cubanmiamiboy

My deep congrats to Mr. Alonso for being one of the recipients of the Benois. Very well deserved prize to this wonderful human being, very often deeply neglected within the Cuban ballet history due to some CNB's internal problems. Bravo Mr. Alonso! Some info: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fernando+Alo......-a0177672261

Tonight was the last night of Julius Caesar at the Arsht center, before they take it to Broward. The costume/scenery choice wasn't my favorite, (one of those "modern" interpretations of older works, using very minimalistic elements). One of the things i want to note is the countertenor roles. Handel composed three of the male roles,-(Caesar, Ptolemy and Nirenuns)-to be sung by castrati, who were among the most famous singers of the time. By now, to the absence of real castrati and in opposition to the use of mezzos to sing male roles, they has been a growing developing of outstanding countertenors, who experts believe most closely approximate to the sound of the castrati. Tonight's Caesar was performed by the young countertenor John Gaston, who has garnered considerable attention lately . The other two were Brian Asawa's Ptolemy and Jason Abrams'Nirenuns. I PARTICULARLY liked the way Mr. Asawa projected his voice, forceful and clear, whereas Mr. Gaston was a little shy. Cleopatra was interpreted (at last!) by a young beautiful proportionated singer, the wonderful Leah Partridge, who displayed lost of sensuality and artistry, to the point that is she who dominated the drama and much of the opera's finest music. When Cleopatra sings her aria "V'adoro pupille" during the drama she has staged to seduce Julius Caesar he exclaims "Not even in heaven does a melody sound that can equal so beautiful a son" The orchestra , lead by Mr. Gary Thor Wedow in his FGO debut, was perfect. Brava! to Ms. Leah Partridge. On top...Bravo Mr. Robert Heuer (FGO'CEO and General Director)

I just came back from one of the two performances that I intend to attend as part of the 11 th Annual Miami International –Piano Festival. Tonight’s night has a personal sentimental value for me, as it was carried by the Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Prats one of the most talented musicians of his generation from the island and personal piano idol of my childhood, back when I was trying to make it at my town’s local Music Conservatory This is a little info on Prats: http://www.cubanow.net/global/loader.php?&...=2&item=257 Anyways, the program was as fallows: I-Enrique Granados: Goyescas II-Hector Villalobos: Bachianas III-Ernesto Lecuona. A selection of pieces IV-Carlos Farinas: Altagracia (tango) V-Liszt/Prats Spanish Rhapsody. Here is the Miami Calendar of the Festival. http://www.miamipianofest.com/calendar/ds2008.htm# The Program: Enrique Granados “Goyescas”showed us Prats portraying an interpreter trying to convey the essence of Spanish Character when captivated by Goya’s paintings. He really did a great job in giving the pieces the echo in musical terms of Goya’s exquisite treatment of colors and striking contrast of moods. Hector Villalobos “Bachianas” was a Suite with four pieces, all talking about Brasil and its folklore and nature., as a result of the composer’s increasing absorbtion of Brasil’s musical tradition that came from Portuguese, American and African backgrounds. Then we had the little gems, "Selection of pieces" by Ernesto Lecuona. Ernesto Lecuona is to Cubans is what George Guershwin is for Americans. What a delicacy, intimacy and inner feelings were coming out those fingers. Ernesto Lecuona is a venerated musician that cultivated classical Cuban music, based on its inner historical roots. He eventually left the island after 1959 and was proclaimed defector, Still, by the time I was in the School Conservatory, his music had made a comeback, and has been remastered and rerecorded on the island. Prats played a beautiful piece called “A la Antigua” (Old fashioned), that made me travel far away in time and space… Then he played Carlos Farinas “Altagracia”. Not my favorite. Farinas (also Cuban) was an innovator with electroacustics mixed with piano, and back then I was even more traditionalist. I guess I still am, because I didn’t care for the contemporary distorted sound of the piece. And then…Liszt, and his “Spanish Raphsody”. This atmospheric and virtuosistic rhapsody is basically based on two different themes: the La Folia de Espagna and Jota Aragonesa. The work opens with a cadenza, of which the first part is the somber Folia theme. The contrasting second part features the Jota Aragonesa, a brilliant happy waltz-like tune that dates from the 12 th Century. (I know I’ve heard it included in other compositions) The interplay of the two dissimilar themes and dazzling color effects really got my attention, and that of the audience. The house exploded when he did his final strong Finale. “Encore”,” encore” …we kept screaming… And he did 2 encores. First, another Cuban composer, Ignacio Cervantes with his piece “Los tres golpes”, (The three knocks), for the delight of those who didn’t know that at a point, the pianist, who is immersed in a complicated routine of Cuban rhythms suddenly stops to knock at the piano, and he does this three times, Then, at the very end, he gave us.the lovely Lecuona’s song “Estas en mi corazon”(You are in my heart), which is a classic love song in Cuba, and put a couple of people to sob. Right there, he gained control of the total of the audience, me included… Bravo Jorgito!! :blush:

I think she was supposed to dance opening night.. I'm hoping to see her, myself. YES!!! :blush: you go girl!

dancerboy, I would also like to recomend while in the Youtube searching process to look for the keywords Rosario Suarez Black Swan (or Cisne negro). Rosario's display of flamboyancy to impress the court was always unique. Hey BTW, just look at the codas, and get your partner to do the cuban sautees sur le pointe en arabesque penchee after the pirouettes!...See, Alonso was in her late 60's and did it. You guys will bring the house down if done..I guarantee. Good luck!

1965 Alicia Alonso's Black Swan with Azari Plisetsky. To watch for HER interpretation, make up selection, hairstyle, mime, character development, seduction tools. Nothing on him. It's on youtube, but for some reason, it's not showing here 1958 Alicia Alonso/Youskevitch Adagio. Watch his sensuality towards her, his masculinity and tenderness at the same time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIAPuE3VNso</a>[/url] Recently defector from Ballet Nacional de Cuba Hayna Gutierrez and her softer approach to the role, which can be interesting to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31sIsqO_EKc

Would that be allowed on everybody...How about Somova announcing a "change of 32 fouettes due to inability..."?

Probably. The sovietiziced cuban ending with a newly swan-to-princess transformation of Odette after an effectively choreographied fight between Siegfried and Rothbart , with the death of the last one and the emerging Odette's castle in the distance was always well received in Havana, and it always made sense to me...It was weird when i first saw my first suicidal ending in US. But see, now i like the lake jumping... :blush:

Toto, do it as you always do...WITH FULL FORCE!!

...and Lorna...?

Ugh, it's deppressing...and

Oh it was, Helene...what a beautiful couple. People were lining to get their book signed, and i just had my little playbill, and when i told them they were like "Oh, please, come over, don't worry!' and he went, "Margo,Margo you write better than me, come on!" and joking like that the whole time. Their stories with Mme. Alonso were really funny too, and they wished me the best luck when i told them i was going to nursing school. Cute people, with lots of class.. (I REALLY miss THAT old school class, totally absent sometimes within the nowadays ballet world...well, not sometimes, but MANY times...) Now, about the program. As I wrote earlier, Miami City Ballet Open Barre # 4 displayed this time ballroom inspired program called “Absolute Cabaret”, to the occasion of the publication of the recently published memoirs of Augie and Margo Rodriguez. The program went as follows: 1-“Ran Can Can”. Part of a longer piece called “Lounge 2200”; it included several members of the company performing a salsa inspired dancing. The performers included Mary Carmen Catoya (very much alive and way far from her somber alter ego Aurora), the two Sarabias (dancing as if they were in the middle of their hometown’s barrio, beautiful Jennifer Kronemberg (which got the Latin beat 100 %) and Renato Panteado. Sarabita bade sure to show off his Latin roots, and added some flavor to a few tours en l‘air, punctuating his dancing with phenomenal spinning and turning. 2-“No Pity” (also from Lounge 2200). Here we had Catoya and Sarabita. They did a very sensual PDD; Great series of pirouettes by Sarabita reminded me of his old Havana days. Catoya, once again, was radiant, which made it easier to appreciate her impeccable technique. 3-“Salsa Number”. This was a number performed by some NY City House Dance International Champions. They are dancers from ballroom dance competitions doing a fine job. Sergia Anderson and Raul Santiago danced the leads, demonstrating ballroom dancing technique with lots of Latin beat. For a moment they took me back to my Havana days and Tropicana. 4-The next two numbers were excerpts from Willella’s “ The Fox Trot: Dancing in the Dark” and “The Quick Step: Unspeakable Jazz must Go!” inspired also by ballroom dancing. Jennifer Kronemberg and Isanusi Garcia danced “The Fox Trot Pas de Deux”. It wasn’t my favorite, I must say, and the costume selections weren’t the best. Jennifer wore a long dress that didn’t suit the demands of the choreography, even getting stock over Isanusi’s head while he was lifting her over his back. Isanusi demonstrated wonderful partnering skills by quickly trying to get the dress tail out of his face. On the other side, he wasn’t really able to show off his great technique. Catoya and Panteado had a great time with their number. She had a little 20’s inspired black wig, and they were obviously having fun. Good. 5-“Hustle Number”again with Sergia Anderson and Raul Santiago. Here we had the classical hustle number with some Brazilian beat. Again, this couple demonstrated the flexibility required for competitive ballroom dancing 6-“Three Smokers” (from “The Fox Trot”), with Jeremy Cox, Renato Panteado and Alexander Dufaur. . Mmm… the old ballet cliché of three men in town getting drunk and playing silly. Kind of bland. 7-“Sunny Ray”. A cabaret number performed by guest artists from the Dancesensation company. Forgettable. 8-“Augie and Margot Wedding Dance”. This was a try at portraying a fantasy of Augie and Margo’s wedding night. Very “interesting” their choice of costumes, which in her case consisted in a wedding outfit that quickly came off at the beginning of the ballet just to reveal a flesh colored body suit with strategically, placed rhinstones . No comments. Choreographically questionable also. Overall they delivered a great evening. Thanks, Eddie...as usual.

Oh, God, yes...i got the DVD recently, and i had to laugh when i saw Nureyev's little head sticking in and out of the fabric...

Of course there was bart. I'm sorry for not being able to post about it right now, but i'm at work, and i forgot my playbill. As soon as i get home, i'll write about the dancers and the program. (That's why i wrote "To be continued..." )

Part 1. What a great evening of dance and memories. Eddie presented his Open Barre # 4 with full blast in a packed house. The night was dedicated to pay a well deserved tribute to this electric ballroom dance couple, the great Margo and Augie Rodriguez. The Rodriguez were pioneers of the Mambo craze of the 50's, when Machito and his Afro-Cubans took the stage and the nation by storm. They presented old black and white videos of their dancing from TV shows , and i should say that even not being myself the biggest fan of ballroom dancing, i was amazed at their breacneck speed, technique and precision. I mean, that guy was doing tours en l'air with such speed that i couldn't sometimes tell if they were triple or quadruples. They are said to be America's first celebrity dance couple to share headliner billing with such megastars as Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. The program was presented by Villella, who spoke very fondly about the couple as they have been friends for almost 50 years. After the performance they did a book signing of their recently published autobiography "The Opening Act: The Love Story of Augie and Margo Rodriguez". I approached them to get my program signed and talked to them. They are delightful and cheerful, and as soon as they realized i was cuban, they started talking spanish with me-(they are puertoricans)- and telling me about their great memories of dancing in Havana during the 50's at Tropicana and taking classes with Rodney, the famous Tropicana's choreographer. I asked Margo about her training, and they told me they had an intense classical ballet training, although having decided to dedicate their artistry to the ballroom form. They also told funny stories when taking classes with Mme. Alonso back then. It was really wonderful, and even more when they took the stage by the surprise of the audience at the end and did a little number, bringing the house down. Bravo Margo and Augie! (To be continued...)

Ehem, Patrick...again...

Good questions, bart. As for my own experience, i absolutely HATE the fact that everytime i see a commercial on TV in which ballet is involved, 99 % of chances are that it's a "funny" -(aka silly/horrendous)- thing making fun of the art form. In other words, pleeeeease, leave the "Dance of the Little Swans" aloooooooooooong!!! Get some new ideas, for Christ sake...the joke is getting old.

Thank you Mel as usual for your helpful information. According to the article some of the driving forces behing those Chagall's backdrops were the loss of his beloved wife Bella and the destruction of his hometown, Vitebsk by the nazis, along with the feeling of living in a foreign country as an eternal exile .

I found this interesting pic of Mme. Alonso and Youskevitch in Massine's "Aleko". One can see the gorgeous Chagall's backdrops, which in the second link are shown in a recent exhibition in Japan. I was also wondering if this ballet is still performed somewhere, or if there's any comercially released product around. 1- Alonso/Youskevitch in "Aleko". http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2669759.jpg...55A1E4F32AD3138 2-Marc Chagall's "Land in his Soul" exhibition in Japan. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DX

"Dance to me is life itself.I have lived well. I have achieved a lot. I am aware that I have made history. I planted a seed which grew into a tree and the fruits have been exported all over the world." Mme. Alonso

A good question for the "This or that" thread...!

Always a pleasure. Coming up, Handel's Julius Cesar (sometime during this week) and Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami next weekend.

"Please, tell Alicia that many years have passed but so far nobody has ever danced "Theme and Variations" the way she did" George Balanchine

Thank you bart, for the insights at BF's future. I really hope for the big pockets to open to keep the good work going and for a succesful new season. Meanwhile, i was looking at their website, and i realized that today they are actually dancing the last performance of their 07/08 Season finale!. This is the program: 07/08 Season Finale. The Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach Community College 1-Jerry Opdenaker. "World Premiere" 2-George Balanchine. "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux" 3-George Balanchine. "Allegro Brillante" 4-Lar Lubovitch. "Elemental Brubeck" http://balletflorida.com/index.cfm?fuseact...es.PERFORMANCES 0607 Eissey &x=9293063

Oh yes Peggy, Lorenita surely projects that dramatic aura around-(can't miss Alonso's old school on her). She was also one of my favorites back at her Havana days with Ballet Nacional de Cuba and now through her appearances with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. (BTW, she's due to dance "Carmen" for the CCBM's next Season!. )