cubanmiamiboy

before some ever-generous BT member spends time helping me w/this, i have now found a way produce watermarks on scans from my photo collection.

[see test watermark/scan in kshesinska thread - coming up]

It's a great way that of watermarking the pics, RG. I saw it on the Alonso one, and it doesn't really affect its quality. Thank you again for keeping sharing them.

i have now tried watermarking a press photo from my collection.

it shows Alonso in WALTZ ACADEMY - all it says, rubber-stamped, on the back is: LUCIA CHASE AND OLIVER SMITH PRESENT BALLET THEATRE 8TH SEASON

[in pencil] Alicia Alonso

What a beautiful pic of my beloved Mme, RG! I have another variation from that same photoshoot. Thank you for sharing it. It's my new screen saver now!.

Natalia:

I searched amazon.com but could not find that announcement.

Finally, the Alonso/Vasiliev "Giselle" DVD is out in Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105-5...e+alicia+alonso

it has just come to my attention that a number of photocard scans uploaded to this site by me from my collection have been posted without my permission on another site: This is a link to a site with copyright violations..com.

i trust this is an innocent mistake and that it will be corrected to my satisfaction.

this is the second time, so far, that this has occurred.

if anyone surfing the web notes other instances where scans posted by me and meant for the information of ballettalk are 're-cycled' w/o any credit to my collection and ballettalk, i'm eager to know this.

Regretful. Want to take the chance to thank you, Mr. R.G , for posting all those wonderful pics that, otherwise, we would have never had the chance to enjoy.

I remember a story about the apparently ubiquitous Lourdes Lopez visiting the land of her birth to dance as a guest with Ballet Nacional maybe two or three years after she retired from NYCB. Maybe she did some staging during that visit.

Okay, this story explains the presence of the Robbins and Balanchine works in BNdC's rep.

This story, from 1998, describes Lopez's first visit as guest of the company; this one the outgrowth of that visit.

Thank you, Carbro, for the link to Ms. Lopez's story. I could identify with it and really got deeply moved ...

"For her trip to Cuba, she chose 'Pavane for a Dead Princess', a ballet created by George Balanchine for Patricia McBride,(...)After rehearsal one day, Ms. Lopez was asked why she had picked that ballet. (...)'You know how it begins, a solitary figure center stage, wrapped in a long veil?' she asks. 'Well, it occurred to me that, oddly enough, this ballet is like Cuba. Like Cuba, I'm raising my hands to whatever, government or God, and I'm imploring. I'm saying: 'Do something. I'm isolated. I'm by myself, buried down here.' But no one comes, and, in the end, I'm back under the wraps, crying.''

Did you keep your programs? Often they mention whether or not there are stagers from the Trust (with all of those copyright symbols all over the place.)

I don't know if Alonso every performed in Apollo, but there are so many people with experience in the ballet from so many companies that it wouldn't be that hard to stage, especially with at least three video versions.

Hi, Helene. Yes, i kept the program. It was a Gala Tribute to George Balanchine that Mme. Alonso prepared and presented with great fanfarre the night of Oct. 20 2000, at the Lorca Theatre in Havana, which included "TPDD", "SYlvia PDD" and "Theme and Variations". There is no trace whatsoever of the copyright sign on it, or any mention of the Balanchine Trust. I remember veeeery well that performance, because i was shocked at the hight security displayed at the theatre that night, even police scanning everybody before getting in. Right before the courtains went up, guess who showed up right up in the theatre...Fidel Castro . Anyways, back to topic and Alonso, yes, she danced one of the muses role in "Apollo", along with Nora Kaye and Barbara Fallis, and Andre Eglevsky in the title role. I have a beautiful pic. of the three from the ballet taken by the photographer Fred Fehl in New York, and is not dated, but it has to be from before 1947, pre- "Theme and Variations'. Balanchine also had her in "Waltz Academy" around those years ...

and I've also seen "Apollo", "Ballo de la Regina", "Theme and Variations" "TPDD" and "Sylvia PDD" in Havana ...so Trusts..?

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival. The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine. I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes . Here they go:

Mme.Alicia Alonso: "Tribute to Balanchine"

"I didn't have a chance to see Balanchine towards the end of his life, but i often received his messages. I remember,for example ,in 1976, when i was dancing at the Matropolitan Opera House as a guest artist of the American Ballet Theatre, doing "Carmen". Back there, i was receiving some physical therapy by an ex ballet dancer friend of mine, Bill Weslow. Balanchine also was having some treatments with Billy, so he gave him this message to me :

GB-'Please, tell Alicia that many years have passed but so far nobody has ever danced "Theme and Variations" the way she did'. I appreciate a lot, coming from the master, that judgment and that he still remembered me. "

Mme Alonso "

i have no definitive data on this but i think it seems unlikely the ballet in question is jerome robbins's DANCES AT A GATHERING.

in '78 DANCES was not yet 10 years old; robbins was always very watchful of where his ballets might be staged. perhaps a robbins trust site catalogues the robbins repertory around the world.

during his lifetime - he died in '98 - he rarely had any of his ballets restaged with new designs. the original and to the best of my knowledge only designer connected with DANCES was joe eula.

maybe others here can shed some light on your query.

rg, i really don't have information about "Dances at a Gathering" danced by Ballet Nacional de Cuba, but i know that Mme. Alonso has restaged several Balanchine and Robins ballets, always claiming of presenting them in their best choreographic accuracy, having learned them from the main source, (e.g, Fokine's "Chopiniana" and thus the whole controversy over its presentation with the Fokine trust when the troupe came to the US and tried, unsuccesfully, to danced it years ago). Now, what i know for fact is that she did actually staged a Robins ballet in oct. 28 .1978, with designs by Oscar de la Renta, and it was "In the Night", with music from Chopin. As a curiousity ,this entry is listed as a "world premiere".

Cristian, I'm curious about the spelling of Jhones. And its pronunciation. We've had another thread recently about the uniqueness of many Cuban first names. But this appears to be a family name? Or a stage name?

Hi, bart: If m. serves i think that he was cuban-american, and Jhones is his father's last name.

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival. The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine. I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes . Here they go:

Mme.Alonso: "Tribute to Balanchine".

"In 'Theme and Variations' Igor [Youskevitch] and i developed a hard and passionate work. We both were achieving our own particular concept of the PDD, with an essentially expressive feeling, like a dialogue, very warm and personal and way far from the usual form established by Balanchine. That's why we couldn't avoid , on the execution of the new choreography, to interpret it in our own way, as much as what the enormous technical demand would allow to. To give a sense of dancing to a melody, to express a sensibility, to follow a theme, to achieve a humanization, or in other words, to make a duo between a man and a woman. As it was expected, Balanchine noticed, but for some reason, he didn't criticized us; he stared at what we did, silent, but he respected it. He only told us:

G.B-'Is not exactly what i'm asking , but i like it..."

Mme. Alonso.

She didn't "act." She danced.

...an ahead of the times "Balanchine's ballerina"...?

Cristian,

Would you be so kind as to translate. Did I read this correctly that he was only 56 when he died? Were you familiar with his dancing? If so what was he like?

Hi, printscess...thank you for your interest. Here is some information in english about Mr. Jhones from the web site of Radio Habana Cuba, an official cuban radio station.

"One of the most prestigious dancers of the Cuban National Ballet, Fernando Jhones, passed away in Mexico where he worked as director of the Queretaro University Ballet. Jhones, who was a loyal member of the Cuban National Ballet, visited Havana just a few months ago to participate in the International Ballet Teaching Academies Conference held in the Cuban capital every year.

The Cuban dancer was internationally acclaimed for his technical and stylistic level. Jhones was known on stages of Europe, the Americas and Asia, where he danced several of the classical leading roles. He also performed in contemporary ballets by Cuban and international choreographers.

In recognition of his artistic skills, Jhones received several decorations throughout his brilliant career, including the Varna Diploma of Honor in1976 and the Prize for Artistic Mastery in Moscow in 1977. He was also awarded the Friendship Medal by the Vietnamese government 1978, the Silver Medal by the Lawyers Guild of Puerto Rico 1978, and the Diploma of Honor at the International Ballet Festival of Peru in 1981.

Jhones obtained the First Prize in Modern Choreography at the International Ballet Contest held in Tokyo in 1978 for his performance in The Tin Soldier with the ballet Muñecos directed by Alberto Mendez. Graduated from the National Ballet School in 1970, Jhones joined the Cuban National Ballet, became a principal dancer in 1986 and continued his career as a dancer until he retired from the stage in 1991"

There's also some more info here:

http://www.cubanow.net/global/loader.php?&...2&item=3260

RIP, Fernando Jhones.

This is so sad...Jhones was one of the first male dancers from Ballet Nacional de Cuba, along Jorge Esquivel and Orlando Salgado, that i saw on stage when i was a kid. One of the loveliest choreographies that i recall from my early days at the Lorca Theatre in Havana at was "Munecos"("Toys")a little tragic fairytale piece which he danced with Ms. Caridad Martinez, (the first afrocuban classical ballerina i ever saw at BNC ),which i've seen many times after, but never like them. There are some clips on Youtube of this ballet with Lorna Feijoo. I also saw "Canto vital", (vital song), by Azary Plisetsky (Maya Plisetskaya's brother), a contemporary ballet danced on a Mahler symphony, in where he really made a full display of male force and power...and he was phenomenal. Yes, i'm really shocked and sad..he was still young...

Thank you, Natalia, for posting the note.

RIP, Fernando Jhones

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival. The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine. I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes . Here they go]

Mme. Alonso on the staging of the White Swan PDD by Balanchine for her and Youskevitch:

AA- "I remember that it was Balanchine who made me realized of a characteristic thing of my dancing that i had for instinct without realizing. One day, after watching me dance the II act of Swan Lake, he said to me:

GB-'You, your arms...they dance the melody more than the rythm'

Youskevitch and I had the wonderful experience that the master personally rehearsed us on that II Act. Of all those rehearsals i haven't forgotten one little detail from him : the importance he gave to trying to keep inmaculate the ballerina's tutu. That means that, during the performance, one have to treat the costumes in a technical way which, in general, express the extreme attention that the partenaire should give to the ballerina."

Mme Alicia Alonso

Thank you for your translations of these notes, Cristian. Let me say, as a long-time devotee of Ms. Farrell, how much I am struck by and admire your devotion to Mme. Alonzo.

Thank you for your aknowledgment...and it'is an honor and a pleasure to write them...

I was recently reading an old program from Ballet Nacional de Cuba from october 2000, when Mme. Alonso organized a program called "Gala tribute to George Balanchine" during the XVII Havana Ballet Festival. The program notes is based in an interview in which Mme. Alonso describes some of her experiences working with Mr. Balanchine. I thought it would be a good idea to translate some of these notes . Here they go:

Mme.Alonso on Balanchine and "Theme and Variations".

Youskevitch's variation:

"The variation that Balanchine made for Youskevitch, so celebrated by the critics, had its evolution during the stage phase of the work. Initially, i remember that he created a variation very par terre, technically simple, based on positions and designs of diferent angles of [Y] body's line. Then he overheard that Youskevitch wasn't pleased with the variation, because he considered that i had too little technical complexities. B. acepted the challenge and said:

G.B: 'All right, we will do a variation based on three brilliant choreographic themes', and it resulted in what probably is the variation with the highest technical virtuosism among all those that he created for men"

It is amazing when you see 100 boys in one school of all ages, sexual orientation, supporting each other and cheering each other on. And through out my son's studies at SAB, he has learned to embrace others and their differences, regardless of their orientation.

Printscess, from now on you're absolutely my hero!!! This world would su much better and easier with moms like you...

...standard fireproofing for all that stuff was and remains borax or boric acid

Oooh, the old ilussional "imperial white magic" is gone now that i have to relate the lovely snowflakes with borax and boric acid.. (never occured to me that kind of question...BTW, BT'rs are really stepping out of the box and being creative, ah? )

I see that two new DVDs are out in Japan, featuring Lopatkina and Vishneva demonstrating solos from the Kirov-mariinsky repertoire. Alas, so far no word on distribution outside of Japan. Lucky Japanese fans of these two ballerinas! Check this out:

http://fairy.ol.shopserve.jp/SHOP/4988026822218.html for Lopatkina

http://fairy.ol.shopserve.jp/SHOP/4988026822201.html for VishnevaNot cheap, though, at about U.S. $47 each.

I've been sometimes tempted to buy this japanese editions. I guess i should first get me an all-region DVD player...mmm...will think about it...

(Xiomara and the fan did it for me).

He,he...isn't she wonderful?...i would get hooked with her too, Adam. Welcome!!!

In your experience, have exceptions ever been made in this way of doing things? Have young corps members been allowed to dance major principal roles in the classics?

No, bart...i haven't seen it happened. On the contrary, i've seen the other way around. I remember watching wonderful ballerinas getting older and dancing 2 Willis, Pas de Trois and the like their whole life without being promoted, and that was sad to watch...One of the cases was Lorena Feijoo, who was never promoted to Principal and never even got her chance to dance Odette/Odile in Cuba...If she wouldn't have left the island, she would had never gone to the top, where she is now, as a SFB Principal...

I remember reading somewhere that Altynai Asylmuratova spent 4 years in the corps, which she considered valuable. Now, I see Alina Somova jumping into roles like Kitri, Aurora, Odette/Odile. She's not the only one, obviously, however, she is one of the more prominent ones.

I've noticed this all around with many companies, but as I do enjoy following the Mariinsky, I was just wondering why the focus is on the corphyees dancing the principal roles....I understand moving up through the ranks, but some things are a bit extreme.

is it just me? What do you think?

Well, in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's case, there is a historic rigid hierarchy within the troupe, and strict old rules for promotion are religiously practiced. The corps de ballet is divided into three levels - A, B, and C, after which came promotion to coryphée, and hence to the rank of soloist, second soloist, and first soloist. Main roles are normally given to the principal dancers, who, when they have proved their worth might be nominated étoile. The highest accolade is that of prima ballerina. Promotions are officially made every two years, but a coryphée can become a soloist in six months . Mme. Alonso always enphazises on the fact that it's very important for the younger dancers , no matter how brilliant they are, to learn the discipline which comes from being in the corps de ballet, and to know what's happening around them. She always states that she learned that the hard way from her years at Ballet Theatre on the early 40's.

DO videos of Cojocaru's Giselles with Johann Kobborg (...) exist for sale?

I know!...I absolutely love their Giselle clips...She's the most ethereal being that i've ever seen. Actually, they were my "romantic ballets" pick in that other thread about couples and styles...

Well, I voted so I guess I should reply. I think high extensions are being overused. Sometimes it just looks silly.

The worst is when they start a variation displaying their overextended limbs to ridiculous levels and right after they prove to be a disaster in everything else...(e.g, balances, jetes, sautees, etc...)...I have some names, but i better keep it quiet...