SusanB

Alexandra wrote: "Back to a point Susan B made at the beginning of this thread, about one one critic's "personal preference replacing what a good review should be," I think that's a good point. I also agree with Nanatchka that reviews are supposed to be personal opinions, but there's a balancing act." Years ago I wrote for several daily newspapers and was a copy editor as well, and at the time I paid no atttention to the reviews and have no recollection of editing them. However, I realized when Nanatchka made the point that reviews are supposed to be personal opinions that I always thought that pure opinion was limited to the Editorial Page or the Op Ed pages of the newspaper. I always supposed that ciritics were more in the news category than the opinion category, and that their knowledge of the art form enabled them to write intelligently about a performance. I thought the parameters were closer to the newswriters' -- and that it would be important to substantiate.

Alexandra wrote: "Back to a point Susan B made at the beginning of this thread, about one one critic's "personal preference replacing what a good review should be," I think that's a good point. I also agree with Nanatchka that reviews are supposed to be personal opinions, but there's a balancing act." Years ago I wrote for several daily newspapers and was a copy editor as well, and at the time I paid no atttention to the reviews and have no recollection of editing them. However, I realized when Nanatchka made the point that reviews are supposed to be personal opinions that I always thought that pure opinion was limited to the Editorial Page or the Op Ed pages of the newspaper. I always supposed that ciritics were more in the news category than the opinion category, and that their knowledge of the art form enabled them to write intelligently about a performance. I thought the parameters were closer to the newswriters' -- and that it would be important to substantiate.

The following quote is an example of what I consider to be Tenim's antagonism toward Boston Ballet. To me, Temin's statement that the ballet was a dud is totally irrelevant to the rest of the article, and reveals an underlying mission -- to persuade Boston Ballet to perform Temin's repertoire. If she is going to claim that the ballet was a dud, she should substantiate the claim somehow. Did tickets sales miss their projected goal? Did audiences boo and throw tomatoes? Is it a dud solely because Christine Temin thinks it was? I saw the ballet and it was typical of the Stevenson genre, and IMO it wasn't great...but to call it a dud in print requires some objective basis. ''Anything for Dance'' is also formulaic. It starts with Suarez watching a show in which she was supposed to star and ends with a ''triumph,'' as the often-trite narration insists, in Ben Stevenson's ''Cleopatra.'' There's no mention that the ballet was a dud: That would spoil the happy ending. This story ran on page N3 of the Boston Globe on 9/22/2002. © Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

The following quote is an example of what I consider to be Tenim's antagonism toward Boston Ballet. To me, Temin's statement that the ballet was a dud is totally irrelevant to the rest of the article, and reveals an underlying mission -- to persuade Boston Ballet to perform Temin's repertoire. If she is going to claim that the ballet was a dud, she should substantiate the claim somehow. Did tickets sales miss their projected goal? Did audiences boo and throw tomatoes? Is it a dud solely because Christine Temin thinks it was? I saw the ballet and it was typical of the Stevenson genre, and IMO it wasn't great...but to call it a dud in print requires some objective basis. ''Anything for Dance'' is also formulaic. It starts with Suarez watching a show in which she was supposed to star and ends with a ''triumph,'' as the often-trite narration insists, in Ben Stevenson's ''Cleopatra.'' There's no mention that the ballet was a dud: That would spoil the happy ending. This story ran on page N3 of the Boston Globe on 9/22/2002. © Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

Well, the Boston Globe critic, Christine Temin has been (IMO) so antagonistic and arbitrary in her reviews of Boston Ballet over the past several years, that she has completely lost credibility with me. She's made it clear in her reviews that she doesn't appreciate "Russian Warhorse Ballets" (read that the wonderful classics that I want to see), and wishes Boston Ballet were more like San Francisco Ballet. Shockingly, her editor has permitted her personal preferences to replace what I beleive genuine reviews to be. Now that Boston Ballet seems so obviously trying to imitate San Francisco Ballet, perhaps she feels obligated to congratulate them on listening to her wise counsel by giving pleasant if weak reviews. I detest a critic who writes as if he or she has a personal axe to grind. Temin's views and reviews are like the sequel to the Emperor's New Clothes.

Well, the Boston Globe critic, Christine Temin has been (IMO) so antagonistic and arbitrary in her reviews of Boston Ballet over the past several years, that she has completely lost credibility with me. She's made it clear in her reviews that she doesn't appreciate "Russian Warhorse Ballets" (read that the wonderful classics that I want to see), and wishes Boston Ballet were more like San Francisco Ballet. Shockingly, her editor has permitted her personal preferences to replace what I beleive genuine reviews to be. Now that Boston Ballet seems so obviously trying to imitate San Francisco Ballet, perhaps she feels obligated to congratulate them on listening to her wise counsel by giving pleasant if weak reviews. I detest a critic who writes as if he or she has a personal axe to grind. Temin's views and reviews are like the sequel to the Emperor's New Clothes.

Boston Ballet has had 7 p.m. curtains weekdays for the past several years.

I saw Madam Butterfly in Boston this past May and it was worth seeing. The pas de deux was beautiful, but a lot of the other dancing/acting was cliched to me, with exaggerated "Japanese" mannerisms. Also, I would have preferred that Stanton Welch not focus so much of the story line on Chio Chio San's renunciation of her faith. I've seen the opera at the Met and don't recall that being a major theme, but I certainly could be wrong. It felt like propaganda to me, personally. I don't much care for this genre of ballets including Snow Maiden, Cleopatra, Dracula, Hunchback of Notre Dame. I wonder if I have bad taste. :confused:

Jeannie, I have seen the Boston contingent you said to watch for in Jackson perform in Boston, and they are as good as you say. Sarah Lamb is exquisite, Emi Hariyama is long and lovely and Kristina Pulcini is lovely and very talented as well. Sarah Lamb and Kristina Pulcini are both former students of Tatiana Legat and are coached by her and Tatiana Terekhova, who is their Ballet Mistress, and Emi Hariyama studied at the Bolshoi. Their training is beautiful, they are a very impressive group and it's very exciting for Boston to see them compete.

Alexandra, I think it is only reasonable to permit YAGP representatives to respond to criticisms in this forum. Squelching their reply is your perogative, but if you won't allow a response, then you shouldn't allow the critcism either. It really appears to be taking sides on the part of BalletAlert. Further, it didn't seem to be a PR motive at all on the part of YAGP -- more like an attempt to present their responses.

From what I hear, the company members are not so much postive as they are hopeful that the new artistic staff will be as good as the one they have come to respect and to whom many feel a great sense of attachment. Jorden Morris was a tremendous stabilizing influence and is highly regarded by many of the dancers. Tatiana Terekhova and Sergei Berejnoi are adored by many of the dancers. It's not possible to speak for everyone, but replacing every member of the artistic staff was clearly not something many of the dancers expected. There are still important unkowns at Boston Ballet, both the rep and the artistic staff, so it's not really possible to know what to think, yet. Some of the dancers have understandably expressed reluctance to sign their contracts without knowing this information.