cubanmiamiboy

Excuse my ignorance but...what is that...?

Glamour, glamour... http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/10/26/...eb__300x257.jpg http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/dvd/russes/..._makeup_500.jpg

This is glamour... http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/maewest.jpg

And even more than that. Earlier I mentioned that Glamour doesn't, in my vision, always equals refined verbal skills , or sometimes even class . I've read about examples of very glamorous creatures who were considered rather vulgar but still visually fascinating -( hey, and sometimes even that vulgarity, if wisely acknowledged and well worked out would even become an additive instead of a subtracting factor, IMO. e.g-some old Hollywood actresses, and I'm sure Patrick knows a lot about this...Aren't they sort of peacocks themselves...?)

Well, yes...animals can't change the way they look unlike humans...Still, when I read about it, one came to my mind instantly as a glamorous one http://www.wonderfulinfo.com/amazing/wpeacock/pic01.gif vs. an elegant one... http://cache.virtualtourist.com/15192-Whit...-Whitehorse.jpg

Well, not with Alicia bart, but with that of the original Alonso, who was undoubtly the real force behind the modeling of the Cuban style: Fernando Alonso. He was kind of forced-exiled to the province of Camaguey after divorcing Mme. and then and there he created a wonderful Company while implementing his teaching method. At some point I will open a thread to aknowledge this troupe, which along with that of Laura Alonso-(Mme's daughter)-are to be the basis of the Cuban classical ballet. so wait...does it mean you didn't get Delgado in West Palm Beach...?

I saw the documentary. For someone who, like me, has had limited to non exposure to his works I think it was very informative. I had no idea about the political stuff. Naming names...? Wow...

I'm green with envy . Grrr, I would have gone to see Part now that they canceled Miami wouldn't I being stuck with tests here

True, true. I got to manipulate one of the Driadas tutus post performance, and the embroidery and design were exquisite. The tones were very flora/Forrest/autumn inspired, with leaves and everything...the works. Usually I was used to see the white semi-romantic Driadas of Alonso's production, which were very pretty with their pearls and white gowns, but I couldn't tell that this were spirits living in trees. These looked more like Sylphs. Villella's Driadas costumes were very nice designed.

As per their official website, the leads will go to Lorena Feijoo-(SFB), Taras Domitro-(SFB), Hayna Gutierrez-(CCBM) and Miguel Angel Blanco-(CCBM) http://www.cubanclassicalballet.org/programI.html (Note: Scroll down pass the image of Giselle and Albretch, for you will see Medora and the slave)

I don't know a lot about the internal turmoils of the direction and fallowing of the current crisis in ballet in NYC. But...as per our city of the never ending sunshine, I could tell that audiences attendance has improved impressively to both the MCB and CCBM performances. I still can't get to the point of understand how cutting off the human aspect of the art form will save anything. Cut the props, cut the orchestra, recycle old costumes, cut the ushers, cut the diabolic administrative apparatus...but please, live the kids...The boys and girls were very enjoyable when they danced at the old, comfy Jackie Gleason, way before the ambitious Grey monster-(AKA Carnival Center) made its triumphant way-(without a parking facility of its own)-to seat in the middle of Biscayne Boulevard, like it or not... What about PR...? I've said this before, but as a part of the largest/most diverse Educational College in the Country-(Miami Dade College)- I NEVER get to see any little piece of paper announcing performances for ANYTHING...ballet, opera or the like. One of the most proliferative schools at my college is the New School of The Arts, which i would assume would be interested in watch some stuff...well...did anybody has invited them,,,? Like this we're not going anywhere.

Bravo Sean!!!! (BTW, I think I smelled right, ah...? )

I did think about Pavlova. The thing is that for some reason I tend to associate "glamour" with some sort of aesthetic language, in which a very obvious made up image plays the biggest role, with no room for simplicity. In that Makarova's interview to Sir Frederick Ashton they talk about Pavlova, and how elegant and sophisticated did she look on and off stage. On the other side, I didn't think about sexual appeal as an essential part of it. In fact, I use the word many times to refer to other things besides people-(e.g-atmosphere, decoration, ambiance, etc...)

re: Mme. Alonso. atm...it is so interesting what you said about her. Truth is, you got to see a totally different persona than me...you got to see the young ballerina. I only knew the myth, the blind diva...the older lady who would show up at the theater escorted by two guys on each side to guide her-(due to her blindness)-her neck all wrapped up in layers of pearls, huge shades, long head scarfs and heavy make up while making her grand entrance walking with her hyperextended feel. The whole thing was very glamorous. http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/cuba_ballet...o_chair_600.jpg Also, the very last ballets that she danced well into the 90's, were strange creations of her own that primarly focused in female characters greater than life. It was sort of like she was trying to portray her own life onstage trough Maria Callas, Cassiopeia, Cleopatra and some others. The ballets were just a vehicle to show her being carried from side to side in extravagant costumes and makeup. They looked all more or less like this. http://portal.unesco.org/fr/files/9855/105...so-biog-250.jpg Of course, we all loved them. It's interesting nobody has mentioned Dame Markova... http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3279028

Glamour. What a rare quality nowadays. I guess the times have changed, and this old concept is rather hard to find. My grandmother always advocated for the glamorous image, no matter what her emotional state would be. It was some sort of a detachment, in which the external image ALWAYS needed to be at its best, no matter how old, how sick or whatever any other “how”. She went to bed every single night of her very long life with her head wrapped in rollers, and would declared that her hair needed to be in place in case death would strike in the middle of the night and she had to be dragged out of the house in front of strangers…bless her. With this little story I just want to say that glamour, in my eyes, is a whole attitude in which external image plays a key factor. Makeup and sense of fashion are truly essentials, and while class/refinement is an additive, it is not always present- (e.g.-Mae West). Ditto with classical physical beauty -(Alexandra Danilova). Patrick is certainly very right about how possible it is to acquire glamour, a la Leslie Caron’s GIGI. I really believe that glamour has been the weapon many ladies have used in history when lacking beauty, many times with optimal results. For what I’ve read in some of this ballet ladies of the past autobiographies, at some point they all seem to convey in the idea that they sensed that their public image was as important as that onstage, and according to this they projected themselves in the way that the ballerina was supposed to…extending their performance beyond the stage. I get to see many dancers hanging around at my favorite Starbucks in South Beach, some of them well known among the ballet audience, and it seems to be a generalized “anti-glamour” attitude among the females…flip-flops, no makeup, ragged clothes etc. NOT THAT I’M AGAINST EVERYONE’S RIGHT TO WEAR WHATEVER THEY WANT, but even more than that…some of them make totally sure that they are as ordinary as the rest of us mortals…it is sort of an understatement. I’m a firm believer of that Felia Doubrovska’s mantra about “walking like a ballerina, dressing like a ballerina”, and about the forgetting of that other one: “less is best”. Interesting..., three of the ballerinas that I believe possess great glamour aren’t- (or weren’t)-traditionally pretty: Dame Alicia Markova, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Mme. Alonso.

bart, what about "Reina de las Driadas"...?, Seay?...and Amor...?-(Albertson, I bet). Well, thanks to that habit of not announcing casting in advance I didn't get the info on time about Kronemberg's lead in Broward. -(Which I would have done something to be there. Now I KNOW that I have to maintain my older, more reliable sources ...definitely. But yes, you guys are supposed to get Jennifer. Let me know, ok..? :foot:

Last Saturday I almost made it for the III Act at the night Performance, but at the end it didn't happen. (Would I had known that Delgado was doing it, I could have made an extra effort...). Verbatim from a friend who went: Kronemberg was given one performance, which he loved. Delgado the best...

I get your frustration. One time i even threw my old laptop out of my window thanks to a computer/related rage episode-(right to the water, from a third floor), just to regret it and keep blaming myself for a long time afterwords due to all my data loss...so breath...again...and again...and now try again. I just did, and I DID WORK!

Before coming to US I vaguely knew about "Balanchine's Company"-(although to be honest I didn't even know that they still existed). On the contrary, ABT was well known in Cuba, its past and present-(probably because it is Mme's home company, and she always maintained her relationship with Lucia Chase even after she left in 1959. Besides, many of ABT Principals did guest appearances in Havana, and Mme. always spoke out loud of the warm welcoming back that she had with the Cuban company during the 70's and later on at her former stage). I'm sure that if I could ask ALL of my balletomanes friends in Havana, few of them-(IF)-would be able to tell about the whereabouts of NYCB.

So what's to do...?

I just tried with my PC/Internet Explorer...and got the same message.

Ballet Gamonet Program II will run at Broward's Bienes Center on the weekend. I'll try to catch at least one of the performances. http://www.balletgamonet.org/php5/webpage/17 Program II Bienes Center for the Arts February 21st, 2009 at 8 p.m. February 22nd, 2009 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Concerto For La Donna - Jimmy Gamonet De Los Heros (Composer: Max Bruck) Purple Bend I - Jimmy Gamonet De Los Heros (Composer: Gustav Mahler) Sonetos de Amor y Muerte - William Soleau Jubilo - Jimmy Gamonet De Los Heros (Composer: Wynton Marsalis)

Well, I was recently at a party benefit after one of the performances of MCB DQ, where the majority of the dancers were. At one point the DJ came down his boot and started creating a choreography with some salsa music. I saw many dancers trying in vain to follow the simple steps sequence, while many of the regular attendants at the party, me included, quickly started doing the routine. (Or maybe it was the rythm...?) Note: (And this is coming from someone who can't do a miserable plie, BTW... )

I was looking for a post that I recently saw regarding the upcoming performance of Alonso/Schedrin Carmen, but I couldn't find it. Anyways, for those who will have the opportunity to see it here, there is something that makes it even more appealing. After Alberto Alonso re staged the ballet for Mme. Alonso-(after Plisetskaya's premiere at the Bolshoi)-the ballet was dumped from the Cuban repertoire-(although Alberto Alonso did restaged it at the Bolshoi, starring Zakharova, which bits of it can be seen in his documentary). It wasn't until 2000 that the ballet was brought back to the Cuban stage, and Hayna Gutierrez was one of the very few bailarinas who has ever danced it. She knows the role really good, and she will be dancing it here, and I will be there to support my cubanita, of course... Here's a fragment of Gutierrez dancing the role in La Habana right before defecting... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZTTowo1es4...feature=related

Agree. I own the Maly DVD, and watch it from time to time. It could be a MAJOR revival event.