cubanmiamiboy

Bullock's award reminded me of Robert's "Erin Brockovich"...when I just went like ..."Oh, really...?"

I loved "The Last Station". Mirren was SUPERB as Tolstoy's wife, Countess Sofya Tolstoya... Can't even IMAGINE Bullock topping that...

Australian-born actress May Robson (with her sole nomination) as Apple Annie in Lady for a Day and Diana Wynyard (with her sole nomination) as the wife/mother Jane Marryot in Cavalcade (she was the only member of the cast to be award-nominated) .

...yes, Patrick, and even more, WHILE including Jackson.

Re: Farrah's omission. Did they forget "Extremities", which earned her a Globe nom for Best Actress in a Drama, "The Apostle", which earned her an Independent Spirit nom for Best Supporting Actress or "Dr. T and the Women"... Fawcett's omission was just as unclassy as it could get.

I will see "The last station" tonight...

I found the dresses pretty boring this year. There were some cute designs, but the colors were so washed out that sometimes one could barely distinguish the fabric from the ladies pale skin... Helen Mirren and Cameron Diaz dresses were some of the best ones.

Ha...I'm getting good at this... BRAVA MO'NIQUE!!

As a YT poster puts it...: "Who the hell dances like that nowadays? That is a Kitri variation the way it's supposed to be! " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLwWbwJ5ubg&NR=1

Now...to be fair, I must say I agree 100 % with you on that, Hans.

Yes Patrick. Cuban Viengsay Valdes has also fallen within this category in this same board... And going back to Somova/Bouder. If digging deeper into technical details, one can see that Bouder definitely outshines Somova. For instance, Bouder's renverses are beautiful and completed...Somova's are barely there. Where Bouder does her two series of triples -(left and right)-Somova has to do a quick change and finishes with the opposite leg the two times. Later on Bouder's diagonal of sautees on pointe makes the count up to 33, whereas Somova decides to stop and pace around a little at merely 27. And yes...Bouder's final Markova's diagonal of pirouettes vs. Somova's Russian piques...(I know it is just an alternative take on the choreography, but still...the complexity level difference between them is easily noticeable )

Yes Patrick. Cuban Viengsay Valdes has also fallen within this category in this same board...

...the old issue that has been historically applied to a certain number of great ballerinas, from Kschessinska or Lepeshinskaya's times all the way to Bouder, Viengsay Valdes or Hayna Gutierrez. I, for once, would take this physique ANY TIME over all the Lacarras, Zakharovas or Somovas. They USUALLY show more control and strength in they turns and balances. But that's only my opinion.

I VERY MUCH prefer Bouder's rendition of Spessitzeva's Solo, which is Mme. Fracci's after Markova-Dolin to Somova's Russian based one. That, along with her more restrained arabesques, beautiful body type and her whole stylistic take on the ballet makes her, in my eyes, a definitive far way winner over Somova, who fails to convince me. Here is Somova's Solo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSWpj5RNzbM

It's been reposted... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Ps4KT0Kqw

Totally true...not until Rosario Suarez came along in the picture were all the ballerinas sort of "Alonsonized"...particularly Mme. Mendez. Amen. And to honor that comment... Grisi-Hayden. Taglioni-Alonso Grahn-Kaye Cerrito-Slavenska.

With all my pleasure, bart! From left to right,,, Grisi-Mme. Loipa Araujo http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=28459 Taglioni-Mme. Josefina Mendez-(AKA "Yuyi", RIP)http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=28443 Grahn- Mme. Aurora Bosh http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=28486 Cerrito- Mme. Mirta Pla-(RIP)http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=28448 No wonder, bart...Mme. Mendez was a real LADY in every sense...her whole demeanor exuded such CLASS!

Mme. Hermine...I'm moved...THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THIS CLIP! An incomplete jewelry box of the Cuban National Ballet is right there. Lovely the initial presentation of the "Four Jewels"...Yuyi of course always the best Taglioni. What a shame that the banned "Three Graces"-(Charin, Ofe and Amparito)-didn't get to be there. But one day...one day will the COMPLETE history of the CNB be told...with no omissions... To all of them...plus the absent ones...

They'll use the industrial strength variety.... I'm curious about that... http://www.planetpamelaanderson.com/wp-content/aw40.jpg

A very young student Valdes, displaying her now infamous fouette/pirouette combination. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CqjtIG1ZRY&feature=related

So Sleeping Beauty is out...Don Quijote is in. From CCBM Artistic Director Pedro Pablo Pena. Date: February 15, 2010 12:21:18 PM EST URGENT NOTICE FROM THE DIRECTOR "Due to an unforeseen last-minute situation with the production and circumstances beyond our control, the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami premiere of The Sleeping Beauty which was to take place on February 20th & 21st has been cancelled. Our newly scheduled performance dates are Saturday, May 22nd at 8:00 pm & Sunday, May 23rd at 5:00 pm at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The CCBM will perform the full length DON QUIXOTE, in collaboration with Cia Brasileira de Ballet from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. The CCBM needs and appreciates your continuous support and we look forward to seeing you in May for another great performance". Sincerely, Pedro Pablo Pena CCBM Artistic Director

As a closure to this thread, just to note that finally "Beauty" is oficially out.

So finally I'm back here. Adjusting to the daily routine was harder than what I expected after such wonderful time in Helsinki. Helene, atm711...I did take your advice and went on a cruise to Tallinn. Good God, what a BEAUTIFUL place. I mean, everything was covered in snow, and I was just there for a day, but I managed to go all around town. I particularly loved the Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, which had the peculiarity of displaying one particular popular icon, given the copious amount of burning candles it had, which is that of the late last Imperial Russian Family. I also took another cruise to Stockholm, which was also a beautiful experience. In Helsinki I managed to go to many concerts and events, some of which I posted. One morning I went to the Temppeliaukio Kirkko-(Underground Rock Church), where a concert held by pianist Sid Hilletook place. It was an hour of piano improvisation, and the morning quiet atmosphere, plus the sacral silence of the temple made for a wonderful time. I finally didn't get to see Cranko's "Timing...", as the days of the performances were already taken by either the cruises or some friends visits. By the time I was leaving town, Le Sylphide was being announced. Finally, I did get to do the angel in the snow...it was such fun! I took many pictures, and even videos. One of them shows the Baltic Sea frozen...the ship got stuck for an hour until another ship came with some equipment to break the ice around and make way for ours to keep going. I DEFINITELY want to go back...this time in Summer, so I can see the whole monuments, and not only the upper half out of the snow...

bart...what can I tell you...I've never seen ANY of this ballets before...! Can't wait either...especially for Bugaku...I've heard so many different opinions about it...!