cubanmiamiboy

Then there is of course the issue of the Stepanov notations. As the notations were being made, I wonder how involved was Petipa himself in the process, or if what was notated was to be only what he aproved. And correct me if I'm wrong but there is also the fact that some ballets and sequences were notated based on Gorsky's reworkings, so I assume that many steps and combinations didn't have to be produced necessarily by Petipa in order to be notated, as some pre and post Petipa's works are part of the collection,I assume. My point being...the fouettes could had been the work of either Legnani or someone else rather than Petipa.

There were interesting things that happened last night. I will probably go back tonight and will report later.

This issue remains a mistery to me,as the 32 fouettes are indeed notated in Stepanov, although this fact doesn't mean necessarily that Petipa was the originator, but the ballerina herself.

Another question about Legnani, which pop up in my head from another thread, would involve the mysterious beginnings of the 32 fouettees sequences. All accounts always makes her responsible for it in Petipa's Cinderella-(now sadly lost)-but I was/am always curious to know if that was her own idea or Petipa's, and how it translated later onto P's refurbishing of the SL ballroom act and its PDD.

Wow...her fouetees are better than Somova's...(at least those I've seen on video..)

You mean, so you can cut out and leave early, Cristian? Tsk, tsk. Yes, Sir...I could have beaten the traffick earlier. But Caldera stays, so Caldera will be so I can watch Apollo.

Thanks, BB, for the link... If only for the Second segment of the Third Part...( a melody I have in my car CD player at all times. Mr. T at his most sublime state!) What a lovely lady Miss S..."ME LIKE IT"...! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngGYf28Bgio

Edited:Double post

Starting tonight...and me going. LES PATINEURS (Ashton, Meyerbeer). PIAZZOLLA CALDERA (Taylor, Piazzolla) APOLLO (Balanchine, Stravinsky) Why didn't they dance this Caldera thing at the end...?

Tereshkina is indeed my favorite among the "new breed". Loved that. Enough of that "artistic choice" placebo...

Getting Mr. Jack Reed to talk about Madonna..? Wow. Good for me!

Oh, I'm not implying anything. I'm just quoting what I remember from her autobiography. She DID have indeed difficulty finding a job before Bejart took her. Yes, and...? Good for her! No one is anxious here-(or so I think). I'm just voicing my respectful opinion, and not a crazy one, if IMO. Again, I don't think Kaye particularly benefited from the repertoire change. She could be an isolated case, true, but one that occurred. I repeat myself. I never speak about a remake, but rather of an opening...an integration, an exploration and development of what they don't have enough... Last name is Alonso.

And I have a ticket for her concert already in November..!

Of course, the opposite also happens. How about that infamous courtain call where Lifar had to be pulled and hold back by fellow dancers so Markova could take her deserve applauses, which he was so eager to steal from her...?

I think this whole "Balanchinean dancer" issue has been there since day one. I am under the impression that some dancers didn't particularly bennefit from the initial switching from BT to NYCB. Sometimes I wonder if Kaye or Eglevsky ever did, and obviously others-(very few of them, I realize too..)-never considered the experimental trip. Alonso has always talked about it at times, mentioning that for her and Youskevitch there was no ballet career sans the classics, and so they stayed among the very few who didn't get attracted by the novelty. In modern times, I know that that was what happened to Sarabita...he always felt he was missing an important, integral part of his career by dancing only the MCB repertoire, and eventually left. But I also think of Balanchine's famous phrase of the "last summer butterflies", and look at City Ballet now and wonder if they somehow are going around in circles without making an upward spiral...

Right now my mind wanders in times and places..and videos, trying to guess who could had been an earlier case...

I wish I could ask the same dancer if he or she would give it up for good if the chance would be given... That's wonderful..!

Well, since she announced 3 new works and the Don Q, I'd expect that leaves us with about 6-7 other works that hopefully will be more Balanchine and less Duato. As for full-lengths, I'm with Bart in a preference for Balanchine's 'Midsummer'. It hasn't been mentioned yet that while the company could do a creditable 'Swan Lake' or 'Bayadere' or whatnot, and several of the principals would do a good to great job, these ballets don't always give the corps de ballet and soloists a great deal to do, particularly the men. Dancers who are used to the vigors of 'Square Dance' and 'Concerto Barocco' may be disapointed with being restricted to a mazurka in character shoes for an entire program. One has to wonder if this is a consideration against doing full lengths as well. All I know is that in the long run,the absence-(or scarce use)- of not only SL, but of the classical repertoire in general goes only one way: in detriment of a dancer's professional development, a company's proper understanding of the art form, the audience's rightfully exposure to the XIX Century masterpieces and the ultimate survival of the works. Sometimes I wonder if our Principals would be able to survive outside the Balanchine repertoire would they be placed somewhere else. Both Farrell's life after City Ballet and Kirkland's decision to leave come to mind. I seem to remember reading in Farrell's book she had difficulty placing herself post Mr. B, and Kirkland seemed to had been thinking ahead...

I saw it every time Alonso made it onstage during the early 90's, completely blind and just for the heck of it. The focus of all her great partners of those times was basically to walk thru this old dame and make sure there were not embarrassing moments. The audience was always very aware and appreciative of the guys efforts, as I remember. When the thing was over a feeling of generalized relief could be palpated on the air. The great bravos were both for the legend and for the great guys that had carried such task. More recently, I witnessed a beautiful act of solidarity and partnership embodied by Jose Manuel Carreno, when he graciously came over to support his senior peer, a technically diminished Dagmar Moradillos in her retirement's Giselle. Toward the end, while leaping into the wings, he injured himself, for which Moradillos had to carry the final segment holding a non existent Albrecht on the floor by herself and inventing solo dancing sequences-(including the iconic supported sautees in arabesque). Then the miracle happened...at the very end of the ballet Carreno reappeared onstage just to carry Moradillos in his arms and back to the grave. Just as I write this I get emotional, for which he was obviously in great pain, and still was there for her.

Wynwood is a neighborhood that was formerly composed of warehouses, all very ugly and dangerous. For the past 15 years all this warehouses have been slowly converted into art studios, art galleries, trendy boutiques, expensive restaurants, clubs and modern furniture stores. Artists have moved there also, and now is becoming a very expensive and chic neighborhood, still surrounded by dangerous Overtown though.

I share with you your feelings on Mme. Bessmertnova, anin. Her video of Raymonda, even being as she was there way past her prime, is a revelation of knowledge of the style. Her head, her lowered eyes while dancing, the tilt of her neck and torso at times, and finally the completely lack of mannerisms and twiggy arms that one see nowadays so often, is something amazing. There you see a Ballerina, with capital B, not a mere ballet dancer, in completely control of her body and centered as few I've ever seen live or in video, in her role. She embodied an era that is sadly getting lost. The other day I was watching it again, and was amazed atthe similarities I see between her style and that of the older generation of Cuban ballerinas I still had the chance to see in Cuba back in the late 80's,early 90's, all way pass her prime also.

True, bart, but that same reason is also the one for which many dancers have also left MCB, and others would not come. Don't we realize that MCB is also lacking an important style that is becoming not available-(using your same phrase)..? I'm not talking about a substitution at all. At the end,I'm glad I have what I have here,including a range of works I never knew before. But I really think that based on where the company is right now,and what their dancers have accomplished so far, it is time to take it to the next level. By now I'm positive it is not lack of funding the reason for which a full length SL-(or SB)- is not part of the repertoire, but rather a generalized feeling of inadequacy, which one can even smell in the posts of this board. I think it is time to conquer Petipa. (Ironically...don't we remember that Balanchine's masterpiece, THE ballet of his ballets, T&V, was the one the dancers had more difficulty getting thru...? Tu put it in bold...I feel that what everybody fears here ,both AD's and dancers, is the uber exposed technical side of Petipa, and let me also include Balanchine's own Aurora's Wedding, AKA "T&V", to which nothing I've seen of Mr.B comes close-( from the top of my head, Concerto Barocco, Ballet Imperial, Bourree Fantasque, Jewels and the like...). And then...why things like Tchaikovsky PDD are so avoided, and Sylvia PDD never performed...? Those are also Petipa for me. Bottom line...dancers at MCB are not being completely exposed to the high technical demands of what is the very bones of ballet.

Everything in this town is rather unusual.

I don't know too much about how classes and technique are directed and infused into dancers, but I always assumed that a ballet dancer, and more, Principal dancers, are already in full knowledge on how to perform the classic steps. Style is something different, and yes, I agree that proper coaching is essential. And again, I bring the subject on how excellent Cuban ballerinas from the golden era of the Cuban ballet are being totally ignored by our main ballet company, their talent and experience completely wasted around here, not ONE of them ever been part of the company staff, not ONE of them ever been brought to coach any of the few classics the company has staged, whereas Farrell, McBride and Verdy were brought in a more costly way to stage Jewels. That is a tragic reality, and is something that has always been voiced, in whispering, by balletomanes here. I don't think the company would have to make a huge, drastic change of direction, but rather an organic, healthy integration long overdue. And yes, if the company would have had a better vision, they would have better invested in a full length Swan Lake instead of the ultra costly, live band onstage, uber embarrassment Nightspot. And I don't think it would take years to stage it. The white acts are here already, and they did a great job. About the ballroom act, they have proven already via Coppelia that they can dance a Mazurka like the best Europeans. About the so seemed essential display of costly props and costumes, well...I grew up with old and less than luxurious productions, but hey...the joy of the wonderful dancing feast always made up for it. But perhaps this is a point that belongs to a completely different animal. Are we talking of the absolute necessity of costly productions to be able to see the classics, (in which that case Cuban ballet would be non existent) or are we implying that the classics have no reason to exist in some people's eyes due to politics...? Edited to add: Meanwhile, let's take a look at the two threads currently with more responses and excitement on this board: the Mariinsky tour and the ABT season . Both of them are being daily discussed, and ironicaly, the main recurrent subject on both have to do with the classics. Coincidence or fact...?