artist

Yay, that makes two of us! At last! I shall put on some Gershwin to celebrate!

How many males today would do a ribbon dance in tights? <Asaf Messerer in The Ribbon Dance I liked it; it was very powerful.

I had a dream that i was sitting in front of Fernando Bujones and he was giving me tips on choreography and smiling. But I forgot what he had said b/c in and out of the dream I was too shocked that he was even in my dream - b/c he's dead. (and i've been chor. a lot these days) in another, I was taking the place of Kurgapkina in Harlequinade.... smiling and jumping away....

vladimirov. I would have loved to see Babilee. did Malakhov do one?

after reading a lot of positive feedback, I guess I should admit I may have overlooked this one. Being blunt, I disliked that performance b/c I'm stuck in this fantasy world that the dancers of the early 1900s will come back. I felt like it was emotionless though it had emotions, perhaps all they could think about his how hungry the were - too thin for me - it seems to take away from the art. (please forgive my honest feelings ) I was anticipating to see this ballet since I've never seen it and it was POB. uuggh, I was just disappointed by it. I'm sorry, I just really felt like it was dying, just like this rare quality of emotions.

I couldn't agree more w/ Ninel Kurgapkina in Harlequinade. Oh! she is so beautiful in it, her legs are gorgeus. I love when she does soutenu and holds for a second at the end of the turn with her arms opening to second/or offering pos. And when her partner wants to kiss her or something and she shakes her head... just charming. This is my favorite Pas de Quatre that I've seen. (Although, the only other was with either Markova or Alonso) Technically and emotionally strong. Doesn't this also show Karsavina at the barre and doing jumps in the center? She was one of the only ones back then to do that many beats, but look at her placement during the execution. Bottom sticking out, knees turning in. Forgive me b/c I don't have this DVD but have seen these clips from CAS - isn't Altynai Asylmuratova in The Leaves are Fading on the DVD also? That confirmed how much I loved her. She is one of the few that can master demanding technicality and the artistic quality, IMO. Truly lovely, every bit.

I really liked Olga Lepeshinskaya towards the middle and esp. the end of her dance. Her fast turns and soaring jumps, truly from her inner will. But this is the only variation I have seen with her in it, so I don't know what to expect or what to compare it to. I just assume it's good since there is no standard set from anything I've seen from her. How about Maximova in "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" by Rachmaninov? Is she not lovely? The expression on her face and in her eyes when she bourees in the beginning is so sweet and the inclination of her head with her arms is so cherishable. And towards the middle when she runs upstage left and does a soaring grande jete and runs back downstage right to thrust in her partner's arms, oh, makes me want to cry. The music, her artistry, their instruments. I've said in another topic how much I loved Plisetskaya and Vasiliev in The Humpbacked Horse. How their expression and ability to transform into partners (as some haven't mastered it, looking just like 2 people dancing) is priceless. But Plisetskaya's fouettes in The H.H. don't finish in a clean 5th. To me, it was a sloppy ending from fast turns.

Is it Vera Karalli?? Was she really the first to dance the dying swan?

How about Symphonic Variations - w/ Anthony Dowell. I'm sure there's a bunch who have seen and loved this one.

in regards to Amy Reusch and scherzo, I really enjoyed Le Spectre de la Rose by POB (I forgot the info b/c I saw it on CAS). And I think The Sleeping Beauty is best done by the Kirov, particularly with Irina Kolpakova. I have a feeling that some of the great performances were done way back when. For example, Afternoon of a Faune & Petrouchka, w/ Nijinsky, or The Dying Swan.

as stated already - feet, highly arched, as if speaking to you. and, high extension with very delicate bodies. now was this being stressed upon before or after Nureyev came?

I hope I'm not confusing w/ ABT, but I went to a performance lecture in '05 and one speaker said that they have their students - to find their correct position of the fingers - hold a mini golf ball between their thumb and middle finger. Once they understood that shape, she would tell them to "just let it go", referring to having a more relaxed and pulled out finger. Each finger would have to be visible and the pinky finger would be "like having a tea party."

When they run, their head is elongated but sort of looking down while their arms rise a little above a la seconde and the torso is elongated. How about their expression? I think only the Kirov can look that serious at times, for they've received such discipline. A performance by the Kirov just seems so futuristic, so bold and demanding, so BAM! compared to other style's softness.

I think a definite style is the jumps. Always big and controlled. IMO The women's leg muscles seem more muscular than others, perhaps from training to jump??? Also, precision in their technique. Always clean and getting to 5th; no cheating. And, as said, the softness of arms. In males, their '1st position' arms or 'prepatory position' but right outside the legs are rounded and held.

This may not be the style you're asking, but I see the Kirov display this differently than some others. Their position and placement of the attitude leg. One could see the difference between Vaganova and Cecchetti during the Rose Adagio in Sleeping Beauty when balancing in attitude. In the Kirov's, the foot is higher than the knee, but the knee doesn't drop Juxtaposed to a Cecchetti trained dancer - though not necessarily La Scala? - the hip is square and the knee is lifted and higher than the foot. Also, Kirov's 'a la seconde' arm is strong, held, and almost by the shoulder - not level though. Other styles have it lower.

To me, their arms in 'high 5th' or 'en haut' seemed more square and a little to the side than round and long. And fingers, not as open.

Don't forget arm muscles. The stronger the muscles, the more strength the turn gets from 'whipping' the second arm across.

Isadora Duncan, IMO Nureyev (and the drugs he took to "help" him w/ Aids though hurt him more), Fernando Bujones

Me too. I saw Nina perform it (on CAS) and just thought more on the lines of "entertainment and acrobats", though the Bolshoi audience went crazy every minute. Also saw Plisetskaya (during the '50-'60s? recording on CAS) and found a liking. Passionate and sweet. I regret to say I haven't seen Pavlova. Where can I see it? But of course my favorite was my first. Vera Karalli. (in a Russian film around 1917? - can't remember, saw it also on Classic Arts Showcase) She, to me, depicted a 'dying' swan with her hands and arms just like wings, and her head positions sort of tucking into her wings. You can see her performance like a "hill". The swan starts softly, then towards the climax she depicts more suffering, and then holds you until the last moment. The whole time she bourrees, until the end, where she slowly 'dies' to her knee. (I just mean that I am not distracted by the "bird-like 'quality' " and can feel the performance.)

But her technique and placement seemed spot on that night. Jumps were high, turns were good. It's that emotional depth that I can't find.

I absolutely loved this work, though I saw a section of it from Classic Arts Showcase. And they both were of age when they danced it. Both of them in the music - makes me smile; they're so cute. I have also seen some major clips from Spartacus with Vasiliev from the [amazing] documentary of Aram Khachaturian (on the documentary channel). I agree 100% - he's a true master, passionate, demanding...I don't have the words.... Spartacus isn't the same w/out him, as I saw a live perf. of the Bolshoi's in Oct. 2005 and was semi-let down. You just can't compare the PDD w/ N. Bessmertnova. And is he not gorgeous in "The Humpbacked Horse" w/ Plisetskaya? The section I saw from CAS was when the horse reunites Vasiliev with the Maiden (Plisetskaya). When he surprises her and takes out his flute and enchants her, OH!, how wonderful their partnership and connection was. Their PDD showed a softer side to Vasiliev, even if Plisetskaya has a more demanding presence. After watching that, I knew that that was true art. Is he still the artistic director of the Bolshoi? (wondering how long "Bolshoi Backstage" was... and the A. Khach doc. also) What about Maximova? I'm ashamed to ask, is she still alive? if so, are they still married?

I couldn't agree more with what leonid said about "[she] has added no depth to her performances..." For me, I just get a cold feeling whenever I see her, esp. her pictures and live perf. I saw her perform "Pavane for a Dead Princess" live in London's ROH in April 2005 (w/ Jonathon Cope) and was very dissappointed. I remember thinking that she was only dancing steps - not becoming part of the music. Even if she had a sorrowful face and seemed emotional, all of it seemed impassive to me, with no depth nor soul connected to it. Perhaps it was the music she didn't connect to? (Pavane is one of my favorite pieces by my fav. composer - I would have a different expression and feeling to it since I can relate to the music, than if someone else just had to dance to it.) I would have though that having children would bring more depth due to experience. But it looks like it went the opposite way. It was like she was a "normal woman" than a dancer. I watched Pavane clips on her website (http://www.darceybussell.com - under 'fan club') before I saw her live, and thought she looked better in the clips. At ROH I had set the standard to see at least what I saw in those clips, and was let down. Is this due to age? to her birth? However, I have seen her on the DVD "Ballet Favorites" in "The Prince of Pagodas - Act III PDD" w/ J. Cope and really enjoyed it. Her footwork, chaines [turns], lines were wonderful. But I think this was in 1998 (i haven't watched it in a while). I don't know the date of her "Pavane" clips, but I have to say I liked her better on these videos than live, maybe it is her age, since P.of P. was around '98. So, I would have to disagree with Leigh's review quoted by Bart (on the first page) But how could older age have less emotional connection? ?? Is it only the camera that loves her and not me?

I hope I quoted correctly and this may be or placed in the wrong forum, but I wanted to know more information on this Swedish poet. I can definitely relate to that quote and I have this fond liking for Sweden as do I for many countries in Europe. Anyways, any info would be of interest.

Just to be sure, all I have to do is reply - not click something else or open something new? Just continue where it was left off? I don't even know what those archive articles are.

Is it OK to put my input on articles I found from the past? Will not many people be up to respond due to the date? When people stop posting for years, does this mean the thread has "ended" ?