Mashinka

In Britain Bardot was always referred to as the ‘sex kitten’ and was more admired for how she looked than for what she did and I wouldn’t say she ever made a film that could be described as great, in that respect she reminds me of Jayne Mansfield, another beautiful girl without a memorable film to her name. Sophia Loren got her Oscar for Two Women, a film of a mother and daughter raped in the aftermath of war – a subject most film makers never touch. It was a harrowing performance and she deserved the award, but she was also lucky to be offered the script. Both Bardot and Loren had Svengali like husbands, but whereas Vadim only celebrated his wife’s beauty, Carlo Ponti encouraged Loren the actress while at the same time creating a screen icon. I don’t think Bardot’s retirement was because the roles dried up, more a desire for a different life amongst her beloved animals, although as noted her fierce espousal of animal rights has bought her into conflict with the authorities on a number of occasions as she is passionately opposed to the Moslem practice of slaughter which is at odds with the more humane methods practised in Europe. I read about the prosecutions at the time and feel that under the circumstances she was treated most unfairly as she has a very valid point where animal welfare is concerned.

Wonderful article on Brigitte Bardot on the eve of her 75th birthday: In the actual magazine there is a picture of how she looks today that isn't included on line; a pity, as she has eschewed the surgical enhancement that her peers have opted for and looks her age. Bardot is a true screen icon - they just don't make them like that any more. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/sep/22...t-french-cinema

At around the time that the old Soviet Union was replaced by the New Russia, I complained bitterly to a young Russian woman whilst in Moscow about the standard of Russian/English translations. Whereas in the past any kind of error was an exception, almost overnight standards had plummeted with more and more material printed in English being either farcically funny or totally unreadable. The lady replied that there was a reason as to why it was happening; in the old days people were employed on the basis of competence but now they were employed on the basis of looks. Nubile young women were the favoured employees and in a head to head choice between, say, a bald elderly man in pebble glasses with a lifelong study of the English language and a cute girl in a short skirt who had remembered a few fundamentals from her English classes at secondary school, knowledge and experience would count for nothing. I feel this attitude has spilled over into the field of ballet, with someone with a skewed sense of aesthetics in charge and calling the shots. The look is cat walk model meets Las Vegas with kick and pose replacing the standard classical vocabulary. They may not dance as well as they used to but they look good so who cares? Fine if you aspire to Forsythe repertoire but not so good in those dreary classics. Take for example the deconstructed Sleeping Beauty as danced by Ms Somova: in her hands Aurora is no longer the shy maiden but a new age sexually assertive woman displaying her charms in unambiguous terms. Up goes the leg in all its knicker–flashing glory in her Rose Adagio saying so unsubtly to those princes ‘here it is boys, come and get it’. The trouble is this doesn’t work well with audiences. Even allowing for the marked national differences in taste, the Kirov struggles to market Somova effectively and was rewarded with inevitable sparse applause and cool reviews in London. What effect must this have on young dancers? Presumably they are now resigned to the acceptance of pretty faces, long legs and six o’clock extensions as the norm and I visualize a long line of Somova wannabes polluting international stages for years to come. The rot has started, how do we stop it?

On the whole I can't detect a definitive overall style and find that there is a rather diverse look about them; the big plus is that they are usually strong personalities. From a personal view I find myself loving some, e.g. Acosta and (sorry) hating others, the downside of that diversity I mentioned. At least they are never bland.

Innopac, thank you so much for endorsing John Percival's wonderful book, it is indeed an absorbing read and I think that together with the books by Clive Barnes, Alexander Bland and Horst Koegler, which were all written during Nureyev's lifetime, that book stands apart because of the understanding and enthusiasm shown towards the man and his dancing.

Lopatkina's chilly approach isn't for everyone, her injury coincided with her becoming a mother and one of her Kirov colleagues told me he thought that before the baby, ballet was her life, but since the baby it has taken second place. I think he is right; it is the spark of inspiration that I miss. I've already noted that I never cared much for Gelsey Kirkland and I have sympathy with some of the things said about Makarova although I adored her in more modern works. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but the recently deceased Evdokimova never did it for me as I found her rather listless on stage and still remember acutely a disastrous Raymonda she danced in Zurich with Nureyev. Of those currently dancing although Zakharova gets some (but tellingly, not unanimous) acclaim from critics, personally I can't stand her. David Wall was a dancer that although I didn't dislike him, I always felt his roles were better danced by other people, also he had a rather arrogant stage persona. Mukhamedov I enjoyed at the Bolshoi but found myself cringing when he danced with the RB: very much a fish out of water.

Although Rupert Christiansen is basically an opera critic, I've often enjoyed his writings on dance much more than the other UK ballet critics. Here's what he has to say about the new biography in The Spectator and I wouldn't contradict a word of the following. A link to the entire review http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/5316796/d...-the-dark.thtml

Ashton's Symphonic Variations.

Under the unfortunate heading of "No more fairies", Clement Crisp describes MacMillan as "The man who modernised classical ballet" in the first review I've come across of this book published in the weekend Life & Arts supplement of the Financial Times. What follows is a kind of précis of KM's life and difficulties already familiar to us through Thope's earlier biography but adding that this new book benefits from interviews with KM's wife and daughter. Everything Crisp writes is respectful and he gives us a clue as to his relationship with KM when he tells us he was instrumental in finding him psychiatric help after the critical mauling of Anastasia. Crisp especially singles out the odious Judas Tree for praise referring to its 'complex and layered meanings about Christ, womankind and betrayal" whereas to me it simply left an extremely bad taste. I suppose that is what is meant when people refer to a diversity of opinions.

Agreed. From the interviews I've read with him he appears to be a first class idiot and from what I saw of the recent London season I wouldn't class it as vintage. Hopefully Fateev's tenure will be brief.

I think that there is a kind of stereotype amongst Royal Ballet dancers and Lynn Seymour didn't fit that stereotype at all. I remember going to a talk she gave for the Ballet Association many years ago where she came across as exceptionally articulate and blisteringly honest (one could describe her dancing as the same) and I would believe totally anything she has to say regarding her time with the RB because she was such a very straight talking woman. As for Jann Parry, I would describe her as a 'house critic' for the RB (there’s more than one) and I very much sympathize with Leonid's reaction to her reviews.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll be bothering with this book as MacMillan already has a very factual biography written by Edward Thorpe and although it was written whilst KM was alive, this second one will be written while Lady MacMillan is alive and is likely therefore to be just as overly respectful of his memory as the Thorpe book is. I seem to remember in Lynn Seymour's autobiography how she related a very dark episode concerning KM that seemed to indicate an innate viciousness rather than the popular (and carefully nurtured) persona of the tortured artist. What would interest me would be an explanation as to why many of his more worthwhile earlier works have been totally neglected (perhaps discarded?) at the expense of later seedier things such as Different Drummer and Judas Tree. By the way, Judas Tree gets yet another revival this autumn as part of the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of MacMillan's birth and this is just part of a series of events to mark the occasion, including a panel of psychoanalysts offering a seminar on KM and his ballets. I don't seem to remember much being done to mark the 100th anniversary of Ashton's birth.

A nice appreciation here by Germaine Greer http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/aug/3...ldegard-behrens

I would strongly advise you to get the Diane Solway Nureyev biography as it is very factual and well written. A lot has been written about Nureyev and there are several books out there about him. Avoid the Soutar and Watson books about him though as they are total rubbish.

For that reason I would always fast forward Makarova's contribution on that tape. For me it's excruciating.

Conventional/Romantic: Ashton's Marguerite & Armand and Cinderella Unconventional/Romantic: Petit's Clavigo 'kiss' pas de deux, the one where they fall to the floor, roll over and regain their feet with their lips locked together. Fireworks: Flames of Paris, but only if Osipova is dancing it.

Those magic moments that make up live performance This one is worth having just to see Pankova in La Vivandière - a stunning performance.

From the clip it is more awful than anything I could have possibly imagined.

Now this really is a good idea About time some topicality appeared at the ballet.

I noticed her too (straight woman, just to make things clear), because it is unusual in the ballet. As far as I'm aware she is new, so I'm not certain of the name, but she was actually rather good, very musical and unlike so many Kirov girls can dance well at a faster tempo.

The Imperial Russian Ballet was originally called Pilgrim and presented either gala programmes with the most amazing line up of Russian stars drawn from The Bolshoi and Kirov, or they presented programmes made up of a good deal of new work. When Maya Plisetskaya joined them in her twilight years and the company provided a backdrop for her appearances, the company name changed to Imperial Russian Ballet, possibly at Plisetskaya's instigation. At the same time they went down the convention touring Russian Ballet Company route of presenting the classics. I saw them dance Swan Lake (in Marbella of all places) a couple of years ago and the dancer I saw did not perform the 32 fouettés, but that was probably the choice of that dancer and not company policy. Having watched a number of touring companies in the UK, I would rate this company a bit higher and they often secure the services of established Russian stars, though their own dancers are generally very good too. Thongs: these mean something very different in the UK than in Oz. In Australia they are what we call in Britain 'flip-flops' (nee Roman sandals) whereas in Britain they are undergarments of er.....flimsy appearance. Not sure what they are in the US.

Possibly more truncated than usual, for example Red Riding Hood & the Wolf were listed and named on the programme but didn't actually dance. The third act diverts were just jewels, blue birds and the cats whereas in the past the Kirov used to also give us the ogres & boys plus Cinderella & Prince. These arrived as guests but didn't actually perform this time around. The ROH endless intervals may be to blame as the Friday night SB finished after 11pm. The matinee and (I presume) the evening performance on Saturday cut the curtain calls between acts to make the programme shorter.

I just loved this and thought I would share it. (important note to SimonG. - this wasn't taken from the Daily Mail) http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle6535773.ece Shouldn't 'no peeing against the proscenium arch' be included? After all this is an English list.

Although I went on a different night, I came away with the same feeling. I last saw the Kirov dance this ballet in London in 2005 and seem to remember enjoying it far more than I did this week, frankly it was a shambles and even the company’s most ardent supporters are expressing disappointment at the current run of performances. Personally I found the standard on a level with the Royal Ballet’s R&J which has been blighted by poor ensemble work for years now, but I expected more care from the Kirov and can’t help wondering if this traffic accident isn’t the result of indifferent coaching. This doesn’t show Fateev’s directorship in a very good light I’m afraid as he’s brought to London a seriously flawed ‘product’. I hope for everyone’s sakes that things get better.

Sadly, yes.