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Figurante

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Posts posted by Figurante

    MCB Nutcracker, 12/19/08

    in Miami City Ballet

    Posted

    And just to comment on the sugarplum/cavalier pas de deux, and variations... or lack thereof...

    Balanchine always said that ballet is about the woman. In most of his ballets, the men are less featured than the women. The same is true in Nutcracker, in respects to the lack of a variation for the cavalier.

    How would you 'rework' the pas de deux?

    The pas de deux is so simple in regards to choreography and musicality. You can see a mistake instantly, which is why I feel it is so difficult. Sometimes it is nice to see a simple pas de deux, executed well, both technically, and musically. I think GB saved much more intricate choreography for his other ballets, which in my opinion, is great. After 40-something shows of The Nutcracker, you would want to keep it simple, and clean. But again, that's just a dancer's perspective.

    MCB Nutcracker, 12/19/08

    in Miami City Ballet

    Posted

    Aww... boo.

    How can you not like GB's choreography cubanmiamiboy!? The classical garb is so dated! I think the production is fabulous, and the story, unlike many other Nutcrackers, actually makes sense, and is almost foolproof even for a lay-person. Maybe it's different from a dancer's perspective, but it is also more challenging than some of the other versions I have danced. :wub:

    Macaulay on Balanchine at NYCB

    in New York City Ballet

    Posted

    >Something's going on in MCB that's urging dancers

    >on to develop -- indeed to seize --

    >the very qualitise that Macaulay likes.

    I think MCB is dancing the way Eddie is coaching them to dance. I think he is also importing like crazy the dancers who dance the way Eddie likes. I have tickets for every performance of MCB's upcoming visit to City Center, so I'll soon get a very good impression of what's going on there.

    This is completely accurate.

    I think Miami City Ballet circa three or four years ago was the closest thing this nation had to a true "BALANCHINE" company. Now-a-days, not so much... a lot of classically trained dancers that are aesthetically unable to pull off the Balanchine nuances, in my opinion. But there are still so many beautiful dancers that have been at MCB for over a decade, that really do have an idea of what they're doing with Balanchine ballets, and this is a good thing, because it will definitely show in New York on their tour.... in any rate...

    A lot of my problem with New York City Ballet is that the dancers are under-rehearsed, and I think this is the root of the problem concerning their idea of continuing Balanchine's legacy. The corps de ballet gets sloppy, people go through the motions, and nuances that should be present from hours of thought out rehearsals with capable, knowledgeable coaches are NOT THERE, hence, the "lack" of New York City Ballet's "Balanchine" presence. Granted, there ARE a few dancers who don't need the rehearsals... they've danced the roles a thousand times and know it like the back of their hands, and can just pull out the stops the second they step on stage; but for most dancers, tedious hours of rehearsals are needed.

    Because of the size of the company, I also feel that the company treats itself as a "corps de ballet of soloist potential" and people have the wrong idea when they get on the stage. They would rather "stick out" and be noticed, than worry about being in line, and executing steps musically with other dancers around them. This is where Miami City Ballet, and many other companies in the nation have New York City Ballet outwitted. Why else would Miami City Ballet get a times review saying that they dance Balanchine better than Balanchine's own company? And in any rate, I would like to make a prediction:

    Miami City Ballet's tour to City Center in January, is going to open a lot of eyes in New York City, both critics, and City Ballet's audience as well. I know that right now the company is very concerned with how the ballet's they are bringing will fare with the "vulture" critics of New York City, but in all honesty, the critics are only vultures because they are seeing mediocre ballet every night they review. I think MCB is going to bring a much needed breath of fresh air to New York, the ballets, and maybe even give City Ballet some ideas on how to better run their company. :wink:

    Just a thought, though.

    :thanks:

    44th US President - Arts & Culture Policy?

    in Other Performing & Fine Arts: Performances, Exhibits, Films, and Events

    Posted

    I just caught an item on Nightline -- a 2005 charity roast in which Sen. Obama notes the usefulness of ballet training in Rahm's political career: "He learned to leap, he learned to spin, and he learned to splay his feet to the left and to the right so no one knows which direction he's heading in."

    MSNBC just showed a clip from the roast, with Obama saying that Emanuel trained in ballet and "was the first to adopt Machiaveli's The Prince for dance. It was an intriguing piece; as you can imagine, there were a lot of kicks below the waist." :pinch:

    Oh dear lord.

    Isanusi Garcia-Rodriguez and Carlos Quenedit

    in Miami City Ballet

    Posted

    When visiting the new MCB website, Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez is no longer on the company's roster.

    I also noticed that there was not an announcement about new corps de ballet dancer Carlos Quenedit.

    Carlos Quenedit

    Havana, Cuba

    Trained at Alejo Carpentier Ballet School and National Ballet School of Cuba. Danced with National Ballet of Cuba and Ballet Monterrey. Joined MCB as a member of the Corps in 2008.

    ABT Met Season 2009

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    I guess I could also see Michele Wiles as the principal woman. I think it was this ballet that Balanchine was quoted in saying "The ballet contains everything I know about classical ballet in 13 minutes." Perhaps it wont be so hard for ABT after all, but most likely not the caliber of other companies...

    "Marking" during practice

    in Discovering the Art

    Posted

    Marking can be a really big habitual trap. The more you mark, the more your performances are going to look 'marked.' A lot of Principal dancers in full-cast rehearsals will mark through their variations for different reasons, injury, stamina, etc..., while everyone else in the company must do everything full-out. Sometimes it is rather frustrating, but, in general, it makes you a more focused, clean dancer if you refrain from marking as much as possible. It is almost better to just stand and watch with your eyes as you learn a combination or exercise, rather than get confused, and mark the wrong arm, head or leg movement, and then have to re-teach your brain what the right movement is, in my opinion.

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