cubanmiamiboy

Yes, Marie-Antoinette is very much a supporting role in this. Speaking of Marie-Antoniette, there's a nice little detail in the movie where Diane Kruger (as M-A) stands near a famous, real-life portrait (or a high-grade facsimile, in any event) of the real Marie-Antoinette. Yes! ...and so you see the little resemblance of the chubby face of the real MA compared to the angular, model like features of Kruger. A miss, i think...

Alonso at 67. Definitely all about the persona.

I also saw "Les adieux à la reine". Marie Antoinette really comes as a supporting role, being the director's emphasis more in the way Mademoiselle Laborde-(Lea Seydoux)-watches and reacts, within her silent role as the Queen's reader, to all the drama and intrigues that take place inside the little city of Versailles and also a little scoop into the-(supposed)-lesbian relationship of Marie with Gabrielle de Polignac-(Virginie Ledoyen)- and the latter ultimate escape to Switzerland disguised as a chambermaid . A very entertaining film indeed.

The nice thing on a renversee is to see this beautiful circling properly done with the twisted body to it.

Zulma's step is a grand renversee. Usually the Zulmas I've seen just do it half way, with the leg no so bent, very quick and with the uper body really never getting into a deep twist. Also, after the renversee, the Cuban Zulma gets into a deep penchee on pointe, whereas others usually finish the step in arabesque.

BB, from what I've seen, I got to the conclusion that this was being done in NYC during the 40's and 50's, and highly probable after Toumanova, given what what we got from that that snippet of the pas from the Ballet Russes documentary, which clearly shows her getting into the position and rising on pointe and even jumping a couple of times before it gets cut out. Then I guess it kind of faded out during the 60's-(probably it proved to be too challenging unless you were a fierce technician)- and finally completely erased after the Soviet version was adopted by ABT post Baryshnikov. In Miami we get them from time to time when Suarez present the pas in her performances. Last time it was Hayna Gutierrez, fresh from defection, when she danced the whole ballet.

Oh, that's WAY intentional. Getting into a penchee on pointe from those sautees in arabesque while doing all that AFTER the fouettes must prove quite exhausting-(and then the ever present nightmare of falling on your face!). Actually the most of the ballerinas I've seen doing this just travel a bit and always keep their body into the arabesque position, sort of secure-(as in the next clip with Barbara Garcia). Only Rosario Suarez-(the divine "Charin")-could challenge Alonso by lowering her body, arms to her back, while still staring devilishly at Siegfried as if to put him on trance. She would then change into a spectacular pose into attitude derriere/cambre while laughing her heart out, all in pointe, BEFORE throwing herself into that series of pique turns and the killer final fish dive. Oh It was WONDERFUL! Not even Viengsay Valdes has ever surpassed what Alonso and Charin did with this feast of pyrotechnics... Incidentally, I want to mention I just saw a video of the pas-(from one of those PDD's compilations on VHS), danced by Lupe Serrano and Jacques d'Amboisse from around 1961, and she does a carbon copy of the choreo danced in Havana, including the sautees. The only substitution is that Serrano, just like Bessmertnova, doesn't go on pointe either. She does the whole traveling in flat feet. Barbara Garcia @ 6:05 Charin, @ 4:45

Babilee definitely goes at lenght about praising Lifar's beauty... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-uL10NCvw&list=UUE2E47z60O23-Z0Dd6zJKjA&index=5&feature=plcp

Oh, yes...B's Snow Scene, one of the most memorable "blanc" scenes EVAA!!

If you love this ballet as much as I do-(some days I second it only to Giselle...others I place them side by side)-and the divine Mme. Bessmertnova as myself also do,then you will enjoy this.

Going back five years on this thread, here's a comparisson of the step in question as performed by Alonso, compared to an easier version in flat position as performed by Bessmertnova. Alonso's at 3:00 Bessmertnova's at 8:50

In celebration of the centenary of the birth of controversial Cuban playwright Virgilio Piñera, the University of Miami's Jerry Herman Ring Theatre is currently launching a festival under the title "Absurd Celebration: The First International Festival of Virgilio Piñera’s Theatre". I've seen two of their five plays already, which have been produced by a combination of national and international companies and UM Department of Theatre Arts. Absurd Celebration has been chosen as the kick-off event for Taking Flight: The Year of the Humanities and the Arts at the University of Miami. Last Saturday I went to see "Aire Frío"-("Cold Air")-by the Cuban company Argos Teatro, directed by Carlos Celdrán. This is the story of the Romaguera family for a dazzling period of twenty years obsessed with their frustrations and dreams. The protagonist, Luz Marina, is struggling to make ends meet due to their family’s dire economic condition. Art, filial relationships, marital conflicts, and the heat, always the heat, are some elements of this play that, although written 50 years ago, continues to be relevant nowadays. Then, yesterday I went to see "El juego de Electra"- ("Electra’s Play") by Mephisto Teatro from Spain. Director Liuba Cid based this on Virgilio Piñera’s classic Electra Garrigó, the play that marks Cuba’s entrance to Modernism, Liuba Cid’s version brings to Miami a Cuban-Spanish cast of stars which included Strawberry and Chocolate’s Vladimir Cruz as Agamemnon and a very lovely and loved actress I remember from TV novelas back when I was a kid, and which I hadn't seen ever again, Yolanda Ruiz as Clitemnestra. Centered on the play’s classic myth, this version underscores seduction and the psychological, sociological and human depth of its main characters. The non-realist staging, however, is stylized by the avant-garde theatrical languages of Virgilio’s times. Will be back to report on the next three plays as I see them.

Interesting to see Suarez-(an exiled "black sheep")-sharing space side by side with Araujo, the ultra-conservative pro-Alonso iron lady.

About Mrs. Villella's resignation, this is what the last poster on the Herald page had to say... "The nail is in the coffin. Those that voted to fire world class Villela and replace him with unremarkable Lopez are emblematic of what makes Miami a Banana Republic".

Welcome Les Patineurs, Apollo, Div#15, and Soldier. Nice to see DQPDD and TPDD as pyrotechnic try outs-(Definitely Delgado/Panteado and Catoya/Rebello here). Apollo could be given to Reyes or Guerra. Even to Garcia-Rodriguez, which could be proven interesting as a black Apollo. Don't care too much for the Ratmansky, Taylor and Scarlett pieces. I don't like Duo Concertante and Slaughter bores me, but will try to "get" 'Dances" this time, so let's see. Still, the last program seems to be the weakest one. I don't know why are they repeating "Slaughter", and even pairing it with "Dances", a ballet which, like "Slaughter", has no technical attractions.

Nice, but......what on earth did Nureyev do with the orchestration, choreo and tempi...? The ballet drags to extents never seen before. I find it almost unrecognizable...

Is nice to see that both Carreno and Correa are still active around. I wish them the best.

Plus I like Delgado, but she is not enough of a bravura ballerina for Quiteria. She is better in the romantic roles like... La Sylphide Chopiniana Giselle Grand Pas de Quatre. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV7hCERM7Aw ...and the like.

Janet, the ballerina in the OP clip is Viengsay Valdes.

My mom is a fan. She has always included him with nostalgia in her series of names of the lost Americana-permeated society of her pre-Castro childhood/early adolescence. As per me, "Jack and the Bean Stalk" was one of my first films ever...

For me that's what galas performances are for. Who will get thru a night's series of PDD's if this kind of stuff is missing...? Not me...I've been thru too many boring ones where at one point I've started wondering what in hell am I doing there whatsoever. And even in a complete performance of DQ, I really don't expect too much of anything but a thrilling last act's PDD and maybe some good Espadas and toreadores-(trick-inflicted,showy moments as well...). Now, the real problem is, of course, when you have seen as much possible of the highest, thrilling technical level in a specified performer as Basilio or Quiteria. Then what...? You don't have too much of a Mad Scene to make up for it there....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D9faD0KVks

Edited; Just taking a quick look at the comments on his videos, and wow...such hate and animosity toward him. No wonder the little interest in staging his ballets-(aside from the general perception of their low qualities...) Anybody seen "Icare"...?

With that core strength, I bet she never fell of the balance beam.