BW

Revival time. B)

In some parts of the world their new seasons have already started - so it's time for a revival or two.

Many thanks for your responses - thank goodness for linking on the Internet.

Have you thought an email or calling campaign? There are email addresses on their website. We can't make it down for this run, but I am planning on a visit soon.

Thanks to NextStage's post in the Links forum here's an article that does talk a bit about the company's "Swan Lake" and its hopes for it... It's quite an interesting article as it really gives a good overview of PNB since Kent and Stowell made it their home. Leap to McCaw Hall by By R.M. Campbell,Seattle Post - Intelligencer And Helene, many thanks for your report - the details are wonderful. B)

I am finally reading Henning Kronstam: Portrait of a Danish Dancer by Alexandra Tomalonis. It's beautifully written. I will write more after I finish it.

Great comment Carbo! :grinning:

All right, I take it back - almost every word. :rolleyes: I did get the "satire" (thanks Alexandra that is the word I should have used, and I did think it was funny, however, I also felt that I have read so much of this type of thing in different reviews over the course of the last few years that it just was not that "fresh" an approach. It wore on me a bit. I suppose my negative reactions came upon the heels of Yet, she does then say "Nevertheless, they do reveal what he can do when working with a dancer at the top of the profession: they’re calling cards to his knowledge of ballet as a vocabulary and a craft." Ms. Aloff is a dance critic and I am not, nor could I ever be. Since I was not there, I really just should have kept my cyber mouth shut on this one. :giveup:

Thanks atm711 for putting into words some of my own reactions to reading Ms. Aloff's piece. I kept wondering if she was attempting to be "humorous" :angry: ? At times I almost felt as though I were reading a Molly Ivins' review. But then, of course, I've met Leigh and like him and perhaps am feeling "protective"?

Welcome to Ballet Alert's Ballet Talk, meliss83! I've taken the liberty of moving one of your posts about starting pointe to the Young Dancer's forum for ages 16-22 board. Be sure to look around at all of the forums and read the "About This Site" forum for some helpful hints, too. And if you haven't checked out Ballet Alert's main page, please do as it will give you a great overview of the site and all the different things that are available from "blogs" to subscriptions to two dance magazines, etc. I'm sure you'll find your way quickly and later on in the day you'll get some helpful responses! You also ought to check in and introduce yourself on the Welcome thread, as well.

Estelle, I truly had planned to attend and had it written on my calendar forever, but unfortunately we couldn't make it due to an illness. I'm so sorry Leigh! I had really been looking forward to going.

There has been of late, a number of posts about the companies that hire "tall" women ballet dancers... as well as the almost ad nauseum newspaper coverage of Ms. Anastasia V formerly of Bolshoi fame - in some small part supposedly due to her height. :rolleyes: I just figured since this forum is a bit slow that I'd revive this thread for some of the newcomers, or even the not so newcomers to comment upon, if they're so moved. I love to watch a tall male dancer on stage - is he not usually cast as "the danseur noble"? Is it type casting to suggest this...just as it might be type casting for a shorter male dancer to be cast as solely a spritely, puckish fellow or a jester? Just as certain companies tend towards certain female heights due to their corps is there this same correlation within the male corps of various ballet companies - or is it less so because they rarely have to perform en masse as, for example, the "shades" or the "swans", etc.?

Since the seasons have already begun in many places, I thought I would bump this topic back up in case it might come in handy.

These last couple of posts are all good examples of why, if you're visiting a new performance space, it's good to ask for seating tips! Thanks for giving such great descriptions!

Arak, you're not the only one out there who has this sort of experience - I had a similar one and posted on it last year or so - "Music in more than one ballet?" It's nice to know we're not crazy! Thanks Mel!

Hans, I'm with you - as long as that first ring isnt' too far back! B) I'd never experience sitting above until two summers ago at SPAC in Saratoga. We had "your" perfect seats - right, smack dab in the middle - for "Serenade" and I fell in love. Then this past spring at the NY State Theater, during Treefrog's ballet vacation to NYC, I joined Treefrog and Mr. Treefrog for an "All Robbins" night and we ended up in the 4th ring - which for those who may not know it - that's way up there! However, it was great - I don't think one could appreciate the patterns in several of the pieces if one had been down in the orchestera. Perhaps this is as good as any reason to vary one's seats, if possible? And Arak, thanks for finding this thread and posting - it's always wonderful to read another's perspective on these things!

Thanks Jack, it's nice to see the clip - and that's the closest I've come to seeing Apollo, yet. :rolleyes:

I took the "it depends" way out. Yes, it is "bad" since it tends to continue the stereotype of the whole ballerina thing, and even more specifically the Russian prima ballerina one. :yawn: Of course, I have to admit that I did get a few chuckles reading about it - the first time. Still, it can be looked at as an interesting example of the more "corporate" side of the ballet world with its Byzantine intrigue. Unfortunately the world of the arts is frought with this, just as the nonballet world is - theirs is just more colorful with larger than life characters such as Ms. Volochkova, whether it be thanks to her personna or her press agent. On the other hand, as many have noted, if she does go on tour as a guest performer I have no doubt that there'll be many new faces in the audience. And if her performance is really good, then all this will be good for ballet.

Thankfully in our neck of the woods it was much like Mel's, although we are on the coast. I'm sure that others may not have been so fortunate due to falling trees. Right now it's 70 degrees and blue skies are showing through.

Thanks to the all encompassing Links forum's coverage, I noted this article by Jerry Stein in the Cinncinati Post Ballet Director Resigns According to the article, Mr. Hills did help the ballet company during his brief stay. Apparently their current development director is acting in the interim, as they search for a new director. Just wondered if there might be any Cincinnati fans on the board who might have some comments or thoughts on this and the effects there might be on the company?

Thank you nysusan - although I know I've read about this somewhere, it's good to be reminded!

Thanks vrsfanatic - appreciate your continuing search! And how exciting to have gone to Japan and met Hideo Fukagawa!

I'm coming in a bit late to this discussion but was wondering if any of you knew of any videos that had Alexi Yudenich and Barbara Sandonato dancing together?

Has there ever been a break down of how many per country there are in ABT?

Thanks Alexandra! Too bad it just isn't in the cards for me to make it down there right now. Maybe down the line. If anyone reads anything or actually sees them at the Kennedy Center, I'd love to hear about more.