cubanmiamiboy

And not to be "machista" , but this phenomena shocks me more in female dancers...(Maybe IT IS more common among girls...)

Thanks! Reyes was really talked about back in Havana 'till he disappeared from the Cuban radar. I'm happy to hear that he's teaching. About the girls and the hyperextended variations, if they are little inexperienced ones, coaches and parents should put a stop on the matters. If they've reached certain age, they should start doing this themselves. Just my opinion though..

Reineris Reyes. Humm...Natalia, by any chance do you have more info on this dancer...? (I just don't want to be mistaken with THE R.R that I know...) Thanks! It is the Reyneris Reyes you know that danced with her that year. Of course he would appear much better than she - he is a professional dancer who most recently danced with Boston Ballet. Thanks mom! Yes, Reyneris has danced with both the Winnipeg Ballet ofCanada and Boston Ballet. Back in ballet school in Havana he was very promising. I just got to see him dancing a couple of times because he defected right away.(Isn't he a little older for this kind of competitions...?)

Reineris Reyes. Humm...Natalia, by any chance do you have more info on this dancer...? (I just don't want to be mistaken with THE R.R that I know...) Thanks!

Well, the thing is-(and this is with all due respect to every poster and opinion)-that vulgar mannerisms have no age, talk about ballet or anything else. Sometimes I see hip hop kids competitions on TV where the little girls are all made up, wearing sexy clothes and jewelry and doing some provocative pelvic movements imitating adults, and people seems to love it. Sometimes I think ballet is not that far from this. In many of ballet competitions we see little girls all made up, portraying older women characters which require sexy movements and showing off of their bodies. At the end that is also the mantra that JonBenet Ramsey (RIP) was following at the time of her death. I do too find all that stuff in youngsters vulgar and shocking. Still, one could, argue that 16 is not an age to be called a kid anymore-(in Cuba 16 marks actually the starting point of legal age for everything, from driving to baring total responsibility in a sexual relationship , unlike US, where this point goes two years further). Bottom line...i agree with Natalia here. http://www.atlantamagazine.com/uploadedIma..._9a902d015b.jpg

Sad. If it wasn't for private collectors and Youtube we would be unaware of many dancers performances. Even in Cuba, where ballet is government patronized there is a total lack of recordings,-(i think the only one being the 1964 Alonso's Giselle. The recent 2007 D.Q was french produced)

My pleasure, Barbara. . I'm glad you're enjoying them. Coming up next: Miss Aurora Bosh,

Loipa Araujo. Varna Gold Medal, 1965. Moscow International Competition Silver Medal, 1969. Miss Loipa Araujo was born in Havana,1943. She studied at Escuela de la Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical and also with the Alonsos, L. Fokine, and Parés, joining National Ballet of Cuba in 1959 where she became prima ballerina in 1967. She frequently guested abroad and in 1973 joined Ballet de Marseille, where she created the lead role in Petit's Les Intermittences du cœur (1974). Being one of the founders of the Cuban Ballet Company when she was only a young girl, together with her “sisters” -as she used to call them-: Mirta Pla, Josefina Mendez and Aurora Bosh; Miss Araujo is just a simple woman who made all that was possible and all the impossible to develop her talent. She has successfully performed the leading roles of the Classics from the 19th Century, as well as other modern dances created by Cuban and foreign choreographers, eventually becoming maitre of the London Royal Ballet Theatre, La Scala de Milan, the Opera de Paris, and the Danish Royal Ballet Company. Loipa worked as First Dancer, Prima Ballerina, of the Cuban Ballet Company between 1967 and 1997, and the year 2000 she returned to the stage, performing a modern ballet, on occasion of the 80th anniversary of her teacher, the Prima Ballerina Assolutta, Alicia Alonso. She has been invited to participate in many outstanding Ballet companies and international events, among which are the Ballet Celeste of San Francisco and the Greek Theater of Los Angeles ; the Ballet Teatro de la Opera and the Ballet de Sofia and Stara Zagora (from Bulgary), the Ballet de Marsella; the Ballet de la Opera de Odessa and Kiev and the Ballet Bolshoi of Moscow and the Maligot Theatre of Leningrad ; the Royal Danish Ballet (from Denmark); the Ballet del Teatro de Bellas Artes -the Fine Arts Theater Ballet Company- (from Mexico); the Nice Opera ; the Ballet Internacional de Caracas (from Venezuela); the International Ballet Festival of Lausanne ; the World Ballet Festival held in Japan; the Ballet Bejart of Lausanne; the International Dance and Music Festival of Palma de Mallorca ,Spain, the Edimburg Festival and the Arts Festival of Melbourne. She has also received many important awards inside and outside Cuba. Some of the most distinguishing international awards are: the Gold Medal at the International Ballet Contest in Varna , a Silver Medal at the International Ballet Contest in Moscow, the Gold Star Award at the International Dance Festival of Paris and the Medal granted by the Brazilian Dance Council. Her excellent artistic talent and work, as well as her ability to assume different roles, have given her the opportunity to share the stage with big stars, including a woman she loves as her second mother and to whom she feels indebted: Alicia Alonso, who, together with Fernando Alonso, trained her as dancer and a human being, a teaching that has always accompanied all along her career and that, today, she transmits to her students coming from different nations. When i left Cuba in 2001 she was still dancing. Interesting to note is that she managed to create a very interesting character out of the role of Bathile in Giselle, which she perfected by adding her own personal touches. Her appearance in the role would be as expected as that of Giselle sometimes, and the audience loved it. Here is Miss Araujo as Odile, from the Black Swan PDD at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, 1969, where she won the silver medal. Her partner is Azari Plisetsky-(her future husband and Maya Plisetskaya's brother) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soT5mbThgDE...feature=related As Nikiya in "La Bayadere", Act III As Mlle. Grahn in "Grand Pas de Quatre" In the Prelude from "Chopiniana"

Thanks for your review, bart. I knew i was on the right track regarding Jeanette. Can't wait to see the performance over here...

Mirta Pla-(1940-2003). Silver Medal Varna 1964. Silver Medal Varna 1965. Silver Medal Varna 1966. Mirta Pla died on Sept. 21/2003 from cancer. She was 63. Born in Havana, Pla studied dance under Mme. Alonso’s guidance. She joined several dance companies in the 1950s and toured the world as a professional performer. When she retired, Pla moved to Barcelona, Spain, to become a dance instructor. Pla was awarded Cuba's National Dance Prize in 2003. She shared the honor with the three of the “Four Jewels” ballerinas : Loipa Arajo, Aurora Bosh and Josefina Mendez. Mirta Pla was born to embellish the art with her delicate stage presence. Her solid technique, her unparalleled musicality, her enviable figure, her extraordinaire physical conditions and unique interpretations in different roles made her a muse of the Cuban audience from a very early age. Accounts of her most hardcore followers of 40 years can give testimony of how much admiration and respect Miss Pla was capable to transmit. After her retirement, the Cuban company lost a lot of elegance and distinction, two qualities that she brought along with the other three jewels. Mirta had a period where she looked a bit disappointed by what was surrounding her after 1959. An intimate friend of the ballerina confessed that when she went to New York for the first time since the beginning of Communism, the highest Direction of the ballet had warned her that she could not speak with anyone who were found to be exiles from the Castro regimen. Mirta confessed to this person that her eyes filled with tears when, after the performance and while leaving the theater, she recognized an earlier admirer from her old days in Cuba among a group of people who were gathering outside . Then their eyes met, the person smiled and she was forced to follow her path, ignoring his presence, while coming to her mind all the memories of her admirer’s displays of admiration, kind words, encouragement and flowers while now she had to keep going and forget about that. It is said that this episode hurt her a lot and that night she cried profusely, because she felt horrible about it. The death of Mis Pla closed a very important chapter in the epoch of gold of BNC. Such a beautiful dancer and human being is born once in a lifetime. Rest in Peace Queen of Willis. From heaven, your smile fills with light the faces of all the Cuban ballet dancers. Mirta Pla and Jorge Esquivel. Pas de Deux Classique. Varna Competition, 1964. As Myrtha in Giselle, 1963.

...which at the end are being paid not by one household in particular but instead by all the households in it-(represented by the building association and their ever increasing maintenance fees... ). So yeah...I guess the servants are hence more specialized.

Mm...interesting... Acording to Wikipedia-(questionable...?...maybe, maybe not)-the term "Servant" applies to " one who works, and often also lives, within the employer's household-(domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman). They are distinguishable from serfs or slaves in that they are compensated, that is, they must receive payment (and, following labour reforms in the 20th century, benefits) for their work. They are also free to leave their employment at any time, although foreign workers may find these freedoms restricted by, for example, visa regulations..." If so, i do live in such a block. Cleaning and Security employees are regularly seen around.

Thanks Natalia for sharing your memories of Miss Mendez. Yes, there was always the talking on how much resemblance she had with Mme. Alonso. http://www.palabranueva.net/contens/0702/225a.JPG Same regal look that we all loved... Coming up next, Miss Mirta Pla-(RIP)

I will seeing their SPF PDD this Saturday with Ballet Etudes. I've seen them dancing before, at least Kowroski-(I believe while in New York in Martins' R&J...?, or was it in "Diamonds...?)-Anyways... loved her. She is very pretty too. The version of the PDD they will be dancing here is Fedorova's staging, the whole thing...

The other day while watching some of my old Cuban ballet clips on YouTube I decided that it’s time already to do this. The Cuban National Ballet had its wide range of the most beautiful, talented and exquisite ballerinas of the times during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Some of this star-like tradition went well into the early 90’s, but way diminished in terms of quantity of brilliant female dancers- (not quality thought). So, I thought that it would be fare to open a thread- (probably just for informational purposes, since not much traffic will be happening due to the scarce knowledge and acknowledgement of this isolated stars, which was the direct result of their non existent international exposure, even some of them being top winners at Varna and adored stars within the island). So, after this introduction, I will be presenting the dancers, one in each thread, linked with some old videos-(if i'm lucky to find what i want). The quality of those is usually really bad. Some of them look like they are way older, but at least an idea can be drown from them. The music is usually either recorded- (in bad recordings) or alive, which sometimes was even worse, being that the reason that we learned over there how to focus on the dancing completely, props and music becoming less and less an item. This is hard to understand, but it’s how it was- (and it still is). So done with the Intro. Here it goes my first pick, our beloved Miss Josefina Mendez- (RIP). Josefina Mendez. (1941-2007). Bronze Medal Varna 1964, Silver Medal Varna 1965 Josefina Méndez was Prima ballerina of the Cuban National Ballet for almost 35 years and, after retiring from the stage in 1996, remained as its ballet mistress, teaching such young dancers as Carlos Acosta who has since been invited as a principal guest artist at the Royal Ballet. In recent years, she largely ran the company after her mentor, the ballet's founder and still director Alicia Alonso, became increasingly blind. Méndez, like Alonso before her, was praised by critics for her blend of classical technique, dramatic depth, freedom of expression and Latin passion, notably in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC)'s signature two-act Giselle, which she performed in productions worldwide, including as guest artist at the Paris Opera. On first seeing her perform in the mid-1960s, the dance critic Arnold Haskell described her as "the queen of tragedy" and dubbed her and her three contemporary prima ballerinas at the BNC as "the four jewels of Cuban ballet", a tag they retained ever after. Dear “Yuyi”, we certainly miss you, your truly princess elegance, your total dedication and love to that public that would sleep all night long outside the theatre to get tickets to see your magical dancing. As somebody said, it’s true that you just were preparing to become an angel. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Miss Josefina Mendez: As Aurora with Jorge Esquivel, from “Sleeping Beauty”- Act III PDD As Odette, Swan Lake Act II PDD and Odile, Act III

This is exciting. I've stopped by the construction site and the whole thing is taking form already. Congrats, Mike! A New Home for Virtuosity "When Michael Tilson Thomas and Ted Arison founded the New World Symphony in 1987, they gave America much more than its only full-time orchestral academy. They re-invented the meaning of virtuosity for the 21st century. With an environment and curriculum that go far beyond those of traditional conservatories, NWS produces musicians who are leaders in the fullest sense of the word. The Fellows leave Lincoln Road as accomplished, compelling instrumentalists who are ready to take ownership of the orchestral enterprise’s future. It has become increasingly clear that the remarkable success of the New World Symphony far eclipses the physical capacity of its home since 1989, the Art Deco-era Lincoln Theatre. For all its vintage charm, the building has severe acoustical deficiencies and technological limitations. These challenges, coupled with a sheer lack of space, keep NWS from pursuing the next steps in orchestral innovation – whether in new performance formats, expanded educational programs, distance learning, or community outreach." http://www.nws.edu/NewCampus/

In DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Esmeralda-Andrei-Kul...9586&sr=1-1 In CD: http://www.amazon.com/Pugni-Esmeralda-Cesa...9586&sr=1-2 Good luck!

...you mean blonde? I mean yellow! He,he. Just being annoying...never mind me. . Anyway... back to Miss Somova...

...you mean blonde?

Somova...a pretty girl . http://www.ardani.com/images/SomovaAlina.jpg

Not to mention that children in the cast bring in paying ticket-buyers in the form of friends of the performers, friends of the family, grandparents, aunts, neighbors, and anyone else who sold the child performer's family a ticket to their school fundraiser, peewee hockey team fundraiser, Boy/Girl Scout trip fundraiser, etc. "Nutcracker" is payback time. Interesting...mm

I know...His exiting in cambré is to die for. I haven't seen such flexibility in a male dancer for a while-(maybe Jeremy Cox here, but not with such an airy big jump as Domitro). (I really hope to have him around here to dance with mom's Company, CCBM, anytime soon.

Ok, so maybe my Google searching wasn't that complete or something, but it doesn't seem to be a lot of info on ABT's Nutcracker, other than a brief outline of Mc Kenzie's 1993 and 2000 premieres : http://www.abt.org/education/archive/balle...r_mckenzie.html I've seen old pictures of dancers costumed for the Grand PDD back in the old BT days. Then, of course, there is the Misha/Kirkland version, and then Mc. Kenzie seems to follow. But...what's going on as per today? Did they drop the whole thing from the repertoire...? Maybe some memories from those stagings back then atm711...? Any possibility that ABT will be having its own production again...?

but... back to "Milk"...

Has anybody seen it ?. Loved Sean Penn . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu-9vM9VZw