SanderO

I find tatts and ballet completely incompatible. Aside from the fact that I find them looking like graffiti on the human body, a tatt is like make up or a costume feature and these are all parts of styling a ballet. If you take this to its logical conclusion imagine a cast of heavily tattooed dancers and through in some body piercings and it would completely detract from the ballet aesthetic. Models and actors who get them, also have to use make up to cover them up and if dancers have them, so should they be compelled to, unless a tattoo is actually part of the "wardrobe/styling" choice of the AD. If you had a "drunken" sailor character it could be seen as appropriate, but character from Swan Lake? It's hard to imagine how a person who works so hard to perfect their body would spoil it with some cheap looking "artwork". Maybe they don't see how it could be seen as a detraction? Who said all ballet dancers make sensible choices with their bodies?

Stella and Sasha should have no problem conjuring up romance and reflection since they were married last year!

I read his mission statement on the web site. Lots of sound and fury signifying nothing to me. I'm certainly no expert in dance, but sense is that ballet is a very structured tradition of set pieces which can be re interpreted within a somewhat narrow range. Modern dance seems to free itself from some of the formalism of ballet and is about creating some new experiences using dance as the medium. Fine an dandy. There certainly is a place for ballet which respects and honors the formalism of its past. Many of these pieces are masterpieces and I don't see them being tossed on the dust bin of history like some dark shelf in the sub sub basement of the Metropolitan Museum. The demand to see classic ballet may be a very niche market and hard to make economically viable when one considers the expense of training and staging a classic ballet. But new works need not necessarily be leaner and meaner so they can be a "viable business model".. that is bring them clamoring to the box office. Is there a shortage of young people who want to train as dancers? Is there a shortage of audiences to attend? Ballet as technique can be adapted to new pieces. Why not? And they might be very good. And hybrid dances can be done as well to allow for some new infusion of creativity. Why not? So what is Mr Wheeldon trying to achieve? If he is planning to design some new ballet/dances... go for it. Is it a revolutionary development? Doesn't appear to me to be any more so than other choreographers who have formed their own companies and did work to their own sensibilities. Good for him. I hope he creates something new and interesting. But to create a body of work and a "signature" as Mr B did is a lifetime of work... isn't it? Will he stick with it? Does he have what it takes? Let's see.

I think Mellon must be funding ABT, but I am suspicious of the one to one matching grant theme. It sounds like BS to me. But what do I know Has anyone out there seen their books? According to the concept the memberships should match the Mellon grant. I'd be willing to bet they don't. I usually lose bets.

The met opera is targeting singles. I received an email (not single) which offers a drink mixer before the performance and one at intermission, Didn't read it real closely, but it was $100 per. I guess this is targeting the well heeled singles? Nice try met. ABT uses Mellon matching grants for memberships. Should we believe that?

Sandy, Thanks for the heads up. I am looking forward to see that they do. When I raised the issue in this topic it occurred to me that there is no reason not to have more "movement" in opera, that is more like a Broadway musical, but with more sophisticated singing and dance. Broadway musicals always impressed me as performance art somewhat derivative of opera. And as far as themes of opera and story ballet, why can't ballet, or the theatre be the theme, subject etc. of an opera? In many ways it's hard to related to some characters and stores in opera (and ballet)... like Aida for example. By the way, Tosca is an opera which has a opera singer as its main character. It's kind of self referential in that way. I am not expert on opera librettos, but some of them we can relate to a bit more and their stories seem as if they could be or are rooted in reality or drawn from reality, like La Traviata, for example. On the other hand we have some lovely fairy tales like the Magic Flute. So why not an opera whose theme involves ballet? I think it could be visually very exciting. Some times seeing opera singer standing and belting out arias I wonder why all the elaborate sets... the action is so minimal and almost unnecessary. Anyway... it was just a thought. And as both these performance art forms are living ones as well as "relics" of the past, there's no reason that someone will make my vision real.

Thanks for the quote. ON the face of it it makes sense. Nothing before its time theme. But of course we also know that many very young dancers seem to shine quite early, so it's not just chrono age here. Maybe he knows things about the dancers that we don't know? Or thinks he knows. We certainly don't, because we're just the dumb blogger audiences who get the privilege of seeing these careers unfold according to someone's plan. You can't blame people for their dreams? Isn't that what motivates so many people... vision?

What bloggers might be referring to?

Kathleen, Thanks for posting that article. I sensed that the idea was not as crazy as it sounds and further that audiences are receptive and almost demanding something new on the opera stage. Now, to get that idea off the ground. Just another one of my crazy ideas for the arts. My sense is that performance artist DO like to do new and creative edgey work... hoping that it might be really good. So much art when it was introduced was not taken seriously, only to now be thought of as "classic". Practically every movement in "modernism" beginning with the impression had such a reception. There will be an opera "about" ballet... and a good one. It's only a matter of time.

I've seen some opera productions which very "sparse" sets,including La Traviata (Germany w/ Netrebko and Villazon), Rigoletto (in Firenze)..a Magic Flute by Igmar Bergman even Madame Butterfly by the Met.. both the Menghila and the former production. These are not the spectacles like Aida or Turandot for sure, or the new Met Zauberflote. Ballet sets seem to be less elaborate and more "abstract", don't they?

Barbara, I think you are being paranoid. You will not be prosecuted for insider trading. I have had very few experiences with ballet people, but the few instances I found them to be very open people and more than willing to speak to the "fans". I feel your frustration because one season I decided to see Paloma Herrera dance in several ballets and called the ABT after studying their calendar and making my selections. I sent them a very specific email with my requests even stating that I wanted to see Ms Herrera perform. So of course they changed the casting and instead of seeing her in 6 ballets I saw her in 3 and some Gilian Murphy and Julie Kent I recall. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was wonderful anyway. I suspect if you explained to David the circumstances and why you wanted to know in advance... such as it is too expensive for you to see ballets and the time and so forth and you have only so much time and money whatever... I'm sure, if he knows he would tell you and be very honored and flattered. I would give it a try. Have you ever waited at the stage door at the end of an ABT performance at the Met? I think you be surprised at how approachable your favorite dancers are. It's really worth the time if you want to personally thank or have a word with a dancer. I did it one evening and it has made an indelible impression on me in a very different way then it they did only a few hours earlier. Don't be shy... ask.

Last Season I saw Death In Venice danced at BAM which was based on the nove of the same name. Philip Glass has done new operas and although they may not be popular with audiences who are in love with the classics, I do think we need some energetic geniuses to create some new opera and why not one which somehow involves ballet as a theme? Operas are about all sorts of things when you think about it from the Magic Flute, to La Traviata, to Aida and so on. You certainly can't have a ballet "about opera" but you could use ballet and characters associated with ballet in the "plot". I can think or all sorts of stories to build one on. But I haven't a clue as to how an opera is created...except the music is done after the libretto I believe. Most of the stories are about the same themes, love found, lost, tragedy, jealousy, triumph.. all the usual things which we go through every day... but are hardly bored by when we sit for 3 hours and see it all over again. What appeals to me about the idea is that I love both ballet and opera and they share music and a stage. In fact many operas have dance / ballet in them is a small way, like the dancing at a ball or something. But the dancing is always incidental so to speak. Of course, that may be because we always think that the dancer would have to be a singer and the likelihood of that is little at all. But there are ways around that issue. Trust me... Someone will do this and do it well one of these days. It will be an opera... but it will have lots of ballet in it and people will enjoy it. Why not?

Sandy, Point taken. However, both ballet and opera are struggling with be relegated to being museum objects. Don't misunderestimate (hhahaha) me here, I love the classical historical aspect of both. However, we DO see modern version of the classics in both genres. We've been through BT discussions about R&J and Sleeping Beauty recently. And I have seen in just a few years the Met stage new productions of Lucia, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata and so forth. And there was an opera Lulu in Germany and others which are completely new as is the work of "modern" ballet choreographers. Of course new productions are expensive... probably in the millions. But... if someone creates something new and it looks good, I would think that there is a chance to get it produced. Why not? We can't be watching the same 100 operas for the rest of time. Can we? I would think that artist and creative people would want to do new things with their craft.

I don't expect to have singers dancing or dancers singing actually. For example it could be a tragic love story about an older choreographer (singer) who remembers in dance flash backs about the company (dancers). Now I haven't thought this thing through because this is way out of my league, but it seems possible. The recent Madama Butterfly used a puppet for a child with puppeteers. And in the intermission I met a women who called herself a ballet dancer who had danced with the met opera. It just got me reflecting on the two.. which I see on that stage... opera and ballet.

So here I am learning about ballet and opera and I am walking the dog and I think how does one actually DO an opera. It seems like there is at least a collaboration between the librettist and the composer, at least at the beginning then all the acting and staging and sets and so forth turn it into a production. That sounds daunting. Since I can't do music the only opera I could do is a libretto. I mean any story could be the basis for an opera theoretically. It might not make an interesting opera, but heck a good story could be adapted. Then it hit me... could a libretto be made about ballet.. And opera which has characters associated with ballet? Why not? Of course, imagining dancers singing or singers dancing seems to be the sticking point. But I didn't even get that far into a story... but I thought it could make an interesting theater experience. Both opera and ballet have many tragic romantic stories, love stories. The Broadway Musical is like an opera with dance. Think of West Side Story which is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Why not a story about ballet dancers, choreographers, love, jealousy, tragedy, triumph... all those good things. Is this totally nuts... or is it an idea waiting to happen?

Show some BT love and drop a tip in the hat to keep it online.

Barbara, This may be a very unorthodox approach, but who knows... Ask David directly. There is a website which he posts on regularly which anyone can "join" like BT and post comments. It's called the Winger and all the posters are dancers or people associated with dance. The webmistress is one Kristin Sloan, who is in the NYCB corps. David posts there as do other dancers and there are often all sorts of interesting photos from their travels and backstage. It's a great site. http://thewinger.com/words/ You might wander over there and try to contact Kristin or David and see if they can help you out. It's a real friendly group, mostly young people, but it's all about dance. Give it a shot.

What sz said. I think they just don't care and cynically think it doesn't matter to the general audience and don't want to refund any money. I like to be a fly on the wall of some of the meetings of these company honchos.

Aurora, Point well taken about injuries. Are these the kind of injuries that can be very temporary and then the dancer is good to go perhaps in a day? I don't know because I don't know the nature of dancer's injuries and what causes them. I would hope that they have the good sense not to "over do" something right before a performance which could lead to an injury. If that's the main cause of the cast changes - injury, we need to cut the company some slack... and pray that they don't happen. How vulnerable these strong dancers are.

4Mr.. I can get my but down to the Met lickity split..usually, so think of selling those tix to me perhaps rather than turn them in to the Met. There may be other BTers who would pay you for a ticket on short notice. The problem may be the actual transfer of the ticket unless the BO can facilitate it. I tried like crazy to get Netrebko I Puritani Tix and located a good pair in Rhode Island! No way could I get them in time. I got a balance seat from a scalper on ebay who met me at the door. I don't bail when I find out about a cast change, but I do get disappointed. Perhaps BTers need to have their own ticket exchange? Is that legal?

Hagland that seems to be my point here. In this day and age of email and blackberries and email enabled cell phones... oh and I forgot the telephone it would seem that making schedules mesh is something we should have learned in being in business 101. You have a email contact list and you broadcast the schedule and anyone with a conflict needs to RSVP immediately. OK 24 hrs. How do people set up business meetings today? And it's not as if these principals are not IN THE COMPANY and ON THE PAYROLL. It's as if no one knows that they are doing. Is this possible? When you examine the number of people involved in a MetOpera production, it must number up to 1,000 with the stage hands, costumers, singers, dancers, orchestra and so on. Yet the MetOpera issues a schedule / program and unless their is a health related matter the show goes on as listed. Why can't the ABT do this? And the Met DOES new and challenging productions each season. I really don't get it.

Hagland, Just what ARE the variables you refer to? I'm thinking I run a company of professionals and I call in the AD and set the program and select the dancers. Then call them up or send them an email and tell them when they are expected to dance, organize rehearsal schedule as necessary and publish it on the web site. Did I miss something?

I've had bad luck with seeing a cast I wanted. Usually I selected the performances based on the ABTweb site calendar, called up, ordered a bunch only to find out, often the night of the performance that there was a cast change. What I find curious is WHY can't they organize this sooner? What is actually going on which prevents the ABT from announcing as soon as they set up which ballets they are going to stage which casts will perform them? When some is ill or injured we can understand a last minute change, but why drive balletomanes crazy when this simple bit of planning might even boost ticket sales? Is this simply being lazy? Or being smug? Or incompetent? I can tell you, like Barbara it is very frustrating to be psyched up to see X and have to see Y regardless of how talented Y is. In a sense you are NOT getting what you paid for. Don't they get it? The next strategy is to just go the day of the performance and hope to find good seats at the BO. At least you have a better chance of being assured of the cast, if not the seat. And with the fact that there always seems to always be seats available you won't be sitting in a coffee shop banging your head on the counter.

This is such a blanket statement that is must be incorrect. However I suspect he was trying, in one sentence to get at how important the eyes are to expressing emotion and non verbal communication. So his assumption is that bigger eyes give you a better emotion expressing feature and that small eyes can't make the cut. This presumes that the size the eyes means they can be more communicative. The idea has some merit, and that is why stage makeup seems to try to make the features larger... eyes and lips. I think psychologists have studied how we read faces and discovered something like 900 (I don't recall the number) expressions that a human face can make. This means that there is a lot of subtlety and nuance. And reading a facial expression is a skill we learn but are never taught. But we all know the big easy ones, like a pout or a smile and a laugh and anger. If you think of the face as a cartoon or in a caricature way and the emotional range of acting and dancing similarly you can make such a claim. I am not familiar with lots of ballets. But what I have seen, although there IS a range of emotional states of the characters (dancers), I see them more as cartoon and caricature than the full range of facial expression and emotions I can say read on my wife's face.. or even a colleague. Story ballet is, like theater often a compression of time, highlights if you will where you, the audience are expected to fill in the blanks. In that sense these are cartoonlike. The real art for these choreographers, directors, actors and dancers is to facilitate the illusions... and they do it with their "stage craft"... tricks if you will. Big expressive eyes may help a lot. If a performance is ONLY about movement, the dancers faces can be completely obscure. But when it's not, all the body adds to the message, face, hands body form, posture as well as movement. The eyes have it!

Welcome Tuscany... You'll find the most knowledgeable people about ballet anywhere. I'm not one of them, but these brilliant people suffer my many questions and dish out some of the most amazing bits about ballet. BT is an addiction you won't want to give up.