cubanmiamiboy

Let's note I talked about "female dancers", and also that "ballet is woman"... . Men are there mainly tu support, but the clear distinction in between ballet and contemporary dancing is done mainly by females dancing on pointe vs. not.

Wow...

When I saw it I, I kept thinking on Charlize Theron as a Hollywood Karenina. Agree..?

That is new for me, Amy. Let's take a random woman who dances. Even if she takes barre excercises, but still doesn't conquer-(by choice or not)-the pointe technique, and dances in a company that does not requires pointes...would she still be considered a ballet dancer...? I would not say so. I think for a woman to be said to be involved in ballet world she has put those pointes on and show them to the world. As per the rest, they are just "dancers". (Good thing in Spanish we make a very ample black and white distinction in between "Ballet" and "Danza". Flamenco female dancers make also the distinction in between their art and the rest, including ballet. They are "Bailaoras", vs. the pointe "Bailarinas". In English everybody is a "dancer").

I agree. "Not enough..."..."not only.." et al, but, I think it could be an honest, easy and ample start that has to do a lot with most of what we discuss here. Then, extra research and fine tuning can be done, or course...

Pointe shoes, pointe shoes, pointe shoes! (I know, I know...all that Sheherezade situation, but... )

Wow...Giselle just got surpassed by Swan Lake by one vote...I suspected that was going to happen at one point.

1786, and I thought about including it, but..I wanted to stick to the XIX Century. Still...a very attractive option, IMO. Has anybody seen it...?

dirac, to be honest, I found Schoenaerts' performance to be the most exciting here. Cotillard was good too though.

No. It is the XIX century heritage what I'm mostly counting here.

Natasha...I added a spin off of the thread with some of your suggestions. Check'em out!

How about weight lifting for the men..? I don't know now, but in Cuba it was part of the regular curriculum. I don't know about other companies, but I don't think the MCB headquarters has a gym with such equipements.

How about this..?

Here's an expansion of the original thread. And here're are excerpts from the Maly's staging of Petipa's "The Cavarly's Halt" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX5Jm_7RYsM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuBh3oMF4ho http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbq_S3mE4a8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJF6ol34i8g

I had more ballets in my pre-list ar first, but then I though about norrowing it to put only those that have been staged for professional companies. which is why I almost did not include Martin's the Magic Flute, because I was reading that he had staged it just for the SAB, only later realizing that he had also presented it by the main company. Was The Seasons danced by the professional company at any moment, Natasha..? I also though about Cavalry's Halt, and even Armide and Chopiniana at one point...but then i thought I was getting to close to Diaguilev, which is a huge, revered field of its own.

A very enjoyable film by Jacques Audiard. Lovely Marion Cotillard and handsome Matthias Schoenarts in the leads. Go see it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DTlcDJZqBo

I need more space then..! The system did not allow me to go with more than 3 questions with 10 options each one. I will add Balanchine's Harlequinade to the "Les Millions..." though. It looks as if it is another rightful descendant from its predecessor. Natasha...I must say you're the only one here who has checked every single one of the ballets! Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are even with the most checks-(26). Keep'em coming!

Now I have a question. Should I have included Balanchine's "Harlequinade" within "Les Millions d'Arlequin" range...? Is that a complete production, meaning close following the Petipa heritage and original libretto/score...?

In Cuba the formal term used is "Afro-Cuban". Curiously, the Spanish derivative of the "N" word is widely accepted too, and not in whispering, nor necessarily in an offending way either. It is just still current, somehow in the Mark Twain fashion/mood.

Now with Gounod I notice that Valdes' partenaires are becoming more and more her juniors. There's quite an age difference between the two of them.

Thank you all for your responses and votes so far, and...keep'em coming..! FYI, the Ballet of ballets keeps winning here with 19 votes...so good for our girl! Here're some bits of the most rarely seen ones. La Peri Le Talisman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv6V_vRMqkw La Source Ondine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40qtmRbz9w0 Edited to add: I also thought about including the Lopukhov version of Les Millions d'Arlequin, but I did not have enough space to do so. I think I will expand Alonso's take to include it too.

Oh, this is a very interesting distinction -- I had to think twice for a couple of works that I know only through video. Perhaps we should think about opening an additional discussion. I edited a bit the title of the thread to further clarify it, as I'm certainly looking for the theater experience here.

I'm glad you liked her, Renata. Cabrera was a very delicate, subtle dancer-(maybe too subtle for the general common Cuban taste on the Valdeses of the world). Here she is as Moyna-(the second Willi recreating her suicide death in a rip current via wonderful renversees).

I remember when I had to ask what OP standed for... Does anyone remember the meaning of OT? ;) Maybe this scintillating subject deserves its own topic thread Oops!