cubanmiamiboy

Quick update on Womack. She's back in Russia... she's "so over the conventional world of ballet"-(verbatim)- and tired of "proving yourself to some old guy"-(I assume AD's). She's also looking into her post-performance life. Teaching is in her horizon, so she says.

Pandora's box is is just in full blown shaking state. I can't imagine what's to come......

I always think of the Rockettes own history with the racial issue when it is applied to ballet. At some point I believe the very original idea of the Rockettes having to keep a legacy of uniformity and exact physical replication has applied and still applies in many ballet companies. Except of course, in ballet and unlike the Rockettes, there is a pyramidal system implanted where artistic excellence and capabilities are supposed to catapult the most capable. Still...it is no secret that such uniformity is greatly desired at the ballet stage. Whitening makeup has been indeed used, and many times in quite an extreme form for blending purposes. Raven Willkinson even talks about it and how it helped her save her from being pulled out one particular night the KKK was on her searching backstage. I remember a black Cuban ballerina...Caridad Gonzalez, who wore layers upon layers of thick white pancake makeup. From the distance one could tell she was NOT white, but it definitely changed, rather dramatically, her real skin complexion. Viengsay Valdes is also mixed, and she too wears EXTREME white makeup. Edited to add: Now...Giselle Alicia didn't allow Caridad to dance Giselle, citing primarily racial issues.

Wow...al these veterans....Dupont, Cojocaru, Kobborg, Valdes, Alexandrova, Rojo, Ferri, Bolle...all in one gala. Indeed...quite impressive.

That's a nice little search you did. Thank you for the time and effort. Now, as you just rightly said...we are entitled. Lacotte to produce and present if he's given the legal green light, audiences to feel offended or not and doubtless I for maintaining that I have definitely perceived such instances in which Misty purposely makes her race pop up for her well known aggressive self promotion campaign. And yes, MadameP...I indeed grew up with a similar type of show. In Cuba they come from the XIX Century, and until today they are produced in live theater and cherished by the whole nation as a national treasure. It is called "teatro bufo". They portray comical situations from the society of the turn of the century, where three characteres representative from those times interact. One is "el gallego"-(a Spaniard guy making fortune in the conquered territory), ..then there is "la mulata"-(the typical sultry woman product of the union of an emancipated slave and a Spaniard), and "el negrito"-(a first generation free black man, who is historically portrayed by a blackface). El gallego and el negrito are always competing to win the heart of la mulata.

I was also referring to the darkening and whitening of her skin depending on the purpose, on the message being conveyed. Beyonce has also done it. She might wear an afro and DEFINITELY darkening makeup in certain events when she wants to look more African American. Certain famous social activists like Shaun King and Rachel Dolezal have been infamously criticized for "passing" as blacks while being white using, among other things, darkening makeup and African-American inspired hair styles. This examples might be different instances than Pharaoh's or Bayadere -(although perhaps even more scandalous), but they exist...and they exist with a purpose.

I might be cyber-shot here with my next statement, but I have seen the opposite phenomenon. In certain interviews with Misty Copeland on TV which heavily relay on her "first African-American Principal dancer" agenda, I have seen her wearing makeup that dramatically darkens her natural skin, along with very curly hair, whereas onstage in certain roles her face can be seen definitely whitened and her hair is more straight than mine.

But no darkened skin makeup for the Indians of Bayadere...🙄

I remember doug's remarks about the Rivers variations, and how he had reconstructed the numbers only for Lacotte not to use them. Doug's quote - "I reconstructed 5 of the 6 river variations for Lacotte for his Daughter of Pharaoh, but he didn't use any of them (in the versions I provided). He did use three (I think, maybe it was two with the first being longer - it's been a while now - I should buy the DVD and check!) variations in one of the court scenes. One is for two women and the other isfor a man (Lacotte added a double tour at the end)."

The blackfaces of Pharao's and Bayadere have it easy-(they are not important characters and can be easily un-blacked). Now...Flute's Monostatos is another story...😶

I have seen ABT dancers names being attached to little notes of "sponsored by Mr or Mrs So and So". Not sure when-(I would say in playbills)- but I am certain I have seen it.

But even ABT dancers are privately sponsored. It is printed in every playbill.

I saw one of her Gamzattis years ago with no other than Ivan Vasiliev. The whole of the betrothal scene-( which have some mirror jumping for both characters)- was an embarrassing affair for her.

Where did I read that Spessivtzeva had to had someone on the wings clapping to keep her on tempo, given that she had a tendency to get off it quite easy...?

Somova and Hallberg definitely make for a most handsome all blonde couple. Their performance might not be a technically fierce one a la Polunin/Osipova-(Somova was never there and Hallberg won't probably come back to it)- but they are definitely ver beautiful to watch, physically wise, with those gorgeous lines. Definitely worth it.

I usually hear that conductors adapt to the demands of dancers, although there are stories in which conductors have stood up against it. In an infamous one a Cuban ballerina was calling for an excruciatingly slow tempo in the white swan Adagio during rehearsal and the conductor stopped and, to the question of why he was going against her choice, he angrily screamed from the pit "because that's how Tchaikovsky composed it!!". There are segments that remain famously unchanged in ballet in certain companies. Kitri's variation with passes at the Bolshoi is one of them. I haven't seen one instance in which the tempo have slowed down by any ballerina there. It is famously fast, and I think Struchkova set the difficult bar for generations to come. @ 1:12

Wow...what a beautiful piece and performance. Thanks for the uploading.

True. They can be misleading. Edited to add: Thanks, canbelto for changing the title..

Mme. Collier yes, yes YES! Her Fee Dragee ought to be the quintessential mark of pure female classicism. I also treasure that video, because not knowing that the original pdd had survived in England, I truly missed it when I came to the States and started watching MCB Balanchine's. Then one day I bought the video by chance and VOILA' ! There it was the beautiful pdd just as I remembered it from Alonso's staging after Fedorova..! And danced nonetheless by the amazing Collier and Dowell. A real feast for the academic-loving eyes. Two thumbs up, Charlie! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

Which is why I thought of her right away. I find her dancing, if daring and exciting, beautifully and properly controlled and aligned at the same time. I am a huge fan of Osipova-( I nominated both on the "Today's rulers" thread)- but in regard to overall detail to proper classicism I don't see Osipova the way I see Peck.

But according to the title of this thread....😶

I second the above. That ribcage shift-(to the side in a la second or forward in atittude derriere a la Somova)- makes me cringe. I would say the few who qualify are those who put themselves far from position distortions and bizarre turns-(again...Somova's horrible "kick out" fouettes come to mind). I nominate Tiler Peck.

I did, Charlie. I was thinking of their Swan Lake while writing about Berlin's Nut. I didn't know it was commercially released! I own a good bootleg but it's time to change then. Thanks for the update!🤗

Agreeing to disagreeing here, dear Drew. Grigorovich treatment of the Nutcracker looks like an abomination to me. It is a shame that Russia has successfully got ridden of anything that resembles the original production. I can't stand the Mariinsky Vainonen's either. Sir Wright's Royal Ballet-( Collier/ Dowell-)- por a comprehensive link to the original libretto and the glorious original Pas de deux. A bootleg of Berlin's Medvedev/Burlaka for more Imperial "Petpaesque" feeling re libretto, costumes and scenery.