentation I most enjoyed during the entire HD season of 10 operas. Had I walked out after 30 minutes, as others did, I would not have learned; I would not have changed; I would not have increased my life's orbit.

I thank Shostakovich for creating such a masterpiece; and I thank myself for allowing myself to look to see why it was that what others (i.e., the Met's staff, management, singers, and director) consider a great work of art I'm not "getting". The job is not for the world to change to agree with me; but rather for me to open up my ears to hear what others have heard. Far from forcing myself to suffer thru something I am not liking, instead it became an opportunity for me to enlarge the world of what I like.

I hate to throw cold water, and I admit I don't know how old Barry is, but I assume that being a director means that Barry won't be dancing a lot. Surely this is a good move for him personally or he wouldn't have done it, but I always loved the way Barry danced at PNB. He seems young enough to have a whole lot of dance still in him. He always stood out among the men to my eyes. I was very sad when he left PNB.