cubanmiamiboy

All this broadcasting timing is always so confusing..!

Were they still using the Sergueev staging of the 30's by then...? (Just trying to track down the Snow Queen first appearances in England, aside from Pavlova's sources) Beautiful ballerina indeed..!

I would had LOVE to see "Suite en Blanc"...(sight)...Again...you lucky NY'rs...

I saw two of them, Jayne...Mozart's and Faure's...both at La Madelene...both free.. . During Mozart's, by the time was being sung, I almost started crying...I couldn't believe I was in such place listening to such monumental work...

Oh Natasha...it is not that I didn't like it. I DID have a great time at the ballet. After all, this is a warhorse, and a lovely one. It is just that I've always put Fille somewhere in the same lines as Coppelia, and Mama Simone was never more grotesque or comical than, let's say, Dr. Coppelius, and that was not the case with Ashton's version. I will write a little more later on. I found the playbill!

Thanks for the pic, rg! Loring is usually one of those names Alonso gets to mention a lot while reminiscing about her formative BT years...

ok...so in the middle of the chaos that's Cristian's luggage unpacking, I sort of lost track of the costly playbill-($ 12 euros), so I will try to give a round up summarising of my experience at the Garnier. First things first. The Garnier is just to die for. The atmosphere that pours out from the exuberant eclecticism and astonishing opulence of this amazing Second Empire building goes beyond words. To be honest, it amazed me much more than Versailles. I took many pictures. I think my mom though she was Empress Eugenie while climbing up the marble grand staircase..! Inside, the theater has a very interesting layout. It gets to be vast, and at the same time very intimate. My seat at the tiny box , all covered by dark red velvet, was the last one, behind two rows of four seats each, but still, I have a great tunnel vision of the ballet. I didn't miss a thing. And let's not even go to Chagall's wonder of ceiling... Well, about La Fille...humm...mixed feelings I have. For once, I found it very long. Once more I remind my fellow BT'rs that I'm just familiar with Alonso's staging of Nijinska-after-Gorsky version to Hertel's score, so this was a completely new thing for me. In general I found Ashton's vision to be too focused on the comical/character dancing side, whereas Nijinska's feels more like a twin sibling of Coppelia. There were lovely moments, of course, like the ribbon sequences, but even those felt way more unballetic to me than Hertel's. Also, I had my problems with the music. There were moments in which marching music seemed to go on and on, along with endless character sequences, which brings another weak-(to me)-point to this version. I couldn't really come to terms with the whole chicken business, nor with Mama Simone's endless displays of buffo art. I have read a lot about Ashton's use and exploitation of this comical, often grotesque aspect based in old British theater traditions, but at least translated to me in 2012, an era of balletic longing for historically based, serious reconstructions a la Raymonda, and a strong tendency to show the best of ballet technique and tricks, seeing this got me off guard, so I found it a bit outdated. The result was that Lissette and Colin's dancing moments seemed diminished after Ashton's real stars of the ballet had their moments onstage. People seemed to be reacting and responding more to Simone, Alain and the chicken sequences than to the real ballet moments of Lissette and Colin. I will try to find the playbill. It contains an AMAZING chronology of the ballet that includes every single important staging and music sources. For what I remember, Balachova's name seems to be the key for which Nijinska's version was able to take form in the West. PDD comparison time! Starting @ 1:28. Annette Delgado and Dani Hernandez. Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nunez.

I'm currently intoxicated with the scent, in a sublime way that is... nuff said...back to reality.

Loved that..!

Quite a competition...!

Thanks, Bonnette! Today we had a great time visiting la Sainte Chapelle and La Conciergerie...Marie Antoinette's cell, all recreated along with a mannequin and everything was particularly chilling. La Sainte Chapelle, on the contrary, was a bit weird. It is the only church I've ever visited that hasn't been handled back to the religious authorities, and so it is full of vending stands and sort of stripped out of its original atmosphere, along with the absence of the relics that once guarded. It is then sort of a museum, I guess similar in ambiance as the churches back in the Soviet period. Tonight we will go to La Madeleine to hear Mozart's Requiem. See ya..!

Merci bien, Mme. Helene! Oh my...what can I say...? My mom is in heaven. She went to St. Etienne to hear mass last Sunday, and this upcoming Sunday she will do it at Notre Dame. I was particularly impressed with La Madeleine. It is such a vast church...very imposing. Tonight me and my friend will stroll around Le Marais. A little cafe, a bit of wine and some smoke, and voila!...the night is perfect. Can't wait to report from Ashton's "Fille...". The comparisson with the one act Nijinska's will be interesting... Au revoir!

Finally reporting from this unbelievable place after some connexion issues! Oh, Lord...words CAN NOT explain all I've felt while discovering every single place of this city. Notre Dame, Pere Lachaise, the Arch du Triumph, the Tuileries gardens, la Madeleine-(where I will be going to see Mozart's Coronation Mass and Cherubini's Requiem tonight)-,Saint-Severine, the charming Le Marais-(where we're staying), the wonderful, romantic Seine, the looooong days-(still sunny at 9 pm!)-and many many other places. Every night there's a concert...coffee at any little corner caffe, the drop dead gorgeous French uber-fashionistas..(the little black dress in every form and design at all hours). En fin...such a chic country. Last night we went to see Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love" at a lovely mid-century cinema, AND...I'm happy to report that there was NO ONE eating anything at all during the screening...no annoying pop-corn, candy wrappers or soda-sucking noise whatsoever during the whole thing. Even before the film started, during commercials, people were talking very low and softly. And then, the omnipresent cigarette EVERYWHERE. 99 % of the population smokes everywhere...at caffes, plazas, clubs, etc...Wherever there's a table and people seated, coffee, a little drink and cigarettes are de rigueur, and to be honest...it has never bothered me at all...people seem so alive and happy and enjoying each other's company...people really know how to have a great time talking and laughing and getting together at all times, night and day. The city never sleeps. It looks to me as if they eat at all, it is usually little cute salads, some fancy dessert and lots of wine and cigarettes. Actually I've never seen anything like our huge super-markets. In general people look very slim and elegant. Anyway...thank you all for your best wishes. My mom is in heaven, seeing for the first time in front of her all those sites she has spoke about for many years-(she was a college History of Art teacher back in Cuba), and me...GOING CRAZY WITH ALL THAT FASHION!! The Garnier is certainly beautiful. I haven't seen it inside yet, but I'm sure it won't disappoint me. La Bastille Opera House, on the contrary, didn't click on me...it reminds me of our cold, contemporary Arsht Center, which I despise. Well...off to La Madeleine now. Will be back with more, and again..THANK YOU for all your words. Aur revoir!

Voila, off to Paris tonight for a well deserved vacation..!! yaaaaaay!!! Needless to say, a visit to the Palais Garnier is de rigueur. I have tickets for 07/13, to see Ashton's Fille-(which I've never seen live, BTW...). I'm taking with me my best friend and my mom, and for those who are familiar with all the issues that my mother went thru a while ago, you know well this will be our grand celebration of life, so again, thank you for all your prayers and good wishes. My mom-(a silent BT'r)-is certainly grateful. See ya...!!

Am I to assume that Polina is the most technically competent ballerina at ABT right now...? Should I jump on a plane to go see her...?

Wow...Kent for the final, Saturday night performance...? Is she still capable of doing Odile and in such relevant week day...? (just wondering...no sarcasm intended, I promise...)

Believe it or not, all Raymondas I've seen never look to me up to the wonderful level of artistry and regal demeanor that the late Mme. Bessmertnova put into the character. That said, I sort of avoided watching this...mea culpa, I know, but since i don't think i will be seeing any Raymonda live any time soon, I much prefer to rewatch my favorite performer in the role over and over.

I was happy to read this observation too, bart. I don't feel that Ballet Theater's weight and importance in mid-century's America's dancing has been fully discussed and exposed in literature the way Balanchine's company has, or even BRdMC with that wonderful documentary. I have always been under the impression that the dancers that didn't make the experimental trip to City Ballet when it was first created-(Alonso, Youskevitch, etc..)-were somehow side lined by the audience who instead started focusing more in this other new, exciting AMERICAN company. Still, many older people I know still mention the trilogy of Markova/Alonso/Kaye as THE creme of mid-century America's female ballet dancing examples. Same with Youskevitch, whom I've heard was to be considered by many the greatest bailarin of his era. Maybe it could be due to that up until NYCB started, all this stars from Ballet Theatre-(pretty much as it is now)-were foreign dancers who had not been nurtured by a national educational system, unlike Balanchine's, and so people started seeing City Ballet as something more of their own. Still, even if Kaye tried briefly next door, or Alonso and Youskevitch were put on a barre at first far from NYC, it is a fact that they DID represent probably the best of what America had to offer in ballet matters at the time, at one point for two of them to even be compared in advantage to such a legend as Fonteyn.

If that is the argument I think you better include her racist comments because that is basically the argument Same as what it was until very recently with the Rockettes...

Copeland is not Principal material...at least not now.

I suspect it is no fun falling down in front of the Met's audience, especially when you are a rising up-and-coming dancer trying to make a good impression on your bosses! LOL Some people have a daredevil personality and they do whatever it takes and will use speed and strength and do amazing things, and that is quite thrilling to watch, but I suspect the vast majority of people are more cautious people. The special stars are special because they are better than average. You can't have everyone dancing like a superstar, b/c then nobody would seem special. I also think that "stars" start to take more risks once established, b/c they are constantly trying to prove themselves. A young, up-and-coming dancer is going to be more cautious. Not all, but I think it is a normal human reaction to the task at hand. When I saw the Kirov (and I do mean the Kirov), many if not all of the featured dancers danced the most difficult variations fearlessly. We doubtless got top-tier casting for tours to D.C. and NY (this was pre-1989), but it's still worth noting and came to me as something of a revelation. Oh yes, that's how it's supposed to look... At NYCB's best many featured dancers dance (or at one time danced) fearlessly: it's seems to have been a trait Balanchine cultivated--Martins seemingly less so. Still, I do see it at NYCB from time to time even now not just from their 'stars.' I would like to see this quality more at ABT-- have occasionally seen it--though I understand (I think) the point Birdsall is making... It is a tough situation having Komleva's Bayadere as a point of comparison anyhow...EVERYONE on it shines thru, from the Principals to the three shades to the military-like Corps. I very much missed the iconic position of the Russian Corps on both sides of the stage with the beautiful tendu derriere position...

I was wondering if perhaps rg or any other familiar with the NYPL dance collection could answer this question... Does a complete Black Swan PDD with a very young Toumanova that's shown in the BRdMC documentary exist anywhere...? Thanks in advance.!

One of my disappointments on this Bayadere was the Shade variation that finishes with the traveling ballerina in arabesque position rising and coming off pointe. Komleva's video has it very daring...the ballerina covering the entire stage on her travel and the rising on pointe is so fast, sharp and quick that she always looks as in on the verge of falling on her face...looking almost as if she's getting into a penchee position at any time. Here every dancer I saw in this variation did it very carefully, rising and coming off pointe almost in the same place sans advancing too much. Why are modern ballerinas so cautious about engaging into technical pyrotechnics...?

Quotes of Mr. Percival-(along with Mr. Haskell's)- were often used in gala performances offered to Alonso in Cuba. I have never read his literature, but I will definitely, always in owe of those lucky people who witnessed the fertility of America's mi-century dancing. RIP, Mr. Percival.