Lovebird

Darcey Bussell- English Toffee

Sylvie Guillem- Cherry

Diana Vishneva-Raspberry

Svetlana Zakharova-Vanilla

Lucia Lacarra- Banana

Tamara Rojo- Blueberry

How about Marion Tait?Estelle,thank you for the site,I had no idea that she had a school!

Here are some not very famous ballerinas to challenge you with,they are perfect examples of being famous in one country,but not very well-known elsewhere.So let's see if anyone knows the following ballerinas:

Jacqueline Rayet

Dominique Khalfouni

Liane Dayde

Marguerite Porter

Marion Tait

Anya Linden

Anneli Alhanko

Why should ballerinas be the only ones criticized? How about some magical Wrist-flicking Vanisher?For the over enthusiastic danseur who needs to emphasize the end of his variation.Or some fantastic Partnering Enhancing Syrup,yes partnering a ballerina is more than just hoisting her about like a sack of potatoes,perhaps it will restore the ability to relate to your partner.

This topic is very nice,but it is only suitable for the New York City Ballet and the North American companies because their repertoires are mostly Balanchine,and he is the only choreographer who really gives attention to the corps de ballet,not counting the more recent choreographers of course.This does not work as well with European companies whose repertoires are not based on Balanchine,as can be seen from this thread where memorable corps dancers are all from the NYCB.Petipa,Macmillan,Cranko,Ashton,Bournonville do not shed so much light on the corps de ballet.That said,these dancers must be true artists because they shine onstage,even if they are only Girl No. 14 from the left.In the Royal I admire Sian Murphy,Lauren Cuthbertson,Christina Arestis,Kristen Mcnally,and Natasha Oughtred.In the Paris Opera:Alexandra Cardinal,who is one of the most beautiful woman dancing,and Veronique Doisneau,Juliette Gernez,and Aurore Cordellier.In the Stuttgart I like Katarzina Kozielska,and Vanessa Valdueza Tauroni who have to dance in the star-centric Cranko repertoire and still stand-out.

Red Curtain Up by Beryl Grey,about her guest performances in various Russian theatres is also very interesting.She was,I think the first western dancer to be invited by the Kirov and Bolshoi.

This thread can also be called the under-estimated ballerinas of the Royal Ballet.These dancers are my absolute favorites at the RB and none of them is at the principal level.The first time I saw Belinda Hatley was in a video of the Sleeping Beauty as the fairy Violante and I was astonished at how good she was,musical,strong,and a totally pure English style.Gillian Revie is,by far, one of the best Macmillan dancer at the RB.She is gentle but at the same time passionate,beautiful,and a very good actress,especially in Manon,Judas Tree,and Anastasia.Vanessa Palmer most definately does not have the place she deserves at the RB.By now she should at least be at the first soloist level.She has a strong jump,huge presence,understated virtuosity,and musicality.She is amazing in Ashton ballets,one of the few dancers who are at the RB.It took her ten years to get to the first artist level,she is a hard worker and deserves bigger roles.

La Croquese de Diamants and Deuil en 24 heures by Petit are very funny and comic.So is Bejart's Le Concours,one of the few ballets that I find genuinely funny.Cinderella by Ashton also has it's comic moments,especially the two Ugly Sisters.Pineapple Poll is also funny,although I have always found the humor in it to escape me.Much more entertaining is Bournonnville's Far from Denmark.

Nice: Elisabeth Maurin

Naughty: Sylvie Guillem

Lucia Lacarra has not won any IBC prize.

She dances with the Stuttgart ballet and I saw her in Apollo with that same company.I am pretty sure that Kevin could know something about her.

Could anyone give me some information about this wonderful dancer,I do not know anything about her.Where is she from and where did she train? How old is she?

I think the quinntessential soubrette was Merle Park and Patricia McBride.Sometimes I think that Darcey Bussell could be seem as a soubrette but her height counts her out.Right now,at ABT Paloma Herrera and Ashley Tuttle seem like soubrettes and at NYCB Ashley Bouder is the closest they have to a soubrette,maybe Yvonnne Borree.

Lucia Lacarra is considered a gamine.Is high extensions a gamine quality in ballet?

I have often read or heard of a dancer being described as having a gamine charm or beauty or having a gamine personality and wondered if anyone knew exactly what this means.What dancers could be described as gamine? What characteristics does a gamine have? Is it considered a type? What roles or repertory are considered gamine? I think this type was popularized by Roland Petit and embodied in Zizi Jeanmaire.Any opinions?

Diana Vishneva and Aurelie Dupont have got to be the two biggest glamour pusses the ballet world has seen.

I do not think she is an excellent dancer but I do find her interesting. What are the opinions about her?

Are you sure her name was Clara Webster? That sounds more like Emma Livry.She was mentored by Taglioni,who said that Livry danced like her,and was on her way to becoming famous with Taglioni's ballet Le Papillonn when her tutu caught fire from one of the lights onstage.

For me it has many times been the opposite. I have gone especially to see a performance of a certain dancer and have come away disappointed and let-down. I went to see Paloma Herrera because I thought she was a world class virtuoso,another Plisetskaya, and after I saw her I did not think so at all.The same with Amanda McKerrow. When Margaret Tracey was performing I used to think she was boring,I didnt know why they used her so much,she was practically onstage every night.Now that she is retired I saw that her beauty lay in the fact that she could be counted on to give a more or less good performance every night something that cannot be said every principal at NYCB.

Lynn Seymour with Kenneth McMillan was a perfect example of how a choreographer works around a dancers limitations and at the same time makes a masterpiece that will forever remain associated with the dancer. I believe Lynn Seymour has often been described as heavy,not dependable,and having a not so wonderful technique.She was, however, an exceptional dancer-actress and this was exploited in ballets like The Invitation,The Two Pigeos,Romeo and Juliet,Mayerling and many more.

There is also Erica and Herman Cornejo at ABT.They resemble each other a lot as do Carmen and Angel Corella.Is Sandra Brown at ABT related to Ethan Brown,who danced with ABT as well?

As Aurora I have seen :

Margaret Tracey- very sunny,bright,and warm,okay in her acting and mime,not so secure in her technique(in her Rose Adagio she visibly fell back in her first balances in attitude and a bit insecure in the Grand PDD)

Viviana Durante- overall her portrayal was excellent,one of the very best Auroras I have seen.If I had to choose my ideal Aurora it would be very like her.

Lorna Feijoo- wonderful in her technique,with dazzling pirouttes and secure balances,high extensions and impressive foot and pointe work,daring in her PDD.But that was it, her performance impressed only because of her technique.

Nina Ananiashvili- very good but I do not think this role is suited to her type,she's better in soubrette and Romantic-era roles.Aurora is too regal and classical for her.

Irina Kolpakova- one of my favorite Aurora,she dances this role with perfect adherence to the Kirov tradition.

Paloma Herrera- she did not have the refined technique or the regal presennce and acting skills to really inhabit this role.

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: Lovebird ]

I would say Lucia Lacarra in Gerard Bobotte"s ballets Liebestod and Adagio for Strings.Allegra Kent in Bugaku and La Sonambula.Paloma Herrera in Don Quixote which is the one role she is fierce in.Margot Fonteyn as Aurora,of course.Carla Korbes in Divertimento No.15.

This year I was not able to go and I think I will regret it since the lineup sounded spectacular.I would like to hear the opinions of anyone who went to see it.

I am afraid I am about to give a very biased opinion here,but I think Lucia Lacarra is one of the best ballerinas I have ever seen.There are no words to describe how lovely her White Swan is.I especially like watching her in the ballets created for her by Gerard Bobotte,Liebestod and Adagio for Strings.Not only is her technique wonderful,she makes even a simple thing like a releve an exciting occasion,she is also a true artist and a beautiful person.Her acting is incredible and she truly brings out all the nuances to her characters,always you end up sympathizing with them.She is the only real star at the San Francisco ballet.I believe she is right up there with Tamara Rojo.

[ February 02, 2002: Message edited by: Lovebird ]