Juliet

She has an autobiography, called Movement Never Lies. It is most inforrmative; if you cannot buy it, your library should certainly be able to obtain it for you to borrow.

Dear Kevin McK: Should've spent the money on Pharoah's Daughter rather than the Pied Piper....... give Cleopatra a run on the Egypt theme.... lots of special effects, (but please spare us any inflatable lotus blossoms!), kiddie corps, a whole line of coordinating stuff to make the marketing people go pitter-pat, you wouldn't have to do any of your own choreography , goddesses and divas are a lot more appealing these days than rats. Think of the possibilities! You could bring it to Washington instead of Nutcracker....we'd love it! [ 06-07-2001: Message edited by: Juliet ]

Dear Kevin McK: Should've spent the money on Pharoah's Daughter rather than the Pied Piper....... give Cleopatra a run on the Egypt theme.... lots of special effects, (but please spare us any inflatable lotus blossoms!), kiddie corps, a whole line of coordinating stuff to make the marketing people go pitter-pat, you wouldn't have to do any of your own choreography , goddesses and divas are a lot more appealing these days than rats. Think of the possibilities! You could bring it to Washington instead of Nutcracker....we'd love it! [ 06-07-2001: Message edited by: Juliet ]

Put away the darts, please. I think the decor and costumes in Rendezvous are cheerful and wonderful and effective and NOT neon or day-glo, or anything other than bright. The colour interplay is very well thought out and I thought they were most flattering. The changing colour of the sun was clever, and after that horrible rising sun in ABT Swan Lake, any Big Disc in the middle of the stage is going to be viewed with trepidation by me...... I thought Thais was superb. I thought the interplay of Cooper and Benjamin was sensitive--not sweaty and rapturous, just dramatic and expansive (well, as expansive as Ashton gets.) Costumes and lighting were beautiful and I really, really enjoyed it. I am not knowledgeable about Ashton, so I won't prose on about this and that....I have tried for years, through watching his ballets and reading about him, to gain a little knowledge, but evidently, I Don't Get It. I am very happy to see the company again and I thought the dancing was wonderful--light and beautifully articulated footwork, no flash and dash just for theatricality, just beautiful dancing.

I'm sorry--forgot to write about the Wien awards last week (I also assumed that it would come out in the paper, and I am sure it will, eventually!) Peter Boal: Distinguished Service Melissa Barak: Choreography Ben Griffiths & David Blumenfeld Ashlee Knapp & Megan Fairchild

Thank you so much for the review, Jeannie--I am looking forward to the performance tonight even more, now! Not being a M&A fan, I look forward to the dancers with great anticipation--I haven't seen Guillem in years. I share your feelings on the decor (not the Beaton costumes)--I think it is supposed to be a gilded cage, but I still don't care for it.

Melissa Barak's piece is moving into the NYCB repertory, according to Peter Martins, who made it official last night. I don't know if next season, or the following. Jennifer Dunning's review in the Times on Monday discussed it and my meagre two cents would be even more enthusiastic as to its beauty. I found it a lovely marriage of music and movement and classical technique. The dancers were all wonderful--she picked her cast, so presumably, wanted specific qualities in each one, and they delivered a very eloquent performance. I saw all three performances and found Saturday afternoon's to be the least invigorating--I truly think it was the jitters, as the cast was essentially the same as for the Gala on Monday. Performances on Saturday night were *really* go-get-em, and last night was exciting as well. I thought the choice of program pieces was also great--how can one not be happy after a performance of Napoli on a June evening???? [ 06-05-2001: Message edited by: Juliet ]

Scottie, sometimes there is only so much that is humanly possible.......

Welcome to the board, DDianne--it is so interesting to hear these things. A great many of us are very interested in ballet history--and recent history, while bringing us up short to realize that what WE remember is now "history," is no less valuable than that which is 100 years old. Please feel free to share thoughts, opinions, and reminiscences-- [ 05-27-2001: Message edited by: Juliet ]

Thank you all so, so, so much for writing about this! Wendy, I am so happy that you wee able to attend-- It is the one gala that I am very unhappy about missing--I hope all the people who were there on corporate expense accounts appreciated the love and talent in that house. I was also very happy to hear that the RBS will benefit from the proceeds... Thank you again--

I agree with you absolutely. I also know that when your director says that you will do the role and gives you two hours of rehearsal in which to learn it....well, you do the best with what you have. Two hours + seventeen years do not give one much chance for seasoning, no matter what ballet company you are with..... I am sure that she is well aware of the need for refining this role ;)

Got it--thank you so much!

Did ANYONE here go? Who has time to write and tell me how it was? Wendy Whelan did the first (Balanchine) Swan Lake of the season. Ashley Bouder was put into Firebird *as* Firebird at the last minute....

I *like* Beatrix and Dream...... However, I'd also like to hear reactions on this new Pied Piper. I was across the Plaza all weekend..... Considering the hype, I suspect that the costuming, sets, lighting, and extravaganza/attempts to impress were more notable than the dancing/choreography. Now I love extravaganza, and will travel many miles for it, but I'd rather see the POB purple parrots in Bayadere than pasteboard rats. I don't imagine that there was too much dancing, esp. for the women, who had Kingdom of the Shades on the program as well that evening. I'd really like to hear some more impressions--- ;)

Angel Corella. Well, just *look* at the guy..... He was charming, he was goofy, he was callow, he was sort of a rowdy with his friends, he was cheeky, he was a great show-off.......cute as all get-out with the megawatt smile and he was FABULOUS in the role. Even the not-too-bright aspect wasn't too obvious.....one could get an idea just why Swanhilda was atttracted to him.

I think the prettiest production done now is NYCB's. It looks like a children's picture book and is all-around tasty. I like some of the costumes from Vinogradov's Coppelia, but overall, it is too visually fussy. I have not seen the recent Australian Ballet video, so can't comment on that one--but most of the other ones I have seen are rather lackluster, including ABT's (but perhaps that is because I always *expect* that one to be wonderfully danced, even if the production looks tired.) Last time I saw it, it wasn't wonderfully danced, alas.... Has anyone seen Royal Ballet's recently? The pictures look wonderfully vibrant, but I've not seen it live....

I'm not sure that a life sized, animated cutie is "just dolls..." I think there is Something Else going on here..... aside from a vehicle for male dancers who want to move into character roles....although he certainly doesn't get to dance much.... Drosselmeyer's cousin.

As far as the score is concerned: yes. For the enjoyment it has given people: yes. Plot? Weeeeeeelllllll.......

Nothing to say he can't do both.... ;)

Hi-- If you have binoculars/opera glasses, I'd vote for the balcony. Merry Widow is not something that you need to see from the orchestra--however, try to get Balcony that is in the center, at least. I cannot believe that Dress Circle is sold out, as this is not a new production, but you can always try the box office at the last minute, as you may be in luck. Hope you have a great visit!!! Can't you do a City Ballet matinee and an ABT evening? Now THAT would be the norm...... have fun--

Perhaps I am mistaken. I have only seen her under a dozen times.......but I never associated her with girlishness. Of course, I don't think of Makarova that way, either. For me, it is not so much to do with body type, actually.....Of course there are dancers like Mukhamedov, who never, ever looked boyish, even when very young.

Unless we have seen two different dancers with the same name, Lucia Lacarra does not have a tiny, prepubescent build..... I think that trying to capture some of the lithe, vital aspects of youth is laudable, but I tend to prefer dancing with some of the maturity of character that one occasionally gains with age, or a variety of repertory. Especially in the case of men, I find a dancer who is not continually 17 vastly more interesting.... I find dancers' changing and developing portrayal of a role fascinating to watch....Julie Kent dancing Odette is vastly more interesting to watch now, as compared to ten years ago... Makarova did a passionate Juliet toward the end of her dancing career that was so much more moving simply because of the breadth and depth of experience she has gained in her life.... Fonteyn, of course, is a perfect example--her career was long and varied and is a grand illustration of development of roles, because she was able to dance for such a long time. I wish there weren't such a huge gap for the men--from Bluebird to Prince to Dr. Coppelius seems rather unfair.....

I have no complaints about seeing Hubbe everywhere....

You *are* silly. That was The Iguana. I'll check. I could have sworn it was the Bolshoi production......not important, really--

You're correct--it's five.....have no idea why I believed it was eight.... I still thought it was an unimaginative (first act) production--althugh I really enjoyed having the mime performed.