aurora

not many who've done it while still professionally dancing however (i think it would be impossible to become a dr or lawyer while still dancing, just due to the time constraints)

semi OT and potentially too late... But if any other BTers are there tonight, say hi! I'm EASY to spot. I'm the woman with black shortish hair and a nose ring (the kind in the center). I think that's probably a sufficient description to make me stand out at the ballet, but i'll be wearing a black dress with black and white striped sleeves. I'll be out on the terrace during intermission most likely. I don't answer to aurora in real life (especially not at Sleeping Beauty), but I do answer to DT or delirium

I'm so sad to hear this, she is truly one of my biggest inspirations. I think the number in Singing in the Rain, with the green dress, is probably the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life. A lot of the dancers in old movie musicals make me cringe a bit. She was always exquisitely beautiful.

Interesting that all the Myrthas are principal dancers except Part, who has been doing the role for some years. I would have thought that perhaps one of the new soloists might have gotten a Myrtha (Kristi Boone perhaps? From the little I've seen of her, she would seem to have the stage presence and size for the role...)

Was this the first time Hallberg and Part danced together? No--I think they did Sleeping Beauty together last year if I'm remembering correctly (anyone sure?). But this is (as far as I know) the first Swan Lake they've done together--the prior 3 years at least she had been cast with Gomes.

count me in as well--hopefully this will be the season. After all, she still has some bayaderes to do... but in my view she is now, without question, the best odette/odile (whole package) they have. What a surprise! you all know by know that I think she's fabulous.

I was hoping other people would have beaten me to this, as I have a headache and am not really up to posting a real review right now, but I wanted to report that Veronika Part was fantastic today (I thought anyway!). Her Odette is always breathtaking, but her Odile was a far cry from the last time I saw her (in 2005), when I would have described it as somewhat tentative. She OWNED the stage this afternoon. She was confident, glowing and evil, and if anyone has ever looked as drop dead gorgeous in that tutu I've never seen them (that was just the icing on the cake though). You could dislike her take on the character (I know some people prefer a more subtly evil Odile), but her confidence was magnetic and she had no technical difficulties at all. Her fouettes were singles and on the slow side, but solid (I didn't fear she would fall out of them as I did both Vishneva and Somova in the Kirov season) and still, travelling only slightly forward in a straight line towards the end I believe. David Hallburg was his beautiful self, and gave a very nuanced performance (I don't think I've ever seen a Prince so distressed in the 4th act) and his leap into oblivion was a thing of beauty! Kudos also to the most sensuously evil Von Rothbart of all time, Marcello Gomes. He was hypnotizing.

I'm sorry, but I just had a mental image of someone nonchalently whipping out a tape measure and holding it up to him, and it was fabulous! I didn't mean to imply he was only 5'7", only that en pointe, Gregory did appear taller than him.

I think at least a bit taller, because he regularly partnered the 5'7" Cynthia Gregory, who did not loom over him when she was en pointe. I don't know about that--in both the black swan and paquita videos that are available on youtube I'd say she did loom over him. They look great together but she is considerably taller than he is when on pointe.

true, but last year all the promotions were immediately after the spring season...

As an aside, there is a rave review of the Goldner book by Macaulay in today's NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/books/03maca.html?ref=arts Hope it is ok to post it here (as opposed to in links) but it certainly seemed appropriate to do so. I found it made me want to purchase the book, quite badly.

Mashinka, you are totally correct of course. I have a cold and my brain is slow. There is a ton of jumping in the pdd, I was just thinking of the female variation from it, which doesn't have much and is a bit "cutesy" in my view. Thanks for reminding me!

Also noteworthy is that her debut (delayed from early January) as Medora is now scheduled for April 30. This is confirmed on the Bolshoi's site (Russian Version). Ivan Vasiliev is listed there in Pas d'Esclave. Since, as may be read in Sergei Filin's thread under Dancers, according to the Moscow Times he retires at the end of April, having him as her Conrad is a singular honor. Hooray! I can't wait to see her. I wish it was something else (I want to see her JUMP!!) but still it should be fabulous, and its a fantastic variation for him. Anyone else going to be there? (YAGP gala, not Le Corsaire unfortunately)

Oh no, you wanted him and you're stuck with him as Alistair MacAuley is one emigrant I really don't want to see returning. I seem to remember some 15 pages eulogizing over A.M. on this forum when he first went to the New York Times with mine being just about the only dissenting voice. so please forgive this Londoner with a very long memory for saying: I TOLD YOU SO. I wish he would just review the ballet(s). There is never much of a review--ballet history? yes. But review of dancers, not so much. as was quoted in today's links, he said the most recent visit to the Kirov left him thinking: “Maybe I don’t like ballet after all?...Almost all of it left me cold." His friends admitting they felt the same reassures him that he does in fact like ballet, however I've seen nothing in any of his reviews for the times to indicate that he likes very much of it, certainly anything that isn't by Balanchine. I think perhaps he should ponder the question some more.

Unless you have a mother who is 6'--then you get referred to as "the shrimp." Thanks mom! Aurora (not bitter!)

ABT since it got ignored earlier... Osipova or Somova?

Black swan pdd (actually depends on the dancer and the day but generally...) Osipova or Somova

Yes, former National Ballet of Cuba's Ms. Adyaris Almeida,ex Cincinnatti Ballet Principal and current Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami Principal (recently performed in their Swan Lake in Miami), is also on the move. I personally talked to her about it, and she was very excited. Here's a link to her page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endID=109388074 According to Joseph Gatti's myspace page (linked from Adyaris's--they are a couple), he's dancing there as well.

I'd say last year. I remember it too but I can't remember what thread it was on either. So basically my reply has no point except to say you aren't misremembering, the discussion did happen.

I guess I'm asking if it is a stylistic choice 'on purpose' - and what purpose it serves? I'm trying to remember if I've seen Ansanelli do this here. I don't remember this from other companies like DTH, SFB, PNB... eep clearly i meant "interested" not "interesting" as I don't think having an answer to this question would have any effect on how interesting I am ;) I would be interested if the other Balanchine-oriented companies do it, but I don't know the answer. I'd imagine Ansanelli does NOT do it at the Royal--for one I'm sure you would have noticed as it would stick out oddly (as it did when I saw Kowrowski perform with stars of the 21st c--and i noticed she transitioned to the standard curtsy by the 2nd time they took their bows). It has to be on purpose, or at least enforced as they all do it. As for what purpose... I'd love an answer too!

this is part of the balanchine style--they always curtsy like this. If someone knows why or when this developed I would be very interested. It literally drives me nuts (I believe I've commented on this before here, sorry!) as I think it is incredibly ugly.

anyone more familiar with the Kirov have any recommendations for whether one would be better off seeing april 1st or april 2nd? (Already have tickets to the 3rd but was planning to add another night). to simplify matters: April 1, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Raymonda (Act 3) Music: Alexander Glazunov Choreography: Marius Petipa Uliana Lopatkina, Danila Korsuntsev Act Two Paquita (Grand Pas) Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Diana Vishneva, Andrian Fadeev Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows) Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Alina Somova, Leonid Sarafanov April 2, 2008 at 7:30PM Act One Raymonda (Act 3) Music: Alexander Glazunov Choreography: Marius Petipa Olesya Novikova, Andrian Fadeev Act Two Paquita (Grand Pas) Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Victoria Tereshkina, Yevgeny Ivanchenko Act Three La Bayadere (The Kingdom of Shadows) Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Uliana Lopatkina, Ivan Kozlov thanks!!

Did no one else go to see this? It got quite good reviews and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll post a review later (running out to perform) but was hoping to hear what others had to say about them and their really interesting programming....

this is semi-OT but is directly related to the argument about Radetsky's article so here's an to warn off the uninterested... those things are sexism, not sexual harassment. I am a woman, I know sexism is bad, pervasive and should stop. And I am totally in agreement that what Radetsky is talking about is sexism. But while sexual harassment is predicated on sexism, not all sexism is sexual harassment. I'm sorry if you think I'm being pedantic but that is not the definition of sexual harassment. That may be your personal definition, but it is not the accepted usage of the term: from Dictionary.com: unwelcome sexual advances made by an employer or superior, esp. when compliance is made a condition of continued employment or advancement. [Origin: 1975–80] from American Heritage Dictionary: The making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position or when acquiescence to such behavior is a condition of continued employment, promotion, or satisfactory evaluation. from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of law: : employment discrimination consisting of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at an employee because of his or her sex; also : the tort of engaging in such discrimination —see also HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT SEXUAL HARASSMENT, QUID PRO QUO SEXUAL HARASSMENT --------- Furthermore, gender is not just about grammar--hence the rise of gender studies and gender theory in the last decade or so. the term gender is used yes, in regards to grammar, but also, equally correctly, to mean sex and sexual identity.

sexual harassment? I don't think the article or this topic is about sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is when someone I work with thinks its appropriate to call me cute and kiss me on the top of my head (at work). Sexual harassment would be if gay men or straight women at ABT were constantly propositioning or fondling Sasha (against his wishes). He may be being discriminated against because of his occupation and gender, but I think to call that sexual harassment is completely incorrect and a major distortion of what the term means. Sexual harassment implies that the harassment is sexual in nature and I do not think that was what Sasha Radetsky was saying at all. Not to say gender/occupational discrimination is any less bad than sexual harassment, they are just not the same thing and to equate the two hopelessly muddles the argument.