cubanmiamiboy

Amen to that. Friday's Meet the Artist Interview is with - Daniel Baker!!! Your gain is my loss...

BTW...just out of curiosity. Has it ever been a case in BALLET history where a male-(or former male)-has gone onstage in a "regular" company as a female...? (it might sound silly, but if it has happened already in sports and fashion... who knows then..?) (This, of course, leaving out the common Simones, Carabosses, Cinderella's step sisters, etc etc...)

Having a poor vision has obliged me to choose within the first 5 rows of orchestra center the most of the times, which has the advantage to be at pointe shoe level-(but also the disadvantage to x-ray all sorts of trembling limbs, shaking hands, sweating faces, grinding teeth and fake smiles). I've tried third level too-(always facing the stage...I can't stand the one side view of the laterals with all the visible action on the opposite wing). Having seen Balanchine's Snow Scene from the upper level was a real revelation, but in general I like to see individual FACES instead of blurry all-alike moving bodies.

From the link you provided to Knowledge Network: "Features two of the greatest young dancers from the Royal Ballet peforming this classic romantic ballet. A tale of innocence and redemption, it moves between the human and supernatural worlds as Giselle comes back from the dead to prey on the man who betrayed her." Usually, the interpretation discusses eternal love, not revenge. "...to prey on the man who betrayed her". Wow...we're going broader and broader...What's next, Myrtha's secret love for Albrecht...?

...and what about the "Nine Sinatra's Songs"...?

The Cunningham piece was the one I saw almost as if no parody was done, except for the common place of men playing women and so wearing some short bobs wigs. Yes, they wore unitards, and I think they were the original designs-(I don't have the programme with me, but I think the costumes designer is credited in it). As for the choreography-(which I'm not familiar with at all)-in my inexperienced eyes could have been played side by side with that from the real company and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. One part I remember is when a guy was deeply squatting and he couldn't get up...he got stucked down there, so he had to be rescued by two other dancers who took him by the arm pits, while he stayed with his legs in the squatting position... . Still, the weight of the parody here was about the music, with the two people sitting onstage surrounded by all sort of crazy items-(kitchen utensils, shopping bags and even at one point getting the sound effect out of the folding and unfolding of a velcro diaper... . Again...not that different from the "music" guy of the real company...)

What a great concert did we get by the Kremlin's Chamber Orchestra tonight! Conductor/Director Misha Rachlevsky lead the ensemble in a beautifully balanced program that included Elgar's "Serenade in E minor for String Orchestra" , Schoenberg's "Verklaerte Nacht"-("Transfigured Night") -and finally, as the yummy ice topping of the cake, va-va-voom... ! Mr. T's "Serenade for Strings" . Elgar's Serenade is just totally captivating, particularly the lovely second movement, which is as beautiful as it can be. Schoenberg's Transfigured Night is all passion...ultra romantic in its inspiration from the Richard Dehmel'S poem of the same title. The sections of the music clearly correspond to those of the poem-(a dark, moody work)-hence allowing you to easily find musical depictions of the words and actions. And then..YES...Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for String Orchestra". Rachlevsky gave a particularly EXQUISITE rendition of the Waltz, as well as a very moving Elegy. I just found out that Tchaikovsky first conceived this piece as a Symphony, to then change his mind favoring a string quartet format, to inmediately change ideas again to make it an orchestral suite, finally making up his mind for a strings orchestra. Interesting facts, right..? And then, of course..the ballet was flashing in from of my eyes the whole time... Great, GREAT concert indeed...

Thanks Mel, bart and rg for the info!

oh,God...another one injured. I hope this is not major. Wishing you a prompt and total recovery, Patty...!!

I'm glad that you asked this question, because while watching the ballets I couldn't help but keep being amazed and wondering how on earth these male dancers have mastered the female technique to such high level. I mean, I would assume that just as in every ballet company, the Trocks dancers have to take daily class, but here's the question...how is this class designed...? Do they take pointe as much as ballerinas...? Is the class divided on male technique and female technique equally balanced...?-(because in some works some of the dancers that had been doing female parts came out to dance male roles later on, as in Raymonda). It was incredible...the dancer playing Medora performed the fouettes as fast as good as any ballerina-(sometimes even better than some well known "primas" out there). Fouettes, chaine turns, pique turns, fish dives, bourrees...EVERYTHING was done with perfect technique and great speed. Then, while dancing male parts, the same dancers were lifting and partnering just as good. That sounds like a lot of work! So then, I'm curious to find out if the Trocks dancers start learning and working the female technique way into their adulthood, or could it be that future company members-(young apprentices)-start learning it while in their teens...? Cristian, your story of your first Trocks performance is both funny and touching. Their Pas de Quatre and Sylphides are more engaging, more convincing than a lot of "straight" performances by dancers who do not commit to the style. Glad that MCB dancers were there. Everyone in ballet needs a good shot of "dancing your heart out because you love, and believe in, what you are doing" now and then, even wonderful dancers like the MIamians. Definitely, bart! It was great to see this male tributes to the Osipovas and Valdeses of the world getting out the emotions out of their audience...!

Tonight I went to see the Trocks, and before starting writing about it, I must say that I decided to make my way not without a bit of apprehension. The thing is…that this is my second experience with this company, and the first time- (back I think in 2001, me having just landed in US)-all I knew was that I was going to see a Ballet company that bore the name of Monte Carlo- (never had heard of them before…). Full of hope, I sat in the theater WITHOUT A PROGRAM OR A CLUE of what was in store for me…and finally, when I realized- (which didn’t happen right away, I must say)-well...…I felt fooled and I ended up upset at what I considered back then an offense to the art. So now, ten years later and with a lighter vision of things- (“never take stuff to serious”, an American mantra that I’m still learning about)-there I was, reading the programme and laughing my heart out with the dancers biographies. I won’t hide any longer the ABSOLUTE delight I took watching this wonderful company of TRUE ballet professionals. I have many thoughts about it, and I will try to voice them all here, but the one thing that immediately got in my mind was an old post I read in this board- (have to locate it later)-about someone talking on the similarities he/she had found between The Trocks and the Cuban National Ballet style/dancing/projection during a recently seen performance of Giselle in New York. Back then I took offense on this, but now I declare this to be TRUE! The Trocks brought something to the stage that I hadn’t seen ever since I left Cuba. Their performance was full of passion- (augmented and satirized, or course). Their ballerinas are extravagant, with plenty of mannerisms, not afraid of showing off and very ready to dazzle with all sorts of tricks and exaggerated stage presence…just as those of Alonso’s company. The way they wore their hair and their almost expressionist make up with dark red lips and HUGE false eyelashes was just as what I remember from the ballerinas of my old Havana days. Also, I found a striking similarity with the body types of them both. As you have seen, all those Cuban ballerinas from back in the days that I have posted all those clips here are just as thick and rounded as the Trocks. I don’t take this as a bad thing. I’ve ALWAYS loved rounded, healthy figured ballerinas. And then there was the performance. The program was excellent, and consisted of: 1-Le Lac des Cygnes-(Act II).Ivanov/Tchaikovsky They did the old fashion Pas de Deux-a-Trois. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it performed this way before. The original choreography- (just as with every one of those presented)-was completely respected. One of the things I kept thinking while watching was: “Great...…Miami is watching the real deal”. Odette’s solo was beautiful. I noticed that in many segments they decided to show just minimal bits of parody...…probably like a 5%, and…just enough to get some laughing here and there, but the other 95% was the real stuff. CAST: Odette: Olga Supphozova- (Robert Carter) Sigfried: Ashley Romanoff-Titwillow-(Joshua Grant) Benno- Boris Nowitsky- (Christopher Lam) Von Rothbart- Pepe Dufka- (Raffael Morra) 2-"Patterns In Space".Cunningham/Franck/Cage This was one of the most interesting works presented. Here is the deal. I had the feeling that the audience really thought that the whole thing was a big parody on modern dancing, and so everyone was laughing while watching either the jerky movements of the dancers or the “music” people- (a couple onstage surrounded by all sorts of devices to make sounds…just as the guy I saw when I went to see the real company). The sad thing is that this was just identical as what I witnessed back then...…a carbon copy of the real thing, with some little comical touches here and there. But basically, there was not much of a difference and still, according to the general laughing, people though that all the strange choreography was yet another jokingly matter. I actually found the whole effect a little weird, even uncomfortable. CAST: Maria Paranova-(Or Sagi) Alla Snizova-(Aviad Herman) Dimitri Legupski- (Claude Gamba) 3-"Le Grand Pas de Quatre". Sir A.Dolin after F. Taglioni/Pugni Glorious. I finally saw this, one of all time favorite ballets live again!! I really loved it, even with the usual jokes on rivalry. I could swear that Taglioni’s character was molded on Mme. Alonso- (hair, makeup, mannerisms, everything...even the big nose and mean face). At one point she even spins and when she stops she's giving her back to the audience, and starts palpating the backdrops, not sure in which position she is. Coincidence…? I don’t know, but the same happened several times with Mme. at the end of her career, when she could not see any longer how she was situated in relation with the audience, at one point even bowing to the wrong side of the stage. The dancer also did a lot of diva-like things, and she was clearly very mean- (but respected)-by the other three ballerinas. Again…very close to the real situation. Still, after a little while I just started “seeing” and enjoying the actual choreography instead of the mere parody. Lovely done, IMO. CAST: Grahn-Katerina Bychkova-(Joshua Grant) Grisi-Nadezda Bogdownova-(Cristhopher Lam) Cerrito- Vanya Verikosa -(Brock Hayhoe) Taglioni- Svetlana Lofatkina -(Fernando Medina) 4-"Raymonda’s Wedding". Petipa/Glazunov You know what…? This is the very first time I see this ballet live, and loved it! The sets and costumes were beautiful, and their rendition of Grigorovitch version was excellent- (particularly Raymonda’s “clapping variation”). The White Lady was there, running out of control all over the place from wing to wing for no apparent reason without being called upon. That was actually very funny. CAST Raymonda- Yakatarina Verbosovich-(Chase Johnsey) Jean de Brienne- Marat Legupski -(Giovanni Ravelo) 5-"La Mort du Cigne". Fokine/Saint-Saens Fokine's work was an addition not listed in the program. The ballerina almost lost her whole tutu, which was quickly disappearing as all the feathers were falling off as she danced. Her exaggerated, Ananiashvili-like curtain calls were hilarious and spectacular. I couldn't understand the name of the dancer when it was announced. 6-Le Corsaire PDD. Petipa-Adrianov-Vaganova/Drigo-Gerber-Vietinghoff-Scheel This piece was also added after the playbills were printed , so I don’t know who danced it. It was very interesting, because there was ALMOST NO PARODY here. They danced the real choreography all the way, and people loved it. Medora's fouettes were spectacular Many dancers from MCB were there. I’m glad they could see those great performers taking great care of the different styles, from the romantic head/torso tilts of GPDQ to the regal positions and folk-inspired movements of Raymonda to the romantic clean classicism of Swan Lake. When the performance finished, the audience gave the performers a lengthy applause and screams of Bravo! where heard all over the place. I realized then that people had “got” the performance, not only the parody , but more important... the dancing. I long for a time when MCB could generate that electrifying feeling in its audience. It would definitely be a great goal to look forward to.

Yes indeed. Just until his recent death, Alberto was still active staging and teaching down here in Florida. In his documentary there's a segment where he asks his students if they knew who Fokine was, and astonished at watching the general low knowledge level on the matters, he then proceeds to explain his involvement with the role of Petroushka, for which he was personally rehearsed by the choreographer. Cuba had the honor to get Mr. Alonso to stage all those choreographies just as he had learned them first hand while he was with the BRdMC. Chopiniana was one that he always took a very special, personal care off...and I feel lucky to have witnessed that very staging many times. That's why in between Alberto's stagings from his BRdMC days, Mme. Alonso's BT repertoire and Mary Skeaping stagings of Swan Lake, Giselle and The Nutcracker, the Cuban company got quite a great bulk of works, many of which have survived 'till today. But back to Toumanova...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XabswFwY0A&feature=feedu

SS will be part of MCB Program III-(I suspect this ballet will be the only point of interest to me from this program...Taylor and Tharp are the other two picks). I would love to know about this choreography...and as usual, what memories does it brings to you and which dancers made the best of it back in the "good ol'days"... Thanks in advance to all of you...!

Herminator, you're so right about the average 'ballet intelligence' of most people in the Orchestra sections. The higher priced the seats, it seems like the less real interest in ballet and dance. So much of the cultural institutions in San Francisco have become geared towards those with a lot of money. Maybe they should just put a permanent big, white "event" tent on the stage of the Opera House and skip the dancing since so many patrons in the high priced seats seem to care so little about it. But an art cannot thrive or grow without real fans and even fanatics. That was so much a part of the culture which developed classical ballet in St. Petersburg. Arts organizations which cater only to the wealthy will eventually shrivel up and die. This is a terrible move. Ha...! Come to Miami during any Opening Night Gala and see then...You will think you've been transported to the set of "Dinasty" in 1983. The night becomes a series of scary reproductions of "The Joans"...(that is Collins and Rivers). Oh, yes...and ballet...? Well, who cares...Let's keep pushing stuff up for the next pic for SocialMiami dot com

Thanks Helene for those clips. As it is well known by now, I'm not a fan of modern dance, but I AM a huge fan of the grand, unsubtled bombastic orchestrations of Stokowski!! I wonder if this piece's music will be played live. If so, I have an huge pro in my favor. On the other side, I must admit that the clips show a very interesting choreography...way more than those of Tharp, for which Villella seems to be so fond of... Will see...will report back.

From the MCB website. "Promethean Fire In[sic] this powerful transcendent piece, as has been suggested, Paul Taylor's response to 9/11? Set to Leopold Stokowski's magnificent orchestral transcriptions of Bach, it has everywhere been hailed as a masterpiece. "The best new dance I've seen in ages." (The Washington Post) Also in Program III is Nine Sinatra Songs and Scotch Symphony". Scheduled Dates Adrienne Arsht Center: February 11-13, 2011 Kravis Center: March 4-6, 2011 Broward Center: March 11-13, 2011 http://www.miamicityballet.org/performances.php

Ha...! don't get me started about this topic. IN GENERAL-(here I'm not referring specifically to ballet)-, how many times have I observed half empty houses and hence ultra discouraging nights as the direct result of super high prices. My thought always being..."do they really prefer not to have any audience than to lower some ridiculously inflated prices that only a few handful of socialites-(who most of the times have no idea what 'the dancers with the Flintstones costumes' were dancing)- can afford...?" Oh please... Yes, BOO and BOO...!!!

This weekend was quite an active one for the classical music lovers down here. We enjoyed two major events. The opening series of the New World Center Campus for the New World Symphony and one more year of the successful residency of the Cleveland Orchestra, masterfully conducted by Director Mr. Welser-Most. The program chosen for this opening concert started with L'Apres-midi d'un faune, Debussy's mesmerizing and exotic work, which never fails to hunt you with its languid opening melody, which eventually develops and becomes more and more animated to finally leads you to its beautifully gentle ending. After Debussy we were offered Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus 54, a tour de force with enormous virtuosic demands for the pianist-(especially in the third movement), but also with strong emphasis on lyricism-(at many points of the concerto being this quality more emphasized than that of its virtuosity). The work finishes with its third movement, Allegro Vivace, a vivacious and playful music that totally gets you in a great mood and good energy. The pianist was Pierre-Laurent Aimard , a superb French musician who excelled in the concert's most demaning bravura segments but also ultra sensitive when required by the piece. Finally the night ended with Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben-("A Hero's Life"), his controversial symphonic poem with all its strange, ever changing segments that are meant to describe literary and philosophical motifs of the life of "The Hero"-(Strauss himself, according to his own accounts). A complex work plenty of different tones and tempi that eventually settles into a final outburst, followed by the peaceful mood of the coda. It was a wonderful program, but Schumann was definitely my big winner of the night.

Clip # 10- Havana's favorite diva Charin starts the Pas de Deux partnered by Jorge Vega. At 2:48 Lienz Chang substitutes Vega to dance Albrecht variation, and at 2:58 Mme. Alonso substitutes Charin for Giselle's series of entrechats. Brava!

Beautiful concerto indeed, Helene...love it too. !

clip # 7- Myrtha is Gladys Acosta. Moyna and Zulma are Julia Maya and Lorena Feijoo. clip # 8- SPECTACULAR Giselle's initiation by the great Miss Martha Garcia-(brava!) clip # 9- Giselle/Albrecht first encounter. Giselle here is Mme. Loipa Araujo, this time partnered by Rolando Candia.

Clip # 4-Mme Alonso's Mad/Death Scene. ACT II Clip # 5- Mme. Aurora Bosch-(whom I ADORE on and offstage...a CLASS ACT LADY and the longest legs of the Cuban Company)- in Myrtha's entrance and first variation. Miss Svetlana Ballester Akimova from 4:22 on . Clip # 6- Svieta Ballester is Myrtha. Mayde Pena doing Moyna's variation. Aymara Cabrera is Zulma-(a beautiful dancer whose career got-[unfairly]- cut off too soon, and who did the BEST renverses I've EVER seen in this variation).

I had never realized how petite Makarova is...!!