vissi d'arte

Hi Bart! When I learned the pas de deux myself the teacher told the girls to float the arms. Her partner should turn her slightly from side to side as she does this. I just think it's a matter of slight differences in productions, styles and traditions. The most russian ballerinas I have seen have from the attitude croissé bent forwards into a penché (third arabesque) floating her arms from side to side, as you describe; not also that her partner has to help her achieve this movement. While I think most english productions just have the ballerina from the third arabesque penché turn into fourth arabesque, but with floating arms.

Hi! I was watching some dvd:s of the Sleeping Beauty (the Paris Opera version by Nureyev,and the one by Sir Peter Wright with Sofiane Sylve); when it occured to me I don't know the names of the fairies in the prologue in these two productions. And it doesn't say, they're just called the six fairies or something....?? In Nureyev's production it's seven fairies because the Lilac Fairy is entirely a mime role, as in Sir Peter Wrigth's production....; but Nureyev also choose to make the second variation a duett for two fairies. So I'm wondering if any one knows the names of the fairies in both these production, and what giftes and virtues they bring!!! The Production I know best, the swedish royal ballet production by Dame Beryl Gray, has them called: Fairy of Beauty Fairy of Grace Fairy of Abundance Fairy of Well Sound and Fairy of Authority Please answer me!!! I'm curious and confused!!! The swedish royal ballet's III act she has kept the Florestan pas de trois with Florestan and his sisters, Silver and Diamond. It's really a beautiful production, one of my favorites.

Absolutely Mariinsky's reconstructed versions of Bayadère and Sleeping Beauty And I would love to see a recording of Royal Swedish Ballet's production of Swan Lake by Nathalie Conus!!

If you like tragic story ballets with gorgeous pas de deuxs, music and costumes(a la Onegin, Manon, Mayerling e t c)....then what are you waiting for.????? IT*S ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!

1. Agnes Letestú (on DVD)- for mee she's the Odette/Odile of our time 2 Nina Ananiashvili (on DVD) -beautiful in everthing she does, and lovely swan arms LIVE: 1. Judith Simon. http://www.voiceofdance.com/hpimage/swanlakeswed.jpg -especially for her Odette, but beautiful as Odile to 2. Marie Lindqvist. http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/lindqv01.jpg -impressing as Odile! 3. Nathalie Nordquist. http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/nordq03.jpg -the sweetest and lovliest Odette I've ever seen!!

Here are my favourite productions of the Sleeping Beauty! I haven't seen that any (unfortunetly) yet, and most of them on video.., but anyway: 1: My absolute favourite are Rudolf Nureyev's production for the Paris Opera with sets and costumes by Ezio Frigersio and Franca Squarcapino!! It's a beautiful and stunning production, and I love Nureyev's added choreography for Prince Desiré since I think male dancing is also very beautiful and it gives the charachter perhaps a bit more depth. I also find the choreography very beautiful and musical (I've only seen the video with Manuel Legris and Aurelie Dupont) and of course he's the perfect Prince! I also love the Finale of the third act; it's really yoy of dancing! Bravo Mr.Nureyev:D 2: Second place I have to say the Swedish Royal Ballet production that was staged by Dame Beryl Gray (who danced the Lilac Fairy I believe?? in the 1946 Royal Ballet production). I simply love this production because first of all it's just beautiful with sets and costumes by David Walke, and secondly it's the first Sleeping Beauty I ever saw; and I also was one of the children in the garland waltz in Act 1! So I've seen it like 10 times both from the stage and from audience point of view. It's a very traditional production, pretty similar to the Royal Ballet's I would guess. For example it has the Pas de trois danced by Florestan and his Sisters! (was it made by Sir Ashton)?? The only thing I don't like is that the Prince has very little work to do....!! Learn by Nureyev, it's not 1890 any more, male dancers has to do more than just partner the ballerina! 3: and 4: I'm sure I would love the Royal Ballet production and the Mariinsky reconstruction if I ever saw them!!! 5: Sir Peter Wright's production is a quite nice one to, but just a wee bit to dark, and (wait I take that bake I like Georgiadis ). It just doesn't keep my interest for the entire three acts, somehow.., and what happend to the Panorama..???? Well those are the only ones I've seen. I just wonder if any one else has seen the Dame Beryl Gray production, and in that case what did you think?

During the curtain call after Thirsdays performance of Cendrillon, ballet master Madeleine Onne stepped out on stage, and told a moved Nadja Sellrup she had been nominated Principal Dancer!! Not that it's a big surprise; Nadja is one of the Royal Swedish Ballet's strongest and most exiting dancers. She has already danced big leading roles as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Giselle. Nadja is dancing the role of the Good Fairy/the Mother in Cendrillon (she literally glows)! http://dansportalen.se/ http://www.operan.se/templates/ActorDetail...amp;actorid=910 http://www.operan.se/templates/ListingIndex.aspx?id=701

GOOD NEWS!! Jurgita Dronina (Swedish Royal Ballet) has been nominated 1st Soloist from July 1st 2007!!! She has, only 20 years old, already danced Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Nikiya in La Bayadére, Annika in Pippi Longstocking and Lotta in the Nutcracker. Ballet chief Madeleine Onne sais: " Jurgita has a talent over the usual, and she has a maturity in her artistry that has made both critics and the audience take her tho their hearts". Jurgita will dance the role of Juliet again next season 07-08.

HI! Yupps I saw the premiere and I loved it! What a funny, sad, tragic and beautiful ballet! The opening night was attended by the royal family, so it was a bit of a gala feeling. There was also a very special person in the audience...yes that's right, BARYSHNIKOV!!! He's in Sweden right now working on a duett created for him and Ana Laguna by Mats Ek! They are performing it this autum at Dansens Hus in Stockholm! As I said there was reel gala feeling, everyone was dressed in there finest, and there was photographers in the entrance! The Swedish Royal Ballet is actually the first company to dance this production outside Maillot's own Monte-Carlo ballet! The curtain went up and wow what a performance, you could really feel the dancers energy, and it really looked like they enjoyed their time! The only thing I didn't like to much was the story in the story, because it felt a bit pointless to have the god fairy tell Cinderella how her story should end before she's even transformed to go to the ball.?? Oopps sorry maybe I should tell the synopsis since it's a bit different from for example sir Frderick Ashton's more famous version! The ballet is divided into three acts but starts with a... Prologue: In her solitude, Cinderella remebers her childhood with her Mother and Father -now a lost family, happiness and love. Left is the sorrow and anguish after the mothers death, that Cinderella and her father share in dreams and the present. ACT I Scene 1. Cinderella's house The Father, in the light of his new family, is not the same. With the Stephmother and the Stephsisters, Cinderella discovers the violence of powerstruggels, rejection, ill will and tyrannical gestures. A strange messenger (the Fairy in disguise) put's an end to the quarrels. She brings an invitation from the Prince for the court ball. Scene 2.Cinderella's house The Pleasure Superintendents bring the ball dresses, exhibited on four Mannequins, half human, half mecanical figures, giving the impression of a fashion show. Cinderella becomes aware of the invitation but her new family makes fun of her and sends her ack to her lentil dish. Scene 3. Entrance of the Prince The Prince appears in company with his friends. He tries to give meaning to his life by small pleasures, which disappoint him as soon as they are satisfied. The Superintendents are busy with the preparations. Scene 4. The story within the story The Fairy shows Cinderella a caricatured and grotesque version of the story. She dresses the girl in the dress her mother was wearing at her last ball. Cinderella's foot comes sequinned out of her lentil dish. The Fairy warns her that sequins are gragile, volatile and will lose their wonderful properties if Cinderella forgets this essential quality. Scene 5. Vision of the ball. ACT II. Scene 6. The ball. The Prince sits on his throne and looks at the courtesans without much interest. The stephmother and the stephsisters try to seduce him. The Fairy arrives and gives the prince a message. Cinderella's Father recognizes his first wife in the Fairy. Cinderella enters, the Prince kneels before her feet and discovers love with humility. Scene 7. Midnight. Cinderella begins to take pleasure in the courtesans' mirrors. It is time for the Fairy to bring Cinderella back on the right path. At the top of the stairs, her bare foot appears in the light-the only trace of her being there and an invitation to find her again. ACT III Scene 8. The Prince's travel. The Prince and his friends travel aimlessly to find the beautiful unknown girl with sketch of her foot. He discovers the country of red and yellow exotics. Although tempted, he doesn't recognize the foot he is looking for. The Fairy guides him to Cinderella. Scene 9. Cinderella's house The Sisters get ready to seduce the Prince, but the feet he discovers under the bandages are black and bruised. Cinderella's foot however unveils in the purity of its whiteness. The Prince recognizes Cinderella at onces. Scene 10. Epilog Rejecting his second wife, the Father waltzes with the Fairy/Cinderella's Mother. Dancing their love again he accompanies her down to her last breath, until death cancels remorse. Oooh isn't it a beautiful retelling of the story.?? Anyway I liked this ballet very much and I'm going to see it again!! The dancers were very good especially Nadja Sellrup as the Fairy, now this is a dancer you have to look out for. She embodied the Fairy, she was funny, withy, scary, good and beautiful at the same time. You could also see she was the mother of Cinderella by the way she hold her in her arms and her gestures. She also could portray a young woman in love, in the prologue, and her death was tragic. Nathalie Nordquist was the most charming Cinderella. Nathalie is a strong dancer and her personality really goes over the ramp and out into the auditorium. The choreography suited her very well and wow what a nice jump she has! Katariina Edling was THe Stephmother!!! She was mean, sexy, evil, charming, all plastic surgery diva. I loved her! Nikolaus Fotiadis was very good as the Father, and you really felt for him. The ending i thought was so sad when the Father is left alone. Jan-Erik Wikström and Jens Rosén as the Pleasure Superintendents were hilarious. They were really everywere and enoying and charming at the same time!! haha All the dancers in the corps were also good, not together all the time, but boy those were many steps at a short time, sometimes it got almost hysterical (loved it)!!! This is a ballet well worth seeing. It's classical, it's modern, it's beautiful, tragic, funny, sexy...everything. Not to speak about the sets and the costumes and of course Prokofiev's glorious music!! Cendrillon will start of the next season in September together with MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet! See it!

Tomorrow 30 May 2007 at 7:30pm the curtain will rise at the royal swedish opera on Christoph Maillot's production of Cendrillon! It's the first time the company dances this production, but however, the well-known production by Sir Frederick Ashton enterd the repertoire in 1991. There is 2 casts divided over 8 performances: The Good fairy: Nadja Sellrup/Sarah Medley The Father: Nikolaus Fotiadis/Anders Nordström Cinderella: Nathalie Nordquist/Anna Valev The Prince: Oscar Salomonsson/Jan-Erik Wikström The Stephmother: Katariina Edling/Nicole Rhodes 1st Stephsister: Katja Björner/Jenny Nilson 2nd Stephsister: Gina Tse/Jeanette Diaz Barboza 1st (Superintendent): Jan-Erik Wikström/Olof Westring 2nd (Superintendent): Jens Rosén/Joakim Stephenson Her's a link to some photos: http://www.operan.se/templates/ListingIndex.aspx?id=701 I'm looking forward to see this ballet very much (I'm gonna see the premiere )!! It seems good and interesting and the music is of course wonderful! It would be fun to see some other reviews from people who will be able to see a performance, and hear other opinions. Vissi!!!

The cast list for Cendrillon! Only two casts this time. The Premiere is on May 30th The good fairy: Nadja Sellrup/Sarah Medley The Father: Nikolaus Fotiadis/Anders Nordström Cinderella: Nathalie Nordquist/Anna Valev The Prince: Oscar Salomonsson/Jan-Erik Wikström The Stephmother: Katariina Edling/Nicole Rhodes First Stephsister: Katja Björner/Jenny Nilson Second Stephsister: Gina Tse/Jeanette Diaz Barboza

1 Alina Cojocaru 2 Marianela Nuñez 3 Marie Lindqvist 4 Anna Valev 5 Jenny Nilson 6 Jurgita Dronina ...... I could go on and on

HI! I've been thinking about this Prince Siegfried, and well I must say his a troubled young man (just kidding)..... No I think to be able to understand Siegfried we have to go back to what's happened before the curtain goes up (I'm talking about productions without the silly Odette transformed into swan by some green monster ) ....wich I think is a bit unnecessary! Before the action on the stage begin Siegfried's father (the King) has died (in some productions reacently, in others he has grown up without a father). SIEGFRIED has to become KING before he has even had time to discover life; and he's romantic and want's to marry someone he love's (wether that's a woman, a man or a swan). Odette becomes his ideal, and he falls in love with her. But he's tricked by Odile. Siegfried's not stupid, at least I don't think he is. I think he's traped by his kingship (he has to marry and produce an heir) and he want's to be loved so badly that he doesn't realise that he's being tricked by Odile and Rothbart until it's too late. I know different productions have different interpretations, but I think what's important is not to reduce Siegfried to just being the ballerinas partner; the story is actually told through his eyes (why would he get a whole act otherwise) and besides Tchaikovsky's music is so haunting and telling that you just can't change the story.

Hi! :blush: I've just come home from a performance of La fille mal gardée. It was really good I think, it's such a sweet and fun ballet you can't help smiling all the time. I catched a perfomance of the 1st cast; Lise was danced by Nathalie Nordquist and Colas by Oscar Salomonson. Alain was danced by soloist Jens Rosén, and Widow Simone by principal dancer Christian Rambe. They were all very good but the guys were slightly better. Howewer Nathalie Nordquist was an adorable Lise. The role suites her very well. She danced very secure (as always), though she is not the dancer with strongest technique. Her fotwork has improved very much and she's become slender(but tutus aren't the best thing on her, since her upper body is rather short). She had a very good comical timing and she seemed to have a lot of fun during the whole time. The moment when she is surprised by Colas after her daydreaming of having children with him was wonderful. She looked at the audience (you could almost see her face turn red) and then put the scarf over her head crying. Oscar Salomonson was very good as Colas. Nice jumps, clean beats secure turns and a great deal of charm as well. Also he and Nathalie makes a perfect couple on stage. Jens Rosén was like the embodiment of Alain. He was just perfect. You could see he's a really good dancer behind all the clumsiness (don't say it's not hard). Gold star to him! And Christian Rambe as Simone was hilarious. The clog dance was great! He was a real lady from top to toe! But underneath the andry (bitch) you could see a cearing and loving mother. I think the company dances this ballet pretty good actually. I don't think they feal completly at home with the Ashton style (yet). The tempi is a bit faster than what they are jused to I think (look at the Swan Lake dvd...it's rather slow if you compare). It's nice ballet mistress Madeleine Onne decided to take it back, it hasn't been danced here since 1989 (she did Lise at that time)....but it's one of her favourites!

Last saturday (March 31), La fille mal gardée opened for 12 performances throughout April. The ballet hasn't been danced in Stockholm since season 1989/90. The premier was danced by principal Nathalie Nordquist and soloist Oscar Salomonson as Lise and Colas, who danced their roles for the first time. Here is a link to some photos and you can also watch a video clip from the performance! http://www.operan.se/templates/ListingIndex.aspx?id=579 http://www.operan.se/templates/ListingIndex.aspx?id=592