cubanmiamiboy

Thank you, Helene, and forgive my now too common early senile moment...

Thank you Helene and Jack. Now I'm a little confused, as the sound complain seems to refer only to the DVD that contains Tzigane, Four T's etc...I wonder if the same happened to the other one-(Chaconne, Ballo...etc). If not, then I would get the VHS set of the first group of ballets and the DVD of the second one. Thanks also for the info on Davidsbuendlertaenze. See...I'm building my own Balanchine collection .

I figured... Thanks, volcanohunter!

Maybe this has been discussed before, so if this is the case, please redirect me to the correct thread. Otherwise, I would like to get some clarification regarding the "Dancing in America: Choreography by Balanchine" DVD. I've been considering purchasing it, but when looking at the reviews, I found the next comment: "Unfortunately, this long awaited DVD was transferred badly and the sound in part one is out of synch by several counts..." The comment seems to be shared by other reviewers also. I'm very anal about this kind of stuff, so I was wondering if someone could shred some light on the subject. If the mentioned statement is true, then I would choose to buy the VHS set. Thanks!

It is so nice to see that Yoli and Yoel are finally being given the opportunity to have international exposure-(just as Acosta, big brother Carreno and Viengsay Valdes)-without having to defect as Almeida had to just a few years ago... Yes...definitely times are changing...for good.

On April 19, 1911, Monte Carlo's audience witnessed a story about a debutante who falls asleep after her first ball, dreaming of dancing with the rose that she had been holding in her hand. Her dream ends when the rose escapes through the window. The dancers at this memorable performance were Vaslav Nijinsky as the Rose and Tamara Karsavina as the Girl. This beautiful ballet,"Le spectre de la Rose", was to be one of the trademarks of the Diaguilev company's repertoire, eventually getting a permanent place in all major companies. As we all know, choreographic genius Mikhail Fokine was inspired by Théophile Gautier's poem of the same title, setting it to Carl Maria von Weber's 1819 piano piece "Invitation to the Dance", in a 1841 orchestration by Hector Berlioz. I have transcribed the poem first in French and in its English translation. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMbZ7dfcUco "Le spectre de la rose" Soulève ta paupière close Qu’effleure un songe virginal ; Je suis le spectre d’une rose Que tu portais hier au bal. Tu me pris encore emperlée Des pleurs d’argent de l’arrosoir, Et parmi la fête étoilée Tu me promenas tout le soir. Ô toi qui de ma mort fus cause, Sans que tu puisses le chasser Toute la nuit mon spectre rose A ton chevet viendra danser. Mais ne crains rien, je ne réclame Ni messe, ni De Profundis ; Ce léger parfum est mon âme Et j’arrive du paradis. Mon destin fut digne d’envie : Pour avoir un trépas si beau, Plus d’un aurait donné sa vie, Car j’ai ta gorge pour tombeau, Et sur l’albâtre où je repose Un poète avec un baiser Ecrivit : Ci-gît une rose Que tous les rois vont jalouser "Le Spectre de la rose" Open your closed eyelid Which is gently brushed by a virginal dream! I am the ghost of the rose That you wore last night at the ball. You took me when I was still sprinkled with pearls Of silvery tears from the watering-can, And, among the sparkling festivities, You carried me the entire night. O you, who caused my death: Without the power to chase it away, You will be visited every night by my ghost, Which will dance at your bedside. But fear nothing; I demand Neither Mass nor De Profundis; This mild perfume is my soul, And I've come from Paradise. My destiny is worthy of envy; And to have a fate so fine, More than one would give his life For on your breast I have my tomb, And on the alabaster where I rest, A poet with a kiss Wrote: "Here lies a rose, Of which all kings may be jealous."

I think is even possible to name 10 GRAND dancers from EACH important period of classical ballet-(Imperial, Soviet, Diaguilev, Basil, BT, Balanchine, etc...)

I'm currently working on Cuban-American author Eduardo Machado's "Tastes like Cuba", a story full of questioning on the subjects of exile, nationalism and sense of belonging. His fearless style and unbashed politicism in the face of dissent have made him a highly controversial figure to the Cubans and Americans on opposite sides of our long, intense conflict. From one of its chapters... "We'd walk slowly up and down the narrow streets, taking in that treasure of a city. La Habana. Where every corner is a revelation and a contradiction all at once. Grand architecture and broken down bicycles. Prostitutes carrying their textbooks on their way to the university to study nuclear engineering. Military guards with machine guns helping little students in a fourth grade class in their crisp blue uniforms as they crossed a busy intersection. Poverty mixed with grand style. Struggle so full of pride..."

Kyeong is right. I also couldn't help but noticing everything was going on between Albrecht and Giselle-(or perhaps Gomes and Kent...? )-during the Pas de Trois. They kept looking at the villagers dancing with visible pleasure, and also playing with one another. At several points I even caught Kent smiling and whispering in Gomes ear-(I think they were evaluating the performance of the students). Kent also took out her wreath from her head, and on Sunday she even plucked a grape and placed it in Gomes mouth...a gesture that I think caught him out of guard...

First, let me say that there’s no way, as just bart said, to do a full “review” on a production that involves so much of a non-professional material, but here I go…my best. Giselle is a very difficult ballet, for everybody. You have to have a leading ballerina that’s both a good actress and a great technician; no way to go in between, and an Albrecht that can also act and lift, LIFT, LIFT WITH STRENGHT!! –(Gomes seems to be a rare survivor of this now almost defunct specimen). I’ve seen Giselles with a great level of technique fail miserably on its artistic side and viceversa. Now, …the thing is that you might get away with some less than ideal technique if you as a ballerina are able to “get” the audience emotionally, and this, for some reason, works wonders...even more than the other way around. The ultimate prove of this-(and I’m never never tired to repeat it)-was, to me, watching Mme. Alicia Alonso do some excerpts at the age of 73, placing the theater at her feet. Miss Julie Kent, if I may, went around this lines. She is definitely a lovely dancer to watch...very ethereal, vulnerable, but not in a forced way a la Alina Somova. She seems to bare her physique and demeanor with true conviction. Watching her first Act I finally “saw” the meaning of Yvette Chauvire's words in her interview with Dolin, when she interrupts him to add that “yes, she is a peasant girl…MAIS NOBLE!”. Kent’s characterization made clear that she’s somehow “different” from the rest of her friends, and at some point she even reminded me of Disney’s Aurora, in SB...the princess living a life that doesn’t truly belong to her. Interesting. Along the ballet I could see that some difficult parts were simplified-(like the Initiation scene in Act II, which I regard as a striking choreographic moment with those super fast grand pirouettes in attitude to triple attitude/pirouettes on pointe, and all those soaring ballon-showing jumps to the final series of chainee turns to arabesque). This was Kent’s weakest moment in the ballet…and the sequence was over before I realized. As per the rest, she was adorable. Her madness scene didn’t belong to a mental institution patient, a la Natalia Osipova-(which I love too, BTW). Hers was more in the line of Mme. Galina Ulanova, when she tells Dolin that “Giselle is someone who at that moment looses control of her thoughts...not necessarily a madhouse scenario". She was extremely convincing, and I think that for the first time I saw more of a “desperation/heart attack” scene rather than a “mad scene”-(my Cuban Giselles always went for the hysteric approach). Another thing I noticed was Myrtha’s approach to the role. Mmm…for some reason, I really didn’t “click’ with Miss Sarah Smith. Her Queen was full of mannerisms and port de bras..some of the postures very angular, which I had never seen before. In my eyes she tried too hard to exude command, and so her eyes were many times furious when looking at the two lovers. I guess I prefer a Myrtha that can convey the character with more subtle malignancy. This is the moment when I regret that the old tradition of helping to build a character via make-up is getting lost. I remember some great Cuban Myrthas-(Miss Aurora Bosh one of them)-that would ignore the audience in the dancing routines, and suddenly, without notice, would give us “the look”…. By seeing that malignant face one could tell that this lovely creature was indeed a terrible entity. Miss Smith also had the disadvantage of having her initial variation cut off in a 60 %-(something I see more and more in the current productions of Giselle). Gone is the whole sequence when she runs, kneels on the ground to take one lily and cambree, takes another lily, cambree and then runs center stage to repeat the first sequence, now dancing with the flowers. Even in the Makarova/Baryshnikov video this sequence is missing from Martine Van Hammel's dancing. And then theirs is Marcelo Gomes . NO...…there was NOTHING out of place in his Albrecht. He even had the audacity to portray the playboy...the guy who just wants to play with the poor girls’ heart. His gesture and devilish smile after Giselle is dragged in the house by Berthe was saying “Ha,ha…what a silly lovely girl to play with…”. Mr. Gomes belongs to the best tradition of athletic dancers, a la Vladimir Vasiliev, that are in the verge of extinction nowadays-(now that the “boys” are also getting as thinner and ethereal as the girls). Well, the result was some amazing lifts, beautiful partnership, convincing masculinity to play the part of a Don Juan-(also getting lost this days)-and some footwork like I haven’t seen in YEARS-(yes...…he did the brisse/voles on Sunday…but the stage was so small that this big guy was at the end of the diagonal just with three of them...you would miss the whole thing in a blink of an eye). Now...he did trick us with his tours en l’air sequence; in preparation to the jump he was already half way, so he actually started the step almost giving his back to the audience. Nothing major though...…he was magnificent all along the ballet. As per the rest, kuddos to all those students that made an amazing effort, giving such a beautiful performance. Highlight on Saturday night’s performance: Lovely Nicole Muratov in the “Peasant Pas de Trois”. Bravo! re: Gomes Ooh, yesssss...

Edited: merged post.

I'm in the successful process of "converting" a friend of mine. I can't really remember how did all started, but next thing I know I was sending him some of my favorite clips from Youtube-(yes...the omnipresent tube). I started-(or course)-with Giselle, and one day he asked me if I was able to bring a ballet DVD to try his HUGE brand new plasma TV. That was it...the ballet viewing ritual still happens in weekly basis, and I even made a designed plan of what to see, starting with the romantics and then moving on with Petipa/Tchaikovsky and so on. Also, him being an rabid reader, I've been lending him my ballet biographies. To be honest, I've been partial about the ballets-(at some point I realized that we had to move on from Giselle... , which to me is always a never ending territory to explore). My friend has been very receptive, and when I took him to see Alvin Ailey, after a while he confessed to me that he had wanted to ask me to leave and go see another classical ballet video. Oh well...blame it on the teacher... ) Anyway...he recently traveled to France-(he's French, and is still there visiting family)-and one of the highlights of his trip, according to one of his last e-mails, has been watching La Bayadere live in Paris, with "a beautiful Russian ballerina named Diana Vishneva"-(his words... ). My friend Philippe will be a new subscriber for the next MCB season . Mission accomplished.

May I REAFFIRM Marcelo Gomes here....?

I'm happy to report that Gomes DID the series of entrechats tonight...18 of them, to be exact... Will be back with more...

More kent's Giselle... Madness scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdncBegK0rE&feature=related Initiation scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUJmBmDHgy4&feature=related What do you all think...?

In 1856 the sixth in a previous list of ballets on the subject of pirates was staged by Mazilier to the music of Adam, proving to be one of the most enduring ballets ever created. Le corsaire was first presented by the ballet of the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra. Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges was commissioned to write the libretto,and so he fashioned a scenario loosely based on Byron's poem "The Corsaire". The libretto for Le Corsair went through many changes during the long months of the ballet's preparation, requiring Vernoy to be paid an additional 3,000 francs for the work. The rest, as we all know...is history. Enjoy! The Corsair by Lord Byron. XXII By those, that deepest feel, Is ill exprest The indistinctness of the suffering breast; Where thousand thoughts begin to end in one, Which seeks from all the refuge found in none; No words suffice the secret soul to show, For Truth denies all eloquence to Woe. On Conrad's stricken soul exhaustion prest, And stupor almost lull'd it into rest; So feeble now - his mother's softness crept To those wild eyes, which like an infant's wept: It was the very weakness of his brain, Which thus confess'd without relieving pain. None saw his trickling tears - perchance if seen, That useless flood of grief had never been: Nor long they flow'd - he dried them to In helpless -hopeless - brokenness of heart: The sun goes forth, but Conrad's day is dim; And the night cometh - ne'er to pass from him. There is no darkness like the cloud of mind, On Grief's vain eye - the blindest of the blind! Which may not - dare not see but turns aside To blackest shade - nor will endure a guide! XXIII His heart was form'd for softness - warp'd to wrong; Betray'd too early, and beguiled too long; Each feeling pure - as falls the dropping dew Within the grot - like that had harden'd too; Less clear perchance, its earthly trials pass'd, But sunk, and chill'd, and petrified at last. Yet tempests wear, and lightning cleaves the rock; If such his heart, so shatter'd it the shock. There grew one flower beneath its rugged brow, Though dark the shade - it shelter'd - saved till now. The thunder came - that bolt hath blasted both, The Granite's firmness, and the Lily' growth: The gentle plant hath left no leaf to tell Its tale, but shrunk and wither'd where it fell And of its cold protector, blacken round But shiver'd fragments on the barren ground! XXIV 'Tis morn - to venture on his lonely hour Few dare; though now Anselmo sought his tower. He was not there, nor seen along the shore; Ere night, alarm'd, their isle is traversed o'er: Another morn - another bids them seek, And shout his name till echo waxeth weak; Mount: grotto, cavern, valley search'd in vain, They find on shore a sea-boat's broken chain: Their hope revives-they follow o'er the main. 'Tis idle all - moons roll on moons away, And Conrad comes not, came not since that day: Nor trace, nor tidings of his doom declare Where lives his grief, or perish'd his despair! Long mourn'd his band whom none could mourn beside; And fair the monument they gave his bride: For him they raise not the recording stone - His death yet dubious, deeds too widely known; He left a Corsair's name to other times, Link'd with one virtue, and a thousand crimes. 1788-1824

I just received the August/September issue of Pointe, and lovely Patricia Delgado graces its cover. And from the MCB blog... "Our very own Patricia Delgado graces the cover of Pointe Magazine’s August/September issue! The feature includes gorgeous photos (the cover costume is from red-hot In The Upper Room) and some interesting background on her personal and professional life. Patricia, the principal dancer who practically grew up at Miami City Ballet, says this in the feature: “I’ve never thought of what I do as ‘a career.’ I’ve always wanted to dance wonderful roles. And one of the great things about Miami is that we don’t perform anything but the best choreography.” Go out and get your copy to find out how she and her sister Jeanette ended up working together at MCB, why Patty had a bone removed from her foot, and why Edward Villella thinks she’s perfect!" http://www.miamicityballet.org/blog/category/announcements/

In 1905, after reading Lord Alfred Tennyson's beautiful poem "The Dying Swan", Anna Pavlova-(who had just become a ballerina at the Mariinsky)-asked Michel Fokine, who had also read the poem, to create a solo ballet for her for a concert performance. The rest, as we all know, is history. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZd3zz9e5ZM The Dying Swan By Lord Alfred Tennyson I. The plain was grassy, wild and bare, Wide, wild, and open to the air, Which had built up everywhere An under-roof of doleful gray. With an inner voice the river ran, Adown it floated a dying swan, And loudly did lament. It was the middle of the day. Ever the weary wind went on, And took the reed-tops as it went. II. Some blue peaks in the distance rose, And white against the cold-white sky, Shone out their crowning snows. One willow over the river wept, And shook the wave as the wind did sigh; Above in the wind was the swallow, Chasing itself at its own wild will, And far thro' the marish green and still The tangled water-courses slept, Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow. III. The wild swan's death-hymn took the soul Of that waste place with joy Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear The warble was low, and full and clear; And floating about the under-sky, Prevailing in weakness, the coronach stole Sometimes afar, and sometimes anear; But anon her awful jubilant voice, With a music strange and manifold, Flow'd forth on a carol free and bold; As when a mighty people rejoice With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold, And the tumult of their acclaim is roll'd Thro' the open gates of the city afar, To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star. And the creeping mosses and clambering weeds, And the willow-branches hoar and dank, And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds, And the wave-worn horns of the echoing bank, And the silvery marish-flowers that throng The desolate creeks and pools among, Were flooded over with eddying song. 1893

I saw Kent's Aurora a while ago when they brought McKenzie/Kirkland's SB to Miami, and found her lovely to watch, if not technically impressive. She had that "thing" that comes with years onstage. She had a regal quality in her dancing, which she blended really well with doses of delicacy. Whatever I missed from the technical side, she made it up with her accents. Gomes I saw recently at Mme's gala in NYC dancing the first act of DQ, and I was like WOOOW!! Such a great personality onstage. Loved him, loved him. Oh, I can't wait...

"Misses"-(is this the correct word...?)- are becoming a MCB common place...

You're welcome, bart. Now...after watching the clips, I might have a preconceived notion of what will I get, but nevertheless I would like to ask members about their personal experiences with Kent's Giselle and Gomes' Albretch... Any input will be very appreciated...

Well...talk about being in charge. Tschen-Fu DRAGGED my little fish tank out of its niche...when I got home I found it knocked down on its side, empty and just the dried off head of my little fish remained on the floor. He ate it.