87Sigfried87

Welcome to this site!You are right to say that here the discussions are intelligent and polite,that's why i personally like it much more than other sites about ballet in which everybody starts quarreling and insulting everybody just for different points of view in ballet....should take a look at sites i've been...anyway,enjoy posting in here and talk us about SFB as i've never seen them....I'm just on the other side of the world:).

Thank You for the research.Maybe I should have used passionate then.Thank You for making this point clear.

Here it refers to passional as coming from the word "passion" meaning the passion of Christ.But it's strange because both terms come from the same word.And should have just a slight difference of meaning.Maybe passional is used only with the pure original sense of pathos as sufference and passionate about other feelings but it's a linguistic problem i can't solve.Maybe you know better then me how to use them.On my italian-english dictonary if I look for the equivalent of the italian word"passionale" they say both passional and passionate.I'm not english mothertongue so maybe it's just a mistake.:-)

Well no.Passionate gives me the impression that he has a great passion,but for himself,inside.Passional makes me think of someone who shows pathos when he's on stage and clearly makes it feel to the public.So the second meaning,atually. I don't remember in paintings what is the exact meaning of the word "Lyrism"....I remember the painting of an Italian author,Beato Angelico,to whom everybody refers as full of lyrism.Maybe it's the apollonian meaning you quoted.Nice and graceful forms....Don't know:-)

Lyrical usually means in ballet "passional",so if a dancer is very lyrical means he is very expressive. From the dictonary: "Lyrical=something that stimulates feelings.expressing strong personal feelings and thoughts". Also in jazz dance there is a style which is called "lyrical" that is made with very moving musics and is actually very passionate.

I can't watch a ballet as Swan Lake or Giselle without a deep interpretation.It gets really boring.It becomes flat and I'd fall asleep.I don't care if the dancer is gifted,has a good quality of movement,if he/she has no good acting skills..If it were only aestethics to count it would have been a sport like Gymnatics.Instead it's an art.And art is mainly expression of the self and not bare form.And then if there's a story behind it must be played properly or it becomes surreal and has no reason for existing.Imagine Kitri being melancholic as a Swan and a Giselle act 2 happy and vamp as Kitri.Who could appreciate that?It has no coherence at all.

As a young dancer I also feel left on my own and I've seen many times teachers tell their students to do a certain type of gesture even without telling them the meaning of it.It is very bad that in ballet academies there's not any sign of acting class,at least a mime class or any subject which can help you to be a better artist.Someone as an innate talent in performing,even if he/she has never studied acting.But many,many people are not used to express their feelings on a stage,also because in the case of ballet,you don't have the possibility to express yourself with the words.So it's harder! It's also true that they teach us to smile,and in few occasions to be superficially gloomy. Someone told me that only contamination will save ballet.Contamination with acting actually! I think this is fundamental!Maybe It's because i grew up with the interpretations of Alessandra Ferri or Baryshnikov...now i can't see any dramatic role without similar spirits and such huge performing skills.And this kind of superficial performances is more common than someone would think.And very very common at high levels and among ètoiles. Let's take the example of Manon,just to detach from Swan Lake.Diana Vishneva,Lucia Lacarra,Polina Semionova....big names,same superficiality...very flexible legs,very gifted bodies...but then? To get back to Swan Lake,I've unfortunately always seen sad "Siegfrieds" not for sure conforting Odette....only "Cry You-Cry me"princes going to "funerals".I was just wondering whether it is the real intent of the Choreography.Just to know how to behave if one day I'd get this role....Now it's up to you;-)

I have a question about Swan Lake that comes to my mind everytime I see the White swan PDD. The moment of the story in which this PDD is collocated should be the moment in which the Prince meets for the first time Odette and he's hooked and charmed by her beauty.Then Odette tells her sad story of prisoning under Rothbart's power.Why is every dancer who plays Siegfrid's role about to cry,looking very sad during this moment?If He's captured by her beauty and he's dancing the PDD,shouldn't he give the impression to be charmed and in love,even happy to dance with her one love,instead of having a funeral expression?Do they want to make us believe he's moved to tears by her story and does not feel happy of meeting such a beautiful girl?Is he so sensitive?It's not Giselle and she's not dead(yet)...I wouldn't like that it's just a stereotipied interpretation,as for me a dancer who's not perfectly in the role,does not deeply understand the story and what a single gesture expresses,he's not a good one. If there's a misunderstanding within what i say or i missed a passage please tell me.And if you have the right answer please give it to me.

Thanks:) I'd add only the Bayadère female variation at the wedding before her death and the golden Idol one.And from sleeping beauty the cats and the bluebird ones.

I have to make a distinction between variations that I like to dance and variations that I like to look at...let me see....What I like dancing is the fine elegant prince variations as Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Nutcracker.....even Apollon Musagète,as my style (they tell me so...)is quite elegant and graceful when I dance,and I love dramatic or sad roles and variations,as I can be more interpretative. What I like watching are instead the "braggers variations",let me name them so,as Diana and Acteon,Don Quixote,Le Corsaire,Bayadère,flames of Paris,Les Bourgeois that are pure masculine technique and are more "circus"(of course the nicknames are ironical!). Let me say that I love more male than female ones even if I recognize that female roles have peculiarities and a depth that I don't find in male ones,which I find sometimes superficial and just a nice frame of women.That's bad for us:( About female variations I love the white Swan (also the PDD!),Kitri(all of her ones),Sylphide,Esmeralda,grand pas classique.Then I like Carmen and Giselle not for a piece but for the role itself.

It's the same reason why the news on tv are mainly about bad facts happened...there's not much to say if something is likeable,nice and beautiful....;-)and dancers(and co.)are deemed to be very fussy and damn critical.Isn't it so?go on posting...

Normally not.Many of the beautiful and rare things that were recorded on VHS do not have a correspondant in dvd.Unfortunately I'd say.And It's impossible now to find them on VHS.An example? Roland Petit's "Carmen" with Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmaire.It was sold years ago on VHS and no more on DVD,at least not here in Italy.And then I'd say that POB is too publicized and I do not find these DVDs very interesting....always the same dancers and a part from some of them,almost unknown or not great,in my opinion.And Sylvie Guillem maybe is not part of these. I hope to get the chance to travel a little bit and to buy some dvds abroad,hoping they work with my player;-)

I am very puzzled to see that in the majority of cases,at least here in Italy,there are many ballets on dvd danced by almost unknown dancers,or by old big names of ballet like Fracci or Plisetskaya,which I really can't stand as too far from my idea of aesthetics in ballet nowadays.And on the other hand,It is impossible to find dvds of ballets danced by for example Malakhov,Semionova,Diana Vishneva and only one or two cases of ballets with great dancers like Corella,Stiefel if not in a Gala...And what about Sylvie Guillem?I haven't seen any sign of dvd with her dancing something,if not on the net;and It's not so easy to see her live on stage round here....I think this a missing occasion for everybody and I really can't understand the reason why the situation is so....any ideas?Maybe It's only an italian problem and maybe in the US or somewhere else It is different...

I'd like to get some opinions about pas de deux in general.I started loving them only when I started studying them at the ballet school.Before I thought they were boring and the man was just an unuseful "lifter" and stop.When I then began studying the pas de deux technique I suppose I discovered a whole new and amazing world.Now I love them and I think they are one of the topic moments in a ballet,on which to quote the ability,both technical and interpretative,of dancers.Now,in my opinion,the most moving and beautiful pas de deux is the "white swan pas de deux".It really gives me a vast range of emotions...and what about You?Do You like PDDs?which one is your favourite and which are the ones you really can't stand? I'm waiting for your answers;-) P.S. I didn't know where to post this so if You want to move it to a more appropriate forum It's no problem.

Noooo! I like that ballet so much!I admit that for the first act It is almost all pantomime,and It can be boring.But the story,the costumes,all those fairies strolling around the stage...make me dream!And then It's Balanchine...If the Aestethic sense had a name,It would be Balanchine's.All those beautiful portraits of ensemble He makes with the dancers on stage....It's superb!In anything He does.

I especially like that after Sylvie Guillem,the dancer's legs have raised a lot.I really can't stand watching old DVDs with Fracci with 90° penchés or developpés.Awful! Maybe It's because I like dancers with high legs,also on me.I love my 180° legs and I've always liked that on dancers,both females and males.And I'd say on male dancers It is even better!Someone thinks It is not a good thing because dance is not gymnatics,but aesthetically is wonderful to me.

I absolutely agree with You.These two,taken as a whole are terribly boring.Even if I've to say that I'm taking back my bad opinion about Manon.I have it on DVD,the one with Antony Dowell and Jennifer Penney.She is,in my opinion,inconsistent.With or without her on stage,It'd be the same.No sign of interpretation....nothing special technically...but the whole ballet,when You see it many times,and like a medicine:in little doses every day,It comes less boring and more digestible.

Oh I love Kilian(but Petit Mort that I find genial but boring...),Mats Ek(especially his Sleeping Beauty) but that's an enjoyable type of contemporary dance.Because It's very neo-classical,so You have an Aestethic of the movement,of the dancer and sometimes there's a story or something to follow. I don't like the contemporary that has the tendence to make dancers and movements get ugly,oppressive and exasperatedly dramatical.I mean,like "Sagre du Printemps" or........i don't know but I think You understand.The one with dancers wearing rags,skin headed with thick dark make up and exhasperating movements and sorrow.Can be nice once,but It really gets upsetting after 10 minutes of performance.And unfortunately this type of contemporary seems to be taking root in the dancing scene. The choice of music must also be well done or people will start sleeping on the seats.Instead It is really "In" nowadays to make performances on Bach or Mozart pieces,which I personally find repetitive and not for sure of impact on the audience. But tell me about what You find boring;-)

Usually dancers,and ballet fans do not usually find boring a ballet.But when It happens It means It is really really boring.In your own opinion,which ballet did You find boring when You saw it? I really can't stand Romeo&Juliet as a whole.If It's an extract ok.The whole becomes very boring,especially MacMillan's version.And then everything that's contemporary.I love to dance it,but to be watched,I admit It is boring when It's not a highly genial choreography. Now It's up to You.

Oh You're so so lucky!I love both NYC and Toronto.I went there 2 years ago,and they really stole my heart.Unfortunately,I didn't get the chance to see much about dancing in that occasion.I only saw a kind of festival there was in september with all the stands of the dance schools in NY and I could only see 2 or 3 little performances!I hope to come back soon and attend some sort of specialization course.I'd like it very much. Kisses

Mmmm........My favourite one is the one with Alessandra Ferri and Massimo murru.She is my favourite dancer.She has a great talent in perfectly wear the shoes of the character she has to represent.When She's on the stage,You don't see Alessandra,You see Giselle,a young peasant,innocent,at her first love,wondering about her man.And when She sees him,She's a shy little girl,embarassed and longing to stay with Albrecht.It's wonderful how She gives you all these feelings and make you understand for example that She's wondering what to say and what to do when She will meet him without speaking,if not with her body.I can't describe how well She can be Giselle.I hope You can get the chance to see the video.The couple is out of the world,really.Unfortunately She has given her last goodbye to the scene,as She's already 40 some....Everybody knows her,especially in the USA,for her partnership with Julio Bocca in what is defined her best role,"Romeo and Juliet".I'd say She's even better in Giselle and I can't forget her last ballet here at Scala:John Neumeier's "Lady of the Camelias".Perfect in partnership with Roberto Bolle.Also Carla Fracci's Giselle is perfect.And I have to say both Alessandra and Carla have their best roles in common.Sometimes You would confuse the two.But Fracci's Giselle It's in my opinion,old dance.I don't like those old videos with little arabesques,penchés at 90°.So I give you the advice to get the video of the Giselle I talked You about.

Thank You....I hope You will see me on a famous stage ehehehehhehe I've seen Guerra last January.He danced Diana and Acteon. Thanks also to Giannina.I'll for sure visit the other site. Kisses to all of You........and write write write!

Hello everybody! My name's Maximilian and I'm from Milan,Italy,the city of the world famous theatre "Alla Scala".I'm 19 y.o. and I am a ballet dancer.Now I've end the ballet school,after years of effort and frustration,but also many many satisfactions.I can see in front of my eyes me and my ballet school mates after the audition,crying for the stress we had accumulated and happy of being part of this new reality.Then,during the years,trying and trying jumps,turns and all the steps or the choreographies we had to learn and We were judged on.I remember us falling ass on the floor and laughing.....oh we had so much fun.And then,when the school was over,late every afternoon we went out together to go and eat all the candies We could at the closest bar.And then straight to the bus and the subway.And this was even more amazing!We danced on the bus,on the subways,doing pliés and splits on the benches at the station,without taking care of the astonished faces of the people aroud who maybe took us for fools ahahahha.No,It's not a movie!We were a really crazy class of dancers! Now it's all over.Some of us are already working,some have decided to take different specializations;some have even decided to stop ballet and doing hip hop or something else.Some instead are taking auditions to enter a contemporary school.2 of them are working with me in the company of an ex soloist of Scala and We are on tour with Apollon Musagète,Carmen and so on.... I'm happy that at least these 2 friends are gonna still stay with me for some time and that We're gonna share some more things. My future hopes are....well,by now to study for a year or two while working for this company,to improve the few things I need about technique and about contemporary dance,the one that I'd like to make professionally in the future. Why I joined the site?Actually,it's because of my love for English.I love the language and, as I don't have much time to study it in Italy nor to travel a lot abroad,I joined the site to practise It and to write about dancing,which is the first love:-) Well if You want to know something else about me.....write me!;-)

Carbro,you're a genius!ahahahahah!your despription is perfect!

Well I guess the best example is Nureyev's Sleeping Beauty,both male and female variations....It is really hard to follow the music and the steps in some variations....they're so quick and so virtuous,with continous little steps like batteries,ronds and small passages of the feet which sometimes give the the impression (and not only...)not to be musical at all,or at least you find it hard to find the connection between the steps and the music.For me it is crystal clearly visible the non musicality moments in its choreographies.And I'd add that the only company I've seen that can dance almost perfectly and more mucial possible such ballets is Opera of Paris here in Europe.Hope I've been clear enough.