4mrdncr

What does the ballet require? Someone who can execute the steps correctly; if it's a story-ballet, who can act; who understands line, musical phrasing, and continuity of movement. Beyond that, I do not care if they are tall, blonde, and blue-eyed, or shorter, dark, and brown-eyed. If they are physically in proportion, no matter the height, and not glaringly, obviously, different in proportion with a partner or cast, then I do not see why anyone cannot do a part. I will admit in some ballets, it MAY be more aesthetically pleasing to have longer limbs with greater extensions, but I don't feel it is absolutely necessary.

Ah what a wonderful description by Mr. Greskovic. Here is a similar explanation by the NYTimes' Gia Kourlas...(maybe paraphrasing Greskovic?) I once sent it in appreciation to a dancer who has exquisite line and uses that internal & external ability both in solo and in partnering to beautiful effect. "Classical dancers are commonly judged on their execution of steps, but what matters most is the whole package, specifically the hard-won combination of musicality and line, a slippery concept that connects a dancer's movement to his or her core. It means that every muscle and bone--from the toe to the fingertips--is working in exquisite harmony. Proportion, highly arched feet, and long, straight legs figure into the equation, but the dancer with the extra-special something is able to radiate that internal power without thinking about how to do it. Dancing is not a mindless activity, but it is about watching the body, not the mind, solve problems under extreme circumstances." SO TRUE. Forgot to add: RE: Cornejo and Gomes, I disagree with Mr. Witchel. Both Cornejo and Gomes are proportioned well enough, and talented enough to project beautiful line, and so, are BOTH able to perform ALL roles. I don't think "line" is the deciding aesthetic in casting choices, but rather height differentials in partnering. I saw Herman Cornejo do Prince Desire in Costa Mesa, and given an excellent partner in proportion with him (which he had in Sarah Lane) there were no problems that I saw in his technical, dramatic, or aesthetic abilities to project line.

When living in Japan, and still dancing professionally, I would go see ALL the major classical companies that toured Japan (esp. in Tokyo); usually 2 performances per run. (It was still 3 trains and 1.5hrs from home to go.) Later, when ABT would come for a three-week run in Los Angeles, in a theatre across the street from my campus, or with "student rush" tickets available for discounted prices, I would go every day of those three weeks (sometimes both mat/eve perfs) in order to see different casts perform and contrast & compare. I also attended Joffrey's L.A. seasons (3-4perfs), and any other major touring company performances either at Music Center or OCPAC. Then for ten years I lived too far away to see any live performances, so videos and the very limited PBS broadcasts were all I saw. NOW...funding and work schedules dictate if and when I go. Over the last ten years, I subscribed to my local company (BB) which was only 2hrs each way from home. But when weather was bad (so making attendence difficult on specific days), and their pricing structure changed (making tickets more expensive than major NYC company's!), I stopped subscribing and limited myself to 1-3 performances per year on dates I CHOSE. Then I discovered I could navigate NYC alone, and started attending ABT and NYCB once again. But, as it usually cost me almost ONE WEEK'S PAY each time I attended a performance (due to transportation & hotel costs + tickets), I had to plan more carefully:--ie. attending only weekend performances, or planning far in advance for weeknights; hard to do when casting decisions are paramount. In the past couple years I have attended approximately 20x/year. And recently, having come into slightly more funds this year, have flown to other cities to see ABT (or specific casts) perform and even attended a few galas. I don't expect to continue viewing at this rate next year, but it is a VERY important part of my life so maybe I will figure out a way.

Ok, I'll admit it, this curmudgeon hates it every time little children / dance students 12yrs or younger intrude on a ballet other than Nutcracker that I paid good money to see PRINCIPALS, SOLOISTS, or COMPANY CORPS perform. I'd rather NOT pay to see pre-to-none-profesional recitals for adoring parents at the Met or other large venues. Those two children in "Songs of the Auvergne" also are too cloyingly sweet for my taste too. But I guess it would ruin the "family picnic" effect without them? I will TOLERATE: 1)The pages in ABT's (and others?) Corsair, because they simply walk on & then thankfully off again. Ditto any other supernumaries who don't dance. (Sorry parents, but save it for final school performances or Nutcrackers, which, as I've said previously, I avoid partially for this reason.) 2) Lander's "Etudes" and Wheeldon's "Scenes de Ballet" of course wouldn't make sense without the children, but it is still hard for me to sit through those sequences waiting for the more advanced dancers. PS. I like the cygnets, because they aren't just another waltz. (And I used to dance it, so soft spot for it maybe.) I don't like the Corsair Pas de Trois, however historical it is, (or others outside of Manon's) because a third party usually is intrusive, causing the action/flow of the pdd to degenerate into a series of truncated sequences. And poor Ali gets only one chance to dance his heart out--and enjoy the company of fellow harem slave Medora--in a 3hrs of being amazingly loyal, helpful, and subservient to Conrad, and he has to share.

Anyone know if she is still scheduled to perform with Christopher Wheeldon's Morphoses company this September in London?

How did they know?! I have been dealing with this issue for nearly my entire life both in ballet and out. I, too, was struck by the lack of female AD's (NOT ED's) at the top companies, AND especially female choreographers for classical ballet--NOT contemporary/modern crossovers. I had also read the Times article, and was glad the Barnes article was posted--maybe it inspired the Times to look into it? Professionally, I remember when the DGA sued the Hollywood studios because there was a lack of female directors (LOL now), and the CPB had a "Women Training Grant" to force PBS stations to hire women in the engineering/tech-production depts.--(again an LOL now.) Personally, I was the ONLY female director at the last 3 stations I worked at. "Dance in America" has NEVER had a female director since its inception till now. Women in film/tv production tend to get pushed behind a desk into administrative or producing positions, rather than the physically creative positions such as directing or DP. (They are making some inroads through editing.) Ditto dance: being an ED vs. an AD, or choreographer. And like most women directors or Studio CEO's, they came up through a financial or administrative position, NOT the creative/production position which never gave them the opportunity, or mentoring/advancement once they forced their foot in that door. Suzanne Farrell could form her own company for the same reason Barbra Streisand could become a director--both were already famous (and had made enough money) to later fight the discriminatin and realize their dreams. So why are the ADs of the Big 3-4-5 companies former male dancers?! The Times had a point re (1) a lack of choreographic opportunities, (To say women aren't interested in choreographing is as bad as Mr. Summer's comments at Harvard re: women's supposed lack of intellect for science!) and (2) ingrained stereotypes of gender behavior by the aging generation who make up the Boards and funders today resulting in a lack of support for women. Clive Barnes is 'out-to-lunch' regarding the popularity of male dancers today. It is for the same reason that action films are big at the boxoffice: Women are willing to appreciate and attend both/all genres, whereas men only go to their own...eg. an action film pulls in women + men (1+1=2), whereas the quieter romantic-intellectual (women's?) film attracts mostly women, and maybe those few men with an open mind (1+). In short, a larger audience for action films because BOTH genders attend. The same happens in any classical ballet performance: (besides the fact more, higher calibre, male dancers = more notice, so possibly skewing results)... male dancers are appreciated because the audience is mostly women, who appreciate the dancing of BOTH genders. (Of course, the men who regularly attend do too, but those who attend only to appease girlfriends/wives, will most likely appreciate the women dancers more, because they still have hang-ups with male dancing.) Barnes reasoning re: the above, that it was the physical abilities of male vs. female dancers attracting the notice, was LAUGHABLE!!! As others have said, women work harder, longer, have MUCH more competition, AND do it all on POINTE. (Apropos: Ginger Rogers comment about dancing with Astaire...(paraphrasing)she did it all while moving backwards in heels.) Yes, I love to watch male ballet dancers as well as female dancers, but NOT solely because they can jump higher or lift someone over their heads. Technique is technique whether performed by male or female. Sorry for the ramble; both articles hit a button.

What a fun topic to make me smile (guiltily or not). Ok here are my few admittable ones... Star Trek (the original series) because it was the last show I saw before moving to Japan, and then the first one I recognized (though by then in syndication) when I returned. Always fun watching the 3M's comraderie and last line funniness of the cast, Shatner's weight going up & down, the girls hemlines going up,down,around--love the joke about the bellybuttons, and of course tribbles. Speed Racer--because it reminded me of Japan so much when I returned to the States (this was before the USA discovered anime--which is VERY 'old hat' to me.) Of course the dubbing speed was even funnier. The movie "Camelot" because of the beauty of its sets & costumes, and use of all those castles in Spain (Alcazar of Segovia and Coca especially), and the fact it had only 6-7 songs--I HATE musicals with too many songs--that FORWARDED THE PLOT ACTION within them, rather than bringing it all to a standstill while everyone sings interminably. (I do like that other Lerner & Lowe classic: My Fair Lady, even tho' it has too many songs, because they are mostly funny lyrics; and no one has pulled off that princess transformation like Audrey Hepburn in her gown & tiara.) Playing chess and beating a rather stuck up classmate in 4 moves (sorry don't even remember what it was now, but it's a pretty classic trick.) I was petrified she'd discover the trick halfway through, but no I won, and seeing her shock sure made my day. If only later life was as smooth. Reading high school (and some college-level?) physics texts when I was 11 or 12 because no one would play with me and it was cold just standing around alone. I still read physics for fun--more quantum than classical lately--but not as much since you need time to really comprehend it these days. Listening to classical music at home, travelling, and doing ballet, ballet, ballet 3-4hrs/day 6 days a week when no one else in my ENTIRE TOWN knew anything about it. Then later having a male teacher discover I was a professional ballet dancer and being SO impressed, shocking my limited friends at the time, who were still kind of clueless. And lately, flying out to see a performance without telling anyone where I was going or why. Heaven.

Having encountered this problem before--I have analog masters on 3/4"U-matic, Beta (SP or not), 1" open reel, and audio cassettes--I too was concerned about obsolescence (esp. 3/4" playback). But I was a little surprised by the DHF's concerns: DVD's are brittle, as were LP's, and one must take care (as one did with LPs before now) not to crack or scratch them , but dvd's are also not as susceptible to wrinkling, stretching, or tearing as analog tape is. Fast-forwarding & rewinding, and leaving a tape in pause more than a minute or so, will all damage it; in addition to the normal concerns of extreme heat/cold or dust, or whether to store it vertically (YES) versus stacked horizontally (NO). That being said, the clarity of dvds is, in many ways, superior to tape, though my 3/4" tapes (the last time I viewed them 5+ years ago) have held up astonishingly well. RE the preferred MJPEG2000 archiving format, do they actually mean MPEG2? In which case there are numerous INEXPENSIVE transfer methods using some basic "nonlinear" video editing systems for home computers. And if they are still concerned about easily damageable dvd's, footage can be transferred to portable hard-drives with much sturdier casings. (Just make sure your nonlinear editing system will output in MPEG2--many do AVI or QT only, or MPEG1.) Of course, even though I work in broadcasting, I haven't even begun to transfer my own numerous analog tapes yet, but hope to do so very soon. I will post if I have any more info to facilitate this.

As always, a big THANK YOU to Carolina for posting tour dates. Until visas, and consequently contracts are finalized, the Ballet de Espana cannot release the formal roster of their (almost 60?) dancers. Once that happens, there should be an announcement later this fall or early next year. A truly international company which speaks volumes about how much goodwill and support Angel Corella has earned over the years both personally and professionally.

I have not had a problem remaining seated if I disagreed with the over-enthusiasts, however, I have had "zerbinetta's" experience of being forced to stand in order to even see a curtain call. One way of showing that I am not standing in appreciation, is to fuss with my program, coat, bag etc.etc. while doing so, thereby demonstrating I am only standing in preparation for leaving or to allow others to pass and/or leave. Of course, I have also risen in my seat with no problems or qualms to applaud those whom I deemed deserving, but am usually not the first to do so; instead, following those less ambivalent.

Thanks for clarifying rq, I agree. But you can see the excerpted pdd of Makarova & Dowell in "A Month in the Country' on one of those commercially released (Kulture?) Great Pas de Deux compilations, which includes several other RB pdd's from past & recent past as well. Definately NOT the same as the full ballet(s), but I'm still thankful I got to see even that snippet to refresh my againg memory. Why PBS' Great Perfs or Live from Lincoln Center don't release or renogiate rights-to-release those videos is still VERY frustrating to me and many others.

FYI: After reading this query, the following immediately came to my mind.. The same/similar movement (and maybe the progenitor of the classical version in SB?) appears in the Act II Grand Pas in Giselle. Same supported develope croise en avant & fouette into 3rd arabesque, AND then the gently sweeping/floating arm movements. A wafting ghost effect for Giselle or inherited move from some other 19th c. (or earlier) tradition? That develope/fouette seems to have been used/borrowed for every pdd ever after, but not always those gracefully floating arm sweeps. Just something to consider.

Angel Corella will be very busy this fall organizing his new company, guesting with Wheeldon's Morphoses company in London, and then the Kings of Dance tour in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm, Novoborisk?)--according to the websites of all three companies. A loss to ABT at City Center, but not world audiences; it gives others at ABT a chance to shine too. And what I said about "Clear" last year still applies.

Very jetlagged, (just returned today, have to fly out again for work conference tomorrow ) but saw Friday's and Sunday's performances of ABT at OCPAC. FRIDAY (Corella/Herrera/Abrera/C.Corella) As has been noted above, there were several improvements in choreography from the NY/Met version (thank all dance gods above) to Act II's Hunt-into-Vision scene(s), and encounter with Carabosse later. But mechanical mishaps still occurred--Lilac's hippogryff boat got stuck, so no ride for Desire, and some quick improvs needed, and those gauzy capes for Prince & Princess' final coronation/wedding finale were also forgotten/MIA. HUNT Sc.: Not so many reveries, no more mime of drinking the 'river of tears', just a shorter 'swoon' (nap?), and afterwards, no more endless swooping around the stage by Desire supported by the manly sextet, just one short lift. So everything moved a lot quicker, and made a little more sense. CARABOSSE' death sc.: Desire quickly gets caught by the 'grubs' and thrown onto web, but is only stuck for a short time because...(maybe someone read my previous BT post?) Lilac appears benevolently above, Desire is quickly released from web with a wave of her wand, AND he then gets handed a SWORD with which he kills Carabosse! No more passive victim prince! And no more high-wire acts. Angel Corrella, in Act II at least, danced with his usual ballon, grace, and seamless fluidity. Besides speed, his jumps always have more of a 'floating' than 'power' quality, and such a light touch in between or soft landing, it's hard to catch the prep or recovery. And of course, no one can match his full use of epaulement and extension of line. Can't say the same about Act III's GPdd variation which had its ups and downs. Though smooth and secure in Pas and noted interaction with his Princess, the variation's high thrilling tours, tight brises, and perfect fifths (expected please) near end had v. careless (dare I say sloppy?) footwork. (I wondered if jetlag had surfaced, but there was also mention of a smaller stage causing cramped quarters? Still, I don't think that's excuse enough.) The partnering was smooth, but again near the end, evident in spots: e.g. the fishdives were thrilling, but 3rd was a little tricky in placement though catch was ok. Of course with all that experience behind them, the acting/interaction between both partners was fine if not ecstatic. Overall, I thought Paloma was the better performer this night with her sure balances, sweet smile, generosity to partner and supporting cast, and overall strong technique that still retained an expressive grace. SUNDAY mat.: Oh my, what it is to have been at the debut of a star. I almost didn't make Sunday's performance--it was "Sold Out" and I was in standby line, and not sure I'd have to leave early to make flight home. But not only did I stay for the complete performance, I serendipitously ended up sitting near S.Lane's family and Kevin McKenzie. What a debut!! To use that overused, but in this case so apt, word: She was RADIANT!! You could feel that expressive glow in her every gesture, phrasing, and so beautiful and sure use of classical style. How appropos that the excitement, happiness, and satisfaction of secure and unafraid dancing was mirrored by dancer and character, and ultimately acknowledged by a rapt audience. They weren't the only ones shouting "brava" after the Rose Adagio, Mr. McKenzie added his too. (NOTE TO ABT: Please do something about pyrotechnics/fog afterFX obscuring clear views of stage during Rose Adagio!!! This is unforgiveable. I thought it was only a problem for those seated above, but even in Orchestra seating it was still noticeable and annoying.) My only other complaint was that the pacing of the music throughout was almost glacial in its slowness! (I kept thinking of Makarova's white swan; too many Giselles; or wondering if Corella's speed on Friday, had affected my later perception?) but good for Lane's long balances. I also noted her shoes--very square box, and although almost knuckled over at times, still strongly held. What a night! I am SO happy for her, her family, and all those at ABT and elsewhere who will have the chance to follow her career now after this so impressive performance. Herman Cornejo was also in very fine form, and mostly recovered from his injury earlier that week. He always danced perfectly clean, and his signature leaps still brought gasps (versus Corella's cheers). If his circle of jete entournants didn't have the height of Corella, they were still quick and smooth. No problems in variations' tours, fifths, or footwork. He was very elegant as the Prince, and managed the Act II reveries much more logically than many. His partnering was there for Sarah, but not overly evident. Grand Pas, was a little more precarious in spots or more thoughtful, but probably not evident to those seated further up or back. And last but not least, I finally saw Gelsey perform after 25 years! And so lucky to see her Carabosse. A standing ovation immediatly for all at the end. I was VERY sorry, I had to run after only one curtain call to make that flight out of LAX, for I truly appreciated the chance to see this performance.

Hello, I saw this program when it was first broadcast on PBS. I remember it because, of course, the title and subject caught my attention, and Joanna David played the nurturing adult who helped each girl realise her dreams, and I remembered her from lots of "Masterpiece Theatre" before I found out she was a dancer once too. The story is sweet, and definately is relevant to all who long to express themselves in whatever subject/career most interests them. There was NOT that much ballet dancing that I remember, and it was mostly by the children. I do not remember any final "performance" or character update showing adults dancing, but then again, 30yrs ago is a long way back for my tired brain to work. As I said, a sweet story, an inspiring one (also to me because of the girl "tomboy" who was interested in mechanics & science--still a surprise to many, even then), but limited in major dance numbers. Hope this helps somewhat. 4mrdncr

Yes, I've heard of this film (Unfinished Dance) since I was a small child, though have never seen it myself. Why? Because my mother saw it as a small child in her local miniscule village theatre, and despite having never seen, or seeing, a live/filmed performance of "real" ballet for 20++ years before and after, loved the artform from that moment on. And so, when I was born, she made sure I took ballet (starting age 4), and eventually encouraged my later career as she was able. All because of a "B-list" (in more ways than one) movie. So, for all of you more priveleged viewers who live in cities that have professional companies, or tv stations that actually show dance productions or films (latenight or otherwise) please do not denigrate others' means of inspiration, or I will truly believe ballet is as elitist as everyone keeps ascerting.

Ah what it is to be petit. I was 5'3" forever until by too much Pilates or a late growth spurt, I made it to 5'4". But proportion is all, not how tall/short you are, and that is also what can affect line, and balance etc.etc. I once had a colleague who had a body that was probably not more than 14" from shoulder to hip; all her height (5'5")was in her VERY long legs, but consequently because her back was so short, she couldn't hold an extension for as long, even though it looked higher to start due to leg length. So hooray for Sarah, who is a beautiful dancer, and petit. If Herman Cornejo is not recovered in time to do Desire with Sarah on Sunday, will they replace him or cancel both his and her debuts?

As you may or may not know, Daniel Sarabia has been with Boston Ballet for at least a year if not more. He had an injury that kept him out for a while, but I did see him perform twice this past season. I thought Rolando was joining Houston Ballet at one time too? It definately makes sense for them both to be at MCB, what a joy to watch that will be.

Gosh folks, the ABT Studio Company has been doing "Lilac Garden" for over a year now--though ABT said it was a 'premiere' by them when they performed in NYC area, they had previously done it in Massachusetts a few months before, where I saw them. So yes, it would be nice to see the principals do it again, but there WERE opportunities to see "Lilac Garden" this past year or so, if you paid attention.

And I'll be there that weekend. Am leaving Sunday, but may have time to squeeze in that matinee.Advice to all would be to definately take the chance to see her; she was VERY good in many roles at Met this season, and previously has always been someone to watch. Merde to both Sarah and Herman on Sunday. (And congratulations to Sarah and Luis.)

Ditto to everything FauxPas said above (and myself in previous review). Profound prayers, McK et.al. take a hatchet or good sharp blade to it... Act II was SO disappointing: Plot/forward momentum/tension came to a dead stop and was lost in the fog. Prince Desire became a passive pawn in a war of fairies; his airborne swimming/scooping (courtesey 4 manly fairy bearers)was Cirque du Soleil gymnastics NOT classical ballet, and pointless. Why did we need to see Aurora's boat zooming around the stage too? She's a vision--not a cruise passenger! Please excize all, restore Petipa more, and give Desire something to dance instead of a long nap! Also, why oh why does Desire have to be rescued by Lilac Fairy, instead of dancing/fighting his own way out with a nice shiny "Sword of Virtue" or some such?! HE, not Lilac, should vanquish Carabosse, (with maybe some beneficent encouragement from AFAR from good-fairy Lilac etc.), so that HE is not just a passive victim like his sleeping princess. RE: Act III: Why use dancers for the characters who attend the wedding, if they never get the chance to dance except in a crowd? They could have been super-numary's for cheaper, and just as pointless.

Sorry to hear about "A Month in the Country", I've always loved it, and always thought there were several dancers at ABT who could do it justice. Then again, there were some restrictions re Dowell and "The Dream", and that seems to have worked out okay, so who knows? But, yes, Tudor should be honored first. Thanks BT. Keep posting all those other suggested reps, maybe someone will notice. (At least I now have a list of other productions to seek out at the NYPL-Perf.Arts archives.)

I had the same thought about Stappas and another favorite of mine, Renata Pavam. As to Hee Seo, she's still very young, I think (just joined the corps like a year ago?), so she'll get a chance later on. Now we can all wonder what's happening with the principal dancer situation and if there will be any promotions there. I'm kind of hoping they'll bring back Erica Cornejo as a principal... Uh don't know if there was an offer (which would be logical), or how Boston Ballet would take Erica's departure so soon after her arrival AS A PRINCIPAL, but she may have other plans. Or not? I am very happy she is at Boston Ballet with Carlos, but do understand the need to consider future developments.