cubanmiamiboy

A few words to thank you all for your contribution to this thread and your voting. My intention was to evaluate the degree of familiarity of BT'rs, whom I believe are pretty much representative of the most knowledge side of the audience, to the cornerstones of the art form. I had a few surprises, as which how few votes works like "Grand Pas de Quatre" or Nijinska's derivative of "Fille" got. Other works, like Bournonville's-(with the exception of "La Sylphide")-seem to be even less known for a majority-(me included...Sylphide is the only one I know, and the usual excerpts from Flower Festival), and some recreations, like "Ondine", "La Peri", "Le Talisman" or "La Source" seem to be even more tucked in in their urns. Then, I know there is a vast number of ballet lovers whom, as bart once wrote, basically see ballet as what Balanchine made of it, which I have come to realize is a whole world of its own, with a vast repertoire and a specific pathos and language. Still, I'm happy to report "Giselle" ended up hand in hand with "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake"-(38 votes each)-closely followed by "Sleeping Beauty"-(37)-, "Coppelia"-(33)-and "La Bayadere"-(32). Again, thank you all and Happy Ballet Viewing, and here are the winners! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ommhBSesnn4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsd0thqezQE

I agree. True that certain works are easier to play with than some more defined ones in terms of historical context. Still...Wagner DID indeed give stage directions for what he wanted the audience to see . Factual things like place-(Monsalvat/Montserrat, Spain)-and the fact that the work is, if loosely, still inspired and based by a XIII Century poem, Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival" on the Arthurian knight of the same name and his quest for the Holy Grail and on "Perceval, the Story of the Grail" by Chrétien de Troyes, add to it, and I strongly believe need to be totally taken into full consideration. Just as The Nutcracker...if Nuremberg is the place, and certain characters are precisely named by the creators of the work-(Prince Coqueluche, for instance...)-WHY then are they being changed, or simply erased...? I'm a traditionalist, I confess.

But that's exactly the problem. Why make things more confusing for the "newbies"...? On top of tyring to explain to a less than experienced companion the original context or historical setting one has to guess-(and explain...or rather, try to explain, as we might not be completely sure of the sense of the twisting)-the why of the final result, then... And then there could be the question of "Why did they change the libretto...?", for which I usually have the most cruel and sarcastic answers.

How, how lovely and what a surprise to see that Dewdrop's original costume had a crispy, short tutu!-(my favorite ones). I really like it way more than the mega short chiffon skirt we see now...

That make two of us. When I went to see Handel's Agrippinna, I wanted to see a proper Roman setting. Instead I got some weird stuff that up until now I can't decide what was that about. The main thing I see about this is that eventually all this fantasy playing with historical settings could get so confused for some who're not that familiar with the work that, even if well sung and acted, can eventually interfere with the whole experience. I think they somehow ignore the lesser familiarity of the non cognoscenti audience.

This is so true. A couple of days ago I went to see a rare produccion of Handel's "Agrippinna". It was a lovely produccion by the school of music of the Florida International University, and I really enjoyed it everything but the choice of the AD to disregard the period and instead dress the characters in such a mitch match that I couldn't really make sense of. It is even more confusing in historical dramas for those who are not too familiar with historical facts and characters. I think this will be the same case in the upcoming Giulio Cesare...

I can speak only in lieu of my native country to say that training outside Europe and America has been proving highly effective there since the early 60's-(even more than now). The Cuban method was molded after the mixing schooling of the Imperial Russian-(Mikhail/Alexander/Leon Fokine-Alexandra Fedorova) and Italian Ceccetti-(Enrico Zanfretta)- of both Fernando and Alicia Alonso during the late 40's, early 50's. By the time the school was already producing its first golden generation-(Pla, Mendez, Saa sisters, Araujo, Bosch, etc...)-it had definitely also being highly influenced by their American schooling-(which at the time was basically Imperial Russian, but with a distinctive characteristic American speed as AA mentions). The 60's, 70's and 80's were definitely richer than the 90's, 2000's and what we see today. Let me agree to disagree here, Jayne. The Cuban school method as developed by Fernando Alonso was completely untouched by the Soviet Union. Remember that not Fernando, nor Alicia had access to see the new Vaganova method way after the Revolution in '59, at a time when the Cuban school syllabus was already firmly established. One of the anecdotes that Roca recounts in his book was that after the first visit of a Cuban dancer-(Lazaro Carreno, Jose Manuel's uncle)-to dance in the Soviet Union and take some classes there, he had to be continuously corrected in his return from his new Soviet mannerisms, which both Alicia and Fernando disliked. The real, ideal mold of Alicia's female dancer has always been Markova, and for the men, Mr. Youskevitch.

It is still frozen...

As it should be. Well, the reality is that in the U.S. the Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition. Whether this should or should not be the case can be debated, but it is irrelevant. No...it is very relevant, for which one of the P/T triunvirate is being mislabeled and relegated here. Fee Dragee PDD goes right hand on hand in beauty and level of technique with Aurora's Wedding PDD and Black Swan PDD.

It looked to me like an apron...

As it should be.

Actually, I just realized that it is not Mauve who gets rejected twice, but only during the second set of balances. The first time is White who doesn't get her hand. Well...it is clear that the thing is aimed at showing a looooonger last unsupported balance by Valdes during the two sets. Still, they both stand there offering their hand just in case she has an off night and really needs some support. But...even being a strict showy sequence, it can't help but showing Aurora accepting the three first hands, as if saying to the last one "I don't need you, so leave me alone". This is more Valdes than Aurora, IMO.. (or maybe a little rebellious princess..?)

Poor Russian Prince in mauve gets rejected twice...

Actually my live experiences with Valdes are very limited. I left the island right when she was still a soloist, and a very obscured one by the divine Lorna Feijoo, who I place as the LAST ballerina who really carried the golden lineage of the Cuban ballet. All those Balanchines are part of the Cuban repertoire, and with the exception of Ballo, are performed sans licensing. As I said, when Merrill Ashley went to stage it, only Feijoo was selected to dance it. As per now, Valdes is first cast for all the ballets, including those by Balanchine. About my last sentence...when Alonso decided to re-staged T&V for her, a full video of the ballet with her and Youskevitch dancing it was taken from her personal arcades for the purpose. I knew the video existed, but it wasn't until I saw some clips that I realized how precious it is to have that very first account of such gem for a dancer. I can't wait until someone post the revival on Youtube, although maybe it will be difficult with the Trust and all that.

Will be interesting to see veterans Albertson and Reyes in TPDD. Rebello and Delgado also...wow. Jeanette is a solid, muscular girl. I wonder how will Rebello handle those fish dives! I think it would had been better to pair Catoya with Rebello and Panteado with Delgado, body type wise. Let's see...

Natasha...none of your choices matches mine..!! WHAT'S WRONG IN THIS PICTURE..?!?! ; -) I'm a huge 80's fan, and that's why I welcomed with open arms the Joan Collins look of Berry and Fonda. Very tired of the pale dresses, or the fluffy uber clauds. Great to see the beauty of men with facial hair..! LOVED them! Clooney, Cooper, Affleck Dujardin Jackman Schreiber Chris Pine Paul Rudd Chris Evans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TWLKP8j0zk

Best Dressed at the Oscars tonight... Halle Berry in Versace Jane Fonda in Atelier Versace Nicole Kidman in L'Wren Scott. Naomi Watts in Armani Prive Salma Hayek in Alexander McQueen Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan Catherine Zeta Jones in Zuhair Murad

Cristian, thank you. This intro is on the ICA Classics DVD of BBC's Les Sylphides and Giselle (ICAD 5030). Sylphides stars Alicia Markova and Giselle stars Nadia Nerina. My husband gave me this DVD for Christmas and it's very good. Wonderful! I hope they could release at one point the whole Giselle film with Markova and Dolin....

Hoss is indeed wonderful, Helene, and the film is very intimate and moody. I went to see it with my French friend, and I was telling him how close do I see it related with our own situation in Cuba. Up until when me and my mom left the country, permission was still required for certain professionals by the designated minister to travel. My mother, as a University professor, had to ask the Minister of Education for a permission to be granted to visit her sister here-(she had no intentions of going back, but they did not know it, for which the process of asking for a permanent exit to US was back then a long, difficult and dangerous one, even risking one's possibility to keep working). For health professionals the process is even harder. Even now, with the new regulations abolishing the "white card"-(the official stamp in the passport to get out), health professionals are still required to get it from the Minister for temporary traveling. Permanent exit to US is still a field of its own, as it is still constitutionally considered a crime-("treason to the country" it reads). When my mother's sister and her husband left in 1965, he was taken out of his job and sent to the sugar cane fields, leaving his wife at home with two kids, no job and pregnant of a third one. They never went back. Anyway...here's a bit of Hoss and Petzold's interview. ...and a trailer with subtitles in English. I saw it in German, but I don't know if the film has been distributed with subtitles in other parts of US. Did you get it subtitled, Helene...?

I think you mean Tchai. PDD, bart..., and still, even if they're repeating it, that's ok for me. I really enjoy this concert piece. I just don't know why are they repeating stuff so much instead of, let's say, change it for another Peti-tuesque one...Sylvia PDD, for instance... Oh, darn...all this Duato, Wheeldon, Ratmansky et al...(yawn). Anyway...even welcoming back DQ, I agree about being too soon yet to present it again. Let's suggest a new production of a full length Swan Lake instead. ("Really Cristian...YOU again with that darn old Swan Lake stuff?!?!" ). Ok, ok...how about "Fille..."? THAT I know MCB can stage, and it is a secure ticket. I seriously need to consider becoming an Advantage member of American Airlines by now...

Tchai. PDD two seasons in a row...? Welcome back DQ!

A WILD guess, IMO...! This is true. She has had only access to Terpsichore, the Sylph of SS and the T&V, Tchai.PDD and Sylvia PDD-(real Balanchine)- leads-(when Ballo was staged, Ashley only selected Lorna Feijoo to dance it)...but hey, having had first hand view of a full original T&V vid with THE lead on it for a compprehensive portray should be enough,right...?

Tchai. PDD is one of those "Peti-tuesques" by Balanchine that I always enjoy big time.(Well, they are actually Odile and Sigfried, aren't they...?). Many times I have wondered how wonderful could it be if someone could introduce this right in the ballroom scene of a full length staging, given proper licensure and everything. Anyway...here's a PDD that's not short of pyrotechnics...(very few people do proper credit to those final daring fish dives). There used to be a video on Youtube, now removed, with Xiomara Reyes and Corella on it, and they were FANTASTIC. She threw herself with such force and he caught her the two times with her face almost touching the floor. Very few times I've seen this sequence danced with such energy. Catoya and Panteado should do good. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the report, BB!

Glad you enjoyed it Elena!