cubanmiamiboy

he,he...definitely this ballet doesn't stop amusing me. BEES!! Can i see them Mel?

Well, I thought for a minute about taking the pic down...until i decided not to... (c'mon, it is a PERFECT shot). Meanwhile, here's a more inocent one of him, and Surprise!, one of two of my three picks together... http://www.ballet.co.uk/images/bolle/bolle...ference_480.jpg http://www.exploredance.com/upload/gallery/3/324_2309.jpg

I haven't seen you,Gina Ness, lately on the board, but I hope that if you read this you could clarify my curiosity. I know that four of those six ballerinas were Josefina Mendez, Mirta Pla, Aurora Bosh and Loipa Araujo. Who were the other two...?

Zuasnabar was a promising Cuban dancer during the late 90's early 2000's. If I'm correct, she was one of the only two black female dancers to raise fast up to the top within the Cuban Company...until she disappeared-(Caridad Martinez was the other one). I remember her in Alonso's production of "Cinderella"-(music by Strauss) as the Godmother Fairy. I just found out she's still dancing in Bejart's troupe. http://www.bejart.ch/en/danseurs/zuasnabar.php

For reasons far from ballet issues, I came across this little thing online. It moved me , and I wanted to share it with you guys. http://www.daylife.com/photo/07Y83fqgBx8CX

This is probably something some of the most experienced BT's will know, but I don't. What's up with all those Nutcracker angels? Their parade is not my favorite thing, but I know is a big deal for the little components of many productions-(and their parents, of course). The real fact is that I didn't even know about this popular angelic incarnation of the corps until I saw my first Balanchine production. In Alonso's production she makes the adult Corps members do the same choreography/parade but the costume design does not indicates whatsoever that this are angels. They look more like Russian matryoshka dolls. So I have a couple of questions: 1-Are there any sketches/pics of these characters from Imperial Productions? 2-Where does the idea of portraying them as angels come from? Thank you all in advance!

Mel, that's how Alonso does it. If you notice on the clips that I linked above, there's a hidden entrance on the bottom of the tree. The whole thing is simple. Once they walk into it the whole set is mechanically lifted-(in the dark, while only a spotlight follows Clara and the Nutcracker)- and then the snow backdrops are already in place.

Act II . The Kingdom of Sweets. The II Act started with the usual parade of angels/infants-(can live without it)-and its usual response of Aaaww!’s, and Ooww!’s and sets of cell/camcorders rolling. Anyway, the setting was a little distracting, given the fact that it showed an austere palace interior backdrop -(probably more appropriate for Paquita, but let's not forget that this sets were given as a generosity of the Ballet of Dominican Republic). After the Nutcracker’s mime scene-(just like Balanchine's)- he and Clara sat on each side of the stage, away from each other-(a miss…let’s work on that) and then the divertissements started. The Spanish Dance was danced by a couple. It was vivacious and had a nice national flair. The girl had point shoes, and the boy-(a good looking Ignacio Rivera, also the Snow King and the Mouse King)-did all the right partnering. Arabian Dance-Four Odalisques and one leading couple, the girl dressed as a snake. I’m not very fond of this dance in any production that I’ve seen. It’s very slow and it’s usually all about showing extensions and gymnastic-like contortions. This wasn’t the exception. Chinese Dance-Four girls in black pancake tutus and black point shoes with Chinese-inspired shirts and hats. At one point they had the four of them jumping at unison on point with both feet-(kind of noisy…didn’t like the effect). Dance of the Merlitons- Three girls. A difficult choreography. Elegant Grace Ann Powers leading the group during the second run performing a very nice series of 16 Italian fouettes. Mother Commedia- The usual stuff. Too many kids... Russian Dance-Ah, a nice Trepak danced by Jesus Farias, Carlos Manuel Mijares with Gleidon Vasconcelos in the leading. Very energetic Grand Ecartes. Very well done. With a little bit of more rehearsal time would have been perfect. Waltz of the Flowers/Dew Drop Fairy PDD- Mamicha added the Dew Drop Fairy and her Cavalier characters to her production to dance along the flowers routine. I don’t think this inclusion really worked for me, although it was another fair chance to show more classical dancing. Jordan Elizabeth Long danced it on the first performance, looking very pretty on the role making this PDD, otherwise unjustifyable, well worth to watch SPF PDD- This was definitely the highlight of the performance. On the first run it was danced by Kate Kadow, a dancer that still needs to polish her technique in order to equal her more experienced peers Long and Powers. The Cavalier was handsome Miguel Angel Blanco for both performances, “THE” partner “per se”. I was so happy to see this PDD performed again after many years. It brought back the nicest memories, and it was performed just as I remembered. Only one detail. During the Adagio one of the most beautiful moments is when almost at the end of it, the Cavalier grabs the ballerina on her back and bounces her with pendulum-like movements almost touching the floor. This was beautifully done by Long, but omitted by Kadow. Long’s variation was as airy and refined as it could be, and her pique-turns during the coda were fast and strong. Tall Miguel Angel Blanco was, as usual, a stage presence, a truly prince, eating the stage with his ample jete menages. And that’s it. The end of the whole thing was very fast. Clara didn’t wake up in her room…no setting changes. Mamicha decided to end the ballet a la Balanchine, having Clara and the Nutcracker flying Thur the stage in a globe. Mamicha's production was very ambitious. It required 4 leading couples:(Clara/Nutcracker, Snow Queen/King, Dew Drop Fairy/Cavalier and SPF/Cavalier) and a lot of dancing. Long,Powers, and Blanco, as usual, stole the show. I still have to watch Kadow more carefully in the future. For the rest, the audience was very happy, so was I. Thank you Mamicha!!

Many times I’ve been backstage post performance and I've been amazed at how young and petite many- (MANY)-dancers look, both females and males. It is not hard to find dancers who look way younger than their real age- (e.g.- Kirkland, Daniil Simkin). The thing with Clara and the ballet is that in order for the character not to look weird there should be a formula to be followed in where: 1-She is always chosen to be portrayed by a close to the character's age ballerina- (I would say no more than 17/18 y.o), and 2-Because of number 1 reason, this character won't be a Principal dancer and will be away from the difficulty of the Act II PDD but at the same time she will have enough technique to go on pointe on Act I and make the whole thing more dancing oriented. None of the this was applicable to Kirkland). I totally agree that having a 40 y.o ballerina in a little girl nightgown doesn’t look right- (and ditto with the party kids, who also should be real dancers, but in their teen years). The main problem is that with all the pastiches that this ballet has been subjected to, many stagers want to have Clara/Marie/Masha do the Act II PDD, which only can happen with a grown up ballerina. Infantilizing adults is a variable concept. As I said earlier, a girl can be physically able to marry and procreate as early as 12 y.o. Ditto with boys, whereas at the same time some women of 15,16 are still playing with Barbie dolls. A curious thing is that the opposite idea, the pageant competitions, where REAL girls- (7,8,9 y.o)-are told to show of their bodies in full makeup like a Vegas showgirl- (yes…JonBenet Ramsey, RIP)-doesn’t seem to be that shocking to many standards.

I definitely agree about not having adults play children... but isn't infantilizing adults something we do in ballet literally all the time. Aren't some of the great parts in ballet infantilized adults? Swanhilda...? Lise...? Aurora...? Giselle...? Yes, we do...to the extent that we don't care anymore how "young" is, in the libretto the "young" Giselle, for example. I bet that she's no more than 14 or 15...hence...a kid, and then I don't think non 14 y.o would be allowed to interpret Giselle in a respectable Company

Carbro, his wife is Principal Jennifer Kronenberg, the most beautiful Odette of the season according to Jack Reed. http://www.socialmiami.com/img2007/Gala-Gu...erg-180x270.jpg And BTW, re thinking and re voting, here's my top three picks: Bolle: http://operachic.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451...251c88834-popup (On Gomez and Carreño place the mouse on the pic to maximize them) Gomez: http://www.hrphoto.us/marcelo_gomes_files/0801.jpg Carreño: http://www.yagp.org/gala/images/photos/Jos...uel_Carreno.jpg

Here are a couple of clips from Act I of the Cuban version that I often refer to, which "does it" for me. The first clips shows Clara and the Nutcracker dancing just before the Snow Scene. The second one is the beginning of Act II, including the Nutcracker's "mime". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKvVpKHfvtM

Setting of Nutcracker.The internet is full of sites for geneaology. Let's try to stay close to the topic. Thanks. Oh, sorry for the inconvenience. My point being the fact that a ballet dancer who's in his/her teens has a wide range of possibilities to be convincing just by "acting" the part, given the fact that he or she can be viewed either as an adult or a kid depending on his/her physique and the viewer's own perception of adulthood.

No, I'm currently engaged in another Nutcracker's issue. Will do the second part shortly, I promise. Jordan Long's SPF was all worth it.

In Cuba, 1909. My grandmother was born three years later, in 1912, her mother being 15. They were 11 brothers and sisters. At one point mother and daughter were pregnant at the same time, the mother giving birth even before the daughter. BTW...why Nuremberg...?

I have seen pics of the old Imperial productions, and yes, I am aware that children were used-(as well as in Swan Lake to play little swans, if I remember well). But this fact does no add that much to my perception that little kids diminish-(on my eyes)-a professional production. I see it more as me being part of a different, more demanding audience, that of the XXI Century, in which flying Willis and the likes are gone to give room to more technically daring/dancing-oriented productions. Plus, the denomination of "adult" vs. "kid" is objectionable too. For me 16 y.o is being adult already, (coming from a place where this is the legal start of adulthood), whereas according to American standards 16 y.o's are still kids... Thanks for the info on Clara's original dancer. I didn't know about her. But well, as the old saying says: "I just know that i know nothing" Oh, just remembering that was the age my great grandmother had when she got married

On the contrary, having real ballet dancers of 17,18 portraying kids aged 13-16 in a profesional production had been a more pleasant experience to me that that of having the impression of going to an elementary school ballet recital. At the end, for me, the more pointe work, the more visually motivated I get, so if none,well... boooooring! So about leaving the Nutcracker alone, yes....let's leave it to real dancers.

I just want the words DEFECTOR and EXILE to disappear FOREVER from the Cuban history, along with all the damage that it has caused to all of us, including ballet dancers...

Isn't this a clip of the reconstructed version...? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF-IvqbLEjk

Well, then we should divide this, because i thought that we were talking only about filmed versions. If this is the case, Wright, as I said earlier, is my pick. Live, I go for Alonso's even OVER Wright's.

After one year post defection, ballerina Hayna Gutierrez hasn't been hired permanently. Out of the three dancers, only Taras Domitro went to become Principal at San Francisco Ballet-(and receiving rave review for his recent appearance in The Four Temperaments). Blanco usually appears with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, most recently in the Nutcracker. I've tracked down Gutierrez to find that she just danced as a guest with Peoria Ballet of Illinois partnered by Miami City Ballet's recent loss, ex Principal Isanusi Garcia-(also a previous defector from Alonso's troupe). They did the Nutcracker. Whatever they go, I wish them both the best luck, and I hope that Gutierrez gets placed where her Prima talent can be truly appreciated. http://www.pjstar.com/entertainment/x22599...oves-impressive

Isn't Somova on those clips from Youtube...?

Here's a review of the recent performance of CNB;s Nutcracker in Canada. Nutcracker. Alicia Alonso's Cuban Version..Magical! By Danny Gaisin Tchaikovsky’s NUTCRACKER BALLET is based on a tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Like the composer; the writer was one interesting individual. As a young man he had a love affair with an older woman & composed a song about same (think of Anka’s DIANA); was a staunch liberal before the concept became popular; and interestingly was sent to Prussian East Poland where his job was to German-ize Jewish names:- mssrs Goodbaum; Applebaum; et.al., thank old E.T.A. for the surname! Years later, Jacques Offenbach (a French Jew) honored him by using some of his stories in the famous ballet – Tales of Hoffmann. The Nutcracker (originally nussnacker or in Spanish- cascanueces) tells the story of a young girl; a Christmas party; special gifts; and a Godfather who arranges a magical trip for the little lady and her defending hero. Cuba’s world-famous NATIONAL BALLET brings the innovative Alicia Alonso artistry and choreography that updates the more familiar Balanchine and Baryshnikov versions to its Canadian tour. Last night’s Hamilton Place performance was a memorable occasion. I left feeling old; reflectively awkward and definitely clumsy. Seeing the poise, discipline and agility of the youngsters who are part of the CANADIAN BALLET YOUTH ENSEMBLE who perform in Act I; then watching the nimbleness, coordination, and athleticism of the older (slightly) Cubans; I may never get up on a dance floor again. They walk with more grace than I could even attempt. Dear readers, there’s still today & tomorrow’s performances…don’t miss this experience. The orchestra is comprised of members from our Hamilton Philharmonic, and while they began with a rather tentative introduction to the overture, under the guest baton of Cuba’s acclaimed maestro Giovanni Duarte, the HPO musicians soon reached their normally high levels of technical and lyric standards. The slow beginning was probably a result of nominal rehearsal opportunity with the conductor. The sets are minimalist; appropriate- as the object of focus is on the dancers and their exquisite choreography. Immaculate jétées; pirouettes that defy laws of balance; en pointe that looks easy are compounded by airs-above-the-ground that disregard gravity- all epitomize their talent. Prima Anette Delgado projects a gymnast’s control and suppleness that is musical artistry. One senses that her vocation is one of both love and pleasure, almost without effort. As her prince, Ernesto Álvarez must be an athlete of the nth degree. There is a dance duel in Scene 2 between Yanier Gómez’ Nutcracker and mouse-king Yonah Acosta that to this adjudicator- ended in a 1st-place. The corps du Ballet, especially in the ‘snowflakes’ vignette are so incredibly coordinated that one actually imagines it must be enhanced with mirrors, à la Busby Berkeley! The rolls of Clara/Maria are alternatively performed by Kayla Kuskevics (13) and Ilianna Nunes (10); and then by Gretel Morejón in Act II. Alas, no idea which of the two youngsters we observed, but whichever one it was, her discipline and concentration were commendable Post-performance, we were hosted at a reception by José Ramón Rodriquez Neyra of the Cuban national press. Through him, it was our distinct pleasure to be introduced to many of the visiting dancers and especially conductor Duarte. In person, he appears just old enough to vote. For only thirty-three, his resume and accomplishments astound. Another positive observation- the youngsters’ [both local and Cuban] behavior was collectively mature and well-mannered; obviously a result of the discipline of dance! The Cuban Company taking the final bow. http://www.haltonartsreview.ca/index.php?o...05&Itemid=1

On DVD, Sir Peter Wright's.