cubanmiamiboy

Svetlana Ballester is the child of a Cuban-Russian marriage, from the era when thousands of Cubans took advantage of Soviet scholarships for Cubans to study in Russian schools and universities. So this was the case of Miss Ballester-Akimova's father, who wed a Russian girl while studying in Moscow. Svetlana was born in the Russian capital, but wastaken to Havana when her father decided to bring the family back home when she was just 1 year old. As the majority of the children of Cuban-Russian marriages, Miss Ballester-Akimova speaks and writes both Spanish and Russian, but define herself as a Cuban. After the fall down of the Soviet empire, many of the families returned back to Russia, but many others decided to stay in Cuba. "I have spent most of my life here. In Moscow I don't feel strange, but this is where I am from. At home we speak only Russian, and my mother is Russian until the day she days'', Miss Ballester once said in an interview. Svieta-(as she is better known among Cuban balletomanes)-went then to study in Alonso's academy, eventually becoming a member of the Company after her graduation. 1987 saw her big breaktrough, during the second New York International Ballet Competition, where she was awarded the bronze medal. This was the same competition that gave the only gold medal to a then very young Cuban dancer: Jose Manuel Carreno-(Toto). This promessing young ballerina raised to the rank of Principal Dancer-(that below of Primera Bailarina)-where then she stayed, without knowing that a dark chapter in her raising career was about to start. As a Principal dancer she stayed forever and ever , without being promoted and almost forgotten...not even taken during international tours. Yes...she he was another victim of the most unexplainable unfairness within the Company directives, to which she finally took the decision of an early retirement...just like so many other great ballerinas who, like herself, were given the lethal decision of being left in the shadow... completely ignored. Miss Ballester was a beautiful ballerina who fall under many circumstances, among them a devastating tendency to gain excessive weight, which she found very hard to control towards the end of her active career. I had the privilege to see her dancing all the way through, even going to her very final farewell, where she danced in a ballet specially made for her, "Tula", based on the life of XIX Century Cuban writer Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda. Today our Svieta is a very important Maitre of the Company and a great teacher. Ladies and Gentlemen: Miss Svetlana Ballester-Akimova. In Giselle as Myrtha-(hers start at 4:22, in a shared performance) In the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake, Act I, along with a then very young, unknown Viengsay Valdes. Her variation starts at 6:14.

Oh, you got me thinking about the daggers position detail, rg! True, I DO REMEMBER this scene with the toreadores STABBING the blades...now in the DVD of Alonso's company in Paris, they simply lay them on the floor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM3r_KhwzKU (the sequence starts at 5:03)

Great picture, rg, thank! re: the toreadores and their blades. In Cuba, Alonso uses blades just like those in this scene...in a rather vigorous, violence-driven choreography-(sort of like a fighting mood for the toreadores). The daggers end up lining on the floor, and so Mercedes dances in between them... I can't remember Villella's take on this scene.

As a kid I had had some encounters with our local little ballet troupe-(non professionals, of course, and mostly kids)-and its abridged version of the Nutcracker. Now, when I was around 7 or 8 years old, it was Giselle, done by Alonso's Company during a national tour, what got me mesmerized. From Act I I don't have that many memories, but it was Act II , and basically when the Willis Corps made their entrance, that I couldn't keep my eyes off...The whole Act was like a dream...the lighting, the bluish/white dresses...I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I got home and kept telling the story to everybody who wanted to listen to it... Next year, in our yearly trip to Havana during vacations, my mom took me to the Lorca theater...Giselle was in the program. I was older, the theater was way bigger and grander than our local one, and the ballet seemed even more beautiful in my eyes. From then on, right until present day, I developed a fascination with the ballet....which seems to keep growing more and more...

Here we have to agree to disagree...I find his performances very festive and happy. I take that formula anytime.

Thanks, Mme. Hermine...I've been trying to locate this documentary-(along with Soloviev's)-but it seems it is nowhere to be found. Ah...like she was referred to..."the divine Olga Spessivtseva"...

Oh, yes,bart...we had that too in our party!!

ah...now the audience is waltzing along with the performers to the "Le Beu Danube Bleu"...

Oh, Jak...you're asking a novice, non expert in terms of technique, but basically this is the moment when Odile comes from the back right in a diagonal of slow turns to meet Siegfried, who spins her off just for a second just for both to finish the Entrée by Odile bending over in a deep penchee, both arms and head pointing down, supported on her waist by Siegfried to a big final accord. This pose I find it to be only in the Cuban version, and it can be seen also in the 1958 clip of Alonso and Youskevitch. The Russian versions-(and Americans too)-generally have the ballerina bending back on pointe after the supported pirouettes, arms, head and neck back, supported by the bailarin. After that pose, the Adagio starts.

Just watching it as I write on my local PBS station. Andre Rieu: Live in Vienna André Rieu leads the Johann Strauss Orchestra at Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Included are compositions from Johann Strauss, Franz Lahár and Mozart. Singers Suzan Erens, Carmen Monarcha, Carla Maffioletti and Mirusia Louwerse also perform.

From the CCBM website: CUBAN CLASSICAL BALLET OF MIAMI. Program I “Sleeping Beauty” with: Lorena Feijoo-(CCBM/SFB) Taras Domitro-(CCBM/SFB) and guests: Roberta Marquez-(RB) Carlos quenedit-(MCB) Piotr Stanczyk-(NBC) Saturday, February 20th Saturday at 8pm & Sunday, February 21th Sunday at 5pm Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater 1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach

I'm going tomorrow to celebrate the New Year. From the Arsht Center website: http://www.arshtcenter.org/tickets/calenda...ew.aspx?id=7210 What a fantastic way to celebrate the New Year with Salute to Vienna as it returns for another sensational performance! Inspired by Vienna’s world-famous New Year’s Concert, Salute to Vienna brings the same splendor, charm and beauty to North America. Fall in love with Vienna’s “Waltz King”, Johann Strauss Jr., in an unforgettable and uplifting performance of music, song and dance! Enjoy a brilliant cast of over 75 musicians, European singers and magnificent dancers: a brand new cast and a splendid new program features operetta excerpts, popular waltzes, polkas and marches. Guaranteed to inspire and delight! What “Nutcracker” means to Christmas, “Salute to Vienna” means to the New Year! Don’t miss this exciting and joyous performance! FEATURING: The Strauss Symphony of America™ Klaus Arp, conductor (Frankfurt-Vienna) Ute Ziemer, soprano (Vienna) Thorsteinn Árbjörnsson, tenor (Vienna-Iceland) With dancers from: Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine

Well, it was more like an airport/trip-simulating thing...everybody grabbing the suitcases and walking around the neighborhood and back. I have heard about this tradition, but have never seen it. This is usually done within big families, and my very short one was never pro this kind of celebrations. Actually, as we were passing by other houses I saw other families getting out and joining our big procession, suitcases and everything. . This morning, when I woke up and called a friend to tell her about it, she told me that they had done it too in her own party...around her building. What I remember the most when I was a kid was some neighbors grabbing a bucket filled of water and throwing it to the street from the front porche. This way you were supposed to "clean" the newly paved way of the upcoming year, so it would run smooth. My grany did it too.

Ah, how interesting that instead of the supported cambre of Odile after her diagonal of pirouettes in the Adagio they used Alonso's supported arabesque penchee... Thanks for the link, Jack!

After an exhausting day at the salon-(all the ladies wanting to look their best..all right, but God, they kept coming on and on forever, until 8pm..! )-I went straight to a friend's house in North Miami, where he and his huge family held a typical Cuban celebration in his backyard. There were LITERALLY hundreds of people, and all that yummy Cuban food...pork, rice and beans, yucca, fried plantains, and all kinds of flans and desserts. He hired a Deejay who played salsa music all night long, and the champagne bottles seemed endless, aside from all the bear and rum and coke, of course. After the 12:00 toast, EVERYONE got out of the house to do this interesting traditional practice, that I have forgotten about. People, including the little members, take suitcases and go around the block and back to the house, while singing and congratulating everybody on the way. This is a way to ask for lots of traveling in the new year.

Just got the e-mail: MCB Program II. January 8 - 10 Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House,Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami. Program II features: Divertimento No. 15 (Choreographer: Balanchine/Composer: Mozart) No Balanchine ballet can be explained completely by its score, and Divertimento No. 15, in keeping, contains a touch of mystery: the five principal women are partnered by only three men. This turns Divertimento No. 15 into a subtle study in asymmetry. Valse Fantaisie (1953) (Choreographer: Balanchine/Composer: Glinka) One man and three women is an odd arrangement for a ballet, but Balanchine's brilliance led him to place the man among three equally compelling women, rather than opposite one or torn between two. "The Golden Section" (Choreographer: Tharp/Composer: Byrne) Seen for the first time on MCB's main stage, this Twyla Tharp classic is pure energy as 13 dancers in gold costumes sail and soar through the air of the stage's golden, glowing light. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Choreographer: Balanchine/Composer: Rodgers) Taken from a hit Broadway musical, this is a story of gangsters, strippers and an attempted murder plot revealed just in time. Fast-paced, with tap dancing and talking parts, this is wildly entertaining dance. Will report back...

It's done...over. In a few hours 2009 will be history. By writing this little note I just wanted to acknowledge and thank each and every one of the BT'rs who send me all kinds of support notes during some tough times. At some moments it was VERY important and comforting to open the BT page and see so many messages popping in. I even remember this happening while in an ICU. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your prayers and wonderful thoughts. You guys are are all in my heart and my mom's too. So, I wish you all a WONDERFUL, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL 2010, and that all your dreams come true!!! Love: Cristian.

Less than 15 minutes ago I received Marguerite Yourcenar's "MÉMOIRES D´HADRIEN" -(Hadrian's memoirs)-in its Spanish edition-("MEMORIAS DE ADRIANO). It's been more than 15 years since I read it, but I will always remember what a big impact had Antinoo's story on me. Back then I had it in its original language, but then, my french was way better than now. Visiting it again in my native language will post a real thrill. Can't wait to go home to start the reading.

Aha..! no wonder did I see the REAL stuff in Miss Romanova if Mme. Dudinskaya was involved... Thanks Lidewij for the quote!!

bart...seriously..trust me,,,it was an aberrant ABOMINATION.

Ostrich...there are NO WORDS to describe that ...thing. Tchaikovsky and Petipa must had rolled in their graves If anything, their paying progenitors accounted for the 90% of the attendance...

When I first read bart's post on the Moscow troupe, I got confused thinking that we had seen the same company, but no... What I saw was the Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre, another small touring troupe of 12 Russians directed by Miss Marina Madvetskaya. I couldn't help by think how history is just repeating itself... groups of struggling Russian dancers trying to make a living out of their homeland using the never failing catch of their famous, legendary training. I also wonder if some of the names that were in the program were real, or if that other tradition of russianizing names is also coming back. It would be interesting to find out. Anyway...this was an "interesting" production. It was, as the majority of the ex-soviet Nutcrackers, based on Vainonen's. Now, the problem came when I opened the program and saw this: "Music by Peter Tchaikovsky, with additional music by Shirley Evans: "Pretty Snowflakes" . Oh, Mon Dieu...! Some Shirley Evans next to Tchaikovsky...It had been said already... the end is certainly coming. To make a long story short, I was to find out that that wherever this company goes, they have to team up with local sources in order to be able to put on with some type of Corps for certain scenes-(in this case basically the party goers, the ever omnipresent mice and angels, the snowflakes...AND THE "PRETTY SNOWFLAKES" ). So a local ballet school did the honors. But let's not talk about the crimes that I was able to witness and endure...I was REALLY on the verge of suffering a myocardial infarction, so this is a point to be better off out of this little review. So first things first. The heart and soul of this production was its leading ballerina: Miss Natalia Romanova-(such a regal name!). She danced NON STOPPING during the entire ballet. She had to carry on the roles of Clara-(here a full pointe danced one), the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy. The program listed her peer Natalia Davidova as one of the females of the Pas de Trois-(Marzipan's Merlitons), but I would have sworn that it was Romanova back onstage. Miss Romanova was a true delight to watch. She possess this beautiful epaulement, so particular from Kirov ballerinas...her upper body-(back, neck, head)- elongated to its maximum point. She had a VERY strong technique...very precise turns, soft landings and delicate port de bras. Her physique reminded me that of Katya Maximova-(RIP). I couldn't really detect flows on her dancing...if anything, perhaps a too marked emphasis in projecting the always perfect posture-(at some point perhaps a little too stiff)...something that I also notice in the latest Mariinsky videos I've seen. I was able to compare what I saw with the DVD I own of the Vainonen's work-(the 1994 Mariinsky Production with Larissa Lezhina and Victor Baranov)-and I must say they left the most important chunks of his choreography intact-(the Chinese/Arabian/Russian divertissements, the Pas de Trois-(Mirlitons)-, the Waltz of the Flowers and the Danse de la Fee Dragee-(SPFPDD), Miss Romanova's partner was Nikolai Blankov...a capable dancer who did his best, but wasn't up to his ballerina's higher displays of technique. Scenery was not lavish, but decent. The end had Clara waking up from her dream while holding her toy. Aside from the killing insertions of local "talent", on and all I did enjoy this performance, just realizing that this season I've been able to see the three major takes on this ballet: Ivanov/Fedorova-(CCBM), Vainonen's-(SPCBT)-and Balanchine's-(MCB). Not bad at all. Au Revoir Mr. Nutcracker!!! See ya next year...!

Oh, well...all I can tell is that I've been the witness of a whole new cultural life down here, a rich, vibrant one that despite the hard year, has been able to survive and grow to infinite possibilities. A few years ago my priority was to become an RN and move to NYC right away. Life circumstances has made me change my mind, and so I've been able to see, enjoy and appreciate what Miami has to offer...I only hope for the city to keep growing and maintain this pattern. New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Art Basel Miami are some of the names that become the grounds of this development. To all of their contribuitors I wish a beautiful Christmas! Pamela, Patrick and Quigginn...wish you guys all the best!

Wishing you all the BEST in this Christmas Day... FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!