cubanmiamiboy

I got the subscription wall, bart...

From the YouTube poster... "This is footage of the ballet sequences in the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney. Though shot in Hollywood, the Paris Opera House exterior, Grand Staircase and Auditorium are evocatively re-created, as are the audience reactions at the rise and then fall of the curtain. The choreography for the corps de ballet seems a pastiche of styles and influences - Swan Lake, the Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere and floral and garland-bound patterning from a little earlier in the century. As a footnote, the prima ballerina role was played by the 15 year old Carla Laemmle (b.1909), who turned 100 this last year. She is the niece of Universal Pictures founder Carle Laemmele". Enjoy it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFCjQrQM_Y&feature=related

Can someone shred some light by identifying the ballet in this 1948 photo...? Nora and Alicia look as if dressed for Grand Pas de Quatre, but then...why is Eglevsky there...? http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5236658

Odile gets into this position too during the Adagio, in the next video at 3:53. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5sxVB_6QGg

I brought this post from the "Portray of Giselle" thread, thinking more convenient to have it here. This topic has been widely discussed on this board, being the general idea for the music to be by Minkus and for Spissevtseva to be the first ballerina to dance it. Ivor Guest's notes for Bonynge's recording of the full, un-edited 1841 score states that Minkus likely composed the variation for the ballerina Emma Bessone's 1887 debut in Petipa's production. Rodney Stenning Edgecombe's article "Notes on Giselle and Paquita"-(which a friend gave me in a photocopy, published in Dance Chronicle, Vol.22/No.3, 1999)-also agrees with Guest about Minkus being the composer. However, there's another name attached to the dancer who created the pas, and is not Bessone, nor Spessivtseva. I wrote down from an article-(can't seem to find the source...sorry about it)-stating that the orchestral parts used by the Royal Ballet title the variation as "Variation for Elena Cornalba" )-, while the Sergueyev Collection-(from the same article)- also mentions a "Variation for Elena Cornalba" among its Giselle materials. The main reason to doubt of Minkus as the author of the piece is the simple reason that he had already retired almost 2 years before Cornalba came to dance at the Mariinsky Theater in 1887, at a time when Drigo was in a full working stage, so could Drigo be the choreographer...? I think that Spessivtseva was merely the way for which this variation reached the west. As always, Christian, thank you for your research and information! Oh, it is MY pleasure, ViolinConcerto. You know...everything for Giselle!!

I brought this post from the "Portray of Giselle" thread, thinking more convenient to have it here. This topic has been widely discussed on this board, being the general idea for the music to be by Minkus and for Spissevtseva to be the first ballerina to dance it. Ivor Guest's notes for Bonynge's recording of the full, un-edited 1841 score states that Minkus likely composed the variation for the ballerina Emma Bessone's 1887 debut in Petipa's production. Rodney Stenning Edgecombe's article "Notes on Giselle and Paquita"-(which a friend gave me in a photocopy, published in Dance Chronicle, Vol.22/No.3, 1999)-also agrees with Guest about Minkus being the composer. However, there's another name attached to the dancer who created the pas, and is not Bessone, nor Spessivtseva. I wrote down from an article-(can't seem to find the source...sorry about it)-stating that the orchestral parts used by the Royal Ballet title the variation as "Variation for Elena Cornalba" )-, while the Sergueyev Collection-(from the same article)- also mentions a "Variation for Elena Cornalba" among its Giselle materials. The main reason to doubt of Minkus as the author of the piece is the simple reason that he had already retired almost 2 years before Cornalba came to dance at the Mariinsky Theater in 1887, at a time when Drigo was in a full working stage, so could Drigo be the choreographer...? I think that Spessivtseva was merely the way for which this variation reached the west.

I thought more convenient to move this answer to one of the threads on the Pas Seul, so I took it here...

Was Melissa Hayden ever recognized-(not only in public, but just in general)-for her same exact situation in "Limelight"...?

Comparing the fragments in the film was very revelatory to me. Ulanova's big eyes and blank face in her mad scene is the one I remember the most. Even if she claims that she didn't has to visit a mental institution to mold the scene, I find her portray one of the most vivid ones, and one that resembles the most those scared, fragile faces one sees in those places. I find many similarities with her Giselle in all the subsequent Russian ballerinas-(even Osipova's)-, clearly telling that Miss Ulanova's is THE pattern. Alonso, on the other side, gives the most technical offering, and the fragment Dolin chooses tells it all...Spessivtzeva's solo, where at the moment of the diagonal on sautés on pointe she chooses a painfully slow tempo, to the point that you just want it to be done...(I have never seen anybody taking it as slow as hers here, IMO...I would say this is a real killer for the ballerina's feet). Fracci's fragment is one of the most enjoyable ones...her Italian flirtiness and charm just pours out of her. She's very charming when she talks about her onstage lovers...(I've had too many!"), and the way she kisses Dolin on his lips is very cute too. Her film of Giselle with Bruhn is one of my favorite ones. She is one of the very few ballerinas who puts up with Markova's version of the solo, choosing to do the attitude/pirouettes on each leg during the S's solo using only one at the time-(whereas almost everyone else chooses to change legs on each turn as a matter of keeping balance...only Markova, Alonso and Fracci in the film do it the other way...), and of course, the final killer diagonal of pirouettes/chaines, which she also chooses, honoring again the old fashion way. There are some interesting facts that Dolin talks about, as when he refers to the sequence of lifts that according to him weren't done around Markova's times. I think he says something that it was Chauvire who took them back into the choreography...?-(can't remember very well). Little precious details, as when Dolin commands McBride to go down in her penchee slowly and "pray...pray!"-(the gesture of praying has been lost in many modern versions, using instead the Willis signature crossed hands down their chest). I could go on and on about this film, which I love and revisit very often to get glimpses of the "real deal"...

...and when she reminisces about Vaganova-("it was a disaster!"-her Giselle)-and Pavlova-("I was in tears"-on their rivalries). Quite a charming lady. Actually all the ladies being interviewed show a remarkable allure and class, each of them with a little different touch that I'm sure went on to color their portrays. Chauvire and her great sense of wittiness and self security, Alonso, always showy, dramatic, centered and pointing her foot even while being interviewed, Markova...just epitomizing what an English Dame should look like and talk like, divine Spessistzeva still in her sleeping while mixing both French and English in her conversation-("yes...MY solo"), just as I guess was the rigeur during her Giselle days; Fracci, very fresh and sparkling just as the Giselle in her film and Makarova, the one who inherited the very essence of the Russian school-("I like my body to sing...Kirov training"). I wish they would have make McBride's appearance more interesting, for which it is very obvious-(almost painful to watch)- how she really falls way behind during her talking parts when compared to the rest of the women.

When I got the message I just started a brain storm..."What did you SAY Cristian...?!"..."Did you cross the line of sarcasm at some point...?", "Were you probably reported because an old post that somehow got overlooked by the mods and ended up being offensive to someone...?"...Oh, well...and a few other questions. Thank God for Patrick who assured me that it was probably a site problem, for which he had received the same message...which happily was the case... Glad to be back...let's keep this rolling!!

A night at the theater with mum with typical attire...!!

I'd be curious about knowing if dress-codes are inforced in any theater here...(meaning basic rules like no flip-flops or Daisy Duke shorts...)

Yes, Natasha. I put it because it contradicts Daev's claim that theirs is the "only" troupe that has/had used Tchaikovsky's score... I'm also a fan of this music-(I own the Bernstein box of T's 6 Symphonies plus Hamlet, 1812, Francesca de Rimini and R&J, which is included in the Symphony # 3 CD, hence becoming the most played of them all... ).

So do I. Very similar to the one my step-niece wore for her wedding just a few years ago. Same line, with a strapless, fitted bodice and a full, Romantic tutu net skirt. That's definitely the most "tutu-like" of them all...the skirt is very ample, and not too long. Also is just as simple as a tutu. I don't like too much embroidery or lace on wedding dresses. Definitely a classic. The model's pose is also very "Dior-New Look" like...the hair and makeup perfect. The shoes are too high though... Some pearls around her neck would be fine too...

Let's do a little bit of a history...! From Marie Taglioni’s “Sylphide” http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Sylphide_-Marie_Taglioni_-1832_-2.jpg/180px-Sylphide_-Marie_Taglioni_-1832_-2.jpg To Anna Pavlova’s ”Giselle” http://visualrian.com/storage/PreviewWM/0068/84/6884.jpg?1096457100 To Helen Rose’s model for Grace Kelly in High Society http://www.wornthrough.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/grace-kelley.jpg To Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchi for “Funny Face” http://octoviana.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Audrey-Hepburn-Funny-Face-Wedding-Gown.jpg To Alicia Alonso’s “Giselle” ca.1950’s http://www.mielofon.com/ballet/alicia_alonso/AlonsoAlicia.jpg To Giambattista Valli’s Spring 2009 Collection. http://sidewalkisarunway.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/giambattistavallispring2009.jpg

I've never been able to understand the why's of some dances/rhythms being wrongfully named after completely different dances/rhythms/music. What they danced is clearly not a cha-cha-cha-(salon or not)-, nor is the music being played. It's like calling a Charleston melody "Waltz" and dancing it as a twist... This is a cha-cha-cha... Anyway..back to DWTS...

I like this one...

Thanks Bonette for the link! Yes, I had noticed that we had more options under the cocktail dress criteria, which is what Hepburn's just looks like, with the easy addition of a bouquet, veil and gloves. What really inspired our searching was the ballet-themed thing. Looking at old pics, back when the Giselles skirts used to be very ample and fluffy and not too long, was the real inspiration, just as in this beautiful pic of Spessivtseva...

I'm helping find a cute tea-length 50's/vintage wedding dress for a friend. She explained to me that she wants a cocktail-looking tea-length inspired dress-(and it HAS to be a real vintage one...). I immediately recalled Hepburn's dress in "Funny Face" and found this site that makes costum-made reproductions of it. Still, she wants a real one... Anyway...just looking at the pic I'm thinking..."Giselle Act II!!"...It just looks like a tutu! Not too far from this Markova's pic(Lovely, right...? ) Still...it has been hard to find. The most of the sales on Ebay with the 50's criteria gets us usually to something like this...not very appealing. This is another option, which even being more covered, I think is cute too...

Tonight Villella premieres R&J in West Palm Beach. bart...are you going tomorrow...? If there's nothing more interesting around here, I might go. Jennifer Kronenberg as Juliet Carlos Guerra as Romeo A beautiful couple!

Get a glimpse at some atendees of R&J's opening night here... http://premierguidemiami.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Miami-City-Ballets-Twenty-Fifth-Anniversary-Gala.jpg

"...ideas for an earlier ballet set to Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" symphonic poem and his "Sixth Symphony" were discovered recently in the archives of the Bolshoi Theatre. Elena Radchencko, a former Bolshoi principal dancer who is now Russian Classical Ballet's artistic director, found the 1893 sketches by legendary choreographer Marius Petipa and decided to stage this "Romeo and Juliet" for her company's current U.S. tour." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JjTgltNY1Y

Up until I left, entrance in the Grand Theater in Havana was prohibited if a number of items where present, among them: -Shorts -Bermuda-shorts -Mens sandals -Flip-Flops -...and when I was a kid-(later on having ceased to be reinforced)-short sleeves shirts for men and miniskirts for women. Yes...the Grand Theater was in decay, there was no water sometimes, paint was peeling all over and seats were loosing their covers, but the old ushers still wore their old time, falling apart uniforms with pride, and they were FIERCE about reinforcing the dress code. I'm an old timer too, even here. I always go to the theater after work, and so I have always clothes in my car's trunk. More than once I had to FLY to get to the theater, and I've changed right in my car before running to catch the performance. I don't know...the whole dressing issue is in my veins. Edited to add: On the other hand, many times I'm about to scream when I see this over-dressed, pulled up/back, swollen/stuffed entities present at a performance just for the social connotation and then either grabbing/eating greasy donuts or pop-corn in the main lobby, sometimes leaving the cellophane bags behind...or putting their high heeled Loubutins up in the back of the front seats during intermezzos. The whole thing is so sad and disrespectful, so one wonders...what's the sense in their over dressing...?